Chapter 37: Gaara's Pupil!

"Ohh!" Temari exhaled. "This feels great."

I would have been lying if I said that I didn't feel the same. A bubbling mud bath had sounded gross at first though it had actually turned out pretty decent. I relaxed into it and closed my eyes exhaling my own sigh of relief.

Kankuro had led the way to the local inn where Hideki had gotten us three rooms at a discounted price. While we waited for our rooms to be processed, Temari had made plans for dinner and appointment at the bath house. While dinner was being prepared in the main room, Temari had dragged me toward the mud bath area and the rest was history.

"You do this often?" I asked, taking in a breath.

Temari smiled as she stretched. "Yeah, whenever I find time. I usually come her with my friends."

I nearly choked. "Fr-friends?!" It sounded like a foreign concept when it came to Temari. I had never thought of her as a person who had friends, especially with people like Gaara hanging around. It was how she preferred it, to be around him, but I had always thought that was the extent of her social life. I just couldn't imagine her hanging out with anyone else.

She shot me a dark look. "What? I can't have friends or something?"

I laughed lightly, holding up my muddy hands as if to keep her at bay. But, I could feel her anger growing, see the agitation making her brow twitch as she glared at me. I had offended her and I felt a little bad.

"I just-I just-"

"You just what?" Temari growled.

I swallowed. "I just never imagined it…you're just always with the boys…I figured…"

"There's only so much testosterone a girl can take, Miyuki." Temari said through gritted teeth, struggling to bite down her annoyance.

I nodded a little too eagerly. Temari had friends? Fair enough. She was entitled to I supposed. Sure it was something I had to see to believe but that could be a road we'd cross whenever we got there.

"I just figured you were always with Gaara…and Kankuro…"

"Yeah, yeah well I'm not." Temari said, turning away, more annoyed now that I was trying to clear the air and defend my reaction. I pressed my lips together, averting my gaze up toward the ceiling of the spa house.

That was when the doors slid open and the two of us jumped and gasped as a strong gust of wind burst in.

"TEMARI-CHAN!" A voice shouted before two bodies plunged into the mud between us.

I gasped, gripping the edge of the bath as the two bodies rose up, one with big amber eyes and the other with soft brown eyes. they blinked at me and I watched as the mud dripped off them to reveal fair skin just beneath it. One girl was smaller than the other, heck she was even smaller than me. Her hair was brown and pulled back into two pigtails that were twisted and curled at the end. She had two blushes on each side of her face and the more I stared into her eyes, the less amber they seemed. In fact, they looked orange.

As for the other girl, she had sandy blonde hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail. She had two loose strands and two other pieces that were tightly braided, both hanging on both side of their faces. I gawked at the two of them, blinking rapidly as they grinned at me before turning toward Temari.

"Temari!" The blonde one gasped. "It's been far too long!"

"Thanks for the invite." The brown–haired one said. She was so small, the mud ended just below her chin. "We needed to relax after the week we had."

Temari smiled softly. "Yeah, sure no worries."

"Who's your friend?" The brown-haired girl asked, her head turning to stare right at me.

"That's Miyuki." Temari said. "Miyuki, these are my friends." She stressed the word and it took everything in me to not shoot her a look. Okay…I got the point.

"Oh hi." The blonde smiled. I looked at her and found that she was tall, taller than Temari even and probably the same height as Kankuro. "My name is Sen."

"Yome." The small one said, tilting her head back as her orange eyes peered down the length of her nose toward me.

"N-Nice to meet you." I smiled.

"We were just talking about you." Temari said dryly. "Miyuki here didn't believe that someone like me could have friends."

Sen laughed and it was big and daring. "Temari? She's a little social butterfly this one."

I laughed too, which made Temari's lips twitch in response.

"It's because you're always with those boys." Yome said, tearing her gaze away from me toward Temari who waved a hand through the air in response.

"They're my teammates." Temari said. "It's not like I have a choice."

"Yeah, sure. If it were up to you, it would just be you and Gaara." Sen laughed.

Temari's face reddened. "N-no!" She stammered which made the girls laugh.

"How is he anyway?" Sen asked, easing back into the bath. "You two expecting yet?"

"Shut up!" Temari said, splashing some mud her way. Sen laughed as Temari straightened.

