Black Sand

Chapter Warnings: WAFF, language, and typoes. ^^
Author Note: It has been three months since the last chapter, and Gaara Sai have seen eachother many times as they are both uncles of the children. So they have had time to get to known one another. Oh and uh head up on a SasuNaruSaku reference. XDD

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Chapter Two


Gaara watched from a safe distance as Chiharu played tag with his older sister, a few of the other children and oddly enough Sai. A smirk spread across his face as Seiko and the other children changed the rules of their game which only confused the ink wielder. He watched as one of the other children told him they had changed the rules and that they were allowed to do so because it was their game.

Slowly he walked closer holding onto the birthday girl, making his way towards Sai. The man looked as if he might combust from confusion and it was making him want to laugh at the him. The saying was true, misery loved company because it was nice to known that someone else was at a loss when it came to children and the way they played.

“Well I guess it’s like when an enemy nin attacks.” Sai commented out loud.

“You fight bad guys?” a young Inuzuka girl asked.

“That is what being a shunobi is about.” Sai answered.

“COOL! Hey guys he fights bad guys!” The girl cried out and others gathered around.

Seiko puffed out her chest her hands proudly on her waist, “And he’s my Uncle!”

“My uncle fights bad guys too.” The girl shot back.

“Yeah well mine is cooler than yours.” Seiko sneered.

“Your dad is lazy so that cancels out his coolness.”

Sai’s brow rose to his hair line and he looked back over to Gaara. Gaara shrugged and handed Mairen over to him when she reached out towards him. Sai took the small redhead and her hands grabbed his cheeks in order to rub their noses together in a not so gentle Eskimo kiss. The man didn’t seem to mind and endured with good humor even when her nose kiss became a sloppy opened mouth noisy zurbert.

Three months and it seemed as though Sai had this uncle business down fairly well. He’d even been informed that when Shikamaru went on missions or was called to duty under Naruto that Sai was the one left with the three. Gaara wondered how that went and looked at the man sideways.

“My Dad is a genius so he doesn’t have to be doing everything all the time. That makes him better than your uncle by ten times!”

“Yeah!” Chiharu chimed in.

“Nu uh!”

It appeared that Seiko even had his sister’s tendency to get into unnecessary fights as right before his eyes the two girls flung their bodies at each other. He sighed, why was it the Subaku gene pool had a genetic chemical that caused fighting? Sai placed Mairen at his feet, who stood for him, and pulled the two girls apart.

“I do believe the answer for this argument is that all parties involved are equally cool.” He answered the two.

All the kids stared at him a moment before laughing. Sai looked upset a moment, he knew that was the right answer to this problem yet everyone was laughing at him. This didn’t make any sense, just when he thought he was getting the hang of it he failed at something. Gaara stepped up and sent a glare at each child which made them all meep and stop laughing immediately.

“Sai-san is right. Everyone is different and have qualities that others do not this makes them as he said, equally cool.” Gaara reprimanded the young group.

Sai felt his stomach do a flip flop uncomfortably in his bowels at his name being said by Gaara. The man had said it before, many times, yet as of late it seemed to cause this strange effect in his abdomen. It wasn’t a bad feeling but it wasn’t all together pleasant either which left him confused about what it meant. He looked over at the older red head, the smooth features the strange hairless eyebrows, the green rimmed in dark charcoal black like that of a raccoon. The man was, was, he couldn’t really put a word to it that wasn’t womanly-ish, and Sai didn’t think a word used for the fairer sex was appropriate for him to use to describe the other man.

A small hand tugged at his pants and he looked down to see Mairen smile up at him and hold up her hands. He reached down, understanding that it meant she wanted to be held, and picked her up. The one year old cooed and clapped at him for getting it right and he smiled back at her.

“Nope, still aren’t doing it right Uncle Sai.” Seiko informed him.

He sighed, and his face went back to the usual look. He wasn’t sure he was ever going to get the smile thing right. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he looked over to have his dark brown meet with pale green almost jade colored eyes. Again his stomach made that weird twist and even his heart joined in on it. Maybe he was getting sick, he would go to Sakura, or Ino later and explain.

“You’ll get it eventually.” Gaara told him.

“I don’t know, facial expression are” he paused searching for the right word. “Foreign to me.”

“It was to me as well. Once you find someone to show you how its done and helps you understand you’ll get it.”

“Naruto helped you?”

“He helped me open up realize how wrong I’d always been. My brother and,” the redhead looked around to be sure the older siblings weren’t close enough to hear. “Sister was who helped me in the end.”

