Summary: Three sets of siblings contribute something to establishing the Suna Academy. Baki, in the meantime, realizes how insightful his students have become about him.
JOSTLING WINDS
Siblings
Sunagakure: Cliff House
"What's up, bro?" asked Kankuro as he joined his brother on the roof of the cliff house. It was a new moon, so the stars were beautiful and clear in the sky, but the mood from his brother was definitely dark. Oddly, it wasn't a sinister darkness, but one of loneliness.
"Temari and Baki still aren't talking to each other," observed Gaara.
"Don't sweat it; we've been pretty busy getting the building and grounds in shape for the Academy. Even I've hardly talked with Temari."
The Puppet Master leaned back on his elbows and continued in a ramble, "Man, I never want to live in the jonin barracks. At least we can use the weapons they tossed out for our students. Those jonin were filthy slobs. Gotta give Baki credit for being a neat freak."
"If Temari didn't badger us, we'd be just as sloppy."
"We're doing her a service, gives our big sister something to bug us about so she feels she's in control," assured Kankuro.
"Is her need for control why she won't let us help her clean out the barracks?" asked Gaara.
"Wind power is at her beck and call and that weasel she summons is the best tool for cutting the walls to make classrooms," assured Kankuro as he stretched back. "Personally, I don't mind playing plumber and general fix-it man while you play groundskeeper and gofer."
Gaara blinked. "What is a gopher? Isn't that a burrowing animal?"
"It's a--never mind." At Gaara's skeptical look, Kankuro sighed, "I take it back, you are not a gofer. Okay? You'd be more like that weasel."
"Hn." Gaara was determined to pursue his concerns. "They should be talking to each other."
"Gophers and weasels?" queried Kankuro.
Gaara was determined not to be distracted by Kankuro's random thoughts. "Temari and Baki!"
Kankuro quirked an eyebrow. "It's not worth fretting over; Baki and Temari will get their groove back. Check out that sky!"
Gaara just nodded, but began listening to Kankuro as he pointed out constellations in the night sky and challenged him to come up with new labels for them.
"...and those three there? I think Orion's belt is really a lame name."
"What about Kankuro, Gaara, and Temari?"
"Sounds good to me," assured Kankuro. He nudged his brother. It was so easy to forget that the demon vessel was just a lost little boy sometimes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Suna Academy: Prep
Temari lifted the fan for a strategic strike against the sand and dust that had accumulated in the hallway. This was the final area she needed to clear and she aimed the debris toward the balcony at the end of the corridor. A cyclone would take it to the dump.
Whoosh!
She leaned against her fan, but had a satisfied smirk on her face. Baki had served as an inspiration for every wind jutsu she had used. She would prove to him she wasn't some immature child!
"I'd hate to have that force aimed at me," called Kankuro after emitting a whistle.
"It took a bit out of me, but it's the last of the clean-up!" replied Temari. "How's it going for you?"
"I'm waiting for the oil on a stuck faucet to soak in. Gaara's sorting through the weapons."
Temari had wrinkled her nose at his job, then said, "I'll go help Gaara."
"Call it a day, sis. We're just about done and you don't have to work like a demon, you know." He cautiously added, "Baki is down with Gaara."
Temari wiped her forehead and said, "Right, I'll just wait for you to finish."
She walked to the balcony at the end of the hall and leaned off the railing letting the perspiration evaporate with the dry wind.
Just out of her peripheral vision, she would have seen Baki and Gaara below her. Gaara noted that Baki looked up at Temari on the balcony, but whereas before he would have at least sent a wind whisper to her, the jonin just went back to sharpening a blade.
After several minutes had passed, the boy spoke. "I thought the student weapons were supposed to be blunt."
Baki stopped his actions and mumbled, "I was going to keep this one."
Gaara quirked an eyebrow; it was not Baki's habit to lie so badly. "I didn't know you used the battle axe."
"Been meaning to start," muttered Baki.
"You don't intend to use it on my sister, do you? Are you that mad at Temari?"
"Gaara, since when am I the one with homicidal tendencies here?" asked Baki. "Of course I wouldn't hurt Temari."
"Not physically, but you aren't talking to each other and that's not normal. If Temari were mad, she'd rant about it and then do something nice to apologize. So it has to be you being mad at her," concluded Gaara.
"It's nothing that will kill us, Gaara."
Gaara looked away from the man."If you've put a wall between you and Temari, I suppose Kankuro and I will be next."
