Here's the third chapter!
Special thanks to:
My beta-reader MidnightCherryBlossoms
CRdragonPyro
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Child-1763
leogirl321
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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters you recognize here except those that don't appear on Naru Wiki.
This story will not have any relation to Naruto's dream of achieving Sasuke Uchiha's return or deafeating Orochimaru. This happens a little bit after the Rescue Gaara arc. Thought you should know.
The first thing Kohaku saw when she opened her eyes was the arid desert. Obviously. The girl shook her head, shaking off any form of sleepiness or fatigue invading her mind and felt her shoulders underneath her lightweight cloak.
Good. The bag was still with her.
She stood up with a little difficulty and as she stretched her numb legs, she comprehended her surroundings. "What a coincidence," she mused, "I got swept off and landed in front of the city border,"
The majestic arch that stretched over two giant sand pillars had the words 'Meikyuu no Suna' written in kanji. Kohaku looked around to check if there was any sign of her teammates. All she saw were civilians milling about, conducting their daily mediocre business. Stretching her arms, the auburn-haired shinobi set off to search for the rest of the team.
xxxxx
As soon as the brutal wind died down, Gaara assumed that it was safe to let his sand sphere crumble down around him and let the grains flow back into his gourd. He let go of the concentrated chakra and studied the changed scenery around him. Where were Temari and Kankuro?
He looked around, searching for his siblings with no avail. He looked ahead and saw the shape of his and his siblings' original destination. Meikyuu no Suna. The sphere must've been moved during the sandstorm.
"I'll just try going there and look for them," he decided, "If I can't find them, I'll send a message back for trackers to be sent out,"
Adjusting the gourd on his back, he set out to cover the short distance between himself and the city.
xxxxx
Kohaku was quietly cursing herself as she wandered the narrow streets, feeling like a lost animal. She had never been to a city, much less a city famed for its complicated streets. Kohaku supposed she had to thank her lucky stars that she was a shinobi. At least she could defend herself in the occasion that street thieves attacked her, for her foreign attire was certainly eye-catching. Vibrant hues of gold and royal blue definitely did not blend with the sandy palette the locals chose to don. She pulled up the hood of her cloak to reassure herself.
She continuously looked around as she walked, a simple sequence she adopted as soon as she realized that she would not be able to find her teammates easily. Left, up, right. Left, up, right. Left, up-
CRASH!
xxxxx
Muttering a few swear words as he sat up, Gaara rubbed the sore spot at the back of his head. He had bowed his head down in thought while walking without thinking about the consequences that had just happened. He looked up to see the other careless party, and the first thing he noticed was the leaf symbol engraved onto the protector tied around his arm.
Only, it wasn't a he, but a she. The girl who looked no less than perhaps fourteen or fifteen had a forest green cloak that had been thrown back when they collided draped around her shoulders. Gaara could see the strange clothes she wore and knew that she wasn't someone who belonged in the city, even without the tell-tale Konoha mark.
The girl had pulled off her hood and Gaara met her cold eyes. "So cold..." Gaara thought as his frosty-green eyes met the warm hazel that sent chills down his spine. "Such a warm colour, but a horribly cold feeling..."
xxxxx
Kohaku pulled off her hood, glaring at the person in front of her. Without any intention of uttering a single word, she helped herself up for the second time that day. She looked down and her brain properly registered the boy on the ground.
Judging by his rusty-red clothes as well as the shoes that were standard-issued for the Land of Wind dwellers, Kohaku could tell that the boy was obviously from this country. Her information-collecting instinct couldn't help but continue studying him as her eyes went over the leather strap with the Sunagakure protector tied around it and to the large pear-shaped object that lay on the ground. The redheaded boy saw her looking at his queer baggage and quickly retrieved it before standing up.
Well! He was taller than she had expected!
Gritting her teeth, she looked up to meet the boy's eyes. Doing so, her own eyes travelled over the dark circles around his eyes and landed on the tattoo on his head. Love. Pfft. He must be a lily-livered, sorry excuse of a shinobi if love was something he chose to parade around.
xxxxx
Gaara looked down upon the girl who was scrutinizing him in a manner that he found infuriating. "What are you looking at?" he asked. As an afterthought, he decided to add, "Chibi."
