#then he asks kankuro and then asks temari and he spends all night spacing out thinking about His Crush | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lifeistooshorttowasteyourtime · 4 years

Text

The wind of the sand – Gaara story (Part 5)

Summary: Gaara asks (Y/N) to go with him to a meeting of the Kages in Konoha where she meets Naruto. The night might carry an unexpected outcome.

PART 1 – PART 2 – PART 3 – PART 4

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Kankuro asked Gaara while watching him preparing a small bag for the travel.

“I need you and Temari to stay here” Gaara answered softly “and I will be fine in Konoha. Besides, I’ve asked (Y/N) to come with me”.

Kakuro’s eyes widened a lot, same as a smile stretched across his lips “so you are going with (Y/N) on a trip and you two are going to spend the night there… I understand why don’t you want me to go”.

Gaara sighed turning to his brother “it’s not that. Temari and you are the ones responsible of Suna if I’m not here and I’ve asked (Y/N) because she needs to trust herself more after the last mission”.

“And you feel comfortable with her” the Kazekage nodded slightly and kept tidying his room without looking at Kankuro who was smiling softly “I hope you enjoy your trip, as much as I think those meetings are a pain on the us”.

Gaara chuckled but shook his head “it’s part of our job. But I think she will like meeting Naruto, she admires him”.

“Who doesn’t? He’s the hero of our world” Kakuro shrugged “you will earn points with this then”.

Gaara turned as red as his head making his brother laugh. He didn’t even try to refuse Kakuro’s statement, he couldn’t hide to his siblings which had born in his heart.

For (Y/N), the offer of Gaara to accompany him to the meeting of the Kages was really surprising, but she accepted without a think about it. After their encounter after the disastrous mission, she couldn’t stop herself but gravitate to him. Even though she had been looking for his company for a while, she felt such a strong desire to be with him constantly and she didn’t really know how to confront those feelings.

The travel to Konoha was quite nice, both of them talking and laughing without a care. But once they arrived to their destination, (Y/N) started to get nervous.

She stayed behind all the time while Gaara greeted the rest of the Kages, but when Naruto approached with a warm smiled, she just couldn’t stop staring. (Y/N) didn’t expect him to be present in such reunion when he wasn’t the Hokage (yet). She gulped while watching Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of the shinobi world, greeting with such cheerfulness to Gaara. She knew they got along really well, what she didn’t expect was to see the hero of the shinobi world being so openly happy to reunite with the Kazekage again, calling him friend with the biggest smile.

After the greeting, Gaara turned to look at her a second before talking to Naruto whose attention deviated to her too.

“Naruto, I want to introduce you one of the greatest kunoichi’s in Suna” he put his hand softly on her back to pushed her slightly to take a step forward “she’s (Y/N), a brave shinobi and a friend of mine”.

The Hokage looked at his friends surprised but smiled at the woman brightly “nice to meet you, (Y/N)” he said offering his hand for a shake.

She bowed her head to him shaking his hand “it’s an honor, Uzumaki Naruto, hero of our world”.

“Oi, no need to call me that. There’s no need” he said with a shy smile.

But (Y/N) shook her head “if it wasn’t for you, none of us would be here. And I want to thank you in name of all of my comrades and personally”.

“Well, thank you” Naruto mumbled blushing a bit.

They were all called to step into a large room. The Kages sat around a table while the escorts of the Kages sat in chairs behind them. Naruto stepped into the room too, staying close to the Hokage.

(Y/N) didn’t pay that much attention to the meeting, she just stayed alert in case something happened.

After that, they all were free to visit Konoha if they wished before having dinner all together. Naruto asked Gaara to accompany him through the streets of his village and (Y/N) followed them. She pretended to walk behind them, but both Naruto and Gaara refused and commanded her to walk alongside them. They visited some of Naruto’s favorite places, the shinobi smiling while recounting stories of his past. (Y/N) was fascinated to see the village, even though she knew she had been there along time ago, it was nice to visit it.

They stopped at a park where some children approached Gaara, curious about the man and his red head. (Y/N) and Naruto observed his caring nature with the small ones.

“So, you and Gaara are friends” Naruto said crossing his arms but with a small smile.

She nodded smiling slightly but still looking at Gaara “Temari introduced us, they came to visit me while I was still in the hospital after the war. Then I worked for him in the office, helping his reports and that stuff. And, I don’t know, I guess we shared so many small talked that we formed a bound somehow”

Naruto observed her, paying all his attention “that is not easy, you know?” she looked at him “I’m sure you know about Gaara’s past. I know it’s a bit hard for him to open his heart to anyone, but I think you’ve made your way to it”.

“I wouldn’t say that much” she blushed “but I appreciate our friendship a lot. He’s very dear to me”.

The shinobi smiled brightly “I’m so happy to hear that. And I’m sure he feels the same. I can see it”.

(Y/N) smiled and both looked at Gaara again but Naruto kept talking “as you are close, I must ask something of you” she frowned slightly “take care of him. Of his heart”.

She couldn’t ask what he was meaning when Gaara approached and the three of them went back to the Hokage’s building.

There, the Kages and their escorts had dinner, although the last ones in a table apart from the Kages who kept talking about their own matters. It didn’t scape (Y/N) though, the looks from Gaara to see if she was comfortable, which she reassured with a small smile every time.

When it was time to go to sleep, the both of them were indicated where they would sleep. The suite was big, with two rooms, the biggest for the Kazekage, a bathroom and a small kitchen in case they wanted to have something for themselves later.

“How have you found Konoha?” Gaara asked while they were sitting a small table drinking tea.

“It’s… A cheerful place. It seems all people are energetic, not only the shinobis”.

Gaara nodded “and what about Naruto? I know you wanted to meet him”.

“I didn’t expect him to be so… Em…”.

“Normal?” he asked with a smile.

She chuckled “and warm. He’s really nice and I think he’s a bit shy about his role in the war”.

“He’s going to be a great Hokage one day, I’m sure of it”.

They didn’t speak much after that, soon both of them saying their goodnights and going to their bedrooms. (Y/N) could hear the night of Konoha outside, it was peaceful, it could lure anyone to sleep, but she was painfully aware the closeness of Gaara in that moment. Just across the small corridor. She had been fighting with her growing feelings, trying to convinced herself that what she was feeling was just a huge admiration and friendship for the Kazekage, but her heart had others desires.

Not long after, she heard a whimper. Then a cry. Immediately, she jumped from her bed and ran to Gaara’s, opening the door to find the Kazekage of Suna as a small child. He was tossing in his bed, his brow furrowed and a few beards of sweat on his forehead. (Y/N) gulped and approached him, kneeling next to him slowly. With care, she put her hand over his shoulder and shake him softly but with enough force to wake him up.

“Gaara, wake up. It’s just a dream, wake up” she whispered while her other hand went to his hair, trying to comfort him while caressing the red soft locks.

Suddenly, Gaara opened his eyes at the same time he sat up in bed, his body colliding with (Y/N)’s. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to step his trembling frame. He wasn’t aware that he was finally awake, his breath was laborious against her shoulder. (Y/N) caressed his back and shushed him softly.

“(Y/N)?” he asked pulling away slightly “what…?”.

“You were having a nightmare” she answered with a sad smile and pulling away her arms “sorry for bursting into your room like this”

Gaara wiped out the sweat from his forehead and sighed before looking at her eyes with nothing but gratitude. Then, he leaned in and was the one who wrapped his arms around her. (Y/N) hugged him back leaning her head against his.

“I still have them from time to time. Memories from the past that I can’t make go away”.

“Our scars are the story of our life, they make them who we are today” she mumbled “I’m sure they are painful to revive, but try to think of them as the way to learn what you know today, and who you are”.

Gaara pulled away slightly to look at her “thank you”.

“Don’t worry”.

They looked at each other until she felt herself blushing and pulled away, standing up.

“If I ask you to stay” Gaara whispered looking down “would you?”.

“Without a doubt” she answered right away.

He looked up and moved to make room for her. They lay on their sides, face to face. He didn’t need to say ‘thank you’, she could understand by the look in his eyes. (Y/N) smiled and took the chance to caress his cheek softly “try to rest”.

Gaara put his hand on hers, pressing it against his cheek, which surprised her greatly.

“You make me feel secure” he confessed with wide eyes, his heartbeat rumbling in his ears.

She swallowed and approached her face, leaving just a couple of centimeters between them. Then, Gaara let out a ragged breath and closed the space between them, pressing his lips softly against hers. Both of their eyes fluttered closed and they moved their lips slowly, softly, tentatively. Gaara’s hand that was over hers, travel to her cheek while her hand went to his neck, their lips still tasting the feeling of the other. It was sweet. It was delicate.

When they pulled away, (Y/N) left a soft kiss on his mark, the one on his head, before Gaara took her waist and pulled her closer, hugging him to her.

