Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine…
A/N: I really, really, REALLY didn't want to break up the last chapter, but it would have been waaaayy too long. 12 pages is enough, ne?
Chapter 6: As the Months Pass By (Part 2)
February 14
Kina stood by the side of Suna Academy's large training field. She had taught the second year students the correct way to throw a kunai the day before and at the moment fifteen 8 year olds were trying to put theory to practice. Kina kept an eye out for any stray kunai and quickly hid a smile.
"Chou-kun, the target is over there…I don't care if Koki-chan is funnier to hit…no, blood isn't red because people eat too many peppers."
Monsters, she thought, not without a little affection. Kina turned slightly when she heard someone call her name.
"Kina-chan!" Temari yelled. Behind her stood three figures—shinobi, Kina realized as she saw their leg bandages. "Come here, I want you to meet some people!"
Kina raised her hand in acknowledgement and yelled back, "Later, Temari-neechan! I'll talk to you later!" When will she learn not to bother me when I'm teaching? she asked herself as she jogged over to Chou's side. "Now you see why we only aim for paper targets or our enemies, Chou-kun? That hurt, didn't it?" she calmly asked the crying child.
"Damn," Temari sighed as she turned toward the three leaf shinobi next to her. "I wanted her to meet you guys before things got too busy."
"Oi, women are troublesome," Shikamaru said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyone can see that she's trying to teach a class, Temari."
"She's kind of young to be teaching at the Academy isn't she?" Ino asked the other girl.
Temari looked over at Kina and sighed. She did look young. Especially since she was so short—Kina stood over her students by no more than 6 inches. "Kina-chan's young, your age in fact, but she's very skilled. Especially in taijutsu," she replied.
At the mention of taijutsu, the third shinobi perked up.
"Then let us meet Kina-san at once!" Rock Lee roared, pumping his fists. "I wish to see this taijutsu master and see if she is worthy of being my springtime of youth rival!"
"Actually," Temari said, an idea forming in her head. "Now's a good time for our students to meet some shinobi that aren't from Suna. Follow me." The three Konoha shinobi shrugged and followed the blonde Sand nin.
Kina was in the act of bandaging Chou's leg when she noticed her student's sudden silence and felt the presence of four people behind her. She turned and stood up to see Temari and three familiar faces.
Oh, no…she thought. Not him!
"Temari-neechan," Kina said, stepping back with her right foot while touching her forehead and her navel with the first two fingers of her right and left hands, respectfully. (1) The three leaf ninja were puzzled by this odd salute and were even more so when the children mimicked their teacher. "How are you this afternoon?"
"I'm fine, Kina-chan. Mina-san," Temari said to the leaf nin. "These are Kinabuhi-chan and her students! Kina-chan, I have some very important guests to introduce to you. These are shinobi from Konoha."
"Nara Shikamaru…"
The brunette pulled one of his hands from his pockets and lazily raised it to his shoulder. "Yo."
"…Yamanaka Ino…"
Ino smiled at the students. "Hi!"
" …and Rock Lee."
Lee snapped his heels together and saluted. "May the springtime of youth shine on you always!"
The children immediately broke out in excited whispers about the leaf nin. Kina almost laughed at the chatter.
"Shikamaru-san is so cool and handsome!"
"Ino-neechan looks awesome! I wanna be a kunoichi like her!"
"He looks like he would never hit himself with a kunai…"
"Where did he get that outfit? I wonder if I could get one?"
Kina almost gagged at the last statement. Oh, Chou-kun…no!
Temari heard Chou as well and had to cough several times before she could talk with a straight face. "They are here for an important mission," she explained. "I wonder if it would be alright with you if they showed our students some taijutsu and maybe one of them could spar with you?"
Kina looked at Lee with hesitation written on her face and searched for a way out of sparring with the fiery eyed taijutsu master. "Normally, I would welcome a match with another shinobi," she said apologetically. "But with the dinner tonight, I'm afraid I can't take the risk of any bruises forming."
"The dinner!" Temari groaned, smacking herself on the forehead. "I almost forgot! Shika-kun, did you bring your yukata like I asked?" 'Shika-kun'? Kina mouthed at Temari, holding up her pinky finger and raising her eyebrows—out of sight of the others, of course. (2) Temari nodded and Kina's smile grew.
"Yes, I did," Shikamaru answered. "It was troublesome, but I remembered that it was a requirement for the mission. Ino and Lee brought their formal clothes, too."
