Ah, I couldn't leave them apart for long, could I? XD
Just like to point out that this wasn't a planned chapter β I'd finished writing the next one, before I decided to go back and add in this instead.
I'm actually pretty happy with this chapter =D I like the Gaara/Kankuro brotherliness. It makes me happy ^^ Plus, for some reason, writing Kankuro's name amuses me...probably because I'm an idiot...
Disclaimer: They're not mine, guys. I just write here.
Reviews are good ^^ *shameless hinting*
"So, hang on...you're telling me you don't even know where this guy lives?"
"I did know, Kankuro," Gaara said through gritted teeth, fighting hard to keep his temper, "but he's obviously moved."
"Well you'd better hurry up and find him then, hadn't you?" Behind the make-up, Kankuro's face looked too amused for its own good. "I'm anxious to be properly introduced to the boy my little brother's been pining for."
"I wasn't pining." Mustn't kill him, remember he's my brother..."I just didn't feel well, that's all."
"Oh, bullshit you didn't. So that's why you've been acting all antsy ever since you came back? And why you decided to leave three days ago, in a hell of a hurry, with no explanation? You're lucky you're the Kazekage, Gaara. No one below your rank would get away with half of this stuff."
"Shut up, Kankuro!" Gaara's mood was black and getting darker by the second. "No one forced you to come along!"
"You needed protection." A shrug accompanied this reply. "And I was curious. I knew whatever you wanted to come here for, it must have been important."
"Well, now you know. So why don't you just go home?"
"What, and miss the great reunion?" Kankuro grinned. "I don't think so. Besides, I'm not exactly in a rush to pick up your slack back in Suna. Playing Kazekage isn't as much fun as it sounds, you know."
"Try doing my job," Gaara muttered, picking up the pace. He was heading for the academy, where surely somebody would know where the hell Kiba was.
***
"Inuzuka you say? Hmm...sorry, Lord Kazekage, if he's not at the family house them I'm afraid I don't know where he could be."
"Have you tried the training grounds, sir? You might be able to find him there."
"If he's moved then he could be anywhere, Kazekage-sama. I don't really have the time to keep track on chunin."
"Oh, Kiba? Sorry, Gaara-san, as far as I knew he was still living at home. Let me know if you find him, won't you?"
"Well, that was a giant waste of time," Kankuro yawned, and by this time it seemed like killing him wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
"Kankuro, you're not helping," Gaara growled, sinking down onto a bench in defeat. "Bloody hell...this is fricking ridiculous...I just wanted to see him...that shouldn't be so difficult."
His older brother sat down next to him, an expression of sympathy on his face. "I wouldn't worry, Gaara. He hasn't moved out of the village, otherwise people would know about it. We're bound to run into someone who knows where he is sooner or later."
"I hope so," Gaara sighed, resting his head in his hands. It had been a long day. Plus the air was bitterly cold β something desert ninja weren't used to, and the temperature combined with his tiredness and frustration meant that he felt ready to drop.
"You really love him, don't you?"
The Kazekage's head shot back up at this, and he was about to argue before he met Kankuro's eyes and realised that there was no point. "Yeah," he admitted instead, before managing a weak smile. "Am I really that obvious?"
"Well, Temari knows, so you must be pretty obvious," Kankuro grinned, ruffling Gaara's hair affectionately. "Ah, don't worry about it. Just don't let it interfere with your duties too much, OK?"
"I'll try. Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet. You're just lucky I'm tired. When I'm feeling better I'm going to give you hell. Come on. Let's keep looking. The sooner we find him, the sooner I canβ"
"Gaara! Hey there!"
A pink-haired Kunoichi appeared in front of them, beaming from ear to ear as she bowed politely.
"Sakura." Gaara nodded in recognition. "It's been a while."
"So what brings you to Konoha? Anything I can help with?"
The Suna nin scrutinised her for a moment. Would she jump to conclusions if he told her? Probably not β she knew that he and Kiba were friends after all, so it wasn't too weird for him to want to go and say hi.
"I'm looking for Kiba. Do you know where he is?"
"Ah, yes, I do!" Gaara's heart leapt. "Sorry, but he's off on a mission with Shino and Hinata right now. I don't know how long he'll be gone, but he probably won't be back until this evening."
"Oh." And cue mood plummeting again. "Well, thanks anyway, Sakura."
"You could always wait at Naruto's place for him, if you want. It beats sitting out here in the cold, right?"
Gaara frowned. "Why would he be at Naruto's?"
"Oh of course! You wouldn't know! He moved in there about a week ago. I'm not really sure why, but it's probably good for him to have company. He's pretty down right now. Hopefully you'll be able to cheer him up."
"I hope so." He's at Naruto's! "Thank you very much."
"No problem! Well, duty calls, but hopefully I'll see you again. Bye!"
She rushed off, leaving a delighted Gaara and an appreciative Kankuro in her wake.
"She's kind of hot," the latter pointed out.
"She's fiercer than she looks," the Kazekage told him. "Think Temari, but stronger."
"Seriously?" Kankuro was now looking after Sakura with a generous amount of terror. "Damn...well, I really hope you know where Naruto lives. Call me crazy, but I don't really fancy hanging about in the cold for hours."
***
Of course he wouldn't be home. Because that was just the way Gaara's luck was working today. And so they'd been standing here, in what were probably sub-zero temperatures, for the best part of three hours. It paid to be patient, but even ninjas have their limits.
"I can't feel my feet," Kankuro grumbled, shuffling about restlessly.
"Quit whining," Gaara told him, even though he was numb pretty much everywhere by this point. "The sun's setting. He'll be back soon."
"Will you tell him?"
He didn't need to ask what his older brother meant.
"Not if I can help it."
"How long are you planning on staying?"
"How long can I get away with?"
There was a brief silence while Kankuro considered this.
"I can probably give you two weeks. And even that will be seriously pushing it."
"It's longer than I was expecting. Really, Kankuro, thank you."
"Like I said, I'll get you back later. He seems like a good kid, though. Gutsy too, from what I remember."
"Yeah." Gaara returned his gaze to the road. "I hope he gets here soon."
"So do I," said Kankuro, stamping his feet pointedly.
So we await the Inuzuka's return...
Thank you for reading =)
