Senju's Heir

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Senju's Heir

"Her name is Hazuki-hime, Gaara-kun," the Third said, the warmth of his kindness present in his voice. "You are to provide security when her Guardian is unable to. You are given this special assignment because Naruto deems you worthy, despite your turbulent circumstances. Rest assured, she has been informed of your condition..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed expecting her to do the same. "As Hokage-sama said, my name is-"

"Sabaku no Gaara..." Hazuki hiccuped realizing she had interrupted him, the tips of her fingers gingerly covering her lips. "Forgive me! I'm not usually one to interrupt others mid-sentence but, I'm just a little excited to meet you!"

Gaara now knew why Kakashi had found it necessary to warn him.

As the -once- heir of a prominent clan, and by far one of Suna's strongest assets, he was accustomed to meeting beautiful women. He'd attended extravagant balls in the name of his nation, met influential dignitaries and their scantily-dressed females, and even met the Wind Daimyō's daughters.

Of course, all of this took place under the strict supervision of his father; the one man even he was not insane enough to challenge.

So why, he wondered... Why did this girl, no more beautiful than the last, provoke this throbbing sensation in his chest and this warmth on the tip of his ears...?

Thankfully, as she eyed him curiously among his silence, his stoic appearance remained despite his body trying to do otherwise.

"I see," he spoke as calmly as ever, fueling his self-confidence. "I assume Naruto has somehow informed you prior to our meeting."

"Yup," Hazuki responded, her head nodding to further amount her response. "He told me all about you, including how you two met. When he asked who I wanted around me when he was unable, I explicitly told him I wanted you."

Was she teasing him?

The glow in her eyes and her bubbly aura made Gaara wonder; had her personality been influenced by the overexposure to Naruto? Somehow, Gaara knew this would only make his job harder, though inadvertently a little more interesting.

"Why me?" He found the need to ask, calling her bluff.

She shrugged. "I wonder..."

Now Gaara was certain this person was teasing him. "It matters little."

Hazuki giggled, "Naru-nii was right. You really are too easy." She took the liberty of nearing him, and bowed lower than he did. "I hope you will take good care of me, Gaara-kun."

He would. Not for Naruto, but because he wanted to.

He realized this was the first time he had set himself a goal where Naruto was not the primary beneficiary. He did, however, admit that the reason he was suddenly falling victim to these strange and new feelings, was because he allowed Naruto inside, his first real friend.

Sarutobi produced a stealthy chuckle. He was not a Kage level Shinobi for his strength alone. His analytic ability too was at a level beyond your common leader.

"Gaara-kun" -he slung a scroll into the unsuspecting Jinchūriki's sand- "everything you need to know about this mission is in that scroll. Also, there's some intel you need to take careful analysis of... You two may take your leave."

"Uwaah...!" Hazuki began a series of pokes as Gaara inspected the contents of the scroll, oblivious to the way she kept trying to poke through his sand. "It really is like Naru-nii's, just based on a different element... That's so cool..."