The next morning, Gaara woke, surprised he was able to sleep so soundly. It was only for a few hours, but he felt refreshed. It had been so long since he was able to sleep undisturbed that he had been disoriented until he remembered that Hyuuga was still in the apartment. He quickly changed into his uniform and prepared for the day.
When he stepped out, Hyuuga wasn't there. The bowl in the sink had been washed and put away. The blanket he had draped over him the night before was neatly folded and placed on the couch. On top of it was another envelope, presumably with more money. Frowning at the envelope, he picked it up, verifying the contents. Did Hyuuga think this was a hotel? Even if it were, he was overpaying.
Going through the rest of his morning routine, he left on time for school, taking the town car. The mark of Ouroboros was still in his mind, but he was calmer thinking of it, no longer worrying over what it could mean. There was no point in worrying about it. Tsunade would put forward the investigation and he would act according to her orders. He was safe here. There was nothing to stress over.
At school, Uzumaki was waiting for him at the gate, watching the commuter students walk by with a yawn. Judging by his tired expression, Inuzuka had probably kept him out all night at the café again. The moment he caught sight of Gaara's car, he perked up, waiting for Gaara to step out.
Gaara smiled softly before hiding it behind a stoic expression and stepping out and was immediately grabbed by Uzumaki, his arm around Gaara's shoulders. "We missed you yesterday," Uzumaki said, dragging him along through the school gates. "I can't believe you hate gaming. It ain't natural."
"It's stupid," Gaara replied. Really, he didn't understand the appeal of videogames, let alone online ones.
"Yeah, yeah. We can go do something you like instead." Uzumaki tilted his head, leaning closer and inspecting his face. "You look good. Did you sleep well?"
Gaara nodded, but Uzumaki smiled widely, genuinely happy for him. "Why don't we go to that café again after school. My treat."
Gaara tried not to perk up at the mention of that café or think of the sweets that it provided. He wasn't successful enough as Uzumaki laughed. It was a relief that Uzumaki seemed to have recovered from his manuscript being destroyed the day before, but just because Uzumaki had quietly accepted it, Gaara still would not forget. After meeting the guest who would be coming to the island the night before, he had a plan on how to get revenge. Whatever happened to those boys would be left up to whatever deity decided to take pity on them.
"Gaara-kun!" Hearing Irukas's voice, Gaara closed his eyes, knowing that whatever the man wanted was going to ruin one of the very few good mornings he has had throughout the years. He felt Uzumaki turn toward the voice, subsequently, dragging Gaara with him.
"Morning, Iruka-sensei," Uzumaki said, brightly, waving to the teacher in question.
Iruka smiled at the teen, his eyes softening at the sight of him. "Good morning, Uzumaki-kun. I'm sorry to hear about what happened yesterday. I was looking forward to reading your story."
"It's no big deal." It was slight, but the tone in Uzumaki's voice became forced to keep that happy appearance. "I'll just write a new one. That one needed some work anyway. Jii-chan is putting out a new book this month though. I think you'll like it. It's a psychological thriller."
Iruka made a face as he considered. "Depends… did you play editor this time?"
Uzumaki smiled guiltily. "He said that if I didn't help, he'd cancel the cable as punishment for the pranks I pulled on Kakashi-sensei."
Iruka shook his head, disappointed, but there was a smile hidden underneath. "Really, Uzumaki-kun. If you used some of that ingenuity for your schoolwork…" he sighed heavily, stopping the lecture before it could start. "Well if you edited it, I'm sure it will be a masterpiece. The last book your guardian wrote was… I'm not quite sure what his editor was doing."
"I'm not even sure he had one," Uzumaki replied honestly.
Iruka finally turned his attention to Gaara. "I need you to come with me for a moment, Gaara-kun." When Uzumaki's grip on his shoulder tightened, Iruka added, "He's not in trouble. I just need his help with something."
Uzumaki was still hesitant, but he let Gaara go. "I'll see you inside."
Gaara nodded his head. Waving goodbye, Uzumaki went through the entrance to the school.
"Gaara-kun, don't do anything reckless to those boys," Iruka said once Uzumaki was out of earshot.
"I'm not going to touch them." In fact, he wasn't planning to lay a single finger on them.
Iruka looked doubtful. Iruka was one of the few who knew just how far he'd go for Uzumaki. He had a right to be concerned for those boys. As long as they had no evidence, Gaara planned to do as he pleased to them. "I talked to that girl who was following you yesterday. She's waiting for you in the practice building in the calligraphy room."
Gaara glared.
"I think you should meet her," Iruka said, ignoring his glare. "She has an interesting story. I felt bad turning her away."
"You're too soft. That's why the other clans think you're weak."
"I am weak," Iruka said with no shame in what he had said. "That's why negotiations are important."
Gaara, while annoyed, couldn't argue with his logic. It was that trait that made Gaara and Uzumaki like him. To criticize him for it would be hypocritical of them. Even so, he didn't want to meet this girl. Whatever she had to say, wouldn't change his mind. He had planned to tell her off himself anyway, this was the perfect time to do so.
