Forbidden Love
"Sasori, I would like you to meet your new partner." Pein said, watching Sasori.
"I thought Deidara was my partner?" Sasori asked, surprised.
"He still is but I need you to show this new member how the place works." Pein answered.
"He better be worth my time." Sasori grumbled.
"Oh, I think that you two will get along just fine." Pein replied oddly.
"I think Kankuro's lonely." Temari said.
"That may be, but..." Gaara said, knowingly.
"I know, I know. We shouldn't interfere with someone's love-life." Temari said, sadly.
"Exactly, but, maybe he does need someone." Gaara said thoughtfully.
"Do you know anybody who would be looking for a boyfriend, Gaara?" Temari asked, curiously.
"Temari... You know that I don't pay attention to things like that." Gaara looked at his sister.
"Fine, I'll go ask around. But you can't complain." Temari smiled.
"Temari. Pick someone who you think would be good for him." Gaara commanded.
"Hai!" said Temari as she walked off.
"You paired me with a girl?!" Sasori stated angrily, pointing at Ryuu while yelling at Pein.
"Like I said before. She needs someone with skills almost exactly like hers to show her how things are done." Pein said, shrugging.
"You didn't say it like that." Sasori shot back.
"Alright, so I left a few things out." Pein said, obviously not caring.
"I'll say." Sasori rolling eyes.
"I shall do almost anything that is asked of me Sasori-senpai." Ryuu said, bowing to Sasori.
Pein just turns and starts walking away.
"Good, then start by hanging yourself." Sasori grumbled sourly.
"I can't do that." Ryuu said standing upright.
"And why not? You said that you would do whatever is asked of you." Sasori asked, mildly surprised.
"I didn't say that." Ryuu answered.
"Then what did you say?" Sasori asked in disbelief.
"What I said was that I would do almost anything that was asked of me. The keyword here is almost." Ryuu replied smartly, emphasizing the word almost.
"Great! Just great! I get stuck with a smart-aleck." Sasori thought, sarcastically.
Kankuro sighs and looks around.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Gaara asked as he walks up to Kankuro.
"No, not really. Do you have anything for me to do?" Kankuro answered, looking at his younger brother.
"He's actually asking for work? He really must be out-of-it." Gaara thought, amazed.
"So? Do you?" Kankuro asked again.
"Sorry, I don't. But when I do I'll let you know." Gaara replied apologetically.
Kankuro looks around again and sighs.
Pein is giving instructions to Ryuu quite a bit away from Sasori.
"I wonder what he's telling her." Deidara asked in wonderment.
"I don't." Sasori grumbled.
"Oh, simmer down. She's not bad." Deidara snapped.
Sasori just shoots Deidara a glare.
"What? I've talked with her. She doesn't seem too bad." Deidara shrugged.
Sasori just rolls eyes.
"Are you ready to head out senpai?" Ryuu asked Sasori while walking up.
"Hai." Sasori grumbled.
"Sasori, be nice to Ryuu and she will be nice to you." Pein advised.
"Be nice to the girl! Ha!" Sasori thought grouchily.
Kankuro is walking around the village and mumbling to himself.
"Kankuro, yamaido!" Akiko shouts from behind Kankuro.
Kankuro stops and looks down at the ground.
"You should really be more careful." Akiko warned.
"Thanks. I'll have to be." said Kankuro,carefully stepping around the dog crap.
"I have a message from Kazekage-sama. He says that he wants to talk to you about something."Akiko relayed.
"He does? Well I better get going then." Kankuro said, as he takes off at a run towards the Council Building.
"I'm sorry if I ruined any plans of yours." Ryuu said, while staring at the back of Sasori's head as he walked.
"Hmm..." Sasori said, ignoring Ryuu's statement.
"I said that I was sorry." Ryuu repeated, irritatedly.
Sasori is still ignoring Ryuu.
"When someone says that they are sorry, you're supposed to acknowledge them in some manner!" Ryuu said, thoroughly p.o.ed.
Sasori just grumbles.
"Look! I didn't volunteer to be part of your... group!" Ryuu said furiously.
"But you did volunteer to join the Akatsuki." Sasori replied, stopping and glancing over his shoulder.
"Hai, I did volunteer. I, however, DID NOT volunteer to be your partner!" Ryuu growled, angrily.
"Prepare yourself." Sasori suddenly said.
"What?" Ryuu asked, puzzled.
"We're going to settle this here and now." Sasori explained, turning around.
"Agreed. We settle this here and now. Last person standing wins." Ryuu agreed.
"Play by standard rules. Are you ready?" Sasori instructed.
"Never ask me if I'm ready for the battle. Ask the battle if it's ready for me." Ryuu smiled.
"Such strong words for someone who is about to die." Sasori growled.
"YOU WHAT!?" Kankuro asked.
"I think it would be a good experience for you." Temari said.
"You go, without my consent, and find me a girlfriend!?" Kankuro said, furiously.
"Like I said I think that it would be a good experience for you." Temari replied, wincing at her younger brother's accusing tone.
"Did you have anything to do with this, Gaara!?" Kankuro asked turning his fury on his younger brother.
