Chapter 16
Aby watched in the distance, amazed. She had a good view from up here. Her curiosity got her this far: the very top floor of the building.
She had awakened in the early hours and couldn't go back to sleep. The night was still dark, but she could see, through the window, the moon descending towards the horizon. Soon the sun would rise, so she thought she'd get up now.
The hallway was empty and quiet. She meant to go towards the stairs that led downstairs to the banquet hall, but changed her mind, attracted to the light of the passageway that led towards the Kazekage's office. She walked in that direction and got the urge to open the single door that was in the middle of the passage.
The door led to a very long staircase, climbing around the rounded shaped building, to the very top. She pushed the metal latch door on the ceiling and stepped outside, on a small, unfenced surface. She realized she was at the very top of the structure, and the 360o view was breathtaking. The whole village, that really looked like a small city, was surrounded by a rockwall, in the middle of a desert land. The wind was strong, so she crouched down so she wouldn't fall from the structure.
The building was right in the center. Eight main roads started from this center point and led to the outer edge of the rounded village. She could see all the other smaller rounded shape structures around; they reminded her of small termite mounds; overshadowing the smaller houses and other businesses of the same shape. It looked crowded from here. She could also see the huge cleft that was created by the earthquake.
How long ago was it?
She closed her eyes and felt the wind on her face.
If I was him, I would come here every morning and watch my kingdom wake up …She smiled at the thought of him, standing tall and looking onward, a proud and serious look on his face … When she opened her eyes, the sun started to pierce through. She saw the horizon lit up and giving way to the sun.
"Wow!"
She saw the world below embrace the morning sunshine, darkness being swallowed by the light.
Beautiful!
She surprised herself, thinking she wished Gaara was with her, and shook her head. No, Maybe Chris would be better … at least there would be no risk that he would push her down out of anger! The thought made her grin, but she did feel a pinch in her heart at the thought that it'd be easy for Gaara to court a woman from up there.
She stayed there for a few more minutes and went back inside. Going down was easier than going up! She opened the door and both she and Gaara gasped in fright.
He closed his eyes and held his chest.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she said shyly, as he watched her with a frown.
"You need to fix that habit of giving people heart attacks!" he said bitterly.
"You're getting better!" she joked. "You didn't throw any "stars" this time!"
"Stars? … Oh, shurikens," he corrected, softening his expression. "You … You're up early ..."
"Hm, I couldn't go back to sleep. I went to check out the top of the building...got to see the sunrise!"
"Oh, hum ... how was it?"
"It was awesome!"
There was an awkward silence between them, as they both looked for something to say.
"Are you going to work this early?" she tried.
"Yes," he simply said. Seeing that she was uncomfortable, probably remembering the last words he had for her, he tried to keep the conversation going. "I'm pretty much caught up, but the workload I had left a sour taste in my mouth, so I thought of starting the day early."
"Ok," she smiled. "You know, if you need help, I could …" She remembered the last time they parted, he told her to mind her own business. "... never mind. However, there is something that crossed my mind; if we're gonna stay here for a while, maybe we could help in some ways … like a temporary job, so we can get some money for the time being … or even if we don't get money, that's ok! At least we'd be useful to your village!"
Gaara looked at her, seemingly reflecting on what she was asking; but did not say anything.
"Anyway, just a thought! If you hear about something we can do ... and it doesn't have to be here!" she added quickly," If you hear about someone, or one of Suna's company needing help, we could ..."
"I could use the help with our citizens' inquiries," he said, which startled her. She looked back at him puzzled. "If you want," he added.
"Sure! But … I don't … last night wasn't the most …"
"I apologize for last night." he quickly said.
"..."
Gaara looked away sheepishly.
"The truth is ..." 'Tell her how you feel,' he remembered his sister saying. He frowned, reluctant to admit his fault to her. "The truth is, you were right … for many, many things. And you have been a huge help yesterday, and … my pride … I guess … took a hit."
Huh?!
"I am used to being in control," he continued, "this is my domain, and although I was always humbled and grateful for others' wisdom and advice; for some reason, coming from you, I became aggravated … and that was wrong of me."
"No … I overstepped my ..."
"Maybe I was indeed tired," he cut her off. "Or stressed out, and also angry because …". He looked her straight in the eyes, a determined look on his face. "I am not 'that kind of guy ...'".
