Bahhhhhh - this chapter was huge. So I broke it in half. I hope you all love it (ps You better love it)
Ash - Welcome back online! You should enjoy this chapter (or at least I hope you do). Poor Gaara gets to run around a lot.
Anyway - dun dun dun, some of our non-Suna friends are here! Let's see how it goes!
Cheers - Rain
...
"In a few days, some friends from Kohona-"
Yumi's breath held at that word.
"-will be here to help with a few things. They are also friends of yours and exceptional medical-"
"No." Yumi didn't let Gaara finish. Her fingers folded into fists as her lungs tightened to an unbreathable level.
Breakfast dishes still before them, Gaara frowned. "Yumi-"
"No." Her mix match eyes searched his own, feeling betrayed.
"Yumi," "No. No." Her head shook for she knew what he was going to say. To check her out. Inspect her. Test how to bury her. Experiment on her. Like she was a monster… because she was a monster-
A hand touched her clenched fist. Immediately all of her focused on it. That emptiness within her rung wrong but still, warmly, his hand covered her own completely.
"Yumi," his soft tone drew her gaze.
She wanted to trust him; she did trust him. But Konoha was up there on her fears right next to the full moon.
"I am the Kazekage of Suna, Sabaku no Gaara. They will not hurt you. They were friends with yo-"
"N-N-" The hand on hers squeezed gently and her voice ceased. His pale teal eyes did not look at her with pity or judgement, but just calm.
Breathing, each breath shaky, Yumi felt his hand.
"Trust me?" His hand pulled back, wishing her to answer honestly without influence.
Mute, Yumi just nodded.
"I would kill them before they even start to think of burying you alive. They are my friends, but you are-" Gaara wanted to say 'mine' and 'his love', but quickly adjusted, "important to me. They won't hurt you. You are safe here."
Feelings fluttered through Yumi. Her hand longed for the feeling of his again. "Um, thank you."
Then, suddenly, there it was. Again his hand was over hers. The grains of sand felt rough against her skin. His fingers were longer, encompassing her own. Security swirled within her and Yumi felt more than just empty.
"It will be okay Yumi."
…
…
It will be okay, Yumi. He had promised her. He would keep that promise. Standing outside of Suna's wall, a decent distance from his escorts so he could greet them first. Family business, he had told them. Suna Heir discussions made all nin duck their head fearful of Temari's reaction when they find out her son won't be selected or fearful of being there when the Kazekage forces them back. No one wanted to be involved in Sand Sibling drama - but little did they know his siblings were already supportive of his fostering and adopting idea.
Except- would Yumi be?
She had been the inspiration for it… Well more so the thought of if Kurokawa could foster then there was no reason he himself wouldn't be acceptable. Logically, Gaara knew in his heart that Yumi, how she had been, would have loved the idea of him adopting or fostering. So he had promised himself he would. It solved the Kazekage heir crisis, the marriage issue, and honored Yumi… but now, how would the current Yumi feel on it?
He pushed that train of thought to the side. Later, much later, he would cross that bridge when it came. Right now, there were many other things to take care of.
"Kazekage, you are greeting us by yourself?" Temari with two-year-old Shikadai wrapped on her back frowned.
"Yes, I figured we should speak." He gave a light nod to Shikamaru.
The leaf nin nodded back as the others in their traveling group approached.
"Former Hokage," Gaara greeted Lady Tsunade.
"Kazekage," Former Hokage raised her head as she inspected him over quietly.
"Unk." Shikadai blinked his large dark teal eyes.
"Kazekage, how is she!?" Tomohisa looked very different from when Gaara had seen him at Yumi's funeral. The near-sixty year old now had light cyan hair with thick dark blue eyeliner. His sleeveless hooded cloak showed off dynamic paper seals adhered to his biceps and down his arms all the way to his now burn scarred hands.
With a frown, Gaara studied the man who seemed to be wearing leather pants under the cloak.
"Yes, how's Yumi? Does she- does she remember any more?" Ino stepped forward as well. Sai stayed still with their son, Inojin, on his back
Carefully Gaara met Ino and then Tomohisa's gaze. "She's fine but no, she has not remembered more. She gets… anxious when faced with things she should know but doesn't or if assumptions she's made about herself are wrong."
"That makes sense. A lot of those with amnesia can feel frustrated, anxious, angry, or fearful. I believe your report said her body still has a lot of damage?" Lady Tsunade cocked her head gently.
"Yes. When you three tour our hospital you may speak with the doctors on this. I am hoping there's something you can do to help her a little, although how she is, is fine too."
He could feel his sister's gaze on him as well as the former Hokage's. Both were holding back on things they would probably say later to him. Temari would probably say taking care of Yumi how she is now while being Kazekage was too much and also a risk to her too. And Lady Tsunade probably wished to discuss something similar… A tension pressed down on his shoulders, but his sand armor kept it at bay.
"Of course we'll help her!" Ino's fingers curled into a fist while her long hair bounced as she nodded.
Not wishing to have any heavy conversations yet, Gaara titled his head to his sister. "Temari, I would like you and Shikamaru to tour the school and give your assessments of it."
Temari's brows wrinkled. Her gaze drifted to the Suna wall behind him and new inquiries reflected across her eyes. "Sure."
"Troublesome," lazily her husband's hand drifted to the back of his head to brush his dark long hair. Briefly he met Gaara's teal gaze before looking back at his son.
"And Lady Tsunade and Ino, I prepped the hospital to be walked today if you have the energy for it." He carefully studied the former Hokage who carefully studied him back.
