2/8/08

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Gaara, Matsuri, etc. don't belong to me, although if they did, then Gaara and Matsuri would shower each other with love and be very happy together.

Dedication: God, my parents, my fans, Masashi Kishimoto for creating the Naruto series and giving us these colorful characters, and especially to my beloved friends, especially VGuyver, Andrew Glasco, Musashi Sanada, Francisco, Ariescelestial, and all of you other wonderful readers!!

Special dedication to: Nakoudo Byakugan for being such an avid GaaMatsu supporter, and giving me so many drabble requests that kept my poor little brain very busy, hehehe.

Naruto: Captured Moments

13 Drabbles

Installment: Set Gamma

By Tiger5913

Naruto Drabble #1 – Ocean, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

Try as she might, the young brunette could not get her sensei near bodies of water.

Despite having grown up in the desert, she liked being around rivers, oceans, ponds, and the like. When Matsuri was younger, her parents used to take her to the beach, where she would play and run around while basking in the sun.

As Gaara listened to her reminiscing, he felt a slight twinge of envy. His family had been broken the moment he was born and caused his mother's death.

He was surrounded by sand, and surely, the water would consume him to nothingness…

Naruto Drabble #2 – Follow Me, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

"Do you want to try?"

Without hesitation, Matsuri nodded, although her fingers were visibly shaking as she slipped her hand into his and felt his reassuring squeeze.

He let go, and she closed her eyes upon feeling the earth begin to move beneath her feet. When the wind whipped through her hair at a rapid pace, her twin lids slowly slid up to see broad, empty space. The girl dared to glance down and discovered she was floating rather high off the ground.

Gaara quickly rose to her level on his own platform of sand. "Follow me."

"Always," she replied.

Naruto Drabble #3 – Glow, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

Ever since she had fallen in love, her friends began to poke fun at her, claiming that the girl was always glowing with elation.

"Matsuri, you have a boyfriend!"

"Ooh, who is he?"

"Do we know him? Tell us!"

The brunette blushed at the friendly jests and kept quiet, knowing they would find out very soon. Sure enough, she looked away and saw Gaara approaching with his cool, calm, confident strides.

"Matsuri." He greeted her with a warm smile. "Are you ready?"

Matsuri nodded shyly in response and took his offered hand as the two walked toward the exit together.

Naruto Drabble #4 – Fear, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

With a growl of aggravation at her dogged persistence, the frustrated redhead took a hold of her arm and swung the girl around, forcing her to collide back against the wall. She visibly winced at the action, but made no protested as Gaara stepped toward her, stopping only when their faces were mere inches apart. His pale turquoise eyes darkened with annoyance as Matsuri simply stared back at him, seeming unfazed.

"…Why are you not afraid?" He inquired brusquely with a hint of confusion in his voice.

Her smile was shaky, but her eyes showed strength. "Because… I trust you."

Naruto Drabble #5 – Quirky, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

He often thought girls were strange, but decided that Matsuri was an exception.

His group of devoted fans had very odd quirks, like giggling nonstop in his presence and batting their eyelashes at him – were their eyes itching…? Some had professed to be in love with him, but he did not even know them.

"Should I be jealous, Gaara-sensei?" Matsuri asked him with a playful look on her face.

Gaara shook his head. "I'm not interested in them."

She grinned happily and clasped his hands in-between hers. "I'm glad…"

He smiled back and pulled the brunette into his loving embrace.

Naruto Drabble #6 – Avarice, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

That was it. She could not take anymore of his… insatiable appetites, or his hungry greed for…

The girl had just collapsed back against the pillows and barely got the chance to breathe, when her longtime beau was suddenly at it again. Kissing her dark brown tresses, skimming his lips across her rosy cheek, and those clever, very clever fingers teasing her body to rouse a response, and with such expertise as if he was manipulating his sand.

Matsuri loved his caresses – really, she did – but she was still feeling rather sensitive from all the previous times…

How many more…?

