((Wow... there's actually a lot of response for this story. I thought all my past reviewers died. Or at least died of shock that I'd put up 3 chapters in like a week and a half. Anyway...
The Sand Alchemist: Thanks for the words of hope. All is well... well, my sleeping hasn't gotten better, I've been sick the past two days and had to call into work, and I just got a CT scan done after my weird sleep paralysis thing changed again. But I'm still alive and writing and that's all that counts!
tanakaL: Yes indeed, Kaya is a badass princess! I'm glad you like my story and I'll be sure to keep bumping up the hits!
Kiteria: I'm glad you like this story. Gaara is a bit forward in this but hey, who's gonna punish him if he gets out of line? He is, after all, the strongest shinobi. I also think he's the type that doesn't like to play games when he wants something. (from chapter 2)
Kiteria: I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter as well. I tried not to make him too OC but hey, he's older, wiser, and he knows what he wants! lol Keep reading and reviewing, my friend! (from chapter 8)
Kiteria: Again with a kind-hearted review? You spoil me so. And yes, I totally left it on a cliffy. For viewers like you to fall head-over-heels in love with it! Okay, maybe that was too much bull-hocky. But at least it keeps you interested, no? (from chapter 9)
Alright, well, I have no idea what I'm gonna do so... let's get to it!))
Chapter 10: Time To Be A Hero
Temari had been blown back just outside the door. The glass from one of the plates she'd been washing just before the mist forced her out was now lodged in her left hand and hurt like a bitch. What could have happened to cause such a violent reaction? The blond had no idea. In fact, the only think she could think of was that story Mishka had told them.
As she pondered exactly what was said, her brothers and Kaya came rushing in. "Temari! What's goin- is that blood?" Kankuro called, screeching to a stop as he knelt down to check out her hand.
"No clue. I was washing dishes and the next thing I know, I'm ripped away from my house and the plate must have shattered along the way." Worrying her bottom lip, she closed her eyes as the glass was removed and a piece of soft cloth placed on the slice, pressing tightly to stop the bleeding. "I saw Zia run away- crazy girl wouldn't even stop to tell me what happened. Just kept yelling "It's not my fault! Gaara-sama, save me!" Two-cent twit..."
Kaya nodded. "Yeah, even at the preliminaries, she was like that. Dumb as a brick and oblivious to the world. We ran into her on the way. She said that Anali was talking to her and Mishka just lost it. I don't know what she said but it must have set her off big-time."
Gaara didn't say a word, lost in his own thoughts. Temari, however, didn't need him to speak. "Remember her story? The one about the Cloud Warriors? What if it was more than just a story?"
Kankuro chuckled, shaking his head. "What? Are you implying that that gentle lady is a descendent of the Cloud Warriors? Sis, it was just a story. Things like that just don't happen in reality."
"Tell that to the Shukaku..." Gaara's gravelly voice was still too far away for them to be sure he was talking to them. "Shukaku was a demon put inside me. Is a sand raccoon demon more believable than an ancient race of female warriors?"
The dark-haired puppeteer narrowed his eyes. "Even if she is one of those things, I'm sure she'd dealt with her fair share of crap before all this happened. You snapped all the time when you were younger. Why hasn't she before now?"
"This is all my fault..."
Three pairs of eyes trained to the petite female, watching the tears trail down her tan cheeks. "I knew that Megumi was planning to get Mishka thrown out of the competition. She tried to rally me in with her evil deeds but I didn't accept her invitation. If I'd been smart, I would have joined just to spy. But I let my anger at Gaara get the better of me and it wasn't like they weren't going to screw up anyway. I didn't know what they were planning but I never suspected a frontal assault. I thought they were going to try to seduce you, Gaara." Her hands tightened around the kunai blades.
Kankuro stood back up and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't like to see anybody cry but least of all, this fragile slip of a girl. "We'll save her and that nitwit. We just need a plan. And fast- I don't think the Council will approve of a violent female who can snap at any time. If she kills Anali, I don't even wanna think about what'll happen to her."
