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People who are Important: Book One	By : Morales89 Category: Naruto > General Views: 1256 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Chapter 14

The Sabaku family sat in their living room about to begin their first "family meeting". Temari was on the chair next to the television with Gaara and Kankurou on the couch together. The dinner with Shia's grandmother had gone quite well, and the old woman had absolutely fallen in love with Kankurou. Shia was currently at her training session, and Temari had called a meeting with her family in order to disclose some information she'd been given the night before.
"Alright you two…Shia is leaving in four days, and she's been great. Last night when I saw her grandmother to the door, the old woman gave me some information," the blond started. Gaara sent her an inquiring look.
"What kind of information?" Kankurou asked.
(Flashback)
Temari walked the old woman to the door because Shia was busy clearing the table, and her two brothers were trying to insist that they do the dishes. It had been a fun dinner, the old woman was polite, and had genuinely liked the family her grandchild was currently staying with. As Temari opened the door to let the old woman out, a wrinkled hand took a light hold of her arm. The blond turned her green eyes on the Akito Elder.
"Thank you for a wonderful time. It's good to see Shia so happy," she said going soft in the eyes. Temari smiled.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, and we're all glad to have her here. She's a sweet girl, and an awesome medic," she said. The old lady smiled.
"Thank you, I'm sure she's going to miss you all when she leaves. But at least she'll be here for her birthday. The day after tomorrow, Shia turns thirteen," the old woman said, and Temari's eyes widened. 'Why hasn't she mentioned it?' the blond thought.
"We'll make sure she has a happy birthday," the oldest Sand Sibling said. The woman nodded and took her leave.
(end flashback)
"Her birthday? But she didn't say a word," Kankurou said.
"I know, I don't know why. She hasn't mentioned it to me. Did she say anything to you Gaara?" Temari asked. The pale eyed boy frowned and shook his head.
"Why wouldn't she say anything? I don't understand. Most girls her age are dropping hints for presents for weeks before their birthdays," Kankurou said looking pointedly at his sister, who promptly ignored him.
"I don't know. But…it's tomorrow...I wanna surprise her…..Oh! I know! We'll take her to the Sunagakure Heritage Festival. It starts tomorrow, I'm sure she'd love that," Temari said, earning a nod from both brothers.
"What about her presents? I have no clue what to get her," Kankurou said, scratching his head with his goofy grin set in place. Gaara just stared. He had to get her a gift? He'd never received a gift in his entire life, let alone given one to someone else, and that someone else most certainly had never been female.
"Well, I know what I'm getting her. You'll have to figure it out on your own Kankurou, I can't sit here and spoon feed you your entire life…oh, but Gaara, I have a perfect idea for you," she said, turning her eyes on her youngest brother. He raised a non-existant brow at her.
"Oh, you can't spoon feed me, but you'll tell short stuff here what he can get her," Kankurou drawled. Temari just chuckled a little.
"Well…yea…I like him better," she said, and the puppet master glared. He stood up quickly and stormed out of the house yelling something about 'looking at the market for a gift' before slamming the door. It was quiet for some time, and then Temari looked back at her other brother.
"Come with me to the market. I want to show you," she said, and he was hesitant to accept.
He didn't like walking around the village. There were too many bad memories, and too many people who made him angry. It was much easier to keep control inside. He didn't want to disappoint his sister though, he didn't want her to stop liking him. He wanted her to love him like she did now for the rest of his life. He rose with her, feeling like he wanted to please her so she'd never hate him again.
"You know Gaara…if you don't want to go…you don't have to. I just wanted to show you something…and I wanted to spend a little time with you. But if you're not comfortable going out there, then I won't be angry if you decide to stay," she said, looking at him with caring eyes.
He felt his heart thump, and warm a little bit. No…maybe nothing would make her stop loving him. 'Is that what love is? Is it something that doesn't fade away?' he thought to himself quietly. He looked up at his sister, and found that he did want to go with her. Even if the village hated him, he had Temari…and Kankurou…Shia….and Naruto Uzumaki. Even though his dream was to be one day accepted by the people who hated him…right now, he could deal with it. His sister wanted to spend time with him in public. She was not ashamed of him. She wanted people to see them together, and it made him feel warm inside.
"I want to go," he said simply, and strode towards the door to hold it open for his very happy looking sister.
Sunagakure Tea Shop
"You did a good job today. I think we can stop for today, seeing as your birthday is tomorrow. You never did tell me what you wanted," Akito Shizuka told her granddaughter. Shia placed her tea cup down gently on the table.
"No…you've done so much already. I think I might pass the Chuunin Exams because of you. I don't want anything…we'll just have a little celebration at your hotel room tomorrow night," Shia said, but the Akito Elder shook her head.
"I'm leaving tomorrow night. You've got four days left here, and you've grown so much already. I think you're ready for the exams, so I'm going home tomorrow night. Your grandfather is probably so lonely without me. I'm taking you out to lunch tomorrow, but I do want to get you a gift Shia. You only turn thirteen once," the old woman explained.
"Oh…no…I don't want anything. Thirteen isn't that big a deal. Sure you only turn thirteen once, but the same could be said about fourteen, fifteen…and so on. You know I've never been big on gifts," the young medic said. Her grandmother reached out and placed a wrinkled hand over her small, smooth one. Shia's dark blue eyes moved up to the old woman's wise ones.
"Shia, you should just learn to accept gifts with grace. You deserve them. You're a bright young lady who's future is looking great. You're parents would be proud," the old woman said, eyes saddening a little. Shia felt tears sting her lids, but she held them back.
"Thank you…" she murmured, taking another sip of tea to calm her. 'Another birthday…another day without them…..another celebration without the two people I love the most….' she thought. She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt her grandmother squeeze her hand.
"I'm going back to my hotel room to relax. I suggest you do the same. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch," the old woman said, rising and placing some money on the table. Shia nodded, and got up. After a quick goodbye, both ninja went their separate ways.
Sunagakure Market
"That's the one!" Temari cried pointing to a small stuffed panda in the window of the toy store. Gaara looked at the little panda. Shia had wanted this?
