Alive And Victorious Chapter 12: 12 The captivating smile, a naruto fanfic

Betareading: Annabella Colt

Story image by tariah23 . deviantart . com

I have her permission to use it.

Enjoy.

Alive And Victorious

Chapter 12. The captivating smile

Matsuri met her friends in front of Kazekage Tower and immediately noticed Yakku still wasn't there. When another genin appeared and Yaoki announced they would march away, Matsuri had to protest.

"But Yakku is still missing," she said, surprised and slightly irritated. Even if her friend was late it was not a reason to leave him behind.

"He volunteered for the border patrol on the border with Tsuchi no Kuni," the captain explained. "There's no telling when he would come back to Sunagakure."

Matsuri blinked with her mouth agape.

"Yakku... left the village? But..."

Sari elbowed her and Matsuri quickly nodded. The team set off and Matsuri went with others but she had been still in a deep shock. He didn't say anything to her concerning his departure, not even mentioning biding farewell...

"You should know why he had left," Sari said quietly and Matsuri glanced at her wordlessly. Well, she couldn't say she didn't know. In fact she understood perfectly why Yakku left Suna. She could still vividly remember the agony Gaara's mere presence was inflicting on her when she thought she had been completely unimportant to him. Yakku must have felt the same way about her. But still leaving without a word...

Yakku left but Sari remained. Matsuri watched her friend, trying to gauge her reaction again.

"How was the date?" Sari whispered. "Did he kiss you?"

Matsuri gasped, disconcerted. It really wasn't the best topic to raise while walking with other ninjas, heading for a mission to complete! Someone could have eavesdropped and the rumours would roar again about Kazekage's supposed way of kissing...

"He didn't!" she growled under her nose and Sari looked disappointed. "We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Sari nodded, looking completely neutral, as if the prospect of her favourite redhead kissing her closest friend didn't perturb her at all. Matsuri decided she needed to ask Sari straightforwardly if she wasn't bearing any grudge but on the other hand she didn't want to do that because she felt kind of anxious of what answers she would get.

o0o0o0o

Gaara was growing impatient. The preparations to establish the Academy were getting his schedule overfilled and he had no time at all to see Matsuri. The elders seemed to be happy about it but he was definitely not. The meeting on the regulations, program and Academy's future staff, even if long and quite tiresome, fortunately brought to him the solution to his dilemma. Before the council could notice what was happening he drove them to the agreement on the necessity of having the Academy project coordinators. Then he casually suggested he would choose them himself from amongst the offers he had received earlier when he had to engage the assistant and, in case he wouldn't find any person meeting his expectations, he would decide himself on what to do next.

At least a few of the councilmen suspected a trap but they didn't make any observations, probably sure that if anything would go awry they would easily talk him into changing his mind.

Well, they would be greatly surprised. After all he was the one in charge there and even if he usually held his ear open to his advisors' voices and took them seriously into account, there were times when he intended to do exactly as he pleased, just as he was planning to do now.

Gaara had made sure earlier he would have a half of an hour free this afternoon so he could leave the Tower without any objections. Since he had checked the training grounds schedule before, he knew precisely where to find Matsuri, and he headed there without hesitation. Coming to a halt in a distance before his former student could notice him, he watched her practicing taijutsu on the wooden dummy. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to spend on enjoying the sight, so he approached her after a few minutes. Matsuri looked positively surprised and bowed slightly, muttering a formal "Good afternoon" under her nose. To his contentment she didn't use his formal title but she didn't call him by his given name either.

"Your taijutsu skills are on quite high level. You must have been working hard on it," the redhead commented, the praise bringing slight pink tint to Matsuri's cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't train you thoroughly enough in that field. Taijutsu just wasn't my specialty."

Matsuri blinked and shook her head. "You just don't need it," she said as if it was explaining everything.

"Baki had been always reproaching me not to rely only on my sand but I ignored his instructions," Gaara added and Matsuri giggled. Then she frowned slightly.

"You mean Baki-sama?" she asked, obviously astonished.

The redhead nodded.

"He was my teacher," he explained and Matsuri opened her mouth, letting out an inaudible "Ah."

Gaara knew he had to go back to the Tower soon so he decided to go to the point at once.

"Matsuri, I had an offer for you," he said and the girl furrowed her brows.

"An offer?" she echoed, glancing at him a bit suspiciously.