"I'll tell Kakashi-sensei that you will be late. Take all the time you need."
Gaara watched Iruka leave, and he wondered whether Iruka had grown too comfortable with him. No other hunter would have pulled what Iruka just did. In fact, they wouldn't trust him alone with a young girl without some form of supervision. Uzumaki and Inuzuka were one thing. A young girl he was unfamiliar with was another.
Gaara headed to the practice building. At this time of day, it was nearly empty with only a few students there utilizing the science or language lab, studying before the start of the new school day. The calligraphy room was on the second floor towards the back of the building, next to the back set of stairs. He could hear her pacing long before he arrived. She would walk a few quick steps. Stop. Then walk to the other side of the room, mumbling quietly to herself.
Thinking that the sooner he addressed this problem, the sooner he could get this over with, he entered the room. Sliding open the door, the girl jumped in surprise and the temperature of the room dropped noticeably.
She had finally changed out of her school uniform, wearing Konoha's P.E. tracksuit that was too large for her frame. Now that he was able to get a good look at her, she looked very young. She had wide brown eyes and long wavy black hair she had attempted to pull back into a high ponytail. She couldn't be more than 12 years old, yet her old uniform clearly showed a year 3 pin on her collar.
She quickly went into a bow, her small form trembling. Her fear was wafting over to Gaara's nose, causing him to clench his teeth to resist the temptation. If she was so scared, she shouldn't have bothered to seek him out. She knew what he was, didn't she? Isn't that why she sought him out?
"U-um, thank you for meeting me, Senpai."
Senpai? No one had ever called him senpai. What was this girl playing at? His suspicion towards her grew. "What do you want from me?"
She stumbled over her words, the trembling in her body getting worse and the temperature of the room decreased. As Gaara's patience was wearing thin at her behavior, she belted out, "Please take me as your student!"
Gaara stared at her as the information sunk in. She couldn't have possibly asked what he thought she asked. Why would she want something like that? He had killed a man. She had watched him kill a man. Why would anyone ask that of him?
"The only thing I can teach you is how to kill."
The girl flinched at his words, but he wanted to make sure that she understood. He was not a teacher or anyone's role model.
"If you're looking for someone to teach you how to control your chakra, you should ask the man who brought you here; otherwise, go home."
She looked confused, but when Gaara turned to leave, she panicked. "Wait!"
Gaara stopped, waiting for her to say something. She had reached out as if she was going to grab him during her plea but had stopped short. Sensing that Gaara wouldn't wait much longer, she looked around the room frantically. She went to the pile of desks, stashed in the corner of the room. Glancing at Gaara, she gulped. Her hand shook as she extended her hand and touched just the edge of the desk. In an instant, the entire pile of desk froze over, a thick layer of ice covering them.
She looked to Gaara, her eyes on the brink of tears. She was terrified, and she held her hands close to her chest. "I saw you controlling the sand. I thought maybe you were like me."
Gaara walked towards her, inspecting the desks she had touched. She hadn't used chakra. Not in the traditional sense. Hunters had to train to learn how to use theirs and consciously choose to use it. A few potential hunters learn about their abilities through fluctuations in chakra, but they were minor. Bending a spoon, starting a small fire, or summoning a minor spirit or demon when their emotions were high and volatile. This went beyond that. This was no instinctual response. This power was literally a part of this girl's being.
"Who are your parents?"
The girl looked down, hiding her hands within the sleeves of her tracksuit. "My dad is a construction worker. I don't know who my mom is. Whenever I ask, my dad just says she was a goddess of beauty who birthed me into the world. He never says anything more than that."
Now he knew why Iruka took pity on her, and why he thought Gaara could help.
"I'm a monster, right? Humans can't do this. I-I-I accidentally killed my best friend just from touching him," she choked. "I don't have anyone else to turn to. I don't want to kill anyone else, but if it's you, you could help me."
She sounded so hopeful, seeing him as some sort of light in the darkness. He was no light. He was no one's savior. "You should go home."
"Please, don't go." She grabbed his hand this time. Gaara inhaled sharply as the cold seeped into his bones freezing his skin. He pulled away sharply, shoving her away. She stumbled back, absolutely horrified. Gaara's hand had gone black where she had touched him with severe frostbite. His lips thinned. Healing this was going to have an inverse impact on his hunger. He still had two days until his next feeding period.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She cried, beside herself. He could tell she wanted to reach out and reminding herself constantly that doing so had gotten Gaara injured. The room in question kept dropping, ice forming around her on the ground.
"Calm down." He said coldly. His words were so chilling, she stopped her blubbering. The temperature drop stopped as well. Holding up his hand, he let her watch his hand heal in real-time. It was much slower than a true vampire's, but it would do for now. She watched, entranced as Gaara focused on keeping the hunger and strain in check. The next two days were going to be hard on him. "Your abilities are tied to your mental state. Get your emotions under control."
