Hey, long time no see! Its been a little while since we last spoke and I hope you all are staying safe out there. I wanna say thank you to everyone for being so patient and also for getting this story to nearly 1000 follows (at the time of writing we're at 997). It warms my heart to know people like the story so much!
Anyway please enjoy the chapter and let me know what you're excited to see next!
...
It was comforting to know that no matter where you were in the world, some things would always be the same.
Staring up into the night sky she couldn't help but feel a sense of comforting familiarity at the sight stretched out before her. The stars shining like fireflies in the darkness while the moon loomed presently overhead, like a fussy mother keeping watch over her children… it brought a vague sensation of familiarity to this foreign place, a reminder that no matter their differences of opinion or perspective that they all shared one earth, one place to call home.
She held out a hand and reached out as if to pluck the moon from the sky and smiled, there was something to be said about taking a moment to just enjoy the simple things in life. Life as a shinobi was a violent and, more often than not, short existence. It was a truth Nakamura-sensei had drilled into their heads during his lectures, the inevitability of death in their line of work and the understanding that a day could very well come where even their best efforts would not be enough to save a life, Be it the life of a comrade, a friend, a loved one… or even their own.
It had been one of their more sobering sessions, to say the least, the impact of which was lessened somewhat given that most of them hadn't yet been put in a position where their skills were the arbiter between saving a life and losing one but the lesson had hit hard all the same. There were times during her training that she felt shame at having earned his favor, knowing that she wasn't studying under him because she possessed any true desire to prevent needless deaths but rather to assert dominance over others, bending them to her wants regardless of the ramifications.
If she was to speak plainly for a moment, she would say in no uncertain terms that studying under him made her feel like a terrible person at times. Granted, given her situation she felt that had less to do with her as an individual and more the circumstances she'd been forced into.
Being part of Team Eight reminded her of his warning and the possibility that at any moment these people whose company she had come to… accept, might be ripped from her life irrevocably. It was a thought that brought her a modicum of discomfort, she doubted that she would shed tears at the loss of any of her teammates but if it was in her power to prevent such an outcome she would do her best to keep them alive.
But would her best be enough? Would her inevitable failure cost them their lives?
"Nakamura-sensei always enjoyed making us wrestle with tough questions…" She sighed and shook her head free of negative thoughts. This was no time to burden herself with worries beyond her control, the reality was that her team was alive and well, sleeping away the day's challenges somewhere beneath her feet.
Although it seemed that wasn't entirely true.
"It's a beautiful sight isn't it, sensei?" She asked quietly, her gaze briefly shifting away from the twinkling stars and the hanging celestial body above to look towards her commander. Shimmering ruby orbs caught cerulean and Natsumi watched in comfortable silence as the senior kunoichi approached and took a seat beside her.
"I can't deny its charm, it's only a shame that you can't enjoy the sight somewhere a bit more… pleasant." Kurenai let out a small chuckle and Natsumi nodded in quiet agreement, a gentle lull of silence falling between them as they enjoyed the endless expanse of lights glittering upon the horizon.
"It's rather late for you to be up..." Kurenai broke the silence and turned her gaze away from the stars and towards the blond at her side. "Is something on your mind?" She asked carefully, her voice was soft and inviting though that meant very little to the whiskered youth who didn't bother to spare her a passing glance at the question.
"Not at all, I simply enjoy taking a bit of time for myself now and again." Her answer was short yet telling and internally Kurenai sighed to herself at the lack of trust Natsumi afforded her. It wasn't as though she had the impression that the blond hated her, quite the opposite, in fact, Natsumi seemed more than content under her tutelage and mentorship but that was as far as their relationship went. Student and teacher, nothing more and nothing less.
"How was your trip through the village? I noticed you came back with a few new supplies." Kurenai mentioned pushing for more details.
