The Life and Times of the Kazekage's Assistant
Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto. This story is inspired by a novel by Lauren Weisberger. I do, however, own Imamura Tsubasa, Tenchi Hoshiro, Suzuki Sorachi, Sendo Kanoka, and Kawasaki Tazuna, any other Ocs and the plot.
Author's Note: The Kazekage's speech contains some lyrics from the song This is Halloween. The song is from Tim Burton's Nightmare before Christmas.
This was an especially fun chapter for me to write. I really enjoy incorporating fun holidays in my stories. I'm an American, so I only have knowledge on American holidays, however later I will try to incorporate perhaps some Japanese holidays. I will also make up some of my own, such as birthdays for the Ocs and some nice festivals.
Special Thanks to: LadyAmazon and NeferNeferi.
Chapter Six: This Is Fright Night
I grabbed at the stockings that were riding up areas that they shouldn't be riding up. They were driving me crazy. My outfit consisted of a tight black corset, black fishnet gloves, and a puffy black skirt with a studded belt, fishnet stockings, and big boots with metal spikes. I should have opted for a better costume that didn't include hosiery but I got stuck with being a vampire. It had been Tazuna's idea. She said it was sexy to be a vampiress (another thing not so sexy about the outfit is that it was from Temari's Desert Kitsune Fright Night Line… I usually didn't care to wear her clothes). I rolled my eyes, wondering if it was sexy to pick a vampiress wedgie. Still I put on a happy face as my boss gave his speech to open up the Fright Night Carnival. I had written a small opening speech and now I could admire my work for the first time by hearing someone else give it. I gave the signal to one of the technicians to cue some scary music I had picked out to play as the Kazekage gave the opening speech. I grinned, my vampire teeth poking out from my mouth only bothering me slightly.
"Boys and girls of every age, welcome to something strange: This annual Fright Night Carnival. We will begin this carnival with my sister's runway show, 'Scared to Death.' After, you will be free to do whichever activities spook your interest. Enter the cornfield maze at your own risk and try not to injure your vocal chords when you scream. There, you will find what hides under your bed and the Who that is hiding when you call, 'Who's there?', or what casts a shadow on the moon at night, filling your dreams with fright. Life's no fun without a good scare." I do believe my clap was the loudest as I applauded the Kazekage vigorously. He had delivered it excellently (just as I had instructed him to do). It was great that the villagers were a bit frightened of him in this case. His intimidation worked well for Fright Night. I smiled at my boss as he stepped down from the stage and the runway show was being set up. He glided gracefully toward me. I had coaxed him into being a vampire with me. I told him it was the easiest thing for him to do without getting over the top like his sister had (of course Temari wasn't happy unless she went all out and looked better than everyone else did). Gaara's pale face and dark eyes were natural. All he needed was a pair of fangs and black clothes. His outfit was indeed very gothic. Temari had taken the liberty to design it for him. It almost resembled his normal outfit. He had a long dark black coat and vest. He had black pants with tears, rips, and chains hanging from them. He had fishnets on his ankles until they met his ninja sandals. They were a bit tricked-out with a spider web design. Temari had tried to persuade him into being in her runway show but, of course, he declined.
I couldn't help but stare and wish he was mine. "Wonderful delivery, Kazekage-sama," I congratulated with a warm smile.
He seemed to appreciate my smile because instead of his usual nod he replied with, "Arigato, Imamura. It was well-written."
I nearly melted; recognition was nice. "Arigato," I said as a blush began to creep its way onto my cheeks. I hoped he wouldn't notice.
"After Temari's show we should oversee the rest of the carnival," he said to me gently as he took his seat next to mine. It seemed he was about to say more but then Temari took the stage.
"Welcome to the annual Fright Night Carnival," she said in a spooky voice (although I always found her voice frightening), "I present to you my fashion show… Scared to Death!"
