Hyuu~....Been a while, hasn't it? ^.^ Sorry for the untimely delay. I've been really busy with school and my personal life so yeah...lol. The first quarter of my Freshman year is already almost over...-le sigh- I've also been rereading "The Violet Rose" and "POTBS" and I must say....My writing was a bit off back then. XD Thanks everyone who pointed out my previous mistakes. It makes me happy because English is my best class right now. XDDD Today was really fun at school, too....In ICP (Integrated Chemistry and Physics) we had to make a device to protect an egg if we dropped it off the roof of our three story school building....Mine failed. TT_TT I opened up my project and my egg was in shards. XD It was funny tho....we didn't get to go on the roof, but one of the teachers stood up there and tossed things down, fright in front of the Art classes's window, and the students were like, "WTF ARE YOU GUYS DOING!?!??" XDDD And in second period, we got to go see the King Tut exhibit at the Children's Museum. It was only for freshman, teehee. I spent most of the tour talking to our chaperons nine year old daughter, who was part Russian and took a real shine to me. XD She was dragging me through the exhibit....lol. Well, I should stop talking and let you read now. It HAS been a while, after all. lol
The blast had knocked her off her feet...she'd hit her head, and it hurt like hell. In the chaos of the attack, she'd lost sight of the others. She just hoped that they were okay...The blast had been really bad, and painful...Who had that boy been...?
"Are you awake now, Jewel of Seiyru?"
"...." Aki opened her eyes slowly, her head throbbing. Her whole body felt stiff, and her heart was pounding in her ears. Her vision was blurry for a moment...when it cleared, she the rough outline of a cave roof above her. She was lying on something hard...earth. Cold earth.
"Ugh..." She held her head as she sat up, biting her lip as she did so. She sat still for a moment before looking up. Like she had guessed, she was in a cave. Outside the mouth of said cave, snow was blowing harshly, and the crisp, brown grass had been hidden beneath a blanket of white.
She stared at the snow for a moment...until she remembered. Someone had spoken to her. She looked around sharply, wishing soon after that she hadn't, for her head began to spin again. She took a series of steady breaths before she looked up at the speaker.
It was a man...probably in his early thirties. He was very handsome, with long, raven shaded hair that fell over his lean shoulders and into his clear, amethyst eyes. His skin matched the color the snow outside...even the aura he gave off was like the snow.
"Who are you?" Aki rasped, her shoulders raising slightly. She may be in pain, but if he attacked-
"My name's Rei," He answered cooly, as if they were discussing the weather. "I'm the Otokage, leader of Otogakure, and eldest son of Yakushi Kabuto." he looked at her with those burning eyes of his..."Anything else you'd like to know, Sabaku Aki-san?"
Her eyes narrowed into a glare. This guy...was Kabuto's son AND a Kage. If it wasn't one thing it was another..."How do you know my name?" She asked. She kept her hands close together, ready to call upon Seiyru if need be.
"Being a friend of your parents and brother, I'm hoping I'd know it," He stated calmly.
Aki flinched at the words, 'parents' and 'brother', but continued to stare him down. "What do you want?" She snapped, her voice cracking around the room like a whip.
"...." Rei blinked dolefully. "I want nothing. I just saved your life. Why should I want something?"
She stayed silent.
"I never thought that, on my way to the Kage meeting, I'd run into the little girl who is so sought after..." he shook his head. "Actually, I was looking for you before I found you."
"Why?" She growled.
"I wanted to help you," he cast her a glance. "For my own reasons."
"I don't need a shinobi's help..." She struggled to her feet, but her knees buckled and she fell forward, into the arms of Rei, who had hurried to her side.
"Obviously you do."
She shoved him away angrily and sat back down, nursing her aching head.
"Where are the others?" She asked.
"What?"
"When you found me...were there four others?"
When he shook his head, she sighed heavily. 'I've gotta find them..." She whispered. "They might be hurt..."
"You're hurt," Rei told her. "And you're not going anywhere in your condition."
"Don't you DARE tell me what I can and can't do!" She snarled, giving him a venomous glare. "I have to find them..." She tried to get to her feet, but again, she fell back onto her knees. "D-damn..."
