Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, guys! :D We have our internet back, thanks to all of you who prayed for it! By the way, our classes will be resuming on June 4, which is 6 days from now...so I won't be able to update again more often.
Anyway, Enjoy the new chapter and Don't forget to Review~! :DD
Destiny of the Cursed
Chapter 36: Problems that stand between us
"Oi, Akatsuchi! Pass me those last crates over there, will you?"
Scuffling footsteps and heaving groans were heard inside the sauna-like warehouse as four people moved about, loading their arms with hefty wooden boxes and passing it up to one another. At the entrance of the building, the Iwa kunoichi stood leaning against the doorway, frowning and tapping her foot repeatedly on the ground with impatience. "Hurry up, Akatsuchi!" Kurotsuchi barked out again, her mouth fixed on a tired scowl. "I wanna get this over with as soon as possible." She brushed her dark bangs away from her forehead, grimacing at the way the sweat-soaked hair strands clung to her skin.
"Hai, hai! I'm coming, Kurotsuchi!" Answered her burly teammate hastily as he jogged for the short-tempered woman, all the while balancing the five boxes on his arms as he ran. Stopping in front of the girl, Akatsuchi set the boxes down and released a weary sigh, beads of sweat traveling down his red face. "Whew. These things sure are heavy." He commented, wiping moisture away from his eyebrows. The girl clicked her tongue against her teeth and shook her head disapprovingly at him. "Stop complaining like a baby, Akatsuchi. Our teammates over there are working up to their last bit of energy. It's not fair for us to take a break while they're having such a hard time."
With a grunt of effort, the dark-haired female hauled one of the crates up in her hands, hugging it securely with her arms. "Agh. K-Katana-chan! Chojuro-kun! The last batch of boxes is here!" She called out, receiving the attention of the two others that were up above. A clump of blue hair poked out of the midst of boxes and the Kiri-nin smiled bashfully, a faint blush tainting his cheeks. "Ah, h-hai! I'll be right there, Kurotsuchi-san!" Beside him, their brunette teammate stood up wobbly, her face dripping with sweat. Noticing the latter's pallor, worry flashed through Chojuro's expression, his soft side quickly taking effect. "K-Katana-san, are you alright?"
The brunette in question blinked away her daze, staring at him unfocusedly. Lips spreading out in a tired smile, she shook her head slowly. "This is nothing, Chojuro-kun. I think the heat's just getting to me." She said, running a hand to comb through her hair. She beamed reassuringly again, erasing the boy's doubts.
"Alright then, Katana-san." Chojuro said with a slight nod before he made his way towards the staircase, taking two steps at a time. Katana took a deep breath, wincing at the way to stifling heat made her brain pound violently inside her skull.
Sighing jadedly, she hopped up on the metal railing and jumped down, landing in front of Chojuro and startling the poor boy. Chuckling apologetically, Katana ran to get one of the boxes from Akatsuchi, the big guy nodding thanks to her. Climbing yet another lap of the staircase, the group met upstairs, with Chojuro the last one to put his crate on top of the umpteenth stack. Akatsuchi's victorious cry erupted suddenly, taking all of them aback.
"We're finally done!" The large shinobi cheered, clapping his hands together and smiling broadly. A fist collided on his arm as Kurotsuchi playfully punched him, wearing a smirk of her own. "Hai. We finally get to rest." She added in agreement, looking ecstatic at the mention of a well-earned break. She took a deep breath, planting her hands on her hips.
"Yosh!" The short-haired girl cheered, swinging her arms around the necks of Akatsuchi and Chojuro and pulling them in. "Why don't we go to Barbe-Q today, ne? Just a little after the mission get-together. It's my treat!" She grinned widely, flashing her teeth at both of them. Her partner nodded eagerly and smiled back while Chojuro flushed brilliantly, cracking an awkward beam at the excited girl.
