Chapter Thirty Eight: the Untold Stories of Sachiko's Stay in Suna
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto. Yes, that does suck for me.
A/N: This chapter is a series of flashbacks or stories that I didn't reveal earlier. It is after the Chunin Exams when she returns to Suna with the Sand Siblings. And yes, these are some of the memories that have returned to her.
Sachiko: Why are they untold stories? Why didn't you tell them earlier?
Author-sama: Because I was saving them for this chapter! And you're remembering all this!
Sachiko: Oh, I see!
Author-sama: Alright, here goes.
Saying Sorry
Upon arrival in Suna, Kankuro had asked Sachiko out to dinner. She had felt hesitant to accept his offer but had indeed accepted it nonetheless. She had been hesitant because of Kankuro's behavior in Konoha and Sachiko wasn't the type of girl to like a boy that pretended to be a bad boy. She wanted someone who would be himself around her, not try to get her attention by behaving foolishly.
Sachiko leisurely walked to the restaurant she had promised to meet Kankuro at. She had walked slowly because she was giving herself time in case she decided to bail out on him if she began to start to feel deterred enough. She frowned as she found herself standing in front of the restaurant. Apparently, she wasn't that deterred or she just didn't have it in her to blow him off. Sachiko sighed to herself, knowing it was far too late to turn back now. "And yet," she murmured as she turned around.
"Sachiko-san," called the voice of the person she had not wanted to see, "You're here."
Sachiko turned around, faked a smile, and returned the greeting, "Konbanwa Kankuro-kun…" She kept up her uneasy smile as he motioned for her to follow him to the restaurant. It wasn't too fancy but it was a nice place to eat, she had noted as they waited to be seated. She remained quiet up until they were seated at a corner table and Kankuro had started up a conversation.
"Sachiko-san," he said quietly, "The reason why I asked you here tonight was to apologize for the way I behaved in Konoha… I realize I was unlike myself and I was just trying to impress you because… well… you know." Waiting for him to continue, she nodded her head. "Gomen, Sachiko-san… I was upset because you didn't want to try us…"
"Kankuro-kun," Sachiko told him, sure of herself, "I forgive you… just… let's start over?"
"Hai," he agreed, "That would be great." Sachiko smiled at him, this time genuinely. She blushed slightly as Kankuro smiled back. There was nothing like saying sorry.
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Forgiveness was a funny thing. People can swear that they cannot possibly forgive someone but when the time comes to forgive, they do. Sachiko had been the same way. She had told herself she wouldn't forgive Kankuro for behaving the way he did back in Konoha and yet only a week ago she had forgiven him, and now she was on her eighth rendezvous with him. Kankuro and Sachiko had said to meet at Sachiko's new favorite palm tree. It was a nice quiet place they could enjoy some alone time at. As she stepped foot in the outskirts of Suna, she found Kankuro already at the palm tree, waiting. He gave her a big smile and a big wave to match as she approached him.
"I can't stay long," Kankuro said to her, "I have to help out with some construction plans for Konoha in ten minutes…" Sachiko nodded her head and smiled. Kankuro motioned for her to take a seat underneath the palm tree with him. "I've been thinking a lot," he began, "And I really want to take things slow with you and I but there's been something I've been dying to do…" He placed a hand against her cheek and caressed it. Sachiko had known this moment would be coming soon. She braced herself for impact as Kankuro's lips fell on hers. Sachiko had strongly hoped that the kiss would tell her that Kankuro was the one for her or was right for her if only for the moment but it had let her down. Kankuro had applied more pressure but the kiss felt average. She was almost certain he was feeling warmth on his end but she couldn't feel any on hers. Sachiko had tried and wanted so desperately for it to be more than a regular kiss but her feelings were her feelings and she couldn't force them into separate feelings that didn't exist.
Kankuro pulled away and grinned. "I'll have to catch you later Sachiko-san," he said to her as he walked back to the main roads of Suna, "We'll have dinner together or something." Sachiko could only nod as Kankuro disappeared into the rest of Suna.
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Gaara grimaced as he watched his brother and Sachiko greet one another underneath a palm tree Sachiko had newly selected to be her favorite. Sachiko and Kankuro had sat underneath the tree talking of pointless things. Gaara had felt his blood boil as Kankuro placed a hand on Sachiko's cheek. Kankuro had leaned into kiss Sachiko and Gaara could only spy on the two. His lip curled at the sight. Why did she like his brother so much? Why was it that Kankuro had been chosen to be loved by her? Gaara clenched his fists into angry weapons as he watched the scene take place.