"He's doing okay though." Temari said. "But, I think something got to him today."

"What do you mean?" Yome asked.

Temari looked down at the mud and took a breath. "Outside the Academy today, a little girl was getting picked on."

I had almost forgotten about the girl but the moment Temari said it, the look on her face, the look of pure and utter fear filling every angle came back to me. Poor kid had looked about ready to piss herself at the mere sight of Gaara and she had run away so quickly, none of us had chased after her. I had failed to see Gaara's reaction to it all because the Sand Genin had all but whisked us away from the scene moments after.

"A girl…getting picked on?" Yome repeated.

Sen nodded, her eyes turning hard. "It's probably that girl, Matsuri."

"Matsuri?" Temari repeated. "Who's that?"

"You've never heard of her?" Sen asked before shrugging. "It's a sad story, happened a few years ago."

"Her parents died." Yome said.

Sen nodded. "Yes well, they were murdered right in front of her."

My eyes widened. It brought back so many memories. My own family, Sasuke's family…

"That's terrible." Temari said, a hand lifting to cover just the outside of her mouth, her eyes wide. "Wh-when did that happen?"

"A few years ago." Sen said. "It didn't exactly make the front page. A lot was going on back then. It happened when she was around four or something."

"Regardless, she joined the Academy but she can't use weapons." Yome said. "After all these years, Matsuri is still traumatized."

"Plus, you know how kids are." Sen said. "You remember how they were to Gaara. It's not the same, not by a long shot, but it's the same overall."

"She won't touch a weapon and she's in the Academy?" I asked. It seemed like a waste to me and though it didn't make it better.

Temari closed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. She seemed a little lost in thought and I wondered if she was thinking back to how Gaara was treated. I didn't know much about it, but I had always known that the life of a Jinchūriki wasn't easy. Naruto had told me one time over ramen that he wanted to become Hokage because he wanted everyone to respect him. But, I was sure there was pain behind that somewhere. It was more than respect, it was other things too.

"It's getting worse too." Sen said. "The mentorship selection is tomorrow."

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's when recent Academy graduates are paired up with Genin to be in order to show them the ropes." Yome said. "It's something that's only offered to the top students."

"How does that affect Matsuri?" I asked.

Sen looked at me. "Despite being a failure in things combat related, she's at the top of the class academically and there's no rule that states she can't participate."

"Whoever takes her on is wasting their time because she can't fight and she won't fight. She freezes every single time." Yome added.

"Is she in counseling for this?" I asked.

Yome shrugged. "I don't know but if she is, she hasn't gotten better, she's just gotten worse."

"It's not for everyone, I guess." Sen said.

Temari stood up, gripping the towel around her body as she pushed herself out of the tub. I looked at her, arching a brow.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

"I just remembered something." Temari said with a small smile. "I'll see you at dinner."

With that, she was gone and I looked back at Sen and Yome who seemed just as confused as I was.

"Where do you think she's going?" Yome asked.

"No idea." Sen said before looking at me. "So how long have you and Temari been friends?"

I almost coughed. "Friends" was still a stretch when it came to Temari and I.

"We've known each other for a few years I suppose." I said. "But, calling us friends is pushing it."

"You get along on some level." Sen said with a smile.

"How long have you known about her and Gaara?" Yome piped.

I looked at her. Temari and Gaara? All I knew was that she cared for him and they were always together. I knew that he defended her, well, that she was one of the few people he ever defended. It was obvious she had some sort of crush, but I had always suspected with as cold as he was, that nothing had ever come of their relationship.

But, looking at the two girls, I now realized that maybe, it was the exact opposite.

"She likes him." I said.

Sen nodded. "Always has ever since they were kids."

"Even when the rest of us would run away whenever he came around, Temari was always trying to be close to him. She never ignored him, and anytime his inner demon would strike out, she'd still come." Yome said.

"He hurt her once." Sen said with a soft smile, her eyes distant.

I nodded, interested in this whole new side to both Gaara and Temari.

"It was an accident of course. Gaara hadn't been able to control his demon as good as he can now. He was trying to help a bunch of kids get their toy out or something and it backfired. He tried to protect everyone too but quite a few kids got hurt, but not as badly as our little Temari. Not only was she hurt by his sand, but she was hurt in the accident too." Sen explained.

