A/N: JUST FOR THE HEADS UP, THERE IS EXPLICIT CONTENT TAKING PLACE THIS CHAPTER. I WILL PUT A WARNING IN WHERE IT STARTS AND WHERE IT STOPS. FEEL FREE TO SKIP AHEAD IF YOU AREN'T COMFORTABLE READING IT :)
Kyohei's execution was announced only days after Xin's probation end. She spent a lot of time at the Mikawa household, offering support and comfort to the siblings leading up to it. In an odd twist, Genji was not sentenced to death. He was, however, stripped of his councilmen title and forced into an early retirement as a regular villager. His relationship with Asuna was suffering and he opted to stay at the house that he and Asuna had been set to move into. Xin was asked to check on Genji every so often, with the reasoning being that Genji was terrified of her. There was no way he was going to screw his self-imposed exile up with Xin popping in and out.
The month flew by and before they could blink, Kyohei's execution day was upon them. Xin was currently at the Mikawa household, rocking Momoka to sleep when she was notified that she'd been summoned to the Kage tower. The foreigner frowned in confusion but eased the infant back into her crib. Momoka gurgled and lazily waved chunky arms at Xin, causing her to smile back. "I have to go, Momo. Do me a favor and take your nap, alright? Mama will come in to check on you later," Xin spoke softly, briefly reaching down to let Momoka wrap her chubby fingers around her hand.
She left the nursery quietly, carefully easing the door shut behind her. She met the Mikawa sisters down in the kitchen. Jura was just out back training with Hideki, giving the sisters some time to themselves. Xin offered a sad smile to the two, feeling remorseful that they would have to deal with their brother's execution in a couple of days.
Xin wondered if it would have been better to kill Kyohei back at the Konoha base.
"Momo is sleeping," She spoke softly, almost afraid to shatter the sisters. Hatsune looked up at her but Asuna kept her head bowed. Xin heard a distinctive sniffle and her stomach dropped. She was not good with tears. Asuna's head popped up and Xin nearly cringed away at the sight of unshed tears.
Jesus fuck.
"Asuna, I'm so sorry," Xin finally uttered, coming towards the kitchen table. Crying made her nervous but she truly wasn't so cruel as to leave Asuna without some sort of comfort.
"Don't," Hatsune stood from the table, standing next to it and hunching over her sister protectively. Xin stopped at the table, sad frown gone in exchange for slight confusion. "Don't you come near her trying to act like you're sorry," Hatsune spat, anger etched in her face. "You're not sorry! You did this, it was you, this is your fault! They're going to murder my brother and it's your fault!"
Xin glanced upwards, wondering if all of Hatsune's shouting would disturb Momoka. When there was no sound, she slowly lowered her gaze back to Hatsune. Asuna's tears began to fall rapidly and Xin wondered if she agreed with her younger sister's accusations.
"It's not my fault—"
"It is!" Hatsune shrieked like a damn banshee. Xin felt herself losing what little patience she had left with Hatsune. She leaned her head back, looking at the ceiling blankly. "This is all your fault! You ruined everything, you killed my brother!"
"That's enough!" Xin shouted, slapping her hand against the table. It shuttered under her hand, threatening to break at any second. All their shouting attracted Jura, Hideki and Ukyo from whatever they'd been doing beforehand. Xin's fingers slid to the edge of the table, gripping it in order to placate her flaring temper.
"Your brother, Hatsune, is a fuckin' psycho. I don't know how many times I asked him to rethink his choices in the midst of defending myself from him. I sat in this fuckin' house and healed him, knowing damn well he was out for my husband's blood. I still let him live even after torturing me and standing by while Ukyo was tortured and mentally scarred. I still gave him the chance to right his wrongs and he still carried on!" the table began to splinter under Xin's grip. Asuna took notice of it and slowly pushed away from the table.
"You keep screeching that I killed your dumbass brother," Xin sneered at the younger girl. "If I wanted your brother dead," She spoke calmly. "He would have been dead months ago," Xin squeezed harder and the table suddenly splintered in half. Asuna gasped at the ruined table at their feet. "I am actually sorry that you'll lose a brother. That's hard, I almost lost my sister years ago and I was ready to kill my cousin in retaliation. I can only imagine what you're feeling but that does not mean you can place the blame on someone else."
"Okay," Jura exhaled loudly and stepped forward. Hideki and Ukyo gave him twin looks of disbelief. He moved in between the girls, briefly glancing down at their ruined table. "We shouldn't shift the blame to anyone but Kyohei," He said smoothly. "He knew of his consequences and couldn't be talked out of it. What's done is done. Xin, weren't you summoned to see Kazekage-sama?"
Xin's steely gaze did not falter and Jura feared Xin was going to snap and break Hatsune's jaw. He pressed a hand to her stomach and when she didn't break his hand in half, slid it around her waist. The muscles in his arm strained in protest as he tried to move her away from his sisters but Xin wouldn't budge. "You are really starting to get under my skin, Hatsune. I've kicked both your brothers' asses and put you in the hospital. Stop testing me."
Finally she allowed Jura to pull her away. Ukyo followed them to the front door, nervously pulling at her shirt. "For fuck's sake, Xin, did you have to break our goddamn table?" Jura groaned as they stood by the front door.
"Sorry, next time I'll break her fingers," Xin replied blankly.
"Sensei," Ukyo admonished gently. The older woman turned to her and pulled her lips into an ironic smile. "You didn't have to break their table to prove a point," She continued to scold her teacher. Ukyo seemed to be making a steady recovery since Kankuro and Xin came to the agreement of benching her from Shinobi life. She still had yet to tell Xin the entire story but Xin didn't push for it. She mostly spent time with Xin, helping her with work at the Hospital around the the house with Mikawa. She sometimes accompanied Xin to Gaara's office for lunch. It took the couple several conversations to convince Ukyo that she was not intruding. Xin was proud of Ukyo's slow progress.
"Like I said," Xin folded her arms across her chest. "I'll just break her fingers next. Or her ankle. Something small but important."
Ukyo opened her mouth but then closed it. She shook her head and sighed through a smile. "Gaara-sama is waiting for you, Sensei."
Xin quickly left the Mikawa household in favor of the Tower. She didn't know what Gaara could possibly want so late in the day. She tried to think of any trouble she caused in the last week or so but came up with nothing. She hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. She barely even had to threaten Genji when she saw him during her latest pop in. Xin slid out of her sandals the moment she stepped into the safety of the tower. Gaara still scolded her for her habit of walking around barefoot. It often fell to deaf ears.
"Xin-san!" Matsuri appeared as Xin was about to walk into his office. Xin regarded the brunette with a frown. It was a bit awkward between the two. They mostly tried to stay out of each other's way. Well, Matsuri tried. Xin didn't really care either way. "Gaara-sama just left," She tried to smile politely. Xin had to give the girl credit. She was trying. It must be hard to look at the woman married to your crush. It must suck to look her in the face and realize she'd gotten what Matsuri chased for two years.
"Where'd he go?"
"The council called for a meeting. He was waiting for you but couldn't wait any longer."
"Right…thank you, Matsuri."
Well that was weird as fuck. Even so, Xin turned around and hurried to the meeting room the council liked to gather in. She wondered why her presence was needed. Her eyes instantly found Gaara and like a moth to a flame, she made a beeline for him. "For Christ's sake, put your sandals back on," Gaara said the moment he realized she was much shorter without the aid of her heeled sandals. He seemed extremely annoyed and Xin wondered if it had anything to do with her bare feet.
"I don't want to," She replied simply. "What's this about?" She asked slowly, deciding to sit down beside him. Gaara's annoyed expression didn't falter, looking around the room with disdain. Whatever had him in such a foul mood obviously had something to do with council.
Mai sat up straighter, folding her fingers on top of the table. Her nails were still freakishly long and Xin mused about what would happen if Mai broke one of her nails. "Have you been faring well, my Lady?" Mai asked politely. Xin wasn't fooled, leveling the woman with an impassive stare.
"Just fine," Xin answered simply. "For some odd reason though, I highly doubt you care so why don't we get to the point?" Xin asked just as politely. If she pissed Mai off with her disrespectful disregard, the older woman didn't show it. Her mouth pulled into a simple smile.
"As you know, Mikawa Kyohei is scheduled for execution this week," Mai began to explain. Gaara shifted next to her, expression hard. The other councilmen glanced at one another, having silent conversations with their eyes. The only one whose expression didn't change was Baki. As usual. "The council has elected you to carry out his execution."
Xin felt like Mai slapped the living bullshit out of her. They wanted her to do what? Who the fuck came up with that idea? And why? Why on God's green Earth would she—
Wait a minute. Xin schooled her features. This was another Masahiro situation. They wanted her to execute Kyohei to remind her that she was nothing but a heartless killer. She couldn't do that. She'd done enough to the Mikawa family. But hadn't she told Ukyo she'd do whatever the younger girl wanted her to do just a month ago? She was ready to beat that man to death just a month ago. Now they wanted her to legally kill him and she was bothered by it.
Xin looked over at Gaara, frowning. His gaze was steely, not bothering to look away when Mai happened to look in his direction. "Kazekage-sama was against the notion but Baki decided it would be best to ask you," Mai explained evenly. The woman was really starting to itch at Xin's skin. She was like a fuckin' cat that just did not learn. Ask her her ass! They weren't really asking her shit, she literally just said they elected her to do the damn deed.
"Well," Xin placed both of her elbows on the table, cradling her chin in the palm of her hands. "That was kind and thoughtful of Baki," She shot a surly grin at the older man. He didn't return her grin but that was just fine. "If that's the case and you're asking then obviously the answer is no."
The council was quiet. Mai did not look pleased with Xin's simple rebuff. Next to her, Gaara seemed to ease into a relaxed state. He still looked highly annoyed. "My Lady, you barely thought about it," one of the younger councilmen from her left pointed out. She wasn't sure if she liked the man or not.
"Oh, I thought about it. Believe me. But my answer is still no," Xin replied calmly. "You're giving me a choice and my choice is no. There's plenty of other ninja trained for this."
"You being one of them," Mai icily reminded her.
Xin nodded along to her words, "which is why I said there's plenty of other ninja. Keep up, Mai."
Mai's blue eyes narrowed at Xin's jab. "I never thought you would become insubordinate like this. Tsunade-san said you're very good at your job."
"But it's not insubordination. You gave me a choice and I made it, it's not my fault I didn't do what you wanted. Besides, I don't take orders from you."