Gaara's eyes widened at the possibilities. Megumi was out. Kaya was still in but going after Kankuro. Zia had cried surrender and probably left town by now. With Anali dead and Mishka disqualified and probably imprisoned... the only one to be his bride would be... Kaya. How would he be able to deal with that insufferable female? Her voice grated on his nerves but he tolerated it for Kankuro's sake. But if they were to get married... OVER HIS DEAD BODY!
"I'll tell you what we're going to do. Temari, get to the hospital and get that wound checked out. No more missions until it's healed."
Temari wanted to protest but no one argued with her little brother. So she simply nodded and headed off to Suna Clinical Ward.
Gaara looked at Kaya and Kankuro. "You two... I don't care how you do it. No one is to enter this establishment until I come out with Mishka. Anali might be in a state where someone as unskilled as I shouldn't move her. When the first ninja come to respond, tell them to get a medic here on standby."
Kaya sighed. "No offense, Kaze-wannabe, but you're not exactly Mr. Diplomacy. Mishka's snapped and it seems almost like a Blood-line Limit or a possession of blood. What makes you so sure you can calm her down?"
"You're not a ninja. How do you know about the Blood-line Limit? And how to weild kunai? You don't seem like an amature by the way you're holding them now." Kankuro nodded, also curious as to why that was.
The dark-haired beauty rolled her eyes. "Dad wanted me to know how to defend myself- he's a shinobi. I learned everything I know from him but I don't have any formal training. Mom's never been too happy about marrying him since she's from money. Dad has to work twice as hard just to support her lifestyle. When she saw him training me, she went ballistic and started my "lady training", hoping that it was a phase that would pass. But she only taught me one good thing- a lady wears as mask for every occasion. I can be smiling gently one moment and slicing your balls off in the next."
At Kankuro's wince and squirm, she blushed and looked away. "Sorry... I didn't mean to get so gruesome. But you get my point. It was important to him for me to know what I was doing, expecially with Mom trying to get me hitched to Gaara. She's going to be so disappointed."
Gaara nodded, rolling his eyes. Somehow, he was certain that they would all live through her family's disappointment. Then he looked at the door to his home, the mist shrowding it mysteriously. "To answer your question from earlier... I don't know if I can calm her down. But I can at least subdue her with my sand and try to talk reason with her. If she's possessed, well, that's another matter completely. But Mishka, no matter where she is, loves me and knows that I reciprocate her feelings. I can't let her go off alone."
"Gaara..." the puppeteer whispered, voice full of awe. When did his little brother become such a man? The years since the Chuunin Exams had really changed him for the better.
"Yeah, and the fact that I'd be the only candidate left to marry you bears no weight in this decision?" Kaya smirked almost evilly.
The redhead nodded. "I had thought of that. But I'd probably leave you at the altar to go with Mishka if she was disqualified."
Kankuro blanched, eyes wide. If that meant what he thought it meant, then he'd be the next Kazekage bachelor! Gaara wouldn't leave something like that just hanging but... the entire contest would start all over again, just as he'd found Kaya! And the paperwork! "Gaara! Don't leave us! We'll find a way around those crusty old fools, I swear!"
The aforementioned Kazekage-to-be just grinned before saying, "Then stay here and cross your fingers. Remember... NO ONE is allowed inside, not even the Council. Do not move from this spot and send someone to get a medic to standby."
"We heard you the first time, asshole. Just go!"The black-haired princess-girl pushed him back before turning away, eyes sharp for anybody of interference.
Before he'd wizened up, Gaara probably would have killed her for talking to him that way, even touching him was a major taboo. But he knew he'd wasted enough time talking. Now was the time for action. Now it was time for him to save his own princess, to be the hero his village wanted him to be.
((Okay... just wondering if anybody likes the way I put up reviews... or didn't but I answered them. In the past, I would just put them up and then answer them. It's nothing major, I just thought of this about halfway through writing this chapter. Well, so there we have it. Kaya's finally acting like herself, not acting like she thinks everyone wants her to. And Mishka is either possessed or under the influence of an unknown blood-line limit. I don't know but I'm leaning towards a possession of blood, kinda like from Yu Yu Hakusho when Rizen takes over Yusuke's body to show him his true potential. Yeah... anyway, read and review if you want the next one up!))