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Naruto: The End Of Solitude	By : Tiger5913 Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 988 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
2/13/08

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Gaara,
Matsuri, etc. don�t belong to me, although if they did, then Gaara and Matsuri
would fall in love and get rid of their loneliness by being together.
Dedication: God, my parents, my fans, Masashi Kishimoto
for creating the Naruto series and giving us these colorful characters, and
especially to my beloved friends, especially VGuyver, Andrew Glasco, Musashi
Sanada, Francisco, Ariescelestial, and all of you other wonderful readers!!
Special dedication to: Nakoudo Byakugan for being an
awesome Gaara in our RP, a very patient friend, and also for our shared love of
GaaMatsu.

Naruto: The End Of Solitude

Part
One: Heartfelt Desire
By Tiger5913

�� One minute she was defending herself against a slew of close-range
attacks whipping through the air right toward her, and then seconds later, she
felt the warm sand pressing into her back as a lean body lied on top of her.
�� Her dark eyes widened in a bit of shock, mirroring the
expression of surprise on the face hovering slightly above her, and the girl
thought it was probably best to just laugh off the accidental collision.� But the light giggle of embarrassment died
in her throat at the burning intensity of his gaze; although the redhead said
nothing to convey his thoughts, he looked so serious that she wanted to ask
why�� She parted her lips to utter the
question, but then all of a sudden, he swiftly swooped down to cover her lips
with his, while she heard a familiar rustling noise that indicated her sensei was
using his special ability.� Right before
her twin lids slid to a full close, she caught a glimpse of sand rising up
along the sides, and as her attention was averted, the tiny grains continued
moving until they met together at the top, forming a dome of concealment.
�� The petite brunette made a small noise of surprise, since
she had not thought that a training session with her exclusive partner would
ever be interrupted like this, but after a few seconds, she relaxed into the
tentative kiss.� His hands were resting
upon her shoulders, gripping her with gentle firmness while she lied still
underneath him, temporarily stunned until she regained her senses and reached
up to hold onto his arms, taking comfort in his presence.� He jolted slightly at the contact, and she
had forgotten for a moment that he was unused to being touched, but his tension
soon left, to her silent relief � his mild reaction showed he was indeed
changing that aspect of himself.�
Strands of her dark brown hair softly trickled along his cheek as the
two kissed, lips moving over each other with timid inexperience, guided by pure
instincts and caught in the heat of their encounter, while short breaths and
gasps drifted into the warm air.
�� They broke apart a short period later, his face lingering
very close to hers, and the girl exhaled shakily, her nerves still tingling
from the effects of their kiss in conjunction with her heart frantically racing
at their near proximity.
�� His pale turquoise eyes were alit with a rare show of
emotion, one that she could not clearly identify, and his expression was serene
when he began to lean back down to repeat the pleasant gesture, but just then,
a muffled shout ensued, �Gaara!�
�� The red-haired young man lifted his head at the sound of
his name, and glanced down to share a quick look of understanding with his
student; upon receiving her agreement, he calmly rose and waited for her to
straighten herself up as well.
�� At his will, the protective sand dome collapsed around
them, revealing the two companions to the blonde kunoichi that had just arrived
to the secluded area, and interestingly enough, she seemed to think nothing was
out of the ordinary.� �There you
are.� You�ve got a meeting to go to,
Gaara.� The council just called a
session on short notice.� Sorry,
Matsuri, but you�ll have to continue the training later.�
�� I will be there.��
He answered nonchalantly, and then nodded to indicate that he would soon
be on his way; after his elder sister left to head back into the village, he
turned to the bole-haired girl and remarked with mild reluctance in his voice,
�I need to leave for now, Matsuri.�
�� That�s okay, Gaara-sensei,� she replied softly, and had a
diminutive smile gracing her lips as she turned her gaze toward the direction
of the Kazekage�s tall, towering building, knowing full-well where his main
responsibilities lied: in protecting all of Suna.� �Um� maybe I�ll see you tomorrow?�
�� To her pleasant surprise, Gaara responded by shaking his
head slightly, and suggested instead, �I could come to your house tonight, and
we can eat together.� That is, if you
want to.�
�� Her eyes brightened at his invitation, and the girl tried
not to seem overly eager as she nodded in hearty agreement; he was usually so
busy with leadership tasks that she had almost grown accustomed to his constant
absence.
