I'm working super hard to get this thing moving along. After all, we're on the eleventh chapter and Miu is still clueless about Gaara. Damn, I just wanted to take it slow, but maybe I'm dragging it out now? I don't know, tell me what you think.

Chapter Eleven


Blissfully unaware of the tension that had settled between them, Gaara plodded back to the Aburame household with his siblings. Temari was the only one who would be spending the trip with the bug clan, but it would have been rude to make her walk alone.

"Gaara…" the kunoichi said softly.

He looked at her curiously. Kankuro stood beside her, arms crossed. They didn't really look pleased or impressed with him.

"What?" he demanded, slightly defensive.

"Don't you think you should have walked with Miu instead of us?"

Momentarily, his thoughts had dwelled there, but how was he expected to do that without making it obvious. So, to save himself the awkwardness of explaining why he'd rather walk the Guardian back to the inn, he had taken the easy way out and just trailed behind his siblings.

"You were pretty chatty with Rin," Kankuro pointed out.

"So?"

"Aren't you worried somebody will get the wrong idea…. someone like Miu?" Temari pressed.

"No, I mean Rin told me she was thirty three. When I told you guys that I could maybe date an older woman, I didn't mean that much older."

Feeling he'd won the argument with those words, he made to start walking only to have Kankuro put a hand on his shoulder. Freezing at the contact, Gaara became still. His brother knew he didn't like to be touched.

"Take your hand off me."

"Fine," Kankuro muttered, the hand sliding away, "But Miu doesn't know you aren't interested in Rin. Don't you think it's possible she got the wrong idea?"

"Let's just drop Temari off and get back to the inn."

Temari stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "I don't need you to walk me back. Kankuro can take me. You are going to go back to the inn right now. Tell her you just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. Tell her you were trying to catch her changing. I don't care. Just get your ass back there now before things get worse," the blonde told him in her best don't fuck with me voice.



Knowing better than to disobey his sister, he sighed and turned away. Heading up the road in the direction they had come he ignored whatever it was Kankuro had called out as he walked off.

It was now quite dark, and he was surprised to see anyone out particularly alone. The last person he had expected to encounter was a beautiful young leaf nin. Over the years, Gaara had come to get to know the heads of the most important clans in Konoha. The Hyuugas were no different. Because of this, he'd learned a fair share about Hinata. Her sweet, determined nature and of course the world's most blantantly obvious crush. He was sure that there wasn't a person alive except Naruto who didn't know of the Hyuuga heiress feelings for him. He had also come to understand that even now, she was not allowed to go anywhere alone.

"Good evening Gaara," she greeted as he passed her.

"Good evening," he nodded, "You're out late."

"Don't tell anyone, but I snuck out."

"You snuck out?"

"Yes, I waited until I thought father was asleep and climbed out the window."

She looked very proud of this. The same kind of naïve pride in her eyes that you would see in a child who has finger painted the walls and carpet, but not the paper. It was adorable and Gaara wondered how Naruto could not have looked the girl's way sooner.

"Why did you do it?"

Hinata smiled at him widely and reached inside her jacket. Producing a letter she briefly showed it to him, than tucked it back away safely in her coat. "I've written a confession for Naruto. I heard he's out for ramen with Iruka sensei."

"You're just going to walk up and give it to him?" Gaara questioned, impressed.

She nodded a very decided look in her pearly eyes.

"Good luck."

"Thank you! I'm kind of nervous, but I'll do my best! See you tomorrow for the proclamation."

A slight incline of her head in place of a bow, and she was off. He watched her leave enviously. She had a romantic courage he did not. As if he'd be capable of just approaching Miu with a letter that declared he loved her. The idea of Hinata doing that to Naruto was cute, but him doing such a thing sounded rather ridiculous.

Besides, who said he was in love with Miu? It could just be hormones or something, right?

'A little old to be blaming things on hormones, aren't you?' mocked the voice in his head.



"Shut up," he grumbled out loud before continuing his journey onward to the inn.

The innkeeper informed him of the room occupied by the Sacreds and he slowly ascended the short staircase. Looking to the brass numbers for guidance, he found their room. Swallowing his nerves, he raised a fist and rapped lightly upon the wood.

