Author's Note: Alrighty, here's another nice long chapter for all you lovely people. I hope this helps to make up for any disappointment you may have felt about the previous chapter. Thanks for all the positive reviews! Please review this one too and let me know what you think about it, ne? Thanks!
Sandstorms and Falling Leaves
Chapter Twenty: Last Nights and First Days
Naruto was waiting at his open window when Gaara arrived and she practically flew into his arms, knocking them both from the bed to the floor in a tangled heap.
"Whoa!" He gasped, wrapping his arms around her as she tried to pull away. "What was that for?"
Gaara blushed, she hadn't intended to do that. She had been using her chakra to move faster through the village and she'd just, sort of forgotten to slow down soon enough. "I'll miss you." She said slowly.
Naruto smiled a bit sadly. "Yeah. I'm gonna miss you too." He assured her, brushing her cheek with the back of one hand.
Neither was certain who leaned in first but when their lips met it ceased to matter. For a few minutes the only thing that held any importance was the feeling of his hand tangled in her hair, the teasing dance of their tongues as the kiss quickly deepened into something more passionate than either had intended, and the way her slender hands roamed down his tee shirt clad back raising gooseflesh in their wake.
Only when one of those pale hands slipped hesitantly under the hem of his shirt did Naruto force himself to pull away, all the warnings he'd been given echoing suddenly loud in his mind.
Gaara drew back at once, as if scalded. She was breathing hard and her cheeks were flushed, but whether it was from exertion or embarrassment about what they had just been doing, Naruto wasn't sure.
"We...um...that was...uh..." Naruto stammered, his mind shorting out as other parts of his body commanded his attention despite his best efforts to ignore them. He couldn't stand the hurt look in her eyes but he was having trouble figuring out how to fix it.
"We should sleep." Gaara supplied quickly, not certain she wanted to know why he had pulled back.
Naruto latched onto that idea quickly, since his own brain was still refusing to make any coherent thoughts. "Yeah, sleep. It's...um...getting late, ne?"
The redhead nodded, standing so he could get up. For the second time that night she found her wrist caught in a strong grip as she tried to move away. She found herself looking into warm blue eyes before she could think better of it.
"You're really beautiful you know." Naruto told her sincerely, love clearly written on his features. He was finally beginning to regain control of his faculties and he needed to break through the emotionless mask the petite redhead had settled into. Having begun, the words came easily to him. "You're also brilliant and talented and you're so incredibly strong. Sometimes I'm actually a little jealous of you." He smiled, to show her that wasn't really a bad thing. "You care so much about people, even if you don't always know how to show it. You have a wicked sense of humor that a lot of people never get to see. You're incredible for so many reasons. We'd be here all night if I try to list them all, so I guess I'm just trying to say that..." He reached out and caught her hand, squeezing it gently. "I love you more than anything in this world and I hope someday you'll finally be able to see in yourself what I do."
Gaara was speechless. Naruto had told her he loved her before, but she could never understand why. 'How can he see all of that in me when he knows the things I've done?' She couldn't come up with any response that seemed adequate. She could tell him all the reasons she loved him but she didn't think he really needed to hear them. She could kiss him again but they'd so nearly gotten carried away just minutes before and teenage hormones were not a force to be trifled with.
Naruto saved her from having to respond, turning and tugging her towards the twin bed with the hand he still held. She followed him willingly and the pair was soon curled snugly onto the narrow mattress. Both lay awake for a long time, thinking.
Naruto's mind strayed to the feel of Gaara's cool hand on the bare skin of his stomach but he shut that thought down quickly. 'We almost...I never...That was too close. Temari and Kankuro would kill me if they saw something like that. Tsunade would kill me too actually...and maybe Sakura...' He berated himself silently. 'Maybe being apart for a little while will be a good thing. It'll give us both time to cool off a little before things really get out of hand. After all, it won't do any good with Suna's council for Gaara to get engaged if we can't keep our hands to ourselves until the wedding.' That thought invariably lead to the idea of wedding nights and what they were all about, and the blonde jinchuriki had to cut that train of thought off at the pass before he gave himself a nosebleed. Resolutely, he fixed his mind on counting the stars he could see outside his window until he fell asleep.
