Gaara found himself in a place far off the main road to the village hidden in the leaves. He was traveling with his siblings to visit the 5th Hokage, before his nomination to be Kazekage was to be announced. Gaara had snuck away from his siblings just for a little peace and quiet. He was resting against a tree, his eyes shut, trying to think about nothing for once. Shukaku who was always present, was remaining quiet if only for a little while. Probably hoping that he would finally fall deep into sleep to let him out if only for a few minutes.
"Are you hurt?" Gaara's eyes opened wide, to see a female kneeling in front of him. He looked at her shocked. Gaara never heard her enter, nor had he sensed her presence. His heart rate started to speed up, wondering why his sand wasn't reacting. "You seem to be fine." She whispered mostly to herself. Gaara held up a hand in front of him, quickly standing up, but unable to quickly move away due to the tree behind him. He felt Shukaku become alarmed at the girl, but in a different way. The One tailed seemed intrigued by her.
"Who are you?" He finally got out. The woman smiled, she couldn't have been much older than himself.
"I was named Kimiko. You're near my home." Gaara looked around confused. The closests village wasn't for another ten or fifteen miles.
"You live this deep in the forest?" He was wondering how the scouts never once came across her before. They were barely already into the Land of Fire, not even a mile or so.
"Gaara!" he heard off in the distance. Gaara notice Kimiko suddenly freeze at the other voices.
"I should go." He wondered if she froze at the mention of his name, or at the people. Kimiko suddenly took his hand, placing an apple in it. She smiled before running off leaving him staring at his hand. The sand on his hand, where she had touched was slowly starting to drip off of him, like the shield didn't want to stay. He was speechless and for the first time he felt Shukaku become at peace inside of him. Gaara for some reason, felt like smiling.
Gaara had finally found the cottage. He left a sand clone back at the village head quarters, ducking out before anyone could see him. Something was drawing him to find the mysterious Kimiko again, yet he didn't know why. The feeling he had when she had touched him, he wanted to know why he felt like that, he wanted to see her again. But was strange for the first time, it wasn't just him it also the beast inside of him.
He stopped on the edge of clearing, looking at the modest sized cottage. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small ether. It looked like over time, it had grown with different types of material. He stayed back in the trees, his eyes spotting her once again. She paused what she was doing, turning to look directly at the tree he was.
"Is someone there?" Gaara froze, wondering how she could have known. He jumped down, showing who he was. "Oh, hello!" she gave him a warm smile, quickly walking over to greet him. "Gaara right?" He nodded. He slowly walked over to her. "You look lost. Would you like some tea?" He nodded again, slowly following her into her house. "I've been hoping you've been okay. You looked in so much pain the last time I saw you." She began to make tea, his eyes wandering around the house.
Everything was modest, but there was no pictures of any kind. No signs that anyone else lived here with her. "You're one of the first people who wandered so close to my home before. You weren't that far off, I'm guessing that's why you found it so easily." She was talking as she was working, bring a tea cup from the Land of Wind and one from the Land of Fire out on the table. "I was glad when I saw your eyes, finding another dead body wouldn't have made for a pleasant day." She spoke out loud as if she was speaking to herself.
"Why are you trusting me?" Kimiko turned giving him a smile.
"You seem trustworthy to me." She handed him a cup, he smiled at the gesture. He reached out taking her free hand and placing it on his wrist. She seemed slightly startled but both watched as sand slowly fell from his skin becoming a pile on the floor. Kimiko quickly placed her cup down, looking his arm, here eyes wide in fear. "I'm sorry did I hurt you!" She asked in a huff her voice loud and shocked. Gaara watched as she turned his wrist over, making more sand fall. "Oh, what am I doing!" She looked at her hands, while Gaara smiled.
"You're the first person my sand doesn't save me from." He smiled looking at the sand on the floor. She quickly looked at him, giving a small smile.
"I didn't hurt you?"
"Not at all. In fact I find it quite nice." He reached out taking both hands in his. "May I come visit again?" Kimiko smiled nodding.
"I would like that, I don't get much visitors anymore." Gaara nodded, he felt the urge to kiss the back of one of her hands, but fought it. Much to the displeasure of himself and Shukaku. He quickly left, leaving Kimiko smiling, looking at the undrunk tea on her table.
Gaara was sitting in his office, wandering how Kimiko was doing today. He had been sneaking away to visit her for a couple of years, much has changed since then. Shukaku was no longer in him, yet he still felt the need to see her.
The first time he stumbled back to her, he had been gone from her for months, almost close to half a year. He thought that the next time he would see her, he wouldn't feel the need to come back, he was scared she wouldn't feel it either. But the moment he stepped into the clearing, she had stepped out of her house, running to him with tears in her eyes. She hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder. He felt his heart break, wondering why he stayed away for so long.
Gaara hid a smile behind his hands, wondering when the next time he could sneak off again. His door opened to a out of breath Temari. He looked at her, while she handed him a note. Gaara's eyes widened wondering if what it said was true.
"The leaf requests emergency help on a top client. They gave us the location in the note, only saying that we are to protect her until the Leaf arrives." Gaara quickly got up, grabbing his gourd.
"We need to leave, now."
"Gaara, your the Kazekage, you can't just-"
"Get Kankuro, they will be sending Naruto, until he gets there, I will not leave there."