Gaara looks directly into his older brother's eyes.
"I can't believe this! I just can't believe that you two would do this to me!" Kankuro said, throwing his hands into the air and turning and storming out of the room.
"Umm... That went well..." Temari said ,nervously, after Kankuro was out of earshot.
-Door slams somewhere in the Council Building.-
"If that is your definition of Well, Temari, then I don't want to see your definition of Great." Gaara said, semi-calmly.
"I still think that this was a good idea. Sabaku Bara (Desert Rose)is a very nice girl. Kankuro just needs to give her a chance." Temari replied.
"I hope your right." Gaara answered, looking very solemnly out the window.
Ten minutes later
"She's not that bad. A little rough around the edges. But..." Sasori thought, grudgingly.
Ryuu dodges a blow from Sasori's puppet and looks at Sasori.
"The effects of the blows she's taken and the effects of the battle on her are beginning to show." Sasori thought smugly.
Ryuu backs off a distance and studies Sasori.
"What is she planning?" Sasori thought, curiously.
Ryuu just smiles and reaches into her cloak.
"Hmm?" Sasori wondered.
Ryuu withdraws a long white sword from her cloak.
"She's just made a fatal miscalculation." Sasori thought, while grinning.
"I've got more up my sleeve than you've got puppets, Sasori of the Red Sands." Ryuu said, taunting Sasori.
"You've got more guts than anyone I've ever had to fight before. I'll give you that." Sasori commented.
Ryuu does some various turns during her run a Sasori.
"That's enough." Sasori said, stopping Ryuu's sword just inches away his neck.
"What did you say?" Ryuu asked, retreating to a safer distance.
"I said, 'That's enough.' " Sasori repeated.
"Why?" Ryuu asked, cautious but curious.
"You have proven your worth in the Akatsuki. We'll see about getting you a permanent partner." Sasori explained.
Ryuu is too lost for words to say anything.
Sasori laughs a little at the look of mixed emotions that passes across Ryuu's face, during the battle she had taken her hood down.
One Week Later
"Gaara?" Temari said, peering into Gaara's office.
"Hmm?" Gaara pauses in his writing.
"Has Kankuro spoken to you at all this week?" Temari asked.
"No, he hasn't. Has he talked to you?" Gaara puts pen down and looks up curiously.
"No, he really must be mad. I mean Baki-sensei only got two words out of him when I asked him to try to talk to Kankuro." Temari said.
"And what were those two words?" Gaara asked, almost afraid to know.
"...Bug off..." Temari answered, sadly.
"When is the date?" Gaara asked.
"In two days." Temari answered.
"I'll talk to him." Gaara said, standing up.
"Would you? I mean as his brother? We were only trying to help." Temari asked, hopefully.
"I'll see what I can do." Gaara replied, leaving the room.
30 minutes later
"It's no use. I tried talking to you as a caring brother. Because that didn't work now I'm going to talk to you not as your brother but as your Kazekage! You will go on that date with Sabaku in two days, you will be on time, you will keep your mouth shut about the reason your this date, AND YOU WILL BE NICE TO HER!!" Gaara said, angrily emphasizing the word will.
"He means every single word he said. Great!" Kankuro thought.
"If you're going to continue to act like a little child, I'll treat you like one! Is that clear?" Gaara said, even more angrily.
"Crystal." Kankuro retorted.
"Good, now start acting like the adult you are." Gaara said, getting up and leaving Kankuro's room.
Kankuro immaturely, sticks his tongue out at Gaara's back.
Gaara pauses at the doorway and looks back at Kankuro with a look that said, "I saw that".
Kankuro only glares at Gaara.
"Dinner's at 6:30." Gaara said, leaving.
During Ryuu and Sasori's time (not Kankuro's)
"You mean... that...?" Ryuu asked, in disbelief.
"Hai." Sasori replied.
"And you weren't actually trying to kill...?" Ryuu asked.
"Exactly. I was merely trying to see if you would benefit the Akatsuki in any way." Sasori answered.
"Oh...o...k..." Ryuu said, looking awfully pale.
"Maybe you should sit down." Sasori suggested.
"S...sounds like... a good idea..." Ryuu said, sitting down.
"Here." Sasori hands Ryuu a bottle of water.
"Thanks." Ryuu takes the bottle and takes a drink.
"Gaara has never talked that way to me before. I don't ever want to have him talk to me like that again." Kankuro thought.
"Kankuro? Do want to talk about it now?" Baki sticks his head into Kankuro's bedroom.
"I'm not sure." Kankuro replied.
"They're only trying to help you." Baki said, walking into Kankuro's room.
"They'd be really helping me out if they would mind their own business." Kankuro said, grouchily.
"Well, sometimes people do things that really do benefit the person they are doing it for. Temari and Gaara are only doing what they think will benefit you." Baki advised.
"I don't know..." Kankuro said, unsurely.
"Just give Sabaku a chance. She just might surprise you." Baki said, turning a leaving.
Now it's one week later with Ryuu
"It's Dragon, not Lizard, Hidan." said Ryuu, without glancing up from her book.
"Dragon, Lizard, same difference." Hidan retorted.