The moment Kankuro went back to the main roads of Suna, Gaara decided to take action upon his impulses. He wasn't one to fight away his urges with sheer will power, he was one to encourage himself to act on his whims, and he would do exactly so.
The Essential Thing
The hairs on the back of Sachiko's neck stood up like the way a cat's does when it feels threatened. Not only had she felt a strange lust in the air, Chihoko had warned her. Sachiko could feel herself on edge as the lust grew closer. She could sense it approaching her at a slow rate. Whatever it was, was taking its time to get to her. Sachiko wasn't one to run away from such entities; she was one to embrace them and handle them head on. She rose up and stood her ground, waiting. Sabaku no Gaara came into view, walking to her. She had let her guard drop although Chihoko had warned her not to. Gaara had been changed for the better, hadn't he?
Gaara didn't so much as flinch as he pushed Sachiko up against the trunk of the palm tree. He had her pinned to the trunk of the palm with his strong hands. As Sachiko stared into his teal eyes, she could practically taste his mad lust. She would have quickly rid herself of him if it wasn't for the fact that his unwavering sand had held her hands firmly apart, restricting her from performing any hand seals to save her from the predicament. He placed his head in the nape of her neck, breathing in deeply.
Sachiko had never seen Gaara like this and was unsure of his intentions. She knew he had no desire or needs for such physical interaction and yet there he was. He moved his head out from the crook of her neck and moved it closer to her ear. She could feel his tongue suddenly lash out, lips taking in the lobe of her ear. He gave it a small bite and pulled it a little with his teeth. He removed his mouth from it and then allowed his tongue to lick her ear and nibble it somewhat. She felt her mouth fall open to gasp, but no sound came out. Sachiko was in painstaking shock and disbelief.
Gaara breathed hot air into her ear and then finally hissed, "Why is it you like my brother Kankuro so much?" Sachiko would have replied to this but found herself speechless. There was nothing she could say at the moment. Gaara applied more pressure to her throat, Sachiko gasping for air. He stared at her for a moment and began to lean into her until their noses were pressed against each other's.
"You always make me feel… In here," he murmured and then motioned to his heart, "You make me feel there and then you kiss Kankuro and make him feel here." He motioned to his lips as they turned into a snarl. Sachiko's tongue remained too paralyzed for words. Gaara's face pulled away slightly, giving distance between the two faces. Sachiko's nose almost felt relieved as soon as the pressure of his nose left it. His snarl faded into his usual stoic default. He breathed in and out a few times before speaking again.
"I want to feel the way Kankuro does when he touches you… kisses you… I want to feel," he spoke softly in a murmur, looking at her with hurt eyes. His free hand lifted to Sachiko's face but unlike Kankuro's caressing action; Gaara's hand was stiff upon her cheek. She could tell he was nervous but said nothing, words no longer mattered as he pulled closer to her. She felt his lips hesitantly sweep against hers. It was just a simple brush of the lips like a simple brush against a canvas but Sachiko had felt so much more with Gaara's small kiss than she had with Kankuro's. With Gaara she felt such a wanting, such a longing for some kind of feeling; some kind of love. She understood perfectly why he was doing what he was doing. Gaara had a lust for some kind of physical attraction with anyone. He had to feel loved, wanted, and needed. Sachiko had often lusted and desired the same things for herself.
Sabaku no Gaara's hand relaxed from her throat and fell to his side and the sand slowly slid back into his gourd. The hand on her cheek remained there as he looked deeply into Sachiko's eyes. He searched them for the same look she gave Kankuro. He couldn't find it. He could see she was much too stunned for the moment. He felt himself begin to draw away from her slowly. Maybe he should have tried again but he had already acted on enough impulses for the day.
He disappeared in a puff of smoke before her eyes.
Better Off Alone
Sand grains flew through the air, materializing Gaara as he reappeared on the roof of Sand Castle. He sat in the darkest corner of the roof he could find, seeking comfort in the shadows. He sighed, celebrating his solitude. So many thoughts were racing through his mind and he could only sigh in an attempt to clear the cluster of thoughts. He looked down from Sand Castle to see the place he had grown up in. His childhood had been fraught with pain and hurt, and now that he was older, he was yet to leave it all behind. A pale hand pulled a canteen of water from his belt and slowly poured its contents onto the roof until it formed a reflective puddle. He gazed at his own reflection, wondering why it was that no one could love him.
