Chapter 323: Abeyance
n. a state of being in temporary disuse or suspension
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The day before the Exam dawned far too soon for the Suna team. Kagome worried her lip as she planned out how best to divide her time between each member of her team.
Baki would be in meetings with the High Council all day, so Kagome was only able to spend time with him over breakfast. No words were exchanged as both silently sipped their tea, reveling in the camaraderie they had established back home.
Temari refused to leave the training fields as she worked on perfecting the jutsus Baki had taught her earlier that month. Kagome watched from the sidelines until noon when she bought refreshments from market, that forced Temari to rest.
Kankuro poured over his puppets in the dark corners of the hotel room. The windows were covered to prevent any wandering eye from looking in. Kagome donned his hitai-ite as a blindfold to assist in handing over tools that evening.
The day passed rapidly leaving Kagome feeling bereft and aching for those halcyon days before the team had left Suna. Kagome bleakly gazed out of the hotel room's window, ruminating on the night she had of mellifluously opening her heart to Gaara under the starry night.
Asuma sent a sideways glance around the busy town square. His black-haired mark was smiling and nodding towards the merchants that swarmed around her, offering their wares. The girl leaned down to talk to two elderly merchants and the shy child hiding behind them. The merchants' paltry vegetables spread out before them as the girl sorted through some of the choicer selections.
"Ah, what's up, Sarutobi?" called a cheery voice beside Asuma, who managed to not visibly react but glared at the silver haired ninja that had snuck up on him.
"Just shopping," evaded Asuma, glancing back towards the girl as she exchanged some coins and a rectangular of paper to the shy child that had crawled forward to accept them. A crackling of chakra sounded fussily in the air, Asuma turned his attention back towards Kakashi. The ninja remained slouched, but his one black eye switched, predatorily, between Baki's girl and the slip of paper in the child's hands.
"Hmm, shopping indeed," said Kakashi as he finally turned a smiling eye to Asuma. Kakashi's expression appeared relaxed, but Asuma had known this particular nin too long to mistake the piercing interest that Kakashi had directed at the black-haired girl.
Gaara sat on top of the building across from the hotel. Kankuro had taken down the blinds after putting his puppets away, inconsequentially allowing Gaara to watch them eat dinner. Mother was still as noisy as she had been for the last month and a half, but Gaara felt some semblance of peace as he watched the team.
Kankuro would chortle, loud enough for Gaara to hear him across the street, bits of rice and food falling out of his mouth to hit Temari and Kagome in the face. Temari would turn and punch their brother in the arm, while Kagome wiped off her face, her lips downturned before laughing out as well. Baki sat at the head of the table watching over them, occasionally looking out the window and glancing in Gaara's direction.
As seemed inevitable Gaara's eyes would rest on Kagome's face. His eyes narrowed in contemplation as he again wondered how Kagome had gotten there. When he first saw her in the hospital, he thought it was an illusion but then she had reached out to him and…
A twisting sensation pulled at Gaara's chest as he watched over them, a lash of something bittersweet hitting him.
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