In which Fuu takes a test, Roshi and Han travel, and Gaara spends time with his siblings.
O-O-O-O-O
"The last thing I want to see is the henge," Takumi said from behind his desk.
Fuu grinned. Without any hesitation, she put her hands into the ram sign and gathered her chakra. A second later, a perfect copy of Takumi stood in her place giggling. The second Takumi pranced around the classroom. Fuu let go of the transformation and she reappeared, a cloud of smoke surrounding her.
"Look! Sensei! I did it! Do I pass now?" she yelled. Takumi smiled before writing something down on his clipboard.
As Fuu waited for her answer, she thought about the previous exam portions. The written test had been the hardest, with a lot of material that they had yet to cover in her year's group. However, after weeks of study and motivation from Chomei and the other jinchuuriki, she had managed to get through it.
The practical portion had been much easier. Even without extra help, she had held her own against Takumi in a spar, avoiding his attacks and hitting back when necessary. Ninjutsu had been easy too. She had shown off her substitution and clone jutsu without any issues.
"Of course you pass, Fuu-chan," Takumi said as he finished writing on his clipboard. "It's not the best score I've ever seen, but it's enough to graduate early."
Fuu cheered and she scurried closer to his desk. "For real? I'm a genin now?" she grinned.
Takumi nodded. "Yes, here, take your hitai-ate." He held out a new forehead protector for her.
Fuu took it and immediately wrapped it around her head. It felt a lot heavier than she had expected.
"Do I have to wear it around my forehead?" she whined. "It's kind of heavy."
"You don't have to," Takumi answered. Fuu hummed, deep in thought. She would have to think about the best place to tie it.
Takumi grinned before his face turned serious once more and he met her eyes. "Fuu, I hope you know what this means."
Fuu's heart began to beat faster. "What do you mean, Takumi-sensei?" she asked.
"You're no longer a child," he said. "Normally, you would be sent on missions along with other genin, but because of... the incident, you won't be able to leave the country for a long time."
"What? But... why?" she yelled, slamming the palms of her hands against the desk.
Takumi sighed. "Your safety is the most important thing," he explained. "Until we know for sure that no one outside of Takigakure knows you are a jinchuuriki, we can't allow you to leave. If someone were to capture you, or worse, the safety of the village would be at risk."
Fuu nodded, clutching at the hem of her skirt. She had already known the risks, but with the hitai-ate on her forehead, the threat of war seemed more real. I still wish I could go on missions, though.
"So what's going to happen to me?" Fuu asked. "What's the point of making me a genin at all?"
"You will be training outside of the village," Takumi said. "I will go with you. A few other Takigakure shinobi will also go with us. We will stay in hiding until we believe you are strong enough to defend yourself and the village."
"So we won't be living in Takigakure anymore?" she asked, biting her lip.
Takumi's eyes softened. "No. Not for a few years at least. Not until we confirm your safety and the safety of the village."
"I see..." she answered, looking down at her feet. Despite the hate she had gotten since Suien's attack, the idea of abandoning the village left a pit in her stomach. It had always been her home. She would miss it.
"Don't worry though, Fuu," Takumi said, able to read her expression. "We will still return to talk to Shibuki-sama and Senji-sama and give our progress reports. And if everything goes according to plan, we can come back to the village before you know it."
Fuu bit her lip and nodded. "Will I have time to pack?" she asked.
"You will," Takumi answered. "We leave tomorrow afternoon. You have the rest of the day to prepare everything you want to take with us. We will stay in a compound outside of the village a few hours away from here. It has all the basic amenities."
"I understand," Fuu said, trying to inject cheerfulness into her voice. "I will be ready by tomorrow."
Takumi nodded and smiled at her. Fuu grinned back, although she had to force it. She turned around and left the classroom. She walked back home, making a mental catalog of everything she planned to take along with her. She ignored everyone she met along the way.
Once Fuu arrived home, she spent the rest of the day going through all of her things. She had more clothes than she had imagined, many of which she had not worn since Kushina was still alive. She sorted through her weapons as well, leaving behind her broken or rusted tools. After hours of sorting, she found herself with two boxes of her personal things and a large bag full of weapons.