"One, they're extremely different. And two, dragons can breathe fire and lizards can't." snarled Ryuu.
"You two cut it out." grumbled Sasori.
Ryuu and Hidan both stick their tongues out at Sasori.
"I saw that." Sasori stated.
"I'm going to take a walk. By myself." Ryuu stated.
"Oh, that's good." said Hidan, smiling.
"Why is that good?" Ryuu asked, curiously.
"It's good that you finally learned to walk by yourself, Lizard." Hidan smirked.
"Pansy!" snarled Ryuu.
"Lizard!" growled Hidan.
"What am I going to do with you two?" Sasori thought, annoyed.
"Why can't I have a normal life like everybody else?" thought Kankuro aloud, grouchily.
"Why would you want that?" asked a voice from somewhere behind Kankuro.
"What the...Who are you? And why are you following me?" Kankuro growled, spinning around to glare at the hooded figure.
"One question at a time." the figure frowned.
"Who are you?" Kankuro asked.
"That's better. If appropriate to tell someone your name before you ask for theirs." the figure stated.
"Are you trying to be difficult?" Kankuro asked, angrily.
"No, I'm just merely stating the facts." the figure smiled.
"Look! I'm not in the greatest of moods right now!" Kankuro snarled.
"That's kinda obvious. And why aren't you in the greatest of moods?" the figure asked.
"I don't see any harm in telling him." Kankuro thought.
"Hmmm? So why aren't you?" the figure asked, patiently.
"My sister and brother thought that it would be good that I had a girlfriend. So you know what they did?" Kankuro asked, exasperatedly.
"No, what did they do? I think I know, but... I'll let you tell me." the figure frowned.
"They decided I needed the company of a girl! They got me a date for tomorrow, without my consent." Kankuro exclaimed.
"And there's a problem with that?" the figure questioned.
"Yes! There's a problem with that! My younger brother and my older sister are trying to run personal life!" Kankuro shouted.
"Calm down. Nothing gets accomplished by being in a rage, or in a panic at that." the figure soothed. "Lets start from the beginning. My name is Ryuu, may I inquire what your name is?"
"My name is Kankuro." Kankuro sighed.
"Good, now we're getting somewhere. About your problem. It seems that you have a slight problem with what your sister and brother are doing to your life." Ryuu satated, thoughtfully.
"Yes." Kankuro said.
"There are a couple of solutions to your problem. The one that the most people go with would be running away from their problems." Ryuu said.
"You're joking..." Kankuro whispered, then thought, "I might just have to do that."
"However, you don't seem the type to run away from your problems. Being a Sand shinobi and all. So I would recomend the second solution." Ryuu said after silencing Kankuro by holding up a finger.
"What's the second solution?" Kankuro asked, hopefully.
"Try talking to your siblings." Ryuu said, as if it was the obvious thing to do.
"What!? Those are the only two solutions for my problem that you have! You've got to be kidding me! I've heard better advice from sand!" Kankuro spat.
"Ouch, now that hurt. I don't have to stand here and listen to kid who calls himself a man and a shinobi even though he's acting like a bratty snot-nosed four-year old!" Ryuu shouted, obviously pissed off.
"Yeah well, what if I don't need your stinkin' advice?!" Kankuro responded.
Kankuro saw the spot where Ryuu had been but not where she was. Kankuro tried to follow her movements but was unsuccessful, because by the time his brain acknowledged where she was, she had moved again. Kankuro felt himself slammed through at least five trees before being launched backwards into another tree. Only this time he didn't go all the way through it.
"Are you going to listen to me now, or do I have to do it again?" Ryuu snarled, inches away from Kankuro's face.
Kankuro really could only focus on Ryuu's teeth because that was all he could see. The canines in Ryuu's mouth were longer than average.
"I think I'm good. Let's talk." Kankuro said.
"Have you seen Kankuro lately, Gaara?" Temari asked. "He was supposed to be here two hours ago."
"I'm sure that he'll turn up when he feels like coming back." Gaara said.
"So that's what happened. What should I do?" Kankuro asked, looking at Ryuu.
Ryuu, appearing to not hear Kankuro, looked up at the evening sky.
"Well?" Kankuro asked, insistently.
"The skies scream pain and suffering. But who? And why?" Ryuu mumbled, oblivious to everything around her.
"What?" asked Kankuro, confused.
"Hmm? Oh sorry, what were you saying?" Ryuu asked.
"What I should do about my problem." Kankuro answered, dubiously.
"Give this girl a try. You might be surprised." Ryuu said, standing up.
"You're leaving? Why don't you come to Suna with me?" Kankuro asked.
"I really would love to see Suna but my sensei will be asking where I am. It's not good to keep him waiting." Ryuu smiled. "Till we meet again Kankuro of the Desert." then Ryuu was gone.
"Where have you been? Sasori's been looking for you for the past hour." Deidara asked sourly, catching up to Ryuu.
"I got hung up. Is it illegal to go for a little walk?" Ryuu asked, glancing sideways at Deidara.
"Well... no, but Sasori was, surprisingly, really p.o.ed that he couldn't find you." Deidara answered.
