Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Leaf in the Desert ❯ Chapter 21

Chapter 21

 

Gaara leaned heavily on the cane he had been using since his wounds finally healed two months prior. His free hand rested gently on the sheet-covered form lying on the gurney as his gaze drifted around the room, taking in the other similarly-draped tables before turning his aquamarine eyes to the one before him.

 

Kankuro… My brother. So many years wasted in our youth… so many years taken from us now. Where is your soul now, I wonder? In Heaven, with Mother? Or burning in Hell with Father? A faint, sad smile appeared on his lips. No. You lived and died a shinobi. Tell Mother hello for me… and tell her I am sorry I was not able to save the one son she loved.

 

The next gurney over held the body of Niira, Kankuro's wife. The two had been on a rescue mission with their squad to a nearby village that had been under heavy attack by Kanaye's army…

 

…But the army proved too much, even for the seasoned ANBU squad.

 

“Father?”

 

Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose- and found that his eyes were moist. I am… crying? I… I am. Not from pain of the body… but pain of the heart. My brother… my only brother… is dead. The one who listened to me, who first reached out to me after my defeat at Naruto's hands so many years ago. The first who witnessed the change in my cold heart. The first… to see me as more than a weapon and a threat.

 

“Father…” Sora crept towards Gaara slowly, hesitantly. “Are… are you… okay?”

 

Gaara wiped his eyes and looked down at his youngest son. “Yes, Sora,” he said quietly. “I will be fine.”

 

At Sora's encouraging smile, Gaara couldn't help but think back to his own youth, with himself in Sora's position as younger brother.

 

“'Kuro-nii-san?”

 

“What is it, Gaara? Can't you see I'm busy?”

 

Four-year-old Gaara blinked innocent black-rimmed eyes at his older brother, who was fiddling with a piece of wood. “Will yoo play ball wi' me?”

 

Kankuro glanced at the young boy and quickly looked away, his face flushed. “I… I can't, Gaara. I've… got to finish working on these puppets to show Father before he leaves to visit the feudal lord tomorrow.”

 

Gaara looked at the ground, dejected. “Can I watch?”

 

The six-year-old paused. “Isn't Uncle coming to get you?”

 

A moment of silence. “Yuh. He says I is not allowed here.”

Kankuro didn't reply at first. “You can watch- quietly- until he comes for you.”

 

Gaara beamed up at his older brother. “Thank yoo, `Kuro-nii-san!”

 

Gaara took Sora's hand in his and stared a moment longer at the shrouded figure on the gurney. That was the last time he had seen either of his siblings after that- his uncle kept him secluded until he was seven years old… and ultimately tried to kill him. After that…

 

Farewell… my brother. Rest in peace.

 

-------------------

 

Safaia blinked in confusion at the chaos inside the Kazekage's office. “What in the name of Inu is going on here?”

 

The three Jounins in the room immediately snapped to attention, one holding a wriggling creature in his arms.

 

“Sorry, Safaia, ma'am,” one of them apologized, bowing. “But this fox got into the building and we're just trying to-!”

 

The staccato sound of a cane preceded Gaara's appearance in the office. “A fox?”

 

The Jounins nodded. The one holding the poor animal held it up for Gaara to see. “Somehow it got into the village and managed to make it all the way here. It's really weird.”

 

“Put it down!”

 

Everyone in the room blinked at the retired Kazekage. “What?” Safaia asked, befuddled.

 

Gaara pointed at one of the Jounins. “You go get the Kazekage. You two,” he continued, indicating the two remaining and the fox, “will put a barrier around this room as soon as Haru gets here. Understood?”

 

“Yes, sir!”

 

Within moments, Haru strode into the room, his face serious and mildly concerned. “Father? What happened?”

 

The older man pierced the two remaining Jounin with a Look and immediately they put up a barrier. The fox, now standing calmly on the floor in front of the two Jounin, turned and looked at Gaara and Haru- with bright blue eyes.

 

“Clever baka, are you not?” Gaara muttered with a small smile at the fox. “You knew they were shooting down all the messenger birds and were on the lookout for any shinobi that might attempt to make the journey between our villages, so you took the form of an animal they would not suspect.”

 

The fox sat down and tilted its head, gazing at Gaara with an interested expression.

 

“What? I have to release you?” Gaara sighed. “How am I supposed to know how to do that?”

 

The fox yipped once, wagging its bushy tail.

 

For several minutes Gaara and the remaining Jounin attempted every technique release command they knew of- with no results.

 

Haru raised an eyebrow at his father. “Can you explain this please?”

 

The red-headed man pointed at the fox, which now seemed to be laughing at him. “That is Naruto.”

 

“The Hokage? HERE?”

 

Gaara hobbled over to a nearby bench and sat down, staring at the fox thoughtfully. Safaia walked to the doorway. “If it really is Naruto Hokage,” she said, “he is probably hungry. I should see if we have any food for him.”

 

“That is it!” Gaara thumped his cane on the floor. He turned to the fox and pointed at it. “Ramen!”

 

POOOOOF! A minor explosion occurred and in the midst of the smoke that appeared stood up Naruto, dressed in his normal orange and black clothes.

 

“Took you long enough, sandy-ass. I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten our secret password.”

 

“Some password! And it has been over two years since we used it, and that was only so you would not walk into our bedroom unannounced- again!”

 

Haru dropped his forehead into his palm. “Too much information, Father.”

 

Naruto turned to the young Kazekage. “Haru!” He tackled him in a traditional Naruto hug. “You've really grown, kid. You're taller than your old man, now.”