She fell asleep late, exhausted after all her work. I hope whoever is going with me will help me carry everything.
When she appeared in the Room, Roshi and Naruto were listening to something that Gaara was saying. Their faces were intense and focused on Gaara's words. They only waved hello to her before returning to their conversation.
"And then, he said that I should listen to him because he's the older one," Gaara complained, face full of annoyance. "Even though I have a lot more experience than he does and even Temari listens to what I say."
"Is your brother causing you trouble again, Gaara-chan?" she asked as she joined their circle.
Gaara rolled his eyes and snorted. "Yeah," he answered. "After he complained about me not caring about Sunagakure, he didn't want to listen to anything I say! He thinks that just 'cause he's older than me, he can boss me around!"
Fuu grimaced in sympathy. Ever since Gaara's siblings had moved in with him, his life had gotten more difficult. Ever since, he had felt disconnected in his own home, surrounded by people who hated and feared him. She hoped the day Gaara left Sunagakure would come soon.
"And what's going on with you, Fuu-chan?" Roshi asked, avoiding her gaze. For the past few days, he had been acting strange but Fuu had no idea as to why. He seemed reluctant about something but she didn't want to pry.
Fuu beamed. Naruto and Gaara look up at her, eyes full of curiosity.
"I got promoted into a genin today!" she announced.
"Congrats!" Naruto yelled as he jumped up to hug her around the midsection. Gaara followed his lead, wrapping his arms around both of them. Fuu grinned down at the children wrapped around her waist.
"A genin?" Roshi asked, surprised. "Already?"
"Yup!" she answered. "I passed the exam! Takumi-sensei said it wasn't as good as someone who had taken all years at the Academy, but that it was good enough to graduate."
"I see," Roshi answered, scratching his beard in contemplation. "Are you going to start doing missions now?"
Fuu sighed heavily and she shook her head. "Not exactly," she said. "Takumi-sensei says that my safety is the most important thing. So I won't be doing missions or anything."
"Oh? Then what's the point?" Roshi asked as he placed a hand on top of her head.
"Shibuki-sama wants me to be out of the Academy," she explained. "So then Takumi-sensei can take me to some secret compound and train me."
"Wait, secret compound? You're not staying inside the village?" Roshi asked. For some reason Fuu couldn't fathom, he appeared relieved about something.
Fuu shook her head. "No, he says it's dangerous for me to stay in Takigakure after my secret got revealed. They want to make sure no one from another country knows about me or, that if they do, they can't find me."
"I see," Roshi answered, eyes full of relief. "Your safety is the most important thing, Fuu. Listen to them and keep yourself safe. Do you hear me?"
Fuu wanted to roll her eyes at his words. I know how to take care of myself! However, there was something in Roshi's expression that told her that the man was serious about the warning.
"I will," she promised. She bent her head down and pressed a kiss on Gaara and Naruto's crowns. Naruto giggled while Gaara blushed and grinned. Fuu's heart felt ready to burst at the sight.
"So what have you been learning recently, kids?" she asked.
Immediately, both Gaara and Naruto's eyes lit up. They began to babble about sand clones, kunai, endurance, and team drills over each other. Fuu listened, offering her own advice when needed.
O-O-O-O-O
"Is this the place?" Roshi asked.
Han looked around the entrance to the village. All around him were gambling houses full of drunkards, call girls, and scammers. In the background, he could see a large castle, emblematic of Tanzaku Quarters. It was the kind of village where people woke up without kidneys.
Han nodded. "This is the place. I'm certain."
Roshi grunted. Side by side, they walked down the main street, ignoring anyone who tried to grab their attention.
For the past few weeks, they had been wandering through the countryside, trying not to leave a trail. Upon abandoning Iwagakure, they had gone down the mountains through the land of Grass. From there, they had traveled through the forests, skirting the border of the land of rain. They knew they had arrived in the Land of Fire when the landscape changed from empty grasslands to giant forests.
They had let go of their disguises after passing through the border. No one outside of the Land of Stone would be able to tell who they were anyway. They also needed to find Yagura as fast as possible. Disguises would only make the task more difficult.
"The castle is this way," Roshi said, pointing down an empty street.
