Gaara felt numb. The words had spilled from his mouth. He could barely recall what he had said. His past, he had never spoken about it. Even when he was rescued, he never told anyone what happened inside those walls. Each memory he had to suppress the vivid details. Each word was a struggle not to fall into those memories and relive each horrific moment. All he could do was try to distance himself, try not to feel or think too much, and tell Hyuuga the facts.
Hyuuga had sat down sometime during his tale. He didn't notice when. Did it matter? Whatever Hyuuga thought didn't affect Gaara when it was his intention to leave him.
"I… had no idea," Hyuuga broke the silence first. He tried to say something else, but he had no idea what else to say.
"I don't expect you to understand," Gaara said. It was said so distantly, Gaara himself wondered if he had said it out loud or not. "My situation… it doesn't involve you."
"Doesn't involve me," Hyuuga repeated under his breath a mixture of anger and hurt. He breathed in slowly, closing his eyes in frustration. When he opened them again, his eyes were gentle and empathetic. "You're right. I can't understand everything you've been through. I can't argue with that, but will giving up everything help Uzumaki right now?"
Gaara's hands shook, but he hid it by clutching them tightly. "I'm the only one who can protect him."
"And what about when you go back… when you get killed. Who will protect him then?"
Gaara bit his cheek hard. "I'll think of something."
"Or maybe consider that keeping this from him, taking care of it by yourself, is doing more harm than good."
Gaara wanted to argue. He felt his chakra flare up in anger. He was about to scream that he didn't understand, but he had just told Hyuuga everything, and he had no real argument to counter what he said. "Do you want me to just watch him die? I'm the only one he can rely on."
"Are you?" Hyuuga countered. No matter how calmly he asked, Gaara took offense, about to get up from his seat. Quickly, Hyuuga tacked on, "I'm just trying to say that Uchiha-san seems to have been by Uzumaki's side. They seem to get along well too."
Gaara had thought of that too. Wasn't he preparing for Uchiha to take over this job, to watch over and protect Uzumaki? But how could he truly trust him? He didn't know Uchiha. Even if he did, was Uchiha reliable enough to protect Uzumaki and keep that smile on his face. The smile that had saved Gaara for so many years, it had to be protected.
"You don't have to do this alone, Gaara. Instead of pushing me away, let me and Uchiha help. Just…think about it, kay?"
Hyuuga's voice was so calming and convincing. He reached out to hold Gaara's hands, sending his chakra. Wasn't that cheating? Manipulating? Why did these small simple moments pull Gaara back in? Maybe because no one ever bothered to hold him gently like this, who cared about his wellbeing to this extent. It made it so hard to leave. "I'll think about it," Gaara's held his hands back. The feel of Hyuuga's hands were quickly becoming familiar to him.
"Thank you," Hyuuga smiled, and proceeded to pull Gaara up to his feet. "You can rest in my room. You're still in pain, right?"
The pain had been long forgotten, but now that Hyuuga had mentioned it, Gaara's attention was brought to it. Before Gaara could reject the offer, Hyuuga added, "If you're going to help Uzumaki, you'll need your strength."
Hyuuga was right, as usual. He wasn't healed and moving around so much wasn't helping his recovery. He should find somewhere else to stay as to not be tempted to stay by Hyuuga's side any longer.
"I'll have someone bring some food before you sleep." Hyuuga stood up, quickly walking over to the door to call a maid, cutting off Gaara's chance to refuse.
Gaara rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache forming. Maybe he did need more sleep and more thought into what he should do. Maybe he was acting rash, but what other choices were there?
A maid came to take him to a room, and he followed. He had no other place to go at the moment except the hospital he escaped from. He refused to stay in the hospital any longer than he had, so he talked himself into staying for a while longer, thinking it couldn't hurt.
Hyuuga stood outside his bedroom door after checking on Gaara. He had only left for a few minutes. He had been surprised to see Gaara asleep on his futon within that short period. Gaara had been looking pale for a while, it just didn't seem that Gaara himself realized it.
