When Waves Meet the Sand

When Konohagakure’s walls became visible between the trees, Kumiko felt her heart soar.

This was home, a safe haven, and there was nothing to hurt her here.

“WHOA…” Tomoko breathed, wide-eyed.

“That’s a big gate.” Yei agreed, thoroughly distracted from the Tic-Tac-Toe game she had been winning against Benjiro.

“Is someone compensating for something?” The blonde boy wondered.

“REI!” Kumiko scolded, cheeks reddening.

“What? I’m just wondering!”

“Wonder about something else!”

“Yeah, like how ya can sneak inta the bathhouses wit’out gettin’ caught.”

“KANA! STOP ENCOURAGING HIM!”

“Don’t worry, okaasan! No one’s prettier than you!” Rei assured, grinning hugely.

The blush deepened, and Kumiko seemed to curl into herself, self-conscious.

Gaara had no idea why.

In his eyes, Rei was right; there was no one prettier than his angel, not that he had seen.

So why was she acting so shy about it?

Even inside the village, Gaara still could not figure out his angel’s insecurities.

True, some of the girls they passed weren’t ugly or plain, but there was a sense that quite a few tried too hard.

Even the younger kunoichi had make-up or flashy dresses and skirts, perfume following them like a cloud even in the open streets.

Gaara thought it was foolish; any shinobi worth their hitai-ite could track them by scent alone, leaving behind a squad of dead Genin.

He much preferred Kumiko, with her unpainted face and clean scent and bright oasis eyes…

None of them could compare.

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The group gradually split up soon after they crossed the threshold; Kana had said something about needing to ‘meet up’ with someone, and Megumi had followed, muttering something about substituting ‘crushing’ for ‘meeting up with’.

Baki, Temari and Kankuro set off for the hotel, and Genma grudgingly took the children with him to report the mission’s happenings to the Hokage.

Happy to be free, Fubuki had immediately shucked her saddle and taken off, leaving only Kumiko, Gaara, and a clearly-amused Tomo behind.

Gaara was positive that the tomcat enjoyed taunting him.

Every chance he got, Tomo would rub against Kumiko’s neck and face, practically rubbing in the fact that the Jinchuriki was unable to do the same.

He could not be mad at Kumiko for accepting the affection; she was an innocent prize in the whole thing, and unaware of the silent war between cat and shinobi.

For a moment, Gaara contemplated the ways he could get rid of that cat without being caught…

“Gaara-kun?”

But looking into those eyes as she cradled Tomo in her arms, the Jinchuriki knew he would never do it.

Seeing that she had his attention, Kumiko smiled.

“I’m going to look for my little brother. Do you want to come along?”

“Yes.” He replied without a thought.

The slight brightening of her smile was enough to wash away the Jinchuriki’s doubts.

“He’s probably pumped himself full of sugar while I was gone.” She admitted, slightly miffed at the thought. “I always make sure he gets a healthy meal, since otousan and oniisan are always so busy, but I’ve been gone a while…”

There was a hint of worry in her expression, and that bothered Gaara greatly.

He knew that she cared deeply for those around her, but he just could not grasp why.

“We should start at the Academy and search outward from there.” Kumiko reasoned, turning to head towards said establishment. “He should still be practicing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran off to play Ninja again.”

Following his angel through the crowded streets of Konoha, Gaara could not help feeling agitated.

While this was Kumiko’s home, it was foreign territory to him, and danger lurked in every shadow on a good day in Sunagakure.

How could she be so relaxed?

Not even flinch when someone brushed too close?

It would be effortless to slip a kunai between her ribs from so near, or prick her with a poisoned senbon, or-

Fingers weaved through his, holding Gaara’s hand gently, and the Jinchuriki looked down into worried blue eyes.

“Are you alright? Is something wrong?”

It was then that Gaara realized his sand had been reacting to the downward spiral of his thoughts, and was swirling anxiously in the gourd, ready to strike.

“I’m fine.” He replied, wrestling control back from his emotions.

They had never been such a challenge before Kumiko had come into his life, and now they were a force all their own, joining with Shukaku against him.

‘Kiss her.’

‘Touch her.’

‘Mark her.’

‘Hold her.’

They came in and out at intervals, but mostly stayed as a background buzz that he could easily ignore.

Forcing the very tempting thoughts back, Gaara continued to walk, tugging the still-worried kunoichi after him.

Regaining her equilibrium, Kumiko fell into step with the silent Suna nin, Tomo curled tightly around her neck like a scarf.

