Chapter 7: Welcome to Training

 

        “Wake up.” You felt someone’s hand shaking your shoulder and waking you from your dreamless sleep. Your body stirred ever so slightly, and your eyes opened just a smidge. Groaning, you tried to see who dared to disturb your slumber, but you couldn’t make out the culprit’s identity; all you saw were blurs and dots. Whoever it was shook you again, which made you groan even louder than before. You absolutely had no desire to get up.

        Once your vision became clearer, you were able to make out a face with disheveled red hair. Of course it’s Gaara. You uncurled your tail from around your body and slowly tried to prop yourself up on whatever you were lying on. Gaara reluctantly removed his hand from your shoulder and watched you with his usual stoic expression. After barely forcing yourself up, your shoulders were slumped and some of your now tangled (H/L) (H/C) hair covered part of your face. You yawned. 

        “What time is it?” Your voice came out soft, yet groggy, as you rubbed your heavy lidded eyes. Gaara watched your actions carefully, not saying a word for a few moments.

        “We’re leaving soon.” He slowly turned around, and through still tired eyes, you saw his feet move away from you and out of your line of sight. Ignoring his what would be annoying behavior, you started rubbing your eyes again to try and wake yourself up. You realized that you didn’t know where you were, your memory from last night hazy. You did, however, recognize the familiar details of the living room as well as the material of the couch. I must’ve fallen asleep without realizing it.

        You started stretching all of your limbs, including your tail, and once you felt the familiar cracks and pops, that’s when you noticed that there was something on your feet. Taking a closer look at the object, it appeared to be a soft fluffy blanket. But I don’t remember it being there before. Did one of the siblings put it here?

        You decided to ignore the blanket for now, as the scent of fresh food suddenly made it’s way to your nose. Smiling at the delicious scent, you sniffed the air some more to take it all in. Mmmm, smells like eggs and sausage. Temari poked her head out from the doorway.

        “Morning (Y/N). I made some breakfast, you want some?” 

        “Oh, sure.” You managed to stand up and made your way into the kitchen, where you found Temari by the stove and hovered over a big pan. “It smells really good.” She sent you a smile. 

        “Thanks. I made dippied eggs, toast, and sausage. Hope that’s alright.” 

        “Of course, I love eggs and sausage.”

        “Look at that, you’re already fitting in.” You turned around to see Kankuro sitting in the same seat he sat in last night. Gaara sat just next to him, but you payed him no mind. You cracked a small smile at Kankuro as he took something out of his pocket. “Here, catch.” He tossed the item to you, which you caught with ease. It was another one of those appetite brownies. “There’s your appetite medicine. Hurry up and take it, we already took ours.” You popped the brownie into your mouth.

        “You take them too?” You said while you were still chewing.

        “Oh yeah, without those things wooo! Let me tell ya, we’d all be on a monstrous rampage by now.” He gave you a close eyed smirk and crossed his arms. “Not to brag or anything, but we’re actually really good at controlling our stomachs. Just, ya know, we still need a little help.”

        “You know what Kankuro? You’re pretty funny.”

        “Ha! See Temari? Someone does think I’m funny.”

        “Are you sure it wasn’t sarcasm tufts-for-brains?” Temari retorted, which made you snicker.

        “Okay, I’m pretty sure Temari’s funnier now.”

        “She’s finally getting it.” Temari said while laughing. 

        “Awe what??” He hung his head in defeat. “Damn.” You continued to laugh with Temari as you sat down in your own seat.

        “You’re still not bad though, you seem pretty cool.” His prideful smirk returned.

        “Told you again Temari.”

        “Ah shut up and eat, ya big lug.” Temari handed out the plates and sat down herself. “You really shouldn’t boost his dumb ego (Y/N).” You and Temari laughed while you all began to eat. Wow, they’re already treating me so nicely. This morning hasn’t been as wkward as I thought it would be. Plus this food is really good. 

        When everyone was done with breakfast, you followed the three to their kitchen sink and you each set your plates in there. The three then grabbed their school things, and as you caught sight of your bag amongst theirs, you did the same thing. Before you could even reach the front door though, Gaara blocked your path. 

        “Wait.” He was staring down at something, and that’s when you realized your tails and ears were still showing. Oh yeah, that’s right. I forgot about those. Gaara held something out to you, and you saw that it was a folded up black sweatshirt similar to his and his siblings’. “Here, put this on.”

        “Fine.” You grumbled, then took your sweatshirt off and slipped the new one on. When it was snug, you noticed that your ears and tail were no longer in sight, but you could feel their ghost like presence still on you. A whiff of something from the sweatshirt caught your nose. Ugh, it reeks of Gaara. You crinkled your nose in disgust. “Does it really have to smell like you?” 

        “It’s one of the reasons you’re wearing it.” 

        “What?”

        “Anyone who can smell it will know that you’re under my protection.”

