My Heart 8

I frowned at my reflection in the mirror, running my fingers through my hair. It had grown out of the bob now, and was almost down to my shoulders. Naruto had told me in his recent letter that he thought that I looked a lot like our Mother, Kushina Uzumaki. Apparently my hair was the same colour, as was my skin, my eyes were just different. And hers was much longer than mine. It seemed that something had happened a while back that enabled him to speak with both our Mother and Father in person, he had just never bothered to tell me. Stupid forgetful Nii-chan, neglecting to tell me something so important!

I was trying to decide whether I should go and get my hair cut again, or just let it grow out. I hadn't had truly long hair since I was about fourteen, so a long while ago. The question was, though, could I be bothered to go to the hairdressers? My fringe had grown out also, so I clipped it to the side. It was weird how that one little change in hairstyle changed my whole look, made me appear a lot softer, kinder, instead of the bold woman I usually was.

Shrugging, I left the bathroom, deciding to just leave my hair as it was. My stomach growled, and I frowned at it, but nevertheless made my way to the kitchen. It was around half eleven, so Gaara had already left to his office, leaving me all alone in the big house area. I, once again, found myself wishing that I hadn't been so foolish as to lose my baby... he would be born by now.

I soon switched from that thought stream to a new one. It was strange how I always thought of my child as a 'he', when I never actually found out the gender. But it seemed right, I felt certain that the baby would have been a boy. [actually, it was a girl. The little girl that was in the nightmare when she lost her memory, though obvs she doesn't remember that]

I quickly grabbed some dried noodles and assorted vegetables and meat, and set about fixing myself some ramen. I cussed as I accidently nicked my finger with the knife while chopping vegetables. I watched for a moment as the blood pooled on my finger tip, then rinsed it away in the sink and went to heal it, only to see that the cut had faded into a dull, pinkish mark.

"Huh?!" I squinted at it, before taking the knife and slitting along my palm, hissing low at the pain. I rinsed away the blood, and the same thing had happened. My brow furrowing, I kept my hand under the tap water as I slit the palm again, dying the water red with my blood. This time, when I removed my hand, the cut was still there, open and painful. I made the connection quickly, and my eyes widened, as my unusually thick blood bubbled up and slowly filled the gash, before spilling over. So... my blood was doing this? It was healing me?

I rinsed the blood away, and, sure enough, the gash was healed again. This was freaky. But also pretty cool, in a weird, outlandish kind of way.

Still gripping the knife, I ran down to Gaara's office, only to be grabbed by his two ANBU guards. I rolled my eyes.

"Please! Like I'd be able to harm Gaara-sama with this!! And like I would, anyway!" I exclaimed, but they didn't let up.

"Kaien-sama, I'm afraid we cannot permit you to take such lethal equipment into audience with the Kazekage." ANBU poophead number one said, and I growled.

"Seriously?! I have freaking kunai and shuriken AND my blood control, and yet you're worried about a freaking kitchen knife?!" I yelled, freezing their blood in their muscles and then pushing them off of me with ease. I entered Gaara's office, and they watched me hopelessly, unable to move. I closed the door behind me and waved, a sarcastic 'I win, sucker' smile on my face. I noticed Gaara staring at me and waved, jovial once more.

"Kaien, please refrain from using your ninjutsu on my guards." Gaara sighed, and I shrugged.

"It'll wear off in a few minutes. If anyone attacks, I'm perfectly capable of defending you, Kazekage-sama." I purred, teasing him, just a little, while I leaned over his desk. Heh.

His cheeks reddened slightly, before he averted his gaze to the side and cleared his throat.

"Er, is there anything in particular I can help you with, Kaien?" I smirked at his awkward expression, then grinned.

"I wanted to show you something!" I exclaimed, bringing the knife up over my open palm and sending it down, only for a cushion of sand to stop the blade in it's tracks.

"What are you doing?!" Gaara demanded, his eyes wide, and I blinked.

"I was just going to.. cut... myself..." I trailed off at the end, confused. "It won't harm me, don't worry." I stated, figuring out his worry, but he remained skeptical, and the sand stayed on my hand. I softened my eyes and gazed at him. "Trust me."

