Here you go! Sorry about the delay. I've been sick again, which is really irritating -sigh- Anyways, I've basically been sleeping my entire life away, so I lost track of time XD Here you go!
Disclaimer: Remember, I don't own.
I winced as Yukio jumped on my bed, jolting my injured leg. "Hasu-chan! I missed you." Yukio squeaked, and I grinned at him.
"I missed you too, Yukio." I said with a grin.
"Yukio." Temari's stern voice summoned the boys attention to the doorway. "Let your sister rest. Come on and help me." Temari said sternly, and I smiled inwardly as Yukio pouted. She was acting like his mother, and it made me want to laugh.
"Go on." I ushered him. "Before she gets mad." I added, and Yukio immediately jumped off the bed.
"I'll see you soon!" Yukio said as he waved, dashing out of the room and closing the door behind him.
"Sheesh... He's just a tornado of energy." I said with a smile towards Gaara, who went unnoticed as he stood in the corner of the room opposite to me, watching me carefully. It the afternoon, a few hours after we'd returned from the meeting. We'd planned war in sessions, and I was in charge of picking the proper people per platoon along side Gaara. We'd just returned from a second Kage meeting that was held in Kumogakure. "Alright... What is it you wanted to say?" I asked him curiously.
"I want you to join the council." Gaara said calmly, and I blinked at him in surprise before biting my lip.
"Gaara... I think you're putting too much trust in me for the village's liking... I've been a shinobi of two other Hidden Villages before Suna... This much trust in me could seem dangerous." I said hesitantly.
"We are in a five country alliance. No one will try anything... After the Akatsuki incident, most of the village has accepted you. Most importantly, I want you on the advisory council." Gaara said emotionlessly, but I read the affection in his words.
"All right... I suppose I will.. But I'm young. Younger then Kankurou. I'll be the youngest person on there." I said with a sigh. "Oh well. I will survive." I said with a light smile, beckoning Gaara over with one arm. He approached the side of the bed, and I inched to the side of the large bed. Gaara hesitated before he laid down beside me, on top of the sheets, putting his arm around my shoulders. His face remained free of all emotion, but I knew from his eyes he was happy. I leaned against him, pressing my head against his chest. "I love you, Gaara." I said quietly.
"And I, you." Gaara answered emotionlessly. I leaned into him, and he lowered his arms from my shoulders, wrapping them around my waist and pulling me against him. I smiled, thrilled that the ever-stoic Gaara would show me so much affection.
"Baki will lead one of the close range platoons, as he's skilled in melee and close range fighting. Kankurou will lead the second of the two puppeteer platoons, as well." I said from my seat in the council. "Also, Temari will be leading one of the long range platoons."
"Are you sure you want such young and inexperienced shinobi leading a platoon?" One of the other council members, Ryûsa questioned sternly.
"While they are young and have less experience in battle, they are experienced in leadership and have skill. Kankurou is one of the best puppeteers Suna has, so I believe he will lead well. Temari is strong and a very good leader who will not hesitate to do what is needed to win this war. She is a good choice." I said calmly.
"I agree." Jôseki said with a nod of approval.
"As do I..." Gôza said gruffly while the others nodded their agreements. Finally, Ryûsa nodded his agreement as well.
"Alright... Also, I believe you, Kazekage-sama, should fight at the head of the platoons." I said, quickly raising my hand for silence as I knew the others would immediately protest. "Allow me to explain." I said calmly, lowering my hand, pleased to hear no interruptions. "While it may seem easier for you to be left unprotected in that case, Kazekage-sama, you would be able to fight without worrying about hurting anyone in the platoons like you would if you fought from behind everyone." I explained calmly.
"Also, Baki's platoon will fight along side you, offering you impressive amounts of defense. On top of this, with you fighting on the front lines, you'd be able to defend everyone behind you easier if necessary." I added with a frown.
"But he would be open to attacks!" Sajô shouted immediatly.
