The Legendaries (Revisited): A Naruto Isekai (PART I)

by Rose1991

"Fred? Fred!" someone hissed in Winnifred's ear, poking her harshly in the shoulder. "What?" she grumbled, trying to go back to sleep. "The sun's up. And I don't think we're in Pennsylvania." Five girls from our world arrive on Konoha's doorstep with no clue how to return home. And when five dragons choose them as their masters, they begin to realize something bigger is at play.

21. Chapter 20

AN: Hello readers! Thank God it's April! The busiest busy season of my career, along with Covid, Long Covid, and record setting allergies really tried to do me in these past few months. Long Covid gave me bronchitis, and then I had 3 weeks of doctor visits, blood tests, and a hospital visit. FUN!

You might have seen me posting another story the last few weeks, which I'd originally started and plotted years ago off a stupid thought experiment, and as I developed the land of Wind, doing the worldbuilding for it in that story really helped me set up the Land of Wind for this story. For example, Ao Nami which was blasted by a hurricane in this story was originally created by that story as the target destination, because of a fun beach town festival. Tsumi Shi I mentioned in passing in that story, but last chapter I had a rando come from there with the moniker "The Ghost of Tsumi Shi." I got most of that story written because I got so frequently blocked on this chapter, because this chapter is a lot of hinting and rising action with bits of fluff. And after the last 4 chapters, kinda' difficult to shift gears back to rising action. And writing a story much smaller in scope was surprisingly relaxing once I got to a certain point. It's called Chasing the Wind. If you're a Gaara/OC fan, go read it. You'll enjoy it. If you just enjoy Gaara being uncomfortable or in uncomfortable situations, go check it out. If you like stories where the shit just hits the fan, and the dramatic irony of everything is nicely aligned, you'll love it.

This Part of Legendaries (Part 1, which I think I'm going to break or section them off like that), only has about 11 chapters left after this. And there is a lot of drama in each chapter, which this one is somewhat lacking in. Again sorry, but set-up is important to start all that wonderful drama rolling. So, in short, we're 2/3rds through, and that really excites me.

---

Chapter Twenty: Jet Lag

Tuesday morning, August 12th, at 9:00 am, Cordi's and Gaara's bags were packed and sealed in a scroll for traveling purposes. Gaara explained that's how traveling worked with ninja, generally, which had been rather surprising for Cordi. When they'd come to Konoha, Gaara had to handle the bags a little more flexibly, by attaching summoning seals on them, to summon them on arrival. But now that they were heading back, he could handle it properly, by putting them in a pocket dimension scroll.

Cordi had said her goodbyes last night, inviting her friends out to dinner one last time. She hugged her sister one last time before leaving the hospital Monday evening, since visitation wouldn't be open until it was time for them to leave.

Gaara was adamant they had to be more careful leaving, so Aleera wouldn't be seen by anyone who would get word to the other Kage. Aleera was to fly a mile or so west of Konoha, and meet with them just off the road. They checked out of the hotel and quietly made they're way towards the western gate. They stopped for tea and discussed if any stops should be made. Unlike Friday, they were flying in the midday, and Cordi reasoned that they were likely going to be flying for six hours, rather than the five and a half it originally took them. She explained it was because of the high-altitude winds produced by the spin of the world. Flying east like they had goes with the wind stream, while flying west goes against it. Gaara agreed they should probably stop for lunch in two or three hours, citing there were a few villages they could stop in along the way, but they would have to land a distance away to prevent Aleera from being seen. Cordi passed this information onto Aleera, and they set up a plan return trip.

Now, they stood at the gate, Cordelia eyeing the stark blue sky above them. Only a few puffs of clouds. It would be an excellent day for flying. She was thankful Gaara had the forethought to pack them both ponchos for their flight. This way they'd be warm against the high-altitude winds. She was wearing the beige poncho he'd packed for her over a pink t-shirt, bootcut jeans, and her favorite boots. Gaara wore his usual outfit, but his white Kazekage robe over it. Gaara situated paperwork with the guards, clearing their exit of Konoha and return to Suna. Next to the guard booth, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke. He waved off the guards paperwork, saying, "We'll handle it."

Gaara nodded relieved before Kakashi beckoned him to step away. They discussed something in hushed voices, which Cordi tried to make out, but she was never that good at lip reading. Gaara nodded, then stepped away.

Kakashi waved, saying, "Always a pleasure, Lord Kazekage. Cordelia." She nodded back, a little awkwardly. "Safe travels."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Sixth," Gaara said stiffly, bowing slightly at his waist. Cordelia looked at them confused as Gaara righted himself and rasped to her, "Time to go," walking through the gate.

She started, waving awkwardly to Kakashi before trying to catch up with Gaara. She fell into easy step with him, and they peacefully listened to the birds singing as they walked. Their hands brushed once, and Cordi jumped an inch away with a blush. She could feel his eyes on her, as if trying to understand her sudden shyness. She cleared her throat, looking up at the sky. "It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day," Cordi offered.

Gaara looked up, then nodded. "It does." He looked down at her, then asked, "How are you feeling?"

She looked at him curiously. "Fine," she answered, then blushed as she added with a chuckle, "I mean kinda sore after last night, but I was expecting I would be."

Gaara blushed, thinking about their extensive activities last night. "That wasn't what I was referring to," he stated.

"No?"

"No," he chuckled. His hand brushed hers again, and she jumped. He frowned, again clearly confused. He cleared his throat, looking ahead as he clarified, "I meant if you were comfortable with your goodbyes this time. If you were ready to go back."

"Oh," Cordi blushed harder. "Geez, Cordi. Get your mind out of the gutter," she grumbled to herself. She pressed her lips into a tight line, then gave a nod. "Yes. I actually got to say goodbye this time."

He blushed, grumbling, "I did say I was sorry about that."

Cordi laughed. "I know," she said. "It's just fun to poke at you sometimes."

"Hmm," he grunted, nodding a little. He was starting to understand some of that part of their relationship. He poked at her quite a bit the past couple days, and had started to get a lot of enjoyment from seeing her expression change from his little quips. They were silent for a little while again until their hands brushed, and she jumped again. "Cordi?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"Why do you keep jumping every time I touch your hand?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide at his question.

"Our hands have brushed a few times, and you jump every time they do," he noted curiously. He wasn't accusing her of anything, just curious what caused such a reaction.

She blushed as she said, "Because last night you said you were going to have difficulty controlling yourself, so I don't want to encroach on your space. I don't want to make this part difficult for you."

"It's just holding hands," he said. He scoffed as he added, "It's hardly indecent."

She sighed. "No. But …" she let out another exasperated sigh, then said, "It's probably just nerves."

"Nerves."

"This is going to sound stupid," she said, rubbing her eyebrow. "I don't hold hands well."

He blinked at her. "What?"

"So stupid," she grumbled to herself again. "My ex always said he hated holding my hand, because I'd fidget, because I have ADD and could never get comfortable. He always complained it was like trying to hold a bass."

He tilted his head, then chuckled, "You've held my hands several times the past couple days."

She blushed as she said, "Yeah, but we were in the middle of – you know."

He looked at her a little oddly as if he didn't see a difference. Then he looked forward before reaching out, grabbing her hand with his, interlacing their fingers. Her breath hitched as his fingers curled around her knuckles, his thumb stroking her skin a little, before resting against her index knuckle. He didn't know why holding her hands like that was comfortable for him. When he held Matsuri's hand, it was a simple clasp. But with Cordi, feeling her fingers woven between his felt right. Maybe it was because when she was on top while they made love, she'd hold his hands like that, pressing them into the mattress or pillows for leverage. He blushed at the memory as it vividly replayed in his head. He squeezed her hand as her fingers curled around his. Their hands were warm, and where their skin touched, lively tingles formed.

He cleared his throat, grumbling, "Doesn't feel like a bass to me." She chewed her lip nervously as Gaara added, "Maybe your ex was just an idiot."

"Maybe," she amended. She pursed her lips, then added, "To be fair, your hand feels a lot more comfortable than his did." A little too comfortable, she noted with a blush, unable to ignore the tingling feelings where their skin met, and the warmth of his hand. After a while of them walking hand in hand, Cordi cleared her throat again, and asked, "So, um, how are we going to explain this to Kankuro and Temari?" When he stayed silent, she reasoned, "I mean, all my friends know what happened between us. And I mentioned to Rox there was something going on between us without going into specifics because …" she trailed off, not wanting to get into her sister's prudish sensibilities.

"I was thinking we wait a week," Gaara offered. He cleared his throat with a nod as he added, "Or at least a few days."

She pressed her lips together, then asked, "You don't think they'll approve?"

Gaara made a face, then said, "It's more the timing than if they'll approve or not."

"Timing?"

He grimaced, then said, "I didn't want to say anything before, since it's not really my business."

"Then don't tell me," she said.

"Well, you should know," he reasoned. "You're living with all three of us."

"Yes, but it's not really because they want me there," she argued. He opened his mouth to say something, and she said, "Look if it's not your business, don't tell me. I can't act surprised, so they'll know you blabbed."

His expression shifted to worried as he said, "Even if it's something big?"

Cordi blinked at him, and asked, "Big like what?" He made a face as if he need to find the words to answer her, and she quickly shook her head and waved her free hand. "No, don't tell me. If it's big and not your business, you definitely shouldn't tell me." She let out a nervous laugh as she added, "Don't get me wrong, the suspense is killing me now, and I hate being out of the loop. But if it's their deal, they should tell me."

He nodded, squeezing her hand. "Alright then. We'll wait a bit. Tell them in a week or so."

"Ok," she breathed nervously.

Just above them, the trees rustled with a strong wind that whipped their hair. Cordi was glad she had the forethought to tie her hair up in braided pigtails. It would prevent her hair from turning into the bird's nest it did on Friday. She looked up, sensing Aleera's closeness. She pulled Gaara off the main road to a clearing about a hundred yards off the path. Aleera fluffed her wings there, turning to see them, showing off a new contraption on her shoulders and Tsume Inuzuka on her back.