"You are completely out of line."
That, for some odd reason, stung. She was used to stepping out of line. It was integrated into her personality but hearing Mai say it just struck a cord in her. Her face flushed in irritation and she slowly stood to her meager height. From her left, Gaara grabbed at her arm and from her right, Baki reached up to place his hand on her shoulder. The two silently pulled her back into her seat but didn't let go. Xin would probably throw herself over the damn table to get at Mai. "I'm way over the line, Mai. I don't give a flying fuck what the lot of you have elected. I'm not touching Kyohei. I've done enough to that family."
"My lady, at the end of the day, you are a Suna kunoichi. Your skills are needed."
Xin's short temper reared its ugly head. "You listen to me, you manipulative old fucker," She snarled. "I am not playing this game with any of you. I didn't say anything when you guilted me into killing Masahiro—" there was a slight murmur of surprise from the council. "—and I didn't say shit when I figured out you had something to do with Kyohei's escape last month but I am saying something now. I am not your puppet. You want him dead, you do it."
The council exchanged looks of confusion over Xin's revelations. "If its not on Gaara's orders, I'm not doing it," Xin stated in finality. She remembered her thoughts on burning Suna to the ground if Gaata wished for it. All he had to do was say the word and Suna would be no more. She would start with his damn council.
Mai opened her mouth but Baki beat her to it. "Mai, we decided to give her a choice and she made it. What's more is that Gaara doesn't agree with the notion. We are here to council him and give him advice, not harass his wife into doing something she does not want to do. Gaara has the final say."
Thank fuck for Baki.
"Well, that's all she wrote," Xin placed her hands on the tabletop and stood to her feet once more. "It's not like I have anything important to get to...I just rather not be here," She said through an impish grin. She placed a hand on Gaara's shoulder and leaned down, dropping a kiss to his cheek before straightening up. She patted Baki on the shoulder as she breezed by him.
"Have a wonderful day," She sang before vanishing out of the meeting room. Xin really didn't have anything important to do with the rest of her time so she went to Gaara's office. His office wasn't horrendously messy but she still found herself tidying it up. She rearranged his bookshelf, placing the books, tomes and scrolls in alphabetical order. She watered his plants and made sure they got enough sunlight before the sun set.
When there was nothing left, she settled on the couch with one of the books. It wasn't long when the door opened, surprising her when Matsuri stepped into the office. Xin didn't move from her spot, eyes peering over the edge of the book. Matsuri paused at the sight of her, eyes widening. She was dressed in a simple but short skirt and tank top and it fully displayed her gallery of scarred flesh. From her face down to her bare toes, Xin was just covered in scars. Matsuri wasn't sure if it impressed her or bothered her. That woman could not be killed and the multitude of battle scars was a reminder. "Matsuri," Xin greeted her from behind the book. "Gaara is still tied up with the council. Is there something you need?"
The brunette stared down at Xin for a long second. "No, I don't think so. I just wanted to check on Gaara-sama. He seemed annoyed before his meeting."
Xin slowly turned the page. "I see. Well, you know these meetings can be tedious. Do you often wait for his meetings to be over?" She asked, eyes straying back to her book. She didn't sound jealous or annoyed. Just barely interested.
"Sometimes. When I know he isn't in the mood for a meeting with them."
"Can't blame him," Xin snorted. "Bunch of old cunts."
"Xin-san!"
"You were thinking it," Xin commented blankly.
"Well...yeah—but you said it!"
Xin shrugged her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with telling the truth," She mused in that same blank tone. Matsuri stared down at her, deciding to sit down on the other end of the couch. Xin didn't move her feet or even sit up. Maybe that's why she was so likable. She didn't hold her tongue for much. Matsuri is almost positive she never witnessed Xin biting her tongue. She leafed through the book for a couple more minutes before easing it closed. She leaned towards the arm of the couch, placing her elbow on it to balance her cheek against her fist. "You know, Matsuri, I think we got off on the wrong foot," She said out of nowhere. Matsuri frowned, her eyebrows knitting together before her gaze shifted towards Xin. "That was mostly my fault. I'm actually sorry for how I treated you. I was jealous."
"Jealous? Of who? Me?"
Xin smiled slowly, half-lidded eyes trailing to Matsuri. "Yeah, Matsuri. I was jealous of you. I still am, I guess," She closed her eyes but continued to smile. "You're very close to Gaara and maybe you know him in ways that I don't. I'm not the best woman around, I mean I'm trying to be better but I don't have the cleanest past. You're a fuckin' pacifist, for heaven's sake. I'm scared he'll wake up one day and come to his damn senses and fall for you the way he was supposed to," Xin chuckled along to her confession. "Maybe that's why I was so mean towards you. You're a better woman than I am. You always will be. I'm positive that Gaara would have fallen for you if I hadn't met him. I piss him off all the time and sometimes I still just wonder why he puts up with me."
"But...I...I'm the one that's jealous of you!" Matsuri blurted gracelessly. She flushed heavily when Xin opened one of her eyes to peer over at her. She wondered how Xin could be so calm while admitting one of her insecurities. She wasn't even blushing. It was like they were discussing the damn weather.
"Well, yeah, cuz' I married your girlhood crush."
"That's not the only reason why."
"Oh, no?"
"Of course not! You're so strong and talented and fearless," Matsuri said quickly before looking away. "And you're so pretty and so confident and when you talk, everyone just has to stop and listen. The villagers love you so much, which is saying something since you're a foreigner. And you don't let anyone dominate you."
Xin's one opened eye regarded her quietly before slowly closing. "I do alright," She said simply. "There are stronger people out there."
"Well, yes, but you never back down from anything."
Xin smiled a more softer, forlorn smile and shook her head. "I'm really no one to be jealous of. You'd have a field day with some of my girlfriends in Konoha then. They're so much better than I am. Strong like me but with wonderful qualities."
"Maybe so but Gaara-sama fell for you, doesn't that say something about you? He...he wasn't the best either for a long time. I think that's why he sees the best in everyone. I think he's a lot like you in that sort of sense. You both have terrible pasts and because of that, can see the good in a lot of people."
"I see a lot of bad in people too."
"You're very combative," Matsuri commented sourly. Her comment caused Xin's eyes to pop open. She blinked quizzically for several seconds before her face broke into laughter. Matsuri watched as her shoulders shook with mirth. Xin calmed down and sat up a little but didn't straighten up from her lounging position. "You should see the way Gaara-sama looks at you."
"Oh?"
"When you aren't looking at him. When you're talking to someone else or when you're training or healing or just..playing with Ume, he looks at you like you're the only thing in the world. My dad used to look at my mom like that...before they died."
"I…." Xin trailed off, at a loss for words. She was used to Gaara trying to convince her that she wasn't a terrible piece of shit. She didn't really believe him but she knew he'd tell her over and over again if he had to. It was weird hearing it come from someone else. From Matsuri, no less. She constantly denied it but...both of them wouldn't lie to her, would they? Maybe her recent efforts were beginning to pay off? She really couldn't tell. She still felt like the same woman.
'This is the woman you were always meant to be. Not that murderous shell you were back in Konoha,' Neji's words from their visit a month ago sprang to the forefront of her mind.
"Hmm…." Xin took a deep breath. "Do you think we could try to be friends? If you'd rather not, I understand but...well...you're important to Gaara. That means something to me. I love seeing him happy and you make him happy. I really am sorry for the way I treated you beforehand…"
Matsuri looked at the older woman in muted shock. "I….I'm sorry for the way I treated you as well. I'm sorry for overstepping my boundaries. Gaara-sama and I….we are friends but I...I did things knowing it would make you look bad as a wife. I'm sorry as well and...I would like to be your friend."
A bright smile pulled at Xin's lips. Matsuri found herself thinking of how unfair Xin's beauty was. This woman had beauty, brains and a mean right hook. Gaara would have been a fool not to fall for her.
Speak of the devil, Gaara entered the office. He looked annoyed and tired but his eyes instantly found Xin lounging across the couch. His face light up at the sight of her. It took him a second to realize Matsuri was sitting on the other end of the couch. Had Xin been paying attention, she would have known what Matsuri had been talking about beforehand. "I wasn't expecting the two of you," He said evenly. His fingers itched to touch Xin but he kept his hands to himself. They had company and it would have been rude to follow his natural instincts to touch Xin.
"We were waiting for you to get out of that meeting," Xin said simply, finally swinging her legs to the floor. "Matsuri said you were annoyed before you left and wanted to make sure you were alright. Sweet of her, wasn't it?"
"Matsuri is a sweet girl," Gaara commented while making his way to his desk. Matsuri blushed under the couple's praises. She could do this. She could be friends with the couple. She loved him, yes, but at the end of the day, she wanted nothing but his happiness. And whether she wanted to admit it or not, his happiness was Xin.
"Well, if you're alright, Gaara-sama, I should return home. I have that mission tomorrow."
"Where to?" Xin asked, standing to her feet. Matsuri watched in wry amusement as Xin headed towards his desk. For a moment, she looked like she was going to climb on top of it but thought better of it. Instead she leaned the back of her waist against the side of the desk and folded her arms across her chest. She looked towards Matsuri, suppressing a grin when she felt Gaara's finger brush against her hip.
"To Konoha, actually."
Xin's eyes brightened and she smiled once more. This woman tended to smile a lot. "Is that so? Ah, then make sure to visit Ichiraku's Ramen. Best ramen in the whole damn country," Xin advised her, eyes sparkling.
"I'm alright, Matsuri, thank you for checking on me," Gaara said as Matsuri stood to her feet. Matsuri ducked her head and smiled. Xin glanced over at him, smiling softly before turning her gaze back to Matsuri.
"Have a safe journey and tell Lady Tsunade that I said hello and that...I'm glad about where I am, she'll understand," She requested kindly. Matsuri nodded along to Xin's request. She bid the couple a goodbye and goodnight and quickly left them on their own. Xin waited a couple of minutes before turning to Gaara. "How was the meeting after I left?"
Gaara's pleased expression dropped for a sour one. "You unleashed hell and then left. Most of the council didn't know about Mai employing you to kill Masahiro or that she had something to do with Kyohei escaping."
"She admitted to that?"
"More or less," He rubbed his face.
"Well...I'm not sorry. She was really pissing me off and I needed her to shut the hell up. I mean, honestly, electing me to execute Kyohei? I'm not her personal executioner. If that's what they wanted, they should have told Konoha that instead of asking for a wife for you," Xin ranted in anger. Gaara hummed in agreement and Xin looked down at him. "Mai said you were against the notion, how come?"