She nodded.
He didn't want to help her. She had nothing to do with him. He had enough on his plate. He hated children. He hated those who couldn't help themselves even more. She should seek help from someone else. He looked down at the girl who was staring at her feet. If she asked the wrong human though, they could try to kill her. A lot of humans only sympathized with other humans. They wouldn't see this girl's human half, only her monster half.
The school bell rang, signaling the beginning of the school day.
"What is your name?"
Immediately, the girl brightened up. She was expressive, that was for certain. "Matsuri. I'm a 6th year at Ishigaki Elementary School. Please take care of me, Sensei."
"Quiet."
She closed her mouth immediately. How did it go from senpai to sensei? He hadn't agreed to anything. If anything, he wanted to get rid of her. She was a problem he didn't want to deal with.
"Where have you been staying until now?" he asked.
"Um, the manga café on the other side of the island mostly. There aren't many places around here open 24/7."
A headache was forming, partly from the problem in front of him and partly from his hunger. "Do you know what I am?"
She nodded sharply. "You're a vampire, right?"
"Do you know what that means?"
Again, she nodded. "Yup, I saw it on TV once. They drink blood, right." Only a child could simplify the existence of a vampire so easily and make it sound so innocent. She had no idea what stood before her. All she had was that glorified, no beautified, version of vampires that appeared on television these days. Ones that sparkled or could substitute blood with tomato juice. Ones that took out the violence of the world and substituted it with romance and fantasy. He would correct that notion here and now.
"That's right. I drink blood. Every time I do, I'm killing the person I'm feeding on. I enjoy the hunt and the more terrified the prey, the better it tastes. Every week I'm killing an unsuspecting man or woman who can't even defend themselves." Gaara watched as the information sunk in and the smell of her fear filled the room. His fangs extened to the scent, and Gaara used it to his advantage, letting her see them. "I didn't save you because I'm a nice person. I saved you because the person attacking you was going to be my dinner. I killed him. Do you understand?"
She didn't nod right away as she had done before. The smile had fallen from her face, and he could tell that he had gotten his point across. That he was not the person she had dreamt up in her mind.
"'But you did save me, and you're trying to scare me away to help me, right? So you can't be that bad…"
That was an overly optimistic way of thinking. It was going to get her killed in this world. He should let her go out there and meet her fate.
"This school has an attached junior high. Talk to the principal here. Tell her I sent you. If you can pass the entrance exam with a semi-decent grade, you can enter the year 1 class as a transfer. As for housing, talk to the man you spoke to yesterday. He'll show you a place to stay, contingent if you pass the exam. If you can't, go home and never come here again."
"Yes, Sensei!"
That was going to become annoying very quickly. That was, of course, if she could even pass the exam. It was already halfway through the second trimester. She would be skipping an entire year, and the school was known for its difficult exams. She would be on her way home before she knew it.
Feeling exhausted from all the talking he would normally abstain from, he left first, hearing her excitement on the other side of the door. He never promised to teach her anything. He planned to get Tsunade to take care of the problem. He told the girl how to get on the right track, nothing more and nothing less.
He'd get back at Iruka for this. One way or another.
Gaara's day didn't get any better. Healing as quickly as he had, made him extremely hungry. Focusing was near impossible during classes. It was a relief when it was time for P.E. While the others congregated on the field for class. Gaara was exempt. Putting aside the potential for injury of the other students during the class, the smell of sweat, the high adrenaline, and, what was potential prey, running around, would make Gaara go mad. His control was hair-thin already, being in that environment only made it worse.
So on P.E. days, he was subjected to independent study. At least on paper that was what he was supposed to do. In reality, he just stayed in the classroom reading or wandered the school grounds. It gave him much needed time alone. Today, it was hard to breathe in the classroom, so he walked through the halls, heading towards a vending machine behind the school. The only one that sold his favorite drink.
As he turned the corner, he saw Hyuuga. He wasn't surprised. It was Class A's independent study, and he had seen Hyuuga practice behind the school before. He had been hoping Hyuuga was there as usual. His duffle, where his blazer was folded and placed on top of it, was next to the vending machine. Hyuuga was going through the foundation of his martial arts again. Unlike the beach, where Hyuuga moved with exaggerated slowness and grace, he was moving quickly with solid, fast strikes. It was good, but his technique was lacking.
Gaara put money in the vending machine, letting the noise of the drink being retrieved alert Hyuuga to his presence.
Hyuuga paused his workout, vaguely surprised Gaara was there. "You really are stalking me."
Gaara bent down to get his drink. Hyuuga didn't even get angry when Gaara didn't answer him, putting the straw that came with his drink in the hole. Leaning against the wall, he quietly drank, watching Hyuuga.
Eventually, Hyuuga decided to continue his training when Gaara didn't speak. There were a lot more sloppy movements and uncoordinated attacks that left many openings for attack. After a while, it was painful to watch.
"You need practice."
