Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Working on the plan to change that though... just kidding. Really. I don't own it.
Sorry this chapter is so late everyone, but I promise to try to be more prompt with the next few updates!
"You're all rather early…" the Raikage looked around at all of them, dark eyes scanning around the table and coming to rest on Gaara.
"This situation demands our immediate attention, after all." Gaara replied; he could have sworn he saw the Raikage's frown deepen just the slightest bit.
This was going to be a long meeting.
The site was bustling when they arrived. It looked like the daimyo's residence before an important diplomatic conference, Airi mused.
'Diplomatic conference… I suppose you could call a war a "diplomatic conference" in loose terms,' she thought wryly.
Her grim musings were interrupted as a hand fell on her shoulder.
Airi turned back to see Kankuro standing at her side. He studied her seriously, crossing his arms. "Are you prepared?"
She took a moment more to watch the chaos of the preparations, then turned back, nodding.
"I'm ready."
"I'll be leading you to where the Kazekage is, then I have to go find my own company and whip them into shape."
He smirked dryly, talking more to himself than truly to her as they walked. "Honestly, we should've been gone three days ago, but that just didn't happen. We've just gotta hope it doesn't cost us in the long run."
Airi nodded again, not knowing how else to respond. War was as new to her as it was to most of the younger generation, who had never known a time without a relative peace. Certainly not a time with the entire shinobi world at war. That idea in itself was daunting.
Kankuro had continued talking, and Airi was sure she should be listening; after all, it wouldn't do to worsen their relations after they had just taken such an abrupt turn for the better, but she just had too much on her mind to concentrate.
All that she could see running through her head were old defense strategies, scares they had experienced with the daimyo… what would happen if she were to fail in her promise.
That last thought made her stomach turn. Not just the idea of not succeeding, but the idea of letting down the entire village… no. The Great Shinobi Nations. After all, the Kazekage was commander of their forces, wasn't he? If she failed in her job… she didn't even want to consider the consequences.
She had made a promise. Not just a promise to Kankuro, but long ago, when the naïveté of childhood had still clouded her views: to protect the defenseless. And by protecting the Kazekage, wasn't she doing just that? Certainly, he himself was no longer defenseless, despite how her childish mind might have viewed him all those many years ago when she had seen him as a child struggling for control with a monster in his body… but now, he was the protection for the defenseless.
Airi had heard the stories of what had happened since she had left. Gaara had been willing to sacrifice his life—had sacrificed his life— to protect the village. If she failed, they would be losing the best and most well-loved Kazekage Suna had ever known.
And some part of her was still that child who admired the triumph of the person within the monster, and wondered if there was yet hope for the world.
"Airi-san? Are you alright?"
She glanced over at Kankuro, who had stopped walking, and she noticed that it was because she herself had completely stopped in the middle of the path.
"All of the color just drained from your face all of a sudden. Are you alright? Do I need to go find a medic? Maybe they released you from the hospital too soo—"
"No, no." Airi cut him off, laughing nervously. "I just got lost in my thoughts. Ran across some bad memories. Nothing to worry about. I feel fine."
Kankuro relaxed slightly, but Airi couldn't help but note that he was still slightly skeptical. "You sure?"
Airi smiled. "Absolutely."
With all final meetings finished, there was nothing left to do, except to come to terms with the plunging realization that the war was upon them. Gaara stood before the crowd, surveying the massed force of the Allied Shinobi Nations. The forces stretched out to the horizon line, and for a moment, confidence surged in him. With a force like this, committed to saving the Shinobi world… they just might have a chance.
A spike in his chakra concentration alerted Gaara to the presence of someone behind him. The sand swirled at his feet, ready to form the Ultimate Defense at the first sign of danger.
He half-turned, and was met by a solid indigo gaze.
Airi inclined her head. "Kazekage-sama."
Gaara relaxed slightly, and he could feel the sand around his ankle receding. "I trust that you're fully recovered."
It was not really a question, but Airi nodded nonetheless, straightening to meet his gaze once again.
Gaara studied her for a moment, and it was all she could do not to squirm under the scrutiny of his bright green eyes; he seemed to see straight through any front that she might have put up.
"Kazekage-sama."
A calm voice belonging to a man with silver hair drew the Kazekage away and Airi allowed herself to breath again. She could feel her pulse pounding through her entire body and she wondered what had triggered this strange response.
