Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.
4,710 words, originally posted 4-9-12.
A note: I... have no excuses. All I ask is that you forgive the ridiculous extended absence from this and stick with me now that I'm back into it. I am seriously flattered by all the lovely comments you've left. Also, I have not reread this whole thing yet in the interest of getting it posted sooner, but I will edit it within the next few days. Now, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 7
Sakura sealed her letter to Tsunade summarizing the current results of the chunin exams and summoned a runner to send it to the message center. Sighing deeply, she stretched in her chair and leaned back, relieved that her final task for the day was complete. Sending periodic reports back to her superiors in Konoha was a pain, but it was a routine aspect of missions and being a shinobi that no one, from the Hokage down to the lowest genin, could escape.
Because all of Sasuke's team and two of Shikamaru's had made it into the final round of testing, Sakura would be staying behind—along with, of course, the genin's leaders and Ino and Neji, who were needed for medical and surveillance reasons, respectively—until the end of the exams next month. Naruto and the others were needed back in Konoha, though Naruto would return to watch the fights.
Unfortunately for Sakura, her extended absence from the village meant she was still required to report in occasionally. Not only that, while she was excited about the prospect of staying in Suna (and therefore near Gaara) for a whole month more, she was nervous about their strained relationship. He had avoided her ever since her refusal to accompany him to Kankuro's party, even finding excuses not to attend their morning yoga practices. She had almost backed out of her date with Kankuro, resolving to attend solo so as not to hurt anyone's feelings, but she felt somewhat duty-bound to go with him. If she told him what was going on with Gaara, he might understand, but it was his birthday, and she had promised. It hardly seemed fair to her to leave Kankuro hanging because she was nursing a crush on his highly unavailable and totally gorgeous younger brother.
Sakura did a fast final check of her patients' charts, ensured the Suna medic in charge of the floor would take care everything of in her absence, and headed back to the mansion to get ready for the party. Her thoughts wandered as she weaved through the dusty Suna streets, and she worried her lip at the thought of what could go wrong.
I hope Gaara isn't too disappointed about tonight. I mean, it's not like I can only hang out with Kankuro just because I'm going as his date. I'm sure Kankuro won't mind if I just talk with Gaara. Or… drink with Gaara. Or… dance with Gaara.
Sakura flushed at thought of dancing with the handsome Kazekage, forcefully pushing the idea out of her mind. There was absolutely no way Gaara would be dancing with anyone. She had known him long enough that it was obvious he didn't like drawing attention to himself in public. She wasn't overly fond of making a spectacle either, though for Gaara she was willing to make an exception.
With her attention occupied by thoughts of how to get Gaara back into her good graces, she didn't notice that she had arrived on her floor of the mansion and was once more hopelessly lost until she realized she had been wandering aimlessly for at least ten minutes.
"Blast," she muttered aloud, "where in the hell is my room?"
She glanced down the hall when a voice behind her offered, "Lost, Sakura-chan?"
She jumped, startled, and smiled ruefully at her intruder. "I'm always lost in this maze. Do you know where I'm staying, Temari?"
Temari smirked and bounced Eiji on her hip. "Yep. Follow me, Princess Pink."
"You know I hate it when you call me that," Sakura scowled. The baby peered curiously at her over his mother's shoulder and she smiled. He was small yet, but Eiji smiled back, a toothless grin that lifted Sakura's heart and eased her worries. No matter how messed up her own life was, or the crazy world where daimyo reigned publicly but shinobi controlled things behind the scenes, this innocent life was still sparkling, growing, making the world brighter and better.
It gave Sakura an odd sort of hope for the future, considering she had never really given much thought to children before, other than her few young patients.
"He's very cute," Sakura commented, her eyes not leaving the little boy's.
Temari glanced over her other shoulder. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked.
"Um…" Sakura faltered, never having held an infant. She worked in the surgical and emergency wards, not in obstetrics. "Sure, I guess," she finished lamely, holding her hands out.
Temari stopped and handed Eiji over; Sakura bundled him in her arms and gazed into his eyes, which were brown like Shikamaru's.