Laughing merrily, Kurotsuchi whirled back to face Katana, dragging both boys along with her movement. "What about you Katana-chan? Do you wanna join us?" Katana glanced at the trio, pursing her lips together guiltily. She smiled in apology, shaking her head as a 'no'. "Sorry, Kurotsuchi-chan." She said, wiping her face free of beads of sweat and pulling out a scroll into view. "I've still got some errands to do for Tsunade-sama." The girl's face fell at her answer and the Rock-nin pouted, clasping her hands together in front of her in a pleading manner. "Please, Katana-chan? Pretty pleaaase?" Kurotsuchi begged, her eyes widening in an attempt to pull off a puppy face.
Katana chuckled at the latter's antics and shook her head again, smiling. "I can't. I'm sorry. Maybe some other time?" Kurotsuchi pouted again in mock sadness, pretending to sniffle as she towed the two boys with her. "Alright, alright. I give up." She said and freed Chojuro temporarily, lifting her arm to wave goodbye to Katana. Halting midway, she whipped her head back again, speaking half-seriously, "It's been a month already, Katana-chan. You've been running back, forth and around the village non-stop, doing errands and whatnot. I think it's time you took a break, ne?"
Beaming with guilt, Katana rubbed the back of her neck. "I know. But we've only got another two—"
"—weeks left until the war, yes, I know." The girl continued for her with an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes. "And by then, it's going to be even busier for us. Just—just don't kill yourself, alright?" Kurotsuchi reminded, her confident smirk returning into place once she finished talking. "Come on, guys! It's Barbe-Q time!" She squealed, pulling the boys behind her as she rushed out of warehouse.
Katana watched as the three went out of her view and sighed wearily, pushing back the locks that fell on her face. The setting sun was readily disappearing down the mountain, the sky already a shade of darkening orange and pink. Taking a deep breath, she climbed up the rail again and leapt down, not bothering to use the stairs.
With the scroll at hand, she walked out of the warehouse, pushing the giant wooden door shut as she sauntered away.
Three knocks collided repeatedly against the wooden sliding door of the Hokage Office, Katana waiting outside as patiently as possible. Much to her surprise, instead of the usual 'Come in' permission that was given to them, the door slid open by itself, Shizune facing her with a worn-out smile. "Hello, Katana-chan." Greeted the older woman softly, her energetic voice down to a mellow tone. "I'm sorry, but Tsunade-sama's asleep at the moment. Do you have anything to say to her? If you'd like, I could take the message—"
"That's okay." Katana answered quickly before the assistant can say anything further. "I'm just here to deliver this." The girl handed over the red scroll to the dark-haired woman and inhaled sharply, fighting back the yawn that threatened to let loose from her mouth. "Does Tsunade-sama have other missions scheduled for me to do today?" She asked Shizune and received a subtle shake of head, the older kunoichi smiling at her soothingly. "It's late, Katana-chan. You can do those tomorrow. For now, take the night off and rest. You've been working harder than ever lately." Beaming comfortingly at the girl, Shizune closed the door gently, leaving Katana all alone in the empty hallway.
The brunette bit back a sigh, her shoulders slumping dejectedly. She stared blankly at the wooden door for a few seconds before she turned on her heel, slowly making her way towards the exit. The sound of quiet footsteps that weren't hers registered in her ears and she stopped, her lips quirking up when she felt the familiar chakra signature. The newcomer approached her with slow, deliberate steps, taking his time in reaching her rather than rushing.
"Kazekage-sama." Katana greeted coolly, smirking when she heard his disapproving grunt.
"You don't have to call me that." Gaara said, stopping beside her and giving her a momentary glance before resuming his pace again. "Come on. I'll walk you home." Her smile widening, Katana caught up with him easily, clasping his hand with hers as they strode side by side. She could feel his earlier tension leave him, his stiff back relaxing visibly at her touch. Silence stretched on between them as they left the building, the soft glow of the moon and the streetlights illuminating their dark surroundings.
