Four

Kankuro headed towards the main desk of the library. As he walked he planned what he would have to say to get what he wanted. A challenge from another shinobi was a serious matter, on par with an S-ranked mission. He needed to come up with a strategy to face the old woman and to do that he needed information. Much of what the old lady had said made no sense to him.

He had thought about asking his father or Baki about Sasori and about masks, but had decided that would be a bad idea. Once they found out what had happened he might not be allowed to fight her.

But I'm a shinobi and not a kid anymore, he thought, so I decide what challenges I accept.

He had thought and thought about whom he might ask, but came up with nothing. Then he realized that there might be a way to find what he needed to know on his own.

Or almost on my own, he thought, there's just one person I need to get by.

Keiko was seated at the desk, reading a book. She looked up as he approached. "Kankuro, good afternoon. I did not expect to see you again so soon."

"Hello, Keiko-san. I finished this and I wanted to return it as soon as possible in case someone else wanted it."

That was mostly true, he had finished the looking through the catalogue, but returning it gave him an excuse to visit the library again.

"How thoughtful of you. I will see that it gets reshelved as soon as possible. Is there anything else you need?"

Kankuro suppressed the urge to grin; it was going just as he had hoped. "Do you have any books on tactics that are specific to puppets?"

Keiko thought for a few moments. "There is a manual on deployment tactics for large scale battle and another on assassination scenarios. Is that what you want?"

"No, not really."

Keiko frowned and thought some more. Kankuro felt a touch of discouragement. There had to be something in all those books to help him!

"There may be something else," she said. "It is a book of stories; Ten Tales of Ten Puppets by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. They are loosely based on some of his adventures. It's not a tactical manual per say, but if you are looking for examples of how a shinobi might use his puppets, it might do."

"That sounds perfect! Can I see it?"

"Well, I'm not sure," Keiko said.

Kankuro's hope dimmed again, she was not going to let him see it, or worse she would want him to get his father's permission first. That would be bad; it would lead to questions that he did not want to answer.

"Why not?! I'll be careful with it."

"Oh, that's not it." A small smile appeared on Keiko's lips. "It's just that the book is intended for a younger audience. And as you said the other day…"

Kankuro stared at her a moment in surprise. She was teasing him! He was used to that, Temari teased him and a lot of the kids at school did too. But this felt different, she was not trying to hurt him or make him feel like an idiot. A grin spread across his face, he probably deserved it.

It might be a kid's book, but he still wanted to see it. "I'm sorry about that Keiko-san. But if you think it might help me, I would really like to read it."

"Well, if nothing else it might inspire you design some attacks of your own. Puppeteers were always trying to outdo each other with innovative attack combinations."

"Really?" Kankuro paused, it was going well, he would not need permission to read a kid's book, but he was not finished. He had one more thing to ask and it might not be as easy. "I was also wondering, do have anything on the things puppeteers do, their…uh...traditions?"

"Hmm, no not really." A puzzled look appeared on her face. "But the Kazekage is teaching you all these things, correct?"

Kankuro thought fast, trying to come up with something that would not make Keiko suspicious. "Of course he is. I was just looking for a little more: the why behind the what."

"Very well put, Kankuro, and it is a very good idea."

"Well, if I'm going to be a puppeteer then I should know why they do things. Otherwise that's…it's just stupid. If I'm just going through the motions without thinking about why I do them, I'm no better than a puppet. A shinobi trains for others to command, but I need to make my own decisions about how those commands get done."

The speech had been intended to divert Keiko's suspicions, but as soon as he said it, Kankuro realized that it was the truth. It made him realize something; he had never been offered a choice about being a puppeteer, the training had been going on for as long as he could remember. He did not mind; nothing was better than working with Karasu and he would not trade the puppet for anything. However, he was learning that there was more to it; things that his father was not telling him.

So I'll just have to find them out for myself, he thought. I have a right to know. I'm the puppeteer, not the puppet.

