川の国- The Land of Rivers
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.
"We'll camp here for the night. We can easily reach home in the morning."
"All the more reason to keep going, ya? Why do you want to stop now?"
Gaara unbuckled the straps holding his gourd, and turned towards his brother as he placed the heavy weapon down.
"There are questions I'd like you to ask Yamanaka-san. Questions I'd like to hear the answers to before we enter the village."
"Me? Why don't you question her?" Kankuro asked warily.
Gaara averted his eyes. "I believe your interrogation skills to be…" Gaara's eyes centered back on his brother. "standard." He smirked. Kankuro smirked in return and chuckled.
"Uh-huh. I know what this is." He stepped in front of his brother. "You just want to see if there is any chance of her being innocent before you bring her to Baki. You don't want to involve Konoha at all. You want to avoid confrontation, right?"
Gaara's arms crossed across his chest and rolled his shoulders. " Konoha has been our most trusted ally from the very beginning. They forgave us after we betrayed them in the Chunin exams. Then they sent help on various occasions, including my death. And despite not having enough of a budget to cover their own recovery after the war, they've financially supported our trade routes. Therefore, I believe it is most strategic to not…how does Temari say it? Um, burn our bridges so to speak.
Kankuro nodded as he too set Ino down. "That, and you don't want to upset Naruto ,or Temari for that matter. She is involved with blondie's team mate." He added as an afterthought, while making a face.
Gaara huffed , but said nothing. Choosing instead to keep his thoughts to himself. Why does everyone insist that every political decision I make comes back to my close important people? Is it not highly plausible that I might just be making the best decisions for the good of our country? Apparently not.
"Baki will not be merciful. If you can manipulate any information out of her then I might be able to spare her Baki's interrogation."
"Good luck with that one. I think you sometimes forget that even though we're older, Baki still trained, and basically raised us through our teenage years. He'll still want to interrogate her regardless of what you offer him."
"Maybe. I'm going set up a parameter. I'll stay gone long enough for you to…work."
"And what pray tell would you like me to 'work' on?"
"That scroll symbolizes the five nation's agreement on peace and our solemn oath to defend and support each other in this time of financial insta-."
Kankuro rolled his eyes. Sometimes he had to remind his brother that even though he was on the council, he wasn't the council. He was more than that he was his older brother.
"The non-BS version please? I have 'work' to do." Kankuro mumbled.
"Fine. What help is the Hokage requesting and why couldn't she have just sent a message bird, or requested an audience with me in Sunagakure or in Konohagakure?
Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "You think Tsunade-sama wants help?"
Gaara looked up at the sky as he let out a frustrated huff. "Again, the treaty isn't valuable, but what it represents is valuable. Another one could be easily forged. Why steal a treaty and then ask me for my help? Has she stolen the other three treaties as well, and if so why haven't the other nations reported anything?"
Gaara sighed. "Nevermind, just find out what you can, and Kankuro the sooner, the better. I'll send a message to Baki to assure him that we are safe."
Kankuro nodded, "And the status of the treaty?"
"I'll maneuver around it. Get to work. Time is limited."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Kankuro waved off his brother and turned towards his newest assignment.
Kankuro weaved his fingers together and pushed his hands out to crack any stiff joints. With a wicked grin he made his way over to sleeping Hime.
Look at her sleeping. So blonde, so cute, so unsuspecting.
Kankuro raised his hand and sent a shock of chakra from his index finger right into circulatory system. He needed to override the poison or rather, sedative, from her system. Normally she would have awoken in a matter of hours, but time was not on their side.
This should bring you back to the land of living.
Ino's head lulled to the side before focusing on black fabric and purple, paint?
"Ugh. Wha?" Please don't be catboy! Her head moved up to see-
"Mornin' Hime!" He was smiling with no teeth showing. His eyes were closed and he looked like the cat that caught the canary.
Sigh. Could be worse Ino, could be worse.
"Ahem- perhaps your lovely ears evaded my voice the first time I said it-and for that I shall repeat myself. Mor-"
"Don't bother, I heard you loud and clear. Now go away! Ino snapped! She was in no mood to deal with cat wearing fools. "I don't want to talk to you I want to speak with the Kazekage."