"You look tired." Remarked Katana out of the blue, effectively breaking the silence. Beside her, Gaara let out a monotone 'hn', his gaze focused on the path ahead of them. "If you don't mind me asking, what was your meeting with the Suna counselors all about? Whatever it was, you seem to be really bothered by it." The hand that she held slackened suddenly, slipping out of her grasp. Confused, she glanced up temporarily and had just enough time to catch the mild frustration and annoyance that flashed through his half-lidded aquamarine eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked out loud reflexively, concern taking over her features. When he didn't answer immediately, she gave him a pointed look, indicating that she wouldn't accept one of his silent responses this time. The redhead ignored her gaze and kept walking, his face turning tight once more. Without a warning, he quickened his pace, startling Katana and making her jog up to match his steps. "Oi!" Katana protested as he kept up his half-walk half-run speed, narrowing her eyes in annoyance when he ignored her call again.
Giving up on trying on catching up with him, Katana stopped in the middle of the street and took a deep breath, trying to calm her irritated mood. The sight of him walking away carelessly and leaving her behind made her anger flare up even more, the weariness that piled up during the whole day of endless work finally getting on her nerves. She fought to contain a frustrated yell and glowered at his back, balling her fists by her sides.
"Gaara." She bit out sharply and the redhead halted in his tracks, his back abnormally straight and rigid. "Look, I don't know what your problem is since you won't tell me, but would you mind slowing down a little? Do you really want to walk me home? I understand if you don't, I can go home by myself just fine. You didn't have to offer if you didn't really want to do it!" She exploded heatedly and saw him wince, his head lowering slightly.
The girl released a groan and she combed her hair back, breathing in deeply once more. She looked over to where he stood and sighed in defeat, tentatively closing the gap between them. "Are you still mad about me calling you 'Kazekage-sama' earlier? Or was it the part where I asked about the meeting that got you mad?" She asked, not surprised at all when he didn't give a reply. "If either of those is the problem, then I'm sorry, alright?" Katana said, stopping two steps away from the frozen boy. "I didn't mean to anger you like that. I was just trying to lighten you up."
After a few tense minutes, a sigh escaped Gaara and his head lowered even further. "…I'm sorry. This—this isn't your fault." He released an exhale again, whirling around to face Katana with an apologetic gaze and a troubled frown on his expression. He directed his eyes to the ground, aggravation glinting into them again, "It's just—those old bastards, they won't—" He stopped his sentence midway, his eyes shutting close and his jaw clenching tightly. "Damn it..." He hissed as fury radiated off him, his breathing shallow with exasperation.
Hearing him utter profanities—and knowing that he refrained from using them—Katana swallowed tightly, worry scribbled all over her face as she watched his strained form shake slightly, as if the slightest movement that he'll detect would send him into a frenzied state for good.
She closed the remaining distance between them and took his face in her hands, her thumb stroking his tight expression gently. "Hey." She said softly, slightly shaking him to get his attention. "Gaara, look at me." At her calm command, dark-ringed orbs opened languidly, aquamarine eyes bloodshot and thoroughly exhausted.
Katana offered him a small beam, brushing off his crimson bangs. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to. I won't force you to talk, but I'm ready to listen anytime you need me." She murmured soothingly, lightly bumping her forehead with his. "I'm here, okay? Remember that. You don't have to shoulder all your problems alone."
Gaara swallowed and sighed heavily, his sea foam orbs meeting her grey ones in a grateful glance. "Katana…" he whispered hoarsely, closing his eyes softly as his arms went around her frame, tugging her flush against him. He rested his head down on her shoulder and took a deep breath, her scent and warmth calming his agitated nerves. "Thank you." He said and felt her arms go around his neck, her hands burying through his thick, red locks. "Anytime." He heard her say in return, her voice low from exhaustion.
"I'm sorry if I upset you." He murmured against her ear weakly, his arms tightening protectively around her waist. "I didn't mean to…" Chuckling, Katana combed through his wild hair, the mild pressure that she applied to his scalp soothing his pounding head greatly. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize." Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her and pulled back, reaching out for her hand instead, sighing inaudibly. "Let's get you home." Katana smiled at him, nodding once in agreement. The two resumed walking again, comfortable silence engulfing the rest of their stroll.
