"Yohoo, Errand Boy!"
Kankuro emerged from the afternoon shadows of Tenten's workshop, holding a teacup. "You called, Milady?" He gave her an exaggerated bow,
Tenten narrowed her auburn eyes at him. "Seriously, Kankuro, we've gotta talk about making your entrances less dramatic." She pointed to the door at the other room. "See, people normally knock on doors and wait for the permission to come in. It might sound pretty basic, but believe me, people do appreciate the little things like that. I know I do."
The puppetmaster snorted. "That's rich, coming from someone who had a teacher that specializes in Dynamic Entries."
"This apple will not apologize for the sin of its tree," she said smugly. "Anyway, I need you to earn your keep."
"Want me to sing for you?"
"Not in this lifetime." She placed a dog-eared map on the table. "I'm sending you out in a reconnaissance mission. Check this out."
He let out a whistle. "So this is the fruit of your little excursion over to the south, huh?" Placing the teacup on the other end of the table, he bent down to peer closer at the map.
"I need a survey of the zone I encircled in neon pink here." She tapped the hastily drawn circle over the transparent sheet covering the map. "I need details on how many people are staying here, whether they're combatants, and if so, what kind of attacks do they use. If there are weapons you can get as souvenirs, I'll even bake you a cake with sugar flowers on it."
Kankuro had one burning question in mind. "Why neon pink?"
"Why not?"
"Women." Kankuro rolled his eyes as he grabbed the map and folded it small enough to fit his back pocket.
Tenten wagged a finger playfully at him. "Hey now, don't complain about stuff you're, uh, inexperienced with, hmm?"
"I hope that's not an invitation for me to be educated in that topic. I'd actually prefer it to be done by someone who isn't as plain-looking as you," smirked the puppetmaster.
She clicked her tongue. "Beggars can't be choosers, you know? But don't worry your pretty maiden's heart over it, Kankuro. Your chastity is safe with me. Scout's honor." She held up her fingers together as a sign of promise.
"What is all this info for anyway?" He recalled how sternly the Kazekage ordered him to keep the Konoha nin out of trouble while he was away.
It had been two whole days since his brother had left the village, and he was just starting to relax in belief that the kunoichi would be behaving herself this time. Apparently, she was merely bidding her time.
"Ask no question, and I shall not lie."
Oh boy.
Chapter 4
A/N: Please forgive this writer for disappearing for several months. I've been working on a research-heavy fanfic (Everett's Web), but with the story moving to its final arc, I could start working on my other ongoing stories, like this one. Thank you to the folks who have been so patient with the snail-paced updates.
After Kankuro departed, Tenten headed for the gardens to do her daily physical conditioning exercises. During her Chuunin days, she prioritized honing her long-range attacks' accuracy, and left the frontline skills such as taijutsu to Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee.
But the present her had no Lee or Neji to compensate for her weaknesses. She could not choose her sniping spots as easily anymore due to the constraints of her service wheelchair. The incident also affected her vision, and she could no longer hit a hundred bull's eye out of a hundred target marks like before.
So if she wanted to make sure she could survive long enough to avenge Neji's death, the old dog that she was must learn new skills that take advantage of what she still had: unparalleled mastery of nearly every melee weapon that had been created by man. Luckily for her, these weapons mostly require upper body strength than use of legs. This was why she was rebuilding her training regimen around her muscular conditioning.
She was struggling with a resistance band when Temari found her. The latter took one look at her sweaty form, and stopped deliberately at a certain distance away from her. "We've sent you the new weapon orders from the Land of Silence. They need it in time for their boys' coming-of-age ceremony next month."
"Cool," she managed to wheeze out in between the crunches.
Silence followed. At the corner of her eye though, she could see that the blonde kunoichi was still rooted to her spot, watching her intently.
"Anything… else?" she asked hoarsely as she stretched the band out for the 87th time. Thirteen to go!
"We also received a package for you." Temari paused in hesitation.
89! She glanced at the Kazekage's assistant. "Whatisit?" she asked all in one hiss. Her sore muscles were wailing for release from the torture, so she was grateful for the woman's conversation diversion.
"It's a Konoha forehead protector." The blonde selecte her words carefully. "And we have reasons to believe that it may belong to Hyuuga Neji."
.
.
.
Temari watched as the brown-haired kunoichi seemed to blank out for a second, as if a bomb exploded beneath her. But just as quickly, she recovered her composure.
"Send it… to… my… workshop." The Leaf nin continued to pull on the resistance band.
Too calm. Her teal eyes moved across the woman's countenance, hoping to find a chink in her perfect armor. But it seemed that in her quest to avenge her lover's fate, she had stripped away everything that was not meant to help her succeed in her mission— including her feelings.'
"Very well." She prepared to take her leave. "Please inform the office if you plan to do something outside your usual itinerary."
"Fine."
It didn't escape her eyes that the kunoichi's movements with the resistance band had suddenly become more forceful. It seemed the weapons mistress did not seem too pleased about the censure in her actions, which even if left unmentioned, both of them knew had the fingerprints of the Kazekage all over it.
Like a teenage daughter rebelling against a protective father, she thought with amusement.
Perhaps the kunoichi had not lost all her feelings, after all.
.
.
.
Tenten lifted the forehead protector, her forehead crunched up in concentration as she inspected the rust that had formed on its metal layer. She pried open the back part, and a piece of rolled paper fell down.
She curiously picked it up and rolled it open. Her auburn eyes shook when she read the brief but clear message.
MEET YOUR LOVER'S KILLER TONIGHT AT THE BORDER BETWEEN THE LAND OF RIVERS AND LAND OF WIND.
"So that's why that woman got on my case, huh," she muttered, casting her eyes at the sunset in the horizon. All the while, the wheels on her mind spun steadily as she formulated a plan.
.
.
.
"All of the citizens of the affected village have been given a clean bill of health by our medics. The latest testing on the water supply shows an 85% reduction in toxicity level. It is expected to become fully safe and drinkable in three days. For now, the nearby towns have agreed to a rotating water ration sharing every twelve hours," reported a Sand village shinobi who was clutching on several file folders for reference during his report to the Kazekage.
The Sand Village leader nodded in somber approval. "And the witnesses who claim that they know who the suspect of the incident is?" He had earlier tasked his men to find these people so he could observe the interrogation himself.
"They've all retracted their statements, Kazekage-sama," informed another high-ranking soldier, stepping forward. The man knew why— it was one thing to make up a story for a local crowd that jointly hate a foreigner nin, but it was an entirely different thing to recount an inconsistent and fact-wanting story in front of the most powerful leader of the village.
"Then let me give my final address to the citizens. Everyone else, pack up and prepare to leave." The robed leader got up on his feet and put on his triangular cap.
"B-But Kazekage-sama, are we not going to stay for the evening?" one soldier dared to ask. "We have set up a room for you to retire in."
The man shook his head firmly. "I would prefer to rest at the village residence." The incredulous gazes from him men seemed to prompt him to justify himself. "It's more… comfortable."
Coming from a former village shinobi who had slept and fought in worse places with nary a complaint, everyone was left speechless by his unexpected words.
"But it's late, and you have gotten very little rest for the past couple of days!" a political adviser finally managed to exclaim.
Everyone was witness to the utmost urgency and concern their leader showed for his people during the past forty-eight hours. He dared not leave the war room as he made sure to keep frequent and regular check on how the situation was developing. The few times he left were spent on personally visiting the sick and reassuring the people that the situation was under control. It was due to this that everyone was inspired even more to work together to resolve the crisis.
"I need to go back to the village tonight," the Kazekage insisted, his tone growing impatient. "There's nothing else that requires my presence here."
"W-We've been in contact with Temari-san, and nothing requires your urgent attention there either, Kazekage-sama," another soldier answered— their communications guy, a shinobi who was younger than most anyone in the room.
The leader paused, and then asked, "How have they been doing in my absence?"
"Oh, Tenten-san is—" The same shinobi clamped his hands over his mouth in panic, just as the room turned suddenly hushed.
