Day three was tiring, my headache was the worst it had been so far, every step made my head throb. ⌠Heh┘I▓m such a lightweight┘huh, Lee?■ I said, my head in my hands.
He laughed at me and lifted me bridal style, ⌠Don▓t worry about it, girls can never drink as much as guys.■ I would have glared at him, but I knew he was right┘that, and my head was hurting too much.
⌠Kaoru┘■ I whined, ⌠did you eat all the poky?■ she handed me the bag and I started to consume every last bite of its contents. It hadn▓t taken me long to figure out that poky was my hangover food.
⌠Oh! Can you share?■ Lee asked with a smile. I hesitated and then I felt him preparing to drop me, the ass-hole! I stuck my tongue out at him and he let me go, I fell onto my backside hitting the ground really hard.
⌠Ouch! That fucking hurt!! You▒re mean, Lee!■ I yelled, he only smiled at me, he was kidding around but that didn▓t stop my butt from hurting. I began climbing to my feet and I felt something pick me up, suddenly I found my self sitting on someone▓s back. I rested my chin on his shoulder and glanced to the side to see Sasuke▓s profile, cold and stern as always. ⌠Uke-Chan┘what--■
⌠II just don▓t feel like listening to you complain, just eat your poky. I▓ll put you down when we stop.■ I was in no condition to argue and besides, what kind of retard would pass up a free ride? So I rode silently upon the back of my trusted stallion.
Another hour passed before I began glancing over my shoulder apprehensively. I kept feeling like someone was behind us, following in the shadows and watching us silently. That was when Kurumi froze, looked over her shoulder, grinned, and disappeared. We were so close to the bridge, why would they choose now of all times to show up?
It wasn▓t long before we heard Kurumi yelling, ⌠Come on! You know you wanna come! It▓ll be fun!! Come!! On!!■ Next thing we saw her trudging toward us with something large in tow. Sasuke froze and I laughed long and hard, for the large object she now dragged along behind her, was Itachi. Sitting on his rear end, his arms and legs crossed and a stubborn look on his face.
I waved to Itachi from Sasuke▓s back, smiling brightly, and I sang out, ⌠Oh, Ita-Chan! Guess who else we▓re dragging along!■ He looked at me for a moment and I instantly felt a pang of cold fill me from the inside out. ▒Bloodlust┘▓ The two brothers were glaring at each other with frigid malice, and I was right in the line of fire. ⌠Sasuke┘■ I hissed in the boy▓s ear, ⌠If you start a fight in my presence, I swear I▓ll never speak to you again┘but only after shovin me foot halfway up yer ars!■
Sasuke hesitated, huffed, and continued walking, ignoring his brother for the rest of the trip. Not that it would have mattered, the other boy was too preoccupied by Kurumi▓s clinging, cuddling, and of course her groping. As Hogo and Mamoru investigated the boy with their noses, Hogo decided to be brave and climb onto his shoulder, then to pull his hair. Itachi glared at the raccoon with his sharingan, and I almost instantly found the shivering creature sitting upon my shoulder and clinging to me tightly.
⌠Oh, poor Hogo, did that mean old Ita-chan scare you?■ I said in a baby voice, smiling softly at the animal. Sasuke sounded like he was laughing, but whether it was at me or Hogo I don▓t know┘I never got the chance to ask.
⌠Oh, my god!! Look at that!■ Kaoru and Naruto exclaimed at once, causing all eyes to travel up to the climbing buildings. Towering over the tall stone wall, which hid it from the raging sands of the surrounding desert, the hidden city of sand looked foreboding.
⌠Sasuke, you can put me down now■ I said softly and he let me slide off of his back, though reluctantly. Then we all stepped up to the doors, which opened automatically, and I lead the way into Sunagakure. We stopped when we reached an official looking building, and before I even touched the front door I rounded on Kurumi. ⌠Ku-chan,■ I said and pointed to Itachi, ⌠You have to tie him up, he can▓t come in.■
⌠What?! Why?!■ Kurumi asked desperately.