He pulled his hand away to look up at her. "Because Kankuro told me that you told him you were tired of killing, you don't want to carry out those dark missions anymore. Knowing that, why would I agree to have you execute Kyohei? There are other Shinobi employed for this very thing. You didn't want to do it and I wasn't going to force you."
Xin stared down at him blankly. "I'm sorry," She said, surprising him. "I mean if you want me to do it, I will but I…" She rolled her lips together and tried to hide the saddened look. "I just don't want to."
Gaara frowned softly, wondering if Xin ever had the opportunity to make her own choices back in Konoha. "I know Xin," He brushed his hand along her waist. "I don't want you to either."
Her saddened look morphed into a toothy grin. "What would I do without you?"
"Die from making a stupid decision."
Xin guffawed and reached over to slap at his hand. "Speaking of stupid decisions, I need to buy a new kitchen table."
"Do I even want to know?"
"Probably not but I'm going to tell you anyway," She sung. "I broke the Mikawa's kitchen table right before coming to that meeting of yours."
"...Why?"
"Hatsune," Xin answered blankly. Gaara made a noise, wondering why the two just couldn't get along. It seemed as if she and Matsuri were finally able to put their differences aside. Maybe Hatsune would follow the lead and bury whatever hatchet was between them. "At least I didn't hit her this time."
"What a milestone."
The banter ended when Baki came into the room. He stopped at the door, eyeing the couple. Sometimes he still expected to find them at each other's throats. Seeing them genuinely getting along without Temari forcing them to do so was still mind-boggling. What's even more odd is their genuine affection and need to protect one another. "Baki," Gaara greeted first. Xin turned her head to look at the older man. Her face held no expression. Their relationship had been a little rocky since their heated disagreement last month. It seemed that they were steadily avoiding each other. They'd deny it though.
"As usual, you've left the council in a tizzy," Baki spoke first, shattering the silent staring contest. Xin instantly snorted and folded her arms a little tighter across her chest. She shook her head, short locks ruffled by the motion.
"A 'tizzy'? Jesus, Baki, you're like thirty and you talk like my grandmother," Xin rolled her eyes and pushed off from the desk. "And they were pissing me off," She shrugged apathetically while sauntering towards the couch.
"I notice you failed to mention my involvement in Masahiro's death," Baki said instead of bothering with a reply to her statement. "Why is that?"
Gaara wondered that too and would've eventually asked her if Baki hadn't. He still wasn't quite sure if they were even on speaking terms until now. Xin was an odd woman but she was upfront so he doubted she wouldn't tell the truth now that Baki asked her outright. Xin took her time getting comfortable on the couch, lounging across it languidly.
"You know a lot of the things I did for Konoha was dark but it was for the greater good of Konoha. I think you understand that better than anyone Baki," She finally started to explain her reasoning. "It sucks but it's necessary. When you asked me to do things without Gaara's knowledge, it was for a greater good. When Mai told me to do those things, it's because she was trying to be a bitch. She was just trying to remind me that I'd never change from that bloodthirsty psycho and I...just thought she was right."
Baki didn't reply, impassively staring her down. She returned his steely gaze. He searched her face for half truths and slight lies but found nothing but boldfaced honesty. That was surprising but it was a good surprise. "She's not, my Lady," Baki finally said in his usual gruff tone. The statement, although very simple, brightened Xin's face. A blush crept across her cheeks and quickly tried to hide her blushing smile by looking away. Gaara watched the exchange, satisfied that his most trusted adviser and wife were getting along again.
"I'm glad you two are being civil again," Gaara decided to speak up. Baki and Xin turned to look at him. "But all the scheming behind my back ends here. While I agree that there may be scenarios I do not approve of, that does not give either of you the right to do as you please. If that was the case, we wouldn't have Kages."
"We'd have anarchy," Xin quipped with an apologetic smile.
"Right," He nodded along to her words. "It ends here. Everyone has their own resolutions but there is a reason I am in charge. Xin, you are not to take any orders given without my knowledge."
"What about when I'm on a team mission and the team's leader gives me an order?"
"Stop being a smartass."
"Got'cha, Boss."
"If the order is not given by me directly, you don't follow it. You're my wife but you are a kunoichi of Suna and you will act accordingly. Do you understand?"
"Loud and clear," She offered another apologetic smile. Months ago, her face would have turned red. She would have jumped up with a cry of, "I'm not your anything and I'll do what the fuck I want!", but things were different now. Her apologetic smile morphed into a different smile but she ducked away once more. That smile of hers almost made him smile. He earned that fucking smile.
"And Baki," He turned to his former teacher, frowning.
"I was out of line and it will not happen again."
Xin blinked her big eyes and then frowned. "Oi! Wait a damn minute, you can't just agree with him right off the bat! Let him chastise you like he did me just now! Gaara, the fuck, scold him!"
Even so, some things just wouldn't change.
Kankuro was worried about Ukyo's behavior. At first glance, she seemed okay but he started to notice a couple of new ticks. And they mostly revolved around his sister-in-law. He could understand but he was still worried. Xin was a strong fixture in Ukyo's life and she was clinging to her. She stuck to Xin's side like glue, fingers usually twisted around her wrist or crumpled in the back of her shirt. She was using Xin as a buffer and he wanted to know why Xin was allowing the behavior.
It was only a few days before Kyohei's execution when he stopped by the hospital to talk to Xin. He didn't find her in her office and had to do some searching before he came across her. She was standing with three younger Shinobi, medics in training, he assumed. She was speaking animatedly, waving her hands around with a bright smile. Ukyo stood behind her, nearly pressed into her back. Her hand was tightly fisted in Xin's medic's coat, wrinkling the white material. One of the young trainees, a girl with thick blonde hair, kept shooting Ukyo worried looks. He cleared his throat when he realized Xin wasn't going to notice him anytime soon. She peeked over her shoulder, slightly turning when she realized it was him. "Kankuro! Hi, are you okay? What are you doing here?"
The tall brunet nodded to the gaggle of trainees politely. "You taking on more students?" He asked instead of answering her question. Xin smiled but it held traces of confusion in it. He peered around her tiny frame at Ukyo. "Hi, Ukyo."
"Hi, Kankuro-Sensei." At least she was still speaking to him. It seemed like he and Gaara were the only men Ukyo was willing to talk to. That also worried him. He worried that Xin was catering too much to Ukyo.
"I suck as a teacher as it is," Xin snorted. "Just giving some advice, is all. I'm not sure why anyone would want to train under me. I'm terrible, right kids?" She threw a grin at the younger ninjas, laughing when they loudly disagreed. She turned back to them and quickly explained what sounded like a complicated medical jutsu before sending them off. "They're just after Tsunade's teachings. But anyway, what's up? You're not hurt, are you?"
Kankuro smile down at her and shook his head. "I just need to talk to you. In private," His dark eyes darted to Ukyo but she hadn't noticed. Xin took notice and frowned lightly. She glanced at Ukyo, gently pulling her coat from the younger girl's grip.
"I need to talk to Kankuro alone. Head back to the office, yeah?" She prompted easily. She nodded towards the direction of her office, remaining cool as a cucumber. "Shut the door if you want. There's some medical history files I haven't filed yet. Can you file them?"
Ukyo looked unsure for several seconds. She was still nearly plastered to Xin like second skin. "Can I lock the door?" She finally asked, voice barely above a whisper. Xin's lips pulled into a frown, she looked like she wanted to say no.
"If you want, I suppose. Although you should tell Sachiko if you're going to lock yourself in there. You know how easy it is to set her off into a panic. She'll kick the shit down and then Gaara will be angry at me like I'm the one who put another damn dent in the wall."
Ukyo visibly paled, "I don't want Kazekage-sama to be angry with you."
Xin shrugged carelessly, "He's cute when he's like that."
The younger girl frowned but nodded slowly. "I'll tell Sachiko-san," She said before turning slowly for Xin's office. Sachiko happened to be passing by and Ukyo quietly told her not to worry about the locked door. Sachiko's face twisted in worry anyway but not for a locked door. She allowed the notion and quickly hurried off. Ukyo vanished behind the door.
"This is not healthy," Kankuro said immediately. Xin looked up at him, head tilted to the side. He stepped closer to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're catering to her is not helping her recover. She's attached to you like second skin, Xin. It's not helping."
For a good couple of seconds, Xin didn't reply. She continued to stare up at him, lips set in a firm line. "Then what should I do?" She prompted after several long seconds. Her eyes were wide and open to him. He expected a nasty reply from her, complete with sarcastic quips and condescending rhetorical questions. "It's always easier to get over physical wounds. They eventually heal and though it leaves a scar, it can't hurt you. You can go to a medic and they can easily heal any physical wounds," She said instead of allowing him a chance to answer. She stepped closer, ducking into the curve of his chest.
"But psychological trauma is something completely different. It's just...it's just so hard to recover. Your trust in everyone is completely shattered and…" Xin trailed off, taking a deep breath. "I failed to keep her safe..the least I can do is let her cling onto me before she gets better."
"I get that but..this just isn't healthy."
"She's a hopeless romantic, you know. Girls like that, romantics at heart, fantasize about their first love and eventually their first time. It's supposed to be romantic, well thought out and special. I suppose it could have been Hideki…" Xin trailed off with a far off look in her eyes. "Instead, she was pinned down against her will in some filthy room and raped several times…"
Xin's gaze shifted back towards him slowly. "So you tell me how I should go about this," She said with a glassy look. "Honestly, I'm all ears because at this point, I don't really know what to do with her. Of course I want her to recover and I know the textbook solution sounds so easy but it's just not that easy. She doesn't trust any of us and she's scared shitless of people."
Kankuro sighed heavily, knowing Xin wasn't trying to be an asshole about it. "I'm just….I'm trying to treat her the way I wanted to be treated when I dealt with something like this. I wasn't raped but I…" Xin paused, eyes retaining that glassy look. Kankuro continued to stare down at her, wondering what was about to come out her mouth. "Molestation is a common thing for young kunoichi who are still not strong enough to defend themselves from older Shinobi…"
It was quiet between them. Kankuro slowly reached out, slipping his fingers around her thin wrist. He supposed that there was a time when Xin wasn't a woman who could easily take care of herself. He wondered about the things she's gone through that she still hadn't shared with them. He wondered if she told Gaara.
