Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Given The Chance ❯ I Was Right... ( Chapter 27 )

Chapter #27

I Was Right…

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and co.

 

I FINISHED THE PICTURE!! Praise me hehe! Its my very first artwork on Photoshop so be gentle please… If you wanna see it just go to my artwork! It's easy to find since I labeled it `Given the Chance Poster'. I really like how Cassie turned out, so enjoy everyone!!

 

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Getting up earlier than everyone else was an annoying habit, especially when Cassie had been up half the night watching movies and screwing around with her friends, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get back to sleep.

 

Cassie glanced around at her friends who were sleeping scattered across the living room sleeping like rocks. The couch was pulled out for Tenten and Temari to camp out on, Hinata was sprawled out across the love seat with her legs handing over the arm rest, an old matrices was laid out on the floor for Sakura and Ino to - reluctantly - share, and Cassie was curled up on the recliner that was pushed back all the way.

 

After about half an hour of staring blankly at the ceiling Cassie finally climbed off the chair and went to the TV to see if there was something to watch. She quickly sifted through the movies that they watched last night and behind them found a pile of old dusty tapes. The one that caught her attention first was a recorded tape with `Chunin Exams' written on the cover.

 

`I didn't know the Chunin exams were taped. I wonder what is on it.' Out of curiosity she put the video in the VCR to see what was on it. She turned down the volume very low so she wouldn't wake her sleeping friends.

 

The video was that of a large room. There were balconies on either side were a group of kids, no older than twelve, standing and waiting for the electronic board to choose the battle contestants.

 

`Tenten told me about the third round preliminaries, this was right after all the Genin finished the second test…' She watched each of the matches one by one, and she had to admit they were quite fascinating. Cassie knew most of the people; she saw Temari and Kankuro fight, along with the other girls at the sleep over. But there was one battle in particular that surprised her the most.

 

The camera turned to the electronic board and two names were illuminated on the panel: Rock Lee and Gaara.

 

`The two of them fought in their first Chunin exam?' Cassie watched in amazement as the two took their place in the middle of the room.

 

“Are you ok Cassie-chan,” Cassie jumped out of her skin when she finally noticed Hinata was sitting right beside her, “You seem kind of distant.”

 

“Oh, no I'm fine Hinata,” she responded sheepishly, “Did I wake you up?”

 

Hinata shook her head and glanced at the TV screen. Her voice was very meek, shy, and sometimes she stuttered, “That couch wasn't very comfy … ano, m-maybe you shouldn't watch this Cassie-chan.”

 

The fight began to play on the screen, and what a fight it turned out to be. Gaara's sand was fast, but Cassie knew Lee could go even faster. She frowned imagining how a fight between two such persistent boys would end, “Its ok Hinata. I know how things used to be with him, and I knew how … cold he used to be on the outside. But I don't think anyone ever saw who he really was; they only ever saw a demon. I don't think it was fair for someone to have to go through that kind of rejection his whole life…”

 

“I see,” Hinata looked to be deep in thought for a moment as a light blush came to her cheeks, “I know someone like that. No one ever believed in him, and I don't know why, but the whole village seemed to hate him.”

 

“Who?”

 

Hinata's face turned deeper red, “O-oh, I-I really c-couldn't s-s-say…”

 

“Its, ok you don't have to tell me if you don't want to,” Cassie nodded and stared at the TV screen again. Gaara was really quite ruthless in that battle and it made her a little sad, `His eyes … they looked even lonelier back then. It makes me sad to think about how he was treated back then… but Gaara looks happier now. He's not so angry anymore, and he'll smile sometimes … it makes me very glad.'

 

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Kankuro gave a wide yawn and stretched his stiff limbs out on the couch where he fell asleep in Alex's house. Both the twins were asleep on his stomach and Naruto had long since rolled off so he was fast asleep on the floor.

 

“Do you have a hangover Kankuro?” Gaara looked skeptically at his older brother, `What ever happened to the older brother being more mature?'

 

“No, the kids wouldn't go to sleep,” Kankuro moaned, “Never ever give four-year-olds chocolate. It turns them into demon seed…”

 

“Honestly, do you boys know what time it is?” Fujita shook his head as he walked down the stairs and saw the scene in the living room, “You're sleeping the day away you guys.”

 

“How the hell can you be so chipper this early in the morning?” Naruto mumbled, continuing to be no more than a lump on the floor.

 

“I have a date this morning, and I don't want him to see the two of you lazing around the living room,” Fujita stated before turning to Gaara, “Cassie hasn't gotten back from her little sleepover yet Gaara-sama. She's over at Tenten's, but their probably sleeping in so I wouldn't bother them.”

 

One of Kankuro's eyes opened and looked in Fujita's direction, “Don't you mean `her'? As in I don't want her to the two of us lazing around?”

 

Fujita rolled his eyes, “No, I have a date, and he is going to be here soon.”