Baki put a hand on the boy's shoulder as he assured, "I made a promise on the Kazekage's grave that I would be here for all three of you, to serve whatever role you needed."
Gaara looked away again as he gathered his thoughts. "I was only seven when you came to us. The Shukaku wanted to kill you for making a fool of me by pouring water on my Sand. Instead, I listened to Temari."
"I remember." Baki often wished the little tomboy had never grown up.
"After the Chunin exams, I realized that I've come to expect the two of you to be there to take care of me. I'm not ready to have that change." Gaara turned to Baki again.
Baki met the boy's gaze. Gaara was the most powerful shinobi in Sunagakure, yet he was still just a teenager, a socially awkward one at that. "I'll have to think about how to ease things with Temari, but that's all I can promise."
Gaara nodded. "I'll take these weapons into the Academy armory."
With a swirl of sand, the weapons were gathered and the boy was gone. Baki released his breath only to hear Kankuro speaking behind him.
"He's right, you know." The Puppet Master had just come out of the door and was wiping the oil off of his hands.
"Finished with the plumbing?" asked Baki.
"Nothing that a bit of lubricating oil couldn't fix," explained Kankuro, then his voice turned serious. "And Gaara's still right about this rift between you and Temari. It's been bugging him."
"I didn't realize he'd even care," admitted Baki.
"He was just a runt when we formed the team, so you and Temari have been like foster parents to him. Hell, it's not like the kid had a great example in our real parents. So this thing lately has been like having parents who are splitting up. I have to admit that you had me feeling like cracking your two heads together to make up."
"I'd like to see you try," retorted Baki, then immediately held his hands up. "No, don't take that as a challenge. I feel duly chastised--by a teenager, no less."
Kankuro ventured, "So, what is up with you and Temari?"
"Growing pains," was all that Baki would reveal.
"Huh, and here I thought you were still freaked out about kissing her," muttered Kankuro.
"Why would I be freaking out about that?" demanded Baki.
"Because you're the biggest prude in Suna," replied Kankuro.
"I have a duty to protect Temari even against myself," stated Baki.
"Dude, you're the most sexually repressed person in the shinobi world," declared Kankuro.
"I am not repressed; I think about sex as much as any other man," explained Baki. "I just don't act on it as frequently as others do."
"The point is, ain't no way you're gonna jump my sister," said Kankuro.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," muttered Baki.
"Baki, you're the first to acknowledge that a kunoichi can be strong in battle, but when you see that kunoichi as a woman, it's like she becomes some porcelain doll to you. Look, I understand that what happened with your mother has affected how you look at women. But one thing I've noticed is that women are not as fragile as they seem. You don't have to be scared of breaking them."
Baki now just crossed his arms and blinked. Was it all about his own fears and not what was best for Temari?
"You're pushing Temari away in a weird attempt to protect her honor when if you really think about it, she trusts you more than any man in her life. Pushing her away could make her rethink who she should be trusting. Doesn't make sense to shake her up like that, but what the hell do I know?"
Kankuro patted Baki on the back and the jonin wondered if the youth actually had more insight to women in his fifteen years of life than the jonin had at thirty. Was this conversation even real?
"I can't believe we're having this conversation," admitted Baki. "Right now, though, I'm going to make sure the weapons are properly stowed in the Armory. You and Gaara tend to be slobs without some direction. Then I'll see about talking to Temari, all right?"
Kankuro just offered his devil-may-care grin and leaned against the wall. Actually, he was relieved the Wind Sword hadn't treated him like some impudent kid and instead had taken his remarks as friendly advice. He closed his eyes to relax for a moment, but his respite was shattered when he heard Temari shouting from the balcony.
"Oh, crap, she's gonna chew Baki's head off!" muttered Kankuro to himself, but as he ran around the building to get a clear view, he saw his sister leaping down from the balcony in a huff.
"Hey! I said don't move those markers. They designate the perimeter of the Suna Academy training grounds." The kunoichi confronted the three young men who were busy removing the posts that Gaara had set up.
"Look, little girl, we're elite jonin and this is our spot! Some little chunin isn't gonna tell us different, even if she is the Kazakage's daughter. That bastard got what he deserved. Now go home and play with your dolls." The man's voice was very deep and deliberate. His companions were no less imposing.
"My brother's the one with the dolls--and they're battle puppets!" replied Temari as Kankuro came to stand beside his sister.
