A/N: I am truly sorry that I haven't updated in awhile! I've just been so busy with stuff that I've forgotten and pushed this off to the side! Thanks for all the comments!

Chapter Seven: Kankuro, Temari, a picnic … oh my!

"What does this mean?"

"I was… once without a purpose…"

"Even when I found kindness, it wasn't enough."

"Now…"

"…now I see…"

The importance to protect the ones you love.

"It happened again."

Yukiko forced open her eyes as she felt the warmth of the sun rest easily on her skin. She sat up with a slightly groggy vigor, and shook away the exhaustion. It was tiring – the dream had come for the fourth night in a row, and she still couldn't bear the contents of it all.

"Why does this continue to torment me? No. I can't allow this. I'm meeting him today."

Sighing rapidly, she planted her feet firmly on the floor and rose. It had been a week since the storm passed. Although intense, minded Yukiko, reaching for her brush, it hadn't left any major side effects.

"Well… not on the buildings of the village," she laughed as she noted about Shikamaru and Ino being rather 'comfy' with each other these past few days. She had already peeled off her nightgown and threw a new dress over her head.

"I'll make breakfast," she said aloud, tying her forehead protector so that it rested a top her head, in similarity to the way Sakura wore hers, "And then bring it to Gaara-san. He deserves a nice breakfast – although I'm not sure what his siblings have been cooking…"

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"Hungry…"

Kankuro was slumped over on the table in the small cottage they had rented. Investigation had never been so long and tiresome, and he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks.

"Then eat your food!" Instructed Temari sourly. She set the bowl down forcefully and it 'clanged' very loudly, bouncing the silverware. Gaara sat in the corner with his arms folded across his chest, a rather contemplative look about his face. He knew better than to interrupt a fight between the two.

"Like hell I'll eat that!" he snapped irritably, "I'm asking for a death sentence if I do."

Temari twitched with rage at her brother's rash words, "Why you…"

With amazing speed, the female whipped out the giant fan and it came crashing down on Kankuro's head.

"ITE!" he cried, and rose irritably.

"What is the meaning of that damn fan?" he snarled at his sister, who stood there indifferently.

"What right do you think you have to insult my cooking?" she challenged, glaring at him.

"Why? Because it sucks!"

"Take it back!"

"I don't feel like it…"

"TAKE IT BACK!"

"NO!"

"Shut up!"

The two bickering immediately stopped at the sound of Gaara's words. Although he had been less threatening within the recent months, he still became irritable ever once in a while.

"You're nonsensical quarrelling is annoying," he said coldly, "I'm leaving."

"H-hold on a sec," Temari shouted at him as he made his way towards the door, "Gaara, where are you going! GAARA!"

XOXOXOXXOXOOXOXXOXOXOXOOXOXOX

"Yosh! This is perfect," chirped Yukiko.

Yukiko happily stood in her kitchen, doing the one thing she was best at – cooking. Steam drifted from the pots and pans on the stove top, filling the air with the wonderful scent of home-cooked food.

"Gaara-san," she said knowingly, stirring, "Does not like anything sweet, so I made fresh bread, plain onigiri and omelets for breakfast. And-"

She flipped the sizzling egg mixture in the pan, and turned off the burner that boiled water for tea, "I made it with Gaara-san's favorite meat – ground liver."

With a fluid movement, she flipped the omelet onto the cutting board that she had set out earlier. Yukiko picked up a chopping knife, and swiftly cut the egg into bite-sized pieces. Once chopped, she nestled them fashionably inside dried nori for color, and set the two types into each box – namely liver, and liverless.

Plain, but tasty looking rice balls were added to the boxes, and then they were shut to prevent the loss of warmth. Satisfied with her handiwork, Yukiko slid on a pair of oven mitts and checked on the bread, which was baking in the oven.

The scent that escaped was overwhelming. She pulled out the bread, and inhaled the steam whole-heartedly. Once cooled slightly, Yukiko proceeded to wrap the loaf in a warm cloth, and tucked it away into her knapsack along with the two lunch boxes.

Lastly, she poured the water into a thermos, and pulled out the ground ginger and oolong mix for the tea. She also pulled out a miniature tea set, and pushed it into the remained of space inside the bag.

"Ok. Set," She exclaimed, throwing the bag over her shoulder gently. Keys were snatched up as Yukiko made her way out.

