"You'll never belong!"
"Get out of here!"
"Loser!"
"Freak!"
"You're no daughter of mine, you misfit!"
"Mine either! Leave!"
"You'll never belong!"
Never belong...
......
I turned over, my short red hair falling into my face. I was laying down against a tall fence, on sandy ground. Yawning, I opened my eyes and squinted against the harsh sunlight. I put my hands behind my head.
"Well, another day searching for somewhere to live..." I yawned again, my hair still in my eyes. "I wonder what Sunakagure will be like..."
I picked up my bag and stood up, stretching my legs and slinging the bag over my shoulder. With a deep sigh, I walked through the gates of Sand Village.
I kept my head down low as I walked through the village, listening and watching as people pointed and talked about me. Hmph, they act like they've never seen a stranger before... I pushed open the doors to the offices and followed the signs up to the biggest door, and I knocked.
"Come in," a voice said from behind the door.
I slid the door open and walked in, bowing in respect to the Kazekage as I continued to keep my head down.
"Who are you, and what is it you want?" He asked from behind his desk, eyebrow raised.
"I'm Yasha," I replied. "I come here to Sunakagure in request to stay and live. I previously was a jounin ninja in Kirigakure (Mist Village), but I left and am now seeking to stay in a new village, to...start my life over, shall we say."
"Hmm, I see," he said, thinking. "Well, I see no problem with you staying...But, regardless of your status in Kirigakure, you will be tested to position your rank here in my village."
I nodded. "Understood, sir, arigato."
He waved a dismissive hand. "Go find a place to stay, get settled. In two hours, you will go to the training grounds in the southern part of Suna. We'll test you there. You're dismissed."
I bowed and backed out of the room. "Domo arigato, Kazekage-sama. See you then."
Outside, I sighed. "Well, that went better than I expected. The other villages I tried all threw me out...literally..." I walked forward into the crowd of people, shaking my head slightly in order to put my hair in front of my eyes. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm roughly.
"Well well, what do we have here?" A tall, older teenager said, smirking. "Never seen your face before, Baby." He scanned my skimpy outfit and body, eyes flashing with a nasty perverted gaze. "I would've noticed that sexy body anywhere."
I laughed sarcastically, staring at his shoes to avoid his gaze. "Oh, thanks so much. I'm sooo glad to hear it."
He grinned, thinking I was being serious. He removed his hand from my arm and began to slip it down my small top. "Let's see what you're like underneath the clothes..."
I stepped back, grasping his wrist and yanking his hand out of my shirt. "I don't think so, jerk." I didn't notice that the crowd behind him split apart, avoiding someone.
His smirk disappeared, and he glared, grabbing me hard on the shoulder. "I don't like a girl who won't let me have my fun. If you won't come voluntarily..." He grasped my top and yanked at it. "I'll make you!"
"Stop it!" I cried, grabbing his wrist again and trying to pull his hand away. I forced myself to keep my gaze dropped to the ground. He's not worth it...Don't use that...Not yet... "I'm a human being, not a pleasure toy!"
He growled and began to try and rip my shirt. "You're whatever I say you are, and I say you're MINE."
I panicked, trying to pry his fingers off. "I said STOP IT!!!" I had just begun to move my hair out of my eyes, when I heard the guy start to choke.
"L-let go! Let go, man!" He cried, gasping for air. "Make it stop!"
I looked up from behind the shadow of my hair and my eyes widened. Sand had wrapped around his neck, and was tightening at a rapid pace. His eyes were bulging and he began to turn a light shade of purple in the face. I pulled my top properly over my chest and sighed, relieved. The sand eventually loosened and let go of his neck, dropping him to the ground.
"Don't you touch a woman who doesn't want it ever again," A cold voice said.
"Ok, man, whatever!" The boy said, scrambling to his feet, rubbing his neck. "Sheesh..." He glared at me before waking off.
I looked at the brown ninja sandals and bandages on the feet of the guy who stood in front of me now. "Arigato, but I could've done it myself..." I pushed my hair further in front of my eyes. "I've handled creeps like him before."
"Hm, well you didn't do too well this time," he replied, voice void of emotion.
I shrugged. "Guess not, yeah..." I noticed from the corners of my eyes that the people around us were staring, standing a far distance from the boy. I addressed them all, "What're you staring at, huh? Can't two people talk without gawkers like you standing and eavesdropping? Unless you have some business with either him or me, I suggest you buzz off."
They all looked quite startled, but turned away and began to move on, though still avoiding the boy.
"Hmph, stupid people," I muttered loudly.
"You're not from around here," the boy said, walking up slightly. "What're you doing here?"
An amused smirk flickered across my mouth. "A bit of an invasive question to be addressed to a girl you've just met, and don't even know the name of." I turned around. "I never answer such questions unless I know something of the questioner first."