Cordi snatched her hand away from Gaara's when she saw the clan leader on her dragon. "Tsume," she chirped.

"Sorry to bust in," Tsume stated, reaching down to unstrap herself, "Kakashi suggested we attach the first saddle, since you were flying back today."

"Saddle?" Cordi asked.

Tsume nodded as Aleera helped her down with a paw. "Yes. We were making some for the other dragons. Cherokee's was done first, and since she and Aleera are the same size, we figured we'd just make her another one. Your friends don't know about this project yet, so Lord Kakashi would appreciate you not telling them."

"Why not?"

Tsume looked at Gaara as if the answer was obvious. "Well, they're not ninja yet. And he doesn't want them flying off before they are." Gaara nodded his understanding of the statement. Cordi's situation was different now that she'd be a ninja when she returned to Suna. So, she could fly on Aleera for missions. Tsume shrugged, looking back at the saddle worriedly, stating, "Honestly, it was risky for ya'll to fly here in the first place without one."

"We used my sand," Gaara answered.

Tsume nodded. "Now you don't need to waste chakra."

Cordi stepped up to the saddle, looking at the brown leather harness. It was adjustable for Aleera's growth, and big enough for two people if necessary. Although, there was only one pair of leg straps. "We might still need your sand," Cordi noted.

Tsume frowned, then scoffed as if she'd forgotten something. She reached in the saddle bag on the side, handing the leather strips to Cordi. As Cordi looked at it, she could see it was an odd sort of leather harness. "You strap in, then a guest can attach themselves to your strap with this harness." Tsume gestured for Cordi to hop in the saddle, then showed her how to harness herself into the saddle safely. The straps were easy snaps that she could unlock with a flick. Tsume then assisted Gaara into the belted harness. His harness hooked into hers in the middle of her waist, and on each side of her hip, so he was flush against her back. Tsume nodded her approval. "Have a safe flight," she stated before shunshining back to the village.

They adjusted a little uncomfortably against each other. Aleera scoffed as she spread her wings. "I see you two have mated," she noted knowingly.

They both blushed under the dragon's tone. Cordi grumbled, "Good to see you too, Aleera."

"Hold on," Aleera instructed. Cordi grasped the bar of the saddle in front of her, and Gaara wrapped his arms around Cordi's waist. He gathered chakra in his navel to ground him, knowing he wasn't ready for the sensation of take-off.

Cordi on the other hand let out a calming exhale, then said, "Let's fly."

And with that, Aleera jumped into the sky, her powerful wings pumping them up into the clouds westward to the desert.

---

The nurse bustled out of Rox's hospital room, the breakfast tray in her hand still half full of food. Shikamaru eyed it as she passed him before he stepped in, holding a basket of fruit and cookies and other pastries, as well as a small bouquet of pinkish purple lupin and vibrant irises of a similar color. Ino had put the bouquet together especially for him this morning when she'd run into him coming to the hospital. The room was brightly lit by the open window, with its peaceful demeanor only broken by the occasional beating of her heart monitor, which wasn't constantly on, but would alert the nurse's station if something happened.

"Is there a reason half that food was uneaten?" he asked, as he placed the fruit basket on her nightstand.

Rox grimaced at the basket and groaned, "Not more food."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her, then said, "Rox, you need to eat if you're going to regain your strength."

"I know," she huffed, flopping back on her pillows. "But I don't usually eat all that much in one sitting. You know? I'm much more of a snacker."

He looked her over carefully as he placed her flowers on the tray, which she pulled to her and smelled deeply as he reached in the basket and pulled out a wonderfully baked muffin. Strawberry by the looks of it. She could smell its fruity aroma wafting off of it. It was freshly baked. "So, I'm guessing you're too full for a strawberry muffin," he stated slyly.

She licked her lips nervously. As much as her stomach protested the idea of food, she could hardly say no to anything strawberry. "Half it with me?" she offered.

He shrugged affably, pulling off the wrapper then splitting the confection with his fingers. He then held out her half to her, refusing to put it back on her wrapper. She took it gingerly, looking at it carefully. He nudged his chin at her, watching her carefully to make sure she'd eat it. She took a bite, and the taste was heavenly. She let out an audible groan, earning a grin from Shikamaru as she began to scarf it down.

"Not hungry, huh?" he said with a little chuckle.

She looked at him a little annoyed, but not angry as she said, "I can't say no to strawberries. I don't know how you knew that."

"You told me," he stated. "Our second date."

She smiled and wrinkled her nose with mild disgust at the memory. "Right. You said you like mackerel."

He nodded, smiling. "Which you said you hated. But that you absolutely love strawberries."

"I do love strawberries," she murmured, fingering her flowers. She could feel his smile on her, not uncomfortable or expectant of anything. Just a peaceful smile. She smiled back at him similarly, then asked, "But how did you know my two favorite flowers?"

He frowned, then said, "I didn't know they were your favorites. You mentioned irises were somewhat symbolic in your family. And the lupin, well it's my mother's favorite."

Rox pursed her lips, then said softly, "I guess we have that in common." She looked out the window, then said, "My dad's mom planted a whole field of lupin behind our vacation house when my dad was young. Kept it up until she died four years ago." She tilted her head, her brow pulling into a small frown as she said bittersweetly, "That was the house we were going to when …" she took a sharp shuddering breath, "when we ended up here." She turned back to Shikamaru as she smiled at him, "My mom's mom was more of a gardener though. She'd have irises, forget-me-nots, lavender, lilies, magnolias, gardenias, and orchids in her garden. But her pride and joy in the garden was her massive bush of hydrangeas. It was huge, almost as tall as their house." She let out a long sigh, then said, "I miss them."

Shikamaru nodded. "I can't imagine being so far from my family." He reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as he added, "Even with Dad dead, I still visit his grave regularly."

She squeezed it back tearily, and said, "Shikaku died?"

Shikamaru frowned. "Was he in the show, too?"

Rox nodded solemnly. "He was one of the reasons I liked you. He seemed like such a cool dad."

Shikamaru stared at her for a moment, holding back a sad smile. Gently, he pushed the tray aside and leaned towards her, his lips brushing gently against hers. She opened her mouth welcomingly. His tongue played softly with hers, and hers played with his back. They were interrupted with an alarmed beating, and they pulled away. Shikamaru watched the heart monitor carefully, seeing her heartrate had spiked, but was falling again. She blushed as he smiled. A nurse came running to the door, and he waved her off, saying it was nothing. He turned back to Rox, and smiled broadly seeing her whole face turned red.

"We need to get you out of here," he chuckled.

"You're just saying that because you want to make-out without interruption," she accused.

"Yeah," he said with a shrug as if the statement were obvious. They chuckled together at his affable statement.

She bit her lip, then said, "You're still smoking." It was more of a statement than a question. She could taste it on his lips.

He looked at her carefully, his smile faltering a little as he said, "I had a cigarette or two waiting on Ino to finish the bouquet." Rox pursed her lips and nodded, and he furrowed his brow, pressing his lips into a thin line. "You want me to quit too."

"I wouldn't push it if it wasn't for the fact I have asthma," she stated, wincing. She hated imposing restrictions on others. Usually, she'd just walk away. But she couldn't walk away from loving him. "Smoke is often a trigger, other than regular allergies and pollen."

He nodded with resigned sigh. "Alright," he murmured. "I guess the least I can do is let you breathe." She rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comment as he chuckled, "Seriously, how is it you can control gales and tornados, and even siphon the air from someone else, but you can't control your own airflow?"

"Maybe my power's my kryptonite," she murmured. "I don't think I'm the only one either." He looked at her quizzically as she said, "Cordi used to be super sensitive to heat, and would sunburn if she sat in a window too long. Not to mention always get shocked with the slightest bit of static. Fred is deathly allergic to poison ivy and poison oak, not to mention would get terrible hay fever and allergies. Ronnie is terrified of the open sea or bodies of water at nighttime. Mostly because she almost drowned one time as a kid. And Lynne –" she pursed her lips. "Well, Lynne has her issues."

Shikamaru's brow furrowed. "What kind of issues?"

"Not physical issues like me," Rox answered, pressing her lips together. He looked at her more carefully, his gaze more piercing. She sighed, "There's a saying in my world, 'Madness and Genius are two sides of the same coin.'" She looked at him carefully to see if he was picking up her insinuation. "Lynne was a prodigy and a genius back home. Could probably rival you in an IQ test."

"Are you saying she's insane?"

"No!" Rox cut him off quickly. "More like eccentric – sometimes." She sighed, rubbing her head. "I shouldn't have said anything, because now you're going to judge her. She's understandably sensitive about it. We haven't seen any of her old problematic symptoms since we got here, so we didn't want to say anything. But we've all discussed the parallels between the issues we had, the weaknesses we had, and how they were direct contradictions of our powers."

"Maybe that could explain how your powers work," Shikamaru stated.

Rox scoffed. "How? Our weaknesses are our power?"

"It's a good place to start," a voice sounded from the hallway. Shikamaru and Rox startled, looking to the door to see Kakashi looking at them curiously. He held up a hand and smiled with his eyes. "Sorry for the intrusion." Shikamaru stood and bowed. "Oh, that's not necessary," Kakashi laughed as he walked in. "I came to see how Roxanne was doing and get her perspective on what happened."

"I'm fine," she laughed. She shrugged as she added, "And it was an asthma attack. Pretty plainly. When I run a lot, it happens. Especially in the Spring and Fall. My inhaler had run out a week and a half before due to the training."

Kakashi nodded, then said, "And you're sure it was an asthma attack rather than a panic attack?"

Her brow furrowed. "I've had asthma for about four years. I think I know what it feels like when I can't breathe."