A cloud of smoke covered her form and when the smoke finally began to evaporate, Temari was gone. Screaming could be heard distantly from the back of the stage as a petrified Tazuna appeared. If it wasn't Fright Night, I would have thought something was going terribly, terribly wrong. She posed perfectly yet still in a scared stiff manner. The next few models looked gruesome with shuriken or kunai stuck in them (fake of course), and they were wearing dazzling gothic outfits. I noted that one model tripped (her ankle twisted in a way that I knew it shouldn't be twisting as she hobbled backstage). I knew her to be Hatori Minori. She was probably going to get in some big trouble backstage. I bit my lip as my walkie-talkie buzzed. It was Temari, just as I expected. Something was going on backstage. I sat up promptly, my boss gazing up at me. I wondered if he would miss my company. "Excuse me, Kazekage-sama," I whispered lightly, "I'm needed backstage." He gave me a nod; it was something I needed to feel less guilty. I hated leaving him lonely. Normally, Kankuro would have been beside him but Kankuro was helping out Temari with her show. Karasu and some of Kankuro's other puppets were supposed to make an entrance in the show. I had the opportunity (misfortune) of having to watch each and every runway rehearsal. I knew the show like the back of my hand (unfortunately).
I sighed as I entered backstage. Temari seemed to be yelling at Hatori. The poor girl had just twisted her ankle on stage and now she looked like she might just fall into a million tear soaked pieces of regretful model. I frowned as Temari yelled at Hatori to sit in a corner. If I were Hatori I wouldn't sit in some stupid corner just because Temari told me to (then again I did everything else Temari said, so I was in no position to judge). Temari's hands were on her hips; both of them. I nearly cringed as Hatori hobbled to her corner to go on her timeout. Next, Temari turned to me with an exasperated expression. "I need you to be in the show! You're wearing Hatori's next dress change anyway," she said as she grabbed me by the arm and threw me in a chair. "Hair! Makeup! Now!" she growled at her other employees as they rushed toward me, curling iron and eyelash curlers in hand. I braced myself for impact.
A flurry of hair extensions, hair clips, brushes, combs, curlers, dark lipsticks, powdery white foundations, black eye shadows, and mascaras were rushed at me over the next five minutes and to this point I will never know how they got me made over so fast because the only thing I felt was someone shoving me toward the stage. "You're on next," hissed Temari, "Don't embarrass me or make me sorry I threw you up there."
"Hai," I replied as I attempted to gulp down my fears and nervousness. I don't think it worked very well because I could feel my hands shaking.
"Remember what I taught you," whispered Tazuna. She was directly in front of me in the line. "You know this… You've watched it many times… you can do it!" I would have responded but she left to go do her role in the fashion show, now in her fifth dress change.
"Breathe from the diaphragm," I instructed myself as my body obeyed. Suddenly the nerves poured to someone else because I felt good. Someone hissed the word, 'Go!' at me, and boy, did I go. I wouldn't say my model walk was awful and horrible, but it wasn't flawless either as I strutted down the runway. Tazuna had often told me not to look at the crowd if the crowd made me nervous. She said to redirect my attention to an object behind the crowd so it seemed like I was still looking at them but I couldn't help but gaze at my boss (and the not-so-empty chair next to him). Matsuri was now seated next to him and that made me, excuse the cliché, mad as hell. I donned a fierce look on my face and glared at Matsuri, also striking poses because I was at the end of the runway. I could tell she was pretending to be scared just so she could inch her way closer to my man! I pivoted on my heels and began to catwalk back toward backstage. That's when it struck me. I had only been working for the Kazekage for a short while, and I was head over heels for him. It wasn't the same head over heels Matsuri and Kanoka were for him. They were infatuated by silly little girl thoughts and silly little girl crushes. A crush was just an intense, but superficial attraction that was easily (and often) mistaken as something deeper. For me, it was more of the heart a flutter and a twitter, breath scarce, cheeks flushed, brain and thinking halted, stuttering lips and nerves wrecked kind of head over heels. Before I entered backstage I glanced back to find that his eyes were on me. There was a deep connection, I felt, that passed between us when he looked in my eyes. I couldn't wait to get out of the show and see him again. My heartache could rest until then.
I ran a hand through my pink hair as I exited from backstage. I was so glad to be out of that mess. Tazuna congratulated me and said I did great. I highly doubted that until Temari gave me a nod and a small smile. It was something I had never seen her do. Maybe I wasn't as awful as I thought I was. I stumbled my way back around the stage and found myself face to face with the paparazzi. Flashes were going off in my face and I could have sworn it was worse than the flash bombs used by enemy ninja. I tried to amble my way around them but they kept asking me questions.
"Are you Temari's new model?"
"What's your name?"
"How old are you?"
"Are you Temari's new protégé?"
"Are you going to replace Kawasaki Tazuna?"
"Or how about Hatori Minori?"
"Did Hatori Minori get fired?"
"Did she break her leg?"
"Twist her ankle?"
"Will you be in any of Temari's future and upcoming shows?"
