When Waves Meet the Sand
Chapter 23: Coincidence
Despite being the son of the Kazekage, Gaara had never met the Third Hokage.
He had mainly heard about the man through Kumiko, but her assurances did nothing to ease his paranoia.
Years of assassination attempts and murder plots had made the Jinchuriki inherently distrustful of fathers, and the betrayal of his uncle had made him wary of a kind face.
Despite this, Gaara never said anything to Kumiko.
It was quite clear she adored the old man, and the Suna nin would never take the chance that his words might cause a rift between himself and his angel.
This would not stop him from approaching the Hokage on his own, however...
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Hiruzen was fully aware of what his adopted daughter was.
Kumiko’s feelings and instincts were backed by thousands of lifetimes of experience and fate, so he had learned to read her well.
When he had called her into his office the day before last, it had not been hard to spot the change.
There was a new quirk in her smile, like a bright, teasing star, and her eyes never shifted from that bright blue they became whenever she was extremely happy.
After a quick hello from her new kids, the quartet were led out by Ebisu and the Waterbender explained what had happened during their originally C-ranked mission.
Hiruzen barely managed to hide a smile at the sudden brightening of her features when the story reached Suna.
Clearly, Kumiko cared very much for the Kazekage’s youngest son, Gaara, and had a rather obvious crush on the boy.
This was where Hiruzen began to worry.
The Avatar only ever developed feelings for one person in each lifetime, no matter when or how they met.
If Kumiko was developing a crush…
Hiruzen decided he needed to meet this boy.
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The two determined males found each other quite by accident.
Hiruzen had been out on one of his morning walks around the village, and Gaara was out getting some of the sweets he knew Kumiko liked.
Gaara recognized the old man from his robes, and Hiruzen recognized the boy from the pictures he had been given.
The Sandaime broke the sudden tension with a smile.
“Ah, you must be the boy my daughter has told me so much about.” He greeted, taking in Gaara’s crossed arms and defensive posture. “Why don’t you join me on my walk?”
The Jinchuriki took a moment to consider, the white bag of chocolate-drizzled pastries heating his hands, before nodding.
After a few minutes of walking side-by-side, Hiruzen decided to break the silence once more.
“Kumiko seems to have taken quite a liking to you. This is the first time I’ve heard of her spending so much time with a boy.”
That knowledge made Gaara strangely giddy.
He had privately worried that Kumiko had been with someone before him, had shared her laugh and smile with another man…
Gaara wanted to be her first everything.
“Of course, I worry. Kumiko is my daughter in everything but blood, and is my youngest child.”
The pair stopped in the middle of a deserted side-street, and the Sandaime’s black eyes cut through Gaara‘s defenses.
“I need to know that you will protect her.”
Gaara did not hesitate to reply, facing that stare head-on.
“I will never let anyone harm Kumiko.”
Hiruzen was taken aback by the fiery devotion that suddenly engulfed those blank jade eyes; startling in it’s intensity, but no less genuine for that.
He had never seen someone so devoted to another human being.
Even among his ninja, the instinct to protect those precious to them was never this strong except in the heat of battle.
Perhaps…
Gaara was somewhat startled by the sudden softness in the man’s expression, as if the boy had done something to be proud of, and wondered if this is where Kumiko got her protectiveness from.
“I am glad to hear that, Gaara-san. I know now that you will take good care of her.”
Blinking once in surprise as the Hokage turned, making his way back to the paperwork in his office, Gaara wondered what had just happened.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Hiruzen voiced, turning back with a smile. “Kumiko asked me to schedule her Mizu no Danso during the Chunin Exams. I’m sure she would like you to come.”
The Jinchuriki was only able to nod in response, brain whirring with the implications.
Was it a coincidence that, after explaining why she was unable to give her heart, Kumiko would ask to fulfill the requirements needed to do so?
Gaara highly doubted it.
For the first time, the Suna nin was looking forward to the upcoming exam.
So much planning, so little time…
He had mainly heard about the man through Kumiko, but her assurances did nothing to ease his paranoia.
Years of assassination attempts and murder plots had made the Jinchuriki inherently distrustful of fathers, and the betrayal of his uncle had made him wary of a kind face.
Despite this, Gaara never said anything to Kumiko.
It was quite clear she adored the old man, and the Suna nin would never take the chance that his words might cause a rift between himself and his angel.
This would not stop him from approaching the Hokage on his own, however...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hiruzen was fully aware of what his adopted daughter was.
Kumiko’s feelings and instincts were backed by thousands of lifetimes of experience and fate, so he had learned to read her well.
When he had called her into his office the day before last, it had not been hard to spot the change.
There was a new quirk in her smile, like a bright, teasing star, and her eyes never shifted from that bright blue they became whenever she was extremely happy.
After a quick hello from her new kids, the quartet were led out by Ebisu and the Waterbender explained what had happened during their originally C-ranked mission.
Hiruzen barely managed to hide a smile at the sudden brightening of her features when the story reached Suna.
Clearly, Kumiko cared very much for the Kazekage’s youngest son, Gaara, and had a rather obvious crush on the boy.
This was where Hiruzen began to worry.
The Avatar only ever developed feelings for one person in each lifetime, no matter when or how they met.
If Kumiko was developing a crush…
Hiruzen decided he needed to meet this boy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The two determined males found each other quite by accident.
Hiruzen had been out on one of his morning walks around the village, and Gaara was out getting some of the sweets he knew Kumiko liked.
Gaara recognized the old man from his robes, and Hiruzen recognized the boy from the pictures he had been given.
The Sandaime broke the sudden tension with a smile.
“Ah, you must be the boy my daughter has told me so much about.” He greeted, taking in Gaara’s crossed arms and defensive posture. “Why don’t you join me on my walk?”
The Jinchuriki took a moment to consider, the white bag of chocolate-drizzled pastries heating his hands, before nodding.
After a few minutes of walking side-by-side, Hiruzen decided to break the silence once more.
“Kumiko seems to have taken quite a liking to you. This is the first time I’ve heard of her spending so much time with a boy.”
That knowledge made Gaara strangely giddy.
He had privately worried that Kumiko had been with someone before him, had shared her laugh and smile with another man…
Gaara wanted to be her first everything.
“Of course, I worry. Kumiko is my daughter in everything but blood, and is my youngest child.”
The pair stopped in the middle of a deserted side-street, and the Sandaime’s black eyes cut through Gaara‘s defenses.
“I need to know that you will protect her.”
Gaara did not hesitate to reply, facing that stare head-on.
“I will never let anyone harm Kumiko.”
Hiruzen was taken aback by the fiery devotion that suddenly engulfed those blank jade eyes; startling in it’s intensity, but no less genuine for that.
He had never seen someone so devoted to another human being.
Even among his ninja, the instinct to protect those precious to them was never this strong except in the heat of battle.
Perhaps…
Gaara was somewhat startled by the sudden softness in the man’s expression, as if the boy had done something to be proud of, and wondered if this is where Kumiko got her protectiveness from.
“I am glad to hear that, Gaara-san. I know now that you will take good care of her.”
Blinking once in surprise as the Hokage turned, making his way back to the paperwork in his office, Gaara wondered what had just happened.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Hiruzen voiced, turning back with a smile. “Kumiko asked me to schedule her Mizu no Danso during the Chunin Exams. I’m sure she would like you to come.”
The Jinchuriki was only able to nod in response, brain whirring with the implications.
Was it a coincidence that, after explaining why she was unable to give her heart, Kumiko would ask to fulfill the requirements needed to do so?
Gaara highly doubted it.
For the first time, the Suna nin was looking forward to the upcoming exam.
So much planning, so little time…