"What do you think so far, Lady Tsunade?" the Kazekage asked before asking the other two in to speak with them.
"I wasn't expecting Sasuke to be so candid," she admitted. "He's usually very shy and reserved about that kind of thing."
"Do you think that's due to Calixta's influence? I've heard she has a tendency to make others more forward," he proposed.
"Well, it's because of Calixta, for sure, but not because she's charmed him. I think he really wants her to be happy. Well, that and he's learned that when it comes to matters regarding Calixta, being forward and open about the situation seems to work out much better than trying to be reserved or aloof."
He nodded again and sent for Sakura. She was, of course, asked the same basic questions and gave the basically the same answers.
"Sakura-san, you seem a little frustrated. Is there something you'd like to add?" Tsunade pressed.
"Not really. I'm just still annoyed that I'm the one she tricked to get away from us, not that she seduced me or anything to do it," she quickly covered. "She and I are rather close friends and it's disturbing to be deceived like that by someone you're close to. I mean, I know why she did it. Heck, if I was her, I might have done the same thing," she tried to reason.
"You would abandon your teammates for the sake of romance?" Tsunade incredulously questioned.
"If I'd never felt that way about someone before. I think a lot of it is that she's so overwhelmed. I mean, just about every time they get together, somebody makes a big deal about it. I'm sure that makes it really hard to keep things in perspective, ya know?"
They let her leave a short while later and sent for Naruto.
They shouldn't have been surprised by his energy but somehow it still took them aback after speaking to so many solemn people.
When asked what he thought of her, his first response was, "Oh, man, she is the best cook ever! She can make travel rations taste like a five star meal, I swear!"
"Naruto, I know you haven't eaten since you got here but that's not really what we're asking," Tsunade clarified even though the older man was greatly amused.
"Oh, well…she's great. I mean, sure she has a really weird streak but have you met most of the people from our village? It would be hard to find two people who are the same, even when they come from the same family," he reasoned. "Besides, it's not like she can charm little kids or anything. I mean, she has gotten better about rounding out who she can affect and to what degree but she can't charm just anybody and if you are aware of what she's capable of, I'm pretty sure you can fight it off, maybe even just ignore it. It only works really well if you're attracted to her even before she starts using her chakra," he explained.
"Really?" the old man gave another thoughtful nod. "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
Naruto thought it over for a moment. "I dunno how you feel about her or even how you feel about Gaara but when they're together…" he had to stop to think again about how he wanted to say what he was thinking, "they're both the happiest I've ever seen them. Well, except when someone's giving them a hard time about it, but that's to be expected, right?"
"I suppose it is," the Kazekage agreed offhandedly.
"Oh, and there is one thing I've noticed. Ya know, I didn't really trust Gaara at first. After what he and Shukaku did to our village, it was a lot to ask," he began again.
"I'm sure," the Kazekage regretfully agreed. "Am I to understand then that he did something to win your trust in this matter?"
Naruto couldn't help smirking a little at the memory. "He absolutely hates-no, it really, really disturbs him if she bleeds, even just a little."
"Naruto," Tsunade interjected, "when did Gaara make her bleed, other than during her encounter with Shukaku."
"Oh, yeah, that's the other thing. Okay, sorry, I'm getting distracted. What happened was, ya see, Calixta's really sensitive to sexy-no-jutsu. As soon as someone does it, her nose just starts bleeding like there's no tomorrow," he clumsily explained.
"Sexy-no-jutsu?" the old man repeated incredulously.
"Yeah, I can show you," he started to weave the sign but Tsunade quickly stopped him.
"I don't think that'll be necessary."
"Oh, okay, anyway, I did that once in front of her while Gaara was there and he got really upset," he explained. "The other thing," he started again before they could respond, "is that because Calixta gave up all her chakra to Gaara and Shukaku that one time, the scratches and bite marks that Shukaku left scarred. She told me about how disturbed he was by them when they saw each other again. I think they're starting to go away but I don't know if they will ever really disappear."
"Naruto," Tsunade interrupted, "are you intimately involved with Calixta?"
"I-Intimate?" he stammered, blushing furiously. "Like intimate how?"
She rolled her eyes. "Are you one of her many lovers?"
"Uh, yes. Wait, no. Well, sorta?" he barely managed, much to the amusement of the old man behind the desk.
"That's not a very good answer," Tsunade chided impatiently.
"We talk a lot. She answers my questions when no one else will," he admitted. "Sometimes…we…have sex…but that's not why I spend so much time with her," he slowly began but was quick to amend.
That answer also amused the leaders and they let him go after that.
"Well, you've spoken to everyone I can provide off hand, is there anything else I can do?" Tsunada prompted.
"No, I think I've made my decision," he answered thoughtfully. He then informed her of his decision and gathered everyone in his office once again.
"I have made my determination," the Kazekage announced and everyone in the room waited with baited breath. "But first I would like to speak privately with Calixta-san."
"With all due respect, sir, I think you should tell us now," Baki tried to coax.
"I understand your concern but I assure you that she will not sway me. If she does, you will know. I have already told Lady Tsunade my decision so she will be able to tell you if I have changed my mind."
Then, he took the young woman in question to a room just off his office to speak with her. Satu stayed by Gaara's side. She appeared meek at first but quickly regained her confidence.
"You've caused quite a ruckus," the old man began.
"I suppose I have," she quietly replied.
"I want you to tell me yourself what interest you have in my son," he informed.
She sighed. "I love him, what more is there?"
"I was expecting a little more than that," he chided.
"I realize that and I am more than willing to answer any questions you have, tell you everything you want to know in painful detail but not right now. Right now, I need to see Shukaku," she asserted.
"You have made that very clear. Honestly, I am surprised you are putting such a rush on reuniting with a demon."
"I know but what you don't know is that I'm on something of a tight schedule for this. Shukaku gave me exactly a year to get him out again. I only have a few hours left and I don't want to risk not making it," she explained as evenly as she could.
"Why didn't you say something sooner?" he pressed.