“Don’t go” he whispered against her hair.

“I won’t” she replied in the same kind.

NOTE: Well, just one chapter left! Thank you to you all for your patience, hope you like it!! xx

#Gaara #Gaara of the Sand #gaara x reader #gaara imagine #gaara imagines #gaara fanfic #gaara fanfiction #kankuro #naruto

47 notes · View notes

kacockshi · 4 years

Text

when he walks in, i am loved, i am loved

also available on ao3

based on this fanart

Kiba wakes up to orange filtered light, slanted shadows inching in the room from between the curtains, pulled together tight in a daily fight against the sun. Arm thrown out as he yawns, his fingers trace across cold sheets and a fluffed pillow and an empty spot because as much Kankuro complains of being tired, he’s still always up before Kiba.

Toes wiggling beneath Akamaru, who is sleeping open mouthed, tongue lolling to the side and legs kicking in the air, at the bottom of the bed, Kiba sits up, resting his weight back on his hands. He can still smell Kankuro in the air, dry and warm and homey in Kiba’s senses, and he can hear the quiet intake of breath from somewhere in the apartment so he knows the boy hasn’t gone far.

“Guess it’s time to get up, Akamaru,” Kiba says as he slips out of the bed and lands bare feet on the cold floor, snorting when the dog merely rolls over and stretches out in the now empty space.

“Fine,” Kiba says, pointing a finger in Akamaru’s face, “But don’t blame me if there’s no food left when you get up.”

Akamaru kicks one leg in the air, brushing off Kiba’s words as he rolls even further into the middle of the bed. Kiba snorts again at the dog, tramping out of the room in search of deft fingers and a loud mouth and-

“Kankuro,” he mumbles when he steps into the bathroom, immediately snaking his arms around the boy’s waist, pressing his lips against the bare skin of his shoulder.

“No biting,” Kankuro gripes right as Kiba sets his teeth against the back of Kankuro’s shoulder. The tone of his voice, snappy and resigned and altogether warm, has Kiba pausing long enough to press a smile into the soft skin there instead. He feels Kankuro sigh and lean forward against the counter, dragging Kiba with him on his back. And then, as Kankuro’s hand is reaching towards him midair, he bites down anyways. Not hard, never enough to hurt the tall man wrapped so comfortably in his arms but enough to get a reaction that puts a flutter in Kiba’s heart as his smirk is traced into Kankuro’s skin and his tongue soothes over the newly sore spot. The hand that was reaching for him, slow and sleepy, now swats at the top of his head as Kankuro curses, “Ow, fuck dude, why are you like this?”

He sounds annoyed but when Kiba lifts his head to rest against him, chin digging into the muscles of his frame, and looks at Kankuro’s face in the mirror in front of them, skin unmarred by paint, he sees a small smile and disheveled hair and has to lean in closer to shove his nose against the underside of Kankuro’s jaw. Pressing kiss after kiss there, down Kankuro’s neck and then back up again, Kiba takes the time to breathe him in, lifting one hand from Kankuro’s waist up to his cheek to hold him still, to press himself even closer to the man in front of him. Chapped lips scratch against soft skin and calloused thumbs rub gentle circles into Kankuro’s hip and sharp teeth possibly snag against Kankuro’s jaw, his ear, his neck. When his fingertips dip too low on Kankuro’s hip, tracing the line of his pants, Kankuro begins to shuffle away, wiggling his shoulders roughly to break Kiba’s hold, all the while biting, “Alright, alright, you mutt, can I get ready now?”

“No,” Kiba growls into Kankuro’s back, cheek shoved unflatteringly against his shoulder blade, muffling his voice, “Come back to bed.”

“I am a dignified ambassador of Suna,” Kankuro says, straightening his posture, “I can’t spend all day in bed with one of the Leaf’s dogs.”

His voice is dripping with sarcasm, biting against the quiet air around them, and Kiba might be hurt by it if it wasn’t for the hand that slides softly down his side to meet Kiba’s, still rested on his hip, and tangle their fingers together. Besides, he’s well aware that the ornery bastard likes spending his day wrapped up in Kiba’s bed just as much Kiba does, they’ve done it before and Kiba has his mind set on trying to talk him into every morning for the foreseeable future.

“You spent all night with one,” Kiba grins.

“Yes,” Kankuro nods solemnly, looking down at himself, “And I have the fur on my clothes to prove it.”

“Hey!” Kiba snaps, pouting at the mirror, “Akamaru doesn’t shed.”

“Did I say anything about Akamaru?” Kankuro asks, meeting his eyes in their reflections and raising one eyebrow, smiling around a laugh at the indignant squawk that Kiba releases. He reaches forward to the cabinet where he keeps his face paint and says, “Now can I get ready?”

“Hmm,” Kiba hums and then removes his arms from around Kankuro long enough to turn the man around, leaning forward to grab the jar from the cabinet, “Let me.”

“You don’t even know how to do it,” Kankuro argues, crossing his arms over his chest, one eybrow still raised.

“You think I don’t know what your face looks like?” Kiba snaps back, “Of all the time I’ve spent-”

“Alright,” Kankuro cuts him off, tapping his foot impatiently, “Hurry up then. I do have meetings to attend, you know.”

“Ugh, meetings,” Kiba mutters, opening the jar and tossing the lid on the counter, “Close your eyes.”

It’s a miracle that Kankuro actually does as instructed and Kiba makes a mental note to thank him later but for now he dips his fingers into the jar, swirling around the mix that is decidedly redder than what he needs. It’s one of his own, blood red and thicker than the everyday purple one that Kankuro brings with him. He really should just lean forward, stretch his arm across the short distance to grab the correct bottle but Kankuro’s eyes are closed and his face is peaceful and Kiba realizes in that moment that he desperately needs to see Kankuro in red.

Dry fingers trace Kankuro’s jaw, pulling it down so he can see better and then brings his paint wet hand up to hover over his cheek. It’s not a decision, really, to paint wide fangs onto each of Kankuro’s cheeks with the pad of his thumb but it feels right and it looks even better. The color is nice against Kankuro’s soft, soft skin, and Kiba takes the time to make sure his lines are straight and sharp. He looks like a warrior, a peaceful face holding back the capability of ferocity. But mostly, he looks like home.

Kankuro, Kiba now realizes, had already long since felt like home too.

“There,” he mumbles, closing the jar and letting his paint wet fingers rinse under the faucet without looking because he can’t take his eyes off Kankuro’s face, “All done.”

“You barely even painted my cheeks,” Kankuro snaps, eyes flying open to glare at Kiba, beginning to turn around as he continues, “I thought you said you knew-”

He stops when he sees himself, leaning in close to the mirror, one hand coming up to hover just over the paint. Brows furrowed, he looks back at Kiba with a squint, “What’s this?”

“Now you’re an Inuzuka too!” Kiba half shouts, still unable to take his eyes off Kankuro’s face, delighting in the blush that is now lightly dusted there, warm and pink. It takes all of his self control not to reach out and trace the fangs with his fingers. He knows the paint is still wet.

“Kiba,” Kankuro says, face shifting around every emotion Kiba can think of. He frowns and blushes and furrows his eyebrows together and finally settles on a confused look that Kiba might consider a little scared on anyone else, “It’s...It’s almost like a marriage proposal.”

Kiba hadn’t thought that far ahead (he almost never thinks that far ahead) but as the words leave Kankuro’s lips it registers just how right it sounds, like everything Kiba wants. He wants to wake up pressed against the lanky man everyday. He wants to feel those long, dexterous, fingers scratching at his scalp every night. He wants to paint red fangs onto Kankuro’s face every morning.

He takes a step forward, crowding further into Kankuro’s space and says, “It could be, if you want it to.”

“You’ll have to move to Suna,” Kankuro argues finally, eyes still searching for something in Kiba’s face.

Kiba shrugs, thinks of the heat and the sand in Suna and decides in that moment that he can get used to it, “We’ll summer vacation in Leaf.”

“There’s not as many dogs there,” Kankuro points out, leaning back against the counter.

“Um?” Kiba starts, looking at Kankuro with unimpressed casualty, “I’ll have Akamaru.”

“You,” Kankuro begins, shifting his weight from leg to leg, “You’ll have to deal with Gaara and Temari.”

“Pfft, you’re siblings don’t scare me,” Kiba laughs around a smug tone, smiling at the man in front of him. When Kankuro raises an eyebrow at him, he relents, mumbling, “Alright, Temari is a little scary but I can deal.”

Kankuro is quiet for a long time after that, staring down at the ground between their feet, feeling the paint dry into his skin as he thinks. Kiba reaches out for him but Kankuro stops him with a wave of his hand, closing his eyes and sighing, “You’ll have to deal with me, too.”

“Uh.”