Scowling, Hyuuga shot him a glare. "What would you know? Just because you and Uzumaki get into fights doesn't mean you know anything about martial arts."
Gaara paid for another drink as he replied. "You're full of openings. Even I could beat you."
"Then, by all means, show me," Hyuuga gestured him over.
Gaara took another sip from his drink. With a few steps, he was standing next to Hyuuga, noting that Hyuuga had some height on him. He generally never stood so close to people except for Uzumaki. He stared at Hyuuga expectantly, finishing off his first drink and squeezing the carton to get the last few drops. Raising an eyebrow at Hyuuga, he encouraged Hyuuga to begin whenever he was ready.
Hyuuga took the invitation. He made the first strike, a palm strike, aimed at Gaara's chest. It was fast for an attack that had no chakra embedded into it. By human standards, it was good, but to Gaara, it may as well have been slow motion. Gaara took a step back, keeping himself just out of Hyuuga's reach. Hyuuga took a step in, keeping himself within Gaara's bubble.
Hyuuga's techniques were heavily rooted in the clan's distinctive martial arts style. Stay close to your opponent, attack pressure points and vital areas, and keep your opponent off balance. No attack was meant to be a finishing blow. The style was meant for a combo of attacks to disable and break down the enemy.
The problem was that the style was made with the purpose of having chakra embedded into the attacks. If Hyuuga had managed to land an attack, which Gaara would never allow, it would have no damage. Chakra would have made the attacks faster, stronger, and inflicted more damage. While Hyuuga occasionally used it unconsciously due to his frustration of not being able to land a single hit, it wasn't enough to last or adequately help him.
Another problem was how basic the attacks were. They were fundamentals, the bare bones of the real martial art. It became quickly obvious that he was never taught more than that. His fundamentals were strong, exceptional even, but anything with complexity was weak, full of holes, and would fall apart against a real opponent.
Having analyzed all he could, he dodged another attack and kicked out Hyuuga's foot, causing him to lose his balance, and with a single push, Gaara made Hyuuga fall to the ground on his behind. Hyuuga's irritation and embarrassment were clear on his face. He had only been around Hyuuga for a few days and even Gaara picked up how much of a perfectionist he was. He didn't like to fail.
"Where did you learn?" Hyuuga asked, both reluctant and bitter.
"I've been in enough fights." Gaara briefly wondered if he should extend his hand and help him up, but decided against it, putting the straw in his second drink instead. "You can't test what works without being in combat."
Hyuuga crossed his legs, not getting up from the ground. "I know, but it's not like I have a choice." He sighed, an uncharacteristic trait coming from him. "I shouldn't be telling you this," he muttered under his breath.
Gaara could guess why that was. Hyuuga didn't know about his clan being one of the oldest hunters in Japan, therefore, he wasn't taught anything past the basics.
Gaara sipped at his drink, relishing the sweetness on his tongue as he stared down at Hyuuga.
"What are you staring at?" Hyuuga snapped when Gaara didn't say anything.
Gaara sipped at his drink more. It was a stupid idea. He shouldn't do it. He had no obligation to help. Perhaps stupidity was contagious. Or more likely, he was lightheaded from actually having a decent amount of sleep, making him act outside of his normal behavior. "Meet me tonight at 11 on the east beach."
"What?"
Finishing his drink, he walked away saying nothing else. If Hyuuga didn't show, then it was no problem of his. He did his charity for the month. Whether Hyuuga took advantage of it or not was up to him.
Neji watched Gaara leave, his eyebrows furrowing in thought. He had of course heard of Gaara's reputation and had even seen the result of the basis of those rumors. Gaara was supposed to be the violent, unstable sidekick of Uzumaki, Naruto.
However, the past week had shown that to be quite wrong. Even over the two previous years in high school, he had never seen Gaara do anything. He was quiet and was often Uzumaki's shadow, occasionally intervening and keeping Uzumaki out of trouble. He was beginning to think the rumors were false and the violent acts were actually Uzumaki's, and Gaara took the fall for it.
What did it matter? They couldn't be friends. Despite his occasional troublemaking, Neji was well liked by his classmates. He was smart, athletic, and popular. He couldn't go a week without being called out for a confession. If he were to become friends with Gaara, not only would he lose that popularity and start to be hated by his classmates for it, his uncle would think less of him than he already did.
He picked himself up off the ground, going to his duffle. He should review today's lesson while he had a chance. Opening the bag, he was surprised by the contents, chuckling. It seemed he had lost this round. The two envelopes he had given to Gaara were placed neatly on top of the clothes Gaara had let him borrow a few days prior. How had Gaara managed to put them in his bag without him noticing?
His hands ran over the soft material of the clothes, remembering how nice they had felt to wear. Those rumors really did appear to be just that, rumors. Now curious as to what Gaara wanted from him, he decided going to meet him just this once wouldn't hurt.
