Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Ten Years in Sand ❯ A little bit of trouble ( Chapter 4 )

Okay hey I'm going to update twice today so shut up because this chapter is freakin' long!

I do not own Naruto or the rights to the series…. Damn it.

Somewhere in the last twenty four hours Atashi had managed to screw up. This was evident from her sudden disappearance and Gaara's deadly aura. Currently the young kunoichi was hiding in a very large closet hoping to her gods that the demon retainer Gaara wouldn't find her very soon… or at all for that matter.

But much to her dismay, fate was not as kind as she once thought it to be. The door to her hiding place swung open and there stood Gaara of the sand. A very embarrassed and angered Gaara of the sand. He stepped into the five by seven storage space, his eyes scanning the room. His eyes flickered to the wardrobe tucked away in the corner to his left. He took a step towards it. Atashi's heart started to race as he drew near to her hiding spot. He touched the cool carved handle of the slightly ajar door and thrust it open.

Gaara stood staring into the empty wardrobe for mere seconds before he slammed the door shut and stalked out of the room. The door to the closet swung shut with a light click.

Once the sound of Gaara's light footsteps faded from her hearing, Atashi let out a sigh of relief. `That was close…. too close. I need to be more careful here, but I am at a disadvantage. After all he does control sand and hello?! I'm in the village hidden in the SAND. Can life be anymore screwed up?'

`Do you want me to answer that?'

`No I don't want you to answer that and why are you up? I didn't call for.'

`Dear, I may be lazy but that doesn't mean that I'm completely going to ignore you.'

`You're such a pain. Go back to sleep.'

`In a bossy mode today, aren't we?'

`No, just in a bad one and I don't need you mumbling and giving me suggestions. They are quite distracting and I don't need that.'

`Very well young one. Just be careful. This Gaara fellow and his demon are not one's to be trifled with.'

Now you all must be wondering how Atashi got into such bad relations with Gaara. To better illustrate what has happened let us all go back to when Atashi was making her way to her new home, from there we well continue until we are completely caught up.

Atashi traveled down the dirt packed road as the temperature started its steady descent. She approached a street vendor who was closing up for the night. “Excuse me sir,” Atashi said politely to the hunched figure.

He jumped slightly and whipped around to meet the girl. He blushed upon seeing her curious gaze. “Oh, sorry miss you surprised me,” he said turning back to his work. `I thought you were my wife.'

Atashi rose an eyebrow. `Your wife? Yeah. Right.' “Can I ask you a quick question?”

“You just did.”

Atashi let out a fake chuckle, “So I did… so I did.”

The man locked the stall and turned back to her smiling, “Of course you can ask me a question.”

“Thank you. I wondering if you could tell me where the Kazekage's house is from here?”

The man's face turned ashen, “And why would you want to know this?”

“I am to be staying at his house on his orders.”

The man nodded thoughtfully. `Tis suicide to send her there. The Kazekage must want her dead.'

`Now why would he think that?'

The man snapped back to reality when Atashi shifted to her side. “Ahh…… yes the Kazekage's house. That's on the edge of town to the west. About a mile or so from here. You should be able to tell it apart from the rest by its appearance.” With those final words the man scurried off down the street, silently wishing the black haired woman good luck.

`At least he was more descriptive than Gaara.'

Atashi picked her way through he empty streets on her way to her new residence. She became more than a little freaked out by the way the shadows played tricks on her nocturnal eyes. `Get a hold of yourself Atashi. It's not so bad. You're just overreacting again… For crying out loud you're a freaking Jounin! Get over it!'

Finally after her long trek through the night covered Sunagakure, Atashi came upon the Kazekage's house. It was a plain two story building, just like the others around it. But the vendor was right when he said that it would stick out, after all it only had the characters Kaze and Kage carved into the door.

“Quite the subtle man aren't we Kazekage-sama?' Atashi took a hesitant step forward. Now that she thought about it… had the Kazekage mentioned whether or not Gaara was living here? She remembered the mention of his other tow children Temari and Kankuro but not of Gaara. It didn't really matter because she wasn't scared of Gaara…. Okay so she was a little concerned but it wasn't like he was going to kill her for existing… or would he? `Ah! Stop thinking! You're just making it worse on yourself!'

