Ladyktbaby - Glad you are still around. Wasn't sure if things got crazy for you or something. And yes, we could all use some hugs I think. :)
All - There was a kiss scene in two different locations originally in this chapter (which actually make up chapters 27, 28, and 29). When I edited it, it seemed too soon so it was removed. Kudos to those who guess where it was! I broke it up for easy reading, one of the scene locations will be really easy to guess, but the other maybe not :) But hey getting closer to Gaara x Yumi again! ^-^
Enjoy!
...
Carefully picking up the noodles with her chopsticks, Yumi ate. Gaara hadn't moved his foot yet, but nor had she moved hers. From that first moment, after being seated, Shikamaru spoke to her. She had half jumped, her leg bumping his, her foot bumping his. It pressed against his as she realized that Temari's husband, his sister's husband, his brother-in-law, had simply asked how she was.
Yumi felt Gaara's leg there as she responded. He hadn't moved it and she hadn't moved hers either. She should apologize to him, after all this, for taking his space and leaning so much on him. She had said she would be fine but overcoming what all she had told herself about those from Konoha was easier said than done.
"Ush-room" Shikadai's eyes caught her bowl again. Immediately Yumi felt her face smile.
Swirling her chopsticks through her bowl, she fished one of the mushrooms out. "You want it?"
"Yes." The little two year old did not say please.
Grinning, she placed it in his bowl beside her, ignorant of Temari's smile and Gaara's gaze.
Immediately his mom poked him, "what do you say?"
"Ore."
Temari's head turned to Shikamaru as if to say their son's poor manners were his fault. The messy haired man raised his hands innocently. Temari turned back to their son as Yumi placed another mushroom into his bowl, "that is not what you say. And you, don't give him more if he's being rude."
Yumi's eyes flashed up to Gaara's sister with an innocent act that made Shikamaru's pathetic. She blinked twice, her mix matched eyes mesmerizing, "he wasn't being rude."
The young mother sighed and raised a hand to the waiter. "Sake, here"
"Sister-"
"He stopped drinking breast milk at seventeen months. And unless you want to hear about lactate bars, pump and dumping, and the nightmares of getting a babe attached-"
"I don't think your brother wants to hear about those things," Shikamaru then leaned back to the waiter, "pour her a double." Leaning back forward he smiled to her, "I'll take care of Shikadai's bedtime routine. You relax, it's been awhile since you've been home."
"It has." Temari sighed and then glanced to Gaara, "sorry. Ino is still breastfeeding. Seems like it was easier for her than me, makes me think I wasn't supposed to be a mother."
"Shikadai seems fine." Gaara frowned at his sister's confession.
Temari smiled, "yes he's a good boy."
"Council still giving you trouble?" Shikamaru's gaze met Gaara's.
Yumi froze. Sabaku was having trouble?
"Ushroom?"
With a tap on his shoulder, Temari scolded her boy. "What do you say?"
"Ez"
Yumi smiled again and fished yet another one out.
"You don't have to accommodate him every time."
"I don't mind it." Yumi smiled to the blonde woman before looking at the young boy, "wh-what do you tell me?"
"Ore?" he blinked up at her expectant.
Laughter vibrated her chest as she grinned at the boy, "no. What are you supposed to say?"
"Tank you."
Yumi smiled kindly back before glancing to Temari, "so you help with the K-konoha ninjas?"
"Did, I help the relationship between our two villages. Though right now it seems like it's more babysitting and mother get togethers than anything. But it's still good." Temari sipped the sake before picking her own chopsticks back up. "You said you help in the square gardens?"
"Yes. It's not much but-"
"No, it's important work. The desert isn't as plentiful as other areas. Food and water are extremely important commodities. So what you are doing there is crucial for supporting the village. It's important and good people do it."
Pride twisted in Yumi's chest. Beside her she could hear Shikamaru and Gaara talking - that the council wasn't bothering him much right now though there was something different with the sewers and a group called kurama clan.
"My brother mentioned you sew?"
Yumi's attention went back to Temari, "yes. Jun taught me when I stayed with her. She still sends me patterns for me to keep practicing embroidery and now easier garments."