She knew he was referring to the lewd letter. She should have been happy, but she kept being nagged by the idea that she was more and more into him than he was into her. In fact, she was pretty sure that the apology was something he had to do since he was a leader. She remembered Akio's words of warning. Do not get attached!
"Did you … have breakfast?"
"No, I don't usually have breakfast ..."
"Would you consider breakfast today?"
She feared she was overstepping her boundaries again, but she really, for some reason, wanted to spend time with him. When he was reluctant to answer, she felt like one of the admirers that he had to tactfully reject. She smiled and waved his worries away.
"It's ok, ha ha, You did say that you wanted to start the day early. I thought I would enjoy your company …" She reddened when she realized that she basically confessed that she wanted to be with him … so did he.
She quickly turned around and wished him a nice day, as she walked away.
"I … I could make an exception today …" he said.
The maids looked at him, looking at his plate with a blank expression. Aby just kept stirring the porridge with her spoon.
Isn't he hungry? Or is he forcing himself because I asked him to have breakfast with me? But why would he?
She was obviously uncomfortable, not knowing what he was thinking. The awkwardness was getting heavy. Maybe I made things uncomfortable; maybe he felt forced to come.
"You don't like to eat in the morning?" she asked.
"I don't usually eat breakfast. I know it's a bad habit, but … I never feel for it."
"Me, it's the opposite! If I don't eat first thing in the morning, I get nauseous!"
He finally took a spoonful of porridge and ate. He was also playing with the spoon in the bowl.
What was with this awkwardness!
"How do you like Sunagakure?" he asked.
"Hmm, it's beautiful!" She looked sideways while taking in another spoonful.
Gaara let a smile curve his lips
"Liar …" he said, seeing through her lie.
"What? No! … Well, ok … I didn't really have a good experience, out there, so far, but It is beautiful! Truly! The view from up there was amazing! Like, Postcard worthy! But other than that … there isn't much to do …" she said, apologetically.
Gaara did not disagree nor took offense.
"That's because the village is in bad shape. Usually, it is more lively during the day. Also, as you witnessed firsthand, bandits are on the rise these days, taking advantage of people's kindness." He looked outside through the window with a concerned look on his face. "Suna doesn't have the resources to feel safe yet; which is what I'm working on right now."
People were working even harder now. Everything had been put on hold since the earthquake. He could feel the heavy atmosphere all around. The staff in the main building were lucky, as they still had their jobs. The council was reminded often of the emergency state of the village, but Gaara had a hard time dealing with their greediness. He wished he could move things faster.
"I'm planning to go out and give a helping hand around," he said. "I also want to find out if we can use that cleft to create a few more water wells." He watched her looking back at him. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you ..."
"Oh no! Actually, if you want, maybe we can help too!"
"Of course we can!" Sakura added as she walked in the banquet room. "Jeez, this place is huge, yet so empty! You must feel lonely Lord Kazekage!"
"Good morning," he bowed his head politely. "Not really, I'm used to it. Besides, I rarely come here. I always end up eating in my office."
Sakura stopped smiling when she saw Sasuke come and join them. He looked at her and was surprised by her reaction. She usually would be all 'happy go lucky', greeting him with an enthusiastic 'good morning!'. Now she only waved shyly and looked down, nibbling on a piece of bread.
"You should come here more often, Gaara," said Aby, without noticing the awkwardness between Sakura and Sasuke. "It's nice to unwind with people … especially the first thing in the morning! It'll most likely start a good day! If you work all day, all alone ..."
"I'm used to being alone." He turned to Sasuke. "How are you feeling?"
"Hm, I'm fine … I'm not sure what hit me, my memory is a little fuzzy. Thanks to your medical staff, I'm much better now." Sakura suddenly looked up at Sasuke, indignant and speechless.
"Actually, Sakura was the one who saved you, according to Kankuro, she spent over ten hours keeping you alive … she is quite impressive …"
Sasuke was still drowsy from his long sleep. His memory was a blur for the last few days ... except for the pain … he remembered the pain well. He turned to Sakura with an apologetic look.
"Oh, it makes sense, sorry," he said. "My memory is a little fuzzy. I put you through a lot of trouble."
Sakura could never stay angry for too long with him. He was too handsome and awesome to keep the frown. However, she couldn't bring herself to shake the disappointed look. Does that mean he couldn't remember 'anything' at all? She stood up and walked away, towards the grand balcony outside of the banquet hall.
"No problem," she said.
Sasuke watched her, perplexed … he was used to her cheerful 'aww just doing my job! Don't worry about it!' kind of response. This time was different. His eyes followed her outside.