Atashi was just about to take a step forwards when a black cat darted across her path. “It was only a cat….. that was black….. I am not superstitious, not at all! This d-doesn't mean anything….. Just because a black cat crosses your path doesn't mean that you're going to have bad luck,” she said trying to convince herself. It wasn't working that well. Atashi hit her forehead with her palm and took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “Okay. I can do this. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Okay, I'm ready.” She took a step forward and set off a trap that sent kunai and shuriken flying towards her. Atashi took out her own kunai and deflected all of the weapons.. ` I wasn't even on the property yet! Okay breathe. I. Am. A. Jounin. I can handle anything that Temari and Kankuro may have to dish out. Let's get this over with.'

Atashi carefully made her way to the door avoiding all of the other poorly hidden traps. `How I managed not to notice the first trap I have yet to figure out. Oh well, here we go. My first encounter with the Kazekage's children.' Atashi knocked on the door lightly and waited.

And waited.

She raised her hand to knock a second time when the door swung open to reveal a blonde haired shinobi.

“Can I help you,” she drawled placing her fists on her hips.

“Yes, I believe you can, but ill need to come in.”

“on who's orders?'”

“Your father's.” Temari cringed. “Get Kankuro this involves him too.”

“H-hai,” Temari mumbled disappearing into the house. `What kind of fear have you instilled in your children Kazekage,' Atashi thought entering the house and slipping off her sandals. Sand spilt out of the sandals and onto the floor making Atashi sigh in irritation. Using a really simple wind jutsu she pushed the sand back out of the house.

Temari and Kankuro appeared from behind a door and approached her.

“So why are you here? I have no time to be screwing around with the affairs of some foreign shinobi so hurry up,” Kankuro said in a demanding tone.

Atashi took a step forward and glared into Kankuro's eyes, “I wouldn't talk to me like that chuunin. You never know when I might just…… snap.”

Kankuro stumbled back to stand next to Temari. `Those eyes! So much like Gaara's!'

“Now done to business. On your Otuo-san's orders this is to be my new residence while I remain in Sunagakure-“

Kankuro interrupted, “And how long will that be?”

“If it goes according to the agreement… ten years.”

“What?! Ten years?! What will you be doing here that requires your presence for ten years?!!”

Atashi flicked her wrist and sent the scroll that the Kazekage had given her into Kankuro's head.

Thunk.

The scroll fell into Temari's outstretched hand and Kankuro shrunk away in pain. Where the wooden sealer on the scroll had hit his head appeared a darkening bruise that read Kazekage backwards. Atashi smirked inwardly as Kankuro rubbed his forehead absentmindedly as Temari unraveled the scroll that Atashi had thrown. Much to her insane amusement, Temari and Kankuro's eyes became wider as they read the scroll. When they were finished Temari and Kankuro's eyes met and Temari nodded slightly. “It all seems to be in order Atashi-san, so if you'd just follow me, I will give you a quick tour of the house.”

`Tour? Great…..' “And where do you think you're going Kankuro-chan?”

“To tend to the wound you gave me.”

“What wound? I see no wound.”

“The one on my forehead that you gave me, YOU IMBECILE!”

Atashi gave him a look that could be translated to mean what-the-heck- is-that-supposed-to-mean? Are-you-trying-to-insult-me? “First of all its not a wound. Secondly if it were a wound it would have to be bleeding, which it isn't therefore it is not a wound and does not need to be tended to, so you're coming with Temari and I on the tour.”

“And if I say no?”

“I'll kill you.”

Kankuro shuddered. `So much like Gaara.' He pretended to think about it before grunting and walking beside Temari who had just started the tour.

The tour of the lower level of the house was rather mediocre. Everything was where Atashi had expected it to be, but upstairs held a little more interest for the young kunoichi. “The first door to the left of the stairs is my room, then the guest room which is now to be your room and then a closet. On the right is Kankuro's room and then the bathroom,” Temari paused and looked at Atashi nervously.

“And the last door on the right?”

“Um… well that's Gaara's room,” she fidgeted.

“Ah. So Gaara does stay here...”