Keiko looked impressed. "Again, very well put. You have the spirit of a Sand shinobi Kankuro, but I should not have expected any less."

"Thank-you Keiko-san. So do you have anything that might help?"

"As I said, there is nothing direct, but I have a biography of Chikamatsu Monzaemon that includes passages from his personal journal. It is not a description of puppeteer customs, but it might give you insight into what he was thinking as he developed the art. It's a heavy read, but you can ask the Kazekage or Baki for help with any difficult passages."

Absolutely not, Kankuro thought.

"Yes, of course, Keiko-san," he said.

"Good. So two books it is. Wait here and I'll go get them."

"Yes, Keiko-san. Thank-you."

"You are most welcome."

She got up and disappeared between some shelves. Kankuro waited a few moments to be sure she was out of ear shot before he made a triumphant gesture.

"Yes! Result!"

While he waited he planned what he would do next. He had to find some time and a place where he could read and hide the books. Then he would have to come up with something and practice it before the fight.

"Well, what do we have here?" said a raspy voice behind him.

Kankuro jumped, he had not heard or sensed anyone. Something pinned his arms to his sides and a heavy weight knocked him to the floor. There was hissing noise near his head and beady black eyes appeared centimeters away from Kankuro's face. He was wrapped in the coils of a huge snake! The snake hissed again and its tongue flicked across Kankuro's cheek.

Orochimaru's voice floated down from behind. "All alone are we?" Long fingers pushed into Kankuro's hair and pulled his head to the side. "You're probably too young to survive my mark, but…nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Warm breath wafted across his neck, Kankuro kicked his feet and tried to move his arms. It had happened so fast, there had been no warning at all, but now he could feel the powerful signature of Orochimaru's chakra, twisting and coiling around him. Then just as suddenly, everything went gray and shadowy. Something passed through Kankuro's line of sight; he glimpsed a lithe red-gray form and shiny black eyes. The coils around him loosened and the snake lunged away. The next thing Kankuro knew, he was flying across the room to land hard against a book shelf. He scrambled to his feet and looked around; he could see again. Orochimaru was gone, the snake was gone, and the shadowy form was gone.

"Kankuro are you alright?" Keiko was back, standing behind her desk.

Kankuro nodded, trying to get his breath back.

"Come here please."

He walked to the desk, the librarian peered down at him over the top of her glasses; her gaze intent and serious. Kankuro took a deep breath. He was feeling lightheaded, probably from being squeezed by the snake.

After a few moments, Keiko pushed her glasses back up. "Very good, I got back in time."

"That was Orochimaru! What the…what was that? What was he doing?"

"The same as yourself, looking for information. However, he is not longer welcomed by this place, so he had to leave."

"No longer welcomed…what does that mean?"

"Just as it sounds. This is a library, with knowledge for any shinobi who asks. However, when a person abuses that precious gift, they are banned. The library no longer welcomes them."

"You mean you don't allow them to take out books anymore."

"You can think of it that way if you like."

Kankuro frowned. "So what happened to him? He was there and then…just gone. I thought I saw…a weasel."

"A weasel? Oh goodness no, Kankuro. The dentition is similar, but the ovular pupils and body to tail ratio should have given it away. But then again, you were a little distracted." She held up one hand to stop any further questions. "You are safe and he is gone." She patted two books sitting on the desk. "I have the material you requested. Please be careful with it."

"Of course. Thank-you Keiko-san."

Kankuro picked up the books. Keiko was staring at him over the top of her glasses again. All of a sudden, Kankuro was sure that she knew he had not been completely honest with her.

After what seemed like ages, she nodded. "I think that you will be careful with them. And please, try to be careful with what you learn. Yes?"

Kankuro heaved a sigh of relief. "I will try. Thank-you very much…for everything."

"You are most welcome. You must let me know if they were of any use when you come back."

-0000-

The sun was starting to climb to its mid-morning height, clearing the rim of the narrow gorge where Baki was training with his students. Temari walked up the slope to where Baki was standing with Kankuro. She had been sparring with Gaara and was covered in sand.