"I think the fastest way is through there," Han said at the same time. He pointed in the opposite direction down an equally deserted street. They stared at each other.
Roshi sighed as he took out a scroll from inside his sleeve. "Do we need to check the map again?"
Han grunted in assent. "Let me see."
Han stared over Roshi's shoulder as he opened the map and started to read. It was an old map, dated during the time of the Second Shinobi War. Roshi grumbled while Han narrowed his eyes in exasperation. Onoki should have just made an alliance with Konoha. Then we could actually know where we are.
"So if we're here, then that means..." Roshi muttered to himself.
"I think we're actually here," Han responded as he pointed to a different part of the city.
"No! The main street is here, so we have to..."
"The streets changed, so then-"
"You know, you can ask for directions," a deep voice interrupted from behind them. Han turned around and looked down.
In front of him stood a man that could pass as Roshi's father. However, instead of Roshi's red hair and dark eyes, his eyes were a dark pink color while his hair was grey. He leaned against a wall, making him look less like an old man and more like a teenager trying too hard.
"Yagura?" Roshi asked, voice full of annoyance.
The disguised Yagura rolled his eyes and put a finger to his lips. "My name is Akio, not Yagura."
"Ah, yes, of course, Akio," Han said. "We've been searching for you."
"Yes, for a while... father," Roshi said, obviously indignant. Han didn't know why.
Yagura lifted up an eyebrow, equally perplexed, before flinching and looking in the other direction. "So, yeah, anyway, we should go somewhere private to talk."
Yagura turned around and began to make his way back to the main street. Unlike when he first introduced himself, he walked gingerly, like an old man. Han and Roshi followed next to him.
"Would you like any help, father? Maybe I can help you cross the street?" Roshi asked, sounding annoyed about something that Han couldn't understand.
Yagura blushed for some reason and cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary... son. I'm still healthy enough to walk on my own."
Han frowned to himself. What the hell is going on? Not wanting to blow their cover, he followed behind them at a small distance, acting as a respectful bodyguard. Predictably, a few strangers turned to look at him, amazed by his height. Han tried not to fidget. Maybe I should have used a henge to not stand out.
As Yagura and Roshi walked side by side, Roshi emanated an aura of fury that kept people away. Meanwhile, Yagura hunched over. Han was not sure if it was because he was pretending to be an old man or because he feared Roshi
They traveled through the town for what felt like hours but what must have been only a few minutes. They entered the forest surrounding the village, leaving the chaos and revelry behind. Yagura led them to a small clearing next to a river. Once they were alone, he dropped the act of a feeble old man and he waved a hand nonchalantly.
"The coast is clear," he said. "I set some proximity seals."
"Why the hell are you still using my face for your stunts?" Roshi yelled at once.
Ah, so that's why Roshi was angry.
"Well, you see..." Yagura said, looking away in embarrassment. "I already sort of started my life as Akio, so changing my face would be too troublesome."
"You can just get a new identity then!" Roshi yelled, crossing his arms across his chest. "Change your face and start over! Why do you even need to use the face of someone you know? Make your own!"
"Uh... well..." Yagura shifted uneasily. "I'm actually not very good at transformations. Whenever I try to make my own face, it always comes out kind of wonky."
"Weren't you a Mizukage?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"So? Everyone has weaknesses," Yagura whined. "Besides, if we travel together, I can just pretend to be Roshi's father, right?"
"I guess?" Han shrugged. Roshi glared up at him as if in betrayal. He huffed in anger and stomped toward the bank of the river. He began to pace back and forth, muttering to himself.
Yagura started to make his way to his side, but Han grabbed onto his shoulder and shook his head. Just let him get it all out.
Yagura nodded reluctantly and together, the two men set up camp for the night. Han got a fire started while Yagura caught fish from the river. A few minutes later, they had a cozy fire going and a collection of fish cooking on sticks. They sat around the campfire in silence, waiting for the fish to cook and for Roshi to calm down. They watched Roshi pacing, grumbling and occasionally glaring in Yagura's direction.
Yagura fidgeted and walked to Han's side. "How long until he calms down?" he whispered.
Han shrugged. "Not long," he whispered back. "He'll tire himself out when it's time to eat."
