SPOILERS: Before you continue on reading. This takes place in what's basically going on right now in the Naruto manga. If your not following that then this is gonna be spoilers for you guys. If you want to continue on, go right on ahead then.
"Why can't I go with you?" The girls voice is low and steady. Holding back the urge to start an argument with the Kazekage.
He straps on his gourd behind his back and turns his head towards a female of sixteen years of age with long brown hair and honey colored eyes.
"I have two body guards: Temari and Kankurou. A third one isn't necessary."
Hiromi narrows her eyes at him, "You know I'm far more stronger than your siblings, Gaara. Don't you have any trust in my abilities to protect you?" Her voice unintentionally raises at her leader, "I should be the one escorting you to the Land of Iron- to the Kage Summit."
Realizing her voice raised she looks down at her feet and clenches her shaking fists at her sides. Suppressing her anger and frustration into them.
"Why?" She repeats.
Gaara looks at her downcast eyes as his mind reels for something to say to her. True that she is a very skillful Kunoichi and he would of chosen her out of all the Sand Shinobis, but Temari and Kankurou feel more comfortable that they escort him instead. The council seemed to have agreed also to this arrangement and he can't turn his back on their decision.
If he were to tell her this she would let the higher ups have it without the slightest bit of hesitation and he doesn't want to cause any trouble with them.
"Temari and Kankurou feels the need that they should be the ones to guard me." He gave her the partial truth of it all and awaits any reaction she is bound to release.
Hiromi slowly uncurls her fingers from digging into the palm of her hand, "I see."
Of course they would think that they are the best option for this. They are his siblings who love and care for him and would protect him at any costs. Risking blood and life for not only their Kazekage, but their little brother. She would too, but they have more a reason to do so.
Hiromi looks up to see those beautiful green eyes staring back into her honey ones. Her reasons to escort him is not only because she feels she needs to but for a reason they both know why.
Those thoughts and feelings that they just let linger in the air for the longest time as if they never belonged to them. Their duties for this village are far more important to them especially one of them being the leader of it. It's only natural to just let them float by him while he does his paperwork, receive missions that must be executed or are completed, and most of all protecting the village which is a heavy burden on any Kage but is proud to take it upon his shoulders.
Although these feelings just pass by them it doesn't mean they don't know that they're there.
Hiromi, now of all times, has the sudden overflowing sensation vibrating inside of her down to her fingertips to take hold of these feelings and to no longer ignore them as if they never were.
"I'm sorry for raising my voice at you earlier. I shouldn't of let my anger get the best of me."
Gaara only nods his head. He notices a new flow of emotion in her eyes. One that he has never seen and is curious to know what is on her mind.
"It's just that…" She looks over to her side, not particularly looking at anything. Just not his intoxicating orbs.
"It doesn't feel right for me to be so far away from you." The first words of affection from either one of them flowed from her so easily like water running down a stream, "I want to be beside you, Gaara. The very thought of you being away from me just…" She trails off not knowing what else to say and thinking that she has exposed herself a little too much.
The flow of her words from her rosy lips captivated him in a trance of confusion and surprise. It's the first time anyone has ever uttered such words to him.
It has been a year since he's known her and after all this time he finally gives his full attention to those lingering emotions. Letting them fall upon him like rain drops kissing his skin. These sensations are so new and overwhelming to him and he wonders to himself why he never paid close attention them before.
Somewhere deep inside himself he knew something was there that concerned this honey eyed beauty but he always dismissed it focusing more on his duties as Kazekage.
Oh how could he of just let them pass by him so easily? Her smile only makes his tiring, head aching day so much brighter and calmer. The soft music of her laughter clears away all hardships and stress from his mind. Those unique eyes just stops his breathing.
And he denied all these things.
Since their first meeting she would always accompany him when he takes his usual stroll along the roads of Sunagakure; surveying his village and the people who live on in their daily lives. It was never a meeting that was planned or something to look forward too. Just seemed to be a coincidence that their time and place to be out and about on the streets seemed to be the same. They would see each other, make formal greetings and have small talk about the village and it's politics. Every now and then Hiromi would bring up more details on the battles she has faced during the missions he sends her on. Of course he will be more than interested in hearing a few stories from one of his best Kunoichis.