"It was…far more enjoyable than I was expecting." Natsumi's lips seemed to quirk ever so slightly upwards as she recalled her visit to the marketplace and her encounter with the retired shop owner. "Suna has its charms that much I can't deny… though I would still rather not deal with all the sand." Her nose crinkled and the ruby-eyed jounin had to stifle the urge to laugh at the bitter hate that her student held for coarse substance. It was one of the few things the blond expressed open disdain for.
"I can't say I blame you." She agreed with a subtle nod looking back up towards the stars all the while she was internally debating on how far to push this opportunity. If she wasn't careful with her words she was almost certainly going to attract suspicion from the girl but at the rate things were moving, Natsumi was far more likely to be promoted before she had any true understanding of the young woman.
"May I ask you a question, Natsumi?"
"Of course. What would you like to know?"
"Are you happy with this team?"
Natsumi paused for a moment at that and finally tore her attention away from the sky and instead focused on the woman beside. "That is a very specific question, may I ask why the sudden curiosity about such a thing?"
"I don't mean to pry but given we rarely have a chance to speak so openly I hope you can forgive me for wanting to use it." Kurenai gave a disarming smile and held her hands up as if to prove she had no ill intentions. "I must admit that I feel I understand you the least among the three of you and it makes me wonder if I have failed you in some way."
Natsumi frowned.
"I assure you that you have done no such thing, had I found your instruction lacking I would have approached you myself to correct the issue." She assured, letting out a resigned breath as she spoke before continuing. "I can admit that I prefer to maintain a measure of professional distance between myself and others, but that has nothing to do with your actions or any issue with your leadership."
"Do you not trust us?" Kurenai inquired gently, there was no hint of accusation in her words but such a question came burdened with implied doubts.
"I… it is not merely a matter of trust." Natsumi paused as she contemplated how best to word this. "I am not so blind as to be unaware of my limitations or my shortcomings, the lasting effects of my upbringing have made connecting with others… challenging. That being said, I am not hiding anything from you or my teammates."
Well, nothing that she felt they needed to know. Her status as the container for the creature that nearly leveled their village was an inevitable topic of conversation but it was not a subject that would need to be addressed anytime soon unless circumstances changed drastically.
"I did not mean to imply that you were." Kurenai once again held up her hand in a placating gesture. "I am somewhat familiar with the challenges you have faced growing up, not first-hand mind you, but I am well acquainted with someone who has endured a situation somewhat similar to your own and I understand what sort of challenges that can create."
"I find that somewhat difficult to believe, sensei." She stated suspiciously unless there was another person within Konoha's walls with a demon the size of a mountain shoved within their navel walking around she highly doubted they faced comparable discrimination.
"I won't speak on her situation, that just isn't my place. I will say that her situation is a bit less severe than your own certainly, but like yourself, she is not seen in a favorable light by the village for things beyond her control." Kurenai rested a hand upon her knee and stared up into the night sky with an expression of slight shame. "They whisper behind her back, spread rumors and lies about her even as she works to protect them, they think of her as a monster just waiting for the right time to strike while their backs are turned." She explained softly and at that Natsumi admitted that perhaps she had been too quick to dismiss this individual.
"Hmph, how fickle then for a village that preaches endlessly about comradery and peace to house such unforgiving and narrow-minded individuals." Natsumi couldn't help but scoff and Kurenai merely nodded, unable to completely refute her point.
"Those are the ideals of the village, as people we can only try and live by them but such is the nature of free will."
"You sound like the Third, sensei." She noted somewhat dryly, remembering the aged Kage had said something similar during their talk following the return of the Forbidden Scroll and the revelation of her knowledge in regards to her burden.
"Lord Hokage's wisdom is respected for a reason… but his position opens him to a measure of understandable bias. I've been told that a Kage should view his people like his family with each man a brother, each woman a sister, and each child a son or daughter. It is admirable but I can only imagine that it is difficult to reconcile that mentality with the actions of individuals who don't share it." Kurenai admitted, acknowledging that she could understand why the Third may have appeared too lenient when it came to certain topics while still disapproving of his inaction in her own way.