        “That is one of the most ridiculously weird things you have ever said to me, and who in the hell at this school is going to smell this?”

        “There are others out there, so like it or not you’re wearing it.”

        “Ugh.” You rolled your eyes, but didn’t say another word, thinking it best not to get into another argument that would end up like the prior night. All four of you then exited the house and proceeded to head to school.

        The entire walk was silent. Like all the other times, it was uncomfortable, especially with Gaara making sure you were close to him, to the point where your shoulder almost touched his, as soon as you guys stepped out of the forest. It was clear that he still didn’t trust you to be an inch out of his sight, which annoyed you to no end. Unfortunately, you could do nothing about it.

        Students hanging out on the front lawn gawked at your little group as you made your way to the front doors. They backed away the closer you all approached, staring at you four with mixed looks of contempt, confusion, and fear. Their reactions didn’t surprise you. Nothing about this situation was normal, but their staring made you want to shrink away into your baggy clothes and disappear from the world altogether. After all, it wasn’t like you were unfamiliar with this situation; you had experienced it long before you even moved here. This was almost exactly like your old school, and you hated it.

        Inside was worse. There were way more people, and you felt as if you were a freak on display. Temari and Kankuro both left to go to their own homerooms, while Gaara led you to the office, stopping you just outside the doors. 

        “I need to check on something real quick. It won’t take long, so wait here and don’t move.” You rolled your eyes but nodded nevertheless as he turned and put his hand on the doorknob, your narrowed eyes following him. With one last lingering glance at you, he opened the doors and went inside, leaving you all alone. You crossed your arms and leaned against the wall, watching as people passed you by without a care in the world, and wishing you were one of them.

        A minute later, you thought you saw Naruto amongst the crowd of students. Squinting your eyes to get a better look, you confirmed that it was indeed him, and apparently,  he noticed you as well. He turned his head side to side, checking to see if the coast was clear, but just as he was about to make his way over, the doors opened. Naruto immediately stopped, his eyes widening in what you thought was fear as Gaara emerged, and he quickly disappeared back into the crowd. As you stared at the place Naruto had just been, you felt a nudge on your shoulder. (E/C) eyes locked with green ones, and he gestured for you to follow him. You sighed, and begrudgingly complied. 

        It didn’t take long to reach Kakashi’s classroom, but before you could proceed, Gaara placed a hand on your shoulder, stopping you from entering.

        “Let me make this absolutely clear, you will still not sit with those ‘friends’ of yours. And don’t even try to talk to them.” You frowned. Of course he would do this. 

        “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard?”

        “No.” Your nose twitched in anger. 

        “Why can’t you at least give me some freedom? What the hell is the big issue?” Gaara said nothing in response. Your eyes narrowed. “You still don’t trust me, do you?” 

        “Come on.” He ignored you and opened the door. You growled under your breath, beyond irritated, but you had no choice other than to stay quiet and follow him. As you passed your friends on the way to your desk, you had a moment of rebellion and sent them all an apologetic expression, but then so as not to upset Gaara quickly looked away. However, not without noticing one little detail: Naruto was actually in his seat today. Just yesterday he was late to every class, or not there at all. Now today he’s perfectly on time? Hm. Choosing to set that piece of information aside for now, you slumped down in your own seat, folded your arms over your desk, and rested your head in the crook of them, facing away from Gaara towards the front of the room. Class began not a minute later.

        First period was relatively normal; nothing really happened. As the bell rang, you saw your friends pack up and leave, none of them giving you so much as a side glance. You understood their reasons, but it’s not like it made you feel any better about it. You began to pack up your own things while staring at your friends’ backs longingly, wishing you could be with them. But as Gaara walked by your desk, you were reminded of the cruel reality you now had to face. Head down and shoulders slumped, you followed Gaara out the classroom and into the hallway, all the while glaring at the floor.

        You were so caught up in your irate thoughts that you didn’t realize you both had already arrived at Iruka’s classroom, that is, until you heard a gruff cough. Your head snapped up abruptly, eyes moving from Gaara to the door. Oh, we’re here. As you opened it and began to step inside, Gaara was doing the same thing. You stopped, turned around, and scoffed.

        “I can’t believe you were actually serious about the whole changing classes thing.” You murmured.

        “Of course I was.” You frowned. I bet that’s probably why you were in the office this morning, to make sure everything was in order. “Now, come.”

        Everyone seemed to be in complete shock when they saw Gaara, which didn’t surprise you, since he wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. As you walked by your friends, you only spared them a momentary glance, flashing them all an apologetic smile, before continuing to follow Gaara. You noticed that Naruto was again among those friends, which confused you even more. There’s something going on, I can feel it… and did he even try to make eye contact with me? You sighed, saddened at this, as you followed Gaara, who was heading to the other side of the room, the opposite side of where your friends were. When he sat down, he nodded his head to the seat next to him, which made you frown. You sat down without argument though; you had no energy to fight him on this.

