Hurricane [Gaara]

Chapter 26

Months began to pass, Gaara getting used to his new title as Kazekage. It included a lot of paperwork, assigning teams to missions, signing documents, reviewing reports, and trying to stabilize what remained of the strained relations with Konoha from Orochimaru's attack. Temari had been sent to the Leaf countless times to talk with the Hokage and her Council. They started trading information, helping build onto Suna's Academy, and organizing the ANBU Black Ops to use the same program they utilized when training. Their accuracy rate went up, and everyone improved greatly. Tamahome worked with Sakura and Tsunade, learning how to enhance their hospital and swapping medical jutsus to help all kind of patients that came in. Sanchi aided the Academy by becoming a teaching assistant to students who possessed Clan specific abilities, seeing as he possessed his own. Meanwhile, Azmaria was kept busy running around on Gaara's orders, and heading up the ANBU Black Ops with the Captain Commander, Kazuo.

Suna was prospering, after suffering the horrible loss of their former Kazekage, and not having a leader for over a year.

Many nights, Gaara would get back late from the Kazekage Building and come home to darkness. Everyone would be asleep long before him and tonight was no different. After changing into baggy sweatpants and a loose shirt he left the bedroom. As Gaara walked back from the kitchen, having gotten a glass of water, he found Azmaria's bedroom door slightly ajar. A quick glance in revealed the Soldier laying on her side in bed, back to the door, a thin sheet just barely covering the hip. She was dressed in some loose shorts and a black sports bra. He entered silently, watching as the moon's light shone through the window.

The Kazekage's eyes traveled up to her neck where Azmaria's black hair fell away, revealing a reddish-brown marking on the skin. He slightly frowned at the memory.

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"What happened to your neck?"

Azmaria looked over her shoulder, finding Gaara standing behind her. She had been out on the roof above her bedroom, watching the sunset. The nine-year-old shrugged, before looking out into the village again. "It's nothing, really, Master Gaara."

She absently itched at the white wrapping around the area as Gaara sat down beside her. It was quiet between the two before Gaara finally spoke up. "May I look at it?"

"Um..."

"What did my father do? I heard you screaming."

She didn't answer as sand wrapped around the neck to release the bandage. Azmaria didn't move, nor flinch as the fabric was brought away.

The nine-year-old boy took in Azmaria's neck, not finding anything wrong with it. However, the light breeze pushed back her hair enough to reveal a marking on the right side, meeting the hairline under the earlobe, and about an inch in length. Gaara's sand reached forward, pulling back the hair further, revealing the mark in full. There, branded into her skin was the same 'love' symbol he possessed on his forehead.

"Why did you do that?" he asked with slight shock in his voice.

"I had no choice. When we're assigned to a person to protect, we take up a symbol, and brand it into our skin. It shows who we serve under." Azmaria looked Gaara in the eyes. "My daddy knows your daddy because he was the Kazekage's Soldier. That's how we were partnered. His is the marking of the Kazekage since you father was destined to take up that position. Even at such a young age."

"I never knew that..."

"Neither did I until the trip here. His brand is in the same spot."