Meanwhile Gaara was still mulling over his words, marveling that anyone could see her that way. Even though she knew her brother and sister loved her, the redhead didn't think that they would describe her in such a positive way. 'They know me too well.' She frowned, thinking of some of the things her siblings had seen her do when she was younger.
Gaara knew that Naruto liked to see the best in people but she also knew he wasn't as naive, or as stupid, as many people seemed to think he was. Naruto looked for the good in people because he had seen more than enough evil in his short years, and because he knew everyone deserved a chance to change. He'd given her that chance years ago and she'd taken full advantage of the opportunity. Still, she'd never expected him to find so much about her to really love. She'd certainly never considered herself worthy of such ardent affection.
'But if he thinks I am all of those things...maybe I could be...for him.' She thought to herself, studying Naruto's smooth features through the gloom as he slept. Her hand sought out the Sand Flower Necklace and she gently pulled it up where she could see it dangling between them. "Naruto..." She waited but he didn't answer. "Marry me?" She whispered, sure that he was too asleep to hear her.
"Mm'Kay." Naruto mumbled sleepily as he flung an arm over her side and pulled her close. His speech was slurred with sleep and his eyes remained shut but Gaara's eyes were wide with shock.
'He has to be dreaming.' She told herself firmly. 'He'll never remember it in the morning.' Nonetheless, she felt a warm weight settle in her chest and the flutter of something utterly joyous in her heart flaring to life. 'He still said yes.' She smiled, dropping the pendant back against his tee shirt clad chest and tucking her head under his chin as she waited for sleep to claim her.
Dawn came too quickly, Gaara concluded sourly as she watched Naruto rush around his room. The orange clad jinchuriki was gathering last minute things to add to his pack. The sun had not yet started to rise but the sky was decidedly lighter than it had been a few minutes earlier. They didn't have much time.
Finally satisfied with his packing, Naruto turned to her with a nervous smile. "Will you see me off?"
Gaara nodded and stood from her seat on the bed, where she had remained so as to be out of the way of her boyfriend's frantic activity. "I'll meet you at the gate."
Naruto nodded and grabbed his pack. He understood. It wouldn't do for them to be seen leaving his apartment together at such an early hour.
The redhead darted out the window without another word.
Naruto took one last look around for anything important he might have forgotten and then locked his apartment up and started towards the towering gates of the village. As he got close, he spotted Sakura standing with Tazuna, and Captain Yamato leaning on a post just inside the open gate. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen and the blonde sort of hoped the jonin would be late as usual. He wasn't looking forward to leaving Konoha as much as he usually did.
The reason for his reluctance came around the corner in front of him and offered him a tiny smile in greeting. Gaara had shed her cloak and was wearing only the tight black shorts and slightly oversized tee shirt she often slept in. She had tied her forehead protector around her waist like a belt to make the outfit more presentable, but she obviously hadn't tried to make it home to change before seeing him off. Naruto smiled back at her warmly. He caught her by the hand as he passed and continuing towards the gate with the redhead at his side.
Gaara nodded to Sakura as they reached the waiting mednin. Yamato bowed slightly to the young Kazekage and she nodded politely to him as well, though they had never met.
Sakura smiled at the quiet ex-jinchuriki. "Good morning, Gaara-chan." The pink haired teen chirped cheerfully. "This is Tazuna-san, our client. Tazuna-san, this is Kazekage Gaara." Inner Sakura congratulated herself for doing such a professional sounding introduction. It wasn't often she got to announce a foreign kage.
The old man bowed to the redhead, a bit confused by the presence of a foreign dignitary until he spotted her hand clasped in Naruto's larger one.
Naruto leaned down, ignoring the audience, and placed a chaste kiss on the petite girl's cheek. "I'll come see you as soon as I get back." He promised with a grin.
Gaara nodded, knowing he'd keep his word. "Be careful."
Naruto grinned and pulled her into his arms. He buried his face in her hair. "You too." He whispered, thinking of the assassins that had already come after the exiled Kazekage and those she cared for.
