Blossom in the Wind
Chapter 8: The Truth…
Ok. So, we left off at Gaara and Naruto fixing to have, a little what I like to call, a bad conversation. Well, in my eyes, sort of. In yours, not so much. Well, I had to redo this chapter a lot to make sure the right things were said at the right time. So, yeah. It was very hard to do so please enjoy and don't scream at me, ok? Alright. Get're Done!
Naruto stood at the edge of his bed, while Kankuro checked Gaara's bandages. Shikamaru stood near the doorway, leaning against the wall, while Kiba was sitting at Gaara's desk and Choji was standing next to Kiba, leaning against the chair. Kakashi stood behind Kankuro with Lee on the other side of Gaara's bed. Gaara hated having so many people in his room, especially with people that he hardly ever talked with. He wouldn't have minded if it was just Kankuro, Naruto and maybe Kakashi, but this was just pushing it.
Gaara sighed, but hissed in pain when Kankuro tore off the old bandages. "Ow! Damn it, Kankuro. Are you trying to make it hurt?" Gaara asked, while Kankuro just smirked at him. Gaara growled in his throat, but he stopped when he noticed Naruto giving him his, 'Pay attention' look.
Gaara groaned as he could feel that Naruto's questions were going to involve him answering about his visit with Sakura. "Gaara," Naruto began. "I need to know how the Akatsuki found you. If you can provide any proof at all that they attacked you then." He said, leaning on his side. Gaara grunted and ushered Naruto to look at him.
"Look at me. No one has done this much damage to me since I was 15 and that was only because I didn't want Temari to get hurt so I took the blow for her. If this doesn't scream 'It's all your fault!' then I don't know what does." Gaara said, grumbling something underneath his breath.
Naruto sighed and shook his head. Kakashi shook his head and closed his book. "Listen, Gaara. You being injured won't give Naruto the right provisions to blame Pein for this. They'll deny it and try and turn it around on you. So far, the information that Shikamaru and I have dug up on them is very scrutiny, but we don't have enough proof to completely zero them out. All the gangs are going to be having a little get together, which rarely ever happens and that's why Naruto is asking you if you have any proof that they did this to you." Kakashi explained, seeing Gaara sighed and shook his head.
Shikamaru heaved a sighed and pinched his brow. "Man, this just got even more troublesome. When's the meeting, Naruto?" He asked, seeing Naruto's eyes shut in irritation.
"In three weeks. But I have a meeting with Pein next Tuesday, which I'm not looking forward to. But, if Gaara can at least produce some kind of evidence that the Akatsuki did this to him, I could cancel the meeting with him and wait for the meeting with the rest of the gang leaders and try and force the Akatsuki out." Naruto said as he began to pace back and forth.
Gaara felt bad, him being the only one that can probably end this and then everything would go back to normal, or close to normal, with Sakura part of their group now. He tried to think back on the events that lead to his fight with Sasori. First, he went to Sakura's apartment, had dinner with her, then Deidara attacked him, drawing him away from Sakura. Then when he was done with Deidara he went after Sasori. Wait! The note that he left him that he had Sakura. His handwriting.
"Wait!" Gaara said, pointing to his pants that lay on the floor. Kiba picked them up and handed them to him. He quickly searched through his pockets, finding the small note and handed it to Naruto. "He left this on her counter, when I finished off the other one, when he told me with his last breath that they always travel in pairs. It's in his handwriting. That's proof enough and that's all I have." Gaara said, seeing Naruto smile at him.
"This is perfect, Gaara. This is enough to have the rest of the gang leaders to rise against them. Is there anything else that you can remember? Anything at all?" Naruto asked, seeing Gaara reluctantly nodded.
"What else, Gaara?" Lee asked, eager than ever to here his answer.
"I fought…. Sasori." He finally said. Kankuro froze, staring at Gaara in shock.
"You what? You fought Sasori?" Kankuro asked, nearly screaming at him.
"Who the heck is Sasori?" Kiba asked. Watching Kakashi close his book again.
"Sasori is Gaara's, Kankuro's, and Temari's cousin. They thought he did in an accident, but it seems that if he was the one that fought Gaara, then we have to assume that he apart of the Akatsuki and no doubt that he's dead. Seeing Gaara's conditions and the fact that we found him nearly close to death, I would have to guess that he is not dead either." Kakashi inquired
Gaara sighed, hearing Kakashi's theory, knowing he was right. He knew that the implosion of the sand didn't react before it hit the water. Even when the sand is under water, a partial of it has to be dry enough for the Sand Coffin to take affect to even crush his arms at least. Being that if he was inside his puppet. He'll have to ask Kankuro later.