“He has made me curious of this friendship he speaks of, but I still don’t understand why you must lie to your friends.”

“Lie?”

“Yes, Sakura is not a very attractive woman and she is somewhat of a bitch. Hinata is pretty but far to shy to get any one in bed with her, and well Kiba is loud and obnoxious and to sure of himself though I have beaten him in a spar everytime.”

Gaara realized then why it was nobody really cared to hang around Sai. Then again, it wasn’t to upsetting to hear these things, they were true to a point, but far to blunt. Gaara suddenly wondered how he felt about himself, or even Sasuke for that matter.

“What of the Uchiha?”

“Hm?”

“What do you think of the Uchiha?”

“He is scared and to complicated to really explain.”

“Uncle Kaze!” Chiharu called out to him and he looked over to see him hanging from the monkey bars upside down.

“Good job.” He answered back.

“I guess you want to know what I think of you then?” Sai asked suddenly insightful.

It was always shocking when the man seemed to read your thoughts, or even observe the truth of many underlying attributes of those around him. He was socially stunted, but as a shunobi and a man he was good. Gaara nodded at him, he was curious to hear what he had to say about him.

Sai watched the children play while thinking over what to say. When it came to Gaara he had troubles articulating just what to say. It hadn’t always been that way, but watching the man play with his nieces and nephew plus being so close to him as of late made his mind get muddled. Before he would have replied that he was a single minded man built to protect his village at all costs and knew of nothing else. Now…

“You have a great care for those you hold dear. You are a strong leader and nin, but a stronger man.” He finally replied.

Looking at Gaara he wondered if maybe he’d said the wrong thing or maybe had said it wrong. He sighed, he never could get these things right.

“You think that of me?”

“Did I say it wrong? I am certain I hadn’t said anything mean, but possibly I have missed another social etiquette.”

“No, no you said everything fine I was just surprised.” Gaara explained making him feel a little more at ease.

“What did you think I was going to say?”

“That I was cold hearted and only cared about the mission.”

Green met dark brown again and everything that couldn’t be properly said was suddenly understood. Slowly Mairen in his arms seemed to disappear and his heart started to pound in his chest and all he could really hear was the blood flowing in and out of his ears. His stomach was flip flopping again and it was making him feel nauseous but some how this time the feeling gave him excitement.

Gaara found himself getting lost in eyes so expressive it was suffocating. Sai was just as lonely as he was, felt the same kind of connection yet distance from those around him. Sai also felt something deeper and it was starting to make him feel hot around the collar his cheeks felt as if they were starting to burn. His gut twisted up as the feeling finally registered, Sai was attracted to him and oddly enough he could say that he felt the same way.

“Neh Gaara!” Naruto called out snapping the two from one another.

Gaara looked over at his friend and smiled with his eyes. Sai looked over to watch his Hokage practically skip over to them. A huge grin plastered on the blonde’s face he wrapped an arm around the both of them and leaned in between them. Mairen slapped her hand to his face a quiet smack of skin on skin being heard.

“Ow,” Naruto mumbled from under a small hand.

The three looked at her frowning face the knitted brows and pursed lips giving her a comical look. Naruto busted into laughter guffawing at the young girl. Sai’s lips split into a soft smile of amusement that caused Gaara’s heart to constrict in his chest. Sai was very stunning when he got his smile right.

“Oy, MORON, stop being an idiot and get back to work!” Sasuke called out.

“Eh what was that Bastard?” the blond yelled back.

“You heard me you slacker.”

“Why are you with him?” Gaara asked looking at Naruto.

“Heh, he’s only prickly on the outside.” Naruto commented flipping Sasuke the bird.

“He acts the way he does because he is scared.” Sai added.

“Better not let him hear you man.” Naruto commented looking over his shoulder as if any moment a chidori was going to be flying at the group of four.

“It’s the truth.” Sai answered looking flustered.

“Maybe, but he’ll still kick your ass.”

“And it’s not just the two of them together,” Sai added looking at Gaara. “Sakura is in the mix.”

Gaara rose a hairless brow at the blond who turned beet red, before looking exasperatedly at Sai.

“Damn it Sai you can’t go around tellin’ every one!” Naruto yelled.

Behind them on top the hill Sasuke frowned and started down. Sai shook his head his eyes closed. Gaara imagined it had something to do with him not understanding why he’d needed to keep his mouth shut.

