Oh my Gaara, I'm sorry it took so long to update this. ; A; The internet at my dorms went out and it was TERRIBLE. /sobs/ Anyways, got two reviews for that last chapter. Thank you my anonymous benefactor and koodori-mayonaka-hana! As for your question, Hana-san, you'll be seeing some of that in later chapters. ;D Hang off your seat no longer!
I give you... DUN DUN DUUUUUNNN... Chapter 10!
The world seemed to stop at that moment. My jaw slackened in shock as Nanaki's scream echoed through the air. I looked up at Nanaki and Gaara, still floating in the air with sand.
Gaara's eyes were wide as Nanaki struggled against the sand surrounding her. Instantly, the sand dissipated its grasp and reformed, holding her gently on a large cushion. Masaru raced over as the Jinchuriki lowered them to the ground gently.
I stood a bit shakily and made my way over as fast as I could, stumbling a bit along the way. Masaru made it to Nanaki first, opening his arms as the sand gently lowered her into them. Gaara reached the ground as well, sitting down instantly with his gourd leaning against him.
I stumbled up to Nanaki, "Nana-chan..!" Masaru held her gently, but firmly, enough to keep her from moving around too much.
She looked up at me, wincing slightly, and smiled, "This is nothing! Remember when-" She bit her lip and hissed from the pain as she suddenly shifted.
Laughing softly, I pat her good shoulder, "Yeah, yeah. 'Remember when we did these things we never actually did?' I know the drill, Nana-chan." I winked and smiled up at Masaru, who nodded.
"I'm taking you to the hospital, Nanaki. No complaining," he turned and walked away with her, making sure she didn't move around too much.
I heard her groan in contempt, "But Masa-kuuuuuun…"
"I said no complaining," He held his ground.
"… Fine… But my hospital room better be filled with flowers!"
I listened until I couldn't hear their bickering anymore. Looking over at Gaara, I noticed he hadn't moved from his seat.
I walked over and sat next to him, "She'll be fine, Gaara-san. Nanaki can handle whatever's thrown at her." I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my head on them, watching Gaara. There were small shallow cuts on his cheeks and arms from Nanaki's sai.
He kept his eyes down to the desert sand, "I lost control…" His emotions were hard to decipher, like always, but I caught a hint of distress in his words. "She reminds me of someone I once fought."
I raised a brow slightly, "Nana-chan? Who does she remind you of?" I thought about Gaara's file, mentally flipping through the pages. Names flashed through my mind: Yashamaru, his uncle whom he killed, Rock Lee, a Konoha ninja, Uchiha Sasuke, a defected Konoha ninja, Uzumaki Naruto, who changed Gaara for the better, Kaguya Kimimaro, an Oto ninja under the control of Orochimaru.
"Rock Lee… In the Chunin exams… I shattered his left arm and leg," he paused for a few moments, then continued, "Kaneyama is… similar to him."
Rock Lee. The report Baki filed in Gaara's file stated he lost against Gaara in the preliminary matches of the Chunin exams. Having broken both Lee's left arm and leg, Gaara had almost guaranteed Lee would never be able to be a ninja again. Tsunade, one of the Konoha Sanin and now the Godaime Hokage, had managed to heal Lee's arm and leg.
Owing a debt to Konoha, Gaara felt he needed to repay Lee and the village by participating in the Uchiha Sasuke Retrieval mission. There was where he fought Kimimaro with Lee at his side.
I laughed softly, "Rock Lee? Gaara-san, you didn't jeopardize Nana-chan being a ninja. A collar bone is nothing to get worked up over." It was true. Ninja came back from missions with wounds worse than shattered collar bones and were completely capable of returning to being a ninja a few weeks later.
He didn't say anything. I looked at the pile of sliced leather straps and cloth next to Gaara's gourd, "If anything, Gaara-san, Nana-chan owes you something to keep your gourd on!" I grinned and watched his reaction.
He looked at me from the corner of his eyes. Was that a smile? I wasn't sure, but I'd take it as one. It wasn't every day you saw Sabaku no Gaara smile.
"Do you want to come to the flower shop with me? I heard Nana-chan say she wanted flowers in her hospital room before Masa-kun took her to there," I stood and brushed the sand off my clothes. I probably smelled like sweat and sand, but friends before hygiene, I always said.
He also stood. Suddenly, his entire gourd started crumbling into sand. I supposed that dragging it around would be useless. The sand floated in the air and travelled towards the village, in a direction that I assumed was the Kazekage mansion, where Gaara lived.
He picked up the pile of leather and cloth and threw it over his shoulder, then nodded towards me.
"First, we have to get those cuts of yours cleaned up. If they got infected, I don't think you'd be very happy about it," I walked up next to him and motioned it was time to go. I looked back at where Baki was. He was gone.
As we walked to the village, I decided I'd try and pry into what Gaara thought of this Rock Lee person. Putting my hands behind my head, I asked, "Do you consider Lee your friend, Gaara-san? He forgave you for the Chunin exam incident, didn't he?"
The red-head nodded, "Yes… He taught me to fight harder for the people you… care about."
"Do you have any important people, Gaara-san?" I inquired, still walking in pace with him; we were close to the village gates now. I was genuinely curious about who he considered "important" in his life.
He thought for a few seconds, "Temari and Kankuro, as well as my friends…" Family and friends was always a good starting point.
