Chapter 17

Senju's Heir

"Her name is Hazuki-hime, Gaara-kun," the Third said, the warmth of his kindness present in his voice. "You are to provide security when her Guardian is unable to. You are given this special assignment because Naruto deems you worthy, despite your turbulent circumstances. Rest assured, she has been informed of your condition..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed expecting her to do the same. "As Hokage-sama said, my name is-"

"Sabaku no Gaara..." Hazuki hiccuped realizing she had interrupted him, the tips of her fingers gingerly covering her lips. "Forgive me! I'm not usually one to interrupt others mid-sentence but, I'm just a little excited to meet you!"

Gaara now knew why Kakashi had found it necessary to warn him.

As the -once- heir of a prominent clan, and by far one of Suna's strongest assets, he was accustomed to meeting beautiful women. He'd attended extravagant balls in the name of his nation, met influential dignitaries and their scantily-dressed females, and even met the Wind Daimyō's daughters.

Of course, all of this took place under the strict supervision of his father; the one man even he was not insane enough to challenge.

So why, he wondered... Why did this girl, no more beautiful than the last, provoke this throbbing sensation in his chest and this warmth on the tip of his ears...?

Thankfully, as she eyed him curiously among his silence, his stoic appearance remained despite his body trying to do otherwise.

"I see," he spoke as calmly as ever, fueling his self-confidence. "I assume Naruto has somehow informed you prior to our meeting."

"Yup," Hazuki responded, her head nodding to further amount her response. "He told me all about you, including how you two met. When he asked who I wanted around me when he was unable, I explicitly told him I wanted you."

Was she teasing him?

The glow in her eyes and her bubbly aura made Gaara wonder; had her personality been influenced by the overexposure to Naruto? Somehow, Gaara knew this would only make his job harder, though inadvertently a little more interesting.

"Why me?" He found the need to ask, calling her bluff.

She shrugged. "I wonder..."

Now Gaara was certain this person was teasing him. "It matters little."

Hazuki giggled, "Naru-nii was right. You really are too easy." She took the liberty of nearing him, and bowed lower than he did. "I hope you will take good care of me, Gaara-kun."

He would. Not for Naruto, but because he wanted to.

He realized this was the first time he had set himself a goal where Naruto was not the primary beneficiary. He did, however, admit that the reason he was suddenly falling victim to these strange and new feelings, was because he allowed Naruto inside, his first real friend.

Sarutobi produced a stealthy chuckle. He was not a Kage level Shinobi for his strength alone. His analytic ability too was at a level beyond your common leader.

"Gaara-kun" -he slung a scroll into the unsuspecting Jinchūriki's sand- "everything you need to know about this mission is in that scroll. Also, there's some intel you need to take careful analysis of... You two may take your leave."

"Uwaah...!" Hazuki began a series of pokes as Gaara inspected the contents of the scroll, oblivious to the way she kept trying to poke through his sand. "It really is like Naru-nii's, just based on a different element... That's so cool..."

'An entire team of Anbu...? I know she's the Daimyō's daughter, but still...' Gaara's eyes went wide for a split second. 'I see... So Kankuro and Temari are taking the exams, huh...? I shouldn't be surprised. Still, I should keep my distance for now...'

A thought occurred to him seeing their names inscribed in the scroll, a painful one. He recalled the way he treated them, his sister especially. He had never been very close to either of them, and whenever either tried, all he gave in return were threats of certain death.

He would make sure to ask for their forgiveness, he owed them that much.

As Gaara covertly hid the scroll within his robes, his look of regret ceased. "Ok. Where would you like to go, Hazuki-san?"

"Wait, Hazuki-san...?" she questioned, obvious distaste deepening the pitch of her voice. "Could you at least remove the 'san' part?"

"No."

"why~...?"

"No. I'm already pushing my boundaries as it is..."

Hazuki booed incoherently, but Gaara was having none of that, seeing as he simply stared to the side with his arms crossed. To be honest, he felt he shouldn't even be calling her by first name; he only did so because she was the closest thing Naruto had to a female relative. The fact that she was the Fire Daimyō's daughter only complicated things further.

"Oh," Hazuki suddenly chirped. "Um, I know this is sudden, but there's somewhere I really want to go... Will you take me...?"

