A/N: Ok, so, I'm sat at my desk eating sushi with chopsticks in one hand and a cigarette in the other (yes I am a chain smoker). I may have to resort to operating the computer keyboard with my feet. I've got a new job too… although it involves me having to wake up at four in the morning. It's not a pretty sight, believe me (yawns). I don't think there's a reason for me to tell you all this, hahaha. Sleep deprivation is kicking in. Thanks to all my reviewers, you make this amateur writer very happy. 'Tis much appreciated :D Anyhow, I'm done rambling now. On with the story…
Chapter 10: Festival of Allegiance (Warning- people of a prudish nature should beware of this chapter ;p )
It was early evening the day after the shopping trip, and the Festival of Allegiance had begun. The ceremonial re-signing of the Allegiance contract had been completed, and with the formalities out of the way, it was time for the party to begin.
Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi were among the Konoha shinobi attending the event. They were congregated at the centre of the village chatting to Kankuro. The turn out for the festival was immense this year: hundreds of people filled the streets.
The crowds parted as Gaara and Tsunade approached, having just finished the re-signing. The two Kage's were engrossed in polite conversation.
"HEY GAARA!! HOW'S IT GOING MAN? GREAT PARTY!!"
"Hn" Gaara rolled his eyes at the blond shinobi who'd interrupted his conversation. It was Naruto.
"Yo!" said Naruto, holding up a hand to high-five Gaara. Gaara just stared at it blankly.
"Lord Kazekage. It's good to see you" came a smooth voice. Gaara turned to see Kakashi standing with Sasuke, Sakura and Kankuro. He nodded to them, distracted.
"Where's Naoko?" he asked.
"Aah, so you've met my niece?" Kakashi answered, sharing an amused glance with Tsunade.
"Yes" Gaara replied simply.
"Is she behaving herself here in Suna? I hope she hasn't caused you too much trouble" Kakashi chuckled.
"No" Gaara said, as he continued to scan the crowds for any sign of Naoko. Kakashi and Tsunade looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
"Where the hell IS she?" cried Naruto, looking forward to seeing his friend again.
Kankuro scratched his head. "She's around here somewhere. She's with Temari and Yuki."
"Hey you guys!" called Temari's voice from beside the group of ninja. They greeted her as she approached with Yuki. Temari had a sly grin on her face. When she knew she had everyone's attention, she stepped aside casually to reveal an uncharacteristically shy looking Naoko. Everyone gasped at the sight of the feisty engineer looking so… beautiful. Even Sasuke looked impressed. Naoko's eyes immediately settled on the Kazekage. Gaara's mouth fell open. His wide, teal eyes looked her up and down. A gentle blush settled sweetly on Naoko's face as she sensed his eyes all over her body. Her ebony hair was swept up in an elegant style, exposing her high cheekbones. Two delicately curled locks of hair framed her face. The neckline of the stunning blue dress was low enough to reveal the precious skin of her neck and upper chest, but not so low as to be smutty. Gaara's eyes fell on the expanse of creamy skin. The dress embraced her slender body enticingly. His eyes travelled along the shapely curve of her hips to the hemline that ended halfway down her luscious thighs. He stared at the sculpted legs. His eyes found her face again. Her eyes were set like glittering jewels. Temari had insisted on applying Naoko's make-up, and the flick of black eyeliner rendered Naoko's eyes astonishing. Gaara gulped. She was a living work of art.
"Hi Gaara" she smiled.
He didn't answer. His mouth seemed to have forgotten how to form words. He simply stared at her, his mouth open and eyes wide before snapping to his senses and composing himself again. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
Everyone turned to see the Kazekage's reaction. He sensed their suspicious looks and frowned fiercely, staring at the floor to hide his intense blushing. Kakashi and Tsunade had the whole thing worked out. Gaara's reaction made it obvious.
"Interesting. Didn't see that one coming" Tsunade muttered dryly.
"WOAH NAOKO! YOU ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE A GIRL!" yelled Naruto dumbly. Naoko glared at him and a flash of electricity coursed towards him at lightning speed. Sasuke and Sakura jumped out of the way, alarmed. The surging current knocked Naruto to the floor.
"OUCH! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" he screamed, a crackle of static electricity still radiating from him as he struggled to his feet.
Naoko smirked. "It's my Kekkei Genkai"
"Where do you think I got the inspiration for Chidori, the Lightning Blade?" chuckled Kakashi.
"Well she might LOOK like a pretty girl, but she's still the same Naoko as always" Tsunade chimed.
