Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Together With You: A Gaara Story ❯ Hope Lies in a Jutsu ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Gaara or any other Naruto characters. I own Shiruki and Hiruka and some other characters. But not Sasuke, Naruto, Kankuro, Temari...yada yada yada...you get the point.....

 

Recap:

Temari rolled her eyes. “You'll find another. You always do,” she teased with a laugh. “Anyways, aren't you happy for Gaara? She's the only one that ever made him smile and open up. So, if you think about it, Gaara benefits more than you.” Temari always knew Kankuro liked Shiruki but she wanted Gaara to find happiness with her. She always interrupted Kankuro and Shiruki with some excuse and it all worked out for the best. Gaara had her back. `She might show him happiness again now that she's back,' Temari thought.

 

Chapter 4: Hope Lies in a Jutsu

 

Gaara got up just as the moon set and the sun peaked over the horizon, illuminating its face on the water below them. It shone over all of the abandoned terrain, name unknown, brightening the shadows left behind by the night sky. Shiruki stayed put just as she was, staring out over the sparkling water. She sighed quietly, causing Gaara to stay where he was just as he was about to leave. He stood behind her and watched her. She was in deep thought. Shiruki recalled all the past events. Her life couldn't be more perfect than it was right now. Instead of having to “put up with” her team mates, it turned out that she already knew them and got along with them. It was still hard for her to accept the changes they all went through, but with everyone sticking together like old times, it would be a synch. It was only a matter of time before they settled back in with their new lives and re-met each other. Shiruki stood up, hoping for the future's surprises. She stayed staring out over the water, basking in the first morning light. “Gaara?” Shiruki asked quietly. He grunted in response, causing Shiruki to smirk. Typical Gaara. As her next words came, she turned to him to face him and study his expressions. “Do you miss sleeping?” He was silent. He looked as if he thought about it. “I've heard of a special jutsu to be used by people. A demon sealing jutsu. It'll allow us to sleep without the demon being relased.”

 

This caught Gaara's attention. Sleeping wasn't actually a necessity to him but it would be nice to experience the normal human experience again without releasing something that could kill hundreds, possibly even thousands without his knowledge until the following morning after the demon went back into hiding. Gaara's eyes widened at the possibilities. “How do we gain knowledge of it?” he asked, his stoic expression back in place, with minor interest burning through his eyes.

 

Shiruki grinned briefly. She had always been able to convince Gaara of her actions and to stand behind her no matter what the situation. Right or wrong, he was there. She sighed heavily before looking out over the sunlit lake and all of the sleeping village. “Tsunade...she's the only one with knowledge of it.” She didn't necessarily like the idea of going back to the Leaf Village and visiting with that infuriating woman, but this cause was meaningful to them both. She looked back to Gaara to see disappointment. He knew that the woman would never agree to help them, due to their villages being rivals. “If we could get Tsunade to teach it to us...or get Naruto to convince her-“

 

“It is worth a try,” he said simply, trying to shake off his negativity. He had plenty of that while she was away. She nodded. “Hm. Then, we will go to the Leaf Village,” he said before resuming his normal glare. He wasn't particularly fond of the village hidden in the leaves either. But he would put up with it just this once to gain something worthwhile.

 

Shiruki nodded. “We'll need supplies. I'll pack and we'll meet up in thirty minutes on the roof. Alright?” Gaara nodded and disappeared. Shiruki sighed and stared off in the direction of the Leaf Village. Home, hell, home. “I hope Tsuande will heed our request,” Shiruki sighed as she disappeared to her room. She grabbed a backpack that Hiruka had sent her away with and started to load it with medical supplies, since neither of them had any knowledge, nor use, for any medical jutsu, food, and other necessities. After that, she looked around to see if she needed anything else. Once she noticed that it was a little over the time she told Gaara, she quickly disappeared back onto the roof without informing Kankuro or Temari of their absence. Without looking back, she sensed Gaara behind her. “Ready?” she asked, not turning to face him. Gaara walked up beside her and nodded. Shiruki leapt off the roof and started towards the Leaf Village at her usual, calm, slow pace with Gaara beside her.

 

Meanwhile...

“Temari?” Kankuro called, looking out the window at Gaara and Shiruki leaving. He stared in awe at the two getting closer in such a short time and acting as if they were never apart at all.

 

“What now, Kankuro?” Temari asked, cleaning her fan, slightly peeved. She glanced at him to see him motioning out the window with his finger, telling her to look for herself, with a wide-eyed expression plastered across his face. She got up scornfully and walked to the window. Her eyes sparkled at the sight. “Is that-“

 

“Uh huh. Gaara and Shiruki...together. Where ya think they're goin'?” Kankuro asked, slightly jealous but hiding it fairly well.

 

Temari shrugged. “I don't know. At least they're together,” she sighed with a smile, going back to her fan on her bed. She was slightly shocked at the progress, but she was happy. `Gaara will open up to her in time, if not already,' she thought with a grin.

 

With Gaara and Shiruki...

Once they were out of sight of the Sand Village, knowing Kankuro and Temari had seen them, Shiruki took Gaara's hand in hers, lacing their fingers like when they were kids. She had longed to do this for some time now. Gaara didn't complain. He gripped her hand softly, afraid he'd break her if he wasn't gentle, and kept walking in silence. Shiruki saw the tree she and Gaara played at and smiled. The same tree that she and him were running to before she was so cruelly ripped away from the only place she loved so much. It was unfair. She still managed to smile at the memories that it brought back, though. She refused to let one bad memory get in the way of countless happy ones that brought her security and warmth. The ones that made her smile and remember how happy she was with the boy she was with right now. She looked at Gaara, only to have him stop and walk over to it. He touched it gently and Shiruki saw a smile or a grin playing on his lips. She walked up to the tree and rested her hand on his with the gentlest of touch. He looked at her, his glare back in place. “Do you remember, Gaara?” she asked in a gentle voice that he hadn't heard since their childhood, before all the hatred took its toll on them. The one that always brought him at ease.

