Ch. 4
The Beginning
Kankuro knelt there, his war paint further smudged by the tears that had been running down his cheeks. He was now dry sobbing, his sholders shaking, and all a mess.
"You're a mess," Baki told him as he grabbed one of Kankuro's arms and hauled him up from the kitchen floor. Baki pulled Kankuro toward the stairs and lead him to the bathroom.
"Get your self cleaned up. Then I'll tell you how to find your father," Baki told him before heading to the first floor of the Sand siblings' house.
Elsewhere…
Temari was bored. Majorly bored. Gaara had just sent her a messenger saying that her replacement was going to be late, and well let's just say that Temari was looking forward to taking a nap.
A small poof told her that some one else was there. Probably another messenger here to tell her that she would have to cover another shift at the wall, "Temari," nope it was Gaara.
She turned around, "The elders giving you a hard time or something?" Temari asked him. The elders were always giving Gaara a hard time about something or another. They couldn't move him about as they thought they would be able to when the put him in the position.
"I wish," Gaara told her, "No I just got two people who want S rank missions, and there is only one ninja that they want to carry it out."
"How is that a problem? If they have the same time constraints then you send other ninja in place on the less expensive mission," Temari told him.
"They want Kankuro. They are both espionage missions,"
"Fucking shit," Temari cursed under her breath as she turned back toward the dessert.
"As kazekage I can't keep him out of missions like this, but as a brother I can't let him go either," Gaara told her.
"I don't see why not, we have plenty of ninja who can perform the missions," Temari mentioned, "but Kankuro would be pissed if he heard that a mission that was going to be given to him was given to somebody else."
"It's not just that. We can't inform any one else about Kankuro's birth certificate and I don't think that he would be in any state to go on a mission."
"Who exactly is asking for him?" Temari asked.
"He was asked to by the daminyo of our country and the Yasu clan," Gaara told her.
Temari bit her lip. The daminyo had, since the Chunin exams, requested Gaara, Kankuro, and her, on missions. Ever since they had become Jonin there were times where either she or Kankuro had been requested by name, because of their skills.
The Yasu clan on the other hand was a surprise. Yasu, which meant peace, did not describe the clan at all. They always had a mission or something that they wanted a ninja to go on. However they were not ninja themselves, but probably the most dangerous political people in Suna. To cross them could mean that they'd hire an assassin. However they were more of political backers, preferring to move in the shadows. It was a surprise to see that they wanted Kankuro by name, especially for an espionage mission.
"You can claim that he's been given a week off of missions," Temari told him, "after all Kankuro's been going on a ton of them lately. I'm sure that a break wouldn't be too suspicious."
Gaara nodded, "That makes sense. Then he can't argue, he did ask for a break a couple of weeks ago." With that Gaara poofed away.
Temari sighed and turned and looked out over the wall. She was waiting a long time for her replacement. A hell of a long time.
Poof. 'What now?' she thought as she turned toward the sound. A ninja stood there glancing back at her. "I'm sorry I'm late, but there was a problem at the academy." Any other day Temari would have yelled, but today she just didn't feel up to it.
"Just start guarding," she spat heading toward the guard house and down the stairs. She needed a walk. First Kankuro and who were his dad and then the Yasu clan, it was just too much to think about.
She walked toward the center of the village and then turned toward the wall again, toward the gate. The frown on her face as she walked. It made no sense. After reaching the gate she took off. She had to get out of the village. She had to think.
She ran not far she could see Suna out of the corner of her eye she turned and kept running. Running helped clear her head, or it would have if she hadn't spotted another shinobi running. She could tell that it was a shinobi by their speed. Her eyes narrowed. She really didn't have time to deal with this today.
She sped up so as to intercept the ninja. He must have caught sight of her because he sped up. Temari took the fan off her back and sent a weak wind jutsu toward him, knocking him off of his feet. As she got closer, she identified who it was.
"Crybaby did you have to fall down in that pitiful breeze?" she yelled at him.
"You call that a pitiful breeze, you troublesome woman?" he said as she ended up right beside him.