⌠No pets allowed.■ I growled, she tried to glare at me as she borrowed a collar and a chain from Kaoru, chaining him to a nearby poll with a groan. I patted him on the head and knelt down to his level, ⌠Okay, Ita-chan, here▓s the deal; as soon as we know what▓s going on, we▓ll come for you. Until then, though, Hogo and Mamoru will be keeping an eye on you.■ I glared at him with cold bloodlust in my eyes, ⌠and if you touch either of them I will kill you without hesitation.■ Then I smiled and left Hogo and Mamoru to watch over Itachi until we got back. As I knocked on the door I could see Sasuke out of the corner of my eye, he seemed to be trying not to laugh at his now bound and chained older brother.
My knocking was answered by the movement of an overhead security camera. This I responded to by putting on my kitsune eyes and giving the camera a peace sign, while sticking out my tongue. ⌠What business have you with the Kazekage-sama?■ a female voice asked over an intercom.
Kaoru and Kurumi instantly leaned into the intercom and chanted, ⌠Kurai-nin! We▓re Kurai-nin! We▓ve come to negotiate, so let us in!■ My question is, how in the fucking hell did they come up with that so quickly? And why?
Either way, there was a pause and then the voice returned, ⌠Please, come in. Kazekage-sama▓s office is on the third floor, the third door on the left.■ The doors opened and we stepped into the building, I found stairs while the others looked around for an elevator.
⌠By the time you find it I▓ll already be in the Kazekage▓s office┘■ I said, looking slightly put-out, and they ignored me completely. ⌠Alright, I▓ll see you all later┘■ I said and waved them off like troublesome flies. Then I climbed the stairs, thinking to myself, ▒what pathetically lazy shinobi, maybe I should just do this entire negotiation thing on my own┘then I wouldn▓t have to tell anyone to shut up┘or apologize for anyone else▓s mistakes┘▓ I shrugged my thoughts away as I stood before the Kazekage▓s door, preparing to knock.
I knocked three times and the door opened instantly, I poked my head into the room and looked around curiously. It was nothing special, more like a darker version of the Hokage▓s place, it didn▓t seem very threatening. Or at least, not until I saw who was sitting behind the desk, dressed in black instead of the traditional blue. ⌠Why are you just standing in the doorway? Come in.■ The man said in a somewhat annoyed tone, just as I▓d expected.
I flinched slightly in the realization of what I was doing, and then I stepped quickly into the room, bowing low to the Kazekage. I wanted to say something, I knew I should, I even opened my mouth a few times, but it was like someone was strangling me. ▒Maybe I should have dragged one of the others along, they could at least talk for me┘cause I don▓t think I▓ll be able to┘▓ I thought like - -U
⌠Well,■ the Kazekage said, sounding slightly bored with me, ⌠what does the Yorukage want from me now?■ I stayed bowed, I was afraid to stand straight for fear of seeing his eyes, because I knew if I did I would say something wrong. So, in my present state I stayed, silent and frozen, until Kazekage spoke again. ⌠Girl, I asked you a question, now answer. Why are you here?■
At this point I sucked in a deep breath, shut my eyes tight, and I said loudly, without meaning to, ⌠Kazekage-sama, I am Kuraigakure▓s top kurai-nin! My name is Tsukioka Tsukasa, and my friends and I were sent to discuss the negotiations expressed in this letter from the Yorukage-sama!■ I held out the letter that the Yorukage had said to give to the Kazekage and I fell silent.