Gaara nodded once more and slowly pulled away from the leaf chunin. She let one hand linger on his chest as she pushed herself back from him. Her fingers barely brushed the betrothal necklace and she blushed, remembering his sleepy answer to her whispered proposal.
Naruto caught her hand before she could withdraw it. "I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about when I get back." He said with a smile.
"Hey!" Kakashi's voice broke the pair apart. "Can we go now?" He asked, sounding bored.
"You just got here!" Sakura shouted back at their perpetually tardy team leader. She had been watching Naruto and Gaara interact like it was one of the romantic dramas she liked to watch on her rare days off and she was more than a little perturbed to have the show interrupted.
"All right. Let's go." Naruto took a step away from Gaara reluctantly, then another, forcing himself to turn away.
The rest of the small group fell in with him easily, but the blonde paused at the gate to look back. Gaara still stood precisely where he'd left her, pale and ethereal looking in the early morning mist. Her eyes were locked on him and she raised one hand to wave stiffly. It was what people did when someone was leaving.
As Naruto watched, the sunlight crowned the buildings and washed over the silent girl. Her untamed hair became a fiery halo. Her fair skin was so pale it almost seemed to glow, making the shadows around her uniquely colored eyes even more distinct.
The leaf jinchuriki found himself dashing back to her in an instant, unable to resist pulling her into his arms once more. He leaned down and kissed her gently, not caring that they had an audience.
Gaara hesitated for only a moment before deciding she didn't care either and kissing him back. It reminded her of their first kiss, in the middle of a busy street in Suna.
They broke apart after several long seconds and Naruto grinned sheepishly at her, hoping he hadn't embarrassed her. Gaara let a small smile out, just for him, and the leaf chunin sighed in relief.
"I love you, Gaara." He said firmly. "Don't forget that, okay?"
The tiny smile grew a little. "I love you too. Now go." The redhead ran one cool hand down his cheek and then pushed him gently towards his teammates.
Sakura had both her hands clasped in front of her chest and you could almost see the hearts floating in her eyes as she watched them. Kakashi looked a little amused but it was hard to tell with only one eye to go by. Tazuna waited with the aplomb only the elderly seem to have when it comes to young love, though his eyes sparkled with remembered joy and a smirk lingered at the corner of his mouth.
Naruto nodded and ran to join them at the gate, a spring in his step that wasn't there before. 'Gaara will be okay. She's overcome a lot worse things than nightmares.'
Gaara remained where she was until long after the group was out of sight. A shadow landing at her side finally drew her eyes away from the now empty path.
"So, he's gone?" Temari asked, laying a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder.
Gaara nodded, her eyes going back to the gates once more. Her thoughts were clearly no longer anchored in the village.
Temari wasn't sure what to say. She knew her sister was unhappy with the situation but the younger teen didn't want to admit such a weakness. Knowing she needed to do something, she fell back on a little humor. It was relatively safe territory with her prickly siblings.
"So...are you planning to stand here until he gets back?" She asked dryly. "I think they're calling for rain later this week."
Gaara blinked and finally turned away from the towering gates with a small shake of her head. "Would you like to spar?" She asked suddenly, thinking of all the training she still needed to do if she wanted to retain her position as Kazekage. 'I wouldn't want Naruto to be disappointed when he gets back...'
The question caught the pigtailed blonde off guard but she recovered quickly. "Loser makes breakfast?"
Gaara considered the bet for a moment before nodding.
Temari grinned. "You're on, Little Sister!"
As the pair raced towards the training area, Gaara had a thought she'd never considered before. 'I wonder if she'd notice if I threw the fight.' She grimaced at the thought of braving her sister's cooking so early in the morning but quickly discarded the idea anyway. The chance to show the older girl how much she had improved since they'd come to Konoha was too important to waste. She could almost hear Naruto's voice in her head. 'Nah, kick her butt!'
Two hours later, Temari conceded defeat gracelessly and the sweaty, sandy, bruised pair headed home. It had been a very close fight at a couple of points but Gaara's work at restoring her ultimate defense had paid off. It still was far from being as effortless and perfect as it had been with Shukaku, but by combining her affinity with the sand and a variation of Hinata's powerful defensive style she was able to block most attacks without ever lifting a finger. She'd only gotten a small pair of scratches on one shoulder when a barrage of wind blades managed to temporarily break down the sand net she had cast and she hadn't quite managed to dodge the few that slipped through.
