Sayuri got up and stretched. Since the Kazekage had approved her idea she'd spent 18 hours at her desk, trying out every possible angle to make the technique stronger. Considering most Earth Style users powers she'd calculated the range of their combined force. She did not know however, how the jutsu combined with the Kazekage's chakra infused sand – for that she needed to see him. It was already late but impatience urged her on.
Sayuri grabbed an energy pill – not only useful for people in the battlefield but also for people who often spent 14 hours of their waking time behind a desk squinting at old documents and handwritten accounts. She swallowed after an absolute minimum of chewing. They were Sakura's batch and though potent the taste was vile. She hurried out and the chilly night air hit her. It was a beautiful night, the stars were twinkling and the air smelled of fresh grass and carried a mild tang from the cooking fires. She nodded towards two shinobi on guard duty by the edge of the camp whom she recognized as Konoha ninja and hurried off towards the Headquarters.
The dew soaked her sandals and she sped up, it was later than she'd first thought and the Kazekage might not be up still. But a growing sense of urgency kept her going. Finally she reached the tent and sighed in relief – there was a light flickering inside, drawing monstrous shadows on the maroon walls of the tent. Two ninjas were standing guard outside the doorflap. She approached them and was stopped.
"The Kazekage has retired, you can come back tomorrow." She considered going back and lay sleepless from anxiousness.
"Will you please ask him if he'll see Koizumi Sayuri? It's urgent." Urgent was the magic word in times of war, not please, and after glancing at each other on of the shinobi went inside the tent and she heard a murmured conversation. After a moment the ninja returned and motioned her in. Sayuri ducked in and realized she'd interrupted him on his way to bed. The gourd he carried his sand in was leaning against the simple bed and he'd taken off the grey holster vest he usually wore and his coat, standing in simple black trousers and shirt. The gourd looked strange standing on its own, she was so accustomed to seeing it strapped to his back and had never seen him without it before. What did you think, Sayuri, that he slept with it? A mental image of him cuddling the gourd in his sleep, his arm slung over the narrow middle part, flashed in her head.
"Er, sorry", go away, stupid image, "I know it's late…" He only stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What is it you need?" She saw the tiredness she felt mirrored in his features and hesitated. But she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway if she didn't perfect the jutsu and she needed his sand in order to do it. She drew a deep breath and decided to just get on with it.
"I need to test how the jutsu affects your sand. The easiest way would probably be if you summon it, roughly in a boxshape about this size", she gestured to show him. "Then I'll try getting the chakra wall through." He looked as if he very much doubted that would help anything. "I know I probably won't be able to get the wall through, but I'll get a feel for the chakra flow of the sand and can modify the jutsu from there so the two will work together." He nodded and Sayuri looked around for the best place to practice before she just plopped down on the floor cross-legged. The Kazekage joined her and she was glad the grass had been covered with mats, making it more comfortable than sitting directly on the ground. He'd left the gourd standing where it was and only reached out his hand in a summoning motion before the sand obediently came dancing from the opening, crossing the room before settling in layers between them. He looked up inquiringly and she nodded, she didn't need more than that for testing. Sitting opposite each other with the finished "sand box" in the middle she drew a deep breath and summoned her own chakra. She went through the hand motions slowly to not make mistakes and to weaken the jutsu enough to avoid accidents when it came in contact with the Kazekage's absolute defence. Finishing the motions she gestured the jutsu down towards the sand and immediately felt a huge resistance.
"Can you weaken it a bit? I need the jutsu to actually touch it to understand the chakra movements. He nodded and she felt the sand give a little. Slowly a shallow groove appeared in it but when she pushed further it didn't give any more, but she'd felt the two natures at once and just needed to make some calculations in order to find a way to join them. Sayuri released the jutsu and realized she was slightly out of breath. She must be more tired than she'd thought.
"That's all. I need some more time to join the two forces but I think it's worth the wait to be able to use your sand. It'll make the jutsu more powerful and add another level of surprise. I'm going to head back and start work-", she said as she got up, then felt the world spin before all went black.