"No," I kept repeating as I struggled to get around them. I felt some guy grab my arm and pull me to the side.
"Can I book you for something," I heard a woman ask as the guy steadied me.
"Do you have a date for tonight?" he asked me. Kami, how I felt dizzy! I could tell I was going to pass out soon if I didn't get my ass firmly planted on a chair. I told the guy to let go but he whined, "You didn't answer my question." I had told him a few choice words but he hadn't let up. I was about to bite him with my damn vampire fangs but he shrunk away and so did the paparazzi (along with other annoying people).
"Are you alright?" someone asked me as I sat down on the floor. I had the worst headache imaginable at the moment.
"I'm fine," I mumbled as I looked up to see the face of my very handsome and drop dead gorgeous boss, Gaara. He held out a hand for me to take and I accepted it as he pulled me back up to a standing position. "Arigato," I told him and I almost felt giddy, having touched his hand; I held it for only a moment. Needless to say, my headache was gone.
"Should I take you to the infirmary?" he asked me softly, patiently waiting for my response. His teal eyes were all too alluring for me to handle nearly.
I shook my head no. "I'm fine… You mentioned you wanted to oversee the carnival," I said to him, desperately wanting to spend time with him.
He studied me for a moment. Perhaps he was making sure I was stable and wasn't going to tip over again. Once he felt that I was well, he nodded. "Let's supervise a few things," he murmured as he gestured toward the rest of the carnival. I gave him my approval by nodding and we walked together. Hand in hand… Just kidding! That would be getting carried away now, wouldn't it? I grinned as we walked past many concession stands. Every one of the villagers seemed to be dressed up for the occasion in scary costumes. It was great to see everyone in the spirit.
We had just rounded the corner to the end of the concession stands when I got an idea. "Kazekage-sama," I said to my boss, "May we go into the cornfield maze? I would like to see how it turned out."
He seemed thrown off a bit. Was I being forward? I hadn't meant to. Or maybe it was because he didn't get invited often? I wasn't sure. I smiled nervously at him as he considered my suggestion. "We can do that," he said, finally easing my mind. I smiled and nodded. What else could I do? I wasn't going to risk it all by saying something utterly retarded like Matsuri or Kanoka would have. I had gotten much too far for that now.
My first thought was that he and I would have to wait in line to go into the cornfield maze and let me begin by saying that the line was excruciatingly long and must have led from the maze all the way to Konoha. I scowled as I began to search for the end of the line but a hand grabbed my wrist lightly. "This way," said Gaara as he gave my wrist a soft tug and began to lead me to the front of the line. I wondered if I'd melt into putty right then and there, and if I would ever solidify again. The moment we approached the front of the line I saw Kankuro talking to some people. I had forgotten that Kankuro was running the cornfield maze. Karasu and some of his other puppets would be making some appearances in the maze. I wasn't looking forward to that. I didn't have a nice experience one day when I was cleaning his puppets for Kanoka (that was her job; not mine). Unnecessary to say, his puppets gave me the creeps. I had been fortunate enough to not run into the damn marionettes when I was on the runway show. I would have had a heart attack and died. I doubt I would be missed much.
"Gaara," Kankuro called over to us, "Tsubasa-san!" Gaara immediately let go of my wrist before Kankuro could see. I felt embarrassed for not having taken my wrist away sooner. "You two should be the first victims of my maze," suggested Kankuro with a chuckle, "It'll be fun." He had a huge grin plastered to his face. Kankuro had dressed up as a jack-o-lantern and had applied his face makeup accordingly. His costume was also well done.
"Arigato," murmured Gaara as he began to walk into the maze. I instinctively followed him after thanking Kankuro as well. Now, as opposed to knowing the runway show like the back of my hand, I knew nearly nothing about the cornfield maze. Kankuro had lessened my burden and taken it upon himself to do it all without me. I was grateful that someone else had shouldered some weight in the Fright Night Carnival. It also made it more exciting for me to go into the maze. I wouldn't want to go in if I knew every dead end, twist, and turn. The only part that unnerved me about the cornfield maze was that Kankuro had gotten some genjutsu users. If a genjutsu was cast, it would last until the exit was found. That was the frightening part. If there was a moment in my life I didn't want to relive, tonight I would (like when I was cleaning Kankuro's damn puppets).
