Chapter 9
Mood Swings
"Gaara! Kankurou!" Temari called out loudly towards the stairs in her dark blue apron complete with the Suna's emblem printed out in front of it, her voice echoed upwards to the second floor where each of their chambers are sited. "Breakfast is ready! Come and get them" When she strained her ears to listen for a reply, she heard a groaning sound and soon after that, the sound of water from the shower hitting on the tiled floors of the bathroom nearest to the stairs echoed back as an answer. She smiled, knowing it was Gaara's way of telling her that he's getting ready right now and is currently taking a shower.
Kankurou's wing of the manor, on the other hand, generated plenty of awkward noises of someone trying to keep quiet but failed to do so when his dolls dropped down one by one like a bowling pin. Temari heard a series of mumblings, knowing that her other brother is saying something bad about her again, catching something about "So loud…" and "Stupid breakfast…" Rolling her eyes, she resumed with brewing coffee for Gaara and taking Kankurou's comment as a coherent explanation from a mongrel's mutterings.
The Kazekage's Manor is large and spacious enough that even heels on tiled floors can cause a series of echoes to resonance throughout the whole manor. There is just no escaping the annoying echoes, unless one installs a complete sound-proof padding's on the walls of one's bedroom within the manor.
Temari hummed to herself happily, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea. She thought about last night's dinner and the insistent chatters from Kankurou that Gaara admitted that he liked Kaguya by translating his respond entirely from a pair of 'flaming red ears' and smiled to herself. Kaguya is definitely going to be her sister-in-law by marrying Gaara. Oh, how she had longed for a sister. Living her whole life with two brothers is finally taking its toll on her. A female companion would be nice for a change.
Gaara's stomach gave out a loud hungry growl halfway through his morning shower, and right after he exited from the shower stall, he headed straight for the kitchen in nothing but his long pants. After a whole day of wearing formal Kazekage attire, he couldn't bother himself with slapping on a shirt when he is in the manor. Then he thought about Kaguya and how he is going to marry her in the shortest amount of time. He would have to change his habits of not wearing a shirt. He attempted to smile by twitching the side of his lips at the new strange thought. He wouldn't want to frighten his new bride.
The sight of Temari drinking tea reminded him of the first time he showed up at the kitchen in his pants, shirtless. Temari had sat there in the kitchen's counter with a slight blush and a shocked expression on her face, her glass of tea nearly slipping out of her grasp when her muscles relaxed. She recovered soon after with a comment on his new abs and when he had gotten them. Gaara nearly smiled at the memory. His sister had never seen him without his shirt on, and reacted like a stranger instead. Taking a deep breath, his mouth started to water at the scent of fried omelets, black coffee and toast. For once, Temari's cooking smells rather mouthwatering instead of their signature black and burned toast.
Mmm...Shukaku piped up inwardly, stretching widely after a long good nap, thanks to Kaguya's charm pouch. Smells great! What's for breakfast? Haha! I bet you to release me and let me roam freely for 10 hours that that bride-to-be of yours dropped some brain-improving-food into the food of that sister of yours yesterday or else you would have had roasted black toast again today.
Will you shut that mouth of yours? Gaara snapped, feeling rather agitated all of a sudden. It's still early and you're starting to get on my nerves.
Despite being surprised by Gaara's sudden demeanor, Shukaku continued in a nonchalant way. Well, the beast started, albeit a bit slowly and cautious. I have the freedom to talk since you've taken away my freedom to move-
It's your fault that you ended up sealed in a teapot and years later within me by Chiyo after you started a fight with Oraga Nakashimu. It's such a shame for a big beast like you to end up in a teakettle.
Shukaku's eye widened in disbelief at Gaara's biting remarks. You...!
You what? Gaara retorted, rubbing his forehead. He could feel his heartbeat speeds up tensely in what he knew is anger. You win? Yes, I know that. Now, shut up.