"I want you to be an Academy project coordinator," he announced shortly, watching her eyes widen and her lips part. "I need someone I can devolve the part of my work upon as well as my assisstant's work concerning mainly Academy program, regulations and staff."

Matsuri nodded slowly and he knew it was only to acknowledge his words, not to express her willingness to take up the job. In fact she looked rather scared of the very prospect.

"You don't have to answer now. Just think about it," Gaara said, with a feeling that his plans might have run into certain difficulties. Matsuri swallowed and nervously drew her hair behind her ear, searching his eyes for the encouragement.

"But I... I've never..." she uttered in a doubtful voice.

"I know," he replied with a nod, his eyes never leaving hers. "And I think I can understand how you feel. I've never been Kazekage before as well, you know."

The girl looked more self-confident immediately, letting out a merry giggle. Her eyes twinkled and he knew she would agree, even if she didn't say it yet.

"Is it very hard?" she inquired, tilting her head. "Being Kazekage?"

"Yes, extremely," he replied seriously. "And no, not at all."

Matsuri smiled at his words, and the smile was unbelievable. Simply captivating.

"I like how you can say so much with only a few words," she uttered softly, looking straight into his eyes, and the warmth enveloped his heart at her admission. Instinctively, he raised his arm and lightly touched Matsuri's cheek with his fingers, quite surprised by his own action. On the other hand he was glad he had done it, since the affection arising within him simply had to be expressed this or either way. Matsuri blinked and reddened but didn't flinch away from the touch. Moreover, she leaned into it after a while, and covered his palm with hers, slowly closing her eyes as if enjoying the physical contact.

He could count the people who were willingly touching him on the fingers of one hand.

"So... you think I can do it?" she asked, peeking at him with those beautiful black eyes, her gaze dazed a bit. Gaara nodded in answer, aware that the softness of Matsuri's skin under his fingers grew dangerously enticing. Besides, he had to hurry back to the Tower, even if Kazekage's duties were actually the last thing on his mind.

"I wouldn't ask you if I thought the opposite," he replied and pulled his hand back, eliciting a small disappointed sigh from his girlfriend. "I—"

"You have to go now," Matsuri interrupted with a nod, her expression rather glum. "I know."

o0o0o0o

Matsuri was sitting by her window, peeking through it almost constantly. It was almost midnight but she couldn't sleep.

It had been her first day in her new temporary job. Kashiko-san, Kazekage's assisstant, had turned out to be a very amiable and patient woman, who explained everything to her in details. Matsuri was grateful for it since she had been unnerved and it could render her clumsy all-too-easily. She didn't feel like she belonged there, in Kazekage Tower, amongst all those high-ranked ninjas. She was intimidated and maybe even scared, but every time she had been walking into Gaara's office, all intimidation and fear were immediately going away, replaced by determination. Since he put so much trust in her to make her the coordinator, she was going to complete the task perfectly.

They were supposed to see each other after work, but Gaara didn't come. Matsuri waited for him and finally went back home, uncertain what to do. Her first impulse was to go to the Tower and check if something happened but she quickly banished the thought. Instead she settled herself by the window and observed the Tower, and after a short time it appeared to her there was an excessive activity in the village. ANBU squads were moving all around, messenger hawks were coming and leaving, jounins were hurrying down the streets.

She had been watching them until the midnight came, and she still didn't feel like sleeping, searching the sky for any possible attackers. The icy claw slowly locked around her heart at the memory of Gaara's abduction and—

Matsuri shook her head vehemently, forcing herself not to remember those events again. That night, bathed in the pale glow of the moonlight, had been her worst memory, next to her parent's death. That night when she had realized that Gaara was more precious to her than anyone else, even her best friends. That night when she thought she had lost him...

The quiet, almost inaudible sound interrupted her musings. Matsuri looked around, unsure if she had really heard anything at all. Then it repeated again, the light knocking on her door.

The girl wondered who could have come to visit her at this hour, and secretly. There was only one such person so Matsuri approached the door and set it ajar.

Gaara slipped inside, putting his finger on his lips as if giving her signal to stay silent. Matsuri nodded and closed the door carefully, while the redhead switched the light off. He walked towards the window then and glanced through it, scanning the vicinity until he was satisfied with the result. Matsuri watched him wordlessly, curious and worried in the same time. Eventually she stepped towards him and looked through the window as well.

