Hakuto : Gaara's fiancé from Gaara Hiden Light Novels that the council set an arranged marriage with that failed.
Tojuro : A council member who was ousted for treason in the Gaara Hiden novel.
Desert Rose
Chapter Two- The Feeling
Makoto was slack-jawed in horror as she looked at her fully naked image in the mirror before her. Her body was a rough and splotchy three shades darker than normal due to sand and dirt that had desperately clung to her body when sweating. She surveyed her arms which were cracked and dry, lips were peeling, and skin covered with baked on sweat-infused dirt. Worst of all were the streaks visibly showing where she had once been sweating as it cleaned away some of the dirt from her skin in long jagged lines.
She slammed her face into her hands, the blush on her cheeks not even showing through the muck.
"I can't believe I just talked with the head of the country looking like this," Her voice muffled by her hands still mildly echoed through the luxurious tiled bathroom.
She quickly took down her hair, small plumes of dirt puffing from her head as it settled heavily to her shoulders, clearly weighed down from hidden debris. She grabbed the bucket full of water and dumped it over her body, beginning the long process of washing away all traces of the desert.
Makoto sighed as she was finally clean enough to slide into the lavished bath that Temari had been kind enough to prepare for her. Candles lit, floral scents wafting in the air, desert rose petals floating in the water, tea prepared, and an array of different shampoos, lotions, soaps, and exfoliants lined the tray next to the tub.
She let her body sink to the bottom, chin ever so slightly touching the top of the water, her long tresses floated around her like seaweed. She sipped the tea Temari had left, she didn't mind that it was now cooler than her bathwater; it soothed her throat with every drop.
"I wonder how the meeting is going for the Kazekage." She still didn't feel completely comfortable calling him Gaara, but thought it would be rude to not oblige his request when in person.
"I'm just not sure if it's safe for her to stay here if it was written in the edict for her to be in Kumogakure. We don't want to upset anything between the Raikage." Gaara's eyes focused on the council member who just finished speaking.
After receiving a berating fit for a child, Gaara was finally able to begin talking to the elders about what exactly it was they should do with the misplaced Senshi.
"When exactly do we get to meet this lovely young lady?" One asked, eyeing the picture in his hand of Makoto that had been provided in the docket sent from Konoha, Haruka's picture was placed next to the docket on the table.
"She is resting after her journey, I don't wish to cause her any more stress today." Gaara reasoned, calmly placing his laced hands in front of him.
"First thing's first, we should make contact the Raikage and find out how he feels about the situation and then go from there," Baki spoke up, and all nodded in agreement.
"I'll set up a direct line to him and we'll meet back after we have spoken. For now, let's take an intermission and revisit this shortly." Gaara concluded, allowing the elders to disperse, noting the one council member had continued out with Makoto's picture still in hand, already whispering to another member.
Gaara didn't like the look of that. He was thankful at least that there were only eight members of the elder council now as opposed to the original twelve.
"So, how is she really?" Gaara's thoughts were jarred by Kankuro's voice echoing in the now empty room.
Gaara thought for a moment before answering, "She's a good fighter." Kankuro chuckled while assembling the phone line to the corresponding switch labeled "Raikage".
"That would be the first thing you notice in a person," Kankuro surmised still chuckling quietly to himself.
"What I mean is there more to her than that? I know you attacked her and all, but if it's the wrong girl, why don't we just send her off to Kumo and trade for the girl we're supposed to have?" Kankuro placed the phone in front of Gaara, the line now ready and operational.
"I am fine with whatever Kumo wishes to do. But we would have to send our top ANBU to deliver her to Kumo, and that's at least a two-week trip there… At this point in time, I would rather not risk losing the men, or her safety. A lot is banking on all the nations keeping these women safe." Kankuro nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as he took a seat next to Gaara.
"Yeah, that does make sense… So did she give you a run for your money in the fight?" He asked with a toothy grin as he leaned in closer.
"No, but she impressed me and surprised me. Her lightning ability is very interesting," Gaara paused as he reached for the phone to watch as Kankuro shook his head, still grinning.
"Oh, you were teasing me." He calmly concluded as his brother stood up.
"I was, I'm going to go find out why the geezers made off with her picture while you call the Raikage." Kankuro waved over his shoulder as he left Gaara completely alone.
Gaara sighed and listened to the line hum in his ear as he waited for the Raikage to answer.