“Everyday,” Kankuro says, eyes opening to watch Kiba’s face, “Not just when I’m in town. But all the time. And I’m not a nice Leaf nin. We’re meaner in Suna and that’s not going to change just because you’re there.”

“I didn’t expect it to,” Kiba snorts, hands flying out to grab ahold of Kankuro’s elbows, yanking him forward, “I know how marriage works. I want to deal with you everyday.”

“You say that-”

“Besides,” Kiba interrupts, leaning in close enough that the grin on his lips nearly presses itself into Kankuro’s chin, “I like that you’re a cranky brat.”

“I am not-”

“Who wears all black in the desert,” Kiba laughs, this time closing the distance and kissing the tip of Kankuro’s chin, “Who yells at children and hates noise and loves his sister and little brother more than anything else. Who gripes at me all day but won’t ever let go of me. Who feeds Akamaru table scraps when he thinks I’m not looking.

“Yeah,” Kiba smiles, the corner of his lips meeting the corner of Kankuro’s, tickling the skin on Kankuro’s face with every word he speaks, “I’m going to like being married to you.”

“I haven’t said yes yet, mutt,” Kankuro snaps, half strangled, but his hands have found Kiba’s hips, pulling him in closer and holding him there.

“What, do you want an invitation, your highness?” Kiba snaps right back, one hand sliding up Kankuro’s neck to cup his jaw, “Hurry up and answer.”

“Gods,” Kankuro sighs, long and drawn out. He makes Kiba wait for one more quiet moment, two, and then says, “You’re going to be the most annoying husband. I can already tell.”

Kiba pulls back to grin at Kankuro, eyes lit up as his nails dig into Kankuro’s skin, yanking him close to press their lips firmly together. He presses himself tight up against Kankuro and tangles his fingers into shaggy brown hair and nips at plush lips.

“I’m going to paint your face,” Kiba mumbles in between kisses, “Every morning.”

“You’d better,” Kankuro mutters back, dragging his lips across Kiba’s cheek and down to his neck, “Someone might forget I’m an Inuzuka.”

“They won’t,” Kiba vows to Kankuro, to himself, one hand holding firm to Kankuro’s shoulder, “Because I love you.”

Kankuro’s face is sappier than Kiba has ever seen it, eyes soft and gooey, smile small but real as he says the words back. And then they’re kissing again because Kankuro is here, and they’re clan now and Kiba feels like his entire body might burst with the way his skin is buzzing.

They only break apart when Akamaru starts barking from the bedroom and Kankuro gasps, “Fuck, I’m so late.” and rushes through dressing and stumbling his way out of the apartment, leaning in for one final kiss before skipping out of the apartment for the day.

He calls a quick bye over his shoulder to Kiba as he makes his way into the village, fangs still painted sharp and red and proud on his cheeks. It feels right for him too.

#kankiba #kankukiba #kankuro #kiba inuzuka #inuzuka kiba #naruto #naruto shippuden #kacockshi #my writing

125 notes · View notes

shikamarubase · 4 years

Text

The Gift of Family (A Fic)

Written for ShikaTema Shrine’s Secret Santa event. Surprise @ostaranight, I’m your secret santa!🙈I sincerely hope you like it!

[Summary: After a close shave with death, Temari urged her brothers not to travel to Konoha for Christmas]

It was half past five in the evening of Christmas eve, and Gaara was still tucked away in his office.

Work had piled up after he took a few days off to recuperate from the injuries he received when he fought Urashiki Otsutsuki. Unsurprisingly, stacks of paperwork and other issues related to his village awaited him, ones he began to tackle immediately after he was discharged from the hospital.

For the next few hours, Gaara saw nothing but letter after letter of stringed words which eventually began to mesh together into blurs of ink; heard nothing but scribbles on paper and the rhythm of his own heart as it beat to the seconds of the clock; and felt nothing but the ache of his fingers after long hours of stamping and signing his own name on sheet after sheet of official papers. He spared no time for breaks, but continuously plowed through his work with determined focus. So when he finally lifted his head hours later, he was surprised at the orange tint reflected in his eyes as the sun dipped below the horizon.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief as he watched the colors of dusk eventually fade away, replaced by darkness illuminated only by a few twinkling stars. The beautiful night sky above Suna served as his only reminder that Christmas Day was the day after; his office was void of colorful lights and banners, not a single hint of the upcoming holiday aside from the date he encircled on his calender.

He stared at it now, realizing that he and his brother would’ve been on the last train to Konoha at that very moment had they not been critically injured and hospitalized. Instead, Temari specifically phoned to tell them not to bother with the trip and scolded them when they insisted to go. Christmas was one of the few times a year they get to see each other, and Gaara felt a slight pang in his chest when he realized he won’t be with his family as they greet the new year.

He glanced at the paperwork on his desk again. Compared to a few hours ago, they were now neatly stacked in piles according to their respective section and category.

Gaara exhaled deeply. He was beginning to regret his eagerness to finish work, realizing that he no longer had any plans for the holidays other than to spend time with his brother at their undecorated home.

Although he was always glad to have Kankuro for company, he couldn’t hell but feel that Christmas will be a bit lonely that year.

His train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. He swiveled his chair just as Kankuro’s hooded figure appeared behind the doorway.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow at Gaara’s tired eyes and pale complexion. He looked like he aged twenty years since he last saw him.

“Jesus, Gaara. Have you been cooped up in here all day?”

Gaara craned his aching neck. “I thought I should get a bit of work done before the holidays.”

Kankuro shook his head. “You just got out of the hospital, little brother. Don’t push yourself so hard.” He eyed his desk. “And judging from this, you did more than just a bit.”

“I suppose I got carried away.” Gaara shuffled to his feet, stretching his arms over his head while swallowing a yawn. “Shall we head home?”

Kankuro shot him a strange look, but nodded his head. “I came here to pick you up...and stop you from overworking, but I guess I’m a little too late for that.”

He fell silent when they left the office, much to Gaara’s surprise and confusion. He’d known his brother all his life and not once was he able to keep his mouth shut, not even when Gaara threatened his life during his rebellious age.

When they left the warmth of the Kazekage building and stepped into the dark street, Kankuro didn’t wince from the chilly breeze. Instead, his face crumpled as if he was deep in thought. And when a frown began to form on his lips, Gaara‘s curiosity finally reached its peak.

He placed a hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong, brother?”

Kankuro startled. He looked around in a daze, unsure of where he was at first, and then focused his gaze on Gaara.

“How? What—?”

“You were spacing out the entire time,” he explained kindly.

“Oh.” Kankuro jammed his hands into his pockets and lowered his eyes. “Sorry about that. I was just thinking of Temari and how much it sucks not to visit her this year. I already prepared an awesome gift for her and Shikadai! I even put a bit of thought into Nara’s gift. All that, plus my generous heart, wasted.”

Gaara nodded. “I understand. I’m disappointed as well. But we can visit them for New Year’s and give them our gifts then.”

“No, no. That’s not what I mean,” Kankuro groaned loudly and looked up at the sky as if to ask for guidance. “How do I say this? We visit them on Christmas every year. Every year. But we couldn’t this once and suddenly you’re overworking yourself. Do you get what I’m saying?

Gaara‘s hand fell limply to his side. “You mean—“

“I mean we should’ve jumped on that train and went anyway, even if Temari bites our heads off when we get there.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Gaara said quietly. “She would’ve been difficult, but happy to have us there.”

“Exactly.”

Silent fell on them once again, as they continued to trudge towards their home, each occupied in their own thoughts. They fully expected to return to a dark and empty house, eat takeout food before opening their presents, and then go to bed. What they least expect was to find their humble abode blazing in light, as if whoever it was turned on every single switch in the house.

Gaara and Kankuro turned to each other, wide-eyed. Their first reaction was to reach for their shurikens, suspecting an enemy attack before dismissing the idea. Because what kind of idiot would announce their presence so obviously to the two most powerful ninja in the village?

Only Naruto, Kankuro would say.

They quietly crept closer to the entrance, tried to peek in once or twice from the window only to find their view blocked by thick curtains, and crouched down in front of the door.

At Gaara’s signal, Kankuro kicked the door open and was ready to unleash his puppets on whoever was stupid enough to trespass on their property when—

“Merry Christmas!” —their jaws dropped.

Wearing the biggest smile on her face, Temari met them at the front door.

“What took you so long?” She scolded them playfully. While her brothers were still staring at her blankly, she grabbed their wrists and pulled them towards the living room.

“Wha—How?” For the second time that night, Kankuro struggled to find words. “This is a dream, yeah. Temari’s a hallucination. Some other bastard trespassed and put us in a genjutsu.”

“I agree,” Gaara replied weakly, eyes still fixed on his big sister.

Temari scowled, then pinched their cheeks hard. “Who’re you calling a bastard?!”