"Well it certainly wasn't a gale so it must have been a breeze," she answered leaning on her fan, "What are you doing here anyway lazy ass? I didn't think Tsunade would be sending you here on any missions here. I would know," she told him with a smirk.
"Actually I got a vacation," he told her from down on the ground.
"How'd you manage that?" Temari asked.
"I bribed her." Temari broke out laughing.
"With what?" She asked.
"Well I didn't bribe her; I got Naruto to do it for me-Ow!" Temari had promptly smacked Shikamaru for that one.
"You're so lazy that someone else bribed her for the vacation for you?" Temari scolded.
"I tried and failed then Naruto bribed her, he's really good at bribing her."
"So what brings you to Suna Shikamaru? Normally I have to go to see you."
"Well it's not my fault that your brothers scare the crap out of me," Shikamaru answered. Temari did a mental double take. Even hearing that reference seemed to have changed because of the birth certificate.
She shook her head, "That still doesn't answer my question Shikamaru."
"I came here to ask you something."
Back at the Sabaku household…
Kankuro came down the stairs and sat across from Baki in the sand sibs' living room. "Who is he, Baki?" He asked his Sensei.
"I'm not going to tell you that Kankuro. I made a promise. It is something you have to find out yourself. I can help you however," Baki told him in a completely level voice.
"Then tell me how to find him," Kankuro demanded.
"It won't be easy," Baki told him as he unrolled a map, "You can't find him till you know who he is, and finding that out could kill you. Here in this area of the country live several groups of traveling nomads, and one of these groups are called the Harbueki. They not only know who your father is but they will definitely tell you. However, they are a strange group," Baki looked up at Kankuro.
"They are the reason you wear the paint, Kankuro. Not just because you are a puppeteer, your parents specifically chose the pattern that you wore from a young age till you were about twelve because it mimicked a pattern that was used by the nomad tribes," Baki told him.
"Then my dad is from a nomad tribe?" Kankuro asked.
"No, your mother came from the tribe," Baki told him.
"That doesn't make any sense," Kankuro said, "Then why didn't my Uncle Yashamaru, and Temari and Gaara wear paint-"
"For protection!" Baki interrupted, "Yashamaru didn't wear the paint so as to keep quiet the fact that the nomad tribe did that, and to show loyalty to the village. Had your sister and brother adorned it like your mother had you do and they ran into the nomad tribe they would be subject to an attack. The nomads do not take kindly to outsiders. Only certain circumstances can allow someone new in. And further more, they'd never accept Gaara or Temari in because of who they are, not even if they were dying on their door step. Temari and Gaara are not your father's kids and therefore considered abominations, because the nomads did not approve of the Kazekage. The marriage was forced."
"So I was allowed because they knew my dad?" Kankuro asked.
"In a way, though I can't explain anything more. You're going to have to figure it out on your own," Baki told Kankuro.
"So I have to find them?" Kankuro asked.
"Unless you're fine not knowing."
"I'm going."
Later that day….
Kankuro examined his several pack. Tons of water skins were clipped to it. Check. Plenty of food. Check. Refills for poison, antidotes, first aid kit, and a puppet repairing toolbox in a scroll. Check.
"I'm ready," he whispered to himself.
"Are you sure?" Baki asked as he walked into Kankuro's room. "You have no idea what's out there."
"Yeah, it's now or never." Kankuro put the pack on and turned toward his sensei.
"You're going to have to get permission from Gaara," Baki told him.
"I was going to leave him a note," Kankuro told him.
"And have him and Temari be on your tail? Not a good idea if you want to do this you have to do it on your own," Baki told him.
"Do I have to be alone? You seem to know a lot about them and I could use your help," Kankuro asked.
"I can't come with you Kankuro," Baki told him.
"All right then," Kankuro muttered, "I guess you aren't going to let me go any where till I see Gaara though eh?"
"That's right," Baki told him.
"Then let's go see Gaara."
In Gaara's office…
"You want to do what?" Gaara asked Kankuro.
"I want to leave," Kankuro repeated, "to find out who he is."