⌠Stand up straight, you pathetic try of a shinobi.■ I froze and raised my head for the first time at these words, I had heard them before but they didn▓t hurt, it was more the fact that he had actually said it to me that got my attention. Our eyes met for the first time, and I had been right, they were just like I remember. I couldn▓t stand to look into them, they made me feel so cold, like I should just run away for fear of my life. But I did not run, I stood my ground, although I did look away from him to which he responded angrily, ⌠Do you think you are too good a shinobi to look me in the eye? Or are you just scared?■
I was silent, I would take any abuse, but I refused to look him in the eye, for fear that he may see me. It was before him that I felt vulnerable, I felt honest, naked, alone, like if I looked him in the eye he would know everything. And I couldn▓t let that happen.
⌠Give me the letter,■ Kazekage commanded sternly, I came forward and he stretched out his hand to take it from me. I placed the letter in his hand, which brushed mine only slightly but it was enough, I stepped back, watching my feet and clutching my hand. I had felt his touch, it was nothing important, but it proved that he was real and that to me could be a dream or a nightmare come true. ⌠What are you doing?■ He asked after a few minutes of silence, I looked at a place where the wall and floor met and shrugged, ⌠Well?■
⌠Well┘I┘■ I tried to speak but it came out like a whisper, I couldn▓t stand that I couldn▓t speak to him. It was driving me insane that I couldn▓t say anything, why? Why was this happening to me? Why, when I had been waiting so long to speak to him, did nothing come out? Why was I the one who could be so completely bitchy, but at the same time so pathetic? Why?
⌠That▓s what I▓d like to know┘■
▒Sunshine?▓
⌠You know it, so what▓s up?■
▒I can▓t speak, Sunshine, I can▓t say a word! But I want to say something!▓
⌠Oh, really? Something? Anything?■
▒Yes! I just want to speak!▓
⌠But you can▓t because you don▓t know how┘how do you do this?■
▒Do what?▓
⌠One second you▓re a bitch who doesn▓t give a damn, and the next you▓re a self-conscious nerd.■
▒that▓s not nice, sunshine┘▓
⌠but it▓s true!■
▒You know, somehow I don▓t think you▓re helping┘▓
⌠Fine┘how about, the next time he says something you say exactly what▓s on your mind. Pretend he▓s Ramo┘Kaoru, if that▓s what you call her now┘■
The next thing I heard was someone clearing their throat, I looked up to see the Kazekage glaring at me. ⌠These negotiations are bullshit. Take them back to the Yorukage, because I won▓t keep them.■ I was about to obey for a split second before I froze, then I dropped my hand to my side and looked at my feet for a moment. ⌠Well, did you hear me, are you deaf as well as mute, you pathetic shinobi whore?■
I don▓t know what it was, but something inside me snapped at his words, and my eyes burned red as I glared at him with cold anger. ⌠Oh, so I▓m a pathetic shinobi whore, huh?■ I growled dangerously, ⌠Well, guess what, buddy, this whore ain▓t movin. I will stay in Suna for a year if I have to, but I▓ve got a job to do and I won▓t leave until it▓s done.■
⌠And what might that job be?■ Kazekage asked, sounding bored.
I slammed one hand down on his desk and threw a kunai with the other, the kunai gently grazed his ear and he was calm at first. Then the kunai hit the wall behind him and the cut finally appeared, his cheek began bleeding slightly and his eyes widened. ⌠Don▓t think that just because you▓re a kage I can▓t or won▓t kill you. I was sent to negotiate a treaty, not put up with your high strung attitude and below the belt comments. So here▓s how it▓s gonna go, we▓ll meet here every day, we▓ll look over these suggestions, and we▓ll fix whatever you don▓t like. But I▓m not going home until we do.■ I walked to the door and just before walking out I looked back at him and smiled brightly, I cocked my head to the side and said sweetly, ⌠See you tomorrow, bye!■ With that I left him staring after me.
His teal eyes glazed with surprise, the black outline of his eyes widened, his red hair probably standing on end on the back of his neck, and the scar on his forehead still there. Just like when he was young, blood got his attention, and I would keep it. The Kazekage, my precious person, Gaara no Suna.