Sandstorms and Falling Leaves

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. This wasn't originally going to be the whole chapter but it just sort of stuck at the end and refused to flow into what I want to do next. It's a bit short but I decided to post it on it's own so you all know I am working on this. Please review and let me know what you think.

Chapter Thirty-three: Truth and Acceptance

Naruto fidgeted nervously outside the hokage's office as he waited. It seemed like he had been there for hours already and he was beginning to wonder if Tsunade was actually trying to avoid him. The thought caused his blue eyes to narrow and his face to set in a mulish frown. Well, she had to come out sometime.

'What gives anyone the right to keep me from knowing who my parents were? It isn't right! I deserve to know, don't I?' The jinchuriki began to pace the small section of hallway, his frustration building the longer he waited.

The door finally opened and he stormed in before Shizune could say a word to him.

"Alright, Old lady." He began with a scowl. "Why can't I get information about my own family? What are you trying to hide from me?" He asked sharply; more angry than he had even realized until he opened his mouth to speak.

Tsunade blinked slowly at his outburst, clearly unimpressed. "Sit down." She ordered menacingly.

Naruto paled as he realized he might have been out of line but he didn't back down. "Not until you tell me who my parents were." He insisted.

Tsunade eyed him for a long moment before she rolled her eyes and slid a folder across her desk. A folder she had clearly already prepared for him before he blew up at her.

Anger draining away, Naruto snatched up the folder; face red with shame. "Thanks." He managed to mumble.

"Uh huh. That's a copy. You can keep it. Now get the heck out of my office!" The blonde ordered sharply.

The younger blonde didn't need to be told twice. He made a hasty exit with his prize and didn't stop until he reached the training area Gaara and Hinata were using.

He stopped at the edge of the clearing, suddenly unsure if he really wanted to know what was in the folder he held. Sure, he was a little curious but at best his parents were probably dead, and at worst they had given him up and allowed him to grow up alone. If that was the case, he wasn't sure how he'd deal with it.

"Naruto!" Hinata called out with a smile as she let her byakugan jutsu fade.

Gaara turned to face the blonde leaf ninja with a questioning expression.

"I...I got it." Naruto offered with a forced grin, waving the folder.

"That's good." Gaara replied slowly, her tone clearly questioning whether he felt the same.

Naruto stared down at the innocent looking sheaf of paper with a knot in his chest that made it hard to breathe. "I haven't looked at it yet." He admitted sheepishly.

Hinata was watching them both curiously. "Is something wrong?" She asked cautiously.

The jinchuriki shook his head quickly. "No...I just...uh..."

Gaara shrugged. "You don't have to read it. We'll find another way to get the council to accept you." She informed him briskly.

Blue eyes shot up from contemplating the papers and Naruto found that the tension he was feeling didn't stand a chance against the love he saw shining through dark rimmed aqua eyes.

He held the folder out to her with a nervous grin. "You read it. Please." He said in a rush, before he could change his mind.

The redhead took the offered file slowly, her gaze asking him if he was really certain of his actions. Only when he nodded for her to go ahead did she open the folder and look at the first page curiously.

"It's a personal file..." She said carefully. "Your father, according to this...was named Minato Namikaze."

The name hung heavy in the air for a long moment. Naruto was too shocked to speak and Gaara was waiting for him to recover before she said more.

Therefore, Hinata was the first to respond. "You...Your father was...The Fourth Hokage!?" She gasped out in astonishment.

Naruto drew in a shaky breath. "I...I guess so." He managed to mumble numbly. He smiled. "Well, he didn't abandon me then. He died." It was a bit disappointing that he'd never get to know the man but it was something of a relief as well.

Gaara nodded, reading further.

"So...who was my mom? Why don't I have his last name?"

The redhead abandoned her perusal of the brief file and turned the pages until she came to one marked with a picture of a woman.

"It says her name was Kushina Uzumaki." Aqua eyes widened slightly. "She was the vessel of Kyuubi before you." She told the boy with just a hint of sadness in her voice. They both knew what that meant.

"So, she's dead too." The blonde managed to squeeze the words past the lump in his throat. "I...I guess...I always sort of guessed as much." He admitted.

The ex-jinchuriki closed the folder and held it out to her fiancee sadly. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

Tears rolled down the leaf chunin's face and he scrubbed at them with his arm. "It doesn't matter...it shouldn't matter...they've been gone for years." He said hollowly. "I just...I wish I had gotten to know them."

Neither paid any real attention as Hinata slipped away to give them privacy; tears rolling down her own cheeks in sympathy for her friend.

Gaara lowered the papers and laid them beside her feet respectfully before she placed one pale hand on the blonde's cheek and waited for him to look at her.

"They must have been wonderful." She told him seriously. "They made you."

Naruto leaned into her touch and pulled her into his arms before burying his face in her hair. He knew it was silly to cry but he was grieving; not just for the parents he'd never known, but also for every dream he'd had as a child that they'd come back for him someday. He'd thought himself far too old for such things but the loss of that irrational hope hurt like a physical blow and he could not help mourning.

It took several minutes for him to get his emotions back in some sort of order and he pulled back to offer the redhead a weak grin. "I don't think the council will be able to protest my bloodline at least."

Gaara offered him a small amused sound in return. "No. I'd say the son of one of the Hokages is a very appropriate match for the Kazekage." She agreed.

"And you know what else?" The blonde's grin had now grown into something almost like his usual enthusiasm.

"Hmm?"

"I'm gonna be Hokage someday." The familiar claim was laced with new found humor. "After all, it's the family business."

He laughed at his own joke and the redhead couldn't help smiling back.

A week later the pair received a letter from Sunagakure. The redhead unrolled the small scroll slowly, her sister and brother hanging over her shoulders as Naruto sat beside her at her kitchen table and tried to read sideways.

He soon gave up and shook his head in impatience. "Well, what do they say?" He asked nervously.

Gaara felt a small smile pull at her mouth as she looked up from the letter and met his blue eyes. "It says...we can get married." She summarized.

Naruto shouted in joy and threw his arms around her in an awkward hug that caught her startled siblings as well. "That's great! We gotta go tell Sakura!" He grinned as he released everyone and dragged the redhead from her seat. "Actually, we gotta tell everyone! Man, I can't wait! When do you want to have the wedding?" He continued to burble in excitement as he pulled the unresisting sand wielder out the door.

Temari and Kankuro shared a wry look once they were certain the younger pair was well out earshot.

"So...that was fast." Temari broke the silence first. "You didn't...maybe threaten a few council members about this, did you Kuro?"

The puppet master smirked. "No more of them than you did, Ri." He returned easily.

Temari grinned and patted her brother on the back with a chuckle. "Mission accomplished!"

Kankuro shook his head seriously. "No, not quite." He said slowly. "Now we have a wedding to help plan."

Temari nodded thoughtfully. "True, I'm not sure which of them is more clueless about this sort of thing."

Kankuro snorted in good humor. "Yeah, well that's why they have us."

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Okay. I'm not totally satisfied with this but I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. Next Chapter: Naruto and Gaara begin to plan their wedding but there are threats lurking in the shadows. What do they want, and will our heroes ever see their wedding day?