夢

Chapter Thirty-Three

砂の我愛羅
Gaara of the Sand

...---...

A gaara-centered chapter.

...—...

Gaara Sabaku loved them.

But why does he love those who despise him?

...---...

"It's time we got rid of the demon."

At midnight, the air is not cold--it is warm from the torches carried by a group of people. Together, with their chants and their shouts, they fill the night with brutal stomps, clanking weapons, and bloodthirsty cries.

The Shinobi of Suna are hesitant to stop them.

And so the clamor of the group go on, until they reach the home of Gaara Sabaku.

But is it really your home?

The redhead boy hears it as he watches from the window--a part of him is amused, but tells him to kill them, spill their blood--and the sand around him is tense. He's fighting inside his head, hoping to win this time.

Kill them.

No.

Kill them!

I won't.

Why not? Do you care about them?

I do.

The voice scoffs. You're weak. In the end, you'll kill them, like you always do, because no one will ever care for you like you do for them.

In that moment, Gaara Sabaku is tempted to let the sand out of his control and into the hands of the dark voice inside his mind. But he keeps fighting, and he whispers that he is not weak, and that he will not kill them.

He keeps an iron grip on the sand in his gourd, willing it to simmer down its anger and rage. He shuts his eyes and tries to take deep breaths, counting in his head one, two, three as the voice inside his mind screams kill them.

"Demon!"

Kill them.

"Monster!"

Don't you see?

"Get out of here!"

They don't want you.

"Leave! You don't belong here!"

After that comment, Gaara Sabaku flinches, because in his head he thinks I know, I know, I know I don't belong here. He's been told this many times, so why do I need to be told over and over again?

"You deserve to die for all those people you murdered!"

I know.

"Kill him! He's a monster!"

I know.

"You're sick in the head!"

I know.

"Freak!"

I know.

"Go die! We all hate you!"

I know--

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know--

Those words drowned him, filling his head and staining him inside out. They scrawled themselves on his skin and on his hands, so that he'd see them when he'd open his eyes. The letters of I know shined so brightly before him, because it was the truth, and he despised it so much.

I know--

He knew everything they were saying.

Yet he didn't do anything about it.

Kill them. Kill them!

But what could he do?

But even if I do, it won't change anything.

"Get the Hunter Duo!"

Half past midnight, the Hunter Duo arrive to Sunagakure. The place is a mess. Quickly, they handle the protesting group shouting outside the Kazekage building--they hold weapons and torches, and disrupt the entire night with their shouts.

The Hunter Duo immediately run to the Kazekage building, to the room they know is owned by Gaara, the Kazekage's son. When they arrive, the room is empty.

So they run up to the roof.

Half past midnight, Gaara lets go of the sand.

And he targets...

"Gaara-san, I request you don't move around that much. The sand that wrapped around your neck left it swollen. We'll stay here for you, okay?"

"Satoshi-san said you'd come one day. He said you're a friend. I trust you."

"Gaara-san, please don't ever do that again."

"I promise."

...---...

The night when Sunagakure plans an attack on their weapon, Sabaku no Gaara,

When Sabaku no Gaara kills himself,

Is the night when all threats fall silent.

"Because no demon is expected to know they are one."