Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ Healing a pained heart ❯ Flying cranes ( Chapter 5 )

The next day, they both acted like nothing happened a night before.

            “So how did you sleep?”

            “Good.”

            “That’s a relief.” She answered with a nod.

            All of them had breakfast together, Shinki included. Afterwards, they went on their separate paths. Gaara went to his office in the Kazekage tower, while Sakura went to the lab. She swallowed 2 pills on the way there. Usagi noted this in his small notebook.

            When she arrived at the lab, the first person she greeted was Kankurou, then Midori and Tanaka. They started by analyzing 6 samples they harvested from different infected places. They measured each, and then Midori put them into glass containers. Sakura introduced the samples in the preheated oven, set at 105 Celsius degrees for 2 hours. After the time elapsed, she let the samples cool off at room temperature for another 30 minutes. The dried samples were converted into powder, with the help of a mortar and a pestle. Midori weighed 1 gram of each sample. Tanaka prepared them for mineralization. He needs to add 12 ml of royal water on top of the powder to make a liquid.

            “What is royal water, Sakura-san?” asked Midori.

            “Mix 3 parts of HCl and 1 part of HNO3 and you get royal water. We need 9 ml of HCl with concentration 35%, so please mix it with 3 ml of HNO3 with concentration 65%. “

            “Wakarimashita. Arigatou gozaimashita, Sakura-san.”

            Tanaka was displeased. He mumbled under his breath “Such a show-off”.

            Nobody except Midori noticed this, but she didn’t treat it as anything important. She went on with her work.

            Tanaka puts the mixture into thick containers shaped like big slices of cheese. He needs to close them tightly so that no air gets inside, which is difficult. As he struggles to close them, Sakura notices and takes the container from his hands “Let me do it.” And she used her enormous strength to close them tightly. Tanaka didn’t complain, but he felt ashamed and his displeasure could be read all over his face. Kankurou smiled at his coworker’s reaction. He was used to be in the presence of someone with an impressive strength such as Sakura, but others not so much; quite the opposite actually.  Sakura didn’t pay any attention to this matter. After closing all 6 containers, she put them in the microwave for 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Of course Sakura knew the oven needs 10 minutes to reach this temperature, so she asked Midori to turn it on while she was still closing the containers.

            These 30 minutes of waiting, gave her a chance to talk to Kankurou. Midori and Tanaka went outside to smoke a cigar.

            “Being in charge really suits you. But most men are not used to have women stronger than them around.”

            “They will learn to cope with it.” She said with a grimace.

            Kankurou noticed her weird face and changed the topic. She’s so scary!

            She didn’t answer his question, but instead asked him one of her own:

            “How’s your girlfriend doing?”

            He scratched his head and looked to the floor.

            “She’s fine. I gave her a daira 2 weeks ago and she forgave me.”

            What is this daira thing?

            “That’s great. “ She said with genuine happiness in her voice. Then she noticed the look in his eyes and she grew concerned. “What else did you do?”

            “Ugh, she made me take her kid to school. I had worked 2 days and 2 nights without any sleep or shower. I didn’t have the time. I found this new way on injecting poison into my enemies using Karasu. I took the kid to school, but when I was on my way back, a city watch asked for my ID. They thought I was there to kidnap a child. I guess I looked like I was homeless.”

            “Wow, you’re crazy” she said laughing.

            “Hmm... I didn’t have an ID with me. I left the lab in a hurry, I forgot it there. I tried to explain to them that I had just dropped my kid to school. They asked me what the name of the school is. I got the name wrong because of tiredness. They escorted me to their office. I tried telling them who I am, but they didn’t believe me.”

            She covered her mouth with her hand while she was trying not to draw attention to her laugh.

            “This is unbelievable. How did your girlfriend find out?”