"I don't have much patience for sewing so Shikamaru tends to Shikadai's clothing. What things have you made or like to?"
"Uh, I have a fox series at a local store. I-I-I drop off pillow cases, blanket patches, hand warmers, li-li-little things that customers can buy. There's two, there's two foxes: one gold and one red. I have them doing different things now. Um, I have a piece here-" Yumi, with her leg still pressed against Gaara's, reached down and pulled up her purse from the floor. Pulling out the napkin set she was working on, she passed it over to Temari.
The blonde mother flipped through the white cloths. It was clear there were two characters like Yumi had described - one gold fox and one red. In the corner of one napkin, the gold one was presenting a leaf to the red one. On another napkin the red one was wearing the leaf on its head staring cutely. Then a third the wind blew the leaf away with the red and gold foxes watching it intently. On the last the gold fox was chasing the leaf, obviously the stitch work was not quite complete on this one.
"These are very good. You should do a kids set. I'd be happy to arrange them to a few shops in Konoha as well."
Yumi blinked, taken back. Expanding to other shops? Selling in Konoha? The same Konoha that she was certain was a place that wanted to bury a monster like her alive… "I… I don't think I'm ready for something like that. But, uh, thank you."
Temari smiled handing back the napkins, "well think about it. And if you make something that a boy would wear I'd like to get it for Shikadai. It's very cute."
Yumi placed the napkins away before nodding her head as she ate the last couple bites of her noodles. Her eyes watched Shikadai eat with his chubby two year old cheeks. In her mind she had images of helping kids before. Never friends she grew up with, nor family, and certainly no images of siblings like Gaara and Temari were. But she remembered babysitting for strangers, helping with families, staying with families. Tomohisa had accidentally stated that Kawa had adopted her, but she had partially remembered that. Or more so, from her memories of him, sensed that.
Wiping her mouth carefully with the restaurant napkin, Yumi then studied Shikamaru. She could feel Gaara's leg against hers. Her foot against his. As she took in his goatee, pierced ears, messy hair, and laid back posture, her heart pounded in ears.
"Une."
"Done?" His head turned to the boy that was seated beside her.
"Doodoo." Shikadai's hands went up and immediately Shikamaru's eyes fell.
"What a drag."
"You already volunteered sweetie." Temari grinned into her sake.
With a sigh, the tall man rose. He walked around his wife and picked up the little boy. "We'll be right back."
"I have the bill." Gaara leaned back to speak to the retreating father. The man's head nodded while the confused little boy waved them all goodbye.
Temari's head turned to her brother, "he's growing fast."
"He is."
Her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward with her elbow on the table, "but you do know you have been sending him toys for eight year olds."
Gaara stared back at her, "I read it's important for kids to be challenged."
Immediately his sister's smile broke and her head slumped down before lifting back up. "Whatever, it gives him and his dad something to do. You should see Naruto with Boruto."
Yumi jerked, her spine going rigid. Temari's eyes jumped to her.
"You remember Naruto?"
Again her heart pounded, only this time it took her breath too. A hand enclosed over her arm and she felt the ground reappear beneath her.
"No." Gaara answered for her, "there were some stories on Naruto fighting that made him be told as dangerous."
"Compared to you, little brother?" Temari's eyes cocked in surprise.
Gaara shrugged and Temari rolled her eyes at him before her gaze landed on his hand over her arm.
Yumi noticed it and quickly removed her arm from the table, as self-doubt flooded her senses. But Gaara didn't move his hand, instead it went under the table still holding her arm.
The woman frowned, "ya know - I'm glad you and my brother get along. It's good."
His thumb gently rubbed the outside of her arm. Yumi's head bobbed, "thank you. And, no- I don't remember Naruto."
Had she known him? Had he tried to hunt her down and kill her like the others she had remembered attacking her at multiple points in her history? Or- was she wrong about him too. Like she had been wrong about other things?
"That's alright. You've been through a lot. I'm sure we've added to that now too. How about we get out of your two's hair and see you tomorrow at dinner next?" Temari rose as Shikamaru was walking back towards them with a sleeping Shikadai in his arms.
