Resolution (3)

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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After a week of back and forth with Suna, Konoha was finally invited to Suna for the reparation negotiation. Normally, the losing village should be the one coming to negotiate, but Konoha was benevolent enough to give the struggling village some slack. Looking at it objectively, they were the victim, after all. They had merely followed the order of someone who had killed and impersonated their Kage.

But the question remained: was Konoha not afraid of ambush? The answer was no. Aside from sending the most feared Medic Ninja in the Shinobi World and a group of capable Anbu escorts, Konoha also sent me and Kakashi. I was honored by how much Konoha valued me, but I didn't want to be part of the negotiation. I wanted more time to explore my power.

"We have arrived," said Gaara who was leading the group. "This is me. Open the gate!"

The huge stone gate parted, revealing two Sand Siblings standing alongside their Jōnin Sensei Baki and an old woman named Chiyo. An intense staredown occurred between Chiyo and Tsunade. Given their history, I guessed they still couldn't relinquish their rivalry. Unfortunately for Chiyo, Tsunade had long surpassed her.

"Ambassador of Konoha, please, follow us."

Tsunade took the lead, prompting me to follow suit with Gaara beside me. Although we could have just let Gaara join his siblings, he was officially our property until the deal was signed. Therefore, he had to be with us until then. When we arrived at the building where the meeting was held, Chiyo told us only one person was allowed to accompany Tsunade in the room.

"I will do that," I volunteered.

"Then, I shall have the rest of your entourage wait until we sign the deal," Chiyo said professionally. "Let's get into the room, shall we?"

Leaving Gaara in Kakashi's care, I accompanied Tsunade into the room. Expecting hostile gazes, I was greeted by the despaired look of the elders inside. They seemed to have given up on their fate. I couldn't blame them. Whatever clauses we agreed on would still be losses for them. Such was the unfortunate fate of the loser.

As Tsunade sat down, I stood behind her and watched the room like a hawk. Intimidation was no longer necessary, but I wanted the affair to end quickly.

"Let's begin the negotiation, shall we?"

***

[Temari's POV]

"I am sorry for everything I have done."

Wondering if this was the trickery done by Konoha, I looked at the Konoha entourage skeptically. However, it turned out they had nothing to do with it. They were as flustered as me and Kankurō. I looked at Gaara, my little brother warily. He had never been approachable. I didn't know his real personality, but he struck me as someone aloof. Never in my wildest dream did I expect him to apologize.

"W- What is happening?"

"Naruto-san has made me realize what kind of trash I was. An apology is in order for the way I wronged you." Gaara raised his head and hesitated. "Can we become proper siblings?"

The question turned me silent. Kankurō and I grimaced. If Gaara was affected by our reactions, he didn't show it. Us being normal siblings was something Kankurō and I had dreamt a long time ago. That was until Gaara decided to kill everything that came close to him. We cared for him, but we had already given up on becoming normal siblings.

Hearing the offer from Gaara felt like a dream, but I honestly didn't know how to react. I was eager to say yes, but my mind constantly reminded me of the instances he had almost killed Kankurō and me. What if he did that again after we trusted him? What if this was a prank? So many skeptical thoughts filled my mind.

"I doubt that we could become conventional siblings."

Gaara's set his eyes downcast. That was the most intense emotion I ever saw from him aside from bloodlust.

"Trying to make us proper siblings is also a funny thing." Kankurō looked at me in disbelief. The wariness in his eyes told me he feared Gaara's reaction. "After all, we have always been proper siblings. Even though we had some… bad experiences, we never stopped considering you our siblings, Gaara."

In the end, I decided to give it a try. Everyone deserves a second chance.

"We may never be able to become normal siblings, but we can try."

If it failed, then I would only blame myself.

"Thank you …. I will not disappoint."

Gaara bowed once again with a relieved look. My hand unconsciously reached for his head. I inwardly cursed as soon as I realized what I had done. He acted like a little brother for once, so I couldn't help myself. Fortunately, Gaara didn't mind it. His lip twitched upward, trying to form a smile but failed miserably. I couldn't stop myself from chuckling.

