2/5/08

Disclaimer: the characters in this fic such as Gaara, Matsuri, etc. don't belong to me, although if they did, Matsuri would've hugged Gaara after his revival. She is NOT just another one of his airheaded fangirls, damn it!

Dedication: God, my parents, my fans, Masashi Kishimoto for creating the Naruto series and giving us these colorful characters, and especially to my beloved friends, especially VGuyver, Andrew Glasco, Musashi Sanada, Francisco, Ariescelestial, and all of you other wonderful readers!!

Special dedication to: Nakoudo Byakugan for being such an avid GaaMatsu supporter, and being so patient as to frequently listen to me squee about Gaara and Matsuri.

Naruto: Captured Moments

13 Drabbles

Installment: Set Delta

By Tiger5913

Naruto Drabble #1 – First Time, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

What a wonderful first time…

The girl collapsed back against the bed tiredly, her chest rising up and down with the motion of her heavy breathing.

Beside her lied the red-haired sand wielder, his eyes watching her form intensely as though he wanted to say something, but he remained silent.

Matsuri expected no less, and when she turned her head to face him with a wide smile, she softly uttered the three small words that swiftly soothed all of his anxieties.

Gaara nodded slightly and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

Well-loved, they both slept peacefully that night.

Naruto Drabble #2 – Difference, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

They were different as night and day, the redhead mused thoughtfully.

She was cheerful, bright, and rather outgoing, while on the other hand, he was usually quite pensive, very realistic, and he preferred to stay out of most social situations.

And yet, despite all of their juxtaposed traits, she had become one of his closest friends. How ironic.

Though Gaara had never told her this, he was secretly grateful that Matsuri had been brave enough to approach him that fateful day so long ago when they first became student and teacher.

He could not have asked for a better disciple.

Naruto Drabble #3 – Similarity, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

He noticed her hesitation when her gaze skipped nervously across the table of weapons. Was this girl truly serious about becoming a ninja? Or was she just wasting his time?

Raising an eyebrow in bewilderment, Gaara asked her, perhaps a bit impatiently, "What is it?"

Matsuri remained frozen for a few more seconds before she explained her reason for fearing weapons. Her parents had been struck down right in front of her eyes, while she could only watch and do nothing…

…She is alone. He realized with a start after she finished relaying her tale. Even more than I am.

Naruto Drabble #4 – Eyes, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

His eyes were his best feature, the young brunette finally decided.

Her sensei had many attractive qualities, but his eyes enthralled her the most out of everything. They were a pale sea green color, so light and airy that it seemed almost odd on such a serious young man. The twin orbs could shine with such deep intensity that Matsuri sometimes felt like he had her under his spell. Which was absurd, really, because she knew that Gaara never enticed anyone intentionally.

Whenever he gazed her way, her heart would skip a beat as she was filled with hopeful longing…

Naruto Drabble #5 – Health, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

Honestly, her sensei could be so overprotective at times.

"I'm fine, Gaara-sensei. Really!" The girl insisted after washing off the cut on her arm – in dodging one of his attacks, she had scraped herself against a rock wall. "I'm ready to try that again!"

The redhead regarded her with a mildly stern expression. "That will be enough for today, Matsuri."

As he turned to walk out of the clearing, Matsuri pouted slightly, but followed obediently; he could not be budged sometimes.

When she was beside him, Gaara told her quietly, "I'm sorry. I won't let you get hurt next time."

Naruto Drabble #6 – Drink, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

"I wonder why they're called pearls…"

Gaara glanced up at her words and gave his student a look of slight bewilderment, watching her turn the plastic cup of milk tea around in her hands. Her dark ebony eyes were fixated upon the small black balls huddled around the bottom.

Knowing she expected a response, he answered mildly, "I suppose it's because they're similar in shape."

Matsuri considered that possibility. "But these are black… I wouldn't call my eyes 'pearls'".

Perhaps she would not, but he certainly thought that her eyes glowed brightly and beautifully, like a pair of perfect pearls.

Naruto Drabble #7 – Memory, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

His young mind was burdened with far too many painful memories.

After being his friend for a few years, she got fed up with Gaara trying to keep everything to himself. The caring brunette wanted to help him in any way she could, but he refused to tell her anything, claiming that he did not want her to feel his pain.

Finally, Matsuri put her foot down one day and dragged him into her room, locking them both inside.

Seeing her adamant determination, he sighed heavily, took her hand, and began to speak.

She stayed there with him all night.

