-
Wind Shadow waited for Orochimaru. He was late. Why was he late? Orochimaru was never late. Wind Shadow sat atop a cardboard box, hoping that the other man would arrive soon. The police knew he was in town, and he really didn't want to be caught. Especially since Gaara was friends with that one cop's son. That would turn into a disaster. He didn't want his career to ruin anything his youngest could have. Same went for Kankuro and Temari. The brunet smiled at the thought of Kankuro. He had heard from Temari that he was going out with a girl from school. Good for him, Wind Shadow thought. He thought about Temari and her parties. He thought about the friends she was making. He thought about the possible suitors for her. He chuckled at the thought. Konoha was so unlike Suna that it was hysterical to him. It was a good hysterical, though, not dark humor. He was glad it was. His thoughts strayed back to Gaara. He frowned. The red-head was still having problems. Insomnia affected him every now and then thanks to the trauma of Yashamaru. Nightmares kept him awake, but when they didn't, Wind Shadow did hear some odd sounds from his son's bedroom. It was almost as though his youngest was having wet dreams. He smiled again at the thought of Gaara liking someone. It was probably good for him. But if whoever she was hurt him, he'd hunt her down and place an even bigger bounty on his own head.
Wind Shadow looked up at the sky. Stars hid behind storm clouds. A raindrop fell, setting the stage for a heavy downpour. Wind Shadow stayed, however. He needed to speak with Orochimaru. It was that, or risk his children's safety. He'd catch pneumonia before he let that happen.
-
"Where's Dad?" Kankuro asked that morning. Temari set their plates on the table.
"I don't know. He never came home last night," Temari answered, looking worried.
Gaara turned a page of his book. He was almost finished with it. He was getting to the most interesting part. The werewolf had just defeated the evil king who had threatened to murder his family and he was about to ask the beautiful red-headed heroine to go out with him. Around Gaara, Kankuro and Temari sat down and ate somberly. The red-head turned another page, waiting for the heroine's answer. His eye twitched as her maid barged in at that moment. This author really knew how to irk someone. Suddenly, Kankuro's fist banging the table jerked Gaara away from his book. Blue eyes looked up to meet dark brown ones.
"What?" Gaara asked, holding his finger where he would continue to read.
Kankuro's face twisted in anger, frustration, and/or worry that he needed to rid himself of. Gaara couldn't tell what exactly it was. But Kankuro did take it out on Gaara whenever he acted like he could care less.
"Why are you just sitting there reading that stupid book?" Kankuro asked. "Aren't you the least bit worried about Dad?"
Kankuro knew the red-head was. The brunet knew Gaara didn't show emotion as often as Temari and himself. But sometimes the older boy ignored the facts and yelled anyway.
"Kankuro, stop it!" Temari demanded.
"You can at least say something!" Kankuro continued.
Gaara took his bookmark and placed it in the book. He set it down on the table quietly. He crossed his arms and looked at Kankuro with indifferent eyes. His older brother tensed slightly. One always was careful around Gaara when he was like this.
"What do you want me to say? That I'm worried? It's pointless to say. There's nothing we can do. This isn't Suna. He's fine," Gaara said.
The red-head's facial muscles moved as though he was raising an eyebrow.
"But – but – he's not fine! He'll never be fine! We'll never be fine! Know why? Because we bring the worst of Suna wherever we go!" Kankuro's voice raised more and more as he talked. "We're always going to end up in trouble, in danger, and everything else that's bad! So why should we NOT worry? There's always something to worry about!"
He was getting on a roll.
"Kankuro, stop it! Just stop it!" Temari cried, covering her ears. Kankuro didn't. He kept talking and talking, making Temari more and more upset. Gaara sat there, letting his brother rant.
"Are you done?" he asked.
Kankuro stopped talking and Temari halted her crying.
"We're better off here. Nothing can get any worse from here. Everything's getting better. Anywhere is better than Suna. Everywhere is better than the place where you were torn apart. Temari's resolve and confidence was ripped to shreds there. You're trying to piece yourself together with this outburst and those puppet shows you hold for yourself. I don't even know how to put myself together. Instead of yelling at us, how about you help us? Temari holds those parties to distract herself. So, how about we find a less money consuming thing to help her?" Gaara said.
Temari laughed nervously. Kankuro looked down at the ground. Gaara took his book back up and continued to read.
"Sorry I yelled," Kankuro said.
Gaara grunted and finally got to the part where the heroine kissed the werewolf.
-
"Alright class," Kurenai-sensei said to Temari's homeroom, "It's our job to hold the prom this year. So, who would like to be in charge of the planning?"
Temari's hand shot up right away, as did Tenten's.
"Okay, Temari and Tenten shall be in charge. If you two would stand up please. Thank you. Now, everyone, listen closely to these two and don't give them any trouble. You two, listen to all of their ideas and give them a fair chance. Also, see what the seventh graders are interested in."
"They'll be eighth graders awfully soon, though. It's almost spring," Lee muttered as Kurenai-sensei left.
Neji nodded.
"Hinata-chan will suffer like the rest of us," the Hyuuga said.
Everyone laughed.
"So, anyone have any ideas? Maybe a theme?" Tenten said, getting out a notepad and pen.
"What kind of theme?" asked a girl in the back.
"How about a martial arts theme? Gai-sensei would love that!" Lee suggested.