He slid to the ground, his back against the door. He knew he wasn't a good person before. He was appalled by his own thoughts today. How could he still be jealous of Uzumaki? After everything Gaara told him, after the descriptions of the torture they had gone through as children to the point Uzumaki had forced himself to forget to cope, and he was jealous.
Because Gaara was living for Uzumaki. Hyuuga's happiness wasn't even a factor to Gaara, didn't even cross his mind. Uzumaki and Gaara had a bond Hyuuga could not come in between, and he hated that fact.
He buried his emotions, put on a smile, and tried to remain impartial when giving Gaara advice, but he was terrified. Would Gaara cast him aside so easily for Uzumaki? Did he even have the right to try to object?
He cursed, trying to cover up his pain with his cursing. Why did he feel so lost and conflicted every time Gaara was involved? Nothing was ever easy with him.
"Neji."
The sound of his uncle's voice put him on alert. He jumped to his feet, immediately going into a bow. "Oji-sama. I will return to practice at once."
"No, need. Follow me."
Confused, Neji followed his uncle, wondering what he could want from him. He wasn't optimistic enough to believe his uncle was going to teach him anything at that moment as he hoped. As much as he hated meditating, he knew it was required for chakra training, something he lacked in and needed to strengthen as quickly as possible.
His uncle walked in silence through the manor, walking at a brisk pace without appearing to be in a hurry. It raised Neji's curiosity even more as to where they were going. They left the main house soon enough, following a stone path to another building on the property. It was located next to the dojo and had been off-limits to him until now.
A servant was waiting for them, bowing to his master before opening the sliding door, keeping his head lowered. His uncle stopped at the entrance and did something Neji had never seen before. He bowed. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, Tsunade-sama."
Neji saw his uncle's mannerisms, immediately following his actions, remembering Gaara's words about Tsunade being the head of all the hunters in Japan. Gaara and Uzumaki had always been informal and rude to her, so the information never really sunk in until he saw his proud uncle lower his head to someone else.
"I'm sure you're just as busy as the rest of us, Hyuuga-san. Thank you for taking the time to see me."
Neji's uncle raised his head so Neji did too, unsure of what he was supposed to do or how he was supposed to act. Mimicking his uncle could only get him so far. Especially when they weren't of the same status. Something his uncle might get away with may be offensive if he did the same.
He caught Tsunade's eyes on him briefly before they flicked over to his uncle with an unspoken question.
His uncle walked up to Tsunade, stopping two meters away and dropping to his knees and lowering his head once more. "Tsunade-sama, my nephew has decided to follow the hunter path. As I have taken him under my wing as a disciple, I am having him accompany me. Please forgive this one's arrogance and ignore his presence for this meeting."
It was also the first time Neji had ever heard his uncle speak so formally. Neji could only stand awkwardly, unsure if he was supposed to get on his knees as well or bow even lower than his uncle. The least his uncle could have done was explain something to him on the way here.
Tsunade smiled, tinged with bitterness as she addressed his uncle, "If it is you, Hyuuga-san, I trust you have a very good reason for bringing him here." She then addressed Neji with a casual dismissal, "Welcome to our ranks, Hyuuga-kun."
She never addressed him again.
His uncle raised his head and took a seat, sitting in the seiza position in front of Tsunade. Discretely, his uncle motioned for him to sit as well though slightly further back, so his uncle was sitting closer. It was something out of a movie or TV show. The way Tsunade addressed his uncle fairly casually, sitting comfortably while his uncle showed much more respect from the way he spoke and sat. The large washitsu that could hold a large meeting. It was another instance of fantasy becoming reality to him.
Tsunade was also different, even compared to their first real encounter when she had healed his injuries. He had always seen her as someone with power as she was the chairwoman of the school as well as principal, but she had seemed a little approachable. Even on guard in Gaara's apartment, Neji could assess her and try to get information from her despite the distance she put between them. Now, there was no opening. She held herself as someone above them and acted like it too.