Gaara licked the chocolate from the spoon, savoring the bittersweet taste of heaven. His hunger had been surprisingly obedient today, allowing him to enjoy his day out with Uzumaki and Inuzuka fully. After that annoying little girl had injured him, he was sure he wouldn't be up to eating in public, no matter the wonderful treats awaited him. Pushing the empty bowl away, he picked up a fork to begin on his fruit tart.
Inuzuka was staring at him with disbelieving eyes, watching the plates pile up in front of Gaara. Uzumaki just shook his head, taking a sip of his melon soda. Apparently feeling brave, Uzumaki reached out to grab one of the raspberries on top. Seeing the appendage, Gaara let out a low growl, pulling his plate closer and out of Uzumaki's reach.
"I think hell has frozen over," Inuzuka said. "I don't think I've ever seen him get angry at you."
Uzumaki pulled his hand back and leaned back into his chair. "Guess he's just not in a sharing mood."
Giving his all for Uzumaki was one thing, but his desserts were another story. It was one thing he would never share, not even with Uzumaki.
Inuzuka sighed loudly and put his forehead to the table. "I just can't do it. I just can't think of anything to get her."
"Why don't you just make her something. Girls like that type of thing, right?" Uzumaki suggested.
"Forget it. Last time I tried to make something, I was so ashamed of how it turned out, I burned it," he sighed heavily again. "Maybe I should just ask Hyuuga after all."
Uzumaki snorted in derision. "Like that asshole would know what Hinata-chan would like. He's too much of a self-serving, privileged young master to think of anyone else but himself."
"Then what would you get her?"
Uzumaki shrugged. "I dunno. Girls don't like me, remember?"
Inuzuka sunk into his seat. He did glance at Gaara briefly before subtly shaking his head, dismissing the idea of asking Gaara's opinion. Good move. Gaara did not do birthdays, and he knew nothing about dating. He didn't want to know anything about the subject. It was more trouble than it was worth. Not that he could date. Inuzuka was on his own with this particular matter, not that Gaara ever offered to help him without Uzumaki's request.
"Useless. Both of you," Inuzuka murmured into the table. "Well, if you two aren't going to be any help, I guess I'll just take a look around while we're here. Maybe I'll see something." Rising, Inuzuka placed his money down on the table. "I'll take the bus back. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"See ya, man." Uzumaki waved as his friend left.
Gaara finished his last desert, placing his fork down. "P.E." At Uzumaki's confused face, Gaara continued. "Yesterday's third period. Last Wednesday's second through fifth period."
Uzumaki's face lit up with understanding, then turned guilty at having been caught. Uzumaki skipped classes occasionally, but he rarely did it without Gaara. However, recently, he had been skipping more often, normally when Gaara wasn't around so he wouldn't notice, like today's P.E. class for example which Gaara was exempt from participating in.
"You know, it's creepy that you know what I do all the time." Uzumaki mumbled. Wearily, he ran his hands through his hair. "Look, I just wanted to give Kiba some space. He really likes Hinata-chan, I thought that if we were separated a bit more, he'd have a better chance."
"You're bad at lying."
Uzumaki's face fell, only for a second. Then he smiled deceptively bright, highlighting Uzumaki's lie before he even spoke, "Oh, come on. Even I need time by myself occasionally. I don't need to spend every moment with you and Kiba, do I?"
If it was anyone other than Uzumaki, Gaara may have believed that. Inuzuka hadn't left to look for a gift because Uzumaki wasn't helpful. It was because he was having doubts. Inuzuka stayed by Uzumaki's side, and did his duty as a friend would, but not without hesitating at first. Every once in a while, Inuzuka would wonder whether friendship with Uzumaki was worth it. It was difficult to be friends with the two people most hated on the island. The scorn Uzumaki and Gaara received fell onto Inuzuka, and he had to endure the same treatment they did. Inuzuka knew that if he left, the treatment would stop, thus why every once in a while, he would wonder if the struggle was worth it.
Uzumaki was sensitive to things like that and well aware of Inuzuka's feelings. He was perceptive to people's feelings and if Uzumaki liked that person, he would do everything to keep them happy. Gaara was no exception. Uzumaki knew when he lied, when he put distance between them, and when he was in pain. He went out of his way to make Gaara and Inuzuka comfortable, in return making himself miserable.
Uncomfortable, Uzumaki hastily said his goodbyes, excusing himself from the restaurant, once again trying to pay, but Gaara stopped him before he could. Uzumaki was in such a hurry to leave, he didn't object, grinning and waving like the naïve teen he was.
If Gaara was a good friend, he would step in. He would open up to Uzumaki more, he would reassure him that Inuzuka would come around as he always did and say that he would always have his back. Gaara couldn't offer such frivolous words because he knew people like them never got happy endings, and he couldn't lie and say that he would. He wanted Uzumaki to have hope, but could offer nothing but his silence, just like back then.
Losing his appetite, Gaara stopped at the three dishes instead of ordering his usual five or six. It did not stop him from licking the spoon one last time though.
