Cold Eyes || Gaara x Reader

||43||

Edited: 27/05/24
Reuploaded: 30/05/24

°🥀°

"That'll do for today," Julie told me as she pulled me off the foam mat that she'd just thrown me on not much earlier.

I'm exhausted.

"You weren't joking when you said you weren't going to go easy on me," I groan as I regained my balance.

"You're getting slow," she told me bluntly like that wasn't the reason she was so harsh on me, "but your senses seem to have gotten better."

That'll be because of Temari and Kankuro. Or—well, just the entire ninja world in general. Dull senses and perhaps I would've been hit by those kunai from the assassins in Konoha again like I had when I first found myself in the forests of the Naruto world, my only escape being to the desert.

"Wouldn't know why," I lied with a shrug. She hummed and threw a water bottle at me. I took a drink and looked over at her silently, since we met, it seemed almost as if there was something she'd been wanting to say to me, but she's be stopping herself. I wonder just what she's so perplexed over.

"What's the matter? You look like you want to say something," I asked, deciding to just ask her right out, no point beating around the bush really is there? She looked at me and frowned before sighing and sitting down on the bench.

"Worlds starts next week, remember you signed up for it last year? Do you think you can still do it? You'll be in fight after fight for days," she starts. Ah. Worlds.

The World Open Martial Arts Championship (or WOMAC). A competition that happens every year. It attracts hundreds of elite competitors from around the world who come together in New York City to compete for medals and cash prizes. They gain these through diverse martial arts styles including form competitions (open hand & weapons) in Modern Wushu, Northern Kung Fu, Southern Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwondo, Internal Martial Arts, and Taijiquan, as well as combat competitions in Kumite, Taekwondo Sparring, and a bunch more. The judges are experienced in judging national and international level competitions and possess extensive knowledge in their martial art discipline, which ensures the professionalism of the competition.

I went two years ago and didn't really get a good place on the score boards, but that's when I made my debut in the martial arts world. Ever since, I've had cameras on me everywhere I went to compete, and it wasn't strange to come across news articles or random story coverages of me.

"I'll be fine," I told her. I'm actually unsure whether I'll be here for it. It's clear that wearing the bracelet when I sleep sends me to the Naruto world, whether I decide to return sooner or later... I'm usure.

"I hope you're right because I'm certain this time you'll be able to get into the top 5 this year," she told me, "if you do, you'll be even more recognised than before and you may even be enlisted for the Olympics."

(I'm aware there isn't an actual Olympics for martial arts so let's just pretend there is, yeah?)

"You're rating me too high, don't you think?" I asked her, she shook her head.

"I genuinely think you'll be able to pull it off," Julie told me with a completely serious face. I smiled.

"Then Yue and Sugina won't be the only people training for them," I muttered, she must've heard me because she replied with:

"They've been recruited?"

"Yeah, at the beginning of this year, actually," I replied, she gave me a surprised look.

"That's amazing, I've seen them on TV quite a lot and I have to say that I understand why," Julie wore a bright smile. I'd taken her to some of their practises a few times and they came to watch my competitions and practises as well so she'd met them quite a few times.

"Do you want to come to the rink tomorrow? I was planning on going down, we usually all go on a Thursday religiously," I asked. I checked my phone earlier, 5% left to live and a ton of notifications from Instagram and Facebook, the usual social medias. Text messages in my class' group chat and friend groups chat along with a few messages from people I'd met during competitions.

Most of my messages were just get well soon messages. Just a simple, open the message, read it, close it again. Just enough to stay civilised.

"What time? It'll be nice to see the two of them," she asked, pulling her phone out and looking at her schedule.

"3pm."

"I'm not free at 3pm but 4pm I'm free," she says.

"We usually stick around until 5 and then go out for dinner so that's cool," I replied, she smiled and booked 4-6 for us.

"I'll pay for dinner then," she told me before grabbing her bags, "anyway, I should go, and you should sleep. But wake up in the morning."

"I'll try," I told her as we walked through the halls and towards the front door, "thanks for training me so late. And on such short notice."

"No problem," she nodded at me, "see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah. Bye!" I waved and waited until she got into her car before closing the door and going to my bedroom again.

I took a quick shower and then flopped down in my bed, this time I threw my bracelet into my bedside table drawer and slept without the band on.

Temari's PoV

I can't help but to worry about y/n.

I know it's not just me.

Gaara hasn't been sleeping properly again and Kankuro has just been lingering around where we would train her. I don't really know what I've been doing.

"Temari!" Baki shouted, "Goddamnit don't make me repeat myself!"

"Sorry," I Mumbled, "what were you saying?"

"I was saying that you're going to the leaf village with Kankuro to deliver a message to Lady Tsunade," he repeated, annoyed and getting more annoyed.

He's getting slightly irritating too. His stance on y/n is so... he annoys me.

"Alright, pass me the message and I'll grab my brother and we'll leave," I told him pretty absent mindedly.

"Maybe I should get one of the jounin to go instead..." he trailed off, moving so his face was in front of mine.

"No! We need the distraction!" I exclaimed, taking a few steps back. He nodded.

"I'm sure you do," he agreed, "what is the matter with you three anyway?"

"We've lost our friend. What do you think is wrong with us?" I replied bitterly.

"It's just one girl. I'm almost certain you'll find another girl like her," he says, I just shoot a glare at him, "it's not like she was a dime in a dozen."

"No. No we won't. There isn't a single person in this world that's like her. It's the first time that Gaara's had a bond like this. It's the first time Kankuro clung to a friend. It's the first time that I've felt so strong as to call someone my sister," I told him, "losing her for the second time and knowing that we can't search for her this time just makes us all feel broken. I know you don't like y/n, but please refrain from talking bad about her or dragging her name through the dirt because she really is a wonderful girl. She's important."

He just stood looking at me in silence. Probably shocked. Maybe not. I just want to get out of here.

"Now. The message?" I request bluntly, sticking my hand out to him.

He passed me and envelope and I turned around and headed towards where I last saw Kankuro, not waiting a single second more.

"Temari?" Kankuro looked at me confused as I approached him. Guess he wasn't expecting to see me today.

"Hey, little brother, time to go on a distraction," I told him. He looked at the envelope and then at me.

"Alright," he nodded, and we got ready to go and headed off as soon as we were.

Maybe, along the way, we can find some traces of y/n? I wonder...