“Ow owwww!” Kankuro rubbed his aching cheek as reality finally sunk in. It’s really you, Tem? What’re you doing here?”

Temari put her hands to her hips and arched an eyebrow. “To celebrate Christmas with my brothers, of course. Unless you don’t want me here.”

“It’s not like that, Temari.” Snapping out of his initial shock, Gaara spoke up quietly, “We’re happy to see you, but what about Shikamaru and Shikadai?”

“You called?” From the kitchen connecting the living room, Shikadai nonchalantly strolled towards them, game console in one hand and a half-eaten pie in another.

“Greet your uncles properly, Shikadai! And I told you not to eat until they arrive!” Temari turned her back to scold her son. Both brothers inwardly breathe a sigh of relief when her intense eyes were no longer on them.

Shikadai shrugged. “What a drag. They’re here now, and I’m hungry from decorating the house all day!”

What?

Gaara and Kankuro belatedly noticed the major change in their otherwise plain living room. Streams of light hung against the walls, overshadowed by the colorful banners and garlands adorning the chimney. Finally, a tall cactus stood in the center of the living room, with Christmas ornaments hanging from its sharp needles. A pile of wrapped presents sat underneath the Sunan version of a Christmas tree.

Gaara and Kankuro marveled at the sight. It had been too long since they’d seen their home so full of holiday spirit.

Gaara barely recognized the Christmas socks he bought and small Christmas puppets Kankuro built a decade ago. In the last few years, they found no need for decorations since they made it a routine to celebrate the holiday in Konoha with their sister and her family. Temari and Shikadai must’ve spent a long time searching the attic to retrieve those.

“I can’t believe you did all this!” Kankuro‘s eyes lit up in glee. “This is awesome! I can’t even recognize our living room! Can you remember the last time it looked like this, Gaara?”

“Not at all. It’s certainly an enthralling view.” Gaara allowed himself relax for a mere second, before another concerning question popped into his head.

“But does Shikamaru know you’re here?”

Shikadai shot him a strange look before answering, “Dad will be here tomorrow. He’s trying to get work done before leaving.”

“But we could’ve gone instead and save Shikamaru some time—“

“Gaara.” Temari placed a firm hand on his shoulder and looked at him pointedly. “We wanted to.”

“Mom had us riding on the first train to Suna, so that we can celebrate together. But when we’d arrived you weren’t home, so I decorated the living room while mom prepared the food.”

“But you could’ve told us—“

“Gaara,” Temari said a bit louder. “I wanted to make an effort to spend time with my brothers, so stop worrying about every little thing and just be happy we’re here, okay?” She flashed him a smile, the smile reserved for only her most beloved.

He felt a pat on his back and looked up to his brother, who’d sent him the toothiest smile he had ever seen. When was the last time he saw Kankuro this excited, this happy?

A smile began to form on his face. Amidst the warm and cheerful interior plus his dear siblings and nephew, it had never truly felt like home until that moment.

“They’re right.” He chuckled as they stared back at him in confusion. “It is indeed a merry Christmas.”

Because Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

The End.

——————

A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!🤗 I hope you liked this, Bridge. As always, thank you all so much for reading! <3

#sand siblings #Sabaku No Gaara #Gaara of the Sand #gaara #Sabaku No Temari #Sabaku No Kankuro #nara shikadai #I am a rusty mess but I hope it’s still ok huhu

52 notes · View notes

jouissezduprintemps · 7 years

Text

Operation Horror Movie (Part 2/2)

Rating: T - Swearing Words: 3428 Fandom: Naruto Summary: Sequel to Short Attention Span. After Hinata successfully spends time with Naruto, the kunoichi are determined to make it happen again.

Part One

Temari walked down the street, a stack of rented movies in her hand. The best way to go about choosing the movie would be a democratic vote; while everyone might not like the movie, at least their frustration would be on the majority rather than directed at Temari herself for choosing poorly. It was a constant learning process when she spent time in Konoha. She sometimes felt as drained as she did that one time when Kankuro kept himself awake for thirty-six hours. To quote Ino, it could be ‘a lot’.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Shikamaru snapped his fingers in front of her face. She swatted away his hand. “You okay?” he asked, shaking his stinging hand.

“Fine. I’m just trying to think of how to get through this with as little trouble as possible.”

Shikamaru stopped walking, and Temari turned back to see why. He studied her face as he asked, “Why are you doing all this?”

Temari paused, trying to think of a valid response. If she was honest with herself, she wasn’t entirely sure. “Hinata’s a good person. I think she could do a helluva lot better than Naruto, but if it makes her happy…” she shrugged.

He smirked in a way that made her skin crawl. Leaning forward, he extended his index finger and poked her shoulder; it was a rare moment when he knew he wouldn’t face retaliation for being snide. “You’re getting attached.”

“So? I’m here so damned much, I might as well make some friends. Sometimes I want to do more than play shogi.”

“We do more than that.”

“Or watch the clouds and smoke.”

“Don’t make this into a fight.”

“I’m not, but I also want to do something different every now and then. As much as I like what we do, you have to admit, it can be nice to be around people who are higher-energy.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Shikamaru looked up at the sky. “But I still don’t know why you’re letting everyone over.”

“I’m taking one for the team,” Temari admitted. “It’s not like anyone’s parents would want that many of us over. It’s just easier.”

“You know this means that people will know where you stay when you’re here, right?”

Temari grimaced, and Shikamaru chuckled at the look on her face. He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around before walking again. “If you’re not careful, people are going to start thinking that you’re nice.”

“That’s not hard to fix.” Temari lifted the curtain that hung over the entryway to their next destination.

The pair approached the counter, where Temari turned to Shikamaru. “What did you put the food under?”

“Nara,” Shimakaru informed the employee, who disappeared into the back. When he reappeared, he had two large bags in his arms. He set them down, and Temari pulled out her wallet to pay. When she looked back up, he was gone.

“How much did you order?” she asked incredulously, eyes widening by a fraction.

“Enough to feed all of us, plus Choji and Kiba.”

Temari grabbed him by the wrist and turned his hand palm-up before handing him her wallet. “I don’t want to know how much this cost. Just use the money in the back pocket.”

The employee returned, this time carrying two more bags. Temari paled, worried that he would go back for more. To her relief, he stayed at the counter. She did her best to ignore the exchange at the counter, busying herself by reading a flier taped to the wall, which advertised the release of the latest Icha Icha movie adaptation.

“Little help?”

She turned to the counter, where Shikmaru was struggling with the load. She took one of the bags from him, and he could steady the rest. Once they were back on the street, Temari hesitated before asking, “Just tell me: is there any money left in my travel fund?”

“A little.”

Temari flinched. “How little?”

“Let’s just say that your highness isn’t going to be living the royal lifestyle.”

“Don’t be an ass.”

“I was being serious.”

“Every time you use a title or honorific you sound like you’re insulting me.”

“Not all the time.” Shikamaru frowned.

As they rounded the corner of the apartment building, they saw Ino sitting at the top of the steps. Shikamaru and Temari exchanged a glance before approaching the staircase. When Ino noticed them, her head shot up and her face brightened. “There you are!”

“You’re early,” Temari commented, stating the obvious.

“Really early.” Shikamaru looked at his teammate with suspicious eyes.

Ino took the bag from Temari so she could open the door, at which point she shot back, “What, am I interrupting?”

Shikamaru sighed and walked past her, setting the bags down on the table. “Are you coming in, or what?” he asked as he removed his flak vest.

Still not sure if she was welcome, Ino stepped inside and shut the door behind her. “I thought I’d come early and help set up.”

“There’s not a whole lot to set up,” Temari mused. “Shikamaru was going to move the coffee table, but there’s not much else we can do with limited space.”

“There should be a futon in the bedroom closet,” Shikamaru pointed out as he moved the table out of the way. “It’ll fit if we move the chairs back by the couch.”

“I’ve got it!” Ino exclaimed, happy to be of use. It was weird how she was feeling like a third wheel, and she didn’t understand it. She resisted the temptation to poke around Temari’s room and headed straight for the closet, focusing on her mission. The futon was cumbersome, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. She set it down on the living room floor with a ‘fwump,’ rather pleased with herself. A glance at the clock told her it was fifty after six; in retrospect, she was glad that Temari and Shikamaru hadn’t been there when she arrived twenty minutes ago. Talk about a social faux pas.

Relief washed over her when there was a knock at the door, announcing Sakura and Hinata’s arrival. Hinata looked like a scared fawn, and Ino pulled her to the couch, spouting reassurances.

“I told him that everyone was coming here to watch a movie, and the only thing he texted back was ‘ok,’” Hinata rambled anxiously. “Did any of you hear from him? Maybe you, Shikamaru?”