He raised an eyebrow and followed me as I walked through the town. Hm, interesting... "I'm Gaara."
"Yasha," I told him. "And, in answer to your previous question, I've just moved here. I'm transferring from Kirigakure."
"Transfer...Why?" He inquired.
I turned my head to the side, but didn't look up. "That is a question I will not answer, no matter who inquires...Now, where are the apartment buildings or inns around here?"
He became curious immediately about my grounds for transfer, but didn't inquire further. "There's only one, a small inn. But it is full."
I ran my fingers through my hair, sighing. "Great, that's just great. So I suppose I'm going to have to find the nearest cardboard box, hm? Juust great." I leaned my back against the side of a building, looking down at the ground. "My first day in Sunakagure is starting out brilliantly."
He crossed his arms. "You don't look at anyone."
"I know. The last time I did..." I fiddled with my necklace. "...Well...My whole village turned away from me in disgust. My eyes are...unusual."
He raised an eyebrow. "You'll find there is something...someone...much more unusual here in this village."
"Can it-or, the person-kill?" I inquired, doubtful.
His eyes clouded slightly. "If provoked...yes, he can."
'He'..? "Well, then I suppose it's along the same lines as what is...wrong with me..."
"What is wrong with you?" He pressed, taking a step closer.
I scuffed the ground with my foot a little. "My eyes...Their appearance strange enough, but..." I sighed. "...I have the power to destroy someone with my eyes. One look can kill, if I'm angry enough. True, they won't kill someone if I'm not enraged, so I could look at people, but...I never take chances, after what happened in Kiri."
"So show me," he said, taking another step closer.
"I don't want to...to hurt you," I told him, looking at his sandals when they came into view.
"Killing me would only brighten the days of the villagers," he said emotionlessly. "I have nothing to lose."
"What do you...You have your life to lose!" I exclaimed. "You're life is something! Something major! You shouldn't look at your existence that way!"
"It doesn't matter what I think," he said, bitter. "I can't control what is in me, the thing that the people here hate and despise. I do not belong..."
"You'll never belong!"
My eyes saddened. "I didn't either. I never have, I know what it's like..." I pulled at the sash of the skirt covering my shorts. "I'll look at you...But you have to promise me something."
"...What?" He asked, curious.
"You have to tell me why you 'do not belong', sometime," I replied.
He paused, thinking this over. Finally, he nodded.
I closed my eyes for a moment and turned my face up to his. Then, after a fearful swallow, I opened them and looked at him for the first time.
He blinked, a bit surprised. My left eye was charcoal black, and the other was a honey-golden color. Even now, he felt like he was in slight pain, but he didn't show it. Interesting...
I sighed slightly, relieved that he hadn't fallen over dead or something. Then, as I looked him up and down to take in his features, something hit me. His greenish-gray eyes, his bright red hair, his body structure...
Woah, he's handsome, I thought to myself. I tilted my head and reached up, brushing some of his hair away and placing my fingers on the tattoo of the kanji on the right side his forehead. " 'Love'..? Why is this on your forehead?" I took my fingers off and immediately rolled my eyes. "Listen to me, questioning you about things that are none of my concern and touching you without your consent. Gomen."
He didn't reply, but continued to look at my eyes. "You need a place to stay, right?"
I nodded, shifting uneasily under his gaze.
He turned and began to walk away without another word, testing my reaction.
I blinked and frowned, curious. Why the little-Don't you turn away like that, not after all I've just told you! I took a step forward, then another, until I was following him around the outskirts of Suna.
He walked until he reached a small house, and he opened the door. "Stay here."
So he wanted me to follow him the whole time..? I put a hand on my hip, raising my eyebrow. "Where is 'here', might I ask?"
He turned away and walked inside. "My home."
......
Later on, I walked onto the training grounds, keeping my head down once again, with Gaara next to me. The Kazekage and a few other people were already there, waiting.
"Good, you've come," the Kazekage said, arms crossed. He shifted his gaze to Gaara for a moment. "Hm, you've met the village outcast, I see."
Gaara glared, but said nothing. I, however, was shocked.
"How rude!" I exclaimed. "Forgive me for saying so, Kazekage-sama, but that was a completely unnecessary and uncalled for insult upon Gaara!"
Gaara looked at me, a little surprised, while the Kazekage scoffed, "You'll find that being in the presence of my son will cause the people of my village to look down upon you."
"Your son?!" I exclaimed, horrified. "You insult your own child!?"
"You're no daughter of mine, you misfit!"
I clenched my fists, doing my best not to look at the Kazekage and those around him. "Forgive me, once again, this will be way out of line but I must say it: You are lucky to have a child such as he, I find him to be one of the nicer people in this village-much nicer than the other gossiping busybodies that reside here! Though he has not told me what or why, I realize that something about him causes those here to fear and detest him, but it does not matter to me! If a stranger like I can look upon him and feel no danger or resent, then it is a shameful, pitiful example you set for your people if you, his own father, cannot love and hold him dear!"
