Random Bit One
Konoha and Suna were very different in many ways. Politics, policies, and principles aside, the environment itself was so intensely different. Citizens of Suna knew what true heat was. With the scorching sand and searing sun, the heat eventually became a background factor as you lived life. Temperature in Suna was always boiling but it was always dry.
So when the Konoha ANBU--his formal escort between hidden villages--warned him of the late summer heat, Gaara wanted to laugh. Of course he didn't though--it wasn't in him to laugh. He was satisfied however, that his siblings scoffed condescendingly at the other ninja.
They were about ten miles out from Konoha when Gaara stopped. He looked around, focusing on the sky then himself. The sky was crystal blue and cloudless. "Gaara," Temari said, walking to her brother in concern. "Are you okay?"
Beaded sweat was rolling down her temple. Gaara reached out with two fingers and swipped the moisture. "You're wet too."
"What?"
"Kazekage-sama," one of the masked ninja began. "We really need to keep moving."
Gaara looked at him, his shaven brows knitted. "I'm wet."
Kankuro sputtered; he put a hand over his mouth, trying to contain his laughter. "That sounds like a personal problem."
Gaara looked over at his brother, eyes narrowed threateningly. Kankuro didn't pay it any mind and Temari cut in to avoid any further conflict. "What do you mean?"
"I'm wet," he repeated. "And it's difficult to breath."
One of the Konoha ninja snickered behind his mask, the familiar sound giving away his identity. There was few people, in and outside of his family, that could laugh at Gaara and live. "It's called humidity," the ninja said.
He sauntered up to the Kazekage and threw an arm around him. The other ninja--both Konoha and Suna--collectively sucked in their breath. A pregnant pause waited Gaara's response. He looked up at the other man, finding spikey blond locks sneaking from behind both mask and hood. "You may be use to dry heat, but wet heat is a whole 'nother story. Disgusting isn't it?" He paused for Gaara to say anything; his eyes were trained on the blond. "And you know what, Kazekage-sama? It's effing hot and uncomfortable under this cloak so let's continue on--"
The blond ninja stopped stunned, his breathing hitched and heart beating rapidly. Silence had fallen over the area and an element of shock was focused on the ANBU and Kazekage. The hidden ninja swallowed as he felt Gaara draw back. His throat felt sticky from where the redhead had run his tongue.
"Salty," Gaara mumbled, licking his lips.
"We're a continuing now," the blond said, his voice cracking.
He grabbed the Suna's leader's hand and took off, leaving the others to catch up with him. He kept the pace grueling and the ten miles was covered in no time.
"Oi," Temari called out as they entered the gates. "We need to check in with Tsunade-sama first."
Random Bit Two
The crowd cooed with joy. Kids laughter echoing in the masses, but Kankuro couldn't help but feel highly insulted. Temari, on his right, was smiling at the little act. Gaara, on his left, watched on confused, obviously not understanding why everyone was laughing.
"This is such crap," the elder brother mumbled, thrusting his hands into his pockets.
"You're only pouting because they're better than you," Temari teased.
Gaara looked over at his sister, confusion only growing. "No, they control--"
Temari groaned, cutting him off. "It was a joke Gaara. Not everything said is meant to be taken seriously."
Random Bit Three
for some reason I decided to write this one in cursive; well, I know why, I just can't read it now that I look back at it.
He was covered in mud, blood, and some rank smelling substance that he wasn't sure he wanted to know the origin of. The rainy season had hit and hit hard. Missions that should have been simple, one or two day C-ranks, were delayed and made increasingly more dangerous as hazardous conditions begin to factor in.
"Naruto," Sakura yelled from above.
She was standing one a rocky out-cropping. She was soaked from the rain but significantly cleaner. "Let's go. I want to get back to the hotel and take a shower."
The blond nodded. He bent down and picked up the mud-covered, leather pouch. The mud gurgled as it released its captor unwillingly. Turning, Naruto pushed himself from the ground to a nearby tree branch; jumping again to the outcropping that his teammate was still standing. He winced as he landed; the mud sliding down the parts of his legs that were bare, falling into shoe and squelching between his toes.
"You got it?" Sakura asked him.
He nodded, holding up the pouch. She nodded once, as well, acknowledging the completion of their mission. With not another word between them, they pushed off towards the town a few miles off.
()
The two entered the hotel, dragging their feet and feeling exhausted. People cast them odd looks as they trudged through the common area towards their rooms.
"I wish I had a weakness to rain, that way I could stay in the hotel room instead of dealing with my god damn mission!" he said, reining in his voice at the end.
The door to his room opened and his roommate stood, gloomily staring out. "I am effective in the rain. I just don't like it."
The redhead shut the door again. His feet fall echoed quietly behind the closed door.
"Why did he even come with us?" Naruto sighed.
"Tsunade-sensei was given this mission with this as a request. It seems Gaara has become stir crazy and they don't have the missions--or people--to pair with him."
"I can see why. He's being a pest. What happened to the shit-scary monster from the Chunin exam?"
Sakura hit him over the head. He growled and put his hand on the abused area.
"You prefer him being a maniac murderer? Are you insane?"
"We're all murderers, aren't we?"