"Why did we have to bring them, Temari-san?" Ino asked politely.
"Tonight's the Valentine's Day dinner at the Kazekage's Mansion," one of the girls in the class answered. "My nii-san and his wife get to go, but I don't. It's a big party! Everyone has to have an escort!"
"May I be your escort for tonight, Kinabuhi-san?" Lee asked, grabbing her hand and bowing over it. The children burst into giggles at this—the girls sighed and Chou loudly vowed to be just like the leaf nin. (3)
Oh, Chou-kun…HELL NO!
"It's alright, Lee-san," Kina said, pulling her hand from Lee's grasp. "I already have an escort. Besides, shouldn't you escort Ino-san?" The blonde's blue eyes widened at this and she sent a venomous gaze to Kina.
Sorry Ino, she thought. But no way am I going to spend the evening listening to Lee.
(Later that night at the Kazekage's Mansion)
The three leaf nin had made plans to meet Kina, Temari, and her brothers in Gaara's drawing room. Shikamaru sat on one of the couches wearing a flattering forest green yukata with a subtle willow tree pattern. Lee stood in front of the bookcase pretending to read the titles. He was very uncomfortable in his dark orange yukata. He didn't wear the garment often and the loose material always made him feel as if he were naked instead of clothed.
Ino and Temari talked quietly on one of the window seats. Ino was dressed in a light yellow kimono with a flower pattern and had dark orange trim that—totally by coincidence according to the blue eyed leaf kunoichi—matched Lee's yukata. For once her hair was down and fell in soft waves around her face.
Temari wore a dark blue kimono that had silver threads woven into a fan-like pattern. Her hair was caught up in a soft bun at the top of her head that allowed a few strands to frame her beautiful face. Temari's kimono was obviously more expensive than the other girl's since the fabric caught the light and held it in the way only silk can. But to wear anything else would have been an insult to her brother's postition. (4)
Kankuro's clothes were no less expensive. The black silk of the yukata complemented his skin and the purple make-up was absent from his face. Ino was surprised at how handsome the Sand nin looked without it. The girl Kankuro decided to escort didn't seem too fazed by the fact that her date usually wore more make-up than she did, though. She was too busy chattering about the honor of going to the Kazekage's Mansion.
Why did I ask her again? Someone either kill me or shut her up, Kankuro begged.
Kankuro's prayer was answered by the entrance of Kina and Gaara.
"I forbid you to wear that, Kinabuhi," Gaara growled.
"Well you're going to have to deal with it, Gaara-kun," Kina snapped back. "It's either this or I go down there naked."
Everyone, except Temari and Kankuro, was too surprised to see Kina enter the room from Gaara's bedroom—where she obviously had gotten dressed—to do more than gape at the fact that she had yelled at the quick tempered Kazekage. Not to mention the fact that the boy was practically bald. (5)
Gaara strode across the room and grabbed his sister's arm. He pointed at Kina, his Kazekage robes flaring dramatically. "Take her and let her borrow one of your kimonos," he demanded. "She is not going down to dinner dressed as she is!"
Temari looked over at the girl and shrugged. "She looks fine, Gaara," she said. Kina wore a dark purple kimono with black trim and silver embroidered herons on it. Her long hair was up in a bun exactly like Temari's and she held her silver and black fan in her right hand.
"I'll say," Lee muttered.
"What did you say?" Gaara demanded. Lee quickly shook his head and turned away. "She does not look fine!" He stomped over to Kina's side and turned her around. The other's gasped as they saw why Gaara was so upset.
While the front of Kina's dress looked like any other traditional kimono, the back was a different story altogether. In fact it was a different story because there was no back! The tight sleeves of the kimono were the only things keeping the upper part of the dress up while the long expanse of her back was bare up to the small of her back. There, the fabric of the skirt covered Kina's butt and flowed to the floor in elegant waves.
"It's indecent!" Gaara growled again. "Temari, get one of your kimonos on her at once!"
Kina turned to face Gaara and poked him in the chest. "Let me tell you something, Mr. Panda-man," she growled back. "Where I'm from, this is perfectly decent! I'm not showing anything but my back and I don't intend to show anything else!"
The others in the room looked at each other in shock. Mr. Panda-man?
Gaara grabbed her hand and pinned it to his shoulder with his own. "Kinabuhi," he said slowly. "We are not in your homeland. We are about to have dinner with many important Feudal Lords and other possible clients. I cannot have you parading around like a geisha!"
