As The Leaf Turns

Three: Lust at first sight – Love is a Slow Burn

At twenty-eight years old, Tatami Iwashi had spent seven of them working as a special Chuunin and aiding Morino Ibiki with the various chuunin exams that had taken place since the ill-fated one that had been the beginning of the Sound/Sand attack.
He had nearly decided to test for Jounin and see about a change. Not that he didn’t like the man, but since he had found his little brother living in the Tea Country, Ibiki had spent more time on other duties and Iwashi felt a bit lost.
Plus his sensei had decided to start dating recently. And though he didn’t begrudge the elder man a love life, (he was 33 now) he felt his own lack of female company even stronger now that there was one visiting the office they shared, on a regular basis.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t found females he was interested in. No, Iwashi’s problem was - that ever since the last exam, he had been smitten by a bug and couldn’t get free from its spell.
He had been watching the teams enter the room for the first test and his eyes had fallen on a face. The pretty genin was talking to her partners and hadn’t noticed him, but Iwashi had fallen head-over-heels.
Luckily, he wouldn’t have to go through that again, as Tenten had passed and was now a full Chuunin and teaching at the academy. But, every so often, he would see her and his whole mind would turn to a jelly like substance and he would need to find a quick hiding place.
He was a totally lost cause and didn’t know what to do about it.
And today he was supposed to go to the school and talk about his life as a chuunin to three classes. One of which was hers.
He knew he should have asked for a mission and left town weeks ago.

The mission was simple. They only had to escort a couple of traitors to the Sand and bring back some items that had been taken during the Sound attack.
The trip there was uneventful, the traitors were actually sniveling cowards that had stolen some scrolls and run for the hills, so there was nothing much to do as they traveled.
They turned over the two fools, and before they could collect up the contraband, Gaara had waved away the clerk who was to get the things and was inviting them to stay for the evening and enjoy the hospitality of the Kazekage.
Naruto didn’t seem thrilled but Sasuke wanted a decent shower before returning to the road and traveling home. They agreed.
After the shower and the loan of some clean clothes, the two recently promoted Jounin entered a dining area in the large official Kazekage tower and were shown to their seats.
Once they were joined by Gaara and his sister dinner was brought in.
It was a pleasant meal and they had fun reliving the various times they had been brought together by their many adventures, especially the one’s after Sasuke had returned from the Sound. Before that, things tended to be a little uncomfortable.
Naruto was acting strange and try as he might Sasuke could not ignore it. The Uchiha had even gone out of his way to ask the blond what it was, and was brushed off with a simple, “I’m just tired.”
Sasuke knew better, but if the Dobe wanted to play that way, fine. Sasuke proceeded to ignore him.
Naruto excused himself before the dessert was served and Sasuke was almost going to follow him, when Temari said she would go and see if she could make him more comfortable for the night.
Now that didn’t sound good to Sasuke and he almost voiced his concern when Gaara turned to him and said, “Temari and Naruto have certainly become very good friends.” And Sasuke stared at the closed door for a great deal of time.
Dessert arrived before he had gathered his questions for the Kazekage and they were left unasked by the raven-haired youth.
Neither blonde returned as they discussed the coming chuunin exam that would take place around the next year and Gaara mentioned that he would surely be coming to Konoha for that. Sasuke nodded and finished the last bite of his confection when he noticed the sand leader looking at him strangely.
Gaara hadn’t meant to upset his guest; he just found the action of lifting the spoon full of rich chocolate mousse to those pouty pink lips to be the most seductive thing he had ever witnessed. It was all he could do not to rise from his chair and attempt to taste the dessert right out of the Uchiha’s mouth.
“Gaara are you all right?” Sasuke asked, “I hope there isn’t something going around. Cause first Naruto and now you, it makes me a little nervous.”
“I am not ill, Sasuke-kun. I am simply distracted. Do you know that you are a very intriguing person?” the sandman asked.
“Interesting choice of words, Gaara. Is there some reason you suddenly find me so enthralling?”
“No. I have always been interested in you. From the first time we met. I was too young at the time to realize how intensely it was, but it was still there. And what about you, Sasuke? Do you find me at all interesting?” Gaara said as he stood and pulled Sasuke from the chair to stand before him.
Gaara had never reached Sasuke’s height but that didn’t stop him from being a formidable person. Sasuke stared into strong green eyes and began to loose his edge.
If only Naruto were still around, he was sure that he would not be feeling so vulnerable right now. In fact, he was surprised that the blond hadn’t popped up the moment it started to sound a little more like lust than interest. Sasuke swallowed hard.
Gaara watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down and it drove him on.
“Perhaps I make you nervous, Sasuke. I never intended that.” He said, as he pressed closer and Sasuke backed into the table. It was just below the Uchiha’s hip and he grabbed it with both hands. Gaara moved his hands directly next to Sasuke’s and pushed himself against the taller young man. “Or maybe I make you feel something else, and that I did intend.” And he pressed his lips up to the others as his hand released the table and wove around to the fabric of the Uchiha’s robe.
Sasuke was too shocked to either respond or reject the kiss, but when he felt the light pinch of Gaara’s hand on his ass, it was enough to set him to action.
Sasuke took hold of Gaara’s hand with one of his own while he pushed the Kazekage away with the other. “Hold on there, lover boy. I never said I was interested and I am not that easy. You must have gotten your signals wrong.” and he stepped away from Gaara and to the door. “I’m going to my room. Goodnight, Gaara.” And he left the redhead standing just as he had been, one Sasuke short of a molestation.

Naruto heard the knock on his door and yelled for the girl to enter. He stood there in just his pants and a towel around his shoulders.
Temari smiled at him and stepped in just enough to close the door behind her.
“I knew you’d come.” He said.
“I knew you’d be waiting.” She responded.
“And what if I said, I wasn’t interested?” he gave her.
“I’d call you a liar. Naruto, you and I have been through this before. I don’t want you to fall in love with me. I just want the attention and fabulous sex that you have always been good for. Now if that makes you feel used, oh well. I just want you, and I want you now. So, my Little Leaf Lover, take off those pants and stop playing hard to get. I already know you’re a push over.” And she crossed the space separating them and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pushing the towel away before capturing his lips with her own.
Naruto sighed inwardly, realizing this was as good of a way to keep his mind off what Gaara had planned for Sasuke as any.


::: Okay, so now we have some Naruto/Temari action. I know, “what was that all about?” Hey, he told Sasuke he had more experience with both, so why not this pretty little sand ninja??? Huh???

Vashta – and not so much of Tenten in this chapter, but she is in the next. This was next on the timeline and I needed to play with that little teaser about Gaara grabbing Sasuke’s ass from the other story.


Does anyone want me to post the title to the next chapter here like I am with the ‘Not you, Too!’ Story????
I can if anyone likes it as a little teaser.