Temari on the other hand had a wicked looking bruise growing on one shin where she had misjudged a tree branch while avoiding the ex-jinchuriki's sinking sand. She could also feel the sting of half a dozen minor abrasions where the edges of the redhead's attacks had caught her.
"You know..." She said as she investigated the small wounds carefully to decide which ones might need first aid. "For someone who doesn't move much in a fight, you're pretty fast."
Gaara shrugged. "I can do better." She insisted, glaring at the scratches on her shoulder as the motion reminded her they were there.
The older teen grinned and slapped the redhead on the back cheerfully. "Yeah, I know. Now come on. I've got a new recipe I want to try." The blonde darted off with a grin.
The ex-jinchuriki fought off the urge to sigh as she followed the older girl at a slightly slower pace. 'I think I might have been better off losing.' She frowned nervously. 'Last time she tried a new recipe we were sick for three days.'
After the pair had taken turns showering and getting dressed, the nearly twenty year old woman got to work fulfilling the bet she'd lost.
The resulting breakfast was decidedly inedible but Temari refused to admit it, choking down the unidentifiable concoction with a forced smile. Gaara made an effort for a bite or two and then used her sand to scrape the mess off the plate and throw it out the window when the older teen was busy choking on a bone of some kind. The blonde eyed the bone curiously when she had finally extracted it from her throat.
'I don't remember putting any chicken in this...' Her eyes strayed to the redhead, narrowing suspiciously as she caught sight of the empty plate, but Gaara's carefully blank face was without flaws.
"Thank you for breakfast." The redhead offered politely as she stood. "I'll see you later."
Temari sighed, letting whatever her youngest sibling had done with her food slide. She really wasn't sure it was a good idea to eat it anyway, her pride just wouldn't let her admit it. "Sure. Tell Hinata I said Hi...and Gaara." The blonde waited until she was sure she had the younger girl's full attention. "We still need to talk today sometime."
Gaara nodded in resignation and fled the apartment without another word.
Hinata was waiting for her in their training area, studying the remains of the early morning sparring match with mild concern. She turned to the redhead with a relieved smile as Gaara entered the clearing.
"Temari and I were practicing." The sand user offered in explanation before the Hyuuga heiress could ask what happened. Her mood had gone steadily down since she and her sister had finished sparring.
Hinata nodded thoughtfully. "You really are doing better." She said slowly, looking around at the telltale signs of the fight. "Who won?"
Gaara shrugged, her shoulder stinging slightly and souring her mood further. "I did."
"That's great, Gaara-chan." Hinata beamed. "Temari-san is a jonin. Your chakra levels are definitely rising."
Gaara sat down against a tree. "I still can't reach the rest of it."
Hinata's smile faltered a bit. "Yes, but given enough time you'll..."
"I don't have that kind of time." The redhead snapped out, immediately regretting the harsh words but unable to take them back.
The blue haired girl blinked in shock. Her friend had been becoming more and more easily frustrated recently but this went beyond that. "What's wrong? Did something happen...with Naruto?"
Gaara bowed her head, her face going blank. "He's gone."
"Gone?" Hinata repeated, confused. "Where?"
"On a mission."
"Oh." Hinata was a bit relieved that it wasn't anything more serious than that. "Well, he'll be okay."
Gaara shook her head, finally voicing her doubts. "Will I?"
The violet eyed girl hesitated before admitting what she knew about the situation. "Naruto told me you've been staying at his place. Sleeping."
Aqua eyes went wide with alarm.
"I won't tell anyone else. He just wanted my advice on something and he needed me to understand the whole situation."
"What sort of advice?" The redhead asked, curious what was important enough to make Naruto tell the girl such a dangerous secret.
"I...I can't tell you." Hinata blushed sheepishly. "I promised Naruto."
Gaara pondered that for a moment before deciding she trusted Naruto and Hinata both enough not to be too concerned with what they had discussed. That didn't stop her from being curious though. The redhead stored the conversation away to revisit later. Right now she had more pressing concerns.