"I'm not supposed to be here," he said in a low voice as if explaining his strange actions. "I'm sorry I didn't come but it was emergency."

Matsuri nodded, swallowing.

"I thought so," she whispered back. "Is it—" The name 'Akatsuki' seemed to be stuck down her throat and she couldn't choke it out.

"I know it's very late but I've noticed you weren't sleeping yet," Gaara said apologetically, turning to her. "So I concluded that—"

"Nevermind," she interrupted impatiently, grabbing his forearm. "Gaara, it's not Akatsuki, is it?"

"Akatsuki?" he replied in a whisper, surprised. "No." He sighed and added in a grave voice: "And yes."

"What?" Matsuri furrowed, confused, and released his hand. "What do you—"

"They're not attacking Sunagakure, if that's what you meant. There's no point in it since they had already taken Ichibi."

"Ichibi?" the girl sought his eyes in darkness, clasping her palms and pressing them against her chest. "Oh, I see... You mean Shukaku of the Sand?"

She could guess rather than actually see that Gaara nodded.

"They destroyed Konoha," he said, his voice heavy with an unrecognizable emotion, and Matsuri faltered, shocked to the core.

"D-destroyed?" she stammered, and Gaara stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame.

"The village is utterly annihilated," he explained quietly, his breath warm against her forehead, and the girl quivered, gripping the fabric of his coat tightly. She recalled all those genins she had met once. Some of them came to help retrieving Gaara after the abduction. Naruto, who was supposed to have so much in common with Gaara, as Kankurou put it. Lee, the determination personified. Sakura, the genius medic ninja, who saved Kankurou from Sasori's poison.

Were they all... gone? The entire village was gone?

Letting out a frightened gasp, Matsuri leaned into the embrace, perfectly aware Suna would have met the same fate if it wasn't for Kazekage's utmost determination. So this was Akatsuki, the organization nobody had heard about before the sudden assault at Suna five months ago, which fully revealed their power.

"But why?" she sniffled, crying quietly for all those ninjas who had surely died facing such mighty enemy. "Why are they doing this? What do they want?"

Gaara didn't answer, only stroked her hair, and Matsuri swallowed.

"Konoha needs our support," he whispered, brushing the top of her head with his chin. "Hokage managed to save the villagers but—"

"So they are alive?" Matsuri exclaimed, straightening, and hastily put her hand upon her mouth. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I forgot myself."

Gaara shook his head, the dark silhouette in the midst of an inky blackness.

"Yes, they are alive," he replied simply and took a deep breath. "Matsuri, I have to go back to the Tower before they realize I'm gone."

"Sure," she nodded eagerly. "I'm glad you came anyway. I was worried a bit. So... see you tomorrow."

"Yes..." Gaara replied slowly but didn't move from the spot. They stood in silence and Matsuri shifted restlessly, with a sudden jittery feeling flooding over her at the consciousness of the situation. Here they were, alone in her room in the dead of the night, and to her, the darkness never seemed to be so impenetrable before, the silence so overwhelming, the tension between them so high that is was almost tangible. The girl gulped audibly and shuddered at the touch of Gaara's palms on her shoulders, her knees suddenly wobbling. She lifted her hands instinctively, searching for support, and put them against his chest, sensing a frantic heartbeat under her fingers, its rate matching the frenzy fluttering of her own heart. Gaara stepped closer until only inches separated their bodies, and slowly raised his hand, brushing her cheek just as he had done a few days before on the training ground. Matsuri could feel that his fingers were slightly trembling, but it was nothing in comparison to the tremors running up and down her frame. Letting her hands meet at the back of his neck, she licked her mouth nervously, and Gaara hesitated for a moment, before he leaned forward with a slight tilt of his head until his lips hovered just above hers. He pressed his other hand against the small of her back and Matsuri gasped lightly at the sensation of their bodies pushing against each other, while Gaara eventually touched her lips with his.

For a few minutes they just stood motionless, as if they had entered completely unknown territory and needed time to get themselves familiar with it. Matsuri closed her eyes, lost in a sea of the foreign feelings, which Gaara's hot breath fanning over her face and soft, constant touch of his lips over hers had elicited. His grip on her waist tightened and she diffidently moved her fingers, resting at the nape of his neck. The tickling of the soft wisps, which she had felt since her hands arrived at the spot, eventually grew irresistible, and with a small sigh she weaved her fingers into his hair.

