Author's Note: Guuuyyysss. T^T Our internet connection's broken! Pray for it please! I don't want to waste 30 bucks in the internet cafe every time I update!

Drama aside, how'd you like the new chapter? XD Please Enjoy and Review!

P.S. Thanks to all those who keep reading my fanfic! When I checked the story stats, I was surprised to see 93 reviews in it already! You guys are awesome!

Destiny of the Cursed

Chapter 35: New comrades

The sounds of rhythmic tapping and silent scraping of paper against paper echoed inside the sleeping girl's ears, shaking her awake little by little. Mm…where am I? It took a few minutes before her situation registered inside her mind, the kunoichi remembering that she was in the hospital. Stirring slightly on the bed, Katana shifted to the direction of the noise, her eyelids lifting up languidly. Grey eyes flickered over to the relaxed form, watching in amusement as the silver-haired man remained oblivious to her, his masked face buried in his Icha Icha Paradise.

"Morning." Katana greeted weakly, smiling when the startled jounin threw his leg off the other and left his infamous orange book on the bench to approach her. "Yo. How's my favorite girl?" inquired Kakashi teasingly, affectionately brushing off the hair that was splayed over her forehead. Wrinkling her face in mock annoyance, Katana swatted the gloved hand away. "I'm your only girl, Tou-san." She protested, pushing her hair back herself.

"Possessive much, Kat-chan?"

"Yes. Got a problem with that?"

Chuckling at their banter, the jounin took the chair at the side of the bed, his lone eye never leaving her face. "I brought your clothes by the way. You can change when you're ready to go. And your sword's over there."

"Thanks." Katana rasped out, her voice still hoarse from sleep. She coughed lightly and swallowed, trying to relieve her parched throat. Sitting up on the bed, the brunette reached out for the glass of water on her bedside table, taking in several mouthfuls. When finally satisfied with the moisture that was brought back inside her mouth, she placed the empty glass back down, raising an eyebrow at the bouquet of flowers that lay beside it. "Uh…what's that?" She asked the jounin, staring pointedly at the beautiful arrangement of roses wrapped in pink paper.

Kakashi turned his head in question, following the girl's line of sight and reacting significantly. "Oh, you meant those. Gaara-kun dropped by yesterday. You were asleep, so he left it here for you to see when you wake up." He explained, taking the bouquet and handing it to the brunette. With a blush staining her cheeks, Katana took the flowers, a coy smile forming in her face. "He didn't have to…" she whispered unconsciously, beaming down appreciatively at the bouquet otherwise. Grinning behind his dark mask, Kakashi watched as his normally tomboyish daughter eyed the flowers with child-like fascination.

"How did you do it?" He asked all of a sudden, startling the girl and making her snap to attention. Her eyebrows furrowing, Katana looked at him confusedly. "Do what, Tou-san?" His single orb creased slyly and Katana could almost imagine his crooked smile underneath his mask. "I mean, how did you manage to have him wrapped around your finger?" At this, Katana blushed furiously, looking at him with a scowl of denial on her face. "I'm not—He's not…wrapped around my finger." She said defensively, her tough demeanor rising back to the surface again. Sighing wearily, Kakashi raised both of his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. Let me rephrase the question then: How did you manage to tame him? There. Better?"

Glancing down in a minute of contemplation, Katana's frown faded away and what was left was a rueful smile in her expression. "I guess…it's because I understood the pain he was going through before. I knew what it was to feel like you don't belong anywhere…and that no one wants you…" She looked up at Kakashi, beaming knowingly at him. "If it weren't for you, Tou-san…I would've probably ended up in the same way, bearing hatred and pain for the rest of my life and killing people senselessly. Although…" She snorted, shaking her head then. "I'm not the one who changed him. It was Naruto."