It wasn't quite fear; she was certain of that. She had never truly had fear for the Kazekage even when he had been the vessel of a terrible monster, at least not the kind that one typically had in such a situation. Now, it was more of a strange churning in her stomach and a nervous flittering in her chest, one that left her speechless.
She didn't care to examine the implications of what this might mean. There were far more important matters at hand, and assumptions were never the friend of a shinobi.
Airi passed it off as no more than nervousness at the acquisition of her new mission and faded in the background, clutching her summoned uchigatana tightly.
She would protect him, no matter what.
Gaara took another look out at the men and women before him. Now that he examined it more closely, he could see small fights breaking out, clashes of nations, and he resisted the urge to frown.
This was not going to be as easy as it might seem. Of course, he considered, war was never easy, but he had accepted this commission regardless. Despite his misgivings, he refused to back down at such a pivotal moment.
However, even with Gaara's best efforts, apparently the general standing beside him, Hatake Kakashi, could still tell that he was nervous.
The man who had been the teacher of the shinobi who had saved Gaara's life—and his purpose for living— examined him carefully, finally saying quietly.
"Being our Commander General, I think you should try to relax and say a few words, Gaara-kun."
Gaara swallowed, and began to speak.
"Saito Airi? Hmm…" The girl at the desk was obviously a trainee, Gaara thought with annoyance, because she didn't seem to know anything. He had been in the hospital for a good ten minutes now, at the very least, and he was only just now getting the point across that he was coming to see the girl who had been admitted three days ago after the fight that half of Suna had seen.
"Ah, here she is!" The little blonde girl smiled prettily, holding up the folder that held Airi's information. "I can show you to the room that she's been placed in, Kazekage-sama."
She punctuated his title with a sickly sweetness, and Gaara truly had to resist the urge to use Sand Coffin on the girl. Were all of the people on the hospital staff this incompetent?
"That won't be necessary. If you could just tell me the room number, I'm sure I can find it on my own."
The girl did not seem to take the hint. "Are you sure? I know exactly where it's at."
"I can find it, I assure you."
The girl's face fell, and she frowned, opening the folder in front of her. "203. It's upstairs, second door on the left."
Gaara held in a sigh of relief. Finally.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
He walked down the hall as quickly as he possibly could without seeming rude.
The trainee leaned over the counter, calling after him: "Of course, anything for you, Kazekage-sama! If you need anything else, be sure to come back and find me.
Gaara practically ran up the stairs.
Gaara knocked at the door before entering, but no reply came from within. He had been half-expecting that. The medics had reported to him that she had been sleeping for much of the time since she had been admitted.
He opened the door just slightly, peering in.
Airi was curled up on the bed, her honey-colored hair splayed out across the pillow in disarray. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was opened just the slightest bit, so that every once in a while, a soft sigh of air escaped between pale lips.
Gaara was unsure of what to do. He certainly didn't want to wake her; after taking a blow like that, she needed all the rest she could get. However, he couldn't seem to draw himself away either.
Instead, he took a seat in the chair at the corner of the room. If she didn't wake soon, he wouldn't stay, but for now, it at least gave him some time to think. He'd had precious little of that lately with all the preparations to be made.
He still couldn't stop his mind from running through all the normal conventions, but there was something serene about sitting in a quiet, sterile room, all but alone with his thoughts.
Gaara spared a glance over at Airi's sleeping form. She was incredibly pale, but all other signs indicated that she was recovering well enough.
He hadn't talked to Kankuro for almost a full day following the assessment. Certainly, it wasn't particularly unusual for Gaara to be so quiet, but Kankuro had been fully aware of the reasoning behind it. The apology had come quickly enough, but forgiveness had only been bought with the condition that he later make a sincere apology to the one who had been injured as well.
Kankuro, surprisingly, had agreed quite readily. Gaara wasn't always good at reading people, but he could see the guilt written all over his brother's face, which made it easier to forgive.
Still, Gaara considered, there was little room in this world for more senseless violence. Gaara had experienced—had caused—more than his share of it in his short lifetime, and he didn't care to see anymore.
Airi stirred a little in her sleep, and Gaara started, hoping that nothing he had done had woken her, but she simply shifted a little and continued to doze, seemingly oblivious to his presence.
A/N: Once again, I love reviews, so please leave me something, even if it's just a few words! Hope you all liked the chapter. Next is the big speech. :)