"Are you sure?" he asked, sending a skeptic look her way through his minty eyes.
"Yea, it was one of the first days she was here, if not the first, and she thought it was so adorable," the blond said.
"Hn," Gaara answered.
"She didn't buy it though. She said she'd need her money for medical supplies, and something about being too old for stuffed animals. But I know she wanted it! I was actually planning to come back and buy it for some time," Temari explained. Gaara stared at the plushy panda bear, wondering just how ridiculous he'd look carrying it out of the store.
"I don't know.." he said slowly, and his sister frowned.
"Come on Gaara…it's not like you had any idea what to get her anyways. And it's the least you can do for her since she saved your life and all. Isn't she your first friend? Don't you want her to be happy?" Temari asked, using the age old trick of guilt to get what she wanted.
Gaara frowned…Kankurou had warned him about this. 'Women like to use guilt to get what they want' he'd said.
'Well, I guess it works…she's right. I had no idea what to get Shia for her birthday….and if the bear is something she already wanted, I guess it couldn't hurt to buy it.'
(No! Do you even hear yourself boy! You're going soft! What, because your sister gives you a little attention and that damned girl ACTS nice for a little while. You know they'll just end up hurting you. Just like Yashamaru! Do you want to feel that again boy! Do you? You're setting yourself up! If you let your guard down you're going to regret it. I'm your only friend boy! I'm the only one who's been here since the beginning protecting you, and I'm the one who'll be there in the end. Fight only for yourself! Love only yourself! Or have you forgotten what that scar on your head means?) Shukaku roared in his mind. Gaara felt his heart tighten painfully at the thought of losing all the love he'd gained from his siblings…at the thought of more betrayal. Then he thought of Naruto. He'd been betrayed by Sasuke…and yet…instead of turning on everyone…instead of closing himself off…he decided to fight for those bonds.
'No…no….NO! You're wrong! You're wrong! They wouldn't! Even if you weren't wrong! I won't let that happen! I will fight for these bonds I have now! Because they are worth fighting for,' the redhead thought back, frantically pushing the demon away. It was getting difficult. He felt the pain in his head, but he didn't move. He didn't show it, because he didn't want to ruin this outing with his sister. He could fight. He would win control of his body. It was then that he felt himself squeezed lightly against something warm and soft. He looked up to see his sister had wrapped her arms around him from behind and pulled him close.
"So what do you think Gaara? You wanna buy it?" she asked, her green eyes looking down at him with sisterly love. Shukaku receded in his mind, and he found himself staring at the panda in the window again. 'I'll always be here little brother. I'm going to protect you for as long as I live,' Temari promised in her mind.
With Kankurou
"Damnit! Why can't this just be easy? Whatever! I'll take this!" the puppet master shouted at the clerk. He thrust the small gift into the cashier's hands, and sighed defeated. He'd been out for several hours and still wasn't happy with what he'd chosen.
'Oh well…she'll probably like it anyway. I mean, I hope so,' he thought walking back towards his house.
Sabaku Residence
Shia walked into the house making her way swiftly to the guest bedroom. She wanted to rest, but first a shower seemed in order. The young ninja was still sweaty from training, and a hot shower was just oh so tempting at the moment. When she reached her room, she quickly stripped off her tight training suit and made her way into the bathroom. The hot water felt wonderful against her sore muscles. Shia always made sure the water was hot to the point that she would come out pink. Nearly scalding droplets of water ran over her entire body, and she felt herself relaxing against the shower wall.
She rinsed the shampoo out of her long chocolate hair and shut the water off. After wrapping a soft towel over her pink naked form, she allowed herself to collapse on her bed. It was her birthday tomorrow. Always a hard day for an orphan. Knowing that the two people responsible for said day could not be present to see it…to celebrate it..that's what hurt the most. The young medic closed her navy blue eyes and allowed sleep to take her.
Gaara's room
It had been some time since Temari and Gaara had returned from the toy store. It was not something he wanted to think about at the moment. The thought of how those people reacted to him was enough to get his blood boiling. Right now, Gaara sat cross-legged on his bed, doing something he'd never done in his life. He was making a birthday card. His sister had told him to fold a piece of paper in half, and write something personal on the inside. She had promised to decorate it for him, saying something like, 'boys don't understand the idea of cute', and he had no qualms about it. It's not like he knew how to decorate it anyways.
'Shia,
Happy Birthday, I don't really know what to say...'
"No….that's not right. I can't say that," Gaara mumbled to himself. He crumpled the piece of paper and threw it at the garbage can across the room. He folded a fresh one and started again.
'Shia,
Happy Birthday, I hope you have a good day. You are really nice'
**CRUMPLE**
"No, that's not right either, Growl," Gaara said as a knock sounded from his door. His sister's blond head poked into the room.
"Hey shortcake! How's it going in here?" she asked, green eyes roaming over all the crumpled papers scattered across the room. He sent her a look that made his frustration inescapably clear. She chuckled.
"Okay, listen. Just be yourself. Start out with 'Happy Birthday' and just write what you really think. Knowing Shia, she'll appreciate the fact that you tried at all. Just calm down, and don't think it through too much, just be yourself," his sister repeated. He nodded, and she left him to his business.
Kitchen
Kankurou walked into the kitchen to find his sister washing dishes. He wondered briefly if she was planning on making dinner, and then begged the gods silently that it wasn't so. She seemed to be in a good mood, and he found himself wanting to annoy her, just because he knew he could.
"I hope your not planning on making dinner. We all know what happens when you cook," he poked. She just ignored him and continued to wash the dishes.
"No matter what you say you can't ruin my mood today," Temari answered. Kankurou just smirked, a retort already forming on his annoying lips.
"Why, did Nara ask you out or something?" he saw her tense, but still, no yelling or flying dishes.
"No, Gaara and I had an afternoon out today. It went pretty well considering, even though I'd love to kill the people who were in the store with us," she said, putting a dish in the drying wrack a little hard.
"What did they do?" Kankurou asked. She turned to him with an angry, but sad look in her green eyes.