For a while the two fell back into silence, Natsumi now considering the added perspective while Kurenai gave her time to process what she'd said. The pair of them watching idly by as a sandstorm seemed to sweep over the horizon, the once clear night sky adopting an almost filmy grain as particles of sand whipped through the air with a dull howl leaving only the fullness of the moon visible against the void.
Looking at it brought her a sense of unease for some reason…
"I believe we should head in for the night, our star gazing will have to wait for another night." Kurenai noted.
"It appears so." She sighed and stood from her seat. "I enjoyed our talk sensei, thank you."
Kurenai smiled happily at that and nodded. "I'm glad to hear that… perhaps we can do it again some time?"
"I would not be opposed to it."
With their piece said the two quietly made their way back inside, the howling of the wind drowning out the sound of their footsteps as the village braced itself against the oncoming siege of sand.
If one listened carefully they might have heard a sound akin to screams echoing on the horizon...
…
"Hey… is it just me or does something feel kinda off today?"
Kiba didn't bother holding back a frown as he took in the oddly tense atmosphere that seemed to hang over the streets like a miasma. Roads that were bustling just yesterday were suddenly barren and what those few souls that were out seemed to be constantly looking over their shoulders… almost as if they were expecting something to snatch them right off the street?
Natsumi narrowed her eyes as she observed the erratic behavior on display in silence, she had almost immediately noticed the change in the air as well having spent the day prior exploring the village on her own. The day prior their very presence alone had been enough to draw obvious attention from the locals, today they passed without so much as a passing glance from any but the most inattentive tourists.
What could have caused such a dramatic change overnight?
"I-It's almost like t-their afraid of something?" Hinata sunk ever so slightly into her jacket, the sight of the nearly empty streets proving oddly off-putting.
Kenji nodded and tipped the brim of his hat to shield his face. "I can't say I'm surprised, I've heard from a few of my associates that the people here are a bit… well, superstitious to put it kindly." He muttered drawing intrigued looks from both Kiba and Hinata at the revelation.
She already knew that from her reading and it seemed as though their sensei was also familiar with this information.
"W-What do you mean?" Hinata asked.
Kenji frowned and lowered his voice. "Far be it from me to run my mouth about things I don't fully understand, but there have been some truly awful stories about this village in recent years… one, in particular, something about an angry sand spirit that's slowly made the rounds among the caravans that pass through the area." He whispered.
"Spirits? Like ghosts?" Natsumi raised a brow in disbelief.
Kenji took no offense to the clear skepticism in her tone, merely shrugging and crossing his arms. "I don't put much stock in rumors myself but I've heard it enough times to remember bits and pieces of it. The details are always pretty vague and some tell it differently but supposedly there is a malevolent spirit locked away somewhere in this village." He revealed dramatically, drawing curious looks from Team Eight who were now listening with rapt attention to the tale. "The spirit, described as nothing less than a force of pure destruction, at some point attacked the village directly. It commanded some of the fiercest winds the people had ever seen and drew upon the surrounding sands like a master beckoning his hounds to try and swallow the village whole, taking the lives of many civilians and shinobi during its rampage."
"But the village is still standing?" Kiba pointed out with a frown. "Clearly it didn't finish the job."
Kenji nodded. "Well, apparently the Kazekage found a way to suppress the spirit though none of the stories explain just how he managed to do that. Discovering a method to strip away its strength just enough for it to be locked away and save the village…"
"However, on nights when the moon is full… it is said the winds will howl with the sound of the spirit's cries and the sands will rise as if to blanket the village once again, an omen of the fate that will await the village should it ever escape and some even say that on those moonlit nights those foolish enough to be caught outside will disappear, never to be seen again." He finished ominously, before shaking his head. "I don't know if there was a full moon last night but when I got up to use the bathroom I could see that there was a pretty bad sandstorm outside." He admitted.