"Who is there?" said the voice he recognized as Rin.

"Gaara."

"Come in."

He obeyed and opened the door. Rin was the first he seen, she placed a finger to her lips implying he should keep quiet.

Shutting the door gently behind himself, he entered the room. Tomomi was sprawled on one of three beds looking to be in a very deep sleep.

The second bed contained Miu. She rested above the covers, an apprentice held tight under each arm in an almost motherly fashion. The image invoked a more primitive urge within him. She looked so peaceful as she slept.

Still, she slept, which would mean there could be no confession of whatever the feelings he had were to be called tonight. Probably for the best, as he wasn't the romantic type to begin with, unlike Hinata.

Slowly, he raised his index and middle finger of his right hand to massage the corresponding temple. This whole thing was nothing more than an unwanted and unnecessary mess. This woman surely didn't actually want to be with him on any level, let alone some sort of intimate relationship. He was being foolish and naïve. That much was clear to him.

"Are you ill?"

Pulled from his thoughts, Gaara realized Rin was still in the room and fully conscious. The simple question seemed out of place when she spoke it, but seemed genuine enough. Feeling awkward, he sighed an apology and muttered about stress before excusing himself. She didn't ask anything further, a small grace he was thankful for.

A short few moments later, he was standing on the street once more. Unable to face the reality of his own personal situation, he determined he should at least review his proclamation again. It was silly to worry so much over the document. It was truly only a formality that cultivated from the peace and alliance already draped over the two villages. Still, it was a distraction.

Pacing the streets alone, he quietly recited the declaration over and over again.



"… chunin exams… noblest aspirations for peace to evolve into a practical reality for future generations in our two allied villages… now, therefore, as Kazekage of the village of Suna, hidden in the sand… hereby proclaim peace… "

Knowing that he looked like a madman, but used to it and due to that, not caring, he continued his slow walk, mumbling to himself the entire time. Anyone who thought poorly of him now would understand at noon tomorrow, when they made everything official. Having written the proclamation on his own, he now worried how it sounded. It was more than he'd like to say, but it would be bad manners to give a short speech. Temari said it was fine. Not very long, but sufficient. Did it sound silly? He opened with something of a thank you and a memory.

Growling loudly, he glared down at the dirt as though it were to blame for his troubles. This was ridiculous. He never thought this was what it meant to be Kazekage. He thought it would show people that he was strong and worthy of their praise, that their fear would become respect. That his name would be honoured and maybe they could lock his filthy past away.

However, it had truly turned out to be about paperwork, crafty wording, shifty deals, and loopholes. It hadn't taken Gaara long to decide that he hated politics. Sometimes he envied the animals. Kill or be killed was so much simpler than "make peace with these people, form an allegiance here, secretly prepare for the day someone dishonours the treaty…" and so forth. Perhaps that was why he was only just making the bond between this village and his own official.

Perhaps it was why he had yet to even attempt to make any sort of arrangement with another village…

Stopping, he looked about him and discovered he had come full circle and arrived back at the inn. This was outlandish. All that pacing and his only revelation was that he disliked his position and had severe trust issues. Something he likely could have figured out just as easily sitting down.

Now he was exhausted and frustrated. Maybe it was time to rest.

Grumbling the whole while, he wandered into the inn and up to the room he was sharing with Kankuro.

His brother was already making good use of the facilities. Stretched out, spread eagle, above the covers in just his underwear on one bed, Kankuro snored peacefully.

Gaara wondered if he could handle the pain of gouging out his own eyes with a few of the cheap toothpicks from the top of the room's mini fridge. He went against it and climbed into his own bed with just his pants on. He would humiliate his brother for such atrocious sleeping habits another time.

So this is a short chapter, but I had a really hard time putting the thoughts and feelings into words. I thought I would end it off with something a little funny… Not sure if anyone else thinks it's funny, but I do, so nyah! Also, Gaara's full speech will be in the next chapter – I already have it written – and it's a little bit Winston Churchill's The Sinew's of Peace and a touch of United Nation's Proclamation of Peace. No worries though, it's nowhere near as long as Churchill's address. Fairly short actually.

DLH