Makoto watched as the medic closed the door quietly behind them as they exited. As she suspected, her injuries were minor and had partially healed on their own, leaving her with only a few bruises and a rapid in an out visit from the medic.
Makoto's bare feet padded against the cool tile floor of her room as she walked to the mirror, surveying the outfit Temari had left for her to wear. Until they could purchase her clothes befitting the weather of Suna, Temari was more than happy to oblige the Senshi a portion of her wardrobe.
She smoothly adjusted the teal green sash so that the bow flowed behind her, cream and blue weren't exactly her colors, but she was appreciative that Temari was kind enough to lend her clothes for the time being.
A soft knock at the door broke her away from nitpicking at the way the outfit hung at her waist.
"Oh wow, good thing you and I are the same height. You look like a completely different person without all that dirt on you." Temari joked with a smile causing the brunette to redden as she knew just how bad she looked previously. Temari stepped into the room, she herself was also wearing a kimono similar to Makoto's, the only a difference being it was solid black with a red sash.
"I really appreciate you letting me borrow your clothes." Makoto smiled sheepishly, closing the distance between her and the blonde.
"It's no problem. As you're now aware, the weather here is pretty brutal, if you don't have the correct clothing you'll find yourself in trouble quickly. But a little change of plans this evening, my other brother contacted me a few minutes ago and it looks like we're going to have to have you meet with the council tonight. Gaara was able to contact the Raikage about your situation. You up for that?" Temari questioned as she turned back towards the door that moments ago she herself had walked through.
"Sure." Makoto gulped, now incredibly nervous to be meeting with the council no one seemed to enjoy meeting with.
All too soon Makoto found herself standing outside the conference room, wringing her hands nervously. She felt Temari place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be nervous. They're just a bunch of old geezers. If anything, it's us who should be worried that your king and queen will react poorly to Gaara's mistake." Temari's smile was strong and warm as she locked eyes with Makoto's green hues.
"You don't have to worry about that. Usagi-chan and Mamoru have hearts of gold and strive for peace," She paused, casting her eyes to the side abashedly before continuing.
"I've just never met with anyone of importance alone before... As Senshi, we never fight alone either. So this is all new to me. I know it must sound so childish." Makoto confessed, her ponytail moving to-and-fro as she shook her head in disappointment.
"Then look at this as a learning experience that you can take back with you to your lands. If you are only just coming into political power, every bit of what you all can learn while here will be incredibly beneficial." Temari concluded, spoken like the true Suna ambassador that she was.
Suddenly the two women found themselves staring at the closed door in apprehension, clearly hearing the tangled shouts that were now emitting from the room.
"It should be more thought out than that!"
"It should be someone from our own village!"
"But he's right, this is uncharted territory, we could stake our claim before anyone else if he does!"
"This didn't work eight months ago, why would it work now!?"
"Oh boy..." Temari breathed out, already getting the gist of what the men were now discussing. Her eyes slithered awkwardly over to Makoto, hoping to gauge her reaction. Fortunately, Makoto seemed to just be worried about them fighting, and not understanding the implications of the conversation… Not yet anyway.
"I think it's about time we interrupted that banter to save my dear brothers…" The blonde finished as her fist rapped three times on the door, opening it to reveal the quarreling group. The conversation died down significantly as the door creaked open, all eyes found themselves planted firmly on the brunette to Temari's side.
"Forgive my interruption, but we are here as you requested. May I present the Senshi of Lightning, Kino Makoto of Tokyo, Japan." Temari stepped partially to the side, revealing Makoto on full display.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all, thank you for your humble hospitality." On cue, looking much like an operational doll, Makoto stepped forward from Temari and bowed deeply to the men at the table.
All eight members of the council were standing and bowing back to Makoto by the time she had straightened herself to full height once more. She made quick work noting they were all fairly old and that they were also all men, making her wonder just where her place would fall in the upcoming conversation.
"It is our pleasure. Do please have a seat next to Kazekage-sama." One member ushered her over eagerly with a smile, standing from his seat that was next to Gaara. Makoto heard Temari click her tongue in annoyance as she began walking towards the table, Makoto's eyes dashed to Gaara's for a brief moment and she was inwardly taken aback at the sight of him.