The Puppet Master explained calmly, "Temari's the one with the whip-ass tessen. Want to demonstrate, sis?"
"With pleasure," agreed Temari as she pulled out her iron fan.
At this point Baki and Gaara had exited the building and stood several feet behind Temari. Baki restrained the boy and murmured, "It's just a dominance display. Temari can handle this."
Gaara merely nodded, but let his sand flow menacingly around him nonetheless. Kankuro stepped back to stand with them and to avoid the backswing of the tessen. The intruding jonin suddenly looked anxiously in Baki's direction.
"You gonna let a girl do the fighting for you, Marshal?" asked a jonin. "Or is she just a distraction until you make a move on us and unleash that demon boy?"
Baki smirked as he noted Temari bristling at the comments. "We won't interfere as long as you don't use any jutsus. We just plan to enjoy the show, right?"
"Yeah, one Temari versus three goons should be good odds," agreed Kankuro with Gaara merely grunting his affirmation.
"I won't go easy because she's a girl," declared the man.
"I won't go easy because you're all nitwits," replied Temari.
"Defend our claim, Temari. No wind jutsus, but don't get our grounds too bloody," ordered Baki.
The faith in her abilities that Baki's words conveyed was heartening and Temari felt the flow of adrenaline. She didn't take her gaze from her opponents and merely nodded as she found her ground. The grin she gave to the men was disconcerting.
Her opponents often forgot that the tessen had many uses and didn't need to be unfolded to be used as a weapon. Temari blocked the strikes that came her way by using her tessen like a club, although a few hits met their mark. She was testing her opponents' techniques and found them quite aversive when one man tried to grope her with a hammy hand.
The kunoichi effectively clubbed the man in the nose to send him reeling back to his two comrades. The trio gathered their wits and attacked in concert, but Temari tilted the fan and spiraled through them to strike one man's knee and another man's gut simultaneously. The leader got in a blow to her back, but she used the closed fan to catch her balance and then as a pole to swing out with both feet kicking. Her challengers were now lying prone on the ground.
"Baki, I think you should review what passes for jonin in Suna lately," she called over her shoulder as her team approached and she leaned on her fan.
"I'll definitely bring it up with the Council," verified Baki.
"They seem like good candidates for the Border Bears," suggested Kankuro.
"It would be a good idea if these men vanished," added Gaara. "I was disappointed in the lack of blood."
More than anything, this last statement sent the three losers on their feet, but before they could escape, they found the Wind Sword blocking their path. "I expect you'll want to immediately volunteer for border duty, say in the Eastern sector."
"Yes, Marshal," intoned all three men as they recognized Baki's jurisdiction.
As the team watched the invaders leave, Kankuro rubbed his stomach. "We deserve a night out to celebrate the renovation of the Suna Academy. The Junbuu restaurant sounds like a good reward."
"You two go ahead and get a table. I need to tend to Temari," said Baki.
The boys exchanged a quick glance and left without saying goodbye.
The kunoichi turned to the jonin as calmly as she could. "It's just a couple of bruises, no real damage. I can take care of myself."
"I know," admitted Baki, "but you acted as the Academy champion just now, so be quiet and enjoy being pampered for a change."
Temari took a deep breath, but followed Baki into the Academy. She was pleased that the jonin equipped an infirmary per her recommendation. She sat in a chair after leaning her fan against the counter while he rummaged through the cabinets looking for the ointment.
Once he found the jar, Baki was having second thoughts about tending to the girl. Wasn't being alone with Temari in a potentially compromising situation the reason he wanted to distance himself from her?
Without turning around, he said, "You'll need to pull the top down so I can get to your shoulder and back. This will hurt."
"Don't worry; I trust you, Baki." Temari pulled her garment away sufficiently to reveal the pale skin without embarrassment.
Her simple response actually eased Baki's mind. Why couldn't he take her faith in him as a salve for his fear that he would act impetuously?
He was silent as he applied the ointment to the bruises. The one on her back was larger and so he infused just a little chakra into the healing, which was his limit in first aid. She quickly tugged her garments into place and smiled tentatively at him.
"Am I still pegged as an immature brat?" she ventured to ask
Baki leaned on the counter, took a deep breath, and forced himself to concede. "It was foolhardy to use my image like you did, especially to provoke the Panther. But I understand you thought you were trying to protect me from a potential assassin."