"Just rest here until your body gathers its bearings," He said, sitting down not too far away from her. "Then, I'll do nothing to stop you. You can go off and do whatever you please."
She huffed and looked away.
Silence stretched over them.
"Why do you refuse to accept Gaara-san and Hinata-san as your parents?" Rei asked.
She spat.
"...You may look like Hinata-san, but you're a lot like Gaara-san. In more ways then just your attitude."
"Don't compare me to a shinobi!" She snapped, whipping around and glaring at him "I'm nothing like shinobi!"
"You are. More then you know."
"Shut up."
"You're similar to Michiru as well..." He said, smirking slightly.
"Will you just SHUT UP!?" She yelled. If she had something hard in her hands, she'd chuck it at him. "I am nothing like those disgusting shinobi! All I apparently share with them is blood, and that alone makes me sick!"
"And your family understands that..." he stared at her. "If they didn't...do you think they'd be staying in the safety of their village, helping you whether you want them to do so or not?"
"...." She frowned. "I'm nothing like any shinobi," She growled. "Not Michiru, not that Gaara guy, not anyone."
"I'm not talking about the Michiru and Gaara that are shinboi..." Rei murmured gently. "I'm talking about the two of them that are just people."
"...?"
Rei thought for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the Bijuu?"
She blinked and sat up a bit. "Yeah. Everyone has."
"And the Jinchurikki that host them?"
"Yes. The Hokage's one of them."
Rei nodded slowly. "Your father used to be one."
She blinked, taken aback. "W-wha-"
"Just listen..." Rei whispered. "I want to tell you all about your father, so that you might better understand how you are like him."
Aki was silent for a moment before she leaned against the wall of the cave, her eyes narrowed. "This better be worth it."
Rei didn't answer. "Now...from what I have heard from Michiru, you don't want to be used, yes? You don't want people to use you for the power within you."
"Duh," She grunted.
"Your father never had that choice."
"Huh?"
"Your father was born for the sole purpose of being Sunagakure's greatest weapon. Before he had even left the womb, your grandfather, the Yondaime Kazekage, sealed the Ichibi no Shukaku within your grandmother. When Gaara-san was born, his mother died...a sacrifice, and the Shukaku was sealed within Gaara-san's body.
"He grew up being told he was a weapon, and being told that no one loved him. At one point, he came so unstable that his father scent someone to kill him. Gaara-san ended up killing the assassin, who was his most precious person, his uncle, Yashamaru.
"Anyway, when your father was twelve, he met Naruto-san, who was also a Jinchurikki. Something in your father changed when he met Naruto-san. He became genuinely strong, and he even became the Kazekage...
"The Shukaku was extracted from his body when he was sixteen by the Akatsuki, and your father died...But a woman from the Sand sacrificed herself to bring him back. Then he met your mother, and so on and so fourth."
Aki stared at him, her green eyes wide.
"As for your brother..." Rei blinked slowly. "After your parents got married, the war was raging, and Hinata-san became pregnant with Michiru. But there was no time for a baby in the war, so they scent him to an orphanage where he could grow up and be safe/ When he was your age...maybe a bit younger, he met the two of them and returned to his family. When Hinata-san became pregnant with you, they wanted to give you what Michiru had not received. They loved you and dedicated their lives to keeping you safe...but you were kidnapped by Kabuto, who wanted to use your powers.
"Your parents, you brother, myself, and many, many others fought to save you. We even lost a comrade. He died to protect Michiru, so that he could go on and save you..." His voice faltered for a moment, but after a slight pause, he spoke up again. "But we couldn't. We couldn't get to you in time, and the building that we were in collapsed..." he closed his eyes.
"We all thought you were dead."
He fell silent, as did the cave.
"Y-you think I care....?" Aki whispered, clenching her hands together. She stared at her knees blindly, biting her lower lip. "I HAVE people who care about me...I-I...I don't need...them..."
He stared at her.
"Shit..." Aki blinked and rubbed her eyes quickly. She turned her back on Rei, sniffing slightly. "I-I don't need the help of Shinobi, nor will I ever accept it! A-and besides...I don't want parents or a brother! I never asked for anything! I never asked for any of that!"