"Hey there, little guy," she cooed. Eiji smiled again and reached up a pudgy fist to grab a wayward tendril of hair.
"Oooh, hey kiddo, watch the hair," she giggled, gently tugging the strands out of his grasp and tucking them behind her ear.
"So," Temari drawled as Sakura played with her son, "I heard you'll be going to the party to night as my brother's date?"
"Uh, yeah," Sakura replied, distracted, "he asked me. Why?"
"Oh, no reason," Temari demurred, watching closely for Sakura's reaction. "I was just under the impression that you might want to be attending with a different brother of mine, is all."
Sakura's head shot up so fast Temari was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash. "Where did you hear that?" she shrieked, upsetting Eiji. "Did Ino tell you? She did, didn't she! That bitch! I told her not to tell anyone!"
Eiji wailed at Sakura's volume, and the young shinobi looked distressed, torn between misplaced anger at her friend, frustration with Temari for knowing something she shouldn't, and calming the crying infant. Temari took her son back, patting his back with a soothing hand before turning a wry grin on her Konoha friend.
"Ino didn't tell me anything," she smirked, "but you sure as hell just did."
Sakura looked flabbergasted, mouth hanging open slightly in shock. Recognition stole over her features and she lowered her head, letting her hair fall in front of her face.
"Well, damn it," she swore softly.
Now Temari was the one at a loss. Here she had solid proof, from the source itself, that the object of her youngest brother's affections returned his feelings. She could let Sakura know how he felt and let nature run its course, but if Gaara found out she had betrayed his confidences, he would never speak to her again.
Despite the fact that her meddling might work out for the best in the end, Temari knew how important it was for Gaara to be able to trust his siblings. And while he might be frustrated with Kankuro for beating him to the punch where Sakura was concerned, he still trusted him implicitly. The only other person he trusted that much was her, and she wasn't about to ruin years of hard work and character building with a slip of the tongue. No, she would keep this to herself until she had a chance to consult with Gaara.
"Don't tell anyone, ok?" Sakura was saying.
"Huh?" Temari asked, shifting Eiji so he was more comfortable.
"Please don't tell anyone. This could be really awkward if Gaara finds out. I don't want him to think I'm weird, and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings," Sakura confided.
Well, damn. It was obvious what Sakura was leaving unsaid, that she didn't want Kankuro to hear about her little crush and get all heartbroken. And she clearly was afraid Gaara didn't feel the same way about her. Well, this just put a wrench in everything.
"Temari, promise me. You do not want to know what I'll do to you if you tell."
Temari snorted. "As if you could hurt me, Princess Pink. Besides, you wouldn't threaten the mother of an infant, would you?"
"You bet your ass I would. Now promise."
Temari heaved a disappointed sigh. "Fine. But I think you should let Gaara know how you feel."
"Right," Sakura scoffed, "and have the completely gorgeous, totally powerful, and painfully shy Kazekage reject me and then bury me in sand for daring to confess.
"Sakura," Temari scolded, "Gaara would never do that."
"Well, you're probably right," Sakura conceded, "but I'd rather not risk it."
"Alright, alright." Temari turned and walked a short way down the hall, stopping in front of Sakura's door. "Here ya are, home, safe and sound."
"Thanks, Temari, you're a life saver," Sakura breathed, unlocking her room. "And thanks for agreeing not to say anything."
"Sure. No problem," she replied blandly, bouncing the baby on her hip and returning in the direction they had come.
"Hey, Temari," Sakura called, stopping her. "I'll see you tonight?"
Temari grinned. It was hard to stay annoyed with Sakura. "Yeah, you'll see me tonight," she agreed.
"Great! See you then!" she called, closing her door.
"Yep," Temari told Eiji, continuing down the corridor, "this is going to be an interesting evening."
Eiji giggled and nuzzled his mother's neck. Temari smiled fondly at her son, suddenly glad that she and Shikamaru weren't nearly as stubborn in love as Sakura and Gaara.
"Otherwise you might not be here, little boy," she whispered into his downy head.