"Am I crazy, or does he look embarrassed?" She questioned herself, lips pursed together as she slowly followed her way behind Temari. The council member who offered her his seat, politely pushed her chair in for her as she took her place at the table.
She inhaled deeply through her nose, placed her hands in her lap and squared her shoulders. If she was going to get through this, she had to look like she had done it a thousand times.
Temari smirked across the table from her, having taken her seat next to Kankuro, "I'm going to have to congratulate her on her poker face after this. I'll be damned if she doesn't look like a princess."
"Kazekage-sama, why don't you inform our honored guest what it is that we've learned after contacting the Raikage?" Makoto shifted her curious stare to the man sitting by her side at the head of the table. She observed that the flush that had once been present on him had now dissipated, making her wonder if it had even been there at all.
"It seems that the Raikage made contact with your friend almost immediately and he does not mind leaving the situation as it is now. Tenoh-san stated she wished to stay in Kumo due to the proximity to another of your Senshi." Makoto smiled warmly knowing that meant that Michiru was closer to Haruka now. Aware that this current mistake could make the two of them happier, Makoto was more than willing to oblige.
"Then I as well accept staying in this present position." Makoto smiled, her voice strong and confident as it echoed throughout the room.
"Very well. I will make arrangements for you to stay here and I will have the papers drawn up immediately instating your semi-permanent residency." Gaara concluded, jotting down things as he spoke.
"With a semi-permanent residency, you should be able to use your elemental powers." He added between quick scrawls, intriguing Makoto immediately.
"Really? I wondered why I wasn't able to transform…" She questioned in a small voice. As Gaara finished writing down the notes, he looked in her direction while placing his pen on the table.
"It's a part of a new design from the Anti-Terror faction Kankuro is in charge of." Gaara nodded his head in his brother's direction, Kankuro flashed a smile upon the indication.
"It's just a mechanism that recognizes potential threats based upon chakra readings within a certain perimeter of Suna. We have sensor shinobi monitoring it at all times at night, and during the day it's on an automated system. As soon as an unknown chakra is sensed they are able to begin suppressing your chakra remotely. You made a bit of a ruckus with the sensors this afternoon." She reminded herself that she needed to learn about the chakra everyone was always talking about here.
"That's impressive that you're able to keep your village safe like that at all times. My Senshi and I have never referred to our powers as chakra as you call it, our powers were merely born into our bodies. It isn't normal where I come from to have extraordinary powers like you all do." She smiled warmly in Gaara's direction, he slowly and awkwardly averted his gaze from her.
Gaara was unsure of how to act around the woman now. It wasn't clear to him whether she had heard the inappropriate conversation that the Elders were discussing as she and his sister had walked in the room. For now, he wished to simply get her far away from him and settle the matter with the Elders privately before they could bring it up to her.
"But I'm sure that's why you're a leader in your country though, Kino-hime. People look to strong leaders to keep them safe as you and your court all have." She nearly choked on her own spit hearing one of the Elders call her princess.
"P-please, don't call me Kino-hime." She threw her now sweating palms in the air, hoping to deter this any further.
"You are a princess, are you not?" Asked another in a seemly interrogative manner.
"I-I am, I mean technically yes. I'm not exactly recognized for that currently." Her once composed and regal façade was now demolished and replaced with a bumbling and flustered girl.
The rattled brunette's attention was interrupted by the sound of a chair screeching against the floor, Kankuro was now standing.
"I think Kino-san has endured enough today, yes? We can pick this up another time." Kankuro stretched his arms above his head then lazily rested them on his hips. Gaara and Temari were the next to stand, clearly in agreeance with their brother.
"All in favor of adjourning this meeting?" Baki asked, looking around at the other seven members of the council. The room begrudgingly filled with reluctant 'ayes' and Makoto let out a breath, not realizing she had been holding it.
"Makoto-san, would mind if we go have your chakra analyzed so your powers can become accessible? The lab is two floors down and should only take a moment." Gaara offered, trying to get Makoto out of the room and away from the Elders as quickly as possible.
"That would be great, thank you." She smiled, now standing next to him, pushing in her chair and following Gaara's lead out the door. She would feel safer knowing she would be able to transform when needed.
"Kino-hime," Makoto turned around as one of the members approached her, Kankuro and Temari both sensed Gaara's annoyance, "Is there perhaps a guardianship of yours we can get into contact with while you are here?"
