Hello! :D

I know it's been forever, but well I had a lot going on and the ideas for this just continued to fly away :P

Don't want to waste too much time on introduction, so I'll let you read the second one-shot with just this: the scene takes place in a more or less near future.

Words: 2680 (more or less)

Ja ne,
Temari 88 XD

Gaara and the 'We-Got-Some-Sense-Beaten-Into-Us-By-Naruto' club

(Gaara and Neji)

"Matsuri…" I called from inside my office.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama, do you need something?" came the answer, right away as always: I don't really mind it of course, an effective assistant in always useful; still, sometimes she tends to be a little overzealous and has this strange… uh, habit, I guess… of coming with me whenever I have to walk through the village and chase people away from me. No, it's not people exactly. She chases away other women.

It is like what Temari used to do right after I started to make a name for myself as Kazekage: she would follow me around even when I said it wasn't necessary and if she saw a girl coming my way, to greet me or whatever, she would do this frightening sound – this remains between us, yeah? – almost like a snarl or a growl… and every female walking within ten feet from me would get either scared or stared at to death. Now Temari lives in Konoha, but it looks like I've got a substitute… rather annoying…

"Matsuri, has the messenger from Konoha arrived yet?"

"Uhm… the guards stationed on the north wall reported about a shinobi with what looked like a genin team nearing the village: it should take them another twenty minutes to arrive, though."

"Alright, thank you. You can go." I saw her bow slightly and retreat, closing the door behind her quietly.

I sat back on my chair and closed my eyes for a bit… I had been working since early morning due to the pile of documents that had accumulated during my last political journey to Konoha; I had left the village with orders for Kankurou to take care of things while I was gone, but of course I should have known better than to expect him to do any paperwork that wasn't strictly necessary – meaning, the only things he did were hand out missions and sign mission reports – and leaving everything else to just pile up until I came back home.

Yeah, after all it's not like I need my sleep too, do I? Of course not…! Hah… sometimes people forget that I don't have a psychotic demon inside me anymore – rather ironic, ne? They assume that, having had insomnia for fifteen years, I can go without sleeping for weeks… sure, I can put off sleeping if necessary, but for three or four of days at most (like everybody else). Well, I guess meditation helps in that case, but hell, there's a limit to everything and I had been going on reading and signing documents for a week straight and still I wasn't seeing the bottom of the stack.

I sensed someone at the door and opened my eyes slowly (least my shinobi see their Kazekage resting - I knew what that could cause: Tsunade-sama's reputation in Konoha came from that, along with the constant drinking while she should have been doing her work as Hokage; I had had enough hard time at the beginning to ruin everything now). A knock on the wooden door and I let Matsuri in with my guest.

"Kazekage-sama, the shinobi from Konoha has arrived, may I let him enter?"

"Yes, Matsuri, thank you." I answered with a small nod. She stepped aside and let Neji Hyuuga pass her before closing the door and leaving us alone.

It had been a while since the last time I had seen the white-eyed ninja: last time I went over to the Fire Country he'd been out on a mission with his Genin team (a group of rather lively kids that seemed to give him a hard time). I have to say, I was surprised to hear Hyuuga had decided to take a Genin team to train – I know, I'm the last one who should say this - because he didn't look like the type who'd 'waste' his time looking after a bunch of youngsters… but I guess, when you have children of your own, things change...

I remember the first time I've seen Neji with his children; they were certainly quite the pair: both boys, Hyuuga Akira and Hyuuga Hikaru, had a year of difference (11 and 12); the differences didn't end there though: their character were at two opposites so where Hikaru was ruthless and charged head on, his brother was everything like his father. Both the young genin were very capable in fighting (even if the kids had the Hyuuga's bloodlimit, only Hikaru out of them was interested in his father's fighting style; Akira preferred his mother's: weapons had always fascinated him).

"Kazekage." said the Hyuuga as soon as the door had closed behind him, bowing shortly, before making his way in front of my desk and handing me the scroll I had been waiting.

