Chapter 6: A date with the Kazekage
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Gaara stared at the ceiling, at a home that was not his own; They had arrived at the Nara residence late in the night, not giving them enough time to catch up or even join the Naras for dinner.
Slipping his shirt on, Gaara exited the guest room and wandered to the porch. No matter how far away from home he was, one of the few things that remained constant was the moon and the sky.
As he stared at the moon, he thought about the children in his village that were suffering, left without a parent, a casualty of war. Yet, Temari was insistent that he looks to start a family. He had turned down countless marriage proposals, but no one seemed to be getting the hint that he was, dare he say, better off alone. His work and the way he had been leading his life brought him happiness, and he wanted to share that with the children that were suffering back home.
Believing that there was a problem, his sister became obsessed with the possibility that perhaps a foreigner might be more of a right fit. He will never know until he tries, those had been her words. Gaara didn't comment that her bias probably stemmed from the crush she had on Nara.
The surrounding shadow twisted and morphed. Gaara glanced over his shoulder and welcomed the newcomer who had settled next to him to stare at the same moon. Shikamaru was one of the few that may be able to talk some sense into his sister. Until then, he would play along and humor Temari, just so that he could turn around and say he tried to find a wife.
"I won't be able to sleep for the next few days, a habit of mine when I'm in foreign lands," Gaara offered a small trivia of himself, not minding small talks with the person that captured his sister's heart.
"Let me guess, you miss your village," Shikamaru said with a knowing smile.
"You put it simply, but we both know it is more than just that," Gaara replied, finally pulling his gaze away from the moon to look at the person sitting next to him. Brief flashes of the war surfaced in his head. So much has happened near Konoha, that it was hard being there without being reminded of the past.
"I'm helping Naruto prepare his talking points for the annual meeting. Would you like to join us tomorrow?"
Gaara politely declined the invitation.
"Temari set me up with a guide,"
"A guide?" That's interesting, the village hasn't changed that much since the last time he was here. When Gaara didn't willingly offer any more information, Shikamaru let the subject die.
Gaara pushed himself off the floor, he was ready to head inside.
"If you're planning to stay up, why don't we use this time to sharpen our minds? How about a game of Shogi, like old times?"
Shikamaru waved his hand 'no' for an answer. After all, he had only come outside to smoke before bed.
Yawning was perhaps contagious, as Shikamaru let out a yawn, Gaara initiated one as well.
They both grinned at one another.
Lighting a cigarette, Shikamaru leaned back into his arm, blowing smoke towards the sky.
"Don't smoke too much, Nara. You know how my sister hates the stench,"
Shikamaru's shoulders stiffened. "Don't tell Temari what you saw,"
Gaara, who was already halfway inside, gave him a look. "I can't make any promises my friend,"
The shadow user shook his head at what he perceived to be betrayal, yet his lungs were occupied as he blew out ring-shapes towards the starry sky.
"Troublesome," He said to no one in particular, as he had been left alone with the moon.
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The very next morning, Hinata Hyuga stood outside the Nara residence, waiting for the Kazekage. Her hands clutched a simple straw purse, her favorite flower pruners tucked away inside. She should've felt honored to be spending time with Suna's royal, but something about the situation left her frustrated, as she had to stop her clan duties just to entertain someone else. The elders hadn't been as bothered as she thought they'll be, since she'll possibly fall behind schedules on some due dates when it came to clan business. This made her suspicious.
Eventually, Hinata found that she was unable to hold onto those negative emotions, as they evaporated with the sun; At least the weather was nice. There was a nice breeze about, even though the weather forecast had promised a dry summer day, with little to no wind.
Pretty soon, a large gust came about. Hinata pressed down onto her sun hat, waiting for the sudden wind to pass. A few seconds later did she realize the anomaly was caused by Gaara's sand as he floated about in the air in his proud Suna colors. He coordinated his crimson long-sleeve shirt with black pants, making her feel relief at her own decision for choosing a casual summer dress.
He floated his way out of the mansion, arms crossed, and hopped off the sand platform slightly nodding her way. His face was impassive, his green eyes were dead.
A memory of the past surfaced without any warning, as she remembered the time he had struck fear in her heart. As brief as the memory was, it went away right away, leaving her to analyze him as the person that he was today. Even though Naruto had a close relationship with the man in front of her, she found his demeanor to be quite unfriendly.
His arms, which were still crossed, almost whispered that he didn't want to be there.
Hinata turned her head to the side in an attempt to hide her face and stifled a giggle. She found humor in the aspect of both of them being forced to do something they didn't want. When she turned back to look at the Kage, he seemed curious as to why she was trying her best to hide her smile.
"What's so amusing, Hyuga-san?"
"It's nothing, Lord Kazekage-san,"
Was she teasing him? He didn't like the way his title rolled off her tongue.
"Please call me Gaara, after all, you're one of Naruto's close friends,"
"Alright, Gaara-san. You may also address me the same way,"
Hinata began to lead the way right away, over fear that she may lose her composure upon repeated mentions of Naruto's name. She still hated herself for the familiar warmth that sneaks its way to her cheeks upon the mention of his name even though it still hurts just the same. She could understand why he believed they were close.