"Jeeze, let me nurse Inojin then sure." Ino rolled her eyes and then lolled her head to Sai, "would you mind watching these two?"
"No, not at all." Sai leaned over and gently kissed Ino who smiled back at him lovingly.
Lady Tsunade however had kept staring at him, before finally she nodded. "Alright, but you owe me a drink and yourself one too."
"And," Tomohisa interrupted, "and me-" he swallowed, his old age jiggling the wrinkled skin of his neck. "Can I… see Yumi?"
Gaara studied the elder man with care. "Yes, under a few considerations."
Without thought Tomohisa's head nodded in agreement and with a solemn nod, the Kazekage marked the exchange done.
…
"Wait here." With the slightest of turns of his head, Gaara's gaze stopped the retired Jieti's footsteps.
With a complicated gaze, Tomohisa nodded. His ridiculous cyan hair color bounced lightly. His fingers curled into fists before they released and gently, he stepped back. "Alright," tiredness laced with hope whispered through his tone.
Not feeling the need to go over the rules and considerations again, Gaara just gave a nod. Then he stepped through the door to the next section of the green house. As normal, it was only his sand on her that allowed him to know she was there. Her non-existent chakra made her impossible to sense otherwise.
However, she too could sense no one either. Nor hear them most of the time. Nor notice… For before, Yumi would have noticed him immediately. Her head would have snapped his direction, or at least some part of her always indicated she knew when he was around. But now… Well, at least this always gave him a little more time to watch her as she was.
She sat on the ground in front of the large garden box; her bright pleated red skirt fanned in folds over her legs. Her left leg was straight out while her right was tucked in. Her torso was folded forward slightly as she gently whittled carrots from the soil. The sandy dirt mostly piled where she was working but still some fell on her skirt as she transferred the carrot to the basket. Then slowly using her arms and legs, she half-crab-crawled, butt-scooted to the next location. Then, reaching, she grabbed the basket and drugged it over to her hip. Finally she began her work again.
Compared to all the other workers, she was infamously slow. But because he had asked for her to work there, many would stop and praise her work to him even though technically she was less efficient and knowledgeable. However, people said that she was easy to work with, easy to get along with, and reminded them of a gentle bunny. Gaara was certain that Yumi previously would have never wanted to be described as a bunny. Although if current her liked being referred to as a bunny, then he would inform her of the compliments- he just hadn't figured out what her thoughts yet were on the matter…
Silently he walked forward. Her short styled hair shined in the light, the white strands sparkling like brilliant silver and the black like charcoal onyx. Her gaze was serious, intent on doing the best job she could. Since working and volunteering her confidence had grown. Despite who she knew was showing up to Suna today, there was a lightness in her facial expressions with kindness in her gaze. And she was humming? The tone was a bit anxious but given who all had come to Suna today, it was understandable.
Gaara almost wanted to leave. Let her have her peaceful day with no stressful interruptions. But he knew this needed to happen.
Clearing his throat, he finally spoke. "Yumi."
Her head turned immediately. Her mix-matched eyes brightened before that excitement evaporated to panic. She scrambled unsteadily to her feet, something moving with her as she did. With a brush of her hand on her skirt, her eyes looked on either side of him and behind, searching for those from Konoha. Her feet taking half a step back as if she was preparing to duck or run.
"Just me." Gaara informed her with his tone careful. His sand coated her and it felt something fat, long, and scaly encircling her bare waist.
Her head bobbed and her stance relaxed slightly, but still her eyes searched behind him once more. One of her hands went to the pocket where Jinkun and Hisa were hidden, and then it went up to her shawl covered waist, where he was very certain a poisonous rather large snake hid.
Gaara's eyebrow twitched.
"Yumi."
As if she didn't know, her eyes innocently met his
"Why do I feel there's a snake about your waist right now?"
"Oh," her face lightly blushed. Again that hand went to where the snake was hiding.
Unfamiliarity aggrieved, Gaara felt the need to move closer. With a serious contemplation, his eyebrows folded and his footsteps sounded. "Do, you not trust me to protect you?"
"What?" Her hand immediately flew down while her eyes lids grew wide.
"Never mind." He shook his head at his own petty question. "So the snake-?"
"Um," She shifted her eyes and head away from him. "They said it was the scariest one they-they-they've ever seen so-so-so- I… I picked her up." With her whispered confession her eyes again found his, their look needing him.
Gaara watched her stand stiffly before him. Her hands gripped her own skirt while her lips turned down. Strain and tension folded into her features as she stood there. He knew why she wanted the snake, so even though he didn't like it, he just nodded.
"Yumi," He paused, his mind skipping on what the right words could be. Then making up his mind, he resorted to the method both Asami and Kankuro separately had suggested.
With a single step, he took up all the space in front of her. Both his arms went over her shoulders to hold her so she could see nor hear nothing of the world. "It will be fine. Trust me."
He felt her chest quietly rise and fall against him. Slowly her hands moved to grip his clothing ever so lightly. He heard her inhale as if she was trying to calm herself internally. Her head nodded, moving her hair against his hand. Not wishing to let go quite yet, Gaara lowered his head and closed his eyes. She felt good against him. He felt in the moment.
But he wasn't fully. One sand clone was still working with his sister and Shikamaru. A second clone was working with Kankuro. His mind still kept tabs on all the work still needed to be done, what was delegated out, and what specifically he had left to do. And yet… with her, for just a moment, he could just breathe.
Opening his gaze, Gaara realized he was holding her a bit too long.