Gaara chose that moment to brush his lips against hers tentatively, and Matsuri's breath hitched in an instant when she decided to respond with the same delicate move, the kiss so soft and gentle that it was almost innocent. The redhead shifted his hand, still resting on her cheek, until his thumb stroked the sensitive skin right below her lower lip. Matsuri drew in the shaking breath, and the exotic tingling she felt in her lips spread all over her body, stirring up the new, strange urges which burned to be expressed in some way. Finally the quiet moan of an alien frustration escaped her throat, and she froze, the memory of the dream she had once had hitting her with the full force. The moan she had just uttered vividly reminded her of her actions which had followed the dream, and she cringed at the thought what doings were exactly required to release the tension swiftly building up inside her.

Oblivious to the turmoil within her, Gaara tilted his head further and parted his lips, slowly deepening the kiss. Matsuri entangled her fingers tighter into his hair, with her other hand grasping his shoulder to stop herself from toppling into him. Her legs buckled when she tested the gesture herself, slightly opening her mouth so he could gently suck at her lower lip.

There was no way she could stay silent any longer. She let out another moan, clearly distinct in spite of her attempts to muffle it. Embarrassing as it was, it apparently invited Gaara to continue the caress, and he moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head and pressed against it lightly, obviously willing to take control. Matsuri gave another whimper, louder this time, and the redhead moaned into her mouth as well, pushing with his body against hers while the tip of his tongue hesitantly licked at her upper lip.

The girl froze momentarily, quite shocked by the boldness of his action and baffled by the fleeting thought of where both of them were exactly going. It seemed to her they were proceeding a bit too quickly... but on the other hand she had a feeling that one single lifetime could be not enough to explore all the possibilites in the land where they had just made their first step into.

Gaara swallowed hard and broke the kiss, pressing his forehead against hers. Matsuri blinked, surprised and slightly disappointed, before she remembered he was supposed to go back to the Tower, and soon. Breathing heavily, they waited for themselves to calm down, but Matsuri decided the position wasn't helpful at all. It was just too enticing, so the girl stepped back uncertainly, sighing, and smoothed her ruffled hair with the nervous gesture. She was glad the light was off since she would have surely felt uncomfortable if she had to look Gaara in the eye after what had just transpired. Yet on the other hand, the velvety darkness in which they were hiding was just too inviting to continue, and Matsuri could sense her heartbeat growing unmistakably faster at the mere thought of repeating the kiss.

"I'd better go," Gaara murmured and Matsuri let out an unintelligible sound in asnwer, which was meant to express she didn't want him to go, but yes, he'd better go, and fast. The redhead walked towards the door and Matsuri opened it for him. He didn't step through the threshold though, only wrapped his arms around her again. She gasped and faltered but he simply hugged her to his chest, and she relaxed, leaning into the embrace. Her heart was about to burst with the warmth which spread from inside her, filling her with the most intense sensation of happiness and love she had ever experienced.

Was this how dreams coming alive felt like?

"Gaara..." Matsuri only breathed, her voice just above the whisper, and he clasped her tighter in reply, obviously catching everything she wanted to express. It didn't last long though, and eventually the redhead released her, turned away and disappeared in the darkness filling the staircase, his steps so quiet that the girl couldn't catch them, no matter how much she strained her ears.

The end of chapter 12.

The next chapter: You will not fail

A/N: Hope you liked it :3

List of tracks I'm listening to get myself into the mood for writing:

(at random)

Tatu "All About Us"

Houk "Transmission Into Your Heart"

Alex C "Doktorspiele"

Regy Clasen "Ergib Dich"

Laava "Wherever You Are"

Skillet "Whispers In The Dark"

Nightwish "She Is My Sin"

Smile dk "Mr. Wonderful"

Kelly Family "I Can't Help Myself"

Чай вдвоём "Моя"

Goya "Smak Słów"

Nightwish "I Wish I Had Your Angel"

Skinny Patrini "YSMF"

ABBA "Honey Honey" (I prefer the movie version, performed by Amanda Seyfried)

Plus One "Going Crazy"

SES "Dreams Come True"

Clay Aiken "I Will Carry You"

Lodoss OST "Ad'esso E Fortuna"