Slowly, the sand retracted, and Gaara nodded stiffly, watching me with a frown on his face. I smiled at him comfortingly, then ran the blade of the knife over my skin, slicing easily through it. I fought not to show the pain it caused me as the blood pooled and dripped onto the floor. I tipped my hand to the side and used my other hand to brush the blood away, seeing the pink mark of the freshly healed wound. I thrust my hand in Gaara's face, waving it around excitedly.

"Look, it's already healed! My blood healed it!" I exclaimed, and Gaara caught my hand and studied it.

"Amazing... are you sure that it was your blood that healed it?" he asked quietly, and I nodded. He lowered my hand, seeming to not notice that my blood was smearing onto his hand. His teal eyes met mine, seeming urgent. "You can't tell anyone else about this, okay, Kaien?"

I furrowed my brows, "What? Why not?"

"Because, there are many people that, if they found out about the healing properties of your blood, would most likely want to use you for it. I can't let that happen." Gaara placed his hands on my shoulders, gazing straight into my eyes, worry and stress laced into them. "Promise me, Kaien!"

I was slightly confused, but couldn't say no if Gaara was getting so het up about it. "Okay, I promise."

He immediately relaxed, closing his eyes and smiling, letting loose a long breath that he seemed to have been holding in for a long while. "Good. Thank you, Kaien."

I shrugged, "I don't get why you're so upset about it. But whatever, if it makes you happy." I brushed my hair back behind my ear, "Well, I'm gonna go for a wander. See ya later!"

I sent him a bright grin, then left the room, and building, out onto the streets of Suna.

Aaarrrrgghhh, I'm so bored!! I feel like I've been everywhere in this village!! I want to woooorrrrkkk!!!

I was muttering to myself when a sudden impact made me stumble backwards, and looked up. In front of me on his butt, was Kisuke.

"Kisuke? How come I keep running into you lately? And this time, in a literal sense." I said, offering a hand and pulling him up. He laughed awkwardly.

"I guess our paths just keep crossing." it was true; in the few months I'd known Kisuke, I seemed to bump into him everywhere, pretty much every day. It was a little weird, but hey, at least then I had someone to talk to, and didn't stay inside bothering Gaara all day every day. I also had grown quite close to him in that amount of time, almost like another best friend.

"Oh well... so, what'cha up to, Kisuke?" I asked, a grin broad on my face. He blushed a bit and avoided my eyes.

"I was just gonna get some groceries..." he said, looking up at me then blushing some more, while I cocked my head on one side.

"You okay? Your face is all red, Kisuke." he froze and turned even redder, then shook his head rapidly.

"No, no, I'm fine, just a bit hot is all, ahahahaha!" he said quickly, and I rose an eyebrow. He then seemed to get over his bout of nervousness, and was back to his usual self. "So, come on, pretty lady, let's go!"

Getting groceries was actually surprisingly fun. We stopped for ice cream afterwards, and ended up throwing it at each other, so we were both covered in it and really sticky by the end of the day. Then, something caught my eye.

"Hey Gaara-sama!" I called, and my redhead turned to face me upon hearing my voice, and made his way over. I wrapped my arms around one of his, and grinned.

"Gaara-sama, I assume you know Kiyomizu Kisuke. Kisuke, this is-"

"I know. It's an honour to talk with you, Kazekage-sama." Kisuke bowed respectfully.

Now, was it just me, or was Kisuke being a bit fake? And Gaara was extremely tense...

"Likewise, Kisuke-san." I frowned. I like to think that I know Gaara better than anyone else, and that tone was the same that he used with those councillors that he despised, but had to be polite to. Did he dislike Kisuke? But what reason could he possibly have to?

"Kaien, they need you at the hospital for something." Gaara murmured to me, and I nodded, letting go of him.

"Okay!" I hugged Kisuke, "Bye Kisuke!" then kissed Gaara, "See you later Gaara!" then skipped away, too happy about finally being of use to someone to notice the heavy glares that the two men were giving each other.