"You know what they did. What they always do. He didn't even do anything to them. He was completely silent, and even polite, but they didn't care. They looked at him with hate filled eyes, and fear. And the clerk…oh don't even get me started on him. I had to buy the gift that Gaara got for Shia because the clerk simply refused to serve him," she explained in a strained tone. The puppet master sighed.
"Do you think they'll ever stop?" he asked hopefully. Temari turned back to the dishes.
"I don't know, but I hope so. I like him the way he is now. I want him to be happy. I don't want him to revert back just because a couple of idiots hate him for something that's not even his fault," the blond said, voicing a fear that both siblings shared for the first time.
"I know, me either. He's starting to let down those walls. He's making friends…er..a friend. We can't let him get hurt anymore. We have to protect him. Even from Shukaku," the brunette boy said. He heard a grunt of agreement from the sink that muffled a sniffle. Gently he wove his arms around his sister and hugged her reassuringly.
"We can do it Temari," he said, and took a place helping his sister with the dishes.
Shia's Room
'Mommy…..mommy NOOOOO!'
Shia sprung up from her sleep in a cold sweat. Tears were streaming over her sorrow filled face, and great sobs convulsed her body in terrible shudders. She cried, she sobbed screams muffled by the pillow. 'Why? Why did they have to die? Why couldn't I have died with them? What had they ever done to those ninja? Those bastards…bandits…those rogue ninja who killed my parents. Why?' the girl thought wildly as she sobbed. There was a knock on the door, and she immediately held her breath to quiet her sobbing.
"Y..yes?" she managed.
"Shia…" a cool monotone said from behind the door. It was Gaara! She couldn't let him see her like this. It was too late however, the door started opening, and she rushed to wipe her tears. Taking deep shaky breaths she attempted to calm herself.
Gaara stood in the doorway of his friend's room. He'd heard her tossing about restlessly on his way to the bathroom, and he decided to check up on her. As he looked at her, he took note of the puffy bloodshot eyes, and shaky uneven breaths. 'She's been crying…' he thought.
"G..Gaara! Is everything okay?" she asked him, trying to hide the fact she'd just been sobbing. He said nothing as he silently walked over to the distraught girl. If she thought she was doing a good job hiding it, she really needed a mirror.
"Did you need something?" she asked, looking frazzled and upset. He calmly reached out a hand to feel the dampness of her cheek. She'd been crying alright….
"Why?" was his quiet question. She looked at him with wide watery blue eyes and shuddered a repressed sob. Shia shook her head frantically, and he could hear her short, uncontrolled breaths that served to force back her tears.
Shia felt herself breaking inside. She didn't want him to see her like this. She didn't want him to see her weak. She felt…like she didn't deserve to be upset…like she should be grateful for everything she had in his presence…because what she'd been through…was nothing in comparison to what his life must have been like. She had people who loved her. What right did she have sobbing like this? Why couldn't she just move on, and be grateful for the things she had now? Was she so selfish?
Gaara stared down at the girl who was trying so hard not to cry in front of him. She was trying to be strong. He didn't know why she was so upset. The sight of her like this was making him uncomfortable. He had no idea what to do with her. He had no idea how to make her stop. (Kill her…look how afraid she is of you. She can't even let down her defenses enough to cry in front of you. What kind of friend is that?) Shukaku chided in his mind. Gaara ignored him. How could he come to such a conclusion if he wasn't letting down his defenses…almost at all?
"Why?" he repeated, feeling his heart clench when a tear broke free of her control and made a shining path over her cheek.
"I..I'm o..okay. P…please…don't…it's not..I…important," she choked out, and he just continued to stare at her with those piercing pale eyes. Without saying a word, he was demanding an answer from her. She knew he would not leave until he got one.
"I..it's difficult for me to talk about. I feel so selfish crying here about my life…when I know you've suffered so much more than I have. B…but I can't help it! When I was very young…my parents and I were returning from a family vacation. It all happened so fast…the rogue ninja attacked, and my father shielded us with his body as my mother tried to flee with me. It must have been midnight before the battle was finally over. Father was dead, along with all of the ninja who'd attacked us. M…mommy…" her voice broke, but she took a breath a pressed on.
"Mommy was wounded so badly. I wanted to save her. I wanted to heal her. I tried…but I was so young. I couldn't do anything for her. She died…she died and there was nothing I could do to help her! She'd risked her life to save me, and I couldn't even find the strength to make sure she lived," she explained, her voice shaking in her attempts to quell the sobbing.
Gaara was speechless, though he never spoke much, he really couldn't find the words he knew he needed to comfort her. He'd never known. He'd never have guessed she'd suffered so much. She thought she was selfish for crying? That's why she didn't want to cry in front of him? Because she felt selfish? He broke out of his thoughts to stare down at her trembling form. He wished she'd just cry. It would help. It would release her pain. Seeing her fight it on his behalf made him uncomfortable.
Shia sat in silence. She'd just spilled her entire life story. The first she'd told was Temari, but she'd never told anyone why she tried so hard not to succumb to her sorrow. She'd guarded the secret well. She didn't want people to worry. She didn't want to be selfish. She had so much to be happy about, and here she was, fighting her emotions once again. Suddenly, she felt herself drawn roughly against something hard and warm. A small grunt of surprise left her mouth as she stared up into seemingly endless jade eyes.
Gaara's stomach was doing gold medal worthy back flips in his abdomen. He was nervous. For lack of anything else to do, he'd seized the medic into his arms, a bit roughly, but hey…this is the first time he'd ever hugged someone. Her big, shining navy eyes stared up at him, sorrow written through the deepest depths of them.
He felt her body convulse in preparation for her savage sobs. Her eyes narrowed as the tears started pouring freely over her pale cheeks. Finally those dark blue orbs squeezed shut, and he felt her lithe arms contract tightly around his waist. Her face buried into his shoulder, and she soaked his shirt with limitless tears. Her body quaked and quivered violently as she sobbed severely into him. Her hands clawed into his back as if she were afraid that he would leave if she didn't hold onto him tight enough. Eventually, he found himself holding her closer. Her cries came out in anguished screams, he could roughly make out a few words here and there. Mostly…'no' and 'why?'. Gaara heard the door slammed open, and snapped his eyes over to a worried looking pair of siblings.