He stared bitterly into his reflection until it was too much for him. He lunged at the puddle with his sand and soaked it up like a sponge. He wouldn't have to stare at his own image any longer. He didn't need his reflection or any sort of companion right now.
"Why did I do that," Gaara demanded from himself, "Why did I allow myself to feel?" He was referring to the kiss he had stolen from Sachiko. He couldn't come up with any reasons for his actions other than his being lustful. All he wanted was to feel the way Kankuro did. Sachiko was constantly making Gaara feel emotions he didn't desire to feel. Gaara wanted to feel physically this time. He wanted to know what it was like and he felt disgusted with himself for it. "You are better off alone," he told himself quietly.
He began to pant as he recalled all the lessons learned from Naruto, the boy with a demon. Naruto felt so strongly for his friends and it gave him strength whereas Gaara felt for no one and was weak. Perhaps wanting to feel wasn't so much of a weakness? Gaara shook his head, perplexed and lost.
Pure Intuition
The palm tree provided great relief from the sun but little relief of the thoughts that plagued her mind. Sachiko couldn't understand what she was feeling at the moment as if numb from the incident. So much had been happening to her and she had been attacking life so rapidly. Now that she had a moment to slow down and realize what was what, she became confused and scared. Sachiko had told herself to give Kankuro a chance and she had. She and Kankuro had been dating a little and she had thought herself to be enjoying it. Sachiko had thought her and Kankuro would make it through yet the moment she kissed him; it was nothing to her. And then Gaara had given her such a simple and undemanding kiss. Unlike Kankuro, Gaara didn't demand it to be returned. He demanded something else entirely; love. The moment Gaara's lips had touched hers she had felt a strong connection as if she felt right in kissing him.
"Love is only pain disguised as a kiss," she muttered to herself. Sachiko sighed loudly, allowing herself to lie in the sand motionlessly.
"And what are your thoughts Chihoko?"
"Intuition has always been a woman's guide… Think of me as your intuition."
"Fine… shoot."
"Kankuro is not for you. Give up on him."
"Then who is? Gaara? I doubt that… No one is for me, I guess."
"You've been wanting each other since before you arrived in Suna."
"What do you mean? We didn't even know each other… And I couldn't stand him when I met him… We hate each other… he tried to kill me… multiple times!"
"You both were in search of something you thought you couldn't have. You found it and you are both ignoring it."
"No… we are just similar… there's been no attraction."
"He will still want you even after you are gone."
"Whatever you stupid kitty," Sachiko growled as she squirmed a bit. She could at least try to ignore the cat but Sachiko was finding a hard time ignoring her feelings. She couldn't stop thinking of Gaara as she lay there underneath the palm. Her heart was pounding ferociously like a tiger within her ribcage. It would soon claw its way out, she knew.
Kremlin Dusk
Night had fallen upon Suna so suddenly that evening. Sachiko was grateful to the night for masking her appearance. She didn't want to be found that evening. She had thought over many things in her head, argued with Chihoko, and would continue to think things over. She would come to her conclusion on the wall of Suna. She had sat there before when she had wanted to get away from everything. Though she loved to sit underneath palm trees on the outskirts of Suna, the walls of Suna's borders was a place where she could be by herself. She sighed into the night as she perched atop Suna's borders. She positioned herself to a comfortable sitting position and allowed her legs to dangle carelessly over the edge, unafraid to fall. A black bird flew to the Suna wall, landing by her. The Raven cocked his head to the side, staring at her.
The Raven was a creature that forever followed her; a creature of torment. The Raven was her darkness, the darkness that forever haunted those that had demons. It was an embracing shadow; a shadow that brought them to the darkness that they lived and dwelled in. It was total damnation before death. The Raven condemned the demon vessels to a life of pure loneliness and sorrow. The Raven brought on the Kremlin Dusk and the Kremlin Dusk brought on the pain and the hurt that her heart could never forget.
"All alone," she said to the Raven, "I was searching for my love… a love that could be my own…" She glared to the blasted bird that condemned her to this life she led. "You are to blame, Dear Raven." Unknowingly, Sachiko's hands began to perform hand seals. She gazed at her hands in awe. She pointed her fingers straight to the sky and then aimed them at the Raven. Lightning struck the bird straight in the chest, piercing its own black heart. The Raven fell over to a burnt crisp on the side of the Suna wall. "Nevermore will the Raven come to bother me again."