Kohaku's eyebrow twitched as she still kept her hands to herself. "I do not recall asking you to refer to me by such a derogatory appellation," she said in an even tone, "Is it normal for you to go around disparaging people with whom you have no connections, as well as knocking them down?"
"Well, Chibi, as far as I know, you're the one at fault as well," Gaara answered back, "And I do not go around knocking people down. In fact, I hardly do it. You're so small that people can't help but not notice you,"
Kohaku set her jaw determinedly. She would not waste her precious time bickering with this silly peace-loving person. Pulling up her hood again, she turned around, muttering under her breath, "He's worse than Uzumaki-kun,"
Gaara's eyes widened for a moment when he heard his friend's name being uttered by Chibi. He quickly reached out for her shoulder and stopped her. "You know Naruto?"
"I know of no such person," she replied bluntly, not turning around to look at him. She continued pulling herself away from Gaara.
Determined to weasel her relationship with the person he knew very well, Gaara followed the girl. "Hey, Chibi. Tell me, what's your relationship with Naruto?" he asked. "He's supposed to be here with the rest of his team today," he added silently.
"I assume you have heard of a customarily used phrase that people put to use when they want to be left alone," Kohaku said apathetically, "It is: Mind your own business,"
Keeping his cool, Gaara decided to switch the topic. Transitioning to general, light-hearted topics, he had learnt from none other than Naruto himself, could get people to let down their psychological guard.
"So you're from Konohagakure?"
"I am not here to infiltrate anything. We are on a peace treaty with Sunagakure, if you have not been brushing up on your political matters," Gaara saw some rustling beneath the girl's cloak. She was probably switching the protector around, as if to prevent further identification.
"And yet you do not know who the current Kazekage is," Gaara thought as he gave the girl a dry look.
"Are you on a mission?" he continued conversationally, "Is that why you're passing through the Land of Wind?"
"That does not concern you in any way,"
"If it's your first time here, I'll show you around if you'd like,"
"I would like no such thing,"
Gaara watched as Kohaku scanned the area in front of them as they continued walking along the never-ending street. A light bulb seemed to switch on in the boy's head. "You're lost, aren't you?"
Kohaku adopted a contemptuous expression. "Being lost is only something that fools with no sense of navigation would do,"
"...and childish people?"
"Yes, childish, petulant people,"
"...you're being childish and petulant,"
Kohaku - who was normally smooth with cold answers as Gaara had observed - simply gave the sand shinobi another glare. She kept quiet and continued looking around.
"So you're lost," Gaara answered for the less-than-willing-to-talk girl. "Where's the rest of your team?"
Kohaku gave the pestering redhead an annoyed look. "You know, if I had not known better," she said, for the first time properly talking to him, "I would have had the impression that you are someone who is not unnecessarily loquacious,"
That was true. Gaara in all honesty didn't normally chatter like a scatter-brained idiot, but how else was he going to get the unwilling girl to respond if he didn't act like Naruto?
"Putting that aside-" Gaara got cut off as Kohaku abruptly halted. "What's the matter?"
Ignoring his question, she continued staring at a store beside them. A big advertisement flag was flapping slightly, with the words 'GREATEST MOCHI IN ALL OF THE LAND OF WIND'. Gaara looked at what she was pointing and back to her with an incredulous look. "You stopped just to point out the tea shop?"
Kohaku didn't give an answer as she slung her bag off her shoulder and started rummaging inside. After a few minutes of thorough digging, the auburn-haired girl sighed. "Stupid sandstorm," she muttered under her breath, "Blew away my money!"
Gaara's ears only picked up Kohaku's first sentence. "You got separated from your team in the sandstorm?"
Kohaku stood still, a troubled look growing on her face. Gaara cocked his head to the side — that was the first real facial expression he'd seen since they had bumped into each other. "You can't find them?"
Kohaku now crossed her arms across her chest, deep in thought. She looked up at Gaara. "You. Sand shinobi."
Gaara realized that she was talking to him. "I am definitely going to talk to your employer about your impertinence," Gaara thought as a nerve pulsed at his temple. "My name's Gaara. Sabaku no Gaara,"
"Well, Sabaku-san, I know it is generally a sensitive question, but do you have any money with you?" Kohaku asked.
