Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ Healing a pained heart ❯ Slanders ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Shinki felt bad for seeking shelter in Sakura’s arms when his father was angry at him. He knew he showed his weakness by hiding behind a woman’s skirt; a woman who wasn’t even his mother. The shame made him act coldly towards her. Sometimes he even avoided her. On the other hand, Shinki followed Gaara anywhere and tried to catch his attention by all means.

Sakura felt bad because she desperately tried to create a bond with both of them. She walked like a crab: only backwards. She was always 1 step ahead and 2 steps behind. She didn’t wish to interfere between father and son, but didn’t Gaara say “accept Shinki as your son”? Doesn’t the mother shield the son from his dad’s fury? Doesn’t the father shield his son from the mother’s anger? Then why did she feel that both Gaara and Shinki were upset with her? Sakura was restless and she couldn’t find her place. There was no point in verbalizing these thoughts because Shinki wouldn’t understand and Gaara would only feel bad because he will think he made her feel left out. Still, where is my place?

Questions didn’t let her be. They soared in her mind like a ball of thread in the claws of a cat. The turmoil hid well inside her. Worries bit her flesh with hunger while the demons sharpened their claws on the thin thread of her thoughts. On the outside she was the same happy cheerful Sakura; a freshly blooming cherry blossom on a thin branch that was just severed by the wind.

Ever since Gaara’s anger burst with Shinki, he became fixated on Sakura’s food, too. Shinki only got mashed food or grains like Sakura’s bird. His food was soft like baby food. Shinki felt humiliated, but didn’t complain because he didn’t want to upset his father even more. No matter what Gaara told him to do, he did without question. Sakura only received food without spices aside from salt; she wasn’t allowed to eat any dairy products, anything with hard crust, fried food or fruits which weren’t baked. Desserts were out of question. Sakura lost her appetite and tried to find reasons for not eating with the boys.

Gaara always convinced her to stay and eat together.

“This food is good for your stomach. Don’t kick the efforts of your humble servant. Let me enjoy your company for as long as possible. If you keep eating what is bad for you, I am afraid I will see you crouched in pain again or in hospital God forbid. Have mercy on my heart and don’t make me go through this suffering.”

Sakura felt guilty every time he gave her a speech like this. Gaara held her hand and kissed her cheek. He came back to the table with her hand in his and they continued to eat together. She sat down and they both ate the same food. Gaara didn’t want her to feel frustrated. Plus, he didn’t care what he eats.

Shinki was amused and wondered what did Sakura do wrong to deserve being punished just like him? He didn’t think adults can also be punished. At least I am not the only one.

Shinki and Sakura were having lessons together as always, when Gaara took them by surprise by showing up unexpectedly early. He got closer to their table and looked over Shinki’s shoulder on his notes. Shinki scolded him:

“Dad, you’re bothering me. Let me study.”

“I am sorry” Gaara said after a moment of silence. He didn’t comprehend what happened.

After Gaara was done with work for the day, he trained with his son outside, on the dunes, even though he felt tired like an ox that pulled the cart all day. He didn’t have much patience because of his tiredness and he couldn’t focus as much as in battles, but he tried his best to make his son worthy of the Kazekage title one day. Gaara didn’t want people to laugh at him for having a weak son he can’t curb. His image in society was very important. Not only this, but Shinki must be ready to face the future attempts on his life. As he grew older, different politicians are going to try pulling Shinki on their side until they’ll realize it’s pointless. When they do, they’ll try to eliminate Shinki. Only Gaara and his siblings knew how many times Gaara escaped death.

He was a tough coach who pushed Shinki to his limits and wouldn’t stop until the boy almost fainted. Shinki and Gaara trained alone, with nobody around. Gaara didn’t show any feelings while training with his son because “enemies won’t show mercy either”. His son must be prepared to face them in battle.

Gaara and Sakura were home alone. Shinki was at school while Noriko was shopping.

Gaara was sitting on the floor of the hall, trying to put his shoes on and leave for work when Sakura’s arms wrapped around his neck from behind. Her weight on his back made him grunt and crouch at first, but then he laughed noticing how happy she was. She bit lightly on his right ear and told him she’ll miss him. He moved his head back to rest on her left shoulder and brought his right arm to caress her face and hair. Delicate like a flower.

“When will you be home?” Sakura asked with a catlike voice.

Gaara weighed many possible answers until he verbalized the most suitable one:

“Not fast enough, but sufficient to not forget your perfume.” He kissed the fingers that caressed his freshly shaved cheek. “I miss you each second you are not with me. When I am far away, my neck is bound with a rope that would strangle me if I didn’t come back to you. Your perfume calls me. Your lips yearn for me. I am just a pawn who lives in my queen’s shadow.” He started by kissing her wrist, then he ascended her arm before slightly turning to the side to pull her until she sat in his lap. His right arm wrapped around her back and he caressed her cheek with his left hand to align her face with his deep sincere eyes.

Gaara swallowed, lost in her green eyes like the leaves. Sakura held his face between her palms and pressed her lips to his. She purred like a cat when she rubbed her cheek to his. Gaara sighed because he knew the moment of separation was close. He had to go to work. He buried his face in her breasts and inhaled deeply. She fondled the back of his head and pulled him impossibly close.

“My heart yearns for your breast. I cannot sunder myself from your attractions.”