"Hippo No Kankruo1," Gaara told Kankuro.
"I'd be back as soon as I could," Kankuro said glaring at his younger brother.
"No," Gaara told him, "You have no idea where to start looking-"
"Actually I do have an idea," Kankuro's voice was starting to rise.
'This is not going well,' Baki thought, 'I thought he was going to let him leave. Probably should've told Gaara.'
Kankuro was explaining to Gaara his plan, "There are many traveling nomads and I'm sure that-"
"No." Gaara was not even budging.
"Oh come on at least you know who both of your parents are!" Kankuro yelled.
"I can't let you out of the village Kankuro," Gaara told him.
"Well I can always leave without your permission," Kankuro responded back.
Just then the door banged open with Temari and Shikamaru walking into Gaara's office.
"You want to try?" Gaara snapped standing out of his chair leaning on the desk.
"I can dodge any group of ninja's you send at me," Kankuro snapped back.
"You leave and I will not hesitate to declare you a missing nin-" Gaara started.
"What in Hell is going on here?!" Temari interrupted.
'Ahh,' thought Baki, 'never thought I would be happy to see Temari yelling at her brothers...'
"He wants to leave," Gaara told her pointing at Kankuro.
"I want to go and, should he even be listening?" Kankuro exclaimed pointing at Shikamaru, which he just noticed was there.
"Well…I think he should," Temari answered after some mock thought, "but that really doesn't work with the situation doesn't it. And weren't you going to stay in your room moping all day?" Temari asked pointing at Kankuro.
"We had decided that only family members and Baki would know about you-know-what, Temari," Gaara told her.
"Yeah, well he's my fiancé," Temari told them resulting in Baki, Kankuro, and Gaara performing an animae fall.
"Since when?!" Kankuro yelled right after he recovered.
"About fifteen minutes," Temari told him.
"Doesn't count," Gaara told her.
"But he'll have to know eventually," Baki said from the corner, "might as well tell him now don't you think?"
Gaara sighed, "Fine, but only because he has an IQ of over 200 and would probably figure it out anyway." Gaara looked over at Temari and Shikamaru, "Temari and I were going through the attic and found an odd box. Inside we found a copy of Kankuro's birth certificate. We don't know who his father is; the one that told us that he was our full brother was a fake. Now Kankuro wants to go to an area of the desert in which there are not a lot of villages because of a want for water, especially in those areas. Kankuro believes he can find his father there."
"No, I only know that I can find his identity," Kankuro corrected Gaara, "Baki told me that it would be the only way to find him was if I knew his name, and in order to do that I have to find a nomad tribe by the name of Harbueki, which is where mom came from."
"Our mom was a nomad?" Temari asked.
"Ever wonder why she didn't have a birth certificate Temari?" Baki asked, "She wasn't born here and the Nomads don't record births in the same way we do. She came to the village for a reason, before you were even a thought."
The entire room was silent. In fact Baki thought that he probably herd a pin drop in the next room it was so quiet. "I think he should go," Temari said finally speaking up, "it's an odd situation but then again that's what makes it the most awkward."
"I just told two clients that Kankuro couldn't go on two missions," Gaara told them, "due to his emotional blow up, especially since we don't know who his real father is."
"If they ask say that Kankuro had another mission that he had to perform for the village," Baki told Gaara.
"A mission that is S rank information so that no one would try to pry the information out of you," Shikamaru chimed in.
"Gaara, I have to do this," Kankuro told him.
Gaara sat there for a couple of moments, "I'm not going to win this argument am I?"
"I don't think so," Baki stated.
"I can let you leave for six months Kankuro, no more. If you are gone for more than that time period and we don't have word, we'll have to assume that you are dead."
"I won't be gone that long, probably two months tops," Kankuro said grinning.
"When will you be leaving?" Gaara asked.
"I was going to go now," Kankuro told him.
"Then you'd better leave quickly if you want to be out of the village gates by dark."
"Then I'll see you guys later, I'll send word as soon as I can," Kankuro said before dashing out of the office.