Carefully he lightly reduced his embrace about her and then slowly stepped back. She seemed to have not noticed his overstep. Not bothered by his mistake. Pulling back his true feelings, Gaara awkwardly brushed his hands on his Kazekage robe. It was time to say what he came here to say, "The bodyguard-"
Immediately Yumi's eyes narrowed and she interrupted him, "like that man?"
"Hn," he nodded.
Her narrowed eyes held as she stared at him. Her stance held trust without her typical nervous ticks, but her lips were slowly tilting down in uncertainty. "Not from Konoha?"
"Correct. Tomohisa, I believe, is from Ech-izen." He felt his right cheek slightly tighten as he vaguely recalled the obscure town's name.
"And he's-" she paused, again her gaze dashed away from him, to a space behind him. "He's-" she paused and closed her mouth, frowning. Her eyebrows furrowed creating creases in her scars. Instead of any hint of familiarity, there was nothing, no recollection.
Gaara waited knowing that she did not want him to tell her.
"-he's... a bodyguard," Her eyes went to him to reconfirm it. He nodded and carefully she added her next sentence, "like Kawa, my bodyguard. T-t-the one I remembered a bit. He used to, he, this one, used to work with Kawa?"
"Yes." He nodded, "and he'd like to visit with you."
Her face contorted before him. Immediately her head shook no, "I-I-I don't know him. You, you should just, you should just tell him I don't know him. What he wants, h-he can't get from me. I-I don't know him."
Gaara frowned, "I informed him as such. He said he understands. He just wants to see you."
Yumi stood there with a storm in her gaze and her dry lips pursed. Her hands moved in front of her so that she could erratically rub the bracelets about her wrist. He could feel her heartbeat pound into the sand layered on her skin. An unsteady inhale shook through her quietly as her mind turned before him grasping for things that just weren't there.
Just as he was about to respond, he felt that snake respond first. It climbed soothingly up her. He watched as the shawl on her shoulder folded and bulged. At the tips of her hair, it looked just like her shawl wrongly had tripled up. But he knew. It sat there. And then her face turned towards it just slightly, accepting comfort from it- not him.
Gaara's hand went to her other shoulder. He blinked surprised at his own action, but she was now looking towards him. The disjointed feeling within him retreated as she looked to him for comfort instead of the serpent.
But he didn't know what to do next. Doctor Saruwatari in their appointments often mentioned that the things he wanted to say were often wrong. Supposedly telling someone something could always be worse, was uncomforting... So once again he felt this was a good time to use the advice Asami and Kankuro had given. With no words, he stepped forward. His arm wrapped about her waist where the snake had vacated. And to his relief, her arms encircled him too. He felt her embrace him, tucking herself closer into him for support. He heard her slowly exhale as she calm herself in his arms, taking comfort from his actions.
This, definingly, was the right thing to do.
Still, it wasn't the only thing he should do. So behind her back, his fingers moved. A third sand clone rose before Tomohisa. The elder's gaze met his clone's eyes before glancing at the door. Worry was wrinkled into the man's features, while his body leaned to the right as if his hip hurt.
"She doesn't remember you thus doesn't know why you want to meet." Gaara explained through the clone.
The elder's face crumpled, "that's fine. She-she doesn't have to remember me. Kami, Kurokawa would probably be glad over that given- Well, given everything… Just… please-" Tomohisa's stance shifted between his two legs before he wrung the paper seals on his own arms.
Gaara saw the guilt and worry flood the man's face. He frowned unsure how to bridge Yumi's anxiety with others' need to see she wasn't dead.
Thinking carefully, he finally spoke again, "I will signal you when to come in. At that cue, enter and say you just want to garden - volunteer, just for a few hours so she has an out. Say that you don't have to talk. Treat this the same as you treated her difficulty with her sharing her ability."
"Yes. Thank you, Kazekage-sama." Tomohisa bowed multiple times before the falling Sand clone.
Gaara waited for Yumi to relax first before he once again gently pulled away. Hugging was effective, but with her it was too tempting to stay like that.
Her gray and green eyes looked into his own teal. Her features were tired. Without thinking his hand went to her face, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. Dark circles were hiding under his sand. Frowning, Gaara regretted that he couldn't just take everything that bothered her away. But that was life. Every living thing struggled.
"Sorry," as quickly as he had reached out, his own hand again fled.
Her head dumbly nodded as her head ducked down to look at his toes before she peeked back up at him. "Thank you."
He noticed that her cheeks had tinted pink slightly but her gaze had lightened and lips had started to perk up. With that he signaled Tomohisa.
Exactly on cue, the door opening sounded. "I- I will just help with the garden. We don't have to talk" Tomohisa's voice entered the space.
Immediately Yumi jumped forward towards him, using his body to hide from Tomohisa. One of her hands went to his sleeve while the other went to the pocket where the scorpions weren't. Her free hand pulled out a crumpled pile of fabric containing her scarf and eye patch. But then she froze. Still gripping him, she was unable to put any of it on with just one hand and she was equally unwilling to let go.
"Would it be okay if I volunteer, just for an hour or two maybe?" Tomohisa spoke again.
"S-sure." Surprisingly Yumi answered him, but still used Gaara to hide. Then, slowly breathing, she pulled her hand from his sleeve and with barely any room between them she smoothed out her scarf.
His hand went over hers. Leaning forward, he spoke so only she could hear, "you don't need these." Then with his sand, he gestured to Tomohisa to speak again.
"Uh, so you know, we don't have to talk. And I'm Tomohisa by the way." The elder's kind tone was clear.
