Frozen Past (A Naruto FanFic/Gaara Love Story)

Endings

"You know what's really sad?"

"What?"

"For the past two days, I have done nothing but imagine pairings for all our friends."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Kiba asks, barking out fits of laughter. I smirk at him.

"I'm bored, Kiba!" I suddenly latch onto the front of his jacket. His laughter cuts of abruptly. "Bored! Do you understand how incredibly BORING it is to not be able to train or do anything related to being a Ninja?! DO YOU KNOW KIBA?!" I demand, shaking him violently with each syllable.

He sweat drops.

"No."

"Thought so," I smirk, sitting back.

I lean back on my elbows, watching the clouds go by. Me and Kiba are currently on top of Mount Hokage, above the carving of Minato. Personally I think he would have been the greatest Hokage had he lived and fulfilled his reign. But we can't change the past so...

"Who'd you pair me with?"

"What?" I mumble, shooting him a sidelong glance. He grins childishly, tucking a dozing Akamaru further into his jacket.

"The pairings," he says slowly. "Who am I with?"

"Didn't get that far," I admit, shrugging, before throwing my hands behind my head carelessly. "I'm still stuck on Sakura."

"Doesn't Naruto have a thing for her?"

"Doesn't mean I like them together," I mutter, eye twitching just at the thought. "Besides, he's with our dear friend Hinata, remember? She's obsessed with him, and forever will be. Poor lovesick child."

"It is a little creepy," he agrees. He throws back his hood and sniffs deeply.

"What's that weird look on your face?" I ask, jabbing at his side.

"What look?" He continues to sniff, his features scrunched together cutely. But now he rubs his side in an irritated fashion, and I grin to myself. I've always been good at poking.

Man, that's a sorry skill to have.

"It looks... like you're actually concentrating!" I exclaim in mock surprise. He frowns at me. "I'm trying to figure out if everyone's left yet," he explains, taking another deep sniff.

"Crap!" I exclaim, jack knifing to my feet. "Help me get down from here!"

"What's wrong, Akari?" Kiba jumps to his feet also, struggling to keep from waking Akamaru. The little Ninja Hound is still recovering from his fight with Sakon and Ukon or whatever. Shikamaru told me all about his fight, same with Kiba and the others. Though I had to ask Lee, who I couldn't believe was up and about so soon after his surgery, about Gaara since the Sand Genin, understandably, refused to speak about it. And I must say, the idea that Sakon and Ukon were two people inhabiting the same body scared the crap out of me.

I mean, I was talking to that guy! What if they like switched in the middle of a conversation?!

I knew something was off about that guy.

"Gaara, Temari and Kankuro are all leaving!" I shout, jumping onto the Inuzuka's back. "Now mush! Before we miss them!"

With a sigh, Kiba picks his way down from the mountain and starts hopping roofs. Yeah, they let us back up here on the condition that we keep away from flammable things while funerals are in procession. That was an easy enough thing to agree to.

We soon near the Village Gates, and I spy the Sand Siblings talking with Shikamaru, about to take off.

Feeling kinda bad about it, I kick Kiba in the side lightly, urging him to move faster. He throws me a scowl and grumbles, "You are so lucky I love you."