Chapter 12: Morning Talk

The next morning

Gaara quietly sat on the hotel roof, watching the sun rise to usher in another day. He had spent the night doing his usual routine, watching the moon with his arms crossed over his chest, his mind deep in thought as he went through the events of the day prior. Usually Shukaku would try his best to annoy the hell out of him during his reminiscing, but he had been relatively quiet so far, leaving the redhead to his thoughts.

Daybreak's coming brat. Knowing your sensei, he'll want to start talking to you and your siblings about the final round as soon as you sit down to eat breakfast.

"I know Shukaku, and I'm not looking forward to it, mainly because he apparently has a way of speaking that can you bore you to death if you let him speak too long. Kankuro's opinion, not mine," the prince mumbled as he slowly stood up. "But that's just the kind of mentor Baki is: no nonsense, all business, and as annoyingly formal as you can get."

And your father? The tanuki asked as his vessel dusted off his pants. How would you describe him as a mentor?

"Coarse, unforgiving, and unrelenting, like the desert we were born in," was Gaara's quick reply as he re-crossed his arms. "Why are you even asking me this Shukaku? You've been sealed inside me throughout my entire life, before I was even born. You've seen what my father is like through my eyes; what he has put me through throughout my life . . ."

It's true. I have witnessed what your father is like, especially when he puts in the effort to train you, but I didn't know what your true opinions on his methods were until now. I may be sealed in your body, but I'm not completely privy to your thoughts . . . What you just said is probably a fair assessment of him, by my estimate, at least.

The redhead simply nodded as he looked up at the sky, his thoughts going back to the times when his father took the time out of his busy schedule to oversee his training. It was a long-standing tradition for the older generation to pass its skills and teachings to the next one, and royal families weren't excluded from this trend. However, it was more difficult to uphold in royal households due to the Kings and Queens' various duties.

King Rasa was no exception. For the better part of his adult life, the man has had to juggle his duties as a ruling monarch with his duties as a father, and unfortunately, his royal duties usually won out, much to his kids' chagrin. He always struggled to make any time for his children, and it had only gotten worse with the Wind Kingdom's problems piling up in recent months.

For most of their lives, the Sand Siblings were raised by wet nurses and tutors. The King did receive updates on their progress through them though, but truthfully, he only really spent time with his children during some of the training sessions, official royal events, and the occasional family dinner, and even during those moments, he was either stubborn, standoffish, cold, or even a bit unwelcoming to them.

Gaara usually experienced the last three almost every day.

Your father is no 'Father of the Year' candidate by any means. Then again, he may have been an entirely different person before you were born. Shukaku couldn't help but add as Gaara walked toward the entrance. Have you ever wondered what the bastard was like before you came into this world? You have never asked anyone about that. . . I bet you're curious about it.

"Maybe, but what's the point?" Gaara was quick to ask in return. "I could ask Temari and Kankuro about it, but they were very young at the time, so their memories will be foggy at best if you try to ask them about it, and I'm not planning to ask the palace staff either."

Why not?

"I make them uncomfortable enough as it is, mainly because I have you sealed inside me. . . If you remember, I wasn't the most well-behaved child growing up, with some of it not being my fault," said Gaara, his comment earning him a quick growl from the tanuki. "The staff would be more worried about not offending me than actually giving me a truthful answer."

Ok, you make a good point.

Gaara simply ignored the tailed beast as he made his way back to the suite. When he finally arrived, he found his siblings standing by the dining room table, watching as a member of the hotel staff set out their breakfast, a mixture of traditional delicacies and Western cuisine. They were still dressed in their sleepwear, both looking quite disheveled as they watched the young man work. As for Baki, he was out on the porch, looking out at the village with his arms crossed behind his back.

"How long has he been out there?" Gaara asked as he watched their sensei.

"For a while now I think," mumbled Temari as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I woke up just as he finished calling for room service. He's been out there ever since."

"Knowing him, he's probably thinking about what he will say during breakfast," added Kankuro as he tipped the worker before he made his exit. "I expect something along the lines of what we should expect and prepare for come the finals."

"Knowing him, that's the most likely answer," said Temari as she walked over to the open doorway. "Baki-sensei, breakfast is ready!"

She walked away from the door and made her way over to the dining room table, where her brothers were already seated, waiting for them. Baki joined them seconds later, his face stoic as he took his seat across from the Crown Princess. He didn't start speaking till everyone had food on their respective plates.

"If memory serves me right, the organizers send letters reporting on the preliminary proceedings to all the kingdoms, even to the ones that weren't involved," Baki mumbled as he picked up his fork. "You should expect a message from your father in the coming days."

"And there you go dampening my appetite," Temari grumbled under her breath as she brought a piece of bacon to her lips. "Knowing father, he'll probably write us some half-hearted congratulations before launching into why it's crucial for us to do well in the final rounds, again."

