Healing Hands and Tedious Fingers

Chapter 12

(KPOV) I grabbed a beer out of the fridge, as Gaara and Temari walked into the kitchen.

"Isn't it a bit early to be drinking brother?" Gaara noted.

I smiled as I took another sip. "What can I say?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm just relaxing before the pre exams began." I sat at the table in the middle of the kitchen and rested my hands on the back of my head.

"Don't tell me you're in another mood." Temari rolled her eyes.

"I'm not," I defended myself. "I just know this is going to be a long week, with the first of the exams starting tomorrow."

"Oh please!" she slammed her hand on the table. "I have hundreds things to teach these students, you have 2 classes, you lazy ass!"

"Temari, please." Gaara put his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. I have news for you Kankuro." He said as he took my beer, pouring it down the sink. I frowned up at him. Such a party pooper.

"Shikamaru and a couple of other leaf ninja are on their way here, they should be arriving any time now." He smiled slightly at me. "Temari informed me that you were close with one of his comrades."

"Is that so." I said shooting Temari a dirty look.

"Yep, that's right!" she smiled big.

"Well," I said standing to leave. "Why should that concern me?" I smirked at them.

"Kankuro, you are to be Naomi's personal guide." Gaara said sternly.

"Are you kidding me?!" I yelled clenching my fist.

"Calm down you fool, that's no way to act around the ladies you know." Temari shot me an evil grin.

I sighed and rubbed my neck defeated.

"She is right." Gaara stated. "I don't care what your feelings are for this woman; your mission is to make sure she makes it through the town alright. I will be giving you money to accommodate her stay. I'm counting on you." He winked at me before walking away with Temari, laughing to each other.

"What a cruel joke." I complained as I grabbed another beer.

(NPOV) We could see the walls of Suna as we made our way through the desert sand.

"What a drag." Shikamaru noted.

I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Yeah I agree. My feet are killing me." I stopped walking, and poured some sand out of my boot.

"I can't wait to eat some lunch!" Choji said.

"Choji, your literally eating chips right now." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. I just laughed to myself, as we kept walking.

"Hey long time no see!" Temari yelled from the gate waving. "I got word that you were seen almost here, so I rushed over." She tucked her hair behind her ear, as she blushed at Shikamaru.

She turned as she smiled at me, stepping up to give me a hug. "It's so good to see you." She stepped back looking me in the eye. "You look great."

I blushed a bit. "Thank you Temari, it's great to see you too."

We headed into town. Choji was gone as soon as we stepped through the gate, I'm sure he was on a mission to find as much food as he could. I trailed behind Temari and Shikamaru, I giggled to myself. It was nice to see him smiling the way he was. This little romance that had bloomed between them over the last few years made me very happy. He deserved a great woman like her. I thought about Kankuro, as I blushed a bit. Would he be upset with me in his town?

The sun was starting to set, as an evening breeze blew through my hair.

"Naomi." Temari said, snapping me back to reality. "I'm not sure how you will feel about this, but I have high hopes." I looked at her confused.

"Shikamaru and I are going to go over our lesson plans for the first day of exams tomorrow, so you will pretty much be on your own for the night."

I looked around at the unfamiliar town and blushed a bit. "I guess I will be alright." I forced a smile, even though I was super nervous.

"It will be alright, Lord Gaara has ordered you a guide." She said as she stepped closer. She leaned into my ear, "I hope you will try to give it a chance." She smiled sincerely as she started walking away.

"Like I said," Shikamaru patted me on the head. "I think this will be good for you. You can find your guide at the Kazekage's house I've been told, have a good one!" He ginned at me before turning to catch up with his lady friend.

"Great." I said to myself as I walked through town to the mansion in the middle.

I was greeted at the door by Gaara himself. I blushed big, as I quickly knelt down to bow to him.

"Lord Kazekage." I greeted him.

He laughed out loud, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to do that, really." He smiled at me. He was a very attractive, my blush wouldn't go away. "You must be Naomi. It's nice to meet you again."

I had almost forgotten that I had met him once before, did he really remember me that well?

"Well I'm assuming you're here to find your guide." He stepped aside, motioning me to come in.

"Yes, that's exactly why I'm here." I looked around at the front room of his house. Kankuro lives here, I wonder if he was home.

"He's in his room." Gaara said as he walked up the stairs.

"His room?" I asked nervously. It was all starting to come together.

Gaara stopped in front of a door and turned to me again. "Naomi, have a great time here in the sand village, your stay is completely paid for, no worries." I had no words. I knew that as soon as that door opened I would be standing face to face with the puppet master of the sand himself.

"Have no fear." He said as he reached for the door handle. "If my brother starts to act up, you have my word to put him in his place." He laughed slightly before pushing the door open and walking away.