Keiko's POV
The sun was setting on the desert and when the sun set in the desert the temperature became as cold as the dead. I sat on the roof of my new home or prison whichever I would decide to call it and thought about my day and my past while playing with the sand. I thought about my outburst of anger and how my rage still lingered.
But I realized something as I played with the sand with my hands, picking it up and letting the wind blow it away in the twilight watching how it twirled and swirled with the wind as if the wind was its dance partner. I realized I wasn't angry; I was frightened because unlike the sand I was all alone. Before I had my village even though they despised me but now I had nothing.
The purple ribbon tied around my wrist also threated to fly away and join the wind but I clutched it tightly to my chest, this feeling was painful. It made me think of her and the feelings I thought I buried a long time ago. I looked at the purple ribbon which struggled in my hand to fly away. Even though it was just an article of clothing it was a precious memory from when I had everything and I wished I could go back to that time. But my memory felt like it was fading especially of her but if I concentrated hard enough I could almost hear her voice and see her face.
'You must hide them from the ….. because they will betray you' her ghost whispered ominously.
I sighed and wrapped the ribbon around my eyes. It was becoming harder and harder to remember why I had to wrap my eyes. The world was so full of colors sometimes I just wanted to see what others see. I collapsed back onto my coat snuggling into the soft fur layering the inside.
The temperature was beginning to plummet. Normally, the cold would chill me to the bones but the cold wind soothed my feverish body and my coat still provided me warmth. I had cleaned and redressed my wounds with fresh bandages but traveling to Suna without properly tending to my wounds caused them to get slightly infected. The wounds were healing and not as painful as previously but I would have to be careful not to reopen them.
As I laid on my stomach I began to listen to the city come to life and soon I felt myself drifting to sleep. It was different falling asleep here because at my old village I listened to pitter of rain hitting the roof but here I listened to the nightlife of Suna. It had been a long time since I slept but I couldn't sleep to soundly because I was sure this place was full of hidden dangers.
My last thoughts before sleep consumed me was the engagement announcement tomorrow. Then a strange thought occurred to me, I could run. Running away was always an option, I had no family left, nothing to hold me back. I could still fulfill my role as wife to the Kazekage but the Kazekage's wife could be accidently killed on a mission. I would be free and my role fulfilled. The word free was a strange word and the thought of it entertained my mind and it would even invade my dreams that night.
"Oi have you seen Keiko." Temari asked Kankuro.
"Mmhh….no… Did you check to see if she still in bed?" he replied in between sips of his coffee while reading the newspaper. "She probably locked herself inside her bedroom. I wouldn't be too worried, she'll come down when she's ready".
"I'm just worried, you know. We don't know much about her and the way yesterday ended. I just don't know. I'll just go check on her to see if she needs anything" Temari said.
Temari ended up at Gaara's and Keiko's bedroom door, she hesitated before finally knocking. After a few knocks and no responses she called out, "Keiko, it's me Temari. Is everything okay?". Still no response. She knew Gaara wasn't in there because he hardly used his bedroom, she couldn't even remember the last time he had.
After calling out a few more times and knocking Temari yelled out, "I'm opening the door, okay." When she opened the door she saw the room was empty. Nothing seemed out of place, even the bed appeared to be untouched, which worried her. What if something had happened to her.
She started to panic after checking the whole upstairs and started yelling, "Kankuro, Kankuro. She gone, she isn't here"
Temari yells startling Kankuro causing him to spill his coffee all over the newspaper he was reading and himself. And before he could let alone answer Temari and help her search for Keiko his younger brother, Gaara walked in.
"What is all this commotion?" he said his voice laced with annoyance. "The engagement announcement is a few hours away. Is she getting ready?"
"Well, your fiancé appears to be missing." Kankuro simple answered while grabbing a towel in an attempt to dry himself off.
"What?" this time anger was present in his voice.
Temari flew down the stairs. "She isn't here Kankuro, I just checked the whole upstairs." Then she looked at Gaara, "Keiko is missing have you seen her?"
"No" he responded, a scowl replacing his usual poker face.