The ex-jinchuriki was dreading going home to face her sister's questions; she was more than a little bit nervous to face going to sleep on her own; she had to somehow do ten years of chakra development in less than two years; and even then it might not be enough if she didn't manage to reach Shukaku's chakra supply.
Worst of all, she knew the Akatsuki were still out there hunting jinchuriki, and Naruto was out there with them.
Hinata's hand on her elbow pulled her out of her thoughts. "I...that is..." She seemed nervous. "Shino-kun and I may have a way to help you...with your chakra."
Gaara raised one thin eyebrow in question. "I didn't know Shino knew about my problem." She was beginning to think it was not safe for a leaf ninja to be trusted with any kind of secret.
"Ano...um...he's sort of...been keeping watch on us while we train...this whole time."
Gaara let that sink in and it quickly dawned on her. Insects were the perfect spies.
Hinata had her head down. "I should have told you. I only found out after I...after Naruto turned me down."
Gaara shook her head. "It's fine." To be truthful, she might have done the same thing in the Aburame heir's position. It was particularly understandable since she was now aware of the taciturn insect user's feelings for Hinata.
Hinata seemed a bit relieved and pressed on with her idea. "Shino-kun was telling me about the kikaichu, things most people don't know about them." She hesitated, obviously trying not to betray information that had been told to her in confidence. "He says they can create their own chakra pathways within a person's body."
The redhead was intrigued but she had the feeling there was a catch. "How do they create the pathways?" She asked curiously, wondering if it worked like medical ninjutsu or something similar.
Hinata grimaced. "You...um...you would have to let them...nest inside you, the way Shino does."
The ex-jinchuriki paled. She had lived her whole life with another creature using her as a host. She was only just beginning to understand what it meant to be free. Not to mention, kikaichu were dangerous creatures to those who didn't know how to control them and she didn't have a clue how that worked. She only knew that it was impossible to become a living hive for them without the ability to communicate with them on some level. The Aburame clan guarded that particular secret carefully and she couldn't believe they would allow her to learn even a small part of it.
Hinata pressed on. "I don't know all the details. Shino said you could talk to him if you were interested."
Gaara hesitated. She needed to reconnect with her stronger chakra network, but she wasn't sure about this method. "I...want to keep trying on my own for now." She said slowly. "I'd like to find out more though, in case I change my mind."
Hinata nodded. "Shino is home today. We can go over there if you want to."
The redhead nodded. It wouldn't hurt anything to talk with the insect user, even if she decided not to take him up on his offer. She couldn't afford to dismiss any possible solution out of hand.
The pair made their way to the secluded Aburame complex without further conversation. Gaara was lost in thought, arguing with herself about the wisdom of even considering allowing something to take up residence in her body ever again.
Hinata wasn't sure if Gaara was upset with her for refusing to break Naruto's confidence, or for hiding the fact that Shino was spying on them through his insects, or if the redhead's silent treatment was simply a symptom of her current mental state. The sensitive Hyuuga girl had noticed that Gaara often got quieter when she was trying to deal with her emotions.
It was something of a relief to both of them when they reached the closed wooden gates. Hinata pulled a cord and a chime sounded inside the walls. A few moments later the gates swung ponderously open and a young girl greeted them with a bow. Her sunglasses were tinted dark purple and her brown hair hung in a braid nearly down to her knees. She wore a heavy coat as was typical of Aburame ninjas but, aside from her eyes, her face was clearly visible above a stiff mandarin collar.
"The Aburame clan welcomes our honored guests. How can I help you?" She chirped in a well rehearsed manner as she popped back up.
The girl wore no leaf insignia so Gaara assumed she wasn't yet a genin. From the look of her the redhead didn't think she could be more than eight or nine years old. Hinata seemed to know her because she smiled brightly.
"Hello Suzume-chan. How are you?" The Hyuuga heiress greeted pleasantly. "We'd like to speak to Shino-kun. Is he home?"
The semi-formal mannerisms dropped at once and the child bounced on her toes with a grin. "I'm fine Hinata-sempai. Shino-sama is in the garden, I think. I can take you to him. Guess what Shino-sama taught me to do! Now I know how to get my kikaichu to track my cat. Now she can't run away anymore." Her beaming smile showed a hole where one of her baby teeth had fallen out.