"She's right, Sajô. I would give my life to protect Kazekage-sama, as would my platoon." Baki said calmly.
"Be that as it may, it would be incredibly risky! If we were to pick this action, your successor would need to be picked before battle." Jôseki said with a frowned, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You speak as though he cannot protect himself, and that we cannot protect him. Do you really lack that much faith?" I said, my voice stressed with suppressed anger.
"No, he is correct." Gaara interrupted emotionlessly. "I should pick a successor in the first place, just in case I fall anytime during this war. In fact, all the Kage's should. I will pick my successor before battle, but for now... I agree with Hasu's plan so far. I'm not certain my brother is the best choice to lead a platoon with his temper, but she is right. He's one of the most skilled puppeteers, and I have faith in his ability."
"...All right." Gôza said hesitantly.
"Also, I will speak with all the chosen platoon leaders to determine who is best fit in each platoon and who under. It's a good idea to get people who work well together in the same area." Baki said calmly, and I nodded.
"I will need the results immediately, and from there I will look into each shinobi to determine their placements and duties within the platoon. May I be granted access to the personal files?" I asked, turning my head to Gaara.
"Yes. However, keep it to the listen shinobi only." Gaara said emotionlessly, though I knew he was just adding that to ease the others worries, as he had faith in me. I nodded my agreement to his conditions.
"I believe we should send one shinobi to each hidden village in the alliance. That way we can completely trust the information sent in." Ryûsa suggested calmly.
"Do you believe they would try to do something in these times?" Sajô asked worriedly.
"I doubt it, but I'd rather be safe then sorry." Jôseki said with a frown.
"While I don't believe they would do something, I agree." Gôza added.
"I trust Konoha and Kumo, though I worry about Iwa and Kiri... The Tsuchikage wasn't entirely pleased with this alliance, and might try something, and Kirigakure has never been entirely trustworthy." Ryûsa said with a glance towards me. I frowned, wondering if anyone but the siblings could know about my origins before Konoha.
"I agree. Though the new Mizukage seems to be trustworthy enough, it's better to be safe." I said calmly. "We can't spare our better Jounin's, though... Who is trustworthy enough to be sent?" I asked with a frown.
"I suggest my assistants." Baki said, and I frowned at him. "They could be sent to Kiri, Tsuchi, and Kumo. I believe Temari should be sent to Konoha." Baki said.
"If she is to lead a platoon, is it wise to keep her in another village?" Gôza asked with a worried frown.
"Don't worry about that. I will send messages of updates on battle plans every few days, and will go there in person to tell her the major things." I said calmly, Gôza nodding his approval.
"What about you, Namichi-san?" Ryûsa asked, and I frowned at him.
"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.
"What role will you be playing in the battle?" Ryûsa rephrased his question.
"I'm not certain yet. My powers are built for long distance, but I have two other options I could take. I could fight close range and offer Kazekage-sama more defense, but I could also stay out of the battle all together and protect the medics so they can heal without fearing attacks." I said calmly, frowning thoughtfully still. "What are your opinions on the matter?" I asked the entire council, including Gaara.
"I believe you should start out fighting with a long distance platoon, preferably Temari's as you two work well together. From there, if either I or the medics need help, aide whoever needs it." Gaara said emotionlessly, the council members nodding their agreement.
"Sounds reasonable. What about your brother?" Ryûsa questioned, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"What about him?" I asked with a growl of warning in my voice.
"I understand Baki has taught him long distance jutsu's... Shouldn't he be apart of the battle?" He inquired calmly.
"If... it is decided that he should join, which I highly protest against as he's weak physically, then he will fight at my side at all times." I said, my eyes narrowed dangerously. "Also, if Temari happens to be in Konoha when we go into battle, I will lead her platoon myself, so I won't be able to go help the medics or Gaara in that case." I said with a sigh.