            “They asked me to contact somebody who can confirm my identity. I told them to call Gaara, but they said they can’t disturb the Kazekage for every lunatic claiming to know him. <<If you say you took your kid to school, call your wife. >> “

            “Ups”

            “Yes, I didn’t have a choice. I told them who she is and they brought her to the station to identify me. I heard her telling them: <<I told him to throw away that jacket. He looks like he’s homeless. But does he listen to me? No...>> She always criticizes me. On top of it, she got upset because she was cooking when the patrol entered the house. She had to leave all the food in the stove.”

            They hear a “ding” and Midori opens the door of the oven.

            Sakura tells the girl: “Use a glove to take them out and let them cool. It will take another half an hour.”

            Midori did as she was told. After that, both she and Tanaka went outside to smoke. Sakura and Kankurou were left alone in the lab again.

            Tanaka: “This Sakura, doesn’t she seem arrogant to you?”

            Midori: “Not at all. I really like her.”

Tanaka: “Who does she think she is? She isn’t even from Suna.”

Midori didn’t pay attention to him and continued to smoke.

In the lab, Sakura and Kankurou kept talking.

“Listen to me and write something nice to her.”

Kankurou put his hands in front of his chest in a defensive position and furiously shook his head in disapproval.  His cheeks were all red. Sakura was pissed, so she punched him in the head.

“Itte...ouch” his lamentation irked her more. He rubbed the spot with his palm to make the pain go away.

“Take out a piece of paper and write what I’m telling you to.”

Kankurou wipes his nose with the back of his hand and does what he is told to do.

Sakura touches her chin with her pointer finger and looks at the ceiling, thinking.

“Write this: When will the river no more flow? When will the sorrow no more grow?”

Kankurou pulled faces, but continued to write.

“Where are you going with this? I thought I need to make her happy, not sad.”

She threatens him with her fist again: “Shut up!”

“Fine, fine. I am writing.”

“Write: I wish your heart will be like mine, Then not in vain for you I pine.” And she continued: “Trust me; it will be like pouring honey on her heart. You will thank me later. Make sure to copy the text on a pretty paper and properly fold it.”

“I will leave it on her pillow, so I don’t have to face her.”

“I didn’t think you are such a coward.”

“Me? A coward? You’re the one to talk. I don’t see you writing to my brother. I saw the way you look at him...”

Sakura’s face was red like a tomato and punched him again.

“Stop talking nonsense and get back to work. The samples are warm now. Go bring some water. We will need it to dilute the solutions.”

Kankurou grumbled while rubbing his head furiously. Her fist is so heavy. Gaara is lucky to have his sand armor. Why didn’t I get one, too?

The others entered the lab just when Kankurou fetched the water. Sakura instructed them to calibrate the ICP-OES while she added 13 ml of water to her samples, bringing them to a total volume of 25 ml each. Midori and Tanaka prepared the device calibration solution: 100 ml/L. Tanaka processed the graph for each chemical element: Al, As, Cd, Cs, Cu, Fe, Mn etc. They were testing for the most dangerous elements for the human body.

It was already very late at night and it became clear that they couldn’t possibly finish tonight. Thus, Kankurou proposed to end the night here and continue tomorrow. Sakura agreed.

He walked her back home. They talked about his new long range technique he’s working on and also about his new pupil, who happens to be very shy and always gets emotional in front of crowds.

            Gaara was home a few hours before Sakura and his brother left the lab. Noriko asked him if he wishes to eat. In return he asked her if Sakura is home by any chance. Noriko shook her head and Gaara deflated.

            “I will wait for her and we will eat together.”

            “As you wish, Kazekage-sama.”

            He had a shower and changed clothes and then he tutored his son. Shortly after the lesson began, Gaara farted loudly by mistake. He felt embarrassed and apologized, but Shinki was quick to reply:

            “Don’t worry, father.” And he also farts once, twice and he doesn’t stop. He wiggled his hand back and forth to make the smell go away and laughed wholeheartedly.

            Gaara was horrified.  

            “Shinki stop! Hey, don’t you hear me? Noriko will hear this. It smells bad, look at what you did. What will Sakura say when she arrives?”