"What's your name?" Gaara asked.
"I asked you if you had any money, not ask you to ask me for my name,"
Gaara looked heavenwards. "Yes, I do have money. What about it?"
"I do nott usually do this, but I would like to borrow a certain amount of your money. I will reimburse the amount taken back to you as soon as I return to Konohagakure or obtain it by other means," she said, "If you would like, I am willing to pay an interest as well,"
Gaara felt for his money pouch in one of his pockets and withdrew it. He wondered why the Chibi suddenly wanted his money. Did she not have her own? "I'll lend you the money without the interest," he said, "But on one condition,"
"State them before I agree," Kohaku prompted.
"You tell me what you're doing here and where's your platoon."
Kohaku fidgeted beneath her cloak. Gaara watched Kohaku's lips move as she started muttering to herself again. The girl certainly did a lot of muttering!
xxxxx
Her eyes slid over to the exposition of delicacies in the glass cases.
Mochi!
Almost everyone assumed that Kohaku was a person who could not be affected by anything, well, they were wrong. The girl had the most unexpected Achilles' Heel of all: Mochi. The sweet, soft, squishy treat that varied in size, shape and flavour. The steely girl had a liking-no, an obsession for it.
Well, Kohaku never said she was a perfect person. If there was anyone out there who worshipped her for being the ultimate statuesque shinobi with no weaknesses... too bad.
xxxxx
After what seemed like the adjournment of Kohaku's inner council, the girl looked at Gaara again.
"Despite the fact that you have just stated two conditions, I will agree to these terms," she said solemnly, "Now, I would like for you to follow me into this tea shop,"
xxxxx
"She's about this tall-," Kakashi lifted his hand up till it reached three inches below his shoulder, "-and has auburn hair and hazel-brown eyes. She's got a green cloak on, and judging the situation at hand, I'd probably guess the hood of the cloak will be up," The silver-haired shinobi let his hand relax as he looked at the middle-aged man in front of him. "Well?"
The man rolled up the sleeves of his brown robes. "Not a lot of people here wear the colour green, but I haven't seen anyone fitting your description so far,"
Naruto poked a clay bowl curiously. "Sakura-chan, this bowl here looks weirder!" he whispered, "It's got a snake indent in it!"
The pink-haired kunoichi gave her friend an annoyed look. "Aren't you the least bit worried about Kohaku?"
Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. She said she was gonna be fine, so I guess she'll be fine," he said with a grin, "I don't particularly care for her, but a teammate's still a teammate. And if Tsunade-baa-chan says that Shishimiya's capable, then she's capable,"
Sakura let out a heavy sigh. "Still! She's still so young!"
"You don't even know how old she is,"
"Naruto, just shut up,"
After the three of them had regained consciousness, Kakashi led his subordinates towards Meikyuu no Suna, their place of rendezvous with the Sunagakure proxies, to find their lost teammate. They had been going from shop to shop, listing down descriptions of the auburn-haired girl, but they had no luck yet. They had been searching for almost an hour and a half already.
The wind-chime hanging above the entrance of the store they were in tinkled as an elderly lady entered the store. "Welcome!" the store-owner greeted, "Yuriko-san! Nice to see you!"
"Nice to see you, Yoshio-san," the elderly lady replied with a nod.
The store-owner smiled before turning back to Kakashi and scratched his head. "Well, does this girl you're looking for have any recurrent characteristics that are noticeable?"
"Well, apart from the vibrant colours she's probably wearing right now, she speaks in a different manner," Kakashi said, remembering the way Kohaku used to speak.
Wait. Used to? Kakashi shook his head slightly. No! There was no way he was going to declare his subordinate dead without trying to find her!
The lady that had just entered looked up from a vase that she had been inspecting. "Excuse me, Kenji-san, but what are you discussing with this gentleman here?"
"Ahh, Yuriko-san, you see, this shinobi-san here got caught in a sandstorm with those youngsters over there-," he gestured towards Naruto and Sakura, "-and apparently, they got separated from another one of them. She's a young girl. Have you seen her?"
