Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Loveless Suna ❯ Chapter 26 ( Chapter 26 )

Thanks for the review mixedfic. I got a mail that you can't put a real person in a fanfic. Stupid rule if you ask me.

Important: A little explanation about Gaara's chakra inside Shizuka: he only receives the warning when Shizuka really is at the point of being killed. Otherwise he would show up with the littlest distress.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Cursing internal I was redoing my bandages after sending my two friend's out laughing. Dropping the next wet roll on the bundle beside me, I sighed looking at my naked legs.

“What did you do?” Gaara's voice scared me to death.

“Where did you come from?” I asked grabbing my heart. The redhead gave me an odd look and pointed to the door. I gave him a bored look back.

`Why does he take everything so literally?' “You surprised me.” I tried to explain and received a `sorry' face, before his eyes locked themselves on my naked legs, repeated his question.

“Well… I was trying to stand on water…” I started.

“Where did you get that idea?” He interrupted me.

“Naruto.” I answered truthfully. I did see in the anime that ninja's could stand on water, probably Kakashi or Zabuza were the first ones to do it.

“Naruto?” Gaara said carefully. I know he must be sitting with a lot of questions, but how the hell was he ever going to believe me.

“Someday I'll explain.” I pleaded hoping he would drop the subject.

“Fine.” He mumbled. “But as long as nobody knows your past, questions are going to surface.” I nodded and my eyes dropped to my legs.

“When I come back from Konoha.” I whispered after a small pause, but the Kazekage had heard me and pulled my chin back up so that I could see his surprised look. “I'll tell you once I'm back from Konoha.” My voice came out a little louder than before. `First I want to speak with Sasuke.' I replied, while getting an accepting kiss from the redhead. “But I'll tell you this…” I mumbled after a quick breath while wrapping my arms around his neck. His blue-green eyes looked expectantly in mine. “I was made just for you.” A smile caressed the redhead's face, but I could see a glint of confusion in his eyes, which I quickly kissed away. The kiss got broken by a painful sound that left my lips. Concerned Gaara detached himself and followed my face to my legs.

“You better take your medication.” He said already standing up and walking towards my night table. He shook some tablets out of their box and turned back to me, grabbing the bottle of water in his movement.

`Even without his sand he can be graceful.' I thought staring at him, forgetting the pain in my legs for a second.

“Here...” Feeling the bottle pressed against my forehead pulled me out of my dazed state. Like a child I opened my mouth and pulled the pleading look again. Rolling his eyes Gaara dropped the tablets in my mouth. Smiling I accepted the bottle of water and drank the pills.

“How is your shoulder?” He asked kneeling before me while I removed the bottle from my mouth.

“Fine, they did a really good job on it.” The Kazekage nodded while sliding with his hand over my shoulder. I knew that every morning he put a very powerful painkilling salve on it, otherwise I probably would be lying every day in my bed unable to move.

“Rest for a while.” Gaara decide and picked me up bridal style. Feeling really helpless I let him put me in bed and tuck me in. He pressed his lips against my forehead and turned around walking to the door. Underway he picked up the wet bandages and closed the door silently behind him.

`He probably did everything by hand since he didn't bring his gourd.' I mustered before turning my head to the window. I noticed it was starting to become dusk outside. `It has been a long day.' I yawned to my surprise. `He probably gave me something to sleep.' My mind deduced before retreating to the dream world.

-

“I did it!” I yelled happily without taking my eyes of my feet.

“Congratulations.” Matsuri smiled at me from Kankuro's lap.

“Now I want to walk on something with a bigger surface.” I decided stepping out of the bowl while playing with the necklace I'd gotten from Gaara around my neck. I had started to wear it like a lucky charm, much to the redhead's happiness.

“We could go to the baths.” The only guy present suggested and I gave him an odd look.

“Wouldn't that be a little lonely for you?”

“Not, if I hence and…” He was stopped by Matsuri's elbow.

“You'll be discovered in no time.”

“No, I won't!” He yelled his defense, but the look on his girlfriend's face told him different.

“You'll get excited, start groping me, I'll knock you out, you'll hence drop and you'll get exposed.” She summed and I couldn't help but laugh seeing the defeated look on her Kanky's face.

“Maybe we should invite Temari.” Matsuri turned back to me and still laughing I nodded.

-

A little embarrassed I let Temari help me undo my bandages while Matsuri was already busy rinsing her body. I couldn't help but notice how comfortable they were with being naked in front of each other and the other female visitors, while I was trying to hide most of my body with a towel. When the blonde started on the bandage on my thigh I shrunk a little back. Surprised Temari looked up at me.

“You aren't really comfortable, are you?” When I shook my head, she retreated a little. “You want to do the rest yourself?” I wanted to nod, but seeing a very naked Matsuri walking over to us, made me stare in shock. “Matsuri, put something on!” Temari hissed throwing a towel to our friend. Stupefied she accepted it and looked from the blonde to me. Seeing my face she finally understood and wrapped it around her body. I noticed that the other visitors were staring at us and some clearly recognized me as the Kazekage's concubine.

“Let's go to the bath.” I mumbled quickly undoing the last bandage and walked into the room that Matsuri had just left.

-

“Haven't you ever gone to a public bath before?” Matsuri asked while she was washing my back.

“Yeah, after a physical exercise, but then still we aren't that open about it.”