Temari smiled smugly. Judging from Gaara's reaction, her plan was working. He was hypnotised. Temari watched as Gaara approached Naoko, touching the small of her back softly to steer her away from the crowd a little. He wanted her all to himself. Temari grinned.
Kakashi was also watching, a little uncomfortable. Naoko was his niece afterall, and Gaara's desire was obvious.
Meanwhile Kankuro had swiped Yuki away to get food. Temari sighed. Typical Kankuro, she thought, he goes straight for the food.
Gaara led Naoko a few meters away to sit on a bench beside a water fountain. He glowered as a passing male leered at Naoko.
"So…what do you think of my new look? I feel a bit stupid in this thing" she said, tugging at the indigo material that swathed her body.
"You look breathtaking"
Naoko was slightly shocked at his forwardness. She smiled, stroking some of his scarlet hair away from his forehead.
"You don't look so bad yourself, Lord Kazekage" she giggled, calling him by his title. It was true. She'd never seen him look so handsome.
Kakashi and Tsunade were stood nearby engaged in light conversation. Kakashi watched Naoko and Gaara. They were sitting extremely close, their bodies in contact. Naoko's hand rested on the Kazekage's chest. She giggled and he gave a little smirk as they shared a joke. The water in the fountain rippled and reflected, illuminating Naoko's face with a soft glow. She looks happy, Kakashi thought to himself. They both do.
"Hey guys!" came a loud shrill voice as Naruto charged tactlessly at the couple by the fountain. He wedged himself between them.
"Naruto" Gaara growled.
Naruto didn't hear. He gazed lovingly at the meal in his hands.
"So I take it you found the ramen stand" Naoko laughed, patting the blonde's head. He produced a pair of chopsticks as if by magic, and began munching happily.
"So… did Gaara tell you about the time I kicked his ass in battle?" he asked, cackling away.
Gaara groaned. Here we go again, he thought. Naoko looked at Gaara and then back at Naruto, her eyes full of disbelief.
"It's true, believe it!" cried Naruto.
Naoko looked at Gaara. "Is it true?"
"Hn" replied a very unimpressed looking Kazekage, who was now glaring at Naruto.
"Teeheehee… Old grumpy guts here was trying to kill Sakura and Sasuke, so I ripped him a new one" Naruto chuckled, oblivious to the look of death Gaara was giving him.
Naoko spluttered with laughter "Hahaha! Old grumpy guts! How fitting!" she teased, poking Gaara. He shuffled sulkily, having just suffered a serious blow to his pride. He still couldn't believe he'd been beaten by such a retard.
Speaking of retards, along came Kankuro, swamped by cartons of food. He had an arm around a very flushed Yuki, who by now looked quite tipsy.
"Hmm" Naoko eyed them suspiciously, "You two look cosy"
"Well you only live once!" Yuki giggled, looking up at Kankuro.
"Kankuro sensei!!" There was a thud and a yelp. Everyone turned to see who the new visitor was. An inebriated, clumsy looking Chuunin staggered to his feet, before displaying a goofy smile accompanied by a hiccup.
Kankuro groaned. "Oh no. This is one of my students" he told everyone. "ALRIGHT, WHO GAVE ALCOHOL TO THIS KLUTZ?" he shouted.
"Oh God, not him again" groaned Gaara.
'GET READY BOYS CUZ I'M ABOUT TO TAKE YOU PUSSIES DOWN!!" screeched a hoarse voice. It was Tsunade, who was engrossed in a game of Shogi with some of the locals. The Hokage was extremely rowdy when drunk, Naoko noted.
There was a loud bang, signalling the start of the firework display. Crowds of people gathered to watch. The group of eight shinobi and two engineers made their way to the display. Gaara and Naoko stood up front, followed by the others. Gaara slipped an arm around Naoko's slender waist, pulling her close to his side.
Sakura gasped "Look at them! They can't keep their hands off each other!"
Sasuke arched a brow.
"I wonder what she sees in HIM" Naruto grumbled, pissed off that someone like Gaara could get a girl and he couldn't.
"I think it's sweet" gasped Sakura, dreamily eyeing the Uchiha beside her.
Naoko watched the fireworks with wide eyes. They were beautiful. Gaara ignored them. He was looking at Naoko. He brought his lips to her ear.
"Lets go somewhere quieter" he whispered. Naoko shivered at the lust in his voice. She weaved her fingers through his and they slipped away silently through the crowds, headed for the Council building.