"I didn't mean to offend. I know they can sometimes present similarly," Kakashi stated. "And you said your friends had weaknesses before that don't seem to be an issue since you got here."

Rox frowned. "You think I faked an asthma attack?" she finally scoffed. "I was in a fricken' coma."

"I don't think you faked anything," Kakashi stated pointedly. "I'm merely stating it's an interesting theory that old weaknesses you had in your world are connected to your powers in some way, since some of them are no longer presenting. And if that's true, then you might have mistaken a panic attack for an asthma attack."

She frowned, looking to Shikamaru who only shrugged. "I couldn't breathe because I was running."

"It's possible your normal shortness of breath, the belief you have asthma, and knowledge you don't have medicine for it could cause you to have a panic attack," Kakashi stated. When she looked at him confused and clearly a bit offended, he waved it off, saying, "Just a theory. But it does make me think we need to look more into the differences between our world and yours."

Rox rolled her eyes. "Well, that list is infinite."

"I worried as much," Kakashi sighed. He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking between Shikamaru and Rox, then said, "Regardless, I talked to Sakura. She is currently reverse engineering your inhaler with Shizune and a few of their apprentices. You should have a new one in a week, with the added benefit of giving many people of this world who also suffer from asthma medicine to help them. While your accident was a near tragedy, it has provided a medical breakthrough for us, and we thank you." Kakashi finished with a bow.

Rox blinked a few times, then murmured, "Happy to help."

Kakashi nodded, and turned to leave, then stopped. "It might help prevent this from happening again if you knew your sister Cordelia learned how to use her powers to assist her movement. Maybe if you use your wind powers when your running, you might not run out of breath by moving less." Rox frowned as Kakashi waved to them saying, "Food for thought."

Shikamaru saw Kakashi walk out, then followed him out to the hallway, stopping him as he called out, "Lord Sixth!"

Kakashi stopped, turning to look at him curiously.

Shikamaru gulped back his confession, but knew Kakashi needed to know. Shikamaru could not be a biased team leader for them. "Kakashi, I need to tell you that Rox and I have an entanglement, that possibly contributed to her accident."

Kakashi turned to face him, his eyes shining with curiosity. "An entanglement?"

Shikamaru bit his cheek, then said, "We're in love, and we've realized we want to be together." He bowed as he added, "For this reason, I ask that you reassign their training to another jonin whose biases and emotions won't cause further problems."

Kakashi stared at him with wide eyes, then scoffed under his breath, "Wind must intrigue Shadow."

"Sir?" Shikamaru asked, lifting his head up to look at the Hokage, confused.

"Your request for resignation is denied," Kakashi stated. "However, I will have Hinata perform their Physical Final at the end of term, so your biases will not factor into their passing or failing."

Shikamaru bit his lip in frustration and huffed, "My lord, a big part of the reason this accident happened was that I acted jealously. We had started dating before their powers were revealed. When you assigned me as their teacher, out of respect I broke things off, even though we'd already made that connection. She tried to move on, and I took out my jealous frustrations on the girls as a team. That was wrong of me, and I should be removed from this duty on those grounds."

"Shikamaru," Kakashi sighed, placing an understanding hand on his shoulder. "These are extenuating circumstances. The girls and their powers are top secret. In the entire village, only my office, which is me, Shizune, and you, plus Sakura, Hinata, and the Inuzuka clan know about them. The Inuzukas are handling the dragons. Sakura runs the entire hospital. And Hinata can't train the girls on her own. You are the only one who can fill that role."

Shikamaru's jaw tensed, then he said, "My lord, after all that's happened, I can't stay parted from her anymore."

"Then don't," Kakashi stated.

"But I'm her teacher," Shikamaru argued. "It's wrong. And people will hate us for it."

Kakashi tilted his head at him, looking at him knowingly. "Shikamaru, she is not a normal genin. She's eighteen. According to the information they provided, she'll be nineteen before you turn twenty, so essentially, you're the same age. And both of you are adults."

"But," Shikamaru started, clearly a little lost, "What about our reputations? She'll be regarded as a ninja who only passed because she was dating her teacher."

"That's why Hinata will be handling their grades on the physical assessments from now on," Kakashi stated plainly. He patted his shoulder and said, "Be happy Shikamaru. So few of us get to be happy." Then he turned and left.

---

Tuesday morning, Baki sat at his desk, filling out more forms and signing off on mission reports ready for assignment when he heard a knock on his door. He sighed tiredly, already feeling stiff from all the writing. He was only thirty-seven, thirty-eight in three months, and yet the years hadn't been kind. He pushed aside his work, then called out in a clear voice, "Come in."

The door swung open, and in walked the youngest Council member, other than Gaara himself. Keiko, the young medical ninja heading Suna's hospital after studying for a year and a half under Tsunade and Sakura of the Leaf Village, stepped in holding a folder tightly against her chest and between her fingers. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, meaning she'd been working in the hospital and was here on break. As soon as she shut the door quietly behind her, she held the folder up and asked, "Have you seen this?"

Baki held out his hand, and she handed him the folder before sitting across from him, watching him read the paperwork expectantly. He opened the folder, reading the title, and then skimming the form. It was the redacted version, taking out some medical details like symptoms, but not identifying information. He pursed his lips as he read on, realizing exactly how much information the form gave. Entirely too much. "I know something about this," he stated blandly.

She looked at him, clearly a little shocked about his nonplussed attitude. "This is a big deal."

"Yes, we know," he replied.

"We know?" she repeated annoyedly. "So, clearly the siblings know."

He nodded. "They were informed last week."

"Is that why Lord Gaara was so blasé in the meeting on Friday?" she snipped.

"Possibly, yes."

She scowled. It explained a lot. She bared her teeth, then hissed, "You know if I'm seeing this paperwork now, guarantee Council-woman Haruko knows. She seems to know everything whispered or even written down in town. And who knows whom she's told."

He licked his lips, tapping his finger on the folder grumbling, "Yes, Matsuri was rather loose-lipped about the details of her pregnancy."

"Loose-lipped?" Keiko scoffed. "She lists his name, birthdate, and clan. Any idiot could figure it out," Keiko hissed. She rubbed her eyebrow with her middle finger with a huff. "Does she not know the release protocols on her own pregnancy. The Kazekage clan is a high-profile clan. Surely someone has informed her of the target she might have just painted on her back by doing this!"

"Well, she is from the Land of Birds. A refugee turned Suna ninja. So it's likely she does not know the Kazekage Clan security protocols," he explained with a sigh. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, then held up the folder, and said, "This is the only public record of it, correct?"

"It's the Kazekage Office Form, yes," Keiko answered. "The one that marks her off of active duty."

"This is the only copy?"

"Not including the Hospital record, which isn't public. So, as far as we know."

"Good," Baki grumbled, dropping the folder on his desk and opening the drawer for a black marker. "Simple redaction will correct her mistake for now. And I'll have Temari inform her of the security protocols." He uncapped his marker and swiftly struck out any mention of Kankuro's information except his name. He was hardly the only Kankuro in the Land of Wind, so identification was more difficult for anyone with nefarious plans, and protecting his baby's mother from people who would target her for leverage, power, or whatever.

Keiko clearly thought that was odd. "Why isn't Kankuro telling her? It's his baby."

"Kankuro is out on mission at the moment," Baki answered blandly.

"Who the hell cleared that!?"

"I did," Baki stated. He rolled his eyes remembering a time when Kankuro's rebellious nature wasn't his biggest issue as their teacher. "The news … rattled him," he explained. "So, I offered him a mission to clear his head."

"He's terrified of commitment, staring down the prospects of fatherhood and marriage, and you just let him go." Keiko scoffed.

"He'll be back," Baki bristled.

"Boy's a flight risk if I've ever seen one."

"He knows the weight of the situation," Baki countered. "He just needed a moment away to figure out how to approach it."

Keiko pursed her lips, then pointed out, "If Haruko knows, then most of the Council knows. They're going to push for him to claim the baby regardless of his 'plan to approach it.' As far as they'll see it, the deed is done."

"Look, Kankuro and his siblings are handling things as they see fit. Now if the Council wants to press the matter, they can put it to vote. But until then, it is his, and only his decision, on how to handling things from here," Baki said, standing up. Clearly, he had grown bored of the conversation.

Keiko's coal gray eyes looked him over, then shook her head as she stood. "I'm just saying, mark my words, it will be on the next Council Meeting's minutes. And who knows what they'll decide on if he says he won't claim it, or worse doesn't return at all."

"Noted. Now, if you please, I have a lot of paperwork to get back to," Baki stated, pointing for the door.

Keiko nodded, turning on her heel and leaving. Baki rubbed his eyes tiredly. Not four days since the news dropped, and already the Council was making moves. A part of him was not surprised by their swiftness, but at the same time had thought the siblings would have more time to prepare and come up with a viable solution. As it stands, they hadn't even been in the same room as one another since Kankuro received the news. In short, they were fucked, because the next meeting would be held when Gaara returned, and that could be any day now.

---

Cordelia couldn't explain the sensations going through her as they got further into their third hour of flight. They were just holding hands. Most people would say that was innocent enough. But why did Cordi's body feel as if it was on fire with the intense passion that came from having sex? They weren't. They were strapped into the saddle, but she felt as if she were being fucked, even though he only held her hand.

It started when Gaara shifted his right hand from around her waist to interlock his fingers with hers again, this time with his palm over the back of her hand, so his middle finger had access to her palm. She held the saddle bar tightly as they glided along. It was innocent enough. She felt the pad of his thumb brushing her wrist, which was nice enough. Then after a while, she shifted her hand, so he began to brush his middle finger along her palm in an oddly comforting stroking motion. At first it was just soothing. For both of them.

She felt him relax against her back, and she turned and asked over the wind, "Are you ok?"

He nodded, still stroking her hand. "It just feels nice."