"Well, if I were her I would have run away because you know your not very charming or a lady's man. Plus, she's stuck with you until the whole death do you part thing" Kankuro said with evident humor but he immediately regretted his words because Gaara was not amused by them. If looks could kill, Kankuro was sure he would be dead by now.
"She wouldn't dare." Gaara said.
Keiko's POV
I slept longer than I wanted to because the sun was already high in the sky, its rays bringing back the dreadful heat. I must have needed the sleep, but I was still exhausted. I would also need to eat soon too.
I kept hearing the sounds of multiply people yelling. I sat up somewhat curious since it woke me up but the heat was making me somewhat lazy and didn't feel like listening. I had a nagging feeling I had something to do but I couldn't recall what it was but if it was important I would remember.
Before I could contemplate what I was doing next sand lifted all around me, encasing me and crushing me. I started to panic, why didn't I notice anything? I felt so weak, my chakra was there but I couldn't reach it, which has never happened to me before. At that point in time all rational thoughts were gone and I began to struggle violently.
The sand lifted me from the roof and towards the ground, all the while crushing me and the more I struggled the tighter the sand became around me. I couldn't hear anything but the beating of my heart. My wounds began reopening on my back from my violent struggle with my attacker. I wanted to cry out in pain but I wouldn't give my attacker the pleasure of knowing I was in pain.
"What do you think you were doing?" he snarled his voice appearing to have ran out of patience a while ago. "The engagement announcement is in thirty minutes. Do you plan on causing me trouble?"
I stopped struggling and went very still, it was Gaara. Seconds went by before I remembered what he had said. The engagement announcement was today and I forgotten all about it. The sand gave me a very painful squeeze signaling to me he wanted his answer now. "No" I said.
"No what?" the sand gave me another squeeze but the sand didn't let up.
"Itttt.. wassss..n't… on..on pur…pose." I wheezed out. The sand eased up when another person yelled.
"Keiko" I heard
I was then able to finish "I wasn't trying to cause trouble." I never felt so pathetic and weak then I did in that moment. Answering to someone who was nothing to me, not friend, not family, or even lover.
"Enough, Gaara. Put her down." The person yelled again. I finally recognized the voice as Temari.
One moment I was suspended in the air the next I was falling to the ground. I landed on my back hard. I gasped from the impact and bit back a scream. I tried to get onto my feet immediately only to fall forward.
"Don't make me look for you again" and with that Gaara turned and walked away.
"Are you okay. Where were you" she asked while extending a hand to help me up.
"I'm fine." I replied. I ignored her offered hand and with a little difficultly got back on my feet. I didn't feel like talking. The pain was making it difficult to stand and walk let alone converse.
"I left your kimono for the engagement announcement in the living room. Do you need help putting it on" Temari yelled behind me; however, I kept walking never answer or acknowledging her.
Kankuro finally showed up out of breath. "I'm guessing you didn't find her but Gaara."
Temari responded "you guessed right" her voice losing her usually happy tone.
I touched the kimono, it was soft and silky. The only other time I had worn a kimono was when my clan offered me to Suna to be the wife of the Kazekage; however, I was not allowed to keep the kimono, it was taken back immediately after the councilmen departed that evening.
The kimono I had worn that day was colorful with beautiful flowers decorating the fabric. This would be the second time I be wearing a kimono and I was curious about what it looked like. I knew I shouldn't have but I removed the ribbon from my eyes and what I saw was a simple but elegant, grey kimono. It was not as fancy as the other one I had worn but it was still very beautiful.
After changing into the Kimono, I followed the sand siblings to the Kazekage's Tower. They both stole glances at me eventually, Temari spoke up, "you look nice" she said.
"Thanks" I replied and the rest of our walk was silent.
We ended up on the roof of the Kazekage's Tower, it would be where the announcement would be made. I stood to the left of Gaara and it was the last place I wanted to be and Temari and Kankuro stood off to the side of us. The two councilmen from Suna stood to Gaara's right and I recognized they were the same councilmen who visited my village that day. I despised both of them for accepting me as a suitable wife for their Kazekage.
My attention did not stay with them but drifted to the crowd below us, I believed the whole village was present. I could hear the murmurs of the crowd, everyone gossiping and talking about what the announcement could be. I heard some whispers in the crowd asking who I was. However, the pain emanating from my back drew my attention away from the crowd and back to my wounds.
