Who is the worst updater in the history of forever? ME! I'm pretty sure there is a month between this chapter and the last. I'm horrible. It is 3.30 AM and I finally finished this. It actually was supposed to have about 4 more pages but I wanted to update already to I'll save that for another chapter. I'm disappointed however because that means 3 GaaraxMatsuri chaps in a row, and this is a Sari/Ittetsu/Matsuri fic. Also we need to figure out what happened to Sari and Ittetsu. Sigh…
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto because I'm a horrible person/updater! =(
Chapter 8
Konoha – Enough Said
Matsuri smiled as she crossed he Konoha gates with Gaara, Temari and their escort. Sadly, she was the only one in a good mood.
Temari was pissed over the fact that Shikamaru hadn't been at the gates to escort her. Gaara was upset but not quiet pissed because he looked uncharacteristically chunky due to 4 sleeping newborns inside of his shirt. Temari had laughed at his situation when she found out, but she was all for keeping the four puppies.
Their escort brought them to the Hokage's house, since it would be easier for Tsunade and Gaara to meet and it was a well-known landmark for anyone who wanted to see the Sand shinobi.
Tsunade and Shizune met the Sand shinobi at the Hokage residence. Shizune looked punctual and cheerful as she held Ton Ton in her arms. The 5th Hokage on the other hand looked bored and dragged from bed.
"Hello Hokage," Gaara said formally. Temari and Matsuri bowed.
"Please, just call me Tsunade," the famed Slug princess said lightly. Even though Gaara was noticeably younger than she, even with her true appearance altered to make her look about 30 years younger, Tsunade wanted to better acquaintance herself with the Kazekage.
"Can we call you Tsunade too?" Matsuri asked cheerfully.
The beautiful Hokage took in the unfamiliar face of young Matsuri.
"Uh… who are you again. Isn't the third member usually male?" Tsunade asked scratching her head.
"She is," Shizune started before faltering. "Um…."
Matsuri laughed lightly. "I'm Matsuri, Gaara's girlfriend." She said, missing Tsunade and Shizune's surprised look at Gaara, and Gaara's uncomfortable look at the nice blue sky.
In Suna they were a couple, but most people, Temari and Kankuro included, didn't know the extent of their relationship. While Matsuri wanted to tell anyone she could about her relationship, Gaara was… Gaara about their relationship.
"Well," Tsunade said bubbly, "I didn't know the young Kazekage had a girlyfriend!"
Gaara mentally sighed. "Well… I do." He said lamely. Why does everyone call Matsuri my 'Girlyfriend'?
When the Sand shinobi and the Hokage and her dutiful assistant went inside Tsunade smiled widely.
"So, how did you both meet?" she asked.
"Matsuri was my student." Gaara said.
"Remember, I was captured that one time and the Leaf came to help." Matsuri reminded the busty Hokage.
"Oh, so that was you huh? When did you fall in love? Details!" Tsunade pressed on. Shizune looked at Matsuri and Gaara with poorly hidden interest, and even Temari leaned forward a little. Gaara had never been vocal about his relationship to his elder siblings. Kankuro occasionally dropped a question, but otherwise didn't care.
"I had respect for Gaara since we met, and over time the respect grew and grew until…" Matsuri giggled, holding onto Gaara's arm, which had crooked at his waist to hold up the sliding animals inside his shirt.
"What about you, Gaara?" Temari asked having newfound confidence from her army of 2 women to back her up.
"I'm not sure." He said uncomfortably. One of the pups, Tobai or Hatsu perhaps, woke up and was wriggling a little.
"Oh, come on, Gaara," Tsunade said crossing her arms. "You've got to have some idea."
Matsuri decided to come to Gaara's aid. "We fell in love and warmed up to each other around the same time."
"Well, it's nice that you both found each other." Shizune spoke up. Tsunade, Shizune and Ton Ton hadn't been around when Gaara was a raging psychopath with a bad attitude and daddy issues, but they'd heard about him through the villagers. It was hard to think that anyone with such a violent past could find a heart in a sea of hatred.
After the women were done milking details out of Matsuri and Gaara Shizune showed them to their rooms.
They all got their own rooms in the Hokage residence next to each other. Tsunade arranged for Gaara to meet back up with her at her office later.
Matsuri pulled Gaara to her room as soon as they were alone. The cute brown haired kunoichi led him to her comfy queen sized bed that as a side thought seemed quite big for one lonely soul.
"Take it off," she said eagerly, her fingers on the fabric of Gaara's shirt. The Sand Kazekage removed his heavy gourd and set it gingerly on the ground, unbuckling the vest that held it in place and carefully removed his deep red shirt.
Matsuri caught Hokori from rolling out of the shirt and to the ground. The little puppy squeaked lightly in surprise.
"Sorry little kunoichi dog in-training." She cooed, cuddling with the only sister of the 4 before putting her down.
Matsuri got a small bottle of puppy liquid formula from her bag and lovingly fed the 4 when their turn came.
After they'd had their share Matsuri sculpted a bed for them out of Gaara's shirt, since it had his scent and the pups pretty much saw Gaara as their mommy. (Is Gaara happy about that fact? NOPE!)
"Can you use a different shirt?" Gaara asked as Matsuri lifted Tobai from the bed to the shirt-bed on the ground.
Matsuri glanced up to where Gaara sat on the bed, shirtless with only his grey pants. The two belts he usually wore around his waist hung loosely. She loved that he wasn't even flustered to bare his lean chest to her.
"No," she said softly, turning away to hide her blush. Gaara frowned lightly, sensing something off about the gesture. He slid from the bed to kneel beside his girlfriend. He lightly directed her chin to face him.
The light blush of high pink around her cheekbones was intriguing.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
Matsuri blushed harder, her black eyes flickering down briefly to his bare chest and away.
Getting why Matsuri was embarrassed Gaara too blushed and shuffled back a little.
"Sorry," he said, standing. "I should go change and meet up with the Hokage."
Matsuri shot up to her feet and grabbed his hand. "No…" she blushed deep red now. "Uh, just…" she smiled, standing up on her toes to kiss him lightly. Gaara smiled lightly against her lips.
"Stay?" he murmured against her lips. Matsuri nodded, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. The ends of his spiky red hair, which had grown a little longer since the first time she'd met him, tickled her wrists.
They backed up to the bed and sat, wrapped in each other's arms. Gaara had an arm around her waist and a gentle hand caressing the side of her face, his thumb stroking the soft skin of her cheek.
Matsuri hummed in delight against Gaara's lips, parting her lips and breathing in his sweet breath.
She didn't want this to end, and neither did Gaara. The moment was too great.
Kenkyona's signature squeal of fear while in his puppy dreams brought them out of their kiss.
"Sounds like he needs his mommy," Matsuri teased, running her hand over Gaara's chest.
Gaara smiled lightly, trying not to let the 'Mommy' joke get to him. "I should go get changed and meet up with the Hokage." He told her, yet he kept his forehead pressed to Matsuri's, their bangs brushing and tangling with each other.
"She told you to call her Tsunade." Matsuri reminded him, brushing her nose against his.
"I know…" Gaara hesitated, a slightly worried look crossing his face. It reminded Matsuri of the first time she'd heard his low voice, like sand carried by the wind, she'd thought at the time. "We need to talk… later, Matsuri." He told her. Remembering the content of the last chapter he added: "And I'm not talking about breaking up with you."
Matsuri smiled and mock-pushed him.
"You wouldn't dare break up with me." She watched as Gaara left before going to attend to the puppies.
….K~S
Shizune pinkened when a half naked Gaara left Matsuri's assigned room. She couldn't help but take in how the young Kazekage looked a little disheveled.
Ton Ton, who rested in the woman's arms, squeaked knowingly.
"Uh, there was a hole… in the shirt." He lied, grimacing mentally at a time where he really had a tear in his old clothes and Matsuri had done a horrible job of repairing them, so much that Gaara had to find a new look.
Shizune nodded, but didn't look convinced. Gaara thought to say something else, but settled for ducking his head and heading into his room to get changed.
…K~S
After Matsuri got the puppies to go to sleep for good she changed into lighter clothes that would be better fit for the weather of Konoha and left the Hokage residence.
Her goal? To find some genin and engage them in combat.
She found her way to an almost empty training ground with nice bright green grass. And why was it almost empty?
3 teenagers around her age sat on the grass. There was a tall looking boy with a dark jacket and dark pant with a red triangle mark on either of his cheeks. Beside him was a dog that could eat all of her puppies. The second male was dressed in a long high neck jacket that covered half of his face. The other parts of his face were obscured by messy spiky brown hair and black glasses.
The last of the trio was a pretty girl with a heavy jacket and long navy blueish black hair and a: I'm shy but still a good person aura about her.
"Hello," the girl said as she saw Matsuri approaching.
Matsuri grinned. "Are you ninja of Konoha?" she asked bluntly.