“I haven’t told everybody, just Gaara. Besides I do not understand why you can’t tell people.”

Sasuke came up behind Naruto, “tell people what?”

“You Sakura and Naruto are fucking each other.” Sai answered.

Naruto paled visibly and Gaara watched Sasuke’s eyes flash over several different emotions before settling back to cold superiority.

“It not anyone’s business what we do in our free time.”

“I suppose then it’s not your business that Sakura is pregnant.” Sai replied dead pan.

Two sets of eyes widened before the two took of running in that direction and Gaara watched as Sai’s face contorted into a devilish smirk. The implication of that smile dawned on Gaara who started to laugh.

“That’s not true is it.”

“No, did I prank well?”

Gaara laughed some more, “Yeah you did. My brother would be proud I will have to inform him.”

“All though that was highly fun, I will more than likely pay for that later.” Sai added seeming to sober up at the thought.

“You have a cruel sense of humor.” Gaara told the other man.

“Is that bad?” Sai asked.

“No not really.”

Mairen squealed and giggled if understanding the humor in the moment and the two smiled at her. In the back of Sai’s mind, as well as Gaara’s, was the memory of the strange moment that had passed between them before Naruto had interrupted. What exactly had that been and what had it meant?

************

Kurnei slowly walked over to Sai who sat on the grass and helped stack blocks for the youngest Nara while the other two climbed and hung from the bars a few feet away. The one year old seemed content to sit in silence, something she had never seen a child want to do, and her older siblings certainly didn’t even know the meaning of the word. She smiled at Sai when he looked behind him, she did not take offence when he did not smile back, understanding that he still didn’t do it well.

Sitting down beside him she watched the two older children race around and climb over things like two crazed monkeys.

“You’re very good at this.” She commented.

“I’m learning.” he replied placing a blue block slightly further to the left to help even out the leaning tower.

“Yes one always learns even if they are parents.”

“I have been told this.”

“You must have trouble, kids are fantastic but they can be aggravating at times.”

“What do you mean?” Sai asked looking over at her.

The stack of blocks fell to the ground and instead of crying, which it seemed the child was about to do, she started back in on the project. Kurnei was amazed that the child hadn’t been more disappointed, but then wondered if Sai’s calm demeanor was rubbing off on her.

“Well sometimes they pick on each other, or talk back to you. Tell you no and slam doors in your face. Occasionally they will simple start fighting and yelling.” She explained.

Sai was silent for a moment, ‘I never thought of it that way. I just assumed that that was what children did. That all that behavior was apart of what made them who they are, so I never really got bothered by it.”

Kurnei stared at the man for a long moment, she had never really thought of it that way. She supposed that the simple observation was true of children. Every child did it, and while most adults were upset by it, its what separated them from being grown up. She smiled at the dark haired man sometimes Sai was just so different and in a good way.

“I guess that is true.”

“Should I be upset with it?” He asked her.

“Only if they hurt each other.”

He nodded and placed a red block and a green block leanign up against each other to form a triangle. The one year old blinked at his amazed by such thing before clapping at him. He smiled, and though it was the best one, the young girl didn’t seem to care. Kurnei realized that Mairen didn’t talk much at all, and it was worrisome.

“Does she not talk?”

“Yes, very well, but she likes to be quiet around company.” Sai replied tapping her nose getting her to giggle.

“Really?”

“Yes, Shikamaru complains that she favors me because I’m the only one she will talk to.”

Kurnei laughed which got a look from Sai, “nothing bad. It kind of serves him right to have a child as difficult and troublesome as he was.”

Just then Ino plopped down on the other side of Sai and waved at the cute little redhead. The girl made a face sticking her tongue out, which Ino returned before the two laughed together. Kurnei smiled at the their antics, honestly Ino shouldn’t be so immature.

“I see it’s a tradition.” Kurnei said out loud.

“Yeah. So Sai I heard the prank you pulled on the three pervs.”

“You mean when I told them about Sakura?”

“Yeah that one. Forehead was so pissed it was great.”

Kurnei was curious, “what happened?”

“Sasuke and Naruto were telling me how I should not tell people about their threesome and I was a bit tired of it. So I off handedly told them Sakura was pregnant.” He answered her.

The woman busted out in hardy laughter and Ino joined her as the retelling made her laugh. Sai felt good to know he’d done this right and that other had found it funny. The two older children quickly ruined the adult moment by running up yelling.

“Uncle Sai Uncle Sai Mairen pushed me!” Chiharu cried out.