She gave him a gentle little smile, something he wasn't expecting. "Because you needed time to make your decision. Something this important shouldn't be rushed. If I rushed you, Baki would think even less of me than he already does. The last thing I need is for him to think I'm manipulating you in addition to everyone else," she reasoned.
"Okay. We will talk later then. There is one thing you can do for me since I am going to be permitting your relationship with my son and the most dangerous person in our village," he told her with a slight smile.
Her smile grew into a grin. "What's that?" she asked eagerly.
"I want you to let Shukaku out here and now," he replied.
"Here? Now? I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I mean, I'm sure he won't rampage or anything but I'm not sure how he'd react to a crowd let alone an audience," she tried to reason.
"Oh? I thought you were in a hurry?" he half-teased. "Besides, if he isn't as docile as you expect, it wouldn't hurt to have a few extra people around to try to reign him in."
"I-I am but-" she couldn't think any other arguments to sway him so she acquiesced. "Okay. I'll do what I can."
They exited a moment later. The Kazekage appeared slightly pleased; Calixta appeared very anxious.
"So?" Naruto prompted impatiently. No one commented on his rudeness because they were all thinking the same thing.
"I will allow this relationship," he conceded, taking his seat behind his desk.
"What?" Baki raved.
"No more arguments from you. While I do reserve the right to change my mind at any time, I think this is the right decision."
"She got to you! I don't know how she did it but she got you too!" Baki tried to argue.
"That's enough! If you can't accept my decision, then I'll have to relieve you of duty!" he finally raised his voice and that quieted the younger man. "Now, Calixta, please," he motioned to Gaara.
Gaara was still awing at the decision. It seemed too easy and he wasn't willing to accept that, as much as he would have liked to. He flinched when she first touched his arm and then again when she gently kissed his cheek. "Ai-sama," she whispered in his ear. "Please, do it now," she once again pleaded.
"Now?" he questioned incredulously.
"That is your father's only stipulation," she told him.
While Gaara eyed her with horror, they received incredulous stares from the others in the room.
"Please," she pleaded in a quiet desperate voice.
"But-" Gaara tried to argue.
"Please," she interrupted, even more desperately than before.
With a sigh, Gaara weaved the sign that would force him into sleep and allow Shukaku to emerge.
"Ah, Cali-chan," were the first words spoken from Gaara's mouth in the demon's timber. Then he looked around. "I wasn't aware that you wanted to show off in front of all these people." He wrapped a sure arm around her waist and firmly grabbed her ass with a greedy grin on his face as he scanned the expressions of those in the room with them, reveling in the anxiety that he felt from them through her.
"You know this wasn't my preferred venue," she bitterly answered. "But it's what had to be done. I kept my end of the bargain."
"That you did. You are more persistent than I thought. I figured that you were just buying time to get away, to find a place to hide from me," he chided, using his other hand to lift her chin and force eye contact.
The others continued to stare on in silent horror. They were waiting for him to lash out but afraid to say anything about what was happening. Only Satu had the courage to make any sort of sound and she seemed most interested in keeping the others away from her master.
"There is no hiding from you. Even if I did, you're not interested in killing me. You'd rather prolong my suffering by hurting those who are dear to me," she replied evenly.
He laughed at her. "I suppose that's true. Now, should we leave this insignificance or would you rather have me ravage you here?" he proposed crudely.
She blushed a little at the heat she could feel from him. "There is one thing first," she quickly added.
"And what's that?" he asked, holding her even more closely.
"Make this deal with me again. The second night of the Monsoon Festival is yours until I die as long as you don't harm anyone because of me," she promised.
He grinned greedily at her audacity as he thought it over. "Okay. I can live with that. Now, where to? I'm growing impatient and I know you can feel that," he eagerly pressed.
Calixta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, she wrapped her arms tightly around him and kissed him.
Shukaku snickered against her lips. "I didn't figure you to be such an exhibitionist, my dear." Before long, he was starting to rudely grope her.
Once she was sure he was comfortable with his position, she started to call Gaara back from within him but as soon as he realized what she was doing, he pulled back from their kiss, not letting go of her body. "You-" he accused.
"I'm sorry Shukaku-sama. I must do this. May our next meeting be as long as you like," she vowed before closing her eyes and holding him as tightly as she could. "Ai-sama!" she cried out loudly, causing the demon to flinch.
"No! I haven't had my fun yet!" the demon argued, obviously greatly angered by her defiance.
"Ai-sama!" she cried again, completely undeterred by the massive amount of negative chakra he was dumping on her. "Ai-sama! Come back to me!" she called.
Gaara's body tensed for a moment and then grew mostly limp in her arms. A moment later, his eyes fluttered open. "Cali…" he quietly said, gently wrapping his arms around her. "What happened? Why are we still here? What happened to Shukaku?"
"She sent him away," the Kazekage informed, obviously impressed.
"I heard you, no felt you calling to me," he marveled.
She nodded and kissed him again, this time with all the passion that she'd been saving since their last meeting. Immediately, Gaara melted into her affection and in spite of his self-consciousness, he started to kiss her back. They withdrew from one another, breathless and flushed, a moment later.
"I trust you are pleased?" she asked, turning to the Kazekage with Satu yapping in agreement.
He nodded, unable to completely suppress his smile. "Now, you've all had a very long journey. Why don't we enjoy the festival? There is still much feasting and celebrating to do."
The others agreed and all went out to eat together. Baki, of course, didn't join them but they were joined by Temari and Kankuro just as they were starting their meal. They just smiled as they sat down with the rest of their family.
"So, Calixta," Sasuke began, "How did you know you could do that?"
"Hm?" she distractedly prompted as she slurped up her noodles.
"He means sending Shukaku away like you did," Gaara specified.
"Oh, well, I guess I didn't really know for sure," she admitted.
"It was a really risky move," Kakashi chided authoritatively.
"I know but that's why I made our deal again first. I think that's the only reason it really worked this time, or at least worked as quickly. He knew I wanted to see him again and I'd proven that I could do it," she tried to explain. "Besides, I didn't send him away. I called Gaara back. There's a difference."
