Chapter 5: A New Mission
A loud knock on the door the next morning woke everyone up at the same time. Temari ran down to the door and opened it.
"Hey," Temari's old sensei was standing at the door. "Tell Gaara he has to go see Kazekage-sama as soon as he wakes up." Temari nodded perplexedly, then slowly closed the door.
The rest of the household walked down the stairs and looked at Temari expectantly.
"Gaara," she said, "You have to go see the Kazekage soon." Gaara didn't expect this, but he nodded. He looked at Kitai, and saw that she looked worried.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"That guy," she said as she knit her eyebrows together, "He gave me a bad feeling."
"You're probably imagining it," he shrugged as he sat down to eat breakfast. But Kitai still didn't look very reassured.
Half an hour later Gaara was standing in front of the new Kazekage in his office.
"Gaara," Kazekage said. There was something strange about him. "I have a mission for you." Gaara didn't answer. "You are a Chuunin now, and I've given you enough time to recuperate from you battle at the Konoha. Either way, this is a simple mission. You have to go north east and meet up with one of our shinobi's on the border. Here is a detailed plan of your mission." He handed Gaara a scroll. "Memorize it and destroy it. Also, note that this is a mission for you alone. You can not take any other shinobi with you." Gaara nodded. "That's all. You're excused."
Gaara left the office a little while later, reading the scroll. He walked out onto the street.
"Hiya!" said a voice behind him. Gaara turned around and saw Kitai standing by the door.
"Kitai, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"It's hard to train by yourself, so there's no point in going out if you're not around, right?" Gaara shrugged.
"Well, let's go. I have to leave as soon as possible."
"Right..."
Kitai started following Gaara when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and looked up onto a balcony. There stood the Kazekage with another shinobi. She didn't like the feeling that she got as she looked at them.
"Kitai?" Gaara was waiting for her.
"I'm coming!" she hurried to catch up to him.
"So that's the girl," said the Kazekage to the man beside him, "that's been rumored to have gained Gaara's trust."
"Yes sir," responded the man, "Ever since she showed up, there haven't been any Gaara-related deaths. Is it possible that she managed to pacify him?"
"Nonsense," spat the Kazekage, "That boy is a monster that will only grow stronger. I will not make the same mistake as my predecessor, and let him live."
"So," Kitai was sitting on Gaara's bed, watching him pack the few things that he needed, "How long are you gonna be gone?"
"I don't know," he responded, "Probably a week or so." Kitai sighed.
"Are you sure I can't come with?"
"My mission statement says I can't have any other shinobi with me."
"Shinobi, huh? Well, what if a regular villager happened to tag along?" Gaara looked at her inquisitively. "'Cause you know, that I'm not a shinobi. I only lived in the Leaf for a while."
"Well..." Gaara scratched the back of his head.
"Or is it because you want to get away from me for a while?"
"You know it's not that."
"Then what is it?" Gaara sighed.
"All right, you can come. Just meet me at the gate, ok?" Kitai beamed.
"Yes! Score one for Kitai!" She walked out of the room happily. Maybe having her tag along would make this trip better...
Kitai rocked on her heels happily as she waited at the gate for Gaara. She hummed a song that she had learned in her village, then she sang the chorus out loud.
"What're you doing?" Gaara had arrived and looked at her as he hid his amusement.
"Me? Oh-h-h, nothin'..." she grinned. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
"I see you've got your gourd again," she said as they started walking.
"Well, I can't do very many attacks if there isn't any sand around, right?"
"Right, right." She kept humming as she playfully marched forward.
"You're in a good mood."
"I'm always in a good mood when I'm traveling! Seeing new places, trying new things... It's always so much fun!"
"But we're on a mission, remember?"
"No, you're on the mission. Besides: traveling, mission, same dif." Gaara grinned, thinking how short this trip would seem with her around.
"Fish, fish," Kitai sang as she slowly turned them while they roasted on the fire. She seemed so happy that Gaara was glad that she came along. Any strange looks they would receive just bounced off her, and with that, Gaara couldn't help feeling more optimistic every time they entered a village.
"Yours is done," she said as she handed him a fish.
"Thanks," he took it and waited for it to cool off. Meanwhile she took a bite out of hers, and only succeeded to burn her tongue.
