A/N: Ah yes, that last chapter, I don't own Empty Spaces by SR-71, which is a great song by them. IceNight009, does this answer your question, lol? And THIS is the final chapter, hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. You are amazing!
Epilogue: Two years later…
The hustle and bustle of Sunagakure could be something someone easily got used to, or could be something one could hate. Fortunately, Masao came to adore the desert village and all of the people that resided inside it. She began to understand the complex streets and alleyways that had confused her so much at first, and she was well known by the shinobi there. She had retired as the Sorakage at Hikarigakure sp she could live with her boyfriend, the Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara.
She was officially a Suna-nin now, and a Jounin at that, and she was content. Today she had a day off, and decided to stroll around the Village Hidden in the Sand for fun. She wore a lovely blue kimono with a pale green under robe, and her obi was sapphire with light blue stripes tied in an intricate knot in the back. She slipped into her sandels and out into the village. She was met with hellos by some of the other Jounin she knew, and a few of the academy kids she taught. Although she hadn't been a Suna ninja that long, she knew that a lot of the people there respected her, thanks to Temari and Kankurou. It made her blush knowing all of the kind things they had done for her to make her life easier in Sunagakure.
"Is that Kazekage-sama's girl?" someone asked across the street and a little ways down from Masao. His friend nodded, crossing his arms nonchalantly over his chest. "He's a lucky bastard, I'll give him that. That babe's hot. She's got a good figure and a nice face." He friend nodded again, seeming slightly interested. The maroon haired girl didn't know what they were conversing about, but really didn't even notice them anyway. A little boy was sitting on the sand, crying as the grains flew around them. He was no more than five or six, and she felt a pang of pity for the young child.
She stopped before him she asked kindly, "What's an adorable little boy like you sitting here crying for?" He blinked and glanced up at her, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve. She saw he had a precious heart shaped face, and was about the cutest child she had ever seen.
He sniffed and told her, "I wanna play with somebody, but all my friends are busy and the big kids say I'm too small."
"Oh sweet," the man muttered, seeing that she was going to bend over to talk to the child, giving him full view of what was down her kimono. But before he was able to see her fully lean down, a small wall of sand blocked his and his friend's view and they glanced around to see a stoic Kazekage standing before them. He wore his blue robes and white jacket and scarf, pointy hat included on his head, and his eyes looked angry.
He warned, "Try and attempt that again, and I won't hesitate to allow her to use her genjutsu on you. And it won't be pleasant, I can guarantee it." The men gulped and scurried away like cockroaches just revealed to a newly turned on light, much to his almost apparent amusement.
Masao smiled at the boy and told him, "I'll play with you, if it's okay?" He blinked at watched her in surprise, trying to figure out if there was some type of catch in her words. "I didn't get to play a lot as a kid, so it could be fun if you showed me how you do it. Where's the nearest playground, hm?" He smiled and grabbed her hand pulling her along to where a single wooden rope swing hung, and she had to run slightly to keep up with his fast pace. Gaara watched them through his pale green eyes, trying to figure out if someone did that for him as a child, how would things have turned out then?
That woman seemed to surprise him on a daily basis more than his own siblings did. She took kindly to everyone, even people like those men he had just frightened away, except on the battle field like a true shinobi. He continued to follow her movements as she pushed the boy on the swing, higher and higher until he thought he would go soaring off the wooden seat. But she just caught him swinging back down, laughing. He giggled and toppled off backwards into her, and she caught him easily, steadying him on his feet. "Careful," she laughed, dusting the sand from his clothes. She glanced up and her silver eyes met his. She looked surprised at first, and then smiled and waved to him. He gave her a nod in return and she turned back to the boy, joking, "Now it's your turn to push me!"
"Huh? But I'm too small!" he protested, crossing his arms in a huff. The twilight of the ending day had begun to set upon them, and she glanced around to see the sunset coloring the sky before them.
"Why don't you go home, sweetie?" she told the boy, planting a kiss on his cheek and he smiled, waving goodbye to her as he strolled down the street. She sat on the swing, watching the colorful sky cheerfully. Gaara walked over behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders and she glanced back at him, looking surprised. "Gaara?" Masao questioned. He made no reply, just pushed her gently on the swing. She laughed softly as she swung on the old rope swing, liking the feeling of his hands on her back. Suddenly he stopped her from getting too high, and wrapped his arms around her.
"I don't want to lose you among the stars," he whispered to her his chin resting on her shoulder. She blushed and rested her hands on his, watching the stars peek out one by one as the sun completely set behind the horizon. He slid her off the swing and stood next to her, his five foot two barely topping her five foot nothing. "Let's get home." She smiled and nodded, holding his hand and leaving the swing, another day done in Suna. Things had gotten pretty much normal. At least as normal as a village full of shinobi could get.
Finis