Han turned his eyes to look at the fish roasting by the fire. Yagura sat next to him, raising his eyes to glance at Roshi every once in a while. As Han expected, Roshi joined them when the fish was ready to eat.
"Still think you should change your disguise," Roshi grumbled as he sat next to Han, farther away from Yagura.
"Kind of late now," Yagura responded, blowing on his fish to cool it down. "I can be your daddy though, don't worry."
"Please don't say it like that," Roshi said, looking green. Han chuckled. At least Yagura's not making fun of me this time.
"So what's the plan?" Han asked as he pulled his mask down to eat. At once, Yagura stared at him, face incredulous.
"So that's what you look like under the mask..." the former Mizukage muttered to himself. "For some reason, I was expecting something more interesting. Like, a facial scar or a tentacle."
"A tentacle?" Han rubbed his chin self-consciously. Now that he thought about it, he had never appeared unmasked inside the Room. His armor was too intrinsic to who he was as a person.
"You're just so... normal?" Yagura continued.
"Thank you?" Han answered, taking a bite of his fish. Roshi chuckled, his anger already fading.
Han cleared his throat and tried to get the conversation centered. "So what's the plan then?"
Yagura shrugged. "I don't know, I was kind of hoping you would help me figure out what to do."
"Weren't you the Mizukage? Isn't leadership part of your job description?" Han asked. This man is surprisingly flaky for a former Kage.
"We all have our weaknesses," Yagura said, chewing on his fish. "Even us Kage."
"Why did they make you the Mizukage, again?"
Yagura shrugged. "The last Mizukage died in mysterious circumstances. I just so happened to be there, ready to take up the mantle."
Did he kill the last Mizukage? Han forced himself to leave the speculation for later. He had to focus on the mission at hand.
"What have you been doing in the past few years, anyway?" Roshi asked.
Yagura waved his hand in a vague motion. "You know, going here and there. Collecting information. Fishing."
Han sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting your village?"
"Mei is doing a very good job of it so far," Yagura retorted. "Utakata-kun has been telling me about it. She's improving the Academy system a lot. He said she wants to improve the medical system as well."
Han nodded. "Have you found any new leads about this organization?"
Yagura shook his head in annoyance. "No, I haven't seen this Takigakure man again either. Even though I've been going to the bounty collection center as often as I can without raising suspicions! I think we might just have to wait for them to make a move."
"I'm most worried about the children" Roshi admitted. "Naruto and Gaara should be fine behind the walls of their village, but Fuu's secret is public knowledge in Takigakure. I know she's going to be in hiding for the next few years for training, but I still worry."
"I know," Yagura said, face serious. "But I can't do anything right now. The only thing we can do is to travel together and look for intel and allies."
Han nodded reluctantly. "Hopefully three heads are better than one," he said with a sigh. He took another bite of his fish. They fell into silence as they ate, each lost in his own thoughts.
"We should infiltrate Sunagakure and kidnap Gaara," Roshi said. Han almost choked on a fishbone.
"We're fugitives from Iwa," Han replied, suppressing his coughing. "If we try that, we're putting not just our lives at risk, but also Gaara's. He's only a child."
"It's too risky," Yagura added reluctantly.
Roshi sighed. "I know," he admitted. "But it's a nice dream. Maybe we can do it when Onoki has kicked the bucket. He's already ancient. I doubt he has more than a year or two left in him."
You're wrong Roshi. That man will outlast both of us.
"Why do we need to stay in hiding anyway?" Han asked.
"What do you mean why?" Yagura said. "I have to make sure people don't know I'm still alive."
Han shook his head. "Not you. Roshi and I. Onoki is no doubt already looking for us and tearing what remains of his hair out. He knows we have declared ourselves as missing-nin." He shared glances with Roshi. "We can offer ourselves as bait for the organization we're hunting down."
Yagura winced. "I don't know if I feel comfortable offering you two up," he admitted. "I don't want to put your lives at risk. Whoever brainwashed me for all those years was strong enough to take over and make me shit all over Kirigakure. I dread to think of what might happen to you."
"We won't be alone, though," Roshi said. "We will watch over each other. If we stick together, especially with the power of our collective bijuu, I'm sure it will all work out."