“Nah. I don’t use my cellphone for that kind of stuff,” Shikamaru shrugged.

Temari sat a glass down on the counter with a little more force than necessary. “For the love of God, Nara, no one cares about your personal crap. If your technology was compromised, and if they cared enough to look through your texts and emails, they’re not gonna find anything.”

“No, they wouldn’t, because I don’t use it.”

“For a genius, you’re really fucking stupid.”

“Shikamaru, do you really not use text or email?” Ino asked hesitantly, looking at her teammate with skepticism.

“This isn’t about me,” Shikamaru snapped, trying to divert the conversation. “We were talking about Naruto. No, Hinata, I haven’t talked to him.” Behind his back, Temari answered Ino’s question with a dramatic shake of her head.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sakura assured Hinata, patting her hand. “It’s Naruto. The fact that he texted you back at all is a good sign.”

“What about Naruto?” Choji asked, taking advantage of the door Hinata and Sakura had forgotten to close.

“He didn’t respond to a text that asked if he was coming,” Ino clarified.

“Yeah, he’s really bad at that,” Choji mused, unintentionally lifting Hinata’s spirits. The conversation was forgotten when he saw the bags of takeout on the table.

Tenten peered around the doorway into the apartment, rapping her knuckles against the door before entering, a very reluctant Neji in tow. “I hope you don’t mind that I asked Neji to join us.” Tenten smiled, realizing that she should have asked first.

“It’s fine,” Shikamaru answered, to Temari’s annoyance. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Neji; she thought that Shikamaru was presumptuous to give a response for her. “I didn’t think you were into movies, Neji.”

“I’m not,” he admitted when Tenten left his side to speak to Hinata. “But, I didn’t have much of a choice.”

“It’ll be fun,” Choji assured him with a pat on the shoulder.

A large, white dog bolted through the doorway and jumped on Hinata, bathing her in licks. Temari watched on in disbelief as Hinata laughed, allowing this to happen.

Kiba brought the dog. No one asked me if he could bring the dog. There’s a dog on my couch. She was pulled from her thoughts when Shikamaru sighed, looking at the figure standing over the threshold.

“Kiba, what’s Akamaru doing here?”

“He wanted to come, too,” Kiba explained like it was completely natural. “He loves scary movies.” A sharp whistle caught the ninja hound’s attention, and he obediently put all four paws on the ground. His tail beat heavily against the side of the couch.

“Man, you know you’ve gotta ask-” Shikamaru cut himself off when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto. The yellow-haired ninja was clad in a vibrant set of pyjamas.

“Umm, Naruto?” Sakura probed hesitantly. “What are you wearing?”

“It’s movie night, right? I thought this was a pyjama thing.” Naruto shrugged as he kicked off his shoes. “I don’t know why you guys are wearing your everyday clothes.”

“But aren’t you scared of horror movies?” Sakura pressed, looking at him warily.

“Me? What? No.” Naruto scoffed and stood a little taller. “I’m a shinobi! Like I’d be scared of some stupid movie.”

“Oh, my god,” Ino whispered to herself. This wasn’t just a plan gone wrong. It was a plan that was taken out back and shot with 100 senbon. It was a massacre, and there was no way to save it.

“So what’re we watching?” Naruto demanded as he threw himself down on the futon.

A silent exchange passed between Shikamaru and Temari. Neither of them had planned on this. It was so unlikely that they hadn’t bothered. Taking his cue, Shikamaru picked up the stack of movies and walked into the living room. “Well, we got a few, so we’ll have to vote.”

“Double feature!” Kiba suggested, and Akamaru barked his agreement.

Ino shuffled across the floor, panic in her eyes. “What do we do?” she hissed through clenched teeth, tugging on Temari’s sleeve.

“Nothing.” She saw that Ino needed more explanation. “We have no way of controlling him now that he’s here. He won’t leave with Hinata, and we can’t guarantee that he’ll even acknowledge her. We did this so that she wouldn’t have to worry about getting his attention on her own.”

“I know,” Ino lamented. “But what about Hinata?”

Before Temari could answer, Sai knocked on the open door, offering a smile. He was dressed in a set of pyjamas more outrageously printed than Naruto’s.

“Sai? What are you wearing?” Ino gaped, having never seen him in a color that wasn’t black.

“Naruto lent them to me. He said to wear pyjamas, but I don’t own any.”

Ino shot an accusing glance at Sakura, who mouthed ‘what am I supposed to do about it?’

“Sai!” Naruto exclaimed, waving him over. “Come on, we’re gonna vote on the first movie!”

First? Temari fought to keep from groaning aloud. Shikamaru had tried to tell her that she didn’t know what she’d done by inviting them over, but she assumed he was being dramatic because he didn’t want to put in the effort. Well, if she couldn’t beat them… “I’m going to put on some sweats,” she informed her guests as she walked to her bedroom. “Ino, Sakura, Tenten, Hinata? Do you want to borrow some?” Her eyes told them to come with her, and they all picked up her signal. Temari shut the door behind them before whispering, “What the hell?”

“I’m gonna kill him,” Sakura growled quietly.

Tenten turned sympathetically to Hinata. “It’s okay if you want to go home. I know you don’t like these movies. I’m sorry Naruto’s such an idiot.”

“It’s okay.” Hinata focused on the string pull on her jacket. “I’m just sorry you went through so much trouble.”

“It’s not your fault,” Temari reassured her. “I should have planned for this.”

“Please. Even Shikamaru was surprised,” Ino countered. “There was no planning for him to be a complete dumbass.”

Temari rifled through her drawers, searching for comfortable clothing. “If we go back out there dressed like this, they’re going to get suspicious. Here.” She pulled out some loose-fitting bottoms and handed them to Ino and Tenten, who would fit in them the best; she was worried that Sakura’s slighter hips wouldn’t keep them up. Sakura was handed a pair of drawstring shorts, which she could take in as much as she needed. For herself, she kept her favorite lounge pants.

“Pick whatever shirt you like,” Temari offered, pulling out the drawer above. She took first pick, opting for her favorite tanktop, before letting her friends rifle through. She had just undone her obi when she heard Ino say her name.

“Umm, Tema?” Ino held up a well-worn, faded tee-shirt that she had found. The fabric was soft from wear, and she hadn’t noticed anything odd about it until she unfolded it. She held the back toward Temari, her fingertip tapping the washed-out symbol of the Nara clan just below the collar.

The color drained from Temari’s face. She had borrowed that shirt years ago, and she’d hung onto it because it was comfortable. That was why. They’d buy that, right?

Ino snorted at the look Temari was giving her, and Sakura laughed outright.

“Stop it,” Tenten scolded, taking the shirt from Ino.

“Come on, let me wear it. I want to see Shikamaru’s face,” Ino insisted.

Tenten hid it behind her back and narrowed her eyes. “We’re not here to meddle with Temari’s love life. We’re here to meddle with Hinata’s.”

“It’s not like everyone here hasn’t figured it out,” Ino protested with a frown. “I just wanted to have some fun.”

“Leave them alone, Ino.” Sakura withdrew another shirt and shoved it against her friend’s chest. “Don’t make me play the Sai card, because I will.”

“Whatever.” Ino took the shirt she had been handed. She would have plenty of time to mess with her teammate later on, after Temari left.

Temari pulled the wraps from her hair and shared a glance with Hinata, who gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Hurry up, already!” Naruto shouted as he knocked on the bedroom door.

Sakura opened the door and glared at him in a way that sent a chill down his spine. Naruto glanced past her, having noticed that Hinata hadn’t taken the same liberties as everyone else. “You know, if you want to go home and change, we’ll wait.”

Hinata shook her head, slipping out the door. “I think I’m just going to go home,” she admitted, feeling awkward.

“Well, I mean, if you want to.” The disappointment in Naruto’s voice was clear.

She looked down at her feet, mumbling “I guess I could stay.”

“Yeah, get over here, Hinata!” Kiba shouted. “Don’t worry, Akamaru won’t let you get scared!”

“Come on.” Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her over to the living room.

Thinking ahead, Sakura lay claim to the smaller chair. She knew that Naruto would sit with her if given the chance. With her move, the scramble began for the best viewing spaces.

Neji claimed a seat on the couch and looked ready to fight anyone who tried to take it. He’d grabbed Tenten’s wrist in the fray and pulled her with him, earning her the second seat. Sai had already been sitting on the couch, suspecting that this might happen. He beckoned Ino to join him; it would be a bit of a squeeze for four, but not anything uncomfortable.

Shikamaru had taken the large, plush chair for himself.

“Move,” Temari told him, and he gave her a strange look. “Move over,” she repeated, and he obliged, confused by her instigation of physical proximity.

This left Choji and Kiba on the floor, along with Naruto and Hinata. Choji had been preoccupied with the food, and Naruto and Kiba were too focused on getting Hinata to stay. None of them were pleased with the result, but they had no one to blame but themselves.

