Suna no Hoshi [Naruto Fanfic]

Sand Storm

Of course, being a clone and all, he knew he was just a reflection of Sabaku no Rasa. He wasn’t actually him. He wasn’t real at all.

But clone or not, he had opportunities and he had transient feelings that last so long as he existed.

Her hair was like spun gold…

The clone blinked tiredly, but stayed where he was. He was in no hurry to move, much less leave. He was quite content where he was, thank you very much.

That being lying by a sleeping Naruto’s side. He retracted his hand, from where he’d been combing it through her hair, but he still didn’t leave her. He was happy enough to just lie beside her simply, watching her sleep and wondering to himself.

Slowly, he moved that hand across her and had that arm gently rest against her abdomen, loosely hugging her. If his original had been there, not only would he be upset and most probably infuriated with him, but he wouldn’t have even be able to be near Naruto, much less be in this position and lying next to her in the first place.

His original still couldn’t see things clearly.

At the thought of the original Rasa, the clone frowned as he carefully brushed back some of her hair out of her eyes. It was getting long…

The original Rasa was blind and clueless. But then again, the clone had specifically taken on those qualities, hence why he knew more expressively about the truth when the original was still oblivious.

Which made things more torturous for “himself.”

To know deep down how he really felt, and be so close and yet so far away. Even more so because he was a clone. Truly, what a bad hand he was dealt with, compared to most clones.

Then there was that sooner or later, he would be gone anyway. Dispelled, lack of energy, a hit that packed too much punch for him to be able to sustain himself…He had no real existence. And that hurt even more because his feelings about her didn’t matter. They practically constituted as not real because he was not real. To truly feel for someone and not be able to exist in their eyes…Then the knowledge of soon to not exist, and yet having felt so much in the time he had.

Why was it so cruel to be a clone in this matter?

He’d rather be cannon fodder, a sparring partner, a training technique, just anything than what he was now. A clone filled and revolving around certain feelings…feelings that were not truly his in the first place. He was just a clone after all.

A clone whose sole true purpose was to quietly love a girl, and yet never be acknowledged.

He could feel the energy he had left still depleting. He had been existing for a long time now. Maybe that’s why he was so despondent and cynical right then –he could feel himself “dying.”

He heard the door slide open and he looked up to see his creator’s younger son enter. Gaara stopped short at the sight of him and Naruto, but he still wasn’t moving away from the spot.

“You should move away from her,” Gaara glared.

“Oh? Why should I? You really shouldn’t talk that way to your father, Gaara,” the clone briefly smirked.

“You are not my father,” Gaara scowled. “You are just a clone.”

Ouch. But conceded, the clone acknowledged.

“And what are you going to do about it?” the clone murmured, slowly getting up. But he didn’t move away, instead moving to go above Naruto and hover above her. “Going to fight me on behalf of your father?”