At his name, two pinchers and a little head poked out of her pocket. The movement of the small body drew Yumi's attention down.
"Hisa," she whispered to herself. Then her eyes went towards Tomohisa but she still stayed hidden in front of him.
Keeping his hand on hers, Gaara slightly turned. "Tomohisa, how did you get those scars on your hands?"
"Oh these?" He held up his hands, "yeah three jobs ago turned out to be a doozy. Fire and paper, not a good mix."
Tomohisa grinned ear to ear, his eyes not on him. Yumi had peeked out behind him.
"Um," her voice hesitated, "scars don't matter here." Gently Gaara squeezed her hand and she spoke again, "I'm Yumi.
"Hi Yumi." Tomohisa smiled again and Gaara let go of her hand behind him.
"Hi." She repeated it back but he could hear her smile. With that he knew she would be fine
Turning towards Yumi, he took a step back. Most of the anxiety in her features had dissipated although some nervousness was still there. "You good?"
Her eyes studied him, glanced to Tomohisa, and then back to him. Finally she nodded. "Yes. Thank you.
She smiled and Gaara briefly forgot everything. Yumi as she had been, with the smile she used to always have, was before him.
An awkward cough sounded behind them. "So um, what should I help with specifically?"
Yumi, ignorant of Gaara's reaction, leaned sideways until she could see past him to Tomohisa. "P-peppers? Can you check for ripe peppers?"
"Sure. These peppers?"
Yumi's head shook no. She pointed about him, "the ones two boxes over, this way."
Under her clothes, Gaara felt the snake move again. It crept over her shoulder, looped to her side, under her arm and then wrapped twice about her waist.
"There." Yumi announced with a head nod and a slight smile.
Gaara studied her uncovered face one last time. "If you need me, I'll be here. Same as always."
Meeting his eyes sincerely, she smiled. Hope warmed her gaze. Naturally, she nodded; her smile grew to a full grin. "Yes Sabaku. Thank you. And, h-have a good day at work?"
"Hn, yes." With a nod wishing he could brush back the bangs that fell in her face, he let himself fall into sand.
She would be fine; he was certain of that.
Gaara's form reappeared where he was to meet Kankuro, Shira, and Yome. The dark Suna Wall cave smelled musty and of dead fungi. Yome stood next to a seated Shira who immediately rose. The two bowed to which Gaara respectfully responded.
"No, Kankuro yet?"
Shira's head shook slowly, "Anti-terrorist leader Kankuro hasn't arrived yet."
"Hn."
"Ah, Kazekage, last week Yumi, Matsuri, and I went to a movie together. I noticed her movements have gotten much better." Yome smiled kindly at him while her eyes held the gaze he often got when others who knew Yumi before spoke of her now to him.
"Hn."
"Is she-" Gaara's gaze found Shira's eyes immediately. The nin paused and quickly looked elsewhere. "She saved me. Our team. If she hadn't healed me when she did-"
On his sand platform, he was jarred by the grotesque sight of Shira's injuries. And then Yumi's body began to shred, cut, tear, and break. She flinched again and again accepting the pain. But he couldn't even watch it. His eyes jerked away, unable to watch her torturous way of healing someone.
"I know." His tone was harsher than he meant, that memory too raw. If Yumi hadn't screamed then, just what was in her broken memories that made her scream now? Maybe it was better if she never remembered...
"Sorry," Shira ducked his head as his hands went to rest on his hips. Then his head popped right back up. "She's getting better with her self-defense work. Not, uh, not-" Again Shira paused, his gentle expression broke into something sorrowful, "that she'll be anywhere close to the same."
Gaara knew that. He knew her full medical records. He had seen her that first day at the park and he saw her every day now. While some of her changes were hard for him to see clearly because he saw her every day, others he noticed first. It was important to him to not lose important relationships, this important relationship, just because he was the Kazekage…
"Maybe Lady Tsunade and those from Konoha can help with that?" Yome's eyes sparkled hopefully.
Gaara shook his head no, "too early to tell."
"Oh," Yome glanced at Shira. If he had been lost to her, forgotten everything-
"Ah shit." Kankuro's voice turned everyone's head. Immediately his older brother held up his pointer finger in his direction. "I was not late. I was not."
"Uh-huh." Gaara made a show of discreetly looking at his non-existent watch.
Kankuro rolled his eyes and his head, "I don't want to hear it. It was that- ugh. You know what. I am not a jackass."
"Huh?" Yome's eyes widened immensely not used to seeing the Anti-terrorist Leader this way.
"Yome," Kankuro's demeanor changed as he smiled, "I'm not a jackass, right?"
Yome's head nodded.
Kankuro's eyes narrowed, "is that a nod that I'm not a jackass or a nod that I am?"
"Kankuro, focus." Gaara's head raised in the direction they were supposed to have already started on.
"Fine." Kankuro placed his hood up and mask on. Then from his bag, he tossed each of them the same type of gas mask. "Suit up. But later Yome, you need to tell me what women mean by that nod, or the word fine."
"How about we get going?" Shira smiled under the mask with his hand on Yome's shoulder pushing her in front of him away from the irritable Kankuro.
"Intelligence is those who are poisoning nins have a base somewhere down here." His brother's voice turned professional.
The medical group could only make four masks and after much debate, Gaara finally selected this small team. A team of four with him as defense, Shira and Kankuro offense, and Yome visual. Together they would find the base and secure it, then once any traps were nullified, a second security team would take over the operation. Hopefully with the base, they would find the assailants and bring the cowardly attacks to an end.