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Gaara was restless that night like he was every other night since the night he was born. He laid himself out across the roof and stared up at the sky. He rarely allowed himself to lie on his back but that night he had made an exception. He believed he could sort the mess of his thoughts out by doing so. His life wasn't a happy little tale you could just pull out of a story book. There was always something getting in his way to make him miserable but this night there was one thing that had made a great difference.
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Sachiko had long left the Suna wall once the day light had completely faded from the night. She would have to go back to Sand Castle otherwise the others might have gotten frantic for her. She and Kankuro were supposed to be having dinner but she had bailed out on him. She bit her lip as she set foot in the entrance of Sand Castle. She found Kankuro sitting out there with his puppet Karasu. She smiled at him apologetically but he made no effort to return it. She stopped in front of him and waited for him to say something.
"I waited for you," he said to her without looking up, "If you didn't want to stay with me you could have just said something…" She looked at him questioningly as he began to look into her eyes. "Don't worry about it Sachiko-san," he told her with a smile, "Don't worry about it." Sachiko wasn't sure of his intentions and so she waited for him to say more. "We are better off going our separate ways… No hard feelings." She nodded at him, whispering an apology. "Better get to bed," he said as he stood up with Karasu and took off for his room. Sachiko bit her lip, feeling a tad guiltier than she had. She didn't think Kankuro would take things so hard but Kankuro was right; they were better off going their separate ways once and for all.
She nodded, as if to accept all this as she walked into the courtyard of Sand Castle. She would be leaving Sand in one more week. She felt almost relieved to be leaving. It was time for the fantasy to end. She blew a puff of air from her lips to hit her bangs in an effort to move them out of her eyes as she walked on in the courtyard. She decided to try the maze that night. It was lit by small torches as she entered the maze. She ran through it, loving the feeling of fleeing somewhere. She came across a dead end and turned back. After what seemed like countless minutes of wandering, she found another dead end. She gave up on the maze for the moment and sat down, wondering what Gaara was doing and thinking. She wondered how the kiss had affected him, if it had affected him at all. "I'm going nowhere and I'm going to take my time," she told herself, confident of her words.
Rooftops
Gazing from the roof, Gaara saw Sachiko sitting at a dead end in the maze. He was curious as to what she was doing there. Gaara tried hard to fight his urge to go to her but in the end, lost. He reappeared in front of the maze's entrance and entered. He knew the maze well. He had always had a bird's eye view of it from his usual spot on the roof. He could remember every corner, twist, turn, and dead end. It was only a matter of a few minutes before he found the turn to the dead end Sachiko had been sitting at. He breathed in heavily and released the air through his nostrils.
Sachiko was poking at the dirt with a stick, scribbling insignificant things. She was very much unaware of his presence, or so it seemed. "Konbanwa," she murmured to him as he approached her quietly, a stalker of the night.
"Hn," he grunted in return as he continued to walk toward her. He finally found himself standing next to her but decided not to sit on the floor. He remained standing as he watched her poke her stick into the ground in a meaningless way.
"You like the rooftop don't you?" she asked him in a small murmur but they both knew it was a rhetorical question and still he made no attempt to reply, a sign for her to persist. "I've been waiting for you… I… was thinking a lot too…" No sound came from his lips as she stared up at him. "Kankuro and I decided it wasn't going to work out," she said to him, "But I'm not really upset over it. Funny how things change…" She took hold of her stick and carved the kanji for love into the ground next to what she was previously doodling, the kanji hate. "Why did you kiss me," she asked him suddenly, throwing the stick down on the ground.
He felt his body go stiff as a board. He wasn't sure how to reply to such a question. He couldn't lie his way around it and silence wouldn't help either. He cleared his throat to give himself some air. "I wanted to feel."
Sachiko looked up at him with a smile, nodding. "I understand," she said to him, "I want to feel too…" She stood up slowly, wiping the dirt from her hands on the sides of her legs. She searched deeply into the sea of his eyes to look for some kind of sign. "I never… felt like that before," she finally said to him, "I mean when you kissed me… I felt… complete." She began to laugh a bit from her nervousness. "I'm rambling," she said, "I better get to bed. Konbanwa Gaara-sama…" She gave him a friendly smile and performed the usual set of hand seals. A small cloud appeared underneath her feet and liberated her from the maze, taking her to her room. Gaara could only stare after her.
"What are you doing?"
"There's that saying Chihoko… If you find something beautiful… let it go and if it comes back to you, you can keep it."
"Humans are too complicated."
"Well humans can't always act on impulses like you do, dear demon cat."
"Hmph."