Yumi's head bobbed naturally, and then remembering her manners she suddenly rose. "It- it was nice to meet you Temari."
Her hands went out to the woman and before she knew it, they were embracing. What type of relationship did they have, that they embraced to exchange goodbyes? Gaara stood as well, but he and his sister didn't hug.
"B-bye." Yumi stuttered to Shikamaru.
Shikadai rubbed his green sleepy eye with his fist before he raised the curled paw, "bye-bye."
"Say goodnight, honey." Temari smiled at her drowsy boy.
"Ood night." Shikadai curled his head back down onto his father's shoulder.
These people, with such a little boy, couldn't be villains. Yumi watched as the family of three left the restaurant. She was the villain, like Kawa. According to Tomohisa, Kawa had joined the Jieti to turn a new leaf and go from murdering assassin to a terrifying bodyguard. Maybe this could be her new leaf, from monster to civilian?
"Shall we?" Gaara held her purse and instead offered her his arm.
Immediately her eyes scanned out, to look for people who would be staring at her. But here no one seemed to be paying attention to them. "Okay"
The suna night air was warm. The street was intensely dark but that allowed the stars to shine brightly overhead. Yumi couldn't help but tip her head up. As she did, she felt the ground move. Immediately her knees weakened but Gaara held her up. His sand platform caused the building and houses about them to fall away. The warm air whipped her hair and clothing but his arm held her firm.
"I thought you might want to see them a little closer." His voice broke the silence, finally speaking what his intention was.
Again Yumi's head just nodded. In the dark with no moon, she felt free. Stars in all directions, she wondered how many of them were no longer there but still brightly seen.
"Was tonight, okay?" Something in his tone, turned her head.
"Hn?"
"Was it- too much?"
Yumi's head shook no. "I- I don't remember them. But," her eyes went back to the consolations that she didn't know before her. "I think I met them before too."
He didn't speak beside her. His arm held about her waist. The side of him stayed against her side. Her shoulder was tucked in to him, nested together.
"I- might have remembered Tomohisa. I… don't really know. But it was nice talking with him today. I'm glad, I'm glad you had them come here. And I'm glad I got to talk to your sister and them. Thank you. I'm sorry that I- I hadn't been sure before. I just, don't know."
"That's fine. They know you don't remember. They shouldn't have just shown up like that." Gaara frowned. What if it had been Ino and Lady Tsunade? Or worse, Naruto? While he knew Naruto would not hurt Yumi, he was sure Yumi thought that Naruto would. While she trusted him, he also knew that trust could be broken.
"It's okay. They're family."
His other arm came around the front of her and again she was being embraced. Warmth and security radiated from him into her. The smell of his sand and the candles that she had burned ghosted her senses. The sound of the silent night made everything just feel gentle and real.
Yumi closed her eyes. Her arm that was encased by his bent up so her hand could grip his forearm. With her eyes closed she could smell the sand and desert even more. But now she could also hear her heart.
Could someone that couldn't remember, love? Her eyes popped open as butterflies swarmed up from her chest and into her cheeks. Out of nowhere she felt her ears burn as those butterflies tried to escape.
Sabaku no Gaara.
"Sorry," he spoke breaking the glass within her as he pulled away. His arm about her back moved to intertwined with her own elbow.
"N-no don't be sorry." Yumi felt her heart twist. It was her who didn't remember. What if she had someone, and it wasn't him?
His head moved with the air about them. The stars rose and the buildings and houses returned. Again he held her firm as the ground met them suddenly. He waited until she was stable before he took a step forward.
Glancing to him at her side, she decided. Even if there was someone else that she didn't remember, she liked him. That feeling within her rose again and Yumi couldn't hide it from herself. She had feelings for this one beside her. Not just because he was helping her nor because he was one of the few she remembered and the only one Kuro had mentioned. But because of how he was.
She liked the way his face looked under the glow of the stars. How he noticed things of others. That he bought his nephew gifts too old for him. That he gave her an out for dinner even though he hadn't seen his sister in so long… That he lied about that room. She remembered staying there only briefly for some job she couldn't fully make out. There had been no hammock nor had rocker, no painting. He had done all that for her, just like he helped Tetsuya train that day without the boy ever realizing it. And he made threats against others for her. Just like Kuro, that thought made her smile.
