The Burning, Chapter 5
Chapter 5!
For the overall story, rating is M for violence, sexuality, yaoi, etc. However, this chapter is rated PG. (I promise it won't stay like this forever!)
"Yamato-sempai," Naruto said with a start, "what is that?"
Pounding, pulsing rhythm shook his entire body, from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. If he didn't know better, he would have thought there was a minor earthquake going on, or some kind of attack.
Yamato turned toward the window. "It's starting," he said quietly.
"What's starting?"
"The drums," a voice remarked from the hall. Naruto turned to see Neji 's lean frame propped against the doorway. "This must be the celebration they were talking about earlier."
"It's a Suna tradition," Yamato smiled. "Every so often the whole city just gives itself up to celebration. There was a legendary celebration, in the time of the second Kazekage, which lasted eight days."
"Eight… days?" Naruto queried. He was never one to turn down a party, but that was a bit much.
"Don't worry," Yamato replied, shaking his head. "This won't be like that … I don't think. They were celebrating a major victory back then. This one is relatively minor."
"It seems," Neji broke in, "when Suna warriors do battle and no lives are lost, they do this to give thanks."
"Ah." Naruto frowned. "But, doesn't that happen pretty often?"
Yamato chuckled. "They don't do it every time. To be honest, I'm not sure why they celebrate at some times and then not at others." He shrugged. "One thing I do know is that we are expected to attend. Even though we are technically outsiders, we've cooperated in battle, and that makes us welcome."
"Part of the brotherhood, huh," Naruto mused.
"Yup," Yamato replied absently. He was rummaging through a drawer on the other side of the room. "Here," and he tossed a bundle of cloth at Naruto. "Put these on." He threw another bundle of cloth at Neji, who caught it effortlessly.
Naruto felt a curious sense of déjà vu as he unfolded the clothes and held them up for inspection; there was a simple black shirt and a pair of dark pants with elaborate ties at the waist. "Thanks," he said. "I guess this is another Suna custom? Changing clothes for the party?"
"It's not strict," Yamato explained. "Just custom. These clothes will make it easier to move."
Naruto's eyes widened. "They spar?"
Yamato burst into laughter as he pulled his shirt over his head. Between chuckles, he replied, "No, Naruto, far from it. The freedom of movement is for dancing."
"Ah." Satisfied that he'd done well enough with the ties on the pants, Naruto yanked the shirt over his head. He tugged at the bottom hem, noticing that it seemed to ride a little high; he was sure his navel was almost showing. When he snuck glances at Yamato and Neji, he noticed their outfits were similar. "What's with these shirts?" he said quizzically. "All three of us look like Sai!"
"Don't exaggerate," Neji snapped, fixing Naruto with an evil glare.
Naruto glared back, then continued, "And the pants are way too loose."
"Relax, Naruto," Yamato smiled. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. But I'm warning you, even as cold as the desert gets at night, it's going to be very hot in there. You'll be thankful for the baggy pants. And many people don't even bother wearing a shirt."
Naruto considered that. He had no inherent body-modesty; he'd been more concerned about looking like an outsider. But if everyone else was going like this, he would too. Unbidden, the thought of the Kazekage shirtless popped into his head. He wondered whether Gaara looked as thin as he'd felt earlier, deep underground… wondered what color those nipples were, that his fingers had brushed in the darkness.
"Naruto? I said, are you ready?" Naruto turned to find Neji already departed and Yamato giving him a strange look from the doorway. "Come on," and he jerked his head toward the door. "Don't be shy."
"I'm not," Naruto muttered. He followed quickly, hoping no one had noticed his flaming cheeks.
The three Leaf shinobi had only to follow the sound of the drums. And I thought they sounded loud back in our room, Naruto thought with a little apprehension. Some wild yelps also drifted past on the night air. From the sound of things, Suna knew how to throw a good party. "Yamato-sempai," Naruto queried, "how do you know so much about this stuff, anyway?"
"You mean, about Sunagakure's customs?"
Naruto nodded.
"This isn't my first time working with the Sand," Yamato replied staunchly. "Nor yours, either. All you have to do is listen and pay attention." He gave Naruto a pointed look. "Like any shinobi."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto griped. "Sorry. I guess I just thought it would be rude to ask about every little thing."
"In the past, it would have been," and Yamato's face was suddenly very solemn. "And when we did find out any details, we would inevitably try to exploit them. But Naruto, we're allies now. The more we try to understand each other, the better it will be all around."