 

Gaara looked at her, his glare slowly diminishing. His eyes grew softer as he gazed into Shiruki's eyes. He looked back to their ands and breathed before answering, not realizing he'd held his breath when Shiruki's hand laid upon his. “You fell from this tree when you were attempting to get food,” he grinned. The memories...the happiness...the innocence. He missed it all. He turned back to Shiruki and she nodded. “I saw you and saved you.”

 

Shiruki nodded, pleased that he remembered and cared enough not to forget. It was that incident that had brought them closer. Deep in her heart, she knew that he knew it, too. “That's right. And we fell in the most awkward position,” she laughed. Gaara grinned and nodded. “I remember you didn't come near me for a week,” she added quietly with a bit of sadness. Though, she hated to admit it, it killed her to be away from him for long periods of time. It made her ancy, anxious, restless. She needed to be around him. It was her necessity in life.

 

Gaara looked at her again. “I was...confused,” he said, choosing his words carefully, so as to not upset her. Gaara lowered his sight to the ground as Shiruki looked at him. He couldn't look at her, knowing he had caused her sadness. “I didn't understand my emotions. I've never felt them before. I didn't know what to do. Not before I met you,” he said, glancing up at her emotionlessly. The words he spoke were the honest truth. Though anyone would find this look empty and cold, Shiruki had grown accustomed to reading his emotions, beneath the glare and bitterness. In his eyes were happiness, restraint, fear...and longing. This confused her. She'd never seen such a look on his face before.

 

Shiruki stepped closer, mere inches from him. She stared into his eyes. “Gaara...your eyes reveal lots of emotions. Just now...I saw fear, restraint, and longing. Is there something wrong?” she asked, cupping his cheek in her hand. She may not have been around him in ten years, but her knowledge of his emotions hadn't changed in the least bit.

 

Not wanting to give into this unknown emotion that had captivated him, Gaara stood motionless and unemotional until Shiruki took her hand away and turned her back to walk away. Gaara couldn't hold it in anymore. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back into his chest with the feeling of need and yearning. She didn't put up a fight. She gasped and blushed at his boldness. He'd never done this before. Sure, they'd hugged and held hands, but he'd never held her like this before. His hold around her was possessive and needy. It made her feel safe, warm, needed...loved. She turned her head a bit to look at him and see his emotions and try to at least get some sort of clue as to what had possessed him to hold her like this, only to have Gaara place a gentle, butterfly-like kiss on her cheek. She blushed as he buried his face in her neck. She never knew him to be so bold. She had always kissed him. And now he was returning the favor. His warm breath caressed her skin as he held her with his fingers interlocked around her waist. “I don't...” he whispered, stopping, fearing himself to go on, not trusting his words.

 

“Gaara? I-“

 

“Don't...don't speak,” he whispered. His voice was choked. Shiruki's initial shock faded and she relaxed into his arms, loving the feeling his arms around her had brought. It stirred emotions she thought she had forgotten. She held his hands on her stomach and laid her head back on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and felt a soft contact on her neck. It was soft. Fragile. Delicate. It was the most intimate thing she'd experienced from him. Gaara was kissing her neck as softly as he was holding her. He kissed his way up her neck to her jawline and pressed his cheek against hers. Shiruki felt nothing but ecstacy rise in her stomach as he placed kiss after delicate kiss on her tender neck. When he stopped and rested his cheek against hers, she slowly regained her senses, recovering them from the bliss that had sucked all rationality away from her. “I don't understand what I'm feeling...” Gaara told her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, eyes glazed over with passion and longing, and saw a confused, troubled expression grace his delicate face.

 

“Gaara-“ Gaara broke the contact he had with her as if she had sent a jolt of electricity through his body and it had stung him beyond words. He backed away, realizing what he had just done, afraid of he reaction. He had never pushed her that far before. He was so confused. Confused beyond words and emotions. His mind raced as he backed away against the tree, horrified of his actions. His face held no emotions, but his eyes said everything. Shiruki drew neared in hopes of comforting him and Gaara remained still. Sand leaked silently from his gourd and formed a barrier between them, causing Shiruki to stop. “Gaara, please...I won't harm you. I never even thought it,” she pleaded, desperate to find reason in his actions and about as desperate to get to him and touch him again. The barrier dissipated reluctantly, revealing a guarded Gaara. Shiruki walked up to him and touched his cheek softly. She smiled and brought the tips of her fingers to his forehead where the symbol was. She normally did this to calm him when she was younger. She traced it gently and Gaara closed his eyes. Shiruki smiled and held his hand in hers. “We have to go if we plan on making it before nightfall.” Gaara nodded hesitantly, not wanting her to stop. He loved it when she touched him. It was so soft. With her touch, unleashed emotions that she held for him. Emotions of love and compassion. Caring and kindness. Intimacy and everlasting adoration. Shiruki pulled away and held his hand, walking with him to the Leaf Village, loving to be in his presence and him in hers.

 

 

TBC...

 

 

A/N: well...chapter 4 is complete. Moving right along with the story, neh? Next chapter, things get more complicated. Stay tuned. Oh! And before I forget....now is the time i start caring about the R&R. Again...not forcing you. Not bugging you. Just give me your input on the story so far. Thanks for your reading!