Hinata smiled back fondly as she followed the energetic young girl into the complex. Gaara trailed behind them silently, observing the child with mild amusement. She sort of reminded the redhead of Naruto when he was younger. 'For that matter, Naruto still gets that excited sometimes, though he has grown up a lot.'
The trio followed the winding trails through the Aburame's lush gardens, finally arriving in a small clearing. Shino was there, sitting on a time worn bench in the midst of a swarm of butterflies. The colorful creatures fluttered off as the insect ninja noticed their arrival, responding to some unseen signal from the heavily covered leaf chunin.
Suzume bowed rapidly to the family heir but popped back up grinning within moments. "You've got visitors Shino-sama."
"I can see that, Suzume." The stoic young man pointed out dryly. "Thank you. You may go."
Suzume nodded and bobbed lightning quick bows to the two girls before darting off back towards the gates. "Bye Hinata-sempai! Bye Hinata-sempai's friend!"
Gaara watched her go curiously.
"Please excuse my cousin." Shino said politely. "She's only seven."
Gaara nodded agreeably.
"So, I take it Hinata told you about my offer."
The redhead nodded again. "I'm not sure it is the right thing for me to do but I want to know more about how it could work." She said slowly.
Shino stood and began to walk. "We should go somewhere more private to talk." He explained. He had expected the cautious young Kazekage to have questions.
Gaara followed the shrouded boy but Hinata held back. Shino stopped when he noticed the navy haired teen wasn't following.
"You are welcome to join us, Hinata-chan." He offered stiffly, the endearment slipping out seemingly by accident.
The violet eyed girl blushed but hurried to catch up with the other two. She was unsurprised when they arrived at Shino's home but he lead them away from the familiar areas of the house into some sort of dojo. They then passed through a series of small chambers to a spartan and windowless room.
"This room is secure against anyone overhearing what we discuss." Shino assured his guests, taking a seat on one of the cushions scattered around the floor.
Gaara sat down facing the insect user and Hinata took a seat off to the side.
"What would you like to know?" Shino asked once they were all settled.
"Hinata tells me the kikaichu can create chakra pathways for me. How do you know that will work to let me reach my barred chakra system?" The redhead started with the most important quuestion in her mind.
"Kikaichu are drawn to chakra like a shark to blood in the water." He hesitated, not sure the desert dweller would be familiar with the habits of sea creatures but Gaara nodded in understanding so he pressed on. "The stronger the chakra, the more they'll be drawn to it. I am certain that if we introduce them into your accessible chakra system, they'll be inevitably drawn to the stronger one. When they travel from one to the other it will leave a pathway you should be able to pull the chakra through."
Gaara let the explanation sink in for a moment. 'He sounds very sure that it will work. That makes it a better chance than anything else I've come up with.' She moved on to the next question in her mind. "How long would the process take?"
Shino thought the question over. "You would most likely have access to your full chakra reserves in a matter of hours. However, becoming a host for the kikaichu is a painful process. You might not be able to stand to move for several days as they establish their hive and there is a very small chance that the kikaichu could reject you as a host."
Gaara refused to give in to the urge to shudder, not wanting to offend her host or his family. She wasn't disgusted by the idea of people letting bugs live inside their bodies. She seen stranger things, but she didn't want anything else using her that way. Shukaku living inside her had been excruciatingly painful at times but he had always felt like a part of her. This was something else entirely.
"What happens if they reject me?"
"It only happens to about one in twenty candidates but the kikaichu will begin to attack your chakra. There will be several Aburame elders, including my father, on hand to ensure your safety if that should occur. No one has died from a rejection in four generations."
Gaara set that possibility aside. "How long would the hive have to remain?"
Shino seemed surprised at the question but he recovered quickly. "Indefinitely." He said simply before going on to explain. "The kikaichu's chakra pathways degrade in just a few days if they don't remain in use."