"We still need you, Baki. You're the one positive influence we've had growing up. You were the one who taught us about loyalty and honor."
"I'm not some paragon of virtue, Temari." Baki had to look away from her when he finally brought up the subject that was most painful to him. "I don't know if you should trust me considering that I kissed you during that damned Inquisition in Konoha. Perhaps it's best if we do maintain our distance."
Temari was silent for a long moment. She finally realized that the great Wind Sword, for all his experience and wisdom as a shinobi, really was a moron where it came to women.
"Baki, you had to be drugged up and bereft of all your mental barriers before you kissed me!" declared Temari. A frown marred her face before she added, "Being my first kiss is not something you should be ashamed about. I was relieved you didn't hate me for asking you to go through the Inquisition."
"I'm sure you never dreamed I'd be the man taking that first kiss from you," argued Baki. "It should have been some young man you fancied."
"You didn't take that kiss; I shared it with you," corrected Temari. "I'm not worried that there's this lust-filled beast in you just waiting to pounce on me. Frankly, you're probably the biggest prude I know!"
"That seems to be a popular opinion," remarked Baki drily.
"I thought prude sounded better than sexually repressed," admitted Temari shyly.
"I am not--" began Baki. "Wait, just what gives you this sudden insight into the male psyche?"
"Look, I have a confession to make, but I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it, especially since it means you need to appreciate the fact that I'm old enough to make judgments about men and not some brainless porcelain doll."
"I'll concede you that point," agreed Baki cautiously.
Temari took a deep breath, then began. "I had plenty of men, from chunin to jonin--and one old silver-haired lecher--who wanted to make sure I was feeling welcomed in Konoha."
"Is there anyone I need to kill or mutilate?" inserted Baki.
"No! That's my point. Look, yes, I flirted with a few of them, but I learned to distinguish the charming flirts from the real wolves. But I'm a stickler for boundaries and I made sure every man understood that and avoided the ones who wouldn't respect it."
Temari then stood up and said, in a rather surprising challenge, "So don't think I couldn't handle you, either."
Baki was left speechless for a moment as she adjusted her fan on her back again. She was almost out the door when she noticed he still seemed stunned, so she stopped to call over her shoulder, "You are coming to dinner with us, aren't you?"
The jonin literally had to shake his head as he gathered his thoughts. His students were teaching him a lot today. Finally he walked up to her and confirmed, "I'm pretty sure Kankuro is expecting me to pick up the tab."
The Wind Sword then offered his arm for her to take. Temari didn't need to hear the words to understand the gesture; it was the only way to properly escort a lady, not an immature girl, to dinner.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Councilor's Tower
Baki opened the scroll carried by the messenger bird and performed the jutsu that revealed a dossier. Ibiki Morino had sent a folder with a summary on the assassin Gaara had captured in Konoha. Apparently the boy had provided a service to Leaf by disabling the villain, so the good Captain was generous in providing information about the man. He had sent the medical report as well as a copy of the interrogation.
The jonin reviewed the transcript and by the time he finished, he was cursing softly. The assassin appeared to have been hired by a phantom Suna nin. He sat back and let the names of three siblings fall from his lips.
"Yashumaru. Karura. Karumaru."
"Baki? Why were you saying my mother's name and her brothers?" asked Temari. She stood with Kankuro and Gaara at the open doorway to his office.
"Sit down, all of you and close the door." Baki then directed his question carefully. "Kankuro, Temari, what do you remember of your uncles?"
Temari tried to begin diplomatically. "Yashumaru was a medic nin until he became Gaara's caretaker."
Kankuro scoffed, "We now equate that name with two-faced son of a bitch."
Gaara accepted this information with a nod. "Yashumaru is--no longer relevant."
"Yes, it's clear that both Yashumaru and Karura are deceased," summarized Baki.
"Did you ever meet our mother?" asked Temari with a tilt of her head. She'd never considered it before; one simply did not talk about Mother.
Baki nodded. "I served as Karura's bodyguard while she was pregnant with you, actually, but just for a few months before I became jonin when I was fourteen."
"I knew the Kazekage was disappointed that I was a girl," ventured Temari.
"Hell, I was a boy and the Kazekage was still disappointed," declared Kankuro.
"He hated me," said Gaara simply.
"Look, you're all stating the obvious; move on and don't let a ghost control your life. But remember that the Yondaime Kazekage rose to the challenge of leading us when the Sandaime went missing and Suna was being threatened," explained Baki. "His cold, calculating nature was further shaped by these experiences and you, as his children, were caught in that fallout."