"Gaara!" Temari followed after her brother, Kankuro was walking down the hall. Temari grabbed her fan, quickly making Kankuro follow them. By the time they arrived at the clearing it looked like there had been a fierce battle. Fires blazed everywhere, with the ground distorted.
"How far away did the message say they were?"
"By now, a few hours. They wouldn't have told us about this unless it was serious." Temari spotted a man lying on the ground, half of his body was burned badly, a tree branch around his neck.
"He's dead."
"So is this one." Kankuro pulled one out. He looked worried. "It looks like he drowned." Gaara took a few steps forward, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. His heart rate increased wondering where she was.
"Kimiko…" He whispered, his eyes on the burning house. "Kimiko!" He yelled. Both his siblings looked surprised. A hand flug out from the earth. All three were at the ready to attack if needed. Kimiko clawed her way out of the dirt, breathing deeply.
"Gaara, their still here!" She yelled. Gaara quickly dodged a kunai aimed at him. Temari swung her fan at the direction at which it came, while Gaara quickly ran over to her, helping her out of the ground. She clung to him, while he held her close. His sand quickly becoming shield for them both.
"Gaara!" He heard Naruto's voice ring through the clearing. Gaara quickly looked out to see Naruto arriving with Sakura and Kakashi.
"Are you hurt?" Kimiko shook her head, standing with him.
"I think we got the last of them." Temari, walked over, her eyes falling on the white haired woman. She hid behind Gaara, his hand holding hers.
"Who is she?" Temari asked, looking at her brother.
"This is Princess Kimiko, of the Village hidden among the Beasts. An old village that was massacred about 10 years ago." Kakashi filled in for her.
"Princess?" Naruto asked, looking at the woman.
"Village hidden among the beasts?" Kankuro asked.
"Her village used to worship the tailed beasts as god's." Gaara put in. Kimiko looked around at the clearing.
"They destroyed my garden." She whispered. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, to help calm her.
"Gaara who is she to you?" Temari asked again. Her eyes falling on the ground where his sand was falling away from his skin.
"How did you know about Kimiko Lord Kazekage?" Sakura asked. "She was Lady Hokage's deepest secret."
"I found him the woods the one day." Kimiko said. Her smile slowly returning. "He looked lost and hurt." She smiled up at him. "But he was just lonely. Like so many of us." Her eyes falling on Naruto. Naruto looked at everyone than back at her, surprised by the intensity of her eyes.
"Why are you looking at me for?" He asked, looking back at her.
"Her Kekkei Genkai is one with the nature. She can control the elements and she can calm down the tailed beasts." Gaara answered for her, looking at Naruto. "I've found a different kind of peace with her than I have over my entire life of dealing with Shukaku on my own." Kimiko looked at Gaara, he nodded his head. She took a step out in front. Her white eyes glowing bright, her hands falling on the ground. The earth beneath them shook, until the entire clearing was once again at the same level.
"Impressive." Kakashi nodded. "If only Sakura could do that after destroying the training yards." Sakura glared at her Sensei.
"So when you've been disappearing, you've been coming here?" Temari asked her brother.
"He only stays for a couple of hours. Just to make sure I'm doing well." Kimiko reassured Temari. "I wasn't supposed to have visitors at all, but-"
"They followed him here one day and that's how they found you your highness." Kakashi said. "I know it's hard, but we need to think of your safety first." Kimiko went to stand behind Gaara again.
"I want to go with the sand. I will runaway if you won't let me."
"Your Highness-" Kakashi started to try to reason with her, but Kimiko turned her eyes on Naruto. Her eyes began to glow again, he felt a sudden heat overcome him, he fell to his knees, the red charaka starting to seep out, in a way he couldn't control. Gaara quickly stood in front, her eyes becoming normal once more.
"Enough." He said sternly. Kimiko began to cry silently.
"Hey! What was that for." Naruto yelled, he took one step closer before he noticed the look in her eyes. The look in both of their eyes. Hurt, pain, longing, and love.
"I won't be able to see you anymore." She whispered. Gaara placed a hand on her cheek, wiping away a tear.
"If you do that again, I will never let you see me again. You put everyone at risk." she looked down at her shoes. "Naruto is my friend." Kimiko turned looking at Naruto, bowing her head.
"I'm sorry." He nodded.
"No problem." Naruto replied, shocked at what was happening.
"Gaara we should go back." Kankuro said. Temari nodded. She walked over to him placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Say goodbye, we'll be waiting by the trees." He nodded his head. Kakashi and Sakura looked at each other before walking over to one of the dead ninja seeing if he matched anyone in the bingo book.
"Naruto."
"Yeah Gaara?"
"Will you look after her for me, until I'm allowed to come and get her?"
"I will Gaara. I promise." He smiled. Kimiko closed her eyes, hugging Gaara close to her. He leaned down kissing the top of her head, before letting her go. It was strange for everyone to see the Lord Kazekage in love.
Kimiko sat by the fire, on the way back to the leaf village. Naruto walked over sitting next to her.
"I won't ever see him again will I?" She mumbled, poking a burning log with a stick.
"You will. Gaara keeps to his word." Naruto looked up at the stars.
"You promise?" She looked at him.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, when I make a promise I keep it." He smiled. After a few moments of the crackling fire, he looked at her again. "So you like the tailed beasts? Which was is your favorite?"
"I always preferred the Shukaku to the Kurama if that's what you're wondering." Naruto felt a low growl in his mind, almost like Kurama was jealous.