Aftermath (A Sequel to A Flash to the Future)

The Suna Arc I: A New Purpose

Gaara blinked at the ceiling as he stared at it in confusion. He woken up a minute ago and slowly realized that he was in another room. He slowly sat up in what he recognized as a bed and looked around. The room he was pretty barren. It was spacious and empty with only a mirror dresser, tall dresser, a desk, and a small bookshelf with a few books and scrolls. There was a large light bloodstain on the floor and the room seemed cold.

It didn't take him long to realize that he was in his room. His gourd was leaning against the bed frame beside him and his curtains were closed, leaving him the familiar presence of darkness. He slowly sat up in his bed, almost robotically, as he continued to look around his dull room. A small cool breeze moved about the dark prison, tugging at the hems of his curtains. Placing both hands at his sides, he gradually stood from his bed and walked toward the window. He parted his curtains, revealing clear skies and a beaming sun. He lightly frown as his eyes traveled to the other buildings that were not far from the Kazekage residence. Even in his father's absence, the sun seemed to smile upon village.

He slowly closed the curtains before walking back toward his bed. He grabbed a towel from his drawer and walked to his personal bathroom. Like his bedroom, the bathroom was bland. He spotted a few bloodstains on the floor, walls, and bathtub. Not really knowing how to feel about it, the red head began to remove his clothes before turning on the water to wash himself. Because of water scarcity that was common in the village, baths were often common amongst the people. It better reserved water than showers, although there were few that preferred showers.

Gaara slowly felt his body relax into water. He grabbed the soap and his washcloth and began to clean himself. He wondered who had taken him to his room. When he arrived home earlier that morning, his siblings were sleep and he had decided to rest on the couch. He still didn't care to sleep in room and preferred to sleep downstairs instead. After his 10-minute bath, he drained the water and dried himself. He walked into and put on his usual attire.

He wore a black body suit with an open neck, t-shirt-like sleeves and almost full-length leggings. A white cloth was draped over his right shoulder and fell to the left side of his hips. When he finally put on his gourd, a wide leather band fell from his left shoulder to his right hip and his hitai-ate wrapped around it. Allowing his feet to graze the solid, rough contours of the floor, Gaara opened his door and walked out of his room. The scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour along with something else invaded his nostrils as he made his way down the hallway and finally down the stairs.

Temari hummed to herself as she poured some of the pancake mixture into the pan. The counter was littered with crack eggs, flour, and different spices as the blond kunoichi continued to prepare breakfast. When she sensed Gaara arrive down the stairs, she smiled a little as she walked to the refrigerator to grab some juice.

"Good afternoon, Gaara." Temari greeted as the jinchuriki entered the kitchen.

Gaara just stared at her, looking her over. While her hair remained in ponytails, she was wearing only a pair of short shorts and an over-sized t-shirt. Her tessen was no where to be found and she looked like she had just woken up herself. Gaara looked at her for a moment before finally responded with a nod.

Temari offered him a small smile before she returned to her cooking. She didn't notice Gaara curious looks as he peaked over her shoulder from where he seated. He watched as she began to the clear the counters before taking out another bowl and cracking more eggs. She then took a cooking whisk and began to whip the eggs. She placed a little bit of salt in it before dashing black pepper into mixture. She flipped the pancake that was already in the pan, cooking the other side before returning to the eggs.

Minutes later, the food was all done and Temari was finishing the last of the cleaning she had to do. Placed in the middle of the table, were two full stack pancakes, a bowl of eggs, a tray of fruit, and a jug of pomegranate juice. Temari inwardly grinning at their meal as placed the ingredients in their respective places. A lot them were desert specialties. They were gifts to her family in condolence of their father's death. While it had been a sad day for the Kazekage family, the village never failed to show their love and support for it's leader and made sure that they were well taken care of. It was one of the things she loved about Suna.