"We've run into some problems," she said to his uncle, no longer smiling. "Jiraiya's whereabouts are unknown, and we have received word that the vampire council has been killed. If Danzo-san doesn't know about it now, he will shortly."
His uncle's face didn't change at the news, but his body did become stiff. "Danzo has taken the opportunity to slander your name due to this incident. With Orochimaru escaping and Uchiha defeating Yukina-hime, he has taken the opportunity to strengthen his base."
"I know," she blew out with annoyance. "Who would have thought kidnapping Sasori would have worked out so well. Perhaps Jiraiya knew more than he let on."
"Perhaps. He is a respected master. He does not always speak his thoughts."
"Yeah," she went silent for a second. "In reality, Danzo may be the least of our concerns with our host missing, but I can't help but think the timing is too convenient as well."
"Does Uchiha-san really not know where the boy is?"
Tsunade's eyes fell briefly. "No, and I believe him. He has no idea what Uzumaki is. That incident was truly a coincidence on his part. He's been demanding answers from me and using our resources to find him," Tsunade took a sip from her teacup. Her mood had soured since the conversation started, going from neutral to clearly not pleased. As she moved to pour herself more tea, his uncle took the initiative to pour it for her.
"If I may, Tsunade-sama, it sounds as if Uchiha thinks of Uzumaki-san as his…"
"I think so too," she interrupted, staring into her cup. Scowling, she downed her cup as if it were sake. She put the cup down, folding her arms. "It's the only reason I'm allowing him to stay. Him giving us some access to his resources to help find Uzumaki. It is also possible he may be suggested for a council position by Sasori."
"I believe he may be too young to be put in such a position and lacks the resources as well as the power to hold a seat of such power. I admit I am curious as to why the council had taken him under his wing to begin with if not to groom him to one day take a seat as a council member."
"True," Tsunade agreed. "However, he's been remarkedly well behaved. I have given him little to work with, and he has kept his word and been cooperative for Uzumaki's sake. If what we suspect is true, Uzumaki may make a good bargaining chip against him."
"Any hunter who has survived past their initiation would do so. We can't put it past the idea that Danzo is behind his disappearance."
Tsunade smiled bitterly. "I had the same thought. I already have someone investigating that angle." She lifted up her cup once more, pausing when she saw it was empty once more. Sighing, she said, "Forgive me for asking, Hyuuga-san, but do you have something a bit more appealing to my tastes."
His uncle bowed his head. "Of course, Tsunade-sama. I was awaiting your command. "He clapped his hands and a servant entered with a tray, placing it in front of Tsunade. There was a bottle of sake and two cups on the tray. The servant paid his respect to Tsunade and quickly left as he came.
Neji's uncle moved to pour the sake into both cups, earning a curious gaze from Tsunade.
"Neji, present yourself," his uncle said as he poured the alcohol.
Neji quickly scooted closer to the tray, kowtowing to Tsunade. "I, Hyuuga, Neji, presents myself to the shinobi leader. I look forward to your guidance."
"I expect great things from you, young master of the Hyuuga household," her tone warmed a little, but Neji did not raise his head, unsure of when he was supposed to until she said, "Have a sip."
With hesitation, Neji brought his head up from the floor, looking at her and then the cup that was in front of him on the tray. Was that really for him? He flicked his eyes to his uncle, who provided no help. His uncle still had a subdued position, keeping his eyes lowered and gaze front.
With no other option, he picked up the cup, pausing a moment to see if anyone would object. A small smile was playing on Tsunade's lips as she watched him, matching his pace and bringing her own cup to her lips when his cup did.
He did as instructed, taking a single sip. His uncle extended his hands to take the cup which Neji gave. His uncle then turned around to offer the cup to Tsunade who took it with one hand and offered her cup back. His uncle took the offered cup and hand handed it to Neji who was hiding his confusion.