"I was about twelve or thirteen," Xin began to explain quietly. "I was held down by two men. Funny, for all the training I underwent, my mind was blank. I scratched, clawed and bit when I could have just used my training. But I was young and I panicked and I didn't know what to do," Her gaze dropped to her feet. "I remembered clawing at the dirt and finding a rock. I beat them over the head with that rock. There was blood and brain matter everywhere."
He gave a reassuring squeeze to her wrist. "I went home and told my family about it. They weren't really concerned. It's not like I was actually raped and even if I was, so what? As long as it wasn't Hinata or Hanabi it wasn't a big deal. It was mostly brushed off, I suppose. And I guess I brushed it off too."
Well no wonder she was so fucked. What the hell was wrong with her parents? Did they think they did a good job raising Xin? Any of their daughters? They had one daughter who had no self-confidence for literally years, another daughter was literally a psychotic murderer with no sense of who she truly was and the last daughter didn't even have a personality.
What in the fuck.
Who the hell brushed something like that off? They couldn't offer not an ounce of support to her? Anything? She was fuckin' twelve, they could have at least hugged her.
"I don't want her to feel like I felt," Xin admitted quietly. She looked as if she would burst into tears any second. "I know what's going through that head of hers because it went through mine at some point," Moments like these when Xin revealed bits and pieces of her past made Kankuro glad that she was with them. She needed them as much as they needed her. She needed people who cared about her.
Not about the things she was capable of or what she was willing to do. She needed people who cared for her well-being.
Kankuro was never one for open displays of affection but he'd make an exception. He wasn't really sure about how he was supposed to treat his sister-in-law in public and if it was appropriate but hell if he cared. Kankuro drew Xin into a hug, allowing her to curve into his chest. He wrapped her up in his big arms, banding them tightly around her thin shoulders. "I'm sorry Xin," He apologized, not entirely sure what he was sorry about. Her pathetic childhood or that he was critiquing her way of helping Ukyo.
"It'll be okay."
He wasn't sure if that was true or not.
(((((EXPLICIT CONTENT STARTS HERE)))))
Xin ended up coming home late that evening. The house was dark and for once, Xin wasn't hungry so she simply went straight upstairs to the bathroom. She wasn't sure if Kankuro and Temari were home but she hadn't heard any stirring behind closed doors. She had no qualms about making the short walk to her room in just a towel.
Despite not being fond of her short hairstyle, she appreciated that she didn't track water all over the place from having longer locks. She swung her bedroom door open, absently rubbing a smaller towel against her wet hair. She wasn't expecting to see Gaara lounging lazily on the couch and nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of him. "Fuck, what are you doing here?" She asked while holding a hand to her heart.
"I live here?"
Xin glared at him and shook her head. "I know that. I just wasn't expecting you. You seemed like you had a lot of work to do today and I was prepared for a night alone."
"I can leave if that's what you want. Sleep on the couch or something," Gaata shrugged indifferently, smirking slowly when Xin quickly shook her head. She veered off towards the closet but paused when Gaara waved for her attention. "Can you come here for a minute?"
Xin frowned but did as he asked, approaching him without a care in the world. She stood in front of him, looking down at him with that same frown of confusion. He reached up, winding his arm around her waist and suddenly tugged her down on top of him. She went down with a yelp, catching onto the back of the couch before he got a face full of her breasts. Not that he would really mind but that's besides the point. She straddled his waist, knees sinking into the cushions. His hands fell to her hips, planting her firmly to his lap when she tried to get up. "Gaara," She cut her eyes at him in warning.
"I wanted to see you."
"You saw me earlier at the tower."
Yes when they were never truly alone. There was always someone around and he hadn't so much as touched Xin the way he wanted to in about a month. That was far too long. They'd shared quick kisses here and there and subtle brushes of the flesh but they were too busy lately. It was driving him insane. She, on the other hand, seemed mostly okay with the lack of affection between the two of them. And that was not okay.
"Not good enough," He shrugged indifferently. She pulled her hands from the couch to settle on his shoulders, nails digging into his bared skin.
"Can you wait until I at least put some clothes on," She sighed like she was dealing with a child. She batted his hands away and climbed back to her feet, intent on getting dressed. But Gaara caught her once more, arm slung around her waist to pull her down for the second time.
She landed again with a grunt and he pulled her back, pressing her back to his chest tightly. He palmed her stomach and dropped his mouth to her ear. "You won't need them."
Xin literally felt her face get hot. She let out a nervous laugh and tried not to squirm in his grasp. "Gaara, let me get dressed," She urged him halfheartedly. She noticed his odd looks he'd been giving her while they were in the company of Matsuri and Baki but she hadn't given it much thought. She just figured he was still frustrated with that damn council meeting. Hell if she knew it was sexual frustration.
His hands ran up her stomach, cupping her breasts through the towel. She let out a small noise in her throat but didn't stop him. He paused for a second before squeezing them, eliciting a gasp from her. "You want me to stop?" He asked, breath ticking the shell of her ear. If it was possible, her face got even darker. "Tell me what you want," He urged, hoping she wouldn't tell him to stop. However, if she did say stop, then he'd drop the subject.
She shook her head quickly. "No...I just wasn't expecting this tonight," She uttered quietly while she leaned her head back against his shoulder, eyes closed. "I want…" She paused, biting her lip. He watched the motion with rapt fascination as her lip slowly slipped out from teeth. "I want you to keep touching me."
His fingers curled into her towel, tugging at it until it came loose enough to pile around her hips. She couldn't help but to press her knees together, biting at her lip once more. His left hand latched to her breast, fingers twisting and tweaking her nipple roughly. Xin let out a sigh, too caught up to notice his other and trailing down her toned stomach towards her thighs.
He caught her thigh in an iron grip, causing her eyes to pop open. He pulled at her thigh, easing her legs opened. He could just feel the heat radiating from her. His finger slid closer to the heat from the apex of her thighs, not giving her any warning when a finger sank passed her delicate folds. His finger dug deep into her, until he knuckle presses against her heat.
Her mouth pop opened at the welcomed intrusion and a long moan left her pretty mouth. His strokes became harder, rougher and his thumb rolled quickly over her clit. A louder moan broke passed her lips, causing her to shake her head, at a loss for words. Between his hand between her thighs and his other hand tweaking and twisting at her nipple, she could barely pinpoint where all the pleasure was radiating from.
Xin's hips twitched against his fingers, breathy moans escaping her loudly. "Please, please," She whined when she felt him pull away. "Gaara, please," She didn't care that he had her begging, she just needed him to finish her off. Gaara shifted her, lifting her easily and dropping her back to the couch. Gaara cruelly ignored her pleas, getting up to stand over her.
She huffed in frustration and shoved both of her hands between her thighs, nearly sitting on top of them in her haste. Her legs spread even further, openly displaying herself to him. She began to wantonly roll her hips against her own fingers, desperate to create the loss friction he'd been providing. Gaara continued to watch, silently entranced by the pretty but lewd sight of her.
He held up a hand, waving it lazily. A frustrated huff was his answer when his sand slithered around her wrists to pull them away from pleasuring herself. "Gaara," She nearly sobbed, her head dropping back against the couch. She pulled against the sand, muscles straining against the sand. The sand pulled her hands together, jerking them above her head. He watched in perverted fascination as the gesture rattled her chest, causing them to bounce enticingly. "I can't take this. I need...I need something, please, I need you, please," She begged, biting harshly at her lip.
"I got you," Gaara murmured, slightly distracted at the sight of his trapped and writhing wife. A strangled whine was all he got back, causing him to smirk. Gaara crouched in front of her, reaching to grip under her thighs. He pulled her to the edge of the couch, throwing her slim legs over his shoulders. A surprised noise caught in her throat, eyes becoming wide.
The noise turned into a gasp when he leaned in, pressing his mouth to her heated core. His tongue slipped from his mouth, dragging a scorching trail across her sensitive flesh. A moan escaped her, causing her to shudder in pleasure. Her eyes twinkled and she nearly arched off of the couch, only stopping when his hand pressed down against her stomach. Her fingers twitched, hands yanking against the sand in a fruitless attempt to escape the hold. She wanted to bury her fingers in his hair but the sand remained unmoving. His tongue continued to travel across her silken folds, twirling against her clit.
She pressed the back of her head harder against the couch before her hips began to rock against his face. A breathless moan accompanied her rocking hips, deep and full of unwavering pleasure and want. His fingers drew rough patterns into her thigh before crawling higher up, catching her off guard when his finger dipped into her once more. Her eyes snapped shut at the feeling of a thick finger twisting and curling inside of her, stroking just right.
He sucked loudly at her clit, eyes drawing up to her face. She was looking up at her bound hands although her eyes held no firm gaze, clouding over in her obvious pleasure. She bit and sucked at her lip, only allowing the swollen appendage go to let out a series of moans. The muscles in her thighs tightened and they began shuddering, a clear sign of her impending orgasm. She began to pant, face heavily flushed as he continued to devour her. Her juices began to flow, messily coating his face.
Her pants suddenly began to become short before they stopped all together. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She became stiff as waves and waves of pleasure overtook her. She pulsed against his mouth, juices rushing to fill his mouth and drip down his chin.
Gaara pulled away slowly, rocking back on his heels. He reached up just as she picked her head up, dazed eyes seeking him out. She watched quietly as he pressed the back of his hand to his mouth to wipe her mess up. Half-lidded eyes watched raptly as he licked the essence from his hand and chin, effortlessly cleaning her mess.
Xin exhaled slowly, eyes looking back to her bound hands. Gaara stood to his height only to hunch over her, hand grasping at her chin. She blinked at him in confusion before he leaned closer and sloppily kissed her. He could feel her shuddering under him and he nearly grinned at what he could do to her. She returned his kisses, wondering if she should enjoy kissing him as much with all of her juices still fresh on his tongue. She did, either way.
"I'm not finished with you," He spoke against her lips. He could just feel her muscles in her stomach become tight. She pulled away, whining softly. "I want you, Xin, and I need you. Bad," He confessed quietly. "So either I fuck you here," He gripped the back of the couch, trapping her underneath him. "Bent over the desk or on the bed, make a choice."
Xin's eyes darted around, considering her choices. She recalled the one time at his office where he bent her over his desk and while she thoroughly enjoyed that, there wasn't enough strength in her legs for it. Her eyes wandered towards the bed, which they used often for this sort of activity. "Well," She took a shuddering breath. "You never fucked me on the couch before."