After Gaara had gained power as the Kazekage of Suna, he had conducted a few research on the origins of Ichibi no Shukaku, the one-tailed beast that remained with him even after the infiltration of Akatsuki into Suna. He verified all the information's about ancient shrines and myths in the Village Hidden in the Wind, and found out that Shukaku is actually the biggest coward in history. He ran away when he encountered Yamata no Orochi, and pathetically, only wins one out of all the fights he picked. Since then, whenever he wanted Shukaku to keep really quiet, Gaara would tease Shukaku to the brink of mortification, leaving the tailed beast feeling utterly shamed and keep quiet.
And now, just as he had speculated, Shukaku is well humiliated with his past spineless stories that he took flight and retreated quickly into his doghouse, curling up into an angry ball while he shuts Gaara out of his privacy. Gaara sighed in relief. Now he really wanted that charm pouch Kaguya promised him. He mentally reminded himself to visit her later.
Temari raised her voice again towards the stairs, and when she saw Gaara, she gave him a big smile and a nod towards the table. "Your breakfast's ready. Help yourself to the milk or juice. I've set them on the table already."
Nodding, Gaara went to the table with a new thought pondering in his ever working mind.
Seconds before his is in his usual pokerfaced, nonchalant self, thinking about the stacks after stacks of paperwork that he's required to do later on in the office. His personalities tend to reflect on his outward appearance; his stark flaming red hair and his white Kazekage's garb, both of such a different color and yet suits each other just fine. Everything about that day is going fine and with a good start, he sat down on the chair and lifted his fork.
That is, until his gaze landed on another fresh pile lying ever so innocently on top of the kitchen's counter. All thoughts about good day vanished. His secretary had taken the liberty to deliver it early in the morning, and had purposely put it on top of the kitchen's counter where he might not have missed seeing it, right when he's thinking of having a peaceful breakfast and be spared from thinking about work for a while, but no. He didn't have that luxury as Suna's Kazekage. An unpleasant thought about how it is so unfair in Suna when the Hokage in Konoha is able to enjoy gambling and sakes and be spared away from work all the time. He usually didn't care about it that much, and he'll dutifully finishes his piles after piles of paperwork throughout the day, and when he does, he'll take a few rounds around the village.
He didn't understand the feeling he's currently feeling either, but he sort of felt uneasy and there's this strange sudden inclination of wanting to meet Kaguya bubbling up in him. He liked to be in Kaguya's presence. It made him feel so contented and so calm, peaceful even. He liked that feeling compared to being cooped up in the office all day long with piles after piles of paper coming in nonstop. He's tired of the constant slow rhythm of his daily activities, and he would like some changes right about…now.
Just then, Temari's shrill voice echoed again at the stair case.
"Sabaku no Kankurou!" Temari started, frowning at the staircase. "If you don't come down by the time I finish my speech, I'm going to feed your breakfast to the dogs outside!"
Seconds later, Kankurou came down the stairs in one of his casual tees. He didn't feel the need to complete his attire this early in the morning, and planned to do so after breakfast. For a moment, Temari is struck by just how similar he is to Gaara and to their father when he's not smiling, as he is right now.
The second eldest of the Sabaku Siblings trudged down the stairs, his sulking aura in full swing. He still couldn't get over himself with the small fact that Temari beats him to the bathroom down the hall yesterday evening. He liked that bathroom down the hall, and like the ninja he is, he waited and waited and waited until he started to sulk. He hated it when Temari took so long in the bathroom. It was 3 hours after she went in the bathroom and came out looking the same as she does before she enters the bathroom.
"You're always counting on me to make your breakfast," Temari grumbled, hands planted on her hips. "Why didn't you start doing yours like I told you yesterday?"
Kankurou shrugged and pulled up a chair right in front of Gaara, whose face is now hidden behind the newspaper. Kankurou then proceed to pour himself a generous amount of orange juice and continued. "I'm not going to if you're going to make Gaara's."
Temari frowned. "Gaara's different. He stays cooped in his office all day long, and where are you when he needs you to run his errands or your advice?" Temari wriggled one of her eyebrows in question, hands now on both of her hips and glaring at Kankurou from the side of her eyes.
"Buzz off, Temari," Kankurou retorted lazily, draining his cup of orange juice in the process.
"It's a pain in the arse that I have to practically beg the maid and cleaners to wash your damn paint off the bowls and my third best silverware using one of the most expensive wash suds and polishes!"
"You could have given me the plastic ones..."