There was silence for a moment before Gaara asked, "Who is Karumaru?"
"Mother had an older brother named Karumaru." At this point Temari frowned. "I only remember seeing him one time, but he and Father were having a loud argument."
"I don't remember him at all," muttered Kankuro, "but I get a creepy feeling whenever I hear that name."
"You should. You interrupted the argument to show off a little puppet you'd discovered. I couldn't catch you in time to keep you out," explained Temari.
"Man, I bet that earned a swat on my butt," suggested Kankuro.
"No, Father didn't touch you." She turned to Baki to relay her memory. "I swear I saw Karumaru swing his leg to kick Kankuro out of the way. If Father hadn't blocked the kick, he would have connected with his head."
Kankuro blanched at the thought. "Some uncle. So we've got dysfunctional coming at us from both sides of the family? I'm glad I'm just weird."
"You would have been addle-brained as well if that foot had found its target. I dragged you out and got a good look at Karumaru's face." Temari shuddered. "He hated us, Baki, and his red hair made his rage seem that much stronger."
Baki took a deep breath, but made the decision to reveal the information. "I can believe it. In fact, Karumaru is the reason the Kazekage insisted on Karura having a bodyguard attending her when she was pregnant with Temari."
Temari was astounded. "You mean he threatened his own pregnant sister?"
"Karumaru never approved of your father. As he explained it to me, he didn't want to hurt his sister, just rid the world of the devil spawn that resulted from her union with your father."
Kankuro frowned and leaned forward. "How did you find that out?"
"Karumaru was quite deliberate in telling me his reasons when I intercepted his attack on Karura. The Kazekage revoked an execution order and put him in prison when Karura intervened on his behalf," explained Baki.
"So our mother forgave her brother for trying to kill her baby?" Kankuro shook his head.
Baki nodded. "Karumaru was released and seemed to control his hatred until that encounter Temari described. It was just the start of deadly rampage in the village. I was in the party sent after him when he fled. Karumaru was wounded but we were never able to catch him. The Kazekage thought the blood loss had been fatal, but I was never convinced."
"So, why were you saying their names when we came in? Has he been spotted?" asked Kankuro.
The jonin shrugged before saying, "I can't be sure, but I've become suspicious of the continuing assassination attempts since the Kazekage's death."
"Did Captain Morino enlighten you about the assassin in Konoha?" asked Gaara. He had told his siblings about the incident only a few days prior.
Baki nodded. "Yamori, the Konoha assassin, described receiving money from a man resembling your uncle."
"Red haired, about my father's age? But that could be a number of men," said Temari.
"I agree, but additional features would correspond to wounds we gave him." He leaned forward before adding, "He was blinded in his left eye and I took off his arm with the Wind Sword. The man Yamori described had a glass eye and an artificial limb."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go find this bastard and take care of the problem," declared Kankuro with a supporting nod from Gaara.
"No, let me investigate this further. We're almost ready to open the Academy and we need to see to our commitment there rather than chasing phantoms. Besides, if it is Karumaru, he'll know his assassin was caught alive this time and probably go into hiding. I'll have our friends at the Crystal Caves see about gathering information. They might even know something about the glass eye. If it's a product of their clan, they could be able to trace it."
The siblings reluctantly nodded. Baki then opened the scroll Temari had set on his desk and frowned, "That's the sum of our library donations?"
"Ain't it a shame?" drawled Kankuro.
"Damn right," agreed Baki as he pushed back his chair. "I was hoping some of our retired shinobi would be more forthcoming. The library has little more than what my grandfather had in his house, good as that is."
"I personally spoke with Chiyo before coming here," began Temari in a disgruntled tone. "Don't get me wrong, I truly do respect her, but the old biddy refuses to do anything for the village anymore. And she admitted that she really doesn't use her library, what with the demands of fishing with her brother and taking her naps. She's actually placed all their collection into a summoning scroll. Ugh, she's so stubborn!"
Baki perked up at the information, however. "You spoke to Chiyo in person? What exactly did she say?"
"She said that a spoiled little brat like me is what she would have expected when snot-nosed kids like Baki are allowed to serve as sensei."
"I'm flattered, she typically calls me Baka rather than Baki."
"Really? Hey, that's sort of...funny." Kankuro let his voice drop off and cleared his throat.