"Don't say that." Interjected Kakashi coolly, his arms overlapping one another across his sweater-clad chest. "I saw how the boy acted when he was around you, even before Naruto fought him. Remember that time when the two of you had your first dat—"

"I was touring him around, Tou-san!" protested Katana in both irritation and embarrassment, glaring at the older man. Kakashi put his hands up in front of him apologetically, his onyx orb twinkling with obvious glee. "Alright, alright. When the two of you were back from your 'tour', I saw the way his eyes changed. The bloodlust in his gaze lessened visibly and he looked more at ease around you than he was with his own team before." Kakashi said as a matter-of-factly, offering the girl a genuine masked smile. "He changed you too, you know…In a lot more ways than you'd imagine."

Blinking slowly at the jounin, Katana gave him a sheepish look. "…Is that a bad thing?" she asked him softly, feigning dismay in the answer she would get. With a laugh, Kakashi shook his head a 'no', his eyes creased in entertainment. "No, no. Of course not. I'm actually looking forward to go and thank him for patching you up." Shooting him an annoyed glare, Katana pouted, her eyebrows furrowing. "You make it sound like I was that hopeless." She muttered under her breath grudgingly, averting her gaze from the man.

Kakashi laughed good-naturedly before glancing up at the wall clock, sweat dropping comically once he saw what time it was. "Oh boy." He sighed, standing up from his seat and rubbing the back of his head in a guilty manner. "Ne, Katana-chan…" he began, chuckling nervously, "you may want to change right now." Raising an inquiring eyebrow, Katana stared at him in bewilderment. "Why?" She asked cautiously, the gears in her head turning. Kakashi looked away shamefaced, scratching his ear awkwardly. "Well, you see…I may have forgotten to—"

"You forgot…what?" Grey orbs narrowed in accusation, clearly not amused. Kakashi laughed nervously, backing a safe distance away from the girl. "Tou-san", she grounded out slowly in annoyance, eyes fixed on him with a glare. "you didn't forget to tell me that I was called by Tsunade-sama now, did you…?" After a minute or two of staring at each other, Kakashi grinned embarrassedly beneath his mask. "Actually, yes. She called for you two hours ag—"

"Damn it, Tou-san!" The girl growled in frustration, jumping off the mattress and grabbing the fresh clothes that rested on the bench as she headed for the small comfort room. In a speed she didn't know she possessed, Katana changed out of the white hospital gown and into her sleeveless shirt and navy pants, flinging the door open and meeting Kakashi with another deadly glower. "I am so calling you out on Tsunade-sama for this." She bit out as she snatched up her weapon and Kakashi could only apologize weakly as she rushed out of the room and sprinted towards the Hokage Office.

Running through the halls of the temporarily built Hokage Office, Katana bit her lip nervously, mentally praying that the short-tempered blonde she acknowledged as Hokage wouldn't hurl her all the way to Iwa for being two hours late. Her dread only increased when she halted in front of a wooden sliding door, a sign above it saying 'Hokage's Quarters'.

Taking in a deep breath, she raised a hesitant fist and let it collide against the door three consecutive times before speaking up, "This is Katana. You summoned me, Hokage-sama?" A disgruntled sigh followed by some muttering answered her, Tsunade's voice ringing from the other side of the door. "Hatake Katana, you brat! Get your tardy ass inside here before I rip you a new one!" Cringing at the threat, the brunette pushed the door open smoothly, meeting the Hokage's impatient glare.

Swallowing nervously, she mustered up the courage to bow before her, her eyes fixed on the floor as she said, "I apologize for being late, Tsunade-sama. I haven't been informed of this meeting earlier." The annoyed Sannin released a low grumble, her hand waving dismissively. "I told Kakashi the meeting was at 8. I've already pushed it to 9'o clock, hoping that you'd arrive early for once. Seems like the bastard still managed to get you here an hour later." Sighing, Tsunade beckoned for her to come nearer and she complied obediently, closing the gap between the two of them with quick strides and stopping in front of the desk.

