Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, otherwise, there would be more chapters with Gaara in it.
Fascination
Date last revised: February 6, 2019
Special thanks to Saskiel, kazuyaryo, DetyDuns and kayna96 for the support! I appreciate it.
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Gaara knew that divulging his mental state to Tsunade probably wasn't the wisest idea, but he had to know that she would be up to the task. He could feel his control loosening in the past few months, and it was only a matter of time before Shukaku would surface and completely take over. The lack of sleep, the constant mental battles he waged, all of this was taking a toll on his psyche, more than he'd like to admit. It always felt like he's on the edge of a precipice, just one push away from falling into the abyss.
"I didn't say we wouldn't accept the mission," Tsunade said, snapping him from his reverie. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Is it possible, then?" he pressed. "Can a sleeping antidote be possible to sedate Shukaku?" Tsunade looked at the girl next to her expectantly, and Gaara followed suit. Something about her seemed familiar.
"It may be possible," the pink-haired girl said slowly, squirming in her seat. "There are written accounts of sleeping elixirs that can sedate even larger summoned animals, but to find the right dosage without causing harm to the intended user will take a lot of trial and error." Gaara nodded. "There are side-effects, of course, but I'm assuming with the… the bijuu sealed inside you that it wouldn't matter much. The problem is…" Gaara watched as the girl stood up from her seat and approached him, deep in thought. She reached out a hand towards him and his sand shot out in defense.
"Yes, I thought so," she murmured, brows furrowing as she withdrew her hand and sat back down. "It was the same in the Chuunin exams - no one could touch you." It was true. Ever since Yashamaru had died, his sand had been antagonistic, lashing out at everyone who dared to approach him. Aside from getting attacked by Lee and Naruto, Gaara had been bereft of physical touch. Not that he cared, for between his Kazekage training and the constant battle of wills with monster within him, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
"The sand moves independent of my will," he said, frowning. "I can try to exercise control on them, but it would be difficult - they have a life of their own."
"Not a problem," Tsunade said, standing up. "Sakura here will be assigned as a diplomat of Konoha in Suna. She will remain for the duration of your first year as Kazekage, so she'll have plenty of time to figure out a solution." Gaara glanced at the pink-haired girl again. He was surprised that she would be the one assigned for the mission, as he was expecting someone older with more experience. But if Hokage-sama herself had chosen her for the task, then maybe she was more than capable of fulfilling it. Still…
"Will it be alright for you to stay here for a year?" he asked Sakura. She seemed surprised at being addressed and hastily stood up, bowing low.
"It would be an honour, Kazekage-sama," she said slowly, tasting the words on her tongue before trying them again. "It would be an honour."
"Stand," he said, and she righted herself before him. "Suna extends its warmest welcome to you, Sakura-san." Her eyes blazed with determination and with fear, and suddenly, Gaara remembered her, as vividly as if their first encounter had only happened yesterday.
He remembered the kunai she clutched with her shaking hands, her tear-stained cheeks, her body trembling with terror at the sight of him. She was the girl Uzumaki Naruto fought to protect.
However, as he took in her form, he came to a quick conclusion - she was nothing special.
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Sunagakure, unlike Konohagakure, was a hidden village steeped in tradition. It had been his first assignment after passing the Chuunin exams to familiarise himself with them - there were rituals to be observed, festivals to be held and prayers to be uttered for every occasion.
The ascension to Kazekage was no exception. In fact, it observed the most tedious traditions that Sunagakure had decided to keep since its inception. Truly, there was something to be said for the narcissism of his ancestors.
There were five festivals, twelve rituals and prayers scattered throughout the Kazekage's first year in the position. It was ridiculous, but Gaara was in no position (yet) to question them.
After all, he thought grimly, he was a product of tradition as well.
Shukaku was a beast bestowed to Sunagakure, he remembered vividly from one of the texts he had read. To utilise the beast to the fullest potential, a host must be prepared from the offspring of the strongest shinobi.
"Gaara-sama," a housemaid said timidly, pulling Gaara out of his thoughts. "We prepared the white robes for you to change into for the Purification Walk." She bowed deeply before skittering away, feet stumbling in her haste.
The Purification Walk was not part of the twelve rituals. It was a ritual borrowed from the capital of Kaze no Kuni, created by civilians that had never met a shinobi, let alone a jinchuuriki. The Purification Walk meant that he had to travel from the outskirts of Suna all the way to the center of the village, barefoot, while all of its residents throw salt before his path.
He was expected to let the salt dig into the soles of his feet to rid of evil spirits, to let the burning sand remind him of the duties he will undertake as he reached the heart of the village which he will soon claim as his own.
No doubt Shukaku would be cackling at the absurd notion that salt would be his downfall, but Gaara, as Kazekage, must be the first to uphold and observe these traditions. He also knew the reason why the Suna Council had insisted on this thirteenth ritual - the people still feared him. It was an unspoken fact that everyone in Suna knew someone who had died by his hands. They do not trust him, but this ritual would put the entire population of Suna within his range, within his mercy.
Gaara stared at himself in the mirror after he had donned the robes. They were colour of purest white, the sleeves so long that they nearly brushed the ground. His eyes stood out even more with the black kohl contrasting with his pale skin. If not for the kanji on his forehead, he would be the picture of holiness, truly worthy to be the Godaime Kazekage, the closest thing to a Kami in their village.
And wasn't a Kami merciful?
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Author's Notes: And another chapter done! It feels like a long time since I updated, but probably not, haha. In that time, I realised that by comparing myself to other writers, I was losing the motivation to write (since I felt like I couldn't write as well as them), so since then, I've decided to stop comparing myself and to just write the story that I wanted to write. That still doesn't stop me from admiring the prose of other writers. I also think that my prose had slightly changed from the last chapter, I just hope that it's becoming better, not worse!
Gaara in this chapter is growing nicely as a character, but I hope I'm not making him too ooc too quickly, please let me know if he has. It was really fun exploring his thoughts, and seeing how he thinks in general. At the moment, he has no interest in Sakura, aside from the fact that she reminded him of Yashamaru that one time, haha.
We're still in the early stages of the story. I love love love writing exposition, researching about the characters and about the settings. Festivals and such are needed for those GaaSaku moments, so I'mma set them up now, lol.
Thank you for reading, and please leave a review! It really gives me the motivation to write.
Have a great day!