Chapter 1: Captured
Masao scratched the side of her head for the umpteenth time and stared back at the crinkled map in annoyance. Stupid, expensive, outdated map! she thought with serious infuriation as she looked around the village. Everything looked the same to her here. Sand, sand, and… guess what? More sand. Sighing she realized that, obviously, this is Sunagakure and, duh, there was going to be some sand here. It was their namesake. But she really hadn't grasped how much there was going to actually be. She understood the whole thing of it being in the desert and all. But c'mon! Even the buildings were made of the stuff! Shoving the map back into her bag and hoisting it onto her shoulder, Masao looked around for a friendly face that would be willing to give her directions. She glanced from villager to villager in hopes of finding one such person.
She shrunk back with a slightly irked expression. So much for that plan. Exhaling noisily, she started again down the street feeling slightly miffed. Stupid Suna. Sure they made a treaty with the place. So what? They still had horribly archaic maps and impossible to navigate streets and a frustratingly sexy Kazekage. It made her want to scream and beat someone ruthlessly with a porcupine. She was abruptly jerked from her thoughts when suddenly, a large shadow flew over the entire village and she glanced up to see a colossal wave of sand soaring over them. Her jaw dropped and then clenched. "Sheesh Gaara!" she growled under her breath. "Way to make yourself hard to find."
Narrowing her eyes, she realized that something was wrong. He wasn't showing off (he wasn't that kind of guy) and he began manipulating the sand into claw like shapes grasping at a large bird thing. Someone rode atop it, but she couldn't distinguish who it was or what village they were from. They moved away from the village and Masao followed in close pursuit, avoiding knocking into people and tripping over random items on the street. Yeah that'd be a good impression. Hikari's Sorakage Cracks Skull in Pursuit of Suna's Kazekage. She could see the headlines now. The pursuit part might raise a few eyebrows and her dignity would forever be soiled. Several midair explosions erupted and she became more worried by the minute. Who's strong enough to put up a fight against Gaara? she wondered anxiously.
As the sand morphed into a thick, circular shield around the jinchūriki, Masao accidentally ran into another spectator, knocking over him. They tumbled to the ground awkwardly, with her tumbled over his back and him on his stomach. "I'm so sorry!" she cried helping the black clad man back to him feet.
Dusting himself off, he mumbled, "Yeah, yeah whatever." Her eyes widened. She would recognize that voice anywhere. He had a set of three scrolls tied to his back rather than his golem, but the cat-eared veil around his head and the black attire gave him away instantly. He hasn't changed one bit.
"Kankurou-san!" she asked, looking at his face. He leaned back a little from her, slightly uncomfortable. She noted the new series of lines decorating his face, but nevertheless it was still the same boy she knew from before. Bowing to him Masao said, "I know we really didn't hit off too well before, Kankurou-san, but might you remember me?" He gave her a strange look then blinked in revelation.
"Masao-kun?" he questioned. Then he shook his head and turned his attention back to the scene above. He was more worried about Gaara than why the Sorakage had popped out of no where and tackled him to the ground. A tall man in all black with a green vest on stood nearby. He had a white veil across the right side of his face held up by a series of bandages and his headband.
He said, "From looking at that shape we can assume Kazekage's opponent is probably a member of the Akatsuki Clan." Masao's eyes widened and she stared at the Suna jounin in shock. She went from uncertain to worried at the name of the particular clan.
"It's just as I thought," Kankurou growled, balling his hands into fists. So, they're here. But why? Are they after Gaara? Or the village itself? Kankurou couldn't be sure, all her knew was that the redhead needed help! He didn't like standing by and doing nothing while his little brother defended the village himself. But…
The… Akatsuki… Masao was very familiar with the clique and what they stood for. But Gaara… did he stand a chance against a member from there? She clenched her hands angrily.
The man called, "Hurry, prepare for battle! We're going to back up the Kazekage!" Masao grinned. Well, at least these people were loyal to their leader. "Medical team, set up a barrier and guide the civilians in there." She bit her lip and glanced at Kankurou who continued to look up at the sky in well hidden concern.
"Sir!"
As they vanished, Baki, still watching Gaara fight, said, "Kankurou."
"What is it?" he asked, glancing at him.
He paused for a moment then turned to face the puppet master. "Consider the idea of Gaara going crazy again in your head." She tensed and gave the man the beginning of what was to be a furious look, only halted by confusion. Wasn't this man just… planning on helping Gaara? "As well as a scenario where Shukaku comes out too." Masao bristled and stepped forward but Kankurou held his arm out to stop her. She glared at him and saw the determined expression adorning his face.