"Oh my god…" was Temari's reaction as she stood in frozen concern. Kankurou stood at the door, dark brown eyes trained confused on the screaming girl in his brother's arms.
Finally, after several minutes, Shia's sobbing calmed down to soft sniffles and quiet whimpers. The quaking tremors of her body relaxed to slight shivers. Gaara wrapped an arm securely around her waist, and moved the other one up to press against her soft chocolate hair. Letting instinct take over, he wove his fingers into that hair, and massaged the girl's scalp gently. After a few more seconds, she had relaxed completely. Shia's breaths became even and her body slumped limply against his. Lifting her up, he watched as Temari broke out of her daze to rush forward and pull the covers back. After laying the brunette in the bed, he shot a look at his siblings who nodded, and followed him out of the room.
"I'll explain Kankurou," Temari said, "We really have to show her a good time tomorrow. I think I'll take her shopping when she wakes up. She'll need a new kimono for the festival." The two others silently agreed it would be a good chance to get the girl's mind off things. After a brief silence, Temari launched into the explanation of Shia's sadness to the only Sabaku who still didn't know.
Shia's Birthday Lunch
A small brown bird landed on Shia's right shoulder with a little scroll attached to its feet. Shia looked at it…it was quite adorable. Soon there were four other birds, and she finally knew what it was all about. Birthday wishes from her friends back in Konoha. How she'd missed them. She couldn't wait to have tea with Hinata at the Hyuuga compound, or ramen with Naruto…or have a sleep over with Ino, Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata. Of course…she'd miss everyone here, but she quickly dismissed that thought. She'd promised Temari that she'd have a good day today, and not let any negativity make her sad. She untied the scrolls and watched the birds fly away.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Shia-chan!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! When you get back I'm taking you out for ramen, and since it's for your birthday, you only have to pay for a quarter. Hehe…you know how short on cash I am.
Uzumaki Naruto.'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Shia-chan,
I wish you a very happy birthday from the Hyuuga household, and from me, Hinata. I hope you will come over for tea when you return. Have a good time today!
Hyuuga Hinata'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Shia-chan,
Happy Birthday, Birthday girl! Wow! I can't believe you're thirteen! Way to beat me to it! pout Well anyways, have a good day. I'll give you your present when you come back!
Yamanaka Ino 3'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Shia,
Happy Birthday from the Haruno family! Thank you so much for writing to Sakura as often as you have been. It's really helped her out. She's even started smiling again. Mr. Haruno and I hope you have a lovely day. Best wishes!
Mr. And Mrs. Haruno'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Shia-chan,
Tenten here! Happy Birthday Shia! I hope you have a really good day, and Lee sends his best wishes for your birthday as well. Have a good one.
Tenten'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Akito Shia,
Happy Birthday! I hope you are doing well with your mission in Sunagakure. My pupil Sakura Haruno regrets that she is too busy training to send you this letter herself, so I made sure to send one for her. She wishes you a very happy birthday, and wants you to have a good time today. She also wishes to thank you for writing to her while you were away. Have a great day, and I'll be looking forward to seeing how you've improved over the last three weeks.
Sincerely,
Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Shia stared down at the letter from the Hokage, and couldn't help but feel proud of her best friend. Sakura was training with the best ninja in the village. A medic-nin nonetheless. Shia couldn't wait to chat medic with her friend when she returned. She looked up at her grandmother who'd almost finished her lunch. All in all it'd been a pleasant afternoon. It was when a small box was shoved in her face that she broke out of her thoughts.
"Baasan….I told you.."
"No, take it. I'm your grandmother. I have the right to give you a gift on your birthday, and I will be very insulted if you don't take it gratefully," her grandmother interrupted.
Shia felt a stab of guilt in her gut, and she hesitantly reached out for the box. Inside was a white god necklace with a heart shaped orange-red stone in the middle. It shimmered beautifully in the glaring desert sun. Shia felt herself smile happily.
"Baasan…it's beautiful," she said, fastening it around her neck.
"It's a fire country diamond. Very rare, only two families in Konoha have ever been recorded in possession of one. The Akito Clan, and the Uchiha Clan…the fire users. It's about time you inherited it. It was your mother's you know. When she married my son, he gave it to her. Your mother was a fire user herself, she was an Akito, but very distant. The Clan was huge, your mother was like a fifteenth cousin or something, but the Akito bloodline limit was strong in her. They'd be proud of you Shia," the old woman explained. Shia felt tears well up, but willed them away. Today was her birthday and she would have fun damnit! If for anyone….her parents.
"Thank you Baasan," she said quietly.
"Your welcome. Now, I think it's about time we go pick up my things at the hotel. And you can walk me to the gates," the old woman said, and Shia nodded, following her grandmother.
Traditional Robe Shop
"Gaara, just come out of the dressing room will ya. No one else is here except me and you. It was the whole point of coming now while everyone's at lunch," Kankurou whined loudly.
Gaara said nothing, but emerged in the robes Kankurou had picked out for him. Kankurou nodded and told him to go back into the dressing room to change again. They bought their robes and rushed out of the store before anyone else could come in. It wasn't that Kankurou didn't want to be seen with Gaara. He just didn't want his little brother to be uncomfortable. Tonight would be a major step out of the redhead's comfort zone. He had agreed to go to the festival after Shia's breakdown. There'd be tons of people there.
"Let's get something to eat eh?" the puppet master suggested. Gaara nodded as they walked into a small restaurant. He ignored the fact that the place had gone silent as soon as he entered.
"Over here," Kankurou said, sitting down at a table near the back. Silently the redhead was grateful for his brother's understanding. They both sat, and began to look at the menus. A petite waitress with large brown eyes, tan skin, and a lean figure walked cheerfully up to them.
"Good afternoon, I'm Mizu and I will be your server today," she chirped without looking at them, "Can I start you off with a couple of drinks?" she asked.
