Updated fast because of my two awesome first reviewers for this story: kimi, and xBUzzOFF15x ! Your reviews made me smile!

Xwarnings: Onion breath, drunk kankuru, DRUGS!

Ch 2: Onion Girl, Veva Koi

Veva Koi wasn't particularly good at many things. In fact, the only things she was good at were delivery vegetables, cooking, and of course, being extremely stubborn. In fact, if it hadn't been for her amazing talent as a cook, she would have marched right back into the gene pool and asked for a do over.

"You want Gaara to what?" Temari exclaimed, "Veva, he not only doesn't have the time to do that, but I can't believe you actually expect our Kazekage to go around apologizing for spoilt vegetables!"

Her natural stubbornness wasn't going to let her back down from what she wanted. If she wanted the Kazekage to apologize for his actions, he would! That was that. So she folded her arms and put the most serious face she could muster, "if he doesn't, I won't work for you guys. You'll have to find someone else." With that, she "humphed!" and looked at the Kazekage, almost challenging him. Temari sighed at this, defeated, and told Veva she would see what she could do.

"In the mean time, just go home." Temari said patting Veva on the shoulder, "I'll take care of this ok?" Veva smiled her thanks and gave Temari once last partying hug. She collected her things, got back on what was left of her bike and road off into the day, forgetting Misaki.

Granted, it wasn't in her right mind that she forgot her best friend. She had been sweating in her boots! She didn't think Temari would fall for her bluff! A new job AND the Kazekage had to do what she said, what girl wouldn't be utterly pleased with herself at this news? Not even the squeaky noises her bike was making could ruin her mood. She really needed new brakes.

Back at the scene of the crime, Temari was informing Gaara that he would have to apologize. He questioned her logic. Why was this new "chef" so important? If the situation was so dire, he could make his own salted tongue. Granted, he wasn't the best cook, but he could learn. How hard could it be? Find a cow. Kill it. Put salt on the tongue, and then eat. EASY! Pleased with his reasoning, he had barely heard Temari explaining everything to him. that was until he heard, "-living with us?"

He raised a nonexistent eyebrow at this, "what?" he asked.

"You weren't paying attention were you?" Temari said putting her hands on her hips, "Tsk tsk, little brother. I said, she'd be living with us."

At this, Gaara cocked his head to the side, "why must this girl live with us to perform her tasks? Why is it necessary?" he was getting highly irritated and the day had barely started. Who was this girl, and why was she so…. He couldn't even thing of what she was! No villager dared to talk to him that way. Yet, he allowed her because she reminded him of a certain someone.

Smiling as a way to defuse his annoyance, Temari replied, "She lives very far from the Tower. She won't be able to make her deliveries, go to school, and do her job as our chef if she stays living with her Aunt. Of course, we'll pay the expenses. We have a multitude of extra rooms."

Gaara merely "hn-ed" at this before he turned to leave, but was stopped by Temari continuing, "But, can you please just go to the rest of these people and apologize for her? It's really important for her family to keep those customers."

Gaara let out a tired sigh. Why couldn't Temari just let this whole thing go? It was as so exhausting. After thinking over Temari's request, he answered, "I will send a clone. Now come. We have business to attend to."

Just then, a clone of Gaara made of sand appeared. The clone was then handed a list of names by Temari and promptly disappeared into a puff of sandy smoke to finish its duties. No one ever said he had to go personally.

Meanwhile, Veva had crashed into 4 more people on her way home. She wished her Aunt's house wasn't so far away from the main city parts of the village. But finally, she had made it home.

"Aunty! Aunty, where for art thou Aunty?" Veva beckoned as she entered the house, "better yet, letters, letters, where for art thou letters?" She was yet again pretending she was a princess in a tragic tale of love and betrayal. She pranced and danced about until she bumped her head into a wall. Scene.

"Veva! I'm in the kitchen!" her aunty answered back, "come help will ya?" Veva, equipped with the powers of a talented ballerina twirled into the kitchen, "what are you do you dumb girl? Come help me cut these onions."

Veva frowned at this, "I'm a ballerina, aunty." She washed her hands and put on an apron, "Oh yea Aunty! Where have you been hiding my letters?"

