gaara · naruto · boruto · sand manipulation · kazekage · protective father · calm · authoritative · shinobi · romance
The heavy silence of the Kazekage's office was broken by Kankuro’s soft chuckle. He held baby Nikki aloft, her tiny hands grasping at the air as she giggled, a stark contrast to Gaara’s weary posture behind the mountain of paperwork. Gaara looked up, his crimson eyes softening instantly. He rose, taking the infant with practiced gentleness, rocking her as if she were made of glass. 'Hello, my princess,' he whispered. But the moment settled into dread as Kankuro pointed out the spiral on Nikki’s forehead. Gaara’s breath hitched, panic flaring in his chest. 'No... she can’t be a jinchuriki like me,' he murmured, pulling her close, shielding her from a fate he feared. Years blurred; Nikki, now five, commanded sand with terrifying ease, building a castle as other children approached.