"My… guardianship?" She queried, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Yes, yes, parents, elder sibling, even a court acolyte would do… Perhaps a significant other?" Makoto flushed and uncomfortably cleared her throat.
"Ah, uhm- I'm unmarried and twenty-four, I am my own guardianship. The closest thing would be Usagi since she's my queen I guess - though I don't know if I'd trust her as my guardian… but why do you need to get a hold of someone in charge of me?" She questioned, clearly unaware of the three sand siblings behind her which were all trying to think of a way to stop the current conversation.
"Well, you see. Before you-"
Suddenly a tall man had stepped forcefully between Makoto and the other council member, his face half-concealed with a cloth.
"I believe Kino-san should rest. We called her in for a meeting she was originally told she would not need to attend." Baki broke in as he now turned around to face Makoto and the siblings.
"Kino-san, Kankuro can accompany you to the Anti-Terror floor of the building so that your chakra mapping may be completed this evening." Baki gave the young woman a sincere smile, surprising her that someone with such fearsome features could be so kind.
"Sure, thank you." She smiled back, her eyes briefly darting to the council member who had so strangely approached her.
"Come on, or we're leaving without you." Kankuro jested with a smile as he held the door open for her, Gaara and Temari already having stepped out of the room. She nodded, and once she reached the door she turned to take one last look behind her at the council members and cocked her head; they were all gathered around talking quietly with one another.
"Is that my picture they're looking at?" She questioned, mouth agape, as the door shut behind her. She turned around, her eyes wide and jumping to the three siblings for confirmation.
"Don't worry about it, they're just a bunch of crazy old guys with too much time on their hands." Kankuro waved absentmindedly, as the four of them began walking down the stairs. Makoto squirmed her lips into an unbecoming expression, Kankuro's comment making her thoughts run rampant with what that could mean.
"So you two go ahead and get the chakra mapping sorted out, and Gaara and I can head back home and figure out dinner. Oh, and Kankuro is our other brother that I mentioned." Temari smiled, she and Gaara were now standing at the exit of the tower. Makoto looked to Kankuro her mouth forming into an 'O' shape.
"You all do look a bit alike now that you say it. It's nice to formally meet you, Kankuro-san." She surmised, smiling towards the spiky-haired brunette.
"Yes, yes, you too. Now come on hime-san, the sooner we finish, the sooner we get to eat." Kankuro placed his hand on Makoto's back leading her further down the hall away from his siblings. She turned back to look at Temari and Gaara, but all she could see was the door closing shut. She somewhat wished it were Temari she was with, seeing as she had only just met Kankuro.
"So, you've had quite an eventful first day here," Kankuro's voice withdrew her from her thoughts. "I know it seems like a lot to take in all at once, but once we get all the details of your arrangement here figured out you'll live a nice quiet life for the next nine months." He paused at a door, placing his hand on the electronic pad on the wall, the door then clicked open as it unlocked.
"An uneventful nine months sounds nice. In my world, we enjoy peace as often as possible because it always seems that it never lasts." Her voice softened towards the end, while his eyes glanced down at her as he pushed opened the door to the lab.
"That sounds awful."
She couldn't help but laugh at his honesty, her melodic chuckle echoed around the empty lab as they stepped inside.
"It's not so bad when that's the life that you're accustomed to." She smirked as he began opening a drawer, searching for something inside.
He stepped back towards her while pressing buttons on a small device in his hand.
"Well thankfully for you, we're pretty clear of threats at this point in time. So you really should be able to enjoy a nice vacation. Now," He grabbed her left wrist and right shoulder, positioning her perfectly in the center of the room.
"If you just stand here, I can do the preliminary scan and we'll be almost done. You don't need to do anything, don't flare your chakra, and just relax." She looked up at him, uneasiness resounding in her eyes.
"Will it hurt?" She peeped quietly, a deep chuckle emitted from him as he finished typing into the device.
"No, hime, it won't hurt. Now just relax." He grinned as he began scanning the device a few inches from her body, a bright blue light following along on her skin as he moved it.
"Alright, that's the quick scan. Now, after it quickly computes this, your chakra will no longer be blocked... There." He pressed one final button looking up at her, "How do you feel?"
She lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in front of her face with a perplexed look.
"I actually do feel a lot less tired. Huh." She concluded, astonished that it affected her in her civilian form.
