Fucking Shukaku

It is times like these I realize how much I hate that goddamn bijou. His presence snatched away countless opportunities from me, and his absence caused even more mayhem. As I limp to Konoha I find myself cursing his very existence.

I had always been powerful. A shinobi, a monster, worthy of the fear people felt when they saw me. But I never realized just how much I leaned on Shukaku for that. Ever since his extraction and my re-awakening into a world without a bijou, my chakra had been acting up. I have been botching simple tasks such as throwing a kunai, or raising a defensive curtain of sand, or more recently, running through the trees towards Konoha as I have done countless times before.

It's a good thing I sent those guards to help out the border watch when I did. No need for my Sand Shinobi to know that their fearless leader tripped on a goddamn branch and twisted his ankle.

I had been soaring through Fire Country hoping to make it to Konoha before noon. It was ambitious, but if the Kazekage couldn't at least do that, then what was he good for. Unfortunately, my rush had cause me to not properly stick my jump with chakra, instead slipping on a mossy tree branch and falling to the rough forest floor. My sand had not raised instinctively like it used to and I landed awkwardly on my right foot, twisting that same foots ankle. It was... Embarrassing to say the least. I could only hope that Medic Haruno was able to make a home visit. I wouldn't want this shame to make its way back to my country. Who knows what the elders will make of that.

I mumbled bitterly to myself as I limped onward, Konaha had to be close. As I walked, though, the most terrible of luck seemed to descend upon me.

Rain.

I hated it almost as much as I hated Shukaku. Its wet drops sinking into my clothing, freezing my bones and weighing my body down.

Uhhggg. What an unfortunate series of event to happen today. I could not wait to make it to Konoha and be escorted to my private suite for dignitaries. But as I walked, the rain only continued to get heavier as the sky darkened more and more until I felt as if I was walking in the dead of night. Lightning flashed across the sky dangerously after the rumbling of the thunder gods roared overhead. I felt my mood descend to embrace this weather, darkening with every step.

I was in quite a cool temper by the time I reached the infamous gates of the hidden leaf village. Closed to the outside world, I stood as a round of anger rose again. Where was my escort? Why were the gates closed? I was going to have words with Tsunade when I next saw her. My rage took me away from pleasantries as I easily scaled the wall (somehow easier than fucking jumping onto a goddamn branch) and continued into the streets of Konoha. All I wished for was a warm, dry room for the night. I would find the Hokage once I awoke, hopefully in a better mood.

As I limped though, my body began to fail me. I did not understand the trembling of my limbs, nor the sudden tiredness that was descending upon me. I could see a lite building ahead of me though, the only one on the block. My hazy mind urged me to continue towards the light, to where warmth and perhaps a soft bed to lay down upon was. My body was too weak it seemed, though, for before I knew it, I was falling, my face quickly meeting with the cold wet concrete below.

That is what I last remember. Face first in a wet Konoha street, lying in a storm, ready to meet my maker. Quite troubling don't you think, for a leader of a shinobi village to end in such a anti-climatic manner. I thought so myself. Though most of my irritation came from the thought of what the council would certainly start gossiping about when it came to light. They might as well be a bunch of old hens in my opinion. But thankfully, it was not the precursor so my unseemly demise that had occurred.

I had been found. Oh thank all, I had been found. I find myself in a nice warm bed, clutched onto a wonderfully soft warmth making machine, just enjoying my new ability to sleep. It was, quite a wonderful way to wake up in my opinion, after all that had happened yesterday. Perhaps I will not ream Tsunade for my lack of escort and instead tell her about whatever upstanding citizen of hers had found me. Ah, it was amazing to be alive. I don't think Chiyo-baa-san would be happy if I squandered the life she had gave me to die on a street in the rain because of my own stupidity.

But enough of that. What matters at this point was that I was safe and warm and hugging something wonderfully soft.

That was all Gaara wished to think of at that moment as he slept in a unknown bed. It only took him a little while longer to start to gained the consciousness necessary to alert his constant paranoia that it was time to awaken. Once it had, it wasnt "This is a wonderful world" that rolled around in his thoughts but more of a "Where the fuck am I" that did.