She took a drink from her water bottle and made a disgruntled sound. "Five whole minutes that took. He's just too strong."

"You got a little sand on your nose there," Kankuro said with a grin.

Temari stuck her tongue out at him. "Let's see you do better."

Kankuro looked up at Baki. "Can I?"

"If Gaara wants to. Where is he?"

"Right here." Gaara appeared from behind a rock. "Let him try his pathetic tricks." He paused. "When can I do it for real again? It is meaningless when there is no blood."

"Pathetic! Like hell! I'll show you pathetic." Kankuro started down the slope, ignoring Baki's rebuke over his swearing. As he passed his brother, a tendril of sand snaked around his leg and tripped him. Kankuro tumbled down the slope and Karasu slipped off his back.

"It is pointless to even try."

"Like hell. You can't put a hand on me."

Kankuro threw a kunai at Gaara. There was no reason to hold back when fighting him. A shield of sand stopped it.

"You are useless."

"Oh yeah, still don't see you getting any where near me."

"What is he trying to do?" Temari said to Baki. "Goading him like that will just make it worse."

Baki sighed and nodded. Some days it was almost as though Kankuro wanted to enrage Gaara to the point of losing control.

"C'mon, come and get me."

Sand lashed out, wrapping around his ankles and pulling him off his feet. Gaara dragged his brother, kicking and cursing, over to him. The sand lifted Kankuro off the ground so he was hanging upside down.

"Useless."

Kankuro was grinning at him; even upside down it was undiminished and fierce. There was something about the grin that bothered Gaara, no matter what he did to Kankuro he could not wipe that grin off his face and replace it with an expression of fear. Kankuro tried to grab Gaara; he swatted his hands away like they were flies. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move. More arms. They came out of nowhere and wrapped around Gaara's waist, sliding between his body and his gourd.

"Heh, I think you got a little too close."

The grin hanging in front of Gaara melted away to reveal Karasu's pegged teeth and crazy eyes. The puppet twisted and flipped over. The wooden limbs tightened, digging into Gaara's arms. Gaara saw the real Kankuro slipping out of Karasu's canvas wrappings over the puppet's shoulder. He scrambled away, heading towards a cluster of rocks that would provide a safe vantage point to continue his attack.

Gaara's eyes widened; the puppet was squeezing him hard enough to hurt. Kankuro was hurting him! The sensation confused Gaara; it was unpleasant, but it was a distraction from the burning rage he always felt. However, there was no way Kankuro would be able to hold him long enough to defeat him.

The puppet's second pair of arms lifted. Karasu's wrist flipped back and a kunai flew at Gaara. Gaara dropped down into the sand, slipping free of the arms and disappearing. The kunai just missed its target; it passed through his hair and a few red strands floated to the ground.

"Crap," Kankuro muttered. It had been going so well.

He made Karasu rise higher, shaking free of the last of his disguise. Kankuro was almost at the cluster of rocks, once he got there, he would be able to regroup and try something else.

"That hurt." Gaara's voice came from above. "But this will hurt more."

He stretched out his arms and made a wave of sand crash over his brother. It tumbled Kankuro back to the bottom of the slope and smashed him flat. Kankuro kicked and thrashed around, trying to get free. Gaara's face appeared above him. He stared down at his brother for a few heart beats, his face expressionless.

"Do not do that again." He looked over his shoulder, up at Baki. "I am finished with this. I will not do it again, until I can do it for real." He turned and left, followed by a cloud of sand.

Baki hurried down to Kankuro, followed by Temari. His student was struggling under a pile of sand and rock. They shifted the sand away and Baki helped Kankuro sit up.

"Are you injured?"

"No!" Kankuro wheezed. He looked around. "Where the hell did he go?! It's not over!"

"Kankuro!"

Temari snorted. "I think you must've gotten hit in the head. It was so over."

Kankuro shook his head, sending sand flying. "I wasn't finished yet!" He wiped his face and kicked his feet in frustration. "I had another attack to try."