Yagura nodded reluctantly. "Are you sure about that?"
Roshi smirked. "Positive. Han and I can offer ourselves as bait. We will make ourselves infamous." The roar of the fire made shadows dance across his face. For a moment he looked as dangerous as the people of Iwagakure thought.
"Infamous, you say?" Han couldn't help but chuckle at the declaration.
O-O-O-O-O
Gaara walked atop the desert dunes, Temari and Kankuro slightly behind him. Baki was at the end of their group, keeping an eye on his students.
After weeks of training, the Kazekage had seen fit to assign them their first mission as a group and Gaara's second mission. There had been more bandits attacking Sunagakure travelers, that time skulking near the border with the Land of Rivers. The Kazekage had ordered them to find and eliminate the threat.
Temari and Kankuro had been silent on their journey to the border, a fact Gaara appreciated. They hadn't talked to him ever since they set out from the Kazekage's office. With a mission on their shoulders and Baki keeping an eye on them, Kankuro said nothing while Temari fretted.
"We will have to stop and rest before we reach the border," Baki called out from behind them. "Only an hour of travel more."
"Thank you, Baki," Temari said, obviously exhausted and trying not to show it. Kankuro only grunted from her side.
With their agreement, Baki jumped to the front, leading them toward a hidden oasis in the desert. When they arrived, Temari and Kankuro collapsed, panting. Gaara only stretched his arms and legs. With the help of the sand, he could travel across the dunes without the same level of effort.
Gaara looked around the oasis in curiosity. It was small, with only a well as a source of water. Date palms grew abundantly, no doubt fed from underground. Gaara approached the well first. He took a sip of water, not letting a single drop fall to waste.
"Temari, Kankuro, Gaara-sama," Baki called them. Obediently, Temari and Kankuro stood in front of him. Gaara joined them, distancing himself from them.
"We will take sleeping shifts," Baki said, focusing his gaze on Temari and Kankuro. "It's highly unlikely that we will be attacked here, but it never hurts to be careful. Which of you two wish to take the first watch?" He turned his gaze to Gaara. "Gaara-sama, I assume you will provide an additional set of eyes and ears during the night?"
Gaara nodded. He had lived his entire life without sleeping. He could afford another night awake.
Temari and Kankuro broke into muttering as they decided on who would stay awake first. Finally, they raised their heads and looked up at Baki.
"Kankuro will take first watch and I'll take second," Temari said, voice full of authority. Gaara blinked. She's never that bossy when she's talking to me.
Baki nodded in acknowledgment. With that agreement in place, they set up camp. Baki started a small fire, Temari collected water, and Kankuro prepared their dinner. Gaara stared at them as they worked, feeling strangely left out.
They ate together soon after, a basic meal prepared in advance for the mission. Gaara ate in silence, but his siblings were loud in comparison. They laughed as they teased each other about things he couldn't understand. Baki watched, his lips quirking up in amusement. Despite being surrounded by people he knew, Gaara felt incredibly alone.
Gaara looked up at the full moon. Naruto and Fuu are probably in the Room right now. After years of practice, he could stay there for almost an hour without fearing for Shukaku to come out. He vowed to join them as soon as possible before the mission continued.
With dinner finished, Temari curled up in her sleeping bag near the fire. Baki sat nearby, appearing to sleep. Kankuro glared at Gaara before turning his gaze to the fire with a frown. Gaara resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Stop trying to make everything my fault.
With nothing else to do, Gaara sat cross-legged, leaning against a date palm. He breathed in and out, forcing his heart rate to slow and his breathing to relax. After years of experience with meditation, he calmed down in seconds. Almost immediately, he felt the familiar sensation pulling him into the Room.
When he opened his eyes, he had appeared in the center of the Room. As expected, Naruto and Fuu were already there. Yugito, Utakata, and B joined them, all five of them chatting about something. When they saw him, they waved enthusiastically at him.
"Hello everyone!" Gaara returned their greetings with a grin as he ran to join them.
"Gaara-chan! You're just in time!" Fuu said, eyes bright with excitement. "We were just talking about the best place to wear a hitai-ate! I told them that it felt very heavy on my forehead, so I was saying that I think I should wear it somewhere else."
