Destiny of the Cursed
Chapter 16: Away
"I-I'm sorry…"
"The mission failed…I'm sorry." Her voice bounced back from butter-colored walls of the hospital. Katana simply couldn't meet his eyes. Eyes of the person who brought her up. She felt so ashamed. "I see. They blamed you, didn't they?" Kakashi guessed, sensing that this would eventually happen. No reply came from the girl.
"You know that it's not your fault." He tried again. A snort came from her. "Right… It was not my fault for not stopping him when I had the chance. And my teammates have no right to blame me, is that what you're saying?" Her tone was purely sarcastic yet full of guilt and anger. Her knuckles turned white from the pressure of her closed fists.
Kakashi stared at the girl with sympathy. He knew she blamed herself on what was supposed to be Sasuke's fault. But if one would look at it, he, their instructor,should be the one to be blamed. "What's your plan?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Get an A-rank mission that'll make me disappear for months. Go travel somewhere far and train hard. Anything possible just to get away from them for a short period of time." She knew running away and hiding was wrong, but it seemed like the best option at the moment.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want that?" She sighed. "Of course, I don't want this. I'd never want to get away from them. But, really, after what happened, they won't even care if I was gone." She said. There was a shared silence between the two. Time seemed to go by even slower when no words were exchanged.
"Well, be careful." Her head snapped up at him.
"Y-you're okay with it?" she asked in disbelief. Kakashi chuckled. "You'll be fine." His kind eyes never changed. Katana's lips graced a small smile, the first one of the day. "Thank you…" she hugged him tightly, taking him by surprise, "Tou-san."
He found himself smiling back, wrapping an arm around her. "Be careful."
Three knocks were sent on the door. Both of them stared at it and then looked at each other. Katana nodded curtly. "Goodbye, sensei." With that, she jumped out of the window. The door opened. "Kakashi-sensei… who were you talking to?"
Kakashi turned to his students at the doorway. He put on a smile. "I wasn't talking with anybody, Sakura. You must've heard wrong. Now, who was that new member you wanted to introduce to me?"
Katana jumped and ran with ease towards the Hokage office. Too much of a hurry to take the door, she jumped on the roof instead and knocked on the window glass. Two blonde women turned to her. One of them was the Hokage, who grumbled before ordering her assistant to open the window. The other one was a Suna ambassador, and the sister of the Kazekage. As soon as the window opened, Katana went in.
"Ohayo Godaime-sama." She smiled. She turned to the others. "Ohayo Shizune-san, Temari-san. I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion. Were you busy talking about something important?"
Tsunade shook her head and couldn't help but smile at the girl's politeness, even though the said girl came in through the window. "Katana, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"I want to ask for a solo mission." Katana stated.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "Already? But you just came back yesterday!"
"I'll be okay." Persuaded Katana. Tsunade sighed. The brunette girl waited. "You must know, Katana. I am more than willing to give you another mission. It takes off a lot in my hands." Then, the Hokage gave her a stern gaze. "But", she continued, "I cannot just send out some random shinobi to a mission just because they want to. Especially if that shinobi just came back from a particularly dangerous assignment without a week's worth of rest."
"Please, Tsunade-sama!" She pleaded. Katana looked down guiltily. "I...need another mission." Tsunade didn't understand everything, but judging from the way she was acting, something from their last mission went wrong and it caused a large misunderstanding between the group of friends. She sighed for the second time. "You want to go on a mission?"
A nod answered her.
"Alone?"
A nod.
"And Kakashi knows about it?"
An eye roll and a nod.
"Well, I could always give you an A-rank mission." She offered. Katana was about to take it when Temari intervened from beside her. "I actually have something to offer you." She said. Katana's curiosity peeked. "You need assistance of something?" she asked her.
"Hai. I'm looking for someone who can help Gaara." With this said, worry showed on Katana's face. "Is he alright?" Temari shook her head and she frowned. "Ever since Shukaku was extracted from him, he's become more agitated and anxious than ever. He wouldn't sleep, no matter what we do. On some times… he faints all of a sudden and we have to rush him in the hospital. After going home, the same routine starts again." Temari faced Katana with a determined look in her eye. "I need someone who can break that habit. And…I believe the best person for that …is you."
Katana's grey orbs widened and she flushed. "M-me? Why me? What good can I do?" she asked then looked down on the floor. "He probably wouldn't even listen to me." Temari clamped a hand down her shoulder. "I know he would. Please Katana, give it a try. Just for 2 months." Temari had never sounded so desperate. 'Am I really the one who can help him?' she asked herself mentally.
And so suddenly, Katana changed her perspective. She wouldn't leave Konoha because she wanted to run away, she would leave it for the sake of helping Gaara. And she felt much better with that reason in her mind now. Temari tightened the lock of her fan. She motioned for the door. "I'm leaving for Suna this evening." She turned to Katana. "So… you coming?"