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Temari had made an unexpected appearance in Sachiko's room that morning. She had both hands on her hips; this meant serious business. Sachiko groaned, knowing Temari probably had something awful planned for her. She sat up in her bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Temari began to tap her foot, a smirk on her face.
"Nani, Temari-chan," Sachiko asked her as she stretched her arms out, yawning.
"Sachiko-san," Temari said with firmness in her voice, "Get dressed… We are going shopping."
"Shopping?" Now Sachiko was really confused. Temari had never invited her to go shopping with her. Temari usually went off with some of her gossiping friends and left Sachiko to spend the days alone or with Kankuro. Temari hadn't really made an effort to bond with her since the day Sachiko arrived in Suna. Temari always had tried to do things in spite of Sachiko. She was never nice like this.
"Let me put it this way," Temari told her, "You're my last resort before Kankuro. I really don't want to go shopping with my brother so that puts you ahead of him."
"Go with Gaara," Sachiko joked as she buried her face in the pillow.
"Tch." Temari scowled as Sachiko threw a cover over herself. The blonde wasn't going to take this insubordination. She would take action. She would force Sachiko to go shopping with her, even if it meant dragging her out of the bed in her pajamas. "Sachiko-san… you have to go with me. Rina-chan and her parents are visiting a sick aunt in Desert Town, Geiko-chan and her sister are both sick with the flu, and Chinami-chan is upset with me because she thinks I was flirting with her boyfriend!"
"Did you flirt with her boyfriend," asked Sachiko, voice slightly muffled by the pillow.
Temari threw off the blanket from Sachiko saying, "Yeah, but she can't prove that!" Sachiko rolled her eyes into the pillow, Temari attempting to pull it away from her. Once Temari dug her nails in it she was able to toss the pillow across the room.
"Leave me alone," Sachiko whined as she stuck her face into the bed, "I have no more spending money… just for necessities."
"I have money," Temari offered, "I'll buy you a few things…"
Sachiko looked up, awestruck. Was Temari being nice? "Fine," Sachiko said as she sat up, "I'll get ready and meet you in the courtyard when I'm done."
"You have ten minutes," Temari told as she began to walk out the door, "If you're not ready by then or you're tricking me… I'll drag you to Suna's shopping center by your pretty little hair." Sachiko stuck her tongue out at Temari once her back was turned along with a dirty look. She wasn't really going bananas over the idea of sharing shopping time with Temari but she did have to get out of the house that day.
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Sachiko almost slapped herself for allowing Temari to parade around Suna's shopping center. Temari refused to stop anywhere Sachiko had wanted to go. Temari had forced Sachiko to carry all her bags, including Temari's purse. She began to wonder if Temari ever did this to any of her usual shopping partners and if she did, maybe that's why they all bailed out on her that day. Sachiko scowled as Temari loaded her down with another bag.
"I'm beginning to think that this is the only reason why you made me go with you," Sachiko whined as an object began to fall. She caught it on the tip of her toe by pinpointing her chakra there, causing the object to stick. "Really Temari… I'm going to leave. You promised to let me shop…"
"All you do is whine," Temari said agitatedly, "Can't you do that cloud thing and carry the stuff?"
"I could," grunted Sachiko, "But my hands are too full at the moment."
"Well put the stuff down," Temari told her as if the answer were obvious. Sachiko gave her a dirty look as she set the objects down, blowing a puff of air at her bangs to move them out of her eyes. After some hand seals, a large cloud began to lift all of Temari's purchases into the air. "Now what store would you like to go to?"
"I want to go to that one," Sachiko replied as she pointed to a store with stuffed animals and kid toys.
Temari's face scrunched into a disgusted look but she replaced it with a forced smile. "Sure," she said, "We can go into that one." Sachiko grinned as the cloud of Temari's purchases followed them into the store. Sachiko hadn't really wanted to go into the store but she wanted Temari to pay for making her the shopping donkey and hauling all of her things.
Sachiko had forced Temari to stay with her in the shop for a good fifteen minutes until she said, "Alright… Let's go to the store I really wanted to go to." Temari raised an eyebrow as if to question her. "I did it to get back at you," Sachiko told her with a shrug.
"Vengeful," Temari said with a laugh, "I never expected that from you… You know, you're not so bad Sachiko-san."
"Wish I could say the same," Sachiko replied with a grin as she walked into a salon. The salon had a small store attached to it that sold many fashionable hair pieces. Sachiko had walked by before and seen some hair ties she'd love to have for her two pigtails.