"From now on, Neji, you are to serve Tsunade-sama without hesitation. She is your master. Should she command you to kill your family, lover, or even take your own life, you are to do so without thought. You have no will of your own. You are a shadow, an embodiment of your master's will, and you will serve her until death or she releases you of your duty. Do you accept these terms?" His uncle asked.
It then dawned on Neji what this ceremony was. He had only seen it on TV once, but this was his swear to loyalty, his initiation into the hunter world. If he drank from the cup in his hands, he would officially be a hunter, no turning back.
"I swear my loyalty to Tsunade-sama," he replied, taking a sip from the cup.
Tsunade was a second behind. She glanced at his uncle before downing the rest of the sake in her cup and putting it down. "Alright, alright, you can dismiss yourself." She waved him away.
Neji thanked Tsunade, bowing to the floor once more then turned to give a bow to his uncle as well then taking his leave.
He closed the doors behind him. Sitting in on that meeting had been dizzying. He had no idea what they were speaking about other than it involving Uzumaki somehow.
Walking back towards the house, he thought over what had happened. His life was now not his own. His decisions would not be his. However, it was the only way to make sure he could be by Gaara's side and protect him. The way he was now wasn't strong enough. This was the only way.
The urge to see Gaara grew; his pace quickened until he was briskly walking towards his room, ignoring the servants that now bowed to him as he passed.
He opened the door, relieved that Gaara was still there, still sleeping. His eyebrows were creased, and his lips turned down. Was he having another nightmare? He had noticed Gaara tended to have them whenever he wasn't there.
Sitting at Gaara's side, he took his hand, feeling its warmth seep into him. How could anyone want to hurt Gaara? His hand brushed Gaara's cheek. It was still pale, causing him to worry. He laid down beside Gaara, bringing Gaara's hand to his mouth and kissing it tenderly. "I promise, I will never let anyone hurt you again," he whispered. "I'll be here for you, no matter what."
Tsunade took another swing from the alcohol jug, shaking her head once she finished. "I never thought you would call me here for that. I swear, I could barely keep myself from laughing with the way you were acting."
"I wouldn't have called it an act," Hiashi extended a cup, letting Tsunade fill it. "It is exactly how I acted when I first pledged my loyalty to you."
"Yeah, but I put an end to that level of formality ages ago. Makes my skin crawl." She leaned forward, eying Hiashi. "Why did you have him pledge loyalty to me? Even Hinata-chan hasn't done that."
Hiashi took a small sip from his cup. "He is in a relationship with the medjay boy."
Tsunade didn't catch on to his meaning at first, taking a slow sip from the bottle until her eyes finally lit up with understanding.
"I trust you'll look after my nephew."
"You really do spoil him," she chuckled. It's unconventional, but I understand. I'll keep his situation in mind."
"My greatest thanks, Anego."
The drop of the title caused Tsunade to cough, spitting up some of the sake she had been drinking. Hiashi hid a small smirk from her reaction. "You haven't called me that in years." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Have you regained your youth? Am I taking you out for your first drink again?"
"I thought it was a good reminder of the past."
The atmosphere in the room became dreary, and Tsunade's joking behavior stopped as well. Tsunade filled Hiashi's cup again and filled her own. "Then we should remember the past right rather than bring up unnecessary things." Lifting her cup said with a sad smile, "To Hizashi."
Hiashi raised his cup, a faint smile on his lips. "To Hizashi."
The first thing Gaara saw upon waking was Hyuuga's sleeping face. Hyuuga had carefully wormed his way on the futon, sleeping on the very edge and giving Gaara his room.
His mind was still heavy with the situation from yesterday, but he did feel calmer. The information didn't seem as overwhelming as it had. It still felt like something was sitting on his chest, but he could breathe.
Sitting up, he watched Hyuuga sleep. It was still early, the sun barely risen. Hyuuga had bags under his eyes and his hair was not in his normal braid. It was messy and starting to curl, an unruly look for a normally well-groomed person.