        The period, besides Gaara’s unexpected presence, was otherwise normal. At the end of class, your friends left without a second to lose, and just like last period, you couldn’t follow them. You packed up your things with Gaara and walked with him out into the hall. Once outside the door, Gaara’s eyes traveled to your own.

        “You’ll be sitting with us today.” 

        “Wow, what a surprise.” You grumbled sarcastically. It was clear your tone didn’t amuse him, but he chose to ignore it anyway. You sighed. “Seriously, can’t I just have some leniency? Plus, I’ve already been working on my own project with my own friends for how long now. It’s way too inconvenient.”

        “It doesn’t matter. As I’ve said before, I need to keep a close eye on you, so you are sitting with us. That’s final.” His tone conveyed clear annoyance, so you didn’t pressure him any further on the subject. 

        When you entered Orochimaru’s room, you kept your head down the whole time, although you could feel your three friends’ gazes on you. Even though you couldn’t see, you knew it was Shino’s covered eyes that were the ones boring holes in the back of your head. You sat down in front of Temari and Kankuro, your back facing your friends, while Gaara took the seat on your left. The two siblings smiled at you.

        “Hey champ, how are ya?” Temari asked playfully. You managed a rather faux smile.

        “Fine.” 

        “You feel comfortable?” Kankuro asked. You nodded your head. “Ugh, long ass day, am I right?” 

        “Yeah, you have no idea.” You mumbled. Gaara’s eyes glanced towards you at that comment, and you swore if he had eyebrows, one would be raised. Temari chuckled.

        “Alright, well this is what we’ve been doing as our project-“

        “That no one in their right mind gives a damn about.” Kankuro mumbled. You stifled a laugh while Temari glared at Kankuro. 

       “Anywayyy, so, here’s what we got.” You zoned out as Temari began explaining everything, not really paying much attention to what she was saying. Instead, you stole quick glances at your friends, who were all working in complete silence. They would occasionally glance at you as well, Shino being the one to look at you the most whenever he got the chance, which unnerved you. His expressions were emotionless yet calculative, like he was observing your every action, and you couldn’t but wonder throughout the entire period if he knew more than you thought. 

 
        When class ended, you all immediately began to pack up your things. Once again, all three of your friends left without you, and before you could dwell on this, Temari and Kankuro drew your attention back to them, striking up a conversation. You hoped they didn’t notice your panged expression.

        Once you exited the classroom, the two older siblings departed, while you and Gaara made your way to fourth period, which today was study hall. When you arrived, you followed Gaara to the farthest side of the room. Normally you would greet Guy, but s you passed by his desk, you said nothing so as again not to upset Gaara. He said nothing to you in turn; he merely sat in his chair reading a book, not even making eye contact with you. That’s interesting. It’s like he’s not even concerned… The saddened gazes of Lee and Tenten caught your attention, and you were barely able to dismiss them, especially the scrutinizing gaze of Neji. It was much like Shino’s, only worse, and you gulped as his pale purple orbs followed your form. You noticed that Naruto was behind Neji, who unfortunately blocked the blonde’s face, and you had a feeling that Naruto did this on purpose. Again, that’s weird. You were almost relieved when you and Gaara finally sat down, and immediately began to work on homework, trying to ignore the lingering gazes on you. 

 
        It felt like an eternity had passed before the bell rang, and your friends of course left without giving you a second glance back, Naruto included. As you rose from your seat, you glanced at Guy from the corner of your eyes. He was still reading his book, and still ignoring you. Instead of sadness, you felt suspicion, but you didn’t have time to dwell on that as Gaara passed your desk, which was your signal to leave. You and Gaara then headed to the roof for lunch, and once up the three flights of stairs, he stopped in front of the door and did nothing. You frowned, realizing what he wanted. You pulled out your wolf pendent and proceeded to unlock the door, all the while holding back a snarl. Fresh air hit you dead on, and you took the moment to take in its scent as you did everyday, since this had been the closest thing to freedom you could get to for the past several days. Like yesterday, you both sat at the edge of the roof and ate your lunches in what felt like uncomfortable silence, although this time your appetite wasn’t as demanding.

        Gaara suddenly rose to his feet, and you did the same, knowing by now that it meant the end of the period. He then led you all the way to Iruka’s room and, even though this wasn’t his class, entered alongside you, which you sighed at. Immediately Sasuke’s eyes traveled to the two of you, and they narrowed considerably. However, his glare wasn’t necessarily directed at you, rather, it was entirely on Gaara. And this is the guy who lectured me against glaring at him. Sakura was staring at you from her seat as well, only her look was more sympathetic and pitying than anything. Naruto was also in his seat, but he paid you no attention at all, as you expected. You oh so wanted to join your friends, but one look from Gaara told you to keep moving, and you obeyed, taking a seat with your commander on the other side of the room.
 