Kina's eyes started to tear up and to the horror of both Gaara and herself she whimpered. "But none of Temari's kimonos will fit me," she whispered. "I designed this dress myself, Panda-kun. The seamstress liked it, why don't you?"
Gaara sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he conceded. "Wear your dress. But please find a way to cover your back for most of the night, ne?"
Ino was stunned by this seemingly nicer and friendlier Gaara. She looked over at Shikamaru and subtly raised a pinky. The shadow user shrugged, but lazily winked at Ino, agreeing with her assessment.
"I have an idea," she said. Gaara looked over at the leaf kunoichi. He had forgotten that Konoha had sent them as emissaries. "If Kina-san let her hair down then maybe…"
Everyone was shocked again by Gaara's violent response. "NO!"
Kina understood the problem. "I don't have to let it all down, Gaara-kun," she said, gripping his fingers from where he still held her hand to his shoulder. "Maybe only half?"
The Kazekage snorted and pointed to his room. "Ino-san," he said patiently. "Please accompany Kina-chan to the mirror and help her with her hair. Don't take too long," he added coldly. "My guests are waiting."
Kina beckoned Ino to follow her into Gaara's bedroom. Ino followed and almost gaped at the sight before her. It figured into her expectation of Gaara's room…sort of. There were plenty of pieces of dark furniture, but it was the shocking amount of panda accessories in the room that stunned her. There were panda bed sheets, panda figurines, even a panda alarm clock.
She turned to Kina and waited.
"Hehehe," the girl laughed nervously. She sat at a vanity table and started to take the pins from her hair. "I got bored a few weeks ago and redecorated Gaara-kun's room. He made me give all of the furniture back, but decided to keep some of the other things."
Ino picked up the brush and started to style Kina's astonishingly long hair. "Why?" she asked.
"Because I like them," was Kina's simple response. "Gaara-kun knows that I won't sleep here unless he keeps them and he doesn't like the mattress in my room."
Ino almost dropped the heavy brush on her foot. Sleep here? She sleeps in Gaara's room? She decided to keep her questions to herself for now…the others were waiting. "Okay, done," she said.
Kina looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Ino had placed her hair in a high ponytail with some strands framing her face. The ends covered her back, but didn't leave her hair too loose. Gaara would have to be happy with that.
"Can I ask why Gaara doesn't want you to let your hair down as much as he doesn't want people to see your back?" Ino asked before they left the room.
"Gaara's the only one besides you and Temari who've seen me with my hair completely unbound," Kina answered. "He's also the only one with enough patience to brush it after I bathe. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have cut it a months ago."
Ino was shocked for what seemed like the twentieth time that night. She had learned two new things about Gaara, the Kazekage:
1) He had a fetish for long hair.
2) He was a more than a little possessive of Kinabuhi.
When she entered the drawing room, Lee was sitting next to Shikamaru while Temari talked with Kankuro and his date. Gaara looked Kina over and nodded. He offered the girl his elbow and Ino noticed that he now had a full head of red hair.
Must be a genjutsu, she decided. Lee offered her his arm and she took it as Temari and Kankuro claimed their dates. They all walked down the hallway and toward a huge staircase that led to the dining room. She saw Kina whisper something into Gaara's ear and found herself looking into the Kazekage's clear green eyes.
"Thank you for your help, Ino-chan," the boy said.
Ino nodded dumbly and held onto Lee's arm for dear life. Gaara called me 'Ino-chan,' she thought. What the hell?
00000000000000000
April 4
Kina almost wished that it was a school day, then she could forget what today was. The chuunin sat in the drawing room of the Kazekage suite. It had been almost two months since Gaara had ordered her to move into his suite of rooms. It wasn't as bad as most of the servants were whispering. She and Gaara didn't sleep together in the way that they all thought.
The suite consisted of two bedrooms connected by a dressing room and a drawing room that connected the suite to the rest of the mansion. Though it was true that Kina spent most nights in Gaara's room, it was usually because she had gotten as used to sleeping next to him as he had gotten used to sleeping next to her.
Shukaku still bothered the boy, but not when Kina was around to hold him. For some reason, the demon retreated and even became friendly when she was around. When she asked Gaara the reason why, he had said something about her hair and the way she smelled. She had shrugged and let it go at that. It wasn't as if Gaara was interested in her romantically.
In fact, he barely tolerated her most days. He did care for her, though. They had become best friends in a manner of speaking.