“Well tour's done, see ya,” Kankuro said disappearing back down the stairs. Temari gave a weak smile and followed slowly after him.

`Well that went better than I expected. No blood shed only a humongous bruise on that idiot Kankuro's head… I feel accomplished.'

`And what of the life you took earlier this afternoon girl?'

Atashi jumped a little. `You want to give me a heart attack?!'

`Maybe. Its just fun to scare you at random moments.'

`Not for me its not!'

`well isn't that too bad?

`What's gotten into you recently? Why are suddenly so….. active?'

`Oh nothing really. Unless you want me to go into my past sexual encounters.'

`Forget I asked…'

`so about the guy you killed.'

`Necessary. That bastard Kazekage wouldn't accept me unless I did.'

`Ah... I see.'

Atashi rolled her eyes and walked through the dimly lit hallway to her bedroom. The door seemed to be old and barely on its hinges. The brass handle was faded with deep gouges and light scratches. Atashi paused for a moment and listened before shaking her head and entering the room that was now her's.

Gaara twitched from his restful meditation state having heard a muted thump and muffled curse words. According to the clock that sat next to him it was just past midnight. He glared in the direction of Atashi's `room'. The girl's presence was starting to agitate him and they hadn't even seen each other since she had called him out of hiding in the early afternoon. She had too many tricks up her sleeves and Gaara hated surprises. In the back of his mind his demon was whispering, trying to get into his thoughts and influence him to permanently rid himself of the nuisance. Gaara wasn't paying any attention to the voice.

He sighed and shifted his limbs so that his muscles wouldn't cramp up. There was another thump and some slightly louder curse words. `What is that idiot girl doing now,' Gaara thought narrowing his eyes and reaching for the cork of his gourd.

In answer there was some slightly loud knocking accompanied by an unappreciative `yes?'

“What are you doing at midnight exactly?! You keep waking me up and I don't appreciate it! I need to freaking sleep!”

Thwap.

“Um... what Kankuro means to ask is what are you doing?”

“Trying to keep all of these stupid shelves from falling on top of me but so far I haven't been too successful. I was just about to quit and go to sleep…. Uh sorry about keeping you guys up.”

Gaara could hear Kankuro mumble and Temari yawn. Two sets of feet trudged down the hall and three sets of locks clicked shut almost silently after them. Gaara slowly closed his narrowed eyes and relaxed returning to his meditative state.

Atashi stumbled sleepily over to the bed and pushed all of the fallen items off and onto the floor. The guest room, her room was covered in shelves which held items from weapons to scrolls to teddy bears. Yes, Atashi thought it rather strange to have teddy bears in a room full of weapons but who was she to criticize? Her own room back in Konoha was painted entirely black with sparkly yellow kitty stickers as a boarder and purple cloud shaped shelves…. She knew odd and lived by its ways. But at least in Konoha the stupid shelves didn't fall on top of her every time she passed by.

Atashi dropped down onto her bed and rubbed her face in her pillow only to stop and abruptly and spit out sand. `What the hell?' “There's sand on my pillow.”

`You state the obvious.'

`Shut up. I lack sleep so therefore I think out loud to my self.'

`What a lame excuse.'

`Shut up and leave me alone.'

`Fine. Fine. I'm shutting up.'

Atashi mumbled and dumped the sand off her bed before she clamped the pillow on top of her head and went to sleep.

Atashi woke up rather early the next morning around six o'clock. The sun was still down when Atashi crawled out of bed in a t-shirt and underwear which were her pajamas. She stretched out like a cat and yawned as she climbed to her feet. Half-asleep she walked to the door and opened it up. The hallway was still dark. Atashi rubbed her eyes rubbed her eyes trying to banish the sleep from them as she opened the bathroom door. The bathroom light had been on, blinding Atashi's light sensitive eyes. Instinctively, she covered her eyes and waited for them to adjust. Her nose smelt the warm moisture that lingered in the air, it smelt a little like soap. Uncovering her watery eyes, Atashi immediately noticed the red-head boy. She noticed the wet red-head boy who only wore a towel. The surprised embarrassed angry soaking wet red-haired, teal eyed boy who was a demon retainer who only had a towel wrapped around his waist.

