I'm back! Sorry about the wait. The semester started and all my classes are writing classes, so I had to knock some stuff out of the way. We finally made it to Part II; the start of Shippuden. This chapter sets up Kokoa and what she's been up to - if she even managed to leave Konoha. Takes a peek at Sasuke, and visits Itachi. It's meant to revisit them and soon things will start moving. You might be able to guess where it's going. Again, sorry for the wait, but here it is! Enjoy! Also, the first few sections move in time, for instance it starts with a flashback and then moves to current time, and then another quick flashback, just so you aren't confused when reading :P
No longer on the offensive, he found himself defending against each strike. He was driven back with the next hit. He dodged after. Deflected the next. But the final blow sent him back, causing him to stumble over his own feet, back hitting the wall hard.
"Itachi-san! Shisui, what are you -"
"Calm down, Kokoa. Tachi can take a hit," Shisui said, holding up a hand to stop her. Itachi pushed himself off the wall, wiping his lip.
"I'm fine, Kokoa," he said, gazing down at the blood. "We always spar. Sometimes we get beat up in the process."
"That's right, this is the first time you've come to see us," Shisui said. "So am I the cooler one?"
"No." She crossed her arms.
"You're just mad I scratched him. He'll live. Look!" He shook Itachi by the shoulders. "He's fine."
"Hai, hai. Just don't make it a habit. I worry about him enough. I don't need to keep an eye on you too, Shisui." She walked over to Itachi, pulling a small folded cloth from her pocket. "Here," she said and pressed it to his lip.
"Arigato, Kokoa. But I'm fine. Honest."
"I just worry. You know that…" She turned away shyly. "If you got hurt or sick, I don't know what I'd do."
"Good thing he's as tough as nails," Shisui jumped in.
"Just don't break him."
"No promises, Kokoaaaa. But while you're here, help me find all the weapons we lost. I know I had at least two kunai fly somewhere that way."
"Fine. I'll help." She scurried off with him. Itachi remained where he stood, his breathing finally under control. He peeled back the fabric - the already red soaked cloth - and brought two fingers to his lip. It wouldn't stop bleeding.
"Everything else is in order. Tomorrow you'll meet another instructor here at 7:00 am sharp for your final test. If all goes well, you'll be able to resume working directly under Kazekage-sama." The stern Suna shinobi adjusted his vest as he spoke, eyes scanning the paper on the clipboard. "You're quite fortunate, Kuroki Kokoa, to be ranked so high up."
"I'm sure it's to keep an eye on me," she said.
"Part of it, but you've proven yourself. Many Suna shinobi know about you. They respect what you've been able to achieve thus far while here. And Kazekage-sama seems to favor you, which is strange in itself given the fact he's never really favored anyone. He's quite...complicated."
"You think so? He seems pretty easy to read."
"Maybe you're just good at reading people, Kuroki."
"Hm, maybe I am."
"Like I said. Tomorrow morning. Good luck."
"Arigato," she said with a bow.
She sat on the floor, knees to chest, deep in thought. Kokoa expected Sunagakure to treat her with caution, but she never thought they'd lock her up in jail when she first arrived. Was she surprised? A bit at first, but she knew she would have to grow used to her reputation and how others would behave.
So they kept her in prison at first while they sorted out paperwork and debated on just how they would handle her. On one hand she was Kuroki Akihiko's daughter, a man Suna once called friend. But on the other, Konoha deemed her a threat for her possible involvement with the Uchiha massacre. Suna could not tread lightly there.
One afternoon - or she figured it was afternoon considering the light peeking in through the tiny cracks in the walls - Kokoa found herself faced with something she never imagined; a visitor. And not just any visitor. She stood up, brow furrowed, and strolled over to the bars.
"I didn't think I'd get any visitors," she said.
"Why is that?" he replied.
"I don't have many friends, you see. And the ones I do have, well they're not around much anymore." She nodded in respect, acknowledging him.
"Kuroki Kokoa, huh?" He crossed his arms.
"So we do meet again, Sabaku no Gaara. Last time was the Chunin Exams, no? Though we really didn't meet."
"True."
"You caused my friends some trouble. Sasuke nearly lost his mind, and well, I suppose Naruto just needed some time to recover."