The rest of the group had become so engrossed in the firework display that they didn't notice that Gaara and Naoko had gone until after the fireworks were over.
"Where'd they go?" Tsunade asked Kakashi. She'd lost the game of shogi, by the way. Kakashi glanced up at the balcony of the Council building.
"Up there" he pointed. The two older ninja looked up to see Gaara and Naoko.
Naoko gazed out at the village from the balcony, Gaara at her side. Anxious thoughts about her fate began to cloud her mind again. Gaara saw the worry on her face. He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest.
"Naoko… don't worry… not tonight." He began to trace soft kisses along the back of her neck. All her anxieties melted away into nothingness now that she was in his arms. He brought his lips against her ear and spoke in husky whispers.
"Naoko… I love you"
She gasped and turned around, utterly speechless. He didn't elaborate, or explain how he had come to this conclusion. He simply stared deep into her eyes, and without another word, he pulled her gently towards his room. She followed, knowing what this meant; what he wanted. She wanted it too.
Kakashi and Tsunade watched as the couple on the balcony retreated into the same room. Kakashi fidgeted with his headband uneasily, seeing his beloved niece with the man who'd once tried to kill his students. He knew that Gaara had changed, but he still held a slight grudge, and he was especially protective of Naoko. And now she had disappeared into Gaara's room… what were they doing in there? He grimaced.
"Let it go Kakashi" Tsunade told him. "She's an adult now. They both are. And they're in love."
Kakashi sighed. Maybe Tsunade was right. She was wiser than she looked.
Naoko and Gaara stood in the middle of Gaara's room, sharing a deep kiss. She gripped his hair tightly as he ran his hands all over her body in a hormonal frenzy. He backed over to the door, pulling Naoko with him, the kiss remaining unbroken. He reached his hand back to lock the door. We won't be interrupted this time, he thought.
They finally broke the kiss, gasping for breath. The heat radiating from Gaara's body filled Naoko with desire. He leaned in to kiss her again but she pulled away playfully, much to Gaara's frustration. She stepped back, reaching behind her to unzip the dress, letting it fall to the floor. Naoko was now dressed only in her underwear. Gaara's eyes focused on the voluptuous curve of her hips. His hands burned to grab her small waist, to attend to the pliant flesh of her thighs and buttocks. Her flushed, supple skin begged to be satisfied. Gaara's mouth watered at the sight. He gulped. Gaara wasn't naïve. He'd seen enough of his brother's dirty magazines lying around to know what came next.
"I… I've never done this before" he said.
"Neither have I." She reached out and pulled him towards the bed. "But I want you to be my first, Gaara"
This set his heart racing. Dirty thoughts filled his mind as he followed her to the bed willingly. She reached back to unclip her raven hair, letting it cascade over her shoulders. He grabbed handfuls of it, pushing her forcefully onto the bed so they were both kneeling on the mattress. He pulled her head back to expose the deliciously smooth skin of her neck, leaning over her arched body to devour her. He showered hot kisses down her throat, over her pulsepoint and along the curve of her neck towards her shoulder. Naoko's body quivered in his arms. He nipped the skin fervently, savouring every one of the desperate whimpers that fell from her sweet lips as if they were sacred. He found a sensitive spot and he worked on it, responding to Naoko's reactions of pleasure. Adrenaline pumped through Gaara's body, and this only intensified his rapture. He slipped his face down to her chest, sucking in mouthfuls of her warm flesh before noticing her bra. He scowled at it. After fiddling with the clasp he finally unhooked it, throwing it across the room. Naoko was dazed, intoxicated with lust. She arched her naked chest towards him as the wetness between her legs became hotter. He smoothed his hands over her breasts, before tentatively taking a soft nipple into his mouth. He felt it harden beneath his tongue. Naoko gasped sharply and he felt her shudder.
"Mmm…Gaara…"
He needed to hear it again. The way she moaned his name like that made his erection throb. He administered a rough suck to her nipple and she cried out. Her hands found his hair and she pulled. He must have felt the pain because he inhaled sharply and halted his attack.
There was a silence between them and they stared into each other's eyes. He grabbed her waist and threw her down on the bed. She giggled at his evident 'no bullshit' attitude towards sex, looking up at him from the flat of her back. She opened her legs temptingly. The blaze in Gaara's abdomen became an inferno when he saw his lover lying so submissively on his bed. He slid his hands up her legs to her hips and slipped off her underwear. She was now completely naked, but her nerves were forgotten. All she could think about was the man kneeling over her, how much she needed him and what he was about to do to her. Gaara's black rimmed eyes focused on the place between Naoko's legs. The soft, dark wisps of hair and her wet opening. He bit into his lip.
