: GOURD DRABBLES :
Chapter Two: Books
There was something shady going on in my village, I just knew it. Something with insidious intent, barely suppressed beneath the deceptive subterfuge of casual daytime. The others didn't seem to notice, or perhaps they did but remained mute on the topic... No. On second thought, my villagers were well aware of the epidemic sweeping our nation.
It began as an innocent curiosity, a way to pass time or a thing to do within the privacy of your own home, usually at night, but later evolved into an uncontrollable habit, which in turn became an obsession that overrode most other responsibilities like a base instinct. It tempted people with sweet promises and secrets, tainting the morals of the beholder. If you walked down the streets of Suna, you could easily observe its influence from the the mild blushes on their faces, the hushed whispers and the giggles hidden behind hands.
It was those damned books.
Looking back to a few months ago, one could say it started as an elaborate plot. A scheme to ensnare my people and distract them from their duties... Perhaps it would be presumptuous of me to say this, but I would even go as far to consider it an invasion. A seemingly innocent reading addiction turned rancid, for the content of such material was anything but innocent. Back before I realized the gravity of the situation I had put the issue aside, considering it something that could wait to be addressed another time if at all.
Oh, how wrong I was.
Sunans, both shinobi and civilian, prided themselves on being passionate, yet controlled, people. But really... This was too much. Their control was wavering; this would be their downfall. Our downfall. To make matters all that much worse, I couldn't find the source of these horrid things. I was not aware that Suna had some kind of a black market going, but that was the only other explanation I could come up with. Someone was importing these books right under my nose without me noticing; it was a personal affront to my leadership.
I was pleased to learn that Sakura was very much on my side regarding this situation. It seemed Konoha had once been in a similar situation, though she admitted it was worse here, much to my chagrin. I wondered what I would do to get rid of these things. I was rather against book burning but this... This would be an exception.
With these thoughts in mind, I found myself at the one place I could think of that held the answers to my problem.
"Kankurō." He jumped at the sudden sound of my voice before whirling around to face me.
"Gaara, you scared the hell out of me!" My brother claimed in exaggeration. I merely scrutinized him, my gaze never wavering. If he remained collected, then I had nothing to worry about. But if he grew nervous... Then he knew something.
"Er... So, what's up?" He asked, taking a seat on a lone cardboard box on his office floor. I remained standing, my arms crossed loosely over my chest.
"I was hoping you could shed some light on a rather dark matter for me." I replied vaguely. He cocked a brow at me in question.
Time to be blunt.
"The books."
"The... Books?" Kankurō repeated in confusion, but I didn't miss the flicker of unease in his eyes.
"Yes, the books." I emphasized. He tipped his head to the side in thought.
"You mean the Icha Icha's?" I resisted the urge to sneer and gave a single nod in affirmation, walking over to the bookcase in the corner of the room. The air grew silent as I scanned the titles on the shelf, my fingers brushing lightly over the spines. I turned my head to regard him over my shoulder.
"Do you know anything about these books?" I asked nonchalantly, though my eyes were firmly trained on his form.
"Me? Of course not! I wouldn't read those things in a million years! They're obscene, there's no humor, the plot is completely unoriginal, and..." He trailed off before stopping himself, pressing his lips in a firm line. I raised my brows at him expectantly.
"Are they?" I questioned, as if I genuinely wished to know the answer. He looked away and shifted uncomfortably, the cardboard box creaking slightly under his weight. The cardboard box... My eyes narrowed suspiciously; Kankurō swallowed tightly.
"What's in the box?" I asked quietly, walking over until I towered over his sitting form. The briefest expression of alarm crossed his features before he gave me a look of confusion. I really hoped he didn't expect me to believe his facade; such a thing would be a personal affront to my intelligence.
"B-box? What box?" He stammered in an effort to stall for time and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"Get up, Kankurō."
"I'm really tired of standing, actually. I've had a long day-"
"Now."
"Hey, you can't tell me what to do in my own office-"
"Your Kazekage orders you to step away from the box!" I snapped in barely repressed irritation, and Kankurō jumped off almost immediately. I would have smirked at his terrified expression if there wasn't a more important issue at hand. I knelt down and pried the cardboard open to reveal dozens upon dozens of those dreaded books, the neon colored covers shining vaingloriously.
"They're not that bad, Gaara! Really! You wouldn't imagine how in demand these books are! They sell at a great price and importing has never been better," Kankurō insisted, firing off his readied excuses. "It's a great boost for the economy." He concluded. I stared at him dubiously, wondering if he really expected me to believe all of this.
"Look, it's a hot commodity right now, that's all. It'll die down soon. Besides, they really aren't as bad as you think they are. They're actually pretty great." I snorted at that.
"Oh, I'm sure-"
"Have you ever tried reading one?" Kankurō inquired with an air of accusation. I glared but remained silent. "I'll take that as a no. Here," dipping his hand into the box, he retrieved one of the books before tossing it at me. I caught it instinctively, my reflexes kicking in, and held it out with a thumb and forefinger.
The glossy cover was bright red with the words Icha Icha Scorching! emblazoned across the front in bold, black cursive letters. The dark silhouette of a stereotypically muscular male and curvy female embraced one another intimately, their lips a mere hairsbreadth from each others, and a bright sun shined in the background. Upon closer inspection I noticed a subtitle that read: desert prince, defiant virgin. I tried to keep my expression unfazed but I could feel the heat flushing across the back of my neck regardless. There was something about this book in particular that was entirely too close for comfort...
"I am not reading this... This horrid thing." I insisted, about to throw it in the trash bin beside me when Kankurō stopped me with a click of his tongue.
"I never knew the Kazekage was so quick to judge." He commented offhandedly, inspecting his nails. I glared, my grasp crinkling the pages, but he pretended not to notice. I felt my ego rising up to the challenge he provided, refusing to back down.
"Fine." I hissed with venom. I would read one chapter, only the first, and then be done with it. I ignored Kankurō's victorious smirk as I flipped the cover open, skimming the prologue.
The main character was a rugged man who was the leader of a group of desert-dwelling people. One night after a day of taxing travel through the wind and heat, he kept watch over the camp. In the dead of night, underneath the pale moonlight, a spy infiltrated the camp- a spy that turned out to be a delicate but fiery female from a rival village... That lived in the forest amongst the trees.
I swallowed silently, wondering if the room seemed to raise a few degrees in temperature. Coincidence, I told myself, it was mere coincidence.
The next scene carried out there in the moonlit desert setting I will not disclose, though my hands trembled slightly as I read and I could swear my entire face was a humiliating shade of crimson. I wondered briefly if it was possible to wash sand, but disregarded the thought as I read on. For some inexplicable reason, I could not tear my eyes away from the words...
"Gaara-kun?" I felt my breath die in my throat at the sound of that voice. I slowly looked up from behind the book to observe the shocked look on Sakura's face as she stood in the doorway, staring back at me unabashedly with her jaw dropped. I saw her gaze flick towards the red cover I held, her face taking on the same hue as she read the insinuatingly risque subtitle.
"..."
"Not you too!" She groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead before leaving without another word. Kankurō held his sides as he laughed and I silenced him with a glare. It didn't work, much to my dismay. He only laughed harder at my murderous expression.
"This is all your fault." I snapped as I stormed out of the room, subtly tucking the book into my coat pocket on my way out.
A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; all rights belong to Kishimoto Masashi.
Sorry for the wait! I went over my 1,000 word limit, so hopefully that makes up for it somewhat. I probably won't upload this story as regularly as my other stories, considering this is only drabbles. I hope you enjoy! ;)