Sorry for the delay! My mom was out of town this week so I had to stay with my dad and blah blah blah... Plus I had an American History exam to cram for. But it was easy and life is good again, so here I am!
For anyone who reads this and is a Twilight fan, the reference at the end is my way of lamenting how common place Twilight has become. I liked it before the story was made into a movie, and now that it is so popular the story has basically been ruined for me. So, just remember I am a 'traditional' Twilight fan and mean no disrespect with the comment. It's not even really that bad, but I know how freakin obsessive people get about Twilight.
7
"Here is your scroll," the man behind the desk said as he handed the little brown scroll to Akki. "I hope you do well in the exams and that you don't die!" He smiled at her encouragingly. Akki quirked a smile back. It wasn't an odd statement under the circumstances.
The team ambled over to the gate where they were to enter the forest. "So which one do we have?" Kankuro asked as he propped his arms behind his head comfortably.
"We have an earth scroll," Temari informed her lazy brother. "Which means we need a heaven scroll. Akki, could you look on the wind and tell us who has a heaven scroll? That would make life a whole lot easier."
"Sure," she replied. Calling up a gentle breeze, Akki took a look around the perimeter of the fence where the other teams stood. The image of a heaven scroll drifted lazily across her vision, along with the team who owned it. "One of the Hidden Grass village teams is the closest with a heaven scroll."
"The one with the freaky tongue, or the other one?" asked Kankuro cautiously. The girl with the extra long tongue had proven to be creepy. None of them wanted to run into her in a dark forest for fear of things much worse than a slimy death.
"The other one," Akki assured him. Kankuro and Temari sighed in relief.
"BEGIN!" a voice shouted over the loud speaker. The Sand Genin dashed into the forest.
They had been in the forest for a little over two hours already and hadn't found the scroll. No other teams had bothered them at all, oddly enough. Gaara was like a natural ninja repellant.
"I'm going this way," said Akki, pointing off to the right.
"No you're not," Kankuro and Gaara said simultaneously. They glanced at each other briefly, Kankuro surprised and Gaara disgusted.
Akki sighed. "I was trying to be tactful about this, but I have to piss like a racehorse," she growled. Temari giggled, and Akki glanced at her ruefully. It may not have been the best phrasing, but it was effective.
"Oh," Kankuro said awkwardly. Silence followed.
"You know, in every awkward silence a gay baby is born," Temari stated casually. The other three turned to stare at her. "Well, that's what Shikamaru said any way," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
"I'm going to go pee now," Akki called as she walked off.
Truthfully, she didn't have to pee. A rather unsavory image had floated across her vision and Akki wanted to make sure she was wrong. Unfortunately, Akki knew that the chances of her being wrong were slim when it came to seeing. But the chance of what she saw being true was just as unlikely. Akki sat down on the ground criss-cross to begin.
"Finally, I found you alone," a male voice slithered around from behind her. His image caught on a breeze and was tugged into Akki's line of sight. He had long purple hair and his skin was lavender colored. His eyes were yellow and looked like a snake's.
"Orochimaru," Akki said calmly as she stood up to face him, unconsciously trying to cover her breasts. Orochimaru chuckled at the action.
"Ah, you know who I am. Good. That makes this so much easier," he said reaching for her. Akki danced lightly out of his grasp.
"Yes, I know that you are a major creep. I know that you killed my father. And I also know that you want to kidnap me so that Gaara will destroy Konoha. But I'm afraid that you can't take me right now," Akki said regretfully. Time to think fast.
Orochimaru looked intrigued. "And why is that?"
"Well think about it. It's not really the best time to take me. Wait until the final round of the exam when the Kazekage is supposed to sit with the Hokage to watch the fights. Disguise yourself as the Kazekage. I'll disappear and Gaara will go crazy. And you can kill the Hokage in all the confusion," Akki reasoned. It was a plan worthy of Temari. Sure, she just traded the Hokage's life for her own, but self-preservation and Gaara preservation always seemed to win out over everything.
Orochimaru's grin had been growing wider and wider as she had been talking. "And to think I was about to kill you. If you survive this, maybe I'll take you to the Sound Village with me as an advisor."
Akki smiled back sweetly and shook her head. "Gaara would never approve. If I disappeared, he would never stop searching for me. And when he found you he would try to kill you. Then you would kill him, and I'd kill you and we'd all end up dying needlessly. Too much hassle," she sighed boredly.
"Just make sure that you disappear at the right moment." Orochimaru vanished.
Akki walked back to her siblings as though nothing had changed, though the presence of that pedophiliac snake freak clung to her senses like bubblegum. It was like a cloying sweet film over all of her senses, making her want to gag.
