*On the same night*
Sakura brushed her teeth quickly and changed into her pajamas in record time because she couldn't wait to talk to Gaara again. When she got into her room, she was already breathless.
Gaara-kun, can you hear me?
Sakura! The boy shouted her name in his mind. Yes, I can.
Waa! This was the longest dinner I've ever had. I couldn't wait to come back and talk to you.
Gaara only smiled while he played with a toy train on the carpet. Sakura kept talking:
I have so many questions. How did you get into my mind? Can you hear all of my thoughts? Can you see me?
Sakura, slow down. Give me time to answer.
Gaara felt a headache was coming for him.
Oh, you're right. Sorry.
Gaara felt how happy she was and he could only let himself be infected by her joy.
I can't see you, but I can hear your thoughts. You should be able to hear mine, too.
Gaara-kun, were you thinking of cotton candy earlier?
Yes, see?
Waa! Sakura said while jumping and clapping her hands.
Gaara-kun, what am I doing now?
I don't know. I told you I can't see you.
Oh, that's right. I forgot.
As for how we managed to establish this connection...I searched a lot through the archives and found an old book about a giant monster with a long tail and scales made of rock. Brown fur covered its paws. Long black claws were his weapon. This monster held an amazing power that's why humans hunted it down to obtain it. He always feared they would catch him, so he scattered his small round balls of sand everywhere. He could see everything through his balls of sand as if they were his own eyes. That's how he knew whenever humans got closer giving him time to flee.
Gaara felt her fear when he started to describe the monster and it amused him. This topic was so trivial to him that it didn't wake any emotion in him. Especially since he knew this creature was sealed in him on the day he was born. He kept going with the story:
A baby just like the monster was born. The father decided it's better to split because it increased their chances of survival. It would be very difficult for men to hunt both of them. The monster and his baby could talk to each other even if they were on opposite sides of the Earth thanks to their blood connection and magic sand. Therefore, I thought if you and me are tied by blood, with the help of my sand we could talk even if we are miles apart.
Waa! Gaara-kun's stories are so cool! Sakura said with her back resting against the door and hands clasped on her chest. Gaara-kun, where did you get this magic sand from?
Sakura, I will tell you my secret. Please try not to tell this to anyone.
The little boy felt her stress. She didn't know if she can do this. She drew random lines with the crayon on the back of her hand. The last promise she broke must have affected her really bad.
It is fine even if Sakura tells the others as long as she keeps talking to me.
Gaara felt Sakura's energy revived.
Ok, I can do that.
I was born with the ability to manipulate sand.
Sakura's eyes were as big as onions and stopped in the middle of her drawing to listen further.
The sand protects me. When I am under attack, the sand forms a shield around me and hardens like stone. Nothing can get through it.
Why would anybody want to attack Gaara-kun? I don't understand.
The boy didn't know how to answer, so he moved the toy train forward-backward in a loop. He was trying to block his thoughts so she couldn't read them. Not many people could handle hearing or seeing the atrocities that happened before his eyes. Sakura's voice in his head woke him up from his deep concentration.
I am sorry. I made Gaara-kun feel sad. I can sense his emotions.
Sakura's energy level was low again.
Sakura-chan, there is something else that's special to this sand. It takes any shape I want.
Waa! I want to see! Sakura clapped her hands again.
Gaara focused and the bracelet around her wrist transformed into 3 thin bracelets.
Oooh! Gaara-kun, can you make cherry flowers on it, too?
Wait a second. He said as he got up from the floor and went to where he hid the blossom she gave him because he forgot what it looks like. He held it between his fingers while he imagined it on Sakura's hand. Sakura giggled when the bracelets turned into one again and a big cherry blossom adorned it. She screamed so loud in her mind, that Gaara nearly dropped the flower in his hand.
Gaara-kun, this is great! I can't believe this!
It was Sakura's turn to get scared when she heard his laughter.
Sakura, my dad is even more special. He can manipulate sand mixed with gold.
It sounds cool, but I don't think it can be more awesome than Gaara-kun. By the way, you should have seen how those boys ran away like ants when your sand protected me.
Gaara writhed at the sound of her words.
Which boys?
The ones who always upset me. They either yank my hair or push me down the stairs. Sometimes they make me stumble. I am so glad I don't have to fear them anymore. I am so lucky to have Gaara-kun!
He didn't like at all to find out there were people who dared to behave that way with her.
Sakura, one day I will be next to you and nobody will ever dare to act that way with you.
Sakura giggled, and then she looked at the time.
Gaara-kun, what time do you go to sleep?
I don't really sleep. Maybe Sakura noticed the dark circles around my eyes.
Why don't you sleep?
I will tell you next time. It's your bedtime now, isn't it?
Yes.
Ok, I will let you rest now. We will talk more tomorrow. Good night!
Good night!
Sakura climbed onto the bed and closed her eyes, but no matter how much she rolled on all sides like a skewer on the grill, she couldn't sleep.
Gaara-kun?
Eh? I thought you were sleeping.
Well, I keep hearing your thoughts and I can't sleep. She admitted with shame before she swallowed air.
Oh, I am sorry. What should we do? I can't really stop my thoughts.
What if I took off my bracelet?