Looking towards their house, sunken eyes caught her vision.
"YU-" His hand immediately moved in front of her vision as her name was shouted from his lips. Her head jerked towards him as his sand exploded up and out. "-MI!"
But it was too late. His sand was gone. The suna village was gone. Somewhere everything went. Confused, Yumi's hand went to Gaara's shirt. Her heart hammered
Gaara navigated Yumi behind him carefully as he stared down the monster before them. They were trapped in his genjutsu. Despite it being an imaginary plane, Gaara didn't let his guard down nor his sand.
The humanoid monster smiled. Long fat horizontal gray horns protruded from his skull. His grotesquely oversized mouth showcased upper and lower four-inch long fangs as his lips curled. His hollow gaze stared them down. His neck bent forward, his back hunched, and a long strand of saliva drooled from his mouth as he grinned.
He lifted his wire-y fingers, pointing all five of his excessively long nails up. "Tick Tock. Looks like your time is up, Kazekage."
The long nails snapped. Gaara couldn't feel it, but he sensed it. A bomb outside of this genjutsu went off. Trusting his sand, his ultimate defense - he stood his ground.
A second explosion, and he was certain that his sand now was taking the fight, including this enemy outside of Suna.
Except, his mind wasn't there consciously in control. So where specifically in the desert he had taken them, he wasn't sure. If Kankuro or the guard had noticed, he wasn't sure. He wanted to believe someone had noticed or that his sand had flagged them, but trapped in this genjutsu, he couldn't know for certain.
"Gaara?" Yumi still gripped the back of his robe with her fist. A creature, she didn't know or didn't remember, smiled cruelly before them.
"Stay behind me."
The monster smiled as his head cocked, "how sweet."
The world about them shifted. In all directions were animal demons and monsters. Some had multiple heads, some blood soaked claws, whip like tails, and then there were those who huffed fire as they growled. The ground and the sky removed itself from the scene and the monster of a man gave them a sickeningly sweet grin, "you seem to think you have a chance at defense here."
Gaara waved out his hand, but nothing in the plane moved. Here, there was no sand to protect them. But without panicking he reached into his robes and pulled out a Kunai.
Not breathing, Yumi's wide eyes glanced in all directions. One of her hands pulled from Gaara's robe and shook. Slowly she touched her waist. The snake she had picked up was gone. Then trembling, she touched her pocket. Hisa and Jinkun- she had let them stay at the house since it was just dinner and Gaara was there. Swallowing hard, she couldn't breathe.
"I'll protect you." His teal eyes met her panicked gaze.
Her head shook. Her body started to tremble. Was this the full moon? Konoha? "They're, they're after me."
Her fault. This, these, had to be because of her. This was all her fault. Her body shook as her breath just couldn't inhale.
"No. Yumi. It's me. Alright? I need you to not panic. Trust me. I'll protect you."
A chuckle vibrated the space, "well maybe die trying- And look, friends are coming to watch. We'll see if you last long enough to even have a goodbye with them."
The first animal-monster attacked. He charged with oversized blood drenched claws. Saliva dripped from his open mouth. Gaara reacted immediately. He rushed forward, to keep the fight away from Yumi. Ducking the beast's attack, he drove his Kunai into the underside of the creature's body. The blade pierced its lungs. The monster howled.
A second and third launched. Along with a fourth, fifth, and sixth.
Yumi turned her head just in time to see a distorted leopard nearly on top of her. Frozen she waited to feel its claws across her face. But instead a hand shoved her safely out of the way.
Gaara's broad back squared towards her as he pivoted to the raging monster. Driving the kunai into its paw, he again dodged the attack before kicking its side to thrust it away.
A three headed boar, four-clawed hawk, and spiked raccoon took the leopard's place attacking him. With ease, Gaara ducked, dodged, hit, kicked, and struck at the beasts. A single claw of a rabid lemur caught his shoulder and arm drawing a thick line of blood.
Yumi's eyes just stared at him as she stood half huddled while Gaara continued to single-handedly protect her. Again and again, he managed to move her out of harm's way and keep the beasts back. But more and more were attacking.