�� His response was a faint, tentative smile that she was
beginning to familiarize herself with, and then he averted his attention to the
village, walking into the quietly bustling sandy environment as he headed
toward his office.
�� Matsuri watched her sparring partner leave with a sense of
mild sadness, but the thought of their outing that night was enough to lift up
her spirits and make her feel excited in anticipation, having something to look
forward to.� She returned to her
training alone this time, swinging around her preferred weapon, the rope dart,
with graceful loops over her head, and when she flung the end part toward a
target, the sharp blade sank into its mark.�
What a far cry that was from the very first time she wielded it; back
then, the slim brunette had been deathly afraid of weapons, and her hands shook
so much with little effort, causing her clumsy attempts to go way
off-track.� It was not until she learned
that those tools could be more than mere instruments of pain and loss, that she
was finally able to handle the rope dart with some skill, and she slowly began
to build her confidence in using the weapon.
�� After training under Gaara�s expertise in fighting for
almost four years, she had learned so much from him and now knew plenty of
skills to hold her own, certainly enough to fend off numerous enemy
attacks.� He had practiced her a small
amount of taijutsu techniques with her as well, deeming them beneficial for his
own knowledge after the sand demon was forcibly extracted from his body,
causing a need for additional defensive tactics.� Whenever time permitted, the two would spend hours training,
utilizing close-range, hand-to-hand combat with each other, both using kunai
knives as weapons since those were the most common amongst the majority of
ninjas.� To repay him for all the time
and effort he spent on her, Matsuri helped her sensei regain and stabilize his
former ability to manipulate the sand with ease, because his control was
weakened from the absence of Shukaku�s innate influence, but the loss in
affinity had been temporary.
�� During their first few sessions of aiding his recovery, the
sand that rose to protect him was considerably flimsy compared to before, and
he had to use more of his charka and concentration to mold the shield stronger,
commanding it to move at his will.� He
still carried around the same large gourd that held his personal chakra-infused
sand in it, and through diligent effort, he was able to maintain his unique
power over the abundant tiny grains that came at his wordless call.� Before long, the sand was rapidly rising and
forming a protective barrier around his lean form, preventing the sharp end of
her rope dart from touching him, unable to penetrate his shield, and Matsuri
truly felt sorry for whomever dared to be his antagonistic opponent.� Although despite the common belief that
Gaara was a dangerous and lethal weapon to fear and scorn, he had never harmed
her intentionally � her own keen sense of clumsiness caused her to suffer injuries
a couple of times, but those were certainly not his fault.
�� Truthfully, Matsuri felt somewhat disgusted with the people
that still cast a wary, doubtful eye upon Suna�s young and dedicated Kazekage
whenever he left to visit other villages for purely diplomatic purposes.� If she did not have a mission at the time,
she would cheerfully, almost insistently, volunteer to accompany their
much-cherished leader as one of his escorting guards, for she liked to
constantly stay by his side, even though she never said so out loud.� But it made her angry and even a little
uneasy to feel terror and resentment emitting from various surrounding
bystanders, when Gaara and his group of protectors walked through a foreign
land to visit the corresponding leader of the place.� Matsuri was not ignorant of all the frightening stories that
depicted her sensei as a cruel, selfish, and ruthless killer from a few years
past, but she wholeheartedly believed that he had changed, and become a
completely different person.