The wind blew the sand around us slightly as silence followed my statement. Gaara looked at me with disguised gratitude, while the Kazekage and the other men and women glowered at me in rage.
"You are correct, that was out of line!" The Kazekage shouted, angry. "And as such, the test I will place upon you shall be a battle, you will fight one of the strongest and most dangerous of Sunakagure!"
"Bring it on!" I retorted, cracking my neck joints slightly. "Who is it?"
The Kazekage smirked nastily. "The boy you seem to hold so close to your heart-Gaara."
I wasn't prepared for this. My mouth fell open in horror as I stared at the ground. Gaara also seemed shocked, for he seemed to shake slightly. I clenched my fists tighter. B-but...I could kill him! I-I can't do that...I can't- "I can't do that!" I cried out. "I won't do that, I won't!"
The Kazekage's smirk grew. "Then you will never be a ninja in this village! You will be a weak child, a villager of no worth!"
I quivered with anger, pushing my hair behind my ears. "You...You foul creature!"
All of the Kazekage's men and women stepped forward, taking fighting stances.
"Insult him again, girl, and you will regret it!" One snarled, glaring at me. "Anyone who associates with village scum and then calls Kazekage-sama such an name does not deserve to live!"
"Anyone who would associate with the Kazekage is a foul creature just as well," I said coldly. "Let me show all of you the risk you take of trying to harm me or anger me..." I looked up at him with all my hair out of the way, revealing my eyes. There was something different, however, from when Gaara first saw them-the colored rings were the same, but my pupils were white.
The man's mouth fell open, and he collapsed to the ground, unmoving, all in a few seconds.
"What the..." One of the women knelt down and checked his pulse. She looked up at the Kazekage with wide eyes. "He's...He's dead. She killed him with a single glance-he didn't even breathe his last breath, look, his chest is still drawn out..."
The Kazekage looked up at me, grave. He snatched a Sunakagure hitai-ate from his pocket and threw it over to me. "Take it, that's proof enough. You are jounin ranked, but know this..." He smirked once again. "You are as of now worth as much as my son-nothing. You are a freak of nature, Yasha, and shall be treated as such. You are also a murderer, now. I won't punish you-the hatred of the villagers will be torture enough."
Murderer...I'm a murderer... I held the hitai-ate with shaking hands, dropping my eyes to the ground as the pupils returned to their natural black color. "A murderer...I will..."
"You'll never belong!"
"Get out of here!"
"Loser!"
"Freak!"
"You're no daughter of mine, you misfit!"
"Mine either! Leave!"
"You'll never belong!"
My eyes watered. "I will never belong..."
"How dare you."
I looked up at Gaara, who had taken a step towards the Kazekage. "How dare you insult her. How dare you make her feel like the scum of the earth. You have no right to hurt her like that!" he snarled.
The people around the Kazekage all took steps backwards, eyes widened with fear. The Kazekage held his ground, however, an amused expression on his face.
"Well, Gaara, you seem to have feelings for the girl, do you not?" Kazekage inquired with a sick, cruel chuckle. "How interesting, two misfits, two monsters, in love. The perfect match, worthless with worthless."
I looked at Gaara, confused. Feelings for-!...That's absurd, he doesn't seem like the type to fall in love at all...
"Monster or no..." Gaara's fingers flexed slightly, and I noticed the cap of the gourd on his back fall to the ground. "...Feelings or not...You will not insult her again." I watched with big eyes as sand snaked out of the gourd's opening and curled around his arms.
The Kazekage seemed slightly worried-slightly. He took an uncertain defensive stance. "Are you going to kill me, Gaara?"
He smirked. "I might." He shoved his hand forward, palm out, at Kazekage. The sand around that arm shot out and wrapped around him, and tightened mercilessly. Then the sand from Gaara's other arm slithered through the air and draped around his neck, and quickly pulled tight.
Kazekage choked, but tried his hardest to remain calm. "Kill me, Gaara, and you'll be hated. You'll be hunted and tracked down until your head is sliced off and your body destroyed. You will be even more of an outsider than you are now."
Gaara's sand faltered slightly at this comment for a moment. "I am, as of now, looked upon as a monster, a wretched beast of the world. I am worth dirt-simple, useless dirt. I can sink no lower in the eyes of others, my life is not valuable. I have nothing to lose!!" He forced the sand to constrict around Kazekage's body even tighter, and I heard the sick snapping noise of his ribs breaking.
He thinks that nothing will change if he kills the Kazekage...He thinks his death is nothing! I ran forward slightly. "Gaara, stop it! He's not worth it!"
He looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Yes he is. He deserves this, after what he's put me through."