They both stared at each other in surprise, both unsure what exactly to do in this situation. Atashi was the first to snap out of the daze and immediately slammed the door shut and turning away from the door. There was a slight rustling inside before the door swung open to reveal a pissed Gaara who now sported a pair of pants. Gaara clenched and unclenched his fists.

“What do you think you're doing kunoichi?”

Atashi snapped out of the slightly embarrassed girl and became the insulted kunoichi. “What am I doing?! What are you doing not locking the bathroom door?!”

“Any normal person would have the capacity to notice the sound of running water and the light that was under the door.”

“Well excuse me for being half-asleep. Its not like I saw anything anyways and if I had it wouldn't have been anything that I hadn't seen before.”

Gaara's eyes became steely, “I'm going to kill you.”

Close-quarters unarmed combat with an angry demon container in a confined space was not exactly what a half-asleep shinobi wanted to deal with. Atashi made this decision a spilt second before Gaara lunged at her aiming for her neck, but that's all she really needed. Atashi's hands flashed the three hand seals faster than what was thought possible. “Shadow clone Jutsu!” Twenty clones appeared in the confined space and immediately went to work, four of them catching Gaara and dashing into the bathroom, six more following behind after them to keep the door closed from the inside and the remaining ten were outside the door to keep it closed.

Already three of the ten in the bathroom were gone. `Gotta hide. Gotta hide. Gotta Hide! Okay what are my options? Outside…. Uber sand… no good. My room? too obvious. Temari and Kankuro's rooms are out of the question since they are still asleep… so that leaves Gaara's room and the closet. Gaara's room? Deathtrap. Closet? Perfect!' Atashi dashed into the closet and observed her new surroundings. Dust caked everything except the air; her places to hide were limited. `Trunk or wardrobe? Neither are to my taste and both look too obvious!' The rest of Atashi's shadow clones were eliminated when Gaara blasted the door from its frame. `Too late! Just hide!'

Gaara stormed out of the bathroom his eyes flashing. The sand that lay on the stairs was undisturbed and Temari and Kankuro were still asleep. Gaara's lips curved into a sadistic smile. Only three other places to hide. He glanced in her room.

No one.

His room was undisturbed so only one place left for her to hide. He glided down the hall and resisted the urge to throw open the door.

And now we are officially caught up.

`Don't have to tell me twice,' Atashi thought releasing the hold that kept her against the ceiling. `A true ninja always adapts to their surroundings.' She landed lightly on the floor directly in Gaara's visible footsteps. `He's probably confused right now. Heh. Serves him right.'

Atashi's eyes widened at the sound of nearly silent footsteps outside the door.

`Shit!'

The door swung open and Gaara stepped back into the closet. `I know that I felt a faint chakra release in her so where is she?' he looked at the dust that layered the floor. His footsteps were visible but…. His smirk widened. There were slight blurs in the pair at the middle of the room. He moved and slammed the door shut. Behind the door stood Atashi who grinned nervously.

Before Atashi could bolt, Gaara's sand appeared and pinned her to the wall. As she struggled to free herself, Gaara idly walked to within an arms length of her.

“I told you that you would die. Any last words?”

“Don't underestimate me,” Atashi's eyes become complete grey abysses as her hand broke free from the sand.

Gaara's eyes widened as her hand grazed his face. His vision began to fade, `How did she?'

Gaara fell into unconsciousness and Atashi fell from the place where she had been pinned to the wall. `What did you do to him?!'

`Don't you fret child. I only knocked him unconscious. Its not going to kill him.'

`As much as I'd hate to say this…. Thank you for saving me.'

`I don't need your thanks for something not worth talking about…. I'm going back to sleep.'

Imagine the surprise Temari and Kankuro had to see Atashi, who was only in her t-shirt and underwear hauling an unconscious Gaara, who was only in his pants, into his room with the bathroom door lying in a shattered heap in the middle of the hallway.

 

A/N: PEOPLE IF YOU DON'T REVIEW I AM NOT GOING TO UPDATE! I WANT AT LEAST FIVE REVIEWS YOU GOT THAT?! Ok now that that's been sad thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it and thought it long enough, I certainly did.