Eiji just cooed.
Gaara gripped his glass so hard he was afraid that it would shatter. Sakura was on the dance floor; Kankuro had wheedled and cajoled until she finally gave in and joined him. The music was loud and obnoxious, and while there were couples engaging in less-than-appropriate grinding, it was still early enough that most of the dancers were behaving relatively innocently, if boisterously. Sakura and Kankuro certainly fit into the latter category. Kankuro had never been a particularly agile dancer; the shinobi, despite his ability to control puppets in such a manner that they appeared almost human, did not have the same control over his own limbs.
Clumsiness must run in the family, Gaara thought ruefully, suddenly hoping (rather meanly) that Kankuro would trip and fall on his face. Heaven knew Gaara had embarrassed himself enough times in front of Sakura during their yoga sessions. It only seemed fair that Kankuro reciprocate.
Sakura, on the other hand, danced like a dream. Years of yoga and stealth practice had made her lithe and graceful. In all actuality, this was true of every kunoichi on the dance floor. It was one of the things that so obviously set them apart from civilian women. And this being a shinobi party, there were considerably more ninja, male and female, than usual in the bar.
Not that Gaara had any idea how many shinobi frequented the bars in Suna. He had been out drinking more nights in this one week than he had in the last five years combined. And despite the enormous ratio of beautiful, available kunoichi to Gaara, the Kazekage only had eyes for Sakura.
She shone like a brightly colored star, her pink hair gleaming in the low mood lighting, hips swaying seductively to the music. A bubble of jealousy rose in Gaara's throat, choking in its intensity. He couldn't stand the fact that his idiotic, playboy elder brother had managed to beat him to the only girl he had ever actually wanted to ask on a date. Gaara was so caught up in his morose thoughts that he never noticed the song ending or Kankuro coming to sit next to him.
Snagging the nearest available stool, Kankuro plopped down and ruffled Gaara's mop of hair. Startled from his reverie, Gaara let out an undignified yelp of surprise before quickly glancing around to make sure no one had heard. He leveled a glare at Kankuro and cocked an impatient eyebrow.
"S-sorry, man," Kankuro snorted, trying unsuccessfully to hide his laughter. Gaara was not amused.
Spreading his palms in confusion, he asked, "What the hell was that for?"
"Dude, calm down," Kankuro dismissed, clapping him on the back. "What's got you in such a foul mood?"
Gaara almost answered that it was him and the disgusting way he shamelessly flirted with anything that moved, but he caught himself in time. Instead he stared at Kankuro with a nondescript expression, which Kankuro knew to mean, "mind your own business."
"It's a party, Gaara. You're supposed to have fun. You know, dance, drink, chat with women."
"I think you're confusing me with someone," Gaara deadpanned. When Kankuro just looked bemused, Gaara elaborated, "Oh, right. You're confusing me with you."
Kankuro laughed. "Come on. You were like this the other night, too. Stop letting little things get to you. I mean, look at the Konoha shinobi. Look at them."
Gaara looked. Naruto and Hinata were bobbing to the music, something with a low beat that set his teeth on edge. Ino was in the corner making out with someone he had never seen before. Shikamaru was sitting at a low table, talking with Temari, who was laughing uncharacteristically every couple of minutes. Lee was in the middle of a group of men and women, all who were listening with fascinated expressions to some no-doubt ridiculous story. Neji was missing completely. Konohamaru weaved on the dance floor, seemingly dancing indiscriminately with anything that moved, male or female.
And Uchiha Sasuke was sequestered on a plush couch, three women draped over and around him. One girl, who looked so young Gaara deliberated having her thrown out, was feeding him pieces of fruit. Another sprawled on his chest, occasionally kissing or biting his neck and ears. The third had straddled his lap, and both were gyrating in such an obviously sexual fashion that Gaara wondered if they were somehow actually participating in the act. As he watched, the woman threw her head back and her mouth opened into a perfect O.