He looked to Naruto, who was rubbing his chin. "So, what do we do? Do we just ignore them until the meeting?" Gaara asked, hoping that he would at least give Gaara some hope.
Naruto nodded. "Yes. We ignore them, but keep a close eye on their operations. Kakashi." He said, pointing at Kakashi, who nodded. "I want you to take Shikamaru, Shino, when he gets back, and Ino with you and scout the north side and then check in with Neji and the others in jail. Since they don't suspect you and you are one of them, they won't refuse you. But, be sure that no one is listening to your conversation." Naruto said.
Kakashi nodded. "You got it. Shikamaru, lets go and pick up Ino. I don't want to be out until seven in the morning. God it's already five in the morning." He looked over at Gaara and smiled. "Get some rest, Gaara. You deserve it." With that, he left with Shikamaru close behind him.
When he finally dozed off, after everyone left, he just sat up and grabbed his book and began to read. Every time he would read Poe's work, he would feel as if he was in his poems or stories. The emotion of fear just sucked him in, not for his fear, but for the character or situation that would bring about utterly terrible doom. The way he described the madness of Usher's condition when the storm rolled in and him freaking out, hearing his sister screaming mad for him, to kill him. Personally, he thought Usher was just over exaggerating everything that went on in the house. Him thinking that the house was trying to kill him and such. But, it still made him wonder, if anything abstract such as a house could drive someone so insane to the point of believing that the house itself was out to kill them.
He shook his head as he continued. Only to stop again, hearing a small knock on his door. He sighed. "Come in." he said, placing his book.
He thought he told everyone that he wanted to be alone for a while and try and get some sleep. Before he could even yell, he saw Sakura, holding her book she had in her apartment. She looked completely destroyed. What happened?
He immediately, rushed to her side and embraced her, resting his chin on top of her head. "What's wrong?" He whispered into her hair.
He could feel her dig her face into his chest. Gaara pulled away slightly, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "Sakura, what's wrong?" He asked again. She shook her head.
"My apartment, everything was destroyed. I don't even have any clothes left to wear. They were all torn up and my kitchen is just a mess. I got nothing, Gaara. All of my things from my mother was in there. And now they're gone." She said, before crying into his chest.
He hugged her again. She was crying for her mothers things. The last mementos that she had received from her were now destroyed because of him. He felt guilt build up in him. If she never met him, she wouldn't be in this. She wouldn't have lost so much. His grip tightened on her as his guilt continued to eat at him.
"I'm sorry. This is my fault. If you had never had met me, you wouldn't be in this mess. You would be asleep right now, ready to get up to another day in your normal life that you don't have anymore because of me. Everything would be better if you never met me." He said, releasing her and moving away. He could feel her trying to reach out to him, but he moved further away from her.
"Gaara, if anything were to happen, to change my life, I'm glad it's you. I'm so happy I met you. Honestly, before I met you, was so upset and depressed. I thought that there was not a moment that went by that had happiness in it, and when I went to the park, I thought that there was no way I could be happy, but then you came and I felt like my spirit woke up inside, by your voice." She said, taking hold of his hand, pulling him to her.
Gaara was too shocked by her words to even look at her, so he didn't notice her lean in close to him, capturing his lips. At first, he didn't respond, but his heart screamed to take it and he did. Wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. She moaned into his touch, feeling his hands finally travel down her back and sides.
He broke away to see her smiling at him. He was about to lean in for another kiss, when another knock came at his door. Every damn time! Gaara thought. He sighed as he went to answer it, seeing Temari, again, her smiling and waving at Sakura.
"What is it, Temari?" He asked in a cold tone. He watched her smirk and turned her attention to Sakura. "We got your things all set up. Come and check it out." She said, having Gaara open up the door more for Sakura to leave.
When Temari left to Sakura's room, which was right down the hall, she stopped to look up at him. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Go." He said. "You know where to find me." And with that, she smiled and hurried down to her room.
Tada! Phew! That was hard. Oh well, hope you guys enjoyed it. See ya till next time.