"I-It sounds a-awful, don't you t-think Natsumi?" Hinata squeaked.
Natsumi didn't answer for a moment, her eyes closed in contemplation. Last night there had indeed been a full moon and true enough at the peak of its ascent a blinding storm had risen over the canyon walls that protected the village. While she wasn't one to put stock in childish stories she could admit that it seemed like just too much of a coincidence.
Realizing that she still hadn't answered the question she turned back in and nodded slowly. "It certainly isn't something I would wish to experience first hand. However, it is a simple story and nothing more, superstitions are born from ignorance, fear, and coincidence." She frowned and crossed her arms as she dismissed the tale as nothing more than that, a tall tale.
"Logical as ever, can't you even pretend to be a bit scared." Kiba sighed, seriously Natsumi could be no fun sometimes. "What about you sensei? What do you think about it?" The feral boy turned to face their so far quiet leader.
Kurenai raised a brow and let out a small hum of thought before speaking. "Every village has their fair share of ominous stories, how much of what you hear is the truth is hard to say but you can learn a lot about a location from its myths and legends… I'd imagine our tales of the Onbaa would seem equally as frightening to an outsider albeit not as dramatic as the story Takahiro-san graced us with." She answered. Given her area of expertise lied in casting illusions it wasn't too surprising that she had a slight interest in the paranormal, as a genin and even a young chunin she had based the foundation of her combat style on conjuring the images of lost souls to terrify opponents.
Did she believe in spirits? To an extent, however, she'd keep that little tidbit to herself for the moment. No need to stoke the flames of speculation any further.
"Onbaa?" Kenji asked.
Kiba shivered at the mere mention of the name and shook his head fearfully. "Don't even ask."
Natsumi merely rolled her eyes at her teammate's fear. "Onbaa aren't real either." She muttered. With the amount of time she spent wandering the forests in both her youth and the present she had seen many things but never anything even close to the supposed "horror" that was the Onbaa.
"You don't know that!" Kiba hissed defensively. His mother had always warned him that if he stayed out too long the half-man half-beast creatures would snatch him away forever. To the point where he used to scramble back home the moment the sun dipped just below the horizon no matter what.
He wasn't going to be Onbaa food!
Hinata couldn't help but giggle at her teammate's paranoia while Natsumi merely let out a bemused sigh and shook her head.
Kurenai chuckled and crossed her arms, coughing lightly to get their attention. "Alright, I think we've enjoyed enough gossip for one day. We still have to escort our client to his meeting so look alive."
"H-Hai/Understood/Ditto!"
...
"The Kazekage found a way to suppress the spirit. Sapping its strength enough for it to be locked away…"
As she and the rest of her team sat in muted silence while their client sorted his affairs, her mind couldn't help but wander back to their earlier conversion. Takahiro-san's story weighing on her mind as the tedium of overseeing the dealings of merchants forced her to seek more stimulating mental activity and the near silence gave her a chance to further reflect on the information they'd been given.
While she may have initially dismissed the tale at first listen, revisiting it without the noise of her teammates' color commentary or Takahiro-san's embellishments brought to light some rather discomforting revelations that left her wondering if there was perhaps more to the tale than the merchant knew. Speaking plainly, with some minor tweaks and swapping out the word spirit for the word demon, the legend of this vengeful sand spirit could have been a point for point retelling of Konoha's encounter with the beast currently slumbering within her.
"A force of nature attempting to destroy a village before being stopped by the acting Kage and supposedly locked away. The broad strokes may be different but it all boils down to the same thing when you observe the details, they run parallel." She thought.
She had not been lying when she said she didn't believe in ghosts and other such nonsense and she still wasn't convinced that this so-called "spirit" was actually any sort of walking revenant. However, the reaction of the village to what should have been a common occurrence given their location coupled with the timing gave a bit more credence that there may be some facet of truth to the tale. A simple story did not set a whole village on edge without good reason.