Xin blushed under her predatory like smile and pulled at her hands. "You know I bruise easy," She reminded him with a small smile. "I can only do so much trying to hide all of your marks left behind," She added in amusement.
"No one said you have to hide them. We're married, I'm sure people will understand the implications," Gaara shot back, waving his hand. The sand disintegrated, allowing her to pull her hands to her chest. Light bruises wrapped around her wrists but it was mostly from her thrashing than the actual sand. She blushed at the sight of her wrists and shook her head.
Xin reached up, motioning that she was impatiently waiting. "You're still dressed," She sung, tugging playfully at the hem of his shirt. He pulled his shirt off in one quick movement, ignoring her look of content. "On second thought," She grinned as he leaned towards her. "I want the bed," She hummed. Gaara rolled his eyes at her indecisiveness but scooped her up with ease. Xin's head dropped back dramatically and her legs quivered. "Shut the fuck up," She snorted in good humor, catching his pleased look.
"I didn't say anything."
"It's all over your face."
"But did you enjoy it?"
"Well that's a silly question, isn't it?" She asked rhetorically, letting out an indignant huff when he gracelessly dropped her to the bed. Instead of scolding him, she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She pulled him down, smiling as his familiar weight settled over her. A content hum resounded from her throat while he kissed her slowly. Xin reached down towards his waist, hooking her slim fingers into the waistband of his pants. She began pushing them down, her smile widening to a grin when he shucked them off carelessly. Her legs drew up, hooking around his waist to settle him firmly against her. Her stomach tightened in anticipation of feeling him inside of her. It was easily becoming a favorite pastime of hers and she vaguely wondered if that made her a pervert.
Gaara shifted his hips, sliding into her and filling her to the brim. A soft gasp parted her lips before they stretched into a broad smile. She bit her bottom lip for a second before leaning up to plant a kiss at his jaw. Xin wiggled her hips and wrapped her arms around his wide torso, settling her hands at his shoulders. He began at an almost lazy pace, pumping against her shapely hips. She twisted underneath him, huffing at his languid pace. She wasn't fooled, knowing that he enjoyed when she was reduced to begging. "Gaara," She hissed, digging her fingernails into his back threateningly. "I'm not going to beg."
A slow smirk was her answer, "yes, you are."
Xin let out a string of curses because—fuck—yes she is. A low groan bubbled passed her lips. "Gaara, please, you sadistic asshole," She almost snarled, ignoring the widening of his smirk.
"Please what?" He asked with a sadistically slow roll of hips.
"Fuck you," She huffed breathlessly. He suddenly came to a sharp halt, staring her down with nothing but mirth in his eyes. Xin let out another string of curses, almost gritting her teeth. "Okay, okay!" She conceded, not able to hold out. "Please, please, please just fuck me already. Not slow and lazy! I want it hard and I want it to hurt," She snapped, digging her nails so far into his skin that he feared he began to bleed.
Gaara hissed, shuddering at the spike of pain from her nails. He did as he was told, slamming into her with such force that her head nearly banged into the headboard. A sharp gasp escaped her, only to cut off sharply when he continued his harsh thursting. She threw her head back against the pillows and slowly but surely began to rock her hips against his.
He sped up, fueled by the rocking of her shapely hips. His hands drew into tight fists beside her head, hips snapping forward almost violently. Xin's curses became louder, shifting into long moans filled of lust and satisfaction. Her nails drew long scratches up and down his back from the force of his hips, drawing wells and prickles of blood. He could feel the press of her breasts against his chest, drawn together from the firm thrusting.
Xin pulled her nails from his back, oblivious from the blood now coated under them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to press her puffy lips against his. She kissed him as hard as he fucked her, biting harshly at his bottom lip. He grunted but groaned when she sucked his lip into her mouth.
She pulled away with a loud pop, whining and mewling. "Oh," She thought her eyes were going to cross from all the pleasure. She felt like she was drowning and suffocating at the same time. She couldn't think straight. All she could think of was Gaara. Him, him, him. "Gaara, oh, I...God," She babbled almost incoherently, barely feeling his hands curl around her hips. "Harder…" She could barely hear herself over the violent slap of flesh.
His grip on her hips were sure to leave bruises but hell if she cared. Her legs tightened, straining her thighs against his hips. He ducked his head into her neck, a chorus of her name fell from his mouth against her neck. His teeth smarted against her skin, feeling dangerously sharp.
Gaara pulled away, straightening and slowing down just a bit. He stared down at her, eyes taking in every aspect of her. Her face flushed prettily, her breasts bounced with every thrust and her abs flexed tightly against her skin. She had to be the prettiest sight he'd ever seen. So pretty and she belonged to him, wholeheartedly. His fingers flexed against her hips and for a moment, he worried about all the abuse she was taking from him. In his right state of mind, he would have immediately stopped but at this point..he just couldn't. He wasn't sure if anything could stop him at this point.
"Please," She hissed with glassy eyes. "Please, please don't stop. Oh, please, don't stop," She begged unabashedly. "I...I can't, I just can't," She sobbed without any tears. What she couldn't do, she wasn't sure of. Gaara growled savagely and any control he hung onto snapped like a thin cord. His thrusts became erratic and violent and he dipped down to claim her lips in a kiss equal to his ruthless thrusts. Pleasure coiled tightly in his stomach as he swallowed each and every moan, grunt and sob Xin produced.
She met him stroke for stroke, wildly clawing at his shoulders. He couldn't tell how long they continued but she suddenly stiffened under him, hips coming to a stuttering halt. She arched suddenly, tightly, and then shattered into pieces with a single but throaty moan. Gaara watched, wide-eyed and completely enamored with the sight of her. He almost missed the coil in his stomach becoming even tighter until it shattered along with her. His blood boil and his vision went white as waves and waves of pleasure completely overtook him.
When he regained his senses once more, he was laying heavily against Xin's small form. His face was buried into the curve of her neck. He tried to immediately move but her arms were wrapped tightly around him. He shifted, causing her to groan into his hair. Gaara slid his arms under her, wrapping them around her waist. He easily rolled over, pressing his back into the bed and easily supporting her weight, he'd crush her otherwise.
"Gaara," She drawled in a daze. He grunted under her but made no other verbal noise. "Has anyone ever told you that you really know how to fuck?" She asked in her daze. For a long time Gaara didn't say nothing, pressing his chin to her head.
And then he laughed. And then she joined in.
"Vulgar woman," He said through chuckles, calming down. He felt her smile against his chest. She twisted her head and pressed a lazy kiss to his flesh.
"Temari and Kankuro probably heard us…."
"Probably."
She laughed again, huffing against his chest. They would just have to deal with it in the morning. "Oi…" She slurred, lips moving slowly against his chest. "I love you," She uttered softly, still trying to get used to expressing the sentiment.
Gaara laughed quietly. "I love you too, Xin."
(((((AND ENDS HERE)))))
Gaara woke up first due the ache running up and down his back. He slid from the bed carefully, not wanting to wake Xin up. She rarely slept longer than him and seeing her slumbering away was a sight he appreciated. He sat at the edge of the bed, wondering why his back throbbed so much. Getting up, he moved towards the floor length mirror. He turned his back to the mirror and studied the sight with a slightly impressed look.
Raw, red and slightly bloody scratches ran from his shoulders to nearly his lower back.
"Oh," Xin's voice pulled his gaze away from the reflection. She was sitting up slightly, blankets pooled at her hips, and staring at his reflection with a horrified expression. "Gaara..I'm sorry..I.." She trailed off, fingers pressed to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you...I didn't mean to do that."
He didn't immediately reply, opting to snatch up his discarded pajama pants up to pull on. He returned to the bed, standing at her side. He leaned over and pulled the blankets away, revealing her naked form to him. Big, blotchy bruises in the shape of handprints were smattered at her hips. Xin looked down at the sight for a quick second before looking back up at him. "I begged you to do that. You didn't beg me to shred your back up.." She pointed out quietly, feeling guilty. Xin began to pout and Gaara didn't have it in him to tell her how cute she looked. She was obviously beating herself up over it.
"It's fine, Xin, I liked it. If I didn't, I would have stopped. I fucked you harder."
He was surprised that she blushed heavily. "Let me heal it…" She urged, motioning him to sit down. The scratches didn't really bother him but he sat down on the edge of the bed. She ventured close to him, laying soothing Chakra against the wounds. It didn't take long, as they weren't deep enough to do any damage. "I'm sorry, I thought your sand protected you from..everything," She said after a moment of silence.
"From danger," Gaara answered as she leaned into his back. He hummed in delight when her breasts pressed tightly against him. She slipped her arms around him, resting her small hands against his chest. "I told you, I liked it. The sand isn't going to protect me from my wife scratching me during sex."
"So you aren't mad…" She trailed off, waiting for him to lose his temper. Gaara reached up, rubbing at her hand reassuringly.
"I'm not mad, Xin. You sucker-punched me in the face before, I think I can handle a couple of scratches. We weren't gentle with each other."
"I thought you were going to dodge it, stop bringing that up," Xin huffed against his back. "I don't like hurting you, is all," She spoke quietly, as if they were sharing a secret between them. A small smile pulled at his lips, proud that their relationship has prospered as far as it had.
"I know you don't," Gaara patted at her hands before pulling them away. "Now come on, we need to take a shower and get ready for the day."
"You want to shower together?"
"Don't tell me you've become self-conscious all of a sudden," Gaara snorted and reached for his wrinkled shirt. Xin let out a dry chuckle and muttered obscenities at him while taking his offered shirt to pull on over her body. The couple gathered their clothes for the day and headed towards the bathroom, Gaara lightly teasing Xin about the funny way she was walking. They bickered almost childishly over the right temperature for the shower. Xin showered with freakishly hot water while Gaara preferred medium to cold water. They threw back muttered insults as they brushed their teeth and changed into their clothes.
"You won't have to worry about healing scratches on my back when you melt all my skin off with that water," Gaara grumbled as they came thumping down the stairs. He reached forward to pull the strap of her tank top back to her shoulder. Luckily there was no bruises for her to cover up along the column of her neck. The same couldn't be said for her waist nor her wrists.
"I didn't know you were such a baby," Xin lightly teased with an amused grin. "The water wasn't even that hot."
"It was scalding, Xin. Your skin turned red."
"I'm pale, it's not hard to turn my skin a different color."
