One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Gaara and Tenmai walked out of the Hokage's building and into the now busy streets of Konoha. Vendors were opening shop and the markets on the main street were beginning to sell their stock. Stopping Gaara, Tenmai reached into her bag to draw out a special holster to placed her staff and sword in. They went diagonal across her back so they wouldn't hit the ground and gave her free use of her arms. Gaara took in the woman beside him, scanning her head to toe. He had to admit that she was pretty and strong, based upon what he had seen and the muscle definition under her shirt. Toned, tan abs were free from confines and flexed in a sensual way. The pockets of her pants were bulging slightly showing that there were weapons within them. He looked back up at her face. A scar ran down face, from the corner of her right eye to inside of her collar bone.
“Gaara, are you alright?” she asked, placing a soft hand on his shoulder.
“Yeah, just thinking.” he replied, shaking his head.
“Staring is more accurate.” Kankuro exclaimed, throwing an arm around Tenmai's shoulders.
“Kankuro-san, please move your arm.”
The puppet master looked down at the girl before the world spun. Next thing Kankuro knew, there was an uncomfortable feeling in his back, his neck bent back and Gaara's feet near his face. Temari burst out laughing, nudging Tenmai.
“We are definitely keeping you around. Maybe you can keep the idiot in line.”
“Hey guys!” someone shouted up ahead of them.
A blonde blur ran towards them, waving and grinning like an idiot. Gaara sighed with Kankuro and Temari smiled, waving back. The blonde stopped before them, eyes wide, staring at Tenmai. She smiled lightly at him before pulling back her fist and knocking him back 10 feet.
“What the hell was that for?” he exclaimed, sitting up and glaring at her.
She walked up to him and knelt before hugging him tightly.
“Mai-chan, I can't....breathe.”
“Gomen ne, Naruto-kun. I just did not expect to be back so soon.”
“Well, I'm glad you're back, but why are you with the Sabaku siblings and why did you hit me?”
“That....is a long story and I felt like it.” she blinked rapidly, smile disappearing.
Said Sabaku siblings made their way over to the two, Gaara glaring at the blonde. The blonde didn't understand what was going on and why the friend beside him looked so down. Gaara held out a hand and helped Tenmai up, smiling slightly at her making her smile return. The wheels in Naruto's head began to turn, the rust and dust floating off (metaphorically speaking, of course) and glanced between the two. Tenmai released Gaara's hand and took her pack back from him. Reaching in, she drew out another rolled up bag and gave it to Temari who knew instantly what the violet-haired girl wanted to do. With Naruto tagging along, the group walked around to the different vendors, buying food, water, medical supplies, and other necessities for their trip.
“So, where you all going?” Naruto asked, hands behind his head.
“To Suna. I'm the newly appointed guard of the Kazekage.”
“Amongst other things.” Kankuro muttered, the blonde hearing.
“Other things? Like what?”
Temari gave her brother a good hit in the head, calling him her favorite nickname, 'baka'.
“Do not worry yourself, Naruto-kun, it is nothing you need concern yourself with.” Tenmai smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes.

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Once they finished their shopping it was close to noon and Tenmai offers to treat them all to ramen at Ichiraku's. While at the restaurant they meet up with Sakura, who proceeds to hug Tenmai, and Sasuke. They had been training and paused for a lunch break. Kankuro begins flirting with Sakura immediately but after glares from the Uchiha and a hit in the head from both Temari and Tenmai, he moves to sulk at the far end of the bar. Tenmai began chowing down on ramen, racing Naruto to finish 8 bowls first. Having not eaten since early morning, Tenmai finished first, though ate far more graceful then Naruto. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, but she shrugged.
“I was hungry.”
“You had breakfast this morning.” Gaara mentioned.
“It was good but did not fill me up. Plus Teuchi-san's ramen is the best in Konoha.”
“Mai-chan, I have a question.” Sakura faced the kunochi. “How do you know Gaara-sama?”
“I met him this morning at a cafe. One of my targets was going to attack Gaara, so I sent Shugoshi to bite my target. The poison was not spreading fast enough so I sped it up a bit, causing him to die rather quickly. The Elder's of my village and Sunagakure now want me to guard him.”
“Wow, so you're leaving.”
“Yeah, early tomorrow morning.”
“Wanna train?” Sasuke asked Tenmai, standing up.
“Sure.” She faced the Sabaku siblings, Kankuro being down at the end. “Care to join, you will be able to see the extent of my abilities?”