"Of course," Gaara said, as if her question countered what he considered an objectively sound request. "It's my job to go wherever you wish and protect you should the need arise. It matters little if I am opposed, less there is a chance of immediate harm to you, of course. Foregoing that, rest-assured I will take you anywhere and guard you with my life."

"Great." Hazuki smiled. "Please take me to where the Chūnin Exams are taking place-"

"No."

"Why?! You didn't even let me finish?!"

"The exams are closed to non-participants, Hazuki-san," Gaara calmly elaborated, truly doing his best to ignore the angel/puppy -hybrid?- eyes she was giving him. "What is your reason to go there in the first place? Besides the obvious candidate, I mean."

Midnight blue hair was the first thing to appear in Hazuki's mind hearing that question.

She smiled. "A few things. Mainly, I want to meet the friends Naru-nii has mentioned in his letters. So... please? Just for a little...?"

~~Academy~~

"Gaara-san, Ember has entered the room and has addressed her Guardian. Should we-"

"No." Gaara muttered into the transmitter, his knuckles going egg-white from the pressure. "There is no one more dedicated than he when it comes to protecting her..." He didn't know why it annoyed him to admit such a thing. It countered logic, something he was only starting to realize was inevitable when emotions were involved. "I can assure you that..."

"This place is dangerous, y'know." Once the shouts had died down, Naruto outstretched his hand and ordered some of his guardians around Hazuki. "You're always doing whatever you want..."

"Hence the reason you love me, Naru-nii." Hazuki smiled warmly as her new friends began to dance around her, minding their distance. "There is also a certain group of people I wish to meet no matter what... To reassure myself..."

Naruto's look of aspiration collapsed into one of realization. "I see..." He chuckled, his eyes slimming. "Honestly, whose the one watching out for who here...? Come, I'll introduce you." He offered his hand so she could near them, and she happily took it. "The guys' names from left to right; Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba. The girls from right to left; Yamanaka Ino and Hyūga Hinata."

"And I assume these two..." Hazuki said, her eyes glowing in glee. "Are they really them...!"

"Yeah," the blond affirmed. He patted Sasuke's shoulder, and gave Sakura a brief ruffle of her tidy hair. "This is Uchiha Sasuke, my rival and the closest thing I have to a..." He sniggered nervously, quickly dismissing whatever he was about to say. "Anyways, this is Haruno Sakura. She's the girl I told you reminds me of Tsunade-obaa."

"It's an honor...!" Hazuki bowed, and the entire room gasped.

"Oi, oi...!" Shikamaru quickly spoke first. "Hime-sama...! You're the Fire Daimyō's daughter, you shouldn't be bowing to anyone...! You're royalty...! If anything, the ones bowing should be us! We swore when we became ninjas that we would protect the Hokage, and the Daimyō, right before we were given our Hitai-ates...!"

"That's right, so please...!" Ino followed suit. "My dad will turn my mind into putty if he finds out you bowed in my general direction! Seriously, please stop...! You are literally killing me!"

Even Sasuke could only gawk. "This behavior... is unbecoming of the Daimyō's daughter..."

"I'm especially thankful to you, Sasuke-san, Sakura-san." Hazuki straightened up, to the relief of those she was in front of. "But, even more to you..." Her smile grew, and a thin blanket of moisture covered her scarlet eyes. "Uchiha Sasuke..."

"Me...?" Sasuke didn't realize it immediately, but it came to him after seeing her glimpse at Naruto; the reason she was thanking him. 'I see... So she knows of the darkness dwelling within Naruto, and of its consequence should it overtake him... She has seen it with her own eyes... just like me... But unlike me, she lacks the ability to neutralize it...'

"Please."

"Oi..." Hazuki, to the surprise of Naruto, removed herself from his personal bubble, and took Sasuke's hands, the latter only staring in confusion. 'She's not usually this assertive around new people... In fact, she's usually wary of them...'

Little did he know, her assertiveness was a product of his own doings.

"Don't ever leave him be, not even when he wants you to..."

The distress in her voice was the only reason Sasuke allowed her to take his hands. That, and a sense of mutual understanding; that both, deep down, considered Naruto their flesh and blood.

"Ah..." Sasuke replied.

