Kairo Chapter 8
"Arigatou to kimi ni iwareru to nandaka setsunai
sayonara no ato no tokenu mahou awaku horonigai
The flavor of life
tomodachi demo koibito demo nai chuukan chiten de
shuukaku no hi wo yumemiteru aoi furu-tsu
ato ippo ga fumidasenai sei de
jirettai no nan notte? baby
arigatou to kimi ni iwareru to nandaka setsunai
sayounara no ato no tokenu mahou awaku horonigai
The flavor of life
amai dake no sasoi monku ajike no nai doku
sonna mono ni wa kyoumi wa sosorarenai
omoitoori ni ikanai toki datte
jinsei suteta mon janai tte
doushita no? to kyuu ni kikareru to "uun. nandemo nai"
sayounara no ato ni kieru egao watashi rashikunai
sinjitai to negaeba negau hodo nandaka setsunai
"aishiteru yo" yori mo "daisuki" no hou ga kimi rashii janai?
The flavor of life
wasurekakete ita hito no omoi wo totsuzen omoidasu koro
furitsumoru yuki no shirosa wo omou to sunao ni yorokobitai yo
daiyamondo yorimo yawarakakute atatakana mirai
teni shitai yo kagiri aru jikan wo kimi to sugoshitai
"arigatou" to kimi ni iwareru to nandaka setsunai
sayounara no ato no tokenu mahou awaku horonigai
The flavor of life…"
Gaara stared in awe at Hinata as she sang the sweet song. She looked so beautiful in her aqua blue, mid-thigh length nightdress, her shoulder length hair falling in a straight and glossy river dow the back of her neck. They were in the Kazekage building, a cobalt blue room Hinata was currently staying in. Hinata was sitting on the window sill, the puffy hem of her dress fit nicely around her pale, lean looking legs. She was staring at a near by papaya tree, there was a squirrel running up it. Gaara slowly walked over to her, captivated by her calming aura. Hinata noticed him coming, for she looked over to him and gave him the sweetest, most warming smile he had ever seen. Gaara walked silently to her side, looking at her face up close. Hinata's spheres of brown and red locked on with Gaara's aquamarine ones, and they studied each other for a few moments. Gaara noticed the way the front two strands of her hair would flow in the air like rolling waves of the ocean as the wind brushed through them, the way her even, slightly pointed bangs swung back and forth, and the way her pale lips would curve to form a smile or form shapes that seemed to mouth his name. Gaara remembered the kiss they shared last night. Oh it was wonderful, he could still feel the tiny electrical sparks that flew off of the whole 'moment'. He could tell that Hinata could feel them too.
"Good morning, Gaara-kun." Hinata spoke slowly and softly. Gaara, still staring at her, nodded his head.
"Good morning Hinata-chan." He greeted, his voice was relatively low, but that made it all the more mysterious and seductive. Hinata noticed how his low, deep voice tugged at strings in her heart. She lifted a had up and dragged her long fingers through her slighlty tangled blue hair. Gaara's own hair was a bit messy also, after all he just woke up. He then remembered, while watching Hinata swiping at her hair, that she said that she'd tell him how her eyes chaged from lilac, to chestnut and crimson.
"Why are you're eyes a different color than before?" Gaara asked gruffly, but clearly.
Hinata gave him a small smile, that made Gaara breath in deeply.
"Actually, my eyes were always a brownish red color, but I I didn't notice because I always wore contacts." She said, twirling a lock of azure hair inbetween her fingers.
Gaara cocked his head to the side. Not getting it at all.
"You did't know that you had contact lenses on?" he asked, confused on how she didn't know.
Hinata shook her head stiffly, still playing with her hair. Gaara reached out and played with the soft tresses with his own fingers. Hinata blushed, enjoying the feeling.
"No, they must have put them on me when I was a child, probably when I was sleeping or something like that."
Gaara stared at her, his confusion growing within him once more.
"They?" His low voice croaked in question. Hinata nodded her head frustatingly.
"I should've said 'he', my dad must've made me wear these because he didn't want me to know that I was different. It felt so weird when Tsuade first told me that I had Shogi blood-"
"Shogi…Blood?" Gaara repeated slowly. Hinata looked at him and nodded. "What is a Shogi?"
Hinata's breath hitched in her throat. "W-Well, Shogi's were Ninja's who used cards with elemental magic sealed inside of them. There are ninety six cards in a deck, like mine." Hinata said walking over to the dresser beside the king sized bed. Gaara turned and watched Hinata pick up a case from ontop of the wooden surface. He eyed the red case with a gold dragon designs on the lid, the base was lined with gold sequence. It was a long rectangular box, a good six inches. Gaara nodded his head in understanding of the concept and watched Hinata stride back over to him.
"So… you no longer use the gentle fist style?" his sensual voice vibrated in Hinata's ears. She nodded her head, trying to forget that husky tone.
"I still use, it, but I have to preform it in cotrast with the card arts, it's quite difficult." Gaara nodded again.