"Now that you're here, I'll explain the details of your mission", Tsunade said, her propped up hands on the desk entwining with each other. "Since Naruto's away with Yamato and Gai, and Sakura's busy with a separate mission, you'll be working with temporary teams or going on solo missions starting today. Is that clear?" Katana nodded curtly, her face an expression of blank indifference as she tried to shrug off the painful squeeze in her heart. Now was not the time to get all sentimental, especially since war was upon them, fast approaching. "You'll be helping Matsuri's team inventory the weapons in our storehouse. I want that list here on my desk by seven. I repeat, 7'o clock, Katana."

"Matsuri?" asked Katana, ignoring the subtle hinting at the last part and cocking one eyebrow in question. "Isn't she Gaara's—?"

"Student, yes." Tsunade responded, taking hold of a document that lay beside her and began skimming through it. "They're a three-man cell, two genins and one chuunin. You're the team captain, by the way. I'll leave it to you to take care of them. You may go."

"Hai." The girl readily turned her back on the woman and rushed to get out, only to be stopped by the sound of a throat clearing. She halted, her hand already sliding the door open by an inch. "Tsunade-sama?" Came the confused inquiry, though the kunoichi didn't bother facing the master medic anymore.

A soft sigh answered her and she heard the silent shuffling of papers before the woman's voice reached her ears, "The idiot's fine, just so you know. I sent him off to an island where your father's men will protect him during the war. Your uncle's with him as well." Tsunade paused and when she spoke up again, Katana could almost hear the uncaring smirk in her tone. "No one was supposed to know about this…but I guess my tongue just slipped. Oops."

Lips curling up in a grateful smile, Katana pushed the mahogany door open, mumbling quietly before she went out. "Don't worry; I didn't hear anything, Tsunade-sama." Without wasting any time, she went out, dragging the door close as she made her way outside. As soon as she stepped out of the small building, the loud bustling of both shinobi and civilians welcomed her, almost all people carrying wooden crates and boxes in their arms. She dodged the crowd of people with perfected ease, briskly walking towards the gray tent with the sign 'Weapons Storage' dangling at the doorway.

Pushing aside one of the heavy flaps of the tent, she peeked in tentatively, her eyes meeting endless mountains of wooden boxes. She entered the room with extra caution, careful not to knock over one of the tall piles. The sound of girlish giggling and hushed whispers erupted from somewhere in the midst of the stacks and Katana followed it silently, making her way through the maze of boxes. Three girls appeared in her line of vision, all of them sitting cross-legged on the ground, the weapons and opened crates all around them.

"I saw him in a diner earlier this morning." Said a bole-haired girl whom she could only recall as Matsuri, and muffled a laugh behind her gloved hand. "Kazekage-sama was so awkward at eating, it was cute!" She and another brunette with longer-hair burst into laughter, smiles wide and gazes dreamy.

Seems like those two are more interested in Gaara than in helping out…Katana thought with a faint frown, her eyes darting to the other girl. The third member of their group remained quiet by the corner, sorting the weapons without a word. …Well, at least one of them is actually getting some work done. Raising an amused eyebrow at the bizarre trio, Katana leaned against a stack of boxes, smirking faintly when she noticed that no one had discovered her presence yet.

"Ohayo." She greeted all of a sudden, startling the three girls and making them jump in surprise. Much to her disappointment, none of them had enough sense to pick up a kunai, just in case she was someone else. The two females that had been busy gossiping earlier flushed bright red, perhaps embarrassed at getting caught in the act of skipping work. They all scrambled to their feet and fell in one line, bowing to Katana in sync. "Ohayo, Taichou." The team replied and straightened up, the long-haired kunoichi throwing her a dirty look despite the blush in her cheeks. "Ne, if you don't mind me asking, Taichou…" she trailed off, scrutinizing Katana closely, "why are you late?"

Inwardly cringing and cursing Kakashi, Katana maintained a composed exterior, merely feigning surprise at the question. "Ah, that. I just got discharged from the hospital today. Chakra exhaustion and minor cuts. No worries." The girl who asked her winced visibly and shrunk back behind Matsuri, looking down in humiliation. Her friend shot her a disapproving glare and faced Katana with a sheepish smile. "Don't mind her, Taichou. T-This is just how she is."

