Chapter 11
There was a bounce in Naruto’s walk as she made her way around the village. It was a day before everyone had been requested to return to the tower and Kurama had just returned to his seal, making her feel a bit more safe.
She had yelled at the sandaime once she had finished her conversation with her teammates, saying he had no right to marry them off. Well he did with her as she was his ward and adoptive child but still. He had apologised and stated it had been a mere suggestion that he would take in accord for the future since the relationship between the nations was still on edge and an alliance like this would have secured them forever similar to the Uzumaki and Senju clan being united due to the shodaime’s marriage.
She hadn’t let him off on that and had yelled again about him not telling Sakura’s parents they couldn’t get her married off without her consent and he had replied saying he had thought they would know since a parent would want information about a job role before their child starts it. He had been shocked, though he concealed it well, that her parents hadn’t known and called them into his office telling them shinobi laws.
To say they weren’t amused was an understatement. They had yelled for five minutes before she set off a large amount of KI towards them and they had ceased their idiocy. No one wanted to upset the honourable daughter after all.
She had also met up with Temari a few times during those few days and the two blondes shared simple techniques or memories of their nations as Konkuro sat quietly watching them and Gaara stood in the back, brooding.
She had approached him once and he had tried to attack with his tail, however Kurama’s cloak had done her wonders to stop the attack. Another thing was the two boys hadn’t figured it out she was a jinchuriki and she had been taking some time to study Gaara’s seal.
Looking at the seal made her want to vomit or claw her eyes out. It was old, crude and dangerous. It was no wonder Gaara was unstable, and that his mother had passed away not long after his birth. Temari had told her the story and when she had spoken with Baki he had said Lady Chiyo had been the one to create the seal.
The name had sounded familiar so she had asked Kakashi sensei why and he had given her a fake smile, stating she was the grand-mother of the Red Sand, Sasori, a puppet-master who was Konkuro’s idol growing up.
Thinking of Konkuro made her think of how he was treating her. Apparently he had been told he was a prospective husband for her and had been… cooing towards her. It was so innocent that she could puke. She would have preferred he be himself and leer at her instead.
A plus side to this new turn of events, Gaara seemed to be in a worse mood than usual which she liked to believe was him being jealous. That or he didn’t approve of their ‘relationship’.
She hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going and had only started paying attention when a sudden stab of pain coursed through her side. She didn’t yell out, but she did flinch and clutch her side.
Glancing down she saw she was hit by… sand. Looking up she saw four wide eyed Suna shinobi. Baki, Temari, Konkuro and Gaara.
She clutched her side tighter when Kurama began healing her and all four of them came rushing. Okay, Gaara walked slowly but a girl could dream couldn’t she?
“We are so sorry Lady Uzumaki!” spoke a frantic Baki as he rifled through his pocket, no doubt looking for medical supplies.
She raised a hand and gave a bright smile, removing her hand from her healing wound as she did so, “No need to get any medical supplies, Baki-san. My Uzumaki blood means I heal a lot quicker than you would think.”
The two siblings looked worriedly between each other and once Gaara came over they moved to the sides of him as his eyes glanced her healing wound, however he said nothing.
Baki looked to her wound also and furrowed his brows, clearly never seeing someone heal as quickly as she was. She cocked her head to the said, smile firmly in place, “It wasn’t a very deep wound anyway.” She was trying to get the attention off her, it wouldn’t do anyone any good for them to put two and two together and figure out what she was.
“Wasn’t that deep?!” yelled Temari whose eyes had yet to return to their usual size, “I can see- WE can see how much blood came out of that wound! There’s no way that should have healed that quick!” she pointed to her wound which was nearly completely healed and she made a mental note to thank Kurama for that.
She shrugged and gave Temari a pointed gaze and the other girl calmed down and gave an understanding nod. The others didn’t press on the topic and she was about to leave when a voice startled her, as did the hand on her shoulder, “Apologies.” With that the voice and hand left her however she could feel the heat and her heart didn’t stop racing.
She was sure she was red in the face as she nodded her head and carried one walking hastily. She had reached Team 7’s usual training grounds however she still hadn’t returned to normal.
No one had told Gaara to apologise to her, no one had told him to touch her, and no one had told him to whisper it into her ear.
The fact that he had done it on his own volition had made it, to her, a lot more intimate and no doubt if she told Sakura, she would say it was in Naruto’s head. That he was simply trying to stop her and apologise to her without others hearing but she didn’t want to hear any of it.
‘You seem to be living in your own fancy thoughts as of late.’
She jumped, having not sensed his presence inside her head before jumping up the tree and sitting as she entered her mindscape.
‘What are you on about?’ she asked.
‘I would have to agree with your thoughts of the pink haired ningen. Shukaku’s host bares no emotions besides negative ones for you, and that’s being generous.’
She scowled, ‘Well considering all you feel is hate for the Uchiha clan I don’t think you have much room to talk, do you, you giant fuzzball?’ she hissed at him.
Not one to outdone he growled with squinted eyes, ‘I am merely helping you. That boy does not understand love and would never be able to love you.’ Of course Kurama was Kurama, so he threw her out of the mindscape and she received the image that he was going to sleep whilst grumbling to herself.
She sat there, leaning against the tree as she thought about what everyone was saying. Her team, Temari, Baki, the sandaime and Kakashi sensei had all said the same thing yet none of them stopped her. Naruto had only ever been able to learn through trial and error and it seemed even matters of the heart would be the same.
The thought made her deflate however the images she had seen flashed in front of her again, and she was reminded of those beautiful teal eyes, expressing more emotion than she could name as he smiled at her.
She shook her head, once again determined to not allow what people said to her to get to her. She would not stop perusing Gaara, they were so alike yet so different that they would make a good couple. She had learnet things about the silent red head despite his quietness.
Granted, most was from Temari, however she had learnt a lot about his behaviour and mannerisms such as when he was irritated with authority he knew he couldn’t kill, his eye would twitch and he was thump him index finger twice against the palm of his hand.
She was jostled out of her thoughts by three very loud voices. Looking down she saw Konhamaru, Moegi and Udon standing at the base of the tree, clearly yelling at her. Each supported red cheeks and large smiles even shy little Udon.
Smiling at them she jumped off the tree and ruffled each of theirs hairs, “What’s up?” she asked once she had thoroughly irritated them enough.
“Big sis! What’s this about you marrying that perve?!” yelled Konohamaru as he and the others all pouted and crossed their arms. The sight was even funnier considering they all had red cheeks as well yet she managed to keep a normal face. Just barely.
She sighed and shook her head, “It’s nothing Konohamaru. He’s a prospective husband for me, just like Sasuke and Kiba and Shino or even Shikamaru. Although, I don’t want any part of this one. If I have to marry a foreign ninja so be it, but I can choose them all by myself thank-you.” She gave them a nod as she crossed her arms causing the three of them to unwind and chuckle.
“But big sis! The old man said you liked that scary red haired guy!” he whined as he latched onto her leg, an indicator he wanted picking up.
“Now, now Konohamaru. You ought to know better than to listen to the old man.” She tutted as she picked him up and placed him on her shoulder and turned a bright shade of red.
“Sh-she must like him Konohamaru! Otherwise she wouldn’t be blushing!” yelled Moegi and she scowled and pouted at her.
Girl code broken.
“Sis!” whined Konohamaru and she flinched, he was too loud and too close to her sensitive ears to be yelling.
Her predicament was bad as it was however the presence she hadn’t felt earlier made it a lot worse than before.