"Alright." Yome took off first with Shira close behind. Then it was the Kazekage and Kankuro.
Navigating the underground system eventually led to a manway to the sewer.
"Kazekage?" Yome looked to him for hope.
Kankuro smirked, "I might have wanted my brother here for this specific reason. Sewer duty turned out to be an important lead in the case." With little hesitation he opened the lid to the toxic cesspool of smell. Luckily their masks kept most of it at bay, but still Yome hung her head in despair.
"Alright, ready?"
With an inaudible huff the short nin hopped down followed by Shira, himself, and lastly Kankuro closing the lid behind them.
"This is disgusting." Shira landed on the walkway beside the waste river.
Gaara eyed the sewage briefly, "everything here gets treated and cleaned for reuse."
Kankuro gagged briefly, "forgot, project toilet to glass."
Giving his brother a harsh side eye, he frowned. "That catchphrase was vetoed by the city council."
"That's not really what happens, isn't it?" Yome looked up to Shira who gave a you-don't-want-to-know smile. "Ugh. Let's just get this done."
She picked up the speed. Using her gaze, she noticed changes on the walkway and walls. Smudges of chemicals and prints. Under the part of the Suna in desperate need of upgrading, Yome took a sharp turn. Her eyes rapidly scanned the wall next to them. Stepping forward her hand hovers before it, before she finally pressed on just one stone. It moved in and straight line cracks appear forming the outline of a door.
"Bingo." Kankuro grinned.
The brick door swung open. Immediately bright yellow gas exploded towards them.
"Shit!" Shira slid in front of Yome with his arms blocking them from the blow. Sand encompassed them all in a protective bubble. Gaara spread the sand into the room as Kankuro deploys two puppets.
"See anyone?" Kankuro glanced about with the sand walls around them now gone.
A dimly lit upturned lab settled in the powdery dust before them. Maps of Suna along with a list of names. On a different table a single bottle rocked.
Before anyone could take another breath it exploded. Red powder and heat launched in all directions. Again Gaara's sand protected them.
"Incoming!" Yome shouted.
"Kankuro!" Shira grabbed his brother's arm pulling him down just as a water spear pierced through the sand and overhead. Shira spun eyes wide, "Kazekage!"
A water spear crushed into Gaara. His body fell to sand and reappeared elsewhere. His hand pressed to his mask which momentarily moved. The poignant stank of sewer burned his nostrils. A second explosion fired.
"Kami!" Shira dashed forward. With a forceful kick, he shot a toppled table towards where the water projectiles' source. Wood splintered in all directions and their fire stopped.
Dust settled about them.
"So much for covert." Kankuro brushed powder off his sleeves.
Yome stared at a multi-colored Shira, "can it drug us through our skin?"
Momentarily nervous, Kankuro paused before remembering. "No, doctors say ingestion or inhalation only. Skin contact does nothing."
"Good thing for the masks." Shira began to sort through the fallen things.
"Yep."
Gaara studied the items on the ground. One image popped out – Konoha's Kurama Clan insignia. Walking forward, his stare stayed on that image. If he remembered right, the Kurama clan blood-line ability was genjutsu. The most powerful of which allowed them to cause those trapped to actually sustain real life injuries from the genjutsu. But why was it here? Picking it up, Gaara made a mental note to ask Lady Tsunade for more information.
His gaze also scanned the room. Why would Genjutsu users also use drugs, and what was the connection to Konoha?
"Find anything?" Kankuro glanced at the paper.
Gaara tilted it to him.
"Alright." His brother took it and sealed it into a bag with other papers. Then he turned to Shira and Yome, "collect all we can, I have a team coming, they will secure this site before we leave. We will want as much unmixed powder as possible so that we can get antidotes made."
Eyeing the ninja security team coming around the corner, Gaara let himself fall into sand.
Five deep scrubbing, hot showers later, Gaara stepped out of his bathroom in a towel. A few droplets of water ran down his back and chest from his slightly damp red hair. His fingers pushed his bangs back and to the right wetting his hand. Walking to the dresser, Gaara felt the front door open and then close.
Pausing, his gaze went to the time. It had already been four hours so Yumi could be back by now. With a brush of his fingers, he felt his sand that was on her still standing on the front door. Then on the floor sand, suddenly there was a long wrap of cloth being placed down. Yumi stepped forward and the cloth sidewinded.
Immediately Gaara closed his eyes - Snake. She brought that probably poisonous snake with her. He really needed to have some house ground rules. He realized he did tell her that she could bring friends over, but he was expecting them to be more human and less wild dangerous animals.
Yumi's footsteps stopped at the kitchen. She stood before the sink unmoving. Then she turned. The snake was removed from the floor and her feet walked back to the door. Again it opened and closed.
Curious, Gaara's fingers moved through the jutsu and then went to his eye. Sand formed outside of the house and in clear view was a very covered Yumi.
"I-I got you water too." Yumi held out the bottle with her gloved hand.
Tomohisa with sad eyes smiled, "Thanks. Shall we take that friend of yours back?"
Under her hood, he could see her head nod dramatically. She stepped forward first and Tomohisa fell into step beside her.
"Um," her voice started up, her hand moving to where the snake was. "You said that I… I played with snakes before?"
"Oh yeah. You- Um, do you want to hear stories? The Kazekage stated- well," Tomohisa's scarred hand waved his own words away. "Never mind, but do you want to hear a few stories or is that too hard."
"I don't- Uh, I don't remember. But, uh," her voice became smaller. Gaara felt her hand go to his sand bracelets. "I'd like to hear them. And… do you think, you could tell me about Kawa?"