"Naruto?" he said with a tilt of his head. "You're friends with Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Ah. He and Sasuke have known each other since they were children. Whenever I saw Sasuke, Naruto was there. Over time, he and I have grown quite close. He's a special kid." She smiled softly to herself. "There's a certain air to him. He has the ability to really move people."
"Ah."
"What brings you to my cell, Gaara-san?"
"Word reached my ear that a dangerous shinobi was shipped here from Konoha. They mentioned something about Uchiha. I was curious just how dangerous you'd be."
"I promise I'm harmless." She leaned against the bars, casually picking at her nails.
"Back during the Chunin Exams you came running for Uchiha Sasuke, frantic, terrified. Now you're detached."
"Not detached. I had to let Sasuke go. He chose revenge, and so I've chosen to pursue my own peace. I'm starting over is all."
"Starting over…" He was quiet for a while after. "Of all places, why Suna? We're still trying to mend our ties with Konoha."
"My father once had good relations with Sunagakure. The entire clan did. They did missions for your village for resources and supplies. I had to leave Konoha. It was dangerous to stay. I know my father would have wanted me to come here."
"You seem to know a lot about your father."
"Do I?"
"Kuroki Akihiko was a terrifying man who died shortly after the birth of his first child. For someone who never knew her father, you speak as if you've known him for years."
"Sometimes you just know things. Call it a feeling. His will."
"Oh?"
"Ah." They stared each other down, Gaara aware that something was up and Kokoa fighting to keep a cool front.
"So you know Naruto?" he asked again.
"He's a good friend who has stuck by me through the years. Why?"
"No reason. He's just something we have in common."
"What do you mean? When last I looked, you two were enemies, nearly killing each other in the forest." She gave him a look.
"True, but he…he moved me. Helped me see the world through my own eyes instead of the darkness hiding in me." He tugged at his shirt without realizing, as if he could feel Shukaku fighting him. "Uzumaki Naruto is the reason I've decided to try again."
"Your light," she said, smiling softly. "I understand what it means to have someone important to you, someone who believes in you."
"Uchiha?"
"Well yes, just not the one you know. Sasuke's older brother."
"That's right. I went through your files. Konoha's convinced you helped him take out the clan and escape. And meeting up with him some years later didn't really help your case."
"What do you think?"
"I think you loved him dearly, but no."
"No?"
"You don't have what it takes." He stepped forward. "It's not in you. You may be as tough and someday as feared as your father, Kuroki Kokoa, but you'll never be as ruthless."
"Tch." She turned her face. He read her so easily, just like Itachi used to. But as passive and detached as Gaara was, it became easier to read him the longer they spoke. Without knowing much about her own ability, Kokoa tried regardless, and concentrated, focused on the boy's heart.
"I don't want to be ruthless," she said.
"So then why are you here? What do you want to be, Kuroki?"
"I want to become something, someone. Someone who doesn't live bound by people's preconceptions. I want to be true to myself, to follow my heart no matter the cost. Someone who is respected. I want to be acknowledged...just like you." And she felt it, something in her, a strange sensation, the same one she felt when she saw the look in Itachi's eyes the night he left, what she felt when he hesitated to kill her. Was that what Akihiko mentioned? Was that her ability or some sign that she was on the right path to figuring it out? The harder she focused, the stronger the sensation became and the more she felt Gaara's own emotions seep into her.
"Me -" Gaara stiffened, perplexed.
"You want become someone great too. I can tell. I can see. You yearn to overcome that darkness dwelling inside you, to find your true self, the self you were long ago. I can see the good in you. I can see the innocence that was stolen from you, much like it was stolen from me. You want to prove to everyone that you aren't what they've labeled you. You want to rise. You want to fight. You want respect and acknowledgement. I know! I can see."
The two stared each other down yet again, Gaara shaken, Kokoa thrilled.
"I want a new beginning, just like you," she said, breaking the silence. "As someone who has suffered all alone at the hands of his own village just like me, you must understand where I'm coming from."
"I do," he said.
"So that's why I'll make you an offer, Sabaku no Gaara." She pressed up against the bars, gripping tight with both fists. He straightened up, nodding his head.
"I'll help you reach your goal so long as you help me reach mine," she said.
"Go on."
"Help me live contently here in Suna without being harassed by the higher ups. Help me fit in and find a way to be useful. Help me get stronger so I can stand on my own, so I can find myself. And I, I swear I will help you reach the top. I'll help you run down every single obstacle that gets in your way. I'll do anything to help you become Kazekage."