"Ow! Oh!" She blew air, trying to cool off her tongue. Then she smiled at him as she began to chew. Gaara just shook his head and grinned, like he always did. He knew that she did most of her stunts just to try and keep him happy. She always said that he looked better when he was smiling...
"We should be able to reach our destination by tomorrow afternoon," he said after he chewed some of his fish.
"That's great!" she responded cheerfully, "And Gaara-kun will be considered a man, since he finished his first ever Chuunin level mission." Gaara chuckled, but his face became a little sadder.
"I doubt anything will change..." he said. Kitai suddenly grew seriously quiet.
"Oh well," she replied boldly, "Tell them to do the world a favor and jump off a cliff. Besides... to me, Gaara-kun is already a man." She grinned at him, and he grinned back. He felt lighter with her around. Like if even if the world hated him, he'd still be happy with just her...
Kitai had finished her fish, and was now yawning loudly.
"Fish always tastes better," she said as she poked the fire, "when it's roasted on a stick and you're eating it with a friend." Gaara stopped mid-bite.
"So," he asked, "Does that mean I'm your friend?" Kitai looked at him as if he had gone crazy. Gaara didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Of course you're my friend!" she laughed, "I wouldn't be here if you weren't. Really Gaara, you need to use more common sense." Gaara gave a small, sheepish grin.
He looked up to the sky. A breathtaking full moon hung in the corner of the world. A few weeks earlier and Gaara would've been sitting somewhere... hoping someone would come near him... just to kill them...
But it was strange. Gaara had met Kitai on a full moon, the time when he was most blood thirsty, but he wasn't able to kill her. Well, whatever stopped him, he was glad it did...
"Hello, Gaara, you in there?" Kitai was saying playfully. He suddenly realized where he was and looked at her, "There you are! You were really lost in thought there, weren't you? Anyways, I'm tired we should sleep." Gaara nodded in agreement and quickly finished his fish. He tossed it in the fire. He arched his arm and sand from the riverbank flew over and smothered the fire instantly.
Meanwhile, Kitai was clearing some brush from under a tree. She sat down when it was all cleared. Gaara went over and joined her. He put the gourd down nearby then sat down by her and reclined on the tree. She lay her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Gaara," she said sleepily.
"Goodnight," he responded softly. With one last look at the moon, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep...
A loud knock on the door the next morning woke everyone up at the same time. Temari ran down to the door and opened it.
"Hey," Temari's old sensei was standing at the door. "Tell Gaara he has to go see Kazekage-sama as soon as he wakes up." Temari nodded perplexedly, then slowly closed the door.
The rest of the household walked down the stairs and looked at Temari expectantly.
"Gaara," she said, "You have to go see the Kazekage soon." Gaara didn't expect this, but he nodded. He looked at Kitai, and saw that she looked worried.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"That guy," she said as she knit her eyebrows together, "He gave me a bad feeling."
"You're probably imagining it," he shrugged as he sat down to eat breakfast. But Kitai still didn't look very reassured.
Half an hour later Gaara was standing in front of the new Kazekage in his office.
"Gaara," Kazekage said. There was something strange about him. "I have a mission for you." Gaara didn't answer. "You are a Chuunin now, and I've given you enough time to recuperate from you battle at the Konoha. Either way, this is a simple mission. You have to go north east and meet up with one of our shinobi's on the border. Here is a detailed plan of your mission." He handed Gaara a scroll. "Memorize it and destroy it. Also, note that this is a mission for you alone. You can not take any other shinobi with you." Gaara nodded. "That's all. You're excused."
Gaara left the office a little while later, reading the scroll. He walked out onto the street.
"Hiya!" said a voice behind him. Gaara turned around and saw Kitai standing by the door.
"Kitai, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"It's hard to train by yourself, so there's no point in going out if you're not around, right?" Gaara shrugged.
"Well, let's go. I have to leave as soon as possible."
"Right..."
Kitai started following Gaara when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and looked up onto a balcony. There stood the Kazekage with another shinobi. She didn't like the feeling that she got as she looked at them.
"Kitai?" Gaara was waiting for her.
"I'm coming!" she hurried to catch up to him.
"So that's the girl," said the Kazekage to the man beside him, "that's been rumored to have gained Gaara's trust."
"Yes sir," responded the man, "Ever since she showed up, there haven't been any Gaara-related deaths. Is it possible that she managed to pacify him?"
"Nonsense," spat the Kazekage, "That boy is a monster that will only grow stronger. I will not make the same mistake as my predecessor, and let him live."