The dog and the boy with the face tat's exchanged a look before both breaking out into dog-like grins.
"Yes, we are." The boy said, standing up with crossed arms. "I am Kiba Inuzuka, and this is my dog, Akamaru." The dog barked a low manly bark that unsettled Matsuri a little.
"By the look of your forehead protector you're from the Village Hidden in the Sand." The guy with the obscured face noticed.
Matsuri pushed out her chest and stood a little taller. If there was anything she learned from the Sand Siblings was to be fierce and start out strong and end strong, even in defeat. That way you got respect for yourself and your village.
"Hello," the girl of the 3 Konoha nin spoke up with a soft voice. "M-my name is Hinata Hyuga." Matsuri looked into the girls' pretty pale pearly eyes. (pretty, pale, pearly :\)
"I am Shino of the Aburame clan." Shino said lightly.
"I am Matsuri of the Village Hidden in the Sand," Matsuri said proudly.
"Are you a chunin?" Hinata asked kindly.
Matsuri felt her face color lightly. "Um… no, but I'm going to the upcoming Chunin exams with my team."
"Cool," Kiba said, still itching for a good fight, even with a genin. "We're chunin, so this will be good practice for you."
"But why aren't your team with you?" Hinata asked, looking around as if they might be off hiding.
Kiba sniffed the air. "She's alone." He said in surprise before turning angry. "Did you think you could take all of us on alone, genin?"
Matsuri flinched. "I just wanted to get some training against opponents while I am here."
"Oh," Kiba said, falling back into a causal stance that wasn't so… pouncing animal.
"Tell us first," Shino spoke up again. "Who have you trained under? We ourselves have learned from our Sensei: Kurenai Sensei."
Matsuri took a deep breath. She was mostly Gaara's old student, but her jonin squad leader was Hayate: even though Hayate was barely even in the story because the author (mwa me) doesn't like writing for him for some reason. And there was Temari and Kankuro to think about, even if she hadn't picked them to teach her. They still instructed her from time to time. Also Baki sensei had given her a few wind jutsu pointers when Gaara and Temari were unable to.
"Um… well I have many teachers." Team 10 (that is their team, right? Yeah, I think it is…) looked at her expectantly. "Well, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Baki sensei, and Hayate sensei."
"Uh… well which of them taught you the most?" Hinata tried.
"Ga… uh, our Kazekage." She said, remembering that some people didn't like that she called Gaara by his name.
"So you're Gaara's old student." Kiba said, surprising Matsuri. What did he know?
"A lot of us went off to help you out that one time," Hinata told her.
"Oh, well, thank you from back then." She said.
Kiba grinned widely. And then attacked.
Matsuri was just able to notice the fighting intent in the males slit like eyes and tensed to anticipate the attack.
Kiba reappeared at her feet, an arm ready to knock her to the ground. Matsuri jumped up, but the tip of her foot still was caught and she fell, but managed a roll back to her feet.
"Don't hurt her, Kiba!" Hinata called to her teammate.
Matsuri was lightly offended, but pushed her feelings aside. She was a genin and Kiba was an experienced chunin.
And then there were two Kibas.
"Beast Mimicry!" the original Kiba said cheerfully. The two Kiba's stacked up and now had animal like nails and elongated canines.
Matsuri froze for a second in surprise but quickly snapped out of it. She watched as the two Kiba's started to merge in a spiraling tornado. Matsuri made a quick decision: she wouldn't match strength with them, but instead speed.
AN: I really don't want to mess up Kiba's ability, because even to this day it confuses me a little. I understand Hinata and Shino's powers a little better because they're more discussed and/or simplistic. Hinata: attacks chakra flow with powerful eyes – Shino: has a pact with insects and they drain chakra and what not. So I'm going to be lazy and put their fight on a cliffhanger. Sorry. :|
…K~S
Temari was on a manhunt? Can you guess what's in hunting season?
Butterflies? No, she preferred leaner men. Turtles? Too much eyebrow. Deer? You guessed it!
…K~S
Matsuri jumped back as the Kiba's tore up the ground moments from where her feet had been. The blast of earth and wind pushed her back and to the ground. The young Sand kunoichi breathed hard. She'd managed to dodge Kiba's attacks, but she'd used up a lot of energy and chakra. What was unsettling was that she could feel that Kiba wasn't using his full speed and strength.
The only thing she could say to defend herself was that she was just still a genin.
"My turn." Shino said in a bored yet eager way. Matsuri swallowed hard, not wanting to say no to the Aburame, but still she was exhausted. "Don't worry. I'll be quizzing you to see how smart you are. No physical exertion required."