"Shoes over there," Neji butted in, practically yelling over the noise. Through the open door, Naruto could make out the figures of a great many people moving and talking.
Naruto was suddenly eager to dive in and see what everyone was up to. He shucked off his shoes, tossed them in the general direction of a giant shoe-rack just outside the door, and darted inside just behind Neji.
The smell of food and drink, the thunderous volume of the drums, the wild cries and shouts and singing - all combined, hit Naruto like a slap to the face. After his eyes had adjusted to the dimmer light, the first thing that struck him was that almost everyone was dancing - men, women, children; grandmas and grandpas; shinobi and civilians. The people who were vainly trying to converse were clustered as far away from the drums as possible, but even they seemed not to be able to stay away from the dancing for long. Those that were not able-bodied had a front-row seat, and enthusiastically clapped along, shouting encouragement. The dance was varied, from people who merely shuffled from foot to foot, to others who whirled and leapt athletically into the air. He couldn't help smiling at some of the younger children, who were simply bouncing around energetically as if on pogo sticks.
The next thing he noticed was that the dancing looked different from what he'd seen and done in Konoha. Whether fast or slow, the movements were always graceful rather than frenetic. There was just as much emphasis on undulating the torso, arms, and hips as there was on moving the feet. It looked natural, graceful, and somehow sensual - though this definitely wasn't the type of dancing that Naruto would perform with his Sexy No Jutsu.
As he was trying to puzzle it out, a voice said in his ear, "Having a good time?"
He jumped a little and turned to find the Kazekage smiling at him. Then he took a step back, and his eyes widened.
Gaara's pale skin almost glowed in the subdued light. He had discarded his Kage robes for the simple shirt-and-pants combination favored by most of the men present. Like Naruto's, his shirt was a little too short. Helplessly, Naruto's eyes were drawn to the smooth strip of skin showing just below Gaara's navel.
Too late, he met the Kazekage's eyes to find them sparkling with amusement. "You're curious about the clothing?" Gaara asked, leaning close and speaking into Naruto's ear to make himself heard. Naruto nodded, not trusting his voice, glad for the noise which covered his sudden speechlessness. Something about Gaara's lips so close to his ear sent that same uncontrollable shiver down his spine as he'd felt earlier that day. Gaara appeared not to notice. He simply continued, "You will see the reason when you learn the basics. Come with me…"
He turned and stalked toward the periphery of the dancing crowd, never glancing back to see whether Naruto had followed him. Gaara was used to being obeyed, Naruto thought as he scampered after the Kazekage. When Gaara stopped and turned around, Naruto almost ran into him. Blushing furiously, he watched as Gaara demonstrated the basic steps, urging Naruto to follow him. Then he paused to show Naruto some of the quick, coordinated hip movements that were traditionally layered over the footwork. Now Naruto could appreciate the clothing which complemented the movement of the hips and made the motions easier to follow.
Breaking the pattern, Gaara stepped toward Naruto again. "It's going to feel strange to you at first," he half-shouted in Naruto's ear. "But this is part of keeping our warriors flexible and battle-ready. It's good for you."
Try as he might - and he did try - Naruto couldn't completely follow what Gaara was showing him. He felt like his hips were just jerking around randomly rather than following the graceful, circular patterns that Gaara was demonstrating. Then he blushed to the roots of his hair as he realized he'd just spent the past Kami-knew-how-long looking at another guy's hips and butt … and he blushed even more fiercely when he knew in his heart that he had actually not minded at all.
Seeing his friend's consternation, as well as the blushing (even with the dim light), Gaara slowed down a bit until he was sure Naruto could keep up. He smiled when he saw the technique begin to click somewhat and Naruto's face take on its customary "I'm concentrating" expression. Naruto's body was picking up these rhythms that were so foreign to him.
Suddenly, Gaara flashed back to the time when he was just beginning to notice other people's body language and expressions - when he was learning to care about others' feelings rather than just wanting to kill them. Of its own accord, his mind fast-forwarded to the first time he had joined in the dance with the rest of his people as a Kazekage proprely should, the looks of astonishment that others had tried to hide to see Gaara finally being human.
A loud whoop took Gaara back to the present. Glancing up, he noted a circle dance just beginning, the drums faster and more frenetic than ever. Without even thinking he grabbed Naruto's hand and hauled him across the room.