Recognizing he was ease-dropping, Gaara disconnected his sand eye. Moving with a lightness now, he quickly finished drying and dressed. Then he appeared in the medical wing.
"Kazekage." Lady Tsunade greeted him.
"Good news?" Ino eyed him with a smile.
Gaara turned towards her, "News?" They didn't know about the raid, or shouldn't…
Ino's head shook as she glanced back to the papers she had, "you just seem happier this afternoon, Kazekage. So I thought something good had happened."
Happier? He did feel a bit lighter. Yumi asking for stories and the feel of her in his embrace ghosted his mind. "Nothing out of the usual."
"Oh," Ino nodded and paused just a brief moment, "so when do we get to see Yumi."
That weight returned, "tomorrow."
"From her report, Doctor Saruwatari and Doctor Fujimoto have done excellent work and will take excellent care of Yumi. I do want to talk to her, as I think an antidepressant may help her as she heals. The feeling of emptiness she's described to Saruwatari may be from Salt being gone according to your letters. If she and Salt were as interconnected as Ino had experienced-"
"They were" Ino interrupted.
Lady Tsunade frowned, "then she may be chemically depressed from her brain having not needed to function without that connection. I know of a couple antidepressants that may work so after I've spoken to her, I'll give Doctor Saruwatari my recommendation."
Gaara's nose wrinkled. He didn't know how to feel about Yumi being on an antidepressant. The stigma around mental illnesses were still alive and well among ninjas, most unwilling to admit to PTSD, and even fewer daring to ever mention depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or panic although those symptoms affected many. "She needs multiple antidepressants?"
The former Hokage's head shook sending the tips of her blond short hair up. "No, but we never know which one is the right one until they are tried so it's best to have options in case the first isn't right."
Yet another subject he was unfamiliar with, Gaara wished everything to just be simpler. For there to be just some Jutsu that could heal her, which was ironic because he had once wished she hadn't healed so easily just so that she might have been a bit more careful. "What happens if one isn't right?"
Ino this time frowned, "side effects are different person to person. Some get anxiety, others tired, sleep too much, headaches, weight gain, a few have suicidal thoughts with some of them-"
"I'm not suggesting any that are known for that side effect. Since you said she does still have anxiety we'll try a Tricyclic first as that shouldn't risk increasing her anxiety, if that doesn't suit her then we can try a low dose serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor."
Foreign words came out of the medical master's mouth. Gaara made a mental note to seek Doctor Saruwatari later on what the translation was.
"But that's not the good news we have." Ino's finger rose, "first, I think I can get Lord Kakashi to agree to a medical exchange where Suna students come to learn in Konoha and vice-versa. And second," she placed up another finger, "my master, the great Lady Tsunade thinks we can help Yumi get some of her mobility back! And heal some of the deeper muscle and organ damage she has! Isn't that great, Kazekage!?"
"Is this true?" Immediately his teal eyes searched the former Hokage's light brown. It felt too early to trust and hope.
The medical genius nodded, "assuming you let us see her and she's okay with us, it should be possible. We'll also be able to confirm if Salt is truly gone or not."
Mixed feelings floated through Gaara. To hear full confirmation that Salt was gone caused him some hesitation. He had never shied away from the truth and reality before, but this time, with it being about Yumi and something she once cared about, he wanted to keep some hope. Although without having felt the ripples or any sign of Salt for this long, he knew. Salt no longer existed within her, or at least not once how they had once been.
"Tomorrow," he spoke with a nod. Tomorrow he was going to convince Yumi to meet with them. She had once, already agreed. "Now, shall we?"
"Yes, I have the package here." Ino pulled a box out of her bag.
Lady Tsunade nodded in agreement causing him to nod once back. With a wave of his hand sand flooded about them.
Well balanced, they did not move as it picked them up and flew the three of them over the Suna wall. With the sun leaning to the west, they traveled towards the Nomadic camp.
"Are grow seasons slightly changing for you as well?" Lady Tsunade glanced across the horizon as if trying to tell if it was more barren than usual.
"Yes and many women have miscarried recently. The Nomads believe because of this ominous energy that's occurring but-"
"The priestess believes that as well. Any she sees right now, she's predicting to die in half a year if nothing changes."
Half-a-year, Gaara's mind paused. "She… can predict the death of any she sees?"
"Well, touches." Ino corrected herself.
Immediately her mix-matched eyes and slight smile flashed in his mind. The scarring across her face creased with her cheerful grin. The pattern went from her eyebrows and into her hairline, a different vein of it went to her neck. Sign of her strength and survival. After all she went through, did she too only have six months to live? "Because of that creature?"
"Yeah, working theory is that whatever those men did during the war disrupted nature and it hasn't been set right. We are looking into finding information on what exactly they have done but the Priestess agrees with the Nomad that we must, fight?" Lady Tsunade's voice pitched up in question, "in another plane potentially or phase. Or somehow restore the natural order that's been disrupted. Lord Kakashi has teams trying to look for answers but Naruto says Kurama is convinced the Priestess is correct. What is Suna's thoughts?"
"They don't have any yet," Gaara answered honestly. "However I've been having groups of us assist the Nomads with their spirit walks. It's been good for our relationship although I do not know my own thoughts on the matter."
Lady Tsunade nodded.
His sand touched down and perfectly they all stepped off. Barely dressed Nomadic warriors rose from their posts outside of the tribe. Dark marking covered their sun baked skin while small pieces of animal skin barely covered their nudity. Cacti spine necklaces and arm bands decorated them and waved as they walked forward.