Gaara brushed his cheek, his knuckles barely touching the soft skin and moving the hair from his face. He had been causing Hyuuga a lot of pain, and yet he wanted Gaara to stay, tried to take care of him. Worried about him. Gaara didn't want to let go of that warmth.
For now, Hyuuga was his. So it was okay to do this right? He leaned down, leaving a light kiss on his cheek. He did it, just in case he didn't get a chance to do it later. He wanted to know what it was like.
Warm to the touch, the slight smell of sweat still clinging to his skin, skin that had been tanned by his birth country's sun. Besides Uzumaki when they were younger, he never thought of anything as beautiful. Yet here he was, leaving a small kiss, admiring the beauty of another, and reluctant to leave his side.
Hyuuga was right. He had to start letting Uzumaki go. It would be hard. Just thinking about it gave him an anxiety only Uzumaki could cause in him. But he couldn't protect Uzumaki any longer. He couldn't keep holding on to something he never really had. He only had a little while longer to enjoy life. And he did want to enjoy it.
'Want to' being the key words.
He got up from the futon, covering Hyuuga with the blanket. Less than five months. Hyuuga wasn't going to leave him. Not even with Gaara pushing him away. He'd do his best to make Hyuuga not regret his choice. If he could do at least one thing right for one person before he left. That would be enough.
Gaara hadn't brought any clothes and he hadn't changed before falling asleep either, so he left in the same clothes he had come in. He felt eyes on him from around the compound. Rumors were probably going to spread. He should call Kankuro and find a new place to live as well as find out what had happened at the embassy.
But first, he had to make sure Uzumaki was taken care of.
He shouldn't have been surprised there was a car waiting for him. Who knew how long that car had been sitting in front of the Hyuuga compound. His brother was still keeping an eye on him it seemed.
"Good morning, young master," the driver said, opening the car door for him.
"Take me to Tsunade," he said, getting into the car. Wherever Tsunade was, Uchiha was sure to be there too.
The conversation went better than he had thought. Uchiha's reaction was one of interest as well as veiled concern. Uchiha, from the few conversations they had together, didn't show interest in anything but Uzumaki. He was most vulnerable then. Uchiha thought of Uzumaki as his mate. The vampire himself hadn't seemed to realize it until Gaara brought it up. The possession and need to protect. Now that Gaara was experiencing similar thoughts and feelings with Hyuuga, he could better recognize it.
On one hand, it made letting go a bit easier. He could trust Uchiha would do everything in his power to keep Uzumaki safe. But it also meant that Uzumaki had no need for him, making Gaara feel quite useless and that his struggles were for his own self-satisfaction.
The self-deprecating feeling followed him to his next destination. Kankuro was staying in someplace in Beppu, commuting to the island only to discuss business with the shinobi. So he had to take the ferry to go meet his brother.
The city of Beppu itself was still in a panic. The damage had shut down many of the main streets due to building debris. They were stopped by the police multiple times. The driver would flash them something each time and they would be let on through without much fuss.
He was brought to a nondescript office building. Only four floors. Honestly, it didn't fit his brother's aesthetic. His brother seemed to prefer new buildings, furniture, and very western. This office building was on the older side, appearing to be from the 80s. The corridors were tight, and the lights would flicker every now and then. Trash was set out on some of the lower levels and it really made Gaara wonder if it was previously an abandoned building.
When they reached the office, it was small. The tiles were outdated and stained, barely covered up with a hastily put down rug. One of the ceiling tiles were missing and the rest were discolored, more brownish-yellow than white, and the walls could use a new coating of paint with the marks and scraps left behind.
The furniture on the other hand was new. There was a small seating area with a table in the center. A new set of filing cabinets lined the back wall against the window, every file and binder neatly in place without a stray paper seen. The desk was also more modern, made of glass with a laptop and a couple of books on top of it. The decorating was much more to his brother's taste.
The driver who was accompanying him stayed outside the room, closing the door behind Gaara. Kankuro wasn't in sight, so Gaara was alone. Since the laptop was still here, he couldn't have gone far.