"I assume that since Baki's not here he wasn't impressed?" Temari pressed.
Calixta laughed a little. "Not terribly but I think with enough time, he'll come to terms with it."
"I hope you're right," Kankuro grumbled. "I'm tired of moving rocks!" he playfully complained.
The Kazekage assured them that Baki would no longer be allowed to exact those sort of punishments on them and that if he tried, that they had the right to refuse him. He waited until the following afternoon to speak to Calixta personally and in private about her relationship with his son.
As they parted ways that evening, Calixta thanked everyone for their part in their stable reunion.
"I can't believe he's letting this go," Gaara marveled.
"Your father, for all his faults, is a wise man," she conceded. "But don't think about him anymore for a while. This time is ours. We should enjoy it as much as we can. I get the feeling that we're staying until the end of the festival but that we're leaving after that."
"Do you have to go?" he almost whined.
She gave him a gentle smile that made his heart flutter. "I will never really leave you, you know that, but I still have obligations in the Leaf. Without them, this would never have been possible. Once I am free from those obligations, all my time is yours," she vowed.
That made him smile back. "Okay," he nodded.
"Now, to more important business," she adjusted her shirt. "I haven't been emptied since I snuck away this morning and it's really, really starting to hurt," she playfully complained in spite of the fact that her physical pain was very real.
He gave her a greedy grin and led her into his house. The door was barely closed before he tried to drag her to the ground.
"What about your bedroom?" she prompted.
Gaara frowned. "You mean your bedroom and Baki made me get rid of all that stuff a long time ago," he griped.
She smiled. "No matter," she shrugged and sat down on one of the pillows in his sitting area. "As long as you're here, nothing else matters," she vowed overdramatically and then gave a playful wink.
He just laughed it off and sat down before her. She let him open her top and gasped at the greedily way he nursed from her. She didn't care that occasionally, he got a little over excited and pulled a little too hard, but at the same time, that eagerness only fueled the fire between them.
When her little sounds of pleasure became so heated that he thought that he might lose control, he pulled back a bit to speak to her, not that he stopped entirely. He opted instead to squeeze her breasts and tease her swollen nipples with his tongue and lips. "Why did you call me that earlier?" he asked curiously.
"Because that is who you are to me. You know I wasn't one hundred percent sure about whether or not I could call you back but I don't think there was anything else I could have said that would have worked," she admitted.
He nodded.
"I'm sorry I had to use such an affectionate name to get your attention in front of all those people," she genuinely apologized between panting breaths.
He sighed a little, "It's okay. I understand why you did it," he willingly conceded but only because he knew, through her, that no one who was there at the time found it outright ridiculous. Sure, it only served to heighten Baki's anxiety and Sasuke was a little annoyed at the overly affectionate nickname, but that was all.
Shortly after he resumed suckling her, she placed her hands on his shoulders. This, in itself, wasn't unusual, but this time it almost felt like a defensive gesture, rather than an affectionate one. It felt like she could and very well might pull away from him at any time, a feeling that Gaara did not enjoy, to say the least. "What's the matter?" he finally asked when he could finally hear her anxiety in her voice.
She didn't answer him for a long moment. Her hesitation irked him and he nipped at one of her overly sensitive nipples. She squealed and squirmed but by that point, he'd managed to get a decent grip on her hips so she wouldn't get away as easily. "Ah," she gasped. "It's all so much at once…I'm afraid I'm going to get overwhelmed if we don't slow down a bit," she admitted.
That was the first time she had actually felt anxiety when they were together. "It's okay," he tried ease but her anxiousness only grew. So, with a frown if disapproval, he withdrew from her.
Calixta tried to maintain physical contact with him but he wouldn't allow it, making her give a whine of denial in response.
"That's not fair," he stated grimly.
She blinked at him with incomprehension.
"I let go of everything because I trust you," he pointed out.
"Th-That's different," she weakly tried to reason.
"That's what I would have said if you'd asked me to let Shukaku out instead of tricking me," he adamantly replied.
She could feel that to him it was the same and was so moved by this feeling that she bowed deeply, her nose nearly touching the floor. "Forgive me. You're right," she pleaded.
Gaara knew that it was something of a dirty trick to force the issue when she was already on the brink but at the same time, even that seemed like poetic justice for him. He barely held back his smile as he lifted her chin. "Never bow to me," he ordered.
She appeared confused for a moment. That order almost seemed contrary to his last notion. "But the others are so close," she argued as she sat up again, though still leaned toward him.
"Forget about them. Focus on me!" he insisted in a dark voice.
Calixta whimpered again under the force of his chakra pressing in around her and provoking her own energy.
"Am I going to have to get Sasuke to charm you so you can even things out?" he taunted.
"S-Sa-No," she stammered. There were very few people she wanted to see less at the moment than Sasuke. "Okay, drive me into madness and drag me back again, or leave me there, whatever you want. My abandon is yours," she vowed.
Gaara gave a nod of approval and pulled her into his lap, "You're already mad as a hatter, my dear," he teased before trying to kiss her passionately.
"You know I hate it when you say things like that," she bitterly countered but her body was already starting to betray her.
He just smirked, and this time was successful in his attempt to press their lips together. Even from just that affection and its subsequent embrace, he could tell she was really trying to let go of her self-control, of her thinking mind. He had always considered her a creature of instinct rather than logic, not that she didn't have her moments of eerie clarity, and he wanted to experience that to the fullest.
Before she realized what was happening, she was naked in his lap and it felt like his hands and mouth were all over her body. The sensation was intoxicating and she had to break their kiss in order to breathe. She gasped for breath in his lap, tugging at his clothes, though he seemed in no hurry to join her in nudity.
As he touched her, it felt like her body was growing hotter by the moment, which seemed impossible because it felt like she was on fire as soon as he started touching her. The heat alone was almost overwhelming but he knew better than to give into it because it was his turn to show that he could take responsibility for both of them during a time when her mind was incapacitated and her body allowed run amok. He wasn't surprised that once they found their rhythm, it was easier for her to let go, it just took a while to find the right rhythm.