"Maa…water's good for me sweetheart," Kankurou said, winking at the girl who was now blushing and smiling back. Gaara didn't want to speak, he just nodded towards his brother, who did the same back and smiled at the waitress.
"Short stuff here will have the same," he added, and the waitress turned her vibrant brown eyes on him. The redhead kept his face impassive. Not vicious, not bloodthirsty, certainly not horrifying, but not friendly either. He saw her tremble, and she rushed away. At least this one had the decency to hide her fear.
(Night time at Sabaku Residence)
"Come on Temari! We gotta go!" Kankurou yelled frustrated up the stairs.
"Alright we're coming!" Temari screamed back.
Hurried footsteps stomped down the staircase as the blond Sabaku emerged wearing a floor length kimono. It was eggshell white with twisting designs of windblown golden leaves sewn into the silken fabric. She had a golden obi tied around her waist, and her shoulder length sandy blond hair hung down instead of the usual four pigtails. She looked very much like a Wind Country princess, except…'She's prettier,' both brothers thought proudly.
"Wow Temari, you don't look completely hideous," Kankurou said in his code language for 'you look very nice.' Temari's prettily made up face sneered at him.
"Oh thanks…can't say the same about you though," she said with laughter in her green eyes.
"Whatever…where's the birthday girl?" he asked. Temari shrugged and turned towards the stairs again.
"Come on Shia, don't be so shy," Temari called, and she heard a defeated sigh.
"But…"
"You look fine, now come down here, we're going to be late," the blond tried again.
"Sorry…" was the quiet reply as soft footsteps descended the stairs.
Shia emerged with her small manicured hands folded together, looking at the ground. She wore a long, trailing deep orange, almost red kimono that matched the pretty heart necklace she wore around her neck. Woven flames licked around every developing curve of her silk draped body, and she wore a deep red obi with the eyes of a dragon stitched in. Her long, much longer than any of them had thought, chocolate hair hung loose in silky waves framing her lightly made up face.
"Wow birthday girl, you clean up nice," Kankurou complimented, and Shia smiled blushing.
She looked up at her friends who'd so kindly decided to take her out for her birthday. Temari looked stunning of course. That was to be expected. Kankurou actually looked cultured, and he wasn't wearing his face paint which made him look all the more handsome. He was wearing black traditional male robes. Gaara wore black also, though his had a few swirls of golden design. All the black set off his sea foam green eyes, and Shia found herself wondering if the Sabaku family really knew how good looking they all were.
"Well let's get going then," Temari sang, hooking her arm loosely, almost reluctantly in her brunette brother's. Gaara fell into step beside Shia as they made their way to the festival.
The streets of Sunagakure were alive with festivities. There were games, food stands, trinket shops, and more. Shia's eyes lit up in amazement. She'd been to festivals in Konoha, but the culture here was so much different. The smells, the sights, the warm breeze of the desert night brushed through her curled brunette hair. Temari had wandered over to a trinket stand, while Kankurou was gobbling up something that looked delicious not too far away. Gaara stood silently next to her, looking stoic as usual, yet she could feel an uncomfortable vibe coming off of him.
"Gaara…you know you didn't have to come here tonight if you were uncomfortable? I would have understood," she said softly, placing a small hand on his shoulder. Those piercing mint eyes turned on her, and he shook his head.
"I'm fine," he said simply, and at that she knew to leave it alone. Shia did, however, want to loosen him up a little bit. Why should she be the only one having fun? A game caught her eye. She grabbed hold of Gaara wrist and dragged him off in the direction.
"Over here! Let's play…please!" she said, navy eyes turning into big puppy eyes.
'She definitely knows that look can get her anything she wants,' he thought to himself, vaguely wondering who'd taught her such means of manipulation. Did all women know how to get what they want so easily? He made a mental note to be extra on guard when fighting female ninja.
"Hn…" he answered, allowing her to drag him towards the game. It was a simple idea.
Hit the balloon, get a prize, simple for a shinobi. He saw Shia staring at him expectantly. He was sure she could win this game no problem, she was an adequate kunoichi. This should be no problem for her, so why did she want him to do it?
"Girls like it when guys win them prizes and stuff like that. Makes them feel special," he heard his brother's voice whisper in his ear.
Gaara turned his head and was met with gleaming brown eyes. His older brother nodded and pushed him forward, disappearing to another food stand some feet away. The redhead stumbled a little, barely visible, and turned towards the man in charge of the game.
"What are the rules?" he asked monotonously. The game keep, despite the fear in his eyes, handed him two knives. 'So what if he's a monster, if he's gonna pay me I don't care,' the old man thought.
"You throw these knives and try to hit the balloons. Each balloon has a winning ticket inside that decides your prize. There are a few with no tickets at all," he explained, doing his best to seem unafraid of the boy in front of him.
"I'll only need one of these knives," Gaara said, pushing the other away, the game keep frowned.
One knife was five dollars, but people usually needed at least two tries. 'Damn ninja!' he thought in his mind. The pretty brunette girl next to the monster placed a tiny hand on his forearm. She smiled at him, which threw the game keep off, no one smiled at Sabaku no Gaara. He saw the redhead send her a questioning look.
"I want to play too," she said, earning another confused look. 'Girls like it when guys win them prizes and stuff like that…' If she was going to play why did he have to?
"You don't wanna play?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading. He sighed and took both knives handing the game keep ten dollars at the same time. 'A woman is truly an amazing creature,' the game keep thought.
With Kankurou
The puppet master grinned at his handiwork. Faster than he knew the game keep could see, Gaara had thrown the knife directly into the center balloon with a loud POP! The middle Sabaku knew that was probably the best prize. Shia had jumped slightly at the sound of the pop and missed her target. She was currently pouting cutely at her avoidable mistake. Kankurou turned away, turning his eyes on his older sister, who was surrounded by a flock of boys, and looking extremely irritated. 'Oh no! Those guys had better back off!' he thought, walking over as calmly as he could.
"Come on Temari-chan. Go out with me please?"