"That won't happen," he defended, giving his sensei an uncompromising look. "Gaara won't harm the people of this village." He looked back at his brother. Gaara… He had told Kankurou once that he realized he could change the way he lived. That he wasn't only a dangerous weapon. Thanks to Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchūriki understood that through hard work he could become something the Sand needed: their Kazekage. He glanced down at the anxiety-filled Masao and sighed. Little did he know… he thought wryly.
The maroon haired girl watched him in pleased awe. I was wrong. Kankurou has changed… a lot. Looking around she noted the amount of people cheering their leader on. "Do your best Kazekage-sama!" a man called to him. It seems… that Gaara has become quite popular in Sunagakure. He wasn't the lonely boy she met less than two years ago. He was a capable leader worthy of his position, and she felt happy knowing he was needed now. "Kankurou-san…"
Before the puppeteer could answer someone cried, "What the hell is that!" The exclamation caused her head to snap up and she saw a huge birdlike creature barreling down towards the village. Gasping, she turned to Kankurou who grit his teeth.
Baki, noting the gravity of the situation, called to them, "This is bad! Spread out!"
Turning to Masao, and noting her fear-mesmerized induced state, Kankurou ordered, "We have to get moving! C'mon!" He tried to pull her with him, but he jerked her too fast and too suddenly, causing her to stumble to the ground.
Throwing her arms over her head she growled, "Holy crap!"
Gaara saw the thing heading for his village and looked down at the scene momentarily in shock. In the split second he glanced down, he saw his brother and Baki, but someone he had not expected looked at the clay mold in terror. Her voice seemed to rise above all of those calling out in fear and he narrowed his eyes dangerously. No! Nothing is going to happen to her!
The explosion sounded and Masao, feeling small bits of rocks bounce off her head instead of being incinerated, glimpsed the scene above them. A huge shield of sand barricaded the city preventing the kamikaze bird from destroying the entire village, and she stood up, watching it in wonder. "That's Gaara's sand," she breathed, taking a step forward with her hand to her mouth. He saved us… But is he okay?
A huge rumbling sound erupted as the sand around him distorted and fell away from his body grain by grain. The sand barrier retreated as Gaara's form became more discernible amid the grains. "Gaara!" Kankurou called. He began to fall, lines fracturing along his face detecting where his armor had been cracked. The gourd he normally carried around on his back crumpled back into sand as he descended towards the ground, losing consciousness as he went.
"Gaara no!" Masao screamed as the strange attacker on the bird wrapped him in its tail like cargo.
Their objective was Gaara! Kankurou thought wildly. Those bastards! He started to follow the creature with Masao in close pursuit, but slowed down and glanced behind him as Baki called, "Kankurou! They were at a high enough level to defeat Gaara! You won't be able to do anything by yourself!"
"He's not alone!" Masao told him fiercely, almost running backwards as she tried to keep moving and listen to the sensei at the same time.
Baki growled, "Even with this little girl with you, you don't stand a chance!"
L-Little girl? Impertinent subordinate! Masao let that one slide though, annoyed as she was, but she vowed to later chastise him for it, as Kankurou replied intensely, "So you just plan to abandon Gaara!" He looked slightly taken aback.
"Don't say something like that!" She shot him an annoyed look and he cleared his throat. "Fine! Just follow them… don't take any action! If we can even get a hold of their base, we can form a group attack!"
"Ok! … If I can!" Masao trailed behind him, the same amount of anger he felt. She couldn't believe it. Gaara… he had been defeated because he helped the village. Finally, he was putting others before himself. He's changed so much since she had last seen the boy. But… what could have caused it? She certainly didn't (remembering painfully how he left), although she might possibly be a part of it. Her heart pounded against her chest as she strode alongside Kankurou.
Kankurou's eyes still trained on the bird he thought, They've landed… He and Masao slowed to a walk as the painted boy looked around with a pained expression. "Wha… what's this! It's insane…" Scattered across the ground, dead, were a dozen Suna shinobi, blood spattered across the ground. Clenching his fist, Kankurou dashed ahead and Masao could barely keep up with him. "Wait!" he yelled at the retreating backs of the two Akatsuki members and the bird carrying the Kazekage.
Masao felt her heart tear. He was unconscious in the bird's tail with sand cracks all over his face; the jinchūriki looked as if he was dead, and it caused her body to shake with rage. She shouted, "Return Gaara to us!" They stopped moving and the shorter of the two turned to the taller.
"…Deidara… you go on ahead." He turned to face the two of them and Kankurou took stance.
