Fandom Naruto the sands skip a beat. (by enzer and believing heart)

[MJ ._.]

"Bingo!" Sora said with a cheerful tone then dropped the pill in his mouth. "No! You..." Gaara moved to stop him but he swiftly jumped back. "Why not, Gaara san? Didn't I tell you that I'm going to show you practically?" He told him then looked at Kirisuto. "I didn't know that you're good in chemistry too. Please take care of Kazekage when I'm gone. Don't let him overwor..." He couldn't complete his sentence and lost his balance due to dizziness which led to stumbling backward and hitting the wall before sliding down and falling unconscious like a marionette with cut strings. Gaara rushed and took the pulse on his neck. "His pulse is getting weaker...Quick! Bring madam Shina here. Don't let anyone finds out about it." He told Kirisuto.

 

[enzerubebii]

Kiri nodded and ran to madam shina as fast as she could when at her perfume place she panted "Miss shina.. No time to explain.. Sora... pills..knocked out.. weak pulse.." she gently to her hand and ran back as fast as she could. She was obviously scared thinking the worst. and when at gaaras door she stopped and was panting and repeated "Sora took..a pill.. his pulse..weak.. please..help us.." she was in such a panic and one tracked that her and susami were having a panic attack.

 

[MJ ._.]

Shina wasn't sure what Kirisuto was talking about. She understood this much that Sora was in trouble because of some pill. Since her grandson would hardly ask for her help, she knew that the situation had to be serious. She ran after Kirisuto until arrived at the office and saw him with her own eyes. As she knelt beside him to check his condition, Gaara explained everything that was related to the pills. Shina checked the cup that Susami had used for experiment and shook her head. "It's really well-made. He will wake up in ten days or two weeks. There is no need to be worried. Just tell everyone that he has passed out due to over working and send his body home. I'll take nurse him until he wakes up." She explained then faced Kirisuto. "I hope he has not scared you. Knowing his background, you probably thought that he has ended up like his father, right? Don't worry; it's not the same case." She tried to calm her down. "Madam Shina, she doesn't know about that." Gaara told her. "Sorry, I thought you have already told her about half of the village!" She replied. Gaara shook his head. "Why should I do so?!" I'm going to call someone to take him to your house." He said before leaving the office.

 

[enzerubebii]

kiri was slowly calming down and began to cry but her eye turned blue "Nyaaa.. its my fault miss shina.. i was still upset at him and just wanted to know how much he knew.. i was planning on apologizing! I just wanted to know how much.. i didn't mean to did so deep.. I'm sorry" Susami was regretful of her petty actions and seriously thought she broke her own rule "He was an innocent... i almost..." susami looked at shina seeing her assuring smile and tried to wipe her tears. "Nya..c-can we give medicine mochi as an apology? Im gonna make alot to calm down now we have a store."

 

[MJ ._.]

"You are too kind but he can't have them. Also, please don't explain to me. I really don't want to know about his job. We have...discussed it long ago and made this decision." Shina said to Kirisuto and Susami. Meanwhile, Two men brought a stretcher to take Sora out. "Will you come with me, sweetie? I'd like to talk about your shop and other things." She asked her.

 

[enzerubebii]

susami took more breaths calmining down the blue eye fading and kiri nodded "Yes miss shina I was gonna ask you how the sales of the perfumes i gave you went? I heard It has become a hit. I asked brother for some supplies in case demand got to high." Kiri watched them carry sora away she followed shina curious about what she wanted to talk about.

 

[MJ ._.]

"They are very popular. Thank you. I'd like to make slight changes and produce a variety of them." Shina answered gladly.
Once they were in Shina's house, she asked Kirisuto to wait in the kitchen and left fruits and coffee for her to serve herself while she went upstairs to change Sora's clothes. "he can't sleep with his shoes on for two weeks." She said.
It took Shina only five minutes before she returned to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "You were in his squad with Lan, and the boy talked about you pretty much. Also, after that incident with your leg, Lan was so shaken. That's why I thought that you are very close to my boys and that you had heard about my daughter and son-in-law." he began a friendly conversation.

 

[enzerubebii]

She shook her head. "I mostly keep to myself if someone doesn't need a fix for 'lost boyfriend attention' and i don't like to pry to much unless ordered. Lan and the others were really nice though and I taught them a few moon tricks. Mostly that everything isn't what it seems." She sips some coffee and smiled

 

[MJ ._.]

"Lan would be glad if could meet you at home like this but he is out on a mission. They are guarding a caravan of merchants so he won't be home any soon." Shina said then picked an apple to peel for her guest. "It's not bad though. He might become an annoying cry baby if he sees Sora like this. Wait...had he ever told you that they both live with me?" She asked and put a plate of rabbit-shaped apple slices in front of her.