The largest frowned, his bald head shining under the sun. "Suna - what are you doing here?"
Respectfully Gaara slightly lowered his head, "Shion, the priestess of the land of Demons, has asked these two from Konoha to bring a gift for your elder, Nomari."
The large man's bottom lip tipped down. His head cocked to his companion. "Speak these words to the Elder, see if she wishes this gift."
The younger man sped away to the tribal tends.
Setting his stance, the large nomad crossed his arms like a wall before them. "Until he returns, you shall not step forward."
Ino's hand went to her hip immediately, "this is not very hospitable."
The man's gaze narrowed.
Tsunade sighed, "you know it wouldn't be hard for us to bypass you."
A vein popped on the nomad's head and his yellow pointed teeth flashed in annoyance.
"We will wait." Gaara produced a half dome over himself and the two women to provide them with shade.
Lady Tsunade eyed him, but he felt no need to air the difficulties that existed between Suna and the Nomadic tribe.
"She better come out." Ino glanced at the tribe searching for signs of the runner or the elder of which she was supposed to deliver the package to.
Two figures exited a tent. Slowly they walked towards them. The bent slow woman held a long staff and beside her, standing proud, was the runner.
"So," Nomari's voice cracked, "I hear you have something from the priestess."
Ino moved her bag and again pulled out the box. "Yes, she said to give it to the Nomadic elder personally."
"That is me." Her long wrinkled hands reached out. The runner beside her guided her hand to the presented item. Once she felt it, she firmly gripped the box. Drawing it from Ino's hand she held it before herself. Hooking her staff in the elbow of her arm, she loosened the box's ties without seeing. With her back bent, she slowly opened the lid. A cracked bell with symbols all across it presented itself to them. Slowly her fingers ran across it, feeling what it was.
"Will this help?" Gaara found himself asking, unsure how a bell could help restore nature or improve women's health.
The elder frowned as she picked up the bell, "it may." By her fingers, the bell swung down but did not ring. "If we can perform the ritual to fix it and then the sacrifices and ceremony to be able to take it with our spirits."
She placed the bell back in the box and then closed the lid. Her blind gaze looked at him directly, "it will be good if you have a group join us when we meet with the priestess in two weeks."
"We'll be there." Ino spoke, and then turned to him. "Naruto too. Lord Kakashi is going to send a letter to invite you and other nin."
Gaara nodded, "then we will be there too."
Lady Tsunade blinked, "actually it might be good to bring Yumi with you when you come. It will give us a chance to follow up with her. And the Priestess's group may have some insight too."
Six-months. The thought of the priestess telling him that Yumi didn't not have long to live like all the others she touched, plummeted everything with him.
The Nomadic elder frowned, "I would say it is not a time for your useless vacationing, but if we do not succeed, one might as well enjoy what time will be left before it all goes bad." She shrugged to herself before she turned away without a word of goodbye.
"There's time to think about it. But in two weeks, it would be good to get the opportunity to check her twice." Lady Tsunade hinted strongly.
The full moon was in two weeks too. Remembering his promise to her, Gaara nodded his head. She would have to travel with them for him to be there for her. Plus, it wasn't like this was an enemy they would be confronting. It was a simple ritual that he did not quite believe in anyway. And like Tsunade said, it would give them another chance to help her with her recovery.
"Well that's done - dinner?" Ino grinned, but his head gave a no as he pooled sand about them again. Effortlessly he flew them back.
"I think I said I owed you drinks." The former Hokage eyed him, but again he simply moved his head back and forth once.
"I'll let you settle in." He clearly declined their offer as soon as his sand set them down again.
"You having dinner with your sister and Shikamaru?" Ino studied him
No, was what he thought of saying. But then as he swept his hand to feel for Yumi. She was in his home office, under his desk? Feeling for intruders, he felt small hands and feet in his living room, and a second pair of feet at his kitchen table.
Temari
"I'll read your report on our medical later," and with that he fell into sand before them.
Appearing at his own door he did not knock, he just entered. Temari sat at his table with Shikamaru. In front of both of them was a cup of tea and partially tea cookies. The pot of tea was not something Temari would have made and Shikamaru wouldn't have known his kitchen. Plus the cookies were Yumi's so she must have gotten it for them.
Their conversation paused as his sister's eyes met his, "Greetings brother. I came to see if you wished to eat with us."
Glancing to the right, Gaara saw Shikadai playing on the floor with colored pencils and paper. Again the colored fine pencils were Yumi's as was the paper- something she must have given him. So why was she-?
"She's in your office," assuming he was looking for Yumi, Shikamaru spoke up interrupting his thoughts. "She said she had some sheets to do and asked if it was okay."
"Since we are the ones causing bother, I told her it was fine. Usually when I am waiting for you, I don't even get tea." Temari smiled kindly. Neither seemed to realize anything was amiss.
With a silent nod, Gaara went up the stairs two at a time. From what he could feel from his sand on her, Yumi was still under his desk. Concerned, again he did not knock but just entered, closing the door behind him.
Cinnamon, vanilla, and light smoke caught his attention. She had taken and lit both of the candles she had added to their house. The scent, he had always associated with the past her, permeated the room.
"Ah, wait-" Yumi's voice called out at the same time a "thud* occurred. The candle flames vibrated on the desk.
Concerned Gaara stepped further into the dark room.
A hand slipped onto the desk from below and Yumi rose up. "I-I-I dr-dropped a-" Her eyes met his and relief entered her gaze, "oh Sabaku. You are home." Her lips relaxed into a smile.