"A hitai-ate is called a forehead protector for a reason," Yugito said. "I only wear mine on my forehead. It's to show your alliance to your village."
"It's the same for me, I completely agree. If it's not on the forehead, you'll get a sore head, oh yeah!" Killer B sang.
"I only wear my hitai-ate during official missions," Utakata confessed. "It's too much trouble to wear it all the time. Maybe I should just tie it around my neck or something."
"Oooh! Oooh! Fuu-chan! Put it around your belly! It'll be like a belt, ya know!" Naruto suggested with bright eyes.
Fuu giggled. "I guess it would be more of a belly protector, then?" she mused before she turned her eyes back to Gaara. "And what do you think Gaara-chan?"
Gaara opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could say anything, he felt his connection disintegrating as his mind returned to the physical world. He opened his eyes to look into the terrified face of Baki. Hiding behind him, Kankuro and Temari looked past their teacher's shoulders. They stared at Gaara with fear and muttered something about sleeping.
Gaara felt a rush of fury and hate enter his body. Predictably, the sand inside his gourd began to swish back and forth. He breathed out and his face reformed into the familiar mask.
"What?" he snapped, his annoyance coming out more easily than usual.
"You were falling asleep, Gaara-sama," Baki said. "I woke you up."
"I wasn't sleeping. I was meditating," Gaara answered, feeling his heart pounding faster in anger.
Kankuro snorted. "Your eyes were closed. You were definitely falling asleep."
Gaara opened his mouth to speak before realizing that arguing with his brother was useless. Defeated, he shook his head. It's not like I can tell them about the Room or anything.
"Fine," Gaara said. "I'll stop meditating just for you."
Kankuro frowned at Gaara's tone but said nothing. Baki and Temari shared worried glances but remained silent.
"Are you all right, Gaara-sama?" Baki asked.
"I'm fine," Gaara answered, tone angrier than he intended.
Temari and Kankuro flinched. The worry in their eyes intensified. Temari bit her lip and shook her head before walking back to her sleeping bag. Kankuro glared one last time before taking his place back in front of the fire.
Baki stayed for longer, looking Gaara up and down, as if waiting for something. However, Gaara said nothing and Baki moved back to his post, throwing Gaara one last concerned glance.
Gaara exhaled, slow and deep, trying to get himself to calm down. He heard the voices in his head from the other jinchuuriki. In the background, Shukaku was trying to interrupt, more vicious than normal. It was giving him a headache.
'Can't you just leave me alone?' Gaara complained.
'Hey! I'm just worried cause you left all a sudden, ya know!'
Gaara flinched. 'Sorry, Naruto, I was trying to talk to Shukaku.'
'Oh. That's fine then! Is everything okay?' Naruto asked.
'Everything is fine. My siblings and teacher were concerned I was falling asleep so they woke me up. They didn't believe me when I said I was meditating, so I guess I have to stay awake all night now.'
He felt the other jinchuuriki cringing in sympathy.
'In that case, we'll stay and talk to you. How does that sound?' Yugito said.
'I suppose.' Listening to the other jinchuuriki was better than nothing. However, joining the Room always made Shukaku only a whisper in the back of his mind. Without them, Shukaku's torture was excruciating.
'Sure! So what do you think would be a good place to wrap my hitai-ate?' Fuu asked, returning to their previous conversation effortlessly. The change of topic cheered him up more than any words of encouragement.
Gaara forced his face to remain neutral. If Kankuro panicked when he closed his eyes, he couldn't imagine his reaction if he were to smile randomly.
'Maybe around the leg?' Gaara suggested.
From there, they had a long conversation about hitai-ate, with frequent arguments and terrible raps from Killer B. Gaara struggled not to giggle. The others were terrified enough of him without adding random bursts of laughter.
Eventually, however, the others departed, leaving Gaara alone with Shukaku's voice for company. Without any time spent in the Room, the bijuu's voice was louder than usual and more insistent. The beginnings of his headache intensify into a migraine. He rubbed at his temples, but it didn't help. He stayed awake the rest of the night, trying to fight the voice of the beast.