The maze was darkly lit but being a shinobi always made things easier. Gaara and I walked side by side for countless minutes. I willed myself to not stare at him and to instead pay attention to the path we were walking on but my eyes weren't listening. I could feel them wandering to him constantly. He suddenly turned to me and I could feel my heart pound in my chest like a hammer to a nail. His eyes gazed directly into mine. He was drinking me up in his eyes. "I think we're in the genjutsu already," he murmured, "We've been at this turn three times already."
I hadn't even noticed. I was too busy staring at him. "How could you tell?" I asked him, wondering exactly what it was I had missed.
"This corn stalk is broken in the same places," he said lightly as his fingers traced over the corn stalk. "We must figure it out…" He glanced around the area, examining corn stalk to corn stalk.
I sighed and looked up to the sky. We would get caught into a genjutsu like a couple of dopey genin ninjas and get lost in a cornfield maze. I felt embarrassed on my behalf. I was a Chunin, on my way to becoming a Jounin. I would think myself qualified enough to figure out a simple genjutsu. I smiled at the moon, loving its fullness. A frown appeared on my lips as I saw another moon. Now that was far from normal… Think, think, think, I thought to myself as I continued to examine the two moons. When I was on the runway show and had looked up to the sky the moon hadn't been full. It had been a crescent shaped moon. "Look," I said to Gaara, pointing up at the two moons, "There are two moons. The real one is the crescent shaped one and the fake is the full one. If we follow the crescent shaped one we can get out of this genjutsu."
"Only to walk into another," Gaara murmured as we redirected our route accordingly. I smiled at him. He had made a bit of a joke. It warmed my heart to hear him speaking so freely with me.
It seemed like we had been walking for hundreds of miles. I was ready to cry like a baby. I knew the cornfield maze was supposed to take a good two hours to get out of but this was ridiculous! It had to have been at least five hours, it seemed. I sighed, exasperated. The fact was that Gaara and I were both lost in the damn maze. I knew Kankuro was going to strike us with his stupid puppets when I least expected it. That was Kankuro for you; a surprise attack by Karasu.
"Let's rest," Gaara suggested to me and I nodded in reply. I took a seat on the ground, praying Karasu wouldn't snatch me by the ankle and drag me into the unknown puppet realm in which he would inflict numerous methods of frightful torture upon me. I think Gaara could see I was a bit apprehensive. Something familiar flickered in his eyes and I recognized it almost instantly. "You're not frightened are you?" he mused with an entertained yet small grin.
"No! I… well… there was a bit of a bad experience… Karasu…" Total disaster. That came out so dead wrong and stupid. I know even Matsuri could come up with something smarter sounding than that.
"You're scared," he told me with the mischievous smirk from before. He certainly was having fun laughing at me. "Why?"
"Kanoka made me clean Kankuro's puppets for her one afternoon… She said she was very busy and Kankuro absolutely needed them cleaned by six… It wasn't a pleasant experience for me and I'm petrified of those damn things," I replied to him, not at all happy about having to admit that I had a problem with Mr. Crow, "No big deal."
"You don't always have to do what everyone tells you," Gaara said to me suddenly. Well, that was off topic I would have to say. I was thrown off by it.
"I…" I had nothing. What could I possibly say in response to that? I did do everything that was asked of me like a bimbo. I was a lackey, a goon, a, dare I say, henchman. I was an embarrassment to all kunoichi, following orders from that damn Matsuri. At least Temari was higher rank than I so naturally I should listen to her. But Matsuri and Kanoka? No. That made me pitiful. "I just wanted to be a good assistant," I murmured as I gazed down at my feet. I was only slightly relieved to see that nothing had snatched away my legs without my noticing.
"I understand, but you're my assistant... not everyone else's," he said in such a soft voice. The kind of voice that spoke the kind of words that made me want to stand up and swing my arms around him and plant one on his lips. But that would be very inappropriate and utterly out of the question.
There were so many things I could have said in reply to that… if it hadn't been for Karasu flying out of the cornfield maze and lunging at me. "KARAAAASUUUU!" I shrieked as I got tackled to the ground by that damn puppet. It lifted me off the ground and began to swing me around the maze. I soon grew very dizzy. I was dizzier even more than my previous dizzy state in front of the paparazzi. I just hoped I wouldn't regurgitate my lunch. That would make things much more embarrassing for me and I was already pretty embarrassed. "You win Kankuro! Let me go," I kept screaming as I spun round and round with Karasu. All that training I had done against ambush attacks had failed me. I couldn't even muster up the courage to swat away the corn stalks that kept hitting at me as I spun in circles.
