((I am so sorry, everybody! *bows for forgiveness* I truly didn't mean to not put the last chapters reviews, or at least the reviews that I got after the last chapter had been put up. I mean, the ones that I got after chapter 3 had gone online… er, you know what I mean! Anyway, I was on borrowed time and now I'm borrowing time at the library. One hour. So let's get started… the reviews that I had to neglect: ))
InTheClosetPoet
This was impressive. The idea is different, and refreshing after reading all of these Mary Sue fanfics. It's obvious you put effort and thought into you writing, and the style is really developed. Great job:) I am looking forward in continuing to read your fanfic.
((It is? I did? Wow, I'm just writing whatever I want and making sure it's legible! Lol Hopefully, it doesn't mutate into a Mary Sue because… what can I say, I gotta make my character and the characters that I don't own suffer. I'm very sadistic in that way. Anyway, glad you like it!))
Kathalla
hehe, well what can I say about this story I truly enjoyed it. At first I thought it would be bad what with girls throwing themselves at Gaara was just a horrible idea but as I was reading I fond that you made the idea actually extremely good. I think this is one of my favorite Gaara story so I thank you for that! I can't wait till the next chap.
((Yay! I changed Kathalla's mind! This is actually a really good review—it means that if the idea stinks for other people, I can try to find a way to make the idea better! Thanks, Kathalla!))
slipknotgirl14
it was a good chapter ttebayo! lol large curlers haha that reminds me of some people i know...theyre asses like megumi so i can see them coming oout of the shadows with thos in their hair like 'that chick needs to go...' and slipping away. haha here i go rambling on..im going to stop now...update soon!
((yes… I don't know people like that… or at least, I've never seen them in curlers. Now, I almost want to. Then I can take a picture and every time I feel down, I'll look at it and it's guaranteed to bring a smile onto my face… before I start laughing. Yay! Ramble on Slipknottgirl114!))
hypnotic flames
ahh the sacred first kiss thats cute! keep up the gr8 work! :)
((yes… it's sacred, it's cute… I'm still waiting for mine from a great guy. Maybe I can buy one in a vending machine? The guy, not the kiss. Lol))
nice chap it was funny keep up the great work!
((another review from hypnotic flames! Yay! Maybe there's a 3rd review? *goes to look*))
nice job keep up the great work! i'd like to find out more about kaya and mishka...update soon please!
((yay! Three in a row! And they're all good! Time to party! *brings out balloons* … okay, party after I write chapter 5 *secretly starts making invites*))
((Now the reviews from after chapter 4 was put out!))
InTheClosetPoet
next chapter? next chapter? NEXT CHAPTER? *foams at mouth* please write the next chapter! I just might...die from deprivation of this AMAZING fic!
((No! No dying on me now, InTheClosetPoet! *hurries it up with the next chapter*))
SammPaglia
update it soon
((ahhh, short, sweet, and to the point. I will do as you request, SammPaglia))
hypnotic flames
oooo this is interesting a background conspiracy...update soon please :)
((of course! What's a story without conspiracy? Lol))
((okay… about 1 ½ pages of reviews… double spaced, of course. Unless it doesn't let me double space… Gah! Enough time wasting! Here's the chapter!))
Chapter 5
Temari and Mishka awoke early in the morning. Correction—Mishka woke up early and had to convince Temari that the earlier you got to the market, the less housewives you had to battle to get the best prices. Even to a ninja, insane housewives were a force to be reckoned with. But luckily, they avoided that scary event.
Breakfast was made between the two girls. And although the kitchen was a mess again, Kankuro declared the white-haired orphan a miracle worker. "Everything actually looks like it should! I don't even mind that the eggs are a little sweet!"
Temari put down the chopsticks she was going to stab him with and silently celebrated, smirking at her first culinary victory.
Gaara nodded his appreciation at his first edible homemade meal. And asked for seconds.
Kaya made a few faces at some of the strange flavors but ate her portion without complaint. However, the other three girls complained. A lot.
"The food is burned," Megumi bitched.
Anali commented snidely, "And the eggs taste weird…"
"And… um… yeah, what they said." Zia accidentally got in over her head.
However, no one was listening to the hostile complaints. To the three harsh contestants, the happy feasters looked like a family. And they could not stand for that.