"So," Kitai was sitting on Gaara's bed, watching him pack the few things that he needed, "How long are you gonna be gone?"
"I don't know," he responded, "Probably a week or so." Kitai sighed.
"Are you sure I can't come with?"
"My mission statement says I can't have any other shinobi with me."
"Shinobi, huh? Well, what if a regular villager happened to tag along?" Gaara looked at her inquisitively. "'Cause you know, that I'm not a shinobi. I only lived in the Leaf for a while."
"Well..." Gaara scratched the back of his head.
"Or is it because you want to get away from me for a while?"
"You know it's not that."
"Then what is it?" Gaara sighed.
"All right, you can come. Just meet me at the gate, ok?" Kitai beamed.
"Yes! Score one for Kitai!" She walked out of the room happily. Maybe having her tag along would make this trip better...
Kitai rocked on her heels happily as she waited at the gate for Gaara. She hummed a song that she had learned in her village, then she sang the chorus out loud.
"What're you doing?" Gaara had arrived and looked at her as he hid his amusement.
"Me? Oh-h-h, nothin'..." she grinned. "Ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
"I see you've got your gourd again," she said as they started walking.
"Well, I can't do very many attacks if there isn't any sand around, right?"
"Right, right." She kept humming as she playfully marched forward.
"You're in a good mood."
"I'm always in a good mood when I'm traveling! Seeing new places, trying new things... It's always so much fun!"
"But we're on a mission, remember?"
"No, you're on the mission. Besides: traveling, mission, same dif." Gaara grinned, thinking how short this trip would seem with her around.
"Fish, fish," Kitai sang as she slowly turned them while they roasted on the fire. She seemed so happy that Gaara was glad that she came along. Any strange looks they would receive just bounced off her, and with that, Gaara couldn't help feeling more optimistic every time they entered a village.
"Yours is done," she said as she handed him a fish.
"Thanks," he took it and waited for it to cool off. Meanwhile she took a bite out of hers, and only succeeded to burn her tongue.
"Ow! Oh!" She blew air, trying to cool off her tongue. Then she smiled at him as she began to chew. Gaara just shook his head and grinned, like he always did. He knew that she did most of her stunts just to try and keep him happy. She always said that he looked better when he was smiling...
"We should be able to reach our destination by tomorrow afternoon," he said after he chewed some of his fish.
"That's great!" she responded cheerfully, "And Gaara-kun will be considered a man, since he finished his first ever Chuunin level mission." Gaara chuckled, but his face became a little sadder.
"I doubt anything will change..." he said. Kitai suddenly grew seriously quiet.
"Oh well," she replied boldly, "Tell them to do the world a favor and jump off a cliff. Besides... to me, Gaara-kun is already a man." She grinned at him, and he grinned back. He felt lighter with her around. Like if even if the world hated him, he'd still be happy with just her...
Kitai had finished her fish, and was now yawning loudly.
"Fish always tastes better," she said as she poked the fire, "when it's roasted on a stick and you're eating it with a friend." Gaara stopped mid-bite.
"So," he asked, "Does that mean I'm your friend?" Kitai looked at him as if he had gone crazy. Gaara didn't know if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Of course you're my friend!" she laughed, "I wouldn't be here if you weren't. Really Gaara, you need to use more common sense." Gaara gave a small, sheepish grin.
He looked up to the sky. A breathtaking full moon hung in the corner of the world. A few weeks earlier and Gaara would've been sitting somewhere... hoping someone would come near him... just to kill them...
But it was strange. Gaara had met Kitai on a full moon, the time when he was most blood thirsty, but he wasn't able to kill her. Well, whatever stopped him, he was glad it did...
"Hello, Gaara, you in there?" Kitai was saying playfully. He suddenly realized where he was and looked at her, "There you are! You were really lost in thought there, weren't you? Anyways, I'm tired we should sleep." Gaara nodded in agreement and quickly finished his fish. He tossed it in the fire. He arched his arm and sand from the riverbank flew over and smothered the fire instantly.
Meanwhile, Kitai was clearing some brush from under a tree. She sat down when it was all cleared. Gaara went over and joined her. He put the gourd down nearby then sat down by her and reclined on the tree. She lay her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Gaara," she said sleepily.
"Goodnight," he responded softly. With one last look at the moon, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep...