Author's note:

I do not own the characters, world, or show which inspired this story. Those belong to Kishimoto.
Hotaru, Hideaki, Satoru-sensei, Chieko, Kenta, Maoko, and Reona (Mother) are all my invention.

Chapter 4: Rumors of war

The war between Konoha and Suna during the chuunin exams was created by Kishimoto.

A year latter found her well into her medical ninja training. Her dreams had long abated, and she was happily celebrating younger sister's graduation.
The whole family was present for dinner, her cousins and aunts and uncles. Now, shinobi families were rather small, unless they were a part of a large clan, given their predisposition for early death. However, it just happened that most of her family was not shinobi, being rather of the mercantile class that was the backbone of every hidden village, so she enjoyed a rather extended family.

Unlike Hotaru, her brown haired sister, Maoko, had graduated with top grades and a lot of promise. She was not only the strongest kunoichi to graduate among her peers; she gave many of the boys a run for their money.

Her aunt approached her during the celebrations and gave her a Boughasha, a long, thin pastry with wall nut filing, a Suna favorite.
"You must be very proud," there was worry in her Aunt's eyes that lay beneath the smile.
"Yes," she replied with pride. "She's become my biggest rival."
Her aunt sighed, and then looked towards her graduating niece, her face full of concern.
"Is what they are saying true?" she asked quietly.
"What are they saying?" she replied, confused.

"I thought maybe…because you are shinobi they would give you more information," she sighed. "There are rumors circulating among the people that there will be war with Konoha."

"What?" Hotaru asked, shocked, this is the first time she had heard of such a thing, but come to think of it…"Well, I'm must a genin so they probably wouldn't tell me anything. But my sensei has been acting strangely. He didn't let us take the chuunin exam this time even though we know we're ready," expounded.

"I see," her aunt answered. "My son has been called on a mission that starts next week, only a week before the chuunin exams. He won't tell me what it is for or even where he's going."

"But that's not your place to know!" the young kunoichi declared.
"Oh, I know," his aunt said a little sheepishly. "But, he generally tells me a little something. He knows I worry so. But this time, not even a hint. The chuunin exams this year, they are in Konoha, correct?"

The girl could not help but nod.
"They are strong," the aunt mused.
She looked over to her cousin, who was teasing her youngest sister. He didn't seem to have any pressing concerns as he laughed boisterously at Chieko's expense.
"I'm sure it's going to be OK, aunty," she said with a reassuring tone. "We are strong too."
Her aunt smiled wearily in return and then patted her on the shoulder before moving on to her mother for some light gossip.
Hotaru sighed and began to consider what her aunt told her but was abruptly interrupted by Maoko.
"I'm stronger than most of the guys in my class," she boasted.
"That may be so, but just wait five years. Then those boys you beat so easily now will grow into men. I'd like to see you boast then," she answered.

"You'll see," she said. "I'll be stronger even than Ga…" but Hotaru quickly shut her up with her hand, placing it softly on her lips. Already some of the adults were looking on, curiously. Maoko could be quite loud.

"Don't say that name out loud," Hotaru warned and released her grip.
"I'm sorry," Maoko replied unfazed. "I meant Temari."
"No kunoichi will ever be as strong as she," Hotaru teased.
"Oh, I will," her sister declared with confidence and then walked on to continue her boasting with Chieko.
That girl. She's not daunted by anything, Hotaru thought with a mix of admiration and jealousy. But she smiled knowingly. That cocky attitude would greatly diminish if she ever came face to face with that monster.

The rumor of a war with Konoha was verified later that night by their sensei, in an emergency meeting. They sat in one of conference rooms at the library, dimly lit with only one incandescent light.

"It was necessary that the utmost secrecy be given to his offensive, which is being coordinated with another country. Konoha is strong, and they would undoubtedly crush any offensive preemptively. However, they will be vulnerable during the tests. That is why the truth of these preparations were kept from you, and why you were not to take the chuunin exams," he announced.

"You will not be called for the mission. However, most of our chuunin and our genin have been assembled."
"Why not?" one of her teammates, the strongest of the three, asked. "I believe we are strong enough." At the moment, a rare moment probably due to the gravity of the subject, he was the picture of Suna reserve, however, his twitching hands belied his frustration.

Satoru looked to the floor, his deep brown eyes filled with concern.
"We were asked to participate in the offensive, but I told my superiors that you were not ready."
"What?" the eldest, a giant tank, exclaimed. "That treaty of theirs has made us weak!" He continued, voicing the general consensus and abandoning Sunagakure reserve all together.