        “Alright everybody, remember to do problems 11-36 in your textbook for tomorrow!” Iruka called as the bell rang. It was your signal to leave like everyone else, including Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto, who had all already hurried out the door. When you and Gaara followed suit, you noticed something was off about the way he was walking. It was at a much slower pace than usual, and his steps were lighter. He appeared to be in deep thought about something, and you pondered what he was thinking about. Wait, next class is Deidara’s. That must be it. Although, why does he seem so stressed about it? He couldn’t possibly be afraid of him. He was in a pretty intense fight with him, but he technically won, so what reason would he have to be afraid? But… what if he’s not afraid, but something else? It was only when you noticed Gaara’s slightly curious gaze on you that you realized you had been staring at him. You quickly looked away with a blush forming on your cheeks. A moment passed before you felt his eyes leave your form, but it seemed he wasn’t letting you off the hook.

        “Something on your mind?” Your blush darkened and you frowned.

        “No…” He raised a nonexistent eyebrow, practically catching your bullshit right away. “I mean, it’s just that you seem off, and I was wondering if it’s because of Deidara.” For a moment he said nothing, an indifferent expression plastered on his face. Then he looked away and hummed, although you swore you heard a low growl reverberating from his chest.

        “You’ll see.” You rose an eyebrow. What is he planning? You both went silence.

        The bell was close to ringing when you arrived at Deidara’s room, and students were already starting to file in by the bunch. You and Gaara walked through the crowd of students and into the classroom where you saw Deidara sitting at his desk reading some pieces of paper, and drumming his fingers on wood in an impatient rhythm. After reassuring Gaara that you knew absolutely no one else in this class, you led him to your seat, and as you did so, Deidara’s eyes shifted instantly on Gaara. The blonde’s once playful light blue eyes now narrowed in absolute rage, and Gaara returned it. The tension nearly suffocated everyone in the room. Deidara’s eyes then slowly traveled to you, and his gaze softened. But then half of your form was blocked, as Gaara stepped in front of you. Deidara’s eyes shifted back and forth between you and him, and you swore he almost popped a vein. Is this what Gaara wanted? To mess with Deidara? 

        The sound of ringing jarred everyone from the tense atmosphere. Deidara rose from his seat slowly, his hardened gaze still on Gaara. Then, with one last angered glare directed your way, the animosity in his eyes vanished as if it was nothing, and replaced with his usual smirk. However, you saw how tightly he grit his teeth, how hard he clanched his fist around the edge of his desk, and heard how roughly he straightened the papers he had been reading, crinkling some in the process. Nevertheless, he proceeded to teach the class. To say the period had been uncomfortable was an understatement.

        When the period was over, Deidara went back to his desk and sat down, looking at the now crinkled papers he was holding earlier. You packed up your stuff and followed Gaara to the door. As you left, you felt Deidara’s eyes on you. Turning your head over your shoulder, you saw his intense glare directed at Gaara, who was staring back with his own look, and you didn’t need to guess what Deidara’s gaze meant. 

        This isn’t over. 

        You gulped as you exited the class. You had no idea what this all was going to lead to, only that this was just the beginning.

        By the time you and Gaara arrived at the front gate, Temari and Kankuro were already waiting for you. 

        “Hey guys, how are ya?” Temari asked with a small wave. You frowned. 

        “Peachy.” You answered sarcastically.

        “That’s good.” Kankuro said with a smile, completely ignoring your tone. You internally groaned.

        “Well, I guess we’ll meet you home later then.” Temari said. Wait, what does she mean by meet us there? I thought we were walking together.

        “What do you mean by that-?”

        “Bye guys!” Kankuro and Temari both exclaimed before starting down the path towards the house. Gaara remained next to you, watching them leave. When they were out of sight, he turned to face you, and you faced him as well with a questioning look.

        “Okay, what was that all about?” 

        “They were only waiting for us to make sure you were fine.” You raised a brow, but he didn’t allow you the chance to speak. “I’m allowing you to go into work today.”

        “Really?” You were practically glowing. Is he actually giving me freedom!?

        “Don’t get too excited. The only reason you’re going is because I need to take care of something with Temari and Kankuro, and you can’t be in the house for the moment.” Your gaping jaw closed to form a deep frown as you crossed your arms.

        “Of course that’s why.” You huffed. He turned around and began walking away from you, only he stopped after a few steps.

        “This is also a test to see how good you are at hiding yourself, and how much you can be trusted alone.”

        “You mean being two steps away from you?” He grunted. 

        “Come straight home when your shift is done.” You rolled your eyes, which thankfully he couldn’t see.

        “Yeah yeah I know.” You groaned. A minute of silence passed before he finally started off down the path to the house, and you headed to the café. 