Sadly, the team wasn't where she had left them. Pulling up a breeze, Akki followed their path to a clearing a few hundred feet away. Kankuro was sitting on a rock and Temari was lying on her stomach on the ground beside him, both trying to stay as far away from Gaara as possible.
"You all moved," she admonished lightly as she folded herself lithely onto the ground. As Akki sat down, Gaara moved from where he was standing to sit next to her.
"I got the heaven scroll," said Gaara proudly holding it out to her. She smiled at him and ruffled his hair affectionately. Temari and Kankuro, on the other hand, looked sick.
"What's up with you guys?" Akki asked. It was unlike them to react like that to anything. Nothing grossed Kankuro out and Temari apparently had no gag reflex (genetics, all you perverts out there).
"Gaara killed the three former owners of that scroll right before you walked up," Temari said with a deep breath. Her attempts at abating the nausea were working very, very slowly.
Akki stared hard at Gaara. "Where are the bodies?" she demanded. Without a word, the three genin bodies floated to the surface of the sandy forest floor. "Just leave them there. The Leaf Village will have to ship them back to the Grass Village for burial."
"This doesn't bother you? At all?" asked Kankuro disgustedly. He glanced cautiously at the bodies.
"No, should it?" Akki asked confused.
"Never mind. Let's just get to that center palace or whatever and get something to eat," sighed Temari shaking her head as she stood.
Short Gaara POV
"Akki sure has been taking a long time," muttered Kankuro. Twenty-three minutes, actually, not that I'm counting. But I agree, she has been gone for a while. I don't like it.
"Well, let's see if those Grass genin are around," suggested Temari. Why not? I have a sudden urge to kill.
"You mean us?" a kid called from behind me. I turned around slowly, just to be dramatic. They all were pretty funny looking. And there was the heaven scroll in the front one's hand.
"I'll be taking your scroll," I said quietly. I reached out with sand and took the scroll from the kid's hand. Like taking something simple from something pathetic. Not candy from a baby, because that is a lot more difficult than it looks. Don't ask me how I know.
"What makes you think that we'll just let you take that?" the girl grass genin demanded. Alliteration, go me!
"This," I replied simply. While we had been standing there, I turned the forest floor into sand. "SAND COFFIN!" Sand began creeping up their legs and torsos.
"Gaara no!" yelled Temari. She grabbed my outstretched arm. "Don't kill them!"
Kankuro shoved me backwards. "What is your problem? Akki leaves for a half-hour and you go to pieces!" To pieces? No, Starting to break apart a little bit? Yes. Enjoying it too, I might add.
I reached my arm out and clenched my fist. "AHHHH!" the Grass shinobi screamed, then were silent. I let their bodies be pulled under the earth with the sand. It was less messy that way.
Kankuro moved to sit on a large rock, looking dizzy. Temari sat near him on the ground, trying not to throw up. Wimps. I noticed that they were sitting as far from me as possible.
"You all moved," my Akki jokingly admonished. I turned around, feeling the same giddy sensation that I always feel after killing. Add that to the joy of being in Akki's presence and you have an ecstatic Gaara. Weird huh?
I dove to sit next to her. "I got the heaven scroll!" I proudly declared, holding it out to her. She smiled at me dazzlingly and ruffled my hair. Temari and Kankuro on the other hand still looked sick. Yay.
"What's up with you guys?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Don't look at them, look at me and my amazing scroll!
"Gaara killed the three former owners of that scroll right before you walked up," said Temari breathing deeply. Of course she had to bring that up. Akki won't be happy.
Akki glared at me, as I expected. I tensed for a berating, but she just demanded, "Where are the bodies?" Without a word I raised the three genin bodies from the sandy forest floor. They floated for a moment before I gently set them down infront of her. "Just leave them there. The Leaf Village will have to ship them back to the Grass Village for burial." I love her.
"This doesn't bother you? At all?" asked Kankuro disgustedly. No, it doesn't bother her thank the gods.
"No, should it?" Akki asked confused. Have I mentioned how much I love her? Cause it's a whole lot.
"Never mind. Let's just get to that center palace or whatever and get something to eat," sighed Temari shaking her head. Score one for Gaara. Kankuro and Temari? Nihil.
"We're supposed to put the scrolls where they fit the best," Temari said. The four Sand Genin were inside the front door of the palace, trying to figure out what to do with the scrolls.
Temari opened the scrolls and put them on the big piece of paper where they belonged. And poof! There was one of the Leaf ninja. "Congratulations on making it this far. You all are the first to make it here. My name is Iruka, and I'll show you to your quarters," he said with a smile. His hair was like a pineapple.
