A Contest with Rasa

Hui and Gaara tried out several new techniques. Hui described them while Gaara put them into practice. She even suggested using sand as a means of flight, but none of these ideas were easy to master quickly. Some of the others were feasible, but their power was lacking.

The two continued discussing improvements, and before long, evening had fallen. Then Rasa suddenly appeared. When Hui sensed his chakra, Gaara was still testing the power of Sand Shower.

Rasa had apparently been standing nearby, watching for a long time. If Hui hadn't sensed his chakra, she would have thought he hadn't come at all.

Hui looked up at the sky, where countless grains of sand hung in the air, and curled her lips slightly. Rasa probably hadn't imagined that, even without his guidance, Gaara could grow strong through his own efforts. She couldn't see Rasa's expression, but she could imagine it was quite a sight.

With that thought, Hui glanced back toward where Rasa stood. That chakra really hadn't moved an inch.

Gaara kept his eyes fixed on the sand suspended overhead, struggling to control his chakra and maintain the vast quantity of sand.

Even maintaining the sand's shape seemed difficult with his current amount of chakra, let alone holding so much of it in place. But giving up had never been his habit. Besides, if this technique was completed, it ought to be powerful.

Rasa watched Gaara in the distance with a deeply furrowed brow, his expression shifting unpredictably as his heart grew heavier. If Gaara became too powerful, he would truly become a disaster for Sunagakure. Shukaku was already a major threat.

Rasa looked at the person beside Gaara and saw Hui watching with an air of leisure. Her gaze seemed to pass through the massive rock where he was hiding and land on him. The thought made Rasa's brow furrow even further.

Just then, Gaara sent the sand rain plunging down from the sky. The sand bullets struck the ground one after another, blasting deep holes into it. Bang! Bang! Bang!

A cloud of dust billowed up. Rasa narrowed his eyes as he watched the two. The dust slowly obscured them, but he saw Hui say something to Gaara, who actually smiled. Still, Rasa felt there was something calculating and uncanny in Hui's eyes. From the side, the smile at her lips looked like a sinister smirk full of schemes.

Seeing that the experiment had finally yielded results, Hui was delighted. Dust swirled around them, and the ground was pitted with holes. The technique was clearly powerful!

She looked at Gaara happily and said, "It looks like this technique really is powerful, Gaara."

Gaara's lips lifted slightly. "I have you to thank for the suggestion. I never thought I could fight this way before."

A flicker passed through Hui's eyes, along with a tangle of emotions. Once she left, would the boy in front of her be left to live all alone? If only she could stay here. But no matter how she looked at it, that was just wishful thinking.

"Gaara!"

A call suddenly came from nearby. Hui and Gaara both turned toward it. Some of the dust had settled, and they could finally see who was approaching. Hui gave a quiet, mocking laugh. What did this guy want, showing up all of a sudden? He'd been watching them long enough already. He could have just kept watching.

At the sound of the voice, Gaara's expression grew stiff and flustered. He turned toward Rasa and caught sight of the displeasure and even faint anger on his face. Without thinking, he lowered his head.

Hui watched every change in Gaara's expression, then turned to Rasa as he approached. She walked a few steps forward and said respectfully, "Lord Kazekage, we meet again."

Rasa frowned at Hui, stopping in his tracks. She was already standing two meters in front of him. Walking around her would look undignified, but he couldn't get any closer, either. Rasa glared at her, unwilling to acknowledge her greeting.

Rasa's gaze passed straight over Hui and settled on Gaara. His feelings toward this son were complicated, but compared to his duty as Kazekage, family bonds weren't all that important.

Rasa was just about to order Gaara home when he caught Hui watching him with a faintly amused smile.

This boy had always drawn close to Gaara by treating him kindly. Rasa had to admit that he was quite calculating. He knew exactly what Gaara longed for most. By staying beside him as such an energetic, sunny presence, he had become the kind of person Gaara could accept most easily.

Rasa softened his tone and said quietly, "Gaara, go home first. Your brother and sister are waiting for you to come home for dinner."

Even when he lied, Rasa didn't want to claim that he himself was waiting for Gaara to come home for dinner.

Though his tone had softened, Hui still felt that Rasa was issuing an order. She heard the faint threat in his words loud and clear. But she hadn't expected Gaara to lift his head at Rasa's dishonest words, his eyes filling with a hint of hope. He nodded and replied happily, "All right, Father."

Tsk... Hui clenched her lower lip, struggling to keep her expression composed.

She'd known that Gaara longed for family affection, especially a father's love. But he actually believed Rasa, despite the fact that he was lying and didn't even sound kind.

Thinking about what Rasa would later have Yashamaru do made Hui's head ache. In the days to come, Rasa would destroy everything Gaara yearned for, erase everything he cared about, and even crush the belief that kept him going, leaving him with nothing but hatred and turning him into "a demon who only loved himself."

Damn it... damn it...

If only he hadn't hoped from the beginning. If only he'd been heartless from the start. Why did he have to long for anything? Rasa would take everything from him...

Hui could almost feel the pulse throbbing at her forehead, tugging at her nerves again and again. A crushing pain filled her head, and she could faintly hear a shrill ringing. That unnerving sensation returned. She hurriedly pressed a hand to her neck, and the pain in her forehead finally eased somewhat.

Hui's expression was blank and wooden as she looked up at Rasa. She saw his lips pressed into a tight line. He hadn't seemed to expect Gaara to react this way either, but only for a moment. He soon reined in all his emotions and said sternly, "All right. Go on home."

Gaara turned to Hui, wanting to ask whether she would come eat with him. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Hui... do you... want to—"

"Gaara, go home first. I still have things to take care of at the inn." Hui cut him off. Only after a moment had passed did she turn back to Gaara and smile at him.

Gaara paused, but didn't insist. "All right. Go take care of what you need to."

Hui nodded, but glanced at Rasa from the corner of her eye. At last, he had withdrawn that sharp aura, and the pressure from him had eased considerably. She gave a self-mocking smile.

Rasa looked away from Hui and turned to Gaara. "Let's go."

Gaara glanced at Hui and murmured, "Mm." Hui raised a hand and waved to him. "See you tomorrow!"

Gaara smiled happily and replied, "Okay."

Rasa narrowed his eyes at Hui in warning, his displeasure practically spilling over. He realized he really couldn't treat this kid as a six-year-old anymore.

Gaara seemed to sense something and looked up at him. He saw his father's expression, and all sorts of thoughts crossed his mind. He looked back at Hui, who was still standing there, feeling a little dejected and guilty.

Hui watched Rasa lead Gaara away, then glanced in their direction with a troubled look. She turned and headed into the district to find something to eat. Standing there all day was something she'd never experienced before. Judging by the look Rasa had given her before leaving, though, he'd taken a serious interest in her. She had no idea what he planned to do...