"Did something happen between you two?" teased Sofia when she came in. "Or maybe 'didn't' happen?" She whispered to his ear while passing by to go sit beside her friend. Toshiko and Tori followed her, while he followed after Sakura.
Tori went straight to Aby when she saw her and gave her a big hug.
"Aww, hey Tori baby! Long time no see!"
Sofia smiled at the scene.
"Boy, these kids are very attached to you!"
"That's because she gives them gifts AND protects them against villains!" Smiled Chris, who was eating a piece of dried meat while standing up against the doorway of the banquet hall.
Gaara looked at him with a frown. Somehow the room was never too crowded until 'he' showed up. He was startled by Tori who sat right on his lap! Aby snorted at the cute scene.
"Look! Onee-Chan's present to me!" She put her hand right in Gaara's face so he could see the bracelet she was wearing on her wrist.
"Why does she keep calling you Onee Chan or Onee San?" asked Sofia.
"It means 'sister', or 'big sister' in this case," Aby said while looking at Gaara. She felt butterflies in her stomach. He didn't know how to react to Tori sitting on his lap.
"Sakura, is something wrong?" Sasuke asked when he came out. She had her hands stretched out on the metal fence, her back turned to him. Her shoulder length pink hair blowing in the wind. She looked like a different person from that angle. Her silhouette was delicate and curvy. Her clothes were different today. She was wearing her usual trousers, but a black tight fit shirt, revealing a slight line of skin. Her usual jonin deep green jacket was opened and loose. She looked ready for a fight, except that she seems as relaxed as ever, just looking out at the village surrounding the central building.
"Not really," she answered. "Do you still have a headache?" she asked, still facing away.
"No. But I'm still very sleepy, and a bit dizzy …"
He was startled by her sudden turn around. She walked straight up to him and held his face between her small hands. For a second, he thought she was going to kiss him in a moment of madness; instead, she examined both eyes, one after the other. His eyes were not the average shinobi eyes … one possessed the rinnegan; a permanent purple cyclone type of eye, and the other, the mangekyou sharingan; which was not activated at the moment, but would turn red and black in a hypnotic pattern. She was not deterred by them one bit, compared to most people. She kept one hand on the side of his face, the other one touched the forehead.
She finally backed up from a flustered Sasuke.
"You seem fine. That poison almost took your life; it took a toll on your body. It will take some time to recover."
Their eyes met and she felt a needle pierce her heart. She tilted her head and studied him.
"You really don't remember anything from last night?"
What the hell happened last night?!
"Well, it's blurry … I got wounded, it looked infected but I thought I could make it to Suna before it became serious … then I got dizzy and felt sick …"
"Why didn't you tell me!"
déjà vu …
"Because I didn't want to worry you," he lied. That excuse, of course, made no sense. The real reason was that since these dreams started, he had a hard time facing her. A simple touch made him heat up and her eyes, her big green emerald eyes … he suddenly became weary of his lack of memory; what exactly did he do?
"Yeah well that went well!" she said sarcastically. "You almost died on me! Three times! I was all out of chakra! I was exhausted, and WORRIED!"
Sasuke looked at her … she said that before … he was sure …'almost died three times'.
"Huhhhh," she sighed. "Can you just promise me next time, to tell me if there is anything? And I mean ANYTHING!"
"... I will …"
Sakura watched him, unconvinced, and ended up quickly hugging him, on her tippy toes, before going back inside, her hand gave him a quick pat on the back of his head … her hand, on the back of his head … her fingers … her breath …
He felt an electric wave running through his entire body. Goosebumps rose on his arm. He watched her walk away, stunned.
He remembered …
Chris was looking at the box near Akio. When he looked up, he was startled.
"You like that box?" said Akio, suspicious. He was holding a steaming cup of tea. Aby stopped playing with Toshiko and Tori to watch the scene, curious.
"Well yeah!" answered Chris, ignoring the suspicion in Akio's question. "Everybody does! What exactly does the key do?"
"I said it before … it opens a gate, and can only be opened by the gatekeeper." He emphasized that last bit of information, disliking Chris's snooping.
"Well, I must not have been there when you said that!"
Aby felt sorry for Chris. She knew he wasn't particularly liked or trusted. She believed he was only being himself and without boundaries. She knew how it felt to be misunderstood. She glanced at Gaara. He was staring right at him; ready to bounce like a tiger if anything was out of the ordinary.