"Pick out some hair pieces," said Temari, "I'll buy the ones you like and you can get your hair done differently than those pigtails… You can try a new hair style for the day because we're going to go out to dinner." She gave Sachiko a genuine smile and said, "It's the least I could do for you… I know I haven't been the nicest to you."
"Arigato," Sachiko said with a bow, "Temari-chan." Temari smiled as she gave her nod and then went off to look for her own hair care products. Sachiko picked herself out a lovely comb and a piece with hanging flowers and small beads that resembled pearls. She excitedly ran to Temari to show her.
"Let's get your hair done now," Temari said as she began to guide Sachiko to a hair stylist. "This is Kimiko-san," Temari informed Sachiko, "She is a genius when it comes to hair." She turned toward Kimiko and greeted her. She introduced Sachiko and Kimiko to one another and then said, "Kimiko-san please fix up Sachiko-chan's hair."
Kimiko smiled widely, nodded, and bowed. She took Sachiko by her shoulders and led her away to wash her hair. Temari found another stylist to do her hair as well. Sachiko had looked over at her nervously as Kimiko worked her hair into a lather. Temari gave her a wink as if to tell her not to worry; all would be taken care of.
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Feathers flew into the air as pillows smacked against each other. Two kunoichi bounced around the room like hyperactive children. One kunoichi had been wise enough to choose the higher ground and stood on the bed. The other kunoichi had been less fortunate and found herself stuck on the ground. She gave herself some distance between the ninja on the higher ground and formed various hand seals. A cloud gave Sachiko the same advantage as Temari as it lifted her to the same level.
"No fair," cried Temari, "You're using your ninjutsu!" Sachiko grinned in return to this and smacked Temari on the head with her pillow, sending another flurry of feathers into the air. Temari took hold of her fan and opened it up to the first moon. Wind began to rush multiple pillows at Sachiko. Sachiko grabbed some of them and thrust them toward Temari. Temari dropped her fan and began to lose her balance on the bed. Sachiko lunged for her with a pillow in hand. The pillow swept across Temari's face successfully. "You win," Temari shouted, "You win!!" The two girls began to laugh as feathers began to fall and cover them.
"I didn't think," Sachiko breathed out heavily, trying to catch her breath, "That it would be fun to hang out with you."
"Me neither," admitted Temari, "I never really bothered to be nice though did I?"
Sachiko shook her head. "You were always too busy for me…"
"I was wasn't I?" Temari pursed her lips for a moment, but they soon formed a smile. "Well let's have that girl talk we missed out on, okay?" Sachiko nodded her head. Sachiko enjoyed having Temari as a friend rather than an enemy.
Say Goodbye
Sachiko sluggishly gathered her things. Her fingers traced over her Cloud headband. That was something she would leave behind. It wasn't something she wanted to keep because she knew she wouldn't be returning home. She wasn't too sure where she would go to but anywhere would be better than Cloud. Sachiko had only a small backpack of her things. She wrapped up her new hair pieces Temari had bought for her and carefully placed them in her pack. Sachiko grabbed her headband and went into Gaara's room. She knew he wouldn't be there at the moment. In fact, Gaara rarely went into his own room. She opened up one of the drawers to a nightstand that was next to the bed he never slept in. She folded the headband up neatly and placed it in there. Gaara could do with it what he wanted. She didn't care to keep it herself and she didn't want to leave it in her room. She knew Gaara would most likely never open the drawer and never find it. That was Sachiko's way of leaving something behind for him without him knowing it. She smiled as she exited the room, carefully shutting the door behind her.
She was to meet the two Sand Siblings at the gate of Suna. She set out for the gate on foot and found herself there within only fifteen minutes. It wasn't that long of a distance but Sachiko had walked slowly in order to get a last glance at some of the places in Sand. She knew she was going to miss Suna as soon as she left but it was time for her to go. All good things must come to an end and this was no different. Sachiko smiled as the two Sand Siblings came into view.
"Ohayo," Sachiko called to them as she walked toward them.
"Ohayo," both said as she approached them.
"I'm going to miss you two a lot," Sachiko admitted to the siblings. She hesitantly offered Kankuro a hug and then Temari. "Thank you for taking such good care of me… I hope we'll see each other again."
"We will," Kankuro told her, "I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the next Raikage."
Sachiko laughed, "I did say that when I first came here didn't I? Its funny how dreams change and plans are altered…"
"Well that's okay," said Temari, assuring her, "You discover who you really are and things will always change. You just have to accept these changes."
Sachiko nodded and smiled to Temari. "I also want to thank you two for your friendship… It means a lot to me… and I appreciate it. Friends… I never had any until I came here."