�� A while back, she remembered meeting a ninja from the Leaf
Village named Naruto Uzumaki, who had fiercely defended Gaara by fighting
Seimei, a demented man that was revived due to a dream of acquiring great
power.� It was during that very same
incident she witnessed her sensei using his sand not as a tool for harm, but as
a shield to protect his blond ally from a deadly attack, and the girl realized
then that weapons could actually preserve life, depending on the wielder.� After that occurrence, she began to slowly discard
her fear of weapons, and she fervently wished that the rest of Suna had been
there to see the fight, so they would have known of the redhead�s noble,
selfless deed firsthand.� When it was
all over, before the quartet had left to return to the Sand Village, Matsuri
gave a message to one of the Leaf shinobi, politely asking him to express her
gratitude to Naruto, and to inform that she would continue to train under
Gaara.
�� Remaining within the same wide-open space, the girl
practiced vigorously for another hour � her sensei might have had the advantage
over her in ninjutsu, and maybe even genjutsu, but she was determined to
eventually be able to beat him at taijutsu!�
When the afternoon sun had began to descend behind the mountains over
the horizon in obvious indication that dusk was approaching, Matsuri decided to
call it quits for the day and relaxed her stance, releasing a pleased
sigh.� After gathering all her tools
together, the bole-haired Chunin headed into the main street of the desert
village with a bright smile on her face, idly waving to the people that she
knew as she walked toward her home.�
When her parents passed away a few years ago, they left her the house, a
small and cozy place designed for a loving family of three, where she lived all
her life, but now, with them gone, there was only one sole inhabitant
remaining.
�� Not to say Matsuri never considered the thought of moving
to another place, but there were too many happy and pleasant memories within
the house that made her feel reluctant to just pick up her belongings and
leave.� When she finally got over her
fear of weapons, she was able to find peace inside herself and truly cope with
the loneliness that resulted from the loss of her dearly loved parents,
although of course, she never stopped missing them.� It was because of their untimely death that she decided to become
a ninja in the first place, from the desire to learn how to protect the people
that she cared about, even if it meant she had to wield the very same entity
that took her parents away.� But thanks
to Naruto and her own sensei, Matsuri had been able to learn an important
aspect about weapons; she still preferred to use the non-lethal ones, out of a
desire to not hurt others too badly, despite being on opposing sides.
�� The young brunette unlocked the door and entered her home
with a small smile of relief, feeling an overwhelming need for a hot bath to
soothe her tense muscles from the recent session of arduous training.� Moments later, she had shed her clothes, and
was comfortably soaking in the tub with her eyes closed as she allowed her mind
to wander, her thoughts immediately going to her red-haired friend, which
caused her cheeks to blush a light shade of pink.� Matsuri could not pinpoint exactly when it happened, but somewhere
along the course of their tight bond, the two had become very important to each
other, more than just teacher and student, and yet, their relationship was
rather ambiguous at present.� They were
barely acquainted when she first started training to be a ninja, but over time,
they had grown closer and closer, especially after the terrifying incident in
which Gaara was kidnapped and eventually, killed.
�� He made sure that everyone in Suna knew of Elder Chiyo�s
selfless sacrifice that brought him back to life, and Matsuri was certainly
very grateful to her, for the virtuous act had brought hope and joy to all the
people of the Sand Village.� After his
blessed revival, no one was afraid of Gaara any longer, and not simply because
Shukaku had been removed from him, but due to the entire village watching and
witnessing his diligent efforts to protect everyone with every last ounce of
his strength.� Like the rest of the
spectators, Matsuri had been outside that night when a man wearing dark robes
flew into the peaceful setting on a large, strange-looking bird, his aura
reeking of malicious intent as he immediately provoked a fight with their
Kazekage.� The Sand ninjas and innocent
citizens were all awestruck and impressed by the sight of their esteemed,
resilient leader soaring into the air on a path of slick sand as he fought the
stranger and defended Suna from harm.
�� Unfortunately, the intruder had found some sneaky way to
penetrate the sand wielder�s sturdy shield of defense, and she could only gasp
in shock when a series of loud booms began to explode, disrupting the serene
night sky.� Matsuri watched as the
protective sphere of sand slowly crumbled away to reveal her sensei�s limp
body, and soon, his unconscious form was rapidly falling toward the ground, but
then got intercepted by the stranger swooping in with his bird.� She cried out in frustration at her own
helpless and sank to the floor with devastation when the village�s attacking
units failed to stop the man from making it to the exit, taking their Kazekage
away in the wake of their despair.�
Immediately after their abrupt departure, Matsuri threw on her guard
patrol attire and ran outside into the hectic commotion, trying to push herself
through the crowd in order to dash toward the front entrance, intending to
pursue Gaara�s malicious opponent.