 

[enzerubebii]

kiri shook her head no "But i am curious. Luna told me a little from your impressions when she and big brother asked for a place to work. Brother said you kept introducing him to women in the village." she said with a giggle. "He ran back to the house terrified."

 

[MJ ._.]

Shina laughed. "Why terrified? Doesn't he like girls of our village?" She joked. "Sora is my grandson but Lan is my sister's grandson. I've raised both of them so they're like brothers. However, Lan prefers to follow his instructions than mine. As you see non of them has taken on our family trade. Sora went for sealing techniques and Lan is practicing healing." She explained she didn't expect anything from Kirisuto but was only venting out since she was worried. She needed to talk to someone but didn't want to let anyone know about the incident. So, her only option was Kirisuto. "I was really surprised today. I thought he hates poisons and look at those pills...who knew he was practicing this secretly?" She sighed. "His father's last mission was transporting intel from an important resource...but he got caught. To protect his information from leaking, he committed suicide with poison. It wasn't a poison that you could find easily. It destroyed the brain so no one could use it to gain any intel from him after his death. That kind of poison is very hard to make. Only our family had the skill to make it...which means only I and my daughter. My poor daughter felt terrible about it and soon fell ill due to sadness and sense of guilt. It's no wonder why Sora hated our job and even stopped Lan from learning it." Shina kept quiet as her gaze remained on her empty cup. Now that she had spoken about it her heart felt lighter but she felt the sadness she had been holding back more vividly.

 

[enzerubebii]

My family learned about poisons..and how to detect them.. Susu..er I mean susami taught me other ways of tactfully detecting poisons while still looking like a lady. For example her paper trick. she told me to dip it into my tea.. count to three and see if the strip changed. Every poison has a potant level too and I'm taught how to handle it in public to just treat it like a geisha trick and signal others about the poison in silence. As for my brother..yes he's bisexual but, he's into guys more.. and has a strange fear of women he doesn't trust. If he did ask a woman to date it would be someone he trusted with his life. Which isn't luna which what I know about her."

 

[MJ ._.]

"Oh, then I won't bother him to come to my shop anymore. Most of my customers are ladies. But it should be hard to be scared of half of the population, isn't it? Isn't there a way that we can help him to get over his fear?" Shina changed the subject since she already had told too much about her family.

 

[enzerubebii]

"Well.." Kiri thought "I have noticed he acted calmer around bookish people.. and he only gets antsy around women who want him to either, A. dress him up which he already does for assignments.. and yes em jealous that he's prettier than me.. or B. want his babies.. but around bookish people he's calmer and quiet cause they don't bother him much. Maybe his first visit was just overwhelming. I mean he did leave a awkward impression to the kazekage. and when he left he assumed I was dating him!" she blushed really red at her wording "I-i mean it would be nice to know what dating is..i-its just that me and the kazekage made an arrangement and I don't think he sees me like that."

 

[MJ ._.]

"Oh dear, this reminds me of a boy who has had a bad experiment with haughty women. But he can be at ease with the ladies who I know since they are well-behaved girls from good families. They never show their desires that vividly." She laughed at her blushing face kindly. "Don't you like to be more than that? Be honest with your heart. You have the looks and he has already acknowledged you. If you have any kind of support in that criteria I'm ready to back you up."

 

[enzerubebii]

Kiri was silent and nodded. "Thank you..and..if its to much to ask..Is it okay if I become your 'grand daughter' and you teach me some tricks? Youre a nice lady and it would be a shame to let some of your amazing intel not live on. And my mom always told me to care and love our elders cause they have seen more things than I have.And she also told me to not go to the violet district past midnight.." She giggled "Its okay if you decline I just never had a grandma like figure and you saying you would support me kinda wanted me to give you the offer."

 

[MJ ._.]

"Oh, how sweet of you~" Shina smiled warmly but she couldn't teach Kirisuto her secrets at least as long as Lan was alive. "I'll consider it. Of course, I'd be glad if you visit me at the shop or home whenever you like. You already have so much on your shoulders to carry. Please don't push yourself." She advised her.

 

[enzerubebii]

Kiri nodded and knew she had to eventually travel to another village cause she cant stay for long. So time wasn't on her side and she was terrible at trying to say it verbally so she confessed another way, cleaning his clothes, making sure he had food and water when he was working late, just minor things and eventually she had to go. her last bento box to gaara has a note of her confession that she grew to love him as a man and not just as 'the host of shukaku and susamis lover' and that she kept quiet cause she was respecting their deal. She was going to the water village to strengthen connections but kiri and susami felt lonely.

 

[MJ ._.]

On the day of departure, Gaara hadn't opened the las bento yet but already felt too attached to Kirisuto to let her go. "Would you like me to see you off at least to the border? You helped me a lot recently. Aside from training and changing Shukaku's behavior, I noticed how much you did for me to fill Sora's place. I don't know how to thank you." He told her although his face hardly showed any emotions. He had a wooden box in his hands to offer to her. "This is one of the cactus flowers that you liked. This isn't much but a memento."