"What happens here, happens to you out there. You die here, you will truly die. What use is your sand now, Kazekage!?" The vicious vibration snapped Yumi from her trance.
Gaara could die!
Her head jerked as she stiffened straight. Faster than she thought a person could move, Gaara dashed to the other side of her. His arm wrapped about her waist, and they just barely got away from a rampaging rhino. Letting go of her in a new place, he spun to meet the armored creature head on. Gracefully he leapt and used its horn to flip him into another. But as before, more creatures charged. There were too many. Barely, he escaped one that bit at his head and another that clawed towards his chest.
Kawa loomed over her. His shadow blocked all from her sight as he towered down. His lip curled, his gaze exactly like Kuro's - cruel and yet she knew he'd never hurt her. "You really want to be a bodyguard?"
His tone was mocking, but she nodded.
"Jieti are just bodies to die in place of others, for others."
"That's okay!" She perked up, standing straighter.
He snorted, dismissing her. But she, maybe 10, kept her back straight, her arms at her side, and her head up.
Yumi blinked as she watched Gaara fight hand to hand with the monsters. Again her mind flashed, but instead of Gaara fighting and defending, it was her. She had once moved like that, done this. Her fingers rubbed against themselves as that strange feeling of unknown familiarity lingered. The self-defense training had felt so foreign and yet she had wanted to do it.
Had she really once, had a fighting, protecting ability?
A beast bit into his arm. She rose uselessly to her feet and watched in horror as blood splattered in all directions. His arm stabbed the Kunai into the monster's skull. Its jaws released his bloody but still attached and functioning limb.
Yumi's heart pounded. He could die!
Still he fought. Protecting her, he kept the monsters away allowing none to get close to her.
Yumi's heart hurt as blood dripped from him. He panted with sweat plastering his red hair, but he didn't stop.
Jieti are just bodies to die in place of others, for others. Except, she couldn't die so had she been perfect for being a jieti?
A beast rushed Gaara's back, a second his side, and the third came at him from the front. Yumi's eyes widened. He was going to die.
Yumi didn't think. He couldn't take three; she knew it. "GAARA!" A voice that sounded strangely like her own sounded.
Slow, she somehow made it. The claws that had been poised to rip through his flesh, ripped through hers. She felt its claws reach her bones, pierce her lungs, hook her heart and intestine. Oddly, it was solace to her that it wasn't as bad as the full moon.
Oddly, she found humor in the fact it was pretty much a scratch in comparison.
"Yumi!" Gaara met her widening blank gaze and he immediately responded.
Throwing the blade, it pierced deep into the yellow eye all the way into the cavity of the brain. Monster screamed and fell. Gaara rapidly removed her from the elongated claws.
"Stay with me. Yumi." Panicked, he carried her trying to escape. Blood poured and then her body vanished, "YUMI!"
The monster's laughter vibrated the entire plane, leaving Gaara vowing for his blood.
For a moment Yumi felt life leave her, then for an instant she felt whole, at peace, and then right as that peace started to turn into painful oblivion, the emptiness that was her returned.
Blinking her eyes adjusted. She was standing. Gaara with blood dripping down his arms stood still beside her. They were in the desert and Gaara's sand was half circled around them moving menacingly. That monster of a man was in front of her with three others. The sand moved and she noticed four more dashing towards them. Under the starlight, one almost looked like Kankuro with how his face was painted.
"What?" One of the men before her spoke. Uncertain, Yumi edged in front of Gaara who strangely wasn't moving. "How? Hey Xin- she's out!"
"Nn" The monster grunted.
The darkness and night vanished. Again she was in a place with no sky and no ground. The beasts with Gaara surrounded appeared before her. Immediately he noticed her, his murderous glare evaporating into relief.
"I-" Confused, Yumi's head swiveled to a charging monster.
Gaara's arm went about her, bolting them away. ""Are you okay!?"
Her head shook up and down rapidly as her mind still tried to piece together how she went from them standing still in the desert to here.
He put her down and suddenly his face was in front of hers. "Do NOT do that again!"
Taken back, Yumi noticed the fear beneath his words. "I-I'm fine."