As soon as the small red gate came into view, Katana felt her heart drop in disappointment; the thought of Gaara's hand leaving hers was dismaying. Seeing that the outcome was inevitable and that there was no logical excuse she could come up with at the moment, the brunette sighed at the sound of her companion's throat clearing and smiled up at him. Gaara himself looked crestfallen as well and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he searched for words to say, "…I guess this is goodnight." He remarked dejectedly, glancing at her face.
"Yeah." Chuckling at the way his stoic face became downcast, Katana beamed consolingly, giving his hand a warm squeeze before letting go. "Goodnight." She said, backing up a few steps nearer to the gate of their apartment. Gaara jerked his head once and said goodnight quietly before turning his back on her and starting to walk away. He stopped right then and hesitated, inclining his head back to face Katana once more. Surprised, the girl raised one inquiring eyebrow at him. "Gaara? Is something wrong?"
He trudged towards her and stopped when they were only a step apart, leaning down. "I forgot something." He murmured in her ear, his low tone sending goose bumps down the length of her arms. Before she could even ask what it was, soft lips brushed faintly against her forehead and pressed themselves against her skin and once more, Gaara whispered, "Sweet dreams, Katana." The redhead vanished in a swirl of sand, leaving Katana to stare at the open space, dumbstruck and confused. When the gesture finally sunk into her brain, the kunoichi blushed violently and turned to look at both sides of the street before taking out her key, secretly feeling giddy inside.
Tiny rays of the gentle morning sun streamed through think mahogany curtains, teasingly flashing light on closed eyelids. The person on the bed turned her back against her window with a disgruntled groan, curling into a ball under her covers and burrowing her face deeper into her pillow. Her hands groping around her bed blindly, Katana grabbed the first thing she came in contact with and yanked it towards her, suffocating in inside her bone-crushing hug. The thing she embraced was indeed very warm and furry, lulling her back to sleep with its soft texture. However, hasty yaps of protests wrecked both the tranquil silence and her peaceful slumber, the brunette jolting awake at the alarming noise.
Her white bedspread went flying and Katana threw her hand off the yelping object in shock, her sleepy eyes blinking away their blurriness and focusing on the noisy brown thing. Squinting and frowning in confusion, the girl blinked again once more disbelievingly. "Pakkun? What are you doing in my bed?" She asked the rattled-looking pug, clueless on how the dog got there in the first place.
The small hound grimaced at her accusingly when he straightened out the wrinkles in his navy shirt before grumbling incoherently and sighing. "I teased Kakashi 'bout his old man hair turning white already an' got him upset. Threw me out of his room and banned me from usin' the couch, the grumpy, merciless owner he is. So I went to your room instead, but I didn't expect to be all squished an' stuff."
Despite still feeling dizziness and not at all happy at being woken up, Katana couldn't help but snicker at Pakkun's explanation. "You deserve to be thrown out from the room and be squished by me, Pakkun. You know how Tou-san hates being called an old man, even though he doesn't look like one at all." She scolded mockingly, grinning regardless of her stern tone. "He hates bald jokes even more, especially since that incident with Konohamaru pulling out a frightening handful of his hair when he was a baby." She chuckled again when the ninken pouted grudgingly at being reminded, extending her arm out and scooping him up easily.
"Sorry, sorry!" She said with a smile, lightly scratching the back of his ear in consolation to the pug. "Let's go and apologize to him, ne?" Beaming with mirth, Katana slid her legs off the bed and stood, distractedly rubbing the dog's ear as she walked towards the door and went out of her room. The smell of frying bacon and freshly brewed coffee wafted under her nose, her empty stomach gurgling in response. "Morning, Tou-san." Greeted Katana as she rounded a corner and barged inside the kitchen, staring at the back of the silver-haired man.