"Yeah," she sighed.

It was difficult to hear each other over the rushing wind, so they didn't say much else. Just remain acutely aware of each other's presence through the flight. On the way to Konoha had been the same, but Cordi had been distracted by the fate of her sister, she hadn't let herself be carried too much by the thought of Gaara's and her bodies perfectly aligned. But now, after a weekend of passion where they'd gotten to know each other's bodies more intimately than they knew their own, it was impossible not to think about it. So much so, she could feel his member stiffening against her ass. And as his middle finger kept stroking her palm, the sensations were oddly intimate, causing her breaths to become shallow. She twisted her hand in his, curling it towards her abdomen as she began rubbing her thumb against the hollow of his palm in a similar manner that he was. His ring finger took up his rhythm against her palm. She could feel his breath puffing on her shoulder. Why did all of this make her womb ache for him.

She tilted her head back and let out a sigh. "What are you doing?" she whispered into the wind, leaving off the "to me" part of the question.

It was torture. Beautiful, wonderful torture.

He never relented his hand's sensations while his other hand kneaded her love-handles. He had to know what he was doing to her. She bit her lip as she became more aware of her chest heaving with lustful anticipation, her hand grinding now against his own. She didn't even think it was something that could happen, but she realized in that moment if it was possible for people to make love only through their hands, that's what they were doing. She felt her body clenching with need, even though she didn't understand any of what was happening.

She gasped as she felt a small snap of release in her abdomen, not overwhelming and mind-numbing like an orgasm, but still an odd wave of pleasure no stronger than the surf rolling over her toes. She panted as she turned to look him in the eyes, seeing his hooded gaze on hers. His middle finger pressed more desperately in her palm as he leaned down as if to kiss her.

Aleera let out a growl, then lurched downward, before spiraling down. Cordi let out an involuntary yelp, grabbing onto the saddle bar as the dragon plummeted for Earth. Gaara was oddly quiet except for a rasping gasp. She'd have thought he was unaffected by the movement if it wasn't for the fact he was clutching her like a life-preserver.

Aleera spiraled down tightly over a clearing in the trees before leveling out with two hard wingbeats over the ground before landing softly in the grass. Cordi scowled at her dragon as Aleera straightened her neck. Cordi felt Gaara shakily removed his hands from her body and quickly begin to unfasten himself in silence as Cordi huffed, "What was that?"

"You both said we needed to stop in two and a half hours to get lunch and water," Aleera reasoned. "It's been two and a half hours."

Cordi felt Gaara swing his leg over quickly, his sand assisting him down. She watched as he made a b-line for the nearest tree and promptly emptied his stomach on its roots. Cordi winced, then grumbled, "Look what you did."

"What? You wanted me to land on the road?" Aleera huffed back. Her tail twitched agitatedly as she turned, leveling a reddish amber eye on her rider. "It's not like there's a landing strip in the middle of this forest. And from what I could see, it would be another thirty minutes or so before we reached the plains. Then another hour before desert." When Cordi looked unconvinced, ignoring Gaara's second heaving in the background, Aleera added, "You're a five-minute walk that way to the road, and a mile away from the next town. You wanted a stop. This is it."

Cordi sighed, undoing her strap quickly, then her saddle bag. She figured she might need the basic supplies in her purse inside it, like mints and water bottles. Aleera straightened a foreleg, making it easy for Cordi to slide down. As Cordi dusted herself off, Aleera stepped away adding, "I'll pick you up in a clearing a mile west of the town in an hour. And for future's sake, I'm not your nest."

Cordi frowned, clearly confused. "What?"

"I'm glad you've mated," Aleera said knowingly. "But no mating on me."

Cordi blushed. "I wasn't… We weren't…"

"Yeah," Aleera cut her off as she spread her wings, clearly not believe the excuse Cordi was trying to give. Cordi winced from the dust, pollen, and leaves kicked up from the strong wind Aleera's wings caused as she took off back to the skies.

Behind her, Cordi heard Gaara groan, and she quickly went to him, placing a comforting hand on his back as he gasped back a dry-heave. "Are you ok?"

"I don't want to ride your dragon again," he stated.

She frowned, rubbing his back gently as she said, "I'm sorry. But she's kind of our only optio—"

"I know," he gasped, cutting her off. He took a calming breath and straightened with a sobering nod, "But today is it. Never again."

Cordi sighed, deciding to dig in her saddlebag for her purse instead of fight him on that. "What do you need? I've got Pepto. It's stomach medicine from my world. I also have mouthwash." He just held his hand out. She nodded, digging out the Pepto Bismol tablets first and handing him two. "Chew them," she instructed.

He popped them in his mouth, then made a disgusted face as he chewed. "Ugh, its saccharine. And chalk," he grumbled before swallowing.

"It's medicine," Cordi reasoned. "Bubblegum flavored, but still."

He shook away his disgust, but swallowed. His stomach felt the effects immediately though, calming down. "Water?" he asked.

She offered him a bottle. He shakily opened it and drank. "You know, it really helps to scream when you're dropping like that." He paused his drink, looking at her oddly. "Oddly enough, the exertion from your diaphragm helps you remember where your stomach is, so it doesn't feel displaced." She licked her lips nervously as he kept staring at her oddly, skeptically. "I learned that riding rollercoasters in my world."

He closed the bottle of water, wiping his mouth then grumbling, "You've mentioned those before. During our spar."

She pursed her lips, then nodded, "I did."

"What are they?"

She furrowed her brow, then answered, "Kind of like high-speed trains built to terrify you?" He tilted his head at her answer, clearly not understanding it. "It's like a safe terrify. Like, they're tested, so you're not going to die. But they do really high vertical drops so you feel like you're falling, and the higher speed ones do loop-de-loops and corkscrews. Sometimes they spin. Or go backwards."

He blinked at her, then asked, "Why would anybody do that?"

She shrugged. "Fun?"

"Fun?"

"Yeah. Like going through a haunted house. Or watching a horror movie? You get the endorphins and adrenaline of being scared, but the relief that it isn't real."

He took another sip of water at her explanation, then shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand your world," he grumbled as he straightened, then began walking towards the road.

As they walked, Cordi kept asking, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine," he answered.

"Because you look pale."

"I'm fine," he said more firmly. "Just need some silence is all."

She pursed her lips and looked forward as they walked, muttering, "Then I'll listen to some music." He frowned as she fished her music device from her purse and putting a headphone in her left ear. She bobbed her head along with the music, but he could tell she was doing her hardest not to sing or hum along.

After a several minutes as his stomach and throat recovered, he looked at her, unused to her being so quiet. Even when she was reading paperwork or memos, she'd mutter what she was reading allowed sometimes. He could tell the way she was biting her cheek, she was struggling not to talk, trying to give him the silence he needed.

"What're you listening to?" he asked curiously, over his queasiness.

"Africa, by Toto," she answered. He exhaled through his nose, realizing he should have known the answer would be gibberish to him. "I don't know one person who doesn't like this song." She pulled her earbud out, and pumped the music all the way up as she started it over. "I should have skipped it, because you can't not sing along to it," she said over the odd tribal beats before the synth started its chords. Gaara watched as she started bopping along to it, before singing, "I hear the drums echoing tonight, but she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation."

Gaara blinked looking forward, then shaking his head as he muttered, "I don't know why I asked."

He watched as continued to get lost in the song, until she threw out her hand to his shoulder and belted, "HURRY BOY! IT'S WAITING THERE FOR YOU!" before pantomiming drums before belting out what had to be the chorus with even more dramatic dancing.

"Why is he blessing the rains in … Africa?"

Cordi shrugged as she continued to sing. Much to his chagrin though, he did have to admit the song was catchy. Towards the end, when the chorus started to repeat, Gaara found himself singing along, a little pitchy, "I bless the rains down in Africa," as Cordi started singing the higher part, beaming at him as she grabbed his hand. As the song played out, she laughed, "I didn't know you could sing."

"I can't," Gaara stated.

"I just heard you," Cordi scoffed good-naturedly, turning off her musical device and pocketing it. "You've got a decent voice. You can hold a pitch for the most part, at least."

"I'm not that good," he said, laughing now, as she nudged him with her shoulders.

"You say that, but now I know better," she said smirking at him. "Sabaku no Gaara. The singing Kazekage."

"You're going to ruin my reputation," he remarked half-heartedly.

She winked, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

They continued into town, talking about generally silly things, from the ludicrous height of the paperwork in Gaara's office when they'd return or the talk down they were going to get from the Council for just taking off like they did. She'd found, especially over this past weekend, that Gaara had a very wry sense of humor. He'd tease her verbiage or poke at her quirks in a friendly manner. Her jokes didn't really take him off-guard. Nothing really ever took him off-guard, which was a little frustrating to Cordi. But when he did find something funny, he had a soft, warm chuckle that made her heart lurch. They grabbed lunch at a quick tea shop before heading out to the western side of the town where they were supposed to meet Aleera.

"I have to ask," Cordi finally said, blushing a little. "Where'd you learn to do that hand thing?"

His brow twitched his confusion at her question, then said, "What hand thing?"

"Uh-erm …" Cordi hemmed, trying to find the words. "You know. The hand thing you were doing earlier."

He looked around curiously, a small blush coming to his cheeks as he asked, "You mean last night at the hotel?"

"No," Cordi blushed. "I mean, yes that was nice. But I was talking about on Aleera earlier." He frowned, clearly unsure. She sighed. "This thing," she said, grabbing his hand similar to how he'd been holding her hand earlier, stroking his palm with her middle finger softly. He stiffened under her touches, and she smiled, stopping. "Yeah, that."

He blushed hard, his eyes going wide, but refusing to look at her. "I don't know," he confessed, crossing his arms tightly. "I just wanted to hold your hand, and then your skin reminded me of the satin fabric I used to rub in my teddy's ears as a child to calm me."