"I meant to ask you," she said to Akio. "Why do you think I'm a gatekeeper?"
"Like I said, just a hunch … as a gatekeeper myself, I can almost always recognize other gatekeepers! So do you! It's like a sixth sense. Plus it would make sense … something called you here … it was your fate that you would discover your purpose …"
"She was not called here," corrected Gaara, taking Aby's words out of her mouth. "She and her friends were on a trip and they happened to be there when the earthquake fusioned our worlds together."
"Yes! She was 'called' through a divine power! It was her destiny, predestined by God, that she would come here and take over the task of the late gatekeeper! It was also my destiny to be here in order to assist her in the discovery of this task! That is why I have been researching day and night where I could find the gates!"
"Don't you know where the gates are? Aren't you the gatekeeper of this world?"
"OH! No! The gate I guard is not of this world! I thought you figured it out already! YOU are the gatekeeper of THIS world!" Abigail gasped.
"What? But, you have the key and the pen!"
"It is not my key! It's yours! Gatekeepers do not travel with their key. The pen is mine though...as I said, I'm in training!"
"How can you find the gates?" asked Aby, looking at the key. That's MY key?!
"I'm using my pen! I'm creating places where I can find maps and information as long as they are available!"
"If that is her key, why didn't you give it to her, and why are you in its possession?"
"I was walking in a park one day and a man I didn't know ran towards me. I didn't see where he came from, but he was running very fast. When our eyes met, we both felt the connection instantly; he was a gatekeeper and he knew I was one too. I couldn't speak to him as he kept running; but as he passed me, he threw something small at me. I only had time to catch it, that I saw three man turning the same corner he came from and pursued him. I don't know what happened to him; but when I opened my hand. There was the key." He eyed Abigail with a serious face. "Here the thing Abigail, a gatekeeper NEVER give away his or her key. It's value is too great. If he gave me the key, he must have been in deep trouble, or the world he was guarding must have been in danger." He paused to take breath. "This world. Aby, there is only one reason why a gatekeeper would replace another one; death."
Aby felt her hair at the back of her neck rise. What the heck did she get herself into? Akio looked back at Gaara.
"To answer the other question, I can't give it to her yet … not until she understands what's at stake here. Also, I need to teach her how to use it."
Gaara looked at Abigail and their eyes met. It looked like it would not be as easy as putting it in a lock and turning it.
Sofia was half listening while playing with Tori and Toshiko. Tori was looking at a little tattoo Sofia had on her shoulder; a little white bunny. Kankuro came closer and touched it, which startled her.
"What is the meaning of a little bunny?" he whispered while Akio explained the deal of gatekeepers.
"What?"
"The bunny on your shoulder, is there a significance? A family emblem for instance?"
"Oh no" she giggled. "I just liked it, it's just for cuteness."
"You mean, there is no purpose?"
"Well, most people get those for meaningful purposes, some other, just for the art. I just liked it!"
Kankuro was shocked that someone, a girl especially, would go through the trouble of purposely altering their skin for no other reasons than decorative purposes. He found the worry-free girl quite interesting.
"It made me happy looking at it, so I went ahead and got it tattooed!"
"But … you can't really see it from that angle …" he blurted out.
"I guess that's true, but I know it's there, and other people can see it depending on the shirt I wear," she winked. "So I guess, it can make them smile too!"
Kankuro smiled at the silly idea.
"Do you want one Tori? I can draw a pretty flower or butterfly on your arm if you want?"
"Butterfly!"
She looked around for something to draw with. She noticed the box that Akio slid towards her earlier while talking to Chris. She quickly opened it and took the plain looking pen out.
She opened the cap, set it on the table and grabbed the little hand. Toshiko and Kankuro observed closely.
"What are you doing there? asked Sakura to Sofia, while joining the group. Akio glanced away from Aby and Chris, curious to see what attracted Sakura's attention.
"I'm making a tattoo for Tori!" She smiled.
"A tattoo?" Inquired Gaara, suddenly curious. "Isn't that done with a needle and ink?"
Sofia rolled her eyes.
"I'm not gonna put needles in a four years old little girl! Darn, Akio, you need a new pen, this one has no ink in it!" she said while shaking the pen violently.
Akio's face changed to a panic expression as he slowly realised that she was holding his pen.
"HEY!"
"Okay, here it goes …"
Everyone jumped in fright when Akio climbed on the varnished wooden table to reach Sofia. He took the pen before she could do anything.