"Welcome, Hyuuga-san. It wasn't necessary to bring the scroll personally; I had told Naruto to send it by bird…"

"It was no problem, Kazekage-sama." answered the shinobi with a smile. "Hokage-sama was eager to pass the news to you, so I offered; plus it's good for my team to visit other Hidden Villages."

"News? What kind of news…?" that certainly puzzled me: Naruto had told me he had something good for me, but he didn't bother on specifics dismissing it with a 'you'll see, you'll see!'. So I hastily opened the scroll I had in hand and read quickly only to find a smile blooming on my lips. "Haha! Well, these are certainly good news, mph!"

"Congratulations, Gaara-san" said Neji with a smile of his own. "Your sister wanted you to be the first one to know (after her husband) but of course Naruto demanded to read the letter she was going to send you – he tried to disguise his nosiness with the excuse of 'Hokage's duties'… which earned him a good smack on the head with Temari-san's fan."

"Hah, I guess Naruto got what he deserved." I nodded solemnly, stifling an amused chuckle. "… How about your own children, Neji-san? Have they gotten used to their sensei?"

That time I had met them, the boys had been reticent about their jonin sensei: Nara Shikamaru takes a while to get used to, no one would deny that; to those who didn't know him he would come off as untrustworthy, because of his laziness – something not even my sister had been able to get him to grow out of. It was all an impression, though, as Nara was actually a very brilliant (probably the most brilliant) strategist of Konoha and his friends closed an eye on his defects: there was so much you could do to make someone change…

"Well I guess, overall, they're starting to get him." replied Neji. "I'm most positive Shikamaru's students consider him hopeless and have therefore given up and surrendered to their fate…"

"Sou ka. If I'm not mistaken, the other genin in that team should be Hinata-san's daughter…" I wasn't sure but as the Hyuuga before me nodded I went on, reassured. "Then it's no wonder they think that: young Aya-chan has taken that part of her father's character… even if she not as annoying – she has Hyuuga blood in her veins, after all."

"Yes; thankfully her mother's genes have somewhat tamed those coming from the Inuzuka clan… she's also showing great skill with her byakugan, which is good because I have a hard time with Kiba's dogs alone when I visit them…"

We both went silent after that, each of us lost inside our own thoughts – I believe the Hyuuga was busy recalling some unpleasant memory about Inuzuka's dogs, seeing the slightly dark expression that had taken over his face – as the only sounds were the people passing in front of my office and the noise coming in from the open window behind me. I titled my head to the side, thinking over the current situation… if someone had told me, some years ago, that I would have found myself on this seat talking amiably to a Konohan shinobi, I would have laughed (if I had had any emotion beside anger, that is) and killed him or her right away (which is much more likely…) for saying such nonsense… sure, I would have never believed possible to even see the day when I would have had someone to call 'friend'…

An excitable, loud, at-times-idiotic, ramen-addicted, reckless, direct-to-the-point-of-being-rude, blond-haired best friend… the wonders of a head-butt… thank God he's matured…

Ah! Talking about rude…

"Neji-san… your genin team? Where are they…?"

"Oh, they're outside… I think your secretary is taking care of them. They were quite excited to come here…" said Neji.

"… Why don't you call them in?" I suggested: I was curious to see the man's team.

"If you don't mind, Gaara-san…" he shrugged a shoulder, went to the door, opened it, called his team and closed the door behind the kids. They stared at their sensei and then at me nervously, as I looked at them with a blank face. "Guys, this is Kazekage-sama."

The genin, two boys and a girl like was common, widened their eyes before rushing to do a respectful bow murmuring a reverent 'Kazekaze-dono' that made me smirk a little – no one had ever called me 'dono' before – and gave me a better chance to take them in: the girl had pink hair and hazel-colored eyes (it didn't take more than that to guess whose daughter she was); the taller of the boys had black hair and eyes; while the other boy had black hair and dark blue eyes.

"Neji-san, would you mind introducing them?" I asked, turning my attention on the jonin but keeping the youngsters in view: they had straightened up and were whispering among themselves, sending suspicious looks my way.