        Teuchi was there to greet you when you arrived, and he did so by giving you a giant bear hug.

        “Hi (Y/N)! Glad you’re well again!”

        “Hey Teuchi. Yeah, I’m better now.” Not even close. 

        “Well that’s good. A fellow called in saying that you were finally feeling better and that you’d be coming in today, and I wanted to see how you were for myself.” That damn asshole, calling my boss without me knowing. One of these days Gaara I’ll- “I was actually surprised you didn’t call yourself.” He started scratching his head. “Say, who was that guy who called anyway? He wouldn’t tell me who he was.” Of course Gaara wouldn’t help me out with this.

        “Oh, uh, he’s… my cousin.” 

        “Really?”

        “Y-yeah. He’s just visiting me for a few weeks.” If only.

        “Ah, that explains it.” Sweat began to form on your brow as you scratched the back of your head. “So, does he live around here?

        “No, he’s from waaay outta town.”

        “Wow, he’s certainly dedicated to his family then. (Y/N)!” 

        “Yeah, you could say that.” You said through gritted teeth.

        “Oh and don’t worry, he already informed me about the whole sweatshirt thing.” 

        “What sweatshirt thing?” He rose a brow.

        “Just that you should wear a sweatshirt over your uniform, since it’s be better if you stay warm and stuff. Your cousin said even though you’re feeling better, it would be safer so you don’t become ill again.”

        “O-Oh yeah! That thing.” You rubbed the back of your neck. “Sorry about that by the way.”

        “It’s alright, and you can just wear what you have on now, since it at least matches the color scheme of the place. But make sure you still have the hat on.” You smiled.

        “Thanks Teuchi.” He gave you a thumbs up.

        “No problem kiddo.” He then opened the café door, and led you inside. As he went to his office, you went to the backroom to set your stuff down and grab your uniform’s hat, then started your shift.

        An hour or two passed, and so far the café hadn’t gotten many customers. You were currently cleaning the register since there were only a few people who were sitting at tables and no one needed attended to. 

        “I didn’t know you worked here, (Y/N).” The sudden deep voice made you jump, but as you quickly looked around for the, you saw a pair of onyx orbs accompanied with matching long hair. You breathed a sigh of relief.

       “Oh, it’s you Itachi. Don’t scare me like that!” He was sitting at a table just a few feet from the counter, holding what looked to be a regular cup of coffee. He smirked at your still slightly startled expression and took a sip of his drink. Huh, I didn’t see him come in. “It’s been awhile. I didn’t know you even came here.” 

        “Hm, most afternoons.”

        “Really? I’ve worked here for three weeks and I don’t remember seeing you. And come to think of it, I don’t remember taking your order today either.”

        “I guess I have been busy for awhile, and you were probably in the bathroom.” You did recall taking a five minute bathroom break, and once that realization hit, your cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

        “Oh, right. Hehe.” You rubbed the back of your head. “So, why’ve you been so busy? Is it because you’re still working for your dad?” He nodded.

        “Yes.”

        “Ah.” He did nothing to further the conversation. “So, how’s that been going?”

        “Fine.” It was silent as he took another sip of his coffee. “You know, Sasuke’s told me how weird you’ve been acting lately. Care to explain?” You froze for a second, the hand you were using to wipe the register momentarily stopping, but you waved it off just as quickly.

        “It’s nothing really. I guess I just haven’t been feeling well for the last few days.”

        “Interesting. I believe he thinks it’s more than that, and by the looks of you, I’d agree.” Your hands started to tremble out of fear, and thankfully he couldn’t see that, or he would certainly know you were hiding something. From what you could tell from your encounter with him before, he was a very observant man, so showing obvious signs of fear was not something you wanted to do in front of him. Although, he must’ve only taken one glance at your fake smile to know something was amiss. You only hoped he wouldn’t press you for more answers.

        “Like I said, it’s nothing.” 

        “Hm.” He paused. “Then what about the rumors about your new relationship with Gaara?”

        “Some, uh, stuff came up with… our… families.” He nodded.

        “I see.” He took another long sip. “How is it working here?” You sighed out of relief, glad that he dropped the subject.

        “It’s good, nice pay, good atmosphere, not really any assholes or anything. And the manager, well, I guess temporary manager, is pretty nice.”

        “Temporary?”

        “Mhm. Teuchi’s daughter is the one who owns the place, but since she’s at college right now, he’s filling in for her.” He nodded in understanding. 

        “I see.”

        “He actually owns Ichiraku’s downtown, have you been there?”

        “Yes, I have. The food is very good. Have you been there as well?” You nodded.

        “Yeah, Naruto took me there Friday.” He made a gruff noise that almost sounded like a chuckle.

        “I’m not surprised it was him to show you that restaurant.” 

        “I take it you know him?” His lips turned upright into a slight, almost unnoticeable, smile.