She pressed her lips into a happy line, seeing him in a new light. "Flying makes you that nervous?"

"Not when I'm in control," Gaara answered evenly.

She pursed her lips, eyeing him thoughtfully. Her silence must have tipped him off to something, because he turned to look at her, suddenly a little nervous. "What?"

"But it was like … really sensual."

"Hm?"

"Really … really sensual …"

He closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "I don't know what you're inferring."

She frowned at him. "Come on, Gaara. I felt how stiff you were getting," she started teasingly. "And surely you noticed my …" her brow furrowed as she tried to think of the word. She didn't experience an orgasm. It was way too small. But it was something. "My something."

"Your something," he repeated, teasing her back.

"Yeah, I don't know what to call it, but it was something," she said.

He pressed his lips together thoughtfully, then said, "Could you describe it?"

She tongued her cheek, then said, "An aroused shudder?"

His brow furrowed curiously and his head tilted to the side. "Are you saying you had an orgasm holding my hand?" he asked, his tone teasing her again. He sounded rather pleased with himself with the suggestion.

"NO!" Cordi gasped. His curious gaze didn't waver, only looking more entertained. She cleared her throat and said, "No. An orgasm is like climbing a mountain and jumping off the top, whereas this was more like climbing a hill and rolling down the side to the bottom."

He smirked, reaching for her hand and stroking it as he did, smiling deviously. "Just by doing this?" he asked.

Her breath hitched before she huffed, "Yes, that." She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it fast, still stroking her in even soft circles. The feeling was intoxicating, and she had no idea why. He watched her blushing intensify as he began to smirk, knowing this teasing was setting her off. Her eyelids fluttered at the sensation, then she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the side of the road, where she pushed him against a tree trunk and kissed him. Hard and passionately. Heat between them blossomed as she clutched the hand stroking hers with one hand. Her other hand covered his clothed member, feeling it had half hardened again thanks to her kiss. She smirked against his lips as she said, "Well, let's see how you like being teased."

He only licked at her lips as he felt her undoing his belt, then pants before reaching in to pet him. As her fingers stroked him gently, his breath hitched. He bit his lip when she cradled his scrotum. He stroked her hand more deliberately, not wanting to lose what was clearly a battle of sexual wills. Her breath hitched harder, panting at the feeling before pulling away from his face a few inches with a sultry glare. She pulled his member completely out of his pants, then dropped to her knees. Before he could even think about what was happening, she pulled back his skin, kissing the head of his penis before sucking him down.

"Cordi," he gasped, feeling her hand sneak under his shirt, and then send an electric jolt through his bellybutton, turning off his sand. His eyes rolled back as he felt her tongue gliding against the vein. He bit his lip as he stifled back a groan. He felt the head of his member hit what had to be the back of her throat, and chanced to look down at her. The sensations of her mouth on his member as she glared up at him, daring him to react to her ministrations. It floored him. This was ten times more amazing than his fantasies had ever felt, that he wondered how he'd ever settled for them to begin with. He came quickly and with little to no warning besides grunting a small, "Oh."

Her eyes went wide as he spilled his seed on her tongue and throat. She made a slight gagging sound as she pulled herself off him, holding a hand over her mouth.

He quickly righted himself, refastening his pants and belt, blushing hard as he mumbled, "I'm sorry. I should have given you a bit more warning."

She waved him off, silently struggling to swallow, wincing a little from what looked like an off taste. She fished in her purse for a moment, pulling out the bottle of water, and then guzzling it down.

He winced guiltily, and asked, "Was it bad?" He'd never cum in her mouth before. He'd come close a couple times over the weekend, but he'd been better about warning her. This time, he'd just been overcome with her sensations and visuals, even though she'd only been sucking on him a minute or two.

She swished a second gulp of water, before spitting it out on the opposite tree trunk, then said, "It's clearly an acquired taste."

He grimaced. "I'm so sorry," he said, blushing.

"Stop apologizing," she said, rolling her eyes as she linked her arm with his. "I won."

He blinked, confused. "What?"

"We were playing sexual chicken, and I made you cum first," she stated with a shrug. "So, I won."

He looked at her, his gaze mixed with awe and confusion. His mouth hung open a little, at a somewhat loss for words. He hadn't realized sex was a game one could win or lose at. "I didn't realize the point was to make you cum," he finally said.

She bobbed her head side to side as she admitted, "Well, sexual chicken is played by touching until your opponent gets all hot and bothered and they have to step away. So, honestly, my plan was to give you blue balls. But, cumming also means you lose, so I won."

He looked at her oddly, then said, "So, oral was strategic then?"

She nodded. "Kind of an easy kill shot. It's like playing the Penis game, and shouting penis as loud as you can from the start. Kill the competition before they get a foothold."

His heart skipped a beat at her answer. He wasn't sure why he found her thinking so arousing. He admired her competitive spirit, and vowed next time they played, he would not lose.

They were silent for a moment, then she held a finger up as she said, "Next time I go down on you, though, a little warning is greatly appreciated."

He blushed, grumbling, "I am sorry. Just … you took me off-guard."

She smirked. "Finally, I know what takes you off-guard," she chuckled. "Been trying to figure that out for months. So, oral. Got it." She mimed checking a box before holding his arm again as they walked. He realized momentarily that her arm in his felt oddly comfortable. Matsuri had clung to his arm before, and it was uncomfortable and made him feel self-conscious. But not Cordi. She didn't hold onto him tightly like she was afraid he'd disappear. It felt more like they were two chains linked by their arms, able to move freely within each other's sphere.

He licked his lips, as finally said what he'd been worrying about in the back of his mind. "I thought you wanted us to slow down now that we're not in Konoha."

She made a face, clearly thinking about the statement. "W-we're not in Suna yet."

"Is that the stipulation?" he asked, knowing she'd fudged her line in the sand in regards to sex in their relationship. "Not in Suna?" Last night had been especially steamy, because according to Cordi, last night was it until they agreed to marry. Now it was until they were in Suna?

"Yeah," she answered. They came upon the clearing where Aleera was waiting, eating deer. The bloody carcass on full display as they walked up. "Ew," Cordi grimaced.

"Good, you made it," Aleera huffed before unhinging her jaw a bit and swallowing the rest of the deer whole.

Cordi frowned at her as Gaara looked a little disgusted. "Wh-what about the bones? You just ate it whole?"

Aleera blinked at her confused, then said, "My stomach is strong enough to digest bones." She shrugged, as she stretched like a cat. "I mean, it takes me a little longer to digest, but bones have a good amount of calcium and protein, which makes my scales shiny."

Cordi blinked, then muttered, "Noted." She began reattaching her saddlebag before starting to climb up. Gaara lifted them both with his sand again, earning a small, "Thanks," from Cordelia.

"I'm not sure I'm ok with letting your win stand," Gaara stated as she climbed into the saddle.

She smirked, "I don't think there's anything you can do about it. You heard Aleera last time. She's not our nest."

Gaara looked at the dragon nervously, realizing the landing earlier was partly malicious. He let out a sigh as he climbed into the saddle behind Cordi as she affixed her leg straps into the saddle. He reattached his harness to hers, before wrapping his arms around her waist, saying in her ear, "I guarantee you it's not over." Cordi laughed before Aleera jumped into the skies, her wings beating hard as they reached the clouds.

---

Fred, Ronnie, and Lynne were on the training field, waiting for their teacher to arrive. Hinata had shown up and run them through their warm-ups, but didn't know what Shikamaru had planned for their training today. The last two days had been effectively canceled, so who knew what they were working on. Currently, Hinata had them practicing their kunai throwing, which they were nailing pretty well now. Shuriken too. All of them hit the target. Almost half was on the bullseye.

When Shikamaru finally showed up almost an hour late, the girls stopped and clamored around him, knowing he'd just come from the hospital. "How is she?" "Did she eat her lunch? How about breakfast?" "Did they say when Rox would be joining us?"

He held up his hands to slow their questions, unable to figure out who asked what since they were all asked at the same time. "Rox is doing fine. She ate her meals, and Sakura is expecting a full recovery. She'll be returning home tomorrow, and school the day after. But her training is to be postponed until the medical corps can reverse engineer her inhaler. Now back to training."

Hinata looked at him curiously, then said, "Last week, you mentioned we were to start training them in taijutsu."

"Taijutsu?" Fred asked, earning a swift elbow Lynne, who quickly elbowed her back.

He frowned, then nodded. "Yes, we were." He licked his lips in thought, clearly calculating out how much time they had left in their semester until graduation, and everything he had to teach in that time. Did he have time to delay? He furrowed his brows as he said, "We'll have to start before Rox gets back, and hope she can catch up."

"I wouldn't worry about Rox catching up on taijutsu," Ronnie stated, holding up her hand. When the rest of the group looked at her curiously, then she said to Fred, "Remember the thing that happened in seventh grade, or eighth for Rox?"

A dawning of realization came over Fred, and she said, "Oh. So you mean hand to hand combat. Yeah, no, she'll be fine."

Shikamaru and Hinata eyed them each carefully. "What happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"It's really for her to tell you," Fred stated. "Suffice to say, something bad happened in their family. One of their cousins. So, Rox and Cordi's mom enrolled them in Krav Maga self-defense classes. They took it for a few years."

Both Shikamaru and Hinata blinked at them, then looked at each other confused. "What's Krav Maga?" Hinata asked.

"It's a type of taijutsu, I guess you would call it," Lynne answered, frowning at her friends, having pulled the whole story from their minds. Rox and Cordi had never mentioned it to her, but Ronnie and Fred remembered every detail of the dark story.

"It's a fighting style created in our world to maximize damage in short intervals, essentially so you can take down bigger opponents," Fred explained. She waved it off, saying, "It doesn't matter. She'll probably still beat our asses after a week." She leaned over to Lynne conspiratorially as she grumbled, "Now, if we had our guns, that'd be different." Ronnie nodded beside them, looking a little sadly.

