When Waves Meet the Sand
Chapter 24: Uncertainty
Word travels fast among the women of the Hidden Leaf.
It was to be expected; Kumiko was the daughter of their beloved Hokage, and was one of the prettiest young kunoichi the village had to offer.
Not only that, but she was friendly and helpful, with a temper only for those that would hurt someone else.
The villagers adored her, especially the young children and parents, so it was no wonder that word of her supposed crush on a boy had spread like wildfire.
Now they were all curious:
Was she going to marry this boy?
Was she going to leave the village?
Was the boy going to come here?
The questions ate at their sanity until Sakura and Ino grudgingly decided to team up to find out the answers.
They just had to know.
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Humming softly to herself, Kumiko adjusted her grip on the bags in her arms, careful of the eggs and bread.
Tomoko skipped along on her right, hugging a bag of sweets to her chest with a giddy smile, while Yei walked calmly on her left, cataloguing the herbs they had bought and double-checking in a medical tome she had dug up in the library.
Fubuki trotted behind the trio, saddle weighed down with groceries, growling softly at the curious cat that kept trying to poke through the bags.
“Chiyo-sama?”
Reacting to the formal call of her name, the Waterbender turned to see Sakura and Ino coming out of a side-street only a couple of yards back.
“Oh, Sakura-chan! Ino-chan!” Kumiko greeted. “Is there something you needed?”
“Actually, we wanted to talk with you.” Ino admitted, only slightly nervous.
“Sure. Just give me a moment.”
Placing her bags on Fubuki’s saddle, and shushing Tomo’s loud meows, the white-haired kunoichi pat the Animal Guide’s neck.
“Make sure they get home safe, Ki-chan. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Huffing in the affirmative, the Polar Bear Dog picked a squealing Tomoko up by the back of her little pink dress and started walking again, Yei jogging to keep up.
With that done, Kumiko approached the two rookie kunoichi, curious.
“What did you two want to talk about?”
Alarm bells were already ringing in the back of her mind; everyone knew that Sakura and Ino were rivals over Sasuke’s affection, and fought whenever in each other’s presence.
What was so important that the two would put aside all those hurt feelings?
“You see, Chiyo-sama, we were wondering…” Sakura started, wary.
“Is that Sand shinobi your boyfriend?” Ino blurted out, bursting with impatience and curiosity.
Though she was stunned at first, Kumiko’s cheeks flushed a bright red.
“N-Nani? You mean Gaara-kun?”
Both of their eyes brightened at the familiar suffix and the girl’s obvious anxiety.
“Do you like him?”
“Is he sweet?”
“Does he like you?”
“Has he kissed you yet?”
Sakura and Ino were practically vibrating in excitement.
The entire thing was just so romantic!
Like a fairytale about the lonely princess who went off on an adventure and found her prince charming!
Blush darkening, Kumiko felt cornered.
Should she admit her feelings?
‘No.’
Those words would only be for Gaara.
“Gomen, but I have to go.” She voiced, fleeing.
The two kunoichi blinked in surprises, sharing a glance.
What was that all about?
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Megumi looked up from heating her tea when Kumiko entered the apartment, the blush barely receding from her cheeks.
Standing up from her place in front of the couch, Fubuki lifted Tomo by the scruff of his neck and retreated into the Waterbender’s room, ignoring the feline‘s annoyed yowling.
“You seem rather flustered.” The red-haired girl noted, sipping her drink. “Did something happen?”
“Not really…” Kumiko replied evasively, scanning the apartment. “Is anyone else here?”
“Kana is still out training, and Gaara hasn’t gotten back from wherever he decided to go.” Megumi informed, gold eyes narrowing. “Now, tell me what happened.”
Slightly tense, the white-haired kunoichi settled on a stool next to her friend, accepting a cup of tea with a nervous smile.
“Nothing, really…Just…Do you think Gaara could be my boyfriend?”
If Megumi had any less self-control, she would have done a spit take.
“Excuse me?”
“Sakura and Ino wanted to talk with me on the way back from grocery shopping, and they asked if…”
Kumiko blushed darker.
“If Gaara was my boyfriend. I didn’t know what to say.”
Taking a moment to mull over her words and actions, Megumi barely managed to hold back a smile.
“It’s best that you didn’t tell them the truth. Especially not before you’ve had the chance to tell Gaara.”
Now it was Kumiko’s turn to nearly have a spit take.
“N-Nani?”
“It’s rather obvious.” Megumi told her, eyes softening. “And it’s even more obvious that Gaara thinks the world of you in return. Kana and I have just been waiting for you two to admit it.”
The Waterbender flushed bright red, trying not to trip over her words.
“B-But the villagers…”
“I’m sure they thought something was up when you suddenly decided you wanted to do your Mizu no Danso.” Megumi explained with a raised brow, tone dripping with sarcasm. “Very subtle.”
Unable to find anything to say, Kumiko shut her mouth and dropped her head onto the counter in the hopes of hiding her red face.
Sighing, Megumi pat her friend on the shoulder sympathetically.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She assured. “It’s perfectly natural, especially for you. Denying it is only going to hurt in the end.”
Nodding slightly, Kumiko tilted her head to look up at the elder kunoichi.
“I just…I’m scared, Meg.”
“…I know.” The Firebender admitted, putting an arm around her teammate’s shoulders in a half-hug. “Love is frightening, at first. You don’t know what to do, and you’re worried about being hurt…But denying love is like denying oxygen. It can’t be done.”