Unfortunately, it would take some practice for Gaara to be able to hold her entire focus when she was letting go of her control and she was right, it started to draw a some attention. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto, who happened to all be together, with Sakura, knew better than to respond to the nagging feelings that they were having but Kankuro wasn't as lucky.
He knew he shouldn't follow the feeling but he couldn't help himself. On top of the draw he felt, he was also immensely curious as to the cause. He quietly snuck up onto the porch and casually sat down on the narrow front porch next to the open window with blinds closed. He might have tried listening at the door but the way Satu stood protectively on Gaara's welcome mat made him think twice about approaching the entry way.
He closed his eyes with a sigh and listened to the commotion inside. He wasn't surprised to hear that the majority of the sounds were coming from Calixta. He knew he should have just left right then and there because it was obvious what was happening inside but the timber of desperation in her voice compelled him to stay.
When she started to tense up again, Gaara tried to ask her about it but she answered even before he could pose the question.
"Ni-san," she whispered into his hear.
"Wh-?"
"He's outside," she continued in a quiet, husky voice.
Gaara growled with frustration.
"It's okay, he's mostly curious," she covered for him but Gaara was already setting her down on the ground to go outside and shoo him away.
"He still shouldn't be here," he grumbled and reached for the door.
Amused, Calixta slowly followed him. She made a quick stop to grab a cigarette before stumbling naked out the door.
"Get out of here," Gaara ordered in a dark voice.
Kankuro nearly jumped out of his skin. "Uh-I-Well-…" he stammered.
"I don't want to talk to you. Just leave," he insisted, pointing away from the door.
"Aw, sweetie, don't be so hard on him," Calixta said with an intoxicated giggle as she leaned on him, exhaling a puff of smoke in the process.
Kankuro was on his way off the porch. After his initial hesitation, due to being startled, he was in a hurry to leave.
"Oi, 'Kuro-nii," she lazily called after him.
Only because of her influence over him did he turn back.
"Somethin' for your trouble," she tossed him a cigarette and dragged her lover back inside.
"You're too nice," Gaara scoffed, slamming the door behind him.
"It's not his fault and I doubt he'll make that mistake again," she snickered.
"There is one thing that I've been neglecting to do," he mused, sitting her back down on the floor. Then, he laid her down on her back. Without another word, he spread her legs and started to lap at her slit.
She let loose an incredible squeal and he found he had to hold onto her at first to keep doing as he pleased.
As promised, she told the Kazekage everything he wanted to know and in painful detail. It was even more detailed than he expected and she thought she even caught the old man blushing from time to time.
"Tell me, what do you see in my son that so many others have overlooked," he asked genuinely.
She flushed a little at the thought of her lover. "I-I really don't know how to answer that. He's perfect…well, we both know he's greatly flawed but so am I. I guess we're like two broken pieces that fit together nicely," she mused. "I can tell you what he sees in me," she offered.
He gave her an expecting look.
"I don't fear him or Shukaku," she informed seriously.
"How is that possible? I felt your fear when Shukaku emerged," he pointed out
She smiled a little at his perceptiveness. "Well, demons, I'm finding, are a little different. The fear that Shukaku instills is instinctive. Humans naturally fear demons but on a conscious level, I do not fear him," she explained.
He appeared pleased by that answer. "I'm more than a little surprised that he permits you to have so many lovers in addition to him," he noted.
She gave another bashful grin. "He realizes what it means to me and he knows who I've been with. He knows they are no threat to him."
"You've told him everyone you've been with?" he incredulously questioned.
"Oh, no. I don't have to. He just knows, like he can sense it. That's how he knows my connections with them are much different than ours," she explained.
"Fascinating," he nodded.
"Though, I think that as we are permitted to spend more and more time together, other lovers will not be necessary," she was quick to add. "His chakra stabilizes mine some how."
"I see. Is this part of the reason you fell for him?" he pressed.
"Would you think less of me if it was?" she countered.
He thought for a moment. "It would make me a little more apprehensive," he admitted.
"Then you can breathe a little easier. It was after I started to fall for him that I realized that was the case. Intimate activities in general have that effect on me but he supersedes all the others. In fact, it seems that being with others too soon after being with Gaara has a tendency to do more harm than good in that department," she explained. "I took it as an affirmation of what I was already feeling."
His expression changed to something resembling approving. Then, she appeared as though she was going to speak but stopped herself. He felt her hesitation. "What is it?" he asked curiously.
Calixta sigh lightly. "It's just that…I can show you my feelings for Gaara if that's what you'd like," she told him.
"But?" he prompted.
"But I'd really rather not. I've already shared that with one other person and I know that even though Gaara hasn't said anything about it himself, it really bothers him," she added.
"I see. Well, I don't think that's necessary," he conceded. "May I ask who you did share your feelings with?"
"Kakashi-sensei. I was so confused at the time. I've never felt this way about someone else before. I asked him to take in my feelings in order to help me sort them out," she told him.
The Kazekage made a mental note to speak with Kakashi about that at some point but decided to let it go for now. "You are very fortunate to have someone like that in your life."
"I know," she quitely agreed. "That's why it was so difficult to deceive him."
He felt a pang of regret. "I can feel your emotions very readily now. Is that intentional?"
"I can try to reign it in if you'd prefer but it's happening because I find myself growing more fond of you. As we speak and I get more comfortable, I feel as though we're growing closer. That kind of thing, I've found, has a tendency to let my empathy slip a bit," she admitted regretfully.
"No worries," he assured her. "I was simply curious. In fact, I find it reassuring that I can sense these things from you," he admitted.
She gave a beaming grin at him and he felt his heart skip a beat. He laughed a little but then some of his seriousness returned. "What about Kankuro?"
"What about him?" she blinked.
"You've charmed him and he came, just like Gaara, when you called them," he pointed out.