Gaara never inquired about where they were going, but simply followed.
They walked side by side, at her own pace, for what almost felt like an eternity to him. He glanced at the woman beside him, who seemed to have a sad smile on her as she stared up ahead. Gaara followed her gaze and noticed they were nearing a forest. The path they took to get there had seemed almost deserted.
The forest had an opening, with brand-new target practice and dummies.
"There are some flowers further up ahead that I need," Hinata explained. He gave a nod, knowing they weren't there to train.
Hinata found, what Gaara assumed, were the flowers that she spoke of. He lifted a hand to conjure his sand, shifting them into sheers made out of the sand. Realizing he was offering help, Hinata quickly turned it down.
"Thank you though, Gaara-san," She didn't have the heart to tell him that his method might be a little too violent for the poor flowers, as she imagined them to be scared.
After pruning some proteas that had been in full bloom, Hinata rubber-banded the bouquet and nodded to the person following. They continued in amicable silence, mostly because Gaara didn't want to allow words to ruin the relaxing atmosphere that has built up to now.
Their next stop was… a surprise. Gaara stood back, awkwardly, as Hinata stood in front of a tombstone. She gracefully descended to her knees, tucking her navy blue summer for modesty. She fixed up the fresh bouquet and discarded the old one.
"Neji," Gaara read the name of the tombstone out loud and frowned.
Searching for the proper words to say in such a situation, Gaara remembered his friend Naruto would constantly write letters where he mentioned he felt sad over the death of a said individual. "He was a great man, I know that he was loved by many,"
"Yes, he was…" Hinata's tone grew somber, recalling flashes of her little sister being there to give her a purpose and push her to become clan leader, telling her if she feels so guilty for being alive, to use her life to help some of Neji's dreams come true.
Hinata brought her hands together into prayer and bowed her head. Gaara moved away from the scene to give her privacy. He paced to other tombstones to find most names were unfamiliar to him, but there were a few Naras, Yamanaka's, and Akimichis buried there as well. How odd, that there were very few Hyuga resting there.
Gaara heard a sound and turned his head towards the trees, catching sight of two ninjas wearing masks. He was sure the two Anbu guards weren't assigned to him because he would've either known about it or politely declined the protection altogether. His attention was suddenly back on Hinata, as she gracefully ascended back to her feet after finishing a prayer. The more he stared at her, the more he realized he was missing something.
Who was she, really?
"They said today's weather is supposed to be nice," Gaara heard her say, snapping him out of his thoughts.
They both glanced at the grand clear sky.
"Where to next, Hinata-san?" Gaara asked when she sent hidden cues that she was ready to leave.
"I want to check on my friends and see how they're doing,"
This threw him off a bit. But still, he followed. They visited the homes of two of her friends, Kiba and Shino, only to find they weren't present.
When Hinata spoke what their next location would be, she noticed Gaara trailing behind, his steps slowed until he paused altogether. She tilted her head in his direction, an innocent look in her eyes.
"Hyuga-san," Gaara quickly caught on to something. She wasn't particularly trying to entertain him by showing him new places people considered an attraction. "I believed there would be more tourism involved in this guide," Gaara recalled his best friend Naruto saying very nice things about her, but why did he get the vibe that she was entitled?
"Whatever do you mean, Lord Kazekage-san?" Although she seemed genuinely confused, he detected an undertone of sarcasm. Then it hit him, he had referred to her as her Family's name. He later corrected himself.
"Hinata-san, why are we visiting your friends?"
"Are you bored, Gaara-san?"
What used to be mild curiosity, turned into irritation when she deflected his initial concern.
"That's not truly the point of my question," He went on to repeat his original question.
"I'm making these trips with you because I don't know when an opportunity like this is going to come by again," She said sincerely. "When your sister asked me to entertain you, I thought to myself that I might as well do something that I want to do because you'll have all week to get a proper tour of our village, should you wish it,"
Gaara mulled for a few moments, soaking in her words. Hinata waited for the verbal cues to come that would hint that he understood, but when he seemed at a loss, she walked up to him and stood close, yet at arm's length. She clasped her hand behind her back and stared up at him.
"Gaara-san, I don't have all the time in the world to be bored or to entertain someone when I'm leading my clan," She said softly, with the patience that reminded him of a mother. "When your letter arrived, I saw this as an opportunity to do things I normally won't have time to do,"
The puzzle, the thing he seemed to be missing, came together. Gaara took a few steps away, this time it was him trying to hold back a stifle, but failed, as he chuckled to himself. Temari had it wrong the whole time, he mused.
Embarrassed, Hinata bit her lip. This time she was the one feeling a little offended. What could be so funny about her being a clan leader?
"This was all just a big misunderstanding," Gaara reassured her and went on to explain that his beloved sister had reached out to her, believing she was still the ex-heiress, with one motive in mind; the possibility of an arranged marriage.