Naruto stumbled after Gaara, then found his feet quickly. Even through his embarrassment, he couldn't help feeling elated; he had never seen Gaara act so enthusiastic about anything before. Maybe his friend was back to normal now.
Gaara towed Naruto into the heart of the dance, joining the circle and clutching the hand of the person next to him. "You grab hands, and then lock your elbows upward, like this," Gaara shouted in Naruto's ear. "Now, follow along! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! FRONT! BACK! RIGHTLEFTRIGHTLEFT!" Thankfully, Naruto had little trouble with this dance, since it was all hopping and foot placement, with none of the intricate hip-work of before. Once he had mastered the simple pattern, he looked up at the ever-expanding circle of sweaty, joyous faces; at Gaara's in particular. The only good moods he'd seen Gaara display up till now had seemed to include battle-frenzy and placid calm … and rampant lust, if one could count that - Naruto's mind steered away from that particular place. Gaara full of lighthearted joy, Gaara leaping and dancing side by side with the people he would live and die for - this Gaara he didn't know. With a pang, he wondered if he'd ever see his best friend like this again, this full of energy and life.
You could make him like that, a small voice whispered inside his head. You could see his face like that again. The way you couldn't see him earlier… in the dark.
Instead of shutting off that voice, Naruto considered it. He thought about how happy Gaara looked, how it would be to see that smile, that lightness of expression, every day. Come to think of it, he'd never known Gaara to smile much at all ... unless he was interacting with Naruto.
Was it so bad? the voice in his mind continued. What he did? What you did together? You liked how it felt...
The circle dance was ending in a frenzy of ululations and applause; the drummers were calling for water. Before he could change his mind, Naruto grabbed Gaara by the shoulder. "Gaara," he said, leaning close to try to avoid being overheard, "can we talk later? After - all this is over?"
Gaara's expression took on some of its customary seriousness. "Certainly," he replied. "Come to my rooms tonight, whenever you're ready. My guards will tell you where to find me." Naruto nodded. With a brief, awkward pat on Gaara's shoulder, he broke away to try to find Yamato-sempai and Neji, trying to ignore the sinking-soaring sensation in his belly, trying not to think at all.
For the overall story, rating is M for violence, sexuality, yaoi, etc. However, this chapter is rated PG. (I promise it won't stay like this forever!)
"Yamato-sempai," Naruto said with a start, "what is that?"
Pounding, pulsing rhythm shook his entire body, from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. If he didn't know better, he would have thought there was a minor earthquake going on, or some kind of attack.
Yamato turned toward the window. "It's starting," he said quietly.
"What's starting?"
"The drums," a voice remarked from the hall. Naruto turned to see Neji 's lean frame propped against the doorway. "This must be the celebration they were talking about earlier."
"It's a Suna tradition," Yamato smiled. "Every so often the whole city just gives itself up to celebration. There was a legendary celebration, in the time of the second Kazekage, which lasted eight days."
"Eight… days?" Naruto queried. He was never one to turn down a party, but that was a bit much.
"Don't worry," Yamato replied, shaking his head. "This won't be like that … I don't think. They were celebrating a major victory back then. This one is relatively minor."
"It seems," Neji broke in, "when Suna warriors do battle and no lives are lost, they do this to give thanks."
"Ah." Naruto frowned. "But, doesn't that happen pretty often?"
Yamato chuckled. "They don't do it every time. To be honest, I'm not sure why they celebrate at some times and then not at others." He shrugged. "One thing I do know is that we are expected to attend. Even though we are technically outsiders, we've cooperated in battle, and that makes us welcome."
"Part of the brotherhood, huh," Naruto mused.
"Yup," Yamato replied absently. He was rummaging through a drawer on the other side of the room. "Here," and he tossed a bundle of cloth at Naruto. "Put these on." He threw another bundle of cloth at Neji, who caught it effortlessly.
Naruto felt a curious sense of déjà vu as he unfolded the clothes and held them up for inspection; there was a simple black shirt and a pair of dark pants with elaborate ties at the waist. "Thanks," he said. "I guess this is another Suna custom? Changing clothes for the party?"
"It's not strict," Yamato explained. "Just custom. These clothes will make it easier to move."
Naruto's eyes widened. "They spar?"
Yamato burst into laughter as he pulled his shirt over his head. Between chuckles, he replied, "No, Naruto, far from it. The freedom of movement is for dancing."