"Don't forget the part where he mentions that he's coming to see the finals." Kankuro mumbled, his attention more on his food than on the conversation. "I can just imagine it now: Him sitting with the other kings in attendance, watching us with that stoic expression of his on his face. Oh, he'll make small talk with the other guys in the booth - got to be a cordial king of course, keep appearances up and all that stuff - but overall, expect him to act more like an Ice King than a Wind King."

"Enough with that. Yes, I understand that you all have your issues with your father, and yes, your father doesn't help the situation with the way he acts toward you three, at times," said Baki, his words coming as a bit of a shock to the three siblings. For as long as they could remember, Baki had been a reliable supporter of the king, never speaking an ill word about him.

This was as close to a negative remark that they had ever heard him speak, in years.

He took a deep breath before continuing. "Things haven't been going too well for the kingdom these past few months, and it's not just from the lack of profit we're seeing from the shinobi division. The dry season has been especially brutal this year, plus the nobility have been a bit restless and relentless these days. . . The situation has made your father a lot more stressed than normal, and you all know how stress isn't a good thing for his mood."

"Oh, we definitely know about that. Sometimes we think that if the heat of battle or an assassin won't do him in, then stress will." said Kankuro as he took a sip of his orange juice. "The man doesn't know how to take a break, or sleep for that matter."

"It's only a matter of time before he develops insomnia rings that are even bigger than Gaara's." Temari added as she shot a smirk the redhead's way.

"I highly doubt that's possible . . ." Gaara mumbled as he dipped his spoon into his bowl of miso soup.

"I doubt it as well. Now all of you, get back to eating. After breakfast, I want you to meet me in the living room. It's time we started to discuss your future competition."

The three siblings simply nodded their heads before turning their attention back to their food. Twenty-five minutes passed before all four Wind natives had finished their morning meal. While Baki moved to leave all the empty plates out in the hallway, Temari and Kankuro went to get ready while Gaara quickly brushed his teeth. The three siblings found Baki waiting patiently for them, seated in one of the leather armchairs. Temari quickly claimed the other one, leaving her brothers to take the couch.

"Ok Baki, where do we start first?" Temari asked as she watched the older man lean back in his seat.

"We'll start with your immediate competition." the older man calmly stated as he crossed his arms. "I want to hear your opinions and observations. What do you make of them?"

"All I know for sure is that that Haruka girl will be trouble for me if her claws get anywhere near my chakra strings." Kankuro mumbled as he rolled his head back.

"You're worried about her cutting your chakra strings?" Temari asked as she looked at her brother with disbelieving eyes. "You have a lot more to worry about than just your chakra strings brother. Her performance in her preliminary fight shows that not only is she very agile, but she has quite an understanding of taijutsu as well. Her agility is not a good match against your puppets' projectiles, and you wouldn't be able to protect yourself if she manages to take your puppets out of the equation. Your hand-to-hand combat skills don't match up with hers."

"Your sister is correct on all fronts Kankuro." said Baki, stopping the puppeteer before he could launch into a quick retort. "As you are now, you would have quite the struggle in your battle against Haruka Nekonome. Puppeteers like you use poison, a fact so well-known that it's obvious to everyone including non-shinobi. She'll expect you to use poison in the fight, and she'll prepare for that accordingly, knowing she'll have to dodge a lot of your attacks before she can get to you . . . I suggest you start brushing up on your taijutsu, because you're definitely going to need it."

"I, I figured as much," the puppeteer mumbled as he looked up at the ceiling, conceding to their points.

"Now then, on to your opponent Temari," said Baki as he turned to the Crown Princess. "What do you make of Shikamaru Nara?"

"He's not the biggest threat in the finals, if you look at him from a purely physical perspective," said Temari as she brought a hand to her chin. "He's dangerous because of his mind. He's most likely the strategist of his team, and I wouldn't doubt that he already has a couple of plans ready for when he finally faces me, no matter how lazy he appears."

"You must also be wary of his shadow ninjutsu," Baki added. "With that technique of his, you must always stay aware of the ground. One wrong move, and you'll eventually become his puppet. . . Now then, Gaara, it's your turn. Your thoughts on Sasuke?"

"He wasn't at his best yesterday." said the redhead after taking a moment to think about it. "He was holding back, and I think it has something to do with why he was clutching the right side of his neck so much before the preliminaries began."

"I think you're right Gaara." Temari mumbled. "The Uchiha didn't take any noticeable physical damage during his fight, but his sensei was quick to take him away for medical treatment."

"Does it matter? He'll be all healed up by the time the finals roll around anyway." said Kankuro as he did a small shrug. "And even then, I don't know what kind of strategy he'll use to fight you with little bro. He wasn't present for any of the other battles; he only appeared once all the battles were done."