The 3-day travel was fine for Katana. But as they went closer to Suna, she could feel the scorching heat released from the fine grains of sand. Suna was nothing like Konoha. In Konoha, there was always breeze, green grass under your feet, and those enormous trees that surrounded the area. Here, there was nothing to see but sand dunes and brown colored buildings in the city.
"We're here." Announced Temari rather happily. Katana took one long look at the giant door before them and blinked. "Wow… Uh, the Kazekage mansion, right?" she inquired weakly, gulping at the size of the house. Temari smirked at her companion's reaction. The doors opened, revealing the grand hallway and the staircases that led to several rooms and the Kazekage office.
"For the last time, I don't need sleep, Kankuro." A deep and pissed off voice from inside the room was heard. Apparently, there was an argument brewing between the two brothers when the older sibling and Katana stepped inside the office. Right then, it was all quiet. Katana's eyes caught aquamarine ones. Tired and bloodshot aquamarine eyes. Her gaze took him all in and her expression saddened.
"Katana…What are you doing here?" Gaara questioned in surprise and disbelief. When she didn't answer, he turned to Temari. "Katana's your new personal assistant!" squealed the older sister. The way she said it made both teenagers' eyes twitch in shock. Gaara buried his face in his hands in irritation. "T-Temari…I do not need a personal assistant. I need a medic." He glared at her. "Where is the medic I asked for?" he demanded.
Temari huffed. "You don't need a medic! You need sleep!" she reprimanded him. Before another fight can ensue, Katana cut in. "Can I ask permission to speak with the Kazekage-sama in private?" she asked. The siblings stared at her. After a moment, Temari sighed. "Come on, Kankuro." The puppeteer stood up from his seat and winked half-heartedly as they pass by Katana as a greeting. She gave him a reassuring smile in return. The two older siblings went out the door. When Katana was sure they were alone, she sat on the sofa where Kankuro was previously seated. Gaara's gaze followed her. She stared at him. He stared back.
She decided to start the conversation. "You seem surprised."
"I am."
"How are you? I heard from Temari-chan that you weren't handling your recovery well." When he didn't reply, Katana continued talking. "They're only worried about you." A quiet sigh escaped his lips, but Katana caught it. She scrutinized his face. The dark rings around his eyes became thicker. Frown lines on his face showed. He looked older compared to the last time they met.
"I don't want them to worry." He answered. "Then maybe, you should listen to them and take a break." She told him. Gaara only shook his head.
"I do not need rest. This paperwork already piled up when I was gone. I need to finish them."
"You won't be able to finish it anyway in that state of yours." Interjected Katana.
"I am fine."
"Sure you are."
"Sarcastic, are we?"
"Not one bit, Kazekage-sama."
He snorted and resumed to the document on his hands. Surprisingly, Katana just stared at him. He shrugged, thinking he was now safe from her witty comments. But Katana thought otherwise.
"Stubborn brat." Remarked Katana, with a smug, mischievous look.
Gaara was taken aback for a second then glared at her. The death glare that made other people want to run away didn't have any effect on Katana. Instead, she smirked at him dangerously. He paled. 'Since when did my glare lose its effect?' Gaara asked himself. "Don't make me take…drastic measures, Gaara-sama…" her voice had a plainly terrifying edge on it. Gaara cleared his throat nervously. "I don't understand what you mean, Katana."
"Oh?" Katana questioned in mock innocence, "then why does Gaara-sama have beads of sweat running down his face?" she teased. His facade faltered. She gripped the handle of her blade and let it slide out of its case. "If you don't want rest…" she threatened, "I believe forcing you is in line."
Gaara thought one thing: 'Oh, crap.' And with that, the fearless poker faced king scampered out of his office and away from the sword-wielding girl that chased her. Oh wait, let me rephrase that. Gaara didn't scamper. Only the weak do things such as scamper. No, he merely wanted to tire out his opponent.
"Get back here, GAARA!"
This opponent was none other than his newly hired assistant, Katana.
He cursed himself mentally. Why was he running again? And from a girl nonetheless!
'A rabid girl.' He reminded himself. He dashed towards the kitchen. Then to laundry room. She was getting closer. He was getting tired. With no other place to run, he quickly dashed to the living room, only to halt abruptly.
Temari and Kankuro, who were having tea at the moment, gawked at the sight of Gaara. "Uhh…" Gaara mumbled, before falling to the floor with Katana on his back. "Owww…" whined Katana, rubbing her head. She looked down. "Oh." She was sitting on Gaara's back. "Get up." He wheezed. She complied.
"…Gaara?"