            The red head opened all the windows in the room and cold air flooded the room. Shinki made a coat from his iron infused sand, to keep him warm.

            Sakura: “Aren’t you coming in?”

            Kankurou: “It’s late. I’ll come by tomorrow. I want to take my nephew to barbecue at my place. He can play with my stepson.”

            They said their goodbyes and Sakura entered the house. The first thing she saw was her shoes piled up on top of each other. The outsoles were placed on top of her clean shoes. Noriko.

            She didn’t get a chance to greet the boys, because Shinki beat her to it. The boy was so happy that Sakura was astounded. Gaara’s facial features softened in a warm smile and ruffled the boy’s hair. He also greeted Sakura and then she greeted them both. She pinched the little one’s cheeks and talked to him in a funny voice. Gaara watched his son with curiosity.

            “Hey, I am not a baby. I am a big boy.” And he was out of reach in no time, rubbing his cheek.

            Gaara: “Go to bed, big boy. It’s pretty late.”

            The boy listened to his father, and then there were just Sakura and Gaara together in the hallway.  He was very happy to see her after bearing with her absence for so long. His heart beat faster; she was like a stone one throws in a calm lake: she caused unrest that made his vision blur, nothing was certain anymore. Gaara has never waited for anyone before. Now he finally knew what others felt while waiting for him: like a thirsty man who receives a cup of water after a hot day.

            She felt his eyes bore holes into her skin. Kankurou’s words made her more aware of her feelings for Gaara.

            He zoned out, but he came back to Earth when Sakura touched his shoulder saying:

            “Are you ok?”

            “Yes, of course.”

            She felt his tense muscles under her hand and smiled at him:

            “Then have a seat. I’ll take care of these knots you got from all the stress you went through all day. I honestly thought the Kazekage would be more active, not sitting behind a desk all day. But after I have seen Kakashi-sensei become Hokage, I realized it’s not the case. Of...”

            She said this while gently pushing him forward until he rested on a cushion in the living room. Gaara was shocked and at the same time happy to be scolded. It made him feel like she cared about him. Nobody has ever offered to give him a massage before. Sakura was the first. Her cold hand made him tremble. He would have liked to keep her hand between his hands to warm her up. Hers seemed small enough to be engulfed by his.

            As if on cue, Noriko entered the room and closed all windows, then left to the kitchen. Sakura felt some sort of enmity from Noriko, but she didn’t say anything.

            Gaara was on his knees with his back to her. She started applying pressure on his shoulders, then the back of his neck and finally her hands went up and down his back. She laced her fingers with chakra to heal the damaged muscles, which made him feel more and more relaxed. She started talking about her day at the lab, then it was his turn to speak.

            “Today was crazy. Two women barged into my office saying something about some éclair recipe.”

            Sakura couldn’t contain her laugh and rested her forehead on his back, forgetting about the massage for a second.

            “Tell me more.” And her hands resumed their movement.

            Stress left him little by little and he continued in a cheerful voice:

            “J. accused L. of stealing her éclair recipe. J. made it the classic way, while L. made it in a tray. L. said the original éclair recipe has an elongate shape; it’s filled with cream and covered in chocolate, while L’s recipe consisted of a single éclair cake baked in a 38/28 cm tray, which after baking is covered in whipped cream and not chocolate filling. After which she cut the cake into squares, not long rectangle bars like J’s. Can you believe I wasted half a day listening to 2 women argue about some dessert recipe?”

            “What was your verdict?”

            “I told them I will consider the issue and come back with the resolve in a few days.”

            Gaara felt a migraine threatening to appear. Sakura sensed it, too. She massaged his temples and relieved him of suffering.

            “I have an idea. Tell them you need evidence. Have them bring their desserts and let me come and taste. I am dying for something sweet.”

            Gaara laughed wholeheartedly at her comment and said:

            “Of course, only a woman could think of this.”