Gaara stood speechless. He hadn't mentioned Kazekage. Nothing even close. How could she know? Just who was this girl? He swallowed hard, eyeing her.
"A friend of Uzumaki Naruto is a friend of mine," was all he said before leaving. And Kokoa would have opened her mouth in protest, but she saw it, that glimmer in his eye, and she felt it, that he would accept. And thus began the strange relationship between the two.
"Congratulations. You passed. You're able to keep your position," Gaara said, circling around the desk and to his chair.
"Arigato. It's an honor to still serve under you, Kazekage-sama," Kokoa said, bowing respectfully. The Kuroki served as a secretary of sorts. Was secretary the right word? She spent most of her time in his building and even the office, finishing tasks and running errands, reminding him about important meetings or deadlines, even urging him to rest or eat when she noticed him grow tired. She also accompanied the Kage and his siblings whenever they travelled, except of course if they visited Konohagakure. Gaara figured it'd be best she didn't return after her transfer, and Kokoa had no problem obeying. She had wiped her hands clean of that village.
Gaara and Kokoa formed a bond - a strange one - but a bond nonetheless, Uzumaki Naruto being the common denominator. Of course they did understand one another to a certain degree; both labeled, ostracized, hated by the very village they called home; desperate to become someone great; desperate to achieve a dream that seemed so close and yet remained so out of reach.
"I will help you reach your goal, Sabaku no Gaara, so long as you help me reach mine."
"Like I said before, a friend of Naruto's is a friend of mine. Agreed."
And so they supported each other and worked together, Kokoa happy to see him rise through the ranks until he hit the top, and the minute he became Kazekage, he called for her. She had kept her end of the deal, helped him reach his goal, and so he too would keep his word.
Upon her arrival, Kokoa was jailed for some time until the paperwork and details were sorted, and then for a while after she lived in a smaller neighborhood where a few shinobi kept watch at first, to see if she was up to anything, and as Kokoa proved she had no ill intentions in coming to Suna, the security lessened - though it could not all disappear - but she was content. It was the new start she and Akihiko wanted. New people, new streets, new interactions. And while many people were wary of her, shinobi and civilians alike, there were some shinobi, the older ones, who remembered her clan and most of all, her father, and treated Kokoa with a respect she never before experienced. And so, once most of the guards were called off and Gaara was instated, he called for her to serve directly under him, justifying his decision by stating he could personally keep an eye on the girl and she could aid him in anything he asked.
"Kazekage-sama? Too formal, no?" he said.
"Gaara-sama?"
"Better." He shuffled a few papers around. "So how do you plan on celebrating you keeping your job and putting up with me?"
"I didn't have anything planned. I'm not the celebratory type," she said.
"Ah." He nodded. She eyed him. "Why are you staring?" he asked, eyes glued to one of the papers.
"It's nothing."
"Kuroki, what sort of fool do you take me for?" He looked up.
"Nani?"
"You never told me how that kekkei genkai of yours works, but I know when you're trying to read me. Your eyes do this thing."
"If I knew, I'd tell you. Honest. My father's document explained what the ability is, but my specific ability is a rare one that hasn't been seen in decades. All I know is that I'm able to read the heart. I'm able to see the truth, and the truth is, there's something on your mind and you want to tell me, but you're hesitant."
"You're not wrong."
"What is it?" She stepped closer.
"Akatsuki is on the move again, sources say. They're active," he said, leaning back in his chair. Kokoa remained quiet, gazing to the side with hooded eyes.
"I see."
"What will you do?" he asked.
"Hm?"
"We had a deal. You help me reach my goal and in turn I'd help you do the same. Despite what you told me in the past, I know Uchiha Itachi is your goal. Looks like your big mission is coming sooner than you think."
"I won't just leave."
"I know. You know how much trouble that'd cause me. The elders already hate me." He sighed deeply.
"I can't just go running to them blindly. Keep me updated on their movement."
"Sure, but what do you plan on doing? What do you want from him?" he asked. "He was your lover, but I don't think things are going to end in an oh so splendid way. He won't forsake Akatsuki and decide to settle down with you, you know."