“So, what did you pick?” Ino asked when Kiba put the movie in.

“Presumed Dead. It’s some reanimation, zombie thing.” Shikamaru shrugged. “It sounds pretty cheesy, but hey, majority rules.”

The film itself was, from the very beginning, gratuitous in every way. It became clear that Hinata did not like body horror. Her face was buried in Naruto’s shoulder, trying to trap out even the light on the screen. Naruto sat ramrod straight, like he was watching a train wreck. He couldn’t look away even though he wanted to.

Kiba lay on his stomach, completely dedicated to the movie. He’d tried yelling at the screen, but Tenten pelted him with a chopstick with alarming accuracy. She’d made him get up and bring it back to her, adding insult to injury.

Sakura watched, almost bored. She’d been a medical ninja for years now; after working in a hospital, nothing was quite as scary anymore. Sai was also unfazed, although his detachment came from an entirely different training. Ino had grabbed his knee when she jumped at a pop scare, and her fingers were digging into his skin. She was unaware of it, and he didn’t seem to mind.

Tenten was riveted, repeatedly telling Neji to focus on the movie. Neji was feeling sick to his stomach, and although he tried to look out the window and avoid the film, there were only so many times a man could take a punch to the shoulder.

Temari had twisted around in the chair so that her back rested against Shikamaru’s side, her legs thrown over one of the arm rests. Both of them kept gesturing at the television and whispering in harsh tones as they critiqued the movie and the poorly-written protagonists.

As time went on, they became invested in the film. The plot was at least somewhat compelling, and the series of plot twists kept them on their toes. Even Hinata had started watching.

Unable to get his master’s attention, Akamaru let out a loud, sharp bark. Ino shot clean off the couch and over the back. Neji seemed frozen in place, whereas Hinata swayed and fell back on the futon. Naruto was on his feet, trying to hide his terror by being aggressive. Once their hearts stopped pounding, Kiba snapped, “Damn it, Akamaru!”

“Your dog’s an asshole!” Naruto shouted, glaring at his friend.

“Oh yeah? Well, screw you. He just needs to go out.” Kiba stood and walked to the door, stopping to scratch Akamaru’s head. “I’m sorry, boy. I should have realized.”

Tenten started to laugh at the absurdity of it all, which snapped Neji back to reality. Sai turned in his seat and leaned over the back of the couch. “You can come out now, beautiful.”

Trying to maintain some of her dignity, Ino stood and walked around the couch to take her seat. Sakura couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s mildly disheveled appearance.

“Damn, woman,” Shikamaru grumbled, prying Temari’s hand from on top of his. She’d left fingernail marks in his skin. “What’d I do?”

“C’mon, Hinata,” Naruto urged as he helped her sit back up, an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Hinata put a hand to her head. “I’m okay.”

“God, you people are dramatic,” Kiba complained once he opened the door. Akamaru let out an apologetic whimper when Naruto and Ino glared daggers at him. Kiba stalked back to his spot and sat down in a huff before pressing play on the movie again.

Ino abandoned watching the movie, instead noticing that Naruto hadn’t bothered to move his arm. She cheered internally when Hinata found the courage to rest her head on his shoulder. She leaned over Sai and tapped Sakura, gesturing to the miracle. Tenten caught on and made Neji get Shikamaru’s attention, then gestured for him to make Temari look. With a tap against her leg and a point, he succeeded in showing her what Tenten wanted.

Ino leaned in so that she could whisper to Sakura. “This is a helluva lot better than ramen!”

#naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto fanfiction #drabble #hinata hyuga #tenten #ino yamanaka #sakura haruno #temari of the sand #shikamaru nara #naruhina #shikatema #saiino