"That's enough for today." Gaara said emotionlessly. "Baki, get the platoons designed and then Hasu will assist you with organizing the shinobi. Dismissed." Gaara said before standing and leaving. I sighed, standing to leave as well when Ryûsa approached me. I paused in my steps, letting the other council members leave. He stayed silent until the last person left, closing the door behind him and leaving the two of us alone in the room. Aware of this, I stayed on my guard just in case.
"Yes?" I asked him calmly.
"I was approached yesterday by a woman who has a grudge against you." Ryûsa said calmly, and I frowned at him.
"Oh? And what did she want?" I inquired, my voice unchanging and emotionless.
"She wanted me to hurt you." Ryûsa said, watching me. "You don't seem surprised... Well, I refused her offer, and she left... Not before telling me a few things about your past. I need to know, Hasu. Are you on our side, or are your loyalties undecided?"
"Ryûsa, I thank you for giving me enough respect to come to me directly... I will tell you this right now. I hate the shinobi of Kirigakure so much that even if I was ordered to go there, I would refuse... Even if it risked my career as a shinobi, I wouldn't go there. The day I left Kiri, I was told that I would never be allowed within their gates again. Frankly, I don't care. I never want to see Kirigakure again, nor it's shinobi. Also, I left Konoha to come here. There is where my loyalty lies now, simple as that." I said calmly, and Ryûsa nodded.
"Damn it!" I yelled in frustrastion as I slammed the folder shut.
"What is it?" Gaara asked calmly from across the table.
"This is highly irritating, Gaara. Most of our fighters are mid to close range, leaving our long distance fighting to Temari and the puppeteers platoons. Look at this... We have six platoons. That's all. Forty-two people per platoon, we have... Two-hundred, fifty-two shinobi capable of fighting. Three platoons long range, two mid range, and one close range platoon. Baki will lead the close range, Ryûsa and Otokaze will lead the mid range... Kankurou, Temari, and Ebizu-sama will lead the three long range." I said with a sigh.
"Most of the council members are fighting in Ryûsa's platoon. We'll need to keep them well protected, so I'll aim to have most of the council members in the center positions of the platoon. The medics will be stationed as far from the battle as any injured can be expected to go. I'll have to find a way to be able to see them, but I worry that the enemy will also see them and may try something." I said, chewing my bottom lip.
"Also, we'll be fighting bijuu. It's highly likely that less then half the shinobi will come out of this fight, for all the villages." I sighed, running my hand through my hair, which I was wearing loose again. "We need to find a safe place to hide the citizens. It would be worse then foolish to keep them in the village during the battles... Also, this is war." I said, looking at Gaara seriously. "It won't just be one fight..." I blinked, narrowing my eyes thoughtfully.
"What is it...?" Gaara asked, watching me intently.
"I'm worried... I just thought of something. What if Madara can control multiple bijuu a long distance apart?" I asked with a frown.
"You are worried he might be able to attack all the villages at once, when they're on their own?" Gaara guessed emotionlessly, and I nodded. "I doubt it. If even just one bijuu is destroyed, his plan wouldn't be able to succeed."
"That was the second thing I thought of." I said seriously. "I think we need to find the weakest Bijuu and take them out if Madara is really going to fight with them. I think Shukaku would be the weakest, but with the sand manipulation... Gaara, it's likely Madara will set Shukaku to fight our forces, since he can counter your sand and overpower it. You shared a body with the bijuu for sixteen years... Can we beat him?" I asked seriously. Gaara frowned at me with an otherwise expressionless face for many moments of silence.
"I believe it's a possibility... However, you cannot fight him." Gaara said finally, and I blinked at him.
"Why not?" I asked, confused.
"One." Gaara said, holding up a finger while still expressionless. "Glass is made of sand. He could very easily shift it back to that state before you can even get an attack him, giving him more power and sand to use. Two." He held up another finger, but he paused at the grin spreading across my face.