"Yes, I think I would know."
"Shut the fuck up."
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kankuro frowned at Temari. "Is this their weird way of flirting?" He asked as the bickering duo closed in on the kitchen.
Temari only rubbed her face.
"How in the world did I get saddled with this job?" Xin griped distastefully. Ukyo ambled beside her, remaining quiet. "You don't have to come with me, Ukyo. It won't take long to check on Genji."
Ukyo didn't immediately reply, frowning thoughtfully. No she didn't have to come along but she'd rather be in Xin's immediate vicinity. She'd rather not stay in the medic's office completely by herself. "Genji is scared of you, you broke his kneecap once," Ukyo answered her first question. "And I wanted to come with you," She continued, eyes flickering towards the ground. In actuality, she didn't want to go anywhere. She just needed to be in Xin's presence.
Xin looked over at Ukyo, an unreadable look on her face. She wasn't fooled by Ukyo's reasoning but decided to leave it alone. "He deserved to have his kneecap broken," She stated tonelessly, turning down the road leading to Genji's big but lonely house. She wondered if Asuna would ever forgive the man, feeling bad that the woman would probably end up divorcing Genji.
Ukyo was going to reply to Xin's heartless statement but came to a hard pause as they came upon Genji's house. The front door was wide open. Ukyo made a small noise in her throat and slowly looked at Xin. The older woman was stock still, hard eyes trained on the door. She inhaled deeply and then released it loudly, as if she knew she was about to deal with a great inconvenience. "Never a good sign."
Ukyo cringed as vein's strained against Xin's temples. Her family's Dojutsu was quite impressive but it's appearance unnerved her every time she saw it. Xin's eyes flickered almost erratically over the house, head tilted to the side. She squinted a moment later, frowning tightly. "This can't be good…" She muttered quietly before glancing at Ukyo. "Stay here."
Xin reached for one of her war-fans, unclipping it as she crept towards the front door. Ukyo watched quietly as Xin approached the door. She kept her arm behind her back, slowly flicking the fan open. It glinted under the low sun and Ukyo could vaguely make out flecks of dried blood. Xin really needed to clean those things better.
The foreigner stepped inside the house and could easily make out the noise of a struggle. She snuck through the house, tiptoeing up the stairs and towards the bedroom. Just as she made to go in, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She paused for a second time and slowly looked behind her, ready for a confrontation.
Ukyo stood at the top of the stairs, hand gripping the bannister tightly. Xin nearly bristled at her disobedience. She jerked her head back towards the front door but Ukyo refused to budge. She tried not sigh to loudly and turned sharply towards the bedroom door, inching towards it and readied for a fight. Behind her, she could hear Ukyo's light footsteps behind her and it took another deep breath for her not to turn a glare on her.
Xin pushed the bedroom open and let out a surprised noise. Genji was fighting off an attack like Xin assumed. What she hadn't assumed was Hideki being the attacker. He was armed with a bloodstained kunai and was stabbing erratically at Genji. Somehow Genji managed to fend off the attacks, hands gripping at Hideki and holding him away as best as he could. His right arm was covered in blood, making Xin assume that there was a wound somewhere under the blood.
Behind her, pressed to her back, Ukyo gasped loudly at the sight. Xin kicked into gear, running forward. "Hideki!" She shouted as Hideki managed to rip one of his arms from Genji's weakened grip. She slammed her fist into the back of his head and then reached for the back of his shirt. As if he weighed nothing more than a couple of pounds, Xin threw the Chūnin behind her. He crashed into the dresser, grunting as he did so.
Xin crouched by Genji's side, eyes searching for any more injuries. Superficial cuts decorated his face and neck and some bruises were beginning to form but the biggest problem was his mess of an arm. "Genji," She tried to say in a soothing voice but she could see the fear in his eyes. Why should he be happy to see her? She'd done her own dirt towards him.
Hideki staggered to his feet, pain blooming from his back. He might be taller and physically bigger than her but his strength was nothing compared to Xin's strength. But even she would not stop him from what he set out to do. Xin heard him approaching and closed her eyes tightly as if she was dealing from a temper-tantrum throwing toddler. She jumped to her feet, spinning just in time to catch Hideki's kunai with her fan.
"Lower your weapon," Xin ordered in a calm but firm voice. Hideki's glare narrowed into a fierce glare. Xin scowled at him and kicked at the side of his knee, causing him to land on his other knee painfully. "Lower your weapon. I won't ask again."
Hideki's lips drew back in a snarl but Xin didn't falter. Perhaps to Genji, he was something to fear, but to her, he was as vicious as a drenched kitten. She raised one eyebrow, as if to ask him if he were challenging her. If that was the case, she'd gladly beat his ass. "If you get up one more time with that Kunai, I will hurt you."
She snapped the fan shut and clipped it back into place before turning back towards Genji. She reached towards the bed, stripping it of its sheet to tear into strips. "Genji, I have to clean the blood to locate the wounds. It'll hurt but I'll be quick," Xin spoke in low, soothing tones while crouching in front of him.
She knew he wanted to snatch his arm away but without her, he'd surely die. He reluctantly gave his arm to her, watching closely as small hands set to cleaning the blood. It still surprised him that such a small woman could instill so much fear into him. Of course all Shinobi made him uneasy but Xin had been a special case ever since he met the younger woman. He wondered how such a monster could live under the skin of a pretty girl when he first met her. He noticed her cruelty and viciousness almost immediately when she casually tried to kill Minori. She wasn't normal, even for a Shinobi, and it made him uneasy.
Xin worked quickly, cleaning the blood away to reveal stab wounds so deep, Genji's skin virtually came off in strips. The injury itself didn't bother her, she'd seen worse. What bothered her was that Hideki was capable of injuring a civilian like this. That was not normal.
Behind her, anger rolled off of Hideki in waves. Despite Xin's warning, he found himself moving forward. This could be the only chance he had and he couldn't let it slip by him. A hand slipped around his wrist, tugging him backwards. He snapped around with his teeth bared, eyes blazing in anger. Ukyo stared back at him, sad and uncomfortable eyes begging him to just do as told.
Xin was just beginning to heal his mangled arm when a piercing scream emitted from behind her. Genji cringed but Xin didn't immediately react. In fact, she paused and looked up, muttering to herself before slowly peeking over her shoulder.
Ukyo was screaming bloody murder but Hideki only held her by the wrists. In fact, if he let her go, she'd probably slump to the floor. Hideki looked confused but there were still traces of anger in his eyes. At first, she couldn't understand why Ukyo was screeching at the top of her lungs. Hideki wasn't doing anything but holding her by the wrists. And then it clicked and Xin was ready to groan.
"Hideki!" She snapped sharply, scaring him as he visibly cringed. He turned towards the older woman and cringed for the second time. Her eyes were really scary, especially when they narrowed in agitation. "Drop her!"
"But she'll fall."
"Just drop her."
Hideki did so, but slowly, frowning as Ukyo dropped to the floor. She curled in on herself, hiding her hands against her chest and ducked her hands against them. Xin watched the spectacle with sad eyes before shaking her head and turning back towards Genji. Ukyo and Hideki could wait until she was finished with Genji. "Any other injuries?" She asked quietly, concentrating on repairing the mess.
"Just my failed marriage," Genji snorted sadly, causing Xin to sigh heavily.
"I doubt I can fix that, Genji."
"Yes, my Lady, I understand," Genji murmured softly. "Momoka, how is she? How's Asuna recovering?" He continued in that soft but sad tone of his. He hadn't seen Momoka at all since Xin brought Asuna and Momoka to him and Kyohei a month ago. He thought it to be cruel but later came to understand that it wasn't the Kazekage or even Xin that kept his daughter from him. It was Asuna.
In fact, the only recurring face he'd seen since his house-arrest was Xin's face. She came every now and then, popping in and casually threatening him into obedience. Not that she needed to do much threatening. Her presence uneased him as much as the Kazekage's presence.
"She's an infant, she doesn't do much," Xin replied tonelessly, weaving her Chakra into the damaged veins. Shinobi always amazed him, they were capable of extraordinary things, but healing always fascinated him. "Asuna is recovering just fine. She's been discharged from the hospital and refuses to let anyone do a thing for her. She's a nightmare for medics."
Genji smiled slowly and then nodded. "Yes, that sounds just like Susu," He uttered quietly for a forlorn look in his eyes. Xin caught the look but decided not to say anything else.
"There," Xin smiled as her Chakra finally weaved all of his skin together like a bow on a package. "I...I'll have to report the Kazekage," her fingers curled under him and hefted him up like he was her size. It was nearly embarrassing and the thought nearly made him laugh. "He'll probably summon you to hear your side of the story. Prepare yourself."
"My lady," He let her help him the bed, prompting her to tilt her head. Her hands rested on the swell of her hips. "Do you think Asuna will ever forgive me?" He asked slowly, knowing that out of everyone, Xin would give him the truth. She regarded him quietly, a thoughtful look on her face.
"I think...that if she does, it's only for Momoka's sake. She will need all the support once she begins to grow older. Her family will be remembered for their betrayal against the Kazekage. He's becoming a favorite and her Uncle and Father conspired to kill him under the leadership of a lunatic. She will be made fun of, ostracized and labeled."
"I didn't have a choice—"
"You did," Xin cut him off gently, shocking him. "You had other choices, you just chose the one that sounded the easiest. Ironic that the easiest choice had the most damaging results," Xin spoke wisely. "Be glad that she won't barr you from seeing Momoka completely. Despite all of the hardships your choice will bring on, I think she will be quite a bright girl."
A noise behind her alerted her that Hideki and Ukyo were still presence. Xin sighed heavily and shook her head. "I don't get paid enough for all of this," She muttered before glancing over her shoulder. "If you'll excuse me, Genji, I have to deal with my stubborn kids," She grumped, still shaking her head.
She didn't give him a chance to say anything else when she whipped around to face the two. Hideki looked extremely uncomfortable—Ukyo was still curled into a fetal position. Hands still on her hips, Xin loudly tutted. "Now look what you've done," She admonished Hideki in a motherly tone. "Step back, step back," She shooed him away as she approached Ukyo to drop in a crouch.
Genji watched from the bed, not as confused as Hideki. He should have done more, at least for Ukyo. She didn't deserve the fate that'd been waiting for her in Konoha's territory. There was no reason for her mistreatment. She didn't have information that they didn't have nor was she necessarily a bargaining chip for Suna. They knew Suna would send someone to retrieve the girl. She could have been (should have) left completely alone until the team arrived to take her back.