"No, me!"
"You look so pretty tonight!"
"You're a goddess!"
"Come home with me baby, I'll show you a good ti-!" PUNCH!
A sandy haired, skinny boy flew six feet into the nearest wall as Kankurou glared down at him heatedly from beside his older sister. The others backed up immediately, clearly frightened of the puppet master. All were hoping he hadn't heard what they had said to the gorgeous blond. Temari was a very sought out female in Sunagakure. Daughter of the late Kazekage, strong, beautiful, and soon to be wealthy(whenever those old coots finally gave up on trying to crack her father's will.) Families would kill to have their surname attached to the powerful girl.
She was about marrying age now. Fifteen, the elders had been pushing her as of late to start searching. See, when you're a shinobi, things move a little faster than normal. You could die any day. There's always that fear of death on every mission. Especially when you've just become a Chuunin in the sand village. Chuunin were allowed to take much higher ranked missions in Sunagakure than most other villages.
"Don't you ever say something like that to her. She's not some two bit tramp you can seduce into your bed, have a quick romp, and forget about in the morning. None of you are worth her breath, and if I see any of you around her again you'll all be dead," Kankurou threatened, sending a steely glare around at the frightened looking boys.
"She's a big girl. I'm sure she can make her own decisions," one of the guys dared to say, and the puppet master whirled on him. He fixed him with a malicious look.
"If you ever come near her again….I won't be the only one you'll have to deal with, and I don't think you want to piss either of us off….but especially him," Kankurou said, and immediately they all knew who he was talking about. The puppet master was frightening all on his own, but the thought of him paired with the monster of Suna was just horrifying.
"Fine…" the boy said, and they all rushed away.
"Thanks Kuro….I needed that one," she said sighing loudly. He smiled at his rarely used nickname.
"No probs sis. Those boys aren't even good enough to wipe your ass," he said, earning a smack on the head. He laughed.
"Do you have to be disgusting all the time?" she asked, glaring at him. He just nodded, and they walked away together to some food stand for dinner.
Ice Cream Stand
Gaara and Shia walked through the festival with the ice cream they'd just purchased. They sat down on a bench, and the redhead took a taste of his first ice cream. Being raised the way he was, he was never allowed sweets. It was deliciously cold, and tasted heavenly. He turned to Shia, who was eating hers happily and smiling.
"Do you like it?" she asked before taking another lick of her own. He found his eyes following her tongue for a minute. 'Why does that make me sweaty?' he thought confused.
"Gaara?" he heard, and he snapped his attention to her smiling face. He nodded, licking his ice cream once again.
"I knew you would. No one can resist ice cream…I mean…especially if you live in the desert," she said, going back to her treat. He watched her again, remembering what Temari had said about kissing.
(Flashback)
"Well….kissing is always fun. Though…first kisses are either really good, or really messed up. How do I explain this to you? Um…well, first you press you lips against the other person's, and it feels kind of like you're floating. Sometimes the other person will use their tongue, which despite how gross it sounds, is actually really good. The best way to learn how to kiss, is to actually do it. Usually your instincts are enough to pick things up fast," the blond explained, looking slightly uncomfortable.
(end flashback)
Gaara wondered what that must feel like. He knew no one would ever let him do that to them. No girl had guts enough to even look at him without running away, let alone let him latch himself to their mouths. No one except Shia. He wanted to know what it felt like. 'Maybe…she would…' but he brushed the thought away. They were just friends, and he'd only just gotten comfortable hugging her, he couldn't do that. Who knows if she'd even let him?
"Gaara?" he heard again, he snapped out of his thoughts again, and looked at her navy eyes. She looked worried.
"Is there something wrong? You seem a little out of it. Do you want to go home?" she asked, he thought for a moment. Yea…actually, he did want to go home. But he didn't want to leave her by herself.
"It's okay…I know you do, I'm kind of tired anyways. I'm sure Kankurou and Temari can find their way back on their own. Let's go," she said, rising and looking at him expectantly.
"I'm fine," he said, but she just shook her head.
"Well, I'm tired. Could you walk me back to the house then?" she asked and he nodded, silently grateful. He'd had enough of people today.
They walked in silence, and he was vaguely aware of her arm hooked in his. She seemed to be losing her battle with sleep, so he braced himself to catch her should the need arise. For a moment, she stopped, and he thought she had just dropped something. When she didn't move for several seconds, he looked up to see her smiling at him. His eyes widened slightly, and he sent her a confused look.
"I..I just wanted to thank you for winning me these earrings. They're really nice," she said, gesturing towards the small sterling silver earrings molded into the Sunagakure symbol in her ears. He nodded again as she reached up to touch one.
"I had a really good time tonight. It was one of the best birthday's ever!" she said, smiling broadly and causing his heart to thump in his chest. It never ceased to amaze him how much she smiled around him.
"Thank you," she said almost too softly, but he heard, and allowed a tiny smile to grace his features. Her navy eyes widened in surprise as she smiled back at him. 'He should smile more often,' she thought briefly.
"Hey girlie…is that bastard bothering you?" said a voice from behind them. Shia's head whipped around to see a tall boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin. He was surrounded by a group of thuggish cronies.
"Who are you and what do you want?" she said stalking up to them angrily. The boy moved closer, and Gaara watched him with suspicious eyes from where he stood.
"I'm Kenji…whatcha doin out here all alone with That?" he asked, Shia's eyes narrowed in anger.
"I was just going home. Now leave before you get hurt," she said evenly, glaring into the snarky kid's face fiercely. He pinched her chin between his thumb and forefinger, examining her face.
"You're pretty cute…why are you hangin out with him…oh," he said, eyes falling on her Konoha headband, "You're a foreign girl are you? I've always liked kunoichi," he said. She continued glaring.
"Well, let me tell you something girlie…around here it ain't safe to be hangin out with that kid over there. You see….he's a murderer. Seen it with my own eyes. He can kill without even batting an eyelash. Killed his own mother he did, his uncle too. Is that the kind of person you want to hang out with, a murderer?" he asked, and her eyes went wide.
