Episode 34--> Natalya 100%: No Therapy Like NaCl + H2O!

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It was already several rounds of the Marco/Polo game later.

"Marco?!" Naruto screamed, as he waded, obviously frustrated.

"Polo!" Choji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Naomi and I called in response.

Naruto waddled through the crystal clear water, eyes closed and heading our way. We stayed put, evading him perfectly as he walked straight pass everyone.
We tried to hold in our laughter. He hasn't caught anyone since his round began.

Despite everyone being ninjas they had trouble finding Naomi and I. So neither me or her got a turn at being Marco yet.

I haven't had a turn to be Marco yet but all things through God because if I was Marco these boys would so get molested in this water!

Hahaha and I'd totally get away with it too, muhahahahahaaa!

Even so, I got to bump and brush into Shikamaru in the water a few times since we started the first game! Progress! X3 Go me~! I was having fun!

"Marco?" Naruto searched around. No one answered this time. We were too busy trying to hold in our amusement. He passed right by everyone and we didn't have to move from our spots!

"Marco?! I said MARCO!!"

Naomi and I giggled like schoolgirls on drugs and finally gave our location away.

"Unfair! I can't find you because you're staying in one place! And you stopped saying polo! And some of you have no chakra! The rest of you were hiding your presences! Tell me how I am supposed to locate you when I can't trace your chakra signals?!" Naruto's eyes were still screwed shut and he looked very idiotic screaming this at a seagull.

"Sidney!" I yelled, grabbing the bird Naruto had been pointing at. I hugged Sidney to my chest and made way to exit the water.

"Naruto!" Naomi chided, hand placed snootily against her hipbone,"It is unfair if you cheat by using someone's chakra to find them in a game of Marco/Polo!"

Naruto pouted and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear ya." He waved her off carelessly.

Naomi huffed at Naruto and she shook her head at him. But then a thought occurred to her.

She turned to look at the other players, "Were you doing that when it was your turn?!"

Everyone whistled and dispersed making Naomi sigh in a 'good grief' kind of way.

Weren't Shinobi supposed to be noble?

"CAN'T WE PLAY A CLEAN GAME OF MARCO-STINKING-POLO!?!! You guys are unbelievable!" She shook her fist and took a menacing step toward the boys.

Naruto lets out a shriek and the rest of the guys laughed and they ran when Naomi began to chase after them.

"YEHAWWW!" Choji folded himself into a huge ball and started rolling away, ripping through the water.

Kiba jumped on Akamaru and followed suit.

Naruto used his water-walking skills and ran.

Shikamaru on the other hand took the smart way out and left the water when no one was paying attention.

"You idiots, come here so I can choke ya!" Though in stamina and agility she was scarily outmatched Naomi dashed after them laughing at the top of her lungs.

Hinata giggled as she watched from her place on the sand. She had to sit out because during the last game she nearly fainted. She was doing good for herself until little ms. Marco caught a hold of Naruto. Once she realised she was holding him it was a power trip and lights were almost out. She also peeked which earned her a fair disqualification. Now she was making sandcastles with Shino and Gaara.

Shino didn't like the glint in my eyes so he remained as far away from me as possible for the moment. He was making a sandcastle-- to rival all sandcastles may I add-- while Hinata was in-between assisting him and watching Naruto in the sea.

Gaara was simply examining the sand... and the sand fort for any chinks.

"What you guys doing?" I asked as I settled myself beside Hinata on the sand with Sidney in my arms.

Shino flinched but beyond that he seemed unperturbed. Looks can be deceiving however. Shino kept facing the sand castle but watched me warily from the corner of my brother's HaterBlockers.

Hinata smiled sweetly at me not sensing her teammate's tension.

"Sandcastle." Shino and Hinata answered together in all simplicity.

I smiled a little before I glanced over to Gaara.

"Watsdamatta, Gaara-coon?"
He held his head in the palm of his hands as if he was trying to fight off a migraine.

"...I got sand in my eyes..." He rubbed at his eyes with a miserable scowl on his face.

A big cheesy grin came to my face, "That is both cute... and ironic."

He rubbed his eyes and plopped down on the sand.

I crawl over to him with Sidney cradled in the bend of my elbow, "Come here."

I cup his face and pull it close to mine as I settled in front of him on my knees, "Open your eyes."

"But it-"

"Come on Gaara open them!" I tilted his head back to get a better angle.

"It isn't a pleasant feeling..." He told me. I tried not to laugh for his sake. But damn, the sandman getting sand in his eyes was just too funny.

"Just open them a little. I'm going to--!"

"--!!"

Holding his face firmly I gently blew into his eyes several times. This was something my mother always did for me and my brother in these kind of situations.

It works. The single grain of sand was now at the corner of his eyes. I took it out, wiped my finger and the job was done.

"There you go, Sandy Pandy" I announced and settled my rump on the sand, "All better. I mean it's still irritated but that will go away, but ignoring that it's better right?"

"?" Gaara blinked trying to clear his eyes some more and regarded me quizzically.

"Nickname. You know with these black rims around your eyes you kinda remind me of a Panda." I caressed the One tail's markings around his watery eyes fondly.