        “He and Sasuke have been best friends since they were young. I could recognize him anywhere.” 

        “You mean you could hear him anywhere.” You mumbled, which he heard. 

        “Well put, although, what Sasuke tells me, you’re not too much different.” An angry blush coated your cheeks.

        “How much does king of the duckbutts tell you?” You grumbled. He took another sip.

        “A lot, actually. We’re very close as well.” You playfully smirked.

        “Then why does he always complain about how you tease him and stuff?” 

        “I’m his brother. It’s my job.”

        “You know, for someone so serious, you can be pretty childish.”

        “And for someone so childish you can be mature when you need to be.” 

        “I’m just gonna take that as a compliment.” Just then the bell on the front door rang, and a few customers entered. You stopped your cleaning and went around the counter, proceeding to take their orders. After you were done, you returned to chatting with your raven haired friend. “So what does Sasuke tell you about?”

        “Why do you want to know?” You smirked and cracked your knuckles.

        “In case I need to take revenge.” He hummed and took another sip.

        “You know, I saw you in school today.” You gulped. Then I know who else you saw too.

        “Really?” He nodded.

        “Mhm. It was in the hallway, with Gaara.” His onyx orbs, so much similar to Sasuke’s, pierced through your now anxious (E/C) ones. 

        “Oh…”

        “It’s going to be very hard to get revenge on Sasuke if you aren’t even allowed to get close to him.” You gulped. “That’s what Sasuke’s been telling me.” He took one long sip, his eyes never leaving yours. You averted your gaze to the floor, not wanting to look into his eyes any longer.

        “So that’s it, huh?” You whispered. “It’s all…. complicated. Like I said before, family stuff.” It was silent for a moment. Then you heard the sound of a chair being pushed out, and you looked up to see Itachi right in front of the counter. The look on his face was calm, definitely not as intense as before. 

        “I didn’t bring this up to pressure you or make you uncomfortable. I brought it up because it is concerning to us.” Us? “I bother because Sasuke considers you a friend, something he normally doesn’t do, so you must hold some importance. And that means I care as well.” You smiled. 

        “You seem cool too.” From out of nowhere, pain erupted in the middle of your forehead. Itachi had poked you, and it was hard enough to make you stumble back a bit. “Ow!” You rubbed your head, and as you looked up, you saw that his finger was still in the air.

        “Hang in there.” He put his hand by his side and started towards the doors, but he stopped a few steps away from the counter, his back still to you. “Just be careful (Y/N).” He turned his head over his shoulder, and looked directly at you. “Deception can lie within even the most generous motives. Do not so easily trust everything that you see, or what you think you know.” He turned his head back around and resumed walking to the door, with you staring at his back the whole way out of the café. What does that mean? Was he talking about Gaara? Considering Itachi probably knows his reputation, probably. But something about this statement seemed off to you, but you had no idea of what else he could’ve meant. 

        Regardless of his ominous message, it was still a relief to be able to talk to someone other than Gaara and the siblings for once. It was especially nice to know that he and Sasuke still cared so much. You set your elbow on the counter, resting your head in the palm of your hand, smiling.

        “(Y/N), do you have the hots for that guy??” One of your female coworkers asked.

        “No! He’s just a friend!” 

        “Oooo~ Is he your boyfriend??” Red blossomed on your cheeks.

        “WHA- NO!!” This is gonna be a long rest of my shift. 

 
        An hour and a half later, your shift ended. After grabbing your stuff and officially clocking out, you said your goodbyes to your coworkers and Teuchi. As you exited the café, you looked up at the sunset sky, which was almost completely dark, save for the line of fiery pink and purple on the horizon. Stars were already starting to glimmer, adding to the sky’s grand beauty. You managed to bring your attention back to in front of you so you wouldn’t run into anything,, only to see Gaara standing just across the street, and he seemed to be waiting for you. I should’ve known. You approached him, frowning. 

        “You seriously don’t trust me enough to walk home myself?” He grunted, and started walking in the direction of the house, you of course following behind him.

        “I’m here not because I don’t trust you. I’m here because it gets dangerous at night, and your senses aren’t developed enough yet to protect you from a possible attack.”

        “I’m more than capable of protecting myself.” 

        “That, I don’t trust.” You glared at him. “I’d rather play it safe. If someone sees me with you then they won’t as readily come after you.”

        “Who would possibly come after me?” 

        “We already told you who.” The memory of your discussion with the siblings last night popped into your head. That’s right, the Akatsuki. “…I know you’ve heard the rumors about us.” You huffed. Yeah, no kidding. “They’ve spread fast, and we have enemies that have surely heard them by now. They might try to attack you to get back at me or the Shinobi.” I guess that makes sense. “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have let you go into work in the first place.” 

        “Which is none of your business to meddle with anyway.” 

