Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Flowers in the Sand ❯ Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 

Sunlight streamed into the guard house, shining directly into Naruto's sleeping face. He winced, stretched, and yawned. “Morning already?” he mumbled.

 

“Duh,” Shikamaru's voice answered him from somewhere to his right. “We've been waiting for your lazy ass to wake up so we could leave.”

 

“Boy, is that the pot calling the kettle black,” Kiba chuckled.

 

“Oi- I may be lazy, but at least I don't sleep the day away when I'm on a mission.”

 

Naruto looked around sleepily. “Where's Gaara? And Safaia?”

 

Neji looked at the floor. “They're… outside. They've been talking since before dawn.”

 

Kiba narrowed his eyes at his friend. “That bothers you?”

 

Neji looked away, but not before Kiba's keen sense of smell detected a whiff of discomfort. “No. Why should it?”

 

Naruto jumped up, effectively ending the conversation. “All right, guys. Let's get going before Suna and Konoha start to panic because both their Kages were gone too long.” He sauntered out the door, checking to make sure his equipment was ready as he walked.

 

He was greeted by a strange sight indeed- Gaara, solitary, silent, and often sullen, sitting side-by-side with Safaia, watching the sun rise up over the desert.

 

And holding a yellow flower in his hand.

 

Kiba nudged Shikamaru. “Hey… where did he get the flower?”

 

Shikamaru looked rather disgruntled. “A better question would be: how did the flower get here? It's too hot and barren to grow anything out here.”

 

Safaia turned her head slightly towards the group behind them. “I grew it,” she told him, a slight smile on her face. “I'm not completely useless.”

 

This intrigued the shadow Jounin. “You grew it? From what?”

 

This time Gaara answered, without turning around. “She uses her chakra to change minerals and elements in the ground into a seed and then feeds the seed more chakra to make it grow.” He lifted the flower slightly and gazed at it, his face unreadable. “It's truly incredible.”

 

Naruto went into “stupefied” mode again. “G-G-Gaara? Did you… did you just… compliment her?”

 

The sand-master turned his black-rimmed eyes at his best friend. “What if I did? I am amazed at her ability to use chakra, since she has never been trained as a shinobi.”

 

Safaia blushed prettily. “Th-thank you… Gaara. But it is nothing special, really.”

 

He turned to her. “To one who has lived his entire life in a barren wasteland, being able to create life from nothing is special indeed.”

 

Naruto oozed his way over to Shikamaru and Kiba. “Is it just me,” he whispered, looking rather suspicious, “or is Gaara actually flirting with her?”

 

Shikamaru shook his head in disbelief. “I think hell just froze over.”

 

Kiba looked up and scanned the skies. “Wonder when the flying pigs will show up…”

 

Neji remained silent. Instead, he walked over to Safaia and paused by her side. “We must get going. May I offer my assistance once more?”

 

Safaia turned toward the sound of his voice (and his footsteps) and smiled, her empty eyes looking not quite so hollow. “That is very… kind of you, Neji. You have my gratitude.”

 

Gaara leveled a direct look at Neji, who returned it unflinchingly. Safaia broke their silent challenge by standing up directly between them. “Shall we go then, gentlemen?” she asked, apparently unaware of the tension between the two men.

 

Shikamaru sighed. “Let's get to Suna before this gets too much more troublesome, huh?”

 

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A knock at the door had Temari blinking in surprise as she walked across the room to answer it. It's too early for them to be back… she thought to herself.

 

Imagine her shock to be greeted by her husband with a nonchalant “Yo.”

 

“Shikamaru!” she exclaimed, her teal eyes wide. “What are you doing back so soon? Did something happen?”

 

“Daddeeeeee!” Akina sprinted across the room and flung herself into her father's awaiting arms. “'Kina missed you!”

 

“Missed you too, princess.”

 

“Oi, Shikamaru! Move your lazy ass so we can go inside!”

 

He moved out of the doorway, still holding his daughter, so Naruto and company could walk in. Temari blinked again. Who in the world is SHE?

 

The most beautiful woman Temari had ever seen was being led by Neji into the house. That must be the Jinchuriki… The woman's eyes didn't seem to focus on anything- it appeared that something was wrong with her vision. “Was she injured? Did something happen to her eyes?”

 

The woman smiled, but it was a self-depreciating smile. “Nothing that can be fixed, I'm afraid. I was born like this.” She sighed softly. “An ugly, blind monster.”

 

Ugly?? multiple minds thought as one. Temari realized that she must never have seen herself, so she had no idea that she was so lovely. And as far as the monster part…

 

Temari reached out and gently pulled the woman aside, away from the men gathered around her. “You are neither ugly nor a monster,” Temari told the woman honestly. “My name is Temari Nara- I am Gaara's older sister and Shikamaru's wife. I knew well the Ichibi that was sealed inside my brother and I feared it as much as anyone else did. But Gaara- he, by himself, was never a monster.” She smiled at Gaara. “He was always my baby brother.”

 

A slight curve of his lips indicated his amusement at her choice of words. “I am hardly a baby any longer, sister,” he told her as he moved to Safaia's other side. “But your words help bring peace to my burdened soul.”

 

She swung out as if to punch him in the arm but, as always, the sand blocked the “attack.” “Baka… and here I thought you were inept at sarcasm. One of these days I'll figure out how to get through that blasted defense and then we'll see who the stronger sibling is.” She grinned at him.

 

“It still would not be you.”

 

Safaia looked in Gaara's direction with a blank expression on her face. “You really are arrogant, aren't you?”

 

“Apparently.”

 

Temari snorted. “Ignore him. He may have gotten all the power in the family, but I got all the brains.”

 

“That explains quite a bit.” Safaia smirked slightly.