"You'll always have friends in Sand," Kankuro said with a smile, "Good luck on your trip home."
"Yes," Temari agreed, "We're always here for you… Good luck."
"Arigato," Sachiko told them as she began to walk toward the desert, "Someday… I'll have to come back… Goodbye." She took a deep breath and embarked on her journey. She had been a little sad that Gaara hadn't gone to see her off but she wasn't surprised. The two hadn't spoken for the remainder of her stay in Suna. He had expertly managed to avoid her.
"Looks like you're something beautiful let you go," Chihoko hissed in Sachiko's mind, breaking into her hysterical cackling.
"You never have anything nice to say these days, do you?" Sachiko scowled at the cat inside her mind. She looked out to the sand dunes and imagined her village just behind them. "I don't want to go back…"
"You shouldn't… they hate you over there and they'll only try to kill you. Go somewhere else."
"Where?"
The cat seemed to shrug inside her mind and said, "Any way the wind blows… Follow it."
A mysterious smile formed on Sachiko's lips. She began to work her way up a sand dune, allowing the wind to push her in a direction. "I'm not going home," she murmured cheerily as the wind pressed up against her.
"Where are you going," asked the voice of the person that hadn't gone to see her off. Sachiko turned to face Sabaku no Gaara. He stood there, on the dune, waiting for an answer.
She had been caught and mentally smacked herself in the head. She should have never said what she had said out loud. She had no choice but to fib now. "Gaara-sama… I'm going home." He gave her a look as if to say he knew she was lying and so he ignored her answer by repeating the same question. Sachiko could feel the wind picking up and blowing at her. She looked off to the distance in the direction of the wind. "I'm not sure yet… Any way the wind blows."
Gaara gazed at her almost longingly as if he expected her to say something; anything. He stared at the sand at his feet. "And if Cloud sends word for you," he asked her in a soft voice.
Sachiko scowled at that. She hadn't meant the dirty look for him but she had meant it for her own village. Cloud hated her; her father hated her. She highly doubted they would ask about her whereabouts but Sachiko had once said that her father was a rash man and would declare war over any little thing. Sachiko breathed out a few times to calm herself and come up with an answer. "Tell them… I was killed," she finally said to Gaara. He said nothing and only stared at her, making her feel the need to continue. "They won't miss me… They'll be glad to hear it." Gaara gave her a nod and waited for more. Once she kept quiet he turned his back to her and began to walk back to Suna. Sachiko almost panicked as he walked away from her. She wanted to say so much to him but she knew it wasn't right of her to do but she could at least tell him goodbye. "Gaara-sama… matte," she murmured her plea. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, eyes expectantly looking at her. "Goodbye," Sachiko breathed lightly.
He blinked a few times before replying in his usual stoic manner, "Goodbye." Sachiko gazed into his teal eyes, where she found comfort. He returned her gaze, eyes locked onto hers. He finally found it; what he had been looking for. Sachiko used to look at his brother Kankuro so fondly. Now that Gaara was staring into her eyes, reading her thoughts nearly, he found that same look. She was giving Gaara the same fond gaze she had given Kankuro once, but somehow he felt it was stronger for himself at the moment. Gaara wanted to ask her to stay with him. If Sachiko stayed in Suna with Gaara she could give him that fond look everyday and that would make him content. Gaara opened his mouth to speak but couldn't bring himself to ask her to stay there with him. He closed his mouth and thought his words over in his head. "You're welcome in Suna… if you want to come back," he finally added in a hushed voice.
She nodded in return; it was a promise. He looked at her eagerly as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Arigato Gaara-sama." She turned away from him, unable to face him or say something more. She faced the direction the wind had been blowing her to; the direction of Konoha. She looked over her shoulder to see Gaara but he had already turned around and had continued his walk back to Suna. Sachiko bit her lip, watching him walk away. She faced forward, took a deep breath and walked on.
NARUTARDNARUTARDNARUTARDNARUTARD
A/N: Next excerpt is of Gaara four years later. It's his thoughts on Sachiko and whatnot. She's sixteen, he's seventeen now.
