Mixing of Snow and Sand

Chapter 18: Clouded Truth

Kakashi looked down at his hands.

"Kakashi, tell me." I demanded once more. He sighed.

"You're not blood related to your father." I froze.

"Wait, what...? Are you saying my mom had a child with someone else before my dad?" He nodded. "...I'm afraid to ask, but who is my real father?" Gaara and his siblings looked from me to Kakashi. Kakashi didn't look me in the eyes. "It can't be..." I muttered as I started to realize the truth. "Kakashi...are you...?" I trailed off.

"Yes. Your mother and I were together for several years before her arranged marriage to your step-father." My hands shook in my lap.

"Is that why my father never loved me...? Because I wasn't his and he knew it..." Kakashi hesitated for a second, but placed a hand on mine.

"No, I'm sure he loved you. But it can't be easy knowing your wife has already been with another man and had a child together."

"Why didn't you tell me when you first saw me? If you knew the truth, why lie to me all this time?" I looked at him, his eye filled with remorse.

"When I first saw you with Guy, I knew immediately who you were. I had only seen you twice after you were born. You always had your mother's eyes and my hair. Your mother and I had talked the last time I saw you, she told me that she didn't want you to feel unloved or to grow up without knowing who your father was. I had just been made a Jonin, I was constantly being sent on missions, so I didn't have the time to take care of you. So your mother took you to the Land of Snow and raised you to believe that you were the daughter of the leader of the village." He explained.

"Did...did you love me...?" I whispered more to myself than him, but now that it was out I needed to know the answer.

"Mia...of course I loved and still love you." I felt the breath I had been holding release.

"There's so many questions I have-" Kakashi cut me off before I could start asking.

"There will be time for that, right now you need to rest. You're completely drained of your chakra." I rolled my eyes but laid down in the bed. Kakashi rose from his seat.

"Where-?"

"I have to report to Lady Hokage."

"Lady Hokage?"

"Ah that's right, you don't know. Lady Tsunade is the Fifth Hokage now."

"A female Hokage. I like it." I smiled as he left the room. Temari, Kankuro and Gaara came and sat around me as well.

"Well, today has just been full of surprises." Temari joked. I knew she was trying to lighten the mood.

"That's an understatement." I chuckled.

"So, I think you and Gaara have some things to talk about." Kankuro smirked and I remembered the conversation we had when we were fighting. I gulped.

"There's...nothing to..." I struggled to form a sentence but I couldn't. I looked away from them. I could feel the heat coming into my cheeks.

"Temari, Kankuro could you leave us alone for a little bit?" Gaara asked before I could tell them I wanted to rest. The two rose from their seats, grins across their faces as they left the room. I couldn't look at Gaara. I was too scared of what I would say or do.

"Mia, we can't just walk on eggshells around each other anymore."

"Gaara, I can't...I've grown up all alone, did everything alone. I don't know if Im ready to...put my life in the hands of someone else." I whispered as I looked down at my hands.

"Answer this for me then, do you trust me?" I looked at him. I saw a determination in his eyes I had never seen before.

"Of course."

"Then why can't you trust me to protect you?" I froze.

"Gaara..."

"I know you're afraid, you're afraid of losing people like you did before. But you don't have to worry about Temari, Kankuro and I. We are more than capable of protecting ourselves." He grabbed my hands, the warmth was comforting. "So please, just give it a chance." I felt the heat coming to my cheeks again.

"I..." I muttered. I could see the red in his cheeks as well. "Can I have some time to think about it? I'm not really in the right state of mind right now and I want to have a clear head when I make a decision." He smiled and touched my cheek.

"Of course. Would you like me to tell Temari to come back?"

"No, I think I need to get some rest or Kakashi will knock me out himself." I chuckled. "Please tell them both thank you as well. And I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you all, but just knowing the truth...it hurts so much to know...but I blamed the actions of a parent on their children and that was wrong." Gaara chuckled softly.

"I'll tell, you sound exactly like Kakashi. he told us the same thing when we were coming to find you." I went wide eyed.

"He did?"

"Yeah, he did. You two are a lot alike even if you don't act like it sometimes." I rolled my eyes.

"I swear you're becoming an old man with that talk, Gaara." He laughed with me before getting up.

"Get some rest, I'll come back in a few hours." I waved him off.

"Spend some time with your siblings." I shut my eyes as the door closed.