Paying for Uzumaki's and his own snack, Gaara left, walking to the embassy stationed a few blocks away.
As he walked, he wondered if Hyuuga would show. He was still unsure as to why he offered to meet him in the first place. This little idea he had come up with was a huge gamble. Hyuuga was food. Just like any other person on the island. High levels of adrenaline would only make him that much more appetizing. Should he call it off? He couldn't afford an incident. Tsunade was barely able to keep him here as it was.
Contemplating the predicament he had gotten himself into, he was distracted by the sight of Iruka coming out of the embassy. He inhaled sharply.
He wouldn't. Iruka wouldn't.
Iruka caught sight of him and gave that innocent teacher smile.
He would. Iruka definitely would.
"There you are Gaara-kun. I was hoping I would see you before I left."
"Iruka," he growled, gaining a frown from the teacher.
"No need to be rude. Use san." Iruka scolded.
"Explain," Gaara demanded.
"Well she needed a place to stay after she passed the exam, and we can't keep her in the dorms. Since she can't pay the tuition, let alone dorm fees, books, and the uniform, and she said you would vouch for her, Tsunade-sama decided that you would take responsibility for her. Of course, we contacted her father about her whereabouts. He's incredibly thankful for helping her." Iruka said the last part with a smile, a smile people used to guilt trip another into doing what they requested.
Gaara briefly wondered if he could get away with killing Iruka, quickly deciding the hassle wasn't worth the trouble. Iruka may have been weak, but he was still a clan head even if he was the last of his clan. Iruka would more likely vote in favor of Uzumaki and Gaara, and they needed all the support they could get.
Trapped by the crafty old hag and a secretly manipulative teacher, Gaara resisted rubbing his temples when he asked, "What room?"
"408."
Across the hall from his fake apartment. Gaara went over his choice of whether keeping Iruka alive was the correct one. Unfortunately, it was. Damn.
"Don't worry, I told her to not approach you at school or make contact with you in public. She said she didn't want to cause any more trouble than she already has. She's quite a sweet girl." Iruka nodded like an approving parent. "Well, long story short, she will be in the first-year hunter class as you and Naruto were. I told her she has no fear of accidentally harming the students. Even as first years, they are well equipped to at least protect themselves if not subdue her if needed."
"I'm sure she'll find it comforting," it came out deadpanned as Gaara didn't really mean it. Soon enough the girl will find it hard to breathe in that environment after the first time she made a mistake and even harder to recover any trust or comradery she had built up.
"No system is perfect," he admitted. Iruka may not be cold to him or Naruto, but he wasn't inclined to change the system either, fine with the current status quo.
"Well, I've done all I can. Good luck with your new student, 'sensei'." Iruka chuckled at the glare Gaara sent his way before walking off.
He had not agreed to take her on as a student, but with Tsunade pretty much requesting him to take responsibility, he had little choice. His hope to shove the girl onto Tsunade had backfired. Going inside the embassy had lost its appeal. He had hoped to center himself before dealing with his other screw up for the day, Hyuuga.
Some god was laughing at him as the girl came out, holding a piece of paper. She was still dressed in the tracksuit and looking around uncertainly. She caught sight of him and put the paper behind her back. Opening her mouth to speak, she reconsidered, snapping it shut, apparently remembering that she wasn't supposed to make contact first.
He couldn't have her loitering or getting lost. Any trouble she was in would become trouble for him, and there were few natives on this part of the island. More tourists, executives, and politicians than anything, those ignorant to the true purpose of the island.
"What are you doing?" He asked, staring down the girl.
"I was going to look around and purchase some necessities…" She trailed off looking down.
"There is a shopping district not far from here, but it's for tourists and more expensive."
"I…see…" she looked down at her hands, like a subdued child. Whatever warning Tsunade or Iruka had instilled in her, worked. At least they had some common sense before dumping her onto him.
"Follow me."
The girl immediately went to his side the moment he told her to. Gaara was able to show her around town without speaking much. He showed her the route to take and let her observe where the stores were for herself. She bought the basics. A futon and blanket, clothes, toiletries, instant noodles, and a teapot. However, it was so too much for her to carry, so Gaara was roped into carrying things for her as well. Not wanting to put up with it, Gaara called for his town car, shoving the material inside the moment it pulled up.
He did help her bring it up to her room. It was a good excuse to see it. He could ask for the floor plan but verifying it in person was a better idea. Floor plans on paper could be fake or wrong.
The moment the door was opened, he took note of every aspect of her apartment. It was completely unfurnished, and none of the finishes were upgraded like Gaara's. It was also noticeably smaller, nearly half the size.
Taking her shoes off, Matsuri went to open the windows to allow the fresh autumn air in while Gaara didn't bother, walking in with his shoes. It was apparent that everything she had bought were the only things she had in the apartment. It was still more than what he had as a child.
"So, where are you from?" Matsuri asked in an effort to make conversation. She took out the teapot, quickly washed it and put it on the stove after taking a moment to figure out how it worked.
