I'm verry happy more and more people like my story to the point where they decide to follow it and/or leave the comment. There's nothing more the fanfiction writer can dream of :) It really keeps my writer's juices flowing :)
The idea of the story came to me when I started watching "Naruto" and GaaMatsu became my OTP. I began to search for well-written GaaMatsu stories, but there weren't many. I wanted a multi-chaptered story with a happy ending and a slow build-up, where it would take them quite long to grow interested in each other, and their bond would slowly strengthen through the years until they would realize they fell in love with each other. Actually, I didn't find such story, so I decided to write it myself.
Btw if anyone would be interested, you can also follow this story on deviantArt.
kitsune1978. deviantart. com
Betareading: katakiari. deviantart. com
Story image by tariah23 . deviantart . com
I have her permission to use it.
© "Naruto" is created and copyrighted by Kishimoto Masashi and owned by Shueisha Publishing Co., Ltd. and Studio Pierrot.
Enjoy.
Alive And Victorious
Chapter 11. Is this how dreams coming alive feel like?
Matsuri was drying her hair with the towel when someone banged at her door. She jumped, almost letting the towel slip from her hands.
"Who is it?" she inquired, approaching the door reluctantly.
"Us!" Sari's stifled voice came from the outside. Matsuri sighed and opened the door, moving aside to let her friends in.
"Matsuri!" Sari exclaimed reproachfully. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"About what?" Matsuri replied, vigorously rubbing at her hair with the towel until it covered half of her face. She knew her friends would interrogate her and she didn't know how to evade it. The time was possibly the worst for such interrogation because she was already jittery due to the oncoming date and now she would have to explain how come she was going to date Gaara after all, even if she had previously insisted she wasn't interested in him in a romantic way.
Sari breathed deeply through her nose and looked at the water meter critically.
"Gaara-sama walked you home, right?" she asked with the tone of the utmost certainty.
"Yes, he did," Matsuri answered, not gazing at her friends. She particularly avoided Yakku's eyes, since she could still remember how he continuously scoffed at her supposed infatuation with Gaara. Now Yakku probably thought she was the most disgusting hypocrite ever.
"You took a shower even if you are about to cross your water limit?" Sari inquired as if she had been a pursuing ninja, holding investigation. Matsuri shrugged in silence. Since every shinobi in Suna was quite sensitive when it came to catching humidity variations, she didn't need to answer the question. All of them could sense pretty well the fading waft of the steam coming from her bathroom.
"Would you like some tea?" Matsuri said, trying to change the topic. Yakku and Darui nodded and sat down on her bed, still observing her with expressionless faces. Sari didn't move, looking like she was concentrating hard.
"Matsuri?" she asked at last, her voice dripping with suspiciousness. "Are you going on a date?"
Matsuri closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no way to keep it secret for long. They would find out one way or another. Besides, it was obvious people would be shocked, and maybe even mocking.
"Yes, I am," she replied, attempting to sound matter-of-factly.
"You have a date with the Kazekage?" Sari said, stunned, and Matsuri felt her cheeks flaring. She persevered repeating she had no eyes for Gaara. No, no, no. You can have him if you want, she had said to Sari, and this was how everything turned out. Did her friends consider her a liar now?
Suddenly Yakku got up and left the apartment without any word of explanation. Matsuri gestured like she wanted to stop him, but then she decided it was pointless. There was no comfort for him when all his hopes were finally destroyed. She knew all too damn well how it hurt.
"I'm sorry," she said to all, and to nobody. Yakku didn't seem to register her words. He just closed the door behind himself quietly, and after a moment his footsteps faded away in the corridor. Matsuri urged to suppress the sense of guilt and searched Darui's eyes desperately, but he only pursed his lips and shrugged.
"Remember what I told you," he remarked. It stung and Matsuri had to comment on it.
"You think his intentions are evil?" she asked straighforward, frowning disbelievingly.
