Chapter 3 (I Don't Care)

"You may end up regretting this." Gaara tilts his head toward her as Akira gives him a side glance.

"Everyone here is already against me, may as well make it worse." Her tone is dry and the corner of her lips is tugging up as Gaara purses his. She barely got him to agree to this last night, going on errands around the village with her. Temari usually went with her, but she said she was busy today and although last night had went well Gaara is still nervous. Even now he is more than ready to back out if it meant helping her social standing.

Gaara had stayed later than he wanted, enjoying the tea and scanning over the scroll while Akira simply leaned back and sipped her own. He had asked a few questions last night about the scroll, about what she herself liked to read (which had surprised her, and him), before he finally left. He doesn't care for the girl personally, considering he just met her. But Temari cares about her, and he is trying to care about Temari, thus by that logic, he really shouldn't be seen with Akira. Yet he's here, trying to help her in place of his sister, due to his want for change. He gives her a look as they walk slightly exasperated.

"If the village is against you, you should be trying to fix that." She tilts her head to look at him as they walk and makes a face.

"I was being sarcastic Gaara. The village isn't against me, but they don't trust me since I'm still relatively new here. And if going on missions and being a good ninja for almost a year hasn't help then," she shrugs as they veer toward a shop. "That's their problem."

Gaara pauses at the entrance and moves to the displays outside pretending to be interested as she goes in. He has been here before with Kankuro getting supplies for his puppets, and he is far from welcomed by the owner. Akira glances at him once before going in without him. She is happy he has accompanied her; she doesn't need him in all the stores she plans on going to.

Akira smiles at the shop keeper as he nods to her. The people here she has noticed are intelligent, strong, and gruff. They don't welcome her with open arms, but she does not blame them all things considering. Instead she gives to the village and tries her hardest to train and protect her home. Though they met her with apparent indifference, the shop keeper's eyes light up when they see her, and his face softens. She couldn't tell at first when he started showing such softness but now that she's started to notice, she has also realized it is how people here show happiness.

"Your order here is ready."

"Thank you," she says taking the wooden box she had left her kunai in. She has stopped checking the work months ago. It is one of the many reasons he softened toward her.

"You may want to wait to go outside." Akira looks at him and follows his gaze through the windows at Gaara who is still outside poking around the displays. Akira watches Gaara through the windows with the man, and only sees an awkward boy trying desperately not to be awkward.

She doesn't see a killer.

But images are deceiving since she herself is only five feet and one inch tall, and she doesn't look much like a killer either.

"If you mean my friend it's fine." Her voice is soft even though she is trying and failing to find understanding in his bewildered eyes. "I know the rumors and I didn't make this decision lightly. But I am friends with Lady Temari, and I trust her when she says he's changed and better."

"You didn't know him before." The shop keep warns her one final time.

"But I know him now, and that's what matters. We all have pasts. We're shinobi," she ends it with a wry smile and a shrug. "I do hope I can keep being a regular, your work is fantastic."

The shop keeps eyes drift back to Gaara as he considers her words.

"Just keep your friend outside and I'll keep doing the work."

"Fair enough, you shouldn't be troubled when I'm the one who made the choice." The shop keep snorts at that but continues to watch her leave with kind soft eyes. She reminds him of his own daughter, and he can't help but give her some leeway.

Even if a part of him wants to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her as she walks away with the sand demon.


They stop at a few more shops and Gaara realizes that the trip has circled them back to Akira's house. He's carrying an extra bag and he hasn't stopped glancing at the box taking up most of the room in Akira's arms. He hasn't asked yet but then again, he isn't still sure about this. He has not minded spending time with her on the errands though he is skeptical.

He understands she doesn't care. Understands she is just looking for a friend, but….

He recalls a few shops had gone almost deathly quiet when he entered. Shop-keeps had eyed them as they wandered through collecting various things off Akira's list. Akira had nodded and smiled and acted like nothing changed. She even asked Gaara a few things on his opinion regarding a new sharpening tool (he recommended the kind Kankuro bought), but other than that he was silent. It still made people uncomfortable, but he has realized at some point he hadn't been for once in a long time.

They get back to her house and he helps put away groceries once she places the box on the table. He catalogs the information of where things go, and he follows her up the stairs when she gathers the box in her arms once more.

He pauses at the entrance to her room and sees bookshelves lining one wall from ceiling to floor crammed with books and scrolls. The far wall has a window and curtains that are pulled back brightening the room. The other side has a small desk pressed against the wall and a recliner turned toward the window. In the middle a wide bed spans littered with a few open scrolls, a bloodied shirt, and now the wooden box.

"Well this is my room, it's a little bit of a mess but you're more than welcome to come here if you want." She says as she opens the box and pulls out the contents.

Gaara tilts his head and examines the black kunai inside. There's a slightly blue sheen to them when the light hit them, and they've been sharpened and tuned to perfection. The handles are wrapped in a thick black leather that's now worn from use. They're beautiful and deadly instruments and he side glances at Akira who shrugs.

"When I passed my Chunin exam my brother gave me these as a present. They were originally my father's and he's kept them safe and taken care of for me. Supposedly the metal is from space, but I have no idea. I highly doubt it personally. But they do have a small seal on the pommel." She hands one of the kunai to Gaara and picks up another pointing to the small characters carved on the curve. "The seal connects to the user's charka so if they ever get thrown at me they veer away. I can also call them back with the use of charka strings." He carefully places the kunai in her open hand as she packs them away.

"I only use them on either one-man or two-man missions. I like to think they help keep me safe." She stands with her box and smiles at Gaara who shuffles awkwardly out of her way and sighs.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asks hesitantly as she looks at him and shifts the box in her arm as she sighs.