"Courting me is out of the question," Whether the elders approve it or not, there would be too many limitations. She'll be asked to live in another village!
"Rest assured and believe me when I say I feel the same way. Everyone is trying to push me into forced entanglements. However, I'm already making a few plays to overturn some rules. You should probably do the exact, since you're the leader and all,"
Hinata paused. Changed the rules? It had occurred to her as a simple daydream. Gaara didn't notice she had fallen behind. By the time he turned, she was already back by his side again.
"Then let's make a wager and see which one of us will accomplish those dreams first, or succumb to marriage,"
"Then I'll be keeping an eye on you, Hyuga-san, and best of luck because we both know I start at an advantage," Gaara said with a knowing, yet playful look. "Will I see you at the annual meeting?"
"Yes, but don't expect me to approach you for pleasantries, or else my clan might get some ideas," Hinata replied.
"Likewise. Let's stay safe by staying away,"
Hinata laughed and agreed. Once they got past the misunderstanding that got them there in the first place, they found that it was easier to talk to one another without fear or expectation. Hinata had decided to b a proper guide and had pointed out new structures that hadn't been there before the war as they walked down the streets.
Gaara's expression returned to its usual placid one. Except that his eyes no longer looked dead. He peered down at the woman next to her, and as her head gave a slight nod in agreement, he no longer cared about what they do in particular.
"Let us continue, Hinata-san. Where would you like to go next?" Gaara said with a friendly demeanor.
Hinata returned the smile. "I would like to visit my sensei,"
"Lead the way,"
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The afternoon had flown by. Gaara returned to the Nara mansion once he had returned Hinata home safely, not that he needed to because she had two Anbus at her side.
"So tell me, little brother, how did your date go? Did you tell her you might be speaking to her father soon?" Temari's forward approach was something that was regularly expected of her. But the question was suddenly dropped over dinner, with Yoshino and Shikamaru's attention on them.
Gaara did not react the way she had expected him to, his mischievous smirk did not sit well with her.
He could finally say to his sister that he did try. But some things are just not meant to be.
"Thing's changed, she's a clan leader now." Gaara took joy in the disappointment he saw in his sister's expression and did nothing to try to ease it. Finally, addressing the extra pair of eyes, Gaara explained to them the reason he had been dragged away from his village.
"Hyuga-san is a very sweet and gentle girl," Yoshino said. "I mean no offense when I say that I'm relieved that you won't be able to take her away from her beloved village, family, and friends. A lot of people here care for the girl."
Temari glanced at her possible future in-law, with interest. The honorific Yoshino had used was an indicator of her relationship with the clan leader.
"Are you close with their leader?" Temari asked.
"Not yet. But Hyuga-san has the potential of helping me with a few of my goals, so I'm looking forward to this annual meeting,"
Sitting there, Shikamaru felt a little immature for not realizing his mother had her own set of interests in mind that he might not have been made aware of.
"What do those goals look like?" Shikamaru asked.
"Well, something has been bothering me about the future generation. The knowledge of how we fight and defend ourselves is something outsiders have been made aware of because they've been allowed inside our village with peace treaties. We no longer have an element of surprise. For as long as this village has existed, there has always been some variation of Ino-Shika-Cho, outsiders know it, and we know it. I think I'm ready to see something different for the next generation for the sake of our survival." Tired of pretending not to notice the high mortality rate during the war that exists within the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clan, Yoshino risked baring her thoughts.
"Yoshino," Temari said in a quiet voice. "Are we the outsiders?" Three sets of eyes landed on Temari, and an unexpected surge of warmth made its way towards her cheeks, looking down at her food, and then away, Temari wondered why she had asked such a silly question.
"No of course not dear! We love Suna." Yoshino reached over the table and placed a hand over hers, reassuring Temari she is loved by her. "Right Shika?"
Without skipping a beat, Shikamaru immediately agreed, which helped ease whatever doubts Temari might've had. He quickly lowered his eyes to his food, his cheek warming, realizing his mother had baited him to admit something they already knew about him.
"So Gaara," Yoshino said, noticing her son becoming nervous. "What qualities are you looking for in a woman? Maybe we can find the perfect Nara girl for you." She teased.
"Mom!" Shikamaru said, in clear disbelief, but hearing Temari's laughter, he couldn't imagine remaining angry with his mother.
Closing his eyes, Gaara envisioned all the children back home, without a parent, suffering. He opened his eyes slowly, knowing the perfect answer to appease them.
"The qualities I seek might be waiting for me back home." He said vaguely.
"We're a step closer towards the right direction," Temari said with a knowing smile. "Aren't you happy that we came to Konoha?"
Instead of addressing his sister, Gaara turned to Shikamaru. "Since I no longer have a guide, perhaps I could take you up on that offer." He was curious to see how much Naruto's mind has matured over the last year, and what sort of plans or goals his best friend had in mind for the future.
"Naruto would be happy to have you." No one could disagree with his statement.
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Edited: 4-15-2021 Grammar
Edited: 9-24-2021 Grammar
Edited: 9-6-2022, It's been a year…