"I have no idea," Darui answered, standing up. He went towards the window and peeked through it, apparently gazing at the Kazekage Tower. "It was obvious from quite a long time that you had snatched his attention. But you insisted that..." he let the comment hang in the air.
Matsuri lowered her head.
"I'm sorry," she echoed, her voice just above the whisper.
"What a mess," Darui sighed and Matsuri remembered their conversation after she had found out that the Kazekage himself would train her before the chuunin exam.
"So you want him after all?" Sari interjected and Matsuri couldn't force herself to look her friend in the eye.
"I—I didn't realize earlier that I— that he—" she stuttered. "I really thought—" she swallowed at how pathetic she sounded. "I wasn't lying to you," she finally admitted, raising her head to confront Sari.
The long-haired girl watched her for a few minutes in silence, her expression unreadable. Matsuri felt the lump growing in her throat under the scrutiny. Was she about to lose another friend?
"You were always too dumb for your own sake," Sari shot, tousling her friend's hair. "And I always knew... Gaara-sama is quiet, cool, strong, hot, elite-" she repeated Matsuri's words, and Matsuri screwed her eyes shut, blushing madly at the remembrance of the moment which she had successfully erased from her memory. But now it hit her full force how stupidly she acted. "Hey," Sari swatted her at the shoulder. "No need to look so miserable! I told you before you have made greater progress than I - than anyone - ever could."
Matsuri glanced at her friend, astonished. She supposed Sari would be more saddened by the news. That she would even be crying. Sari looked a bit disappointed, yes, but definitely not despairing, and Matsuri wondered if her friend was just so good in concealing her true feelings or maybe her interest in Gaara was only a brief enchantment?
The girl peeked at the clock and the strange anxiety overwhelmed her. What if it was only a dream? What if Gaara didn't come?
"We're going to go," Darui said, pressing his hand against the small of Sari's back. "Get dressed to kill," he added, winking at Matsuri before he headed for the exit. Sari went with him obediently, sending a smile in Matsuri's direction, and finally the girl was left alone. She wished she could have her friends by her side to support her when she needed their encouragement the most, but things turned out to be too complicated and she couldn't ask Sari, let alone Yakku, to help her in this case. She had to endure nervousness and trepidation completely alone.
Wincing, Matsuri looked into the mirror and began to brush her hair. Get dressed to kill, Darui had said, but how was she supposed to do that? She had never deliberated over her looks before but now she had to admit they were just mediocre. An average looking face, an average looking figure. She was nobody special. How come Gaara liked her? He could surely date girls prettier than her if he wanted, and Sari definitely wasn't the only one who considered him attractive and attempted to draw his attention. Matsuri had never been jealous of her friend's beauty, but now, when she compared herself to Sari...
No, Matsuri admonished herself sternly. No. Even if Sari was more beautiful, Gaara didn't pay attention to her. He didn't ask her to go out with him this evening. He didn't look at her like she was someone... well, special. All those things fell to Matsuri's lot, and the appointed hour was getting closer and closer, making butterflies flutter in her stomach.
Was this how dreams coming alive felt like?
o0o0o0o
Matsuri left the building and looked around. Her heart pounded against her ribs when she spotted Gaara standing rather close and talking to some children from the neighbourhood. Matsuri stood motionless, taking in the entire scene. The redhead made the sand under the children's feet ripple and take different forms, and they squealed with joy when the sand made them float in midair.
In a distance two girls stopped and began to whisper to themselves, obviously trying to snatch Kazekage's attention. Gaara seemed not to notice their encouraging giggles, and glanced at Matsuri who flinched slightly and smiled bashfully, caught off-guard. The redhead turned to the children and said something to them. They looked greatly disappointed but didn't protest when he walked away. Matsuri waited for him, wishing again her dream coming true wouldn't be watched and talked about by the entire village. Unfortunately, it was inevitable. Better not to think what rumours would rise if he had visited her in her apartment!