"He may not have seen Gaara fight, but the rest of his team certainly did. He could always ask them for info." Temari stated matter-of-factly. "Gaara's match was an eye-opener for me. The sand is an ultimate defense. It has served that purpose so well for so long that you can't really doubt it . . . I always thought the only possible way you could beat it was if you had a very powerful water affinity. However, that Lee guy proved me wrong. Your shield does have a second weakness."

"It's not fast enough to protect me from high speed attacks." was Gaara's blunt reply as Shukaku started mumbling about his "weak" shield in his head. "This was the first time I ever faced an opponent who actually had a counter for my sand. It was . . . shocking."

"Shocking?" Kankuro asked with an eyebrow raised. "No kidding. I've never seen you looked shocked in battle before till those weights dropped, and damn, they dropped."

"Unless Sasuke increases his speed exponentially this next month, I don't see him beating Gaara using that strategy." said Baki.

"Then again, he may not even need his speed," said Temari as she did a small shrug. "He may not have enough time to boost his speed, but it is possible that he could learn a jutsu that could pierce through Gaara's armor."

He wouldn't have enough time to develop one. . . I think.

"I don't know about that Shukaku." Gaara responded, internally unsure about the prospect. He was so used to no one being able to breech his shield or his armor, but one battle had managed to erase that thought no problem. "We can't cross anything out."

"Temari raises a good point," Baki mumbled. "The Uchihas are known for their Fire Style, but Fire alone isn't enough to break through the sand. The best elements for the job would be Lightning and Wind, and we don't know if the Uchiha is capable of either one."

"We didn't see much from his match," Kankuro concluded as he took out a notepad and a pencil from a scroll he had in his pocket. "All that we know about the Uchiha is basic clan info you can read about in any history scroll you come across. In terms of Sasuke specifically, we got nothing."

"In other words, I'm going into my battle practically blind." said the redhead as he crossed his arms over his chest. "That's usually how it is, isn't it? I usually don't know much about my opponent at the start of the fight anyway."

"So, we shouldn't treat it like it's so different from all the other battles you've been in before?" Temari asked with an eyebrow raised. Gaara simply shrugged, but that answer wasn't the satisfying one she was hoping for. "All I can say is just stay vigilant and make sure you don't give the Uchiha any openings. I have a feeling he'll make you pay for it if you do."

"I guess that wraps up our immediate opponents," said Kankuro as he started sketching the base of a new puppet. "Should we start talking about the others now?"

"We should," Baki said in agreement. "In the finals, you only get a break when it's not your turn to fight, and you'll only have a limited amount of time to analyze the other battles before your next one comes along. Plus, it's always beneficial for you to learn all you can about your future opponents before the time comes."

"Well, for starters, we know our fellow royals learned some of their skills from their parents, skills that may be difficult to counter," mumbled Temari as she rested her elbows along the chair's armrests. "Other than Shizuka's Dragon Gale jutsu, we don't really know much about their ninjutsu skills. Naruto's fast and Shizuka is strong, other than that, we won't find anything else out till we all meet up again."

"That Neji guy seems straightforward," said Kankuro. "He's a product of his clan. A Hyuga through and through. All you have to do is not let him get close to you to knock out your chakra points, which means long range would have to be the way to go. However, it'll definitely be hard to nail him since he could see, pretty much, all around him no problem."

"Another person you can't get too close to you is that quiet Aburame kid." mumbled Temari. "His bugs eat chakra. They will deplete you of your chakra if they reach you, and then it's game over."

"Nanami Otoribashi is definitely competent with a sword. She only needed one move to beat her opponent." Gaara added. "She's probably one of the fastest ones still competing in this final stage. However, who knows what she's truly capable of without her sword in hand."

"And then there is the lone Sound genin," said Baki. "His sonic attacks have proven to be quite troublesome. Plus, we still don't completely know the situation with his kingdom."

"He's a wild card, and I don't like wild cards. You can't really plan for them." mumbled Temari.

"No, but you can still observe them," said Baki, a small smirk appearing on his face. "For the next month, in between your training sessions, I want you to observe your competition whenever you can. If the opportunity arises, take it and use it to the fullest. Any new information you can gather can prove to be crucial. The more you know, the better you can prepare. Now, if you excuse me?"

"Now where are you going?" Temari blurted out as Baki started heading for the door.

"The Fire King has requested my presence, along with the sensei that's overseeing the Sound team, probably to go over the upcoming arrival of two certain kings." said Baki as he shook his head. "I'll be back later."

"Well, at least we don't have to deal with him for a while," Kankuro mumbled as soon as Baki was out of earshot. He was about to speak again when Gaara suddenly disappeared in a cloud of sand, cutting his thought short. "Now where's he going?"

"Probably to observe the competition, which is something we should be doing too." Temari mumbled as she got to her feet. "Let's go Kankuro. We got some people watching to do."

"Fine . . ." the puppeteer grumbled. "Let's hope we do get something out of this."

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