When Waves Meet the Sand

The tower was massive, tall enough to overshadow the trees and wide enough to make the trunks look like toothpicks in comparison.

A large portion of civilization in the middle of brutal nature.

Kumiko felt it was a bit out of place, intrusive, in this forest, very unlike the village she had grown to love.

Pressed tightly against her neck, Tomo grumbled lowly, threatening to puff up and hiss at the slightest provocation.

Fubuki was much calmer, though she stayed close to Kumiko’s side as they approached the building.

Temari and Kankuro, who had managed to catch up an hour before, opened the sealed door to avoid angering Gaara.

This was wise, since said Suna nin was very much on-edge about Kumiko’s health, making his temper short and dangerous.

The room was a bit large, with balconies on both sides and empty space down the middle.

Megumi stepped forward to read the parchment hanging on the opposite wall, finding a riddle.

“‘If you do not possess Heaven, gain knowledge and be prepared. If you do not possess Earth, run through the fields and gain strength. If you open both Heaven and Earth, dangerous paths become safe paths. This is the secret. It shall lead you on your way’.”

Frowning, the Firebender turned around, arms crossed.

“We need to open both scrolls. At the same time seems preferable.”

Kana shrugged, pulling out one of each from her kunai pouch and tossing the other to Kumiko.

“Whate’er ya say, hothead.”

Kankuro and Temari copied them, though they hesitated where Kana and Kumiko did not.

They trusted Megumi not to be wrong.

Unrolling the Heaven scroll in her hands, the Waterbender paused at the symbols drawn on the white paper before realization dawned on her.

‘Summoning inscriptions.’

After the realization came panic.

Throwing her opened scroll onto the floor a few feet away, she immediately whipped around to knock the other from Kana’s hands.

Luckily, this sudden action caused the elder Sand Siblings to drop their scrolls in response, adrenaline taking hold.

Smoke bubbled up from the symbols, and Gaara pulled his angel back in a protective move he was becoming familiar with.

With a ‘pop’ that reminded Kana of the Substitution Jutsu the Third Hokage had sometimes used during training, two Chunin were standing on the scrolls with the serious calm of seasoned shinobi.

“Congratulations on passing the second phase of the Chunin Exam.” One greeted, arms crossed. “You’re definitely early, but we’re here to welcome you to the third and final phase of the exam.”

Kumiko felt both relieved and exhausted that this test was over, the latter amplified by the knowledge that there was still more to come.

“We are also here to explain the meaning of this.” The other explained, gesturing to the parchment behind them. “This is the principal Hokage-sama wrote that you should keep in mind as Chunin.”

“What is there to explain?” Megumi wondered, eyebrow raised in skepticism. “It’s clear that ‘Heaven’ represents the mind and ‘Earth’ the body, and that it is best to have both if you hope to succeed as a shinobi.”

The other Genin, along with the Chunin, stared at her in surprise, and she shrugged in response, unperturbed.

“Show-off…” Kana grumbled good-naturedly.

With a flick of the wrist, Megumi cuffed her teammate upside the head, earning a wince.

“Well, since you figured it out without our help…” The first Chunin started, still a bit stunned. “You’re free to explore the tower until the end of the second phase. There’s an infirmary in the next hallway, if you have any injuries.”

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Despite Kumiko’s protests, she was immediately herded into the tower’s infirmary by a stoically-worried Gaara as the others split up to find their rooms.

The nurses on duty immediately began to fret over her, and the Waterbender relented only because she knew her adopted father was likely worried sick.

A report on her good health would ease his worries, at least a little.

Staying still as they measured her heart rate and blood pressure, Kumiko was oblivious to the growing tension in the room.

Intense teal eyes glared at each of the nurses as they went about their duties, making them even more anxious than before.

Treating the daughter of their leader was nerve-wracking enough without being stared down by her boyfriend at the same time…

The two assigned to care for her Polar Bear Dog were relieved to have a screen as protection, though they had to deal with a prowling Tomo instead.

Kumiko was rather relieved once everything was done, swinging her legs carelessly as a poor man gave her the results.

“There are no visible wounds or infection, a good sign, though your blood pressure is a bit low. You should be fine after a good meal and some rest.”

Having expected that to be the case, Kumiko hopped down from the stretcher, smiling in gratitude.

“Arigato. I’ll be sure to do that.”

Growing even more nervous as Gaara’s glare intensified on him, the male nurse coughed softly to loosen his fear-tightened throat.