Naruto Drabble #7 – Tell, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

"Um… are we going to tell them now?" She asked timidly, unsure of how they would respond.

Gaara nodded calmly and she grabbed a hold of his hand just as he unlocked the front door of his home, and pushed it open. They stepped inside and he called out to his older siblings, "Temari, Kankuro."

Minutes later, they both entered the room, and the blonde kunoichi glanced at the two with concern while Kankuro casually questioned, "What's up?"

"Matsuri and I are together." The redhead announced without preamble, making Matsuri blush faintly.

Temari grinned widely and replied, "It's about time."

Naruto Drabble #8 – Heartbeat, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

After his maternal uncle's betrayal, young Gaara had bitterly decided to never again let anyone enter his heart. No one would ever love him, for he was a monster.

When Matsuri first became his student, he made a conscious effort not to get too close to her. She needed him to teach her how to fight, but he was certain that once she got strong enough, she would leave him because he would no longer be useful to her.

He was wrong.

Years later, the Jonin-level kunoichi was still by his side, always regarding him with fondness and blatant admiration.

Naruto Drabble #9 – Dance, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

The sand wielder shifted uneasily in his seat as he felt her gaze upon him, her face alit with expectation, and he mentally ran through a list of viable excuses.

Unable to come up with one that was sensible and convincing enough, Gaara glanced around before reluctantly admitting in a low tone, "I don't know how to dance."

Matsuri did not appear to be surprised at all to hear that, and she leaned toward him to quietly suggest, "I can show you… Please?"

He hesitated before responding, but seeing the eagerness on her joyful expression, he finally consented, "All right."

Naruto Drabble #10 – Time, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

When the words began to swarm together right before his eyes, he knew it was time for a break.

The tired Kazekage sighed as he folded his arms on his desk, and then he rested his head over the union. He closed his eyes and felt his body begin to relax as his breathing steadily grew even.

He did not even realize that he had fallen asleep until he felt someone shaking and jostling him.

With a start, Gaara instantly snapped to awareness and lifted his head to gaze at the bystander.

"Enjoy your nap?" Matsuri asked teasingly.

He grunted.

Naruto Drabble #11 – Power, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

The redhead never forgot the words that Naruto Uzumaki told him during their intense battle.

Deriving strength from the desire to protect others, and attaining power to defend those of utmost importance…

When Gaara became the Kazekage of Suna, he truly understood what it meant to fight for others. Instead of using his abilities to rain down pain and death, he shielded the village with his sand. He would sacrifice his life to keep everyone safe.

And even more so for her sake… his student, his close friend, the inhabitant of his heart.

Matsuri was definitely his most precious person.

Naruto Drabble #12 – Down, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

…She was unusually quiet today, he noticed, and after a quick glance at her face, he realized her expressed seemed a bit down as well.

"What is wrong?" The tall redhead inquired calmly.

Startled by his question, Matsuri blinked a couple times and then attempted to laugh it off. "Nothing, Gaara-sensei. Everything's… fine."

Gaara stared at her a moment longer, and when she averted her eyes to escape his scrutiny, he simply nodded and dropped the issue.

He was willing to give her some time to come forward, but if she did not talk by the end of the day…

Naruto Drabble #13 – Desserts, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

"Mochi…?" He repeated the foreign word.

"It's a little ball molded out of rice cake," the girl patiently explained to her friend with a hint of surprise in her voice. Had he really never tried such a delicious dessert item before?

"Hmm." The redhead glanced at it curiously for a moment longer, and then slowly took a bite.

Matsuri gazed at him expectantly and waited until he finished chewing before she asked, "Well? What do you think?"

With a pleased smile on his face, Gaara turned to glance at her way, responding quietly, "Good. I wish I'd tried this sooner."

End of Set Gamma

Bonus: Trip and fall, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

Her sensei's sand was very versatile, the girl decided.

Forget what the other people said about its immense killing power; under his well-versed control, Gaara could make the sand bend, protect, slither into small spaces, and even soar up to the sky to chase after enemies that flew on birds.