        “It is, if I’m trying to protect our pack.”

        “From what? Me ‘slipping’ and shouting our secret out to everyone in the world?”

        “Like I said before, you’re inexperienced. You could do something accidentally, just like-“

        “Just like the other day ago.” He said nothing in return. “Of fucking course.” You averted your gaze to the sidewalk. His eyes, though, were still solely focused on you. You swore you heard a small sigh, but it was so quiet you passed it off as your imagination.

        The two of you walked on in silence, neither of you saying a word. It was one of your most awkward silences all day with him, which was ironic considering this wasn’t the worst thing he had done to you today. You were just so angry, and that anger had been building up for the last few days, that it felt like you were pushed to your absolute limits. Despite your raging thoughts, you suppressed the urge to shout your frustrations at him, and continued following him all the way home. When you both arrived at the front porch, Temari and Kankuro were already there to greet you.

        “Hey guys.” Kankuro waved.

        “You alright?” Gaara said nothing, and you managed a slight twitch of your lips.

        “Yeah.” You half grumbled. Temari pursed her lips in thought, but she didn’t ask about your mood, already assuming the cause of it. Kankuro elbowed Temari, and a look of recollection crossed her face.

        “Oh, (Y/N), we have something to show you.” Without giving you time to question what she was referring to, she grabbed your arm and dragged you into the house. The boys went to the living room, talking about something so quietly you couldn’t hear them, which seemed suspiciously purposeful to you. Temari dragged you to the end of the hall and stopped at a door on the right. “Well, you don’t have to sleep on the couch again.” You rose a brow. “We finally finished your room.”

        “Really? Thank you.” She opened the door and allowed you to step inside. You could barely contain your shock. Everything from your apartment was in here. Your bed, nightstand, lamp, dresser, and all your small personal items were all arranged, admittedly rather nicely, in the room before you. That son of a-

        “I-Is this really m-my-“

        “Yep. Eheh, sorry, it was Gaara’s orders. He figured that you wouldn’t necessarily agree to living here for… a while, so he took the liberty of doing, well this.” She gestured to all your belongings. You frowned, and you could feel your ears drooping.

        “No kidding.” 

        “At least you didn’t have to worry about unpacking.” Her attempt at lightening the mood unfortunately didn’t help at all.

        “Thanks.” You didn’t mean to sound ungrateful, to Temari anyway, but you couldn’t help the annoyance laced in your tone. She didn’t seemed to mind though, instead, she held a look of sympathy.

        “I know it must be hard to deal with everything that’s happened, but Gaara really is trying to look out for everyone, including you.” You huffed.

        “Well, he’s not doing a good job of it.” 

        “He has his ways, not the most agreeable sometimes, but they still work.” You took your hat off and set it on the nightstand. Your ears remained drooped, as you stared forlornly at piece of furniture that was no longer in your actual home.

        “Still.” You felt something on your shoulder, and you looked to see it was Temari’s hand.

        “Just, try to trust him, alright?” You sighed, and she removed her hand, smiling. “Now come on, let’s go get dinner. You’re gonna need a full stomach for later.” You turned around, confusion etched onto your face, as Temari started for the doorway.

        “What do you mean? What’s later?” Temari stopped, looked over her shoulder, and smirked.

        “You’ll see.” With that, she rounded the corner and disappeared, leaving a very confused you behind. Shaking your head out of your dumbfounded state, you raced off after her.

        “Hey, wait up!” You called out as you caught up to Temari in the kitchen. Before you could say anything though, Kankuro appeared in front of you wearing a pink cooking apron.

        “Hope you like chicken, ’cause I cooked us a big one tonight!” You rose a brow, completely forgetting what your original goal had been.

        “Wow, I didn’t know you could cook.” Kankuro put his hands on his hips.

        “And what is that supposed to mean, huh?”

        “You just don’t seem like that type of person, that’s all I’m saying.”

        “Uh huh. Well, someone’s gotta do it, and tonight’s my night.” He gave you a close eyed prideful smirk. “And not to brag or anything, but I’m actually pretty good with-“

        “Not burning down the kitchen at least.” Kankuro glared over his shoulder at Temari, who just snickered at him. You took this time to really take in the scent of the chicken, which sat on the oven just to the side of Kankuro.

        “Well, it does smell pretty good.” Kankuro looked back over at you and was now trying to hold back a laugh.

        “I can tell you already like it, your tail’s going a million miles an hour.” You quickly looked behind you, only to see that your tail was indeed wagging like no tomorrow. Blush erupted on your cheeks as you looked back at Kankuro, only to see something that made you laugh along with him.

        “Look who’s talking.” It was Kankuro’s turn to blush now, as he looked behind and saw his brown tail swishing almost as fast as yours. 