"I'd like to see that." Hinata looked at the yellow tiled floor, it seemed very interesting all of the sudden. Memories of what happened last night flooded Hinata's head. She wondered if Gaara was thinking about it too. A stray lock of blue hair fell in front of Hinata face. She reached out with her hand to push it back. But again, as soon as she reached, a hand with a slightly darker skin tone was brought up, and pushed back the strand of hair behind her ear. Hinata looked up, a bit surprised, but it seemed to increase as she gazed into those aquamarine eyes of his. And judging by the emotions those eyes were sporting, Gaara clearly remembered last night's episode as well. Hinata felt heat rise to her cheeks, but begged herself not to blush or ruin the moment. Slowly, Gaara's hand left her hair and came down to touch her pale skinned-chin, tilting it up at the same leisurely pace. Gaara's face came closer and closer with each passing second. Hinata's exitement grew higher and higher. In the corner, behind a wall, Sharingan activated, Sasuke was getting angrier and angrier. 'I have to do something to stop them and fast! I can't lose Hinata to that…that… Fiend!' he thought, fuming. Just then Kiba walked up the steps and stepped into the hallway, spotting Hinata and Gaara. They weren't aware of his presence but he saw how relatively close they were standing and the position they were in. Kiba cleared his throat. Gaara and Hinata stopped inching closer and slowly turned their heads to look at the grinning brunette.
"Well, isn't this a Kodiak moment?" Kiba chuckled. Hinata blushed and Gaara widened his eyes, they both pulled away from each other. Sasuke breathed a sigh of releif and stalked off to the main kitchen, where everyone were supposed to meet for breakfast. He walked through the hall where his three teammates were currently in. Shooting Gaara a deadly glare, he walked past Hiata and Kiba, brushing his hip against Hinata's as he passed. Kiba stared after him.
"What's eaten him?" he asked , scratching the back of his hooded head.
"Hinata you should get ready and meet us downstairs, we have to eat and discuss a few details on the mission." He told Hinata, eyeing the couple in a funny way. Kiba likes Hinata, in both a sisterly way and a more-than-just-a-friend look, but he knows how much she cares for Naruto. But now, since Naruto is with Sakura, it looks like Hinata might be paired with the Kazekage, formally known as Gaara. Hinata shuffled her feet in humiliation. "Alright, see you downstairs, Kiba-kun, Gaara kun…" she bowed and retreated to her bed chamber. Kiba and Gaara watched as she did so. When Hinata disappeared into her room after a few seconds, Kiba turned to Gaara and stared at him hard, like he was examining a flea in Akamaru's fur.
"Treat her well, and don't break her heart. If you hurt her I'll-
"I will not hurt her, she and I have been 'good friends' a very long time." Gaara cut Kiba short, narrowing his eyes at the fact that the Inuzuka thought that he would actually try to hurt Hinata. Kiba barred his teeth viciously, giving him the appearance of a beast for a breif moment before calming down and giving a bow, walking down the steps. Gaara watched Kiba's retreating figure, and soon started after him, giving Hinata's room one last glance.
'The Uchiha had his Sharingan activated.' Gaara remembered as he drifted down the crimson carpeted stair case.
Hinata straightened out her obi and decided not to tie her hair, it rested on her shoulders, her bangs nicely framing her face. She made her way to the end of the stair case, reaching the main floor. Hinata walked through a few halls before reaching the main kitchen. She stepped into the wide open room, filled with tables and kitchen necessities. The gang was eating breakfast which consisted of meat, breakfast cereal, eggs and toast. Naruto and Kiba were pigging out on the bacon and eggs, Chai and Tenten watching in disgust as the egg yolk splaterd into the boy's mouths. Upon detecting Hinata's entry, Chai, Ino, Tenten, Temari grinned at their card user friend. Sakura gave her a small wave and a smile, and looked over at Sasuke for a split second. Lee grinned up at her through a mouth full of toast, Naruto burped out his greeting and Sasuke gave her a small but playful smile. Gaara stared at her, his eyes held a mix of emotions, love being one of them. He gave her a small quirk of his lips, eyeing her look. Hinata walked further into the room, seating herself next to Naruto who was stuffing some eggs into his seemingly endless mouth. Tenten wiped the toast crumbs off of her mouth with a napkin gingerly, beofre getting up from her seat of the long red table.
"So, is everyone ready for the mission? Or are me and Neji in this alone?" she joked on the last part, winking at Neji, who in return smirked at his bun-bun girl. Everyone in the room nodded their heads. Kankuro, who was busy fiddling around with Crow, raised his hand as if talking to a sensei. Tenten nodded towards him.
"What, Kankuro?" Kankuro put his hand back down and sighed heavily. "Do you have any idea on how to go against something with the element of ice?" Tenten looked at the puppet-user, trying to figure out how to answer his question. "What?" she asked, not comprehending the question properly. Kankuro sighed deeply again and looked to Temari who nodded at him, urging him to say more.
"What I mean is, we are going to be fighting a demon." He added emphasis to the word demon. "And it's and Ice demon too. What I was trying to ask was, do you have some kind of plan for action that we can use to defeat this thing?" he asked, trying to make his earlier question more clear to comorehend. Tenten put a finger to her pointed chin. She stayed like that for a while, everyone including Hinata and Gaara eyeing her.