Shaking her head, the sword mistress quickly dismissed the latter's concern, smiling lopsidedly at them to ease their nervous tension. "It's alright, Matsuri. Your friend's question was valid anyway. I apologize for my tardiness." She said, trying to sound as gentle as possible. "Now, could the three of you introduce yourselves to me? I'm Yotsuki Katana, your temporary captain for today's mission." Gesturing to the bold girl on the left, she crossed her arms, waiting for her to speak up.

"M-My name's Sari. I'm of genin level from Sunagakure." The girl huffed, looking away in embarrassment. The kunoichi next to her chuckled, scratching the back of her head. "I'm Matsuri, a chuunin of Suna and Gaara-sama's former student. I believe we've met before, Taichou." Taking note of how her smile was once again forced at the mention of the Kazekage's name, Katana let her gaze linger on the dark-haired girl for a minute before nodding in agreement. "Hai. We have." She said, watching the girl closely with hidden confusion. Deciding to shrug off the unfriendly action, she turned to the last one, smiling gently when she saw the girl's shy demeanor.

She was pale, with freckles distributed unevenly over her face and her braided hair fiery auburn in color. Square glasses were perched lowly on the bridge of her nose and she pushed it back up in front of her jade green eyes, her alabaster skin staining pink as she stuttered out, "I-I'm Ruri. Y-Yamamoto Ruri, A g-genin of S-Sunagakure." Scanning her team again, Katana dropped her arms to the side and sighed inaudibly, looking at the wooden crates. "How many have you finished so far, Matsuri?"

"Um, about five—?" Came the uncertain answer, Matsuri glancing at Ruri to make sure. The timid girl nodded eagerly in agreement, reassuring the other. "Five boxes, Taichou." Said Matsuri, wringing her hands behind her back. "Alright…" drawled out Katana and frowned, another question left in mind. "…and just how many are still left for us to count?" At this, the three girls sweated and averted their gazes away from Katana. The kunoichi blanched and narrowed her eyes at them, crossing her arms over her chest sternly. "Well? How many?" Swallowing tightly, Sari muttered under her breath, "Ninety…ninety five more boxes…."

Eyebrows shooting up in incredulity and jaw slacking, grey eyes blinked twice and darted towards the heaps of crates. "N-ninety five?" She repeated again, groaning dejectedly as she slapped an open palm on her forehead. With her hand slipping down from her face, Katana sighed wearily, dread scribbled all over her expression. "Well, this is certainly gonna be a long day." She gave them a tired smile, shaking her head slowly. "Let's get started."

"Matsuri."

Loud clanking noises and the shrill squeak of metal echoed inside the tent, the girls busy sorting out the weapons in their own categories. The chestnut-haired girl turned to Sari, one dainty eyebrow rising in question. The younger one sent her a look with the combination of irritation and confusion, thrusting the object she was holding towards Matsuri. "Just what the hell is this supposed to be?" Sari asked, her eyebrows furrowing deeper by the second. The harmless weapon in her hands looked like two, one-foot long metal rods, connected to each other by a short chain on top.

Matsuri pursed her lips, glaring at the object in concentration. "It looks familiar…" she murmured, taking the sticks from Sari's hold. She examined it up and down, running her fingers on the cool shiny metal. "I forgot the name though." Grabbing the ends of the rods, the brunette gave it an experimental tug, causing the chain in the middle to emit a harsh screech of protest. Both girls winced at the noise, Sari glowering at Matsuri and snatching it back angrily. "Baka!"

"Hey! You're the one who doesn't know what it is!" Retorted Matsuri, scowling at the insult the other named her. From beside Katana, Ruri raised her head, nervousness radiating off her. "Anou…M-Matsuri-chan, Sari-chan…" She tried to intervene, but the girls ignored her soft voice and continued throwing each other dirty looks. Sari stuck her tongue out childishly before huffing and turning away. "It's not like you know it either!" Glaring at the girl's back, Matsuri crossed her arms defiantly, her lips puckered up in a frown. "I know what it is! I just forgot the nam—!"