20 notes · View notes

onceandalwaysenglishmajor · 7 years

Text

The Babysitter's Squad

Fandom: Naruto Rating: K Pairing: Gen Words: 2497 Summary: Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon are making bank babysitting. Moegi shuffled some papers as she waited for Konohamaru and Udon. Even though they didn’t have a mission, they had a very busy week ahead of them. That could change if they were to receive a mission, but Moegi doubted Lord Hokage would give them an assignment. The Uzumaki’s had date night planned this week. “Sorry, Moegi!” Konohamaru panted as he slid to a stop. “We got caught talking to Naruto.” “It’s all right,” Moegi said. “I was just looking over our schedule for the week. If we don’t get a mission, that is.” “That is highly unlikely,” Udon said. “Lord Kakashi never sends us out of the village when the Uzumaki’s need a babysitter, if he can help it.” Konohamaru snickered and put on his best Kakashi impersonation. “I helped raise one Uzumaki and that is more than enough for a lifetime!” The three young ninjas burst into laughter. Moegi called them back into order. “We do have a lot to do this week,” she said. “Rock Lee is leaving on a mission, which means we’ll need to rotate who spends nights at his apartment with Metal, as well as one of us having him at all times.” She unrolled a scroll and starting sketching out a schedule. “Tuesday is the Uzumaki’s date night. Can we still handle Boruto and Himawari with one person, or do we need to bump it up to two?” “I’ve got them,” Konohamaru said. “You’ve got Metal that night, right? That leaves Udon free to back either of us up if we need it.” “Or if Sakura gets called into the hospital for an emergency,” Udon added. Moegi frowned at her scroll. “Sasuke’s on a mission, right? Has Sakura given us a schedule of when she works at the hospital?” Udon produced a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Moegi. “She gave this to me this morning, said see what we can do,” he said. Moegi smoothed the paper and added more notes to her scroll. “Thank goodness she’s off Thursday,” Moegi said. “That’s Shika-Ino-Cho night.” “That’s this week?” Konohamaru groaned. Moegi nodded. “That will take all three of us, especially as we have Metal as well, unless Rock Lee is back from his mission. We were at the akimichi house last month, so we should be at the Nara’s this time,” Moegi said, double checking some of her notes. “Let’s try to keep Inojin away from anything she could use to paint the walls this time. Getting the grape juice off the walls before anyone got home was awful last time.” All three shuddered at the memory. “I didn’t know you could use ink jutsu on grape juice,” Konohamaru said, shaking his head. “At least we’re at the Nara’s, so everything should be Shikadai-proofed,” Udon said. “With Chocho feeding him information, and their combined interest in getting those cookies, it was a near thing,” Moegi said, shaking her head. “Remind me why we do this?” “Ramen budget,” Konohamaru said immediately. “We’re making bank. More regularly than we would from missions, too. And we’re the best.” “We should be,” Moegi said. “We’ve been doing this since all these kids were born.” “And no one else is willing to take them on,” Udon said. “They’re just not as brave as we are!” Konohamaru said. Moegi turned the scroll so the boys could see. “All right, here’s the game plan for the week…” “Moegi, can I talk to you, Konohamaru, and Udon before you leave?” Temari asked. Moegi stopped, a sleeping Metal in her arms. “Of course. What can we do for you?” She asked. “My brothers are coming to visit, and we were hoping that we could get everyone together for a night out. Would you be willing to babysit?” Temari asked. Moegi glanced at her teammates. Konohamaru nodded. “How many kids?” Moegi asked. “And where would we be babysitting?” “All of your regulars, plus my nephew Shinki, so 8?” Temari said. “And we have the most space, so you would be babysitting here.” Moegi had a quick, non-verbal conversation with Konohamaru and Udon. “When?” Moegi asked. “Two weeks,” Temari said. “And we cleared your availability with the Hokage.” Moegi nodded. It made sense, especially with a visiting dignitary involved. “Anything particular we should know about your nephew?” Moegi asked. “I’ll ask Gaara and get back to you,” Temari said. “All right,” Moegi said. “We’ll get it on the schedule.” With so many toddlers involved, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were extra careful in their planning. They had contingency plans. Shinki was a bit of a wild card, as he was the only one they hadn’t babysat before. They arranged with Temari to meet Shinki (and allow the Kazekage to check them out) before the rest of the kids arrived. Udon shuffled nervously as they knocked on the Nara’s door. Konohamaru elbowed him in the side, and Udon stilled. It was Kankuro who opened the door. “Temari! Your babysitters are here!” He called over his shoulder. “Come on in,” he told the group. Gaara, Kazekage of the Sand, sat on the couch next to his sister, a chubby, dark-haired toddler on his lap. He stared emotionless lay at them as Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon bowed respectfully. Shikadai came flying in from the kitchen and launched himself at Konohamaru’s knees, shouting a garbled version of the young ninja’s name. Konohamaru caught Shikadai and tossed the screeching toddler into the air, catching him easily before setting him back on the ground. Moegi looked to Gaara for permission before kneeling down and trying to coax Shinki off his lap. The toddler didn’t budge. Temari elbowed Gaara, who finally nudged his son off his lap after losing a staring contest with Temari. Moegi lured him to her with some stuffed toys from her bag, letting out a small gasp when Kankuro took control of them with his chakra strings. He laughed from the doorway, then came to sit on the floor next to Moegi. “Good choice,” Kankuro said to the younger ninja. “He should be pretty easy to deal with, though he does tend to follow Shikadai’s lead, and Shikadai’s a little shit when he applies himself. And try walking around with him to get him to sleep, it’s about the only thing that works when Gaara’s not around.” “Kank, what have I told you about swearing in front of the kids?” Temari scolded. The doorbell rang, saving Kankuro from a more thorough verbal lashing. He winked at Moegi. “Good luck, kid.” “Gaara!” An excited green blur paused only long enough to hand Metal to Udon before wrapping the Kazekage in an excited hug. The babysitters tried not to stare as the taciturn Kazekage actually returned the gesture. Sai and Ino followed Rock Lee into the living room. Konohamaru took Inojin from Sai and tickled him, checking for hidden paint brushes at the same time. Finding one, he handed it back to Ino before setting Inojin on the floor with Shikadai. The akimichi’s arrived next, just beating Naruto and Hinata. Temari surveyed the chaos in her living room, mostly caused by the adults trying to catch up with each other while Konohamaru’s team tried to wrangle six toddlers into a semi-organized activity. Sakura arrived last, Sarada on her hip and a slightly pained look on her face. “Sasuke got called away on a mission,” she said by way of explanation. The babysitters exchanged looks, and Udon took Sarada from Sakura and settled her on the floor next to Inojin and Chocho who were already involved with some coloring pages. Himawari was settled happily in a bouncer, and Konohamaru chased Boruto and Shikadai around in some version of tag. Shinki watched from behind Gaara’s leg, one chubby fist in his mouth. Temari unofficially took on the rolel of leader, herding the adults out of the room. Gaara knelt down and talked quietly to Shinki before Rock Lee tugged him up and toward the door. “They will be fine,” he reassured the Kazekage. “Konohamaru’s team is the best at this. They watch Metal for me whenever I have a mission.” Gaara nodded at what Lee said. “I trust your judgement of character,” he said, looking around the room one last time before allowing Lee to lead him out. Moegi breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes getting the adults to leave was the hardest part. It used to take a solid half hour to get Naruto to leave when Boruto was first born. And Choji was even worse. The Kazekage actually did quite well, considering. Moegi wondered who he got to watch Shinki for him in the Sand, or if Kankuro was the only one he trusted. Inojin was wandering toward the walls, fat purple crayon in his hand. Udon intercepted him. Konohamaru caught Boruto and Shikadai. He tickled them and the boys shrieked. Moegi whispered something to the kids coloring, and they abandoned their pictures to jump on Konohamaru. Moegi laughed as he tried to tickle all six toddlers at once. Shinki still hung back from the chaos. “Do you want to help me with supper?” Moegi asked him. Shinki nodded solemnly. “Konohamaru! Udon! I’ve got Shinki, we’re going to get supper ready. Keep the others occupied, all right?” Udon let out a sharp whistle that distracted the tickle fighters. “Who wants to go on a bear hunt?” He asked. “Me, me, me!” The kids yelled, having played this game with Udon before. Konohamaru retrieved Himawari from the bouncer and balanced her on his hip so she could play too. Udon knelt down to the kids’ level and started the story. Moegi moved to the kitchen and Shinki padded after her. Moegi set out enough plates for all the kids. She pulled a chair over to the counter and settled Shinki into it. “Sit all the way back,” she instructed him, “I don’t want you falling out.” The toddler sucked on his fist. Moegi set six crackers on each plate, then cut up slices of Bologna and cheese into small, non-choking hazard sized pieces, carefully watching Shinki as she worked. He hadn’t moved, just studied her with his dark eyes. She cut grapes into quarters and smiled as she heard Udon chant: “Can’t go over it! Can’t go under it! Can't go around it! Gotta go through it!”. The kids giggled as the tromped noisily after Udon through the house. Moegi picked Shinki out of the chair and led him back to the living room. “We’re going to have an inside picnic!” She told him. “Can you help me set up the blanket?” Moegi dug a large, red and white checked, waterproof picnic blanket out of her bag. Shinki took his fist out of his mouth to help her spread the blanket flat. Moegi arranged all the plates on the blanket, Shinki following her back and forth to the kitchen. She could hear the bear hunt wrapping up as Udon led the kids back the way they’d come at a frantic pace, running from the ‘bear’. They skidded into the safety of the living room, collapsing in a giggling pile. Boruto caught sight of the food, but Konohamaru caught him around the waist before he could launch himself into the middle of the blanket. “We walk nicely, remember, Boruto?” Konohamaru said. He set the blond on his feet and helped Udon and Moegi herd all of the kids into place. Udon grabbed Himawari’s bottle out of her diaper bag and went to the kitchen to warm it up. Moegi and Konohamaru did their best to keep the mess of seven toddlers eating confined to the picnic blanket. Udon gave Himawari her bottle while Konohamaru and Moegi encouraged the other kids to help them clean up. Not that they were overly helpful. Metal tried to carry all of the paper plates at once, then cried when he dropped them. Quiet Shinki helped him pick them up. Moegi grabbed the edges of the picnic blanket, trapping the mess inside so she could shake it out over the trash can. Konohamaru rinsed the skippy cups out in the sink as each child brought them to him. “All right!” Konohamaru said. “Let’s get everyone’s mats set out, then we can watch a movie!” They had learned the hard way that trying to get more than one kid ready for bed after a movie was sheer chaos and a recipe for disaster. Now, they got all the kids ready for bed, teeth brushed and into their pajamas before they started the movie. If they were lucky, most of them would fall asleep watching. It was still chaos, but at least it was chaos before they got the kids settled. Inojin tried to paint the room with his tooth brush. Boruto ran around naked while Konohamaru attemted to wrestle him into his pajamas.Shikadai tried to bring every stuffed toy he owned out into the living room. (There were an unusual number of stuffed cacti.) Metal ran laps around the living room, yelling something about youth. Shinki did his best to follow the older child. Deciding that they were mostly ready, Moegi clicked on the tv. This distracted Boruto long enough for Konohamaru to catch and dress him. “Metal,” Moegi called, “You’ve run enough laps, time for a movie!” Metal stopped suddenly and Shinki ran into his back, knocking them both down. Moegi scooped both boys up and deposited them on their mats before anyone could decide to cry about it. Once Himawari was asleep, Udon laid her in the pack and play and moved to help his teammates. He started braiding Inojin’s hair while Konohamaru worked on Sarada’s. It helped avoid morning tangles. (And the tears that came with untangling.) The brightly colored movie quickly caught the kids’ attention, allowing the babysitters to get them settled on their sleeping mats. Shinki wouldn’t stay on his mat, crawling into Moegi’s lap instead. Most of the kids were asleep by the half-way point of the movie, so Konohamaru snuck out to pick up ramen for their supper. They sat on the couch, eating their ramen and watching the end of the movie. The babysitters moved to the kitchen when the movie was over, still keeping an eye on their sleeping charges in the living room. They played cards quietly while they waited for the adults to return. “Bets on how late and how drunk?” Konohamaru asked. Moegi swatted him. “That’s not appropriate!” She said “But Naruto, Temari, and Ino will probably have a bit too much. Lee never drinks, Sai doesn’t see the point, and Hinata is still nursing.” “And it doesn’t matter how much Choji has,” Konohamaru pointed out. “What about the Kazekage?” Udon asked. “I’m not touching that one,” Moegi said. “People we see everyday are one thing. The leader of a neighboring country is something else completely. Not touching it, not talking about it, and I advise you not touch it either.” As usual, Moegi won the bets.

#Naruto #Konohamaru #Moegi #Udon #babysitting #the old crew goes out #babysitting happens #they're good kids #Naruto next gen kids

7 notes · View notes

cyb-by-lang · 7 years

Text

OSF AU - All the Little Children (12/?)

There is a bit more if you were wondering. It’ll be up relatively soon, and once everything is assembled, I will post everything on The B-Plot.

Sometimes, they trained.

(Keisuke’s voice would say, "Punch from the hip, everyone!"

Luffy’s would respond in a deafening shout of, "BUT MY PUNCH IS LIKE A PISTOL!"

"I don't care if it's a cannon! Learn how to throw one in case you can't use your powers!" And Gaara never learned exactly how Keisuke expected Luffy to fight without his Gomu Gomu no Mi past that, because Naruto and Ace got into a brawl again.)

