QOTC: Gaara: Threatening her isn't a way to motivate her.
Temari: Well I'm out of pixie food.
***********************************************
Chapter 35: Gaara's First Love
Clouds part a ray of luminensce light glowering down at the village of Suna, dry as the scorching clement of the deserts and hot as the earth's inner core. The houses were arranged like rows of giant sandcastles, one that almost runs everything with sand.
Hotaru flipped her golden wings made out of Chakra as she hid under a tree below, panting.
The Fairy-nin's S-rank mission as one of Kabuto's warriors, is to seduce the fifth Kazekage.
Hotaru shut her eyes trying to push the thought away. As promised, Kabuto swore to grant her freedom once she had successfuly completed this mission. It remained unclear what his intentions were, but she was given enough information to have traveled this far.
Not that enticing the Kazekgae was all she came in here for, but given as the last of her clan, one of the three most powerful tribes created by the Sage of Six Paths—her ancestors lived a thousand years long enough to sought out weapons. Magic. Antidotes. Chakra dust, as they call it. It's to surfeit your amount of Chakra during battle, and it can only be found in the Kazekage's goulder. His sand. So when her clan was discovered, many people have gone out to after their power, leaving her as the little girl who was forced to run and survive.
Not to mention, she never aged.
She was eighteen as far as she can remember, after reaching the age of maturity. The Tokugawa clan lived for centuries and died entrusting the rest to her. She swore to herself she'd honor their deaths one day, until she had formerly joined the akatsuki and developed a relationship with Uchiha Itachi. He told her stories of the boy who survived in a massacre, and that he never got the vengeance he'd been wanting. He promised her they would have a future together, one where in hatred would be vanished forever. And now, seeing Sasuke how he reminds her of Itachi, and how he grew up to be the exact opposite of him... Come to think of it, why do the good ones die of becoming the hero, and villains get to live with their unending legacy?
She leapt into the tree and flicked her pair of golden-glimmering wings, hoping to see the Kazekage in person.
✞ Եհҽ ղҽ×Ե մϲհíհɑ ✞
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FALLING FOR
Temari slammed a hand into her brother's table, her female strength left Gaara thinking it would crack, but said nothing. "How come you never let me do anything on my own free will?"
Actually that wasn't stated properly. Last night she just stole his favorite jar of cookies and ate without asking for his permission. "You're my sister. And one thing you lack is discipline."
"But I am older than you. I'm eighteen, remember?" She nudged, almost waving a hand to him. "What's wrong with going out with Shikamaru?"
There it is, she finally said it. He sighed. "Konoha and the others will be here soon. We'll be leaving for the next hours." He said bluffly, shutting off the whole conversation. He didn't know how to confront with himself about that slacker but he sure is 'NOT' gonna let any other guy touch his sister without being in favor of that person! And Shikamaru had been dating her ever since but he couldn't bring himself to face him!
"You are so broken up with." She said as she turned through the door, "you know it's okay to love someone. One day you'll end up regretting you should have listened to us. Little brother,"
Gritting her teeth, Temari grabbed her fan by the other chair and dashed out of the room, leaving Gaara in full silence and utter frustrated. Not that this was the first time he had an argument with her.
He stared at his palms, then got up from his sliding chair and stood across the windows, getting a clear image of Suna. It was one of his hobby; gazing at a village with your own eyes while it's still in peace. It was also a good way to cleanse his thoughts.
Yesterday two of his unfriendly siblings have kept on nudging him to get a girlfriend, and that for some reason he should get a grip of his life. What they both meant is that, with those gorgeous looks of his? Temari might have even liked him if it weren't for their unfortunate siblinghood. Have you seen his eyes? His hair? People were disgusted by his looks when he was little, but now, seeing how a matured and well-expected Kazekage should dress up properly, women would die just to get a glimpse of him. Even his students, Matsuri and Sari, have obviously developed a huge crush on him.
When he was a boy, people look at him with fear and alarm, now the villagers look up to him with admiration and devotion. Especially women. They'll sometimes end up in Temari's nerve, or pretending Kankuro didn't exist in his side. When a proclamation was about to be held in Suna, the girls would be sending their flying kisses and greet him with their eyes batting to him. He'd usually brush off the idea of women getting struck with him, because love isn't what he needs right now. He didn't know exactly what he was waiting for.
He always assumed he would someday raise a family of his own, have kids... Live life a little. But whenever an instinct tells him to go and find that girl, he just didn't think he's found her yet.
"Lord Gaara!" A voice came inside his office, starlting him. "We have a problem," He muttered horribly, "an intruder had crossed the border coast of the Sand!"
Gaara was habitually recitent as he didn't flinch, though inside of him felt terror and his guts twist in enigmatical panic. "Send him in. Alive."
✞ Եհҽ ղҽ×Ե մϲհíհɑ ✞
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE FALLING FOR
"Do you think she'll ever wake up? It's been five hours already."