"It's a nunchaku."

The bickering females turned to the source of the voice, both finding themselves staring dumbstruck at their captain. Glancing up at them quickly, Katana flashed them a patient beam, trying to ease the anger brewing between the teammates. "Put it over there." She told them, jerking her thumb to the box on a far corner. Blinking rapidly and blushing, Matsuri looked down and seized the weapon from Sari, striding to where the crate was. "S-Sorry, Taichou."

"Y-Yeah, sorry." Apologized Sari from where she stood, kneeling on the ground and resuming her earlier work. Lips curled up in a smile and an easy chuckle forced its way out of Katana's throat. The three Suna kunoichi turned, looking at her through bewildered gazes. Their captain shook her head fondly, eyes absentmindedly scanning the various weapons around her while her hands picked them up. "I remember my old team with you guys…"

"Y-Your old team, Taichou?" Asked the auburn-haired girl, her attention shifting from the shurikens to Katana. Grinning at the girl, Katana's eyes softened, her hands relaxing by her sides. "Please, call me Katana. Anyway, you know Naruto, right Matsuri?" The brunette nodded eagerly, sitting down beside Sari. The trio's eyes were all fixed on the girl, their ears expectant and enthusiastic to listen to the story.

"Him and our former teammate…Sasuke; they always fought. They fought during missions, annoyed each other to no end and bickered over the smallest matters." Katana chuckled, reminiscing the entertaining times of her past. "And then Sakura would join their argument…she'd get annoyed with Naruto and threaten to beat him up. Our team leader always had migraines when he was with us."

"Ne, what about you, Tai—Katana-sempai?" Asked Sari from across her, her hazel orbs filled with curiosity. "What were you doing while they were fighting?" Katana shrugged nonchalantly, a faint smirk crossing her features. "I'd let them fight. I don't really care." Answered Katana, her smile widening. The grin looked almost sinister and all three girls swallowed nervously, eyeing their captain with a mixture of unease and excitement. "…After all, the sooner they kill each other, the sooner I'd have my peace of mind."

"Uwah!" Chorused the trio in shock, backing away safely and earning a teasing laugh from Katana. The sword wielder clutched her sides, her grin wide as she watched the girls scamper farther and farther away from where she was in fear. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" She reassured them with a chuckle, motioning for them to come back. Her anxiety fading, Matsuri pouted at Katana. "I didn't know you had a sadistic side, Katana-sempai."

"M-Me neither. T-That was scary." Squeaked Ruri as she brushed away the hair strands that fell on her face when they scurried off. With another short laugh escaping her, Katana waved for them again, relieved when they took their seats around her again. "Sorry." She said, her tone not even a bit apologetic. "I just had to do that. You guys were way too uptight around me." Puffing her cheeks out, Sari crossed her arms. "If you wanted us to relax around you, you should've just said so, Sempai!" She protested in mock anger, though the corners of her mouth threatened to twitch up in a smile.

Lopsidedly grinning, Katana looked back down on the sharp weapons and returned to sorting them. "But if I had just said it, there's no assurance that you guys would really relax. Besides, my way was much more amusing to see, ne?" Remarked Katana, her smile broadening when they all chuckled lightly.

A few quiet moments passed by the team, the wooden boxes gradually decreasing in number as they neared the completion of the assignment. Unlike before, the silence that surrounded them was now comfortable, the sound of metal clashing against metal blending in with Ruri's soft humming and Sari's occasional questions. Finally, the last crate rolled around and was sealed, grey eyes skimming the paper with the written inventory. With a satisfied smile, Katana glanced at each one, nodding in thanks. "Mission finished. Good job, everyone."