"I know...it's just the last time we spoke I begged him to kill me, and as he held the blade to my throat I saw it. I felt it. His hesitation. Now that I'm aware of my abilities and I've worked on improving, I just want to see him again. I just want to talk. I want his truth. And the night before he left...there was something in his eyes that haunts me to this day. Also…my last night in Konoha…I felt him. It was like he was there, like he had come to say goodbye. I know he wasn't actually there, but ever since, there's been this weight on my heart."
"When the time comes, I'll do what I can to help you, even if it means you leaving the village. I can work around that."
"Thank you, Gaara-sama."
"Ah. You may have fancy eyes, Kuroki, but I can see too."
"See? See what?"
"Why Uchiha Sasuke was so fond of you." Kokoa stepped back, hit by his words, a pang in her heart. Gaara remembered the day he fought Sasuke in the forest, the attack on Konoha. He remembered lying defeated on the ground. He remembered seeing the girl sprint to Sasuke's side. He remembered the look in Sasuke's eyes upon seeing her, the look he then realized was love, a deep love, a dangerous love. And while Gaara knew Sasuke's secret and understood why he had fallen for the kindhearted girl, he felt it was not his place to say such a thing.
"What do you mean?"
"You're a good friend, is all," he said.
"Arigato."
"Kuroki?"
"Hai, Gaara-sama?"
"Take the rest of the day off."
"Hai."
He sat up at the sound of footsteps echoing out in the hall, room dark and cold. The door slowly moaned.
"Sasuke, Orochimaru-sama wishes to see you," Kabuto said. Sasuke said nothing and only watched the dancing shadows behind Kabuto. "I'm not joking. He sent me to get you."
"Leave."
"If you don't come with me, he'll get irritated, and that's not something I want to deal with right now -
"I. Said. Leave." And for a moment those eyes flickered red, and Kabuto felt a shiver run through him. "If he wants me, he can come here himself."
"Have it your way." The medic shut the door and left. Sasuke threw himself down against the bed with a sigh. After mastering his latest technique, he seemed to have a lot of free time, and so he stayed in that dark room to escape the light, the world, his life, but no matter how dark it was or how tight he shut his eyes, a sliver of light always passed through; Kokoa. Many times he was able to keep distracted, but there were also moments of absolute despair where he questioned whether or not he had made the biggest mistake. Wondered about the girl and what had become of her. Afraid she still loved his brother. But Sasuke had grown stronger over the years, and he could taste revenge. Perhaps in the end he would be able to show Kokoa what a monster Itachi was; show her how wrong she was.
"He's been sitting there?"
"Like a statue for who knows how long, hm."
"Did you break him, Deidara?
"Me? Come on, Sasori-no danna. You know I hate him."
"Which is why I asked."
"I'm fine, you two," Itachi said suddenly.
"See, he was meditating. Idiot," Sasori said and shuffled off.
"Meditating out here? Why not in your room so I don't have to look at you?" Deidara crossed his arms with a huff. Itachi opened his mouth but could not find it in him to speak. He woke up that morning to the anniversary of the incident. While he had accepted the Uchiha's fate and that they needed to be stopped, he could not bring himself to accept what he had done to Sasuke, and Kokoa even more so.
"It would be wise to leave him alone," Kisame said, noticing the two. "Itachi-san isn't in a particularly good mood today for some reason. You wouldn't want to set him off."
"Like I care. He thinks he's so tough, hm." Deidara pointed a finger.
"I'll gladly agree to a rematch," Itachi said, voice low and sharp, sharingan swirling. Deidara stepped back in surprise, but the Uchiha had shut his eyes and started off before the artist could argue. He wandered down the empty halls, pressing his back against the wall and sighing deeply. Though his eyes were shut, he could still see, still see Kokoa lying in her bed fast asleep, his own tear upon her cheek. The emotions of that moment had not left Itachi even after all these years. To be so close, to know she would have loved him even then.
Suddenly, with his right hand he cupped his mouth, and with his left held himself to ease the way his body shook with each violent cough. He breathed deeply, wincing a bit as he straightened up. Itachi gazed down at his crimson stained palm, shaken like never before at the sight of his own blood.
"So what does this mean?" Konan asked, crossing her arms.
"It means now that we've gathered more members and resources, we're on the move again."
"You gave the order?"
"Everything is set," Pein said. "We'll continue to hunt the jinchūriki, though there's no rush. Let's leave the Kyuubi for now and start from the bottom up. Ichibi jinchūriki; Sunagakure's Kazekage."
"Hai."