Mahahaha, another pairing! Here's the surprise one. If you don't like it… -shrug- Oh well! Love my reviewers as always, they motivate me to write!
Akamaru: bark bark ruff. (Tina-chan does not own Naruto)
After the fireworks were over everyone (some reluctantly) met back in a group like they had agreed earlier. Once everyone had gathered they split up to go home. Neji and Hinata decided to walk T.C. home. Gaara walked Naruto back to his apartment. Shikamaru walked Temari back to the Yadoya. Kankuro said that he would go there later and left. This left Iruka and Kakashi standing there, wondering what to say.
"…Ah, did you have a good time Iruka?"
"Hai, it was… fun."
There was a rather awkward silence. Both were somewhat shy about discussing their earlier actions and didn't know where to go from there.
"Anou, I guess I'll head home now. Goodbye Kakashi."
"Hai. Ah, Iruka?"
"Hai?"
"Do you want to… hang out tomorrow? I could pick you up… is twelve okay?"
Iruka smiled.
"Hai, that sounds fun. Oyasumi nasai Kakashi."
Kakashi grinned under his mask and waved.
Gai was almost weeping in his hiding place. How could the oh so hip and cool Hatake Kakashi be so utterly hopeless when it came to the youthful beauty of romance and courtship? His rival was almost painfully shy!
"A rather awkward couple, aren't they?"
Gai looked up in shock; who could have come up to him without him even noticing their presence? He was met by a pair of amused brown eyes.
"Friends of yours? Nice of you to be looking after them."
The woman in front of him was about his age, with short red dreadlocks that famed her brown face. What intrigued Gai was the fact that her gaze was full of youthful energy and kindness! How could someone his age still be so radiant with the power of youth? It was amazing!
"If I may be so bold to ask, what is your name? I myself am none other than the Green Beast of Konoha, Maito Gai!"
"It's nice to meet you Maito-san, my name is Nadeshiko Keesha. Those two are friends of yours, right?"
"Hai! They are in the springtime of their youthful romance, yet my ultimate rival is so shy! He did not even think to accompany his beloved to his apartment!"
"And just why were you spying on them?"
"Ah, I have vowed to help my ultimate rival win the affections of his beloved! Maito Gai never breaks his vow, even in the face of death!"
Gai struck a noble pose. Then Keesha did something wonderful: she smiled at him. Gai was captivated by that single action; there was warmth in her gaze, admiration, respect. So much sincere emotion; to Gai, her smile was…
"I think it's wonderful that you support him so much. It's nice to see someone like you, when there are so many hateful people in this world who would crush love merely for a biased opinion. All people should be free to love, no matter what race, age, or gender. Love doesn't discriminate; it's like a flower, waiting for the right moment to open, just as someone waits for the person they truly love, regardless of who or what they are."
Keesha said that with complete sincerity and strength. Gai felt something bloom inside him; the way she spoke of love and its forms, it moved him to his very core. Then he found himself once more captivated by a pair of warm brown eyes.
"So how do you plan on helping your friend? Have you thought about it yet?"
"No, but I shall! In fact, if I fail to come up with a plan tonight, I will run 100 laps around Konoha!"
He struck his 'nice guy' pose. Keesha giggled inwardly; this guy was funny. But he also really wanted to help his friend.
'Guess it's time to use the old matchmaking skills!'
"Maito-san, if you don't mind I could help you out."
Gai looked at her, grinning.
"Hai, your help would be greatly appreciated! I am greatly moved by your concern for my ultimate rival's plight!"
Keesha grinned.
"The springtime of youth waits for no one! Especially youthful love, hai Maito-san?"
Gai felt his heart go thump-thump, but kept on his cheerful smile. Finally, someone who truly appreciates the wonderfulness of youth!
"Hai!"
Keesha pulled out a business card and handed it to Gai.
"Meet me here tomorrow at about 12. Is that okay?"
Gai struck his 'nice guy' pose again.
"I shall most assuredly be there on time! If not, I will do 1000 push-ups in punishment!"
"I'll see you then."
Keesha walked down the street. Gai held the business card in his hand. He felt unusually happy for some reason…
Keesha went home to find T.C. there already.
"Did you have fun at the festival honey?"
"Hai! Did something doo happen? You look awfully cheerful today..."
"Oh , I met someone interesting before I came home. Really nice guy, said his name was Maito Gai. I've never met a man with such a cheerful aura'
'Sounds like you think of him as more than someone 'intersting'... Isn't that right Auntie?'
'I like you, you amuse me. I'm going to name the tiger plushie Kankuro.
Kankuro went onto the training grounds, collapsed under a random tree, and groaned.
'Kami, why me! Why do I have to deal with a Hyuuga who insults me one moment, apologizes the next, and then names tiger plushies after me? Why?'
He could find no explanations for the Hyuuga's behavior and that upset him even more. It was too confusing!
"…What are you doing?"
Kankuro looked up slowly.
"…Gaara?"
If Gaara had been a more expressive person he probably would have rolled his eyes; duh, who else would it be?"
"…What's wrong?"
Kankuro stared.
'…Gaara's asking me what's wrong. Its official, the world is ending and the apocalypse is near.'
Gaara was starting to get slightly annoyed; Kankuro was still looking at him with a somewhat horrified expression.
'Damn Naruto and his puppy dog look!'
-Flashback-
"Ne, Gaara?"
"…What?"
"Did you think that your brother looked kinda… I dunno, depressed when we left?"