He turned to his brother. "Yes?"
"Were you running away from Katana just now?"
"…No." he denied lamely. The puppeteer turned to the girl. "Katana?"
"Hm?"
"Were you trying to kill my brother just now?"
"…Maybe." She answered guiltily.
"I'll be going back to my office." Gaara announced and turned to leave. Katana snapped to him. "H-hey! Wait!" He just kept on walking. "Don't ignore me!" she demanded. No reaction. Annoyed, Katana launched herself on his leg. Gaara almost stumbled, but luckily, he regained his balance just in time. "What are you doing?" he hissed.
She gave a stubborn look. "Sleep!" He frowned and walked again, dragging the other foot with Katana clinging on it. They reached his office once again. Gaara then pried her arms of his leg and flopped down on his chair. Katana sighed. She sat on the sofa.
"Sleep." She deadpanned. He stubbornly refused.
"Gaara, sleep." She begged. This time he ignored her and went back to signing paperwork. She sighed. "Fine then, if you don't want sleep, I will. I'm already darn tired from that travel and you just had to be so troublesome." Gaara's attention was turned to the girl. Katana made herself comfortable on the sofa. Then she closed her eyes. Gaara snorted after a while. 'Like that will have an effect on me.' He rolled his eyes and continued his work.
'Tick…tock…tick…tock' Gaara looked up on the wall clock with his half-lidded eyes. Only ten minutes had past since Katana went to sleep. He glanced at her form. She looked so peaceful, so enticing. His eyes slowly closed and he felt himself being drifted into a slee—
'No!' thought Gaara, his head snapping up. He blinked a couple of times, and then shook his head hard. 'I will not sleep, I will not sleep!' he chanted inside his head. But not even the toughest shinobi can withstand lack of rest. Gaara didn't hold much longer either, resting his head on his desk full of folders and files. He sighed. Who was he kidding? His head was throbbing. His hand was shaking. His muscles were stiff. He was tired. He was dead beat tired, dammit! But still, he remained hardheaded. Why?
Somewhere on the back of his mind, Gaara knew the right answer to that question. But he chose, instead, to just leave it be and finally closed his dark-ringed eyes.
The sound of soft snoring made Katana flick her eyelids opened. She angled her head up, looking at Gaara. A satisfied look crossed her face. The insomniac finally slept. She sat up straight and walked over his desk. Taking several fat files from the table, she began reading each one and signing them. And all the while she's been doing work, there was a question left unanswered inside her head. Why was Gaara torturing himself like this?
Something snapped inside her brain. Realization dawned upon her. She glanced at the redhead and smiled sadly. "Oh Gaara…" she shook her head in slight disapproval. Once she was all done, Katana stood up. Taking a piece of paper and pen, she wrote a message and placed it on his hand. Taking a last glimpse, she shut the door behind her softly.
Waiting on the rooftop of the tower at night was not nice. Katana discovered that by now. The harsh cold wind blew again and this time, it caused her to sneeze. The black shirt that she wore was no match against Suna's violent change in weather. Trying to cheer herself up, she looked up in search of stars, like in Konoha. To her disappointment, there were none. She grimaced, shivering. 'I miss Konoha…I miss home.' She thought glumly. 'I miss Kakashi-sensei…I miss Sakura and Naruto…' Her eyes felt hot, but she refused to acknowledge the dangerously close to falling tears of pain. "Hey." The velvety voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Hastily, she wiped the sides of her eyes and glanced back. "Oh, you're finally awake. How did you find me here?" she asked the redheaded teenager who took a seat beside her. "This is my house, after all." He said, as a matter-of-factly. She chuckled sheepishly. Thick tension hung in the atmosphere. To both their surprise, it was Gaara who broke it.
"Thank you." He muttered.
"Eh?" Katana asked dumbly.
"Thank you", he said again, "for forcing me to sleep." Katana rubbed the back of her neck. "Don't mention it." She said. "Did you read the message?"
"I did." He said. They shared a look. "So, I guess, I'm not the only one who needs comforting, huh?" Katana offered a warm smile.
"Your company here is enough for me. But I want to know what I can do for you." He told her. Her smile faded. "Honestly, I don't know what to do myself." Gaara waited patiently for her to continue. When she didn't, he asked her a question. "When you saw what Uchiha Sasuke turned out to be… did you lose hope of taking him home?"
She met his steady gaze. "…No."
"That's good."
The smile on her face was brought back. They sat there, enjoying each other's company in the chilly night.
End of Chapter
Sorry for the late update guys! I got a terrible writer's block the previous days.
Oh, that reminds me. I need an illustrator for my original character, Katana. If anyone there is interested, please send me a message. Thank you!
Keep up the reviews!
~KatanaSabaku