Until that moment, everyone had consciously avoided bringing up the infamous Leaf nin's name because of the rumored special ties between her and their esteemed village leader. There were even talks of rejected marriage proposals and stories about how the Kazekage once came late to a meeting after being seen leaving the woman's workshop. And even if no one would say it out loud, all of them speculated that the Kazekage's unnatural urge to return home as soon as possible may be linked to the kunoichi, too.
The Kazekage's face remained even. "Has there been a problem with the guest?"
"U-Uh, l-let's see…" Cornered, the shinobi nervously shuffled through his papers. "S-Something about a forehead protector…"
.
.
.
Tenten wasn't sure if she woke up to sneeze, or if she sneezed, which caused her to wake up. Either way, the first thing she saw was an exhausted-looking Kazekage gazing at her with a strange, inexplicable expression on his face. He maintained a respectful distance between her bed and the floor where he sat, but for some reason, he felt closer to her than he usually was.
Am I still dreaming? She had not seen this person for more than two days, and the darkness of the room meant the sun had not even risen yet. Hardly official visitation hours for a proper and venerated village leader like him. Ergo, she must be amidst a lucid dream.
"Gaara, you got sand all over my bedroom floor," she heard herself say. Well, since it was all a dream, then she was free to do away with honorifics and titles, right?
"I apologize. I just came back from the south."
This dream's pretty vivid… authentic, too! His response was exactly how the Kazekage would have answered.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "How are the people? Has the water been treated?" She grabbed on the side of her bed to propel herself up in a sitting position, her loose brown hair falling over her shoulders as she did.
"They're…" His eyes fell on her exposed clavicles. Muttering a few choice expletives, he slid his white robe off. Then in one swift, graceful motion, he drew towards her, placing his own robe on her bare shoulders. When her eyes met his for explanation, he curtly added. "It's chilly at this time of the morning."
"T-Thanks." This certainly did not fall within the normal parameters of the Kazekage's responses. But this was not to say that she was not touched by this gesture.
"Everyone has been treated and no one has been seriously harmed," he continued as he slid back to his original spot. "The water should be safe for drinking in three days' time. For the meantime, we've scheduled regular water rations in their village."
A wave of relief flooded her. "Thank goodness!" Regardless of what people said or felt about her as a foreigner nin, she was genuinely glad to hear that everything was going to be fine in the village. "You sound tired, though."
"I do?" He sounded surprised.
"Yes, you do. Then and now, you have always worked very, very hard for your village," she replied smilingly. "Your people are so fortunate to be loved and led by someone like you, Gaara." Seeing the still befuddled expression on his face, she held out a hand and motioned him to come closer. "Come here, come here!"
Surprisingly, he obediently followed suit.
Gently, she placed her hands over his head and gave him a couple of affectionate pats. "Thank you for your hard work, Kazekage-sama!"
When he didn't respond, she nervously peered at his face to see if any offense was taken by him.
He looked stunned. Absolutely, positively stunned.
Even when tears freely streaked down his cheek, he made no move to wipe them away, so she took it upon herself to do it. "Now, now. I'm pretty sure I didn't pat your head too hard!" she teased lightly.
I see. You've never been properly thanked by the people around you yet, huh?
But even with her brief stay in Suna, she can already sense the collective pride and devotion its people had for their village leader. She knew those sentiments were hard-earned, as people initially lived in fear of him as a weapon of mass destruction. That they could not properly express these to him yet was but natural, though she knew it shouldn't take too long for that to happen.
"Get some rest, Gaara. Even in my dreams, you look so stiff!" She slid off his robe and handed it back to him. "I'll see you when you get back to Suna!"
He accepted the robe from her hands. "Very well." His mouth seemed to curve in what suspiciously looked like a smile.
I guess dreams are truly the polar opposite of reality, huh?
She lay back on her bed and pulled up the covers to her chin. It was a novelty to dream of something peaceful for a change, and something that did not involve Neji and his memories. She didn't particularly dislike it, but it still felt odd, nonetheless.
"When will you be back?" she asked out of the blue.
"The next time you open your eyes, I'll be here."
.
.
.
Gaara was walking back towards his own room when he felt someone fall into a step beside him.