"No I'm not. They're not good for the environment, extremely wasteful and far worse and hard to wash off, smartass! They smell even worse in reality than in imagination…whatever did you put in them to make them smell in such ways…urgh!"
"OI!"
"From now on, it's that you are either going to use the disposable ones or the cheap ones. I don't care about any complains you might have, and I don't want to hear it! My silverware is worth more than your paints..."
"They're Kabuki paints, for goodness sake, not permanent marker! And they don't smell like what you have just said. That's so insulting!"
"It's your personal hygiene that I'm disgusted with. Don't you think the cleaners don't know about 'the' everything you're hiding underneath your bed? Face the truth, brother; they know it, and the smell? Urgh! They permeate the very walls you're living in and I daresay they smell worse than Suna's biggest dump sites!"
Kankurou's eyes widen and he fell dangerously silent. Slowly, his mouth turned down on one side in an ugly scowl as he trembled with anger so great that even without his Kabuki paints, his face grew tremendously terrifying. Even Temari had to admit it to herself that her brother does have his dangerous sides to poke. Oh, Temari thought. All the more fun to poke with then!
"You..." he started in a low dangerous pitch. "You poke into my room?" Kankurou's voice rose to another dangerous pitch with each growing word.
Temari rolled her eyes. "I told you, the cleaners-
"The cleaners don't come into my room unless I ask them too! They know it because I told them to! It's evident that you're the one snooping around rather than the cleaners! You're trespassing! It's against the Suna's Law! I'm going to make sure you go to jail for that!"
Again, Temari kept cool and calm, rolling her eyes and played along with this game. "And what evidence do you have that makes you think you have the right to make me camp out in jail?" Temari huffed out unbelievably. "Unless you've forgotten, it's Gaara that has the right to send me there, and he didn't even intend to or want to send me there! Right Gaara!"
"No." Gaara flat out replied his sister from behind the newspaper.
Temari scoffed at Kankurou "See! He didn't eve-" Cue for Temari's eyes to widen in shock. "Wait- what?"
"I said no, that means I don't agree that I'm not going to send you to jail."
Temari stuttered a reply in shock, "Wai- But- I'm your sister-"
"As you have stated earlier, I, as the Kazekage have every right to send you to jail if I want to." Gaara lifted off the newspaper, which is now crinkled and crumpled under his grip the moment Kankurou and Temari's bickering started to push him to his patient's limit off his usually peaceful day. "And you're going there along with Kankurou if both of you don't shut up this instant."
There's no need for shut ups. Both Temari and Kankurou are too busy replying and openly gape at their brother.
"I don't think I'm understood here," Gaara said in a small audible voice, and when Gaara spoke in a small audible voice, it was always, always dangerous. Lifting his head to look up to his siblings, he asked with a glare, "Am I understood?"
Both of them nodded once slowly, too much in shock to speak.
Gaara nodded his head once, lowering his gaze and said, "Good."
Standing up, Gaara strode up slowly to the stairs and changed into his Kazekage's formal attire. Picking up his Kazekage's hat by the door's counter, he strode off to the front door and closed the door gently, which is entirely unlike his normal self, all the while the elder Sand Siblings stood rooted to the spot, all the while watching Gaara's every move with shock and the hint of fear in their eyes.
To the Sand siblings that stood frozen, they had just invoked a rather rare and dangerous wrath of Gaara's, which is the one that Gaara had demonstrated just now; Talking smoothly and softly instead of shouting curses and closing the door gently instead of a light slam. Anytime soon, Gaara's going to turn around, use his best desert jutsus and crush the Kazekage's manor into bits.
As per usual, Kankurou's the first one to crack the silence.
"Temari," Kankurou quacked. "I think we're going to see mom soon..."
Temari only stood there, her eyes fixed on the large grand entrance of the Kazekage's manor, awaiting for the whole dramatic effects of the door blasting off its hinges and fly across the room with a swipe of Gaara's powerful sand jutsus.
The sky stood clearly on such a day, the cool air from the night before still fresh and lingering. It was early, and he would have walked to work instead had his feet moved according to what his mind really thinks when he suddenly noticed that he's actually going to the direction where Kaguya's manor is.