Still, she didn't have enough information to make an informed assertion based on that alone but… the pieces looked as though they fit together just well enough that she felt fairly confident that she was on the right path, so what did that mean to her?
Assuming she wasn't reaching for threads that didn't exist since she had nothing to work off of but hearsay, Suna might have had a human container of their own, and if so that meant a couple of things. Primary among them being that there were potentially more people like her spread out across the world which if that was the case she very much wished to speak with them if possible... although given the secrecy that tended to surround them the odds were slim such a thing would happen.
Again, she could be reaching. For all she knew it could all just be coincidence or changing weather patterns that just so happened to spook an already easily influenced population.
Feeling a headache coming on she slowed her breathing and cleared her head. She was getting ahead of herself, baby steps. She needed something concrete, something to give her stable footing… She needed information. The question was, how would she get it? She couldn't exactly go around asking people on the street the identity of the container if he or she even existed in the first place mind you.
While yes, technically she could do that it would certainly draw unwanted attention her way seeing as she was a foreigner and such info was probably considered a secret to outsiders.
She preferred not to be thrown in jail over accusations of espionage.
Biting her lip she wracked her brain for a solution, if only she had access to the mind-scrying techniques of the Yamanaka clan this would be almost trivial but alas she would have to make due. She couldn't torture anyone for the information and intimidation was equally as likely to have her thrown out for disturbing the peace.
Then again, she was a kunoichi… stealth and discretion were part of her job description.
A plan began to form in her head and a subtle smirk wormed its way onto her once bored visage. She had an idea, but first, she would have to wait until their client was finished with his business. When that would be was anyone's guess but things appeared to be going smoothly so she doubted it would take the rest of the day.
In the meantime, the lull in action gave her plenty of time to craft her plan. She would need a proper cover story and not to mention go over all her possible lines… After all, a good actor needed to know their role inside and out if they wanted to sell it properly.
...
Tsubaki hated watching her family's store.
It wasn't as if they were expecting much business today anyway, in hindsight that was probably why her parents left her in charge in the first place. They didn't have to worry about her daydreaming in front of customers if they didn't get any to begin with. Still, that made it all worse since she was just stuck sitting at the counter with nothing to do when she could be doing something productive like her hair or painting her nails.
Okay, sure that didn't sound like the best use of time on paper, but In her defense, it was boring as hell to watch a simple curio shop all day with no one to talk to for hours on end. It's not like they were running a bustling restaurant or a fancy inn. They were a small store tucked fairly out of the way which did nothing to help bump up their already anemic sales. It made her physically cringe whenever her father talked about her one day inheriting this place as if she wanted to take over some dingy old store that sold nothing but cheap nick nacks and some at best, half-decent jewelry.
No, she wanted out of this place the first chance she got. Maybe run away with some cute merchant's son and set up somewhere better, or perhaps she'd get really lucky and catch the eye of a young noble? Her mother in her youth had been quite pretty and her family always said she took after her in that regard and if Kami was willing she might just have a fated encounter.
Her heart practically swooned at the thought, so much so that she nearly missed the light jingle of the shop door opening.
Just her luck, someone had to come ruin things...
Quietly sucking her teeth she blasted on her "work smile" and turned to greet the pest- ahh, the customer.
"Good afternoon, how may I… help you… today…"
Her words died in her throat as blood rushed to her cheeks and the lights around her seemed to dim as she locked eyes with the mysterious stranger that just so happened to walk into their parlor. Her lips ran dry as she none to subtly drank in the fine specimen of a man currently making his way towards through the isles, his appraising gaze fixed upon the various memorabilia strewn about.
His skin was pale like alabaster, a stark contrast to the generally tanned appearance of most Suna residents who couldn't avoid the harsh sunlight entirely and it gave him an almost regal air as he stepped carefully forward. His features were sharp, stormy black eyes that radiated with a fierce intensity that was belied by his stone-cold expression.