"Ah, yes, but that was quite some time ago. I know that both of your sons find me attractive but there is only one who is really interested enough to do something about it. And, please don't think me rude but I have to correct you. You said he came, just like Gaara, but that's not the case. They were both drawn by me; that is true, but Gaara, unlike all the others, including Kankuro, kept coming to me after I stopped calling out. Actually, he seemed more concerned that I stopped than the fact that I was calling to him in the first place. I-I don't know if he even realized it at the time but I was sort of in need when he came to me," she babbled.
"I didn't realize," he conceded. "What sort of need? From my understanding, your wound healed very quickly," he pressed.
She shifted a little, obviously a little embarrassed by what she was about to say. "My need for intimacy wasn't being met. I was in no condition to go find someone myself and no one around me seemed inclined to indulge me while I was injured. I could have tried to call someone else to me but after what happened, I wasn't sure that was the best idea at the time. What I ended up doing was accidental."
"I understand that," he agreed.
"Gaara was completely different. He wouldn't be deterred until he saw me, until we at least embraced," she admitted.
"Why do you think that is?" the old father continued to press her for intimate details concerning his son.
Her blush deepened. "I-I can't say really. I was so frazzled and drained at the time," she laughed a little. "I…" she sighed. "He knows for a fact that I'm not scared of him. He knows there isn't the least shred of hate between us."
"I see…" he pondered. "Is there anything else you think I should know?" he finally questioned.
Calixta quirked an odd look at the query. "I'm a bit surprised that you're not asking about why I like Shukaku," she haughtily proposed.
Her sudden shift in assertiveness took the old man a little off guard but he quickly recovered. "You said before that he is a part of Gaara that should not be ignored," he reminded.
"At the time you were asking if I knew what he was so I gave you that general answer," she added.
He pursed his lips. "If there is another way to describe him, why didn't you say it then?" he proposed dryly.
"For many reasons. For one, it was best that I spoke as little as possible at the time. The more attention I drew to myself the more Baki's distrust of the situation would grow. I said what needed to be said and it was the truth," she assured.
"Oh, I know it was the truth. I'm just waiting for you to tell me the rest now," he prompted impatiently.
She gave him a sly look for thinking she was stalling when really it was just her tendency to babble starting to take over. "Of course. The fact of the matter is, I love both Gaara and Shukaku," she stated.
The Kazekage was obviously displeased by that. "Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to irk me?"
She giggled a bit. "Only a little. You want a well-rounded impression of me, don't you? How would it look if I only told you the happy sunshiny things? You need to hear the darker, grittier parts too," she insisted and once again won him over.
He could tell she was playing off his emotions but at the same time, it felt like a natural exchange between them because she wasn't hiding anything from him.
"My affection for Shukaku comes from the fact that he can absorb any negative energy I might have. In fact, he seems to rather enjoy it and it seems to strengthen Gaara," she pointed out. "The two of them together can take whatever I have to give."
"I just have one more question. What would you have done if I had not ruled in your favor?"
She gave an almost dangerous grin. "As long as Gaara still loved me, I would not have given up. We would have had to find a way around your decision…if we couldn't manage that…I'm not sure what we would have to resort to. I'm glad it didn't come to that."
The way she smiled at him made him a little nervous but he let it go. "I've noticed that you're not the only one who's taken a liking to my son," he mused.
"Oh? Are you saying that I have some sort of competition?" she teasingly proposed.
He laughed a little at the idea. "I'm referring to your little dog. What's its name?"
"Oh, you mean Satu," she laughed a little. "Yes, she also seems quite fond of Gaara."
"I'd say. Most animals run instinctively at the sight of my son," he commented.
"Yes, well, they can only sense the demon in him," she pointed out.
"Just how strong is your connection with Satu?" he pressed.
"I…I've never really tested it," she admitted, feeling a little foolish.
The older man paused for a moment. "She seems to be as connected to you as Gaara is."
"I suppose," she agreed somewhat reluctantly because she didn't like the dark tone that crept into his voice.
"Then I suggest you keep a close eye on her. I know that Baki won't dare to lay a finger on you now but I can't guarantee the safety of your pet," he informed flatly.
"I see," she recoiled a bit at the thought. "I will keep that in mind."
They parted a few minutes later with friendly smiles.
The Kazekage did manage to get a chance to speak with Kakashi before the left and was pleased with what he heard.
Kakashi actually blushed a little at the query. "Uh, yeah, she showed me her feelings for Gaara. She was so unfamiliar with the feelings that trying to understand them was really stressing her out."
"And what did you find?"
Kakashi bit his lip but it went unseen behind his mask. "Well, I'm not really sure to be honest. There was so much to take in at once that it was hard to decipher but I did reason that it was most likely the spark of love that she was feeling. Actually, I was so overwhelmed that I ended up kissing her," he bashfully admitted. "I didn't even realize what I was doing until she pulled away."
"She offered to show me the same thing. I'm glad I refused," the old man mused.
That made Kakashi laugh. "Honestly, I'm surprised she offered."
"She made sure to imply that was one of the few things that Gaara didn't like her doing," he pointed out.
"Now, that doesn't surprise me," he chuckled again.
As expected, Gaara and Calixta spent the majority of her time there alone together, though they did spend more time with the others than was expected. She even slipped away one evening to corner Baki as he was leaving one of the busier restaurants, making sure to leave Satu behind.
"Calixta-san," he curtly greeted.
"Baki-sensei," she gave a respectful bow.
"Is there a reason you're speaking to me?"
She gave a placating little smile. "Only to say that I appreciate your position, as frustrating as it has been for me. Gaara needs more people in his life who give a damn about his wellbeing," she vowed seriously.
"Is that all?" he looked away, annoyed.
"Baki-sensei, I will obey you in all things within my capacity," she bowed deeply.
Her sudden show of loyal sincerity took him aback but he quickly recovered. "Which means you won't listen to me," he scoffed.
"If your wishes run contrary to those of Kakashi-sensei or my desires for Gaara then I will not but in all other things, I will do what I can for you," she amended.
Then, Baki forced a lewd grin as he took a step forward, nearly closing the distance between their bodies. "Would you let me have you?" he suggested, practically looming down at her.