So, Shukaku bravely started again. I see you're off to somewhere that's not the meeting room today.
I'm out for a walk.
Good for you then. Walk, don't waste my chakra. I'm tired of having to "carry" you using my own chakra.
No wonder you're so fat.
...
Gaara 110, Shukaku 59.
The morning street of Sunagakure is loud and noisy. To Gaara, the constant chattering and bargaining sounds over goods and trades between travelers, traders, buyers and sellers sounded exactly like flies buzzing over the decaying smell of leftover trash. He made a mental note to discuss the rate of hygiene and cleanliness of the village in the next meeting.
A loud commotion happened to pass by his ear and caught his attention. He made his way towards the commotion so as to not frighten the villagers with his appearance. After all, there are still some people that still tremble with his very presence, not to mention that an earlier encounter with a kid in the market during one of his patrol resurfaced unwanted memories. His thoughts popped like a bubble as soon as he hears someone yelling at the top of their lungs.
"THOSE WHO ARE SICK, LINE UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THOSE WHO ARE HERE FOR MEDICINE, LINE UP HERE AS USUAL!"
Blinking, Gaara's ears perked up instantly. It takes a while for Gaara to convince himself that what he had heard a moment ago is a man's voice yelling some 'sick' and 'medicine' and 'as usual', and some part of him rejected the idea that the place that the man choose to yell those medicinal words is right in front of the manor of a certain maiden that he had just met last night. Curiosity took over his patience; Gaara risked another look again towards the crows that everyone seemingly crowded around for probable-medicinal purposes, which is getting bigger as the moment goes by after the announcement.
The supposed man-that-yells-medicine is now standing in front of a long, long line, looking all giddy and happy. Gaara notice that he has the same shade of silver on Kaguya's likely companion, Spade, and his eyes is beady black – shining in fact. Even his steps – were those skipping his eyes just caught? Goodness… Overly excited perhaps?
Seemingly, the line is making quite a ruckus, and it doesn't seem that the noise is going to go down anytime sooner. One by one, the line that is full of sick people enters the manor through the now wide open doors of the Miyagusuku manor, with nobody but the silver-haired man there in front to take in the names of some soon to be patients. That is, until the silver-haired man seems to have a certain glint in his eyes when he spotted one old man covered in rags. Grinning widely, he skipped towards the old man.
That confirmed Gaara's sight. He really is skipping.
"Well sir," said the said silver-haired man, who has his arm over an old man's shoulder. "I can't help but to notice that ya' looks all nervous and stuff like that. In a rush are we?" Thought he appears to be whispering into his ear, Gaara uses his jutsus to focus on their subject of talking, listening clearly to their words and that mysterious silver-haired guy. The old man merely gasped in shock upon having the silver-haired guy's hand comes into contact with his frail shoulder in an audible 'bump' and looked up.
Grinning and wriggling his eyebrow, the silver-haired guy's ears suddenly perked up, look left and right suspiciously, and whispered into the old man's ear again. "If ya want a faster way to see our lady, it's not a problem, because I take charge here…" his chest puffed out at the mention of who's the charge, looking all proud.
The old man's eyes lit up immediately. "Really? Can you arrange my meeting with her immediately? I have urgent business to see her!"
Upon hearing that, the silver-haired guy's eyebrows knitted together, while his hand instinctively went over to the back of his head and scratched it absentmindedly. "Not really immediately, but at least it'll be faster than going through a line this long," said the silver-haired guy, hands gesturing towards the long line of sick soon-to-be patients. "I can arrange it according to how fast you want, only…" the silver-haired guy trailed his last word off and looked at the ground, pretending to be all troubled.
Impatient, the old man said, "Spit it out already young man!"
Pretending to be all shy, the silver-haired guy smiled shyly to the old man and rubbed his forefinger and thumb together, signaling the old man about the conditions, "Well, if you want it fast, the registration fees will be a tad bit-"
"SENRI!" A voice rang directly a few feet behind the silver-haired man, who jumped into the air before turning around and saluted reflexively.