"Letters?" her Aunt murmured, "Oh!" she realized, "you kept getting mail from someone claiming to be from the Kazekage tower. I put them in the trash. It's obviously a scam. I mean who from the Kazekage tower would write you?"

Veva gave her aunt the straight face, "Aaaaaunty!" she whined, "remember Temari, the late Kazekage's daughter?" Her Aunt nodded. "Well, she offered me a job as the Kazekage's chef! Isn't that amazing?" her aunt just looked at the girl in awe. She knew Veva possessed extraordinary skills as a cook, but she didn't realize her little Veva had gotten the attention of the Kazekage!

"Lovebug, that's amazing!" she yelled grabbing the girl with her soapy hands, "Well, I threw away one of those letters today. I'll go get it later so we can read it together!" Veva was ecstatic. Her Aunty was just as happy for her as she was. She whipped the soapsuds off of her and brought the onions out. Then her aunt said, "Oh yes, Veva! You received a letter from Taka today. It's on the-" Her aunt blinked around the kitchen. Where had the girl gone?

Of course, at the mention of her boyfriend, Veva had sprinted into the living room. She turned on her Taka goggles, scanning the area for any sign of anything that belonged to her wonderful boyfriend. There! "Foooooooound it…" she whispered, grinning from ear to ear with glints of light in her eye. She eyed the letter, smelled the letter, even licked the letter, and now it was time to open the letter. Opening it, she began to read: Dear Veva, how have you been. Good I hope. I'm going to keep this letter short, because I will be leaving soon on a mission. I am writing this letter because I need to break up with you. I don't like you anymore. Sorry. Veva blinked at the letter. Had she read that right? She read it again. Then again, and again. After verifying it's contents, she layed the letter down at walked back into the kitchen. She picked up a knife and a cutting board. She began cutting the onions.

"So," her aunt began, "what did the letter say?" Veva didn't answer. She just kept cutting the onions. After her aunt asked two more times, she just went to the living room to read for herself. After going over its contents, she ripped it up and threw it in the trashcan. She rushed back into the kitchen to comfort her niece. She went to hugged her when Veva pushed her away with tears in her eyes saying, "I'm not crying because of that, the onions are just hurting my eyes."

The next day, Veva tried her best to be strong. She had promised herself when she was younger that she would not cry anymore. She had to keep that promise even if she had broken it last night. Stupid onions, she thought, sticking her tongue out.

That morning's deliveries had gone fairly well. All of the customers whom she had not been able to deliver their vegetables the day before told her that the Kazekage himself had visited them, apologizing. They were so honored. They told her not to worry about anything and almost all of them tipped her! It had been a good morning.

On her way home, she met up with Misaki who was a bit peeved about being left behind, who she told about her break up. Misaki did the whole crying, comforting best friend thing who cursed the boyfriend's ancestors. Veva was grateful, but she liked Taka's parents, and she was sure his grandparents were cool too. After leaving Misaki's house, she was greeted by Temari at her Aunty's shop.

"Veva!" Temari exclaimed as she ran over to hug the young girl, "I'm here to take you to the Kazekage Tower. Today's orientation. I'm gonna show you around the place and show you your room!"

"My room…?"

"Yes," Temari answered, "you'll be living with us in the tower! Didn't you read the letters?" Temari looked over the girl. This wasn't' the Veva she was used to, something was up. Not wanting to upset her, Temari bowed her goodbye to Veva's aunt, "well come along!" With that, the two girl left for the Kazekage tower.

They spent the whole day touring the Kazekage tower. Temari showed Veva where she would be staying, the kitchen, which was massive, the Kazekage's office, the counsil meeting hall, and many other less important rooms. She even showed Veva Gaara's room whispering, "For slipping him late night treats!" Temari said with a wink. Veva looked at her puzzled.

After they were done with the tour, Veva was ready to go home. Pretending she was happy was taxing. She didn't feel like herself and she hated it!

"Earth to Veva!" Temari yelled, knocking on the girl's head, "did you hear me?"

"Huh?" Veva answered.