"That would be because chakra is where everyone gets their energy. Now, I just need to get a sample reading of your chakra in action, and we'll be good to go. So, have at it." He waited and she looked at him bashfully.
"What are you waiting for? Just focus on your energy." He coaxed, waving his hand impatiently for her to begin.
She bit her lip, "I don't really know exactly how if I'm not transformed…"
"Well, just transform then. You can now." He straightened, looking at her inquisitively.
"I don't want to." She blurted.
"Why? You said you fight all the time." He threw back, becoming more irked than curious.
"Yeah but, I don't know. It's a private thing. It conceals our civilian identities so it's just weird to have someone watch and… We fight in very different clothing compared to yours…" Temari had pointed out shinobi walking by as they had made their way to the Kage Tower, Makoto immediately noted the difference in their fighting attire.
Kankuro looked at her, an eyebrow raised and arms crossed in front of his chest.
"You're being really weird." He concluded with a smirk, eyes squinted incredulously.
"No, I'm not. Just-Just please show me a different way." She pleaded with a huff, embarrassment getting the better of her. For once running around fighting in fukus seemed really inappropriate when in comparison to the women here.
"Alright, alright. Look, Gaara told me when you fought him you used your lightning, right?"
"Yes, but that's only on very rare instances, normally I'm not able to access that power unless I'm transformed."
"Well, let me put it this way. It's a bit surprising that you were able to do that because your chakra was being blocked, if you just close your eyes and focus on feeling that energy in your stomach, I'll be able to scan and get a sample. I really don't foresee this being hard for you to do for just a moment for the scan."
He moved forward towards her, placing the device in his pocket.
"Now, place your hands together like this," He placed his palms together, one over top of the other, in the sign of the monkey. He assumed it would be the easiest hand sign for her to follow.
"Good, now, widen your stance a little more, close your eyes, and focus on the center of your stomach…" He watched as she placed her stance a little wider, the kimono keeping her stance narrower than he'd have liked, and with a deep breath, she closed her eyes.
"Good. Now, feel for that power and then hold it steady." He grabbed the device out of his pocket, getting it ready for the moment that her chakra was at an acceptable level to read. As soon as he pressed the button, readying the device next to her body, dark green chakra shot out of her, causing him to jump back.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop pushing so hard! Geeze!" He shouted, somewhat impressed at how quickly she picked it up.
She opened her eyes apologetically and dropped her stance, "I'm sorry, I didn't know how deep I had to dig for the power." She muttered rubbing her hands together noticing the tingling feeling that still remained.
"Ah, no matter. Looks like that second was enough for it." He concluded, pressing the 'analyze' button on the device and placing it on the nearby desk.
"Alright," He clapped his hands together enthusiastically, "Let's get some grub-" He abruptly paused when his eyes landed on her and leaned forward, his brows becoming furrowed as he inspected her. She took a step back, her face contorting into an uncomfortable expression.
"You have a seal on your forehead…" His voice hardly above a whisper as he scrutinized her brow.
"What? A seal? What do you mean?" She asked, feeling her head where his eyes were glued. She was becoming concerned something had happened when she released her chakra. She ran over to a cabinet with glass panes so she could see her partial reflection.
"Oh, that's just my planetary symbol. It must be because I activated my powers in my civilian form." She turned back to Kankuro; she had relaxed, but he still seemed concerned.
"You're definitely different from the shinobi around here." He sighed, turning towards the door and placing his hands in his pockets. If she wasn't worried about it, he didn't need to be either.
"So," Temari started, matching her younger sibling's stride beside her, "They're trying to arrange a marriage for you again, this time with Makoto?" She flicked her eyes to Gaara's expression, it was unreadable as he nodded his head silently.
"You don't have to do this again, Gaara. It's only been four months since everything ended with Hakuto and the ousting of Tojuro." She reached out, gingerly placing her hand on his shoulder, "I know that hurt you, it may have only been a small amount but it was something. You just do what you want to do. We'll stop the council from meddling again." He turned to look at Temari, nodding his head.
"I understand that they mean well," He started walking onwards, their home now in sight, "I also understand how incredibly advantageous it would be for Suna to create a bond with this outside nation before any of the other nations, let alone with a princess who is in close regards to the queen of that land... But I also want you and Shikamaru to be able to get married without having to worry about the issue with the heir." Temari sighed somewhat angrily.
