My Kazekage

My knuckles paled slightly as I rapped them hard against Gaara's door frame, announcing my presence as I walked without hesitation into his office.

His red hair dipped up slightly from the stack of papers in front of him, as he looked me up and down with his ever so serious eyes. A small meaningless nod as he saw the takeout bags in my hand.

"12:35, already?" He asked letting out a light sigh. I watched as he dropped his fountain pen its cool metal tip clattering against his light desk as it made contact. The silence filling the room as it did every day.

"You just missed Sari." Gaara added trying to bring some conversation to the now quiet room as he started clearing off his desk, placing the papers next to two other large stacks on the ground. It seemed work never ended for him now that he was Kazekage.

"Oh really, what was she doing?" I asked raising an eyebrow at him. It was no secret to me that my best friend had a crush on him as well. Although I loved Sari like she was my sister I sometimes found myself becoming jealous of her. Even though she was Temari's student and not Gaara's I could not help but worry that he liked her more than me. A stupid thought seeing that he ate lunch with me everyday and not her, but a girl gets to worry.

"I was finishing setting things up, Temari and her will be in Konohagakure for the week- remember?" Gaara asked with an air of confusion at my forgetfulness. I usually was very good at remembering things, and he found it odd that I would forget my best friend leaving.

"I've been busy lately, sorry." I added letting out a forced laugh with an accompanied smile plastered to my face. I watched as Gaara stared wearily at me for a moment before breaking his chopsticks apart and digging in.

I let a small sigh leave my chest, I could tell he had given up the questions. Sari herself was not talking to me at the moment, and I really did not want to talk about it with him. We have been best friends since childhood, and she was angry with me. Lately it was a cycle of: her growing crush for My Kazekage, my jealousy, and in turn me spending as much time away from her as possible.

It was stupid I know, girls are suppose to stick together. Boys should not tare friends apart. Yet, why should she be there for him? I was there for him before he became Kazekage. She had no interest in him when we first started school. She had no interest in him after he saved me from the Celestials, perhaps gratitude, but not devotion. She did not even mention his name when he first became Kazekage- only after he saved the village did she give him the light of day. Not that Gaara shows really any interest in her, but I was startled and hurt at my friend trying to go after him even though she knew I loved him.

"Matsuri?" His voice startled me causing me to jerk up suddenly, my mind had been completely wrapped around Sari that I'd momentarily forgotten where I was.

"Ye-yes?" I asked uncertainly as I tried to regain balance to my words and thoughts.

"Do you want to train tonight?" His words liquefied the air. Soothing the irritation that had been growing in my chest.

"You have time?" I asked looking at the stacks of documents that still needed to be reviewed.

"I am Kazekage I can make time. We haven't stretched our legs in a while anyways, a little training will calm us both I suppose." He added a rare smile filling his lips as he shot me a knowing glance. My irritation had not went over his head as I had originally thought. His knowledge of my feelings filled my heart with simple pride for a moment, he had not been much of a person for most of his life- but now I felt like he was making real progress.

A small (and equally real) smile filled my face at that moment. Comfort filled the room, the tension being broken by the promise of training. If Gaara had to be right about one thing, it would be that we totally needed to train.

Gaara had never been one for large conversations, he spoke when he needed to or to make a point, unlike his sister. The only time he seemed to flourish in conversation was when it was about training.

In training he was perfect.

I nodded quickly agreeing with him, picking up my chopsticks I started to dig into my lunch. I watched as he eyed me for another moment before doing the same. I could tell something was on his mind, something he wasn't telling me.

"What's wrong?" I asked trying to keep my comment as emotionless as possible, my eyes scanning his expression over the top of my bento box.

"Nothing really," he smirked out. His voice hid too much from me. My chopsticks quickly found a place on the table as I pulled all of my attention to him now.

His smile was a little too smug in that moment- full of unknown knowledge no doubt.

"If it was nothing, then you'd not be smiling," I breathed out wondering what he was thinking. I always wondered what he was thinking, he hid so much in his secret looks from me.

"Temari asked me if she should sign you up," he stated plainly his smile barely fitting on his face now.

Impatience filled me like he knew it would, he could not leave that statement as it was! He totally couldn't do that to me! The only thing Temari lived for was the Chūnin Exams. I knew exactly what she had asked him, the same thing she had asked him for the past two years- if I was ready.

I was sick of being a Genin! I have helped in so many missions I should be promoted solely on those reasons alone. Yet, each time Temari would ask, Gaara would tell her no.

"What did you say?" my voice became weak at the end worry creeping into it, I wanted badly for him to say yes.

"I told her I approved, as long as I got to pick your team." He added quickly.

"Who?" I asked knowing exactly whom he'd picked.

"Sari, and then Kankuro's student Hayate," Gaara rolled his eyes at the last part.

I had a feeling from his tone that he didn't agree with Kankuro's thoughts on Hayate's readiness. Actually I think he hated the whole thought of Hayate in general.

"Explain to me again why you hate Hayate?" I asked laughing slightly as I spun myself in my chair. It was funny how easy my temper could be erased at the mention of getting what I wanted.

"I don't hate him, he's my brother's student. I just don't think he is ready." Gaara sighed out shrugging his shoulders.

"Then why is he coming along?" I asked, although I knew the real reason behind his uneasiness.

"Because, Kankuro asked me and I really don't feel like pissing Ebizo off again..." he added with a defeated look about him.

"The old man is breathing down your neck again?" I asked laughing at the expression that crossed his face.

"It's like the man owns my soul now- do you know how long it took for him to allow Kankuro and not me to personally train his great-grandson! A month! An entire month of badgering and bickering! Now only a year later he thinks he is ready for the Chūnin exams!

"And here I thought you hated him because he was related to Sasori!" Gaara's laugh flew from his mouth before I could even laugh at my own comment.

"If it was only that!"