Instead Masahiro allowed her to be subjected to Kenta's whims and cravings. She was just a mere child, even more so compared to Xin. How could he find pleasure in torturing such a young girl? And now Kenta was dead and Ukyo was not okay. She'd probably never be okay. It upset Genji that Xin could be so nonchalant to Ukyo's plight, it's not like Ukyo could control her fear.
"Ukyo," Xin uttered in a shockingly soft tone. "Come on, you're okay. He didn't mean to scare you, he doesn't understand, remember? Come, come, you have to get up."
To his utter surprise, Ukyo reacted suddenly and nearly violently. "Don't touch me!" She shouted, sitting up with a quickness. Xin held up her hands, keeping them leveled at her chest and within Ukyo's line of sight. "Don't touch me!" She continued, taking a quick swipe at Xin even though Xin hadn't budged.
"I'm not going to touch you. I don't want to," Xin replied evenly. It might have sounded harsh but Genji understood the meaning behind her words. Hideki watched in utter confusion and Genji wondered if Ukyo would ever tell him. He remembered Asuna gushing over their crushes on each other. Had the situation ruined their could-be romance?
Ukyo glanced in between Xin and Hideki erratically, blue eyes struggling to convince herself that she was safe. She let out a sudden uncontrolled sob. "This is your fault," She finally said with eyes full of tears. "This is all your fault!" She repeated the broken mantra. Genji wasn't sure if he would say this was Xin's fault. She had an involvement in the problem but it wasn't her fault that Kenta was a psychotically sick bastard.
"Yes, it is," Xin agreed easily. Genju definitely wasn't expecting her to agree. "But who's at fault isn't what's important right now, Ukyo. Now, come, get up and let's go. We still have much to do, like getting your idiotic teammate home and reporting to the Kazekage."
As a council-member, Genji didn't often deal with rape victims so it was hard to tell if Xin was doing a good job or not but Ukyo began to calm down. Maybe that was more of a testament of their relationship. "You're going to report this to Kazekage-sama?" Hideki asked slowly, paling. Now that he wasn't blinded by complete rage, he was probably regretting his behavior. Xin, still crouching, looked at him with a frown.
"Yes."
"But—"
"No buts," Xin said sharply, fixing him with a look even though she was crouching beneath him. "What you did today and hoped to accomplish was foolish and completely unlike you. I'm disappointed in you and I'm sure Kazekage-sama and Kankuro-Sensei will share my feelings," Xin began to scold the young boy. "Now you listen and you listen well. You're going to turn your ass around and march it back home and you're going to stay there until you're summoned, you understand me?"
Even Genji felt completely cowed and she hadn't even looked towards him. Hideki opened his mouth, perhaps to protest or explain his actions but Xin shook her head. "Not another word, Hideki! I didn't ask for an explanation, I asked if you understood what I just said."
Everyone flinched that time. If that woman ever had children, she'd make a good Mother, Genji mused. Well, if her psychotic tendencies calmed down. When she wasn't threatening to kill someone, she could apparently be quite pleasant.
Knowing there was no defending his actions, Hideki nodded and backed towards the door. He muttered that he would wait outside for her and Ukyo. Xin sent him off with a curt wave of her hand and then looked towards Ukyo once more. "As for you," She began to say in a calm but tense voice. "I feel we've overstayed our welcome in Genji's home and I would like him to rest for a bit. Why don't we take our leave?"
Xin rose to her height and moved towards the door. She nodded a goodbye to him and slowly left the room, waiting for Ukyo to make the choice to leave. She didn't look him in the eye, saddening him, and quickly followed her teacher out of the room.
Genji wondered about all of their future.
Asuna was not expecting Xin at her door with Hideki standing in front of her, looking guilty as all Hell. The tall blonde frowned down at the two, gripping the door handle tightly. They were both decorated in splatters of blood. Ukyo stood behind them, looking ashen and far older than she actually was. "What...in the world?" Asuna blinked, not sure how to react. They were ninja, after all, they would come home covered in blood more often than not. However, Hideki wasn't on any mission that would cause blood and neither seemed like they were actually hurt. Besides, Xin was more than welcomed to come and go to their home as she pleased, she wouldn't bother to knock if she was accompanied by Hideki and Ukyo.
Something was obviously wrong.
Xin glared at the back of Hideki's head and then slapped him upside his head with a scowl. Hideki grunted and cringed under the treatment. She placed her hand on his shoulder and shoved him towards his sister. "Tell her what you did, Hideki."
"What did you do, Hideki?"
Hideki looked towards his feet, not willing to meet his sister's confused gaze. Xin's hand tightened on his shoulder and Asuna feared his shoulder would splinter under her grip. "I don't have all day, Hideki. Tell her what you did."
"I tried to kill Genji."
Asuna was utterly speechless and Xin was not impressed. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, muttering about foolish children. "Keep him here and don't let him out of the house until he's summoned by the Kazekage."
The color drained from Asuna's face. She wasn't sure of the punishment for attacking a man on house arrest. Hideki was just a boy. Xin fixed him with a firm look as she pushed at the back of his head. "I mean it, Hideki," She said after his retreating form. He quietly ducked into the living room, far from her reprimands. Xin rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Is.." Asuna trailed off, frowning tightly. "My lady, is Genji alright?"
"Do you really care?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then go check on him. He can't leave his house but you can. Why don't you check on him? I'm sure Jura wouldn't mind keeping an eye on the rebel in there. Take Momoka with you. I'm sure she'd be delighted to see her Father."
Asuna's lips tightened. "What about Ukyo?" She jerked her chin behind Xin. She wasn't exactly keen on all the details surrounding Ukyo's imprisonment but it didn't take a genius to put some things together. She too, like Xin, had seen many horrible things before retiring to marry Genji. She knew the signs.
"What about her?"
"Is she alright?"
"Nope," Xin replied, popping her lips. There really wasn't a point to say that Ukyo could be alright. It was still up in the air and so far, things didn't look good. "We'll continue to support her."
"Of course," Asuna nodded, blond ponytail bobbing with the motion. Xin eyed the long locks, noting that they looked a little haggard. "Momo likes to pull on my hair every chance she can get," Asuna explained, noticing Xin's stare. "I was thinking of cutting it shorter, you know, like yours."
Xin pinched the bridge of her nose harder. "Shut up, Asuna," She pouted, knowing Asuna knew how much she disliked her hairstyle. "I hope Momo rips a chunk of your shit out."
"Well that's not nice."
"I'm not a nice person."
"Aren't you?" Asuna smiled mysteriously. Xin only rolled her eyes and flagged the blonde off. "Alright, I should go. Perhaps I will take Momo to see how Genji is doing…."
"Yes, you do that. But make sure Jura or Hatsune knows to keep an eye on our psycho in the making."
"Oh, my Lady, don't call him that."
Xin only shrugged indifferently and waved goodbye. She approached Ukyo, smiling carefully. "Come on, let's go see Gaara and then we can go to the Hospital for a little while."
Ukyo looked up at her, eyes hooded. "I...Sensei, I didn't mean what I said earlier."
"Yeah you did," Xin replied simply, moving first. Ukyo let out a strangled noise and quickly followed after the older woman. "You said it for a reason, why did you say it?"
"Sensei…"
"It's okay to tell me the truth, Ukyo. I'm not going to get mad. Let's start with something else...why did you start screaming when Hideki grabbed you?"
The question didn't seem to make her feel any better than her first but Xin was trying her best and she could at least give her something back. Xin had asked questions before and Ukyo steadily avoided answering them despite Xin's reassurances that nothing would change. "He was so angry," Ukyo spoke quietly and quickly, eyes darting around for an eavesdroppers. No one really seemed interested in their conversation. Anyone who passed by simply smiled or bowed their head to Xin. She returned the sentiments with quick smiles or nods of acknowledgement. Ukyo wondered how Xin could be so trusting that no one would hurt her.
"He was quite angry, wasn't he?" Xin asked rhetorically. "Angry enough to cause you to shut down? Did he say something specifically that brought back bad memories?"
Ukyo didn't immediately answer, shaking her head. "He grabbed my wrist and it just….Kenta…" Ukyo was breathing hard but Xin didn't seem to mind. She glanced over at her and nodded.
"You don't have to answer if its too much right now."
Ukyo was becoming sick of that. A part of her wanted Xin to get angry with her, she wanted the older woman to stop pitying her. "I will answer," She said firmly, hoping her voice didn't crack. Xin raised her eyebrows but said nothing else. "He held me down by my wrists the first couple of times...and it…"
"You had a flashback again."
Ukyo made a noise of agreement. "You want me to kill him?" Xin asked casually with blank eyes. Ukyo let out a strangled laugh suddenly. She turned to her teacher while trying to mask her surprised laughter.
"Killing someone won't solve your problems, Sensei!"
"No? Then what will?"
"...I...I don't know."
"I know you don't," Xin hummed in that same casual tone. "Perhaps you see now why I decided to put your career on hiatus? Those flashbacks will not leave you anytime soon if you don't let yourself heal first."
"But...how..?"
Xin shrugged a shoulder. "That's up to you decide. Everyone is different but I can tell you that isolating yourself from everyone will not help. If you do not recover, I will have to force you into retirement," Xin explained in a stony tone. Ukyo suddenly wished that Xin would go back to coddling her. "Tell me why you believe I have some fault in this situation," She continued in the same tone. The younger girl frowned uncomfortably. She hadn't meant to say that during her hysteria but there was some..truth behind her accusation. No, she didn't think it was all her fault but..
"You saved Hatsune."
She just couldn't, for the life of her, understand why Xin chose to save Hatsune and not her. It was no secret that Hatsune was one of the few of Suna that actively did not like Xin. And Xin, odd as she may be and who generally got along with Suna's population, was not so fond of Hatsune. The two had a negative relationship and didn't do much to hide it. So Ukyo had to wonder, why did Xin tend to Hatsune instead of chasing her down? Had Xin gone after Ukyo, she would have been saved from the awful fate awaiting her in Konoha's territory. She wouldn't have had to face Kyohei's silent betrayal and Kenta's sick desires.
And what was wrong with Hatsune anyway? She prided herself on being a capable kunoichi but she'd easily fallen that night. It was her fault just as much as it was Xin's fault!
