It takes us a whole week to get back to the village. Normally it wouldn't take so long, but most of us are pretty slow at the moment thanks to our injuries. That and we have had to prepare Takeo's body so that it won't rot too much before the burial. Sasori volunteered to be the one to remove Takeo's organs way too easily I you ask me. I know it's part of the preparation rituals, but I'll never understand how anyone could be so casual about it. Sasori had been acting a bit off though. He never even bothered telling me what he had been talking to Takeo about before we found them. He could barely even look at me or Gaara by the time he left to rejoin his group. At least he gave me one of his smaller bird puppets which can find him if I need him. I may not know much about puppets, but even I can work some of the simpler ones. Whatever the Akatsuki are planning to do, Sasori seems to think we won't see him much for a long time. I tried to ask Kira and Riu about it since they did meet Orochimaru and maybe a few of the other members, but that didn't help. Riu just kept giving me the cold shoulder (she has been having literal hissy fits with me on and off since she scratched my face, so I'm not surprised). Kira seemed as curious as I am. All she knows is that all of the members are really strong and have some knowledge of sealing.
It's still hard to believe Takeo is gone. Whether they admit it or not, everyone in our little group is feeling a bit depressed. Even Baki and Yashamaru are being twice as quiet as usual. The children are taking it the worst though. Kankuro's war paint ran clear off his face two days ago and I've caught Temari crying a little when she thinks nobody is looking. Gaara is trying to stay strong, but even he hasn't been feeling like himself. Instead of meditating, he has been trying to reach Takeo somehow and apologize to him for the invasion's failure. Sasori acted a lot like that when his parents were killed, but that will probably pass sooner or later. It's really the little things about Takeo that I miss the most. Even Kira has been half expecting his occasional wise cracks. As for me, I miss the way Takeo used to say goodnight to me. He would either tuck me in or get any supplies I needed if it was my turn to stay up with Gaara for a few hours before kissing me on my forehead and looking at me with the sweetest eyes I've ever seen. It feels so wrong going to sleep without his warm body next to mine.
As soon as we reach the village, we have to start the funeral. We need to finish it off before the next sandstorm blows in and forces everyone inside. The actual labor doesn't take long. Takeo laid to rest long before the sun even begins to set. It is the speeches that take a while. Traditionally, the council and other unrelated people speak first before the kazekage's family members deliver the final speeches. The whole village gathers around so that everyone can hear their leader be praised for his accomplishments one last time. The problem is that nobody seems all that grateful. Few of the council members give my husband credit for all of the good he did. Rather than praising his ability to keep the village running, they actually stoop so low as to slip in a few snide remarks about Shukaku before wrapping up their monologues. The civilians and shinobi are little better, though they at least manage to act decently. Anybody who even considers dancing on that grave is going to be the next person buried; I can't promise they'll be dead when that happens either.
At last, I am called to speak. I can almost feel the harsh glares of the citizens scorching holes into me as I stand before them. With Takeo dead, they have no reason to hold their hatred back. I'm not going to let that stop me though. Sweeping my gaze over the crowd, I begin. "You have all heard of my husband. To you, he was a leader. He guided this village and took care of it like it was his own child. This he did without receiving even half of the praise he was due. But Takeo wasn't just the kazekage. He was a husband and a father. I have known him since before we were genin. It is true we did not always get along." I have to allow myself a small smile as I remember the many hours we spent bickering as children. "He and I did not get along perfectly, but nobody ever does. We always supported each other though. No matter what happened, he stood firmly by my side as my husband and lifelong partner." I can see a few handkerchiefs out now, but I'm far from finished. "Takeo was also a wonderful father. He spent less time with his children than most because of his duty, but for that he valued his time with them even more. Now he can't be with them in body, but he will always be there for his children and me. We will carry him in our hearts and minds forever." As I finish, I hear a few appreciative words whispered, but nobody dares to speak louder than that for fear of losing the solemnity of the moment.
Normally Kankuro and Temari would each get their own turn, but they will have to go together today. Poor Kankuro is so upset that he can barely speak. His voice is hoarse from hours of crying. I can make out tears trickling down his cheeks even now. Temari speaks for both of them as her brother directs her a little under his breath. "Our father was a brave man. He put the weight of the village on his shoulders when he left home every morning, exchanged it for the burden of a family when he came home, and repeated that cycle for years without many benefits for him. If anything, his position made him suffer. Headaches and insomnia were not uncommon for him." He and Gaara at least shared those unfortunate issues. "No matter what, our father stood tall as the backbone of the village. Even if there was a sandstorm raging outside, even if he felt ill, he did his duty. Now I can only hope we can give him the respect and gratitude he deserves." With that Takeo's children each give a bow before rejoining me.
The head of the council saunters over with a bit of a satisfied smile on his face and says we ought to end the funeral now. Before I can even try to tell him off, Kira coughs lightly and Riu taps the man's leg with her tail. Kira flicks her head in Gaara's direction before looking at the man pointedly. He whispers something involving the words demon, monster, and illegitimate before Kira grabs onto his tunic and yanks him closer. I can't make out what she says to him, but I do see something flash in Kira's eyes for a second. I don't know what she said or what that flash was, but the head of the council stutters out an apology and gestures for Gaara to go ahead. I wait for the man to slink away before nudging Kira. She whispers so softly that I can barely hear her. "Denying someone the right to speak at a funeral where I come from disrespects both the would be speaker and the deceased. I might not have liked your husband much and I might not know Gaara well, but I think Gaara should be the one to end this." She sighs before saying one last sentence. "Takeo and Gaara may not be related, but even I gave my guardians a farewell speech despite the lack of an audience besides one cat." Riu gently rubs Kira as her master let's a tear or two slip down her face onto the ground.
The crowd stirs restlessly as Gaara prepares to speak. Many people begin muttering nervously and some even get ready to sprint away at a moment's notice. Thankfully, Gaara manages to silence the crowd just by clearing his throat. "As you all know, the kazekage was not my father. He always took care of me though. From the day I was born, he watched over me and kept me safe. I'll be the first to admit he wasn't perfect, but he always tried his best." Gaara pauses a moment before continuing. "He always tried to do the best he could for both the village and his family. That didn't always work. I, the host of Shukaku, am living proof that not all of his decisions made both the village and his family as happy as possible. I have suffered my whole life due to being labeled a freak, a monster, a weapon. But the kazekage could look past the demon. He saw me for what I am, what I have been, and what I always will be- a human. I know many of you see me in a different light, but that does not give you permission to disrespect a great and noble leader. If anything, it means you should honor and thank him for always putting the village first. He gave his life for you; the least you could do is respect him during his death more than you ever did while he was alive." Gaara bows low before addressing not the crowd amassed before him but the dead man who had ordered Shukaku to be sealed within him. "Thank you, lord kazekage, for the life you dedicated to making this village prosper and to making your family happy. May you rest in peace." With that Gaara brought the ceremony to a close. As the villagers stood gaping in awe at the so called demon, we began heading home.
