A.N: This chapter goes to Loren again. I mean really how can I tell the story of the exam and forget about her and her difficalty? Anyways enjoy

disclaimer: I do ot own Naruto

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Wind Tower Council And The Shadow Known As Sphere

Loren was for lack of better words 'bored out of her F-ing mind.' She drummed her fingers on the edge of the long oak wood table that her and five others where currently sitting at while her other hand poked her color bone till the skin was red. The five others happened to be the other council members that would meet regularly to govern the Wind Tower.

She had never been one to care for politics but the other first years on hearing the news of the war like Academy had voted her as their voice within the government. She was very proud of her standing at the beginning but so far she hadn't been asked on what she thought the Tower should do to protect its self.

Gaara who sat to her right (he was made the second year's representative) was having a calm argument with Temari (4th year representative) about how they where to feed about one hundred and fifty mouths that made up the Wind Tower. Gaara argued that each year should be able to provide them selves food while his sister wanted a group that could feed all.

"What do you think Loren?" Gaara asked calmly as ever not looking at her. Still this acknowledgment for her existence snapped the weapon's master/puppeteer out of her glazed over slum. Suddenly the whole table was silent all staring at the first year. Apparently her word would be law to finish off the argument once and for all.

"I think we should have a few groups," she said picking at her now raw neck "I mean like we should section each year off. We don't have to have six different groups as Gaara-san says; four would be able to feed everyone if we plan this out currently so our food stock will always be full."

The sixth year boy nodded and looked to the fifth year girl next to him. Loren didn't know their names yet but if she wanted to be respected in the council she'd have to get to know them. The two spoke briefly in murmurs. Apparently these two would lead the counsel, this irked Loren slightly but she kept calm outwardly for the two leaders.

"Okay," said the soft-spoken blond boy as he stood up from the wheeled chair he had taken residence in. "All in favor of Gaara and…" he looked at me.

"Loren," said the red head beside her before she could open her mouth.

The blond sixth year nodded thankfully. "All in favor of Gaara and Loren's plan please raise your hand." Of course Loren and Gaara raised their hands, as did the third year, and the blond sixth year.

"Elizabeth-chan?" the sixth year murmured to the girl beside him. She glanced up with her blue-gray eyes. She was a stone of a woman, like her body had been carved of living marble, even her hair was almost silver rather then blond.

"Yashamaru-san don't you believe that these two are rather young? Shouldn't we speak over this a while longer before going with the plan concocted by a first and second year?" her voice was bitterly cold and her accent was a hard Russian. The obviously vain girl made Loren's blood boil and her perfection vexed her to no end. Loren wanted so badly to pop out of her chair and scream at Elizabeth who obviously thought she was the shit for speaking of her and Gaara like they where ignorant children.

"Their plan works though and makes sense," Yashamaru said "it would be difficult for one group to get food for the entire population. It's not like we can make food ourselves since we have no land to grow food on. If we we're a real country we'd have this advantage but we do not."

"What about the court yard?" Temari snaps making all gazes go to the spitfire of a girl. "Surely we could grow vegetables of some sort."

"The court yard is strictly for medical ninja use only," said the third year that was a medical ninja himself. "It's impossible Temari-san."

"Why?" Loren finally spoke up "She has a good idea if we can grow our own food then we will have an advantage over the other Towers and surely the Temples also."

"The court yard is for medications! Some of which are very rare," the third year snapped at the first. "You can't just pull up herbs for a simple garden, that's crazy and stupid."

"I didn't say we had to kill the medical plants," Loren replied, trying to hold back the fact that she'd just been called stupid. "I know for a fact that there is more then enough room in the court yard for a good sized garden."

"We're ninjas not farmers girl," snapped Elizabeth who only made Loren angrier rather then silence her. Loren stood up her knuckles on the tabletop. The other council members stared at her (however she was sure Gaara was not surprised.)

"With all due respect Elizabeth-san," she said slowly and carefully "I haven't heard you have one plan for the benefit of the Wind Tower. So I suggest you speak up on a marvelous plan that will fix all of our issues or keep your silence. We are all equals here, some have more experience then others but that doesn't mean you upper classmen can ignore me and call me ignorant. Same with Gaara whom is probably the smartest guy I've ever known."

The beautiful Russian girl was silent giving a long cold glare before casting her perfect gaze away her pale brows pressed together in embarrassment but her tile white cheeks didn't flushed under the eyes of the others of the council.

"All right," said the blond Yashamaru "I believe you've made your points." His gaze went over other the students. "The sixth year class agrees on both Loren and Gaara's original plan but also on Temari's garden."

"The fourth year class agrees also," Temari said giving Loren and Gaara a sly smile, she was thankful that Loren had stood up for her.

"As does second year," Gaara said in his harsh but quiet voice, a raspy sound, as if he'd swallowed sand.

"Same with the first year," Loren said sitting back down on her stool (which was very unconvertible on her butt.)

"Alright…I'm sure the medical ninjas can make room for a small garden, the third year agrees." Said the violet haired boy crossing his arms.