---

"Meaw meaw meaw, meaw..." I paused, and shook my head. See, this is what happens when I get bored.

I had finished helping out at the hospital now, and was walking home. It was beginning to get dark, so I had picked up my pace, since there were certain people out there that Gaara had told me would kidnap me to get to him. Or others who were after my abilities. Or others who wanted the bounty that was apparently on my head.... damn, there's a lot of people after me.

I opened the door to our home, and ran down the halls, because I felt like it.

"Gaaaaarrraaaa?!" I called, and he poked his head around the door to the lounge, then caught me as I launched myself at him. I smiled, "Hey."

He did not smile back, so I let go of him and frowned. "What's up?"

"I want you to stay away from Kisuke Kiyomizu."

I blinked, "What? Why?!"

Gaara frowned. "There's something off about him, I don't like the way he looks at you."

I chuckled, "Gaara, that's just jealousy-"

"No! It's not, I know what jealousy feels like, and this isn't it." he frowned deeper, and I frowned too.

"Gaara, I'm not going to give up one of the few Suna friends I have just because you don't like him." I gripped the counter, slight irritation swelling in my stomach.

"You don't understand! There's something bad about him, he's dodgy!" Gaara was growing frustrated also.

"Gaara, don't talk about my friend that way!" I warned, "I love you, but I won't tolerate it!"

"He's not a friend! He's up to something, Kaien!" my anger rose, and I started to glare.

"Kisuke is my friend! He's been there for me for a long while now, which is more than I can say for you! He's always there when you aren't!!" my voice was rising to a yell, and I could tell that Gaara's temper was starting to flare as well.

"Well, whenever I am around you're with him! For all I know, you could be seeing him behind my back!" he shot back, and my eyes widened.

"You think I'm cheating on you?!" I exclaimed, "So, what, you're allowed to have your millions of fangirls fluttering around you every second, but I get one friend who's a guy and I must be fucking him behind your back?!"

"Well I don't know, do I?! You see him a lot more than you do me!!"

"That's because you're never freaking around!! I can't believe you think I'm cheating on you!!" angry, disbelieving tears started to prick in my eyelids, "Do you not know me at all?!" I lashed out, my fist hitting into one of the wooden cupboards and smashing it into splinters. I forced back my tears, then turned away, and started out of the room.

"Where are you going?!" Gaara yelled after me, but I didn't turn.

"Out!" I growled, slamming the door behind me.

I sped up to a run the moment my feet touched the floor outside, punching a wall hard on my way. It crumbled, and I cursed, restraining myself from hitting anything else.

I launched myself over the walls of several sandy alleys, desperate to get away. But everything reminded me of him. I was in the Sand village, after all.

Changing my direction, I headed for the training grounds that seemed to have become my sanctuary.

Why was he being this way?! Was I not allowed to have friends?! Was I not allowed to have my own life?!

I couldn't believe we just had our first argument. I sank to my knees in despair, tears running tracks down my face. A hollow, empty feeling settled in my stomach, and a sob that I didn't manage to swallow forced it's way out of my body.

What would become of us?

---

So... sry for the late update. But hey, at least this is the first story I updated when I finished my exams!! ^^'

Anyways, what do you guys think of this chapter? Gaara was a bit out of character, but hey, the whole idea of him being in a relationship is kinda out of his character anyway. Who's to say he wouldn't act like that in that situation?

And kind of a pathetic excuse for an argument, I know... I don't really have much experience in this stuff, so...

Well, anyways, fan, vote, and comment!! And I'd like to shout a very big THANK YOUUUU to all of you reading this who fanned, cuz I've finally reached 100!! Woop!!

And yes, I am telling the truth.

Yes, I am taking a break from revising, because I have had five hours straight of exams today, so if I learn anything else my head will literally explode. I'm already braindead as it is.

Yes, this is the eighth chapter.

Yes, it is very late.

AND YES, THE CHAPTER TITLE IS IN NO WAY RELATED TO THE CONTENT!! DEAL WITH IT!!!

Happy Readings~!