He whispered, "Masao-kun, this guy's dangerous. Stay behind me." She scowled as he pulled out the three scrolls on his back and rolled them out before him. Written across them in heavy black ink were Karasu (crow), Sanshouuo (salamander), and Kuroari (black ant). New puppets? she thought with a little bit of astonishment. He clapped his hands together in a seal and, in a cloud of smoke, the three marionettes appeared, looking extremely badass. Masao smirked. That guy has no chance in Hell against Kankurou.
"Puppet jutsu?" the man asked, looking slightly surprised. His cohort hopped aboard the bird holding onto Gaara.
He said, "Right… I'll head on… yeah."
"Like I'll let you go!" Kankurou told her as Masao shouted, "You wish!" He manipulated his Karasu after him as Masao pulled out a scroll with a good number of kunai appearing out of it and hurled it at the blond, only to have it blocked by the man's… creature's… strange wrought iron tail. Kankurou's crow was wrapped up in it and all of her weapons had been knocked aside like it was nothing.
He said, "Since I don't like waiting or making people wait, I'll end this quickly." Oh, no… Masao thought, clutching a shuriken tightly. I have a bad feeling about this.
…:oOo:…
Kankurou lay on the ground next to his fallen comrade, panting as his body began to lose feeling. My body is going numb… No way, He clenched his fist tightly in revelation as he realized the cause of the anesthetizing. He uses poison too. He looked over at his maroon haired companion, whose expression was that of complete and utter shame. Masao fought back tears threatening to spill from her eyes as the failure she felt enveloped her. She had been of no use to him at all. Her genjutsu had been completely cancelled out by this thing, and her ninjutsu attacks were all for naught. Akatsuki; clearly a group to be reckoned with.
The man said, as if almost commending Kankurou, "You plan was good… It's just not good enough against me. Your puppets' whole poison preparation mechanism is worthy of praise." His expression went from surprised to frustrated in a matter of seconds as he thought, Why! This is the first time my puppet's preparation has been read into so deeply. The man chuckled, "You have a strange look on your face… Why were your preparations known? It's because the one that created your puppet dolls, Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshouuo… was none other than me!" His expression became shocked once more and Masao gasped.
No way…! That can't be true!
"A couple of cute youngsters like you being my opponents… It was the most fun battle I've had in a long time. Even you, little girl, should be praised for your genjutsu abilities and weapons skills." She growled at him and he raised an eyebrow.
"So… wait…" Kankurou gasped. "You're the one they called the Puppet Army's genius model creator, Sasori from the Red Sands, right!"
He chuckled again, "For my name to be known all the way down to a kid like you… is an honor." The lack of normally expected sarcasm in this man's voice shocked Masao. What's this guy's game? she questioned uncertainly. She could hardly control her body's shaking from the effects of the poison, and looking at Kankurou he didn't seem to be having any better of a time than she was.
He asked furiously "You left the Sand over twenty years ago! Why?" I was right. He's a missing-nin… Fortunately for her, she only had one missing-nin to deal with at the moment. That stupid asshole of a man, Kenji. But unfortunately now was not the time for reminiscing, and she could feel her body falling more and more exposed to the poison. God. Effing. Dammit. Angry tears swelled in her eyes as she glared at Sasori. If she died here, when that man came to Hell she'd kill him again.
Sasori lifted up his metal tail, a swishing sound emitting as the metal cut through the air, and said, "What good is it for a person about to die to ask that?" Masao felt her heart drop as the steel lashed out towards them, but Kankurou proved much more resilient than she had previously thought. He lifted his hand and blocked the tail with a piece of one of his puppets, and as Sasori was distracted by that as a knife popped out of a limb that Kankurou had moved as well. It tore the mask on his face in half as the Akatsuki member dodged it at the last minute and said, "Close…"
Kankurou tried to manipulate something else, but the limb rattled and banged onto the ground. "K-Kankurou-s-san?" Masao breathed, glancing at him with difficulty. One of his eyes was squeezed closed and he shook from exertion. He's at the end of his rope…
Sasori commented, "The poison is making its rounds." His tail made a clanking sound as it retracted back underneath his black cloak and watched him appraisingly. "Fufu, to be suffering like you are… If you want to live so badly, I won't kill either of you off here. However, that poison will kill you both in three days." Masao felt her vision start to go dark, her last remaining thoughts on Gaara. She felt awful, knowing she had let him down. Please be safe…
Someone in the background called, "Here they are! Over here! They're both down… And Kankurou's puppets are all in pieces!"