"Yatta!" exclaimed Sari with an overly-relieved grin, pumping a fist up in the air energetically. Stretching her arms out and yawning, Matsuri smiled dazedly as she rubbed away the sleepiness from her eyes. Looking at them with concealed mirth, Katana gestured to the doorway and said, "You girls are free to go. I'll take care of a few things in here." Cheering excitedly, the pair jumped up to their feet, sprinting towards the opening of the tent. Before completely disappearing out of sight, they shared a look and glanced back at Katana with wide beams. "Taichou!" Sari called out, earning a glance from Katana.

"Hai?"

"You're cool." The younger girl quipped with a devious smirk, her eyes glinting mischievously. "For the Kazekage's girlfriend…I like you." Beside her, Matsuri chortled lightly, winking. "Hai! I approve as well. Gaara-sama's better off with you than with another witch. Bye, Taichou!" With impish grins, they rushed out, leaving Katana wide-eyed and pale, choking back a shocked gasp.

"H-How the hell did they—"

"T-They have their w-ways."

The brunette turned to the quiet girl, blinking at her twice. "R-Ruri-chan…" Katana breathed out, just then noticing that the redhead still hadn't left her. "Why are you still here?" The green-eyed kunoichi offered a shy smile before looking down, hands gathering the deformed and dented kunai they left out and throwing it into an opened box. "I-I'll help you c-clean up, K-Katana-sempai." She said helpfully, pushing back the spectacles that once again fell down to the bridge of her nose.

"You don't have to." Blurted out Katana in reassurance, not wanting the girl to think she was required to do so. Ruri shook her head softly, stray strands of silky ginger hair falling on her forehead. "I-I want to." She answered, carrying the trash box and setting it down on a corner. Frowning slightly, Katana followed the girl with her eyes, gaze troubled. "Ruri-chan." She called out and the genin turned, green orbs blinking innocently. "H-Hai?"

"Do you…" Katana trailed off, taking a deep breath and looking away. "D-Do you like Gaara as well?" The redhead stopped short in her place and blushed a violent red, her glasses falling down again. "E-Eh?" she asked in surprise, pink staining her cheeks. She dropped her eyes on the ground and fidgeted with her fingers, small hands shaking slightly. "W-Well…" she began and bit her lower lip, swallowing guiltily, "G-Gaara-sama is n-nice…b-but…—" Head snapping up in surprise, Katana glanced at the younger girl with raised eyebrows. She waited for the kunoichi to continue, straining her ears to catch the girl's almost inaudible voice. "—but it's K-Kankuro-sama w-who I really l-like."

"Kankuro?" she asked, clearly surprised of the girl's answer. The girl nodded quietly and blushed even harder if possible, her face looking as if it was splashed with glowing neon red paint. "I…I k-know it's weird…P-People tell me t-that all the time a-and—"

"I think it's great." Katana interrupted and the girl looked up at her in surprise, a smile readily forming on her face. Beaming back soothingly, Katana crossed her arms and leaned back against a pile of crates. "Kankuro's a great guy. A caring friend, a protective brother and a—"

"—s-supportive sensei…" Whispered Ruri distractedly and blushed once more when she realized what she said. Katana grinned and raised one amused eyebrow. "Oh? He was your instructor?"

"H-Hai." Replied Ruri red-facedly, looking ready to pass out any minute. She smiled then, as if remembering something nice. "M-My nii-san and h-him are friends. When Nii-san b-became an invalid from an a-accident during a mission, K-Kankuro-sama promised t-to take c-care of me until I c-can take care of b-both of myself a-and Nii-san. S-So when Suna was short of academy t-teachers, K-Kankuro-sama and his siblings volunteered…and I became h-his student."

Smiling gently at the girl, Katana stared at her through half-lidded eyes, wistful thoughts running inside her head. "…Does he know, Ruri-chan?" She asked, startling the auburn-haired girl from her daydreaming. Blinking in confusion, Ruri can only gaze dumbly at her. "K-Know what, Sempai?"

"That you like him."