Both Fred and Ronnie were well versed in hunting rifles, not only on hunting trips with their brothers, but also from color-guard. Every year during Military Appreciation day, Fred, Ronnie, and another girl named Haley, would twirl their rifles for the half-time show, finishing with a twenty-one-gun salute. Fred had also gotten a conceal carry license the previous year, which she'd been proud of, but didn't bring her beretta on the trip because the Turner's didn't allow guns in their houses. Didn't matter Travis joined the military two years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Turner were uncomfortable with guns, meaning so were Rox and Cordi.

But, now they all lived in a world of ninja, where guns didn't exist. Wasn't life grand?

Lynne pursed her lips, not saying anything. She'd never taken self-defense courses, or previously learned how to use a weapon, much less shoot. The year before joining their school, she'd been diagnosed with clinical depression due to a long confluence of events starting with being popular, rich, and falling in love with the most popular guy at her old school, and ending with the whole school telling her to just kill herself, and her rather public attempt. When the Belfoco's moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia, they'd viewed it as an entirely new start, hoping their daughter could recover. And while she'd struggled to trust people, Cordelia had pulled her into their group, and she'd trust these girls with her life. But needless to say, the diagnosis was on her record, which prevented her from legally getting a license to shoot without her parent's consent, even if she wanted to.

Shikamaru frowned at each of them, then shook his head. "Whatever. Line up, and I'll teach you some basic katas this week. And next week, Hinata, since you're more skilled in taijutsu, you'll teach them more difficult moves while I focus on training their elements. We'll split our time doing both, since Kakashi has stipulated that your training is to be extended an hour each day, so you're all fighting fit to become shinobi. Understood?"

The girls nodded, getting in their spots. Shikamaru proceeded to run them through their first basic katas, punching, kicking, and blocking.

---

Cordi looked up, and was shocked to see just on the horizon line, slowly growing larger was the familiar canyon. Cordi let out a sigh, realizing she was likely the first ever to see Suna at this angle, and from this distance. She checked her watch, and was surprised to see it was only twelve thirty, Suna time. They were making amazing time, even though it would still be another thirty minutes before they got there, if her flights back in their old world were any indicator. She wouldn't claim to be a major traveler, but she had flown several times over the years between her father's family's vacation home in Maine and mother's family reunions in Georgia.

"Wow," she heard Gaara say behind her. She had to agree. It was an amazing sight.

Cordi directed Aleera to land over by her and Kuishinbo's cave, just outside the wall after Gaara mentioned Aleera had to land more subtly than when they took off, since Aleera was still classified. The dragon did so, landing on the wall opening she'd apparently made, nicely this time. Gaara used his sand to get him and Cordi down, floating next to the dragon on one of his platforms. Thanks, Aleera, Cordi offered.

Don't mention it, Aleera offered, shaking her neck and stretching her wings. Then the dragon leveled her with her amber eyes. Also, with this new saddle, we should go flying more often.

Cordi smiled. I'd like that.

Aleera clambered into her cavern, like a small lizard into its habitat. Cordi and Gaara made their way to the Kazekage Building's roof and then down to the Kazekage's quarters. As they entered the penthouse, Gaara went ahead and summoned their bags back home from the hotel's storage. "We should probably nap until dinner to reset our clocks," Cordi offered, earning a strange expression from Gaara. "We just made a three-day trip, that crosses three time zones in five and a half hours. That causes what's known in my world as jet-lag."

"Jet-lag?" he asked.

Cordi nodded. "It's when your internal clock is thrown off because your body hasn't adjusted to the time zone," she explained. "Now, it's about one o'clock, but your body is on Konoha time, which is four o'clock. It'll be an issue in a couple hours when your body thinks its nine or ten o'clock when it's only five." She grabbed her bag, and then his hand pulling him back towards the rooms, stating, "The best way to combat it is nap for a couple hours now, then go to bed at the normal time here, and your rem cycle will adjust your circadian rhythm over a day or two."

Gaara stayed silent, letting her drag him back to the bedrooms. She slung her bag into her room, and stepped towards it, only for Gaara to stop her and pull her toward him. "Question. If my body is still on Konoha time, does that mean I'm not technically in Suna?" he asked, looking at her innocently. He couldn't let that loss hang over him from their lunch time.

Cordi had a hard time not smiling at him, as she answered, "No," sounding very hesitant or doubtful.

"Because, I feel like if we're going to nap for the afternoon, you should nap with me in my bed," Gaara offered smoothly.

Cordi pursed her lips, chewing a little on her lower lip to keep from smiling giddily. She held up a finger as her eyes adopt a faux firm gaze as she said, "Only nap."

Gaara pulled her to his room, opening the door so she could see. The walls were the same sandy stucco color as hers. The floors, the same sandstone tiles, but covered in a bright blue area rug. And the furniture was a mix match of pieces. The dresser was a mid-size classic wood dresser with old designs carved in the piece under the mirror. It looked like oak with a chipping cherrywood stain. There was a navy runner on top, and two pictures in frames. One was Gaara and his siblings the day he became Kazekage. The other was his mother. The bed looked like a retro platform bed made of oak with a tall solid wood headboard. The comforter was navy blue, and the sheets silk, a stormy grey-blue. The bed was made with the navy sham pillows and two stormy grey-blue throw pillows. On each side of the bed, were wrought iron and wood nightstands with simple gray lamps and an alarm clock on the nightstand closest to the door. She assumed he slept on that side. The bed abutted the wall connected to her room. And on the far wall, between what looked like a door to a bathroom and the door to the deck space was a large black wardrobe, chipped on some corners, but otherwise very good condition. It reached all the way to the ceiling, which was fairly high, in comparison to homes Cordi was used to.

His room was clearly bigger than hers. They both had queen beds, but it looked as if this space was better equipped for it than the queen bed that was shoved against the wall in her room. If she had to guess, this was originally the guest bedroom, and the pieces she used now were moved when Gaara moved in. That furniture was all white, and didn't suit him at all. And while these mix and match pieces didn't necessarily work cohesively, it felt like Gaara. At least it was the style of a young man who didn't care much about luxury, as long as the pieces worked nicely, and that was Gaara's style, she'd come to know. But she could tell where he spared no expense was the mattress and sheets.

He dropped his small bag over by the dresser, then unstrapped and placed his gourd on top of the dresser. He then sat at the corner of his bed, yanking off his shoes, and put them in the bottom of the wardrobe, where he had a shoe rack of mostly suna issue sandals, but a few dress shoes. She saw a few suits hanging in there as well as his old duster jacket, which had seen better days and an assortment of ties. She gawked as she stepped forward, pulling out a suit and asked, "You wear suits?"

He blinked at her, then said, "When the occasion calls for it," as he grabbed it back, and re-hung it up.

She pursed her lips, realizing she was probably the first person in this room since Gaara became its inhabitant. She went over to look at the pictures, especially of Karura. Her lavender eyes and chin length ash blonde hair reminded her very much of Rachel Green from Friends. Although, there was a kindness in her eyes that reminded Cordi of her grandmother. It was almost an unearthly kindness, that would care for a stranger in need. She felt Gaara step up behind her. "She was really pretty," Cordi said.

"She was," Gaara said, sounding sad.

"You have her nose," Cordi said. "And her brow."

"Temari says I look exactly like Father," Gaara said, crossing his arms, as if he didn't believe he resembled any of his mother.

She turned to him, and said, "Going from the statue in the Council chambers, yeah, you do look a lot like your father. But there's a kindness in your eyes that he never had." She reached up, running her finger along is brow line, surprised to feel a little hair there, incredibly fine and sparse, so the small red strands just blended into his skin tone naturally to appear as if they didn't exist in the first place. "That's here," she said, holding back her shock that he actually had eyebrows, "and all your mother." She chuckled as she stepped back and added, "I think, yup," holding her hand up between them and looking at him with one eye closed. "You cover the bottom half of your face, your all your mother. The top half, all your father."

He smiled fully, shaking his head as he pushed her hand down. "You are incredibly silly. Do you know that?" he chuckled.

"Of course I know that," Cordi said proudly. "All the good people are." She poked his chest and asked, "By the way, how's my cactus doing?"

"You mean the one you bought me?" he clarified.

She nodded. "That's the one."

He turned and led her out to the deck. As she walked out, he pointed to the planter on his little table, stating, "It bloomed two more times. But I think that's all it'll give this year. It's still pretty small."

She bent over it, seeing the extra two budding blooms. The first one wilting a little. "Did you give it new soil?" she asked.

"I water with a bit of lemon juice and sugar on Sundays. Then give them a light spray of water once a week Wednesday evenings," Gaara stated. He grabbed his watering can, stating a few of them were looking droopy as he left to prep his plant food. He kept the stuff nearby, then watered each of the cacti, just enough to perk them up. "There," he breathed, sounding very much like a proud parent.

"Do you talk to your plants?" Cordi asked.

Gaara blushed as he put the watering can down. "Sometimes."

"That's good," Cordi said awkwardly, as if sensing his own discomfort at his admission. "My grandmother would always talk to her hydrangeas, and they are massive. She's been growing them since the seventies, when talking to plants was all the rage in the gardening community, and every year, they produce huge blue balls of blooms."

He pursed his lips, then asked, "Blue balls?"

She blushed as she said, "The blooms are blue, due to acidity in the soil. I've seen hydrangeas having rainbow blooms because the soils acid levels varied so much at the roots. But my grandmother's were always blue." She blushed harder as she said, "I didn't mean to…"

Gaara smiled at her discomfort at the insinuation. "You know, no one ever talks to me about plants," Gaara said, sounding bemused as an easy smile found its way to his lips. "Other than the nursery gardeners, of course." He chuckled as he said, "Temari told me to ban the word 'cactus' from my vocabulary during the marriage meeting."