"Yo, Kat-chan." Kakashi replied smoothly and turned to face her with a mask-less smile, his Sharingan closed and the sides of his perfectly normal-looking lips twitched up. Ignoring the uttered nickname she was usually infuriated with, Katana grinned up at him, raising Pakkun up in her hands for him to notice. Instantly, his smile faded away and the jounin glared at his summon, crossing his arms over his pink apron-clad chest and looking downright ridiculous. "You." He stated dryly and Pakkun whimpered, squirming uncomfortably inside Katana's grip.
"Come on, Tou-san." The younger one said, amused at the sight of her father and his dog glaring at each other. "Forgive him already. He looks sorry enough to me." She saw Pakkun glance up doubtfully and she returned his look with an encouraging wink, nodding to him.
With a sigh, the brown dog turned to Kakashi and mustered up his best apologetic pout and wide-eyed stare. "I'm sorry, Kakashi." He said, his trembling lower lip adding effect to his performance. "I was only kiddin'." Pleased with Pakkun's apology, Katana pulled him back inside her protective hug and gave his tiny head a comforting pat. Her gaze darted up to the jounin expectantly, one of her eyebrows rising. "Well, Tou-san?"
His crossed arms tightening over his chest, Kakashi turned away with a childish 'hmph' and rolled his lone eye. "…Fine. I won't donate him to the dog pound." In her arms, Pakkun let out a relieved grunt and jumped off her hold, walking away happily. "I won't do it again, I swear." He called out before sprinting towards the window, leaping out of the apartment. A snort of laughter escaped Katana as she pulled back her chair and sat on it, her hand reaching out for a toast.
"You're not old, Tou-san." She said reassuringly with a smile, taking a bite out of her bread. She heard Kakashi sigh and watched him untie the apron around his body, hanging it over a plastic hook attached to the kitchen wall. "Thanks."
With a plate on his hand, Kakashi took his seat across the girl, setting down the bacon strips. His long-fingered hand reached out for the mug of coffee, the warm cup meeting his parted lips eagerly. Placing down the mug, he skewered a bacon strip using his chopsticks and picked up a piece of toast. "If it weren't for you boosting up my ego, I'm pretty sure I would have suffered from confidence loss right now because of them." Kakashi good-humoredly remarked, grinning when the latter scoffed in disbelief.
"Oh, please." Katana said around a mouthful of bread, taking her coffee and sipping. "Your ego is already big enough. A little bruising from Pakkun and the others won't hurt a bit." Feigning hurt, Kakashi sniffed as he dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "Ne, for a minute there I actually thought you were siding with me. I was wrong. You're still mean."
"You're still old." Shot back Katana, smirking cheekily when the silver-haired man narrowed his eye on her.
"Brat."
"Geezer."
"Meanie."
"Old man."
"Evil, heartless, cruel—"
"Old-fashioned, lazy, annoying—"
"Little Kat-cha—"
"Kakashi-ojii-san."
"…Ouch."
Grinning at their teasing exchange, Katana finished the last of her toast and downed her coffee before picking up both plate and mug and piling them on the sink. "I have to go, Tou-san." She said as she snatched up her sword that leaned against a far corner, tying the string of its sheath securely on her belt. "I'll see you later, okay?" Offering him a genuine smile, Katana waved goodbye and went out of the door, closing it behind her. The sudden burst of light as she stepped outside made her squint and she walked towards the village center in relaxed strides, taking in a lungful of the crisp morning air.
"Katana-nee-chan!" Twisting her head to the side, she beamed warmly at Moegi and Konohamaru, sending them a lazy wave of acknowledgement as she continued on her way. From afar, Kiba and Shino bickered as they both carried boxes in their arms, the Aburame boy stopping his movement to nod at Katana in greeting. Katana smiled at him in return and chuckled when the Inuzuka finally noticed her, his hand waving around crazily. "Ohayo, Katana-chan!"