"Yes, he deserves it, but YOU don't deserve the consequences that will result in his death!" I told him. "You don't deserve to be hunted, to live your life in flight!"
"It could not be much worse than my life is now!" He retorted, snapping a few more of the Kazekage' ribs as he tightened the sand more. "I am worth nothing to no one, I would not be missed! At least I would die knowing that he is dead as well!"
"You would be missed, Gaara!" I told him, taking another few steps forward.
"By who?! I matter not to anyone!"
"Don't put yourself through this, Gaara! You do matter! You matter..." I faltered when it hit me. Then, as I felt a hot blush rise in my face, I shouted, "You matter to ME!"
His sand retracted into the gourd, and the Kazekage collapsed onto the ground, holding his chest where the broken ribs resided. The men and women rushed to the Kazekage and picked him up, carrying him off to the hospital without a word to neither Gaara nor me.
I looked down to the ground, humiliated. I can't believe I just told him that...I am such a FOOL!
Gaara replaced the cork in the opening of his gourd, and turned away from me. Without so much as a word or glance, he headed home. I, after a deep sigh, followed.
......
Later on, in the night, I walked out of the bathroom, a towel around my freshly-showered body. I walked across the guest bedroom in Gaara's house and pulled out a red sports bra and same-colored women's boxers. I let the towel fall to the ground and I pulled on the underwear, silent.
Not a word...He has spoken not a single word...What have I done? He'll never talk to me again, I'm such a fool for admitting how I felt...'feel', I mean. I still care for him, I can't deny myself...His reaction can't change my feelings, my emotions. I pulled on a tight, off-white spaghetti-strap shirt and loose golden sleep pants. I didn't hear my door open, for I was lost in my thoughts.
"I am a fool, I am a freak. If anyone is worth nothing, it is me..." I said to myself, propping my elbows up on the windowsill and staring out at the seemingly endless view of sand. "I should not have even come, all I did was create a mess of trouble...And Gaara-kun obviously doesn't care for me the way I care for him...I'm just a friend. I don't know if I should be happy, being his friend...or cry, because that's all I will probably ever be...I should-"
Arms slipped around my waist and lips began to kiss the side of my neck. I ceased all movement-I almost forgot how to breathe. My eyes widened in surprise and awe, and I reached my shaking hands up and placed them on the wrists of the arms around me, bracing myself, for I felt as if my knees were going to give out. Eventually the kissing stopped and a chin rested on my shoulder.
"You are not a fool, you are not a freak. You are worth more than you can imagine. You should have come, it was the best thing to happen, and the mess of trouble you created did harm only to the one who deserved it. And, I care for you, more than you care for me, because you are my friend and you have trusted me even when others turned away from me. I hope you are happy as my friend...and don't cry, because I hope it's not all you will ever be, I hope you will be much more..."
I turned around, looking down at Gaara's feet, which didn't have his sandals on at the moment, just bandages. "D-domo arigato," I said softly. "That...was the biggest amount of compliments I've ever received, even if you didn't mean them."
He put his hand on my shoulders. "I meant them. I am not the type to give compliments out on a whim, Yasha-chan."
I nodded a little bit, still looking down at his feet. "I'm sorry, I stopped you from doing what you wanted to do, back there at the training grounds...I should've kept my mouth closed."
He shook his head. "No, you were right. He wasn't worth it, I shouldn't kill him and face a life of consequences for it. What I need to know..." He gripped my shoulders a little. "...Is if what you said, there at the end, was true-or if it was just your last resort to keep me from killing."
I flushed and turned my head away. "It...It was true. I don't lie, you see...I choose my words carefully. What I said...I meant it..." I drew in a quivering breath. "I do care for you...a lot..."
He released my shoulders and let his arms fall to his sides. "No one...has ever said that...Not since my uncle died...No one has ever looked at me like you do, without hate, without fear. No one..." He placed fingers under my chin and tilted my head up so I looked at him. "...Has looked away from me, not out of fear, but of humility, of modesty."
I gazed at his green-gray eyes, and replied in a voice just above a whisper, "And no one has looked into my eyes without disgust. No one has touched me before without withdrawing in repugnance, no one..." I trembled and turned a pink shade. "H-has ever kissed me, more or less like you just did..."
He studied me. "We have never belonged..."
I brushed my fingers across the 'Love' kanji on his forehead. "But now we can belong to each other..."
He traced my jawline carefully. "...And we'll never let go...You will be..."
I placed a hand on top of his. "...A rose in the sand."
He put his remaining free hand on the other side of my face and backed me up against the wall. "My rose in the sand."
I smiled and nodded, lacing my arms around his neck and putting my forehead against his. He pushed his mouth against mine for a searing-hot kiss, and I returned the favor with equal passion, closing my eyes contently.
Not a freak, not a misfit...A rose in the sand...
...Gaara's rose in the sand...