Realizing what he had inadvertently witnessed, Gaara colored so deeply that his cheeks matched his hair and he turned quickly away. Kankuro glanced around to see what had embarrassed his brother and pursed his lips in distaste when he locked onto the scene Sasuke presented.
He laughed sardonically. "Gross. Not him, the prick. Forget that bastard. I meant everyone else. What do they all have in common, Gaara?"
"They all look like idiots?" Gaara asked dryly.
"No! They're all having fun. What you should be doing."
Gaara sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, Kankuro, I came tonight, okay? Isn't that enough? Or do have to dictate my every activity as well?"
Kankuro looked wounded at the harsh words and Gaara immediately regretted them. He might have been jealous of Kankuro for "stealing" his date, but it wasn't exactly Kankuro's fault he was too slow to ask Sakura out.
Before he could apologize, Sakura bounced over and slung her arms around each of them. It was obvious that she'd already had a bit to drink, from the way she giggled at them.
"Why do you two look so grumpy, hmmm?" she asked, drawing out the sound obnoxiously.
Gaara opened his mouth to dismiss her question so he could leave them alone, and Kankuro smiled indulgently at her and pulled her small body closer. Her grip on Gaara's shoulder tightened slightly as he did, as if she didn't want to move away, and Gaara's dismissal flew out of his brain. He glanced at the kunoichi beside him with wide eyes, wondering why she didn't seem to want to embrace his brother.
"Gaara's just being his usual, boring self," Kankuro lamented dramatically. "It's like pulling teeth to get him to have any fun."
"Oh, I don't think Gaara's boring," Sakura argued with a mysterious smile. "He just needs a little help getting out of his shell."
Kankuro snorted. "Yeah, well, good luck finding anybody who can do that."
Gaara scowled and turned to leave again. He didn't particularly feel like being lectured for his social habits all night, and he especially didn't want it done in front of Sakura. She tightened her grip on his arm again, though, and Gaara turned to glare at her. His brain was too full trying to figure this girl out!
She seemed to like him well enough when they trained together and spoke. He didn't have much experience with girls, but Gaara would even have gone so far as to say she was flirting with him. But then she accepted a date from his brother, and Gaara didn't know what to think about her behavior. Maybe he had misinterpreted her friendliness? And now, while she was basically on said date, she was gripping onto his shirt like a leech, unwilling to let him leave them in peace.
When he faced Sakura, brow crinkled in displeasure, her eyes were wide and she was biting her lip. For the second time that night, all thoughts of a reprimand flew out of his head at the pretty picture she made. She seemed to be trying to say something with her eyes, and he felt himself harden when she finally let go of her lower lip, the abused flesh glistening red in the low lighting.
Shit! Not now, not now! he thought, shifting uncomfortably. Why was it that he seemed get aroused at the most inopportune moments? Like at crowded parties full of people. At least it was mostly dark.
Sakura seemed about to finally say something when a jonin that Gaara had seen around the village approached to wish Kankuro happy birthday. They chatted—apparently his brother knew her—and after a smile and nod from Sakura, agreed to go dance with her. They walked to the middle of the dance floor with fresh bottles of beer, talking and laughing as they established a comfortable but platonic rhythm.
Sakura breathed a sigh of relief for finally getting a few private moments with Gaara. He stared at her warily, his mouth set into a frown, and she inwardly grimaced at all the damage she had caused.
"Gaara… I wanted to talk to you."
He didn't answer, merely raised an eyebrow in response and waited for her to continue.
"I… I wanted to apologize again for the other day. I know that you haven't been very happy with me, but… well, I was hoping that something like a party wouldn't get in the way of our being friends."
Gaara mentally kicked himself, wondering when he had gotten so stupid. Here this girl was worrying she had done something wrong, something to make him avoid her, when all she had done was accept an invitation to a party. He felt guilty for avoiding her after she had turned him down, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to face her after that particular humiliation.
Hell, he had practically admitted he was in love with her, and she had turned him down flat, and for his brother, no less. Gaara's personality wasn't really such that he could easily overlook that kind of embarrassment and carry on their friendship as if nothing had happened. At least, not without a few days to gather his wits and broken ego.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Sakura," Gaara sighed. "I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just… been a busy few days with the exams. I honestly didn't mean to avoid you."