His body tensed around the warm soft thing in his arms as his senses came back to him. First he let his ears wander. Lets see, I hear birds singing outside, but besides that all is quiet. So obviously the storm is over, perhaps it is early morning since I cant hear anyone up in the streets yet, if I'm even close to a street. With that deduced, he laid there trying to develop a plan of action. His hands unconsciously squeezed at the soft warmth at his cheek.

"Mmmmmmmm"

Gaara froze as whatever was in front of him made a low groaning noise. His hands twitched on the warm soft surface they rested upon, confused. That noise had sounded suspiciously human. He rested his hands back upon the softness before squeezing experimentally again.

"If you do that one more time, I don't care if your the Kazekage, I will slap you." The feminine voice rose to meet Gaara's ears. His hands instantly flew off the softness as his eyes opened wide. Laying in front of him, with a disgruntled look on her face was a young woman. Her blonde locks fell haphazardly around her head and onto the pillow as her vibrant blue eyes bore into him. Gaara could only make an "O" with his mouth as his hands were raised up in defense, his brain unable to comprehend the situation at hand.

He was in a strange bed with a mysterious blonde. Gaara had never found himself in a situation such as this one, never being too interested in the mysteries of the flesh. What was he supposed to say? He just stared at the woman, unblinkingly, as his brain tried to catch up.

Ino just stared back at the Kazekage, at a lost herself. She never really thought of what she had to say to him once he woke up. To be honest she had hoped that she would wake up first and have a chance to get dressed and maybe call Sakura before he woke himself. Instead she woke to herself in a very clingy embrace having very private areas squeezed. She never saw the Kazekage as a pervert so she just laid there hoping perhaps he didn't know what he was doing. Looking at him now, with that confused look etched on his face, it was obvious he hadn't.

"Are you feeling OK?" She asked. It was the only thing she could think to say. Perhaps his answer would lead them to what to do.

The red head stared at her some more before answering. "I need to see the Hokage."

Well, Ino thought, that wasn't quite an answer to my question but I guess it gets the point across.

"OK. And are you feeling well enough to go see her?" Ino tried again. She didnt want the poor man walking sickly towards the Hokage's office. He might faint in the street again.

At that, Gaara puffed up, an large amount of his ego getting horribly in the way. He pushed himself up into a sitting position before talking to the young woman "Yes. I am feeling quite fine. I should really be heading off... Thank you for your help though." At that, the sand nin made to get out of bed stepping onto his right foot to push himself off of the futon. The pain flared, shooting up Gaara's leg and he fell down to the floor in a mess of blankets. "God damnit!"

"Oh my god. Are you alright Kazekage-sama?" Ino freaked shuffling over to his side of the bed to look down at the injured leader. The red head was hunched over, one hand twisting in the sheets in pain, the other grabbing onto his ankle. Ino put two and two together.

"Did you injure your ankle?" Gaara had no response for that. He did not know this person. Who could tell if she could be trustworthy with this information? She obviously knew his rank, but what else did she know, and who would she tell? Tensing, Gaara decided that the vaguest of information was probably the best at this point.

"I need to see Haruno Sakura" he spoke through clenched teeth. Ino blinked. Her normal instinct was to argue and try to get the man to admit what was wrong, but as her eyes skimmed over his defeated form she knew what she had to do. He was a man with a lot of power and a lot of pride. He didn't want to admit his weakness. With a sad smile she got up out of the bed, and started heading towards the door to her room.

"I will get Sakura to come over right away." She said trying to be as professional as possible as she exited the room. She looked back to see him struggling to get back onto the bed by himself, muttering dark curses as he did.

"Sigh. Men. I swear."

AN: Finally updated Woooooooo!

Sp yeah. im going to actually try and finish this story. I was going to get it all done in a second chapter, but decided i liked that last line way to well, so im going to try to wrap it up in either a third or fourth chapter.

Hope you enjoy

:D