Hazuki smiled and nodded. "Thank you..."

"What's up with you today...!" Naruto scolded, pulling on Hazuki's ear despite her girly wailings. "Oi," he whispered at Sasuke. "What did she say to you...?"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke retorted, to the annoyance of Naruto and his amusement.

As the Daimyō's daughter went around greeting Naruto's friends one by one, Kabuto chuckled. He had missed his window of opportunity, and figured he should return to his team. As he did so, he lamented things hadn't gone better, but concluded that it wouldn't matter once the second exam comes around.

After all, unlike him, Lord Orochimaru isn't one to miss whenever his fangs are aimed at vulnerable prey.

"Hyūga Hinata, correct?"

Hinata bowed, low and respectful. "It is a pleasure to meet you again, Hime-sama. We were mere toddlers when we last saw each other, if I remember correctly."

At first, everyone was surprised they knew each other. But after careful contemplation, they realized it wasn't so farfetched considering Hinata was once the heiress to the most powerful and influential clan in Konoha.

Hazuki nodded. "You've grown to be very beautiful, Hinata-chan. I'm glad... I'm glad it was you, that Naruto has..."

"Eh...?" Hinata, for just a split second, detected a silver of pain deep within Hazuki's crimson orbs. It was as if Hazuki had long ago given up, and was telling her to pick up where she left off. 'It can't be...? Hazuki-sama... how you feel about Naruto-kun, could it be...?'

"I knew you would be the only one to see right through me..." Hazuki smiled, despite the grief showing a strong grip over her naturally red eyes. "Yup. You could say I am, and probably always will... You could even say it's juvenile... Still, it was something far out of my control." She took Hinata by the shoulders. "Listen... Naru-nii's an idiot when it comes to these things, so I'll be rooting for you, Hinata-chan."

Hinata could only stare. "Hime-sama..."

"Hazuki-san," a deep voice said from the other side of the door, one only Naruto heard clear enough to identify. "It's time."

"Mm." Nodding, she turned back to Naruto. "Naru-nii, Father and I will be watching when you reach the finals! So you better not lose!"

"Yeah!" Naruto grinned and flexed his right arm. "Tell the old man I'll be winning without a doubt, so it's best he starts betting on me now!"

"Mm-hmm." Hazuki waved as she made her way out of the room. "Bye guys, please take care of Naru-nii for me."

As nearly the entire group bowed to show their respect, Kiba was the first to straighten and comment on the situation. "This is totally weird. I like her, though, she's really kind and beautiful. Maybe I should court her or something... I'll get to live in a castle!"

Naruto was instantly ringing Kiba's neck, "She is WAY out of your league, you flee-infested mutt! Go anywhere near her and you'll be the first to know what it feels like to have a tree grow up his ass!"

"Well that paints a pretty picture," Shikamaru muttered, receiving snickers from most of the group.

Gaara observed as Hazuki walked her way out of the room, her composure as dignified as ever. He followed after her two steps short, respecting the silence she was insisting on keeping. It wasn't until they were truly alone, their Anbu escort trying to find yet another spot to guard from the shadows, that Gaara finally lined himself with Hazuki.

Seeing her face, it was as if his heart was being swallowed by fire from the inside.

"So this was your plan all along..." he finally said, his fists clenching and his sand trembling. "You wanted to see it with your own eyes, the girl he had subconsciously picked; even if it meant causing an overwhelming amount of pain to you... Forgive me for saying this, Hazuki-san, but your actions... are beyond foolish..."

"I know..." Tears ran furiously down the length of Hazuki's cheeks, her figure composed even through her sniffling. "I know...!"

"Yeah," Gaara responded, his mind guiding a sand limb over Hazuki's hair so he could remove the leaves burrowed deep within it. He didn't even flinch when she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "I assume he was the one who first began addressing you as his little sister?"

As more silent tears made his shoulder feel wet, Gaara nodded. "I see..."

He could only imagine how much suffering she went through as the years with Naruto only made her fall in love with him more. And when it came down to it, the most Naruto could offer was his love as an elder brother, no more. All she could do then was take what he offered, or risk compromising their relationship.