 

“Speaking of old men, Naruto…”

 

“Shut up, sand-breath.”

 

Haru managed to extricate himself from Naruto's greeting. “If you do not mind me asking, Naruto Hokage… why are you here? Are you not needed in Konoha?”

 

Naruto's face went from smiling and delighted to serious business. “We needed to get a message to you, and this was the best way I could think of.”

 

“A message?” Haru's eyes went wide. “Is it Gin? Is she okay? Has she woken up yet? What about my sister?”

 

The Hokage held up his hands to halt the onslaught of questions. “First things first. Your sister is fine. Irritable as all hell…”

 

“That sounds familiar,” Haru muttered.

 

“…But is doing quite well. She has organized several successful attacks against Kanaye alongside Kohaku. Those two actually work very well together.”

 

“And Gin? How is she? Is she awake yet?”

 

Naruto's face went serious. “Gin…”

 

Haru's heart clenched. “Oh, deceased Kazekages… tell me she lives…”

 

Abruptly he was whacked on the back and his hand was clasped in Naruto's in a hearty handshake. “She's fine, boy! She woke up just a few weeks ago, but she's been in therapy to help get her body strong enough so she can walk again!”

 

As Haru's heart started to beat again, Gaara shook his head. “Dumbass. Are you incapable of simply telling him that she is awake without all this drama?”

 

“Oh, there's more, sandy-ass.”

 

Haru stared at the Hokage, aware that the older man had not removed his hand from his shoulder. “More?”

 

“Congratulations, Haru. It's a girl.”

 

He stared at the blonde man for a moment. “What is a girl?”

 

Naruto laughed loudly and grinned before whacking Haru on the back again. “Your daughter, oh-great-and-powerful Kazekage. The one whose diapers I've been changing for the past four months now?”

 

Safaia smothered a squeal. Gaara stood up, supported by his cane. Haru's jaw dropped.

 

“My…… daughter?”

 

“Wait.” Gaara held up his hand as he hobbled closer. “You are saying my son fathered a child? In Konoha?”

 

Naruto's grin could only be described as cat-like. “Yup. Gin's been in that coma for over a year, and during that time, Sakura and Ino discovered that she was expecting. When she woke up a few weeks ago, she was shocked to learn that not only had she been out of it for over a year, but she had a three-month-old daughter.” Naruto winked at the two men. “She's got your eyes, fellas.”

 

Haru and Gaara stared at each other for a moment, Haru's face pale.

 

“You got a Konoha kunoichi pregnant?!”

 

Safaia swept across the room and gave her much-taller-than-herself son a tight hug. “Congratulations, Haru! You are going to make a wonderful father!”

 

Gaara gave her a Look and turned his attention to the still-smirking Naruto. “Do you not think you could have found a way to give us this information a little sooner?”

 

Naruto's face still smiled, but Gaara could see the seriousness in his bright blue eyes. Something that Naruto wasn't sharing just yet. “Hey- we just figured it out a few weeks ago ourselves. Even Aikou didn't pick up on it until we pointed out Shirabara's eye color to her.”

 

Haru's entire stance seemed to be swaying. “Sh-Shira…bara?” he echoed, snapping to attention.

 

“Your daughter. Gin named her Shirabara.” The Hokage crossed his arms. “Something to do with a flower that sits by her bedside. It's been there since she came back from the rescue mission.”

 

“Promise me… when you see a white rose… that you will think of me…”

 

He stared vacantly into space. She named her… “White Rose”?

 

“You know what this means, don't you, sandy-ass?” Naruto was saying, poking Gaara in the arm.

 

“…Child support?”

 

“NO, baka. You're a grandpa.”

 

“Oh, hell.”

 

Haru turned to see his father holding his head in his hand in seeming despair, while Naruto chortled with glee. He reached into his vest and pulled something out to show Haru. “Here, kid. Gin wanted you to have this.”

 

The young Kazekage shakily took the item- and stared. It was a photograph of his beloved Gin, sitting up in a hospital bed, smiling for the camera while holding an adorable infant in her arms. Her eyes seemed sad, but Haru couldn't say why he thought so. Her expression, other than that, was one of a happy mother with her baby.

 

The child seemed to be about four months old, and had some of her dark brown hair pulled up into twin pigtails, tied with bright blue bows. The baby was dressed in a blue gown that matched her ribbons, with a white bow pattern on the fabric. The baby stared at the camera with pale aquamarine eyes.

 

His eyes.

 

His daughter had his eyes.

 

Just like Naruto Hokage had said.

 

The image of Gin and their child was the last thing he saw as he slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

 

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

 

A/N: -insert evil cackle- I'm baaaaaaaack! ACen was SUCH a disappointment- I almost wish I had stayed home and kept writing, but I must admit that I'm now inspired to keep writing and finish this thing!

 

Also, I'm not sure how often I will be able to write and update, as my boyfriend has now delivered the decree that I am allowed to be in my Dungeon, writing on my computer (or doing ANYthing on my computer) ONLY during the two hours that my daughter is at 4K in the morning. The rest of the day I am to stay upstairs and do nothing except stare at the pile of freshly laundered and folded laundry while she decides to play by herself up in her room.

 

So that cuts into my writing time IMMENSELY. Not to mention my art stuff.

 

So while I managed to coerce my child into a much-needed nap, I am down here typing just as fast as I can to get this story finished.

 

Please let me know how you like the story- my boyfriend thinks my writing is pointless and stupid, so maybe if I show him how many people like my stuff, he'll STFU and let me write more. Thank you to everyone who has commented already- I'm writing this just for you! :D