 

`Wow, didn't see that one coming,' Gaara only came to the house to see if Cassie was there - as well as to check and see if he brother was still alive - and he did not expect to be listening to a conversation about Fujita's sexuality. Though Gaara did find it odd that he never even noticed…

 

Naruto glanced up at Fujita for a moment and then closed his eyes again, “Kami, I just want to sleep. I really don't want to be talking about this.”

 

“Gaara-sama,” the boy twin, Kin, woke up and handed Gaara a picture, “We took the picture for Cassie, we got one for you too.”

 

Gaara took the picture and saw it was the mistletoe picture from the Christmas Party. It was probably the only picture in which he looked happy. The very few other pictures Gaara was in he was often alone or just the sad little child among others that wouldn't acknowledge him.

 

Without showing it to the others he quickly placed the picture in the inside pocket of his jacket, “Arigato … I have a meeting with the Hokage, I'll be back to see Cassie later.”

 

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After getting back from Tenten's house Cassie decided to have a nice hot shower and wind down for a while. She promised the twins she would watch a movie with them afterward so she wanted to make it as long and steamy as possible.

 

She slipped out of her cloths and into the hot water and just let it wash over her completely for a few moments before grabbing the shampoo.

 

Seeing the tape made her think of the stories she used to hear about Gaara as a child. She only heard a few, and they were vague and childish at most so she never took them seriously. She remembered how when she first moved to Suna her father would make her play with the other village children because he thought she was lonely. And she remembered what they said,

 

“He's a demon! He'll crush you in a second if you go near him!”

 

“That monster has no heart, he was created to kill, and he'll murder you in cold blood if you are unlucky enough to cross his path!”

 

Cassie frowned at the bathroom wall for a moment. She remembered when she would always say in response every time she was told one of the stupid stories. It was a response that made everyone laugh at her, and most of the children refused to play with her afterwards, “How do you know that he is a monster if you've never even spoken to him? If no one ever speaks to him then I bet he's just lonely, and mom always told me to give people the benefit of the doubt…”

 

`I was right all along,' she mused with a small smile as her fingers ran over the coin around her neck, `I was the only one brave enough to speak to him and he never killed me. I know he cares about me, and I care about him more and more each day…'

 

When she finished washing up she wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out. It wasn't long after that she realized she forgot to bring her pajamas into the bathroom with her. It was no big deal or anything because the room she was staying in was just a few doors down the hall, but she just didn't want to be caught running around in a towel.

 

Cassie opened the door and peered into the hallway. The twins were watching a TV show downstairs with Fujita, Gina was sleeping over at a friends, and all the adults were working so there was nothing to worry about except the cold air in the hallway.

 

Quickly she walked into her room and closed the door behind her so she could rummage through her suitcase for something to wear. When she found something she turned around and walked right into someone's chest. She wouldn't have fallen backward if he hadn't caught her.

 

“Kami,” Cassie laughed, “Don't you make noise when you walk into a room Gaara?”

 

“No,” he responded truthfully, he was a ninja after all. “You should be more careful, anyone could sneak up on you.”

 

“Yes, but the only one that sneaks up on me is you Sabaku No Gaara,” she scolded playfully. Her cheeks were slightly red again, “Will you turn around or something please? I need to change here, and don't you dare peak!”

 

Gaara took a step away and turned around while Cassie tossed the towel aside and put on the pajamas. He couldn't say he wasn't tempted to turn around.

 

Giggling Cassie came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle, “Who needs to keep their guard up now, huh?”

 

“Still you,” Gaara said as he picked her up and sling her over his shoulder.

 

“Eep,” Cassie squeaked in surprise, “Hey!”

 

Gaara swung her around so he was holding her bridal style again. She was so small and fragile he felt that he could almost break her if he wasn't careful; it was kind of like handling a porcelain doll.

 

He felt Cassie's warm fingers brush the hair away from the Ai symbol on his forehead, “How was your meeting with the Hokage and elders?”

 

“Boring,” Gaara shook his head in amusement, “I think Tsunade fell asleep at one point.”

 

Cassie laughed and Gaara felt the urge to hold her tighter. Everything about her was perfect in his eyes. Her smile, her voice, her laugh, the way her pajamas clung to her shower damp skin … and then there was him…

 

“What is it?” she asked when she noticed something in his eyes for a moment.

 

“It's nothing, don't worry about it,” he assured.

 

“Whatever you say,” she said in an I-don't-believe-you tone. “Hey, what is that box on the bed?”

 

Gaara turned and picked up a brightly wrapped package that was left on the bed and read the tag. `A Belated Christmas Gift to Gaara and Cassie, from Kankuro.' He had a bad feeling about the gift, and he was sure he saw the logo on the box somewhere…

 

Cassie took the box and untied the ribbon. When she opened the box she and looked inside she seemed confused at first, and she pulled the frilly garment from the package Gaara finally remembered where he saw the logo.

 

“Lingerie?” her voice almost cracked when she said the word.

 

Without a word Gaara turned to leave.

 

“Where are you going, Gaara?”

 

“To kill my brother.”

 

 

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