Her smile widening, she mock-saluted to him, grinning good-naturedly back at the fanged boy. Slowly, she made her way to the heart of the village and the crowd of people thickened, the various noises increasing in number. Maintaining her composed demeanor, Katana collected chakra at the balls of her feet and pushed herself off the ground, landing smoothly on the roof of a low building. Picking up her pace, she sprinted, scanning the messy bunch down below to search for the familiar building. Her eyes finally caught sight of the Hokage Office and she jumped down, avoiding people easily and sliding inside the headquarters safely.
Sighing in relief, Katana proceeded to make her way for the Hokage's Quarters, keeping her footsteps light and soundless as she went. Halfway through her goal, a sudden creak in the wooden floor made her halt in her tracks, her body tensing up. "Yes?" She asked the newcomer behind her cautiously, shifting just a bit to the side so that she could glance at him from the corner of her eye.
The man had his head wrapped in bindings, half of his face concealed by the white curtain-like cloth. Judging from his style of clothing, the hourglass symbol on his forehead protector and the perfected stoic expression on his face, Katana presumed that he was a Suna shinobi, probably of jounin level.
"Are you Yotsuki Katana?" Inquired the stranger without emotion, his posture back-numbingly straight and rigid. Whirling to fully face him, the brunette shot him a calculating stare, hesitating slightly before answering, "Hai. I'm Katana. Is there anything you need?"
The man turned his back on her suddenly and began walking away, calling out when he noticed her confusion, "Follow me." With a doubtful frown, the kunoichi followed the man wordlessly but kept a safe distance away from him, just in case. The Sand jounin led her to the hallway on the right and walked straight, finally slowly to a stop in front of a caramel-colored door. Above it, a sign was plastered, written as 'Kazekage's Quarters'.
Reading the sign, Katana blushed furiously, feeling heat radiate off her face. Gaara, you lazy jerk. You didn't need to send a guard to summon me. The jounin faced her once more and bowed curtly before taking his exit, leaving Katana to stare at the light-shaded door. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned the knob and peeked in tentatively, surprise taking over her embarrassment when she found no sign of the redhead and instead saw three elderly men behind a U-shaped table, all dressed in the same flowing brown robes. "Um…" Nervously gazing back and forth between the three, Katana pushed the door open and made her presence noticed by the three men.
"Oh." The one on the right was the first one to react, his voice high-pitched and shrill. His frame was short and bulky, his cheeks round and bulging as he frowned slightly. "Are you the girl we've called for?" he asked, raising a stern eyebrow. "Yotsuki Kana?" Allowing herself to slide inside, the brunette blinked twice at the round man, smiling awkwardly.
"Anou, it's Katana. Yotsuki Katana." She corrected uncomfortably, pushing the door shut and bringing her hands together on her back. Three pairs of eyes scanned her up and down, as if scrutinizing her closely and she fidgeted in her place, grimacing slightly in discomfort.
Tension was in the air and Katana gulped, looking at them with obvious unease. Finally, the man on the middle looked up to meet her gaze and smiled at her, dismissing a fraction of her agitation. He was tan, tall and broad-shouldered, a neatly-trimmed beard on his chin and a friendly twinkle in his dark eyes.
"Ohayo. I am Isobe Yusei, one of Kazekage Gaara-sama's counselors. My fellow counselors that are with me, as you see, are Arakawa Daishiro", he said, gesturing to the man that first spoke, and then to the one in the left, "and Hara Etsuko." Beaming at her again, he said in his low, deep voice, "We have summoned you, dear child, to discuss a topic concerning the Kazekage."
"The Kazekage?" Katana repeated, her eyes narrowing in doubt, "Concerning Gaara? Why? Is something wrong?" The counselor on the left—the one named Etsuko, laughed at her question, startling Katana from her place. "Nothing is wrong. We assure you that." He said nonchalantly, his grin unreliable and malicious-looking. "However", he continued, his voice dropping down to a low tone, "if you make any disagreements or complaints, then there will be trouble indeed."
Incredulity flashed through Katana's grey eyes, her fists balling stubbornly as she forgot her earlier nervousness. "Is that a threat, Etsuko-sama?" She drawled out slowly, her awkward tone turning hard and icy. The three counselors froze in alarm, taken aback by the sudden change in her attitude. "N-No, of course not, my dear. We are not trying to threaten anyone." Yusei hastily reassured, glaring mildly at the man beside him. "We are here to talk and only to talk." He said and took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "Alright, shall we start?"