�� Amidst the wide panic, a second calamitous explosion
prevented people from leaving Suna, due to the amount of rocks and large debris
that blocked the way; despite her insistent plea and passionate determination,
the girl was not allowed to pass.� The
majority of the pursuit team that had been dispatched to follow the enemy now
lied injured or dead amongst the rubble, all except for Kankuro, a talented
puppeteer shinobi, who also happened to be the older brother of the
Kazekage.� Against the advice of his
comrades and superiors alike, he had pressed on alone, and Matsuri desperately
wished that she could have accompanied him rather than remain in Suna, doing
absolutely nothing at all to help bring Gaara back.� Instead of returning home to sleep, she spent the rest of the
night helping the other guards remove the sharp and heavy stones one piece at a
time, being careful as they hoped to uncover anyone else that had possibly
survived the attack.
�� The next time she saw her sensei, he was laying on the
ground with both eyes shut and his body completely motionless, and in that very
moment, the girl felt tears blurring her vision, when suddenly, she noticed he
began to stir ever-so-slightly.� He
awoke and steadily sat up shortly after, and by that time, hundreds of
villagers from Suna had traveled all the way over to his location to see their
Kazekage, and she quickly joined everyone in their loud cheers and thunderous
applause of joy.� She caught sight of
the blatant shock in Gaara�s widened turquoise eyes at the hearty reception
that he was receiving, and she felt certain that finally, he knew how much the
entire village admired, respected, and cared for him, very deeply.� As the redhead was glancing around the
crowd, his gaze met hers and locked on, where the two shared a private look as
Matsuri smiled widely at him, feeling tremendously relieved that he was alive �
because of Elder Chiyo, she had not lost Gaara.
�� That very night, there was a huge celebration in Suna, accompanied
with a continuous loud uproar down the main street as each villager
individually wanted to speak to or vigorously shake the hand of their Kazekage
in dual gratitude and happiness.� The
entire time, Matsuri had stayed by his side, along with his older brother and
sister � none of them were willing to let him be alone after what had just
happened, and even only allowed him brief bathroom breaks as they stood right
outside.� A couple of hours into the
festivities, Gaara admitted to feeling rather tired, and the slim brunette
realized that for the first time in fifteen years, this was the end to his
self-induced insomnia, as he could finally sleep with the absence of Shukaku
from his body.� His siblings exchanged a
wordless look between them, and then after several long moments, consented to
leaving him alone to rest in his room; Kankuro jokingly remarked that the four
of them were too big to fit in one bed, to which Temari responded by smacking
the back of his head.
�� Together, the quartet walked over to the house that the
trio of siblings shared and at the door, the blonde wind-user and the puppet
master soon departed with the intentions of patrolling once around the
outskirts of Suna to protect their brother.�
Matsuri was about to volunteer to go with them and help, but they
promptly took off before even giving her a chance to speak, although for some
reason, Temari had briefly glanced back to give the younger girl a mysterious,
indecipherable smile.� Left alone with
Gaara, the brunette blushed slightly and snuck a peek toward him out of the
corner of her eye, only to discover that he was already looking at her, albeit
his expression calm and nonchalant as usual, belying his intense gaze.� Now that they were in private, Matsuri was
practically bursting things to say to him, but she fought to stay quiet as she
did not want to start babbling and look foolish, so she merely mumbled good
night and turned in preparation to leave him to his much-deserved rest.
