Infected

Chapter 23 Spite on top of Spite

   This party sucks. After he'd changed, they'd walked together to the town square where a group of women whisked Mizu away to ask her opinion on some herbal remedies. Apparently, she'd become well known for her knowledge and accurate potions. Gaara stood on the opposite side of the gathering watching her. If I'd known I was just going to become a wallflower, I wouldn't have come!

   "Lord Kazekage."

   Gaara resisted a groan and turned to Baka-san. Standing next to him was a young girl in a flowery pink yukata with her short sandy blond hair pulled into a side ponytail.

   "Lord Kazekage, this is my niece Hana-chan. She recently moved here and just turned sixteen this year," Baka-san smiled proudly.

   The girl kept her eyes to the ground and fidgeted under Gaara's gaze.

   He replied blandly, "Nice to meet you."

   The music started up, and he stood there awkwardly as Baka-san chattered away about all the nice things about his niece. Gaara wasn't paying much attention, he glanced over at Mizu but found that she wasn't where she'd been prior. Scanning the crowd he found her dancing with a tall man in a bright blue jacket. His stomach dropped when he saw.

   "Lord Kazekage!" Baka-san shouted at him again.

   "What?" Gaara finally turned to him surprised that he hadn't heard Baka-san calling him.

   "I said would you do me the honor of dancing with Hana-chan?" Baka-san pushed him.

   Gaara opened his mouth to refuse but a flash of bright blue and green out of the corner of his eye irked him. "Ok."

   The girl looked up at him excitedly. Gaara tried not to sigh and entered the dance floor with her. The dance they were doing was a simple folk dance. All one needed to do was touch the tips of your fingers to your partners, weaved in and out of other people and then spin the girl at the end of the line. It was one of the few dances he could do because Temari had insisted on him learning some after he became Kazekage. He wasn't paying attention to his partner as they moved in and out of the people. Glancing over at Mizu he found her fully concentrated on her companion, unaware of him.

   "Kekeke, looks like she's bored with you already." SHUT UP!

   Gaara almost tripped over his own feet. Hana giggled at his mistake and he could feel his face grow warm from embarrassment. The music stopped and everyone clapped for the dance. He wanted to retreat.

   Sabaku-san stepped up onto the fountain to gather everyone's attention, "Thank you all for coming. We have a lot to celebrate tonight. As of yesterday the virus that was sweeping the village has been eradicated thanks to our diligent hospital staff. Also..."

   Sabaku-san glanced at Mizu who shook her head at him. Gaara wondered what their exchange was about, but Sabaku-san cleared his throat and continued.

   "Also, a special thanks to the Utanai clan for lending us there people to make the cure."

   A small group of people standing next to Jiji-san bowed to the cheering crowd. Sabaku raised his hands, and they fell silent.

   "We have one more thing to celebrate. Today we have a special birthday," Sabaku-san smiled mischievously as a group hauled out a large white cake. "Lord Kazekage get on up here."

   What? Oh, I forgot I turned twenty. The crowd pushed him up to the fountain and forced him to take the stage. They looked at him expectedly waiting for him to say something.