“Ah, but your…Polar Bear Dog will need to stay here for the night, to be sure her minor injuries do not get infected.”

Kumiko nodded, though she was a bit subdued now, and the killer intent seemed to fill every corner of the room like smoke.

“I understand. You’ll take good care of her, won’t you?”

“Of course!” He replied hastily, feeling his death closing in at the implication that they would be lax in their duties.

“I’m sure she’ll be much better after a night here, so there’s no need to worry.”

Gaara stepped forward then, placing a hand on the small of her back to steer the girl out into the hallway, sweeping his chilling gaze over the staff one more time before they were gone.

Sighing softly, the Waterbender rubbed her eyes in an attempt to clear the fuzz from her vision.

Though Kumiko would not admit it, the blood loss had taken quite a toll on her.

She had not lost that much blood in nearly a decade, where the sub-zero temperatures had thickened the red and kept her alive for days.

The memories of it plagued her even now. Kumiko sometimes felt her entire world shift and sway, blur around the edges, and she would-

be a little girl again, clinging to Fubuki’s back as they raced over the ice, soaked in red and-

forcing the images back, heart racing with old pain.

“Tenshi?”

Startled from her thoughts, she blinked up at Gaara for a moment before managing a smile.

“Gomen, I’m just…tired. I should probably take a nap before dinner, after all.”

Brow furrowing in concern, Gaara nodded, herding her towards the right hallway.

With no other competitors having arrived just yet, the two squads were given their pick of rooms, which held two people each.

Kumiko guessed that Megumi and Kana were already in one, relaxing and sleeping, leaving her with a room all to herself.

Seeing Gaara’s concerned expression out of her peripheral, the Waterbender figured it would be alright to share a room, at least for a little while…

Stopping at the first door, Gaara opened the door and stepped inside first, sand seeping onto the carpet and scouting for traps.

He was not willing to take any more chances.

Once sure that nothing was lying in wait, he held the door open for Kumiko to step in and see the room for herself.

It was small and rather empty, holding only two single beds and a stout dresser.

A window sat between the headboards, shadowed by ivy and leaves, and a door was half-open on the right-hand wall that led to a utilitarian bathroom, a glass shower cubicle visible through the crack.

With a deep, tired breath, Kumiko headed for the dresser and pulled out a drawer to reveal plain t-shirts and loose shorts stacked neatly within, ready for use.

Settling on the edge of one of the beds, Gaara watched her grab a change of clothes, feeling something was wrong and growing increasingly agitated because of it.

What was wrong?

“I’m going to take a shower, okay?” Kumiko voiced, slightly strained, and the Jinchuriki noticed a slight redness around her dull blue irises that was new. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Gaara’s agitation morphed into something much stronger at the pain he could see in her blue eyes.

She was not allowed to run away from him.

“No.”

The Waterbender paused on her way to the bathroom, and turned back to him in confusion.

“Gaara?”

Standing slowly, the Suna nin closed the short distance between them, though it felt like crossing an ocean instead of floor.

Kumiko was so still that she began to tremble, feeling very much like fragile glass, as he cupped her face gently, jade eyes intense but so very understanding.

“You don’t have to hide from me, tenshi.”

Those words shattered her control, and tears swarmed up as her walls crumbled.

Everything crashed down on her at once, and Kumiko pressed herself into Gaara’s warm chest, choking on a sob that came up from the broken edges of her heart.

The sound made his heart throb in empathetic pain through the initial alarm, and Gaara pulled her closer, as if hoping to squeeze the tears out faster.

His gourd dissolved, relieving the Jinchuriki of it’s familiar weight, and the resulting sand brushed against her back like a cat might, showing Shukaku’s intention to comfort Kumiko as well.

The feel of sand did not cause the terror in her that Gaara was used to from others; in fact, Kumiko relaxed, her trembling becoming less violent as her knees buckled, too weak to hold her weight now that the tension was gone.

The sand caught her firmly around the thighs, and Gaara maneuvered them to one of the beds, careful not to lose his grip.

The slight movement caused Kumiko’s own grip to tighten, and she pressed closer in a blind panic.

“Please…Please, don’t leave…” She begged, choking on the soft words around her sobs. “I can’t be alone again, please, I just can’t…”

Walls crumbling at her broken pleas, Gaara pulled her onto the bed, curling around the girl and petting her hair in an attempt to soothe the pain.

“I won’t leave, tenshi.” He promised sincerely. “You never have to be alone again.”