Gaara's Loneliness

Hui had only been wandering for a short while before she realized that ANBU operatives were tailing her; under the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, everything was laid bare.

It made sense; as an outsider wandering aimlessly, she was bound to arouse their suspicion. Hui dared not act too conspicuously, so she feigned a sense of wonder, walking and looking around like someone who had just arrived in Sunagakure and was curious about the place.

Hui tried her best to suppress her chakra signature, making herself appear more like a child. Just then, she heard the laughter of a group of children kicking a ball.

It was a rare day without sandstorms in Sunagakure, so the children had seized the chance to come out and play. Such opportunities were few and far between for them, so they had all agreed to meet up for a game of soccer.

Sunagakure near dusk was beautiful, as if plated in a layer of gold. Under the direction of the oldest child, the group divided into teams and began to play.

The sounds of running, laughter, and anxious urging carried far. Hui thought that if she followed the sound, she would surely find that swing.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she began to jog, eventually spotting the children playing around a corner.

However, the person behind her was still tailing her closely. Hui Youling gave a cold smile, merely standing behind a house and looking toward the field.

"Oh my, why do these people look so familiar?" Although Hui's lips were curled in a smile, a sense of irritation rose in her heart. She felt a sudden urge to destroy the children before her, so she had to avert her gaze.

She discovered an alley hidden in the shadows; it was deep and empty. Though Hui didn't usually trust her own luck, this time, she had truly stumbled upon it by chance.

Hui Youling slowly extended her chakra, wanting to determine if today was the day Gaara would be assassinated. Perhaps her luck wasn't heaven-defying enough, as there was no chakra signature there, yet for some reason, she felt a wave of relief.

Hui turned and left, beginning to contemplate the situation. Perhaps it wasn't as simple as she had imagined. First, she had entered Sunagakure under the guise of a merchant's hired ninja. If she encountered Gaara's rampage, what excuse would she have to stay?

No.

Rasa would never allow her to stay, which meant she would have to find a way to sneak back into Sunagakure.

There would be no sandstorms for the next few days, so the probability of the event occurring during this window was high. Besides, grain was a commodity Sunagakure needed; perhaps the entire stock would be sold in less than a day.

To prevent foreign espionage, Rasa would certainly demand their departure. It seemed she would have to prepare several contingencies, or all her efforts would be for nothing!

Hui suddenly stopped in her tracks, realizing she could not return to the merchant's quarters today. There were many ninja guarding the place, and the one tailing her wasn't hard to shake; if she went back now, she wouldn't just be monitored by one ninja.

Hui accelerated, and after pinpointing the ninja's position, she turned into a small alley—his blind spot.

The man was stunned; he hadn't expected her to suddenly bolt and vanish from his line of sight. He hurriedly gave chase, only to see her run into a crowd. He breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued his surveillance.

As he swept past the alley, Hui stood in the shadows and smiled faintly. She had never underestimated the three basic ninjutsu—Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, and Transformation Technique—and had studied them diligently. Besides, that had been a Shadow Clone Technique; surely that ninja couldn't tell it wasn't the real her!

Hui faded back into the darkness and lay in wait. A short while later, a small snake appeared before her. Hui followed it to another location and found a place to hide.

Night slowly descended. Hui hid in the darkness, observing her surroundings. The number of people on the streets dwindled, and the air grew stiflingly hot. Finally, when total darkness fell, there wasn't a soul left on the street.

The night breeze felt a bit chilly. Hui slowly released her Mind's Eye of the Kagura to probe the surrounding chakra. There was nothing unusual, so Hui stepped out from the darkness.

She strolled the streets for a while without encountering anyone. Compared to Konoha, the nights in Sunagakure were truly deathly silent. Was this what Gaara stared at every single day?

Hui suddenly remembered that Gaara often sat alone in a place where he could see the entire village. "A place where one can see the whole village!"

Hui Youling looked around and saw the towering Kazekage Residence. Her heart sank; it seemed she would inevitably be discovered. She sighed softly.

But she had already come this far; how could she be stopped? With that thought, she ran toward the Kazekage Residence, deploying her Mind's Eye of the Kagura to dodge the surrounding ninja.

She hadn't guessed wrong, and her luck was surprisingly good: Gaara was sitting there alone and forlorn, his eyes hollow and unfocused as he gazed into the distance.

Hui felt a pang of pain in her heart, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, but she couldn't show it now. She desperately suppressed her emotions and leaped to Gaara's side.

Gaara was startled and turned to look at her. Just as he was lost in his own thoughts, this person had appeared. His eyes held only wariness; perhaps in the next second, he would strike at Hui Youling.

Hui smiled at him. The character for "Love" had not yet appeared on Gaara's forehead, which meant she had arrived early.

But this was not the time to dwell on that. Even if she was early, she could still do something for Gaara. She spoke slowly, "Are you unable to sleep, too, so you came here to look at the night view?"

Gaara had never seen anyone other than Yashamaru smile at him so gently. This person seemed to feel very close to him.

"No," he replied flatly.

Hui didn't look at him anymore, instead gazing out at Sunagakure. She said to herself, "This is my first time here. You are the first person to talk to me."

"Do you know? I feel a great affinity for you. It's that feeling of wanting to be close to someone for no reason!"

