𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚍𝚎r. (𝙶𝚊𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝚡 𝚘𝚌)

Home Again ( Chapter 6 )

Ura woke up before the desert sun was about to rise, she would lose her skin if she woke up later than sun-up. She leaped to the ground and put on a light cloak to hide herself from the trecherous sun. Though she wished the desert was not as intense as it usually was, Ura had missed her home in the Sunagakure. Though her real family abandoned her, she felt at peace in the village, like she was able to sleep anywhere without being disturbed.

"Hey, Ura."

She had expected to see Kankurou, but Temari calling for her, that was a change. Ura approached the blonde, "Yes?"

"Look...you're family kicking you out wasn't what I really wanted to hear when Kankurou woke me up with his horrible singing...and...I was wondering...if you would like to stay at my home, for the time being of course," Temari tried to act friendly.

Now this was an even bigger change Ura was not used to seeing in Temari, but...it was really nice of her. Ura smiled and nodded, "That would be great, when can I-"

"Preperations have already been made, your room is next to Gaara's room," Temari answered with a firm look, "Kankurou already has your clothes in your room from your old home, don't ask how he got them, he just did."

Ura followed Temari to her new home, but when she entered, she was in awe at the beauty that surrounded her. She had never entered the Kazekage's mansion before, but stories that she heard were both enchanting and horrific. Temari led Ura down a few corridors and up two flights of stairs, until they reached a certain hallway.

"The very last room is Gaara's room, remember that, he doesn't like people entering. Your room, however, is right next to his room, so you get the pleasure of hearing Gaara talk to himself," Temari showed Ura the room.

"He what?" Ura was confused, she had heard Gaara was insane, but she refused to believe any of it.

"From time-to-time, he talks to himself," Temari shrugged, "Kankurou got tired of hearing it and got a bit afraid after awhile."

"Oh..." Ura looked away, a bit skeptical on her room after all, but as long as she was near Gaara in someway, insane or not, she still cared about him.

"Well, you have to make your own meals, my father knows you're living under his roof so don't worry about him," Temari explained as she left.

"Wait Temari...what are you doing today?" Ura called out to Temari before she left.

"Nothing really...why?" Temari asked.

"Well...wanna hangout? I mean, Kankurou and I are good friends, and I thought you and I could have a better friendship," Ura shrugged, "Maybe we could go for a walk, or just hangout here..."

Temari was a bit skeptical about the offer, then nodded, "Sure...we'll hangout here."

The two girls hung out in Ura's new room, just chatting away like a normal girl would, despite their massive age difference. Actually, the real reason Ura wanted to hangout with Temari was because she felt like getting to know both of Gaara's siblings, she might learn a few more things about Gaara himself. Temari was, to Ura's surprise, a very kind person, who never wanted Gaara to be so isolated from everyone like he was now.

"So..why do you like my brother so much?" Temari finally asked, getting a bit comfortable around Ura, "Other people are terrified of him and fear the look of him, but here you are, madly in love with him..."

"Well...when I was little and first saw Gaara...I just thought there was more about him that went deeper, you know? Though the other kids fled, I wanted to help him, but I was shy and afraid he wouldn't accept my offer of friendship. I guess I was wrong, I could've been there and been his friend so he would know at least one person would know that they cared about his safety," Ura explained as she looked downward, "He can threaten my life, he can even try killing me, or he could murder me, it wouldn't matter to me either way, i'll always love him."

"That doesn't explain why you love him so much," Temari stated, "Just spill it, I won't tell."

"Well...uhm..." Ura blushed a little then mumbled something Temari couldn't make-out, "What'dya say?"

"I said...I think he's really cute... but there's more than just that though," Ura stated with her face completely red, "Deep down... I think I can relate to him..."

"Relate to Gaara? Please, be realistic," Temari commented with a dry look, "No one can relate to him unless they have a beast within them and hasn't slept for twelve years."