Sakura smiled and thought of a tailored answer.

“Your kisses on my lips, my breast and my mouth...Come and kiss me when I die. For life, compelling life is in thy breath; and at the kiss, though in the tomb I lie, I will arise and break the bands of death.” Sakura shamelessly looked into his eyes and made him blush a deep shade of red. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Nobody has ever wanted him so much before. Nobody has ever talked to him so nice before. He squeezed her to his chest and wiped his eyes with his thumb and index finger.

He was floating like a balloon on his way to work. He was happier than ever, which couldn’t last knowing his luck. His people will definitely not have mercy on him and the Kazekage will have to untangle the complicated threads of politics once again. Many people fall into the trap to believe the first thing they hear, letting others manipulate them easily. Gaara learned that, when you hear something, the first thing you do is think it is a lie, and then search for proof that it might be true. Nobody can manipulate you this way.

Usagi bothered Gaara ever since he stepped into his Kazekage office. He felt uneasy at the sight of him. Usagi should be home with his family because today was his day off since Sakura stayed at home, too. This is bad.

Usagi started his report by saying there is solid proof that Sakura forged research documents and cooked some sort of pills that might be used to poison the Kazekage. Gaara listened quietly facing the window with his hands clasped behind his back. Usagi continued with Midori’s discovery: a weird substance was found in the container of a kite that flew across Suna. This substance couldn’t possibly come from Suna; there was only one place it could come from: The Land of Clouds. These news startled Gaara causing him to turn around to face Usagi. This information was dangerous. If it were proven to be true, it meant the Raikage declared war. Gaara desperately tried to avoid war because it could never benefit his people.

Dark thoughts wandered in his head all day. If the war were to start, what will happen to Shinki? What will he do with Sakura? He’ll have to send her back to Konoha who knows for how long. Who knows if she won’t forget him by the time the war ends? Why would the Raikage declare war on Suna? Suna didn’t posses valuable resources. It would cost more to try and transport them from Suna to Cloud than the value of the resources in itself. Suna didn’t represent a threat to the Cloud. Something doesn’t add up.

Gaara requested all documents from the lab to be brought to him. Midori appeared in his office an hour later. She politely greeted him, put the papers on his desk and asked him to look them over. Gaara noticed differences between Sakura’s reports and the reports currently in his hands. His face didn’t show anything.

“Who wrote these reports?”

“I wrote them exactly how Tanaka-san told me to, Kazekage-sama.” She answered lightly.

“I understand. You may leave.”

Midori bowed and left the office. Gaara knew Sakura had no reason to counterfeit the results of her own studies. She had nothing to gain from it. Maybe she wasn’t careful when she wrote them? Did her illness affect her work? Highly unlikely. What was this about Sakura making poison in his lab? Somebody is trying to set her up, but why? Sakura must take a break from working in the lab until everything clears up. I don’t want her caught in the middle of this. How should I tell her this? She’ll definitely get upset if I suddenly don’t let her work anymore. Who knows what she will think.”

Gaara sighed in exasperation and stress. The day started so well. Sakura’s lips pushed aside any other thoughts. He paced his office from corner to corner in so many steps that he could say he circled his country on foot. His feet were exhausted.

Sakura was home all day playing with her babbler. She was trying to teach her how to kiss her lips. Sakura offered food in her palm, but closed the fist when she saw the bird approach her hand to eat. She pouted and waited for the bird to kiss her; the babbler tilted her head in confusion and hit its beak repeatedly on Sakura’s closed fingers. Sakura sighed in defeat and opened her fist to let the bird eat the seeds. She let the bird eat peacefully because there was still time she could teach her. I wonder if she can fly to Konoha.

Gaara heard a knock on his door and felt his girlfriend’s chakra. Her chakra soothed him and he calmed down when she entered the office. She saw that nobody was around and her hands entangled behind his neck, pressing her lips to his. He wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed her with passion.

“What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t wait anymore. I missed you. Besides, I had nothing to do at home.” She said with a pout before pinching his cheeks. His eyes narrowed and he tickled her. She laughed and screamed while trying to hold her hands to her sides and deny him access to the tickling area. When she started screaming, Gaara panicked and silenced her with his lips, swallowing her protests. One of his hands grabbed her by the hair to bring her head closer and crush her lips with his in bruising kiss.

They left the office smiling. Sakura walked behind him with her hands clasped in front of her, like always. Gaara matched his walking rhythm with her, like always. They walked joyfully on the streets of Suna, looking at the stars from time to time. Gaara watched her from the corner of his eye. When nobody was around, he boldly said:

“You are so selfish.”

“Ha?” Sakura was startled when she looked him in the eye.

“You keep that hand to yourself only.”

Sakura blushed and grinned. He turned slightly to take a hold of her right hand and pull her to walk next to him instead of behind him. He caressed her fingers with his right hand before closing his left hand around hers. Her hand was so small, that his hand swallowed it whole. After she got used to holding hands with him, she gained enough courage to let the fingers of the hand that wasn’t holding his to caress the muscles of his arm in a delicate manner that gave him goose bumps. Gaara lowered his head to the side to watch her face, but she rested her head on his shoulder in embarrassment. He smiled and bit his lip. Gaara’s feelings brought the sand to life and swirled around them like star dust that shone in the moon light.