As she rounded his desk, she rubbed her head and then her skirt. "Um, your sister and, uh, her family, are here. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not being rude. I just-" Nervously she looked back to the desk that had nothing on it she could use as an excuse. "I had-"
"Thank you." He interrupted her, and her nervousness paused. "For getting them tea and letting them wait here."
"Ah. Oh, well they are your family and it is your house."
"Our house. If they make you uncomfortable, you did not need to have them wait here. I should have told them earlier I wasn't planning to have dinner with them."
Her hand went to her bracelets, and her eyes looked to the left of him. Her hand brushed back her bangs, twice. "They don't make me uncomfortable." Her weight shifted between her two feet as her gaze avoided his eyes momentarily. Then her expression changed to concern and she met his gaze amplicaly, "you… aren't going to eat with them? Do you have work?"
"No, I'm done for the day. And no, I do not need to eat with them."
Yumi's head tilted and her eyes went to study the closed office door before they flicked back to him. "Because of me?"
Gaara watched as she straightened up, but that hand of hers went back to her bracelets.
"They came a long way and you don't see them often. You should do dinner with your family," her hand removed its grip to rest naturally beside her while her head tipped the other way, "unless you are tired?"
"Would you come?"
Surprise widened her eyes. She turned back to his desk behind them. Her hand touched the wood while her eyes stared at the surface that still held no excuses for her to give, "um." Her hand flew off it as if it burned her. Naturally her fingers brushed on her skirt before she turned back to him with an unease wavering in her gaze as she just stared at the closed office door. "He's from Konoha."
"I know." With his words, her eyes that had drifted to the closed office door, met his own. Her head bobbed causing her short locks to bounce lightly. Emboldened by her response, he dared to ask, "is that why you were hiding under the desk?"
Embarrassment flushed through her and her head ducked down. Her raised hand did not brush back her bangs but tucked and untucked her hair. "I wasn't-"
"Yumi-"
Aggrievement and self-consciousness wrinkled her face, causing her scars to crease into ugly lines.
"Why didn't you call on me?" Gaara soothed his tone and quieted his voice. He did not want to be causing her such mortification, he just wanted to know why. Why hide in his office, if she wasn't going to signal him to help?
"They're, they're, they're- are your family, I-I-I-I-I was fine."
"Alright." Without thought he stepped forward into her space and his hand went to her cheek. He felt the smoothness of her skin along with the lines of her scars. Her eyes contracted and then dilated as she stared into his gaze and then at his lips.
Just as quickly Gaara withdrew; his hand fell to his side as he took a step back. He was doing it again, crossing the line. She didn't remember them.
Her eyes still stared at him.
Meeting her gaze, he gave an ambiguous downward tilt of his chin, "I'm glad you are okay."
"I am," her head nodded, her smile honeyed. "And, I'll come."
"You don't have to. I can say no to eating with them, I wasn't planning on it."
Her head shook, "we should go. It-it will be good. Your nephew is from Konoha and he's cute. I-I-I know not all of those from Konoha are bad." She smiled with a braver face, her eyes bright.
"He is a smart kid."
Yumi's smile grew the slightest bit mischievous. Her eyes scanned all of him, taking the sight of him in, "like his uncle."
And again Gaara suddenly longed to place his hand on her cheek and press his lips against hers. He knew he shouldn't; she didn't remember him. She thought they were just friends, nothing more. But to him, she was everything more. He loved her. He still loved her. And again he found himself wanting as her eyes danced as they stared at him.
...
Tomohisa: *moves closer to Yumi*
Tomohisa: *moves closer to Yumi*
Tomohisa: *glances over at Yumi* *Moves closer*
Tomohisa: *by Yumi's side* *heart breaks at the sight of the scars* *notices sad pepper* *picks it* *stares*
Yumi: Is something wrong?
Tomohisa: *sorrow filled at the sight of her eyes* *holds up sad pepper*
Yumi: *takes sad little pepper* It seems okay
Tomohisa: Are you oka-
Snake: *pops out of Yumi's collar*
Tomohisa: AYYYYYYYYY!? *Jumps back 20 feet with both hands in the air!*
Yumi: *Blinks* Uh, are you scared of snakes?
Snake: *smiles showing off her extremely venomous fangs*
Tomohisa: HOW DO SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!? *Hands uselessly wave off the heebi-jeebies*
Yumi: *blinks* *looks at snake* *looks at Tomohisa* This is the same?
Tomohisa: *realizes she doesn't remember* Uh, yeah, you used to pick up snakes as a kid. All. The. Time.
Yumi: *eyes brighten* Really?
Yumi:*Looks at snake* *Looks at Tomohisa* *Smiles*
Tomohisa: *sweat drop* Yeah... Does the Kazekage know that- *gestures to all of her*
Yumi: *bobs head* He said I need to return her later though.
Tomohisa: *heh* *That kid is just like Kawa. Never telling anyone that cute little Yumi always has death traps waiting to kill you if you hug her!*
Snake: *Goes back under Yumi's clothing* *Smiles* *Next time*
Yumi: Are you done? *Ignorantly blinks*
Tomohisa: *Heh*, No, Just uh... checking the good old heart. That's all. *Smiles awkwardly* hesitantly reproaches*
Tomohisa: *Sits a little further away this time* Hey after this, how about I help you return that cute little thing to it's home, hm?
Yumi: *Glances at Tomohisa* *Smiles* Okay
Snake: *Pouts*
Poor Snake. Poor Tomohisa!
Awwwww Gaara!
And please review :)