"Controlled and disciplined on the outside but passionate in private?" Her mind couldn't help but wander and a sudden weakness took her at the knees, thankfully she had the counter to support her weight otherwise she might have made an utter fool of herself.
His hair was just as dark as his eyes, sharp bangs framing his face and while spiking up towards the back and falling to his neck. His movements were graceful, measured, and precise possessing confidence she never saw in any of the local boys. There was an element of danger to him, a lurking darkness in that face… but she wouldn't lie and say that it was a turnoff.
If anything it only added to the charm.
The way his smoldering gaze would sweep over the shop before returning to her. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest each time he took a moment to spare her a glance, running those coal-colored orbs down her body as if he were dissecting her… she couldn't help but puff up her chest a bit, fixing her hair and batting her eyes innocently hoping to tempt him in further, not at all bothered by the feeling. Something in her stomach told her this was going to be her lucky day!
"H-How may I help you today, sir?" She asked cheerfully, far more attentive now than she'd been throughout the entire morning.
He once more glanced up at her.
"I'm just looking around for a few things, souvenirs for my family, or something to remember my visit by." He answered politely and her eyes practically fluttered at the rich huskiness of his voice, smooth like a fine roast cup of coffee. "You have quite the unique selection on offer, I couldn't help but stop and look around as I passed by."
"Y-Yes we pride ourselves on stock, everything you see here has been hand-selected for its quality and style." She fibbed, not wanting her new prince charming to walk out should he take notice that most of this stuff was actually just cheap junk. "I don't believe I've seen you before, is this your first time visiting Suna?"
She would have definitely noticed him before.
He gave a soft chuckle and nodded, turning his onyx eye her way, freezing her breath in her throat. "You'd be correct, I'm just here with my father on business but grew tired of wasting away alone in that hotel room, fine food and furnishing do little to stave off boredom." He admitted softly and her face practically lit up as he essentially admitted he was a bit more well to do than most of their customer base.
Thank you, Kami!
"Is it just yourself and your father?" She asked curiously, digging for more information.
"It feels as though it's just me with how busy he is." He shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "My mother isn't a fan of the heat and my sister is too young to travel so it is just the two of us on this trip but so far I have spent most of my time alone."
Feeling bold she decided to push a little harder. "I see, but surely you have some company… a lady on your arm so to speak?" She questioned, trying to keep her inquiry innocent although she kept her fingers crossed beneath the counter that the answer was a no.
He paused and leveled her with another searching glance that sent shivers down her spine before slowly shaking his head. "No, despite my mother's constant pestering I am currently not seeing anyone at the moment… although the women here do a certain charm to them." He said evenly but there was an undertone of something in his voice that gave her the distinct impression he was a bit more interested than he let on causing her to giggle into her palm.
Was it getting warm in here or was it just her?
"T-That's a shame, it sounds as though you could use some c-company." She muttered, a dark crimson hue overtaking her as she dropped her hint. His unreadable expression waved for just a moment and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, amusement visible on his face for a brief second before he schooled his features once more.
"Perhaps…" He practically glided over towards the counter, enveloping her in his shadow. "But I couldn't go with just any stranger, I'd need someone I can trust." He leveled that same smoldering stare down upon her.
"Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, you seem like a trustworthy type."
She spilled her guts without so much as a second thought, everything from her birthday, her favorite foods, personal stories, even some of her less embarrassing secrets. Through it all he listened intently, laughing and complimenting her throughout causing a special warmth to bubble in her chest at his attentiveness. He never rushed her and genuinely seemed to care about what she had to say.
Wealthy, handsome, and a good listener? He was the total package!