The trio nodded. Smiling, Tenmai laid down enough money to cover all the food they ate. Nodding a good-bye at Teuchi, they trekked to group 7's old training grounds. Tenmai sat her bag up against a tree and took off her weapon holster. Unwrapping the staff, she approached Sasuke who stood in the middle of the fighting grounds. A similar staff was in his hands and he twirled it around, pointing one of the ends at her. Falling into familiar fighting stance, Tenmai slammed the end of her staff against his signalling the beginning of their fight.
The sound of the staves hitting each other echoed throughout the wooded area. The others watched on the sidelines, amazed at the speed the two were moving at, blocking hit after hit, neither of them getting hurt. Twirling her staff around her back faster then the Uchiha could follow, he was knocked across the grounds from a blow to his rib cage. Tenmai smirked, twisting two points on the staff. The ends fell, still attached to the middle portion by chains. Grabbing the now three-section staff by the two end parts close to the chains, she fell into another defensive staff as Sasuke launched at her again.
She blocked his hits with far greater ease. Bunching up the three pieces, she grabbed an end, jumped into the air, and kicked the rest at him. It hit him full force in the chest, knocking out his breath and making him fall over, his staff flying out of his hand. As he got up, Tenmai threw her staff to the side and jumped at him, aiming a high kick to his head. Sasuke dodged and grabbed her foot, throwing her towards the trees. Twisting in the air, her feet landed against the trunk. Pushing chakra into the soles of her feet, she pushed off, flipping in the air, and landing in front of the Uchiha, punching a hard upper-cut to his chin.
The melee continued for almost an hour straight before Sasuke got fed up. Doing some hand seals, he yelled 'Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu '. A volley of fireballs launched at Tenmai. She smirked to herself and did hand signs of her own.
“Water Style: Rushing Tsunami Jutsu.”
The ground shook before her as a wave of water rose and destroyed the fireballs. Shuriken were hidden within and were caught by fingers made from the water. With a flick of her own fingers, the water shot the shuriken back at Sasuke. He dodged them all but didn't see the tendrils of water creeping behind him. They wrapped around his torso pulling him down to the ground hard. He tried to use a kunai to cut at the water but where one was cut, two more took it's place. Eventually they covered almost every inch of his body. His face was exposed and he saw Tenmai lean over him, smiling.
“Looks like you can't get out.”
“I can try.”
Sasuke struggled against the water before it began to cover his mouth. He struggled more.
“Sasuke, admit defeat and I'll call the water off.”
Tenmai allowed his hand to be let free and he hit the ground twice. The water receded, going back into the ground and to the trees. She smirked at Sasuke and turned around to collect her staff. A shift in the air behind her caused her to step to the side and catch a kunai in mid-air. Twisting around, she flung it back at Sasuke, the blade landing barely a centimeter before his left foot. Grabbing her staff, she walked over to where the gang was. Gazing into the sky, she figured she had been fighting the Uchiha for a little more then two hours. Gaara was watching her belongings for her. Thanking him, she put her staff back together and set it against the tree. Taking up her sword, she unsheathed it. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari gazed at her sword in wonder. They had never seen one like it. The hilt was the length of her arm and the blade twice that. It looked heavy, but she swung it with ease.
Sakura looked Sasuke over, checking for any injuries. Aside from a few bruises he was fine but Sakura asked him to lie down and dry off. He followed her order. Naruto begged Kankuro to train with him and the puppet master finally complied in order to shut the Kyuubi holder up. Temari challenged Sakura which the kunoichi readily accepted. Gaara walked over to Tenmai. She smiled at him.
“Wanna give a go, Gaara?”
“I suppose so.”
“We have to get used to training with each other.” she told him, walking behind him to put her sword back in it's sheath. “We are going to be married.”
The two faced each other. Gaara didn't waste any time. He summoned his sand to attack her. She dodged, flickering in and out of view. Landing behind him, she threw punches and kicks that he tried to keep up with. A large fist of sand knocked Tenmai down to the ground. Biting her thumb hard, she took a scroll out of a pocket, performed a few hand seals and ran her bloody finger down the opening scroll. A puff of smoke appeared in front of her and a shadow could be seen inside. Gaara stopped his attack to see what she summoned. Her spider, Shugoshi, stood before her, now almost a foot tall and 3 feet across. The man before her gave it an odd look.
“Gaara, meet Shugoshi. Shugoshi, the Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Kazekage-sama.” The spider dropped onto his four front legs, bowing in respect.
“You....can talk?” muttered Gaara, eyes widening.
“Most summoned creatures can,” the spider assured him. “Though I didn't at first. Mai-san taught me a great deal.”
“You are so sweet, Shugoshi.” she patted the spider on the head before moving before him. “Be a referee for us, dear. Mama gets to play.” The spider moved to the sidelines to allow them room. “Now, where were we?”