Gaara thought about it. His brother had looked weirder than usual…
"…Yes, so what?"
"Maybe you should try ta find out what's wrong with 'im. I'd be brotherly bonding, ya know? Like what you did with Temari."
"…I don't want to."
"Ah, please Gaara!"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
Then Naruto did it: the dreaded watery chibi-eyed puppy dog look.
'Fuck.'
"…Okay."
-End flashback-
So that's why Gaara was now trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with his brother. He was kind of curious himself…
"…It's obvious there's something wrong. Tell me now."
Then Gaara did his death glare of doom. Maybe not the most endearing way to go about it, but hey, he's Gaara. Kankuro thought about it.
'Okay, my homicidal little brother actually wants to know what's wrong. Strange. Then again, his boyfriend is Uzumaki Naruto. Maybe he'll know about Hyuuga's strange behavior.'
"…Well…"
Kankuro told Gaara about Neji's strange behavior and his actions at the fireworks. Then he started ranting about how confusing it was, etc. He actually felt better after he told Gaara everything. Gaara looked at him for a bit. Then, the tiniest smirk crossed his face.
"…It sounds like he likes you."
"Yeah, he told me that."
"…Not that like idiot, the other 'like'."
"…WHAT!"
"…Maybe you should talk to Temari about it."
Kankuro calmed down. Yes, maybe Temari could give him a less insane explanation. Then he thought about something.
"…Hey Gaara? Why'd you come here?"
"…."
It was Kankuro's turn to smirk.
"It was Uzumaki right? Heh, sounds like little brothers whipped!"
Gaara glared. It wasn't the normal, 'I'm going to kill you' glare. It was the, 'I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully while pouring sand into the wounds and keeping you alive just so you can suffer even more painfully' glare. Kankuro then did what any sane person would do: he ran away. Gaara contemplated whether to actually kill his brother when he remembered that Naruto was waiting for him. He sent one last glare in his brothers direction then went off toward Naruto's apartment.
After bidding farewell to T.C., Hinata and Neji walked silently toward the Hyuuga household. T.C. had told Hinata that she could keep the blanket, and it was wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Neji was holding tiger Kankuro.
"…A-anou, K-Kankuro-san seems nice."
"Hn."
"W-what do you t-think, N-Neji-niisan?"
"…He's okay. Amusing at times. I don't know much about him though...'
"O-oh."
They walked in silence for a couple of minutes.
"Hinata-sama, you seem to be good friends with that girl. T.C. right?"
Neji did not miss the heavy blush that appeared on his cousin's face.
"H-hai."
"When did this happen?"
"I-I don't quite…"
Hinata trailed off with another heavy blush, and Neji could tell that she didn't want to talk about it. They walked the rest of the way home in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
Shikamaru was heading back to his own home when he was passed by a purple blue. When he looked back it was gone.
'How troublesome…'
Temari was about to go upstairs to her room when the door banged open and Kankuro collapsed on the couch.
"Teasing Gaara is dangerous, but so worth it…"
He sat up and saw his sister staring at him curiously. Then he remembered Gaara's advice.
"Hey Temari. What does it mean when someone insults you, apologizes, then names a stuffed animal after you?"
Temari did a smirk similar to Gaara's.
"Well it sounds to me like they like you…"
A look of horror appeared on his face.
"…but I could be wrong. Maybe you should spend more time with them and find out that way."
"I don't want to spend more time with him!"
"Then why do you care so much?"
He had no answer. Temari patted him on the shoulder.
"Spend more time with Neji. It'll be good for you to make a friend."
She walked upstairs to her room.
'Five, four, three, two, one…"
"HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS NEJI?"
-smirk-
Naruto stared at Gaara.
"You think that Neji likes Kankuro?"
"…Maybe not yet, but he's interested."
Naruto thought about it.
'Hmm, it'd be good for Neji to get a friend. Maybe that would work!'
"Do to think your brother's interested too?"
"…Yes. Or else he wouldn't make such a big deal out of it."
"Aww, Gaara actually cares!"
"Shut up."
"You're blushing!"
"…"
"Ha, see I was- mmph!"
"…Now you're blushing."
"No fair Gaara!"
Kakashi was walking down the street when he overheard two people talking. This would not have interested him at all normally, but their topic of conversation did.
"Have you ever noticed how cure Iruka-sensei is?"
"I know, he's absolutely adorable!"
"It's a wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend yet."
Kakashi grinned to himself.
'If only they knew…'
"I've heard he has quite a few admirers though."
"Are you surprised? If he didn't I might go after him myself."
"Yeah, he has his own fanclub!"
Now Kakashi felt… slightly jealous. Iruka had a fanclub?
"He does seem rather… distracted lately. Do you think he finally found someone he likes?"
Maybe, who knows? I hope it's a nice person."
"Yeah, if they aren't careful someone will try to take Iruka from them!"
Kakashi stopped eavesdropping and started to walk home again.
'No way is someone taking Iruka from me!'
Kurenai and Anko dropped their henge.
"At least we gave him fair warning."
"I'd hate to see someone break them up, they looked so cute at the festival!"
They gazed lovingly at their camera's and high-fived each other.
TBC
Alright, Anko and Kurenai gave that warning for a reason. Should the person after Iruka be a real Naruto character or an O.C. , and should it be a girl or a boy? I'm taking votes here people. If it's a Naruto character please give me a name. I'll be waiting, don't forget to vote!
Please review and vote. Remember, only you can feed the writers soul.