"U-Um…W-Well, I—I don't…know. I-I don't think so." Said Ruri sadly, tugging timidly at a lock of hair that framed the side of her pink face. "…I don't have the guts to tell him, Sempai." Green eyes flickered up, a surge of emotion flashing into them for a quick second. "T-That's why I'm envious of you, Taichou…" Ruri admitted softly, fingers twisting and overlapping each other nervously in front of her. "I…I wish I also had the courage to go up to him, like what you did w-with Gaara-sama, a-and tell him how I feel."

Flushing in embarrassment, Katana gave off a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of her head. "I—uh…I d-didn't go up to him, Ruri-chan." She denied, waving her hands in front of her in a universal 'no' signal. "W-Who told you that?" With a coy smile, Ruri chuckled, muffling it with her hand. "K-Kankuro-sama did." She said, looking thoroughly amused. The side of Katana's mouth twitched in annoyance as she forced to maintain her readily-crumbling smile, mentally promising to make Kankuro suffer her wrath as soon as possible.

"I…I really didn't go up and confess to him, Ruri." Katana drawled out slowly, carefully choosing her next words. The kunoichi tilted her head to the side in silent inquiry before she voiced out her question, "T-Then how did you tell him, Katana-sempai?"

"Well", Katana began, hesitating for a moment and bracing herself for the latter's reaction. "For a lack of better term, I…I beat him up." Even when she expected it, Katana winced visibly when color drained away from the girl's face, a look of mortification taking over. She took a deep breath and stared at the girl, waiting…waiting…

"K-Katana-sempai!" Ah, there it was.

"H-How—How did you manage to…t-to beat him up? G-Gaara-sama has the strongest defense—"

"We fought using taijutsu."

"T-Taijutsu—O-Oh…"'

"I-It's not like I'm the one who initiated the fight. He started it." Katana said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. "He challenged me in a taijutsu match, so who am I to hold back? Gaara deserved it at that time anyway."

"…N-Ne, Taichou. Y-You really are a sadist."

Sighing, Katana turned and glanced nonchalantly in between the small gap of the tent flaps. "It's getting late, Ruri." She said concernedly, straightening up. "You better go and rest." Nodding, Ruri pushed herself from the box she was using as support and walked towards the opening, glancing back to give Katana one last shy smile. "I-It's good to meet you, Taichou. I hope we can have m-more missions together." The timid girl waved goodbye and strode out, leaving Katana all alone inside the tent.

Letting out a puff of breath, Katana rubbed her face, attempting to brush away the weariness she was feeling. Picking up the list, she scanned it again and double-checked the tall stacks of wooden crates before going out the tent herself. The flash of red, orange and yellow rays caused her to squint, the sun already halfway in disappearing down the Hokage Mountain. With a small smile stuck on her face, she made her way towards the Office in relaxed strides.

"Come in."

At the granted permission, the brunette pushed the sliding door in a fluid movement, bowing respectfully before the woman by instinct. "Hokage-sama, mission complete—" She halted in midsentence, just then taking notice of another presence. She bowed again, lips quirked up in a familiar smile as she greeted the latter, "Kazekage-sama…I didn't notice you there." Gaara's tired eyes lowered further and he beamed faintly, nodding at her in acknowledgement.

Katana closed the door behind her, stepping up in front of the desk. "Here's the inventory of the weapons, Tsunade-sama." She said, handing out the crumple-free sheet of paper. The blonde woman jerked her head down once in thanks before throwing both teens teasing glances that they didn't miss. "Well…seeing as you've already finished the mission I gave you, you're free to go! Are you busy?"