"If that is what would truly win your favor," she conceded.
"Whore," he spat but it only made her laugh. "What's so damn funny?"
"It's just that it's been quite a while since someone's called me that and was right about it. If that is the price I have to pay to get you to stop dumping all your negative energy on me, I'll gladly pay it," she answered.
Baki sneered down his nose at her. "Good bye," he suddenly turned and left.
At first, Calixta was annoyed by his manner of departure but took it in stride. She had said what she needed to say and the rest was up to him.
Lady Tsunade left a couple of days later. She was supposed to come back the following day but was too tempted by the unusually festive air of the Sand Village to leave without indulging herself a little bit. The others parted on good terms at the end of the week, each with a brand new umbrella. Baki, of course, was happy to see them go even if he wasn't actually there to see them off. Actually, Calixta was surprised and even a little overwhelmed by the group that had gathered to see them off. The others weren't surprised by this and were actually a little annoyed that she was so surprised.
She was also pleasantly surprised when Gaara followed them for the first full day of travel and stayed the night in their camp that night.
"If I had known he was coming with us, I would have brought a larger tent for you," Kakashi teased as she started setting up her things several yards away.
She blushed a little, "I'm sure we'll manage."
"Are you sure you're far enough from the rest of us?" he teased.
"Should I move further away? I'm sure you realize that my safety is not an issue no matter where I pitch my tent," she countered.
"No," he shook his head, "I think this will be fine…as long as you can keep your voices down."
A short while later, while the others were settling in, Kakashi left to go gather wood and water, as it was his turn, leaving the group of young people unattended. After he left, she moved her tent another few yards further away from their camp before starting dinner.
"So you cook for these guys all the time?" Gaara pressed somewhat protectively as she chopped vegetables to throw into pot over the fire.
"Not all the time and it's not like I have to. I rather enjoy it actually. It gives me something to do," she shrugged.
"Tch," Naruto teasingly scoffed. "I dunno what your problem is. She cooks for you all the time."
"First of all, we're not together all the time," Gaara snapped rather harshly. "Second," he sighed, "I don't make her do it by herself."
That made Sasuke laugh a little. "Yeah but she doesn't contribute to camp any other way."
His tone made Gaara angry but she interrupted before the feeling could grow. "It's true. Well, I stand watch too, but that's just sitting around for a few hours," she laughed. "And really, I don't need any help. This is sort of a one person job until it's time to do the dishes."
"And Kakashi-sensei hasn't let you take a single watch on this whole trip," Naruto quickly pointed out.
Calixta grinned almost sadly, "I think that's because he could feel how badly I wanted to get ahead of all of you."
"Not that it did much good," Sakura grumbled.
"Sakura-san, I promise that I will make that up to you," she vowed.
She was about to say that was unnecessary but Kakashi was approaching and decided it was best to just let it go.
Naurto was supposed to take the first watch but they were all still up talking by that time so Kakashi decided to go to sleep. Just to be on the safe side, he had pitched his tent in the distance between Calixta's and his students', which surrounded the fire, leaving him out of earshot of their quiet conversation. Part of him wanted to stay up and at least listen to them talk but he was so exhausted from the events of the last two weeks that he couldn't keep his eyes open even if he wanted to.
"I'm surprised you two are still up," Naruto noted shortly after Kakashi retired.
Calixta smiled at Gaara as she continued to pet the sleepy pup in her lap, knowing that the only reason they were still sitting by the fire was that he enjoyed the feelings of camaraderie he gleaned from her while in the presence of the others.
"Not that they'd be sleeping," Sasuke chided.
Gaara shot him a careful look. He wasn't going to argue with that but he also wasn't willing to let him get away with saying anything further.
Sakura just rolled her eyes.
"I'm just glad you set up her tent as far away as you did…not that it'll make a difference," Sasuke continued with a grumble.
Gaara was about to stand but the way Satu moved into his lap made him stop. Sasuke sneered and turned away, annoyed that she was thwarting his antagonizing. They chatted for another hour or so before the couple retired for the evening. Naruto and Sakura soon followed suit, leaving Sasuke alone by the fire. Though, he didn't feel very alone.
Long after he could still swear he could hear them giggling and moaning and it was starting to drive him crazy. Furious, he stormed over to their tent and gave it a rather violent shake. Calixta shrieked with surprise. Satu barked defensively as she nipped at the teen's ankles.
"What the hell?" Gaara demanded as he pulled away from the warm body beneath him.
Once she recovered from her surprise, Calixta could speak but she was cut off by the disembodied voice outside their tent.
"Keep it down!" Sasuke scolded.
"We weren't making any noise!" Gaara argued.
Sasuke scoffed and Satu growled up at him for it.
Calixta gave a heavy sigh, "Here," she told Gaara softly, "I'll take care of this."
He didn't want to let her take care of it, at least not by herself because he disliked her tendency to self-deprecate for the sake of others so Gaara followed her out of the tent.
Sasuke sneered at the way Calixta was hastily pulling her dress into place as she emerged. That look only deepened when Gaara shirtlessly followed.
"What seems to be the problem?" Calixta asked in a quiet, even voice.
"The problem is that I can hear you from all the way over there," Sasuke angrily pointed to the fire glowing dimly in the distance.
Calixta frowned. "I didn't realize we were being so noisy."
"We weren't," Gaara bitterly interjected. "I think he was just listening too hard." To his surprise, Satu yapped in agreement.
"I don't even understand why you're here in the first place," the dark-haired teen snapped.
"I'm here because I want to be here," Gaara growled, taking a defensive step forward and almost pushing Calixta out of the way in the process, something that only served to further agitate her canine.
"Well, nobody else does!" Sasuke countered.
"I do," Calixta quietly interjected which took them both aback because although her voice was nearly a whisper her tone was strong and defiant rather than meek or hesitant.
"And you only want him here because you can't control yourself," her teammate harshly sniped.