"I'm positive they care for you as well, Gaara-san," I smiled as we walked through the West Gates. An herbal shop next to a private greenhouse was to our left, "Ah! Wait right here Gaara-san. I'll be right back."
I jogged into the shop, looked through the racks of medicines, and picked up a tube of antibiotic ointment. After paying, I jogged back out, "Here, Gaara-san. This may sting a little…"
I squeezed some out onto my finger, it was a clear gel. Gently, I smeared it onto the small gash on his cheek, then on the few cuts on his arms. His skin was soft, not rough and grainy like I expected. Putting the cap back on the tube, I put it into my back pouch for later use, "Does it hurt?"
He blinked a few times, "It… tickles…"
I blinked. Suddenly, I busted out laughing, doubling over and holding my sides. I doubted Gaara would understand why I thought his comment was so funny, but I couldn't help but laugh. After a minute or two, I calmed down, sighing contently. I needed a good laugh every once in a while.
Gaara just stared. I felt my cheeks heat up, "S-Sorry, Gaara-san. I just didn't expect you to say that…" I shuffled my feet, embarrassed by my behavior, "We should get to the flower shop, though. Nana-chan is probably waiting."
I kept my head down as we continued on our way to the flower shop. It wasn't too far from the hospital, and was full of brightly colored flowers from all over, including Sunagakure and imports from Konoha.
I grinned as I skipped inside, Gaara followed warily. "What kind of flowers should we get her, Gaara-san?" I asked, and twirled in the middle of the shop. It smelled of peace inside the shop, the complete harmony of scents from every flower was calming and cheerful.
He glanced around a few times, then pointed at a yellow chrysanthemum, "That one?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Gaara-san, do you secretly love Nana-chan? That's what that flower means." I swore I saw a small blush creep up on his cheeks, though that might have been the slight gleam of light off the ointment.
He shook his head quickly, I giggled, "Here, I'll help you." Looking around, I skipped about the shop, picking a few flowers here and there until two entire bouquets were in my arms. One was filled with blue Hyacinths, white Tulips and a couple pink roses, the other consisted of yellow Yarrow, purple Zinnias and a few white Stephanotis.
"Yours is this one," I motioned to the first bouquet, "and mine is the other." Smiling, I brought them to the counter, "I'll get them, Gaara-san." I noticed he was reaching into his pocket, presumably for his wallet.
The hostess remembered me immediately, I had visited here plenty times before, "Oh, Toshiko-chan! It's so nice to see you agai-" She stopped mid sentence as she noticed Gaara behind me. I glared at her; there would be none of that attitude towards Gaara. She knew my name, and for once, I was thankful for having such a position within the Sunagakure political system.
"-n. W-Who is this, Toshiko-chan?" The hostess smiled forcefully, which I considered a step in the right direction.
"This is Gaara-san. We're buying flowers for someone in the hospital," I smiled and pulled out my money to pay for the bouquets.
"O-Oh. That's nice. Pleasure to meet you, Gaara-san… Here is your change, Toshiko-chan," She handed my change back.
"Thank you!" I grabbed the bouquets and headed for the door, "Let's go, Gaara-san…" The red-head was right on my heels.
We were on our way to the hospital, finally, in silence, which I started getting used to a while back ever since training with Gaara.
"What do those flowers mean?" I almost tripped from the shock of Gaara's question. Regaining my balance, I looked over at him. He was looking at me curiously.
I blinked, "Of the bouquets?" He nodded.
"Both of them, you mentioned the one meant something… Do they all have meanings?" He must have been talking about the yellow Chrysanthemum I told him was for secret admirers.
"Oh! Yes, most of them do." I started with the bouquet I picked out for him, pointing out each one as I went, "The blue ones are Hyacinths, which mean 'I'm sorry,' the white Tulips mean you're asking for forgiveness, and the pink roses are for friendship."
I moved onto my bouquet, "These are Yarrow. I'm wishing her good health. The purple ones are Zinnias, which mean that her friends are thinking of her, and the white ones are Stephanotis. They're for good luck."
Gaara stared at the two bouquets as we walked, "Does she know what they all mean?"
I giggled, "Probably not, but it's the thought that counts, right? My mother likes flowers a lot, so she taught me all of the meanings for them."
He nodded just as we reached the hospital. I found out what room Nanaki was in and we made our way there.
Masaru was sitting in a chair by the window overlooking the village while Nanaki was passed out sleeping in the bed, her arm in a sling. Masaru looked up as we entered, "They gave her something while they set the bone; it knocked her out pretty quickly."
There were two vases set up by the window already filled with water. Masaru must have figured I would take Gaara to the flower shop. I put the flowers in their respective vases and arranged them so they looked decent, "How long will she be out of commission?"
"Doc said about 8 weeks. She was pretty bummed, but said she finally got to take a long needed break," Masaru smiled warmly.
I looked around the room once again, stopping at a pad of paper and a pen sitting on the night stand, "Well, that's not too bad…" I wrote a quick note for Nanaki, wishing her a quick healing process and wonderful break. I then signed my name carefully; I had plenty of practice at the Council.
I ripped the piece free from the pad and placed it neatly into my bouquet of flowers, "Would you like to write something, Gaara-san? I'm sure Nana-chan will appreciate-" I looked over to see Gaara already scribbling away. I smiled softly.
I wonder what Nanaki will think when she wakes up.
Awwwww. What a cute couple. I love them so much. 3 Tell me what you guys think! Reviews, please?