Sand and Stars (Gaara Love Story)

Chapter 19 - Better Life with the Unknown

Chapter 19 – Better Life with the Unknown

[Gaara's POV]

"She's dead, Kazakage,"

I knew that Tsunade was staring at me as I tried to process the words. I repeated her words a million of times in five minutes. No words were spoken as silence fluttered in the air around us.

I was speechless.

I didn't know what to do.

Rin was dead and I was ready to take the blame for it.

I was the one who didn't try to save her sooner. I was the dumb Kazekage who gave second thoughts about saving her. I doubted her loyalty to Suna. I doubted her loyalty to me.

I love you.

Those were the last words that I heard from her and I wasn't going to be able to hear it again.

She was now dead.

I was now left alone to battle with my conscience and guilt of why she was killed.

"You have to mo—" Tsunade stopped talking for a second then continued. "It can't be, I'm sensing a strong amount of chakra..."

She ran inside the same room of where she tried to aid Rin and I followed her as Kakashi followed behind me. Rin was lying on the bed but there was something different about her.

Her eyes were wide opened while staring at the ceiling.

[Rin's POV]

My eyes were widened as it shot open when I felt my soul came back to the real world and not in the middle. I felt my chakra regain and for once, I felt contented again, aside from the fact that my every part of my body was aching.

I felt three figures enter the room.

"I-It can't be," the familiar voice of the Hokage made me go back to reality. "You're dead,"

I sat up even though it was painful for me to move a single muscle. "Pardon me, Hokage-sama, but do I look dead to you?"

"It's impossible," she spoke once again. I scanned the faces of the other two inside the room. Both of their faces were also shocked.

"Kakashi," I nodded at the silver-haired ninja and turned my attention to a certain redhead. "Kazekage-sama,"

As I looked at them, I felt naked for I wasn't wearing my mask. I felt exposed because no one knew of my face before. And now, they could see what I look like.

"You're awake," Kakashi said in awe. "Bu—But that's really impossible, I felt your death a while ago. I didn't feel anything coming from you,"

"I was in the middle world," I explained. "I saw my parents and they let me choose, and I chose to live, that's why I'm here,"

I avoided Gaara's gaze on me, I knew that I wouldn't be able to look at him for a while. I knew that I told him that I loved him without an apparent reason. I was on the verge of dying that time and it was the last goodbye, but I managed to survive, and I wasn't so sure of what he felt about me after that night.

Kakashi looked back and forth between me and Gaara. "I think it's time for us to go, Hokage-sama," Tsunade nodded and followed Kakashi, who gave me a last glance, before getting out of the room.

Gaara walked slowly towards my bed as I tried my best to ignore his presence. "Thank you for sa—" and then I felt the heat of his body pressed into mine. "I'm so glad you're alright,"

I then remembered when I saw a vision of Gaara's face when he was told that I was dead by Tsunade. His face was hurt, and seeing him like that in the vision made my heart ache once again.

What were his feelings towards me?

Did he feel the same way about me?

Or his feelings were just something out of pity?

The second option seemed slightly factual than the first one. How could someone like him feel the same way about me?"

The door slammed open and an unfamiliar girl entered the room, panting. "Matsuri..." Gaara whispered, startled to see the short-haired kunoichi inside the room. He immediately pulled away from me, and I guess that Matsuri didn't see Gaara hugging me.

"So it's true..." she said as she looked at me. "Kazekage-sama brought you back here...even though you're a criminal,"

"Do I know you?" I asked her and tears gathered around her eyes.

She loved Gaara and it was that obvious.

"Matsuri," Gaara called. "You're not supposed to be here,"

"I thought I already got rid of her!" she yelled. I used my powers to pursue her mind because I was curious of what she was saying. Then I realized that she was the one who called my old villagers to execute me. "I thought that I already won. I thought that you would be mine already," she said the last part to Gaara who was in shock.

"What do you feel towards her, Kazekage-sama?" I asked, concern of what he was really feeling towards her.

Matsuri was now crying, intently waiting for Gaara's answer. My face remained neutral. It was like I couldn't even care less about what Gaara's feelings were, even though I was feeling quite the opposite.

"I'm sorry," Matsuri sobbed as she pulled a kunai and aimed it directly at me.

Great, just great.

I just came back from being dead and here's the chance of me getting back to the middle world again. Just great.