"Naruto-san told me to smile whenever I feel glad, but I haven't mastered it yet," Gaara clarified.

"Don't worry. You will get used to it eventually," I assured him.

Gaara nodded his head and then we stood in comfortable silence. Kankurō conversed with Gaara from time to time. There was some wariness in his tone, but it gradually disappeared the more he talked to Gaara. In their conversation, Naruto was often mentioned. I wondered what he did.

The first time I met Naruto, he struck me as a friendly superstar. He properly paid attention to you when he talked to you but still felt inapproachable. There seemed to be an invisible barrier that differed him from us. He was pleasant to hang out with, but I doubted I could be more than an acquaintance with him.

Huh? Why am I thinking about being his girlfriend?

My cheeks flared up, causing me to hide them between my hands. Kankurō looked at me as if I was crazy and I conveniently ignored him. No one could blame me. Naruto was very attractive. I bet a lot of girls had fantasized about him at least once.

Thud!

The door to the meeting room was opened. Tsunade-sama came out with Naruto in tow. The two looked unbothered, but the commotion they had caused in the room told me the negotiation was not as smooth as it should be.

"I need sake to calm down my nerves," Tsunade-sama clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"You shouldn't drink in a foreign country," Naruto chided casually.

"You would get it once you drink, Naruto."

"Trust me, I get your frustration. But we also need to understand their position. The result of our negotiation will decide their future. Giving them time to ponder is a form of mercy from us."

"We have given them enough time," Tsunade huffed, causing our Jōnin nearby to flinch.

"I know. But it's not like they are going to refuse all of the clauses, you know," Naruto pacified with a chuckle. He turned to Gaara. "Well, I am free temporarily, so I would like to look around. Would you mind guiding me, Gaara?"

Gaara perked up. "I may not know much about the village's good spots, but my siblings must know about them. Do you mind them tagging along?"

"Nope. The more the merrier."

Naruto turned to Tsunade-sama and told her that he would accompany her to drink in the evening, so she shouldn't drink until she had him by her side. Her cheeks flushed as she ushered Naruto to leave. I had no logical reason, but that flush didn't feel like it was caused by the embarrassment of her drinking habit. Interesting.

A few moments later, we found ourselves exploring the village. Dressed in the modified Suna attire, the dashing Naruto attracted a lot of the girls' attention. We visited various places. Many places were wary of Gaara, but his new personality and Naruto's friendly attitude made their wariness drop quickly.

By the end of the day, we ate at a yakiniku restaurant. Naruto ordered a huge amount of meat. He told us to feel free to order whatever we liked and he would pay for us. Gaara casually took upon that offer. I guessed they were close enough to each other. Although a bit reluctant, Kankurō and I eventually decided to accept the offer. Of course, we didn't order extravagantly.

As I was seated beside Naruto, I gave him a curious look as we waited for our order. He quirked an eyebrow as he met my gaze, making my face involuntarily warm.

"You seem to have something to say," he remarked.

"… Well. It's nothing," I denied.

Naruto hummed and then excused himself. As I wondered where he wanted to go, he grabbed my hand and dragged me along. A moment later, we found ourselves in the alley beside the restaurant. He let go of my hand, put his hands into his pocket, and looked at me curiously. My brain couldn't find a single word to say.

"Well?"

I lifted my gaze and met his eyes, internally cussing at how meek I must seem.

"Uh, I guess I just want to thank you… for what you did to Gaara." I meant it, so I bowed. "You have changed him in a good way."

"Well, it's a happy byproduct, but I will accept the gratitude. Anything else?" Naruto took it in a stride.

"N- No."

Naruto sighed softly. "You could have told me without dragging me here."

"You brought me here," I pointed out with a scowl.

"I know. I thought you either wanted to beat me up or give me something," Naruto shrugged. "Anyway, let's go back."

Giving him something.

For a moment, my mind entertained a scandalous idea.