Gaara could not blame anyone for Hazuki's suffering, however. He better than anyone knew how futile it was to love unconditionally, despite it being one-sided. All he could do now was protect her, and hope. Hope she would one day cease her suffering, and love again, only this time, it would be mutual.

~~First Exam~~

"I knew it..." Naruto stared at the question sheet before him, grinning with absolute confidence. "I don't get a SINGLE one!"

"You!" a Chūnin from one side of the room howled, his eyes flashing. "Keep quiet or prepare yourself for the consequences!"

Naruto proceeded to stick his tongue out at the Chūnin when he wasn't looking. "Asshole... Sure, he can scream his ass of because he already went through this crap..." Two taps on the desk behind him made him look over his shoulder, though he quickly turned seeing as another Chūnin was trying to set him on fire with his glare alone. 'Hinata...? Is she trying to tell me something...?'

Naruto wondered something immediately, 'Maybe she mastered...? No, Ojii says few ninja ever bother to...' He rubbed the back of his head and tapped his neck a few times. He asked if she could understand him, and waited for a reply. It came as several soft taps on the desk, though they were a little too loud and a Chūnin immediately turned to her.

"Not so loud," Naruto tapped back, his neck starting to itch from the constant friction. "My Mokuton allows me to feel your taps on the wood, even if they're minuscule in size... Hey, I feel silly doing this, think you can use your Byakugan to see the amount of taps on my knee?"

Hinata giggled as her Byakugan came alive to see under Naruto's desk, "Ok. Are you finished with the first question?"

"Nope," came his shameless reply. "Haven't even written my name! These questions are obviously impossible..."

"They are," Hinata confirmed. "The real test is to see if we can accumulate intel even if it is impossible. Look around, mostly everyone has resulted to cheating and are getting disqualified as a result..."

Naruto began to look around and confirmed Hinata's assessment. "Crap, you're right... Have you finished the first one...?"

"Yep," Hinata replied, "I'm also finished with the second, the third, the fourth... And pretty much everything else..."

"Seriously?!" Naruto somehow managed to tap back scandalously. "We started like ten minutes ago! You're amazing, Hinata!"

"Not really," Hinata quickly sent back, her cheeks a little flushed. "They're not that difficult... I'm sure Sakura-chan finished before I did."

"I see... Wait." Naruto raised an eyebrow, his injured pride surfacing. "What do you mean, "not that difficult"? What are you insinuating, huh?" When Hinata unwillingly snorted to restrain her laughter, Naruto sniggered. "Sorry, I almost got you in trouble."

Hinata shook her head as if Naruto could see. "Don't worry... Maybe there's a way for me to give you the answers?"

"Not through code, communicating like this is already taxing as it is." Naruto sat back and thought hard, drawing further giggles from the girl seated behind him. "I can't think of anything...! And you?"

Hinata also thought long and hard, until an idea popped into her head when she recalled Naruto's Mokuton. "I got it, Naruto-kun. You said you can feel the taps on the wooden desk from this distance, even if they're minuscule in size. Then, if I erase all of my answers and redo them, will you be able to feel the tip of my utensil as it writes them over the surface of the wooden desk...?"

"OH!" Naruto accidentally shrieked, startling those around him.

Standing from his chair in a threatening fashion, the same Chūnin said, "Final warning, brat!"

Neji turned towards Naruto, his Byakugan activated. 'To think a fool like him defeated Lee. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how interesting he can become... Hm?' He noticed the succession of taps taking place under Naruto's desk, and the same going on under Hinata's. 'I see, so that's why I sensed her Byakugan earlier. She must be giving him the answers. Should I...?'

Neji turned to the Chūnin straight across from him, but just went back to his test. 'No, it's too easy. I want to make him suffer first... Besides, tattling is unbecoming of a Chūnin. And considering how twisted that Ibiki guy is, there's a chance he will disqualify me for it.'

Naruto immediately sat back down, pouting as he heard Hinata tittering into her jacket. "You're cruel, Hinata..." He grinned, deciding to spearhead a counterattack. "I'm actually surprised you haven't stuttered once throughout our whole back-and-forth. You're usually all flustered and nervous when we talk."

"I can't afford to make mistakes like those in code, Naruto-kun," Hinata semi-smugly pointed out, her confidence soaring to new heights. She wondered if this could become some sort of a