“Oh, then you really come from another culture.” She said without thinking, but it did make Temari look up.

“Do you remember some things?” She asked concerned. She probably had the same worries as Gaara.

“Only parts, I did remember my name at first and what I do remember, gives me the impression that the culture was completely different.” I made up a bulletproof lie. The two seemed to buy it and pulled me up to the bath, making me lose my towel underway. Quickly I dived in the water, only to jump back up.

“This is hot!” I screamed climbing back to dry, forgetting my nakedness for a second.

“Weren't you going to walk on it?” Matsuri asked, laying her small towel on her head.

“I'll get there. I first wanted to feel how warm it was.” I defended myself with a pout.

“Then get in!” Kanky's girl shot back while Temari had closed her eyes, ignoring us and enjoying her bath. Carefully I slid back in it and once in I knew I look like a tomato.

“Make sure you refresh yourself with cold water after five minutes since this is your first time.” The blonde cracked one eye open.

“Okay.” I decided to follow her example and closed my eyes with a sigh. I could feel the water rinsing my wounds and relax the muscles around them. It did feel good, but after a couple of minutes I couldn't take it anymore and crawled for the second time back to dry. While spraying cold water on me I couldn't stop staring at the misty mirror in front of me. I could see my silhouette and a couple others behind me of other women, who were washing themselves. Curious I wiped away the mist and stared shocked at the vision of me with my wounds.

“They're just little bullet wounds.” I mumbled touching the biggest wound on my shoulder. `That reminds me, I forget the salve for after the bath.' I realized and noticed a couple of women move to the bath. Then one of them turned towards me in a blink of an eye and pulled a little knife out of her towel. Widening my eyes I saw her coming closer and grabbed the shower nose to block her attack. Maybe she didn't give me a new cut, but she did make me fall from my seat. I kicked the bench at her face and threw the shower nose at her leg. Crawling up I heard Matsuri and Temari yell my name, but the hysterical women had bar their way.

My attacker had recovered herself and walked threatening towards me. Weaponless I grabbed at the first thing I could get my hands on and ended up defending myself with; chamomile shampoo and a conditioner. Cursing a little under my breath I kept my eyes on her knife while she started to perform hand signs. Narrowing my eyes I waited for the attack, but only a smirk appeared.

“Shizuka! Behind you!” I heard Matsuri's voice break my concentration and when I glanced backwards I saw a huge wave come towards me. It was like everything froze for a minute except the water that kept getting closer and closer. My reflexes made me cover my head with my arms just before the water crushed me.

Panting I looked back up expecting to get penetrated by the knife, but instead I got the scene of Matsuri and Temari holding the woman prisoner. Just when I started to relax again I noticed sand appear around me followed by a murderous Gaara. His appearance only made the women more hysterical while his eyes widened taking in the scene before him. Quickly I jumped up and covered his eyes with my hands.

“What the hell, do you think you're doing?!” I yelled letting him know it was me, which he probably already knew. He turned towards me and his eyes widened even more when he noticed that I too was naked. He got a possessive look in his eyes, pulled me against him and let his sand teleport us quickly to his room.

“Why were you running around naked?!” He hissed angry and I gave him a disbelieving look.

“I was at the baths.” His eyes lost their anger.

“That explains why everyone else was also naked.” He mumbled thoughtful.

“Really, you think so!” I said sarcastically. Now I felt the pain that went through my body and weakly leaned more against Gaara. The redhead noticed this and quickly picked me up. He laid me down on the bed and fed me my pills before going over to the rest of my body. Completely banged up he carefully pulled my nightgown over the bandages and tucked me in.

“Shouldn't you be at the baths?” I asked feeling the sleeping pill starting to work.

“Temari can do that.” He whispered and laid himself beside me. I felt his chakra seeping into me once again and let it sooth me to sleep.

-

I woke up hearing a voice whisper something angry. Curious I opened my eyes and saw a red and a blonde silhouette in the doorway. Gaara clearly wasn't happy about something while his sister looked apologizing back at him until she glanced at me.

“Shizuka!” She yelled clearly happy to see me up. Her brother quickly turned around, walked towards me and settled himself on the edge of the bed.

“How are you feeling?” He asked silently so, the blonde couldn't hear him.

“Sore.” I mumbled crawling up in a sitting position. I glanced outside and noticed it was dark. “I slept the whole afternoon?” I asked surprised and the redhead nodded. “What happened to my attacker?” My eyes slid to Temari, who got a dark expression.

“She killed herself.”

“What? How?” They had her, couldn't they have stopped her?

“She bit her tongue off.” My eyes widened.

“A suicide.” I mumbled.

“But now we do know they're working for someone.” The blonde tried to lighten the mood a little.

“Oh great, the culprit is still out there.” I said sarcastically. Temari choose to keep her mouth closed and I looked back at Gaara. He had a thoughtful expression on his face that I didn't really like.

“Gaara?” I asked carefully. Surprised he shot out of his thoughts and gave me his attention. “What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Without saying anything else he got up. “I'll get you something to eat.” He continued monotone. Shocked I looked back at Temari and again she had that apologizing look.

“Why is he acting like that… like before?” I asked frightened.

“He's just concerned about you.” She answered with a forceful smile and quickly followed her brother's example.

Stephke23: I know not a lot of plot, but it's getting there. R&R.