Naruto One Shots

Choose #1 (Kankuro Sabaku)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to NPC-Dion]

Requested by: @tadomikiku
[Original idea by @justmyownreality on tumblr; go check them out!]

Word Count: 3,756

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:
- Angst
- Cheating

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     "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," Kankuro mutters for the sixth time, his fingertips still clinging to my shirt as his lips continue to dance against mine. He's been pressed up against me, desperately clinging to any piece of me he can get since we've entered the Kazekage Palace.
     I giggle against his mouth, trying my best to pull away from him, leading to no success. "You have to let me go. I can't leave with you clinging to me."
      "Ya, ya, ya," he mutters, taking a step forward to follow my sorry attempt to walk away. Kankuro's lips capture mine again, another soft kiss, his longing for me already present in it even though I haven't left yet. "All right, I'll see you tomorrow, for real this time," he repeats, another quick peck to my lips before he lets me go.
I float away, still high from our date and our not-so-professional make-out session in the hallway. Well, I feel like I'm floating until I make it to the stairs. My brother's voice rings in my head reminding me to pick up our mission assignments for tomorrow while I'm hanging around the Kage Palace.
My head snaps around, scanning the hallway to see if Kankuro entered our Lord's office yet or not; he has. I let out a low sigh, turning on my heels to walk back down the hallway. Why do I always get so wrapped up in him? Forgetting everything else in the world anytime he's near. It's bad Shinobi behavior, but I guess that's just what the bliss of love does to a person.
The hallway is filled with the soft patter of my shoes, Lord Fifth's voice filtering out from his office the closer I get to it. "You are stringing that girl along," the Lord's muffled voice yaps, his voice harsh as he speaks to Kuro. The tone and the sentence snag my attention. I guess he doesn't have a meeting with Kankuro after all.
"I'm not stringing her along," Ro answers, his voice defeated and flat, my heart quickly doing the same. "I like her, Gaar."
     "You're betrothed to Hana and yet you're prancing around the village with Baki's younger sister. What would you call that?" Lord Fifth's voice peeps up again, a lot calmer this time. My heart is no longer flat-lined; if anything it feels like I just went on a run.
     When no answer comes, our Lord speaks up again. "I would call it having a future wife while you're toying with one of my top Shinobi's only family. You know my loyalty lies with you but I am still the Kazekage. The Kazekage who has Baki as one of his top Shinobis. Baki who has a younger sister who believes the lie that you two are in a committed relationship - "
"I am committed to her," Kankuro interrupts, anger starting to bubble over the deflated tone he had earlier. My heart skips a beat, trying to process the conversation going on. Who's lying in this situation? The village leader I hope.
"Yes, yes. Committed to your wife and your girlfriend," Lord Fifth pokes, what I think is amusement in his voice. "How loyal of you." There's a heavy pause and then a "Choose."
"What do you mean choose?"
"I mean, pick, choose, make a decision. Losing Baki as a Shinobi would be bad for the village, so, choose your wife and break up with your girlfriend, or choose your girlfriend and end the betrothal to Hana."
     Kankuro stays quiet, his voice is soft enough that I can't hear his response. The next sound I hear is the Lord's softly chuckling. "Father set up your betrothal. I couldn't care less if you went through with it or not."
More silence, and then "Give me some time to figure everything out." I swear the world freezes as soon as the sentence leaves Kankuro's mouth.
     I can no longer hear the two men over the sound of my blood rushing in my ears, my heart pounding fast and my lungs all of a sudden doing overtime. I turn around, the conversation replaying in my head as I head back down the hallway, again feeling like I'm floating.
This time it's not because of the bubble of giddiness Kankuro leaves me in. No, this time the bubble wrapping me up is made out of betrayal and disbelief. A drop of sadness is mixing in and slowly taking over the other two emotions.
     He needs 'time to figure everything out'. Well, that's the only thing he'll get from me; time. If he couldn't pick me right away, if I'm not the first and only option, I won't be an option at all. Screw Kankuro, his secret wife, and his lies. I deserve better than a catty love triangle. I deserve better than a lying, cocky Shinobi who wants the best of both worlds.
     My dissociation continues out of the palace, continuing until I stumble down the front stairs. The lack of awareness is finally broken when hands land on my shoulders. "Button?" My brother calls, breaking whatever curse my mind has been under. "You look ill. Did you have any water while you were out with Kankuro?" He mutters, pressing his hand to my forehead, his exposed eyes swimming with concern.
"Ya, I'm fine. I just... it was a rough day," I mutter, closing my eyes and sending him a soft smile. "I would like to go home."
"Alright," Baki mutters, now pressing his hand against my cheeks. "Did you get our mission reports for tomorrow?" I shake my head, lunging forward to wrap my arms around him and bury my head in his chest. I want to hide from the world, I want to feel loved, I want to vanish but hiding in my older brother is a pretty good second. "Well, let's run inside and grab them, then we can go home."
"No!" I yelp, tightening my hold around his waist, trying to shove my face further into his chest. "No. I just... I just want to go home."
He stays quiet, standing frozen for a moment before his arms droop over me. "Alright, we'll just have to get up early tomorrow morning to grab them," Baki whispers, softly rubbing my back, his head tilting down to further wrap me up. "What happened, Button?"
     I stay silent, debating whether I want to tell Baki the truth right away or if I want to think it over for a while. "Kankuro is engaged," I whisper into his shirt, tears starting to prick the corners of my eyes. "He has a wife and I'm just... just the other woman." The words finally make my composure snap, tears pouring down my cheeks and staining my brother's shirt. How could I have been so blind? So unaware?
"Oh, Button," he coos, his hands rubbing up and down my back to comfort me. "It'll be okay, I promise. Let's get you home, alright?"