"As tempting as that is, Lee, I really don't want Gai-sensei getting any ideas," commented another boy.
"I know!" Temari said, grinning mischievously. "How about a romantic movie theme? Everyone picks a movie and we all have to decide which one it'll be. Then we play music, get colors that match and so forth!"
Neji, Lee, and the other boys all cringed at the thought.
"Maybe we should ask the seventh graders . . . ." Neji muttered. "At least Hinata-chan wouldn't suggest anything like that."
Temari glared at him. Tenten tried to get them to calm down.
-
Gaara looked at Temari as though she had grown a second head. He blinked slowly for a minute and asked her to repeat the question. She did.
"Please, Gaara-nii-chan! I really need your help!" Temari said.
Gaara sighed.
"Fine," he muttered. He looked off to the side, turning slightly red.
"Maybe . . . maybe a water theme . . . ." Gaara mumbled. Temari blinked for a few seconds. "You know, like rivers or whatever . . . . ."
"Wow, Gaara, that's actually a good idea. How'd you come up with that so fast?" his sister asked.
The red-head turned even redder. The blonde looked at what Gaara was staring at. Naruto was talking to that Nara kid and his chubby friend. She looked back at Gaara. She smirked all-knowingly.
"Ah, so you DO like him," she said.
He stayed quiet for a few minutes.
"No telling anyone. Or else."
"Okay, okay. It'll be our little secret. But it does explain those wet dreams of yours."
"Shut up."
-
Kankuro sat on the brim of the mall's fountain. He looked at his watch. In five more minutes, Tenten would be here. He could barely sit still. He had never been on a date before. No one in Suna was safe enough to go out with. He wondered what Tenten would want to do, what he wanted to do, what was available and if they could do it all by the time Kankuro needed to be back home. He wasn't going to make Temari and Gaara worry. Not like his father. Kankuro frowned as he thought about his father. He wished his father would be safe and come back home soon. He had been gone for almost 48 hours now. The brunet didn't like that.
"Hey, Kankuro!" Tenten's voice called.
Kankuro turned his head and grinned.
"Hey, Tenten!"
The girl ran up to him and gave him a hug.
"I was thinking we could go to a movie. I wasn't sure which one you'd like to watch, but we can look at what's out right now," she said, smiling angelically.
"That sounds great. The movies are on the third floor, right?"
"Right!"
Tenten grabbed Kankuro's hand and pulled him toward the escalator.
"Let's get the tickets and try to get a good seat! I like the seats that aren't too close but aren't too far away from the screen. You know, the ones near the middle." Tenten said.
"Yeah, I think I do. I haven't really watched many movies because in Suna, they're actually the perfect moments to go and shoot someone. No one ever knows who did it." Not that it mattered, Kankuro added in his head. He mentally cursed himself for mentioning Suna because Tenten frowned slightly. "Sorry, sorry. Grim topic, I know. Sorry."
"It's alright. I just can't believe that a single town can be so bad."
Kankuro nodded.
"Neither can I, and I lived there."
Tenten seemed to understand. She brightened up and continued to drag him up the escalator. They pretended the conversation never happened.
-
Neji and Temari walked into the party store. Neji unfolded the list.
"Okay, we need blue plates, green napkins, blue balloons, green streamers, and blue-and-green everything else. We also need to see if we can get one of those ice sculpture things. It's supposed to be of a dolphin, right?" Neji read.
Temari nodded.
"Who gave you this idea, anyway?" Neji asked as they walked down the isle of eatery ware.
"Gaara," Temari answered, putting the plates in their cart.
Neji raised an eyebrow at her. Temari knew what he wanted to ask. She figured he wasn't sure if he should ask it.
"Normally, I would love to go around and tell everyone about it, but I promised Gaara I wouldn't, and Gaara hates it when his private stuff is thrown out there for everyone to see and hear. Let's just say the theme reminds him of someone."
Neji nodded. They continued their shopping in silence. The only sounds that came from them were the thump tap sounds of things falling into the cart.
"Who's Yashamaru?" Neji asked suddenly.
Temari almost dropped the fabric she held. She had never told Neji about Yashamaru before.
"If something's bothering you, you should tell your friends. Not just let one of them hear from something Tenten and Lee were talking about. Unless you think I'm not that close of a friend."
Temari set the fabric in the cart. She waited a few moments before she answered. Looking up, she took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry. But I had upset Gaara one night during studying and I had to explain to Tenten, Naruto, and Lee. I myself still can't talk about it much. It's not as bad as Gaara. Poor thing can't even hear his name without storming back to his room and locking the door. Kankuro seems to be the one in between. He usually is." Temari took another deep breath. "Yashamaru was my uncle. He died before we came to Suna. I think his death rattled Dad too because he started making plans of moving right away. Gaara wouldn't come out of his room until our moving day."
Neji bowed apologetically.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up."
"No, it's fine."
Temari brushed away a tear and smiled.
"I think we're almost done with the shopping here," Temari said.
"We still need to find that ice sculpture."
"Do you really think we're going to find it here?"
"Good point."
Neji chuckled a bit and Temari laughed.
-
Red Roses2: Not much happening, but at least the romance is moving along. Now, you readers must review or I won't be a very happy author. Angry authors are scary things. They murder favorite characters for no apparent reason. They withhold updates. And I know you people are reading, so that would be bad for all of you, wouldn't it? And being lazy is not an excuse. There's this thing called an anonymous review.