Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ An Uchiha's Weakness ❯ Hidden Emotion and Intrigue ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: I definitely do not own Naruto, or any of the characters within…if I did, Deidara would be my love slave

What was it about her? Gaara couldn’t stop the thought from repeating over and over in his mind as he watched the object of his…consternation. He was used to hating everyone, to being hated by everyone. After six years he still wasn’t used to really even tolerating anyone, especially females, but there was something about this particular female that he, almost, liked. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what it was. She was pretty, but he couldn’t care less about how anyone appeared. She was intelligent, but so were Kakashi and Sasuke from the , and he tolerated them at best. So what the hell was it? As if sensing his gaze, she looked over at him to meet his eyes. A small shiver of awareness slithered down his spine as he felt her from across the room.
‘Maybe that’s it,’ he thought to himself.
Maybe it was just an attraction, an intense awareness of her as a woman. But still, why her? She didn’t seem any different from anyone else really. Except for these slight whispers of power that he would pick up from her. He would admit though, he’d been intrigued by her since he first saw her. It had been during the first test of the Chuunin exams six years ago. His “team” had just finished gathering the Heaven and Earth scrolls, and were heading towards the tower. When they stopped so that Temari and Kankuro could rest, she stepped out of the trees. She had only looked at him, and smiled. That’s when he first felt it. A slight tendril of concentrated, controlled power brushed his chakra. His eyes widened at the sensation, and he studied the girl while Temari demanded her name and what she wanted.
“I am Naori. I am a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist. I have been following the three of you for the last twenty minutes.”
Temari moved to attack the strange girl, but he stopped her just by saying her name. She stared at him, confused.
“But Gaara,”
Again he silenced her, and turned to the girl, Naori.
“Why?”
She shrugged, but grinned as she watched him.
“I sensed someone’s chakra,”
She paused, and almost seemed to smell the air.
“Your chakra, and I wanted to come and see what you would be like.”
He almost smiled at her blunt response.
“And?”
She snorted a laugh, and moved back towards the line of trees.
“Exactly as I believed.”
At that she disappeared, leaving him frustrated at the lack of a direct answer. Plus, he realized as he and his team finished approaching the tower for the second test, he hadn’t found out how she’d followed him without him sensing her. He shrugged it off as they entered the testing site, and glanced around. No one else was there of course, but it was boring with there being nothing to do. As he sat there, waiting, he couldn’t help but think of the girl, Naori. He’d never thought of anyone twice after leaving them, but he couldn’t help it with her.
Half an hour later, the object of his thoughts came walking into the tower along with two other mist ninjas. Temari spotted the girl as well. She pointed at Naori,
“You! Still following us?” She demanded
Naori grinned until one of her team mates stepped forward.
“What is she talking about Naori? When were you following them?” he demanded, jerking her back by her arm.
Gaara saw her pale and glance at the floor, but he felt it again. Power, tightly reined in, but filled with rage. He couldn’t help the shiver that went through him at the sensation. The rage coming from her was burning hot, yet it never showed-not once. He was confused by this, especially as he witnessed the clearly abusive treatment at the hands of her team member. He hauled her away, and Gaara felt Temari glance at him.
“Was that really the same girl? She seemed completely different.”
He nodded in agreement, but said nothing. He would think about the situation later, but honestly what did he care?

Later, he finally managed to find a quiet place where he could be alone to think. He almost sighed with the pleasure of a quiet moment as he adjusted his gourd to a more comfortable position. He rarely had the time alone, and he relished every second. His eyes were closed, just listening to the sounds all around him, yet he failed to notice her presence once again until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instead of immediately lashing out for touching him, he felt oddly calm as she sat next to him. She smiled at him, and her smile didn’t fade when he only stared at her. She looked out from their resting place to the trees and setting sun. She took a deep breath, and seemed to relax completely. Then she turned back to him.
“You found my favorite spot Gaara-san. Why’d you come all the way up here?”
For a moment he just looked at her. Usually he wouldn’t bother explaining himself, but with her he didn’t really mind.
“Same reason as you do…Naori.”
Her eyes widened and she blushed as she jumped up.
“I’m sorry Gaara-san. I should have realized you came here to be alone. I’ll go.”
As she turned to leave, Gaara suddenly didn’t really want to be alone. He could only watch as his hand reached out and grabbed her arm gently, not like her teammate did earlier.
“You don’t have to leave,” he said, tugging her to sit back down next to him.
He actually liked the way her blush deepened as she sat quietly next to him. It was strange, he decided. They didn’t speak, but the silence was so comfortable that it felt almost like sacrilege to break it. He actually felt relaxed with Naori, he actually wanted to know things about her. It was absurd, Sabaku no Gaara didn’t need to know anything about anyone…just how to kill them. That was why he was so intrigued…this wanting information for a purely benign purpose was a new experience. Which is what finally made him ask:
“Why did you let him treat you like that?”
“Like what?” she asked, looking away from him.
Gaara frowned. He could tell she looked away because she was embarrassed he had seen, but he didn’t like it. He found a basic, almost primal, pleasure in making her blush with embarrassment. This, this embarrassment out of shame was just unacceptable. He grabbed her chin, and turned her to face him.
“You know what I’m asking onna.”
There it was again, that whisper of power and rage that was quickly, tightly reined in. That was when he first felt it…attraction, lust with an intensity that he’d never experienced before. He almost forgot his own question as he looked into her anger filled eyes.
“It’s part of an ‘arrangement’ that we have.”
His eyes narrowed.
“What kind of ‘arrangement’?” he demanded.
She snorted, and placed her hand over his that was still holding her chin.
“Not the kind that you are thinking of.”
He jerked his hand away and frowned at her. How dare she presume to know what he was thinking. Before he could voice his disdain, she sighed.
“He has someone that I care for under his control. If I let him treat me however he wants, she’ll be left alone.”
His anger seemed to drain away as he watched her. What was she doing to him? But he needed to ask,
“I know you have power. Why don’t you fight to free her?”
She smiled and reached down to take his hand. He barely restrained a shiver as she trailed a fingertip across his palm. What was wrong with him? He just met this girl, didn’t even know her last name, and he wanted her like nothing else in his life. His heart beat faster as she looked up into his eyes.
“Have these hands ever fought for anyone else?”
“What do you mean?” he frowned.
She leaned towards him, and before he could react, he felt her lips against his cheek. He stared with wide eyes as she stood.
“That’s what I use my power for Gaara-san. I fight for others…not myself. And that’s what I would be doing if I fought him now, fighting for myself.”
She smiled at him gently before walking away. Once she was gone, Gaara lifted his hand to brush his fingers over his cheek. He could feel the imprint of her lips emblazoned on his skin. He felt a grin slowly spread across his face. This test, this mission, would be more interesting than he though.

She didn't know why she had kissed him. It really hadn't been a good idea, especially when she licked her lips. She could taste him, Gaara. She could become addicted to him if she wasn't careful. The sand ninja was intrigued by her, that was it. He inspired something else in her though. Naori actually wanted him.

A/N: It’s a little short I know, but the following chapters will be longer