“Yeah…” Kumiko whispered, resigned, but a smile growing on her lips. “I know…”
It was to be expected; Kumiko was the daughter of their beloved Hokage, and was one of the prettiest young kunoichi the village had to offer.
Not only that, but she was friendly and helpful, with a temper only for those that would hurt someone else.
The villagers adored her, especially the young children and parents, so it was no wonder that word of her supposed crush on a boy had spread like wildfire.
Now they were all curious:
Was she going to marry this boy?
Was she going to leave the village?
Was the boy going to come here?
The questions ate at their sanity until Sakura and Ino grudgingly decided to team up to find out the answers.
They just had to know.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Humming softly to herself, Kumiko adjusted her grip on the bags in her arms, careful of the eggs and bread.
Tomoko skipped along on her right, hugging a bag of sweets to her chest with a giddy smile, while Yei walked calmly on her left, cataloguing the herbs they had bought and double-checking in a medical tome she had dug up in the library.
Fubuki trotted behind the trio, saddle weighed down with groceries, growling softly at the curious cat that kept trying to poke through the bags.
“Chiyo-sama?”
Reacting to the formal call of her name, the Waterbender turned to see Sakura and Ino coming out of a side-street only a couple of yards back.
“Oh, Sakura-chan! Ino-chan!” Kumiko greeted. “Is there something you needed?”
“Actually, we wanted to talk with you.” Ino admitted, only slightly nervous.
“Sure. Just give me a moment.”
Placing her bags on Fubuki’s saddle, and shushing Tomo’s loud meows, the white-haired kunoichi pat the Animal Guide’s neck.
“Make sure they get home safe, Ki-chan. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Huffing in the affirmative, the Polar Bear Dog picked a squealing Tomoko up by the back of her little pink dress and started walking again, Yei jogging to keep up.
With that done, Kumiko approached the two rookie kunoichi, curious.
“What did you two want to talk about?”
Alarm bells were already ringing in the back of her mind; everyone knew that Sakura and Ino were rivals over Sasuke’s affection, and fought whenever in each other’s presence.
What was so important that the two would put aside all those hurt feelings?
“You see, Chiyo-sama, we were wondering…” Sakura started, wary.
“Is that Sand shinobi your boyfriend?” Ino blurted out, bursting with impatience and curiosity.
Though she was stunned at first, Kumiko’s cheeks flushed a bright red.
“N-Nani? You mean Gaara-kun?”
Both of their eyes brightened at the familiar suffix and the girl’s obvious anxiety.
“Do you like him?”
“Is he sweet?”
“Does he like you?”
“Has he kissed you yet?”
Sakura and Ino were practically vibrating in excitement.
The entire thing was just so romantic!
Like a fairytale about the lonely princess who went off on an adventure and found her prince charming!
Blush darkening, Kumiko felt cornered.
Should she admit her feelings?
‘No.’
Those words would only be for Gaara.
“Gomen, but I have to go.” She voiced, fleeing.
The two kunoichi blinked in surprises, sharing a glance.
What was that all about?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megumi looked up from heating her tea when Kumiko entered the apartment, the blush barely receding from her cheeks.
Standing up from her place in front of the couch, Fubuki lifted Tomo by the scruff of his neck and retreated into the Waterbender’s room, ignoring the feline‘s annoyed yowling.
“You seem rather flustered.” The red-haired girl noted, sipping her drink. “Did something happen?”
“Not really…” Kumiko replied evasively, scanning the apartment. “Is anyone else here?”
“Kana is still out training, and Gaara hasn’t gotten back from wherever he decided to go.” Megumi informed, gold eyes narrowing. “Now, tell me what happened.”
Slightly tense, the white-haired kunoichi settled on a stool next to her friend, accepting a cup of tea with a nervous smile.
“Nothing, really…Just…Do you think Gaara could be my boyfriend?”
If Megumi had any less self-control, she would have done a spit take.
“Excuse me?”
“Sakura and Ino wanted to talk with me on the way back from grocery shopping, and they asked if…”
Kumiko blushed darker.
“If Gaara was my boyfriend. I didn’t know what to say.”
Taking a moment to mull over her words and actions, Megumi barely managed to hold back a smile.
“It’s best that you didn’t tell them the truth. Especially not before you’ve had the chance to tell Gaara.”
Now it was Kumiko’s turn to nearly have a spit take.
“N-Nani?”
“It’s rather obvious.” Megumi told her, eyes softening. “And it’s even more obvious that Gaara thinks the world of you in return. Kana and I have just been waiting for you two to admit it.”
The Waterbender flushed bright red, trying not to trip over her words.
“B-But the villagers…”
“I’m sure they thought something was up when you suddenly decided you wanted to do your Mizu no Danso.” Megumi explained with a raised brow, tone dripping with sarcasm. “Very subtle.”
Unable to find anything to say, Kumiko shut her mouth and dropped her head onto the counter in the hopes of hiding her red face.
Sighing, Megumi pat her friend on the shoulder sympathetically.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She assured. “It’s perfectly natural, especially for you. Denying it is only going to hurt in the end.”
Nodding slightly, Kumiko tilted her head to look up at the elder kunoichi.
“I just…I’m scared, Meg.”
“…I know.” The Firebender admitted, putting an arm around her teammate’s shoulders in a half-hug. “Love is frightening, at first. You don’t know what to do, and you’re worried about being hurt…But denying love is like denying oxygen. It can’t be done.”
“Yeah…” Kumiko whispered, resigned, but a smile growing on her lips. “I know…”