He scrambled to his feet and went to check on Karasu. The puppet was coated in sand, but was otherwise undamaged. Kankuro sighed, it took forever to clean and oil his puppet when he got sand in his joints. He still had some reading to do and he wanted to practice some more before the fight. It would be hard to find time to do all those things.

Temari rolled her eyes. No matter how many times Gaara beat him, Kankuro would never admit defeat. She was not sure if that was a sign of determination or just plain stupid.

"Temari, what is your analysis?" Baki asked. Although sparring with Gaara always ended with Temari and Kankuro losing, their sensei still insisted that they analyze what happened.

Temari considered what she had seen. She had to admit that Kankuro did learn from his losses, anything that failed utterly was not repeated and anything that allowed him to last even a few minutes against Gaara was practiced until perfect. Today's attempt had been better than average; the attack combination had been interesting and pretty complicated.

That puppet is weird and ugly, she thought, and Kankuro always lets his temper get the best of him, but he is getting stronger. The day may come when…

"Temari," Baki prompted.

"He managed to surprise Gaara using a combination of disguise and substitution. That was good. It might have worked better if he had been able to contain Gaara somehow, so he couldn't slip away like he did. And he was too slow getting to a safe place to continue the attack." She paused, thinking. "When did you do the replacement Kankuro?"

He looked up from Karasu. "When I stopped to take a whiz."

"When you stopped to relieve yourself Kankuro. Please." Baki pinched his nose between his fingers.

"Right. Then."

"That was too soon, you were hanging in that tight bundle for too long. It made you stiff so you moved even slower than usual."

"I'm not slow! Besides that wasn't the problem. The moron knocked me down the hill before I was ready." Kankuro gestured at the pile of canvas bindings to make them wrap up his puppet. "Stupid cheating sand flea," he muttered.

Baki raised his eyebrow. "You assumed the fight would be fair?"

"Well, yeah…" Kankuro's shoulders slumped when he realized his mistake. "I know, never assume anything. Ass, you, me…I get it. Temari's right about one thing though, I need some way to hold him still…or at least get him away from sand or soil. Otherwise he just slips right through." He hoisted his puppet onto his back. "I got close though. That's what you need to do with him, right?"

"Correct. Bringing the attack to close range is a good strategy for a long range fighter," Baki said. "The combination attack was a good idea. Did the Kazekage show you that?"

"No. Are we going back now?"

"You came up with it on your own?"

"No, not quite." Kankuro fidgeted with the straps at his shoulders. "I read about something similar in a book. I got it from that library otō-san took me to last week."

"That's right. So you met Keiko-san?"

"Yeah." Kankuro gave the straps one final tug. "Can I run back? I need to work on my stamina and speed, right?"

"It could not hurt. Alright, go on ahead."

Kankuro nodded, gave them a snappy salute, and took off with Karasu bouncing on his back.

Temari looked up at her sensei. "What was that all about? He was being all weird. More so than usual that is. He's up to something."

"How could you tell?"

"All the fidgeting. And he kept looking down and to his left, which means he was lying or thinking about lying."

Baki nodded. "Very good. You are learning your lessons from my onē-san very well. So what is he doing?"

"I have no idea. He's always doing weird stuff, but usually he doesn't care if you find out. This time he does, so that makes it suspicious." She saw the smile tugging at the corner of Baki's mouth. "What?"

"I was remembering what it was like to have a talented kunoichi watching over me. When you figure out what he is doing, let me know."

"You don't want to be surprised?" Temari grinned at him.

"Absolutely not." Baki looked around. "Give me one more demonstration before we go back. What does the wind tell you?"

Temari concentrated, synchronizing herself with the air currents until she was one with them, watching their flow and ebb. She considered what she sensed and calculated the possible effects on the weather.

She opened her eyes. "Big storm coming, maybe tomorrow or the day after."

Baki nodded. "Well done. I agree, a storm is coming."