Wandering further into the room, he inspected the only thing of interest in the room. The couple books on the desk. The titles were in English, so Gaara has a hard time reading them out. All he could do was sound it out and guess based on the English words used in the Japanese language.
Understanding My Gay Son and Being Gay in a Muslim World were at the bottom of the stack. The two books drew Gaara's attention due to the number of sticky notes peeking out of the pages and brief glimpses of highlighter marks on the corner of the pages. What could those books be about that held his brother's apparent rabid interest.
There was the sound of flushing and running water behind a door Gaara hadn't noticed at first. The door opened soon after, revealing Kankuro, and Gaara's curiosity about the books left as he was met with one of his least favorite people.
His brother paused as if he wasn't expecting to see Gaara, and his eyes quickly darted to the desk then back to Gaara, his face remaining neutral. "I wasn't expecting you so soon," he said, drying his hands with a hand towel as he emerged from the bathroom.
"The embassy. Any leads?"
Kankuro looked like he wanted to say something, small ticks that gave away his nervousness. It was unusual behavior for his brother. He moved around the desk, sitting in his desk chair. Gaara slowly walked around to stand in front of the desk.
"I was there when the bomb went off. It was from the inside in the lobby. That protégé of yours said she only saw a man with a duffle bag in the lobby before the bomb went off. Checking into it, we think it was a shinobi attack."
Gaara frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Why attack the embassy? Even if it was someone with hatred towards me, they would have known I wasn't there."
"Relations between our two organizations have always been weak," Kankuro stated. "But, it is weird they went for a public attack that would attract the attention of the public."
It was strange. Shinobi's preferred staying out of the public eye. It could be they were trying to make it look like a terrorist attack, but even then, there were civilians nearby. It was risky, and Tsunade wouldn't have told someone to do that. Not when she is giving a pass with Uchiha. "There's infighting with the shinobi. Tsunade doesn't have as much power as she should."
"I thought as much." Kankuro leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "Gaara, it is not safe for you to be here."
"And it if I go back with you?" Gaara said dryly. "I'd rather stay here. Give me some money, and I'll find somewhere to live on my own."
"Is it… because of that Hyuuga kid?"
Gaara averted his gaze feeling rage swell up in Gaara's chest. He had not forgotten what Kankuro had done to Hyuuga. If Kankuro was planning to harm him again….
It took everything in his power to remain calm as he responded, "If it was, it would be none of your business."
There was a change in his brother. A mixture of emotions flitting across his eyes. "Does he…he… treats you well?"
What a weird question. What did Kankuro care? A short dismissal of his question was on the tip of his tongue, but the normal cold and distant air that surrounded his brother faltered as he awaited Gaara's answer. He seemed to really want to know.
How much should he say? How much should he tell? Thinking of Hyuuga, he couldn't stay mad or indifferent. "Very." Was all he ended up saying.
Kankuro exhaled heavily as if he had finally come to an acceptance about something if reluctant to do so. "I'll give you the money only if you keep a guard with you too. I don't trust the shinobi."
Suspicion set in about Kankuro's motives. It was too easy, but Gaara had no money of his own, and he didn't want to stay at the Hyuuga compound like Eri was.
"If you find out anything, let me know." Gaara left the office, still wondering about Kankuro's strange behavior. He was too compliant. Not to mention his lack of homophobic or racial comments. What was his brother up to?
The driver opened the door for him, and Gaara got in. He was going to miss school again. It was almost noon already. Since that was the case, he changed plans, going to a real estate agency. The only real loss he suffered from the destruction of his apartment was the simulated desert. The room was probably still intact, but it would take some time to unearth it and rebuild the building. If it was rebuilt. Tensions would be high between the two organizations for the time being.
The real estate agent was nervous when he arrived, unsure of Gaara's foreigner status, but once he realized Gaara could speak perfect Japanese and had no limit when it came to housing, the realtor was more than happy to work with him, complimenting him and flattering him.