Grimacing tensely at the trio, Katana flexed her balled fists, letting them fall by her sides. "Hai. Please do." She replied sharply, not bothering to hide the distrust and doubt in her tone anymore. "I'm actually quite busy today. So it'll be for the best if we get this over with quickly." Yusei nodded twice and motioned to the chair in front of them, cracking a nervous smile at her. "Please sit down." Briskly, the girl pulled back the chair and took a seat, her back stiff with tension. "Now then, before we start talking, I'd like to clarify one thing." Said Daishiro, propping his fat elbows up on the table and entwining his fingers together in front of him. "You are the Kazekage's…girlfriend, are you not?"
"Hai, I am."
At this, the counselors exchanged knowing glances, murmuring amongst themselves in hushed tones and faces readily turning grim. With a sigh, Yusei excused himself from the conversation and faced Katana, his smile nowhere to be found. "That fact might be a little problem." He began, taking in a deep breath. "As you would have known, child, young Gaara-sama as Kazekage has duties to his village. One of those duties is to make sure the village is prosperous and its economy is well-off."
"Yes." Agreed Katana slowly, narrowing her eyes in confusion. She turned to glance back at the wall clock that hung above the door, frowning when she realized how late she was for her mission. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but why are you telling me things I'm already aware of?" She asked the group, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at them impatiently, her jaws clenching and mouth pressing firmly in a thin line. Etsuko snorted in his place, his lips forming a disapproving sneer. "We are getting to the point, girl. Listen to us talk first." He reprimanded, shaking his head thoroughly and muttering incoherent things under his breath.
"Like Yusei-sama had said", Daishiro continued hastily, clearing his throat to ease the brewing tension between the two, "it is the Kazekage's duty to protect his village and provide its needs. The Suna economy, as of currently, is stable under Gaara-sama's rule. However, being stable is not enough. The infrastructures are not improving; the tourism in Sunagakure is still as poor as it was before. Gaara-sama has focused too much in the improvement of the village's security and its military power and has forgotten the other aspects of the village. Now, we are facing yet another problem because of his negligence and inexperience. Suna is currently running low in funds and with war upon us, wealth is essential for maintaining Suna's defense as well as for fixing the damages that it will bring upon the village."
"Is this what you had discussed with Gaara the other day?" questioned Katana, looking at them expectantly. Yusei's eyes widened in surprise and he pursed his lips, leaning towards the table. "Has the Kazekage already informed you of what we had talked about yesterday?" There was a worried crease that appeared in his forehead, looking almost as if he dreaded her answer. Blinking, Katana shook her head in confusion and saw the tanned man sigh in relief. "No. He wouldn't tell me, but he was really upset by it. Is the problem that bad?" She asked them in concern, her crossed arms dropping limply. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Hearing her offer aid, Etsuko smirked instantly, self-satisfaction written all over his expression. "The problem is still remediable, but yes, we are in need of your cooperation for the solution to be able to work out. You see, we already suggested an answer to this problem to the Kazekage but he turned the idea down immediately." Eyebrows furrowing, Katana shifted in her seat, perplexed by what the old man had said. "I don't understand. Why would Gaara turn it down? He does everything for his village, so why would he—"
"He turned it down because of you." Cut off Daishiro suddenly as he repeatedly drummed his fingers on the table, sending the girl an accusing look. The brunette gaped at him, her orbs widening as her confusion increased. "Why am I involved?" She asked, gritting her teeth when they didn't answer her. "What's the solution anyway?" She demanded, finally sick of being clueless all along.
The response she got was a loud sigh from Etsuko and he yawned, trying to look uninterested. "You really want to know?" He asked her to make sure, grinning mysteriously when he saw the unwavering glint in her eyes. "Tell me." Katana pleaded as she leaned forward, her hands squeezing the armrest of her chair in a death grip.