No! Gaara desperately said. If she took it off, who knew if she didn't forget to put it back on again? What if I read to you from a book until you fall asleep? I will read from your favorite book. This way, Sakura will be able to rest well while hearing something that she likes.
It sounds great! Sakura said in her mind with her small hands on the blanket that covered her to the nose.
Gaara cleared his throat although he didn't know why because he wasn't reading out loud, but in his mind. Sakura's lashes mingled and she fell asleep before he finished reading the first story. The little boy put the book back and squeaked happily in his room. He rested his head on the pillow; underneath the pillow, there was a small strand of pink hair that smelled like his friend from Konoha.
Shukaku: You deceive yourself, boy. She will never accept you. She is going to abandon you, just like everyone else.
Gaara: Shut up!
Shukaku laughed quizzically.
On the next day, Sakura walked into class with her hands clutching the handle of her bag in nervousness. Thankfully, nobody looked her way, so she relaxed and went to her desk. The boy she hurt had his arm bandaged. Sakura was shocked his parents didn't come to look for her. Maybe the boy was afraid if he chirped, all of the things he did to Sakura would unveil and that would have been much worse for him than a broken hand. He risked being expelled from school.
During class, somebody tried to hit Sakura with a paper ball, but her sand blocked it before it touched Sakura's pink hair. She looked around to identify the culprit, but nobody looked suspicious. She turned her head towards the blackboard again and Sasuke's haircut drew her attention. Butterflies danced in her stomach whenever she saw him. Gara knew how she felt towards that boy and he didn't like it at all, but since she was his only friend, he couldn't risk making comments about it. He swallowed air and wondered if maybe Shukaku was right.
At lunch, Sakura gathered all of her courage and asked Sasuke to eat with her. He turned his back on her without a word. He always ate alone, he didn't enjoy company. Sakura's eyes filled with tears right before she heard Gaara's voice in her mind.
Sakura, I will have lunch with you if you wish.
It wasn't exactly what she wanted, but it was better than eating by herself. She sat down under the shadow of a tree and opened her bento box while talking to her friend.
Sasuke refused to eat with her every day, so she ended up by having lunch with Gaara. As the days went by, she enjoyed spending time with him more and more. Everything Gaara said was so funny and unique. Gaara never asked about Sasuke because he feared Sakura would know he is jealous and that might push her away. In addition, it was painful to find out information about this boy who clearly valued a frozen onion more than he valued Sakura. The happiest day of the red head's life was the one when Sakura asked him first if he wants to eat with her, instead of asking Sasuke. Gaara was always with her and she always made his heart dance.
Gaara-kun, when can I send you another letter? I want to show you my drawings.
I am sorry, but it is still dangerous to do that right now. My dad found out one of his messenger birds went missing and he suspects me.
But, Gaara-kun... Why don't you tell your father that you want to talk to me?
Sakura, when you said you aren't scared of me, did you mean it?
How can I be scared of Gaara-kun?
What if I told you something terrifying about me? Would you still talk to me? Would you still want to be my friend?
Of course. Gaara-kun doesn't know me. I would do some terrifying things to my enemies if I had the power.
Gaara felt there was a dark side of Sakura.
Sakura-chan, that monster I told you about lives inside me. My dad made sure to seal it inside me when I was a baby because he wanted to make sure the power is in his hands. He wanted to manipulate me to do everything he wants, but I have my own will. He looks at me and sees a weapon, I can tell. Sometimes, this monster named Shukaku takes control over my body when I am asleep and starts killing people. That's why I can't sleep. If I sleep, I am afraid the monster will come out and spill blood again. If dad finds out you and me talk, he will think you are trying to manipulate me in order to use Shukaku's power for Konoha's benefit.
Sakura didn't say anything and it made Gaara panic. He feared maybe she broke their connection.
Sakura?
Sorry, I was thinking about what you said. You are the same as Naruto. She said calmly.
Eh? Who?
Naruto. He is a boy in my class who has the nine tails sealed inside him, but he doesn't have sleep issues. Maybe his monster is quieter. If Gaara-kun was stressed that I won't talk to him once I found out all of this, he can relax. Gaara-kun has never hurt me, quite the opposite actually. He only did good things for me. I would be an idiot to talk to those who always mistreated me and not talk to you.
Really? Tears pooled in his eyes as he tried to wipe them on his sleeve.
Sakura knew he was crying and she smiled.
Gaara-kun, what kind of monster cries? She laughed in her mind.
While he wiped his tears, he made up his mind to repay her kindness and faith 10 fold in the future.
Sakura-chan has no idea how happy I am she thinks this way. I promise to never disappoint her and to always protect her..
Mhm. Gaara-kun, you are not so special, you know? I thought about killing my enemies many times now. I think I would have done it if I had the power.
Sakura-chan is scary now. I need to be careful not to upset her. Don't worry, If someone bothers you, tell me and I will take care of it.
Gaara-kun, let's try not to kill anyone. I am afraid I will have nightmares.
Gaara nodded. He couldn't' count the nightmares he's had because of Shukaku's killings.
The sky was smiling above the kids because Gaara's mom was happily watching them. 'My sweet baby boy' She thought. If only he and his siblings would get along, everything would be perfect.
Note: I wrote Gaara and Sakura's conversations in their mind in Italics and bold. Is it too much? Should I change it?
Thank you all for leaving reviews.