The entire process was tiring as Gaara had to prevent himself from snapping at the realtor to shut up. Gaara also didn't miss how the realtor tried to shove the most expensive places first. Rather than look for luxury, Gaara was looking for location and functionality.
A place that was away from people and had two bedrooms. There was one. In the mountain forest, there was a traditional house with three bedrooms. The price was low due to rumors about it being haunted.
It was perfect. It wasn't like Gaara didn't know people who could get rid of evil spirits. Even if it was some other supernatural creature, he could handle it. Most creatures could sense the lord within him and would keep their distance. If not, he could kill them.
After a quick look at the property, which involved a 30-minute car ride and a 10-minute walk with a nervous realtor, Gaara found it to be perfect. The house needed some cleaning and a few repairs, and it was indeed haunted, by a young man who had reached an unfortunate end, but there were no humans nearby to annoy him and the lack of people worked well when it came to protecting himself. He would sense anyone approaching.
Agreeing to rent the property, the realtor was shocked and then relieved he was able to finally get rid of it. He left his driver to take care of the paperwork at the office while Gaara went to school. Classes were long over, but it was nearly five. Club activities would be ending soon.
Gaara walked around the school, ignoring the looks and gossip around him. He had never really been in this section of the school grounds. School for him included the classroom and Tsunade's office with the occasional trip to the science lab. The clubrooms, sports facility, and gym he avoided like the plague. He didn't even go to the gym for the monthly school assembly. Too many humans packed in a small space with him wasn't the best idea after all.
He arrived at his destination, leaning against the wall to observe the object of his affection in his natural habitat, unaware of Gaara's presence.
"Bows up!" Hyuuga yelled, stalking behind the line of archers in his own archery outfit. "Draw!" His eyes quickly scanned the form of his archers. Only a couple of lessons in the hunter world and the look in his eyes were already beginning to take on the traits of a hunter. Sharp and intense.
"Release!"
The line of archers released their arrows. The skills of the archers varied. Some were near the center. Others were on the very edge. One missed the target completely.
"Nice job, first years. I can tell you have all been practicing diligently. Collect your arrows and put away the equipment. The rest of you are dismissed for today."
"Yes! Thank you for the lesson, Captain!" The first years chimed together.
They all left to follow Hyuuga's orders.
"You've been busy."
Hyuuga turned to Gaara, surprise on his face that morphed from a fake smile into a genuinely warm smile. "Not all of us can skip school," Hyuuga replied, walking over. "So, what brings you over to the archery range."
"Curiosity."
"Curiosity?" Hyuuga repeated.
"I was wondering what you looked like in a skirt."
Hyuuga glanced down at his hakama, chuckling. "And what do you think?"
Gaara glanced over the outfit again. The three-fingered glove on his right hand, black hakama, and his long hair tied back in a high ponytail. The Hyuuga family was really suited to the traditional look. He could easily see Hyuuga grow up wearing yukatas and kimonos every day. "I don't dislike it."
Hyuuga smiled wider. "I'll wear it more often then."
Gaara's cheeks turned slightly red at the way Hyuuga was looking at him, so his eyes drifted toward the archery range. "They aren't very good."
Following his sight, Hyuuga watched the first years scrambling to take care of the equipment quickly. "Half of the first years never held a bow until they came to high school. Besides, it's not as easy as it looks."
Gaara lifted an eyebrow, walking onto the wooden platform, street shoes and all, picking up Neji's bow that had been resting off to the side. Figuring out what Gaara was doing, he yelled for the first years to clear the range.
All of them glanced with confusion until they saw Gaara raising the bow with an arrow notched. Seeing him, they all scrambled to get to safety. He didn't wait. He released the arrow.
It wasn't dead center. It was one ring out. Seeing that annoyed Gaara to a degree.
Hyuuga seemed to be amused, taking the bow from him while apologizing to the first years and telling them to go get changed. "I didn't know you practice," he said when the first years nervously scuttled past them to get to the locker rooms.
"Not kyudo. I did do some archery as part of my training. But they were with more modern and smaller bows."
