Pieces of Colored Glass and Stone:
Eavesdropping
Word Count: 897
AN: Naruto and all of its respective characters, including Gaara and Matsuri, belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Kanna, Souta, and Haru are my own creations
The streets of Suna had become a stream of people and activity that night as citizens celebrated the coming of the new year. Everywhere you looked men, women, and children alike were running about under the soft red glow of the paper lanterns hanging overhead, going from booth to booth eating, drinking, shopping, and playing games. The New Year's Festival was one of Suna's most important holidays and people were certainly making the most of it, wanting to start off the year in style. It was for this very reason that she found herself here.
Matsuri was leaning against a stone column, arms crossed and eyes and ears alert. The young jounin had willingly volunteered to be part of the small squad of shinobi charged with keeping order while the festival was in action, making sure that peace and the safety of the villagers was maintained. While normally chuunin work, there had been a shortage of volunteers for the task as most of the younger ninjas weren't willing to work on a holiday. So, Matsuri, along with her friend Souta, had offered their services to make up for the rest, and, being the only jounins to have done so, were easily appointed the leaders of the group. Their other friend and fellow jounin, Haru, was probably running around like the hyperactive knucklehead he was, high on sugar from all the candy; and Kanna, the only non-shinobi of their little gang, was most likely flirting with the most handsome and wealthy guy she could find, milking him for all he was worth.
Matsuri sighed lightly, almost allowing herself to get lost in the sound of drums coming from somewhere off in the distance before snapping back to attention. She didn't mind working during the festival, really. She was helping Gaara and that was worth so much in itself. Plus, getting to boss around the chuunin was always a great deal of fun. Yet, Matsuri almost wished that a fight would break out in the middle of the street, just to give her something more to do. But, so far, the people of Suna had been peaceful, law-abiding citizens.
Damn them. C'mon people, break some rules, the brunette couldn't help but think, only half-listening to the messages being sent across the radio headset that all the patrol guards were given.
"Having fun?" A familiar voice asked wryly, breaking Matsuri out of her thoughts. Matsuri jumped slightly, mentally cursing herself; she hadn't even noticed him approach. Talk about genin behavior . . .
"Me? While on duty? Oh, perish the thought. What kind of shinobi do you take me for?" She recovered coolly, smiling teasingly at her boyfriend. Gaara just smirked lightly, leaning beside her against the large column as he mirrored her position. "I'm surprised to see you here. I would have thought you'd lock yourself in your office, buried in paperwork."
"Actually, I was doing just that before I decided to come see how you were doing." At that, Matsuri was mentally doing the tango with joy, but she kept her expression unreadable, not wanting to give away how happy that simple statement made her. If only he wasn't so picky about kissing in public . . . and she wasn't on duty . . .
"I also wanted to thank you for taking this job. I know it must not be how you planned on spending the beginning of the new year."
"I really don't mind, Gaara. I'm happy to be helping you, no matter what time of the year," Matsuri reassured earnestly, smiling brightly at the redhead, who returned it with a small one of his own. He looked just about to reply before a mischievous voice intercepted through the radio; a voice that Matsuri had no trouble recognizing.
"Oh, and I'm sure Mat would be happy to help you with anything at that, Lord Kazekage. Over."
Shit. She had forgotten to turn off her radio. Haru must have heard the whole thing. But that would mean he's with -
"Damn it, Haru! Get the fuck off! I'm supposed to be on duty!" Another very familiar, irritated voice shouted.
Yep, he's with Souta all right.
"Oh, lighten up! You need to allow yourself to have some fun every once in a while, Souta. Remember, express not repress!"
"Good job on the whole inconspicuous thing, guys. Your ninja skills never cease to amaze me," a third, less audible voice muttered sardonically above the bickering between the two. So, Kanna must have gotten bored with exploiting poor, unexpecting young men. It usually got old after a few hours – if the guy hadn't been sucked dry of his money first.
"You three are so dead when I get my hands on you!" Matsuri yelled furiously into the small microphone, her face turning a bright red from anger and embarrassment. It was bad enough that the other patrollers must have heard the conversation between her and Gaara as well, but her friends just had to go and make it ten-times worse. Beside her, the young Kazekage simply rolled his eyes as he marveled at the antics between Matsuri's friends, though he secretly wished to be present to witness their eventual throttling by his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, all across Suna, about a dozen chuunins were standing awkwardly in the streets, wondering what the hell was going on with their two squad leaders.