Previously
Chapter 11
Akina jumped out of the sand that swirled around her and Gaara. She landed on the floor of his office, breathing heavily from the amount of chakra that took up. Gaara materialized the same time as she did, a glare was set on his features as he watched her catch her breath.
"What were you thinking?" He asked harshly. "You know that you could have been transported somewhere else if you molded your chakra wrong!" He continued, staring down at her. Akina smiled slightly, seeing he was still frazzled somewhat by her actions.
"Well I didn't!" She responded, setting her hands on her hips. She laughed as he glared at her. "Four years and your still easy to annoy as ever." She said, smirking. Gaara rolled his eyes as he leaned on his desk. An expectable silence fell between them but Akina didn't mind. Akina sat on the window sill of his office, staring out into the large village.
"Suna's changed so much…" She whispered in awe, looking back at Gaara, who nodded. Gaara watched as she looked out into the village. She herself had changed a lot as well. She seemed happier as well.
Gaara was about to say something when there a knock on his door. Akina looked back fast, sensing a familiar chakra. She grinned from ear to ear when Kankuro entered.
"Kankuro!" She yelled happily, jumping off the windowsill. "You idiot! You left the office before I could even get to say hi! So rude!" She exclaimed, going to hit his head angrily. Kankuro laughed as he held her away with puppet strings. She broke away from those quickly and talked him to the ground. Gaara watched with mild amusement as Akina and Kankuro wrestled.
"Alright, alright!" Kankuro yelled, laughing as he pulled Akina up off the ground with him. "You're as hyper as ever." He said, standing up straighter. Akina blinked in surprise at how much taller he got. He smirked down at her, ruffling her hair. Akina growled in annoyance and slapped his hand away. He turned to Gaara a moment later, handing him a small piece of paper.
"The gennin list for the upcoming Chuunin exams has been finished Gaara, it needs your approval." He said, said Kage nodded and sat at his desk, pulling out a pen to sign and go over the names. Kankuro turned back to Akina with a grin on his face. "So when do I get to hear about your life in Kumogakure?" Akina grinned at him and plopped herself on the couch next to Gaara's desk.
"Where to begin…hmmm" She pursed her lips, closing her eyes in thought. "I'll start with my first day…" She said trailing off and then began to tell her story to the two, one listening eagerly, the other listening while working intently.
Gaara looked out the window, having been done for a while and listened to her story.
"And then there's my kind of friend Omoi," She said then, pricking Gaara's attention more than before. "He's fun to be around but is so freaking stubborn that I want to just hit him sometimes!" She exclaimed, chuckling. Kankuro also chuckled at this.
"So wait! For the last like four years you've been a secretary?" He asked, curious as to why.
"Yeah I know…kind of boring…" She said, shrugging. "I enjoyed it sometimes, but other times it was just…infuriating." She said, pinching the bride of her nose. "I mean seriously!" She exclaimed. "I couldn't even pull a single prank! Raikage had me under twenty-four hour watch!" She threw her hands in the air for emphasis. Gaara's eyes narrowed at the paper he was reading when he heard that. They should've learned to trust Akina, so why put her under watch?
"So it sounds like it wasn't that bad." Kankuro said. Akina looked at him for a moment and then moved to the window. She set her hands on the glass, looking out towards the village.
"It was bad at times but something just kept me going, even through everything that really made me…well…doubtful."
"Doubtful?" Kankuro asked, quite curious now. Akina looked from the corner of her eye at him and then Gaara.
"I thought I would never see you all again…I didn't hear a single word about Suna until just a month ago…I thought that…" She trailed off, gripping her necklace slightly. Gaara looked up from his paper then, watching her. She lifted her head up again, turning back to them. "My promise kept me going…it always did and will…" She said, smiling. Kankuro smiled as well, getting up then. Gaara stood as well, opening his mouth to speak.
"It's almost dusk; I'll take you back to the inn." Kankuro interjected before Gaara could say anything. Akina raised an eyebrow, ready to protest but Kankuro pushed her out of the office. Gaara watched as they left, for some reason unable to tell Kankuro he'd do it. The door closed with a soft click, there was silence soon after as he looked out the window. There was a reason Kankuro took her himself, maybe because he knew something was troubling him before Gaara knew himself. The truth was that Gaara was afraid…afraid that Akina had found someone else. He knew she didn't say anything but still…Akina also hid things from others. A lot of things at that…or maybe it was just because he knew she would have to leave again.
Akina and Kankuro walked down the darkening streets, a silence enveloping them. Akina looked back at the tower every now and then, acting as if she would see Gaara on the roof calling for her.
Why didn't he stop Kankuro? She thought, looking back ahead of them. Kankuro watched her fidgety movements, as if understanding them completely.
"Akina…he's not mad at you." He began, catching her attention. "Look…" He said, stopping. He scratched the back of his head, trying to explain. "Let me explain…"
不安
The Next Morning
Akina rose form her bed groggily as Darui pounded on her door.
"Kin! Get up!" Came from the hall. Akina groaned, putting a pillow over her ears.
"Damnit Darui! Shut up before I kick your ass!" She yelled back, dragging herself out of the comfortable bed.
"Like you can…" Came form the other side of the door. Akina stopped moving, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She was not a morning person…
"Excuse me?" Came her reply. Darui sighed, backing away from the door as it slammed down. Akina flew off the door moving to grab his shirt, which she was able to do. "You're really arrogant ya' know that?" She snarled, gripping his shirt with deathly force.