           She pushed down hard on his shoulders in an attempt to make him stop laughing.  She feigned annoyance. He crouched and grabbed her right hand currently squeezing his shoulder with his left one. “Stop, please stop” He said while laughing.

            Sakura looked down at his hand and forgot why she was upset. Gaara quickly withdrew his hand and cleared his throat trying to think of a new topic for conversation.

            Sakura’s stomach rumbled and she blushed with shame.

            “I’m sorry. I didn’t eat anything in hours.”

            She took her hands off of him completely.

            “That’s fine. I haven’t eaten anything either.”

            “What? Why?”

            “I would rather not eat alone. Shinki had dinner hours before I come home. Therefore, I waited for you to eat with me.”

            There was a tinge of sadness in his voice. Perhaps he ate alone most of the time. Sakura felt flattered to know somebody truly wished to spend time with her. She never felt stressed while she was with him. Quite the contrary, just seeing him made her body bask in relief. Her soul had been troubled by noise and stir for such a long time before she came to Suna. His calm nature relaxed her. His deep, rough voice penetrated even her marrow.

            “Let me change clothes and I will be right back.”

            He nodded and she got up to get back to her room. She swallowed 2 pills and took some clothes from the closet. She was headed to the bathroom, when something caught her eye: a chunk of food was hidden behind her wardrobe. It was just like the one she found in the couch a few days prior. Something strange is going on.

            She had a shower; and then she put on a long, thick, dark red dress that reached her mid calf. It had angel sleeves that covered half the length of her fingers, and high neck. She didn’t wear any jewelry. She tied her hair in a ponytail. Her hair brushed her breast. She didn’t particularly like long hair, but she wasn’t in the mood for cutting it either. Suna weather is not very forgiving and long hair only makes the neck sweat and then pimples appear. She will have to do something about this later.

            Gaara always checked her breasts first, then looked her from toes to head, his eyes stopping on hers. She had the reflex to brush her hair behind her back, so she touched her hair with her fingers only to realize she forgot she was wearing a ponytail. She didn’t want him to notice her mistake, so she scratched her head awkwardly.

            The red haired man gestured her to have a seat next to him, now that Shinki was asleep. Sakura tensed, but sat down next to him. Noriko brought the food to their table. Gaara tried to make small talk many times, but either he wasn’t very talented in choosing the right topic or she was too nervous to keep the conversation going. He noticed her eyes glanced at his plate many times, but she didn’t say a word. He smiled to himself, grabbed his chopsticks and put some of his food on her plate. There was an unspoken question in her eyes, but he didn’t look at her. He continued to eat just like before. Sakura smiled, thanked him and continued to eat happily. Gaara also gave her half of his dessert. He wasn’t a fan of sweets, but he remembered she said earlier how much she loves them.

            Her smile was sweeter than any cake. He could develop diabetes just from watching her lips closing around each bite, sealing the food in her mouth. Oh, how he wished he could pull her hair back and kiss her exposed neck; hear her desperate cries ring in his ears, feel his body’s warmth dissipate in hers, feel her delicate fingers on his cheek. Oh, how he wished to bring them to his mouth and plant burning kissed on each of them. Oh, how he wished to quench his thirst with her breast’s milk. He melted like a candle just by thinking of this.

            When Noriko cleared the table, Gaara panicked. He knew Sakura was about to go back to her room. What should I do? What should I do?

            “Let me make it up to you.”

            “Huh? For what?” Sakura asked.

            “You’ve already helped me sleep and today you gave me a massage. I am in your debt.”

            “Oh, don’t worry about that. I didn’t expect anything in return.”

            “Still, a man cannot owe a woman.” He said with a confidence that made her frown, but not for long. She soon smiled:
            “And how do you want to make it up to me?”

            Gaara gave it a little thought, but no idea came to mind.

            “Tell me what you want and I will give it to you.”