Naoko watched as the Kazekage began to disrobe, oh-so-slowly. Painfully slow, as if he was torturing her, making her wait. He slipped his top off, exposing the sculpted ivory of his muscular torso. The muscles rippled sublimely as he pulled the garment over his head, casually tossing it across the room. She stared at the strong, powerful arms, the well-built shoulders. He watched her intensely as he removed the clothing from the lower half of his body. Then he removed his boxers. Naoko let out an accidental moan of approval. He was big. She ran her eyes over the thick shaft and slightly moist, blunt head of his hard member. He reached down and pumped it slightly, knowing he was driving her wild. He'd always had a habit of toying with his victims in battle, and he decided to try out the same tactics here. He kept the pale, sea-green pools of his eyes locked on hers mercilessly. Naoko couldn't believe how sexy he was, the way he maintained eye contact like that. He was driving her over the edge and she reached out to touch him. He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes in mock admonishment before grabbing her hands and pushing her back on the bed, pinning her arms against the pillow. She loved the way he took control. He hovered over her, watching her for a few seconds. Then he leaned down to kiss her. She brought her head up off the pillow to meet his lips, but he pulled away, mimicking her movements from earlier. She let out a frustrated whimper, much to Gaara's amusement. He gave a devilish smirk.
"Annoying, isn't it?" He said smoothly in a calm, deep voice.
He moved to lie beside her, kissing her swollen lips. She released quiet little mewls against his mouth and flinched as his hands touched her body. He slowly brushed his hand from her neck down between her breasts and over her toned abdomen, before sliding his fingers along the moist slit between her parted legs. She gasped as his fingers brushed against her swollen clitoris. He noted her reaction when he did this, and he pressed a finger down firmly on the hot bud. She cried out, grinding against his hand. He knew he'd hit the jackpot here. He began rubbing it causing her to moan and writhe. Her breaths were ragged and uneven. She reached out and took his hard member in her hands, loving how its soft, velvety skin felt against her fingertips. She began to work it in her hand. The Kazekage emitted a deep groan as Naoko touched parts of his body that, until now, had never before been touched by another human. He moved her hand away from his erection, not wanting to come prematurely. This was his first time afterall.
He moved his fingers a little lower to her now dripping entrance. He began to circle a strong finger around the opening. She tried to push the offending finger inside, but he resisted, swirling it torturously around the wanting hollow, refusing to enter. Desire pumped relentlessly through Naoko's body, making her head fuzzy. She felt feverish, tantalisingly agonised by the skilled, attentive way he tormented her. She knew what he was doing; he was experimenting, testing her limits. She moaned incoherently, hating him and loving him in equal measure for making her feel so helpless. Still he chose to ignore her begging and he continued to tease the tingling nerves at the entrance to her body. Finally, he slowly inserted his cool finger inside her warm, wet opening, eliciting a long, grateful moan from Naoko. She clung to him as he began to thrust it inside of her, steadily increasing his speed.
"… So warm…" he whispered, dazed.
He added a second finger, flexing them within her to find the spots that made her weak.
"G… Gaara" she whined, "I want you…"
"What do you want? You want me to fuck you? Is that what you want?" he growled the dirty words, his mind clouded with desire.
"Please" she whimpered, touching him. "Please… I need you inside me, now" she begged.
He co-operated with her pleading, settling himself between her parted thighs. She wrapped her arms around him and gritted her teeth. She knew this would hurt, but more than anything she wanted Gaara to be the one to do it. He gently eased his large manhood inside, stretching her. He hit some resistance and gave a swift thrust, breaking her virgin barrier. She cried out in white-hot pain, digging her nails into the baby-soft skin of his back. He stayed still inside her, feeling her tense up. She was trembling. He smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead tenderly.
"I'm sorry" he whispered.
They shared a soft kiss. He scattered a few affectionate kisses over her hot, flushed face and neck to try and soothe her. When he felt her relax he began to move his hips, administering slow, deep thrusts. She observed his movements lovingly, adoring the fierce look of pleasure on his face. Every stab of pain was dear to her.