"I don't think you understand," the Satoru-sensei replied. "He is going with them. And although he is our weapon, he will not discriminate. That and Konoha is strong. If he does not defeat them, then we will loose, and badly. Most of us would not come back alive."

Hotaru's eyes widened with shock.
"Coward!" The best one spat, not able to hide his contempt. "I should turn you in for your traitorous talk right now!" His right hand reached for a kunai.
"Peace!" Satoru-sensei silenced him. "Do you really want to fight me, Hideaki?" the sensei challenged him with narrow eyes. Suddenly, his features became fierce and the full weight of his twenty years of jounin experience fell on their shoulders.

"You cannot defeat me. I am one of the strongest of the Sunagakure jounin and I know, because I've fought them before, that outside of miracle, this is a lost cause. The Kazekage…has been acting strangely lately. I will not have my men throw their lives in futility."

This sentiment, so foreign to Suna ears that it bordered on treason, hung heavy in the air.
He stood up and left the dimly lit room, "So turn me in as a traitor if you must, but I would rather die tomorrow than live ten years more with your early deaths hanging over my head."

There was something in his conviction that made even the bulky Kenta pause.
The three of them stayed behind long after he left. After a lengthy discussion, it was determined that although his words were traitorous, they would not turn him in. His experience outweighed law. They would wait for the outcome of the battle to decide on the proper course. The ominous prediction of Sunagakure's failure tempered what hope they had of the success of the upcoming offensive.

Gaara had not been a fixture of her life at all in the past year. Although she could give him credit for giving her the strength she needed to break her insecurities, she had no intention of ever seeing him again, much less thank him. That horrible face, those terrible eyes, that vile grin, and that ominous sand, all created a vision of horror. In those rare times he came to mind, she would put him aside with a shudder.
She did, however, mind to stay away from the rooftops. Occasionally, she would see a shadowy figure at night, crouching on one of the taller buildings. But whether that was her imagination or his specter, she did not dare consider.

Every morning, between six and eight, she would walk up the dusty road towards the hospital, which was near the Kazekage tower to conduct her medical training. This schedule had been unbroken for the past year, unless there was some mission that she had to attend.
This particular morning was brisk and cool, as the night's chill had not been chased away by the sun. Her usual happy gait was slowed by worry over the upcoming battle with Konoha. The mission officially began today, the day when the genin left for the exams.

Due to the high level of shinobi actually fighting with the Leaf, there were only three genin officially attending: the sand siblings. And they were walking from the tower in her direction.
Gaara, the youngest, walked between them. Temari, the eldest, walked to his left. She was a formidable kunoichi. On her back was strapped what Hotaru knew was a giant fan, although she had never seen it unfurled.

Kankuro, the middle child, was to Gaara's right. He wore a rather elaborate costume that covered his entire body in black and seemed to be modeled after a cat, with his hood having "ears" and face paint that looked decidedly feline. It seemed he was trying to model a bake-neko, or cat demon. On his back hung his main puppet, Karasu, one that he skillfully used in battle. He was on his way to becoming a master puppeteer after the tradition that had been developed exclusively in Suna.

They were fierce warriors who felt no pity for their opponents. However the two eldest were not indiscriminate, as Gaara.
Gaara walked with his hands crossed, a cold, impassive look painted on his face.
As they approached her, she could not help but stare at Gaara. It had been a year since she had last saw him and her eyes were glued on to her former tormentor. She analyzed him intently. His uniform was basically the same, with long black pants, black shirt with netting slaves, and a large, leather reinforced sash that held his sand-filled gourd.

His face still displayed his narcissism with the word "love" deeply etched above his left eye. And those black-rimmed, green eyes were still disturbing, filled with unpleasant motives.
Without bidding, her mind began to wonder back, not to the times when she had been frightened by him, but rather to the time when she could first remember seeing him, when he had cried out so piteously.

"Oi!" the cat daemon said. "It seems that Gaara has girls noticing him at last.
"The three of them stopped and stared at her, which made her blush with indignation.
"Ignore that rodent," Gaara said.
"Don't you even want to get her name?" Kankuro teased with a mean spirited smirk. She could tell right off the bat that he was getting some fun on her expense.
"Leave the drop out alone, you idiot" Temari commanded.
Kankuro gave her sneer before following his two siblings, who had by this time started on their way.
Drop out, she thought darkly. Murderous thoughts were entertained as she watched them walk away, especially against the blond kunoichi.