Where Sand Meets the Sea

It was a gorgeous sunny day in Kumogakure. Lord A had suggested to his esteemed guests that they should consider a beach day for their stay. He was met with some resistance, but once Killer B had interrupted the conversation with an offbeat rap there was sudden interest in going to the beach, even if under the guise of not needing to listen to B's eclectic style of music.

"Nah, that really isn't my thing," Kakashi said, hands in his pockets beneath his Hokage robes. He was looking forward to getting some time alone with his books that he had hardly had any time to read since recently inaugurated as Hokage. "I'll see you all next time."

"I'll get my swim trunks," Ohnoki said. "The invitation did say there are some high-class beaches, so I hope you all came prepared." Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi agreed, confirming they would be prepared once they returned to their hotel.

"I came prepared too," Lady Mei said, looking at her bodyguards questioningly.

"I'm more than happy to relax on the beach," Ao said, flashing her a sly smile. She did not miss it.

"And you, Chojuro?" she asked.

Chojuro stammered, unable to stop his thoughts about Lady Mizukage in a swimsuit. "I, uh, I've got something that will work," he said, cheeks flushed. Mei smiled at him fondly.

Gaara looked between Kankuro and Temari. He knew he had come prepared. "I've got what I need," Temari said, grinning. "A beach day sounds wonderful right now."

Gaara noted that Temari sounded wistful. He was certain she was missing a certain leaf nin. He was impressed with her dedication to making the long-distance relationship work. He wondered how long it would be before Shikamaru (if he was truly a smart man) asked her to marry him. He assumed it was only a matter of time, especially since Naruto and Hinata's recent marriage was certain to spur on many others.

"What about you, Kankuro?" Gaara asked.

"I'm good, we get enough sun at home, don't you think?" Kankuro smirked at Gaara's surprised face. "I mean, I'll come if you ask me, but I think Temari's got it covered."

Temari leaned into Gaara's ear and whispered, "I think he wants to go talk Omoi's ear off. Do you think they kind of hit it off last time they saw each other?"

Gaara looked at her and nodded in agreement, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Hey, hey! Why are you looking at me like that?" Kankuro asked, paranoid. "Is my face paint smudged? What gives?"

Gaara laughed softly. "It's nothing. I look forward to spending time with Temari. Let's go back to our room. Temari and I will meet you all there."

Later that afternoon the party met at the beach access. The sand was white and glittered with wet granules in the glare of the gleaming sun. Gaara played with it experimentally. It behaved the same as the desert sand, but it was more stunning to watch.

Gaara felt as though he was being watched. He turned around and looked, thinking perhaps he was paranoid. But then he caught Chojuro's dark eyes watching him. Chojuro smiled nervously with his pointed teeth then looked away. Gaara observed him for a moment. He was wearing a lightweight and unbuttoned white linen shirt with blue swim trunks and flip flops. His headset was nowhere to be seen and only his glasses covered his face. Had he gotten a haircut recently? His normally shaggy blue hair seemed like it was cropped a little shorter. He looked good. Gaara quickly looked away and helped Temari find a place to set up their beach chairs.

Ao carried Lady Mizukage's beach chair and his own, setting them up next to Gaara and Temari. Mei wore a blue bikini, sunglasses, and a straw sunhat. She looked perfectly at home. She laid herself out on her back, reclined just enough to be able to see the ocean. "It's lovely out here, wouldn't you agree, Gaara?"