Gaara let out a series of low, gutteral groans as he slid himself in and out of her. It took all he had to stop himself coming straight away. The hot, wet muscles deep within her contracted tightly around him, causing almost unbearable pleasure to overtake his virgin body, and he growled. The gorgeous sound vibrated through Naoko's body, thrilling her. The pain had subsided and was replaced by unadulterated pleasure. She moaned at the delicious sensation of her lover thrusting within her. Gaara sensed the impending gratification as her stunning body squeezed every inch of his sensitive length. He knew he was close to orgasm, and he pulled out of her before he could lose control. He was determined to bring Naoko to climax before he allowed himself to come.
He moved down and opened her legs, holding them back with his strong shinobi arms, giving him free access to her precious, glistening sex. He brought his face down and ran his tongue along it, licking the buttery-tasting wetness dripping from her. He swirled his hot tongue around the swollen bud he'd found earlier and sucked it hard into his mouth. Naoko screamed out and arched back, pushing her hips up towards him. The hot, humid temperature of the room did nothing to ease her burning skin. Gaara's tongue forced it's way into the folds of skin and burrowed into her clitoris, flicking the delicate, hyper-sensitive skin inside. Naoko ground herself against him in a frenzy, scraping her hands through the mess of his blood red hair until she was sure she couldn't take it anymore. Gaara smiled, feeling pleased with himself. He was obviously doing well.
When he sensed she was close, he settled on top of her again. He held her face to watch his as he entered her. He began thrusting hard, his body pressed down against hers. They were both sweating profusely now and their wet bodies slid against each other. She gripped him tightly and breathed in his musky scent. He looked into Naoko's eyes, his own eyes unguarded and vulnerable.
"Naoko… be mine" he gasped, panting hard.
She smoothed away the damp hair that was clinging to his forehead.
"Yes…always…" she unwittingly committed herself. She kissed his face, his neck, his jawline, any part of his skin that her lips could reach.
"Always." She whispered against his ear.
His thrusts became quicker, his pubic bone grinding against her clitoris. The wet sound of flesh slapping against flesh mingled with the other sounds that filled the room: the creaking of the bed, Naoko's voice crying out.
"Sabaku no Gaara…I'm so in love with you…"
This set him on fire, and he began fucking her hard. He gripped her in a way that would leave bruises. Their hips moved to the same rhythm as he filled her small, tight body. She released a final scream as she climaxed on him, hot liquid signalling her release as she contracted tightly around him. He locked his lips on hers and let himself go. Naoko felt his hips shudder. He came hard and deep inside of her, a strained cry escaping his mouth.
He collapsed on top of her, laying his head on her chest and panting hard. She brought her hands to his head and gently pulled his hair, massaging his scalp. His forehead was soaked with sweat. He felt himself relax and he pressed a soft, affectionate kiss against her inner wrist. Neither could believe that something could feel so good, and silently chastised themselves for not having done it sooner.
He pulled out and flopped down on the bed beside her, his crimson hair in chaotic disarray. The bedsheets were soaking wet with perspiration and bodily fluids. There were a few tiny smudges of blood from where Gaara had taken her virginity, and from the scratches on his back. He looked at her. He'd never seen her look so beautiful. Her creamy skin glowed and a radiant flush had settled on her face. She sighed heavily with satisfaction before looking over at him, her dazed green eyes full of love.
Gaara stood up wearily and walked across the room to switch off the light. Naoko smiled softly as she watched him, admiring the view of his taut ass and strong thighs. She felt his warm seed trickle out from between her legs and cherished the sensation.
He returned to the bed, lying down beside Naoko. He wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled into his warmth, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You're still trembling" he whispered.
They shared a tender, lingering kiss, revelling in the aftermath of the love they'd just made to each other. Gaara pulled the sheets over them both. Naoko settled into his warm arms. She wanted to stay with him like this forever.
"I love you Gaara" she whispered in the dark.
"I love you more" he answered.
She chuckled softly. "Not possible."
She fell sound asleep. He stayed awake for a while, just watching her. He smoothed back her hair gently and fanned the silken obsidian strands out across the pillow. His heart tugged in his chest, causing a feeling to immerse him- a feeling not unlike pain, but much sweeter. He'd never been intimate like this before, and had never expected to have the chance. He had assumed he'd never know what it felt like to fall in love. His reasoning had been that no one would ever want him, and even if they did, he would not allow himself to be so defenceless. But somehow, this girl had healed every wound in his heart. She had loved him without fear, without doubts or judgement. She'd filled a void that he thought could never be filled. She completed him. Now he had the love he'd always so desperately craved, he would allow no one to take it away from him. He decided there and then that he would never allow anyone to harm her.