The late November day was unusually warm, and few clouded drifted in the endless sky. Trees burst with brilliant fall colors in the forest that surrounded the raven-haired girl. She beamed, and headed towards the meeting place that they had set in previous days.

She intensified her gaze, and soon came upon the sight of messy red hair.

"GAARA-SAAAN!" She called excitedly rushing towards him. He perked up at the familiar voice, and turned.

Yukiko paused in front of him, breathing with rushed movements. He greeted her with a nod.

"I brought you breakfast!" she exclaimed, and knelt down to pull out her meal, "Or rather, lunch I suppose."

He sighed irritably, recalling the events that occurred earlier in the house, and leaned against a nearby tree as Yukiko spread out a medium sized blanket. She noticed the tone of his sigh, and spoke as she pulled out the food, "Something troubling you?"

"It's nothing," said Gaara casually, ambling over to the blanket.

With the two bento boxes and loaf of bread set out, Yukiko pulled out the teakettle, and began to fill it with the ground oolong mixture, "It doesn't sound like nothing. Do tell me what's on your mind."

"It's useless to bother one with insignificant ordeals," he stated, sitting down, and folding his hands to be suitable for resting his chin on.

"Well," she said soothingly, pulling out chopsticks and setting their places, "Although you make think it's bothering, one may find discussing one's significant ordeals enjoyable."

He gazed upward to meet her secure smile.

"Really?" he said with little enthusiasm.

"Yes, really." Confirmed Yukiko, finally sitting down.

Gaara sighed again, "Nothing unusual – both annoying people decided to argue over her cooking." He picked up his chopsticks and broke them apart; "rather, he insulted her cooking, which prompted her to dent his head with her weapon."

"Itadakimasu," they said simultaneously, and began their meal.

"So what you're saying," she said between bites, "is that Kankuro-san was complaining of Temari-san's cooking? And then Temari-san hit Kankuro-san over the head with her giant fan?"

Gaara grunted – an indication of two things. One was, he intended to answer her with yes. And two was, because of not saying yes, it meant that he was too busy enjoying the food to give a proper answer.

"I can see," she marveled, pouring him another cup of tea, "no wonder you look incredibly happy today-"

Gaara choked on his food as she said this, dropping his chopsticks and covering his mouth as he coughed.

"Happy?"

"Yes," she answered politely.

He gave her a rather disbelieving look, "Is that so?"

She nodded, "That is so. Because although you may sigh irritably and mumble insistently about the annoyance of it all, Gaara-san-"

He looked at her once more, and she gave him a warm smile.

"-you smile so happily with those eyes of yours. Those eyes didn't hold anger, hatred, or annoyance when I first saw them – they held loneliness. And even now…"

He didn't advert his eyes from her gaze, which was set upon them. Her eyes seemed to shine as she spoke of his.

"… they have changed again."

Gaara turned his head in annoyance, completely in disbelief of her worlds.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he scoffed.

"But I know you do!" she exclaimed, and with out warning, she rested her hand upon his. They both sat there in awkward silence: her warm hand entwined with his. She blushed prettily and withdrew her hand to hide her face.

As they continued their meal, Gaara really did understand what she had meant: he had changed. He was making conversation, and rarely ever went out of his way to kill anyone anymore. It was all because of her, and Naruto.

He gazed at her intensely; her petite but firm hands grasped the chopsticks, picking up bites of food. Yukiko's violet eyes moved swiftly and fluidly as she continued her ritual. She paused, and gazed up at him. His pale skin turned slightly rosy as she looked into his eyes curiously.

"Something wrong?" she chirped.

There it was again, that terrible sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt as if he was going to heave up his lunch, and yet, he had this nauseating feeling of being stuck in lukewarm water. And yet… it felt like something he had never experienced before, something that couldn't be described with trivial words.

"Not feeling too well," he mentioned casually.

"Oh," she said. Without warning, she pressed her hand to his forehead. He recoiled slightly at the touch, and then turned slightly pink.

"You don't feel like you have a fever," she stated, contrary to what Gaara said he felt, his skin was nice and cool, "would you like to go home?"

"N-no, that's not it," he stuttered, and sighed deeply. What was this? He wasn't sick, maybe then…

CRACK

The sharp sound of shrubbery branches breaking echoed throughout the clearing. The pair interrupted from their awkward moment sharply turned towards the noise.

A young juniper bush was now squashed beneath the weight of a young woman with golden hair, and a somewhat older man with extensive looking make-up.