If there was one thing she had learned about her secret crush, it was that he never spoke about what he was feeling.

In fact, he barely spoke to anyone but her.

Gaara expressed his emotions physically rather than verbally; the slight softening of his eyes, the hesitant way he initiated contact, the slight smile he sometimes gave her when no one was looking…

Trying to distract herself from the blush that had certainly returned to her cheeks, Kumiko started scanning the crowds for her little brother.

While Konohamaru was still small, he was about as hard to miss as Naruto.

They were passing by the opening to the alleyways, almost to the Academy, when Kumiko heard it.

Stopping immediately, eyes fixed on the narrow walkway, she tried to decipher what it was.

The awareness hit her like a bolt of lightning up the spine.

It was a scream.

‘Konohamaru.’ Kumiko realized, heart stuttering to a near stop.

Gaara had barely registered that she had stopped before his angel shot down the alley.

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Konohamaru knew he was in big trouble.

Held aloft by his scarf, unable to defend himself or get away, he irrationally hoped that Kumiko would save him.

Though he knew that she was still out of the village on a mission, the boy believed very strongly that she would always protect him.

This big boy from another village may be stronger than his rival and his girlfriend, but no one was stronger than his oneechan!

The purple-painted nin pulled his fist back, most likely preparing to punch Konohamaru in the face, and the little boy closed his eyes in an instinctive attempt to hide from the oncoming pain.

“ONEECHAN!”

…

The pain never came, and Konohamaru opened them again to see what had happened.

He had never been so happy to see Kumiko in his entire life.

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Kankuro knew, the moment he looked into those midnight-blue eyes, that he was royally screwed.

Her fingers dug into his wrist, forcing the Sand shinobi to lower his fist, wincing at the pain.

“You hurt my otouto.” Kumiko stated, dangerously calm.

Scratch that.

He was f&*@ed.

“Put him down.” She ordered. “Now.”

Kankuro did not hesitate to do as he was told, praying that his death would at least be swift and somewhat painless.

Really, he should have known better than to think Konoha Genin were weak.

Maternal instincts still raging, Kumiko twisted Kankuro’s arm back further, feeling the ligaments threaten to tear.

“If you ever threaten anyone from this village again, you’ll see what it’s like to be a ninja without hands.”

Temari felt a chill rush down her spine.

That was not a threat.

It was a promise.

Releasing him, Kumiko’s expression immediately softened as she looked down at a teary-eyed Konohamaru.

“O-Oneechan…”

“Oh, don’t cry, otouto.” She cooed, picking the boy up like one would a toddler. “I’m here now, don’t cry…”

Even though Naruto and Sakura had known her reaction, they were still caught off-guard.

After all, Kumiko was always so sweet and kind that it was difficult to imagine she could ever be angry.

The Sand Siblings froze as a thought occurred to them.

If Kumiko was here, then…

The temperature seemed to drop.

Neither wanted to turn around and face Gaara’s glare, too frightened to even breathe.

“You’re a disgrace to our village.” He informed his elder brother, monotone.

Fear spiked through Kankuro more fiercely than before.

“G-Gaara…”

“Why do you think we came all the way here to Konoha?”

Kankuro quickly decided that saying ‘so you could be with your girlfriend’ was a good way to get himself killed.

“Listen, Gaara, these guys started it.” The purple-painted nin explained shakily, gesturing vaguely to the other Konoha Genin and the Academy students.

“Shut up.” Gaara ordered icily.

Even Naruto and Sakura felt the sudden pressure in the air.

“I was at fault. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Kankuro admitted.

Jade eyes narrowed in displeasure, Gaara’s gaze swept over the others before locking with brightening blue.

“Excuse them.”

As Tomo purred and rubbed against Konohamaru’s face, Kumiko felt the tension drain from her body.

“It’s alright, Gaara-kun.” She assured. “They won’t do it again.”

She sounded so sure of that, Gaara wondered what his angel had said to them before he arrived.

Giving a slight nod, he turned away.

“Then come. We don’t have time to waste playing around here.”

“Right.”

Smiling towards the still-stunned Konoha Genin, Kumiko set her little brother down with his relieved friends.

“I’ll catch up with you two later, okay? And get in some practice, otouto. I’m going to test you when I come over to make dinner, alright?”

“Hai, oneechan…” Konohamaru promised, still sniffling.

Taking a moment to ruffle his hair, Kumiko quickly went to catch up with Gaara.

Once the group was out of sight, Sakura blinked out of her thoughts and spoke the one question all of them were thinking.

“Was that Chiyo-sama’s boyfriend?”