Fighting off a blush, Katana shut her mouth in a thin line and shook her head slowly before answering. "No, Tsunade-sama. I'm not." The Hokage's grin grew larger and the blonde turned to face the redhead sitting beside her this time, smirking at him. "And how 'bout you, Kazekage-sama? Any dinner plans for tonight?" She asked in a sing-song voice, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Gaara's expression remained blank and unfazed, but Katana—knowing the redhead better than most—could see the faint hint of mischief dancing across his cool aquamarine orbs. He blinked slowly and raised an invisible eyebrow before inquiring in a bored tone, "Hokage-sama…are you asking me out?" The playful leer in Tsunade's face faded away and Katana bit back a snicker when the older woman scowled in irritation at Gaara. "Brat." Tsunade deadpanned, narrowing her golden-rimmed orbs at the composed individual. "You always wreck my fun."

The master medic turned away with an indignant huff and a childish pout, crossing her arms over her chest. A barely-there smirk made its way to Gaara's face and he stood from his seat, looking down at the scowling blonde with amusement. "On the contrary", he said in a monotone, facing Katana, "I believe I need to borrow Katana for a while, Hokage-sama. I owe her a dinner date." He drawled out, his gaze softening at her.

Rolling her eyes, Katana tugged on his sleeve, pulling him with her as they walked over the door. Tsunade's uncharacteristically girlish squeal was the last thing they heard before the door was once again shut, the two making their exit and walking side by side. Pursing her lips together, Katana glanced up at the boy beside her before turning back to the road ahead, a question in her mind begging to be asked out loud.

"What is it?" Gaara asked, his deep voice startling her out of her thoughts. He looked down at her from the corner of his eyes, studying her expression closely. "There's something bothering you." He said as a matter-of-factly, his hand reaching out and covering hers. Katana raised an eyebrow at him, smiling slightly. Since when was I this easy to read…? She asked herself mentally, shaking her head.

"I was just wondering…", she began, turning her hand over and entwining their fingers, "Do the people of Suna know about—about us?" She asked hesitantly, looking up at him. Shrugging lightly, Gaara kept on walking, his eyes browsing through the various diners and restaurants lined up by the sidewalk.

"Kankuro and Temari know." He answered nonchalantly and earned an annoyed jab from Katana, who crossed her arms and scoffed 'thanks a lot, Captain Obvious' under her breath. Smiling in amusement, he rubbed the offended part on his ribs soothingly and turned to look at her. "Some of my subordinates have probably discovered it for themselves, since they see me writing to you all the time when they get summoned to my office. The elders have no clue though. I prefer not to tell them. As for the villagers in Suna…I have no desire to know what kind of gossip they start and spread about me." He tilted his head to the side, eyeing Katana with a sudden worry. "Would you rather that we keep it in secret?" He asked, his non-existent eyebrows furrowing deeply.

Hearing his concern, Katana shook her head hastily, squeezing his hand. "No! No, of course not." She reassured him and faced forward again, inching closer to him. "It's not that I don't want anyone to know about it…" she told him, absentmindedly looking through the colorful banners of different buildings. "I just don't want what happened between me and…Kazumi to happen again. You're busy enough as it is, with war engaged against us. I don't want to cause you anymore trouble."

"You won't." Gaara said smoothly, giving her a comforting look. "Besides…the minute Kazumi was caught red-handed, the villagers wanted you back. They wanted to apologize for their behavior towards you then." A pensive sigh escaped Katana and she shook her head, a melancholic smile plastered in her face. "It's not their fault. I couldn't blame them for reacting like that, especially since I did wreck havoc in Suna."

Gaara let out a short chuckle at her flippant tone and earned a disbelieving beam from Katana. Gazing at him with awe, she narrowed her eyes in obvious triumph. "You laughed." She pointed out, her grin turning smug. "I made you laugh. I can't believe this." Raising an eyebrow at her delight, Gaara shook his head slowly. "Yes. As a matter of fact, you have to stop doing it."

"Why?"

"Making me feel all these emotions…making me blush, smile…laugh…You're ruining my reputation of being the poker-faced king."

The sound of amazed laughter echoed inside his ears and made his heart beat erratically, Gaara faintly smiling down at the guffawing kunoichi. 'This…', he thought inwardly, his eyes still fixed on the breathtaking girl beside him, 'I can get used to anytime'.

End Chapter