"You think it's my fault because I didn't go after you immediately," Xin spoke calmly. Ukyo figured that if she ever told her about that night, Xin would become angry with her. "I ask myself that too, why did I save Hatsune? I don't even like the idiot. I don't have a concrete answer. I just did. If you'd like to place the blame on me, I understand."
Well, she wasn't expecting that. She wasn't sure what she was expecting out of Xin lately. She really was going to just accept Ukyo placing the blame on her? She barely tried to fight the reasoning. Had she resigned herself to think it was her fault?
"Those men were after me and ran off when they realized I would put up too much of a fight. I said once that had I known what was in store, I wouldn't have resisted so hard. I meant that. I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness because I don't deserve it. That's up to you to forgive me if you want."
Just as they turned towards the Kage's Tower, they heard shouting. They both turned towards the noise, trying to figure out what was going on. A crowd was beginning to form just a bit away and Xin found her curiosity peaked. "Now what?" She grumbled quietly to herself before making her way to the crowd. Ukyo felt her stomach sinking at the sight and grabbed at the back of Xin's shoulder as Xin began to navigate her way through the buzzing crowd.
"Excuse me...what's going on?" Xin asked when she finally broke through the crowd. Two Suna ninja were standing there with a man kneeling in between them. The taller of the ninja, a older man frowned down at her. Xin didn't seem that impressed, eyebrow quirked. "Well? What's going on?" She repeated, eyes darting towards the kneeling man.
"He snuck into the village, my lady."
Xin's eyebrows shot up her forehead, hiding beneath the curtain of her bangs. "He snuck in? How did he manage to do that when there's gatekeepers posted?"
"I'm not sure, my lady."
"Well," Xin's lips pursed. "That's disheartening," Xin unclipped one of her fans once more and Ukyo feared she would decapitate the trespasser. Even Xin couldn't be so crazy. She didn't spread the fan out, causing Ukyo and the two Shinobi to sigh softly. Instead she pressed the end of her fan just under the man's chin. She forced the man to look up, frowning as she did so. "Who are you and what business do you have sneaking into Suna?"
The man, to put it simply, looked straight out of his mind. His eyes were wide and his pupil were blown, a shuddering grin overtook his mouth and the cords in his neck strained tightly against his skin. "Oh, it's you," He cooed up at her. "You smell of death. And sand! Please, won't you take me to him?"
"Take you to who?"
"Don't play dumb, my lady," He continued to grin up at her. Xin began to wave the crowd away. She did not like where this was going. Picking up on her motions, the two Shinobi began to disperse the crowd, urging them to go back to their day. Only Ukyo remained, apprehensive. "You'll take me to the Jinchūriki."
Xin's lips thinned distastefully. "No, I will not but I can take you to a holding cell until the Kazekage is ready to see you," Xin replied tensely with a frown. Of course that's not what he wanted to hear but Xin didn't expect him to break his bonds. He surged up with a Kunai concealed in the folds of his clothes, aiming it straight towards her face.
Ukyo seemed to react faster than Xin and could only scream in utter terror.
TeeBeMe: *Hides face* I figured yall deserved a lemon after putting up with my bullshit these past couple of chapters. Was it terrible? I don't know man, I feel like I did a good job. I tried to listen to like...freaky songs while I wrote it but couldn't do it with a straight face, I kept giggling. I ended up writing it with 'Put your head on my shoulder' playing the background. That was weird.
So, as you guys know, I was feeling iffy about adding extra chapters but yall convinced me with your wonderful reviews to extend the story a bit further than expected. Next chapter will completely wrap up the Masahiro-Mikawa uprising and we'll move completely onto a new arc. It will still deal with Ukyo's recovery though. Luckily I've gotten some great advice and support on how to deal with a rape victim, they know how grateful I am for all of their input and advice.
curlystruggle: Ukyo is in such a bad place right now but she at least has great support, right? I'd really like to include the foster son aspect but I'm still a little unsure about including it. All the baby talk has me super excited too. Xin is not so excited, more so, scared shitless lol.
Shakilove: Xin is trying her best with Ukyo. She's changed so much from the woman she was at the beginning of the story but she really hasn't realized it yet. Personally I think they would be fantastic parents as well. From what little I saw of the manga, Gaara seemed to be a great father to Shinki. I think Xin would be the more firm parent with a twisted sense of humor. I know a month later isn't much of a time skip but I have plans for Ukyo's recovery, hopefully thats' okay!
LavenderQueen: I think Xin's problem will always be that, even if she doesn't want to be that horrible woman that she was, she's still willing to be her, if that makes sense. She may never fully heal but she is trying to make a change. Ukyo, I can see her recovering fully but I also can't see it. Listen, I don't blame you for not being a fan Boruto, series or characters. I'm not impressed with either but I do adore Shinki and I do want him to be the starting point in expanding their family so we'll see what happens with that.
emilyamazing: maybe not twenty more chapters but there's going to be more so yay! hopefully reading this update makes your day as well!
OnceTheBlackSwan: God, thank you for thinking so! It really makes me happy to know people like this story. Whether Xin will get pregnant or not...welllll...you'll just have to keep reading, eh? WinkWinkNudgeNudge
dancibayo: Well thank you, I'll miss the version of her too. If only this story could go on forever but all good things must come to and end. Luckily not as soon as I originally planned. Neji and Xin were a treat together. I'd like to write more of them like this, given the opportunity.
kateskates24: Xin and I loooooove you! Jesus, you don't know how awesome you are just for liking this story! Twenty-nine chapters later and I still get nervous that someone is gonna flame the shit out of this story. God, you're the best, I mean that. I'm glad that you and everyone else aren't opposed to more chapters. Hopefully this story will continue to be one of your favorites.
Akari: Surprise! More chapters. I feel like I'd cheat everyone by giving a timeskip. I'm still not done with this story! Xin and Gaara have been cute for the last two chapters, now that I reread it. But who doesn't like those two dorks being cute with one another
Grand Laise: Okay, deadass, you're totally right. There's still much to do, especially with Sasori, Mai and the Shukaku. I reread the entire story and realized there is a lot of foreshadowing and it would be a rushed ending so I'm extending the shit. Funny you should mention Sasori and why he's here. That will be expanded upon with this new arc coming up. I hope you liked the lemon. I think maybe there will be one more? Not sure yet. I am thinking of an epilogue along those lines but it's still up in the air, I think. Xin's psycho personality was one of my favorites, to be honest. I'm actually already writing a new story featuring them, Whispers in the Dark! We're nine chapters in if you wanna check it out. Xin isn't a raging psycho like she is here but she's still her fame ol' sarcastic asshole self!
marinaa07: I'm glad you'll still follow, my dear. I think she'll be a hilarious mother as well. I think I touched upon it just a bit with her dealing with Ukyo and Hideki. She'd totally be that mother that's fed up with her kid's antics but will secretly love them for it.
MrsAnimeNerd: Oh! I'm so glad this story is giving you some ideas! I'll be sure to keep track and check them out when you write them! Thank you so much!
SirensSong: Yes yes yes, I completely agree. It really would be a stretch. Luckily I came up with something that I think will be suitable and will end the story much better than originally planned. I'm glad you think both of their recoveries is well-paced, especially since their recoveries are more sensitive. Your review really helped with the next couple of chapters and Xin's progress regarding her relationship wit Gaara, so thank you for that. When yall say yall are willing to read anything I put out when it comes to this story, whether it's more chapters, a sequel or a story of oneshots means a lot to me. Thank you so much.
Amii: Everyone is seriously rooting for this psycho couple to have babies but that's alright cause I'm rooting too. Hopefully with the way I'm mapping things out, everyone gets what they want. I actually never thought about making a part 2 concerning their family but it's sounding like a good idea. Thank you for the support!
DemonoftheNight3: This story is still alive and kicking! I barely even realized you reviewed the last chapter twice lol. Xin as a mother would be quite hilarious. The other girls of Naruto have made great mothers but they're missing that one sassy, sarcastic asshole Mother. It really would be interesting. Thank you for the support!
EmoTaco101: I can definitely see that as a song to describe their relationship. Especially the early to middle parts of their relationship. Hopefully by the time you read this chapter, you'll have a different song in mind for them. If I had to make a playlist based on their relationship, I Hate Everything About You would be in the beginning!
mikurocks1234: I suppose I can agree in that Xin might have forgiven people too fast. Jura, for a time, chose his brother over her and Suna, which obviously was a stupid ass mistake but no one is really perfect. I think that's why she forgave him quickly. The Hyuga family...well...they were the cause of her trauma and she's still suffering for it but that will be revisited in this new arc. That's alright to hate Xin's choice of forgiving. Readers won't always agree with something a writer has written. I appreciate your support still, thank you so much!
LittleOne94: You, like everyone else who reviewed, are completely right. This story is nowhere near finished and if it was, it would have been completely rushed. That's why I'm glad I asked about all of your opinions before I went ahead and rushed an ending. I've seen stories with that many chapters and always wondered how they could keep a story going for that long and still have everyone still reading. I doubt SOC will reach 100 chapters but it's still got some chapters left. I can't believe you'd count me in that category though, like wow. That really helped me in deciding to continue with more chapters. God, Thank you so much, yall don't even understand how much it means to me!
Ryo: Lmaooo, sometimes I almost write Borito sometimes too. One time I even wrote Burrito. Not only is the kid horrible, I hate his name as well. I feel like they could've came up with a better name, at least. I don't even know why I dislike Sarada as well. I just do. I just...cringe, I don't know. The rest of the kids are a delight and I would've been happier if the series focused on any one of them other than Boruto. I've definitely brainstormed a meeting involving Xin and Tsunade. I think she has a lot to answer for as well and Xin never got the chance to talk to her. So far. Everyone wants to see a pregnant Xin, do yall not realize how much of a nightmare she'd be? But either way, if this story does end with kids, I just have to write a pregnant Xin. I hope you have a wonderful day as well and I hope to see you later.
Guest: You're amazing, thank you for the support!
So usually I don't reply to every single review for a chapter but everyone's feedback made me so happy and yall all deserved a reply. I know I literally say it alllllll the time, but I really do appreciate all of your support and it makes me so happy. I mean, without you guys, this story would be nothing at all. I'm so glad yall have stuck it out with me this far to see Xin develop into a slightly less psychotic person and to fall in love with Gaara's former psycho ass. Yall mean the world to me and I'm glad I could share SOC and Xin with yall and for a couple more chapters.
As always, stay safe and I'll see yall next chapter.