The ex-jinchuriki kept her expression blank but her mind rebelled at the idea of permanently becoming host to a swarm of creatures. Maybe she was being irrational, but she couldn't help but compare the beetles to the one tail. Shukaku had used her, controlled her, changed her into something that suited his needs with no regard for her wishes. Fighting his will had left her emotionally cold and distant, afraid to let people really get close to her lest she lose control and hurt them. She could not go through that again.
Shino tried to reassure her. "It would not need to be a large hive. Nothing like my family uses to fight. A group of kikaichu can remain viable with as few as fifty insects in a hive."
"How would I control them?" She found herself asking, even though she didn't think she could go through with it anymore. She still wanted to have all the facts.
"If you accept our offer, my father has agreed to allow me to teach you the basics." The insect ninja bowed. "If you will have me as a teacher."
'So the clan head has agreed to this as well.' She wasn't overly surprised. Shino was a stickler for rules. "What does the Aburame clan have to gain by sharing their skills? I've never heard of anyone outside this family being allowed to learn the secrets you are offering me."
"Konoha has never been stronger than it is right now, and our treaty with Sunagakure is one of the pillars of that strength. It is well known that you are one of the strongest supporters of the treaty. It would benefit Konoha if you retain your title and remain Kazekage." Shino held up his hand to show he wasn't done with his reasons. "Secondly, the Aburame clan would grow in reputation if it were to become known that the Kazekage was a practitioner of our skills." He hesitated, taking a breath. "And finally, by all accounts you are a just and fair leader, a hard worker, and a good friend. You earned the respect of your nation despite strong resistance. You deserve better than Suna's council would give you, better than letting the Akatsuki win."
Gaara was touched by the passion the usually quiet youth spoke with but she had one more question. "How does it feel?"
The hooded teen thought the question over carefully. He had been host to the kikaichu since he was a little over a year old. He barely remembered a time when they weren't a part of him. "I...I'm sorry. It's hard to say. They've been with me so long I don't really remember what it was like to be without them. Perhaps you should ask Suzume. She's only had her hive for about a year."
The redhead nodded. She took a moment to let the whole idea sink in, not wanting to give in to her immediate urge to reject the whole plan. Still, she didn't think she could do it. "May I take time to think about it?" She asked slowly.
"Of course." Shino nodded. He would have been shocked if the sand ninja had done otherwise.
Gaara stood. "Thank you, Shino-san. It means a great deal to me that your family has made me such a generous offer. I will consider it."
The pensive redhead let Hinata lead the way as the pair left the Aburame household. The Hyuuga heiress knew Gaara had a lot to think about so she didn't press the girl to talk as they walked back towards their favorite training area. She was a little startled when the shorter teen broke the silence with a question.
"Would you do it?"
"Hmm..." Hinata didn't have to ask what the redhead meant. "I don't know. I trust Shino-kun with my life and I do think he believes it will solve your problem, but I don't know if I could go through with it if I were in your position." She shrugged slightly, wishing she could be more helpful.
The ex-jinchuriki nodded.
"So do you still want to train today?" The shy teen asked with a friendly smile.
"Actually, I promised my sister I'd talk to her about...something." Gaara admitted. "See you tomorrow?"
Hinata nodded. "Yes, see you then."
The redhead flitted away, taking to the rooftops to avoid the early afternoon crowds. It was time to talk with her sister. The longer she put it off, the more nervous she got about it so there was simply no sense in waiting. Besides, now she also needed to discuss Shino's suggestion with the older girl. Perhaps the pigtailed blonde could provide some perspective on the situation.
To be continued...
Author's Note: Well Naruto is now off on his mission. While he's gone I'll mostly be following Gaara's activities in the village. I'm sure you are all wondering a lot of things...What sort of betrothal necklace will our fox boy come up with (I actually have that all planned out now, sorry to those who wanted to help design it)? How will Temari and Gaara's conversation about Naruto's sand necklace go? What will the eldest Suna sibling have to say about Shino's suggestion? Will Gaara go through with it? Is Kankuro ever going find out about all of this? Will Gaara be able to sleep without her snuggly Naruto? What will happen to our favorite hyperactive jinchuriki out in the wide and dangerous world? All manner of questions that need answering and the answers to them will be coming soon. Please review! (Oh, and tell me if you find any typos please! Thanks)