Chapter 7: A Random Moment in the Desert
Gaara, Izuka, Kankuro, and Temari were running like there was no tomorrow through the hot and dry desert as they made their way west to the Wind Daimyo's palace. They had already run for the past five hours straight and were in the middle of nowhere, the Sand Village nowhere in sight.
Kankuro was the first to stop running. He put his backpack down in the sand and sat on top of it. "Guys, let's take a break. I'm dying out here!"
"Do you really expect us to take a break out in the open with no shade in sight?" asked Temari as she stopped running and backtracked to her brother. Gaara and Izuka did the same.
"We can use yours' and Izuka's battle fans to make some shade." said Kankuro with a sly smirk.
"That's actually not a bad idea." said Gaara as he took off his gourd. "We could all use a small break."
"Alright" said Temari as she put down her backpack. "But were only stopping for a half hour; we can't stay in one place for too long, especially in the desert.
"Agreed" said Kankuro, Gaara, and Izuka in unison.
Temari took out the scroll where she kept her fan, did a few complicated hand signs, and unsealed her fan. Izuka took off a gray jewel from her chain whip and threw it up in the air. As the jewel flew up, Izuka did a couple of hand signs. The jewel responded and turned into a puff of smoke. As the smoke cleared, a battle fan appeared in the sky and Izuka caught it in her hands on its way down. This was the weapon that Izuka used when she used her affinity for air in battle. The fan looked exactly like Temari's except it was gray in color and had three symbols that looked like stretched out S's that were also gray in color.
"You know, a part of me always wonders what would happen if you couldn't catch your weapon as it fell from the sky." said Kankuro as he watched Izuka position her fan to create some shade.
"Why would you think that?" asked Temari as she followed Izuka's movements.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just that cruel and I want to see you get hit on the head." said Kankuro as he took out a water bottle from his book bag.
"First, you eat all the cookies. Next, you chase Temari around the street because she said that you're fat. Finally, you want to see Izuka get hit in the head. Kankuro, it's not maybe your cruel, YOU ARE CRUEL!" exclaimed Gaara.
"Hey! In my defense, you would have found a way to eat all of them first, Temari was the one who SAID I'm fat, and Izuka has done some pretty mean things to me in the past." said Kankuro to his brother.
"Wait a sec. What have I ever done to you?" asked Izuka.
"Like you don't know; every time your eyes turn purple, even for a second, something bad happens and it always happens to ME." whined Kankuro.
"Wait, wait. You're eyes turn purple? I've seen your eyes turn different colors with each element you use and whenever you change your appearance to fit that element, but I've never seen your eyes turn purple before." said Temari.
"Well, you see. The thing is, unlike the times my eyes change color when I shift my appearance or when I use the elements, my eyes turn purple whenever I feel a negative emotion." explained Izuka as she took a swig of water from her water bottle.
"Like anger or sadness?" asked Gaara.
"Anger, sadness, even confusion, sometimes; unfortunately for you, Kankuro, your always the one on the receiving end of my purple eyes' power." said Izuka, apologetically.
Instead of responding with a complaint or an angry rant, Kankuro had this to say. "All I can say is that your weird purple eyes sound a lot like Jinx from Teen Titans."
"Oh my God, he's right. Wait, you still watch Teen Titans?" asked Temari.
"All there's left are reruns, but yeah, I still watch it."
"Awkward." Gaara and Izuka chorused in unison.
"Hey!" said Kankuro. "It's still a good show. Neither of you should be judging."
"Touché." chorused Izuka and Gaara again.
The group fell into an awkward silence that lasted way too long for words. Kankuro, yet again, was the one to disrupt the silence.
"Besides Gangnam Style, what is the funniest song you can think of?"
"Kankuro, that question is totally random." said Gaara in his monotone, a bored expression evident on his face.
"I know. That's what makes it fun." said Kankuro; whose mischievous smile could give the Cheshire cat's a run for his money. "Temari, you start. What's the funniest song you can think of?"
"Well." Temari put her hand on her chin in deep concentration. After a few seconds of thinking, Temari spoke again. "For me, it has got to be Party in the C.I.A by Weird Al Yankovic."
"That's a good one." said Izuka.
"I know, right? It's even funnier if you listen to the song, but think of the ANBU in the C.I.A's place."
Kankuro burst out laughing at the thought. Gaara, on the underhand, was mildly disturbed.
"Izuka, your next; what's the funniest song in your opinion?" said Kankuro in between giggles.
"In my opinion, the funniest song for me is Best Song Everr by Wallpaper." said the Sage.
"Didn't he make an animated video along with the real one for that song?" asked Gaara.
Izuka nodded her head yes.
"I remember that video. The scene with the dancing iguanas was my favorite part." said Kankuro.
"I just have one question. Why would the guy name himself Wallpaper?" asked Temari.
"He named himself Wallpaper because he's boss like that. Don't hate on the man." an angry Kankuro exclaimed.
"Alright, alright. Don't get your underwear in a twist." said Temari in a condescending tone.
Kankuro then moved his attention over to his little brother. A mischievous smile crept onto his painted face. "What about you Gaara?"
Gaara was lost on this question. He listened to mostly alternative and rock music, with a few songs in between. He barely listened to any funny songs. Gaara racked his brain, trying to think of one. Then it dawned on him.
"Canadian Idiot by Weird Al Yankovic. Even though I've heard this song once in my lifetime, it's still stuck in my head."
"Really? Didn't expect that." said Izuka.
"The thing is, it was your brother who got it stuck in my head the last time he came to the village to visit you."
Izuka thought about it for a while before the memory came to her. "Oh yeah. That was basically the only song he ever listened to during his visit."
"I think the song is kind of mean, though. He basically criticizes the Canadians in that song." said Kankuro.
"All in good fun, though. I don't think the Canadians mind it." said Gaara.
Temari checked the time on her watch. "Come on guys. We got to get moving. We don't want to keep the Wind Daimyo waiting."
Temari got up from her spot and started to seal her fan back into its scroll. Izuka got up and sealed her fan back into its jewel form and placed it back on her chain whip. Kankuro and Gaara got up and out back on their backpacks. The girls did the same.
"All right, let's go." said Gaara. He started running into the vast oasis that is the desert. Kankuro, Izuka, and Temari followed after him.
"This is going to be a long trip." said Kankuro as he pulled up at the rear of the group. Unknown to them, someone was watching them from the shadows and it wasn't a Nara.
End of Chapter 7
Author's Note: If you haven't listened to the songs mentioned above, go and listen to them. You won't regret the decision. Continue to vote on my poll, which is located on my profile page. By the way, I love Canada. I have family members living there.