So, a little white lie never hurt anybody.
Sakura looked doubtful. "I'll… I mean, I understand if you're mad. I just didn't want something so silly to get in the way of… our friendship?" She said it like it was a question, as if she was unsure of the true nature of their relationship. It made Gaara's heart hurt, because, at least for him, what they had was fast developing into something much more than friendship.
With more fervor than he usually allowed himself, Gaara explained, "Sakura, I promise, you have nothing to feel bad for. I was just busy this week. Honest."
She gave him a tentative smile, which he returned whole-heartedly in an attempt to ease her uncertainty. It seemed to do the trick; she flashed him a wide grin and fluttered her eyelashes, sending his heart pounding in his ears.
The rest of the evening passed rather quickly, though no amount of cajoling from Kankuro, Sakura, or Naruto managed to coax Gaara onto the dance floor. He was content to sip his drink and watch the others make fools of themselves, with the obvious exception of Sakura, who he could have watched dance until time stopped.
As the end of the party neared, Gaara found himself uncomfortably high strung and practically drenched in desire from having watched Sakura bounce, sway, twirl, and stretch for the better part of four hours in nothing more than a short black skirt and blue halter top. Her outfit was, as usual, decidedly more modest than many of the women's there, and Gaara wondered not for the first time if she was ashamed of the way she looked. His conversation with Ino about her "big" forehead and lack of self-confidence would suggest that was the case. This left Gaara flabbergasted, for it was obvious to him that she had the most beautiful body of anyone he had seen, ever.
An embarrassed flush tinted the Kazekage's cheeks as he contemplated, for the nth time that evening, what he could do to curb his arousal when he finally reached the privacy of his bedroom. And who he would be thinking about during said curbing.
Aaand, it's time to go, he thought with a frown, praying that no one was able to identify the blush on his cheeks and the reason for its existence. He made several hasty goodbyes, making a point to wave to Naruto from across the room, lest his friend notice, for once in his unobservant life, that something was amiss. He had almost made it to the safety of the exit when he spotted Kankuro tugging Sakura along behind him, both giggling madly and flushed with drink. Well, Sakura was giggling. Kankuro was outright roaring with laughter.
Sighing deeply and giving a small shake of his head, Gaara knew he was going to regret what he did next.
He did it anyway.
Quickly ducking out the front entrance to the bar, he snuck around to the back exit, where he knew Kankuro had brought Sakura so they could have some privacy.
Gaara sneered to himself as he contemplated the misguided antics of his elder brother. Kankuro was a top-notch tactician and a first-rate ninja, but sometimes the idiocy of his social life made Gaara's head hurt. Who invites half of Suna and Konoha to the birthday party of the century (if your definition of party was to shove too many people into a too small room, ply them with copious amounts of alcohol, and then force them to dance with each other in some medieval form of torture), then ditches everyone to hole up with his date for the evening?
Conveniently, Gaara ignored the fact that Sakura was also taking part in his shenanigans (and that any male over the age of fifteen would gladly insert himself in Kankuro's place at the drop of his hitai-ate).
Creeping silently, he flattened himself against the sun-warmed stucco exterior of the bar when he heard their voices. He almost conjured a bit of sand to use his vision jutsu, but thought the better of it and resigned himself to simply eavesdropping. Kankuro knew Gaara's jutsu almost as well as he knew his own; the chance that he would spot the eye was too great a risk to take. Gaara moved as close to the corner of the building as he dared, stilling his breathing and blending into the shadows seamlessly. He wasn't made Kazekage at fifteen because of his charisma.
He heard Sakura, still breathless with giggles, ask, "Why did you drag me all the way out here, Kankuro?"
"It's quieter out here," Kankuro explained, voice slightly husky and slurred from alcohol.
"I like it when it's loud. It's more fun!" Sakura exclaimed, her shout cutting through the cool desert air.
