I'm aware I haven't updated but I've alot of college things going on. IM SORRY! =[ HERES A NEW ONE!
Chapter 16
Gaara and Akina walked towards the two tents set up by Satoshi. The air was cool now, and although seemingly calm, Akina couldn't help but really worry about the way the mission was turning out. Even more so, the dream – or rather nightmare – she had experienced earlier was really beginning to gnaw at the back of her mind. Although Wakana had put up the necessary barriers to obstruct any sort of way to get into her mind…what if they were already in her mind? It was certainly possible. Gaara on the off hand continually thought about the information given to him prior to being sent out here by the other Kages…and of course by volunteering himself. The other Kages were not blind to see the connection between the two.
"So what changed the mission so much to have you come out here?" Akina asked, breaking his trance. He looked back at her, seeing the small hint of worry in her eyes.
"…We have sources that tell us that the proposed leader of the kyonshi is around here…based on the state Wakana found you in I believe it's true."
He saw her stiffen at the statement of her previous state.
"It was nothing, merely a bad dream." She said tersely. Gaara scoffed, looking over at the trees.
"Like hell it was." He said, dropping the political act. Akina glared at him, setting her hands on her hips in a defiant manner. "You know it was a vision, you know that damn well." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You know I can take them all down if I had to." She reminded, not letting his glare weaken her in the least. "I'm a bull headed stubborn woman and you know damn well that-"
"You can kill them all, while endangering the only person who can defeat them? The only person who can find your new guardian? Yeah, that's real smart."
"You know…for a man of few words you sure can talk." She saw Gaara's somewhat invisible pupil dilate into a slit.
"Akina." He warned. "I don't care how many of them you can take out; all I want is for you to come back, without a damn contract, not after four years and sure as hell alive."
By now he was towering over her, staring down at her. It was not anger that she was met with but worry. Fear. "I…look…I know you can take care of yourself, hell you've saved me a lot but the thing is that you need to let us protect you."
"Protect me?"
"I've seen some of your visions, Wakana has shown me them whenever she updates me."
"You've be monitoring me?" She asked, venom dripping off her tongue.
"You're emotions are whacked right now, you go from happy to sad to ready to kill and on the battle field you know that's suicide." He reminded. "Look, that…thing…wants you."
Akina was silent now, knowing he was right.
"Tomorrow…odds are there's going to be a battle isn't there?" She asked, quietly, finally letting her hands fall to her sides.
"Maybe…that's why I came out here…to protect you."
"Gaara last time you protected me you almost died…you did die actually."
Gaara smirked, pulling her into a hug.
"And when has that ever stopped me?"
Akina chuckled, hitting his chest.
"You big idiot."
"I don't know what we're going to face tomorrow but I'm going to face it with you."
"For a stoic man you sure can be talkative and sappy."
"Hn." Gaara replied smirking.
"Don't make me hit you."
"Hn."
"Ass."
"Why thank you."
There was silence then; both of them knowing tomorrow would be a hell of a fight.
But it could all be over tomorrow too. War could be stopped. Lives could be saved. They could finally have a normal life.
Gaara could see the pressure she was feeling, more than anyone. The bags under her eyes also pointed to the lack of sleep she was having, almost as if she was suffering from insomnia. His heart wrenched as she looked down, a sure sign of her discomfort.
"Gaara-"
Gaara stuck his hand out, offering it to her.
"I want you to come with me." He said quietly.
"But-"
"It is not a request."
She hesitated a moment but took his hand. Sand swirled up around them and they were gone. Upon feeling her feet meet solid ground, Akina opened her eyes. The rest of the grains feel to their feet as she leaned on Gaara's chest. Her heart stopped as she saw the desolate place that was completely destroyed.
"Why?" She asked, turning on him. "Why did you bring me here?"
Gaara remained silent, taking her by the hand and leading her through the small village.
"I passed by this place, it was destroyed by the very thing we are trying to stop…and this is the result." He began. "But you needed to see this."
"See what? Rubble? Charred bodies, mangled faces and destroyed homes?"
"Yes…but not that…" He said, moving to a small area of ground. He bent down gesturing for her to come over. Akina glared, but followed. Below the rubble and dirt was a small green leaf. Akina blinked, bending down and uncovering it. It was so small yet it survived all of this.
"You've been working so hard on everything, for it to come to a moment like this." She heard him say behind her. Oddly enough she found herself unable to walk away from the green plant. "You've been working so much and finding so little information on this that you've been slowly loosing what makes you, you."
"What makes you say that?"
"You think I don't see it? The pain? I do, believe me I do."
"Gaara…" She began, finally getting up from the ground. "Why did you bring me here."
"To pull you out of your hole, just like that flower."
Akina stopped, staring at him.
"Akina…" Gaara said stepping in front of her now. "You are the strongest person I've ever known…you are much stronger than myself and the Kages." Gaara smiled down at her. "I want you to remember the reason why you fight…" He poked at her heart. "In here."
And then he was gone.
Akina stood, feeling the grains of sand move against her as he left her there to think. Somehow she wasn't mad at him and she also knew he was right. She turned back to the small vine of a flower sticking out of the ground.
Akina walked through the village, feeling that lack of life that was so effervescent in this place. She walked for what seemed hours, searching for water for the plant. A cough to her left made her jump, pulling out a kunai immediately.
"No need to worry miss." Came a rickety old man's voice. Akina looked at him, but sensed his lack of intent to kill. She put away her weapon. "You are a kunoichi no?" The man asked, smiling.