"You're really easy to anger you know that?"
"Only when people piss me off."
"Good point."
"Can I finish getting ready now or do I have to send you through a hole? Again." Darui chuckled, prying her hand from his shirt.
"As if you could. I was joking around the first-" A chakra filled fist met his face, sending him through the nearby wall. He hadn't seen it coming, and then realized as he collided with the wall, she was a lot better than she led on. But then again…all women were nasty in the morning. Akina patted her hands, getting any dust off of them, picked up the door and put it on hinges, and padded into the bathroom to take a shower.
Minutes later the inn keeper came up the hall, making his way towards the roof. He stopped, dropping his tea, as he saw the hole in the wall. The particularly large sized hole.
"M-my inn…" He murmured, aghast, and then plain out fainted.
This would be an interesting day indeed.
Akina stepped into the hot shower, enjoying the small pleasure of warm water running down her skin. To her it felt as if all the troubles in the world could be washed down the small drain. She laughed at the notion; if only it were that simple. She turned the water off soon, and stepped out. The cold air hit her skin, creating goose bumps. She shivered slightly and grabbed a towel, drying herself off. As she turned into the mirror she let out a startled yelp, looking at the jade eyes boring holes into her from the mirror. She spun around then but saw no one.
"Gaara…" She whispered, tucking a small strand of her short hair behind her ear. Was he really behind me? Nahh…maybe it's just me… She thought, brushing what she just saw aside. Something inside her still nicked at the possible appearance of Gaara in her inn bathroom. Would he really do something like that? She thought as she pulled on her clothes. No way he would…right?
She sighed, picking up her bag and clicking it so it hung around her waist. She opened her door and walked down the hall Darui following after her.
"When'd you get up out of the hole?" She asked emotionlessly, not bothering to look at him.
"When the inn keeper fainted form the sight of it."
"I'll fix it later." She said, making her way towards the tower. "You coming to the meeting?" She asked as she stopped in front of the doors. His not walking away was enough to answer her question. "Aright then…become as dull as a turkey on turkey day why don't you." He smirked at her expression of annoyance and opened the door for her. She nodded a thank you and walked in with him following after. "Any idea what they want with me?" She said again, breaking the silence as they made their way down the hall towards the large doors that she remembered as the council room.
"Just to ask for information really…no need to worry."
"Good 'cause I have to get back to Wakana and Matsuri, got to check on her progress."
"What did you do for her?"
"Injected her with poison." She said simply. Darui raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "What? A poison should get rid of a poison that's infected certain cells no?" She said as if it were the most common thing in the world. They came to a stop in front of the doors, Akina took a deep breath. "Here goes." She said and opened the door, now ready to explain anything she had to. Well…as ready as she could really be. She opened the door hesitantly as saw all eyes turn to her and Darui.
Did they start already? Was the question that rang through her mind.
"Hello Miss Haruka." One of the council men greeted. Akina recognized him as one of the Suna members. She smiled at him.
"Hello."
"Right then." One of the Iwa members said, standing up. "Since all are present we shall begin." Akina watched the man curiously, then her eyes moved over the three Kages that were present. Half of her conscience expected to see Naruto among the crowd, a place he deserved a long time ago. Her eyes saddened when the memory of him entered her mind.
"I believe it is every ones understanding as to why we are all exactly here." The man began, looking to the faces of all in the room. "It is possible that the Akatsuki have returned, the sightings of the kyonshi are proof enough of that…" He said. Akina shook her head.
"If I were you I wouldn't jump to such conclusions, I took them out myself. They would be too foolish to make a move when they know I'm alive." Akina said, interrupting the man. She coughed then. "What I mean is, no disrespect, but I think you're wrong."
"Oh?" The council man asked, intrigued to hear this small brats explanation. He saw her as nothing but a green brat, sharing the same ideals of the Tschuikage.
"If it were the Akatsuki, then don't you think the tailed beasts would be acting up again? Hm?" She asked, stating what would make obvious sense to her and hopefully the others.
"And what makes you such an expert? You don't even have your powers anymore!" Yura interjected, defending the other council member. Akina looked at Yura for a brief moment.
"As I was saying…I think I have a small clue as to what this is."
The other council members sat up in their chairs now, some leaning forward on the large table. The Raikage raised an eyebrow.
"Go on Haruka." He ordered.
"Well…let me tell you a story…" She began, sitting back in her chair. "A legend actually…"
"Now all our research is being pointed to a legend that's probably not true."
"Probably not true?" Akina asked, raising an eyebrow. "The Sage of the Six Paths was a legend that was probably not true…oh wait…no, no it was true, after all she was inside me for my whole life up until four years ago."
"So where is she now."
"I'm going to get to that in a moment."
"Haruka!" Raikage boomed. "Is this really all relevant to our issue."
"Yes…actually it might just give us a better look into it." She explained, standing up now.
"So what is it? Get it out!"
"Jeez!" She exclaimed. "Edgy today are we?"
"Haruka…" Raikage said testily. She held her hand sup in mock defeat.
"Alright, fine…" She said, leaning against the table. Gaara sat straighter now, watching her every move.
"It's a curse."
I'm sorry it's so short but I've got so many projects and finals coming up and ACTs now...SAVE ME! I promise I'll try to update soon and yes, very soon there will be some fluff. Promise! Dattebayo!