"Hey! "
She stopped talking when she saw his face. He looked angry … very angry.
"Do. Not. Use. This. Pen … EVER!" he told her, furious. He took Tori's hand and turned it on every side to see if ink leaked through. He sighed when he saw there was none. He climbed down the table while mumbling to himself. "What is wrong with this lady, taking without asking …"
Aby was completely taken aback. They never saw Akio without a smiling face before. This pen must have been very important …
"What! It's just a pen! What's the big deal?" retorted Sofia.
He stared back at her, shocked.
"What is the big deal? What is the … HAVE YOU EVEN LISTENED TO WHAT I SAID?"
"Well …"
"This pen is not ordinary! Why would I put an ordinary pen in here with the key?!"
"I don't know? 'Coz you're a writer too? You keep your pen with you at all times in case of inspiration striking you? Look, your pen doesn't even work so chill, all right?"
Akio gasped, insulted at the lack of respect. He walked closer in what Kankuro saw as a threatening way.
"Wo man, calm down … I'm sure she didn't mean to be malicious here …"
He ignored him.
"This is no mere pen! This pen is of divine essence. This pen is the potential source of a world's creation! Whatever this pen writes, it comes to be!"
"But it's not working …" she pouted.
"Idiot! It is working! There is plenty of ink in the pen! A cosmic amount in fact! Be glad it didn't transfer onto her skin! The result could have been catastrophic!"
"How so?" asked Aby, "she was just going to draw a butterfly!"
"This butterfly would have been encrypted into this world! Innocent at first, and devoid of substance ... empty, a mere butterfly, but in the wrong hands in this world, could have been filled with evil!"
They looked at him as if he was a madman. He growled in frustration and looked for better words to understand.
"The drawing of a butterfly, without substance, or data, or meaning, would have been but a pretty blank canvas, waiting to be filled with meaning … like an empty bag in the shape of a butterfly! The bag, if taken by someone, can be filled with candies, colorful rocks, or treasures, but it can also be filled with knives, poison, darkness, fire … the list goes on. The point is, do not use the pen without knowing the substance you will put down. That is why only us writers can use those pens, and that is why we need training!"
He sat down, tired and stressed out. He put the pen back in the box.
"Ok, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was so dangerous …"
Aby broke the following silence.
"Are all writers like you? I mean … divinely gifted of creating those ... parallel worlds?"
"No … only a few of us, and it's even more rare to be a writer AND a gatekeeper."
"So … have you found out where the gates are?" asked Sasuke, lying against the doorway of the grand balcony."
"Yes, that is what I wanted to talk about in the first place … there is a gate close to Konohagakure, well … not that close. To the far north of the Land of Iron … it is a desolate area. But there is more …"
"What?" asked Gaara.
"Gates tend to be easier to open every new moon; something that has to do with moon rays … something magic I guess … I'm not sure, but the point is, it will be in Abigail's favor,"
"So, how long do I have?" asked Abigail.
"It takes about 30 days for our moon to complete a full cycle...more or less. The last new moon was last week, give or take … it means we have to wait for another three weeks, approximately," said Akio, "otherwise we'll have to wait another month, unless Abigail is a natural at it," he laughed.
"That specific!" laughed Chris.
Aby and Sofia looked at each other.
"How long have we been here?" asked Aby.
"A little over a week," said Sofia. "I think…"
Aby thought it would make sense since the gate was open when they landed into this world. Then, the gate was opened without the gatekeeper, because it was a new moon.
"Now , now," cheered Chris. "What's the big rush anyway? This place is much better than our home!"
He had a point. Aby was happy here and it meant she'd have the opportunity to go see Konoha, but it also meant that her grandmother would wonder what had happened to her. She already lost her daughter in a car accident. Now she would not even know what happened to her granddaughter.
She looked around, especially at the shinobis. She could see on their face as they were processing the information just given. Gaara's eyes were closed and she couldn't read him. Was he annoyed? Was this complicating things even more?
"Well," Sasuke cut through the silence, "Lord Kakashi wouldn't mind keeping you for a while … there are after all, two more of your friends who are eager to see you."
Sofia beamed and Aby smiled faintly. She did want to see Konona, but that meant …
She looked at Gaara once more. This time he was looking at her.
"The Land of fire has plenty of water for you to train your ability," he said. "This will be a good opportunity.''
Akio looked at Gaara, frowning.
"What do you mean?"