"Ah." Satisfied that he'd done well enough with the ties on the pants, Naruto yanked the shirt over his head. He tugged at the bottom hem, noticing that it seemed to ride a little high; he was sure his navel was almost showing. When he snuck glances at Yamato and Neji, he noticed their outfits were similar. "What's with these shirts?" he said quizzically. "All three of us look like Sai!"
"Don't exaggerate," Neji snapped, fixing Naruto with an evil glare.
Naruto glared back, then continued, "And the pants are way too loose."
"Relax, Naruto," Yamato smiled. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. But I'm warning you, even as cold as the desert gets at night, it's going to be very hot in there. You'll be thankful for the baggy pants. And many people don't even bother wearing a shirt."
Naruto considered that. He had no inherent body-modesty; he'd been more concerned about looking like an outsider. But if everyone else was going like this, he would too. Unbidden, the thought of the Kazekage shirtless popped into his head. He wondered whether Gaara looked as thin as he'd felt earlier, deep underground… wondered what color those nipples were, that his fingers had brushed in the darkness.
"Naruto? I said, are you ready?" Naruto turned to find Neji already departed and Yamato giving him a strange look from the doorway. "Come on," and he jerked his head toward the door. "Don't be shy."
"I'm not," Naruto muttered. He followed quickly, hoping no one had noticed his flaming cheeks.
The three Leaf shinobi had only to follow the sound of the drums. And I thought they sounded loud back in our room, Naruto thought with a little apprehension. Some wild yelps also drifted past on the night air. From the sound of things, Suna knew how to throw a good party. "Yamato-sempai," Naruto queried, "how do you know so much about this stuff, anyway?"
"You mean, about Sunagakure's customs?"
Naruto nodded.
"This isn't my first time working with the Sand," Yamato replied staunchly. "Nor yours, either. All you have to do is listen and pay attention." He gave Naruto a pointed look. "Like any shinobi."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto griped. "Sorry. I guess I just thought it would be rude to ask about every little thing."
"In the past, it would have been," and Yamato's face was suddenly very solemn. "And when we did find out any details, we would inevitably try to exploit them. But Naruto, we're allies now. The more we try to understand each other, the better it will be all around."
"Shoes over there," Neji butted in, practically yelling over the noise. Through the open door, Naruto could make out the figures of a great many people moving and talking.
Naruto was suddenly eager to dive in and see what everyone was up to. He shucked off his shoes, tossed them in the general direction of a giant shoe-rack just outside the door, and darted inside just behind Neji.
The smell of food and drink, the thunderous volume of the drums, the wild cries and shouts and singing - all combined, hit Naruto like a slap to the face. After his eyes had adjusted to the dimmer light, the first thing that struck him was that almost everyone was dancing - men, women, children; grandmas and grandpas; shinobi and civilians. The people who were vainly trying to converse were clustered as far away from the drums as possible, but even they seemed not to be able to stay away from the dancing for long. Those that were not able-bodied had a front-row seat, and enthusiastically clapped along, shouting encouragement. The dance was varied, from people who merely shuffled from foot to foot, to others who whirled and leapt athletically into the air. He couldn't help smiling at some of the younger children, who were simply bouncing around energetically as if on pogo sticks.
The next thing he noticed was that the dancing looked different from what he'd seen and done in Konoha. Whether fast or slow, the movements were always graceful rather than frenetic. There was just as much emphasis on undulating the torso, arms, and hips as there was on moving the feet. It looked natural, graceful, and somehow sensual - though this definitely wasn't the type of dancing that Naruto would perform with his Sexy No Jutsu.
As he was trying to puzzle it out, a voice said in his ear, "Having a good time?"
He jumped a little and turned to find the Kazekage smiling at him. Then he took a step back, and his eyes widened.
Gaara's pale skin almost glowed in the subdued light. He had discarded his Kage robes for the simple shirt-and-pants combination favored by most of the men present. Like Naruto's, his shirt was a little too short. Helplessly, Naruto's eyes were drawn to the smooth strip of skin showing just below Gaara's navel.