            She smiled at first, and then she was lost in her train of thought. It took her too long to come up with a wish because Gaara began to fear she didn’t want to tell him. He couldn’t insist on this topic, otherwise she might get upset.

            “Could you read to me from one of your books? It relaxes me just to listen; I am too tired to focus on the text. It’s ok if it’s in your language.”

            Her shy voice surprised him. She didn’t look at him when she talked because she was afraid he would deny her request. The Kazekage didn’t have time to be fooling around. Negative thoughts gradually flooded her mind, when she suddenly heard his rough voice:

            “Sure, it’s too easy for me.”

            Sakura gasped and looked at him in awe. He had his eyes closed, his arms crossed over his chest and a proud smile on his lips. She giggled behind her right fist.

            Gaara went to his room to grab a book, while Sakura sat comfortably on the couch, with her back resting against the couch arm; she hugged her knees to her chest. Her chin rested on her knees and her eyes watched Gaara’s every move until he sat down on the other end of the couch, with his right side facing her. His back rested entirely against the couch and his legs were parted, his back straight as an arrow, the book in his hands. Gaara was wearing a long, dark red shirt with buttons and black trousers underneath. The book seemed old enough, judging by its spine. He smiled at her with his eyes closed, then started reading from the book. Sakura’s headache started to fade, her stomach stinging pain also. Her eyebrows weren’t tense anymore, and her smile didn’t feel so heavy on her face. Her hands relaxed completely. She rested her left ear on the couch, still watching the man read. Page after page, Gaara did a great job.

At some point, her legs felt sore, so she stretched them to their full length on the couch, her heels and toes touching Gaara’s right thigh. Her touch was like a magnet to his hand. He touched her toes with his right hand, massaging her feet without stopping his reading. His hand felt like heaven. He massaged her heels, then her ankles. Everything came naturally to him. When she didn’t retract her feet, he dared touch her even further up her legs. He drew a map mentally of her skin from the mid calf to her toes. It felt like silk under his touch. He rested the book on his knees and turned the page with his left hand. Gaara was happy, but stressed at the same time; so stressed he no longer knew what he was reading. He didn’t want her to notice his nervousness.

Gaara’s fingers burned Sakura’s legs like fire and she felt heat between her thighs. She tried not to think about it, but Gaara’s fingers erased all thoughts not related to him. She wished he would never stop reading to her.

Sakura didn’t even know when she fell asleep. Gaara noticed a change in her breathing. Her body also felt heavier. Her hands rested in her lap and her head rested fully on the couch. Her eyes were closed and her face seemed peaceful. The man smiled and closed the book with just one hand. He got up and put the book where he previously sat. He bent over her and touched her left cheek with his hand to guide her head to rest on his chest. His right hand lifted under her knees and his left hand grabbed her around the shoulder. He carried her to her room and opened the door with the help of his sand. His sand also lifted the blanket and Gaara put Sakura on the bed, face up. He took the blanket in his hands and covered her body to her shoulders. His palm caressed her left cheek lovingly and his lips brushed against her hair. He inhaled her smell deeply in his lungs and pulled back with regret. Too bad he couldn’t sleep next to her. He went to the door without taking his eyes off of her. Gaara closed the door behind him and went into his own room.

The cranes fly with their hearts in their mouth for a whole day before they finally find water to quench their thirst. But it couldn’t compare to Sakura’s mouth, which was a fountain that could saturate Gaara for a year. The trees bear the scorching heat for weeks before wind blows to make them feel relieved. But this couldn’t compare to the way Sakura’s every sigh made Gaara shudder. Even her littlest word chilled him to the core. Her every look was powerful enough to uproot him. He came home with the only hope to find his oasis of peace, so he could drink from it like a horse drinks after a week of being whipped by its master. The slightest touch of her skin had the power to close any wound. A single tear of her eye could cure the harshest draught. Gaara would have given anything to make her stay with him forever. And if they were to die, he prayed God takes his life first, because he couldn’t stand one day knowing she wasn’t there with him.