Gaara had just finished taking advantage of the shower set up in his tent and was toweling off when an Anbu that he recognized as one of Shay's guards suddenly appeared in his tent.
And for a moment everything froze as both men were made uncomfortably aware of the fact that Gaara was just standing there with a towel in his hand. As naked as the day he was born, with little drops of water running down his skin causing him to shiver.
"Ah, forgive me sir!" The flustered Anbu said in a nervous tone of voice. "I didn't mean to intrude- B-But Lady Circe has collapsed!"
Gaara didn't react to his words at first.
He was too busy thinking up creative ways to toss the Anbu out of his private space on his ass. That and he was sort of trying to will his pants on. It wasn't working so far, but despite that he kept trying.
After all it wasn't like he could shriek like a little girl and dive for cover. He was a man. And he'd act like one dammit.
He glanced towards where he had left his pants, longingly then looked back at the Anbu who by this point had covered the eye slits in his mask with his hands and was waiting for the Kage to say or do something. Gaara sighed tiredly, that blasted woman caused no end of problems.
Thank god she was being married off to Naruto and Kakashi. He'd have likely died of a heart attack if she had wound up in his harem. "Where did she collapse?" He finally asked as he used his sand to snag his pants and a sleeveless shirt so that he could dress as the Anbu said.
"She collapsed while out for a walk, but-"
"But?" Gaara asked as he pulled on his pants and buttoned the fly.
"But she asked me to bring her here."
"Then where is she?" Gaara asked with an bite of annoyance in his tone. This leaf nin was starting to piss him off.
"Uh... Outside sir. I thought it would be best to announce our presence."
Gaara pulled the sleeveless shirt over his head quickly then walked across the tent, shoving the Anbu aside so that he could slip outside and check on Shay himself but stopped once he had the tent flap held back out of the way. There just outside of his tent, leaning against a tree trunk, was Shay.
And sitting above her with a small book, open in one hand and a little bouquet of milky white peonies in the other, was Naruto. "Yo Gaara." The blond greeted almost absently.
"Hey." Gaara greeted back.
"What's Shay doing napping in such an area? She could get sunburnt or something." Naruto said, his tone light.
"Uh...apparently she collapsed a little while ago and was brought here." Gaara said and watched Naruto snap his book closed and jump down. His expression thunderous.
"Why wasn't I summoned?" Naruto asked in a dark tone as he knelt down next to Shay and started checking her vitals and chakra. Gaara shrugged his shoulders. Damn he knew he had forgotten to ask something.
"I honestly couldn't say." Gaara said as Naruto growled.
"This can't continue Gaara. She is to be wife to myself and Kakashi- She can't keep coming to you for every little thing. It simply isn't healthy." Gaara stiffened a little bit at his borther's words and tried not to feel offended by them.
He knew Naruto was right.
Shay couldn't continue to run to him for every little thing. But she didn't trust anyone else. Nor did she know anyone else. She relied on him to keep her out of trouble and make sure that she didn't get hurt. And while he could limit how often she came to him by forcing her to turn elsewhere for help when she needed it...it would hurt him to do so.
Especially since he had come to enjoy her company so much.
"Look Gaara I'm not saying that it's not good that she feels safe around you. Ir that I don't trust you to take care of her. I know that she's your friend. But you won't be here in the village forever and who will she run too after that?" Naruto asked in a softer tone as he reached out and pushed back some of Shay's hair as he placed his hand on her forehead to check for a fever.
"You're right Naruto..." But without her around he would get terribly lonely. "I will start distancing myself from her immediately." Gaara said in an emotionless tone that had Naruto sighing as he turned his head to look at his friend.
Did Gaara really think he was so cruel as to force him to seperate himself from Shay so early? Dear god he might revert back to how he had been if he did. In which case what was left of the village might wind up destroyed! Besides, he didn't want Gaara to resent him.
"No. Don't do that yet. Let's wait until about a week or so until you return to your village. Until then, if she needs something refer her to me or Kakashi. Unless of course she happens to have collapsed like she did today. Then you should send her to Sakura. And if she's out for a walk and you just happen to be walking the same way..."
Gaara snorted. "I get it Naruto."
"Good."