Hui looked at Gaara as she said the latter part. Gaara watched her calmly, his eyes filled only with confusion.

"By the way, my name is Hui Youling. Yours?" Hui extended her hand in a friendly gesture, but Gaara didn't seem to understand what she meant; his gaze lingered on her hand, but he made no move.

A moment later, Hui's soft laughter rang out. "Hehe, how about we be friends? You need to shake hands before becoming friends."

Gaara didn't raise his hand, but he replied softly, "My name is Gaara."

Hui didn't dwell on the handshake, withdrawing her hand as she continued, "Gaara, what a wonderful name. It's full of love."

Hearing this, Gaara froze. He furrowed his brows and looked at Hui, waiting a long time before asking, "Do you really think so?"

Hui maintained that gentle smile, though her heart was flooded with thoughts. No matter how much she said now, it would all be overturned by Yashamaru in the end.

Gaara was still destined to become an "Asura who only loves himself," but what could she do? If she said she liked him, they had only just met; it would all sound like a joke. Even she didn't believe it.

"Yes..." Hui's lips curled slightly, a strange light appearing in her eyes. She turned to look into the distance and said slowly, "I have been traveling alone for a long time because I am searching for someone. I also want to become stronger and prove my worth. Although it's lonely on the road, I have always been full of hope for the future, because I believe I can meet him."

"Although I've encountered many sad things along the way—that kind of unspeakable loneliness—I think you must understand, because we are the same kind of people." Hui looked at Gaara, her eyes holding an emotion Gaara couldn't comprehend.

In truth, it was suppressed love. Gaara didn't understand, but for some reason, he would always remember that look.

Gaara stared straight into Hui's eyes—deep, black, yet incredibly bright. He repeated, "The same kind... loneliness..."

Hui gave a brilliant smile. "Gaara, meeting you is truly my good fortune. Meeting you is the happiest thing that has ever happened to me."

Gaara simply looked at Hui with a flat expression, saying nothing, yet he felt a strange sense of relief from his sorrow.

Hui glanced at Gaara, and seeing the faint smile at the corner of his mouth, she felt a surge of joy. She began to recount all the interesting things she had encountered on her journey, while Gaara listened silently, his mind beginning to visualize the things Hui had seen.

He listened as she described the world outside the village: lush, towering trees, the chirping of insects at night, and if one was lucky, the sight of Fire Flies—insects that glowed in the night sky. She spoke of bustling night markets in other villages, filled with delicious food and fun games; the outside world seemed so different from Sunagakure.

However, from Hui's words, Gaara discovered a question: "Hui... are you actually a girl?"

Hui looked at Gaara in surprise, her eyes filled with shock, yet she felt an inexplicable joy in her heart. She laughed and nodded, "Yes."

Gaara smiled, "Then you really are a special girl."

Hui laughed as well, turning her head to ask Gaara, "Gaara, would you like to come and play where I live? I really want to be your friend!" The spark of excitement in her eyes had not faded.

Gaara watched Hui Youling quietly. In her eyes, there seemed to be only him—no hostility, no hatred. The smile on her lips was so genuine, and her entire being radiated a sense of joy that felt warm, making him want to draw closer.

"Friend..." Gaara murmured, his expression dazed.

Hui suddenly felt her smile faltering. She truly wanted to hug him, to pour out her heart, and tell him that she had always liked him—liked him so very much.

She had always strived to become stronger, to draw closer to him, and had finally made it here from Konoha. She had endured many sad and painful things, experiences that filled her heart with bitterness and confusion, but these were her own choices; what right did she have to tell him?

"Okay," Gaara finally agreed, offering Hui a rare smile. At this moment, he was still just a little boy who knew how to smile.

Hui hadn't intended to cry, but seeing his uplifted smile and hearing that single word "okay," her heart was filled with a mix of joy, grievance, and a sense of relief. It was so complex that she couldn't control her emotions, though she didn't want him to see.

Gaara stared blankly at the person who had suddenly embraced him, stunned. This embrace was truly warm; it had been so long since anyone had held him. Was this what a hug felt like?

Hui held Gaara tight, tears quietly sliding down her face without a single sound of sobbing. Hui Youling spoke as if making a vow, "Gaara, I want you to believe in me. No matter what you become in the future—whether a monster, an Asura, or even an object of fear for others—I will never betray you!"

Gaara, I exist for you. Even if the whole world betrays you, I will stand by your side. I owe you too much; this, too, is my atonement.

"Even if I am not by your side in the future, you will never be alone, because you and I will always be under the same sky, looking at the same moon." Hui silently wiped away her tears and released Gaara.

"Gaara, please believe in me, and I will always believe in you, because this is our promise!" Hui looked at Gaara again, and as she finished speaking, the smile on her lips grew wider.

Perhaps our bond began a long time ago; regardless of whether you understand it, I only ask that you believe in me this once.

Gaara blinked, his eyes as calm and ripple-free as water, his green irises as gentle as jade.

Hui was drawn in by those eyes, staring straight back at Gaara, and then she heard him say softly, "Okay, this is our promise."

Although Gaara did not fully understand what the girl before him was saying, the feeling she gave him was very gentle—different from Yashamaru—and she made the pain in his chest subside, his heart no longer so sorrowful.