She was just about to launch into another story before he looked towards the store window with a frown, his fingers gently tracing the length of one of the limestone necklaces her mother made as he stared out into the street. "Forgive me if this is a bit naive of me to ask but... do you happen to know why the streets seem to be empty today?" His frown deepened while he rolled the piece of rock in his palm. "It feels as though it was only yesterday that I could barely see through the busy crowds and yet today I've barely seen a soul out…"
His inquiry dragged her out of her trance and her expression suddenly dropped like a stone, a small grimace replacing her previously sunny smile as she ruminated on his question. Of course, she knew why no one was on the streets, anyone who had even a passing interest in staying alive knew better than to linger out in the open for too long this week.
Of course... as a foreigner, he wouldn't know about the danger.
She bit her lip and looked around, her face displaying clear hesitation and it seemed as though he picked up on it as he approached her directly this time. His stone facade giving way to slight concern.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked gently, the worry in his voice tugging at her emotions while at the same time his posture seemed so reassuring, as though he was silently telling her that she was going to be alright. Was he going to be her knight in shining armor too?
"N-No, it's just…" She paused for a moment, losing herself in his eyes again and feeling her resistance crumble.
What was the harm in telling him the truth, it… it was for his safety, right? She certainly didn't want anything to happen to him.
"There… There is a reason, I can't speak on the details but you must be careful wandering the streets today. " She whispered worriedly, a tinge of fear working its way onto her face as she spoke as if at any seconds something would jump out to get her. "When the streets are empty like this it means that the Demon of the Sand has returned."
"A demon? Surely you aren't serious." He frowned but there was a hint of inquisitiveness in his eyes that went unnoticed.
"If he isn't a demon then he's the closest thing to one." Her words were laced with both disgust and distress as she spoke. "His hair is the color of fresh blood and his eyes are colder than the most frigid desert night, he feels nothing and cares nothing for the lives of anyone other than himself. He's a monster wearing the skin of a boy, if not for the Lord Kazekage who knows if the village would even survive." She shuddered, recalling the awful stories told by the witnesses of his cruelty.
"This boy, do you happen to know his name?" He asked.
"Gaara, Sabaku no Gaara." She whispered, pausing to scan the shop. "He is the youngest son of the Kazekage."
"Sabaku no Gaara…" He tested the words on his lips, falling silent as if in thought before nodding and offering a disarming smile. "To call him a menace sounds like an understatement, to think there would be such a person here among all this beauty." He noted idly, refocusing his attention on the woman in front of him with a slight wiggle of his brow
She floundered at his playful flirting, the tense air suddenly evaporating in the wake of his charm and blase response, Kami he wasn't even phased. "Stop it you…" She pouted cutely and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, her earlier fear replaced once more by the growing attraction she felt for the man in front of her.
"I can not tell a lie." He gave her a charming smile before glancing up towards the clock hanging behind the counter and clicking his teeth. "It seems I've gone and run out of time, I am supposed to be meeting with my father soon so it appears I'll have to postpone my shopping." He sighed and she barely held back a whine of her own wishing beyond hope that he didn't have to go.
Sensing her distress, he boldly took her hand and placed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles immediately dismissing any protests she might have had as he rocketed her mind into orbit with the simple gesture.
"I suppose I'll just have to come back again then, take in more of the sights." He laid her hand to rest and turned on his heel, leaving her to watch him go with a dreamy smile before she suddenly remembered that she had no idea who her Mr. Handsome even was.
"W-Wait! I didn't catch your name!" She cried out stopping him just as he put his foot out the door.
He stopped and turned back to her.
"Sasuke, Sasuke Kitagawa." He said simply and with that, he was gone almost as suddenly as he'd appeared.
"Sasuke…" She sighed his name dreamily to herself, her mind once again wandering off to distant places, visions of a life with her potential new beau already forming in her mind. The empty shop now filled with the sound of the love-struck giggles of a woman whose heart was hopelessly ensnared.
She hoped he came by again soon!
…
"Kami I never want to do that again."