"No, I'm sure I heard her right, she called you Baki," confirmed Temari. "Then she went into a rant about how Sand nins have gotten too soft and expect to get rewarded without putting in the hard work. Chiyo even said that she doubted anyone had the gumption or the talent to take the scroll containing her library over her objections."
Baki suddenly smirked. "I think we've just been challenged."
"She expects us to steal the scroll?" asked Gaara.
"But, Chiyo and Ebizu are village elders! It's not very sporting, is it?" asked Temari.
"Hey, don't go thinking that old bat is some frail old lady," assured Kankuro. "She still packs quite a wallop. My head hurts just thinking about the swats she'd deliver if I didn't pot the plants in the greenhouse right. I'm in."
"I don't like being called a spoiled brat--even if it is true," said Temari with a nod.
Gaara blinked at his siblings. "I'm with you."
Baki smiled. "Then we have a pair of retired jonin to raid."
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The Raid
"Silent and simple," repeated Kankuro. Of the three Sabaku siblings, the puppet master was actually the only one who could work within water. Fishing line, chakra string, what's the difference?
The Puppet Master would provide the diversion, so he settled into his spot in the crawlspace under the floor of the chamber to have access to the pool. A small grate would give him access to the fishing lines in the pool and if he needed to emerge into the chamber, he just had to lift the tile on the floor above him.
"Silent and swift," repeated Temari. Her job was to silently enter and whip the wind around the library scroll to send it tumbling toward the window and down to Gaara. She approached from the ceiling, using chakra to hang like a fly on the wall.
"Patience," muttered Gaara from where he stood below the cliffs. His job was to switch the library scroll with the fake one they had spent the day creating once the real one came tumbling out the window. It wasn't a very exciting job, but safe enough. With luck the elders wouldn't even be aware the scroll was missing.
And Baki? He was to enter into the chamber to distract the elders to give Temari and Kankuro a chance to escape while establishing that everything was where it should be. Things should have gone according to plan, but Baki was suddenly detained in an odd encounter.
"You demand what?" asked the Wind Sword in exasperation as he faced the incredibly large man. The jonin would have just gone around him if the stranger's bulk didn't fill the alley.
"A duel! I am Murofi and I'm here to lame the sword you bowled from my feather. You are honor bound to fight me, you heartless duck."
Baki blinked. He'd never been taunted as a duck nor bowled a feather. "Did you say--?"
"Fight me, you hickless friend!"
"Never mind, I'll just interpret the insults in my head," muttered Baki. "I'm busy now, but I'll meet you in one hour on the mall."
"Ha, you show your true odors, you yellow-finned cow! Fight me now!"
Baki kept a straight face as he said, "Look, I'm not even carrying a katana."
"Then die like the twig you are!" proclaimed the vengeful ninja as he swung a sword toward Baki.
Then things seemed to happen in slow motion. As Murofi stepped forward, the katana caught on a clothes line overhanging the alley. The large man lost his balance and the mountain of a man came tumbling to land on top of the hapless Wind Sword.
Thoof!
Baki lay trapped under the man's torso with his breath knocked out of him.
In the meantime up in the chamber, Kankuro got to work and extended chakra strings into the pool where Chiyo and Ebizu were fishing.
Kankuro's chakra string tugged at the fishing lines, earning excited wails from Ebizu and skeptical remarks from Chiyo. Both elders, however, seemed thoroughly distracted by the estimated size of their catch.
Like clockwork, Temari made her move. The tessen sent a surge of wind to cast the library scroll tumbling toward the window. The plan was working beautifully--until Ebizu suddenly looked up and acted.
Ebizu swung his fishing line out of the water and imbued it with chakra to catch the scroll with the hook. Unfortunately for Chiyo, the hook caught her skirt and instead sent her flying through the air at the end of the line.
Ebizu was so surprised to see Chiyo airborne that he stepped back, got caught on her abandoned fishing line, and fell into the pool. And so it was that Kankuro emerged into the chamber to fish out Ebizu who was yelling that he couldn't swim. The man was fighting so hard that Temari had to abandon her quest to get to the scroll to jump in to help save the man.
In the meantime, Chiyo used a chakra string to toss the scroll back into the chamber, but was repelled out the window as a counterbalance of her jutsu. Her tumbling out of the window was suddenly brought to an end when she felt her body encased by Sand.