The group walked down a hallway lined with doors until they reached the end. "These are your rooms. Girls on one side, boys on the other," Iruka said sternly, the tone clearly telling them that he was a teacher.
Temari laughed at his firmness. "Iruka-sensei, we areall related, so there is no need to worry about that," she assured him. Iruka deflated in relief.
"Yep. Besides, Temari, you're not my type," Kankuro said, his tone almost a lament.
"Thank god for that," she muttered.
"And Akki, you're freaking scary," Kankuro continued as though he hadn't been interrupted. Gaara slapped him upside the head.
"Well then I'll let you all get settled. We're eating in an hour, if you want to join us," Iruka said as he walked away.
"Temari and I get the rooms on the left, and you guys can have the ones on the right," Akki declared as she twirled into the room to take a shower. Temari smiled at the boys and followed Akki into the room, locking the door behind her.
Seeing as Akki was already in the shower, Temari sat on the floor infront of the sink waiting her turn. The bathroom was freaking huge. "So what's with you and Gaara?" Temari asked casually.
She heard a squelching noise as Akki slipped on the wet shower floor and regained her balance. "Nothing, why?" the younger girl replied hastily. "Why would you ask that?"
"Because you two were cuddled up pretty close on the couch last night," Temari snickered.
"Ew, Temari that's gross. He's my twin brother for goodness sake!"
Temari snorted in derision. "Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?"
Akki didn't reply. Temari thought she had gone a bit too far. "Look Akki, I'm sorry. I understand that can't be that great to be questioned by me. I'm kind of mean, I know. Just know that whatever you do you have my support. You aren't blood related to us, so it's ok."
Akki sighed. "I think I'm falling in love with him Temari. And I don't want to. I just want my brother back and to go to the Sand Village and live happily ever after as the Kazekage's little identical twin sister."
"What makes you say that Gaara will become Kazekage?" Temari asked, mocking disbelief in her voice.
"Oh, I didn't tell you? Orochimaru killed father and something is about to happen to cause Gaara to try to become Kazekage." explained Akki. Temari was silent. "Could you hand me a towel?"
"How long ago was this?" Temari demanded, her voice slightly strangled. She handed Akki a towel for her hair and a bathrobe.
"Oh, since this morning. Around," she listened to the wind for a moment, "Two A.M. Your turn in the shower Temari." Akki stepped out of the shower and walked out of the bathroom.
Temari stood where she was, stunned. "She really is like Gaara," she muttered, "In all the wrong ways."
That night, Akki was standing alone on the balcony of her room. In her hand was a buttercup, and she was pulling the petals off of it. "I love him, I love him not. I love him, l love him not. I love him," she murmured as she let the last petal fall.
"I should hope so," said Gaara as he materialized next to her. They stood looking out into the forest in silence for a long while.
"Gaara, this is weird," Akki whispered finally. He looked quizzically at her. "I love you. But you're my brother. And that makes it wrong. But I've missed you so much, and now you're here, and I just can't help it." The last part came out as a sob.
Gaara pulled Akki into his arms and held her close. "Akki, we're not brother and sister. Father lied to us about that, remember? And I missed you too, and I understand. It's okay," he assured her.
"Then why does it feel wrong? Why does my heart hurt?" she asked softly.
Gaara thought over the question for a while. "Because you're scared. Scared of losing me or worse, me losing you. You've protected me for so long that it's first in you mind."
Akki smiled a little. "You're right. Though I don't know why I worry. The sand will always be there to protect you, even if I'm not."
Akki stepped out of Gaara's hold. "I love you Gaara, but let's wait until we get back to the Sand Village before we do anything about it," she said.
"Why?"
"Because we still have the mission to finish. And because Father is dead and you're going to become Kazekage some day soon," she informed him.
Gaara froze. "Why on earth would I want to become Kazekage?" he demanded in the mean voice he usually saved for talking to any one but Akki.
"Well you won't now, duh," Akki agreed with a roll of her eyes. "But by the time we get back to Suna you will. Something is going to happen. I don't know what and I don't know why, but it will. I'm a scryer*, not a seer*."
Gaara stared out into the forest in silence. Akki looked up at him, trying to lift the thoughts right out his mind. Feeling her eyes on him, he said seriously, "Akki, I didn't think I'd ever doubt you, but I don't think I'm betting on the same horse as you in this race."
"Was that a very well disguised Twilight reference?"
"Yes," he replied, hanging his head in shame.
*For anyone who cares, in any story of mine you read 'seeing' means looking into the future, 'scrying' means seeing the present, and 'reading' is glimpsing the past. Just so you know
