Note: Believe it or not, this was originally going to be much shorter. Countdown: ONE more to go!
24
Floating in the sky
Watching as the land goes by
She hears the raven's cry
Mere weeks later, news of the Kazekage's capture by the Akatsuki began circulating around the five great nations. The names Deidara of Iwa and Sasori of the Red Sand became infamous.
Details surrounding the incident were utterly foggy, for there hadn't been direct diplomatic contact between the Sand and the Clouds for decades.
Kamomi had just been fretting over Inazuma's increasingly remote nature (yet again) when Shin sprinted up to them, short of breath and eyes glinting with excitement. The two girls stared at him, eyebrows raised at his energy.
"I just heard..." pant "...the Kazekage..." wheeze "...got kidnapped..." cough "...by the Akatsuki..." And he recounted the much retold and jumbled up tale between huffing breaths. But the main story was true, and they all knew it was true. Something this big couldn't roll all the way across the continent by the sheer force of gossip, could it?
Even as Inazuma heard the news, she simply snorted along with everyone about how stupid the Village Hidden in the Sand must have been to get its leader kidnapped. (For goodness' sakes, honestly!)