Now it all rested on Elizabeth, like her say really mattered anyway since the majority had already ruled in Loren's favor. The silver perfection brought her hazy eyes back to the other council members, Loren wondered if the vain upperclassmen would suck up her pride and agree or if she'd stay in stubborn defiance for no other reason but that she didn't see the others as smart enough to have any say.

"Fifth year…" she paused her eyes flickering with a deep distaste "disagree." Loren sighed inwardly because these next three months where going to be a living hell with the stone woman around.

When Yashamaru who obviously didn't want a full on brawl to start since Temari had become incredibly angry with Elizabeth dismissed the council meeting soon after. It was decided on what the Tower was to do about food and it didn't matter what the white haired woman said. Still Temari was pretty pissed even as the three of them (Loren, Temari, and Gaara) walked down the hall to their respective dorms.

"She must have won just on popularity!" the blond girl ranted making Loren smile lightly at the other. "Or she must have blown a lot of guys or something because she's an stubborn idiot. Elizabeth humph what dose she think she is a queen? Cause I tell you right now-she-is-not! Well perhaps a drama queen." The blond moved her turquoise orbs to Loren who walks beside her. "Am I right?"

"Yes Temari, she's a selfish bitch," Loren replied automatically. The blond nodded and muttered something along the lines of yeah I thought so. "What do you think Gaara?"

"Her influence is annoying but unimportant," he said still looking straight ahead. "As long as the majority chooses wisely her arrogance wont become problematic." His sister nodded in agreement calming from her murderous out burst. Loren's smile widened slightly.

She respected Gaara greatly and to a point still loved him, yes he had hurt her but she couldn't hate him forever, he didn't mean to do it. Of course she would never make voice of her feels, for one it would make thinks difficult for Gaara who obviously didn't feel the sand and two Sasori would be heart broken. She knew how difficult it was for Sasori to give his feelings to her though he wanted to badly and she didn't want to destroy his last shred of human emotions. That would be an incredibly cruel and stupid thing to do.

Deep in her thoughts Loren hadn't realized that Temari had gone to her dorm already and she was alone with Gaara. They walked in silence but she could feel awkwardness in the air as if Gaara had read her mind and found out about her forbidden feelings. Loren's throat closed as the narrow sexy dark rimmed eyes went to her.

"Smartest guy you'll ever know," he murmured, it wasn't a question but Loren answered anyway.

"Smartest ever," she said cheerily trying to hide her discomfort. "I learn more from you then Baki-sensei could ever teach!" Gaara didn't smile nor did any deep emotion pass over his eyes like they would in a girly high school manga or in a sappy romance novel. He just regarded her and she wondered why she was always attracted to the silent ones when she was the complete opposite in every way. Perhaps it was the mystery in there silent cold gazes that always made her wanting more…or maybe she just liked red heads. It was probably a mixture of the two she thought.

A few hours had passed and Loren had ended up falling asleep on the sofa while Gaara watched an old horror film next to her. Her dreams where confusing and rather then having any people in it there where just solid shapes of color and the sounds of voices. She couldn't interpret what they said.

"Hey," said a voice clearly and she replied with a hello though she didn't know she was speaking out loud as she often did in her sleep. "Hey! Get up," snapped the voice more urgently and before she could reply with a 'why?' she was shaken away.

Surprised she kicked out and the person in front of her moved away slightly avoiding her trashing. She sat up eyes wide with puzzlement and annoyance. Before her was a form dressed head to toe in black, with a hooded head, and a black bandana hiding the lower half of his face. Narrow eyes bored into her but didn't seem to be seeing her but she disregarded this tiny fact.

"Who are you?" she growled her hand going to her weapon's pouch.

"I am here to give information on the Akatsuki," said the form in a harsh raspy voice that reminded her of Gaara's voice only this one was older and more warn out and she couldn't really tell if the voice was male or female

"Oh?" Loren blinked "Jenny? Is that you?"

The form did not answer her question. "I am Sphere that's all you need to know," it said "the Akatsuki is in a civil war." It held out a piece of paper that was folded intricately in the shape of a water lily flower. "This is a list of the teams that have been created."

"Who are you?" Loren demanded as she took the origami and studied it "Konan?"

"I am Sphere," the form said "I am your key to destroying the Akatsuki." With that the dark form was gone. He/she/it simply disappeared in a haze and Loren was left alone with the list. She didn't know what to do.

After ten minutes of staring at empty space Loren got up to find a sticky note on the blackened TV screen. It had been from Gaara stating that he'd gone to the courtyard to make sure the preparations for the garden where being made.

Sighing her slumped back into the sofa and looked at the paper lily. Silently arguing with her self on what was the right thing to do. Slowly she undid the paper.

A.N: Who is this mysterious Sphere? The trador of the Akatsuki by rules of the exam? What's Loren going to do with this new information? Can she be loyal to the Wind Tower and loyal to her best friend Jenny?

Please tell me what your thoughts are in your lovely reveiws!