"Look. I understand that all of those things are great, and that you will always do right by Suna," She paused as they reached their front door, the cooler evening air wafted against her skin as she grabbed Gaara's shoulders.
"But I want my brothers to love whom they want to love just the same way that I get to. I want you to follow your heart for the sake of your happiness, not Suna's. Doing that doesn't make you a bad leader, it just makes you human." She smiled, gently rubbing her thumbs on his shoulders. Gaara wasn't sure what he would do without Temari when she did finally marry Shikamaru and move to Konoha; she was his voice of reason and always had a way of soothing him.
"So, just forget about everything those idiots said, and let's see what's for dinner tonight." She grinned, opening the door for the two of them as they walked inside.
Makoto followed Kankuro in through the front door to the sand sibling's shared home. She couldn't help but laugh inwardly when thinking that a couples hours prior she had been carried in the very same door with her fate unknown at that time. Now she walked through it freely and was welcomed with the scents of all different types of food dancing around her as she stepped further into the house. The closer she got to the smells, the more she realized just how hungry she was.
She followed behind Kankuro as he quietly led the way into the dining room, the sounds of silverware clinking could be heard.
"Well, that didn't take very long. Everything work out?" Temari asked, she had finished placing the last fork at the table settings to look up and see they had arrived.
Kankuro pulled one of the six chairs out and took a seat, "Yeah, for the most part." He leaned forward resting his elbow on the table, his palm cradling his cheek, "Check out her forehead." He tilted his head while still in his hand towards Makoto, who was now seated across from him.
Temari, who was still standing, bent down to inspect the Senshi sitting beside her, her green eyes scanning the mark.
"How did this happen?" Temari snapped at Kankuro, her harsh tone indicating disappointment in the puppet master for allowing this while the Senshi was in his charge.
"It's really okay. It's a mark I have for being a Sailor Senshi, it's the crest of Jupiter. The only strange thing is it doesn't normally stay this long…" Makoto ended in a hushed voice, her fingers brushing softly over the mark once again.
"Well if it becomes something of concern, do not hesitate to let us know," Gaara stepped into the room, donning his civilian clothes for the first time today.
"I can have the medic come back at any time to evaluate you." He took his usual seat at the end of the table, now sitting between Makoto and Kankuro.
Temari sighed taking her seat next to Makoto, "Well, now that we're all here, let's eat. I hope there's something here to your liking Makoto-san, we have a chef that prepares dinner and this menu had already been decided prior to your arrival." Temari had begun lifting the lids off of the food revealing an assortment of choices.
"I'm really not that picky of an eater, thank you." She smiled back at the blonde, choosing to start with just a simple salad.
"So," Kankuro started in-between bites of food, "What're you going to tell the villagers about her while she's here. She's going to garner a lot of attention and curiosity as soon as she's seen more frequently with us." His question was obviously pointed to Gaara.
"They will know. It seems the other nations are letting it be known that they are hosting one or two Senshi and that it is an honored pastime, I intend to do that same." Gaara refocused his attention back to his meal, slicing his piece of pork.
"But, are the other Senshi going to be living with Kage of the nation they're in?" Kankuro probed again, suddenly Makoto was feeling uncomfortable at the new tone the conversation had taken.
Gaara continued to eat his food and coolly raised his gaze to meet his older siblings, "My mission is to protect her and right now that is a part of being the Kazekage."
Makoto's eyes widened, unable to shake the feeling that staying under this roof wasn't in the best interest of Gaara or his siblings.
"Look, if I need to stay in another house, couldn't we set something up? I don't want to be an inconvenience while I'm here…" At that Temari sat her silverware down with a clatter.
"That won't be necessary. We are more than capable of having whatever guest that we want stay in our home, if the citizens of Suna are concerned, it will only be out of curiosity. And for all we know, the other Senshi very well could be staying under the same roof as the Kages. He's right, it is the mission of the Kage to protect the Senshi in their nation." For a few too many seconds there was a palpable pause after Temari's interjection.
"So what do you do back home other than save the world?" Kankuro took the lead on changing the subject. He didn't want the Senshi to feel unwelcome, she was clearly a kind woman; there was just something about her that made him uneasy. It was his duty as the leader of the Anti-Terror faction to think the way that he did.