Gaara stood in front of her in silence and she smiled at him weakly, all her uncertainties speeding back at her. What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to say? When they had been still teacher and student she had been the one who was always maintaining the conversation, but now she had no idea what to say. And even if she knew, she would probably find no courage in herself to utter anything, considering she couldn't even greet him properly.
"Matsuri," the redhead said and she was amazed again by the unusual softness in his voice. An exulted smile curved her mouth and she didn't hide it; not that she could even if she tried. She wanted so much for him to say her name again in this voice, since it sounded so... so... "Would you like to go for a walk?" Gaara finished, interrupting her dreamy musings, and she was quite grateful for it, since it wouldn't be the best turn of events, falling into her own private dreamworld just after the date had begun.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama," she answered automatically, and the redhead shook his head slightly.
"It's Gaara to you," he remarked and Matsuri nodded, swallowing and rolling this name in her thoughts. Well, both of them were equals now, but it was so hard to say that name aloud, the dear name she had been whispering to herself so many times, crying at night or praying in front of Chiyo's grave.
"Yes, Gaara," she said quietly, tentatively, as if trying how it would sound, and grinned to herself since it sounded wonderful to her, so sweet, so breath-taking, so... perfect.
Just like him.
Gaara looked like he was about to ask of something, probably her stupid grin, but she shook her head and stepped forward, definitely unwilling to reveal what she had just thought. The Kazekage followed her in silence and they slowly went down the street. The sun was going down and the shadows were growing longer. Other couples were passing by, walking towards Sunagakure's gates, obviously heading there to watch the sunset together, and Matsuri's heart jumped at the prospect of sharing such a beautiful moment with the redhead walking by her side.
Gaara decided to break the silence at last.
"How was the mission?" he inquired casually, and Matsuri was grateful he chose such a common topic.
"Okay, nothing special," she said. "We delivered the scroll without troubles. Yaoki-san reported the mission already, didn't he?"
"Yes, he did."
The silence fell again and Matsuri sighed inwardly. Apparently, hoping that Gaara would ever grow more talkative was pointless.
"I liked that city very much," she admitted, feeling quite like in the old days when they had been the teacher and student, and she had to draw each and every word from him. "It was similar to Konoha. Very green. And the air was nicely humid. Fresh. Not like here, in Suna."
"You don't like the village?" the redhead asked, looking a bit surprised.
"No, it's not like that. I mean, I've been living outside of the desert for seven years and I've grown quite unaccustomed to water limitations, hot, dry winds, the sand dust everywhere... But don't get me wrong. Sunagakure is my home now and I like it," Matsuri explained, thinking about her three-month's exile and how happy she was after coming back.
"I always wondered how come you arrived here to train as a ninja," Gaara inquired and Matsuri swallowed. As far as she could remember it was the first personal question he had ever asked her. "It seemed awkward to me since you were afraid of weapons."
"It wasn't me who decided I was going to become a ninja," Matsuri said with a small painful sigh. "I think my family just wanted to get rid of me. They agreed to send me to Suna even if they knew about my... trauma. They said I just needed to get over it."
"I see," Gaara said and Matsuri knew she didn't have to give more detailed explanation on how lonely and unwanted she had felt then. She was sure he understood it perfectly well.
"I think nobody really believed I could have been able to become a ninja," she added quite miserably and Gaara peered at her.
"They were wrong. You are a good shinobi, Matsuri," he stated with the absolute certainty in his voice and the kunoichi couldn't help but blush at the praise.
"Thank you, Kazeka—"
"Gaara," he interrupted and Matsuri bit her lip briefly, nodding. Old habits die hard.
"Thank you, Gaara," she repeated, and damn! His name tumbled off her lips so wistfully and tenderly that it really wouldn't be much difference if she had just said: "I love you, Gaara."
Feeling utterly defeated, Matsuri lowered her gaze until it reached the sandy street. She couldn't look her companion in the eye but she still tried to force the nonchalant expression on her face; unfortunately, there was no way to check if her attempts succeeded at all.
