His Desert Rose
'I'm sorry Gaara... I still...'
Imao did her best to push aside her feelings as to not back down from her attack but even if she wanted to there was no turning back.
Before the glass spikes were inches from impaling her body, she was immediately yanked away by a large amount of sand in the shape of a hand. A large sand wall arose from the ground and prevented the rest of the shards from hitting anyone else.
The red-haired Kazekage sped towards the attacker on a sand platform and quickly wrapped sand around the enemy's neck with enough grip to lightly choke him,
"Don't you dare hurt a single hair on her body!"
"Too late." The enhanced man sent his electricity all over his body. Any sand that was covering him immediately turned into a barrier of glass and stone then shattered it by electrifying himself once more. As the current continued to flow through and out of him, the sand under his pacing feet would turn to stone plates.
The Kazekage was appalled at his enemy's ability and distances himself. He looked over at his comrades aiding the fallen ones and hardened the sand wall that covered them. 'This should help for now.'
Gaara then flung more sand at Manabu in hopes of trapping him but the sinister man continued to throw his electricity at it, creating more glass which shattered and shot towards the sand manipulator. He tried his best to maneuver between the sharp, speeding glass but failed as his shoulder was struck by a kunai-sized shard. He winced in pain as he pulled it out and blood seeped out of his wound.
Manabu laughed at his slight success and continued to pace towards the red head, "You can't stop me!"
His green eyes glared down at the disheveled-looking man as he tried to morph the sand around him. For some odd reason, Gaara struggled to bring sand up and continued sifting through the sand. He immediately noted that it was heavier than usual and felt a few small, odd-looking clusters of sand and slowly pulled one out.
'A desert rose?' The sand structure it formed looked similar to a thick tree branch with roses scattered on it. The kazekage became aware that they had gotten closer to a large body of water. As the opponents continued to get closer to it, he continued to sift through the sand until he found a very large cluster. As he watched his enemy get closer to him, he nodded to himself and immediately rose the sand cluster out and flung it straight to Manabu.
The large, jagged mineral structure sped through the air but his opponent threw his lightning at it, transforming part of the desert rose cluster into glass. Unfortunately for him, his lighting was unable to shatter the large structure which gave Gaara the upper hand as he continued to send it towards Manabu. Before the enemy could re-do his jutsu, the sharp glass spikes that had been formed from the lightning impaled him while the rest of the cluster crushed him, killing him instantly.
The red-haired ninja heaved a sigh of relief and covered the deceased prowler with sand before heading to his Suna group. He looked over at everyone and finally stood before a sullen Imao.
"How... how did you know?" her voice wavered in discomfort.
"Kankuro sent a 'distress' bird... and on our way, I sensed the vibrations of your jutsu." Gaara pursed his lips, feeling uneasy.
"Right..." the young woman rubbed her slightly injured arm.
The two medic Suna guards that had accompanied Gaara finished tending to Kankuro, the councilman, and guard. The young kazekage waved to one of them so that they would tend to Imao and his wounds before continuing to help the others again.
As the medic stepped away from the couple, the awkward silence was broken,
"Let's go... and this time, do not leave my sight." Gaara's resentment for her abrupt decisions seeped through his words.
Imao's shame covered gaze turned hard as she responded bluntly,
"I am very grateful that you saved us but... I cannot go back to Sunagakure until I am finished with my duties." Imao finally put her foot down and stood by what her heart had been yearning for and gave her conditions, "I'll go back to heal my injuries but afterward, I will continue my council studies to proceed with becoming a full-fledged council member in order to help with the country's internal and external affairs. I hope you understand."
The council apprentice stopped as she noted how Gaara's arms crossed with disapproval. His silence unnerved her but she continued,
"Honestly, there's a lot I seek and staying in Sunagakure would prevent me from doing what I've set in my heart to do. I want to become a valued council member and I won't allow myself or anyone to stop me."
Her suitor's brow furrowed as he closed his eyes in frustration but then they began to glisten as he stepped in front of her and looked down at her,
"I... I understand. I don't want to hold you back... so you will have all of my support in whatever you want to do. But please...," his hands took hers, "when you are done... come back to me... and become my wife." At that moment, he took out a small desert rose he had removed from a cluster that had been tainted with his blood and placed it atop her left ear like a brooch.
Imao's cheeks flushed a bright red and managed to stutter, "I... umm... yes. I accept." A shy smile escaped her lips right before Gaara placed his atop them.
Their tender moment was disrupted by the claps and wooing of the Suna group. They all took the time to congratulated the newly engaged couple before they all began their journey back home.
A/N: Songs that inspired this whole epilogue fanfic are What If by Coldplay and Jade by Aaron Krause.
Thanks for reading!