What the Water Gave Us

The Harder the Concrete, the Mightier the Flower

Weeks turned into months. Gaara had casually suggested to the five Kage that Sunagakure be the next destination for the next summit. The timing was such that the weather and heat would be more mild than other times of year, making it the best opportunity to host. The others had agreed easily.

Gaara felt excitement at the prospect of showing the Mizukage and others his home personally, but he also felt some trepidation. The distance and time between him and Chojuro made him realize there was no way he could continue whatever this tryst was becoming. His duty came first, always. He wasn't sure how to address it, or whether to address it at all. The solution he came to made him feel calm and settled, so he was assured it was the right one to make.

Besides, he had other things at home to look forward to. He was excited to be an uncle again for Kankuro and Matsuri's child who was soon to arrive in a few months. Gaara insisted Matsuri move in to the mansion and had personally helped her and Kankuro move her remaining items to Kankuro's suite. Their excitement at becoming new parents was infectious. Gaara wondered when they would marry.

He dedicated an hour each morning, if there were no emergencies, to training with Shinki before the sun rose. The balcony of his mansion looked over the city was large enough to accommodate both of them while sparring. Shinki grew more focused with his skills each day. Gaara felt so much pride when he saw the boy progress, and more importantly, build connections with others.

And each evening before he attempted sleep, he was busy in his greenhouse. He had acquired more humidifiers and designated a portion of the greenhouse to humid region plants. They were thriving. Separate from them was an area of more arid climate plants, the chocolate cosmos among them after careful consideration. The cutting had been potted and bloomed, it's flower dark red and striking, with a sweet smell of its namesake. Gaara loved it. It had been an incredibly thoughtful gift, and he was making plans to propagate it into several more plants after it matured a little longer. Each time he looked at it he felt, well he wasn't sure how he felt. He couldn't place the emotion. But each time he saw it, a striking beauty even amongst all the other plants and flowers, it felt as though he stopped in his tracks nearly breathless.

The day finally arrived for the Five Kage Summit. His guests and their convoys were staying in a five-star hotel nearly adjacent to the Kazekage building and mansion. Gaara had hardly slept that night, mind racing through different scenarios of how the summit would go. He could only hope his advisor team had made the arrangements successfully and that it would go smoothly. Darui was the one he expected the most clapback from, as he often had something critical to say of everything, but Gaara would be prepared to blow it off. He tried his best not to think of the Mizukage. Thinking of how he would let him down gently made his stomach sink and it upset him further.

When he sparred with Shinki that morning he was dragging. He could feel the fatigue pulling at his muscles, at his eyes.

"Father, are you feeling alright?" Shinki drew back and stood, waiting for a response. His father wasn't bringing the same energy he usually did and he could sense it.

Gaara panted and wiped sweat from his brow. "Shinki...perhaps we should resume tomorrow. I am...distracted this morning. I am sorry."

Shinki walked to him and wrapped his arms around Gaara's chest. Gaara's lips parted in surprise then slowly turned upwards. Shinki looked up at him, eyes large and bright. "You looked like you could use one," he said, referring to the hug. "You seemed sad lately, even though I think you were trying to hide it. I noticed last night during dinner."