For a time they walked in silence. Matsuri kept her promise to herself that she wouldn't speak no more since she already managed to embarrass herself. Besides, if Gaara asked her for a date, he could also take some pains to overcome his usual withdrawn attitude, couldn't he?
"The sun is almost setting," the redhead suddenly observed and stopped. "We could take a look at it from the top of the Kazekage Tower," he offered, peeking at Matsuri invitingly. She pondered over it for a moment and decided that it would be nice to escape the villagers' scrutiny. The Tower was probably the only place where they could find a refuge, so she nodded in agreement, and they skipped a couple of rooftops together, eventually reaching the terrace at the top of the Tower. The guard standing there greeted his superior with respect and glanced at the girl, trying to hide his curiosity.
"Kazekage-sama, should I, um, leave you alone?" he asked politely and Gaara shook his head.
"Thank you, Suname, but there's no need for you to walk down."
The guard bowed slightly and moved to the opposite side of the terrace, turning his back to them. Matsuri watched him, perplexed, but when she looked around she quickly forgot all her embarrassment.
"Wow..." she breathed, leaning over the balustrade. "It's the highest point in the entire village, isn't it? What a wonderful view!"
"Yes. Only the cliffs are higher," Gaara replied from behind her back.
Matsuri threw her head back and marvelled at the sky, at the gold, orange and purple threads entwining high above her. It was Suna at its best and Matsuri was certain that even if she wandered all over the world she wouldn't find a place where sunsets were just as spectacular. Suddenly she spotted a wisp of cloud shaped like a bird, and her chest constricted painfully. The memory of Akatsuki's attack was still giving her nightmares and she shook her head, trying to disperse the bad thoughts.
"What is it?" Gaara asked, standing by her side.
"No, it's nothing," she said, briefly closing her eyes. "I just remembered something... unpleasant."
The redhead waited for a few minutes before he answered.
"I see."
Matsuri pointed at the sky.
"There are nowhere such beautiful sunsets like here, are there?" she said with a smile and Gaara gazed at the sky as well, contemplating splendid colours. Matsuri glanced at his profile from the corner of her eye and her heart leapt in her chest. Here he stood, the man of her dreams, watching the sunset with her, just as she dreamed, and she wasn't able to stop staring at him, even if she pretended to watch the deep hues of red that painted the darkening sky.
Before she could prepare herself he turned his head and his eyes met hers. The heat crept up her cheeks immediately and she blinked, abashed. The images of a certain dream popped out of nowhere inside her mind and she ducked her head, dismayed.
"I-I have to go now. I have a mission tomorrow," she stammered, even if they had just come here.
"I know," Gaara said calmly and Matsuri wanted to wince at her own pathetic explanation. Of course he knew. He assigned the mission himself.
Before she could bid him farewell, she suddenly sensed the warm palm locking around her own and squeezing lightly.
"Matsuri," Gaara uttered, eyeing her intensely. "If you would ever have any problem, please do not hide it from me. Okay?"
The girl had been surprised, to say at least. What did he mean? He sounded like he wanted to hint at something without saying it outright and Matsuri was supposed to guess what he had meant. The only problem was that she really didn't have any idea what it was.
"Okay," she answered in a serious tone because he had been serious as well. "I won't."
Reluctantly, he let her hand go.
"Good luck on the mission," he said and Matsuri smiled, relieved.
"Thanks," she answered and jumped onto the balustrade, definitely unwilling to go downstairs and meet all those curious gazes of people walking down the Tower's corridors, Gaara's siblings in particular. "Good luck with those stubborn Iwagakure negotiators!"
The redhead looked astounded but the realization must have hit him quick that his ninjas knew perfectly well who and when he must have dealt with.
"Thank you," he replied, looking up at Matsuri, who hesitated for a moment. She began to regret she finished the date so quickly; she did it on impulse and it was too late now. She decided that she really needed to find a way to deal with the memory of a dream so it wouldn't disturb her the way it did moments ago. After all, Gaara had no idea about what she had been dreaming of.