Waiting for the Sun/The Shadow of the Day
The Kazekage of Suna, Sabaku no Gaara, bitterly gazed out the window of his office. He looked to Suna's gate to find it empty of visitors, as usual. He had once followed the only person to make him feel anything since he was a small boy. A year had passed by so slowly for him. Then two more years passed by even slower but waiting can do that to a person. He was now in his fourth year of waiting. He had told himself that he would stop waiting for her and that that day was the last one. After the sun rose into the sky he would get on with his life. He had become Kazekage of Suna now and had other matters to attend to, including the fact that he was due to wed some girl handpicked by the Hokage. He wouldn't allow Sachiko to take up his time any longer. Gaara refused to torture himself any longer because all his waiting for her did was torture him. Sabaku no Gaara, the demon that only loved himself had once thought he could be something more than a monster.
After being betrayed by the only person he thought to have loved him, Gaara had turned his back on most of his emotions; including and especially love. Gaara closed his eyes as he remembered his past. His uncle Yashamaru had deceived him so viciously. His uncle had made Gaara believe that he was loved. Yashamaru was a liar and had hated him in secret. Yashamaru had approached him with explosive tags lit up, ready to detonate. Gaara's sand had protected him but Yashamaru had died in the process. Gaara had sworn never to trust anyone after that. How could he trust anyone after being betrayed like that?
It had been thirteen long years for Gaara but he had tried hard to forget old lessons learned and had since replaced them with new lessons taught by those similar to him. He learned that protecting loved ones could make you stronger in battle and not weaker like he had once thought so foolishly. Gaara had thought friends were a weakness and was yet to be proven wrong until Naruto. Gaara had tried to feel something for others. He wanted to feel so badly like other human beings do.
For the first time in his life, Gaara accepted Temari and Kankuro as family. That was hard for him to do but he had overcome that obstacle. His next obstacle had been Sachiko. He would overcome her today. Sachiko would either return to Suna before the sun came up and before his wife-to-be showed up to put his troubled mind at ease, or she would disappoint him forever, and prove that he couldn't be loved by anyone even his own kind. Gaara had felt so exhausted from the wait. It had drained everything out of him. That was the reason for Gaara deciding that once the sun came up he would no longer wait for her; no longer look for her to enter through Suna's gates.
Gaara sighed as light began to pour over the tallest of the sand dunes. Gaara was waiting for the sun. He was waiting for his answer; he was waiting to figure it out. He felt desperate as the sun began to peak out from the sand dunes. It was only a matter of time now. Gaara stared for countless minutes waiting, a burden on his heart growing with each passing second. He could feel the anger and disappointment wrenching away at his heart; eating at him slowly as the sun set itself into its thrown, the sky.
Gaara stared down at the windowsill. She didn't come back to him. He would wait for her no longer. The moment of truth was now over and she had failed to return to him. He closed both locks below the window and then closed the blinds. Gaara suddenly felt angry as he turned away, thinking that solutions were never so simple. Goodbye was sometimes the only way. Sachiko, as it seemed, was no different than Yashamaru. She led him to believe she felt for him and she had let him down in the end. Gaara growled to himself as he returned to his desk, a pile of unstamped paperwork waiting for him.
"The shadow of the day will always embrace my world in grey and the sun will set for you," he thought spitefully to himself as he unsheathed his Kazekage stamp and pressed it against the first sheet of a stack of fresh new paperwork. The heaping pile didn't seem as if it would go away any time soon. He sighed, attempting to resist the urge to look out the window one last time. There was always the possibility that maybe Sachiko was just a little late…
Gaara growled at himself as he stood up from his seat, hating that she had won again. He sauntered over to the windowsill to see four figures at the gates of Suna. Three were men but one was distinctly female. She resembled Sachiko and his heart ached, thinking for a moment that it could be her. He glanced at the time. He was supposed to meeting Kankuro and Temari in the courtyard but he couldn't unglue his eyes from the figure. He had some hope in his heart but shook it loose as he swung his gourd over his shoulder. He left his office, rushing to the courtyard. He knew that if it was her… If it was Sachiko… she would surely seek him out, at least, he could only hope such was the case. A cruel thought came to his mind. All that waiting she had made him do… He'd return the favor in some way.
A/N: Sachiko hurts Gaara more than anyone else ever had by not returning to Suna.
Sachiko: But it wasn't my fault! I lost my memory! I was living with Kakashi and Tsunade and they didn't tell me anything!
Author-sama: Yes, but he didn't know that and so he got angry with you.
Sachiko: Yeesh… It wasn't even my fault… Well readers… REVIEW because fate is a cruel thing!!!
Author-sama: (Rolls eyes) Fate isn't as cruel as you think… You got married to Gaara didn't you?
Sachiko: Yes, but with no memories of him whatsoever!!!
Author-sama: Temari was right… you do whine too much!