Cordi smirked. "How'd that work?"

"I had nothing else to talk about, so not well," Gaara answered, a hint of a chuckle still in his tone. He stepped closer to her, stating, "I thought you said we needed to nap."

"We do," Cordi said emphatically.

With an easy gesture, he guided her back to the bedroom. She sat on the bed and untied her boots, which took considerably longer than Gaara's earlier, as he lied on the bed in a position that was clearly waiting for her to join him. Once she finished kicking off her combat boots, she slipped off her socks, tucking them into her boots, and joined him on the bed. She set away the sham pillow and throw, and snuggled into the silken gray pillow. Gaara's arms wound around her, his left arm snaking under her pillow as his right curved around her waist. He held her tightly, but comfortably against him. Her left hand drifted to his under the pillow, interlocking their fingers as she held her other hand against her chest.

"Your bed's really nice," Cordi stated, snuggling against him. "Super Comfy."

"We updated the mattress just before I had the surgery," Gaara stated. "When I'd first moved in, I didn't really care, because I didn't sleep regularly. But after Shukaku was extracted, I noticed my mattress didn't have a lot of give, and I frequently woke up numb in some spaces. Then my physical brought the back issues to light, so during primary treatments, I got a better mattress to assist my healing."

"Mmmmm," she hummed.

And as they drifted off, he asked, "What's the current rage in the gardening community of your world?"

She gave a soft snort as a laugh, then said, "Playing your plants Mozart."

"Mozart?"

"A genius musician and composer in my world three hundred years ago. For decades, women have been told to play Mozart to their babies in utero to improve cognitive function and IQ. So, scientist put it to the test with plants, and apparently, the sound waves or hertz produced by Mozart's music does actually stimulate plant growth," she explained. She chuckled softly as she said, "I learned that in biology class, where we did an experiment on snap peas. Apparently, the number of leaves and flowers increase, and blooms appear on average a week earlier. And seeds sprout earlier as well."

"Fascinating," Gaara breathed. "Music." He resolved that he must try it.

"Not just any music," she clarified. "Classical or worship music. Hymns or even chants. Folk music sometimes works. But never rock music," she warned, turning slightly to him so he knew she wasn't kidding. "Rock music causes them to try and grow away from the sound, and can kill them if they can't escape. Apparently, it's worse than silence." She shrugged as she turned back, grumbling, "Probably why plants died in my first foray into gardening. I was always singing Led Zeppelin or Journey." She chuckled to herself as she mumbled, "Maybe they just couldn't handle my rendition of Chop Suey."

The latter half, Gaara didn't really understand, but he smiled all the same, feeling her unreleased laughs bubbling in her lungs against him. "Please don't sing that to my cacti," he said.

"I wouldn't a hundred percent trust me to tend them at all," she replied. "I've attempted five plants in my garden at home. One never took off. Then two tomato plants that produced bitter, unripe fruit that the vine couldn't hold, and then they both promptly withered and died. The other two only survived because I decided to leave them alone and give up gardening altogether. They both stayed strong after that."

Gaara held her tighter against him, smiling more at her story. Not because of the plant death, but because she'd tried it and understood the struggle. It was clear in her story and knowledge that she appreciated the struggle of horticulture, understood that part about him, but was also comfortable knowing it wasn't her thing. "I thought the same when I realized the first cactus I tended died."

"You killed a cactus?" Cordi gasped, clearly not being serious. "For shame!"

"I had gotten twenty when I was appointed Kazekage," he said. "Mostly by villagers, civilian merchants of Suna. They're supposed to mean good luck in a new position or place."

"It's done with bamboo in my world. Sometimes a succulent or cactus," Cordi clarified, so he didn't have to explain the tradition.

"Well," he sighed, adjusting his head on the pillow, and his left thumb tracing the knuckle of her thumb, "some weren't in the best condition when I got them, of course. Some were diseased, had fungal infections. The average person wouldn't know if they didn't have an interest in gardening cacti. At that time, I didn't. But then I noticed the first one had died, and I felt so inadequate. I wanted to quit, but I'd also vowed to be like Naruto, who never quits. So, instead, I did some reading, learned how to take proper care of them and found better ways to help them grow. I cleared away the diseased cacti, and focused my efforts on the others. I built shelves to maximize their access to the sun."

Her left hand moved along Gaara's as he spoke, similar to the way their hands did while they rode Aleera. "I don't think the desert is the best place to work on that skill when I'm already three for five," she said. She turned and said, "While I don't concede anything easy, I do know a losing battle when I see one. And me and plants is one of those things."

He opened his mouth to say something, but a loud knock pounded on the front door, sounding throughout the penthouse with a loud thudding echoing off the wall. Gaara sighed, disentangling himself from Cordi's embrace as he said, "That's likely Baki wanting a check-in." He let go of her hands, and as he pushed himself up, he whispered to her, "Don't go anywhere."

He didn't bother grabbing his shoes as he padded back to the great room of the penthouse, then to the foyer. His sand told him his guess was right long before he reached for the door handle and opened it. "Baki," he greeted.

"I thought you were back," Baki huffed. He crossed his arms, and asked, "Why didn't you report in?"

Gaara sighed tiredly, now actually feeling the exhaustion Cordi had been telling him about. "Because I'm taking the day to reset my clock," he answered. He shrugged noncommittally as he added, "Apparently flying that fast between time-zones causes your body's circadian rhythm to get thrown off more than usual. She said it's called Jet-lag in her world."

Baki frowned. "Jet lag?"

Gaara gave a small nod. "She explained that while it's –" he turned to look at the clock in the kitchen, "two ten, our bodies think it's five ten, because that's what time it is in Konoha. When the time change is spanned out over a couple days, say the three it usually takes to travel there, the time difference isn't that noticeable. But her world's technology is leagues above our own where that type of travel is accessible to civilians."

Baki blinked at him, his mouth hanging slightly open at the explanation, which he then closed before he huffed, "How do you know that?"

"The films she's shown us from her world," Gaara stated. "Most of the advancements we've made in travel in the past five years, her world had a grasp on a hundred fifty years ago." He shrugged as he added, "Although communicative systems, she says, are only ten to fifteen years behind."

Baki tilted his head, his eyes narrowing on the Kage, and asked, "And in these films, have you come to understand her claims on our defenses being 'archaic'?" It was a comment made by the otherworldly girl that had ruffled many feathers in the Council. Insulted their pride someone would dare claim such a thing.

Gaara only nodded, thinking about the movie with the father saving his daughter from being sold into sex-slavery. Taken, he wanted to say it was called. She prefaced it with explaining the main character was close to what a ninja would be like, essentially in her world. She'd explained the character it followed was supposedly ex-CIA, which according to Cordi was closest resembling to ANBU.

It was clear wars were fought differently in her world. Ninjutsu, while it could level a biome, couldn't necessarily stop a perfectly aimed kunai so small and fast it couldn't be seen. The fights clearly required quick thinking and attention to detail rather than flashy moves. Even the canons from the movies based hundreds of years ago she'd shown them. It was clear that while her world didn't have chakra or ninjutsu or genjutsu to rely on, it would have no problem holding its own against a ninja force. Afterwards Gaara asked what was the ultimate weapon in her world, and she described a bomb that not only wiped cities ten times larger than Suna off the map, but also poisoned the ground for a hundred years, killing people who stepped foot in the area before the radiation disappeared. In comparison to jinchuuriki's like Gaara, Bee, and Naruto, who had been considered the ultimate weapons of the great ninja nations since the inception of ninja villages, even they couldn't compare to that devastation. Even Pein, who destroyed Konoha in a moment couldn't achieve that level devastation. It was unfathomable.

Gaara nodded, stating, "The way her world has had to develop their technology without chakra and ninjutsu includes weapons. I haven't seen any crossbows and trebuchets like we use. According to her, they haven't used them since the 1400s."

Baki's eyes narrowed pensively. "Hm."

Gaara looked at him boredly, then asked, "Is there something you need me for today?"

"Not particularly," Baki stated. "Kankuro's on a mission to Ao Nami, returning tomorrow. I thought it would be best to let him sort his thoughts."

Gaara lifted his chin and pursed his lips. "So, you know." It was more of a statement than a question.

Baki crossed his arms as he stated, "I was here when he told Temari. Said he'd been drinking all afternoon to either forget about it or to no longer be afraid of your sand burial."

Gaara closed his eyes in tired annoyance, his jaw set as he sucked on his teeth. His brother was an idiot to the point he sometimes truly didn't understand him. Surely Kankuro knew that killing him was counter-productive. The Kazekage clan heir needed to be claimed, meaning Gaara wouldn't kill him. Just drag him to the altar by his sand if need be.

It seemed right, given Kankuro was the one who threw Gaara under the marital wagon in March, when the Council asked Kankuro to marry, and the puppeteer bull-shat the excuse that it would be wrong and disrespectful to be married before Gaara, because of his rank. Gaara barely had managed to out-maneuver the Council then, but their persistence after the fact was clear. The clan needed an heir in Suna.

Kankuro knew the risks of sleeping with any woman. He knew that if this happened, there was no fixing it. No manipulating his way out of it. This was Kankuro's child. It wasn't something he could excuse away or out-maneuver. As well, Gaara would not fall on his brother's sword like last time, and he refused to marry a woman his brother had lain with.

Thinking about it, knowing Kankuro would pull something like this, it made Gaara question Matsuri's judgement. He used to think she was level-headed and innocent, but maybe he'd been wrong about her. Gaara knew she had feelings towards him, and not Kankuro. He didn't think she was the type of woman to throw away a relationship with a man she claimed to have feelings for, no matter how flawed, just to be physical with another man. Maybe that had been a miscalculation on his part. After having experienced sex with Cordi, he understood what she'd claimed she was missing, but it didn't excuse the fact she could have just been forthright with him.