But there are some things you can't even tell your best friends, Kina admitted to herself.
She closed her eyes as she tried to remember her brother's face. The image was blurred and she couldn't recall if his hair was spiky like Gaara's or longer like Shikamaru's. Tears burned her eyes as she rested her head against the window. Today was his twentieth birthday and she wasn't even there to celebrate it with him.
Kuya…are you worried about me? (6)
Kina looked up when the door opened and Kankuro stepped into the room. "Oi, Kina," he said. "You're looking pretty down. What's wrong?"
"Nothing you can fix, Kankuro-san," Kina said.
The older boy nodded and sat down next to her. "At least you're not lying to me."
She laughed and rested her chin on her upraised knee. "I learned my lesson the first time, Kankuro-san."
They stayed silent for a while when Kankuro spoke up. "Do you want to meet a few friends of mine?"
"I'm not really in the mood to talk to people today," she answered.
"Who said anything about people?" the puppet master asked. Kina raised her head and looked at him. She stood up and held out her hand. Kankuro took this as a yes and grabbed it.
"Here we are!" Kankuro said a few minutes later as they entered a large building.
Kina was confused by the smell of animals, hay, and manure. But when a large head appeared on her right, she almost squealed with joy. "Horses!"
Kankuro watched as she rushed to the animal and ran her hand down its neck. "Guess you like horses," he said.
"Yes! Me and Kuya used to ride all the time back home…"
If Kankuro noticed the way the sentence trailed off or the sadness in her voice, he didn't give any indication. Instead, he grabbed two bridles from the wall. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go for a ride. I'll show you my spot."
Kina quickly harnessed and mounted a brown mare named Nightshade while Kankuro rode a black gelding he called Nightsmoke.
"They're siblings," he explained at her raised eyebrow.
They rode out of the stable and towards the gates of Suna. Kina was excited. This was the first time she was allowed to leave Suna since Gaara had brought her to the desert village. She tried to ignore the whispers around her as she and Kankuro rode down the street.
"Isn't that the Kazekage's geisha?" one woman whispered.
"Why is she with Kankuro-san? Is she tired of Kazekage-sama already?" another asked.
"What manner of woman allows a monster in her bed?"
That last statement almost broke her composure. Kankuro, who had heard each statement and memorized the faces of those who uttered them, urged his horse into a gallop, knowing that Kina's mount would automatically do the same. Kina was glad for the speed. Now she could blame the dampness on her cheeks on the wind rushing by her face.
Soon they were in the open desert and Kina let the horse have her head. They rode for what seemed like hours before they reached a trio of dunes. Kankuro had halted his horse and seemed to be waiting for something.
Kina looked at the scene in front of her and blinked. Immediately, the genjutsu was dispelled and she saw a beautiful oasis complete with lagoon and shade trees.
"Kankuro-san!" she gasped. "This is amazing. Is this your 'spot'?"
He nodded and dismounted. "Yes it is. C'mon, let's tie up the horses and go for a swim."
She followed him and tied her horse to a convenient tree. "I didn't bring a suit."
"Then swim in your shorts and bindings," he waved off her protest as he started to strip off his clothes. "It's hot enough that we'll be completely dry in 15 minutes anyway."
Kina knew that what he said was true and decided to go for a swim, too. After a bit of energetic swimming and splashing, the two shinobi decided to dry off in the shade. Kankuro picked some fruit and watched Kina unbind her hair so that it could dry.
After a few minutes of watching her finger comb her long hair, Kankuro asked the question he brought her here to ask. "Are you going out with Gaara?"
Kina paused in her brushing and looked over at her friend. "Would it bother you if I was?" she asked back.
Kankuro reached out and grabbed a lock of her hair. It was longer than he had imagined. The night of the Valentine's Day dinner, her hair had been in a high ponytail and even then the ends had reached almost to the back of her knees. In reality, her hair probably reached to her ankles. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was a bit obsessed with it. (7)
"Not really," he finally said. "I don't think of you that way. I don't think of any woman that way, really."
"Any woman, or just any woman you've met so far?" she asked.
He shrugged and looked away. "Either one, both, I don't know." He looked back at the girl sitting beside him and smiled. "I don't want you to get hurt, Kina-chan."
"So I'm 'Kina-chan' now, Kankuro-niichan?" she asked laughingly.
"I'm serious."
Kina sighed and leaned against the older teen. "I know. I'll be fine, Kankuro-kun."
"If he hurts you, he's dead," Kankuro whispered.