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“Well you pushed first!” Seiko finally conceded.

Sai simply stared at them until silence reigned and the two looked at their feet as if properly admonished. Kurnei was impressed, but Ino seemed to be pleased as if she knew how this would go.

“Does it really matter who pushed who first?” He questioned as if he didn’t understand.

“No, not really.” Seiko admitted.

“Then you are both wrong and should be punished together.”

“If we promise not to do it again?” Chiharu asked sounding hopeful.

“But you will.”

The two shook their heads and Sai seemed to think it over. The two children seemed frozen in time and seemingly stopped breathing as well. Ino was biting her bottom lip trying not to laugh at the moment, Sai was so good at this it was ridiculous.

“Alright, but if you do it again I’ll take you home.”

The two ran off to play again happy to be released from punishment. Kurnei chuckled before rising from her sitting position.

“Well I’m off. I have to go pick up my son from daycare.” She explained and waved before leaving.

“Ino?”

“Yeah Sai?”

“You have trained to be a medical nin have you not?”

Ino looked at the man with a frown, “Yes.”

“I think there is something wrong with me.”

“Okay, tell me about it.”

“I’m not sure what is wrong, but occasionally my stomach seems to move in uncomfortable ways and my heart doesn’t beat right with in my chest.”

Ino’s left brow rose up to her hairline, was Sai telling her what she thought he was? It couldn’t be true, Sai? Not strange emotionally stunted Sai?

“Are you unable to think right and have a harder time of saying something than usual?”

He nodded.

She smiled, “do these symptoms happen all the time or on occasionally?”

“Occasionally.”

Her smile widened and she looked at the curly top of the young redhead, “So when this happen on occasion does it coincide when you’re around a certain someone?”

“Yes, whenever I see the Kazekage it happens. But I don’t understand for it wasn’t always like this.”

Ino looked shocked, maybe he had said something wrong again. He frowned and looked back at the children at play then down at the redhead. Was there something wrong with him for feeling this way when the other man was around?

“Naruto said there was something weird about you two. What exactly happened today?”

“We were looking at each other, and I felt very warm and sick at the same time. It was like we were about to say something to one another but then Naruto called out the Kazekage’s name and it just seemed to disappear.”

Ino appeared to think that over, “Sai, I think it’s safe to say you have your first crush and it’s a very serious one at that.”

“Crush?”

That’s right the man wouldn’t know what that meant. “It means you find him attractive, sort of like Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto find each other.”

Sai looked down at his hands, “so this is how it is to feel as they do.”

“Kinda yeah,” Ino commented.

“Do you feel like this towards anyone?” He questioned her.

“Sure, I love Chouji.”

“Is love the same thing as I feel?”

“I can’t answer that you’ll have to figure it out on your own.”

“How will I know?”

“Mm… you’ll have to take it further to really know.”

“Like between the three or you and Chouji?”

“Yeah.”

Sai shook his head, “that would not be appropriate in the least. He’s a dignitary from another nation and I am of lower ranking.”

Ino sighed, “well then I guess you’ll never know hun.”

“This is painful to think.”

“What is?”

“Not knowing or ever finding out.”

She smiled sadly and places a hand on his back, “that happens.”

She really hoped that for Sai’s sake he’d get over this rank thing and other nation thing. To her it was ridiculous for such a thing to hinder a relationship, but she had seen how hard the elders had tried to keep Shikamaru from his love and his children. She had watched as the man became torn between his village and his growing family. In the end, she suspected the only reason Shikamaru hadn’t gone rouge nin was because Naruto had had his back the entire time.

Maybe Sai and Gaara could find happiness with one another in the end, but she would never find out if Sai was serious about this rank and other nation thing. But… maybe, if Gaara felt the same he wouldn’t let Sai be this way.


~TBC~

End Note:

msuzumaki: Ah thank you for reading and reviewing much appreciated. And yes... *looks side to said* I do know him personally, but that a secret between you and me. XDD hope to see you continue to stay tuned.
Havoc Tellenoi: Thankyou thank you. I'm glad you like the kids, you'll see alot of them. Hopefully this chapter lived up to your expectations. Glad you liked it and hope to see you continue to do so as I hope to hear from you again.
Mustang89: I really hope I kept him in character this chapter, he's actually hard to play with. I'm glad that you like the story so far, it makes me happy to see you reading this and reviewing it as well. The thought of Sai being an Uncle was just to much fun to pass up so glad to know you liked it too. XDD

Later Peeps until next time!