 

Abruptly, there were four Konoha shinobi in the room, all kneeling down on one knee in a crouch. Naruto stepped towards the closest one, a serious look on his face. “Kakashi! What are you doing here?”

 

The silver-haired Jounin stood up and looked at his Hokage. “The council of advisors has dispatched us to bring back the uh… woman… to Konoha.”

 

Gaara scowled. “She was to be left in the protection of Suna,” he said quietly. “Why did your advisors decide this?” he asked Naruto.

 

“I don't know,” Naruto replied, narrowing his eyes. “But I intend to find out. Guys?”

 

The three Chuunins that had appeared lowered their heads slightly. “Yes, sir!” Two vanished again, leaving Kakashi and the other one behind.

 

“Safaia?” Naruto moved over next to the blue-eyed woman. “I guess you need to come with us to Konoha. It's quite a trip, even for ninjas. Will you be able to handle it?”

 

Her eyes lowered, her face looking somewhat let down. “I see.” She walked slowly away from the Hokage, ignoring his question, one arm stretched out slightly to feel for any obstacles on her way to the door. Neji was at her side in an instant, offering his help again.

 

She paused at the doorway, turning back and gazing sightlessly at Gaara, whom she knew had not moved. “Thank you…” she murmured, almost sadly, before she disappeared through the door.

 

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Temari stood next to Gaara as Shikamaru pulled on his backpack and headed out of the house, holding Akina's hand. The rest of Konoha's visiting ninjas had already begun their journey back to their own country, but Temari needed to talk to her brother.

 

“Why did she thank you?” she finally said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

 

Gaara looked away. “I have no idea. First she did not want to go with us. She believed we were there to kill her. Then the Five-tails inside her decided for her that they would come with us.”

 

“If you say so,” Temari said, closing her eyes and lowering her chin in disappointment. “But I think there is more to this than you are telling me.”

 

He remained silent. His blonde-haired sister carefully slipped an arm around his slim shoulders and gave him a quick hug. “Take care, Kazekage.”

 

“Nothing better happen to my niece on your way back,” was his reply. In his own way, he was telling her the same.

 

Gaara stepped outside just after his sister had left and watched expressionlessly, his arms crossed as usual, as his sister and her family headed across the desert and toward their home.

 

Family. Home. His family now had their own families and their own homes. But not him. Not ever him. He was Gaara of the Desert. Like the dry, barren desert, he bore a fruitless existence. It seemed that he was destined to be alone. Just as he had been all his life. Just like he would be, no matter how long he lived.

 

He had begun to get a tiny flicker of hope that perhaps… perhaps… But no. It was apparent that the leader of the Hyuuga clan was interested in the one female he actually felt comfortable around. And he barely knew her. Yet… in another way… he did know her. He knew what she had gone through. He experienced that same pain. Even though Shukaku was gone- had been gone, for over ten years now- he still bore the emotional and yes, physical scars of the Ichibi.

 

Gaara didn't deserve love. He didn't deserve friendship either, and he thanked whatever benevolent god had given him a second chance at fixing all that had been put wrong because of his father's selfishness.

 

He turned and began walking away from his brother's house, heading for his study in the main council building for the Kazekage and his council. He needed to clear his thoughts and get his mind back on his duties.

 

And off one lovely blue-eyed monster.

 

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Safaia took a deep breath. “I can smell the trees. Flowers, bushes, vines, grass… it fills my soul once more.”

 

Neji turned to her and smiled slightly. “You held up to that trip quite well, Safaia.”

 

She shrugged as if it were nothing of consequence, but her expression somehow lightened. “It was all Gobi's doing. If she didn't use her strength to keep me going, I would've collapsed after a few hours.”

 

“You don't give yourself enough credit. Certainly, Gobi assisted you, but it was still your body. Not hers.”

 

Her cheeks pinkened. “Thank you… Neji. It is… strange to hear such nice things from others.”

 

A slight rustle had them both pausing. They were in the middle of their entourage, with Naruto and Kakashi behind them and Kiba and Akamaru with the three Konoha ninjas in front of them. Shikamaru and his family were following quite some distance behind, because they were traveling with little Akina and they knew that Safaia was a target for trouble.

 

“Get down!” Neji yelled as he tackled Safaia and pulled her to the soft ground. Two kunai landed with a “thock” in the dirt where they had been standing. Immediately Neji used his Byakkugan to look around them.

 

Damn, he mentally swore. Kiba and Akamaru were fighting a ninja about a half a kilometer away and Naruto and Kakashi were dealing with two others. The three Konoha ninjas that had come with Kakashi were injured, having been caught off guard and wounded with kunai and shuriken. It was an ambush, and a well-laid one at that.

 

The shinobi that had attacked them was still on the loose. And Neji didn't dare leave Safaia alone to fight him, because of her inexperience in battle. Certainly, she had Gobi, but he didn't want her to have to rely on the Five-tails if she didn't have to.

 

A malevolent chuckle reached his ears and he looked up to see a black-cloaked figure. The cloak bore red clouds and the shinobi's eyes were visible just above the edge of the high collar.

 

Akatsuki. An actual member this time.

 

“Hidan,” Neji nearly growled. “I thought we had finally killed you off for good last time.”

 

The silver-haired former Grass ninja gave him a smirk. “Not for lack of trying, Konoha scum. But I will repay you for Kakuzu's death.” He glanced at Safaia. “And take that bitch off your filthy hands.”

 

Neji tightened his grip around Safaia's shoulders, holding her in a close embrace as he scowled up at Hidan. His other hand slipped into his pack and pulled out a kunai. “Over my dead body,” he said coolly.

 

Hidan smiled darkly as he pulled out his three-bladed scythe. “Oh, how convenient. Exactly as I planned to.”