Sand? Chiyo looked down to find one of her recurring nightmares had become reality. Gaara, the demon vessel that she had personally sealed, stood below her with those cold eyes.
Gaara blinked as he felt Shukaku stir within him. crush her. Crush Her. She SEALED me in this prison. CRUSH HER!
And so this was the scene that Baki discovered as he finally made his way to rendezvous with his team.
"Gaara," began Baki calmly. "Set Chiyo down. Gently."
"She--she did this to us," muttered Gaara. His strained voice indicated he was having trouble controlling the demon.
"Focus on the mission, Gaara," prodded Baki, although he stepped closer and began the one-handed jutsu to call the Wind Sword.
"Sister!" cried Ebizu from the open window. He was dripping wet, but holding the library scroll as Temari and Kankuro helped him stand.
Temari and Kankuro watched with increasing apprehension as Gaara's sand remained wrapped around Chiyo.
"Toss the scroll down; he'll release your sister," said Kankuro to Ebizu with more assurance than he felt. The elder nodded.
Temari called down, "Gaara, bring Chiyo back up here and get the scroll."
"Do it, Gaara," ordered Baki. He had not expected the raid to turn so dangerous. "Don't listen to the demon. The Academy needs the library and Suna needs Chiyo alive."
Chiyo heard Baki speaking to the boy as if he would be rational. She could not fault them for the raid; she had deliberately sent the challenge to Baki because she was bored and wanted to liven things up. She had not expected this, however.
All released a breath of relief when the Sand rose to bring Chiyo to the window. Once there, Baki and his team felt a bitter defeat when she clutched the library scroll away from her brother.
"Sister?" queried Ebizu. He would have given the scroll to Temari when she had first asked, but would never go against his sister's wishes.
Chiyo glared at Temari and Kankuro before tossing the scroll out the window over her shoulder. "Look at the mess you've made! My brother's a drowned rat and I've got sand in places that are unmentionable. Well, get to work and clean this wet sand up while we get changed. And I want some hot tea waiting for me by the time I come back out." She turned her head toward the window to add, "And some of those sweet dumplings from the market."
Baki and Gaara could hear Chiyo's tirade from where they stood below the window with the library scroll in hand. The jonin sent a wind whisper to Temari, "I'll be back with the dumplings once I send Gaara to the Academy with the scroll."
Baki shook his head. He should have thought of bribing the elders with sweet dumplings in the first place.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Suna Academy
Team Baki surveyed the Suna Academy Library with a sense of pride. "This is quite a boon. We have several volunteers added to the teaching staff just for the opportunity to access these scrolls and books."
"I'm going to be spending time here myself," admitted Temari. "Chiyo and Ebizu were very diligent to have amassed this collection."
"You ever wonder if we'll end up like them, sis?" asked Kankuro with a thoughtful gaze. Then he ruined the moment by patting his older, but shorter, sister on the head. "Cranky old geezers who have to scare up some fun?"
Temari just elbowed her brother sufficiently so that he doubled over and returned the pat on the head. "I can think of worse fates than being with my brothers."
Gaara watched the exchanged and turned to Baki with a question. "Our mother and her brothers, Chiyo and Ebisu, Temari and us. Do you ever wish you had a sibling?"
"But I do, Gaara, I do." Baki patted the boy's shoulder and smiled when he saw Gaara's nod. Some relationships weren't linked by blood.
End Ch 2
Author notes:
It took too long to update, so thanks for waiting patiently. I hope to be finishing this at a faster rate now. We have Mitsuri arc next, then jonin exams, I think.
Karumaru is an original character and not cannon. Baki says he has a different mission during the Matsuri arc, so I created this situation for him. Murofi is a play on Murphy's Law.
I wanted a definite interaction between Chiyo and Temari since the girl says quite definitely that she thinks Chiyo wouldn't do anything for the village in Shippuden. It sounded like she had first-hand knowledge. Chiyo falling into Gaara's clutches sort of just came out, and obviously is not cannon, but it's one of those situations that seemed plausible. What if Gaara had the opportunity to kill Chiyo before he became Kazekage? Hope you found it as intriguing as I did.
Baki is also learning that his students are growing up and able to evaluate even him in more adult ways. Now perhaps Kankuro seemed more insightful than normal, but during the Chunin exams, he was the one who realized he had to sacrifice his match for the good of their mission, so I think he would be able to make these connections after spending time observing other jonin during the stint in Konoha.
Thanks for reading! I hope the characters remain true.