Aby realized Akio was never around when she manipulated the water, so he was probably in the dark on that matter. However, the pinch in her stomach distracted her from Akio's inquiry; She read Gaara's words between the lines. He doesn't want me here.
Well, 'us' was more of a reality, but she couldn't help but take it personally. She swallowed the clump in her throat.
"I don't have that ability where I'm from … I don't see why I should train for it …"
Gaara was going to reply, but was cut short by Chris who put his arm around Abigail.
"You might need it! Remember last time? When you got attacked?"
"What ability?!" repeated Akio, annoyed not to get an answer.
"There's not much water around here," said Sakura. "She would not be able to defend herself in a place without water, the land of Wind is too dangerous after all! Better come with us!" she added enthusiastically.
"She can control water?!" said Temari and Shikamaru at the same time, when they came around for breakfast.
"What do you mean by controlling the water?!" Repeated Akio with more power in his voice.
"Oh … I should have said something earlier." Gaara said to Shikamaru. "Yes, though she doesn't have much control over it."
"Hey!" shouted Akio.
"She's like a water style user, but without the need of chakra, according to Sakura" added Kankuro.
"That's how I was able to find her, when she was attacked ...water was shot up high in between buildings … I knew she was trying to get attention."
"HEY!"
They all finally turned to Akio who was looking straight at Aby.
"You can control water?!"
They fell silent realizing the dreaded concern in Akio's face.
"Well, kinda … as long as there is some water around …"
"Since when?"
"Since we got here; I was at the river and when I waved my hand, the water literally followed it … it was weird!"
Akio looked at Sofia and the kids, then back at Abigail.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"... Should've I? I thought it was some kind of thing from this world, you know … people here have those kinds of abilities, so I thought ..."
"You are not of this world! You are not supposed to share its properties!"
"..."
"Well," said Sakura. "In our world, you need chakra to use a water style jutsu, or any jutsu for that matter! You and your friends do not have any! Technically speaking, you shouldn't even be alive!"
"Come to think of it, I don't have any ability either, said Sofia. "The kids?"
"No," said Aby. "Not that I know of; maybe you just didn't discover it yet!"
"No, that's ..." started Akio, before being cut off again.
"Do their friends back in Konoha have abilities?" asked Sasuke to Shikamaru. "Kakashi didn't mention it in his last letter …"
"Not that I know of …"
"I don't think they did, we would have heard about it, no?"
"WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD!" shouted Akio, hitting the table with his fists, even more agitated than before. "We are not supposed to have these abilities or any power whatsoever! Neither does the gatekeeper, other than opening the gate!"
Aby started to feel uncomfortable. The confident man who seemed to know everything about the world they were in was starting to show insecurity and concerns.
"What is going on!" he thought out loud, his palm on his sweaty forehead.
He looked at the box on the table and grabbed it before taking the pen out. From his right inside pocket, he took a notepad and held the pen above it for a few seconds. Everybody was watching closely as Akio was about to write something. The seconds seemed long; but he finally opened his eyes and scribbled something on the notepad. It was quick, but the pen seemed to slightly glow, revealing a mesmerizing streak of fluorescent greenish light, following the steady smooth gliding of the pen on the pad. As soon as he finished, he put the cap back on and went running frantically to the Kazekage's office. Aby felt compelled to run after him. Gaara, of course followed as well. The rest of the group stayed behind, still shocked.
Temari leaned in towards her brother, Kankuro.
"He likes her," she said.
"What? Pfff … don't be stupid …"
"I'm telling you! I talked with him! It's plain to see, he likes her! A lot!" she whispered.
"Temari, you see love every time there is a girl around Gaara. If you recall last time, it didn't work out too well. Plus, I've seen them fight together … trust me, they are not a good match. Stop pushing things on him!" He said these words with some disappointment … he kinda liked that girl for Gaara.
"This time is different! She brought him a snack and he ate some of it"
"Awwww cute … that must be love!" he rolled his eyes.
"They were sweet roasted chestnuts ..."
"..."
"And he was here this morning … MMM I wonder what was that on his plate? BREAKFAST!"
"..."
"Mr. Daisuke! What are you looking for?" said Aby, out of breath.
"... In my office …" added Gaara, nonchalantly.
Aby was panting from the run, unlike Gaara who was breathing normally, his arms crossed, his back leaning on the doorway.
Akio was looking through all the books around the office. Looked under the desk, in the drawers, in the study; he was searching everywhere.