"I may not have a beast within me, but for most of my life, i've worked my hands until they bled just to get everyone to respect. Though not many people have shown Gaara real love, he didn't know how to get their respect like I did... For years, even before I started my life as an academy student, I would work in the desert fields for my family when they were unable to do it, which was most of the months. Each day, for hours on end, I would work because I knew if I would get everyone's respect as a poor worker girl, people would accept me. In the end, they did, and now they don't because I left the working life to become a ninja," Ura explained, "So I can relate to trying to get everyone to just look at him, just trying to get them to notice that he's a person too, with feelings...."

Temari took in her words, for someone a little younger than Gaara, she had some connection to say she could relate to Gaara. Ura was laying on her back, looking up at the ceiling, she didn't look like the normal Ura that Temari was used to seeing. In a way, Temari felt a bit bad for Ura, there was no way in Heaven or Hell was this girl ever having a chance with Gaara. For Ura's own good, Temari knew that her new friend was going to get her heart broken by someone who doesn't want a thing from her.

"Look...Ura.. I know how it feels to have your first crush, and it's really nice you want to help Gaara and all...but think about it, he doesn't care that you exist," Temari looked at Ura with sympathetic eyes, "When I say you need to really find someone else, you should, for your own good."

Ura closed her eyes and chuckled lightly, then turned to Temari on her side with a small smile, her eyes re-opened, shining like the sand on a hot day, "I don't care if he hates me, and it's alright if he wants to tear me apart...sometimes...love doesn't need to have someone caress it."

So that was how Ura felt? That not matter how much Gaara was distant from her and everyone else, and if he never loved her back, she would always love him? But why? That was the only thing that confused Temari, Ura could not relate to Gaara, no matter how much work she had to go through. Temari stood up and leaned against the wall, "Explain to me why you love Gaara again? It's not making any sense."

A hazy look went into Ura's sandy eyes, Temari never saw them so clouded with mystery. Taking a breath, Ura explained, "Because...it was just there...when we made eye-contact for the first time, my heart raced at the speed of light, my skin tingled with excitement, and I could feel my blood burn with emotions I was not used to feeling... For years after to this very moment...I feel the same, but more desires... No word can explain how I feel, and most of the time my heart hurts to the point where I want to stick a hari inside of me to rip it out, because I know Gaara, more than likely, never feel the same."

Tears were not allowed by Ura, from being near Ura, Temari had learned that showing such a strong emotion was not what Ura wanted. To Temari's conclusion, no matter what she could tell Ura, no matter what she could do...this girl in front of Temari, pooring her heart out, was hopelessly in love with Gaara. Ura looked up at Temari, half glaring half trying to wipe away the tears, "If I could stop feeling such a way to him, believe me I would, we both know he will not have the same desires for me..."

Against Temari's wishes, Temari sat next to Ura and patted her on the back, "There might be a slim chance...probably when he's older, he'll become more sane...and who knows, he might even choose you as his bride."

"Really? Do you think so?" Ura started to cheer up to Temari's comforting.

"Absolutely," Temari acted like a true friend, "He'll ask for your hand in marriage in front of everyone in the village."

The two girls shared a few more moments of their bonding, and it felt nice. Though Ura had Kankurou as a good friend, she was inexperienced to having a female friend around to keep her company. Now that Ura had Temari as a new friend and ally, her being in their team would be much easier than having Kankurou as a friend and ally.

After getting to know each other a little more, Ura put on her light cloak and went to the nearest oasis outside the village. The water was a little contaminated from bacteria and other crap people did in the once clean water, Ura found it somewhat comforting to be in her own thoughts again. The sun beat down on the tiny little patch of water, rocks surrounding the oasis sizzled under the early afternoon heat, and the sand was like stepping in boiling lava. Ura sat in the shade facing the water, watching some dropletts trickle down the edge, daring to test how powerful the sun was on this country. She watched how the droplett of water would turn into air after a few seconds of lasting.