“Right about here.”
Gaara's sand shot at her again. Flipping backwards, Tenmai began a series of seals. Not yelling anything out, a whip of water appeared in her hand. Snapping it, she hit the flying sand. When water hits little balls of sand, the sand falls apart, becoming runny, unable to be controlled again until it dries. Gaara tried to pull his sand out of it's wet form but it was limp on the ground, no life within it. Tenmai smirked and snapped the whip at Gaara, wrapping it around his wrist. Tugging at it, she pulled Gaara towards her. She pulled back her fist and punched him in the gut. He fell to his knees before her. The whip disappeared.
Falling onto his back, Gaara spun his legs, knocking Tenmai's out from under her. Using some of the sand in his gourd, he bound her arms and legs. She didn't struggle against her bonds, just closed her eye. Chakra became visible around her. Hearing the sound of water behind him, Gaara turned around only to be plowed over by his own wet sand. Water came up from the ground covering the bonds that Tenmai had and turning it into the same mush that just plowed Gaara over. Said Kazekage stood up. Muck clung to his clothes and caked his hair. One of his bangs hung between his eyes, drops of the sandy water dipping onto his lips. Smiling at him, Tenmai took a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed at his lips, removing it.
“Gaara, you are a drowned rat.”
“It's your fault.”
“I realize that.”
Not realize what Gaara was doing, being so absorbed with her current task, he took a hand full of the offensive substance and smother it into her hair. It, too, dripped down her face. Her face reddened in anger. Placing a hand on the Kazekage's chest, she undid the straps holding the gourd on his back. It fell to the ground behind him. She smiled at him again before pushing him backwards. He tripped over his gourd but grabbed Tenmai at the last second. As she fell to the ground, she pushed her feet hard against the ground, flipping over Gaara only to be pulled back down. She landed hard on her back, out of breath and Gaara still holding onto her wrist tightly.
Gaara placed his hands securely on the ground behind his head and pushed his feet against the ground. As his body went up he twisted in mid-air. He landed straddling Tenmai's waist, sand kunai against her neck. She pushed against him, but he held her hands above her head. Pushing her face towards his, she glared into his eyes. They held each other's gaze for a few minutes, until Gaara dropped his guard. In the blink of an eye, he was on his back, their positions switched. Tenmai had a kunai to his cheek, both of her knees held his arms down, allowing her to run her finger over the symbol on his forehead, a sad smile on his face.
“Shunned by your whole village at such a young age, finding out your uncle hated you all along, your father trying to kill the being he helped create, you have lived a hard life, Gaara. I will not say I pity you, but I do sympathize. I have led a hard life as well, so we have something in common. As your future wife I make it my duty and purpose to heal you, make you happy, and make you understand that you have an important purpose in the world.”
“I don't need your help.” he growled, glaring up at her.
“Gaara, we are getting married whether we want to or not and I don't want to go into a relationship with a huge wall between us. I know more about you then you know.”
“I don't care what you know about me and what you don't, just stay out of my life. I don't need anyone's help.”
“I want to help.” she dropped the kunai and gently pet his cheek. “I will never hurt you, Gaara, I make that a promise, kill me if I break it. We cannot change the minds of the Elders, their decision is final.”
“I....I hate being hurt. That's all that happens when it comes to relationships, they always hurt and betray each other.” the Kazekage mumbled.
“That isn't true. It may be so with some but look at all the happy couples throughout this country, your county, the world. It is possible to love and be happy. In the future, whether you love me or not, I will make you happy. I will make you feel as though you are the most cared for person in all the world.”
They watched each other, not even realizing how close they were. They didn't even hear the footsteps approaching them off to the side.
“Hey guys, save it for the honeymoon!” Kankuro yelled, pulling the two out of their reverie.
They shot apart and glared at the puppet master.
“Kankuro, you idiot.” Gaara growled.
“You were not suppose to tell anyone! You had better start running!” Tenmai yelled, red in the face from anger and embarrassment.
“Mai-chan.” Naruto muttered, catching the attention of everyone. “What did her mean? Are you and Gaara getting married?”
“Ahhh...well, you see, the Elders arranged for the two of us to marry. We just found out today, on the same day we met.” she stood up, eyes shifting to everyone. “I'm going to the baths. Care to join me Sakura, Temari?”
“Yeah, we'll go.” the two voiced, following after her.
Gaara watched her walk away. The wet sand around her lost the water in it, returning to it's dry form. It shifted a bit, returning to the gourd. Gaara stood up and put it back onto his back, following after Tenmai. Kankuro shook his head and Naruto and Sasuke were utterly confused.