"I wrote something in the notepad. I asked for information about gatekeepers in general. I wrote it so the information would be found here. The issue is, I can never pinpoint the specific location."
"What is the big deal if I have abilities here, in this world?"
"It is! You are not supposed to have them! That makes you different! That makes you stand apart and I need to know why. Ah!"
He opened a hatch, unknown to even the Kazekage. Gaara looked at the scene flabbergasted.
"That's … When did this ...?!"
The book Akio retrieved from it looked very old and run-down. Abigail immediately thought of a sorcerer opening an old spell book. Sand was all over and within the stiff pages. He blew it off and started to run through the old yellowed sheets.
Aby could see strange sketches of grossly drawn people and doors. Some kind of different weapons and inscriptions that Akio seemed to ignore. He flipped through the pages and became consumed with a few of them. He let himself fall on the Kazekage's chair and kept on reading, oblivious of his surroundings.
Aby glanced toward Gaara, his arms were crossed, as usual, and she wondered what he was making of all of that.
"Does it bother you?" she asked.
"What?"
"Well, he went through your stuff … he's sitting in your chair … looking at him I wouldn't even be surprised if he would casually throw your hat on his head," she laughed.
"According to him, he is in training to become some kind of 'GOD writer' who will eventually create his own world," he laughed, "the least I can do is to let him sit in my chair!"
She watched him and to her surprise, saw that he was softly smiling, seemingly amused by the sight of this "God" man sitting in his chair, consumed by the words of the book he was reading, as if his life depended on it.
"This story is getting crazier each day," he mumbled.
She smiled too. She loved when he smiled; his eyes were always soft then. For once, he was not frowning. His guards were down and he seemed relaxed. She must have been staring too long again, because he glanced back at her, still smiling. She looked away embarrassed. She hugged herself tight to choke the desire to embrace him.
Stupid girly feeling … she thought.
"Are you cold?"
"A little …" she lied.
Gaara thought it was odd that she was cold when the desert sun was rising high above Suna. He looked at her arms and saw goosebumps on them. Maybe she was getting sick? He reached out and touched her forehead.
"You're pretty hot …" he frowned.
So are you, she thought to herself.
"It'll pass … I just need some fresh air!" she said.
Gaara watched her heading toward the staircase. For a second he felt the urge to follow her.
"Lovely, isn't she?" said Akio while reading.
"Have you found what you were looking for?"
"Not yet, but I'm getting there …" he replied with sparkly eyes, as if he was a child facing a whole bunch of new candies.
Gaara looked passed Akio, out through the window, at Suna's maze of houses and buildings … and the cleft.
"Then I will leave you to it. I have something to take care of."
"There will be a sand storm tonight," Akio lifted his eyes to him and smiled, "I thought you'd appreciate the warning!"
"Well, yes I suppose. Thank you." Gaara walked out perplexed.
What a strange guy this Akio is ...
Sakura greeted him in the staircase, followed by Sasuke who had seen better days. Gaara thought nothing of it, attributing Sasuke's demeanor to the fight his body put up with the poison. Sakura, on the other hand, was as bubbly as usual.
"Lord Kazekage! We were going to meet you! Well, more specifically, we had some questions for Akio-San."
"He is in my office. Is this about what you found at the cave? Kankuro told me about it."
"Yes," confirmed Sasuke. "We think they were hiding something, or someone."
"Or both," suggested Gaara.
"Who knows?"
"Maybe Akio will know something."
Gaara left them and descended the staircase. He found his siblings talking to Abigail's friend. When Sofia saw him she forced a smile.
"If you are looking for Aby, she is outside with Chris." Gaara knew she didn't like him. He meant to clear the misunderstanding for some time, but the sudden piece of news left him with a nasty taste in his mouth. Why was she always with this guy! He smothered the anger before the heat rose to his cheeks, as Kankuro and Temari, for some reason, were studying his reaction. He kept a straight face and slowly walked away toward the door.
"I was not looking for her; I have business in Suna."
"You're her favorite, you know?" she announced. Gaara stopped walking and turned to face her. "Her heart gets crushed very easily."
Gaara felt that her words were not only meant as a fact, but also as a warning. He stared for a few seconds and left.
"That's a pretty place" said Chris with a big enchanting smile. He was facing the village. Aby was looking down, facing the building, arms crossed. Chris drew closer and gently ran his finger across her arm.
"What is it?" he asked, quietly.