�� Matsuri.�
�� The surprised Chunin paused in her step at hearing him
utter her name, and she pivoted to face the redhead with anticipation on her
face, and replied softly, her tone polite and a tad more formal than usual from
her timidity, �Yes, Gaara-sensei?�
�� A small smile had spread over his lips, startling the girl
with its presence even as he told her in his smooth, deep voice, �You were
there when I awoke.� Thank you for your
support.�
�� Her dark eyes brightened at his appreciative words, and
before she could help herself, she had launched forward right at him and
enveloped her shocked sensei in a tight hug as thin trickles of tears slowly
slid down her cheeks.
�� She felt his body jolt in surprise at her action, his
initial resistance to the close contact, but for this instance, a special
moment in which she needed to express herself, Matsuri persisted and held on;
eventually, his stiff profile relaxed.
�� G-Gaara-sensei� I�m so happy you�re back�� she murmured
softly next to his ear as he remained still; she was simply relieved that he
had not pushed her back after he regained his regular mindset, �I-�� Everyone in Suna missed you, but we never
lost hope�� I�� W-we don�t want you to go away like that, ever again��
�� Silence stretched between them for a long while, seemingly
endless, and once she finished having her say, Matsuri began to feel
embarrassed about blurting out her relief in such a blatant manner, so she
started to pull away, when all of a sudden, she felt strong arms encircling her
form.
�� I missed you as well.��
Gaara finally replied in a low tone, the volume of his voice barely
audible as she was too stunned by his favorable reaction to her spontaneous hug
to truly hear him, but eventually, the words registered in her mind.
�� That was the first time in all the years of their
friendship that they had ever embraced each other, the girl recalled with a
sweet smile touching her lips as she was brought to the present, warmth
fluttering in her heart at the pleasant memory.� With so many fond gems stored securely within the recesses of her
mentality, she would have liked to stay in the tub and continue daydreaming a
little longer, but one look outside the window told her that early evening was
approaching, and she had to get ready � Gaara could arrive anytime soon.� A small fire of excitement rose within her
at the reminder, and Matsuri grinned happily as she drained the water and
swiftly left the restroom, wrapped in a towel that reached mid-thigh, heading
straight for her wardrobe of clothes.�
This would not be the first time she went out in public with only her
red-haired sensei, but the young brunette wanted to look her best, because she
was fully aware of the fact that the two were constantly stared at by other
villagers, due to natural curiosity about their relationship.
�� The thought made her pause instantly, and she contemplated
the concept for a moment� it was really no secret that the girl cared about
Gaara very much, as she harbored feelings toward him that went beyond mere
friendship.� The pair had been constantly
together in the past few months, and she never accepted any invitations to go
out with other boys, while her sensei had consistently ignored the rather large
group of girls that always cluttered around his office, claiming to be his
devoted fans.� Matsuri had to admit that
she herself was part of the craze during the early stages of her own mad crush
on Gaara, but she dropped it when she realized that he deemed the obsessive
behavior to be immature and unworthy of his attention.� After all, as the Kazekage of Suna, his
primary concern was the safety and well-being of his citizens, and Matsuri
deduced that he would want someone strong and selfless, willing to give her
everything to help him protect the people of the Sand Village.
�� In spite of romance clearly not being on his list of
priorities, the cheerful and optimistic brunette was still happy to be his
number one � and only � student, maintaining a close bond with him as she
learned how to improve her fighting skills so much more.� There was distinct honor and esteem
associated with her being Gaara�s student, as she felt that others expected her
to really excel at many areas when she was being taught by one of, if not THE,
most powerful shinobi in their village.�
When the Suna version of a ninja academy, the concept borrowed from the
Leaf Village, had first started, all of the students in the class either chosen
to form a group with Temari or Kankuro as their teacher, except for Matsuri,
who stepped toward the red-haired sand wielder and pleaded for his training.� Everyone seemed surprised at her action,
even Gaara himself, but he agreed to instruct her, and she felt rather lucky to
have his complete and undivided attention, since it quickly became apparent
that he was highly-skilled and experienced with battle techniques.