"After breakfast, Gaara-sama, let's go on a date. That way, we can get to know each other… intimately…" Megumi proposed with a luscious smile.
The look she received froze the blood in her veins. So she added, "Well, you have to spend a day with each of us. So I'm your Monday date. Then Kaya, Anali, and Zia."
"And then Mishka," Temari concluded.
Anali giggled, "Yeah, but honestly, after dating us, why would he go out with an orphan girl?"
Mishka smiled. "You're right… he deserves someone who can make him happy. And that isn't me."
"Hey, don't say crap like that! I'd choose you if Gaara didn't! You're totally awesome and a great cook! Stop putting yourself down like that!" Kankuro shouted, clearly pissed off.
Her golden gaze widened in surprise. That was the first time anybody had told her something like that. A happy blush skittered across her cheeks and she looked down at her hands. "Th-thank you…"
Temari gave her a tight hug, nearly knocking her off her chair. "Aww, don't do that! You're gonna get yourself kidnapped!"
Megumi smiled cutely. "I don't think that would happen. But if you want to prove me wrong, let's try it in a dark alley full of rogue ninja…"
Before Temari had a chance to yell at that remark, the blond seductress jumped up and hooked her arm with Gaara's. "Time to go on our date, Gaara-sama!" And with the strength of a girl in love, she whisked the surprised redhead away before his protective sand could react.
Anali and Zia cleared out of the kitchen, squealing about going to the Sand Pit Spa, the first spa ever made in Suna. It had been created especially for Gaara's bridal contest.
With those two gone, Kaya, Kankuro, and Temari were left with Mishka, who was busy cleaning up. And Temari was furious!
"What the Hell! Mishka, you don't need to take that crap! You're worth more than all those idiots! Why didn't you tell them off?" she exploded.
The white-haired girl shook her head. "It doesn't matter. If I retaliate, they'll hate me."
"They already hate you…" Kaya replied softly. "Exactly. Nothing good can come of it. Besides, it was only a cruel joke. It's not like they can set me up or anything."
Anali and Zia soaked in the sandy waters of the spa. Both girls were giggling deviously. "So we're totally setting her up?" the strawberry blond asked with a silly smile.
Anali nodded her brown head with her own grin. "Of course. I made a personal call to Kanoha and invited the perfect man to a date with a girl he hasn't already repulsed. It's perfect. With her out of the way, I will become the Kazekage's bride."
"Wait, what about me? And Megumi and Kaya, too?"
The brunette shook her head. "Don't take it personally, Zia. It's just my destiny to marry that hottie."
"But I've been wishing on the evening star every night since I was six to be a leading ninja's wife. Gaara-sama is perfect for my ideal."
"Nope, he's mine."
"How come?"
"Because destiny beats the wishing star. Everyone knows that. Don't tell me you didn't…"
"Keh! Of course I did. I was… playing around. So when does this guy get here?"
"Tomorrow. I told him to hurry because she might be unavailable soon."
"So if she stayed, would Mishka end up winning?" Zia asked, looking concerned.
"No. he's destined to marry me but… since we're not married yet, I suppose he's allowed to look and make nice with the losers. You know, let them down gently. Gaara-sama is so kind…" Anali swooned softly.
Zia agreed happily, swooning so much that her head sank under the surface and she came up, looking like a sand monster. "… look, I'm Shukaku! Roar!"
Both girls broke down into fits of laughter.
Megumi walked, Megumi shopped… Megumi clung to Gaara like a wet towel on his muscle-bound abs. She was unhappy with him at the moment. Her beloved wouldn't carry her numerous bags and they were starting to get heavy. "Gaara-sama, please hold some of these! It won't kill you and I've got a nice reward for you if you help me."
"No. You bought it, you carry it," he grumbled. He wasn't interested in shopping. Not for this tramp. If it was Mishka, he'd feel differently. The orphan girl had only two outfits, one backpack for everything she brought. And he'd willingly go into a lingerie shop to help her pick out underwear. Megumi tried and failed.
Don't misunderstand. The blond had a fantastic body. But Mishka's body was the first he'd seen stark naked. And it was burned into his mind and glorified.
"Gaara-sama, why can't you just enjoy our date? Couples do this sort of thing all the time."
"Why couldn't we at least do something interesting? And watch the underling ninja's skirmish. It's amusing to watch them try so hard with little to show for it," he asked with a sigh.