The bows used in Japanese archery were over two meters tall, so the handling was much different especially without a place to hold the arrow, increasing the difficulty when aiming.
Hyuuga notched his own arrow. His movements and breathing were in synch. In one fluid motion that was filled with ceremony, he went from notching to drawing in one motion. In less than a second, he aimed and release, hitting the center of the target. "I could tell."
There was a reason why Hyuuga was nationally ranked. Gaara didn't know the technique needed for kyudo, what it was called, or even if there was one, but watching Hyuuga he could see that it existed and Hyuuga was close to perfecting it. "Still better than your freshman though."
"They do it for fun. Unlike us." Hyuuga lowered his bow. "So why did you really come?" Hyuuga's voice was tense, already fearing and preparing for the worst. His tone was no longer playful and warm but guarded.
"I came to tell you my new address… and walk home together," Gaara muttered the last part. He didn't know what couples did or how they spent their time, but he did know about this cliché. He heard couples did that in high school. Though Hyuuga and he weren't exactly normal high schoolers.
Hyuuga certainly looked shocked, and Gaara thought maybe it was a ridiculous thing after all.
Hyuuga was about to say something when someone interrupted them. "Hey! How dare you walk in here with your shoes on!" It was another third year, coming out after changing their clothes. "Don't think you own the place just because our Captain is too nice to tell you off."
"Benjiro, that's enough," Hyuuga rounded on the third year, but the boy didn't back down.
"You can't let bullies like him walk all over you, Captain. He even shot with people out on the range."
Hyuuga was quickly losing his patience, the air around him shifting quickly. Before it could get out of control, Gaara stepped in.
"Thanks for the tryout, but I don't think archery's for me," he walked past Hyuuga. Better to get Hyuuga off the hook now and leave him be in his world.
Gaara walked quickly to the exit, but before Gaara could leave, Hyuuga called out to him. "Wait for me at the entrance. We'll walk home together when I'm done."
This shocked everyone, even Gaara who merely nodded, and quickly exited, hiding his flushed cheeks. What was Hyuuga thinking, saying something like that in front of other people? Still, Gaara did wait.
Half an hour later, and a couple of glares from a few of the archery members as they were leaving, Hyuuga came running out, changed back into his school uniform. He was out of breath and sweaty as if he had been running around for the past half an hour. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No big deal."
Gaara started walking through the gates with Hyuuga following. Gaara said walk home, but they couldn't really walk home with the winding road and no sidewalk. Gaara had forgotten that when he had asked, and Hyuuga agreed anyway.
A car was waiting for Hyuuga and Gaara's driver was still waiting for him too. Without hesitation, Hyuuga got into Gaara's car without a second thought.
Gaara got in as well.
"So what were you saying about that new address?"
Gaara filled him on what happened with Kankuro and his short house hunting adventure. Fascinated, Hyuuga asked Gaara to expand on ghosts a bit more. When all was said and done, there was some disappointment on Hyuuga's face.
"I admit I did hope you would stay at my house a while longer. We haven't slept apart in a while."
That was true. Since Gaara's homeland, they haven't spent a night apart. Gaara wouldn't be able to feed as often anymore either. "You'll need to stay at the compound for training, and me being there will distract you."
Hyuuga was troubled but didn't disagree. "I know, but it still seems sudden, and I only get a week with you…"
Maybe it was just Gaara, but Hyuuga seemed more expressive lately. Gaara liked it quite a bit. "I still need to purchase some items for my home. I could stay one more night."
Just like that, Hyuuga perked up. Whether Hyuuga was more expressive or Gaara was just more aware, seeing his smile made Gaara believe that maybe his selfish decision to stay a bit longer was the right choice. For once, he was causing someone else to smile genuinely. All because he was there.
"I'll see if the kitchen will prepare some meat for dinner then."
"Hm." Gaara leaned back and closed his eyes.
"And dessert of course."
Gaara's lips twitched up into a small smile. "Of course."