His head shook, his initial anger reduced, "you don't understand. The Kurama clan can make your mind believe that whatever happens in this genjutsu is happening in real life. If you are killed or injured here, your mind will cause that to happen to your body."
His head turned to the beasts that were still in pursuit of them. Picking her up bridal style, he ran yet again. Most of the creatures could not keep up, but all of them still followed.
Yumi watched the fastest monsters behind them start to close the distance, "so they aren't real?"
"Correct. But like I said, the Karama clan genjutsus can cause you to believe the injuries are and experience similar ones in real life." Gaara placed her down and jumped back towards the charging beasts with another kunai blade. "Stay here. Do not do what you did before! I'll buy us some time. Then I need to find that man, he's somewhere here. When I stop him, we'll wake up."
"I-I woke up. He's in the desert… I… think Kankuro is headed to us." Yumi didn't mention his injuries, nor did she agree to his request. She couldn't die- so between the two of them, wasn't she the better one to get attacked?
"Good-"
Kankuro, a blonde woman with shorter hair and a large chest, and two masked men, appeared in the midst of the animal horde.
"Lord Gaara!" One of the mask men shouted. Immediately the creatures attacked the group of four causing Yumi to inhale sharply.
She couldn't even really help Gaara, what would she be able to do for them?
But Kankuro and the others were strong. Unlike Gaara who just attacked hand-to-hand, two puppets jumped off Kankuro's back as well as the two masked men making it four plus six puppets against the monsters. The woman that Yumi didn't know had a punch that rocketed away anything she hit.
But still, the creatures grew more vicious. For every one taken down by them, two more appeared.
"Shit!" Kankuro jumped and landed next to Gaara, "we were trying not to get caught in the genjutsu. But more should be on their way."
Fire boomed to their right a spiral of wind picked up, funneling the flames into a cyclone.
"We might not have a lot of time to wait for them," the woman eyed the tornado.
"We need to run." Kankuro glanced at his brother. The two mask men fell back while puppets still fought off the creatures behind them.
Suddenly, Gaara landed beside her. "You need to get on my back."
He grabbed her arm and spun so she faced his back. Mostly from his haul on her hand, Yumi was plastered to him. With a jerk, he jolted her up a higher on his waist. His hand positioned both of her arms about his shoulders, "do not let go." He informed her strictly.
Then he made eye contact with the others, "we need to make sure she's not attacked."
"Of course," Kankuro answered him, before giving her a nod, "Nothing will happen to you Yumi. You have my word. No matter how scary this seems, just remember that you are safe with us, got it?"
"Yes."
"Yes, sir." The two mask men also nodded and confirmed.
Yumi's heart beat heavily against Sabaku's back. She hugged him wanting everyone to be safe. For unlike her, they could die...
...
Hisa: *Narrows eyes*
Jinkun: *Narrows eyes*
Hisa: *Looks the direction Yumi went*
Jinkun: *Looks the direction Yumi went*
Hisa: *Attack?*
Jinkun: *... follow*
Hisa: *Then attack?*
Jinkun: *... find*
Hisa: *Thhhheeeeeennnnnn attack?*
Jinkun: *... get there first*
Hisa: *CHAARRRRGGGGGEEEEEE!*
Jinkun: *charges*
Jinkun: *still charging*
Hisa: *Still charging*
Jinkun: *Still charging*
Hisa: *still charging*
Jinkun: *We gunna need to get faster*
Hisa: *Still charging* *not even two houses down yet*
Jinkun: *Where's that snake?*
Hisa: *Find the snake*
Jinkun: *Then find Yumi!*
Hisa: *Find the snake, find Yumi, ATTTAAACCCCKKKKKKK!*
Jinkun:... *find snake, find Yumi*
Hisa: *AAATTTTTAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!*
Jinkun: ...
As normal - please, please review! :)
Also who saw Yumi and Temari getting along so well? warms my heart.
And Yumi trying to save Gaara! 3 Oh man, poor Gaara. I'm sure that was a heart attack, but Go Yumi!
Wonder what happens next ^-^ Any ideas how they survive this Genjutsu or better yet get out of it!?