Like Cordi was. Sometimes painfully so, he remembered, thinking back to Sunday night, when he thought she'd regretted their intimacy, when in actuality she worried about them mishandling what they had.

His mind drifted to the carnal relations they had after, and then all the other twelve times that weekend. Thirteen including what happened on the road earlier. Had it really only been four days? It felt like lifetimes. His mind drifted to last night, the last time they had sex. Would it be enough to sate him until they agreed to marry? He remembered the way they held hands on the flight back, the friction between them so heady and intense even Aleera said something. How he heard her soft sighs as he rested his head in the crook of her shoulder, breathing her in. Finally he remembered his loss earlier. He couldn't let that stand. He wanted, no needed, to hear her moans one more time. Their last time hadn't been enough.

"Gaara?" Baki asked.

Gaara's eyes snapped back to his old teacher who frowned at him, his expression a little worried. "Hm?" Gaara asked, clearly distracted.

"I said, when Kankuro made his announcement, I had come by to inquire about Cordelia's and your relationship," Baki stated. "That if there was something I should be informed about." Gaara held his poker face well, looking at Baki boredly aloof. Mostly because Baki had never inquired about Gaara's dating life before, not that he'd really had one. His teacher licked his lips, then added, "I know I'm no longer your teacher, but I was your guardian for several years. And I worried the Council's pressure on the heir issue might have caused you to take an inadvisable action when you learned of your brother's situation."

Gaara's eyes narrowed suspiciously on Baki as he asked, "What kind of action were you worried about?"

Baki crossed his arms and leaned on one leg, his lips pursed as if he didn't want to say it before he spat out, "That maybe you'd flown to Konoha to elope, without thinking about who you were eloping with." Gaara only stared at him as he quickly added, "Or the fact that upon returning, the Council would try to annul the marriage, or might even go as far as kill her."

Gaara laughed softly, his chuckles rumbling like a purr in his chest, his smile parted gently. The thought hadn't even occurred to him while he was there. "No, I did not marry Cordelia," he stated, sure by his response it didn't need to be stated, but Gaara felt it would put his old mentor's mind at ease to say it.

Baki's relief was visible. "I'm sorry I doubted you. It's just not usual for you to leave so abruptly."

"I understand," Gaara absolved. "If Cordelia had patience, our departure would not have been so abrupt."

Baki nodded, understanding Gaara's flight wasn't entirely his decision, and definitely wasn't based on his brother's situation. "And there's nothing really going on between you two?" Baki clarified, "Beyond what happened Friday morning."

Gaara's gaze narrowed, clearly thinking about it. Had the moment in his office really only been Friday? Gaara centered chakra in his navel, a habit he'd begun doing as Kazekage when he got nervous or went into an uncertain conversation, to protect himself in case someone tried to take advantage. "I'm not sure," Gaara said evenly. "Our time was spent at the hospital mostly, so we didn't really discuss if there was anything beyond that." He didn't like lying, but that didn't mean he wasn't good at it.

Baki's gaze narrowed on Gaara, as if seeing an imperceptible tell Gaara was broadcasting. Gaara raised his eyebrows boredly at Baki, daring him to call him out. Baki exhaled sharply, then directed, "I'll handle the rest of the day," Baki offered. "You rest. You're clearly exhausted from traveling."

Gaara grunted his agreement to the statement, although sleep wasn't entirely what his mind was craving just yet.

Baki turned to leave, then paused, adding, "Keiko handled Matsuri's paperwork. So, some Council members will likely know about Kankuro by the meeting tomorrow."

Gaara frowned. "Meeting tomorrow?"

Baki nodded, "Right. Forgot. Apologies. The Council has scheduled a meeting tomorrow for eleven, since several guards saw you two fly in and notified them. They want any updates you have from Kakashi, as well as what the situation with Cordelia's sister is. They also want an update on Ao Nami efforts, as well as issues that were missed in the Friday meeting."

Gaara scowled in annoyance. "I was there. They didn't want to discuss anything important."

"Your clone was there," Baki corrected, "and the situation with Cordelia is delicate, and needs to be handled with care."

Gaara shook his head, too tired to deal with it. "I'll see you tomorrow, Baki."

Baki bowed lightly. "Gaara," he breathed before turning to leave down the stairs.

Gaara shut the door, locking it. Kankuro was out until tomorrow. Temari was in the middle of coordinating the next Chunin Exams as well as the working with the school to make sure the genin entering the Suna ninja ranks were actually qualified, spending the end of last week and this week at the school assessing the classes and lessons, staying until four.

He padded back to his bedroom, running his hand through his hair as the wicked thoughts of hearing Cordi's moans crept back to the forefront of his mind. As he got to his room, he saw her still lying on his bed, snoring softly. Smiling at her curled up on his bed comfortably, he shut the door behind him. He heard her breath hitch, and knew she wasn't entirely asleep. He sidled up behind her and whispered, "I'm back."

She hummed her content as she scooted back against him, as his hands encircled her again in the embrace they were in before, the left hands caressing and stroking each other intimately. "What did Baki want?" she asked.

"Just to inform me that Kankuro is out on a mission until tomorrow, and the Council has scheduled a meeting tomorrow at eleven," Gaara answered, his nose finding the crook of her neck again as he spoke against her shoulder. He felt her breathing shudder as his lips moved against the skin of her shoulder. His right hand began traveling as he let his wicked thoughts return in full force with her in his arms. His right hand traveled to her thigh, his fingers tracing circles in the fabric as they inched closer to her crotch. "I know we're back," Gaara breathed against her skin, sending another wave of shudders through her body as his mouth inched toward her ear, "but with everyone gone until this evening, and my body still on Konoha time, I was hoping I could hear your moan again." His right hand drifted between her legs, so he wasn't misunderstood.

She rolled onto her back to look at him as his hand rubbed her clothed sex, her dark eyes hazy as she looked at him, as if the sensations of his left hand in hers and his right hand between her legs was a drug. His lips collapsed on hers, kissing her deeply as his hand rubbed at her jeans more vigorously. His tongue diving into her mouth, and she licked back eagerly, her hips rolling into Gaara's hand as her left hand turned in his, her thumb tracing his life and love lines in his palm. She breathed him in as their tongues danced against each other. She pulled away breathlessly, and said, "We can't have sex."

His hand still pet her through her pants as he said against her lips, "I need to hear you moan for me again. One more time."

She let go of his left hand, reaching down to her pants and unfastening them completely. Her left hand went back to his left hand as her right hand grabbed his right, and guided it to where she'd unfastened her pants. She looked back at him innocently, and he smiled as he slid his hand into her pants, then her underwear, pulling apart her folds, and exposing the bud he'd noticed made her crazy when stroked. His fingers glided between the hole and bud, her hips rolling into his hand with every stroke. She opened her legs wide, her right leg hanging over his legs to give his hand better access and leverage as her right hand traveled up his arm, holding him by his bicep that flexed a little with every flick and stroke. "Gaara, please," she rasped, her left fingers curling around his desperately. He knew when she sounded like that, she wanted him inside her. He slid one finger in, swirling it around, then a second that pet her silken insides, the butt of his palm against that bud. She began panting and gasping, moaning a benediction of, "Right there. Gaara, there. Keep going."

He bit his lip as he watched her eyes squeeze shut, her head rolling back as she clutched tighter onto him. "Ah! Yes! Gaara there! There please!" Her mouth hung open as her cries climbed in pitch and became more incoherent besides the, "God yes!" cries. Her hands clutched his hand and arms tightly as she cried loudly, and the walls around his fingers clamped and spasmed around him, her juices pooling into her cunt and onto his hand. He heard the hum of electricity through the building stutter and stop for a moment. She relaxed and the power came back, and he slipped his fingers from her, trailing his fingertips past her bud which he teased to feel her jerk against him and to hear her breath hitch and whine as she said, "Too much."

He pulled his hand out fully, resting it over her clothed sex, grabbing it possessively as he kissed her forehead as she panted from her exertions. "Thank you," he said against her skin. She could only hum at him to note she'd heard him. He pulled her back into the spooning position they were in earlier.

Her eyes fluttered open, not minding his manhandling her into napping position. She looked at him oddly and asked, "You don't want to go?"

He smiled, and said, "I think we're even now." His fingers still slick from her as he turned her towards him so he could kiss her again. He pulled away after one lick, and said, "Sleep." And they did, even more peacefully than in Konoha.

---

Baki didn't appreciate being lied to. Especially by someone he'd helped raise. And he knew Gaara was lying to him about his relationship to Cordelia Turner. Maybe they weren't married like Baki had worried, but it was definitely something just as bad. Just as serious.

Gaara didn't have many tells, if and when he lied, which is why Baki didn't call him out on it earlier. No, that wasn't what told Baki something was going on between them.

It was what he heard when he went back to work in Gaara's office that made it clear. It started with murmured voices, and then soft moans. Baki went to the office door to see if it was something in the hallway, but the sound died outside. "Gaara, please," the voice cried, clear in the Kazekage's office. He shut and locked the office door, and followed the sound with his eyes to the ceiling, listening to a woman's voice climb as she cried, "Yes! Gaara, there!" Her volume and pitch grew until she cried out "GOD, YES! AAuagh…"

The lights flickered off, then back on. He scowled at the ceiling. It was clear the Kazekage had lied to him. He was definitely in a sexual relationship with the otherworldly girl. Whether he was being safe or not, he didn't know. But he did know if the Council found out, they would do everything in their power to rip them apart.

He had hoped Gaara was smarter than entering into a relationship like this with a woman the Council was clear that they didn't like for him. But another part of him understood that the heart was often difficult to predict or control when it came to love.

There was only one thing to do about it. He'd sworn to protect Gaara when he became the Kazekage. That included his new relationship. So, even though he didn't like Cordelia particularly, he silently vowed to protect her as long as Gaara and she were paramours. Especially from the Council.

---

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