"That's terrible." I gasped.

"I don't think Gaara was ever able to forgive himself after that he pushed away. He was actually pretty mean to her. She used to think he hated her, but she couldn't hate him. She wanted to be there for him." Yome continued.

"And now they're like inseparable especially ever since they came back from the Chunin Exams." Sen smiled. "It's nice to see her so happy."

I nodded, remembering the pride in Temari's face whenever she looked at Gaara. I liked the change just the way I liked the thought of the two of them together. Two powerful shinobi walking hand in hand as equals. It was a really nice thought.

"That's good then." I smiled.

Sen nodded. "Yeah, it is."

…

Temari wasn't at dinner and neither was Gaara so that left us with Kankuro who proved that he was a terrible host until Sen and Yome arrived. They definitely lightened the mood at the table and Kyoske seemed to approve of them while gawking at the fact that someone like Temari had friends. It wasn't long before he wondered if Kankuro had any friends and that almost made Kankuro climb over the table to strangle him.

I couldn't eat though and kept staring at the empty spots at the table, the spots where Temari and Gaara would have been sitting. I wondered what the two of them were doing and wondered briefly, surprising myself by doing so, if they were okay. Temari had left in a hurry and hadn't looked back after she left. The longer I sat staring, the more anxious I became and just as dessert was rolling around, I excused myself and headed out to look for them.

I walked through Suna's sandy streets, feeling the cool night air coming between the clay building. The city was lit with lanterns at night and the stars and moon twinkled brightly above. It was a cloudless night and though the village was becoming quieter, there were still a few people out. I was lost in thought as I walked, but was careful to look for Gaara's signature gourd. But, after an hour, I was losing hope until I wondered if maybe they had gone off to get alone time together. I blushed at the thought and instantly felt terrible for looking for them. I imagined stumbling upon them too, some sort of candlelight dinner and ruining it. Temari would never forgive me and I was sure I'd never be able to forgive myself either.

I turned to walk away when I almost ran right into someone. I stumbled back as did the other person and before I could get out an apology, the other person did.

"I'm so sorry!" They stammered and when I looked up them, my eyes widened. It was the girl, Matsuri.

She had tears in her eyes and was holding up her hands, as if she was afraid I'd hit her or something.

"It-it's alright." I said before offering her a hand. Her stumble back had ended with her falling back on her butt and she was still on the ground. She sniffed and stared at my extended hand before sliding hers into mine and I pulled her to her feet, a gentle smile on my lips as I did so.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She blinked up at me, her cheeks turning a little red. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she nodded.

"Good." I said and placed my hands on my knees as I bent down to her level. "What's your name?" I asked.

She blinked at me. "M-Matsuri."

I nodded. "It's so good to meet you, Matsuri. My name is Miyuki."

"M-Miyuki." She repeated before her blush deepened.

"Miyuki?"

I turned around to face the voice only to find Temari standing behind me with Gaara by her side. I brightened at the side of them and rose up.

"Hey guys." I said before motioning to Matsuri. "I just made a new friend."

Matsuri cowered behind me, her eyes focused on Gaara, her small body trembling.

I smiled down at her. "Matsuri, these are my friends, Temari and G—"

"Gaara." She finished, her eyes shining all over again, brimming with fresh tears.

Gaara just stared at her and Temari smiled.

"You two have already met, that's wonderful." She said, trying to lighten the mood.

But the exact opposite was reciprocated in Matura's eyes. She was scared of him, horrified to the point where her knees were wobbling. I placed a hand on her shoulder and she flinched at my touch. Her head lifted up toward me.

"It's alright." I smiled. "Gaara's a good guy. He's not going to hurt you."

I wasn't sure if I had made things better or worse but Matsuri pulled away from my touch and looked about ready to run when Gaara spoke.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you." Gaara said.

She froze in her tracks and slowly, very slowly, she turned to face him, her eyes wide but not with fear, surprise and confusion.

"I'm sorry for your loss as well." Gaara said. "No one should go through what you did."

She blinked at him and I watched as the tension in her shoulders eased themselves. She turned to face him fully, her small eyes blinking up at him.

Temari smiled while I stared on impressed. Gaara having a heart to heart? The day was filled with firsts.