Other times, they doused fires set by the Goa nobles and evacuated the residents of Gray Terminal, with the help of the Dadan bandits (strong-armed at worst and reluctant at best), and the mysterious Revolutionaries. Naruto didn’t know as much about fighting fire with his primary nature transformation, but he could shout and keep the air clear while Fū led people to safety. At the same time, Gaara divided his sand between keeping Ace, Luffy, and Sabo out of direct danger, and corralling the fire into a manageable area. All while someone with a force-based Devil Fruit physically shoved trash mountains out of the way.

Gaara was the only one who didn’t stumble back up the mountain covered in soot early the next morning, and almost the only one who didn’t end up with a cough from inhaling smoke. His sand armor took care of that, for the most part, and Wind Release ninjutsu took care of the rest.

The fire wasn’t a part of their routine, but it didn’t have to be. It was just another wild night in this unfamiliar world, which became more and more like home every day. Each dawn brought a new adventure, though the challenges they faced on Dawn Island were generally limited to other people. There were no enemy plots, no politics other than what Keisuke and sometimes Dadan would complain about, and no foes beyond what they could handle. For Gaara, it was like a vacation—or at least what he imagined vacations could be like, from books. He even got to celebrate birthdays, which he’d never experienced genuinely before.

But all things came to an end, eventually.

Exactly a year after their mysterious arrival, Gaara woke from his two-hour daily nap because Sabo was shaking him.

“What is it?” Gaara rasped, then let out a faint noise of pure shock as he saw his hand gripped between both of Sabo’s.

He could see right through it. Not perfectly—the outline was still there, and Gaara could still make out his tendons and the veins visible through his fair skin—but it was like he was a mirage. It was like he was fading right out of the world.

Gaara reached out, and Sabo hugged him hard enough to make him grunt in surprise. With the blond’s top hat poking him in the face, he heard the crying start. Though Gaara still wasn’t much for hugs, despite spending so long with Luffy around, he found himself gripping Sabo with as much strength as he thought the other boy could stand. Gaara might have been the weakest of his group when not using his Tailed Beast-granted powers, but this place had taught him the value of physical strength. Even with his body disappearing before his eyes, he had some left.

Was this how he had arrived? Gaara didn’t remember it, and neither did anyone else he’d asked, but this—

“Don’t disappear!” Gaara’s eyes darted to the side, and he spotted Ace shaking Naruto by his collar with tears in his eyes. “Fight it, you jerk!”

“I’m trying!” Naruto snarled back, but his voice broke on the last word and his arms wrapped around Ace’s neck. “I don’t want to go!”

Luffy wailed, wrapping his arms around a fading Fū. While snot dripped from his nose and rivers of tears burst from his eyes, he sobbed, “Y-y-y-you s-said you’d join m-m-m-my crew, Fū! Th-that we’d g-g-go be pirates!”

Fū just let out a wordless, hiccupping sob, her face crumpling as much as Luffy’s had. She crushed Luffy against her chest, as little as it mattered.

“I should not be able to see through my own tail!” Shukaku bellowed, unheeded by anyone else. “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!”

“I wish we knew.” Chōmei’s voice was still clear, though he was fading as much as his brothers were. “It doesn’t feel any different than just existing…”

“That hardly worries me now,” Yang Kurama said, his ears flattening against his head. “But is it happening to all of us? Even my other half?”

Keisuke’s voice interrupted the crying and the pleading, utterly controlled. “From what I can tell, probably.”

When Gaara could look past Sabo’s hat, he saw Keisuke and Isobu approaching, with Dadan at their backs and visible straight through them. Gaara’s grip on Sabo tightened minutely, but he didn’t know if Sabo would even notice when he was trying to squeeze him to death.

“Do you know what’s happening?” Gaara asked, his voice coming out calmer and more level than even he expected.

“How the hell should I know, brat?” Dadan demanded, but his stare rested on her long enough that she started to fidget. As low a standard as she set, Gaara privately wondered if she wasn’t still better than his father. Dadan had never been Gaara’s favorite person, but she was better than Garp and seemed to care about Luffy, Ace, and Sabo, despite all the shouting. And now, though her charges were distressed but perfectly healthy, she was already digging handkerchiefs out of her shirt. “Damned little shits, always making m-m-me—I’m not crying!”

“None of us said anything, you hag!” Ace snapped, scrubbing furiously at his eyes with his forearm. But he didn’t let go of Naruto, who had one hand fisted in the back of Ace’s shirt to keep him from moving too.

Gaara looked to Keisuke again. “Keisuke…”

Keisuke sighed aloud, running a translucent hand through her hair. “Near as I can tell, we’re not dying. But…” She shook her head. “We might be going home. None of us remember how we got here, right?”

That got three nods, and Gaara’s heart sank. He wasn’t the only one unhappy with the idea, but he was certain he was the only one with nothing to go back to. His father, his uncle, Kankuro, and Temari were physically present, but nothing more. He could still keep in contact with Fū and Naruto, but they were in different villages. Fū wasn’t even from an allied one...

“You don’t know that for sure,” Sabo said, his voice dull.

“I don’t. I can’t,” Keisuke admitted in a low tone. She and Dadan sat down nearby, and Keisuke crossed her arms while Dadan sobbed and engulfed the much smaller woman in a bear hug. From somewhere in the middle of it, Keisuke’s voice managed an audible, “I’m sorry.”

“If—If you’re going home,” Luffy managed, through his ongoing hiccupping sobs, “then y-y-you’re not gonna c-come back!” He clung even harder to Fū. “I-I don’t w-w-want to say goodbye!”

“I-It’s not goodbye,” Fū insisted, lifting Luffy’s head so he could meet her eyes. “It can’t be!”

Whatever was going to be said next was drowned out by a trio of shrieks, as all three of the ASL brothers suddenly lurched through their FNG counterparts. Sabo suddenly dropped to the ground, where before he’d been actually hugging Gaara. Looking around, he spotted Luffy stuck in a spool of his stretchy arms while Fū stood up and reeled in horror, and Ace suddenly stumbled as Naruto’s weight was removed. Kei stepped out of Dadan’s grip, passing through the space like it wasn’t real.

Or like they weren’t really there.

Gaara got up and tried to extend a hand to Sabo to pull him up, but his hand passed right through as though Gaara was a ghost.

“Can you still see us?” Naruto asked, looking at his hands and gripping his own arms. Gaara didn’t know what to make of the expression on Naruto’s face. Maybe he’d start crying, too?

Ace swung a pipe through his head, to no effect. Fat tears welled in his eyes, as he choked out, “Of c-course we can, you idiot!”

“Well, I didn’t know and had to make sure—ah!” Naruto squeaked suddenly.

Gaara had some idea why. His fingertips were disappearing into thin air. When he looked further, he could see his toes doing the same thing, and a quick glance confirmed that it was happening to Keisuke, Naruto, and Fū.

“Stop doing that!” Dadan shrieked, but her attempt to slap Keisuke in the back of her head went entirely unnoticed as her hand passed through. “A gh-gh-ghost?!”

“No!” Fū was disappearing even faster, with motes of yellow-white light swirling around her like fireflies. Her eyes, though, were trained on Keisuke. “Please, there has to be some way we can stay here. Don’t you know any fūinjutsu that can help?!”

“Fū, I—”

“You’re supposed to be nearly invincible! Y-you have—if not you, who?” Fū’s arms were vanishing even as she cried. In a tone of surprise as well as desperation, she continued, “If—I don’t want to never see any of you again, even you!”

“Keisuke, is there a way?”

Keisuke frowned, then crossed arms that were barely there anymore. “I don’t know yet.”

“Promise you’ll help me try!” Naruto interjected. His jaw was starting to vanish, and the firefly effect was getting more intense. He turned his attention to the ASL brothers, then nearly begged, “Please, don’t forget us.”

Gaara lifted a hand, holding it out, and Sabo did his best to rest his fingertips against the mere outline of Gaara’s. It took him a few tries and a loud sniff to get his dribbling nose under control, but Sabo did it. And he said, “We’ll never forget.”

“I can’t ever forget!” Luffy flailed his arms, trying to hug Fū and failing.

“Everyone, maybe—” was as far as Keisuke got before she vanished into thin air, taking Isobu with her.

Naruto eyed the spot where she’d last been, ground his teeth, and said, “We’ll talk. All of us. When we—” And then he was gone, too, as was Yang Kurama.

“Hopefully we’ll see you soo—” Fū managed, before she faded away with Chōmei.

Gaara set his hand on Sabo’s shoulder, though neither of them could see it. “Thank you. For being my friends.”

“H-How dare you make us cry!” Dadan screeched, as all three of her adopted sons cried in earnest.

And then the world went dark.

#Ocean Stars Falling #All the Little Children #Gaara #Fu #Naruto Uzumaki #Portgas D. Ace #Monkey D. Luffy #Sabo #Curly Dadan #Keisuke Gekko #Isobu #Shukaku #Chomei #Yang Kurama

75 notes · View notes