"Kankuro… that's enough," said Gaara into the cornstalks. Suddenly the spinning stopped and Karasu set me gently down on the ground. I would get that puppet back once the feeling to throw up went away.
I saw a blurred image of Kankuro step out from the cornfield with an apologetic smile on his face. "I guess I got carried away," he murmured with a small chuckle. "Gomen, Tsubasa-san," he said in my direction but I was having a hard time figuring out which Kankuro was the real one; I saw a good ten standing before me.
"A-Accepted to Kankuros one through ten," I gurgled out from my lips as I dizzily attempted to walk toward the ten Kankuros and Gaaras. I felt my legs give in underneath me and was falling to hit the dirt but I felt one of twenty catch me. I looked up; ready to say something rude to Kankuro when I saw that it was Gaara who had caught me.
"You overdid it," he said to Kankuro with a sigh. He gently supported me by throwing one of my arms around his neck and wrapping an arm around my waist. It made me feel like a kunoichi that had just gotten injured in battle. "I'll take her to the infirmary," Gaara mumbled as sand began to materialize underneath our feet. I closed my eyes for a split second and when I opened them again I found myself surrounded by the Fright Night Carnival concession stands. I could see Temari and Matsuri approaching and my stomach and head began to reel. Not her… not now. I couldn't possibly move to run an errand. Surely Matsuri could do whatever it was Temari was going to demand of me.
"What happened to her," asked Temari disgustedly as she placed a hand on her hip. Not the hip… Oh Kami, was I in for it! "I hope she can go fetch me a couple of things," mumbled Temari as she glanced over at her brother. Great… she did want me to retrieve her some things. Matsuri bore a stupid little grin on her bitch face. It almost made me want to get suddenly well just so I could strangle her. I think discoloration would suit her bitch face perfectly.
"I'm taking her to the infirmary," said Gaara with a firm look, "She can't run your stupid errands right now… Make Matsuri do it." Temari took her hand off her hip and looked absolutely flabbergasted. Hah, flabbergasted! It suited her expression perfectly. "She's always sitting on her ass. It's about time she earned her pay," growled Gaara as he glanced over at Matsuri. "Imamura-san does too much as it is." San? He had just used san after my name. Progress, sweet progress! A goofy smile appeared on my face as Gaara continued to carry me over to the infirmary.
I'm pretty sure I blacked out again because when I woke up I was lying in a hospital bed with Gaara staring over at me. I let out a groan as I attempted to sit up. "What's wrong with me," I mumbled as I finally managed to settle myself into my 'sat up' position.
"The doctor gave you some medicine and you passed out," Gaara murmured. His eyes were simply magnetic, pulling mine into his. "He said once you awakened I could take you home. He said you should be fine by tomorrow morning."
"Gaara-sama," I said, "Arigato for staying here with me." I felt the need to thank him. The only two people that would have actually stayed with me would have been either Sorachi or Hoshiro. I suddenly felt guilty at the fact that I hadn't been to see them. I had called often and told them I was tied up with work. They said that they understood and I believed them. I sighed as I threw the sheets off from me and planted my bare feet firmly on the floor. I noted that I wasn't in what I had been previously wearing. "Where are my clothes?"
"I had someone run them to your room," replied Gaara, "The doctor removed them and put you into the hospital garb. He said that your costume was too constricting."
I nodded when a sudden thought struck me. "You weren't here while they were changing me were you?" I asked worriedly. He didn't see anything. Did he? I would never be able to go back to work for him if he had. I could never show my face near Sand Castle. I wouldn't even be able to show my face when I became a council member (if he was still Kazekage by then).
He seemed a bit entertained by my panic and a small smirk played about his lips. He stood up from his seat and went to the door of the hospital room. He opened it, but only a crack, and turned to me. "We should get going… you need to rest at home." He pushed the door open all the way and waited patiently for me to get through.
I had finally arrived at my room that night. As promised, my clothes I had been wearing earlier that night were folded neatly on my nightstand. I smiled drowsily as I sprawled myself out on my big bed and snuggled deep within the covers. It wasn't such a big deal if I fell asleep in my hospital gown, I had thought as I pressed my face to my fuzzy pillow. I was about to drift into peaceful slumber when I realized something. He hadn't answered my question.
Author's Note: I hope this chapter was to everyone's liking. The question I'd like to ask is: Do you think Gaara saw Tsubasa changing or not? Perhaps it is one of life's mysteries. Let me know what you think in a review. ;)