Naruto Drabble #8 – The Past, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

He wondered how much she knew about his past.

The other villagers had likely told her many gruesome tales of the lives he had taken, and all the blood he spilled, now intertwined with the tiny beads of his sand.

Gaara suspected that she was not fully aware of the countless sins he had committed before his change of heart.

If Matsuri were ever to find out, would she look upon him in horror, and then immediately leave?

He dreaded the answer, and the impending day.

But no matter the outcome, he would not regret having given her his heart.

Naruto Drabble #9 – The Future, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

"Lord Kazekage, one of the aristocratic families from the Land of Waves would like to make a proposal."

Knowing full well of the desired arrangement, the red-haired young man shook his head and stated firmly, "I will not accept."

"B-but Lord Kazekage, she is from a wealthy and highly-respected clan…" the councilman persisted.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he declared, "I will not marry for wealth or status. Don't make me repeat myself."

When he was alone, Gaara opened a drawer and took out a picture, smiling faintly as he glanced at Matsuri's cheerfully beaming face.

Only for love. Someday.

Naruto Drabble #10 – The Present, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

After her sensei's death and subsequent revival, Matsuri was suddenly afraid.

He would continue to fight for Suna as long as there was a single breath in his body, this she knew. But if he ended up dying again, no one would be able to save him then. She would lose him, and the chance to tell him how much she cared, forever.

With this frightening possibility in mind, just days after his return to the village, she took Gaara to a private spot, and revealed her feelings for him. No time like the present.

He responded with a kiss.

Naruto Drabble #11 – Dreams, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

She writhed deliciously underneath him, her body hot to the touch.

Her hands sifted through the dark strands of his crimson hair, and he released a shrill hiss of pleasure when the girl arched her back, pressing her soft bosom against his bare chest. He murmured her name hoarsely, his voice husky with urgent need.

He grabbed both of the brunette's arms and pulled her closer…

…when Gaara suddenly awoke and shot up in bed, breathing heavily as his face glistened with sweat, his expression baffled.

Why did he keep having those dreams? And why did they always include Matsuri…?

Naruto Drabble #12 – Something Missing, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

Ever since he was a child, Gaara had been plagued with a strange sense of desolation. It was apparent that he lacked something in his life, even despite the fact that he had siblings, friends, and an entire village to protect. He was needed, as people relied on him, and he had respect and acceptance, but for some strange reason, that was still not enough… His heart was not fully content; his happiness remained aloof.

When he met Matsuri and they became friends, later growing even closer, he finally figured out what he had been missing.

Now he was complete.

Naruto Drabble #13 – Unexpected, 100 words, Gaara x Matsuri

Kankuro often liked to poke fun at him, but Gaara paid little attention to his endless chatter about girls. It was obvious that his older brother really liked girls, but the redhead had different priorities on his mind. He did not think about anything related to romance… until one day, he began to see Matsuri in a different light.

Of all the girls that were interested in him, the first one that he dated was his student.

Unexpected indeed… but now that she was in his life, he vowed to keep her with him for as long as he could.

End of Set Delta

Bonus: Fire, 100 words, Sasuke x Sakura – dedicated to Nakoudo Byakugan

Despite the time and circumstances that had passed between them, he still had the power to take her breath away.

The raven-haired ninja had gotten taller and more muscular since she last saw him, along with Naruto and Sai beside her. But this time, the pink-haired kunoichi had decided to pursue him on her own, and now, they were alone. Sakura briefly wondered where his teammates were, but that was hardly significant at present.

Sasuke moved quickly, too fast for her to dodge, and then he pinned her against the wall, smirking as he taunted, "You're playing with fire, Sakura."

End of Installment

Author's Note: Hello out there, fellow Naruto fans! I am happy to present this new mini-series, hehe. The first thirteen prompts above were taken from the 13drabbles community on LiveJournal, and the last one was derived from my brain. Erm, I must apologize for the timeline jumping all over the place. If any of you readers are confused about which drabbles take place during when, please don't be afraid to ask me in your review or via Private Message. Okay then, thank you all for reading, and please leave a review to let me know what you think!

Oh, and feel free to request a drabble or two, and corresponding themes that you would like me to follow. I will try my best to include at least one bonus drabble during each installment, but if I don't write a drabble that you included, please don't be offended, but that means I don't know the characters and/or the couple well enough to write about them. I am sure that quality is important to you readers, right? All right, no more babbling from me now, I swear!

With love for my fans,

Tiger5913