POV
Gaara saw her eyes turn unseeing before she collapsed. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground and scooped her up, then stood, unable to decide what to do. He looked down at her pale face and wondered when she'd eaten or slept last. Feeling guilty for not having made her accept some help earlier he considered carrying her back to her tent. The problem was, he didn't know where that was. Also carrying around an unconscious woman in the middle of the night would attract attention, people would think they were under siege or that another scouting mission had gone awry. He hoisted her up a bit higher, thinking she was too light, she probably skipped meals often, sitting buried in her books.
The feeling of protectiveness that came over him surprised him, but she was a ninja and therefore under his care for as long as he was the Commander of the Allied Forces. He looked over at the bed. He didn't know where she belonged and carrying her around outside at random seemed stupid, besides he had an early morning meeting tomorrow with the other Kages. He made up his mind and laid her down on his bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. His arms felt empty after being relieved of her weight.
Gaara turned and automatically reached out for the sand that was still sitting on the floor and silently it hovered back into the gourd. The jutsu had dented it only slightly, and at a weakened state, but it was still impressive. He looked back down on the girl sleeping in his bed and wondered if she understood just how impressive. He wasn't very good with words, he thought, but he wished he could think of some that would convey it to her without making him sound patronising. He shook his head, he had no clue what to do to make her realize that her discovery could be the turning pint of this war. He grabbed the extra blanket and settled down on the floor, it wasn't as if he slept much anyway so he didn't mind taking to the ground for a night.
POV
Sayuri woke to the sounds of the camp raising and activity starting to buzz. Disoriented she blinked at the maroon fabric above her. Her tent was dark green. She sat up and glanced around. Oh, it's the Kazekage's tent. And she was in his bed. In a flash the night before came back to her. She must have fainted. She'd been stupid, not realizing how tired she had been. The price to pay was the eternal embarrassment. She could only imagine what the Kazekage must think.
"Kazekage-sama, it's time to wake up, sir." A voice said and Sauyri stiffened in shock. Then she realized that there were partitions between the meeting room and the "bedroom" that were usually open during the day but were now drawn and the person speaking was on the other side, in the meeting area. She could vaguely make his shape out through the fabric. Sayuri was about to climb out of bed when she spotted him. Rolled up in a blanket, on the floor, was the Kazekage, fast asleep. She had made the Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces sleep on the ground in his own tent. He looked younger in his sleep, she noted. His usually serious features were relaxed and he looked almost angelic. Well, with the markings around his eyes and the tattoo, maybe more of a fallen angel. It only served to make him seem even more appealing and she stifled a weird urge to hug him really hard.
Suddenly it struck her what it would look like if someone were to enter and find them all rumpled in his "bedroom" and she blushed to the roots of her hair. The other ninja could come back any minute to see why the Kazekage hadn't gotten up yet. She hurriedly got out of bed and crouched down and then hesitated for a moment. If she said his name people would easily be able to hear her through the fabric of the tent. Instead she put a hand on his shoulder. He woke with a start and before she'd time to react, he's grabbed her wrist, pulled her down and rolled on top her, pinning her to the ground in one smooth movement. Frozen she laid under him, her heart thundering in her chest, both from surprise and something else, something that made her intensely aware of where their bodies touched. His hands were pinning her wrists above her head and his face was only centimetres away from hers. Her breathing hitched in her throat and she saw his sleep-clouded eyes clear. For a second their eyes locked and her heartbeat changed pace, beating in slow, hard pumps, making her muscles feel slack and for a moment she thought that even if she'd had to run she wouldn't be able to. Then he sprang up, two bright red spots burning on his cheeks.
"Sorry, I…", he ran a hand through his already sleep-mussed hair and she sat up.
"No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have taken you unawares. Ninja and all." For a few moments awkward silence reigned before she got up and dusted herself off. "Thank you for…" For what? Letting me sleep in your bed? Pinning me to the ground and stirring me up? "…everything", she finished lamely. Feeling like an idiot she used the back opening of the tent and hoped to God the camp would still be mostly asleep so no one could see her leaving his tent with messy hair and burning cheeks.