Kankuro chuckled, and Gaara imagined him running a hand casually through tousled brown hair. Free of his usual makeup, Gaara knew Kankuro made a rather dashing figure in his black slacks and button-down shirt. Of the three Sand Siblings, Kankuro was the most stylish and outgoing, something that was easily reflected in the sheer quantity of his past romantic relationships. It was with bitterness that Gaara realized Sakura would not necessarily be excluded from the long list of females charmed by his good looks.
"It is fun," Kankuro was saying, "but it's also fun to sit and talk out here."
With a loud sigh and a clatter, Sakura seated herself on what Gaara assumed were the empty crates stacked behind the bar. "I suppose," she agreed. "Plus, it was hot in there."
Gaara pictured her fanning herself, tugging on her top to let the cool air reach her skin and revealing the tempting shadow of pert breasts, and felt his own blood heat in response.
"Um… yeah… hot," Kankuro replied, sounding strangled. It was all Gaara could do not to leap from his hiding place and strangle him for real.
"So, Sakura," Kankuro began, and Gaara had to force himself to pay attention. "I just wanted to know how you enjoyed yourself tonight. I mean, did you have fun?"
"Oh, Kankuro," Sakura gushed, making Gaara wince, "I had a wonderful time! It's not often that I get to go out and have fun with friends. Plus the drinks were yummy and the music was great and I only ever get to dance once in a blue moon."
Well that didn't sound so bad. She hadn't said anything about dancing with Kankuro. Nor had she intimated that they were anything more than friends, or that she wanted to be. Feeling slightly lighter, Gaara tuned back into the conversation.
"...thing else you liked about tonight?"
Silence for a moment, and then, "I'm not sure what you mean."
"I mean, like, you know…the fact that we were sort of on a date."
Gaara could practically taste the tension in the air as Kankuro waited for her response. Hell, Gaara was probably as nervous about it as he was, as it directly affected his future with her.
Finally, she said, "Well, it wasn't much like a normal date, was it? It was a great party, but it's not like we sat down to a quiet dinner and got to know each other better, Kuro-kun."
Wincing at the fact that his brother was suddenly granted a nickname from her perfect lips, Gaara was nonetheless satisfied with her answer. Apparently this hadn't been a real date.
"Well, there are always things we can do to make this seem more like a date," Kankuro purred in a husky baritone.
Oh no. No no no.
"Wh-what do you mean?" Sakura asked, voice hushed.
"I… I really like you, Sakura," Kankuro said in a low tone. Gaara squinted, wishing he could edge closer so he could hear better.
"I like you, too, Kankuro," Sakura replied, sounding nervous.
"Maybe…" Kankuro paused, taking a deep breath. "Maybe the night wasn't like a normal date. But maybe we can end it like a normal date?"
He sounded hopeful, and Gaara was mentally reciting every single curse word he knew.
Don't you dare, Kankuro, you womanizing shit. Don't do it, don't do it, don't… Please, please don't…
"Kankuro, I…"
It was silent for several moments, and Gaara was actually holding his breath, waiting and waiting for her to finish that precarious sentence. When she didn't answer after almost a full minute, he squeezed his eyes shut, and then, before he could change his mind, peeked around the corner of the building.
His heart stopped.
Kankuro was stooped over her beautiful, tiny, perfect body, and they were kissing, kissing, kissing…
He waited for it to end, ten seconds, twenty, and time seemed to stop, morph, take on a life of its own but they didn't stop.
Stomach in his throat, a strangled noise bubbled up, wrenching its way out of his mouth, and without caring whether they heard him, whether they saw him, whether they knew he had been spying on them, he was running, desperate to get away from the image that was now permanently burned into his eyelids.
Another note: I truly am sorry for that cliff hanger. I considered not leaving it here, but oh! isn't it more fun if I do? I promise that I will update this sooner than six months from now. And that it will get better for our Gaara. Also, and please answer this, because it will really help me in my writing, would you all prefer more frequent updates with slightly shorter chapters, or less frequent but longer chapters? It really makes no difference to me. I'd also love to hear what you think. Thank you!