It had four months since Aikio had died. I had kept myself busy with mission since then. Tsunade had tried to get me to tell her more about Aikio dying but I never answered her directly and eventually she stopped asking. I was actually on my way to see her now. She had given me a few days off to rest from all the missions I had been going on. I knocked on her door and heard a 'come in' I opened the door and walked in. There were three people at her desk. None who I recognized.
"I'd like you to meet your escort." Tsunade said gesturing to me. "She's a top anbu and will make sure you arrive home safely." An escort mission? That sounded boring. I was normally doing the cool stuff like hunting missing ninjas or capturing rogue ninja's.
"Now before you start complaining about this being a boring escort mission," Tsunade said giving me a pointed look. "I'd like you to know you will be escorting the kazekage back to the sand village. He has his team with him as well, so it shouldn't be to hard to fend of attackers." She tells me, I nod understanding.
———————
We had been walking for hours. Why did the sand village have to be so far. I complain in my head.
"Can't we take a break, I'm tired." Complained Orochi in my mind. I mentally scolded him while reminding him I was the one doing the walking. The sand village was five days away if we walked. It had only been half a day and I was already tired of walking. Plus having the anbu mask on my face was starting to make me hot. Not to mention it was turning out to be a ver6 boring escort mission. No one had attacked us, I hadn't even seen any traveler's on the rode yet.
"Alright let's take a break, I'm starting to get tired." Temari said, I silently thanked her and took a seat against a tree trunk. Leaned my head against the tree and closed my eyes. My peace was short lived when a felt a pair of eyes on me. I opened one eye and looked over.
"What?" I ask, the red haired boy who had been staring at me for the past few minutes.
"Nothing," he said a bit startled he had been called out. "Just wondering what you look like under the mask." He mumbled.
"Then you should've just asked." I said with a small smile, he gave a confused look till I started taking the mask. I sat the mask down on the ground finally giving my face some air. We made eye contact for the first and stared at each other. I started to notice more about his looks. He was pretty good looking I thought. Then I realized we had just been staring at each other. I felt a blush creep on my face as I looked away. He had a similar reaction, which made me blush even more because of how cute he looked when blushing.
It wasn't long before we started walking again. I had left my mask off, even though it was against the rules and everything. I also ended up walking next Gaara. It took everything I had not to look at him. I don't know why but I just suddenly have the urge to look at him and never look away. He just made me feel a weird way, a way I've never felt before.
It soon became dark outside, which meant we would be stopping for the night soon. Lucky enough we were by a small hot spring inn. We headed in and asked for rooms.
"We have a two bed room available." The lady at the front said.
"That's fine, thank you." Temari said grabbing the keys and leading us to our room. There were only two beds meaning someone would have to share. Temari volunteered herself to share a bed with Kankuro, which he wasn't to happy about. But she insisted on letting me take the empty bed. Apparently Gaara doesn't sleep, they said it was a weird condition. I didn't ask questions and took the empty bed.
But there was another problem. It was mixed bathing, which would normally be fine since no boy wants to perv on his older sister. But of course I was here now, and that Kankuro dude screamed perv. But I really had no choice, so I followed behind Temari and into the water. I went to the far corner with her. I sank below the water till it covered everything.
Soon the boys came out and joined us. They stayed more towards the front of the hot spring. Which wasn't to far from us considering how small it was. Temari had started making small talk with me but I wasn't really paying attention. Suddenly I felt someone tap my shoulder. I look over at Temari.
"You're staring," she said,
"Huh?" I say completely confused. She gave me a knowing look.
"You've been staring at Gaara for the last few minutes." She said smirking, I felt heat rising to my cheeks. "Would that happen to be a blush?" She asked slyly. I squeaked throwing my hands up and covering my face. "You wouldn't happen to have a little crush on Gaara, would you?" She asked. Crush? Is this what a crush feels like? I've never had a crush before so I couldn't tell.
At this point I was so red I could be considered a tomato.
"Well I think that's enough soaking for me." She said, "Close your eyes." She instructed the boys, as she exited the water and wrapped herself in a towel. I honestly didn't know why she was leaving already, we had barely soaked at all.
"Kankuro, I think you've soaked enough as well." She said giving him a look. He seemed confused at first before grumpily agreeing and getting out of the water and heading inside with Temari. Now it was just me and Gaara. I suddenly realized what she was doing. That sneaky girl left me in Gaara alone together in a hot spring. I could feel the heat on my cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Gaara said coming closer. "You're all red. Do you have a fever?" He went to feel my forehead. But of course I panicked.
"No, I'm fine. I'm actually done soaking now, and going to head inside now." I say very fast, practically running out of the hot spring. "Close your eyes!" I tell him. I grabbed a towel and ran inside so fast he didn't even have time to question what had happened. I closed the door quickly and grabbed clothes to change into then sprinted to the bathroom to change.
By the time I had finished changing Gaara had come in and they had already ordered food. I had never seen so much food in my life before. I honestly didn't know how to cook very well so I had been making simple food when I'm home at the leaf or just going and buying meals. I suddenly felt a twinge in my chest. Aikio used to make all the food for me. But I quickly pushed those feelings away and took a seat next to Temari.
After dinner we headed to bed. I headed to the empty bed and snuggled up in the blankets. I felt my eyes get heavy quickly and fell asleep. Though I didn't stay asleep very long or at least it didn't feel long. I tried going back to sleep but nothing worked so I ended sitting up in bed. That's when I noticed Gaara wasn't there.
I stepped out of bed and slid shoes on as quietly as I could. I tiptoed out of the room and quietly opened the door to the outside. The Inn was next to a lake and I could see Gaara sitting on the edge of the dock. I made my way over there taking off my shoes and laying them next to his. I walked over and took a seat beside him placing my feet in the water below.
"Couldn't sleep?" Gaara said after a while. I shrugged.
"Just not used to the company." I say looking at my feet in the water.
"You live alone?" He asked glancing at me. I nod my head. "What happened to your parents?"
"They died when I was really young. My brother raised me." I tell him.
"What happened to him?"
"He died a few months ago," I tell him. I looked up at the night sky and at the stars. "Why don't you sleep?" I asked generally really curious. He hesitated a bit.
"If you don't want to tell me it's fine." I say quickly, thinking it must be something personal or something.
"No it's fine," he says, "I have a tailed beast inside me. If I fall asleep it takes over my body." My eyes widen, I hadn't expected that answer. He was like me. Was that why I felt this connection to him. "You probably think I'm a monster now." He said looking away from me. My eyes widen thinking he must've taken my silence wrong.
"I don't think your a monster." I say quickly, he looked at me. "Actually I think it's pretty cool that you have that. It probably means your super strong too." I say with a reassuring smile. A small smile appeared on his face.
"I'm glad I got to know you Gaara." I say after awhile. "I don't exactly have any friends. So being friends with you means a lot." I say smiling again. He looks at me, a bit shocked.
"We're friends?" He says.
"I-I mean if you want to." I say quickly panicking that he didn't want me to be his friend. I never really had friends either but I thought this was what it felt like to.
"Friends," he said in his deep voice, "I like that." A small smile appeared again. At this point I was about to faint from the overload of feelings he made me feel. And that smile, I loved seeing it. What was happening to me?