"YES YOUR MAJESTY-, I mean, *cough* Yes, Hime-sama? Anything else the matter?" stuttered the silver-haired man, which earned Gaara's smirking as he saw Kaguya standing right in front of the huge door towards her manor, both hands on hips, looking all irritated with her eyebrows knitted together, forming a dangerously low V on the middle of her temple.
So adorable...Shukaku chirped in Gaara's mind.
And she's all mine…Gaara thought, admiring Kaguya from afar.
Today she is wearing a forest green silk flowing robes that reaches the floor, complete with a sleeve as long as a Kimono's sleeve. Her obi, which is a silk black color, matches the green of her silk robes and is tied and fixed right below her breast, unintentionally flaunted out her slim waist with the old traditional way of wearing it. The excessive black silk is left dangling and flowed right in front of her hips, secured with a gold mystic knot. Her attire looked very much like rippling fresh spring green water when she moves around, while the very shades of the forest green made her look exquisite and extremely delectable.
Her hair is tied up in a low bun and donned up with a peacock feathered hairpin, with silver strings of green diamonds streaming around and down the pin, sparkling brightly whenever she moves. That is when Gaara thought she looked beautiful in anything she wore…
Angrily, Kaguya marched up to the man and gave him a good long glare. Gulping, the silver-haired man sweated and tried to look away, but before he could do so, Kaguya's hand reached up and gave his right ear a good pinch and twist.
The effect is instantaneous.
"Owch-! Hime-san-! Ow-! Ah-! Wah-!"
"Exactly how many times do you want me to tell you that I accept no registration fees from the unaffordable ones and the golden aged ones! Huh?" fumed Kaguya, pulling onto Senri's ears a bit more. From Gaara's point of view, it would seems that Kaguya is trying to pull Senri's ears out of his head, and Kaguya sure looks like Temari when she was angry with Kankurou, except that Kaguya is more merciless and vicious looking.
And beautiful, Shukaku added, grinning widely when Gaara agreed silently.
"Hime-sama…" whined Senri, trying his best to look upset. He started again in a really sad tone, trailing his last words off, "Please, please…"
Kaguya was an intolerable person when it comes to cheating people and lying to others, and when someone did tried to cheat others around a possibly 1 mile around her, she'll know about it and rash actions is what comes into her head at first thought.
"Please what! Make haste! I haven't got all day to hear you whine!"
Tearing up, Senri whispered, "Please…"
"What?" starting to look concern, Kaguya said in an alarmed tone.
"My…My…" stuttered Senri. Breathing a long deep breath, Senri screamed.
"MY EARS! MY EARS ARE COMING OFF! HIME-SAMA! MY POOR EARS! THEY'RE SUFFERING! PLEASE! LET MY POOR EARS GO!"
God's have mercy. Even Gaara sweat dropped at the sight of the whining Senri.
Kaguya's face broke out into a wide generous smile at the sound of Senri's screams of comment. Pulling Senri's ears further away from his head, she released his ear with a loud "SMACK!" and giving him an eyebrow wriggle that says "I'll deal with you later." Senri nodded his head sadly with a sad pout, rubbing his sore ear.
Turning towards the large crowd, Kaguya said in a loud voice, "Everyone, please, ignore Senri, ignoreSenri." Repeating one sentence, Kaguya emphasized the 'ignore' as sternly as she could, for when Senri is in dire need of attention and cuddling, he'll do anything from puppy eyes to pulling of an extremely sad expression, to which for the records, no one could resist. "Those who still want to be checked, please get back into your respective line, thank you. For those who are here for collecting the medicines, please line up over here."
The line, slowly but miraculously, formed once again, as if nothing had happened to make the line scatter. Gaara is amazed at Kaguya's charismatic value. If she were to become my secretary, everything will go smoothly, especially the public speeches. I think the time had come for Matsuri to retire…
I totally support that, brat. Matsuri is a headache and a pain in the arse. It's such a pain having to hear her squeak and…what was that you humans like to call it…ah! Doing girly giggles around you. Goodness. Somebody needs to speak some sense to her that she just wasn't that cut out to be the woman behind your back…
I don't see you helping me with the politics either.
I don't see why I should.
I don't see why you should be making any noise then.
…
That's better. You're giving me a headache.
Gaara 111, Shukaku 59.