The woman thought for a moment. "Well, while I was doing some shopping over at the food district, I did see a strange girl in a hooded cloak. She was with a young man. I did hear a bit of their conversation by accident," she said, "Such a queer way of talking! She didn't speak like children her age speak nowadays. Such precise and measured tones!"
Naruto and Sakura had overheard what the lady had said. They rushed over to join Kakashi. "Is it true? Where is this food district?"
"Please tell us," Kakashi said, "We'd really appreciate it,"
"Young man?" Kakashi thought, "I hope she's not stupid enough to get herself involved with local punks,"
The lady moved outside the store and pointed North. "The food district is over there. It's the closest district to the main gate. You won't miss it if you go straight North,"
"Thank you!" the three of them left quickly.
xxxxx
Gaara blinked as Kohaku calmly read the menu in her hands. "You wanted to eat?"
Kohaku looked up. "What I choose to do is none of your business," she said, "I agreed to your conditions when you said you would lend me money. No extras included,"
Incredible! She was lost and presumably penniless at the moment with no means of communication, and she had made the right choice by asking for money. Gaara had assumed she was going to the nearest aviary to rent a bird to send a message, but instead, she wanted to eat?
"This Chibi is hard to understand," Gaara thought, shaking his head.
Kohaku stood up and went to talk to a waitress. Gaara watched as Kohaku spoke to the girl - who had a confused look on her face - before sighing and pointing at various spots in the menu before walking back to the table.
"You know, not everyone can understand the way you talk," Gaara commented as Kohaku resumed her seat.
The girl gave the redhead an icy look. "Nothing is wrong with the way I speak,"
Gaara gave her a skeptical look. "I don't think so," he mumbled.
"I do not care for what you think," Kohaku said blithely, "Concluding this discussion, I will now answer to the two conditions you stated earlier before magnanimously lending me your funds,"
Oh yes. Finally, following the eccentric girl around was going to pay off! He could now weasel information out of her without being dissuaded! "I know you got separated from your team in the sandstorm earlier this morning, right?"
"You have my acquiescence,"
"Akwee-what?"
Kohaku's vacant eyes narrowed very slightly in annoyance. "Yes. I meant to say yes."
Already, the girl was starting to feel lamentation for her decision to choose her personal interests before anything else.
"Are you looking for them?"
"...it should have been palpable when you were stalking me,"
"I was not stalking you!"
"Do you have any other questions regarding the whereabouts of my team and my reasons for being in Meikyuu no Suna?"
Gaara gave the girl an irritated look before asking his next question. "Who's your team leader?"
Subsequently, the waitress from earlier came up to their table with a tray. Giving the unabashed kunoichi a wary look, the waitress set down several square plates laden with an assortment of mochi. Kohaku extended her thank you to the waitress before picking up a pair of chopsticks and putting a green glutinous ball inside her mouth.
Chewing and swallowing, the girl picked up her tea cup and sipped at it before giving Gaara a reply. "I am afra-,"
"SHISHIMIYA!"
The comfortable buzz of the tea-shop ceased as the patrons, including Gaara, turned to look at the source of the sudden outburst. Only the person who had been called was unconcernedly picking up her chopsticks again to eat other piece of mochi.
Gaara recognized the shock of blonde hair on the person's head. "Naruto!" he widened his eyes, "What are you doing here?"
Naruto tore his gaze away from the indulging girl and looked at his foreign friend. "Gaara!" a grin blossomed on his face as he advanced towards his friend and the still-undisturbed girl, "Fancy meetin' ya here!"
Gaara stood up from his seat to receive Naruto, and the buzz resurfaced again as everyone present resumed their business. "Where are Kakashi and Sakura?" he asked, "And that teammate of yours, Sai?"
Naruto gave Gaara a bemused look. "Didn't Tsunade-baa-chan tell you guys?" he asked, "About Sai's replacement, I mean. He's gone off on a solo mission, so someone else is filling in for him for the duration of this mission,"
"What?"
Naruto pointed at the Kohaku, who was slowly devouring the many pieces of mochi laid out in front of her on the table. "That kid over there," he said, "That's our temporary member. Her name's Shishimiya Kohaku,"
Gaara had never expected to be introduced to her in such a way.
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Luv, Pichuzilla