Jinchuriki of Water (Shikamaru Love Story)

Chapter 12: Hiroshi - Knee Deep in Sand Trouble

As promised!

Oh! and I'm not going to reveal Melody's Twin until his chapter! XD

ON WITH THE SHOW!  

***3rd POV***

He would never admit to anyone, but he was nervous. He was an earth bender with a lot of responsibility as the oldest brother of the guardian siblings: Ryu, Kaida, and her twin. He was walking in the desert mid-day with no food or water. He ran out a day and a half ago. If he didn't have his Chickyu sabanto (sub kekkei genkai) Hiroshi would be lost. He sensed a group of people 3 miles away from his location. They were stationary but he couldn't determine much else because of the ever shifting sand. The hunch back with tattered dark brown rags used his kekkei genkai to harden the sand to make it easier to run on and hurried in their direction. The direction of water and answers.

When Hiroshi was about to cross the last dune. He slowed down realizing he couldn't reveal his kekkei genkai to strangers. They may ask "Why are you moving so fast if you are supposedly unsure of your direction when you claim to not be a ninja?" He momentarily thought of his Flame-Brian brother, Ryu, and prayed that he had the same amount of caution. Panting, he made his way into the view of the unknown group of four. Three kids and one adult and all four had headbands with metal plates engraved with "squiggles." Hiroshi spent a week reading at the library in the land of Rivers. He spent about 4-8 hours a day there collecting information about many cultures and people from many places. Especially the rules of ninja and the Village Hidden in the Sand. Hiroshi now realized just how hidden it was and he needed to rely on these four strangers to help him in his time of need, despite the fact that three of them had kunai drawn and a small red-headed boy with a stink-face glared while doing nothing.

"Sand ninja..." Hiroshi muttered as he limped over to them.

"Halt!" the adult who had half his face covered by a veil spoke first.

"Who are you and what is your purpose?!" The blonde girl with four pig tails spoke next.

"My name is Hiroshi.... My purpose...? I'm not too sure." He spoke honestly, still walking towards them.

"Are you an idiot? We told you to stop moving!" Said a guy with purple make up.

"Look, I don't have time to play games here. I won't threaten or hurt you if you give me water."

"HA! You think that you could actually injure any of us? In your condition?" Inquired the arrogant blonde.

"Isn't that what you think? You have your kunai drawn in preparation for an attack against a teenager that clearly isn't a ninja." Hiroshi coughed from the dryness of his parched throat.

"Fine." Said the red head. Sand handed Hiroshi a canteen of water and drank it greedily. Hiroshi was unfazed by this action, because of his kekkei genkai he was used to it.

"Gaara!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Gaara! This man is a stranger and could be acting like a civilian for all we know! He could indeed try to kill us!" Gaara got up and started to walk adjacent to the direction Hiroshi came from and started to speak.

"Baki... I don't care if you die. I know that he can't kill me, so I don't care." He mumbled but everyone heard him clearly. The whole team bent their heads down with wide eyes Hiroshi observed their reactions and realized that Gaara's kindness was a mere whim. After a moment of silence...

"So that's how it is. I thank you... Gaara, was it?" Hiroshi spoke, choosing his words carefully.

"Yeah." Said the boy.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but would you mind letting me tag along to your village?" Hiroshi kept his question short with no other explanation or continuation. He knew this "Gaara" character wouldn't care to hear it.

"Do as you please." Gaara looked Hiroshi straight in the eyes. This would have intimidated most people but Hiroshi stared back with an unwavering gaze and nodded. Hiroshi was not most people. Gaara's eyes narrowed and he continued on his way, not waiting for anyone to catch up to him.

'Please don't do anything stupid you three...' The hunchback with dark green eyes prayed to his siblings that were days and weeks away at Kami knows where doing Kami knows what.