Akina nodded slowly.
"A Kumogakure one no doubt, we don't many of those that often."
"Old man…how'd you know it was Kumo?"
"I was a shinobi once myself, used to be part of Konoha."
Akina froze, hearing the name. The man smiled, patting the seat on the pile of wood debris next to him.
"You were a Konoha shinobi?" She asked, sitting down next to him.
"Yes, my son had lived in Konoha with me but met a woman and moved out to Suna."
"Did that hit you hard?"
The man chuckled.
"Of course not! Suna is a great village, in fact the Fourth Kazekage had asked him personally to come to the village! I told my son to leave and be happy!"
Akina smiled.
"I am also from Suna…I…well something happened and I was forced to move to Kumo under a contract…"
"I see…so you are fighting in the war huh?"
"War? Yeah I guess you could call it that…I'm actually the person in charge of one of the divisions." She said, scratching the back of head sheepishly. The old man smiled.
"Really now? What an accomplished young woman you are! If only my granddaughter would have known you!"
"You have a granddaughter in Suna?"
"Of course! I know not of her name but before my son and his wife were passed I received a letter telling of the child and how she was being taken care of and raised with another. I hope she has grown up to be as strong as you."
"Thank you…" She said, feeling a slight nervousness as his granddaughters story was almost like hers.
"So what do you believe in?"
The question caught her off guard.
"What do you mean."
"You are in a time of war per say…no? So what do you believe in? Everyone has something they believe in that makes them fight?"
"I…What about you?"
"I believe in nothing…not the end and not the start, not in peace and not in war."
"So what do you believe in?"
"I believe in the truth in who we are."
"Old man…I don't know what I believe in anymore…but when I do I'll make sure to come back and tell you." Akina said, getting back up off the debris. The man smiled, nodding his head.
"I look forward to it…I'll be here waiting."
"Really? Shouldn't you be getting food or water?"
"I will…just not now."
"Well…here." Akina said, holding out a small bar of food. "Take this as my thanks for talking." The man smiled again, taking the bar.
"Thank you miss."
Akina hesitated, knowing he should know about Konoha.
"Old man…about Konoha…"
"I know…" The smile faded. "I know it was destroyed."
"Well, there are still a few Konoha shinobi alive, the two I know are in Suna so should you ever visit you have your own comrades still around."
"That's nice to know Miss, but you know…Konoha has something that no one else does…the will of fire." The man said, holding out his Konoha protector. "I see that burning within you." The old man fished around in his pocket, pulling out a pendant. It was a magnificent blue crystal. "I wanted to give this to my granddaughter but now that I have met such a person as yourself I want you to have it…to remind you of the fire that burns in your heart."
Akina felt a slow smile come to her face and she nodded. The man got up and placed the pendant around her. She touched it gingerly, feeling it next to the gourd pendant around her neck. She turned around, grinning at the man.
"Now, it is growing late and I'm sure the young man over there is here to take you."
"The young man over there is the man I love, he brought me here to make me remember what I had almost forgotten. But you helped me remember. Thank you."
"I see, well, I hope your journeys bring you to a happy ending." He smiled. "You have my blessings."
"But we're not married."
"Yet."
Akina blushed at the idea, liking it however.
"Thank you again Miss..for spending time with a bag of bones like me."
"You're not a bag of bones old man." She said, touching the pendant again. She began to walk away then, smiling back at him. She turned, walking backwards.
"It's Akina, Haruka Akina!" She yelled to him. The man smiled, recognizing the name immediately. A slow smile came to his wrinkled face as the two disappeared in a swirl of sand.
Akina and Gaara reappeared by the camps.
"Who was that?"
"A traveling shinobi, from Konoha."
"Really?" Gaara asked surprised. Akina nodded, grinning.
"He gave me this, saying it was to remind me of the strength I had forgotten."
Gaara smiled, glad this had worked out. A knock on the head made him flinch.
"And if you EVER leave me in a desolate place like that again I'll knock you into next week!"
"I thought you loved me." He grumbled.
"I do! It's tough love!"
"Tough love my ass!"
"WHAT ASS? YOU DON'T HAVE AN ASS!"
"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"
Back by tents, Wakana groaned in annoyance..
I think they're back…" Satoshi said, trying to hide his head in a back pack to reach glorious silence.
"No shit Sherlock." She responded.
"I HAVE AN ASS FOR THE RECORD!"
"I thought the Kazekage was more like the quiet type." He commented through his back pack. Wakana snorted.
"Not when they're together."
Satoshi felt his sister fiddling around in the tent. He pulled is head out of the back pack, looking see what she was doing.
"What are you looking-" She pulled out two frying pans. "Oh boy…what are you going to do?"
"Get some sleep." She said walking out of the tent. A loud bang followed.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL!" He heard Akina and Gaara hell.
"SHUT. UP." Wakana yelled.
"Jeez all you had to do was ask." He heard Akina say next, followed by a bang. "OWWW!"
Back at the destroyed village the old man sat upon the same debris, looking into the dark sky.
"Haruka…" He said out loud, the smile from before still on his face. "You raised yourself a strong one son…I know you're both proud of her." The man stood up, putting a sack over his back. "She's got you're looks now that I see it Rina, and has your personality to boot!" The old man cackled.
And then like the night that was so fleeting, the old man disappeared into the night, for he would not bee seen again until that faithful day.