Rei remained silent.
"Well!?" Aki looked around angrily at him, her temper flaring. "Why the HELL do they care about me so much!? I'm their enemy at best! The Kage's want to kill off the Jewels right!? Nodoka told me! So why should my...father or you for that matter give a damn about me!? HAH!?"
Rei watched the furious teenager, whose shoulders were moving up and down slowly as she breathed heavily. Her cold green eyes were like glass as she stared across the cave at him.
"We help you because we want to," Rei whispered. "Gaara-san is your father. He loves you. I....Like I said, my friend gave his life so that we could save you. I'm not going to let his sacrifice be in vein."
"....." She frowned.
"You should be grateful that you have people who care for you."
"Oh shut up," She huffed. "Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't feel."
Rei blinked. "Well...you'd better get some rest. I need to be going to the Kage meeting, but I'm not leaving until you have your strength back."
"Tch," She glared at him once more before turning her back on him, arms crossed over her chest.
"This is ridiculous..." Nodoka sat beneath a snow covered tree, nursing a bloody wound above his eye. When he had awoken, he was in the midst of a snowy forest, and the underground village was no where in sight.
He wasn't alone though.
He glanced down at the still unconscious Kishun. Nodoka had woken up beside the blond and dragged him to safety. He'd taken off his dark red jacket, positioned it on the ground and put Kishun on top of it.
He hadn't seen anyone else, though. No Aki, Inami or Shuro.
Sighing, Nodoka pushed his hair back from his face. "Suzaku," He murmured. The bird appeared in a flash, chirping happily.
"Go see if there's a village nearby," Nodoka instructed, pushing the blood out of his eyes. "And be quick about it."
Suzaku twittered in understanding before turning and flying off into the wilderness.
"...."
"Ugh...Aki..."
Nodoka blinked and glanced down at Kishun, whose eyes were twitching in his sleep.
"Aki..Ak..."
"Hmph," Nodoka snarted. "You really love her a lot...?" He whispered, staring at the snow. "Don't you...?" He sat in the winter silence for a moment before closing his eyes...
"AKI!" Kishun cried, sitting up suddenly, making Nodoka jump.
"...." Kishun stared at the snow, his eyes wide. "W-what the he-" He looked around and spotted Nodoka. "Y-YOU-" he tried to back off but had to stop as pain shot up his arm. "Ugh...."
"Cool off," Nodoka said dully. "There are some tendons torn up in your arm. Move to much and you might break it."
"W-where the hell am I!?" Kishun snapped, ignoring Nodoka's words. "Why am I with you!? Where's Aki!?"
"Hell if I know," Nodoka pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I woke up in the snow and lugged your ass over here. I didn't see your friends."
"...." Kishun glared at him and looked around. "Aki!? AKI!? Inami? Shuro?"
"Will you just shut up?" Nodoka growled, rubbing his ears. "They're not around."
"YOU shut up!" Kishun glared at him. "This is obviously YOUR fault!"
"My fault?"
"That kid must've been after you! Damn it! Why did Aki have to try and trust you...? I bet you led that guy to us, didn't you!?" His eyes widened. "You were trying to kill all of us! Oh my God...I knew it!"
"You don't know jack!" Nodoka snarled, grabbing a handful of snow and tossing it at the blond. The snow smacked him square in the face. "I didn't know that kid at all!"
"Pff-" Kishun pushed the snow from his face. "You bastard..."
"Now, I scent Suzaku off to find a village-" Nodoka pushed himself to his feet, his eyes closed. "When he finds one, you can either come with me or go off your own way."
"I'm not going with you!" Kishun snapped, struggling to his feet and glaring at the ex-assassin.
"Very well." Nodoka leaned against the tree and reached into his pockets. His eyes twitched in frustration as he remembered that Aki had destroyed his last cigarette. Sighing, he closed his eyes and remained silent, listening to the sound of the snow...
He heard Kishun sit down huffily, and shook his head. It was going to be a long wait...
Then, something else came to Nodoka's mind.
When that boy had attacked them and he had been knocked off his feet, someone had grabbed his hand...He knew who it had been. Her touch was all too familiar by now...