"It's nothing," she said. She was surprised to feel the goosebumps on her arms as a reaction to Chris' gentle touch. She let him get even closer.
"What did he do this time?" he almost whispered, his face close to hers.
"He didn't do anything wrong. He's being himself and fulfilling his purpose. It's just that he doesn't want me around."
"Those words you put in his mouth are pretty harsh!"
"He said I'd be better in Konoha."
"Hm, a nice way to tell you to bug off with a convenient truth …"
"Aren't you supposed to make me feel better?" she said while forcing a smile. Chris didn't answer, but he watched her admiringly. She became self conscious again.
"I really, really like you," he said. She smiled. There they were again; those tiny butterflies tickling inside her belly. She wondered why she was hesitating in returning the feelings. She dared a glance. He was handsome, funny, seemingly caring, and more importantly, they shared the same world! Wasn't he the rational choice? Was there even a choice? Her thoughts instantly went to Gaara. Why was she always going back to a freaking ninja ruler who was trying to get rid of her?
"Do you like me?" he added. She dropped the smile, uncomfortable with the sudden question; Why would he ask that? Five points loss for romance, she thought.
"I don't know, maybe" she said looking embarrassed.
"Can I kiss you?" Seeing that she didn't answer, he leaned in and lifted her chin up.
"Don't you think this is … rushing a little?" she said in a hurry. He scoffed; which was not the answer she expected.
"It's only a kiss Aby …" he answered, playfully.
And there it was; her first kiss.
Maybe he was right. Maybe she was making too much of a big deal of it. Maybe she needed to grow up? She kissed him back, as she thought she was supposed to, but ...
Something was off.
He watched her with a puzzled look when she stopped.
"I'm sorry," she said
"What?"
"It's just … I don't know … it doesn't feel right," She barely spoke the words out. She couldn't tell what the matter was and she felt like an idiot. Chris sighed heavily and stared at her with a hint of annoyance.
"Are you kidding me?" he said. She looked up in surprise. "You know something, your friend is right, you need to loosen up a bit!"
"What?!"
That sudden change of attitude startled her.
"Are you so stuck up that you won't even enjoy a kiss?"
She didn't like that sudden change one bit. His tone reminded her of high school bullies, rising mixed feelings of annoyance and anxiety.
"I'm … I didn't …"
"You didn't what?"
"Why are you getting so angry?"
"Are you for real?! Who wouldn't be?"
"..."
"You know, I've been pretty patient! There I was, all this time, giving you obvious hints that I liked you; I even went as far as to ask you if I could kiss you! You even kissed me back! When I finally think I finally got the girl I like, now you decide you're not that into me?"
"I didn't say that! I didn't mean that …"
"So what did you mean?"
"I don't know! I guess, it wasn't …" What I expected was what she wanted to say, but was afraid she'd make matters worse. His frown turned into a mocking smirk.
"Awwwww; I get it!" he whispered in her face. "You are a tease …"
"What?! No!"
"Yeah you are!" he smiled. "You're one of those bitches who like it when guys chase you around like puppies and give you attention! Then you play hard to get! 'Poor me, poor me, the other guy doesn't want me!' Well, now it all makes sense! Eyeliner guy must have a lot of experience with your type … he must have seen right through you! No wonder he doesn't want you around!"
She stared at him, her mouth wide open with shock. Tears welled up. Those accusations were cruel and raw. But, maybe he was right? She did like the attention … but … No! She wouldn't be like that … not on purpose! That was the first time someone liked her! She was getting confused.
She couldn't say a word … they wouldn't come out. She just watched him walk back into the building, seemingly upset. She touched the area on her arm that he gently stroked a few minutes ago. Did she really do something that wrong?
Her head started to fill with doubts; was that really what she was? A tease? She did like it when he would be all over her. It made her feel good. Same with Gaara! Did she unconsciously ...
She looked up and saw him watching her from the double doorway.
Shit! How long was he there? What did he see? What did he hear? Wait … WHAT DID HE SEE?! She turned around quickly and discreetly wiped the light tears. She heard him approach her. Then there was an awkward silence.
"Are you ok?"
"Uhm, yes." she lied.
"... Are you still cold?"
"What? Oh! No … I'm ok now. Thanks."
Gaara looked behind him, where he saw Chris disappear, and glanced back towards her, unconvinced. He decided not to push his curiosity. She obviously looked disturbed by something.
"Can you help me with something?" he asked after a few seconds.