"Kazekage-sama, you shouldn't be dropping by a lady's bedroom at four in the morning." Kankuro was not wearing his face paint or black bodysuit, so he resembled their father even more. His parental, admonishing tone didn't help, either.
"I didn't stay long." He silently wondered how much his brother had overheard in the bedroom conversation earlier. There was nothing confidential or shameful that transpired during the exchange, but he inexplicably felt that it was something he wanted to keep private.
Kankuro eyed him intently. "What was your business with her that was so urgent that it could not wait till business hours, hmm?"
"I heard about the forehead protector," he answered evenly.
"Ah, that." The elder brother crossed his arms over his chest. "It turned out to be a trap luring Tenten out of our protection."
His head whipped towards his direction. "A trap?"
"Don't worry, the lass caught on fast." Kankuro explained how the weapons mistress uncovered the scheme after inspecting the metal of the forehead protector.
"The rusting was suspicious," explained Tenten to the concerned pair of Kankuro and Temari, who visited her that evening to see if she did as the note asked and left the village. "Neji and I were found at the bottom of the seaside cliff, so the saltwater should have excessively increased the rate of corrosion far more than what this metal shows."
"So she didn't meet with those people." The crimson-haired male looked relieved.
"The missus said she has neither the time nor the patience to humor frauds who aren't, uh, detail-oriented enough in their craft. Shows a serious lack of commitment to their vocation, she says." Kankuro snickered at the memory of the conversation. "And also…"
"Besides, the Kazekage-sama told me not to do anything rash," said Tenten earnestly. "I trust him, and I want him to trust me, too."
The Kazekage seemed to process that for a minute as Kankuro recounted the rest of what happened.
"When no one appeared in the meeting spot, they stupidly rushed here to check on her. By then, she had set up a defense system in her room. The suspects were caught like mice in a cheese trap." A gleeful chuckle emanate from the puppetmaster. "They turned out to be a bunch of former shinobi who believed the rumors that she caused the water poisoning in their village. Easy-peasy."
"But the forehead protector…?"
"They were fed." Kankuro turned more serious. "By someone who knows about the missy and her dead boyfriend, if I may add."
"The Alchemist of the Grass." Gaara connected the dots— her wish for access to Grass Village documents back when they first met, her interrogation of a Grass Village defector, and her research into the Alchemist's file that time they parted ways in the library. "He must have been the one who killed Hyuuga Neji, which is why he knows about the rusty forehead protector."
"So she's after that Orochimaru wannabe, huh?" Kankuro sighed and placed his arms at the back of his head. "I guess that explains the survey she asked me to do."
"What survey?"
Looking at his brother's alarmed expression, a wicked smile started to form on Kankuro's face. He proceeded to plaster a saccharine smile on his face. "That's a secret between me and my milady." He punctuated his statement with a wink.
"Kankuro!"
"Kazekage-sama, indoor voice, please. People are still sleeping at this hour, ya know?"
.
.
.
"Oh, Kazekage-sama is back?" Tenten was pouring tea for Temari that morning as she worked on the first few bladed weapons sent for her QA check. "Then I guess everything's alright now?"
Temari nodded. "He even cleared your name before the village, so hopefully, you won't be having rude visitors in your room again like last night."
"Gaara?" she spoke before she could think.
The elder sister looked outraged. "OF COURSE NOT! I was referring to those disgruntled shinobi from the south! Why was my brother even mentioned in this conversation?" She then gasped. "Don't tell me—"
She let out a hearty laugh. "Sorry, sorry! I had a dream last night that he visited me in my room and told me that everything's okay."
"Impossible!" Temari was quick to shoot her down. "Gaara, er, the Kazekage-sama won't do such thing— not even to someone like you!"
"I know, right?" She brought the teacup to her lips. Crazy. She was probably just touched a bit more than usual with his kind gesture to her at the library back then, which was why she subconsciously thought of them as friends.
But we aren't. We're business partners at the most, with him and his village benefitting from my weapons know-how and I benefitting from their resources and documents on the Alchemist.
She nodded to herself. Yep, that's it. That's all that's going on.
TO BE CONTINUED