Had Gaara really done all those things? It's not like she couldn't see it happening, but she was determined not to pass judgment without knowing the full story. There had to be a reason. She couldn't actually believe this kid over someone she considered a friend.
"If you say one more word about him, I swear…." she growled out, grasping his wrist with her left hand tightly.
"Oh? What will you do kunoichi? You wouldn't want to start a war over that monster would you?" he asked. SMACK! sizzle….sizzle
Gaara watched as the tall boy was thrown at least ten feet away. The bastard groaned in pain, clutching the right side of his face and trembling. Wide aqua eyes shot over to Shia who was breathing in angry heavy pants. The other boys stared at her with frightened eyes. He could feel it from where he was standing. She was pissed.
"You bitch!" the boy growled out, labouredly dragging himself up from the floor, still clutching his face in agony.
"Oh Kami!" one boy exclaimed.
"What did you do to him?" another cried out looking from his friend to her fearfully.
"Kenji! We should go to the hospital now!" the one closest to him said, grabbing his friend by the forearm and dragging him away. Gaara didn't move, his eyes flickered over Shia's angry form, and only then did he see that her hand was smoking. 'She didn't…'
"Shia…" he called quietly. She turned to him and smiled.
"I'm sorry. He shouldn't have said that to you. I can tell you right now none of the medics in that hospital will be able to heal him," she said, falling back into step with the her redheaded friend.
"Hn?" he said, he heard her chuckle darkly as they started up the stairs to the house.
"That burn will be too difficult for them to heal," she said, smirking in an evil way he'd never thought possible. It disappeared, however, when they both sat down in the living room.
"Will you heal it?" he asked, not really caring whether she decided to or not. She giggled.
"Yea, but I'm going to make him apologize first. No one messes with my friends and gets away with it. I've still got two more days here to make him work for it," she said, and he stomach twisted a little bit. She was going to make him apologize? Would he?
"Hn.." he said as she turned on the television to some girly romance movie.
"Oh…I love this movie! See, Tenichi is in love with Saiyo, but she loves his older brother Senko….." he stopped listening there. Knowing he'd be confused in the end, he just nodded his head, and grunted occasionally, pretending to listen.
He dazed into his own world when she'd finished talking and turned her attention to the TV screen. His thoughts from earlier were coming back to him. Kissing…he knew he'd never have a chance to do that with anyone…unless…. 'But would she?' he thought.
(Who cares? You're acting like a kid for god's sake. Just stop already and let me kill her!) Shukaku roared.
'In case you haven't realized…I'm thirteen! Would it be so horrible for me to act my age once and a while? I've never been allowed happiness! I've never been allowed to act my age! I've always had to avoid death…or kill to make people acknowledge me. And it's all because of you! I don't have to do either anymore, because of my family…because of Shia…because of Uzumaki Naruto! You'd best stop wasting your breath, because I refuse to use your power! I won't be listening to you anymore!' he thought back, and shoved the demon away.
He looked back to his friend, who was watching the TV with wide interested eyes. The lights were off and the only light came from the television. Why girls liked this depressing, dramatic, romance stuff…he'd never understand. She looked like she was about to cry for the main character.
"Shia…" her navy eyes turned toward him with a faint glow from the TV lighting their depths.
"What's wrong?" she asked, laying hand on his forearm. He hesitated for a moment, eyes fixed on her mouth. What if this ruined their friendship? He just wanted to know what it felt like. To kiss someone. He felt that she'd be the only one open to it. That she'd be kind enough to do that for him.
"I…wanted to ask you something," he said, fighting his the blush from his face.
"Sure…anything," she said, smiling at him friendly. He swallowed.
"Well…have you ever…uh.." he stumbled uncharacteristically. Why couldn't he just ask? He was Sabaku no Gaara. This shouldn't be so hard.
"What?" she encouraged. He took a breath and braced himself. He threw up his impassive face, and made his voice devoid of emotion.
"Have you ever kissed someone?" he asked evenly. Shia blushed, and thanked the gods the lights were off. Well…no matter how unexpected…she guessed she could answer.
"Um…yea…once," she said softly, looking away embarrassed.
"What was it like?" he asked, and she snapped her eyes back to him. He looked genuinely interested.
"Um…I don't know. I can't really explain it…it was…it felt nice," she said, knowing her face was as red as his hair.
"Oh…" he said, still looking confused. She took a deep breath to calm herself.
"I wish I could…but I just can't explain it…" she said. He was silent for a few moments. It looked like he was battling himself for a minute.
"Could you…..show me?" he asked, and she gasped. It's not that she hadn't thought about kissing him. She was only a thirteen year old hormonal human female…it's only natural. However, they were only friends, and she didn't want to kiss him and make it awkward. Especially because she wasn't sure she felt that way about him, and he didn't exactly understand emotions enough to tell if he did.
"Gaara?" was all she could say.
"It's okay…I mean…if you don't want to I understand. It's just, I had to ask, because…" he trailed off, not wanting to reveal too much.
Shia got the idea though. He didn't think he'd be able to do it with anyone else. No one else would get close enough to him to even be his friend. 'I guess it couldn't hurt. I mean…I guess I'm flattered that he wants me to show him,' she thought. She reached her right hand out and cupped his cheek. It was smooth and warm against her hand, and she trailed her fingers along the side of his face to his chin.
Gaara felt the heat of her small palm against his face, and her soft gentle fingers slid over it to tuck under his chin. He looked at her, and her navy eyes were staring right into his mint ones. He understood her question, and nodded that he was ready. Her fingers drew his face nearer to hers, and he saw her dark eyes fix on his lips. The pad of her thumb brushed over them, but was soon replaced by her own soft lips.
She glided hers slowly across his, afraid to move to fast. She didn't want to confuse him. She wanted him to have a proper kiss. It was his first after all, the least she could do is make it good. She moved her body closer to his and rested her left hand against his chest, pushing him to relax against the back of the couch.