"I said do you want to go out with us? All of the jonin and some of the younger employees of the tower are going out for food and drinks! You should come! You can meet everyone… Then again, you'll be the youngest there. You are only 16 right?" Veva nodded. "Well, you should come anyway! Besides, I can tell something bad happened and you're upset. I'm not gonna pester you about it, but I can tell you this: locking yourself up in your room and being sad is not the way to go."

Veva was amazed. Her and Temari had just reunited and the older girl could read her so well already. She was a true friend. Veva nodded. Temari was right. She had to get over Taka, "where is it?"

Arriving a bit late, Veva asked the hostess for the Kazekage Tower party. They led her to a massive table with many familiar faces from her new place of employment.

"Ve-ra!" Kankuru screamed out, already drunk, "c-come oh-er here nnnd plaaaay with us, Eeeeva!" Veva couldn't help but laugh. If anything was funnier that normal Kankuru, it was drunk Kankuru. Coming was a good idea after all. She toke her seat and looked around for the very person that invited her. Just when she was about to give up, she saw the trace of red.

"WHAT ARE YOOOOOU DOING HERE?!" she screamed, pointing at the new addition.

Temari poked her head from behind her youngest brother, the Kazekage. "I begged him to come along. That way, you'd have someone in your age group, and wouldn't feel so left out when everyone else gets drunk. Granted, she had to beg her brother on her knees and promise him month's supply of freshly baked cookies to get him to come, but he was here wasn't he? Besides, he needed to get out more. With the Shakaku gone, and the villagers in love with him, she wanted him to experience some type of a normal adolescent. He was the youngest Kage, afterall. With that, Temari sat her brother down next to the fuming girl and toke her seat at well. So she wanted her brother and Veva to become friends, so what?

The Kazekage was uncomfortable for three reasons: social gatherings like these were not his strong suit. He didn't enjoy people, especially those who weren't in his family. He could barely tolerate the council. He also didn't like loud places, and this place was extremely loud thanks to his brother and a few other drunken patrons. And lastly, the Kazekage was uncomfortable because of the glare he was feeling from a certain girl who was sitting beside him. This was the new chef girl wasn't it? She wouldn't say anything. She just kept staring. He could feel it on him. Stare… stare…. STARE… though he was uncomfortable, he looked perfectly poised, in his Kazekage glory. He had even been able to hold a nonsensical conversation with one of the employees. That's right, he was not going to let this girl stress him out any more than she already had.

In the background, a kunoichi was plotting to spike her dunce of a boyfriend's drink with a pill that would make him want to be with her, romantically. She knew her boyfriend loved her, but he was far too shy for his own good. Things were moving toooooo slow! Laughing maniacally to herself after thoroughly mixing the drink, she walked over with a glass for her and her boyfriend. When she joined the rest of the party, he was nowhere to be found! Ugh! Where had the idiot ran off to?! She went off to find him.

Temari, who had been waiting for the waitress to return with the non-alcoholic beverages, was looking around the table. Where the hell was the drink, she thought in her head. Just then, she noticed a pair of blue drinks. She looked around and saw that all the other glasses had clear liquids. Bingo! She brought the drinks over to her brother and Veva and told them to drink up! It was non-alcoholic.

Veva, still eyeing the Kazekage, gulped down her drink. She hadn't realized it, but she was thirsty! The Kazekage looked at his own cup suspiciously. Why was this liquid blue? He hadn't asked for anything that would be blue… he put his chakra to work, trying to figure out what the mystery drink was. Then, he realized, it was alcoholic! And more, someone had put something in it! He shoot up. Who dared poison the Kazekage? Every one looked up at him, most too drunk to be scared.

"Oh my gosh!" he turned to see a brown haired kunoichi, "who toke my drinks! They were for me and my Kai I drugged them so I'd get lucky tonight!" The guy who was apparently the boyfriend just looked at his girlfiend in awe.

Gaara sighed and sat back down. This was why he didn't come to things like this. He was about to berate Temari for giving him the wrong drink when he felt someone grab his collar. He turned around. It was that girl. Her face was completely red, and her eyes were glazed over. After looking at the Kazekage intently, the girl hiccupped and kissed him on the cheek.


AN: mwahhahahahaha. cliffys are so fun! see you soon! Have a beautiful time!