Matsuri smiled. "Alright." So she sat down in the grass with Shino Kiba and Hinata.
"Let's start with an easy question," Shino said calmly. "If you throw a kunai at 110 degrees with the speed of about 20 miles per hour and the wind blows pulling the kunai off trajectory 15 degrees where will the kunai fall from the reference point?"
Matsuri blinked slowly, her mind trying to process what Shino had been saying.
…K~S
Temari smiled sweetly at Shikamaru from where they sat peacefully under a tree on a small hill away from the center of the village.
"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you this morning; my troublesome mother made me round up some of the deer on our property for one of my dads lame lab experiments."
"I understand," Temari said lightly. Usually she'd be on Shika's back all the time she was with him, wanting to do something other than lay around all day. Yet after being so upset over not being able to see him and what not, she decided to be relaxed and pleasant.
And then tomorrow she'd wreak havoc.
…K~S
Matsuri rubbed her forehead, groaning at the beating her mind had taken. She was smart to a degree, but still she probably would end up failing any exam with questions like the ones Aburame had thrown at her.
"Um, i-it's my turn t-to help." Hinata spoke up, smiling lightly.
Matsuri nodded, pulling herself together and stood along with the others.
"T-try to land a blow on me." The soft spoken kunoichi said, moving into a strange stance that Matsuri was unfamiliar with.
Matsuri's hand instinctively went to her rope javelin. "Can I use a weapon?"
Hinata nodded, and smiled. "And I will be using my families Kekkai Genkai, i-if it's alright." Matsuri was slightly shaken to know that the girl had a bloodline limit, but sucked up her fear and nodded.
Hinata smiled, forming quick hand seals before settling on one. "Byakugan!"
…K~S
Temari leaned over to Shikamaru so he wouldn't have to stretch to kiss her. His lips were slow on hers, a sign of his laziness, and Temari slowed to match him. Surprisingly the kiss was enjoyable, even without breaking each other's jaws to win dominance over a whole-hearted kiss.
She felt Shika's hands move to her 4 spiky pig tails, snapping the ties off one by one until her soft blond hair brushed over her shoulders.
"I like your hair down, Shikamaru said, as if stating the weather.
"It practically blinds me whenever I use my fan." Temari explained, wrapping her arms around her man.
"Guess that makes sense."
"Enough talk…"
"Temari, what are you doing?"
Temari froze, yanking herself off Shikamaru to look up at her youngest brother standing a little ways away with his arms crossed.
Shikamaru looked very much afraid.
AN: I love Shika, but I love Gaara more and I think Gaara could beat him, Naruto episode 58 anyone?
"I was… I…" Temari blushed bright red, hoping her brother wouldn't try to be over protective and bludgeon Shikamaru.
Gaara closed his eyes and turned. He didn't have time to murder the ponytail wearing deer boy.
"Just tell Matsuri if you see her to meet me on top of the Hokage monument mountain." He said with a sigh.
Temari sighed in relief. "Sure thing little brother!" she called. Once he was out of sight and hearing range, and she made sure there were no Sand Third Eye's around, she dove back on top of her unexpecting boyfriend.
…K~S
Hinata stood up in a more casual stance after Matsuri plopped down tiredly, her robe javelin struggling to stay within her grasp.
"You held up for longer than I thought you would," Kiba spoke up. "For a twig you sure do have some fight."
Matsuri smiled. "Thank you Hinata, Shino, and Kiba." Akamaru barked. "And you too, Akamaru." Then she looked at Kiba. "AND I'M NOT A TWIG!"
"Anyway," Kiba said ignoring her. "It's getting late."
Matsuri snapped out of her upset and looked up at the red and orange sky with the brilliant yellow sun setting in the distance. In her heart someone called for her.
Smiling the sand kunoichi bowed to the Leaf team. "Thank you for helping me train. I'll be going now."
"Alright, see you sometime soon," Hinata said.
Kiba and Shino nodded.
Matsuri walked away, wondering where Gaara was. If she knew him, he'd be someplace at the summit. Grinning ear to ear she turned to the Hokage monument. On top she could see the barest outline of a standing figure.
Gaara.
Let me explain this late chap: new high school, loss of motivation, more loss of motivation after I threw up in class my first day =[ I got sick this week and life isn't fair, but who said it was?
Anyway if you haven't read His Desert Rose, or type something like that in. Really good GaaraxMatsuri fic with consistent updates. Until next time in the near future I hope.