"That's it," Gaara grumbled and was about to punch Sasuke in the nose when Calixta started to walk away.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke demanded, a strange feeling of déjà vu prickling his subconscious.
She turned with a slight glare. "One of you will follow me and bring me back to camp before sunup," she informed before running as quickly as she could in a random direction.
Gaara grumbled and started off after her.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Sasuke called after him.
"You don't honestly believe she wants you to follow her over me," Gaara scoffed, only slowing slightly to speak.
"I don't trust you to get her back in time," Sasuke countered.
"That's a chance you're just going to have to take," the redhead called back but then stopped to face the young man following him. "If I didn't think you'd bitch about how loudly she moans for me, I'd bring her back as soon as I found her."
"No one wants to listen to that. I was just the only one with enough guts to say anything about it," he contested but the way that Satu was chasing him and trying to pull him back made him second guess himself.
"Look, I know you're probably a bit pissed that she didn't settle for you. That's why I've been so nice but if you don't back off, I'll have to resort to more drastic measures," the sand ninja warned.
"I never wanted her! As far as I'm concerned, you can have her. She's all yours! Go ahead and have your fucked up little romance, just don't shove it in everyone's faces!" Sasuke yelled back and this time actually pushed Gaara.
Satu growled defensively at the sudden physical aggression.
The shorter teen narrowed his eyes dangerously as he encased Sasuke's feet in sand. "That should hold you until I find her," he vowed and then disappeared.
Sasuke growled and thrashed in frustration but to no avail. Fortunately, Gaara either found Calixta quickly or he got tired of holding him because his feet were released a few minutes later. Feeling defeated, Sasuke hurried back to camp with Satu close at his side. Unfortunately, Kakashi was waiting for him.
"What was that all about?" the sensei demanded even though he had heard most of the exchange.
"They were being obnoxious. I just wanted them to be quiet," he grumbled.
"I didn't hear anything and I was much closer," the older man pointed out.
"Then you were sleeping very well," Sasuke muttered.
"I awoke when you stormed by my tent so I doubt I was sleeping that soundly," he dismissed. "Why don't you tell me what this is about?"
"I already did. I was tired of listening to them screw," he repeated.
"And I told you that they weren't making any noise," Kakashi insisted. "Even if they were, you shouldn't have been able to hear them from the fire if I couldn't hear them from here," he motioned.
"I don't care what you didn't hear. I heard it and I was tired of listening to it!" he snapped.
"I hope for your sake that Gaara gets her back before it's time to leave in the morning," Kakashi mused darkly.
Sasuke gave a wary look upward.
"'Cause if he doesn't, I'm taking the others home and leaving you here to find her and bring her back yourself," he warned. It wasn't he most grueling punishment he could think of but it seemed fitting since he was the one who had scared her off. However, he wanted to save some of his wrath for Calixta for running off like she did, even if it was one of the quieter ways of resolving the conflict.
"Yes, sir," Sasuke agreed and then cringed a little.
"What's the matter now?" Kakashi pressed.
"They must be on their way back," he informed.
"What makes you say that?" the sensei continued to question.
"I can hear her giggling from here," he grumbled.
Kakashi paused to listen. "I don't hear anything," he insisted.
They waited another five minutes but Kakashi still didn't hear whatever sounds were plaguing his student. "I think you're imagining things," he dismissed. "Why don't you get some rest?"
"I'm not imagining it," he insisted willfully. "They must be doing it on purpose, staying just far enough away that you can't hear," he proposed.
Kakashi sighed. "Okay, you go back to your post and I'll look around to make sure they're not lurking about, okay?" he proposed.
Sasuke sighed but because he could still clearly hear the sensual sounds the couple was making, he agreed and went back to his seat. He was more than annoyed when Satu tried to climb into his lap and pushed her away so that she was resting a few feet from him instead. Kakashi returned half an hour later empty handed.
"I'm sorry but I didn't find anything," Kakashi informed in a whisper as he sat down.
Sasuke gave an indignant grumble.
"But you can still hear them?" he presumed.
"Yes," he snapped.
Kakashi frowned and moved around in front of his student. "How about now?" he asked before covering Sasuke's ears with the palms of his hands.
When Kakashi let go a moment later, Sasuke frowned. "Yeah…I could still hear'em," he muttered.
"Then it is in your head…" Kakashi grimly surmised.
Sasuke grew a little sick to his stomach. "If it is, then it's her fault," he asserted, once again earning a growl from the dog sitting a few feet from him, this one a little quieter.
Kakashi frowned as well but it was hidden behind his mask. "I doubt that," he countered.
"Sensei, I-" Sasuke began but was cut off.
"Don't say anything. Just go to bed. Try to get some rest and try to ignore them," he advised.
Sasuke, feeling even more defeated than on his walk back to camp, went to his tent and slipped into his sleeping bag. To his surprise, when he tried to relax, he was reasonably successful and actually managed to fall asleep for a few hours before he heard the others stirring in the morning. He stayed in his tent for a few extra minutes and found that the sounds that had plagued him were gone. With a sigh of relief, he exited his tent to find Calixta happily humming next to the fire as she added a few extra ingredients to stretch the stew from the night before into a decent breakfast.
"Good to see you made it back in time," Sasuke grumbled to Gaara as he started to pack up his things.
Gaara just smirked and gave a curt little nod.
As she was serving them, Calixta whispered to Sasuke, "We will speak later," she informed.
Sasuke grumbled but didn't say anything because before he could, she had already moved on.
Gaara said goodbye shortly after breakfast and the party from the Leaf left a little while later. As they traveled, Kakashi confronted Calixta. He made sure that the others were far enough ahead that they wouldn't eavesdrop before speaking his mind.
"Something really disturbed Sasuke last night," he began.
"I noticed," she curtly replied.
"He blames you. Do you know what it was?" he pressed.
"I'm not sure I can explain it…or if he'd want me to if I could," she answered. "But I was already planning to speak to him about it."
"I see," he frowned. "Keep me informed," he ordered before taking the lead again.
That evening Calixta confronted Sasuke during his watch.