"No. We're on a date. There's no fighting when it comes to our date. Fighting isn't romantic at all! I just… want to get you alone…"
Gaara replied, "Good idea…" Sand kicked up at that moment and blinded Megumi. When she could see again, he had vanished.
Gaara appeared in his room and scratched his red hair in irritated boredom. What was there to do now? He couldn't even go watch the young ninja's train because he'd let Megumi in on his slight infatuation with it. Even if he hid from view, she'd find him. Secretly, he wanted to know if he was bugged.
His door opened and the Kazekage-to-be whirled around, half-expecting it to be the jilted blond. So imagine his surprise when his first choice was holding the door knob. "Oh…"
"Sorry. I thought this was my room," she apologized, walking out of the room, closing the door.
Gaara moved quickly to stop the door. "Since you know I don't sleep, you can always use my bed…"
"Um… I've got to change into my street clothes and wash my dress…" she replied shyly.
"Borrow my clothes. I have the ones from when I was younger. They should fit just fine."
Mishka blushed, knowing that she should probably refuse. His infatuation with her was only temporary. In all honesty, she should probably run away soon before he fell even harder for her. Or before she let herself go under his spell again. Oh… but her body ached softly with want. "No, thank you."
He went to his closet and grabbed a shirt off the hanger. Tossing it in her direction, the redhead said, "Wear that to bed. You don't seem to have a lot of clothes, seeing as you're wearing the same dress as yesterday." The sand swirled around the young man and he left, closing the conversation.
Mishka had caught the shirt and once alone, she was unsure of what to do. Leave the shirt? Keeping it would be her downfall. Gently, she smelled the piece of clothing, taking in the scent of the desert mixed with the metallic hint of fresh blood. It was intoxicating and her mind fogged up in a pleasant haze.
Kaya stood in the doorway, watching Mishka press Gaara's shirt to her face with tears in her brown eyes. She felt as though a knife had been twisted into her heart and left to dangle painfully in her chest cavity. "I thought… that you didn't care about him… You said he wasn't flirting!" she shouted, shocking the white-haired orphan out of her daze.
Mishka turned, holding the shirt to her chest. "Kaya… I…-"
"Cut the crap, Mishka! I saw you! Tell me the truth, damnit!"
The younger girl flinched. "I didn't mean to… I really didn't care about him. My participation in this contest was only because of the Cloud. But Gaara stole my first and second kisses. I felt something that I'd never felt before. I never meant to hurt you, Kaya. Do you know how many times I tried to sway his interest? I wanted to leave this place and find my own life. I wanted my independence and now… I don't think I can do it. I'm sorry. I am so sorry…" She bowed her head, unable to look at the girl. Tears flooded her golden eyes.
The black-haired beauty watched her white-haired friend angrily before clamping her hand over her mouth. "Enough… I get it…" she hissed.
Gaara re-entered his room via sand to find the two crying females there, one very angry for some reason. "What-?"
He never knew what hit him. One second they were looking at him and the next, he was bent over a short Kaya who held his neck with both arms. Escape was futile. She had stolen one of his kisses.
After a while, she let him go and shoved him away. "The next time you have a contest, why not just tell us that you already picked a winner? Bastard… I'm out of the contest. I won't participate in this false competition just so you can get your jollies. You can go to Hell." Kaya turned and walked right in front of Mishka. "Tell me you didn't know."
The white-haired girl nodded. "I thought he was just teasing me. I truly didn't know that he already… picked me."
"Good. You two really hurt me, Mishka. So be happy together. Or I'll totally kill you both." And with that, she stormed out of Gaara's room. She would stay for the allotted time. If Kankuro would just remove his makeup and stop ogling his brother's wife-to-be, she'd probably go after him. He had a good heart and seemed to wear his emotions on his sleeves.
Purposefully, she didn't mention Megumi's crusade. Just because she'd practically given them her blessing didn't mean she was going to make things easier on Mishka. Besides, those other three would probably self-destruct anyway.
((the end of chapter 5. Did you like it? I know I did. Yes, Kaya has withdrawn from the competition but I didn't want her to just leave forever like I originally planned. Don't worry. Mishka knows everything now… she knows she likes Gaara a lot… but that mystery boy from Konoha is going to stir up some trouble between the two. And now that the three female stooges have kind of divided… things are about to get interesting. Read and review!))