The pain was intensifying; it was hard to think about anything else except for the painful throbs coming from my back. Although, I was able to drown out everyone's voices for a few minutes the use of my name and the cheer of the crowd pulled me back to reality.
"Kinjo-sama, will honor us with an age old ritual, a ritual proving she is most suitable to stand by our Kazekage's side."
'A ritual?'
"She will have a friendly sparing match with one of our own talented youths to gage her strength and spirit." Said the councilmen closet to Gaara. "The match will be held three hours from now in the Sand Arena and her opponent will be Rikimaru Yoko"
Another cheer and round of applause was given. Unlike the crowd I was not pleased by the announcement, my wounds had reopened making it difficult for me to stand and walk. Battling would only worsen my wounds but I had no choice.
I'm sure the councilmen wanted a show in order instead of a quick battle but I could not and would not indulge the old geezers today. The battle would be quick and clean.
Both stood in the center at the arena facing each other, Reiko dressed in the same strange outfit she showed up in, her opponent, Rikimaru Yoko stood opposite her in the arena honing the typically Suna ninja garb. Yoko smiled and waved to the crowd excitedly in a childish manner, her personality was the complete opposite of Reiko. Reiko on the other hand stood completely still awaiting the proctor's orders.
The crowd murmured excitedly in the seats above, events such as these were rare. Gaara and the councilmen spectated from a designated sitting area while Temari and Kankuro stood behind Gaara with worried looks. Both had extremely bad feelings about the battle.
The proctor began "Today we are gathered for the battle between Kinjo Reiko and Rikimaru Yoko. The rules are simple, the first rule the battle ends when one person has lost the will to fight or can no longer fight. The second rule anything goes as long as it stays inside the arena. The third rule is there is no third rule. And the battle may start." And the proctor disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Back at the spectator booth with Gaara, Temari and Kankuro several things were being discussed about the battle. "Rikimaru Yoko?" Temari said in a questioning way.
"She is a special jounin, she's part of the interrogation unit" replied a confused Kankuro. He was unsure why they would match Keiko with a shinobi from the interrogation unit and probed Gaara for more information, "Gaara, what exactly is her specialty?"
"Her specialization is fear." Gaara stated his attention focused on the arena.
"Fear?" Kankuro questioned.
"Yes, she materializes her target's fear." Gaara responded.
"Watch" Gaara said before either of his siblings could question him further. He too was curious about the match.
Back in the arena both opponents had yet to move. Yoko with the same smile she was given the audience raised her right hand toward Keiko a gesture resembling a handshake. "I'm Yoko which you already know nee-chan. But I just want to let you know no matter who wins no hard feelings so let shake in agreement to that, right nee-chan."
Keiko was unsure of the etiquette in the Land of Wind but she remembered the handshake with Kankuro, he had meant goodwill with his handshake. But she was unsure if her opponent had the same mindset but perhaps she was overthinking it and handshakes are common etiquette in the Land of the Wind.
'It would be rude if I refused' she thought.
"No" Temari whispered.
Kankuro shakes his head, "Baka"
The moment Keiko placed her hand in Yoko's, the girl's face lite up in amusement and the friendliness vanished from her smile. Yoko's grip was abusive and Keiko knew then she had made a mistake but it was too late and before she could react she felt a sharp sting in her palm. "You are not suitable to stand by the Kazekage's side at all, not at all stupid girl" Yoko hissed while performing a serious of hand signals with her free hand.
She quickly finished the hand signals and yelled "Kidzukai no Jutsu" and ripped and flung a blood red glob from Kieko's hand. Yoko leapt back and blood splattered everywhere staining and dotting the surrounding sand a crimson red.
A hush fell over the audience as they watched the scene unfold below. Kankuro's face scrunched up in disgust at the sight below, Temari was in utter shock, and Gaara's face remained unchanged.
The glob began to boil, move, and grow in size. As it grew the glob appeared less like a glob, taking on a humanoid shape. The features became more and more pronounce and quickly the glob was no longer a glob but a mirror image of Kieko and it spoke in a gravely voice, "It's been a long time, love."