"Sure. The pink-haired girl is Haruno Misa, the tall boy is Saewara Kaito and the other raven-haired boy is Akimichi Chiba." replied Neji, smiling a little before scolding his team. "Guys…! You shouldn't be whispering behind other people's backs; much less in front of someone as important as Gaara-san."

The genin took on a guilty expression and went silent as they all started to blush in embarrassment; at that point I couldn't resist, I let a laugh escape my lips. At that, the kids seemed to actually relax, having understood that I wasn't angry. Together with relief, the genin team also found some cheekiness because suddenly the taller boy – Kaito – stepped forward.

"You're scary, Kazekage-san." he stated looking right at me, showing no fear despite what he'd just said. I simply smirked, having understood who had raised the kid.

"Yes, a number of people think that; but if I have to protect my village, inspiring fear in my enemies is quite important, don't you think?" I could hear a whispered 'Wow!' coming from the boy's team-mates.

"… And you act nothing like Hokage-san: you're cool!" added Kaito.

"Kaito-kun…! How can you those words? Hokage-sama has saved the village so many times!" his two peers were shocked by the other's rather offensive words.

On my part, if I was right about the kid's parentage, his attitude was to be expected – I'm sure Naruto is used to this kind of 'insults' and didn't really pay too much mind on it… plus the blond Hokage would never let his self-esteem be hit by something a twelve year-old said. To tell the truth, Kaito-kun wasn't even all that wrong: I mean, Naruto a times could be awfully 'un-cool', not to mention childish (take his absurd obsession with ramen)… all in all, it was no wonder children thought him to be artless, kind of sloppy and easily distracted.

If he was trying to be a better Hokage than Tsunade-san, I guess he wasn't doing a really great job… at least he doesn't get drunk or forgets to do his paperwork – he's not as stupid as he seems, in the end, because he uses kage bunshins for that and I believe he's the first 'Kage to come up with such idea – but what the new generation has yet to see of their Hokage was his great stamina and determination when dangerous times call for fights and war: it has been a peaceful decade.

"Thank you, Kaito-kun, but I think you're underestimating your Hokage… fairly greatly, I might add…" I answered calmly, throwing a knowing look at those in front of me; of course, only Neji caught my meaning as he smirked back, before turning serious and narrowing his eyes at Kaito.

"Kaito-kun…" he begun, trapping the boy with his eyes. "I'll let it slip, this time, because Gaara-san took your phrase for what it was – a compliment towards him – but the next time I hear you speaking that way about Hokage-sama, you won't get away this easily, understood?"

"But—!"

"No buts, Kaito-kun. You know perfectly well I can't stand people who badmouth others, much less if it's a newly promoted genin like you badmouthing the head of the village." Neji's voice gave no room for arguments.

"… Guys…"

"No, Kaito, sorry but you should have known better…"

Not for the first time, I was surprised by the strong way in which the Hyuuga defended Naruto… though it wasn't that rare a sight, to witness a Konohan shinobi defending his 'honor' and his right to be where he was: Naruto was the Yodaime Hokage's son and so many other things, no one deserved that position better than Naruto.

"Neji-san, I think Kaito-kun has learned his lesson, there's no need to punish him; what's more, I doubt Naruto would want you to get so worked up for a child's slip of tongue." I interrupted the tense silence with a small smile, knowing the Hyuuga wouldn't have pushed the matter if I said it was all forgiven.

"Thank you, Kazekage-san!" exclaimed the young genin, bowing.

"Neji-san… I think you should prepare to go back to Konoha…" I changed topic: it was getting late both for me and Hyuuga's team. That said, I rushed to write the responses to the scroll I had received (one for Naruto and one for my sister), sealing them and handling them to the jonin. "Here. Have a safe trip back home."

Neji was almost out of the door, when I stopped him. "Neji-san, as glad as I am to see you so at ease with a genin team, try to be a bit more easy-going… you have changed a lot (as I have) but emotions are not so simple to get a hold of: try to be more understanding with Kaito-kun – Sai-san has never been that good with emotions as well. " I concluded smiling one final time before letting the Hyuuga go.

… I wonder what my future nephew will think of Naruto… haha!