It was also useful, she abruptly found out one day during training, for helping her with unwanted clumsiness.

"Oof!" Matsuri cried out as she lost her balance from tripping over a hidden rock.

She began to fall, but at the redhead's silent command, the sand immediately rose and caught her.

Bonus: Flashlight, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

When the room suddenly plummeted into darkness, Matsuri let out a shriek of alarm, startling the young Kazekage.

"Black-out…" she whispered fearfully.

"Where do you keep your flashlight?"

Silence.

"…You don't have a flashlight?" He questioned her with a bit of disbelief in his tone. "Candles, then?"

She hesitated before replying, "I-I had a flashlight… but it broke…"

Gaara sighed and resisted the urge to rub his temples. "A shinobi must always be prepared."

"I'm sorry, Gaara-sensei…" the brunette uttered in a meek tone tingling with sadness.

"Never mind that."

He held her tightly until the lights came back on.

Bonus: Helmet, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

A loud crash startled the peaceful pair lounging casually inside the house that the redhead shared with his siblings.

They went outside and found Kankuro lying on the ground, muttering curses under his breath. A skateboard slowly rolled along his side.

"Um… Kankuro, you should be more careful when you're riding a skateboard," Matsuri suggested helpfully, "I always wear a helmet."

Gaara folded his arms over his chest and remarked to his older brother, "You're lucky to have such a thick skull."

"Yeah, yeah… quit it already, will ya?" The disgruntled puppeteer grumbled as he tried to salvage his pride.

Bonus: Running and screaming, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

When the two friends exited the restaurant, a group of girls were hanging around the vicinity.

Upon seeing them, the young Kazekage immediately blanched, tension stiffening up his body in anticipation of their response.

Sure enough, as soon as the girls laid eyes on the redhead, they screamed in delight and began to dash toward him, spouting cries of love and devotion.

"You're very popular, Gaara-sensei," his student quipped with a sliver of playfulness in her voice.

Gaara gave her a brief glance, wariness reflecting within his pale turquoise eyes. "Just run, Matsuri."

Matsuri nodded, and they took off simultaneously.

Bonus: Sweater, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

"Brr… it's so cold…" the brunette shivered and rubbed her own arms to induce heat.

While the afternoons were usually very hot, nights in Suna grew cold rapidly after sundown. As the pair continued strolling down the street, heading for Matsuri's house, her teeth began to chatter. Gaara silently regretted not bringing along a coat or sweater for his girlfriend; he would remember next time.

In the meantime, he had to soothe her somehow.

The sand wielder was uncomfortable with public displays of affection, but nevertheless, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled the girl closely to him.

Bonus: Stuck together, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

"Come on, Gaara-sensei. You've been working all day! Let's go out and get something to eat," the brunette invited.

The dedicated Kazekage lifted his head to briefly glance at her, his voice stern as he stated, "I have to finish reviewing these mission scrolls."

"Can't you do that tomorrow? It's already eight."

He was hardly going to get any work done with his student pestering him like this. "You won't stop until I agree, will you?"

"Nope! Looks like you're stuck with me," Matsuri jibbed cheerfully.

Sighing in resignation, Gaara nodded, and then turned away to hide a faint smile.

End of Installment

Author's Note: And here is another installment of drabbles! I must apologize for the timeline jumping all over the place once again, heh, heh. If there are any questions about which drabbles take place during when, my door is always open. The bonus drabbles in this installment were huge because Nakoudo Byakugan is awesome and creative. Damn, girl, do you know how much time I spent cranking out your requests? Bloody difficult prompts… XD Nah, I'm just kidding. To the other readers, please, don't be shy about requesting something! At this moment, I am most comfortable with writing NaruHina, SasuSaku, and GaaMatsu, but if given the right prompts, I'm willing to try NejiTen and ShikaIno as well…

Anyway, please leave a review and let me know what you think of this set!

With love for my fans,

Tiger5913