Yukiko looked at them curiously, she was rather surprised that she hadn't sensed their presence – a mental note was made so that she wouldn't let her guard down at a later time with him. But that wasn't the thing that was on her mind right now. What was a far more serious matter at hand was the swelling amount of charka building up besides her.

Turning slightly, Yukiko shuddered – Gaara's expression was very deadpan and nonchalant, but beneath that fixed illusion of passiveness…

Was indescribably malicious and ominous.

"You…"

The sand that was corked and normally settled inside the gourd mounted on the youth's back was spewing a raging, steady stream of sand. This was quickly snaking around the two teens, ready to ensnare and strangle them until their bodies imploded in a spray of blood.

"I'm so glad!"

There was a loud exclamation of shock, as Yukiko bustled over to Gaara's siblings. Gaara unconsciously dropped his weapon – the sand spattering onto the grass.

"Simply amazing!" Yukiko bowed to the pair, and then almost seemed to glow as she spoke, "I'm Yamiho Yukiko, I am very pleased to meet you… Temari-san," she addressed Temari smiling, "I've heard such amazing stories from the villagers about the giant fan you wield, I'd really like to see it. And Kankuro-san," she turned to Kankuro, "the puppet wielder. Not a very easy task to do. Takes a lot of charka control."

"Well she's not that bad," Kankuro thought.

"Oh! Have you eaten?"

Temari and Kankuro shook their heads, despite that the subject was rather… touchy.

"Then… you must join us for lunch! I really insist! If, it's not too much trouble…" she implored.

Kankuro grunted, he wasn't in a particularly in a good mood today, after the 'Temari cooking incident', he wasn't too keen on experimenting with anyone else's cooking today. Not to mention that Gaara was probably still enraged about them spying on him.

"We-

"-would love to join you for some lunch!" Temari interjected, non-visibly punching her brother, an indication that Kankuro wouldn't be getting out of this situation.

Yukiko directed the four back to the picnic area, and pulled out two plates, and two pairs of chopsticks – thankful for the instinct to pack extra. She also pulled out the extra food and mindfully set the area up for them.

"There you are," she said briskly to them. Temari politely folder her legs behind her while Kankuro sat with his legs crossed, slightly slouched, "please."

The two new comers hesitantly picked up their chopsticks, and each grabbed a plate full of the steaming food. A simultaneous murmur of 'itadakimasu' followed by the sound of clacking utensils and food shortly followed.

"Amazing…" Temari said between mouthfuls of rice.

Kankuro had seldom time to talk as he was shoveling the food into his mouth at an abnormally fast rate, and as soon as Temari had finished her rice, he set down the empty plate in front of him, sighing contently.

"That was the best meal I've ever had in years. Gaara, you should invite her over to cook more often, and take her as a house wife."

"H-house wife?" Yukiko squeaked embarrassedly.

"Brother…"

Gaara uttered the word with menacing and deadly force. The cork that contained the sand in the gourd on his back spiraled downward with a 'pop' as sand deftly sprung out of it, looming over Kankuro.

Temari laughed nervously as her youngest brother stare angrily at the one besides her. With a few swift movements, she picked up the remainder of her food (plus Kankuro) and cautiously backed away.

"Don't mind him, he didn't take his medication this morning. Well, will just be leaving now…" And with that, the two fled back into the depths of the forest.

Gaara sighed as the sand retracted into his gourd, and held his head in his hands.

"Gaara-san, you're brother and sister are so interesting and wonderful!" Chirped Yukiko, gazing intently into Gaara's eyes.

He looked at her: despite the rude comment that his brother had made, she still smiled. Even her heliotrope eyes seemed to glow with delight; a nice complement to her silky yet short raven hair, and her pale skin glowed slightly pink in her cheeks. And as Gaara took all this in, his usual deadpan face loosened, and his lips curved upwards into a slight smile.

"You really think so," he said amusedly.

"You're smiling!" She said grinning, and folded her hands together happily, "you hardly ever do that!"

Gaara's expression returned to normal, but with a hint of awkwardness as she acclaimed his actions. "Don't get used to it."

She just smiled again, and the feeling of sickness returned to him. It didn't really feel all too terrible when it happened, but it was a rather unusual and never-felt sort of sensation.

He figured he could get used to it.

Sorry this one was a bit short, I'll make sure the next one is longer… (I hope) so tune in next time for: Encounter! The wrath of the tailed demons (cheesy title I know…)