"Thanks." Matsuri said, her voice surprisingly soft and small, more so than I had realized before. After a few moments of her lips trembling, I was surprised when her lips pulled up into a small, shy smile.

Gaara nodded and looked at Temari and I.

"We should head back." He said.

Temari nodded before wrapping an arm around my shoulders, the two of us stepping forward until Matsuri jumped in front of Gaara and we stopped.

The look on her face had changed. Determination burned in her eyes as she stared up at him but I could tell it had taken every ounce of courage that she had inside of her little body.

"Matsuri..." I said, pulling away from Temari. "Are you alright?"

She didn't respond to me, but she pointed a finger at Gaara. "I choose you."

Gaara blinked at her while Temari arched an eyebrow.

"Choose him for what?" Temari asked.

Matsuri sucked in a breath. "I choose you…I choose you…I choose you to be my mentor."

Silence. My eyes widened and Temari couldn't help but gasp. But, Gaara merely blinked at her, no reaction. Matsuri looked up at him, her eyes twinkling, her hands in tight fists at her sides.

"Me?" Gaara asked, his voice low.

Matsuri nodded a moment later. "I want you."

"Why?" He asked right after.

This seemed to stun the poor girl and she blinked up at Gaara at first, until she found her resolve and stomped a foot on the ground.

"Everyone tells me that I'm useless because I can't fight but…but…it's not my fault." Matsuri said, her cheeks turning redder and redder the more she struggled to get her words out.

"Not everything is about fighting." Gaara said.

She stopped talking.

"Fighting isn't about being able to hurt others." Gaara continued, his expression even, his eyes not exactly cold, but firm as they held Matsuri in them. "It's about protecting your comrades."

Another moment of silence passed between the two of them and I stepped forward, Gaara's words resonating within me. What struck me wasn't the fact that I had never heard words remotely close to that ever leaving Gaara's mouth, that was actually something different. What struck me was how familiar they sounded, how the fire burning in his eyes reminded me of someone else.

Matsuri's eyes widened and she stepped back.

"I'll be your instructor." Gaara said. "And I'll be sure to teach you what that means."

She hesitated, but managed an affirmative nod in response.

Temari placed a hand over her heart and I glanced over at her only to find her smiling at the two of them. If pride had shined in her eyes earlier in the day, it was really shining now. She even seemed to be trying to hold back tears.

"Temari?" I asked softly, placing a hand on her arm. She looked over at me, a soft smile pulling at the edges of her lips.

"You alright?" I asked.

Temari nodded and sniffed before responding.

"I'm fine."

I nodded and looked back at Gaara as Matsuri seemed to do most of the talking between the two of them, her eyes sparkling as she went on and on.

"He's changed." I said, crossing my arms.

Temari nodded. "He has." She cleared her throat before reaching up to swipe a finger along the underside of her eye. "I suppose we can thank that big idiot for that, huh?"

"Idiot?" I asked, looking at her.

Temari smirked before looking back at Gaara. "Naruto."

My eyes widened. I had always known it was true, but Naruto's reach was phenomenal. Gaara. Gaara. The boy who was standing in front of me was completely different from the shaky and unstable mess I had seen just a few months ago. This new boy spoke of friendship as if he knew what it was all about. It was just hard to believe and wrap my head around the fact that this was the same Gaara. I thought back to what Sen and Yome had said about Temari and Gaara's past in the bath house. Gaara painted as this fragile and unstable little kid who just wanted to be appreciated who just wanted to experience friendship. Temari, the girl who defied all odds and everyone's warnings about staying away from him. All her life, she had clung to him, all her life she had cared for him and in a way, he cared for her too, he just wasn't sure how to.

It was like Sasuke, bottling up his emotions, keeping to himself. But, there was Gaara, the last person I would have thought to become one with his emotions, and yet, it was possible. He was living proof and he was standing right in front of me, smiling softly down at Matsuri, bringing tears to Temari's eyes in the process.

I smiled, unable to hold it in any longer. I didn't know this new version of Gaara, but if he could change, I had faith that Sasuke could as well. Though, it would take more than just me to change him. I needed the others too, I needed Sakura and Kakashi but mostly I needed Naruto. Together we could make something happen and in the end, that was all that mattered.