Gaara didn't answer, having satisfied his curiosity of her apartment. Besides, it wasn't any of her business. "Be outside your room at 5 am."
"What?" his statement caught her off guard, but he didn't say it again, heading out.
Afterward, Gaara went to his real room in the basement. It was already 8pm, leaving Gaara 3 hours before he was to meet Hyuuga.
What was he doing? Gaara thought, heading into the artificial desert. The scorching heat warmed his skin within moments. He collapsed onto the sand, closing his eyes. The beast inside him was stirred, but not in a bad way. It was more active, but its mood was almost pleasant. It liked the sand and heat and its emotions leaked over, influencing his own. It felt like home. It was funny, he had no idea what home felt like, but no other feeling explained it. Do monsters get homesick?
The pleasantness wouldn't last. If he stayed for more than an hour or two, the feeling would fade and be replaced with annoyance and anger. For now, Gaara basked in the pleasant feeling. It was a rare feeling he wasn't allowed to indulge in.
He would keep today's appointment with Hyuuga, but this was the last time. People were better away from him where he couldn't reach them. He was no good for anyone.
Eyes falling shut, he basked in the artificial sun. He would let the pleasantness wash over him for a while. He'd worry about the others when it came.
Gaara wasn't surprised Hyuuga was there early. Hyuuga was still wearing his uniform, though he did take off his jacket for their meeting. He was starting to wonder if Hyuuga had any other clothes.
"Is there a reason why you called me here so late at night?" Hyuuga asked.
"Did you have somewhere else to be?" Gaara responded.
That effectively made Hyuuga shut up, though it was not Gaara's intention. Gaara took off his shoes and stood in front of a very confused Hyuuga. "I'll be your opponent," he said simply.
Hyuuga understood what he was saying. He didn't attack immediately, and when he did, he was hesitant to do so, being outside the dojo. His attacks were restrained and controlled and stuck to the basics as he had at school. The way they were going, Hyuuga wouldn't get anything out of this session.
That behavior didn't last long once Gaara laid him flat on his back a couple of times. Once he finally irritated Hyuuga enough to actually put his all into his attacks and take risks, Gaara could finally call it a practice spar. At least for one of them. Gaara had stopped attacking, either taking the hits or dodging them, depending on what Hyuuga was practicing, allowing Hyuuga to understand how exactly his attacks were hitting or how an enemy might counter.
Gaara did have to say, he was intrigued by Hyuuga's progress. He was a quick thinker, realizing what techniques failed and how to counter unexpected reactions. Hyuuga was quiet, focused, and would be a scary opponent to have. The longer a fight dragged on, the deadlier he would be.
Hyuuga stopped, putting his hands to his knees, covered in sweat, as he panted heavily. "I'm pathetic."
Gaara's brows furrowed, unsure of what brought that comment on.
"You're not even tired," Hyuuga clarified.
"Practice."
Hyuuga gave him a short laugh, startling Gaara a bit. He had never heard him laugh before, a chuckle maybe, but not a laugh. "What a nice way of bragging." He stood up straight, having caught his breath. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
"I was bored," he said, sidestepping his gratitude.
"Right." Hyuuga breathed out heavily, regaining posture and young master air. "It's about time I go. I still have to go over the class notes."
"Then I'll see you Monday night."
Hyuuga quickly understood what he meant, and again Gaara was graced with a small smile. "Won't Uzumaki get angry that you're spending so much time with me?"
"He has a pet to keep him company."
Chuckling, Hyuuga picked up his bag. "I'll see you around."
Gaara didn't say goodbye, but he did watch Hyuuga leave until he was no longer in sight. He had thought about extending an invitation to sleep in his apartment again, but he already had one guest to take care of. His quiet life was suddenly jammed pack with responsibilities.
Speaking of Matsuri…
He pulled out his phone. He had a little bit of shopping to do.
Matsuri had been outside her room promptly at 4:58 am as Gaara requested. It was a good thing for her too. He had not slept peacefully the night before, and he was starving. Everything was back to normal.
He watched her every movement, constantly reminding himself that she wasn't food. The taint in her blood helped in the reminder, but she smelled human enough. To a demon, she would smell human enough to not warrant a consideration to be spared. The only consolation was that demons were far fewer in number in the present than the past due to the expanding human civilization. The demons and spirits kept to themselves as a result, not wanting to bother with hunters that sought to destroy them.
Her instincts picked up on his predatory nature. When he emerged, she kept perfectly still, barely breathing, like a deer in the headlights. "Keep your head up," he said, an underlying growl in his voice. "If you act like prey, you will be prey."
She did as she was told, but it didn't change the timid nature of her. She was acting far too human for his hungry state. He had to keep reminding himself that tomorrow, he was going to feed.
He led her to the basement, intentionally staying in front of her the whole time so that he didn't have the visual reminder that she was food. She followed, keeping space between them. Whether she realized it or not, she did have survival instincts. Most humans didn't notice he was assessing them for weakness until he had settled on that they were food he could eat when he was actively stalking or hunting them. His goal was going to be to refine those instincts and have her learn how to control it.