"Uh, well. Right now is really the first time we've been given the chance to live our lives normally in many years. While all of us have a role in working with our government and helping prepare our queen to one day rule, I really just want to own my own bakery and flower shop." Temari raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise.
"How unexpectedly feminine of her." She chuckled in her thoughts.
"So you like those things then?" Kankuro asked, his eyes gliding over to Gaara's to gauge his reaction, of course, the younger sibling gave no indication they shared the same interest in gardening.
"Cooking and gardening are my two of my favorite hobbies as well as martial arts, but I don't think I could figure out a way to combine cooking, gardening, and martial arts into one business." She giggled, her mind briefly resting on her plants in her home; she hoped that Luna and Artemis were able to take care of them without too much trouble.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Gaara stood up and began to take his leave, "I'm sorry, but I have some paperwork that I need to address. I hope you have a good evening Makoto-san, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask."
Before she could say anything, he was out of the dining room, disappearing up the stairs. She bit her lip, wondering if perhaps her staying here was causing an issue for him and that he found it rude to say so in front of her.
"Don't worry, hime, Gaara's just very business oriented. He's still learning a proper range of emotions when it comes to others." Kankuro caught Temari's piercing glare in his direction as he finished.
"What do you mean?" Makoto questioned, unsure of how to take the older sibling's response.
"Gaara didn't exactly have the best childhood…" In the time remaining at dinner, Makoto learned that there were a lot worse things a child could go through than losing their parent's in a plane crash.
Makoto now sat on the edge of her bed, the conversation at dinner still consuming her thoughts completely. Her green hues glanced over at the clock on the wall. It was 10:17.
They had left Hikawa Shrine before the sun had even risen, and yet here she sat completely wide awake after going through one of the longest days of her life. How could she not sleep?
She rolled over on the satin sheets to reach into her nightstand drawer, fumbling around until she found her communicator. The hiss of static was all that greeted her. She snapped it back shut and half-heartedly placed it inside the drawer. Her hopes of the device being fixed after her chakra signature had been registered were dashed.
She couldn't blame Gaara for forgetting her one request to speak to Setsuna; it had been a really difficult day for all of them. She couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable when thinking about being around him next after hearing of his dark and lethal past.
He seemed so kind and caring, and he had clearly grown so much from what he once was. If she had not been told directly by his brother and sister she would've found herself questioning the credibility of the story.
"To lose so much… And still turn out to be a good person… He must be pretty incredible." She murmured, moonlight pouring into the room through the balcony door window, the sheer currents dulling its luster.
Before she knew it her feet were on the ground padding softly on the tile, making her way out the door. The cold desert winds tossed her long flowing nightgown around her form in all directions; it immediately eased her mind to be in nature and outside.
She looked to her side noticing another balcony next to her own with small steps in-between them leading up to the top of the roof. She looked back out over the city, pursing her lips together in determination. She carefully stepped over the railing and onto the stairs, her bare feet taking note of how warm the stone roof was even though the sun had gone down hours ago.
Gaara sat firmly in a meditative state, staring at the horizon, hues of pink were still lightly visible on the edges of the sky. He was so conflicted. He had to do his best to ensure the Senshi's safety over the duration of the next nine months - that was a perfectly easy mission - but what left him pensive were the words of his sister and the Elders.
If he had it his way, an arranged marriage like before to Hakuto would be ideal. Knowing that he would not have to necessarily court the person made it much less nerve-wracking. It would simply be two people doing the most advantageous thing that they could for the sake of their livelihood, and if they were lucky, they would learn to love one another. That had been Gaara's only experience with romance, it had failed and it was fleeting, but it had been something.
Now the question became did he want to take the council's advice and at some point broach the subject with the Senshi, or did he want to take his sister's advice and love whom he wanted when he wanted?
Love was important to Gaara, but to him the love of a sibling or his villagers gave him roughly the same kind of happiness, so the love of a woman wasn't something he found himself yearning for. Only Hakuto had made him feel something slightly more than that.
Of course, he noticed when women were beautiful, sure. Temari had a way of protecting him from his many admirers in the village, she would often tell him they were merely hungry for fame and not who he was as a person. Many of those women were indeed beautiful.
Hakuto had been beautiful…
Makoto as well was beautiful.
He snapped around and below him there she stood.