"Well it's missions like these, where anything can happen." Her expression sudenly turned dark, and her chocolate brown eyes seemed to cloud up as she looked over at her friends. "Not all of us will make it, but it take a miracle for all of us to survive during this mission. We cannot afford to lose… It specifically stated in the mission papers, that if we don't succeed in driving this demon out of the ice village soon, the demon will reak havoc in not only the ice village, but the villages near by as well." Tenten stated, placing her hands on her hips. Kiba looked at her, suddenly interested on the demon topic.
"I heard it's not in any form of an animal, but in the shape of a female human being." He said, proud of himself for contributing some info. Tenten nodded, tapping her foot to the ceramic kitchen tiles.
"It's all true, it doesn't look like the Kyuubi or anything like the Shukaku…" Gaara and Naruto cringed ever so slightly at the mentioning of their demons. Ino was staring at the half eaten apple in her hand like it had rotted.
"Why is the demon here? What does it want? Could it be… SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE?" Ino screamed the last part out to scare everyone. Naruto and Kiba screamed like the little girls they were, everyone else exept Gaara flinched a bit.
"Ino, that was not called for." Chai said, rubbing her temples with her first two fingers. Ino grinned, and Chai glared back at her. Everyone was done eating, with the exeption of Naruto whos was happily nibbling on a piece of buttered toast. Everyone got up from their seats from the table and began to walk out of the kitchen. As Hinata walked out of the large kitchen, she felt a tug at the hem of her short kimono. Turning to see who wanted her attention, her eyes looked directly into Sasuke's coal black ones. Hinata was once again held captive, but by jet black eyes and not greenish-blue ones. She watched one corner of his mouth quirk up, he was smirking. Hinata gulped in a deep breath and stared deep into his eyes. Thank goodness that Sakura wasn't anywhere near by, she would have flipped her wig. Sasuke lowered his face so that he was eye-level with her ear. He blew hot air on it playfully, sending a course of shivers down her spine. Hinata closed her eyes, but her face was still facing him. Sasuke returned back to his previous position and leaned in close enough so there noses touch. He nuzzled his nose with her own gently, resting his forhead against hers.
"Eariler yesterday…" his lower than low voice spoke. Hinata nodded softly, her eyes were still close. Sasuke lifted up the other corner of his mouth, forming a small smile. His plan of seduction was working.
"Sakura tried to hurt you…" his voice got serious. "But I eon't let her do that ever again… at least… not let her hurt you, Hinata-chan." His smile morphed into a smirk as he watched her eyes snap open, staring at him in shock and embarassment. Hinata hastily broke out of his little 'embrace' and made a break for it out the door, the others might be worried. Sasuke stared after her. 'She may not be mine yet… but I'm not letting her fall in the hands of that Sabaku-baka…' his eyes switched to Sharingan mode for one breif moment, with a murderous intent.
Sure enough, the gang was waiting for them outside the Kazekage building, Sakura was looking around for Sasuke. She saw Hinata coming out of the bulding and behind her- WAIT! Sasuke was coming out after her! What could they have been doing all alone in there, when the rest of them were out here? She narrowed her emerald orbs into a slit and glared at Hinata. 'And you said we'd try to get along…' she thought sadly. 'No, you just go and stab me in the back…' She watched as Hinata ran towards them with a small, shy smile. Sasuke strolling behind her with his usual bored expression. Her eyes shined with new found determination. 'If Sasuke-kun doesn't like me, then I'll just have to make him like me!' With that vow sealed in her mind, Sakura followed Temari and Tenten to the gates.
Gaara watched Hinata run to them, she looked like an angel. For one moment, Gaara smiled and pretended that wings sprouted from Hinata's back and flapped with every step she took. But his smile soon turned into a frown as he saw the Uchiha coming out after her. 'What did he do with her?' was the first thought that crossed his mind. Gaara had grown to be slightly possessive when it came to Hinata. The way his heart would beat two times faster than normal, the hitching sound that would escape his lips when his breath was caught as he would lay his eyes on her petite form. He closed his eyes for a breif moment and breathed in air through his nostrils. He opened them, only to see Hinata running towards him, a big grin on her cute face. He couldn't help but give her a small smile in return. She finally ran up to him, and wrapped her arms around his, in a hugging gesture which Gaara returned.
"Come on!" Hinata said, grinning even more. He could only nodd as he watched her drag him along with the others to the gate. Sasuke trailing not too far behind, a frown marking his handsome features.
The gang has officially left Sunagakure! How far will Sasuke go to claim Hinata for himself? Do you think they can complete this mission without losing lives? Do you think Hinata-chan will live? Find out on the next chapter! Thank you Draonheart0000 for requesting the song 'Flavor of Life' also by Utada Hikaru!
Gaara: If Hinata dies, I will have no reason to continue living.
Hinata: Gaara-kun…
Gaara and Hinata stare into each other's eyes
Sasuke: UGH! Kage-san, make the next chapter, so these two will have a distraction…
Suzume-kage: Will do, will do…