Actually, he didn't look disappointed, but Matsuri had a feeling he didn't want her to go already. Not that he would say it out loud after she had expressed her willingness to go home and rest before the mission. He surely didn't want to push her, even if Matsuri wouldn't protest against being pushed in this particular case.
With a sigh, the girl applied chakra to her feet and shot the last glance towards her companion, knowing she would cherish forever the way he had been looking at her when they were alone. There was nothing left to say and she ran down the adobe wall, even if she only wanted to stay there with him.
o0o0o0o
Kankurou and Temari were heading towards Kazekage's office, looking quite broody.
"What are you going to say right now?" Kankurou asked as if hinting at a previous argument. "The rumours are spreading around the village like crazy."
Temari didn't answer at once, still pondering with a deep furrow on her brow.
"What are we going to do?" the puppeteer asked and his sister glanced at him with a half-shrug.
"We'll see what Gaara says," Temari said, reaching her hand to knock at the Kazekage office's door. She announced her and Kankurou's names, and pushed the door, striding inside.
Gaara, as expected, was sitting at his desk and glanced at them, slightly bewildered.
"Temari? Kankurou?" he asked, putting the quill away and blinking. "Did something happen?"
"Well..." Kankurou stuttered, not knowing how to start the topic. "In fact not but—"
"In fact yes," Temari interrupted, shooting a threatening glance at him. "Everyone gossips about your date with Matsuri yesterday."
Gaara slowly leant backwards in his seat and the slight frown creased his forehead.
"And...?"
"Listen, Gaara," Kankurou opened, willing to take control over the conversation. "We wouldn't pry into your private affairs if—"
Temari saw fit to interrupt him again.
"The entire village rages. Most of the councilmen have been disgruntled before because they thought you wasted your time training Matsuri. Now they are even more disgruntled, claiming you will be negligent in your duties because of her."
Kankurou glared at his sister but couldn't deny what she had said. Temari, even if sounding a bit harsh, deeply cared for Gaara and it was what was driving her while speaking to him in this manner.
Gaara's gaze wandered from one of his sibling to the other. He looked positively calm and suddenly Kankurou suspected that the redhead expected all this uproar and already had the plan how to mastermind it.
"What is the real reason for their grudge?" Gaara asked in his usual indifferent tone.
Temari rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Gaara, don't tell me you're oblivious. You know perfectly well many of them would want their daughters or nieces to be in Matsuri's place."
This statement drew a sigh from Gaara's chest and he lowered his head a bit, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. Kankurou knew his brother wasn't oblivious, not after having to deal with Kotori's advances.
"What matters the most," the puppeteer said, stepping forwad, "is that you are endangering yourself and your girlfriend. Have you thought about that?"
"Matsuri is not my girlfriend—"
"Not?" Kankurou was taken aback.
"—yet," Gaara finished in a low-pitched voice.
Kankurou shut his mouth and nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Gaara's. So his brother admitted it aloud. Well, if that was the case, Kankurou was rather certain that Gaara had already considered all the measures he would have to undertake to protect himself and his... well, girlfriend. Because regardless of what Gaara had said, Kankurou considered Matsuri to be his brother's girlfriend from now on.
Temari looked like she was about to say something but Kankurou turned to her and warned her with his eyes.
"We've gotta go," he emphasized, pointing at the door with his chin.
The blond kunoichi narrowed her eyes but didn't protest and they left the office after saying "Bye" to their brother who just took the quill again and resumed signing his name on papers like nothing had happened.
The end of chapter 11.
The next chapter: The captivating smile
A/N.
And how was it?
It's sooo damn hard to bring those two together! ;P They just keep resisting each other ;P
Btw, I'm looking for a certain kind of GaaNaru fanfiction, where Naruto is in love with Gaara but the latter doesn't return his feelings (he may be single or in relationship with someone else, I don't mind). Have you ever come across such a fanfic? Anyone?