Too late, he met the Kazekage's eyes to find them sparkling with amusement. "You're curious about the clothing?" Gaara asked, leaning close and speaking into Naruto's ear to make himself heard. Naruto nodded, not trusting his voice, glad for the noise which covered his sudden speechlessness. Something about Gaara's lips so close to his ear sent that same uncontrollable shiver down his spine as he'd felt earlier that day. Gaara appeared not to notice. He simply continued, "You will see the reason when you learn the basics. Come with me…"
He turned and stalked toward the periphery of the dancing crowd, never glancing back to see whether Naruto had followed him. Gaara was used to being obeyed, Naruto thought as he scampered after the Kazekage. When Gaara stopped and turned around, Naruto almost ran into him. Blushing furiously, he watched as Gaara demonstrated the basic steps, urging Naruto to follow him. Then he paused to show Naruto some of the quick, coordinated hip movements that were traditionally layered over the footwork. Now Naruto could appreciate the clothing which complemented the movement of the hips and made the motions easier to follow.
Breaking the pattern, Gaara stepped toward Naruto again. "It's going to feel strange to you at first," he half-shouted in Naruto's ear. "But this is part of keeping our warriors flexible and battle-ready. It's good for you."
Try as he might - and he did try - Naruto couldn't completely follow what Gaara was showing him. He felt like his hips were just jerking around randomly rather than following the graceful, circular patterns that Gaara was demonstrating. Then he blushed to the roots of his hair as he realized he'd just spent the past Kami-knew-how-long looking at another guy's hips and butt … and he blushed even more fiercely when he knew in his heart that he had actually not minded at all.
Seeing his friend's consternation, as well as the blushing (even with the dim light), Gaara slowed down a bit until he was sure Naruto could keep up. He smiled when he saw the technique begin to click somewhat and Naruto's face take on its customary "I'm concentrating" expression. Naruto's body was picking up these rhythms that were so foreign to him.
Suddenly, Gaara flashed back to the time when he was just beginning to notice other people's body language and expressions - when he was learning to care about others' feelings rather than just wanting to kill them. Of its own accord, his mind fast-forwarded to the first time he had joined in the dance with the rest of his people as a Kazekage proprely should, the looks of astonishment that others had tried to hide to see Gaara finally being human.
A loud whoop took Gaara back to the present. Glancing up, he noted a circle dance just beginning, the drums faster and more frenetic than ever. Without even thinking he grabbed Naruto's hand and hauled him across the room.
Naruto stumbled after Gaara, then found his feet quickly. Even through his embarrassment, he couldn't help feeling elated; he had never seen Gaara act so enthusiastic about anything before. Maybe his friend was back to normal now.
Gaara towed Naruto into the heart of the dance, joining the circle and clutching the hand of the person next to him. "You grab hands, and then lock your elbows upward, like this," Gaara shouted in Naruto's ear. "Now, follow along! RIGHT! LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT! FRONT! BACK! RIGHTLEFTRIGHTLEFT!" Thankfully, Naruto had little trouble with this dance, since it was all hopping and foot placement, with none of the intricate hip-work of before. Once he had mastered the simple pattern, he looked up at the ever-expanding circle of sweaty, joyous faces; at Gaara's in particular. The only good moods he'd seen Gaara display up till now had seemed to include battle-frenzy and placid calm … and rampant lust, if one could count that - Naruto's mind steered away from that particular place. Gaara full of lighthearted joy, Gaara leaping and dancing side by side with the people he would live and die for - this Gaara he didn't know. With a pang, he wondered if he'd ever see his best friend like this again, this full of energy and life.
You could make him like that, a small voice whispered inside his head. You could see his face like that again. The way you couldn't see him earlier… in the dark.
Instead of shutting off that voice, Naruto considered it. He thought about how happy Gaara looked, how it would be to see that smile, that lightness of expression, every day. Come to think of it, he'd never known Gaara to smile much at all ... unless he was interacting with Naruto.
Was it so bad? the voice in his mind continued. What he did? What you did together? You liked how it felt...
The circle dance was ending in a frenzy of ululations and applause; the drummers were calling for water. Before he could change his mind, Naruto grabbed Gaara by the shoulder. "Gaara," he said, leaning close to try to avoid being overheard, "can we talk later? After - all this is over?"
Gaara's expression took on some of its customary seriousness. "Certainly," he replied. "Come to my rooms tonight, whenever you're ready. My guards will tell you where to find me." Naruto nodded. With a brief, awkward pat on Gaara's shoulder, he broke away to try to find Yamato-sempai and Neji, trying to ignore the sinking-soaring sensation in his belly, trying not to think at all.