 

[enzerubebii]

she smiled "thank you.." she gently took the box and nodded at him "Well you can start by dating her.." susami said in kiris head and kiri glared "NONONO! We had a deal.. i don't wanna be bothersome" she hissed back and kiri smiled "Walking with me and talking is enough. And I heard the counsel wanted to talk to you later for a favor. I know they asked kankuro about something before but he looked annoyed about it when he came out.Oh and is Sora san okay? I heard he woke from his migraine.." She also promised to keep soras stunt a secret so alleveryone knew was that he passed out from overworking and kiri stood in to help with all the work.

 

[MJ ._.]

"Shina san said he will be fine soon. I will meet them after this." Gaara walked with her as a number of shinobi from the land of water companies them. They were supposed to protect her after she left the winding country.

 

[enzerubebii]

Kiri slowly began giving up her hints of affection keeping this moment as just business but felt something was off.. she felt watched she was on edge but she tried to keep a smile. "Oh um Gaara.. I left a few things in your room if you need them. just a copy of my recipes if you missed them and winter is coming soon right? I even hand sewed you a warm yukata in the style of shukaku. I might have been a bit off on the sleeves. I made a matching pair for me but I left it at home thinking since the temperatures didn't drop." she giggled nervously and smiled. she really didn't want to go but this was the deal she made with the other kages to try to find who wanted her.

 

[MJ ._.]

"You..." Gaara didn't know what to say. In fact, he knew but couldn't say it. Thing like; 'You don't have to go', 'I need you by my side', 'Why do you show me this much kindness and attention, he couldn't afford to utter them since they had already promised other countries that he wasn't going to monopolize Kirisuto. He really wanted to monopolize her though. "Thank you. I hope you can come back to Suna soon. I...we will miss you. Don't forget to write; I want to be sure that you are doing well." This was as much as he thought he could tell her without giving her false hope or making saying goodbye too hard for her.
As they got close to the border, Gaara noticed that the weather was getting foggy. "Is it always like this in this region?" He asked one of the water shinobis. "No sir. There is a lake nearby but this fog isn't usual." The guy answered. Gaara decided to send his sand for investigation then noticed something dangerous. "This is ninjutsu. This fog is absorbing chakra. Be ready to fight." He instructed the guards. "This jutsu...it must be Kisame!" The shinobi of water spoke with trembling voice.

 

[enzerubebii]

kiri shook and prepared to reach for her fan and get in position. kiri tried to stay close to the group and dodged when she could when she 'saw' kisame but she realized, she was alone and minus a fan.. "Caaaap!" she said nervous and looked around anxiously. "Oh this is just PEACHY KEEN! Kisame is here.. this mist is almost as worse as the fogs back home..and I bet that kisame guy is that shark fae guy!...wait maybe I shouldn't say that part he might be still upset.."

 

[MJ ._.]

Gaara reached out his hand to make sure Kirisuto was still there. The fog had become so thick that he couldn't even see his hand. Even their voices sounded muffled. Worst of all; the current of chakra had been disordered so no one could feel if they were being approached until it was too late.
Kaw Kaw Kaw...
What attacked him first was a bunch of crows. As he sent them away with a gust of wind, he saw someone was in front of him, looking at him with bright red eyes. "Uchiha..." Gaara recognized those eyes which meant it was too late. He had to get rid of that fog and find Kirisuto. The sand began whirling around and Itachi retreated. When the sand calmed down, the fog had been dismissed but Gaara found himself alone with a pair of Akatsuki figures. Itachi was the one standing back and Kisame was taking the front line showing a toothy grin. Sameheda was agitated and had broken out of its wrapping. "Thanks for the delicious chakra, kazekage. Sameheda loved it and now wants more." He said, enjoying himself as anticipated an exciting fight. "Where is Kirisuto?" Gaara asked as attacked with sand. "You won't see her until you defeat me. Which means, you won't see her anyway." Kisame replied. Sensing the chakra in the sand, Sameheda opened its big mouth like a blood-thirsty animal and flew out of his hand to attack Gaara and eat him.

Meanwhile at Kirisuto's side:
"Remember; do not sacrifice her, Hidan. We want her alive." It was Kakuzo's voice that came from beyond the fog. "Eh? That's unfair but just because the leader says so I won't kill her. She must sacrifice some blood though." Hidan answered from the opposite direction. In a blink of an eye, Kakuzo had tackled the first guard down and pulled out his heart. "Water again? Boring." he tossed the body aside and engaged in fighting with the rest of the guards. Hidan aimed for Kirisuto directly. He dashed at her with his sharp black rod.