"Gaara... I just got an idea." I said, grinning at him. He raised a non-existent eyebrow at me, waiting for me to explain. "Well... I can create glass out of nothing but pure chakra, but it's really glass... Glass infused with chakra." I said, my smile widening as I spoke. "If Shukaku can turn it to sand, so can you... turn it to sand infused with chakra." I saw Gaara's eyes light up with understanding though his expression remained stoic. "Which means, it would be as easy to use as the sand you carry in your gourd. Which means, I can give you an endless supply of your chakra infused sand with hardly any exertion!" I finished as I jumped to my feet. Gaara stood up as I walked around the table to him, throwing my arms around his neck.
He set his hands on my hips as he looked at me, allowing a small, almost nonexistent and invisible smile to form on his face as he looked at me. In that moment, I was overcome with a sudden desire, pressing my lips against him. He kissed back with equal emotion, though his face didn't show it, and I parted my lips for him. In a swirl of sand, we disappeared, reappearing in Gaara's bedroom.
I rolled over under the soft sheets, resting my head and forearm on Gaara's bare chest. I can't believe he would do that with me... I thought happily as I laid there, completely relaxed. The entire time we made love, Gaara's face was expressionless and never changing... It was his eyes that showed his emotion, and I was perfectly fine with that, because I knew I was the only one he looked at like that. I was thrilled that he loved me, even more so that we'd taken the relationship to this step, even if it had hurt me a bit at first.
I was beyond overjoyed that Gaara loved me so much, to the point that my heart throbbed when I wasn't able to hug him, or smile at him. I didn't want our relationship to be obvious due to my history with the other villages, since it could cause him trouble. I knew he didn't care, but I didn't want him to get trouble for it. "I love you." I breathed out as I laid my head and arm against his chest still. I felt his fingers lightly play with my hair.
"I love you as well, Hasu." Gaara said in a calm voice that otherwise lacked emotion. "...I think I am going to move into the room in the Kazekage building that is supposed to be the Kazekage's sleeping quarters." Gaara said after a moment, and I blinked. I put one arm on either side of his chest, bracing myself with my elbows as I lifted my upper body just enough to meet his eyes. "I refused to move into the sleeping quarters before as that was where my father lived..."
"Why do you want to now?" I asked him with a frown.
"I to have more time to myself..." Gaara said emotionlessly, trailing off. I could tell from how he looked at me that he was hesitating.
"What is it?" I asked him softly.
"I want you to come with me." Gaara said expressionlessly, though he redirected his gaze to the side, as though he was worried I'd say no.
"You... Want me to move in with you?" I asked him with a frown, and he nodded, still avoiding meeting my eyes. "..Are you sure that's a good idea, Gaara? Don't get me wrong, I would love that... I want that." I said quickly, and Gaara looked at me with a frown. "I'm just worried about what everyone else will think. I don't want them to believe I was only placed on the council because I share a bed with you, Gaara." I said hesitantly, my bare upper body still hovering a small amount over his, our abdomens touching.
"Hasu, does it matter what they think?" Gaara said emotionlessly. "We're going into a war with a twenty percent chance of coming out of, you said it yourself." Gaara said, still having no expression. "There's a good chance we won't have another opportunity, Hasu..." He said, still without emotion though his eyes were soft as they burned into my own.
"Gaara..." I whispered as small tears pricked at my eyes. "I'll move with you. I love you, and if you asked, I'd probably marry you without a second thought. You're right. Now is no time for hesitation, because time could very well be running out..." I said, kissing him gently. After a moment, we pulled apart.
"I'm glad." Gaara said truthfully, though his voice was void of emotion. "However, I need to get to work planning soon or someone will come looking for me. Sleep for a while." Gaara said as he gently nudged me until I rolled off his chest onto the free side of the bed. Gaara climbed out of bed, and I immediately turned my body so I could reach his pillow, burying my face in the warm area. I heard Gaara moving around, getting dressed probably, as I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent before slowly drifting to sleep.