She scrunched her nose slightly as she cut the flow of chakra surrounding her and allowed her henge to fall away, the mask ex-rival's face shimmering away to reveal her own whiskered visage as she stepped carefully out from the alleyway she had ducked into for cover. At least the girl here was as easily swayed by a pretty face as the ones back home, she never would have expected all the gossip she'd been forced to endure back at the academy would come in handy for something practical.
Seduction wasn't exactly her forte by any means but it seemed young women turned their minds off around a decently handsome man with a "bad boy" image. She would file that information away for later in case a need arrived.
Regardless, she had gotten what she was after, and now she was almost sure that her hunch was correct. There was almost certainly another container within this village, and even better she'd managed to secure a name for the prime suspect
Sabaku no Gaara
While she may not have gotten outright confirmed he contained some kind of beast within him, the way he was described to her was quite similar to the way the civilians spoke of her. Granted, it seemed as though her Suna counterpart wasn't quite as peaceful as she'd envisioned but at the same time she couldn't say that the discovery was a shocking one by any means.
Treat someone like a monster long enough and eventually, they'll start acting like one.
She may have found a more productive outlet for her frustrations but she wouldn't judge him until she spoke to him herself, people were a product of their environment and she was willing to gamble her life's savings that the citizens of Suna had played at least some role in creating the demon they so feared. For all she knew his upbringing might have been worse than even her own.
Of course, it was also possible he was simply born slightly unhinged to begin with.
If only she could confront him herself but the chances of that happening now were slim, with their client's business essentially concluded there was no reason for their team to remain in Suna and they were due to head out tomorrow at dawn. Her morning had been eaten up by guard duty and it was already well into the afternoon at this point...
She would have to settle for what she had.
It annoyed her to no end to accept such an inconclusive outcome but at the same time, she also had to admit she wasn't sure what meeting this Gaara character would entail even if fortune were to favor her and bring the two of them together. Would he recognize her as an ally? A kindred spirit similarly weighed down by a burden they had no say in the fate thrust upon them? Or, would he see her as an enemy, a potential threat, or just an annoyance?
If the latter was the case she knew too little about his skills to gauge whether or not she'd be able to subdue him and that wasn't a risk she could afford to take at this point. She wasn't so naive as to believe that simply sharing similar experiences would automatically result in a peaceful outcome. After all, shinobi all knew the sting of losing someone precious, and yet they still waged war on one another, leaving countless bodies in their wake conveniently forgetting that each lost man and woman meant something special to someone.
It felt as though the more she learned the less she knew, and the messy nature of international relations made everything so much more needlessly complicated.
She sighed and began the walk back to the motel, she would need to rest up for the journey home.
AN. Chapter Complete!
I want to thank you all for the continued support even while the updates have been slow. Due to everything going on I have been really busy and honestly, a lot of my drive to write has fizzled out. I'm never really satisfied with anything I type up and that has made uploading difficult but I am still trying for you guys! That said I wanna talk about this chapter as well as get some input for the story going forward.
Starting off, I know people are gonna be mad we didn't meet Gaara but I like this more as set up for their meeting. The chunin exams make a good set piece for Natsumi to interact with Gaara since he'll have to restrain himself and she can more easily inquire about him. I'm already crafting plans for the meeting so hopefully, this will pay off when we get there.
I also know people are probably disappointed this mission didn't go FUBAR but given that it is set in one of the major shinobi villages it's hard to justify things like missing-nin popping up or tycoons. The timetable for the mission was also a bit crunched so I decided rather than force it I'll learn from this and craft a more open-ended experience for a bit more challenge. This actually ties into what I wanted to ask people so let me know what your opinion on the following is:
Should Natsumi and by extension visit Wave? I was debating on having them go as backup for a different team (either to have Natusmi interact with Team Seven or have fun with Team Ten) and I would naturally make some additions to make the whole thing more interesting but if you guys are opposed to that I'll pass and do something else.
Thank you all for reading and if you have any questions feel free to ask in the reviews or shoot me a PM and I'll get back to you when I can! Take care!