�� During the last three-and-a-half years under his tutelage,
the determined girl grew extremely familiar with each component of her
versatile rope dart, being able to wield it so comfortably, almost as if the
weapon was actually a part of her own body.�
Like the other fresh young students, Matsuri started out as a kunoichi
of the Genin level, but a little less than a year later, at the redhead�s
request, the two traveled to their neighboring ninja village of Konoha, where
she took the Chunin exam.� Each stage
carried a different challenge, varying in difficulty and endurance, but through
all her painstaking efforts, as well as the support of her sensei�s presence
and his siblings watching her in the crowds, she had passed.� After a brief celebration that night with a
few of Gaara�s friends in the Leaf Village, Matsuri returned to Suna as a
Chunin, and later, privately visited her parents� graves to tell them that she
was on her way to truly learning how to protect others that were important to
her.
�� Back then, Gaara was able to accompany her to the Chunin
exam because he had not yet become the Kazekage, but the next time they were
training alone, he revealed his intentions for that position to her, where she
learned of his desire to work hard and prove himself to the village.� Being around him so often, Matsuri herself
saw a slow, but steady change in his personality compared to how he was when
they first became acquainted; however, the rest of Suna did not get the same
opportunity � or perhaps refused � to interact with him as frequently.� It was not until Gaara rose to his current
position of leadership that the other villagers began to stop fearing him, and
after his revival at the hands of Elder Chiyo, everyone had respect and
appreciation for the dedicated young man.�
Seeing the look on his face at their admiration made Matsuri feel very
happy for him, and she thought it was great that finally, her sensei was
accepted and loved by his people, the one thing that he wanted and strived to
obtain all along.
�� The girl was brought back to the present with a soft,
wistful smile gracing her lips, but it quickly faded when she suddenly heard a
series of gentle, but crisp knocks resonating through her quiet little home �
Gaara had arrived!� And she was not
ready yet!� Throwing down the towel,
Matsuri quickly grabbed a robe hanging on a nearby hook and tied the knot at
her waist before nervously running a hand through her dark brown hair, and she
stopped by the full-length mirror to make sure she looked presentable before
going to the door.� Despite being short
on time, the anxious brunette made a conscious effort to calm herself down and
not appear too frantic, although she was unable to prevent her heart from
beating in an increasingly quickening pace.�
Though it felt like only a mere minute had passed by, Matsuri was
startled out of her reverie when she realized that the knocking sound had
stopped, and a small sense of panic hit her as she wondered if her sensei had
possibly gotten fed up with waiting and just decided to leave.
�� Hoping to catch him before he was really gone, the girl
forgot about her outer appearance and made a mad dash for the front door while
calling out loudly, �Gaara-sensei!�
Don�t go, please!� I�m-ahhh!�
�� A short cry burst free from her lips when, in her rushed
state, one of her feet snagged on a corner of the rug in the living room,
causing her to trip and fall to the floor in a crumpled heap as a sharp jolt of
pain shot sharply up her leg.
�� Matsuri?�� Her ears
faintly acknowledged a rustling noise from beyond the threshold, and then she
heard a slight sound of something sliding; seconds later, her door was thrust
open with a whoosh, sending a chilly breeze into her house.
�� Mmm� G-Gaara-sensei�?��
Matsuri moaned softly in discomfort as she slowly raised herself up to
sitting position, and then gingerly lifted her head to meet the pale turquoise
eyes of her red-haired sensei, who was presently kneeling down right in front
of her.
�� Are you all right?��
He asked her without preamble, his husky voice soothing her frazzled nerves,
somehow managing to subdue her rising embarrassment, and then she realized that
his normally-calm expression appeared to show a bit of concern.
�� Y-yes�� she murmured in response, still feeling quite
ashamed about her own self-induced clumsiness, and when she tried to apply
pressure on the heels of her feet to stand, she gasped from the vivid sensation
of pain and collapsed back down on her behind.
�� Fighting off the frustration progressively building up
inside her, Matsuri pressed her palms against the floor and once again
attempted to rise, but two hands went to grasp her forearms, firmly halting the
process as Gaara advised her sternly, �Don�t get up.�
�� The injured brunette opened her mouth to stubbornly insist
that she was fine, but to her surprise, before she could even utter a single
word, the sand wielder bent down and slid his arms under her body, lifting her
up into the air with ease.