"Because. Everyone should have the chance to live their life to the fullest. Just like I'm entitled to it... and I'd rather give up my chance then let other people lose theirs." Hasu said calmly.
"It's so strange... Most people in Kiri are heartless, and cruel... but you're so loving and understanding. But if you go around the world, you'll never settle down and start your own family!" The woman said with a laugh, and Hasu looked at the sun.
"No. Somewhere along the way, I'll find the person I want to spend my life with. I'll know as soon as I see him. When I do, I'll follow him wherever he goes, even if he never goes anywhere. I'll be happy wherever he is, because I'll love him more then any silly dream. I'll never leave him, and would give my life to protect him. He'll be my home. Hopefully, he'll love me the same way." Hasu laughed, smiling brightly.
"What will you do if he dies, Hasu?" The woman asked.
"Then I'll give him the best funeral ceremony, one that would rival a Kage's. I'll bury him with his favorite things, and then I'll spend all my free time every day at his grave, telling him how much I miss him, and probably crying all over the stone. Then I'll live for the both of us, and one day, after I'm satisfied with my life, I'll join him." Hasu said, still smiling happily though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. The woman stared at Hasu before smiling.
"Don't worry, Hasu. You'll find him, and he'll love you more then you'll ever know. He'll never leave your side, and won't die until you can both go together." The woman said.
"Yeah. You're right. Hey, maybe he'll have crimson hair too." Hasu joked, and the woman laughed.
"Okaa-chan..." A twelve year old Hasu said as she knelt by a grave stone in the Land of Fire, near the border between them and the Land of Water. "I saw it... I saw what I dreamed for. I saw who I dreamed for. He's exactly what I wanted, Okaa-chan... He's everything I wanted. He has crimson hair, and pupiless sky blue eyes... He's so amazing, Okaa-chan. And he can use sand, too! He uses sand and I use glass! Even our powers are compatible." Hasu said with a laugh as she set her hands on the stone, tracing the name engraved on it.
"I never believed it would happen... My life has been so sad, Okaa-chan... But his has been too. I can see it in his eyes. He knows the loneliness I've felt. I feel so bad for him, Okaa-chan. I want to help him, but I know just by his eyes he would kill me without a second glance if I tried." Hasu said with a breezy laugh, seeming completely unnerved by how easily he could kill her, or would for that matter. "Every time I look at him, I smile. I can't help it! Just the sight of him makes my heart soar!" Hasu exclaimed, jumping to her feet and spinning around with her arms held up at the sky.
"Oh, he's everything, Okaa-chan... I've never even spoken to him, but I just know! Oh, just look at me, Okaa-chan." Hasu said with a laugh as she stopped twirling. "I'm so happy, I can't even contain it!" Hasu exclaimed cheerfully. "But you know what? He's so sad and lonely... He's cold and cruel, and he's killed people out of cold blood.. I've heard the screams from his victims, but I don't care, Okaa-chan... I've only seen him, and I know... I know that I could never hate him." Hasu said gently as she knelt down again, touching the stone with her fingertips.
"Is that silly, Okaa-chan? Is it naivety? I can't tell... but I don't care. I already know he's the one, Okaa-chan. I'll follow him." Hasu vowed aloud. "I'll follow him to the ends of the earth, and when he dies... I'll follow him." Hasu said, a small and soft loving smile on her face. "And then, we'll both meet you in the afterlife. I like to think you'd want that, Okaa-chan... Even if I'm the reason you're dead." Hasu said, her voice small and sad all of a sudden. "Even if you hate me, I like to think you don't... So please, Okaa-chan... Greet me in the afterlife with a smile... Because you're so beautiful when you smile, Okaa-chan." Hasu finished before pressing her lips to the stone.
"I'll say goodbye before I leave for good... He's from another village, so I'll have to leave Konoha soon to go to his... But I'll say goodbye before I leave. Promise."