She laughed again and started to braid her hair again. "You sound just like Kuya."
"Who is he?" he asked, peeling the fruit he had picked.
Kina started to wind the braid around her hair like a crown. "My brother…" she answered. Her hands dropped to her lap and she stared at them sadly. "It's his birthday today and this is the first time I haven't been there to celebrate it with him."
"Oh." Kankuro was silent for a while before he offered Kina a piece of fruit. "Date?"
"Yes, thank you," she said, reaching for it.
"How 'bout next Thursday?" he asked, pulling the fruit away quickly. He laughed as Kina playfully hit him and took the fruit. (8)
"Baka," she whispered.
(Kazekage Mansion)
"Where is Kinabuhi?"
The servant quaked at the question. He didn't want to be the one to tell the Kazekage that his woman had left with his brother. But the way the question had been asked left no room for disobedience.
"She left early this morning," the servant muttered. "With Kankuro-sama."
Silence…
"Leave me," Gaara said angrily.
What is she doing with Kankuro? he wondered to himself. He looked out the window and noticed that it was dusk. They'd better get home soon, he growled.
At that moment, the door to the drawing room opened and Kankuro strolled in, followed by a laughing Kina. Gaara masked his chakra and muttered an invisibility genjutsu.
"Thanks for the company, Kankuro-kun," she said, looking up at the teen with a huge smile on her face. "You really were a big help."
Kankuro smiled and brought his hand up to play with a lock of her hair. He was unaware that Gaara was in the room, growling at his brother. "Anything for you, Kina-chan," he said. "Now get to sleep. I think all of that riding wore you out."
Gaara's temper grew as Kina leaned up and kissed Kankuro gently on the cheek. She turned and walked over to her room—not the one she shared with Gaara—and smirked. "As if!" she shot back.
Gaara stood there long after both doors had closed, struggling to keep hold of his temper. He would not kill his brother and he couldn't hurt Kina to save his life. He dispised himself for that weakness, but could only think of one thing.
"Thanks for the company, Kankuro-kun…Kankuro-kun…Kankuro-kun…"
Kina never thanked Gaara for his company.
00000000000000000
August 18
"Sorry to come in at such an early hour," the white haired sannin apologized. "But it's much easier to travel at night when heading over here."
"Only for those not used to it," Kankuro laughed. "Don't worry about it. Gaara's usually training with Kina-chan right about now. If you want to, Jiraiya-sama, we could go over there now and that way you can say whatever you need to say then go to sleep."
"It certainly looks as though you need it," Temari joked as she slapped a tired looking Naruto on the back.
"Oi, I'm not that bad," he complained. "Am I?"
"Yes, you are," came the reply from three different mouths.
As the quartet made their way through the quiet village, Jiraiya asked, "Who is this Kina-chan and why is she training with the Kazekage?"
"It's more like Gaara's training her rather than training with her," Kankuro said.
"Is she that Kinabihi Ino was blabbering about?" Naruto asked. "Gaara's girlfriend?"
"Her name is Kinabuhi, Naruto," Temari corrected. "And she is not Gaara's girlfriend, she runs his household and acts as his secretary. Like how Shizune-san is Tsunade-sama's secretary." They entered the Kazekage's mansion and followed the blonde kunoichi. "They're probably in the dojo."
As they got closer to the shouji screened area, they heard the familiar voice of Gaara murmur something. Four pairs of eyes widened in shock as the shadows of Gaara and Kina were outlined against the thin screen. The Kazekage was obviously on his back while the female—and Jiraiya knew that this shadow was definitely female—sat on top of him. Since they were supposed to be training, this wouldn't have shocked the others to the extent that it did, but it was what they heard next that caused their jaws to drop.
"Yes! Finally!" a husky voice cried out with joy.
"Hn," Gaara grunted. "That was exhausting and I didn't even do anything."
The shadow tossed her hair back and planted her hands on the Kazekage's chest. The watchers couldn't help but imagine with their perverted minds—one obviously more perverted than the rest cough:Jiraiya:cough—the wicked smile on Kina's face as she laughed.
"What do you mean you didn't do anything? I couldn't do it without your support!" the girl said, laying her head down on the boy's chest. "I would have given up even trying if it hadn't been for you here to keep pushing at me until I succeeded."
Naruto gulped and Jiraiya wiped a small amount of blood from his upper lip as they watched Gaara's shadowed hand run through the girl's hair. "I have to admit," the Sand nin said quietly. "You've gotten better at it. The first time you tried it, you were pathetic."