Although I touched Gaara before he twitched when my fingertips met his skin. Not being protect by his sand and being touched without permission was something he was still foreign with.

I retracted my hand and finished explaining, "And you're from Suna. So Sandy Pandy... No? Sorry, I'm being weird. Alright, forget I ever called you it then-"

"No, no... I was just confused. There aren't many people who have thought to call me a nickname. I don't mind it. It is just something new to me." Gaara rubbed his red, irritated eye and he looked at me with earnest interest, I on the other hand grinned like a goof and stared like a euphoric fan-girl.

Hmmm, but I wonder if there is something better to call Gaara?

"Kaze Blanca." It was witty.

"...?"

"Akage no Gaara!" Totally more personal than Sabaku right?

"..." Gaara's eyes no longer stung and he listened to me ramble.

"Sandman?" I rubbed my chin. I like that one, hmmm...

"....."

Would he respond positively to a cuter nickname...? Only one way to find out, I thought eagerly.

"Gaawa!" I exclaimed with hopes high, "Gaawa-tan~!"

I stared earnestly into his sea glass green eyes wanting his opinion. I was pretty confident he'd fine that nickname cute.

Gaara didn't miss a beat, "It is Gaara."

I nearly did an overdramatic face-plant but his oblivion was too cute for words. Its a given, a cutesy nickname wouldn't fit the stoic Kazekage's imagine. I just smiled sweetly at the redhead.

Hinata saw our little exchange and giggled behind her hands.
How cute, she thought.

[A/N: uh-oh, big misunderstanding XD]

I'm rooting for you Natalya-chan, she quietly cheered and her fist accidentally blew out a chunk of Shino's sand castles Eastern wing! She hadn't noticed. Shino sulked.

"I'll just call you Gaara." I confirmed and gave him a friendly smile to see if that was okay with him.

He nodded, "Please do."

I'd probably still call him Gaaraccon in my mind tho! 😗
But yay first name basis with Gaara, score! "And just call me Natalya."

"Alright, Natalya."

I am weird so I shook his hand for some outlandish reason.

Content with Gaara and I's bond I turned my attention to Sidney my seagull friend and played with him.

I will leave Gaara pet names up to Ashley to decide anyhow, fufufufu~! Gaara is her favorite after all.

If she and Lexis had stayed and not left me to go to the states, Ash sooo could be chillin on the beach with Gaara too. 😋

We had planned a bestfriend trip to the states. Tragically, they went and I stayed.

See if I'd known my aunt's wedding was the reason why my dad was telling not to go I would have still gone with! I didn't even bother going to the wedding! Like aw man come on...

But the shocking bright side of it all is I got visited by Naruto and his peps.

"Silver linings, ay, Sidney?" I pet my lil birdie buddy's feathers, engaging with the obedient seagull on my lap.

"Mine~"

Curious about our peculiar interaction Gaara watched Sidney and me.

"Why are you holding that bird? Is it a companion of yours?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess you can say that. Wanna hold him?"
I offered Sidney and held him out in front of me.

Gaara studied Sidney and when he saw the strange thing around his throat Gaara felt something ominous crawl up his spine.

His voice was suddenly low and slightly steely, a little alarmed, "What is that around its neck?"

I bat my eyelashes, blinking at him, "Euh? Um, it's a clay bracelet I made, see it says my name." I skimmed my finger under the red letters, N-A-T-A-L-Y-A. "See?"

Gaara stood to his feet watching Sidney almost warily.

"Is there something wrong?" My heartbeat speed up.

He shook his head and without another word he struts away. When he was out of ear shot I breathed a sigh.

Sidney tilted his head watching me with his beady pupils, "Mine~?"

"

(=3=) Get the hell out of here Sidney. You nearly got me in trouble." I pouted at the bird and poked at the middle of his head. He didn't like that very much and flew off.

So it seems Gaara knows about Deidara's clay...

That just confirmed one of my hypotheses in the whole theory of things: It all still happened-- Gaara being attacked by the Akatsuki that is-- despite the fact that those Akatsuki members involved were stuck here in my world this whole time.

This Gaara and this Shika came from a later episode of Naruto Shippuden than Kiba, Hinata, Naruto, Choji or Shino had. Judging by his reaction to the clay necklace that had been made by Deidara he already knows about Deidara and thus has been in contact with said blonde.

When I see Deidara and Sasori for our Sunday date tomorrow I'll relay the Intel I've gathered.

One thing bothered me though, if Deidara and Sasori did not execute the One tailed beast retrieval mission at the time they arrived here then how come Gaara was still attacked by them when those two were here in the Bahamas?

@_@ My brain... I will burn the midnight oil later because my head is starting to hurt. I can't grasp this situation just yet.

I crawled over to the shady tree where I had left my clothes and my things from Anna.

I sat down, got comfortable and stared out at the ocean and at everyone playing.

The smell of sea salt.

The sound of seagulls above and laughter below.

The sight of smiling faces.

The sensation of sunlight and sand on my skin and the gentle sea breeze.

Before I knew it I had settled onto my back. I used my backpack as a pillow, and watched the clouds as they drifted leisurely on by.

Shikamaru was sooo on my mind right now.

I closed my eyes for a minute too long...
☆☆♡☆☆

(...to be continued...)