Chapter 65: Knocking at Our Door

"How are you feeling Izuka?" Ryu asked as she flew through the open window to see Izuka writing in a silver notebook as she continued to stay in bed. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm feeling a little better. It'll take some time, but I'll fully recover in time," Izuka said with a small smirk on her face. "Where were you this morning Ryu?"

"I was paying a visit to the Academy. The students really miss you," said Ryu as she landed right on Izuka's lap. "Some of them have been asking me when it's okay for them to start visiting you, but I never gave them a solid answer. Have you received any word yet?"

"My doctor said that she still has to run a few more tests before I can really see a huge group of visitors," Izuka told her with the smallest of shrugs. "And besides, the students aren't the only ones that want to visit me. Some of the Elders want to see me too, although, I have the feeling their visit will be a lot . . . less pleasant."

"Are you kidding me? They're not coming for a visit. They're coming for an interrogation," Ryu said rather bluntly as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "As soon as any one of them, especially the mean ones, walk into this room, they will pelt you with questions left and right and scrutinize every single answer you give them."

"That may be true, but I can't blame them if that's going to be the way they'll act toward me," Izuka said in a calm tone of voice. "Amegakure held me as their prisoner for months Ryu. I would be suspicious too if I was in there position."

"Why?"

"What? You wouldn't be suspicious too if a familiar face turns up again after months of being held in captivity by an enemy village?" Izuka asked with a sarcastic bite to her tone. "Who also went through that village's grueling reeducation process, if you don't mind me adding?"

"Okay, okay . . . I see your point," Ryu said as she raised her claws up in surrender, just as Gaara entered the room. "I was wondering how long it was going to take before you were back here. How did the council meeting go?"

"It was ok, more or less," Gaara simply replied as he took off his hat. "The Council has agreed to give you another two days before they come knocking at your door, although, they agreed to the idea of giving you a buffer quite, begrudgingly."

"I guess some of the Elders weren't too keen on the idea after all huh . . ." Izuka mumbled with a shrug as Gaara sat down in the seat closest to the bed.

"If it weren't for Mibiku stepping in to help settle things, we may never have gotten the agreement through in the first place," Gaara said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So, how have you two been doing so far today?"

"We've been doing okay," Ryu said with a grin. "I was at the Academy before flying over here. Some of the students really want to see Izuka, but I guess they'll have to wait a couple more days before that can happen."

"I hope they do not mind going through security in order to do so, that is, if you will allow them to come visit you Izzy." said Gaara, smirking as he used Izuka's ill-loved nickname.

"Having the students visit me would be a lot more pleasant than a visit from the Elders," Izuka said in modest agreement. "Ryu's already told me that the Elders are more likely going to interrogate the hell out of me than have a friendly conversation."

"Do you think I'm wrong?" Ryu asked with a blunt stare at both teens.

"Well, I would have to say that it isn't hard to imagine some of the Elders planning to do something of the like," Gaara said with a small shake of his head. "But you don't have to worry about all the Elders coming to barge down your doorstep. Only a few of the Elders looked very keen on interrogating you."

"Well . . . I guess that's good to know," Izuka said with a sheepish look on her face as Gaara took one of her hands in his. "So, is there any news on the political front that I should know about?"

"I'm still in talks with the other Kages on what our next strategy should be in order to combat Amegakure. Lady Tsunade will be arriving within the next few days to see you and lend some of her expertise," Gaara replied with a nod as a loud knocking sound erupted from the door. "Come in!"

"Guys! We got some serious bad news!" Kankuro exclaimed as he walked into the room, Baki and Temari following right after him. "Some of Amegakure's forces have been sighted along the border the Land of Wind shares with their country, and from what our lookouts have reported in already, their forces are nothing to kid about."

"They're planning to invade?" Gaara asked as he raised an invisible eyebrow.

"Possibly . . . So far, the Rain nin have created a base for their forces along the border, and it's not the only one," Temari mumbled as she handed her brother the report. "Apparently, Amegakure has also been busy building bases along the borders they share with the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth."

"And this escaped our radars how?" Gaara asked as he narrowed his eyes in slight disbelief.

"That's what we're still trying to figure out," Baki said with a shake of his head. "Right now, it's currently safe to say that the Rain nin have really stepped up their covert game over these past few months."

"Maybe these past few months were the key for them," Izuka suggested as she looked out the window. "While most of the attention was on Amegakure itself and the search to find me, the enemy was free to carry on with their other plans thanks to the distraction."

"They must have gotten way ahead in their planning if that's the case," mumbled Kankuro as he crossed his arms. "As for now, who knows how long it'll be before the Rain nin try to launch an attack."

"That is a good question," Gaara said with a small shake of his head. "We may not know when they'll try to attack, but we can at least be prepared for them when they do.

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