"You never know. The poison I jabbed her is a strong stuff, and Sakura won't be in here even how much her body keeps fighting back. She'll be dead in two days."
"But she's not human. One of Kabuto's original experiments. And they don't die awfully easily, do they?"
"Serves you right."
"What do you say, Gaara? Should we get rid of her?"
"No. Keep her in the dungeons."
Five hours. Hotaru thought slowly. All her thoughts ran quickly as fast as her blood pulse. I have to wake up.
But she couldn't.
Her dreams were getting worse. One after another, like a baseball getting tossed in a current. She saw her mother, asking her to go, escape into the woods, never go back. Her whole town was burned in flames and she could still savor the pile of ashes she held when she came back. That was the time when her wings have finally came into life.
Hotaru's eyelids felt as if they were sewed up. She imagine the peeling of her skin as she slowly opened them, blinking for the first time in five hours.
Light peeped through her intensely, at first she thought she might have seen bright clear sky with white puffy clouds in it. Am I dead? She wondered. Does heaven really look like this? She squeaked her eyes shut and opened them again: She realized she was staring at a rusty old ceiling and an ordinary light bulb attached into it, swinging slowly. Surrounding her were a row of painted white walls and a bar stool. It was the finest jail cell of Suna.
"Temari-san! I told you she'd be awake," said a little girl with short, brown haircut, a chunin, Hotaru thought, as she felt her eyes fixed to her.
Temari exhaled and stared at the girl. "Matsuri, if you want to make yourself useful then you better fetch Gaara." The girl nodded obediently and ran along, easily impressed by everything. She reminded Hotaru of her younger sister who used to point out everything and ask what those are called.
Her hands were chained, and painfully she tried hauling herself in a proper sitting position. Every part of her ached, especially her sore wrists, which were bounded tightly and were enclosed in a metal pole. She glanced around her. The dungeons were clearly not what she'd expected, instead there was a window on top of her, letting little amount of sunlight get past inside, and it wasn't exactly as narrow and filthy as prisons were supposed to. The bar cells that served for her boundary gave her enough space to form her visitor's contours.
"So you're finally awake," said a dry voice. "Gaara will be pleased. You're lucky he didn't want you dead."
Hotaru turned. The woman, whose name is Temari, was perched in a wooden stool against her cell, her dirty blonde hair which was pulled in four sided ponytails still stood, fringe bangs framing the edge of her face. Her black dress was replaced with a T-shirt and fish nets covering her chest, exposing her cleavage. Black skirt that were two inches above her knee, complementing her legs. Her skin remained unblemished and pale as a whipped cream.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Hotaru's voice honed like rubber. "So are you trying to kill me or you're planning on torturing me?"
"Not until we figure out who's behind this." She crossed her legs and stared at her narrowly. "You're not from around here, are you?" She stared at the curse-mark implanted on the side of her neck, three odd figures that almost pictured as paint. "I could tell by the way you took down our men earlier."
Hotaru struggled to pull her wrists behind her waists, but the more she exerted energy the more she felt her Chakra diminishing.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." For the first time Temari didn't look bored but there was a hint of concern in her eyes. "Those handcuffs will keep on absorbing your Chakra if you won't stop fidgeting."
A sudden, stabbing pain made Hotaru want to clutch for her stomach. She groaned. "Poison is on its way. You'll be dead in less than three days thanks to Kabuto's blood injected in your system. You should've been dead a few hours ago."
There was a look of uncertainty that crossed the sand-nin's eyes as Hotaru gasped inwardly. "Y-you knew?"
She chuckled in absurd, savoring the look of thinly disguised innocence on Hotaru's face. "Because I was once." There was a scar engraved on her arm, and it brought back unwanted memories. The pain, the torture... "Amazing isn't it? How you can easily snap your opponent's neck without breaking a sweat."
Hotaru looked at her, perplexed. "How did you get rid of it?"
There was a quick blush on her tanned cheeks. "Someone saved me and it got away." It's a mystery how a cruel woman could easily pull off a gentle smile beyond her most harsh terms. The fairy-nin stared at her doubtfully, wondering what could she had possibly meant. "So who's the Kazekage anyway?"
"Gaara? He'll be here in the minute." Temari said. Hotaru looked at her in bafflement. "Isn't he your boyfriend or something?"
That got Temari's attention. She laughed out loud. "Gaara? My boyfriend? No. Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Well, he lives here with you." Hotaru pointed out.
For a fleeting moment there was a temperant look on her eyes. "He's my brother."
Suddenly a soft brief of wind had embraced her, and she could feel the cold, splashing air coming inside from her windows. There was an awkward silence that paused between the two, as Hotaru just decided to burn the chains using her fire style technique. "What's he look like?"
Before Temari could reply, the wind came hovering again. Hotaru had been so busy breaking free with her chains and distracted by Temari's company that she didn't notice Gaara standing upside down at the ceiling with his arms crossed. "That's enough chitchat for now." He said, leaping into the floor and stood dominantly.