She was facing the horizon, stance wide to account for the precarious balance against the strong winds, her hand fiercely gripped the railing she had climbed to. Her eyes were awash with pure enamor as her pale skin became drenched in the moonlight. Long auburn ringlets, free of their usual confinement, danced as frantically in the wind as her flowing nightgown did. The weightless sheer fabric of the cream green gown hugged ever-changing places on her body as it soared in all directions with the ebb and flow of the spiraling winds.
He could not stare at her silently anymore, he stood somewhat loudly as a means of making his presence known to her. The sound was all it took to startle her, his eyes widened as they found hers. It only took that moment for her hand to slip from the railing she had yet to ascend to the other side from.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the railing as she fell, foot slipping from the step. She only had enough time for her breath to hitch before she felt her body become encased in warm sand for the second time that day.
"Are you alright?" His voice was right there, sounding only a few inches from her ear. She opened her eyes finding him gently supporting her body as she floated safely in the sand, now back down on her balcony where she had started.
"Y-yes." She breathed, her lips still parted as she looked up at him. Her body was close to his chest, the sand was the only thing separating them.
He smelled like sandalwood. He was so close she could see the actual scarification of the kanji on his forehead. Her heart thrummed almost painfully in her chest, her cheeks darkening under his gaze.
He had bewitched each one of her senses.
"You have to be more careful if you're going to come on the roof." His voice was somehow soft as he scolded her.
She nodded silently, her eyes still locked to his. From what she could tell she was the only one affected by the position they were in. His sand began slowly dissipating from her form, she could feel the support of his hands more and more clearly as the sand fell from her body until eventually, they made contact.
Gaara felt as though a minor amount of lightning had strummed throughout his body when his hands made contact with her form. He felt Shukaku stir within him, the connection had been so strong it alerted the small fragment of the Ichibi that remained after the Fourth War.
Gaara senses were overwhelmed by the reaction, her hair was soft as it brushed his arms, the scent of roses clung to her skin. He could feel the goosebumps on her arms from the cold night air as he held her. She was so light in his arms. So fragile.
He placed her softly on her feet, removing his hands from her as quickly as he could.
"I'm sorry." Was all she could manage to blurt out as she stared up at him through thick auburn lashes.
Her eyes were so open and honest.
"I'm sorry that I startled you. Please feel free to use the upper area, just be careful. The buildings here are domed and it makes it all the easier to fall." He looked down at her, the seal upon her forehead glowed a faint green in the darkness; the moonlight nearly did the same to her eyes.
"I understand. If I had known that you were up there I would've left you alone. I just couldn't sleep." Shit. She had now opened a dialogue about an issue in his past his siblings mentioned at dinner. She bit her lip casting her gaze downward, breaking eye contact for the first time. She wasn't thinking clearly.
"I am familiar with that feeling. I too sometimes suffer occasionally with sleeplessness." He took a step back from her, he had to keep his wits about him and the scent of roses wasn't helping him focus.
She had to be honest, she couldn't lie to him and act as though she didn't know.
"Yes, your siblings told me a little about your past at dinner…" Their eyes connected once again, he could see that she felt guilty for knowing.
"Don't worry, everyone here knows the past that I have, you as well should be entitled to know considering you are in my charge." The feeling still lurched throughout him, it was seeping into every cell in his body and it took everything in his power to keep it hidden from her. Did she feel the same? Had she done this on purpose?
"Forgive me for not having your private line installed this evening. It seems that the Senshi you named is not in Konoha at the moment, but you will be informed as soon as she returns. Sleep well, Makoto-san." He couldn't take it, he had to leave.
He stole one last glance in her direction before allowing his sand to lift him up and over the roof. Her arm stretched out to stop him, but he was gone.
"Goodnight, Kazekage…"
The feeling in his chest was like a healing wound and it prickled like chakra.
"Kid. What was that?" Shukaku murmured in his mind. The Ichibi had not made contact with Gaara since the war.
"I have no idea."
A/N
This was a bit longer than I intended for this chapter, but I knew I wanted to end with Shukaku, I do personally believe that Gaara still has a part of him, especially if you keep up with Boruto. I also knew I wanted to finally wrap up Makoto's first day in Suna, and better yet with some fluff at the end. I hope it wasn't too boring, I wanted to be sure to get the plot rolling by the end.
I'm incredibly happy with how this chapter turned out, please leave a review with any comments, questions, concerns, critiques.
Any feedback helps!
-Kat