Sakura sighed. "You know what I mean. I think--" she paused, chewing on her bottom lip and looking at the door. "I think I he's depressed."
"Depressed? Gaara?"
"Yeah, Gaara. It's probably why you were asked to be on a mission with him."
"Me? I don't follow."
Sakura sighed. "You have a way about you, Naruto. Just as much as you can make friends everywhere and inspire people to do what's right, you're good at cheering people up."
The blond blushed at the compliment. He brought a hand up to rub the back of his head. His fingers caught; the mud was beginning to dry. His face skewed in disgust. "I think I should skip the ego boost for a shower," he suggested."
"Yeah, you're looking pretty rough."
"And I think that smell may be me..."
The two sniffed, Sakura leaning in closer. The both gagged. "Damn," she whined through a pinched nose. "I thought that was this place, but it was you? Quickly, go--shower. Multiple times."
Naruto nodded, turning towards his door and opening it with the little plastic key card. "I'll leave the pouch with Gaara. Meet me down for dinner in an hour?"
She nodded before amending "Better make it a couple of hours. I wasn't joking about showering more than once, and if you go down for dinner smelling anything but roses, I'll leave your smelly ass to eat alone...and to pay."
Naruto flicked her off before walking through the door. He snickered as he heard her grumbling response as she walked down to her own room.
"You smell."
The blond turned his attention to the his temporary roommate. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm going to take a shower now."
Without waiting for a response, he walked into the adjoining bathroom, flicked on the light, and shut the door. He moved for the taps, turning the hot water on and pulling the tab for the shower. The water that poured from the spout was steaming and the pipes sang as the water passed through. The small town would be lucky if they had any hot water left after he was done.
Undressing and throwing the soiled clothes in the corner, Naruto stepped into the spray and pulled the curtain closed. His skin immediately turned pink from the near scalding water. He grabbed the little bottle of shampoo and emptied it out in his hair. He began scrubbing furiously, working up a good lather. Leaving the shampoo in, he picked up one of the bars of soap and began scrubbing at his skin. He paid careful attention to reach and scour every surface of skin, save some more sensitive areas. He finished his shower by washing out the shampoo and applying conditioner (and quickly washing it out). The hot water was running cold. Turning off the tap again, he pulled backed the curtain and cursed.
Realizing in his rush he hadn't grabbed clothes, he instead grabbed at one of the towels hanging near the toilet. Stepping out of the tub, he deftly dried himself before wrapping it around his waist. He brought a hand up and tussled the blond strands, sending water spraying around the bathroom. The mirror had steamed from his shower skewing the blond's image.
Reaching for the door, he opened it and allowed all the steam to escape before walking out. Gaara was sitting by the window, looking out to a darkening sky still pouring rain. The Suna-nin shifted his gaze briefly to the nearly naked blond. Naruto grinned sheepishly, heading quickly towards his traveling pack.
"Sorry man," he said. "I forgot to grab my clothes."
"Obviously."
The blond stopped just a few steps in front of his pack. "Wow," he hummed. "who knew you could be snarky?"
The redhead turned his head again. He looked intently at the other man. Naruto chuckled, seeing the other's obvious confusion at his word choice. The introverted sandman had improved a lot since his younger years but his social understanding was still lacking. It made the blond want to laugh--and not one to censor himself in anything--he did.
"You're making fun of me," the redhead pouted.
"It's called teasing," Naruto explained. "And I wouldn't do it if I didn't like you."
Gaara's naked brows knitted in further confusion. "Like?"
Feeling the cold of the room, Naruto continued on his quest to redress. He grabbed his favorite pair of green, shuriken boxers and stepped into them. Once secure around his hips, he took off the modesty towel and use it to dry his hair. He noticed Gaara had moved from the window to sit on the double bed next to him.
"Like?" he repeated. "As in how Kankuro likes Kiba?"
"Yeah sure. Those two seem to be pretty buddy-buddy after the Sasuke mission."
A tense silence blanketed their room. Naruto concentrated on getting his hair dry before he caught a cold.
"I like you too."
The blond smiled. He looked up and was assaulted. Gaara's lips were on his--dry and chapped--and the redhead trying to kiss him as expertly as he knew how. Which it wasn't. They pulled apart and the Suna nin withdrew himself. Naruto was shell-shocked.
"Um, Gaara, what the hell was that?"
"It's what Kankuro and Kiba do to show they like each other."
"Oh really?" Naruto asked, noting the easy blackmail for his friend.
"But I obviously did it wrong."
The blond blinked out of his thoughts. "What?"
"My clothes are still on."
"What?!"
"When Kankuro and Kiba do that they end up without their clothes."
The blond was beginning to blush bright red. He looked anywhere but the other man. He really didn't want to think of his friends having sex. "You don't watch them doing this, right?"
"Yes."
"Gaara," he sighed. "Some things are private."
"Things?"
Naruto paused. He looked carefully at the other man. "You really don't understand what they were doing?"
Gaara shook his head. Naruto sighed. How such a powerful, scary ninja could be so naive was anyone's guess.
from the notes in this notebook these came from, I think they are all circa somewhere between 2007 - 2009.
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