*So here I am... I'm on the best team in the Village Hidden in the Sand, Temari with her strategy, Kankurou with his brutallity, Gaara with his strength...it's a wonder how I got in there in the beginning. Well, I guess i'm just plain out lucky then,* Ura traced out small drawings in the sand with a hari, *Luck...that's what I will be needing when I go to Konoha... Wonder what's awaiting me there, life...or death...*

She let out a small sigh, she didn't even want to do the Chunin Exams actually, but now Ura didn't have much of a choice. A warm, light wind pushed to her right side, reminding her that if she stayed out too long, the shadows will leave, exposing her to the sun. It didn't matter anymore, she was abnormally pale, so why care if the sun was going to touch her when it hadn't in the first place.

**Meanwhile**

"So...that's how she feels?" Kankurou was fixing up Karasu.

"Yeah...don't tell anyone though, she'll not trust me if she knew I told you," Temari commented as she looked at the ground with distaste, "You should've already known all of this since you two were so close before..."

"Girls grow up, you should've known that since you're a girl, she wouldn't hide something like that to her crush's brother," Kankurou snided, "Or to anyother guy alive."

"But you had to see her face when she was spilling her emotions all out in the open for me to see and hear...it was like she hated the fact she loved Gaara," Temari thought about how Ura was so upset, "Then she said no words could describe how she felt... What if she really in love with him?"

"Then she's going to have a fun time trying to be close with him," Kankurou twinked a little part in Karasu, "Because she's neve-"

"I don't know...so far Gaara's threatened her life twice, or that's what she told me, and he actually spoke more than just a sentence to her... Maybe he knows she exists more than for just him to kill," Temari shrugged, "Perhaps he might change..."

"Now you're just talking nonsense," Kankurou finished up Karasu, then looked at Temari, "Though Ura is our friend, someone we can trust, rely upon, and be comfortable near, we can both say that she's not going to have Gaara for her own."

Temari didn't want to believe that for Ura, the thought of seeing Ura so depressed and heart broken just sent her chills. But...Kankurou was 100% accurate, Gaara was not going to change, not for anyone, not even for a girl that loves him more than she could've ever loved before. The air changed to once able to speak freely to where silence could be heard, just thinking about how their own friend would grow up alone wrentched at their souls.

"You did try to talk her out of it right?" Kankurou looked up at his sister.

"Yeah...several times...but what spoke to me the most was that she said that the love she felt for Gaara didn't need to be given back," Temari looked at the floor, her arms crossed at her chest, "I don't understand her...at all..."

"You think I do? It still makes me wonder why Gaara is so special to her," Kankurou commented dryly as he wrapped up his puppet, "Maybe we could find her some guys that will like her, and see what the reaction we'll get from her..."

"It won't work," Temari shook her head, "Girls don't just fall for guys that like them.."

"I thought that's how it works," Kankurou had a confused face, "Or is there more..."

"There's a lot more!" Temari exclaimed, "You can't just shove her and some random guy in a closet and expect a relationship to form!"

"Really...worked for you..." Kankurou commented as he rolled his eyes at the memory.

What he had done was shove a guy that Temari liked and Temari, herself, in the closest when she had him over. An hour later, Kankurou had finally unlocked the door, but his sister and the guy she liked came out hand-in-hand. So that was how Kankurou thought relationships happened, send two people in a locked room and you get a relationship.

"That was just an act to shut you up," Temari stated defiantly, "I broke up with him two weeks later."

"HAH!! You still went out with him though, meaning my experiment did work," Kankurou smirked.

"Yeah whatever...but back to Ura, we can't just tell her to like someone else. Let's just let it go until it gets to where Gaara is about to kill her, before then, just leave it alone," Temari eyed Kankurou, "So don't be pushing her into a room until then."

"If you think I like her then you're wrong," Kankurou narrowed his own eyes.

"I didn't mean that!" Temari stormed out.

After his sister slammed the door to his working room, and knocking over some of his tools, he sighed, "Man...this is just her PMSing days too, she'll be a firecracker when she actually starts..."