"Here." She gestures him around the bed and over to the chair as she finally puts the box away. He sinks in a little too much for his liking and he remembers then that his gourd of sand is by the table downstairs. He hadn't realized he has slid it off until now as he sits, and Akira sits on the bed and takes a breath.

"I don't know anyone here besides you and Temari. And frankly I want us to be friends not because your sister wants us to be but because I feel like we can actually help each other." She shifts and sits cross-legged on the bed as she looks at him earnestly. "I won't pretend to fix you or know how to deal with you sometimes. I may get angry and hurt but I made my choice to stay and try. If this doesn't work out then oh well we tried to do something different and frankly," she pauses as she looks at Gaara and smiles.

"I would like a friend I didn't make through some village program."

Gaara blinks at that, at her sincerity and bluntness. "I-I won't- don't-."

"I'm not asking you to know what to do in this friendship. I have no idea what I'm doing half the time." She says gently as he looks at her.

"I may hurt you. I won't try but I-I want a friend." He swallows more nervous than he would care to admit and she gives him a half smile.

"All I ask is that you respect me. If you can do that then we're friends. Would you like to stay for dinner? I have plenty to read." She gives a half laugh as she gestures to her towing display of books as Gaara takes a breath.

"I have to see Temari and Baki first. I have some work to do." He says, and he likes that she doesn't frown but nods in understanding.

"Well dinner is in 2 hours, my mother would like to meet you, and if you want you can bring your work over." She nods to the desk and Gaara once more raises a shoulder.

She manages to get a few more responses out of him. Things he liked to read, who Baki is, before she escorts him downstairs and to the door.

"Oh, before you go, remember how I said my home is open anytime?" she asks almost shyly as he nods.

"Well during the day my door is always open but if you need me at night I recommend knocking on my window. My mother sleeps on this floor and she needs her rest since she isn't up all night like me." Gaara considers the information a moment and nods.

"Ok and," he pauses and tries hard to show his sincerity as he looks at her. "Thank you. For taking a chance."

This time she blinks surprised before giving him a slow grin, teeth and all. "Thank you too, for letting me."


"You've got to be kidding me-." Her mother hisses as Akira interrupts. They've been arguing for a short while now cutting over each other, but it's all light-hearted. Akira giggles at the hiss before trying and failing to speak.

"If he comes-."

"You better hope he doesn-."

"Mama!"

"Aki-!"

"I thought you would be glad I made a friend?"

"I-." Akira grins at the knock on the door and all but bounces over to it. Her mother is exasperated, dinner is done, and she bubbly to show her new friend. She calms herself as she opens the door as Gaara nods in greeting.

"Gaara-." Akira starts as her mother moves around her daughter and looks down her nose at Gaara.

"My name is Kana. I am Akira's mother, and I have a few rules to go over with you." She says looking unflinchingly as Gaara takes off his gourd and nods respectfully.

"First, no one is harmed in my house. Second, don't talk shit about my food, and third, we pull our weight around here. I made dinner, Akira washes, and you can help make tea." She winks at the end as Akira rolls her eyes.

"She's joking-."

"I can make tea." Gaara nods as Kana looks at her daughter and raises a shoulder.

"I like him already." She laughs and Akira grins and Gaara eats a warm meal with a small but happy family.

Shukaku listens and watches and examines Kana. He feels unnerved by the older woman who looks so much like her daughter, but he keeps it to himself.

The last thing he needs is Gaara learning how to tamper with seals from this woman.


Gaara is sitting in the recliner reading a scroll as he scribbles notes down on a separate paper. The desk has been taken over by his notes and a cup of tea that belongs to him. Akira is sprawled on the bed, the book from the hospital lying next to her, and its sequel in her hands. It's dark already outside as Kana went to bed hours ago and Gaara decides to leave once he's finished.

Dinner had been interesting with short questions and answers about how their days have gone, missions, and new shops. Gaara is used to quiet dinners but isn't used to being looked at expectedly for how his day has gone. He isn't used to the teasing from mother to daughter or the dry comments from daughter to mother. He told them of the errands he ran with Akira, of Temari's surprise at the invitation to dinner, and how Baki stared as Gaara gather his work and left. By the time he was done, he had felt like he had overshared, and his throat was dry from speaking.

Akira lets him overtake her desk and move her chair around as need be. She barely uses the study area, though she does like having it there for her to put her tea on. Silence befalls them but Gaara can hear her steady breathing and the turn of pages. He isn't sure why he feels relaxed here and as he finished his last note he pauses and looks down at the desk.

This change has been bigger than he thought it would be.

But that doesn't make it a bad thing he decides.

"Akira?" he calls not turning around as he hears her shift on the bed.

"Hmm?" she hums as Gaara tilts his head back and looks at her over his shoulder.

"Could this…" he pauses unsure for a moment before gulping. "Could this happen more regularly?" he asks.

"Yes, come over whenever you're free. Dinner is at the same time regardless of whose home, but I do have a mission coming up in a few days. You're more than welcomed to the desk though." She gives him a grin and Gaara gives her a pleasant look back.

"Ok."

It would take some work getting used to Akira and her mother. It would be sometime before he feels truly comfortable being here, but as he glances at her again laying on her bed, hair spread out in a halo with a book raised over her head, he realizes that this would be worth it.

He would make it worth it.

-End- Song Choice: I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy is personally one of my favorite songs. I wanted to use this as the title since Akira doesn't care if the village approves. That and it was stuck in my head writing this chapter. I suppose you can try and say Gaara and Akira are finding happiness even with their misery on their sleeves as well.

Well I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time!