Kankuro abruptly straightened his spine, and starting looking around raising his hand above his brow and squinting into the darkness around them. He turned back to Ino, who looked slightly drugged and annoyed. He wondered how urked she would be to find that she looked rather 'uncute' at the moment.
"Trees, Do you see the Kazekage anywhere?" He looked down. "Rocks, Dirt, ant crawling through the soil, perhaps you have seen our red headed leader?"
Nothing answered him. Ino watched in pure irritation at his antiqs. It was always the middle child. Gah, could his mother not have paid him enough attention before Gaara came along?
"Hey, catboy, I know he's not around and that's why I asked to speak with him."
Kankuro tapped Ino's nose and then pinched it playfully. Ino tried to bite off a finger, permanently.
"Tsk-tsk-tsk, first of all you didn't ask, you merely specified a want, which by definition is something one can live without."
"Actually by definition it is something desired, demanded, or required, which I do infact," Ino chuckled, "desire to, demand to, and am required to by my kage to speak with your kage. Now, if you don't mind wasting air perhaps you'd like to…Look don't take it personal okay, I know you have middle child syndrome, but while we are wasting time because you require attention, we could actually be helping the five great nations take down an underestimated and overlooked factor to prolonged peace."
"Which would be?"
"Let me talk to the Kazekage and you'll find out."
"…excuse me, maybe I heard wrong, but-" Kankuro dug in his ear with his index finger and then pretended to flick a spare piece of wax her way. Ino's mouth dropped.
"Do you not have any home training whatsoever? That was earwax you just flicked at me."
Even though he flicked nothing Kankuro held his palms up innocently. "I'm litter box trained, sweetheart, I swear it. Besides if you were paying closer attention then you would notice that there was actually no earwax on my finger. I lick myself clean you know." He winked at her.
Ino could have face palmed. "Litter box trained or not! Read my lips I'm not talking to you, but I will talk with the Kazekage."
"Hime, you obviously don't realize the situation you are in so let me explain it to you. You just violated multiple peace treaty policies, strained political and secular relationships within our inner circle, and destroyed what looks to have, at once been, an incredibly sexy outfit."
Ino was taken aback. Was he…hitting on her? What kind of professional ninja was he?! Ino began to screech.
"As if you-" Kankuro had attached chakra strings to Ino's Jaw lines and chin, effectively ceasing any high pitched insulting statements that might have otherwise come out to hurt his sensitive ears.
"Please don't cut me off, it's quite rude! Now as I was saying, you are in no position to, desire, demand, or require an audience with my Kazekage, or anyone for that matter. You gave up that right about 3 days ago when you violated a sacred treaty that not only Suna, but the entire Shinobi nation holds dear. Now, I am a gentleman-"
"Could have fooled me." Ino mumbled.
"I am a gentleman, but if you won't talk to me then you will be speaking with another gentleman that will be anything but gentle with you. Wakarimasuka? Now if you would please cooperate."
Ino remained quiet for a couple seconds. Kankuro thought she was ready to be docile.
"Does this non-gentleman have better manners than you because if so I'll take my chances with him."
"Ah, and you still refuse to see reason. So nicely packaged and yet so misguided and overzealous. I'm trying to help your little tail, and in your quest to bear the next national tragedy you would rather be thrown off the cliff than simply take the offered bridge in front of you. .Tsk. I guess I was wrong about you."
"Wow, I guess the puppeteers really take all the theatre classes, huh? Lots of theatrics from you, and a lot of drama. Amazing, you must be the female in any relationship you get yourself into, huh? Look even though you act in your little puppet shows, and you like to put on a façade with your victims, of whom you probably talk to death, let me spare you some auditions. Stop acting like you know anything about me, or the reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing. Ask your Kazekage to talk with me when he comes back, and we'll just get this misunderstanding settled, kay?" Ino tilted her head to the side and did an overly cute and fake smile. However, it quickly turned into a frown upon looking at the puppeteer's eyes slightly change.
Something passed over the cat boy's eyes that she couldn't decipher, and the tone that he used next didn't seem to go with his previous theatric performance. Like his brother earlier that day, he leaned in to her personal space and began to speak.
"Hime, I don't know anything about you, and I won't presume to. That's why I ask questions.
Question number one…