When a person thinks of girls, they think of soft and sweet...but that hand had been hard and strong...He looked down at his own hand as he remembered how close her fingers had come to his, and if he had just closed his hand...
He sighed and DID close his hand, starring at the snow.
Aki...
"ACHOO!"
Hinata giggled as Gaara rubbed his nose on his sleeve. "Not catching a cold, are you?" She asked.
"I'm just not used to winter," Gaara huffed, rubbing his shoulders.
"Good thing we have these then, huh?" Kakeru smiled and tugged at the light tan traveling cloak that he and the other two wore. The three of them had left Sunagakure two days ago and were on the border of Konoha and Iawgakure. The Land of Ages was about a three day's journey away.
"Yeah," Hinata smiled at him.
"This is going to be one intense meeting, isn't it?" Kakeru said after a moment, his eyes on Gaara. "Kazekage-sama...?"
"...." Gaara looked at him and Hinata. "Indefinitely. We know that the council wants to kill off the Jewels...but we cannot allow that," he closed his eyes slowly. "For the sake of the world. That's what they don't understand."
"But we haven't confirmed that the Jewel's will help or cause us more trouble," Kakeru interjected.
"Even so..." Gaara looked up, his green eyes flaring dangerously. "Aki is my daughter, Tsuke is Naruto's daughter...we can't let anything happen to them. Whether what we think is true or not...I won't let those two get hurt."
Hinata smiled at him.
"Kazekage-sama's such a good guy," Kakeru said with a smile.
Gaara blinked slowly, shrugging.
"...What's...?"
Gaara glanced over. "Hinata?"
The Hyugga narrowed her eyes, staring into the distance. "Is that...people?"
"Huh?" Gaara stepped up beside his wife and looked in the same direction, squinting his eyes. After a long moment..."You...you're right!"
"...." Kakeru frowned.
"C'mon," Gaara hurried off through the snow without waiting for their response, his eyes cat-like slits. Hinata and Kakeru were soon at his heels. After a few moments of tripping and stumbling through the snow, they arrived at the two figures they had seen-
Gaara froze. "Hey-"
"Y-you're...the Kazekage!" A young girl with short gray hair and dark green eyes stood before them. Blood was running down her face, and her arm was stained in crimson. What was even more shocking though, was the younger girl that she was supporting on her shoulder.
Though the girl was unconscious, Gaara recognized her instantly by her vibrant pink hair.
"You're Aki's friends!" He said, his eyes widening.
"What are you two doing here?" Hinata asked, rushing over and helping the gray haired girl support the younger girl. "Where's Aki?"
"I don't know..." The girl, Shuro, if Gaara remembered right, shook her head helplessly. "We...i-it's a long story, but w-we all got separated...a-and Inami's hurt..." She looked at her friend, concern in her eyes. "S-she won't wake up..."
"She'll be fine, and so will you." Gaara assured her. He pulled off his traveling cloak and placed it over Shuro's shoulders. Kakeru took his off as well and draped it over Inami before gently scooping her into his arms.
"We need to find a place to treat their wounds, Gaara," Hinata told him.
He nodded. "Shuro-san..." He looked at the girl, who jumped.
"Y-yes...?"
"Don't worry..." he gave her a warm, comforting smile. "We're going to help you two. But in exchange, I'd like you to tell us everything that's been happening...especially concerning Aki."
Shuro stared up at him for a moment before nodded.
"Good...now, let's go."
I....I think Aki is the most STUBBORN character I've ever had...I also think she's one of the characters that angers you guys the most. XD That damn attitude of hers...okay, so after the blast, Rei found Aki and is taking care of her....he told her about Gaara and Michiru, but she still won't sway...Nodoka and Kishun got separated from the others and are now stuck together (huhuhuh) and they're both like "RAWR" as for Inami and Shuro...they got knocked the furthest, but then again, Shuro'd been walking for a while...anyway, Gaara and his group found them, and yeah yeah, Kakeru's back baby. :3 Sooooo yeah. I'll try to update more frequently. I've just been pooped lately...SEE YAH LATA PEEPS!!!! :3
