Gaara Hiden: A Sandstorm Mirage, written by Ukyō Kodachi, is set a few months after the wedding. Gaara has just turned twenty years old, so Sunagakure's elders think it's time for him get married. They have already found a wife for him, which he is going to meet shortly. And so, Gaara's toughest battle yet begins...
Naruto Hiden (a.k.a. Naruto Secret Chronicles) is a light novel series which explores the stories of various characters after the conclusion of the original manga. Though each book is illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, they are written by different authors. And yes, they are part of the canon continuity.
You can read the English translation here
note . Please follow the translators' request to not copy or distribute the text.
Be warned: SPOILERS ahead. The events of the Epilogue are considered common knowledge, so read no further if you're not up to speed with the manga.
Tropes present in the novels include:
- All There in the Manual: Confirms that Shukaku remains within Gaara after the final battle, making him the only Tailed Beast apart from Gyuki and Kurama whose post-war status is known.
- Altar Diplomacy: Although they love each other and don't care about the politics, Shikamaru and Temari's marriage still has many political implications. Their marriage is seen as officially uniting Suna and Konoha. Even the actual wedding date is one of great national importance and must be chosen carefully. The fear that Temari's future children, who possess the Kazekage bloodline, will now end up in Konoha with the Nara Clan, is what sets into motion the Suna elders demand that Gaara must marry and produce children.
- Arranged Marriage: Gaara finds himself in one and has no way to back out of it. It later turns out that Hakuto is in the exact same situation as Gaara.
- Assassin Outclassin': Gaara has had a lot of practice doing this, but this time he one ups himself by fighting the assassins while defending Hakuto.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Gaara has to fend off multiple assassins dressed in a three piece suit. He manages to make it look easy, even though he has to protect Hakuto at the same time.
- Date Peepers: Temari watches the first "date" Gaara has with Hakuto, wanting to make sure everything is going well.
- Death Faked for You: Realising that neither Hakuto nor Shigezane are criminals, Gaara pretends he brutally killed Shigezane after killing Hakuto with his Sand Waterfall Funeral. Then, he and Shikamaru arrange for them to be given new identities in Konoha.
- Endearingly Dorky: Gaara excitedly explains to Hakuto, his fiance, about the cacti he's fond of cultivating. He thinks he's babbling but she finds it very cute.
- Everyone Can See It: Gaara was the only one surprised by the relationship between his sister, Temari, and Shikamaru. Kankuro tells him that it was obvious.
- Eyes Never Lie: Gaara tells Shigezane that he was able to counter the latter's most powerful technique because Hakuto looked genuinely worried for the first time during their battle.
- Guile Hero: The Sand Siblings have taken multiple levels in this, forming an elaborate plan to flush out Gaara's enemies in the Council.
- Not So Stoic: When Suna's elders tell Gaara he has to get married, he's too shocked to say anything besides "Hu..uh?!?". By the time they tell him they've already found a suitable wife for him and arranged for the two of them to meet, he's sweat-dropping.
- Oblivious to Love: Gaara is as clueless as always when it comes to romance. He tried reading Icha-Icha Paradise to understand the matter better, but got even more confused.
- Power Incontinence: Shijima can't control her artificial Sharingan, and has to keep it sealed, which impairs her eyesight to the extent that she has to wear thick glasses.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Gaara tells his fiancé his hobby is cultivating cacti. She's pleasantly surprised that someone with such a fearsome reputation turned out to be so kind.
- Red Baron: Gaara is widely known as "Gaara of the Desert", a fearsome name that scared Hakuto, his fiancé.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: The desert holds no secrets from Gaara; as long as he's there, he's able to track anyone.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Gaara has to wear a three piece suit for the meeting with his fiancé.
- Shipper on Deck:
- Baki gives Gaara a sly grin when the latter expresses an interest in Hakuto's safety, asking him if he likes her and laughing when Gaara admits that he doesnt dislike her.
- Shikamaru is far more subtle, just grinning to himself while sneaking peaks at Gaara and Shijima talking to each other.
- So Proud of You: After seeing what the Sand Siblings are capable of, Baki feels he has finally fulfilled his duty to the Fourth Kazekage and can now retire from being Gaara's mentor/bodyguard and accept a seat on the Council.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Hakuto and Shigezane. She's the head of the Houki family and, therefore, not free to marry the one she loves.
- Succession Crisis: The main drive of the novel is the fear that one of Temari's children will be the future Kazekage thanks to the Kazekage bloodline. The Suna elders cannot fathom a Konoha-born shinobi as Kazekage, so they demand Gaara marry and produce children.
- Undying Loyalty: Gaara earns Shijima's unwavering trust and loyalty when he lets Hakuto and Shigezane go and live in Konoha under new identities.
- What Would X Do?: Upon finding himself unable to start a conversation with Hakuto, Gaara follows one of Naruto's tactics and asks her about something as trivial as her hobbies. Amusingly enough, it works. Hakuto begins to open up to him and sees him as a gentle person.
- When He Smiles: In Chapter 1, Gaara notices that Naruto has a wondrous smile that is reserved only for Hinata.