�� Where?�� He
inquired mildly as he swiftly turned his head, allowing his eyes to scan the
surroundings within the small vicinity.
�� Um� the couch is fine,� she suggested in a submissive
tone, trying not to aggravate him any further.
�� The lean redhead nodded once in response, and then he
crossed the short distance to cautiously set her amongst the pliable cushions,
stepping back afterward to gaze at the girl as he questioned calmly, �What
happened, Matsuri?�
�� Well, I� I was trying to get to the door as quickly as I
could.� I thought you left without me,
Gaara-sensei,� she admittedly quietly, ducking her head to hide the faint shade
of pink dotting her pale cheeks.
�� With an edge of worry in his voice, Gaara admonished
firmly, �Don�t worry about me.� I
wouldn�t do that.� Next time, I want you
to remember not to rush.� I would rather
wait than have you hurt yourself.�
�� Okay,� Matsuri agreed, adjusting herself into a more
comfortable position on the couch, when just then, her dark eyes widened a
little as a thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked up to ask, �Wait�
how did you get in here?� You don�t have
a key��
�� He seemed amused by her reasonable inquiry, and casually
crossed his arms over his chest as his light irises betrayed a rare gleam of
mild pleasure that dwelled within them.�
�Hm.� So you think I can�t get
past a locked door, eh?�
�� She blushed in meek embarrassment and resisted the urge to
cover her face as she sneak a quick look at the large gourd that hung on his
back; so that was the sliding noise she had heard right before the door
opened�
�� Matsuri.� Do you
need anything for your leg?�
�� No, I�m all right.�
Thanks,� the energetic brunette flashed him a small smile that twinkled
with her usual sweet nature, until she realized in a momentary lapse of minor
sadness, �Oh, but� we can�t go out now��
Um, Gaara-sensei, you can leave if you want to eat�� You don�t have to be hungry because of me.�
�� After giving her a brief once-over, the intensity of his
gaze seeming to inspect her form in a fairly thorough manner, Gaara exhaled
evenly and decided, �I will bring food back for both of us.� Stay here and don�t move.� Understand?�
�� Yes, sensei!�� She
replied heartily and saluted him in a show of respect, while her lips spread
wider to reveal a teasing grin; even though she felt certain that the sprain
would not last long, she knew her sensei was just concerned about her.
�� A hint of placid, passive joy flickered in his pale
turquoise eyes at her playful gesture, and then without another word, the
red-haired young man turned around and as he walked out of the house, a thin
trail of sand closed the door behind him.
�� Gaara-sensei� thank you.� Matsuri murmured silently to herself, a sliver of longing
lingering upon her expression as she watched him leave; when he was gone, she
sighed a bit wistfully and settled back against the couch to rest while she idly
waited for his return.

To Be
Continued�

Author�s
Note: All
right, here it is, my first official exclusive Gaara and Matsuri
story.� And it�s got multiple
parts!� XD� By the way, for any of you that are curious about the timeline,
this story takes place about one year after the time-skip, so Gaara is 16 and
Matsuri is 15.� Eek, as always, I really
hope that I didn�t write anyone too out of character.� Readers, I�m counting on you to let me know if I made any gross
mistakes.� (I�m particularly paranoid
about writing Gaara � he is rather complex.)�
Of course, I would adore and appreciate any feedback that you all can
give me, so please don�t forget to leave a review.� =)

Oh,
and I also want to mention that the rating of this story will eventually go
up�� There will be mature content in
later parts.� Just an FYI for those of
you that might not feel comfortable with that kind of material.� Or maybe some of you are actually looking
forward to it, teehee.

Happy
Valentine�s Day, everyone!� Spread the
GaaMatsu love!

With
love for my fans,
Tiger5913
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Naruto: The End Of Solitude

Naruto: The End Of Solitude

By Tiger5913