"I'm sorry that we bothered you," she began.
He scoffed. "Little good that does me."
"What happened last night…wasn't my fault," she asserted.
"If that's what you wanted to tell me then you can just shove off. I don't wanna hear it," he snapped.
"I was searching for so long…" she muttered.
"What?" he questioned incredulously.
"Someone told me once, a very long time ago, that I would be fortunate to find even one person in this life that could make me happy and that I could do the same for," she continued.
"Looks like you found him pretty easily to me," he grumbled.
"I can see how it might look that way…but that doesn't mean I wasn't searching in the meantime. I wasn't just going to wait for someone to fall into my lap," she informed.
"So? What's that got to do with what happened last night?"
"Sasuke…I never thought I'd tell you this…but there was a while when I wondered if maybe you were the one I was searching for," she admitted.
"What are you saying?" he nearly gasped.
Calixta leveled a serous gaze on the teammate that she had grown the closest to. "I never meant to lead you on…but I'm afraid that you might have been hearing us with your chakra rather than your ears," she told him.
"Why would you do that?" he growled.
"Whatever you felt was unintentional and a result of how close we've become so if anyone is to blame, we both are," she asserted.
"Don't blame this on me! I didn't want to listen to you!" he seethed.
"Why can't you see that it was just a side-effect of a larger issue?" she sighed with exasperation.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What larger issue would that be?"
"That you've developed an affection for me," she informed.
"An affection for you?" Sasuke nearly shouted with incredulity.
"Keep your voice down or you'll wake the others," she glanced over her shoulder to make sure they hadn't already and was pleased to find that they were still sound asleep, with a bit of help from her.
"Of all the arrogant, ridiculous things!" Sasuke scoffed.
"I'm sorry that it wounds you to talk about it like this but it really shouldn't wait. I can tell how much your eavesdropping bothered you and I wanted you to know that I was trying to cut you off but I was afraid to do it so suddenly…I thought it would disturb you even more…" she babbled and then trailed off.
"You pity me?" he questioned incredulously, his stomach turning a bit at the feeling.
"Only a little," she admitted. "It would be easier for you if you still disliked me as you once did."
"I'm not going to sit here and listen to you accuse me of having feelings for you while you feel sorry for me!" he whispered harshly as he stood and stormed off but she followed him.
"Sasuke, please…I never wanted you to feel that way," she pleaded.
"Then why wonder if I was the one for you?" he accused.
"Because wondering was about all I could do," she managed. "But I realized even before I got to know Gaara that kind of relationship wouldn't work between us…so I just took what I could get from you and tried to leave it at that."
"Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone if you knew it wouldn't work?" he pressed.
"Because you were the only one who would let me into their heart that I didn't feel any of that kind of affection from," she reasoned. "You must be better at hiding your true feelings than I thought," she grumbled.
"I never felt that way!" he reasserted fitfully.
She paused for a long moment to study him and when he wouldn't look at her, she moved around to force eye contact from him. She could sense too many different emotions to find what she needed so, without asking, she took his hand in both of hers.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!" he jerked away but she wouldn't let go.
Calixta made a small sound of frustration but managed to hold on long enough to find what she needed. Once she was sure of what she felt, she let him go, letting him stumble backward a step from the force of his own resistance. "You only really started to feel this way recently…" she informed.
Sasuke glared at her ability to judge the newness of the feeling that he himself had only just begun to realize. "I don't feel anything!" he protested, not because he didn't believe her but because he wanted her to leave him alone.
Calixta sighed and frowned a little. "Okay…if you decide you want to talk about this, you know I'll listen…and if you don't want to talk to me about it, then at least say something to Kakashi-sensei. He's really worried about you," she told him and then with a sight bow, she left him to finish his watch in peace.
The dark-haired teen swore to himself for a few minutes before returning to his seat. Even when he retired after his watch, he didn't sleep. He was too busy thinking about what Calixta said. He was similarly plagued by a lack of sleep for the rest of their trip back. It wasn't until the final morning as he lay half-asleep in his tent, listening to Calixta prepare her breakfast, that the pieces started to fall into place.
He realized that he did have some kind of special feelings for Calixta but it wasn't exactly love. It was more like a protective sort of feeling. But that feeling had developed over the course of their relationship. However, it was part of the reason he felt the way he did now. Over time, she had come to rely on him to a certain degree and now that her relationship with Gaara could now go unimpeded, he felt a withdraw from her that left him feeling more than a little useless. It was that feeling of uselessness that made him so angry and instead of dealing with the source of the anger, he unconsciously reached out to her to test the bounds of their relationships.
What really bothered him was that he liked the idea that she had relied on him. She had shared things with him that she didn't dare share with anyone else, that is until Gaara came along. He knew they were a good match and he would never even entertain the idea that she would prefer a relationship with him over that of the sand ninja, or anyone else of that matter. He had never wanted anything like that from her but the dependency had still been there and he had found it oddly reassuring that she needed to lean on someone at least a little bit to get by. With that thought, Sasuke felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders and he exited his tent feeling almost as refreshed as if he had gotten a full night's sleep.
Calixta immediately recognized the peace in him and simply smiled when he emerged as she continued her morning ritual. She smiled again when she saw Sasuke accompany Kakashi on his morning water run.
"Sensei," he began carefully as they filled the buckets.
"Yes?" he prompted expectantly.
"About the other night…you were right. It was all in my head," he admitted reluctantly.
Kakashi was surprised at the sudden admission. "Really? Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. I'm sure and it won't happen again," he promised.
Kakashi secretly pursed his lips in thought before replying to that. "I see. In any case, I think it would be best if you two suspended your training activities for a while. I want to see how she does now without you helping her so much," he informed somewhat knowingly.
"Uh, yeah, okay," the teen hesitantly agreed. He hadn't exactly been planning any encounters with her, but he also hadn't considered letting that go entirely.
Fortunately, now that Sasuke understood what he was feeling a little better, he was able to overcome the difficulties of that evening and he and Calixta resumed their training activities a few short weeks after their return.