Sounds of Silence(Gaara x Mute!Reader)

Chapter 1

Your POV

Ugh damn it, Shoku! Curse my missing voice! I want to cuss him out so bad! A string of curses continued through my mind, you see my older brother, Shoku, had once again left me behind.

It was easy to forget about me, not making a sound of any sort without hitting or clanging two objects together. That's me Y/n Shizukani, no voice, no presence, and practically a ghost. Which is ironic because my nickname is Ghost, I earned it from villagers in places my brother and I have travelled to previously. The fact that I can enter a room and never once be acknowledged or heck, even noticed by the people in said room and leave a room without anyone knowing gave me the nickname. It sucks, to put it bluntly.

After getting dressed in my everyday outfit, I walked outside and took in a deep breath then let it out in a silent sigh. Even from the inn's doorway, I could see the barren desert of the land of wind. Shoku heard that Sunagakure, the village hidden in the sand, had some well paying jobs and since we made money off of jobs throughout different villages, that is pretty good news.

"Hey y/n! Finally up are you?" Speak of the Devil and he will come, or in my case think of the Devil. My eyes said it all as I formed hand signs.

'No shit Sherlock.' I frowned as Shoku's s/c face contorted into amusement as he snickered childishly. I formed more hand signs with an eye roll, 'You know, sometimes I feel like I'm the older one and I'm five years younger than you.'

"Oh come on y/n, you're such a wet blanket. If I was as serious as you then who'd make us laugh?" He shot back playfully as we started walking.

'I can be pretty funny when I want to be.' I frowned again, then decided to change the subject. 'Hey, Shoku, isn't the Kazekage my age?' I silently asked, though the e/c eyed boy wasn't paying attention.

I grit my teeth and flicked his arm, "Ouch! What was that for, y/n?!" Shoku exclaimed, rubbing the spot I flicked him at.

'I asked you a question, but you weren't paying attention.' I signed and my messy haired brother instantly knew the problem.

"I'm sorry, Ghost. Now what were you asking?" He used my nickname and I gave an inaudible giggle, Shoku wasn't very fond of the nickname but eventually it grew in him and he uses it every now and again.

'I asked: Isn't the Kazekage my age?' I repeated and earned a nod from my older counterpart, 'Maybe we could meet him in Suna, I wonder if he'd notice me.' I continued my thoughts, though knowing my brother.

"C'mon, y/n, you shouldn't be getting a crush on someone so high in status besides, you've never even met the guy." are you kidding me!? I gave a silent huff and lightly punched his side.

'I do not have a crush on him!' I glared daggers at him and Shoku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in the process.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Besides if you did, I'd have to kill him if he broke your heart and then I'd be wanted practically everywhere." He spoke.

The classic overprotective brother, it makes sense though, since I'm all that he has left of our little family of four. Not counting the rest of the clan of course, who knows what happened to them. But let's be honest, I would probably beat up any girl that broke Shoku's heart just like he'd beat up any guy that broke mine.

'Its alright, I was just rambling.' I smiled and the boy returned it.

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After a bit of walking, we finally reached the barren, seemingly lifeless landscape and the breeze that ruffled my h/c hair never faltered.

"They don't call it the land of wind for nothing," I heard Shoku speak, pausing to look at the land around us, "it should be at least another day of walking until we reach Suna." He concluded.

I knelt down to get the sand out of my sandals and when I stood back up, I signed, 'Though if we walk in this heat for too long, we'll get dehydrated and sunburnt. So I suggest we take breaks every now and then in the shade until nightfall or we walk until we find a cave and rest up until nightfall.'

"Why wait until nightfall?" My messy haired counterpart questioned, tilting his head slightly .

'Why are most desert animals active at night?' I answered with a question.

"To escape the heat and because it's cooler at night." He still looked confused and I let out a breath of air.

'That's why we should find shelter and travel at night, dimwit.' I frowned and Shoku finally understood, giving an 'oh' and continuing on.

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"Finally a cave! I think I'm beginning to wilt like a plant it's so hot."

'That's because you didn't listen to my advice, you insisted on passing by the cave we saw earlier.'

"Yeah, I probably should've listened. But hey neither of us died so I think that's a win." How are you so optimistic at times? I shook my head and handed Shoku one of the water bottles I prepared.

'well it's almost night,' I paused and looked at the position of the sun before continuing my hand signs, 'and judging by the position of the sun, I would say we have at least three hours until dusk.'

"Then I guess we should rest up until then." The e/c eyed boy took one last gulp of water before resting his head on his bag and closing his eyes. "Night... Or should I say day instead? Whatever I'm going to sleep." He then went out like a light, I envy your ability to sleep so quickly.

I sat up and watched the entrance of the cave, someone has to keep watch. I listened to the calming silence, which most people would say is when nothing is making sound. I see silence differently, because the common belief of silence is never possible.

There's always something making sound, if not people it is animals, if not animals it is the plants, if not plants it is weather even the softest breeze, if not weather well... Then it is the faint beating of a heart. Silence is when people stop to listen to the quiet noises they drown out with their loud voices. A soft, rhythmic drip of water in the back of the cave, the gentle breeze outside, the faint crumble of sand shuffling in said breeze, and then the quiet snores of Shoku next to me.

Yes that is silence.