        “Hey, stop that you!” Fits of laughter escaped your mouth as Kankuro ran around in circles chasing his tail. Temari rolled her eyes and Gaara stared on with the same indifferent frown as ever. When Kankuro finally realized what he was doing, he stopped and crossed his arms. “W-Whatever, let’s just eat.” His cheeks were now puffed in a childlike pout, and he averted his gaze to the wall. You walked up to him and lightly punched him in the shoulder as a playful gesture, which he responded with sticking his tongue out at you.

        Once you, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara made your plates, you all sat down at the table and began to eat. Just as Kankuro promised, the chicken was certainly delicious. 

        “Kankuro, this is actually pretty good!”

        “Well what else did you expect?” 

        “Like I said, didn’t know you could cook, and cook well at that.” 

        “Well, at least you recognize my greatness, and this ain’t even my real talent.”

        “Ugh, please don’t start with the puppets again.” Temari groaned. You rose a brow.

        “Puppets?” Kankuro smirked while shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.

        “Yup. I design and make high class puppets. Pretty cool, huh?”

        “More like pretty creepy.” Temari mumbled. “Seriously, his whole room is filled with them. (Y/N), never go in there.”

        “Wasn’t planning on it.” 

        “Hey! I’m right here you know?” 

        “We’re just messing with you. I’m sure your puppets are cool.” You swore you saw Temari cringe. Kankuro seemed to ponder something.

        “Mhm. Well, if you wanna see them sometime I could certainly show you. But while we’re at it, let me tell you about-” 

        Dinner carried on with Kankuro rambling on about his puppets, Temari remarking about all of them, both of them going back and forth at each other, and sometimes you joining in. You were glad that you got along with the two older siblings, and you really enjoyed their company. It certainly relieved you of the stress you’ve had for the past couple days. On the other hand, Gaara ate silently the entire time, as you expected. You were still pretty mad at him for everything he had said earlier, especially with the addition of your new room, but at least, for the moment, he wasn’t doing or saying anything to provoke you. 

        When everyone was finished, you all got up and put your dishes in the sink. Gaara looked between Temari and Kankuro, then at you. His eyes lingered for a moment before he motioned his head over his shoulder.

        “Come on.” Temari and Kankuro looked at you and nodded, signifying that you should follow. Reluctantly you followed them out the front door, and as Temari stayed behind to lock the door, you followed the brothers. They were leading you to the right of the house, more specifically, to the forest. Temari quickly caught up to you and flashed you a smile, as if to say that everything was fine. You smiled back, letting her know that you trusted her. You didn’t bother to ask where you all were going, as you figured you’d find out soon enough. Plus, if Temari and Kankuro were calm about this, you only assumed the place wasn’t anything to be concerned about.

        When you entered the forest, you all continued on a straight path, winding through the trees, pushing past bushes, and stepping over branches and twigs. The only thing that you could clearly hear was everyone’s breathing and the crunching of leaves beneath your feet. At some point, all of you made a left, and that’s when you were truly curious about where they were taking you. By now you had traveled so far from the house, it seemed a little concerning. You glanced at Temari, who was still walking next to you, then to Kankuro, who was diagonal from you, and then finally to Gaara’s back in front of you, trying to figure out where on earth they could possibly take you.

        Eventually you emerged from the trees, and what you saw certainly peaked your curiosity. You all appeared to be in a small clearing, which was marked with different sections: a squared area with wooden dummies, a weapon shack next to it, another area off to the side lined with bullseye targets with what seemed to be knives already stuck in them, and finally another one that faintly resembled a fighting ring.

        “What is this place?” Temari smirked.

        “Welcome to training.”

        (A/N: Another chapter done ((finally)) yay! It’s been a long while since I updated this story, hasn’t it? Well, now we know why Gaara’s been “busy” this whole time, moving your apartment to your new room! And on top of that he’s being more controlling! But at least through all the craziness Temari and Kankuro seem to really like you. Anyway, it still might be a little bit again until I’m able to update. Seriously, Junior year sucks so much. Literally my only free days are Friday and Saturday. Every other day I have homework or something to do after school throughout the rest of the night. Plus there’s drama and other issues, but my teachers are actually pretty cool, so I’m not totally stressed out. School’s almost out, actually next Thursday, so hopefully I’ll have more time. These past 3 months have been brutal, mainly what I’ve been doing is homework, and because of that and other commitments and issues in my life, I’ve gotten little sleep. Luckily, most of my homework is done, one of my “issues” ((basically ex friend))  has been dealt with for now, and I’ve been getting more sleep. So, hopefully updates won’t be too slow now, but no promises. Sorry 😦 . Good news though, I was at my first wedding on Saturday, and it was beautiful! ((Originally I wasn’t supposed to be going because I had to babysit my brother, but my dad was sick that day, and since I actually was invited I went with my mom. It was freaking hot though, but it was still  lovely)) Well with that, I’ll see y’all laters! ~P~)