But as their meetings progressed the conversations became more on the personal level. Sharing each others thoughts. Ideas. Interests. It just flowed out of them naturally and never really questioned how it all became that way.
Then something more than friendship began to grow. It coiled around their hearts and slowly pulled them together. But more important things surfaced their minds. Interfering with these ties and letting these emotions be.
Though Gaara pushed these feelings aside nothing in his right mind can have him deny the fact that something was and is there.
A flutter of a most familiar emotion whenever she's near him, erupted in the pit of his stomach rising up to every section of his being when she looked up into his eyes.
"Gaara," She wraps her arms over her chest in a form of comforting herself, "Please let me come with you. I'll feel more at ease if I did. I'm getting… I'm getting a bad feeling about this whole thing."
Gaara sighs. So stubborn, he thinks.
He walks over to her and holds the urge to touch her glistening brown hair falling over her shoulders and framing her face
"Hiromi, I need you to stay here in the village-"
"But-"
He places a single finger over her beautifully shaped lips and continues, "Not only did Temari and Kankurou chose to be my guardians but the council also agreed for you to stay."
As Gaara expected her eyes clouded over with anger and disapproval but she knows he isn't done speaking so she held her tongue.
"… And I agree with them."
A flash of pain and betrayal crosses her eyes and it deeply cuts through Gaara to see that look from her, but he knows that this is part of what he needs to do as Kazekage. To see what's best for the people of his village and especially her.
"The reason I want you to stay, Hiromi, is because of your strength and skills as a Shinobi. While I'm gone I want you to stay and look after the village," He lifts a hand in attempt to move away a strand of hair that has fallen over her flawlessly tanned features but over thinks the very thought of the idea, "Will you do that for me?"
Hiromi has nothing to say to deny this request that he has offered to only her, but still deep inside her very core she wants to be along side him.
She steps back and bows to her waist level, "Yes, Kazekage-sama," She'll do whatever he asks of her to do and if this is his wish then so be it.
He frowns at this reaction from her, but left it as is.
"I'll now leave it in your hands."
He turns to leave and before he is able to step foot out the door her voice rings in his ears.
"Wait."
Hiromi takes all she can. All these feelings she ignored and throws them all out to him in an embrace. Her arms wraps around his neck with her lips barely grazing the pale skin of his neck, but her breath made contact with it.
He shudders at her warm breath, his heart beat fast against his chest, but he made no movement with his arms that are slightly lifted from the shock. The grip around his neck tightens when soft words begins to form from her mouth.
"Please be careful, Gaara, and come back safely. Come back safely to your people and… Me."
She pulls her head away from the crook of his neck and stares face to face with him. She takes in all his features: pale skin, pale green orbs outlined in black signifying his lack of sleep still, the red kanji on the left side of his head, and his stringy red hair that lays on his head wherever it pleases.
She smiles sincerely at him while thinking to herself that he'll be just fine. He's a Kazekage after all and not a mere Shinobi.
The smile she gave him had his heart leap into his throat and he swallows it down. He has to say something back, he thinks. He most likely is looking foolish in front her with him just gawking at her beauty and charm.
"I promise that I'll return to you, Hiromi," He places a feathery kiss on her forehead symbolizing that promise then gingerly removes her hands around his neck.
He held her hand as he walked out the door until the distance between them will not allow them to hold on any longer with only fingertips at their grasp. They release each others lingering touch and he was gone.
Something took a hold of her heart once he left her sight. This meeting, she thinks, nothing good is going to come out of it.
A/N: I don't know where this is going. Well… Of course I don't. I need to keep reading the manga to know, hahaha. Anyways. If something interesting happens in the manga that I can tie in with this then I'll post another chapter. So a next part of Lingering Feelings won't be going up anytime soon.
Oh yes. For those of you who read my other stories. Broken Wings: I'm having a bit of writers block so please bear with me. Beauty Within: Well… I had to research something before I could continue it but now I found what I was looking for so it should be up soon… I hope. (I have so much to study for school it's not even funny :| )
Thank You for your patience and for reading. Please review ^_^
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto