through the sand, for you. (gaara x reader)

chapter thirty six

"Thank you so much! This looks delicious." I nod praise to the older woman who has handed me a plate of delicious foreign food.

I move the food around laughing to myself because I have no idea what I ordered. I decided on trying random things to attempt to make myself feel better. "Whatcha laughing at?"

I look up at the male voice, but it does not match the face I am met with. "Oh my god!" I stand up a little too quickly, hitting my knees on the table. Shikamaru steadies me, bringing me into a side hug.

"How are you?" Shikamaru looks me gently in the eyes. I look over at the blonde boy who is sitting in front of my food stealing stuff off of my plate.

"I am doing ok. Kind of." I can't lie to the pineapple head but I divert my attention to Naruto, "GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY FOOD!"

Naruto grumbles at me with a mouth full putting his hand up in defence. I sit back down and begin to eat again. Shikaramu sits next to me. Naruto swallows his food and questions, "Why are you here?"

"Naruto!" Shikamaru kicks him from under the table.

"No- no offence! I just mean it's a bit weird!" The blonde is frazzled by Shikamaru's scolding.

"Calm down you two!" I say laughing, "I understand don't worry... it is a little weird."

They both catch that my tone is a little underwhelmed than usual. They both give me telling looks. "I am fine. The Hokage just called a meeting between villages. And I am here because I am Kazekage's assistant. Nothing more."

I continue eating and there is a silence that tells the words the three of us don't say. The last time we were together was at the ball and the ball led them to run away to save my Kazekage. I know the two of them were injured and I feel guilty and a little shameful. This whole thing is messy.

"Very messy." Naruto nods, stealing another piece of food off my plate.

"Fuck. I keep doing that." The boys laugh at me. I really need to keep my mouth shut.

"Temari says it's a habit that happens when you haven't gotten enough sleep." Shikamaru nudges my shoulder gently.

I look over at him and I am met with his side profile. His gaze is soft thinking about my best friend. It is a punch in the stomach. I wish so dearly that someone would look like that when thinking about me or just in general look at me like that. Finishing up my food I announce that I have to head to the second meeting. So I begin to give my goodbyes, saying I'll catch them before I leave. However, it turns out we are all going the same way. Into the same building, to sit in the same meeting.

I have no piece of mind to deal with this meeting right now. The empty room we were in yesterday is now full. Full with Leaf Ninja. I look over to the Hokage, she is armed with a bunch of older people and superiors, way too many ninjas. This feels incredibly wrong. Something is not right. My suspicions are confirmed when the three of us enter the room. Gaara's eyes flash to me very quickly.

"Good morning," I say submissively, bowing my head. Gaara's eyes warn me, but he looks incredibly stressed.

I walk a little faster than I usually would, but I keep my calm demeanour. Gaara's eyes are telling me a story that has me forgetting about whatever happened last night. This room is hostile. Temari and Kankuro loosen up slightly, but I do not ignore Tee holding one of her smaller fans and Kankuro looks furious. "Have I missed something?"

I look over at the Hokage giving her a light smile. "You have not Miss Y/n."

Sliding between Kankuro and Temari's protective stances I respond, "May I?" I signal to me joining the table, and the blonde woman nods. "Why so many others? Not that I don't enjoy the attention of silencing a room when I walk in?"

She is testing me with her eyes. This old hag. Don't get me wrong I have the utmost respect for her and how she handles her village but my loyalty will always lie with the sand. "Right." I scan my eyes over the notepad sitting in front of the redhead next to me, reading the large word- name at the top. "So I am assuming Sasuke, your rogue ninja was brought up?"

The Hokage nods. Something about her is unreadable, this situation is confusing. And I'll assume I have to be the one to work out this little mystery. I scan the rest of the room, their eyes aren't on me or Gaara. They are on the Hokage. I slide the notepad from Gaara in front of me. I go to read the keywords, but there are none. "Where was he last seen and accounted for?"

"During the raid and rescue mission to attain the Kazekage." In my peripheral vision, I see Gaara's mouth move. I scribble down on the notepad in front of me, 'Don't worry I will handle it.'

I watch him tense up but he listens to me. He stays quiet. "Ok. And I assume everyone in this room understands why the sand is worried about him, more so than the Akatsuki. And that our two villages are at the most risk in terms of both of these groups. As well as the fact this topic wouldn't be brought up if the sand didn't believe it could cause danger, more than has already happened, to each of the lives in this building."

Many voices erupted from the three sentences I spoke. The three sand siblings tense immensely. I hold eye contact with the Hokage, she gives me a look and I instantly understand what is going on. It almost makes me laugh. I cover my mouth as if I am coughing and the Hokage eyes lighten up just a tad bit. "I am sorry, who are you, young lady?"

"Y/n L/n. Stand in Kazekage when everything went to shit because your rogue ninja almost killed my Kazekage. Who is my boss, as I am his assistant. Hence why I am here. Who are all of you?" I watch The Hokage whisper nonsense under her breath.

More voices erupted, their tones angering. "I am sorry, M'lady Tsunade, I cannot hear a single thing you are trying to say. Although last time I checked I am here to talk to you." I scan the room making fake eyes at the people in the room, who are mostly men. "I have an idea! Let's go for a walk."

"Wonderful idea Miss y/n." The voices get louder. This is assuming, "Naruto and Shikamaru stay with the Kazekage and his ninjas."

I smile at Gaara, before standing up to follow the Hokage out of the room. He looks so confused. I bend down and whisper in his ear, "I am a smart girl, remember."

"You are an intelligent young lady." Tsunade pulls a flask from somewhere underneath her dressing garment.

"I mean this with the utmost respect. We do not bring Sasuke up to create tension. We do it to bring up what is best for the relationship between our two villages." The older woman takes me up to the top of her building.

"I understand." She is watching what she is saying. "It is challenging as we also have to prepare for the next meeting."

I watch as she looks up at the blue sky above us. I keep my mouth shut as she explains that the approach with Sasuke is complicated, giving various reasons. Fuck... This goes a lot deeper than I had imagined. Explaining that she is being watched through a magnifying glass.

Everything is being judged. As well as the fact that she has to take in the emotions of her ninjas.

"Shit," I mumble under my breath.

"It makes sense now doesn't it, my behaviour? The situation?"

It does. I feel a little uncomfortable now, knowing that Gaara and I had put this pressure on. But also business is business and a village's safety tops the conflicting emotions I am feeling right now.

"I will take care of explaining this to Gaara." I hold eye contact with the Hokage.

"I will get rid of the other idiots in there." She squeezes her eyes shut, "But I will have to keep Naruto and Shikamaru in there. As well as bringing in a few extra ninja."

Authors note

~

Ok, ok, ok.

A filler chapter I know. But I promise it will make sense and bring in some more tension. ;)

Love you all! Thank you so so much for all of the support! I treasure it all <3