Kankuro choked and Temari made a move to cover her ears—but managed to keep her fingers open so that she could still hear what was going on.
"Thanks a lot," Kina said sarcastically.
"I mean you were really pathetic" Gaara said emotionlessly.
"Well," the husky voice of Kina said. "Practice does make perfect, Panda-kun."
"Who are you calling 'Panda-kun,' Kina-chan?" Gaara laughed, finally getting into the spirit of the moment. But this wasn't the normal psycho, "I'm gonna kill you now," Shukaku laugh that everyone knew and feared. This was the laugh of a happy and content teenager—which was a miracle in of itself.
The four in the hallway froze in shock…well, even more shock. Only one thought ran through their heads: Gaara is laughing! Temari grabbed Jiraiya and Naruto's arms and backed slowly down the hallway. If Gaara found them now, they wouldn't even have time to close their eyes in fear before he killed them. Kankuro followed his sister's example and held his breath, a wide smile on his face. You go get him, Kina-chan, he thought.
Once they were in one of the mansion's many drawing rooms, very far away from the dojo, Jiraiya broke the uneasy silence.
"If that's what a Kage's secretary does, then I have to do some extra 'research' on Tsunade and Shizune when we get back home," Jiraiya said, stroking his chin.
(In the Dojo)Gaara looked down at the sweating Kina on his chest and grunted again. "As happy as I am for you, Kinabuhi," he said. "Get off me, you're heavier than you look."
Things were always serious when Gaara called her "Kinabuhi."
Kina immediately jumped up and held her hand out to her friend. "Sorry, Panda-kun!" she replied. "I just got so excited!"
Taking her hand, he got up and walked over to his water bottle, stepping over a shuriken covered log in the process. "I'm just glad that you finally got the hang of it. Figures that you can only perform kawarimi no jutsu when you're in a battle situation."
"How'd you figure that out?" Kina asked, drinking from her own bottle.
"From what you've told me about Escrima fighting, it's purely for self defense," Gaara explained. "Kawarimi no jutsu was designed for self preservation, so your own moral code allowed you to use it."
"Explain that whole thing to me again," she asked. "I just don't get it."
Gaara sighed and touched her 'demon' tattoo on her right arm. "You have chakra," he explained. "A large amount of it, actually. But it's been bound somehow by this tattoo." He then touched the 'blood' tattoo on her other arm. "This other tattoo, the 'blood'—"
"It means life," Kina interrupted.
"—tattoo allows some of your chakra to leak through the 'lid.' It goes straight to your eyes because that's how you were trained. (9) But with the right concentration, you should be able to perform ninjutsus. It looks like you're limited to defensive ones, but that's enough," Gaara finished.
"What would you have done if it didn't work and I ended up a pin-cushion?" Kina asked.
"Taken you to the hospital, of course," was Gaara's answer.
Anything Kina might have said to that statement was cut short by a loud crash from another part of the mansion along with the sound of more than one person screaming.
"ERO-SENNIN!"
"It seems that Jiraiya and Naruto are here," Gaara calmly stated. "Why don't we clean up and meet them in my office?"
Kina smiled and saluted her "boss" with her water bottle. "Sure thing, Panda-kun!"
"Don't call me that!" But she didn't hear him; she was already gone.
A/N:
Another long chapter…sooo, Gaara's jealous, Kankuro is Kina's friend who may also be interested in Kina, Temari's with Shikamaru, everyone thinks Kina is Gaara's girlfriend, and Jiraiya is…Jiraiya.
Next Chapter: Field Trip! Off to Konoha, everyone!
(1) This is a salute that Escrima fighters give to opponents. I have Kina give this to people she respects. Escrima is Filipino martial arts.
(2) Holding the pinky up is a way of expressing the fact that someone has a significant other in Japan.
(3) Gai Clone 3: The Next Generation! Heheheh…
(4) Since Gaara's the Kazekage, he and his family need to dress with care and fitting to their stations.
(5) Remember in the last chapter how the kids shaved the word "panda" into his head? Well, he couldn't just leave it like that!
(6) "Kuya" means older brother in Tagalog
(7) I guess the long hair fetish runs in the family, ne? Hehe…
(8) Yay! "Robin Hood: Men In Tights" is one of the funniest movies EVER! Mel Brooks is a genius.
(9) Escrima fighters are trained to take extra note of every detail in a fight visually speaking.