The heat and sand stabilized Gaara's condition while the opposite effect happened for Matsuri. Her discomfort grew for another reason, the climate not ideal for her situation. The area around her was dropping in temperature, but it only made the air humid and more uncomfortable for her.
"Are you aware of what you are?"
"Um," while Gaara was perfectly fine, Matsuri was drenched in sweat, dripping like she was melting. The heat was already taking a noticeable effect on her. She struggled just to get her words together. "A demon or something," she responded lamely, pausing after almost every other word.
"You are half yuki-onna, a snow woman. Your power is highly respondent to your mental state. You could summon a blizzard to this island and kill everyone if you wanted if your wrath was strong enough. Your powers are there to protect you and get revenge for you, but you are only half. Your human emotions are much stronger and volatile than your demon counterpart therefore, you will lose control that much easier."
She was quiet as she thought over his words, wiping the sweat from her forehead constantly. "How do I stop it?"
"Learn to control your emotions and keep your chakra in check." Gaara sat in the sand. He felt the sand swirl around him as if mocking him. "It's all you can do."
She nodded, sitting down from across of him.
"Chakra is in everything. The animated, plant and animals, have more of it while the inanimate, rocks and the earth, have much less. The animated has their chakra constantly flowing and some who have an abundance of it, can not only manipulate it but give form to it. Demons are essentially made up of entirely chakra, given physical form. The chakra they possess responds to their will without much thought, and they require little training to use it.
"This environment is the exact opposite of what is ideal for you. It will cause you discomfort and make it hard to focus. Prolonged exposure will put a severe strain on your body. If you can manage to keep control here, then you should be able to do it elsewhere."
He crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees, closing his eyes. "Close your eyes and focus on nothing but yourself. Not the heat, not the sand, not your discomfort, only on your being."
"Yes, sensei." She replied.
Gaara opened his eyes, watching her trying to copy him. Over the next hour, she could not help but fidget and the discomfort she was feeling showed on her face. She never complained, but she didn't have too. Her mind was elsewhere, unable to focus.
Teaching about chakra was not easy. There was no easy way to tell somehow how to identify it or what to feel for. Most had to identify it for themselves. It also appeared that she had a habit of restraining her chakra, hiding her presence, when she was uncomfortable and did not want to be seen. While she squirmed, fully aware that Gaara was watching her, she did just that, making it more difficult for her to sense the abundance of chakra that was hidden within her. The irony was that being able to hide chakra was an advanced technique for most. She did not have to think about it. On the other hand, easy techniques, like meditating was currently out of her reach.
"That is enough. Practice on your own. We will meet one week from now."
"Yes, Sensei." she stood up, falling over immediately. She was dehydrated from the amount of sweating she had done. Gaara didn't help her. She needed to learn how to survive on her own. This world wasn't going to help her. She had to learn how not to show weakness or vulnerability. If his coldness scared her away, then so be it. He would just go home and continue as if she had never shown up in his life, and he would be perfectly fine with that.
After she had left, he went to his room to change for school, his thoughts on Uzumaki. Was there anything he could do to help that unease his friend was feeling? Money would not fix it and neither would his words. He could scare Inuzuka into taking Uzumaki more seriously, but it would not help the underlying root. It may backfire and make Inuzuka withdrawal from Uzumaki more. Inuzuka may have wavering thoughts occasionally, but he did offer Uzumaki a distraction. He gave Uzumaki a normalcy that Gaara could not give, and Inuzuka was Uzumaki's only way to escape his lonely fate as being one of the lords' hosts. If Inuzuka could get him off the island, away from the hunters, away from people who knew him...
But Inuzuka probably wouldn't leave the island and neither will Uzumaki. Uzumaki was going to be stuck here, and Gaara would eventually have to leave him as well.
Gaara's hands stilled in the middle of dressing. Uzumaki wasn't a monster like him. His lord may surface from time to time, but not enough for Uzumaki to notice. Uzumaki was still fully human. A strong human, yes, but human all the same. Gaara hadn't been able to claim that for many years. Any hunter, vampire, or apparition that saw him would only see a vampire.
He was jealous of Uzumaki. Jealous that Uzumaki could remain unaware. Jealous that Uzumaki had left the facility when he was young enough to forget. Jealous that he could remain hopeful, be kind to others, and never wished misfortune upon anyone. He was jealous, but he loved him as well. Uzumaki had saved him and had been his first friend. He had shown him there was kindness in the world and had kept him going through all the hardships he had faced when they separated. Uzumaki was the only reason Gaara had any humanity left in him. He wanted to protect Uzumaki as long as he was able, from the outside world and from the truth.
He finished dressing and glanced at the file on his desk that contained information on the two young men who had destroyed Uzumaki's manuscript. Until he left, he would be Uzumaki's shadow, and protect his happiness no matter what.