Daybreak came as a relief. With a mission on the way, it was easier to ignore his pounding head. They ate breakfast while Baki reviewed their mission objective. Once satisfied that the three of them understood their responsibilities, they set off. They broke down camp and made their way to the border with the Land of Rivers.
Gaara felt more tired than usual as they left. His head pounded and he couldn't block out Shukaku at all. A few times, he winced and rubbed at his temples in pain. Temari and Kankuro looked at him, fearful of his mental condition, but they said nothing. Baki asked him if he was ready for the mission and Gaara nodded, lying.
"This way," Baki said. They followed behind him as Baki led them near the border. Gaara had to force himself not to stop and stare. He had never seen such large trees before in person. I wonder if Fuu and Naruto get to see trees like this every day.
They traveled in silence for a few minutes until Baki motioned for them to stop. Gaara and his siblings froze, waiting for his orders. He motioned for Gaara to move closer. Obedient as usual, Gaara went to stand at Baki's side.
"Our targets are nearby," he whispered. "Can you capture them from here?"
Gaara nodded in agreement, too tired to talk. His migraine was getting worse. The only thing he wanted was to go home and join the Room, if only to block out Shukaku for a few minutes.
As silent as possible, he walked down the direction Baki had pointed to. He could sense his teacher following closely behind, sticking to the trees using chakra. While Gaara couldn't use chakra to climb trees yet, he used the sand to cushion his footsteps, passing through the underbrush in silence.
He found their targets a few minutes later, enjoying a late breakfast around a campfire. They didn't look like villains, only like regular people. However, he knew there would be consequences if he dared to disobey. Reluctantly, Gaara stepped closer to them as he waited for Baki's signal.
Baki surveyed the situation from his position high in the canopy. After a few minutes of checking, he nodded and signed a few words with his hand. It's time.
Gaara didn't hesitate. He knew exactly what he had to do. He called upon his chakra and the sand left his gourd to travel underground. The pressure inside his head intensified, but he forced himself to concentrate on the sand's movement. It was more difficult than normal and he felt beads of sweat dripping down his back and his forehead at the effort.
Despite the exertion, however, the sand did his bidding. It found its targets easily, sneaking up behind them. The bandits had only a second to shout in surprise before the sand collapsed on them, killing them in an instant.
Immediately, the migraine disappeared. His mind was clear for the first time in the day as Shukaku's voice faded. His thoughts seemed louder than normal. Relief combined with guilt coursed through his body.
Exhausted with the previous effort to keep Shukaku's voice under control, he collapsed panting on his knees. He felt a smile tug at his lips in relief and he giggled, despite himself. The lack of pain was liberating. He's gone. He's quiet. Finally. He almost wanted to cry in relief.
"G-Gaara-sama?" Baki stuttered before approaching him.
Gaara flinched. He had forgotten that he wasn't alone. "The mission is finished," he said. "They're dead."
"I... I see, Gaara-sama," Baki answered, talking to him with the same tone of voice Temari always used. It made him irrationally angry.
"Don't talk to me like that," he snapped. He heard the sand swishing furiously inside his gourd. Baki flinched back, face full of fear.
Gaara forced himself to breathe out, as slow as he could. The sand began to settle down until it was inert once more. He rubbed at his temples. Shukaku was silent, but an echo of the pain remained.
"Let's go back to Suna," Gaara said. He needed to meditate and talk to the other jinchuuriki. It was the only thing that might manage to calm him down.
Baki nodded reluctantly before leading Gaara back to where Temari and Kankuro were waiting in hiding. His brother and sister stared at Gaara like they had never seen him before. Gaara ignored them as best as he could.
He brushed past without looking at them as he took the lead in the direction back to Sunagakure. They followed behind him, farther away than before. Gaara tried to tell himself he shouldn't care what they thought of him. However, no matter how much he lied to himself, he couldn't make himself believe it.
He could at least enjoy Shukaku's silence for the journey back to Sunagakure.
O-O-O-O-O
A/N: Yagura was a great Mizukage because he has a sense of humor.
If you use Tumblr, you can talk to me at waffledogwrites (do people still use Tumblr?). Thanks so much to the r/fanfiction and r/narutofanfiction discord servers. Y'all are awesome, inspiring, and helpful!
Next chapter: Sasuke gets his first mission.