"An arranged marriage with the Wind Daimyo's only daughter."
Silence dawned inside the room as the seated brunette stared at them, her eyes wide and expression frozen in shock. Katana felt her breathing turn shallow as air rushed out of her lungs, her heart squeezing agonizingly and her mind breaking down once it registered the counselor's words. She gaped at them, no sound leaving her parted mouth. After a minute or two, her grasp on the armrests slackened and her hands fell to her lap, her eyes dropping down t the floor.
The kunoichi sealed her mouth shut and clamped tightly, one hand reaching up to comb through her locks. "I…", she began in a hushed voice and hesitated, snapping up to look at them desperately. "Is—Is that really the only way?" she stuttered out, her shoulders sagging as she sunk down on the chair. "I mean, w-we're only 17. He's only 17. A-And with war on our doorstep—"
"War is exactly the reason why we are rushing. The Wind Daimyo wants to make sure he, together with his family, is kept safe during the period of war and in return, he offers his wealth to Suna and his daughter to the Kazekage." Yusei explained with an inaudible sigh, glancing at Katana with pity. "You must understand, dear child. Gaara-sama chose this. And he is aware that he must sacrifice everything for his village." The counselor gave her a pointed look, narrowing his eyes at her. "But with you around, he seems to be forgetting his duties."
Forcing back the painful lump that lodged itself in her throat, Katana glowered at man in indignation. "Are you suggesting that I break up with him?" She demanded, standing up abruptly and sending the chair to topple over and crash noisily down on the floor.
Unfazed, Etsuko merely raised a nonchalant eyebrow, inspecting his nails in an indifferent manner. "That's exactly what we're suggesting, girl." He cackled at her hurt expression, clutching his sides as he laughed as if it was the funniest thing on earth. "What's with that face?" He asked between merciless chuckles, wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye using his finger.
"You must have at least expected for this to happen!" Etsuko grinned at her cruelly, enjoying the tortured furrow of her eyebrows and the downcast frown on her face. Clearing his throat, Daishiro raised one eyebrow, looking at her skeptically. "Iwahashi Yuuna is the daimyo's daughter. You, on the other hand, are nothing a mere Konoha chuunin. What can you possibly offer him that is greater than wealth?" The counselor asked challengingly, leaning back on his chair without a care.
Clenching her teeth stubbornly, Katana glowered at him, striding towards the door. She reached out for the brass knob and twisted it open harshly, halting in mid-exit. "I give him happiness." She whispered in a pained voice, narrowed grey orbs glaring at the three men spitefully. Once more, Yusei sighed and reached up to rub his aching temple. "The village's prosperity and bright future is the Kazekage's happiness." He corrected and gave the girl a grave frown. "I hope you understand us, my dear. Now, will you cooperate with us?"
"Staying with Gaara-sama only makes it harder for him to make his choice." Daishiro piped in suddenly, earning the girl's attention. He met her eyes and stared back unflinchingly, bringing his chin down on his propped up hand. "Helping Suna and his people in hopes that they would finally accept him…that he would finally be needed; that was his ultimate dream ever since I first met the boy. You're in his way of reaching his goal. If you really love him…" Said the counselor, his voice sincere and heartfelt, "then you'll let him go."
The man's last statement echoed painfully in her ears, repeating endlessly inside the depths of her mind. Grey orbs snapped shut, preventing any gathered moisture from spilling out and down her face. I do…love him… She let out a ragged breath, feeling the excruciating pain of her heart contracting slowly, all the words dying inside her mouth. The girl yanked the door open shakily, her hand dropping from its grasp on the doorknob. With a trembling inhale, Katana straightened up stiffly and tilted her chin up high. Mustering up her remaining courage, she reigned control of her voice and shook off her temporary muteness.
"I'll…think about it. Please excuse me."
The men's words of appreciation and encouragement was the last thing she heard before she walked out of the room, her heart weighing heavy inside her chest more than ever.
End Chapter