Shia's mouth was pressed firmly against his, and he felt his heart hammering his chest fast. His stomach did flip after flip, and his intestines twisted aggressively inside of him. He felt her hand move from his chin to brush aside his messy red bangs, and her warm fingers traced the kanji on his forehead. He slid his aqua eyes closed, confused when her lips left his. Gaara felt the warm heat of her mouth brush over the scar, he let out a shuddering breath suppressing years of depression.
The medic continued down, placing tender kisses on his brow…both blackened eyelids, his nose, and then his lips again. He felt like he wanted to cry, but what confused him was that he was not sad. He was really happy being showered in loving kisses, even if she was not in love with him. He wasn't used to so much attention, so much gentleness…such caring touches and caresses. The hand on his chest slid up over his shoulder, cupping the back of his neck, and toying with the soft wisps of red hair there.
Her other hand wove into his fiery hair, and he felt her mouth open over his. Shia's hot tongue ran over his full bottom lip, and she angled her head for better access. Gaara took in a shaky breath and his mouth was invaded by said wet appendage. He felt her teeth graze his lower lip, and her tongue caressed every inch of his mouth in a tender, yet curious way. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know how to kiss a girl, but he didn't want to just sit there.
The redhead opened his mouth, tilting his head to the side, and wrapping his arms around her waist. He reciprocated her movements, varying them slightly so that he wasn't mirroring her every movement. This might be the only chance he'd get to do this, and if she was open to it…he'd make the best of it. He met her tongue with his, and stroked it into submission.
A soft whimper left her mouth, and a stab of heat hit his lower abdomen. He wanted to hear her do it again, so he sucked her full, petal soft lip into his mouth and nipped at it like she hand done him. This time a low moan escaped her, and he suddenly understood why 'sound' could play a role in arousal. They were addicting these sounds she was making, but he'd only wanted to know what kissing someone felt like. He didn't want to push her too far. Shukaku was currently ranting perverted things in his mind, and he knew he should stop for her own safety. He broke the kiss, and drew back. She let out a disappointed whine, and he took a deep breath to calm his boiling blood.
It was silent for some time, but finally he had calmed himself enough to open his eyes. Shia still had her navy eyes closed, and her hand was braced against his chest to steady her. When her lids lifted her dark eyes glinted with something that was oddly exciting. He forced himself to remain calm…happy that he'd gotten the chance to experience something like that.
"Arigato," he whispered, and her eyes went wide.
"Uh..no problem…I'm glad you chose me as your first," she said.
"Well, I don't think anyone else would ever…" he trailed off. 'Of course…it was just a kiss between friends. I was only helping him out as a friend, because he really thinks no one would ever want to. That's all….damn hormones!' she thought.
"Well, I guess I'm going to go bed then. Goodnight Gaara-kun," she said, and almost slapped herself for letting it slip. He looked surprised for a second, but in an instant his usual mask was back up.
"Sleep well," he said, rising and moving towards his room. Shia walked to her room, flopped on her bed, and finally let sleep take her.
(Two days later: Shia's Departure)
"I can't believe you're leaving," Temari said pouting. Shia chuckled.
"I know…I'm going to miss you all so much," she said, eyes traveling over the three Sand Siblings.
"Well, say hi to everyone in Konoha for me," the blond said, stepping forward and hugging the younger girl tightly.
"By everyone do you mean Nara?" Kankurou asked smirking. Temari glared as she stepped back from Shia.
"Just say goodbye to her you baka!" she snapped. He cackled and grabbed Shia in a strong grip.
"Ug…try not togasp break any bones!" the medic choked out causing him to laugh some more. He released her and watched her gasp for air with an amused expression. Shia, when she'd started to breath properly, turned her attention towards Gaara.
"Well…I guess this is goodbye. It's been fun!" she chirped, attaching herself to his waist. He really didn't want her to go. She'd been his first friend, and now he wasn't even sure if he'd ever see her again.
"I'll write to you I promise," she mumbled into his chest, and he found himself winding his arms around her. When they broke apart, she looked up at him with glittering navy eyes and smiled brilliantly at him. Gaara found himself allowing that small smile he'd developed grace his face.
"Well, goodbye then," she called, looking at them all once again, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she disappeared into the carriage. The Sabaku Family watched it fade into the distance of the vast desert before turning and starting back to their home. Yes…their home…
(Some months later)
Gaara sat looking at the most recent letter he'd received from his friend. He'd gotten many others, since Shia wrote every week, but the two right before this one had the most interesting information in them. Apparently she'd passed the Chuunin Exam, and the Medic Exam. At least according to those two letters she had. He hadn't responded to either of them, mostly because he didn't know how. Shia didn't seem to care though, she just kept writing. This most recent one, however, he could just feel the sadness.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
'Gaara-kun,
My grandfather died today. Everything's gone chaotic recently. Grandmother is depressed, the Clan Council is telling me to start preparing for the Inheritance Test. Grandmother and Grandfather have been together since they were seventeen. Hokage-sama says that couples like that are often really close…too close almost. Once a partner dies, the other follows not too shortly afterwards. I think grandmother will last until she thinks I'm prepared to head the Clan.
I had wanted to come and visit you, especially after that fight I heard you had gotten into on behalf of your student. I missed you at the hospital, but my Clan has had me studying the Akito Scrolls a lot lately. Grandfather's been ill for a while. I don't know when I'll be able to see you all again. Give my love to Temari and Kankurou. I hope you're doing well.
Akito Shia'
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
He stared at the letter for a moment, and this time he knew he should reply. She was in pain, and friends help friends when they're in trouble. He got a pen and a blank scroll and started to write his response. He explained that he was fine, offered his family's condolences, and wrote some comforting words down. Gaara went into an explanation of the fight to save Matsuri…his first and only student. He told of how Shukaku had almost won control, but he beat him back, and used his own power. How Naruto had called him his 'precious comrade' and all but killed himself to back the redhead up. How the pink haired girl known as, Haruno Sakura, had forgiven him for his past sins against her, and used her power to heal him. When he was finished, he marveled at how simple it had been to write a whole page. He attached it to the little dove they were using to communicate, and watched it fly away.
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People who are Important: Book One