At first Hotaru didn't even register his words. She was too busy staring at him. Like any other children, she was fasnicated by the resemblance bewteen siblings, and now, in full light day, she could see exactly how Gaara didn't look like his sister. He has short, spiky auburn hair which was depicted as red if she were to take a look closely, fair skin, has no distinctive pupil nor eyerbrows, and one thing notable about his appearance was the kanji carved on the left side of his forehead. Love, it says. Temari had dirty blonde hair and stunning teal eyes, something that made her look with arrogance and fierceness like a tiger. The sandman would be most likely described as a strong silent type, elite and very handsome.
"Finally here, huh?" Temari said.
Gaara didn't look surprised, instead he looked at Temari in stoic expression. "I thought I told you to keep her alive"
"Kankuro stabbed her with poison so we could capture her." She pointed out.
So this is the Kazekage, her 'Inner' thought. They gazed at Hotaru with hostility as pure and concentrated as acid. "You're from the Tokugawa clan, aren't you?"
Temari stood from her crossed legs and stared at her doubfully. "Those are birthmarks." Pointing out at her shoulder. As she neared a little, she spotted a pattern inked into her skin, a matrix of swirling lines that Temari thought must have been an ordinary tattoo. "Father used to tell us myths and stories about a legend where in the Sage of Six Paths entrusted half of their power to a forgotten tribe..."
Hotaru snickered and didn't let her finish. "I've been eighteen ever since the battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju was over, I think." Though she felt like she was sixteen yesterday. "It was spontaneous." She said sarcastically.
When Temari had reached for her giant fan clutched into her back, Gaara held an arm against her and shook his head. "Threatening her isn't a way to motivate her."
"Well I'm out of pixie food." Temari said crossing her arms. Again, her brother will never pick her side when it comes down to pretty little women. There was a look on the Sandman's firmly restraining contact as his gaze swifted to his little sister, hardened and unqualified. The sand Kunoichi made no hesitance in leaving the jail cell without having a word spoken.
"What are you doing in here?"
"No reason," She said.
Gaara's voice rasped like foilpaper. "The Village Hidden in the Sand is no place for Rogue ninjas."
"Oh come on, do I look like some wickedy witch of the west? I have wings. " She said, shifting painfully from her seating position. Gaara was peculiarly ticked off by that statement. When he looked at her in the eye, something made the fairy-nin's hair rise up on the edge of her neck. "Hey, I didn't know you had blue-green eyes." She said, gazing at him with those crystal orbs that reminded her of the seas and oceans before centuries. Her heart flutter in response.
He blinked. Because he hadn't thought of that either. "Let's not talk about nonsense in here. Speak and I'll let you live."
"Who cares? I'm dying, anyway. There's no one left I care about." Hotaru said.
He smiled, a dimple surfaced. "No one in particular?"
"I know how this works. True love? It doesn't exist. It's all arranged marriages and business transactions. There's no such thing as love at first sight or first kiss."
"You've got a lot of anger there, haven't you?"
"Hotaru." She clarified. "Why do you even have that thing carved into your forehead?" She asked, pointing at the Kanji that looks like a red paint.
Gaara's fingers flew up into the edge of his head. Love. He was left questioning himself, too. "It kept me going."
This time he stood an inch outside the cell, watching her in a nonhostile curiosity. Of all the prisioners he's encountered, the girls and kunoichis who have been fawning over him, not that Hotaru could be one of them, but there was something about her that is so—abstruse. And lonely. Something he'd experienced a long time ago.
"Tell me, Hotaru." She was a bit startled because it was the first time she heard him mention her name. "If you were given a chance to start over, would you rather choose to be human?"
The fairy-nin got that proud look on her face-that she gets when she thinks she's come up with something really palpable. "What good is a new life if you don't have anyone to share it with?"
Gaara froze, backing off a little. He realized she was having a hard time to move. He had a hard time speaking either, as if all that unemotion side he displayed had dropped, like petals withering in the snow.
"I'm beginning to think we're a lot alike." Gaara said, turning around. Something almost made his back heavier, a weight, more than his ghoulder ever did. "You have a few hours left."
She groaned. "What am I supposed to do here??"
The Kazekage turned once more. Of course she would've wrecked the whole cell with her bizarre magic and pixiecraft spells if it weren't for the chains that absorb Chakra. The bounds were special. They look like a studded, spiky collar on a bulldog's neck. Hotaru hoped those were only meant to scare her. "Not unless you want to see what those bounds could do."
The door was slammed. She did NOT plan on staying here for so long.
***********************************
12.23.13 Monday, 6:13 P.M
MERRY CHIRSTMAS MY DEAR SASUSAKU SHIPPERS! Aww I wish it's already christmas here in Konoha but it's just Feb 12:(
Vomment<3