Chapter 29
Kabuto (approximate time: 7:00 AM)
They had arrived. And judging by the posted guards and easy passage into the Kazekage's meeting hall, "Katsu" learned both that Kabuto had much more familiarity with the area than he outwardly admitted and that he had sent a message to be expecting them beforehand. Kabuto spared his team a cursory glance as they entered the atrium.
So far so good, we could note.
Kabuto bowed before the Kazekage, leading his team.
Oto was his home. It was the place he made himself, with the help of his new master. Just like how he made himself. But someplace in his mind, Kabuto knew "Katsu" was right, that Oto was doomed to fall and that Lord Orochimaru was as unconcerned of that potential failing as he himself liked to think he was. The greater question being: would that lack of concern extend to him, if it came down to it and what he intended on doing about it.
"Lord Kazekage, our envoy sent on behalf of Otogakure greets you."
This interaction with the Kazekage, very well one of those potential things.
The Lord Kazekage inclined his head slightly in response as their cue to rise.
What cards would Kabuto dare play?
...
"Your message implied it was a rogue Suna-nin that killed your shinobi. Even if you were to provide evidence that I doubt exists, from the moment the Akasuna was declared rogue, Sunagakure is officially freed of both responsibility and authority over him," the Lord Kazekage boomed. "There is no profit you can possibly hope to gain from making such an accusation."
"Katsu" bowed her head deeper, obviously glad it was obvious no one recognized her with the combination of a balaclava and two years or so of not being in the region. Kabuto, however, had no such worries as he ever so slightly straightened up in response to the Kazekage's statement.
"Well, you're right about one thing: there is no advantage to making such an accusation. But you're wrong that there's no evidence, or that there's no mutual advantage to be gained at all," Kabuto replied. "Otogakure's a small village. And with the combination of Konoha's hold on virtually all shinobi resources and now our mutual loss of men, I'd say we're both at a disadvantage already, hence the proposal for a meeting that you kindly accepted."
"And what does your 'Otogakure' know of Sunagakure's current state?" the Kazekage interrogated.
Kabuto smirked. "Only what its shinobi had been willing to share. Otogakure's a young village, very young. And we've yet to even announce official creation yet. But being what it is, Otogakure accepts all shinobi willing to join with open arms."
Kabuto watched as the Kazekage flicked his eyes subtly to an open report to confirm. "And evidence of this 'Sleeper Jutsu' was found under your own investigation."
"That's correct."
There was a silence as the Kazekage thought, and Kabuto moved to fill it. "When our shinobi began going missing, an investigation was launched to find out where they were going and why... Their bodies later found between the borders of the Land of Grass and Land of Rain. An autopsy under one of our top medic-nin—" Kabuto gestured to his medic-nin teammate. "—later revealed Sleeper Jutsu needles, which we learned could have only been planted by a shinobi skilled with creating chakra threads.
"Matching our leader's information with what we gathered from our allies in the Land of Grass, we realized possibly the only person capable of the Sleeper Jutsu… is Sasori. A skilled puppeteer from Suna sighted within the Land of Rain, where the Akatsuki is based. The one responsible for our shinobi's mutual deaths."
"Former Puppeteer," the Kazekage corrected.
Kabuto bowed his head in acknowledgement. In our view, that was perhaps not the only detail that needed to be corrected, but the Kazekage did not know that; no one there to say otherwise either. It was, after all, a rather good lie.
"I brought back samples of those extracted needles and they should still be charged with his chakra. If you don't believe me, I'd be more than willing to give them to you to confirm. A show of good faith, if you will."
Kabuto removed a Storage Scroll from his hip pouch, holding it out for one of the ANBU to grab. The Kazekage nodded at the ANBU agent in affirmation to retrieve the proffered item.
"And what is your leader's proposal to correct our mutual disadvantage?" the Kazekage asked, disdainfully emphasizing the last two words as the scroll was placed on his desk.
Kabuto straightened his glasses confidently. Everything was going according to plan.
Gaara (approximate time: 12:00 PM)
Gaara stood at the corner of the roof, breathing. Something familiar had entered the air. The full moon was coming soon, and even in the daylight, he was feeling its effects. It was on that rooftop, he sensed something. Something distinctly foreign to Suna yet familiar, something that didn't need Shukaku's giggling voice to confirm. A familiar chakra signature he had never expected to feel again.
He told himself it meant nothing, the chakra signature. That it was just Shukaku toying with him, like every full moon, dangling an ever-killable victim and the power to kill before him. But something, this time, he knew was different. He knew, he knew.
Gaara gripped the railing. If his mother desired blood, what gave the father the power to deny her?
Katiya (approximate time: 12:00 PM)
Katiya leaned on an earthen column outside of the Kazekage's private meeting quarters. It hadn't taken long for the discussion to go from pleasantries to exchanges of classified information. The Lord Kazekage, refreshingly blunt in his questioning. But as the conversation strayed, she and Guren, not privy to all of the details, were sent outside along with a few members of the ANBU guard.
Guren paced the room, glaring at every ANBU's eyes she met.
"Guren, your pacing isn't going to make the meeting go any faster."
Guren let out scoff. "So what? Got any better ideas of what we can do in this hole? Oh what was that? Breathe?"
"… From a purely medical standpoint, I sure hope you're breathing. Though, our other teammate might think otherwise."
Guren snappishly turned her head to Katiya to glare before grumbling something about "Four-Eyes". Katiya surveyed the room. ANBU alright, she thought. If they had gleaned anything from the potentially less than stable team arrangement and Oto's status, it didn't show on what she saw of their faces.
The most advantageous time for Oto and Suna to attack Konoha would be during the Chunin Exams, the ones hosted in Konoha… but beyond that, she didn't quite understand what needed to be said behind closed doors. Katiya ran her mind over what she knew.
Kabuto (approximate time: 12:00 PM)
"With Konoha's monopoly on virtually all shinobi resources, a small village like Oto doesn't stand a chance. Now, having lost so many members at the hands of the Akatsuki, it leaves us with even fewer options if we intend to elevate ourselves."
"And you intend to attack Konoha."
"That's correct. The time we have proposed is the next time they host the Chunin Exams, with the hope of using the Exams themselves as a distraction and cover while we mobilize our forces."
The Kazekage nodded in response. Kabuto watched as the man leaned back in his seat. Kabuto knew the Kazekage was heading into the potential detail work he didn't need others to know, contemplating what information to give. "Are you aware of Suna's Jinchuriki?"
"We are."
"And his identity?"
Kabuto nodded his head curtly. The Kazekage took in the Oto-nin through narrowed eyes. He, the Kazekage, knew now he was at a deficit in terms of information.
Gaara (approximate time: 12:30 PM)
Gaara stood with his siblings in his father's meeting hall after… being summoned to the chamber. He was to be a part of the most powerful "genin" team to be sent to participate in the upcoming Chunin Exams of Konohagakure, apparently. As if the ranks meant anything to Gaara. As if anything meant anything to Gaara.
His father introduced him—them—his siblings, his sensei, and himself. Making acquaintances with a man from Otogakure apparently they'd directly be working with.
The sensation of familiarity was still there, but this man was clearly of no interest to the Jinchuriki.
Katiya (approximate time: 12:30 PM)
… Oto needed information on Suna… I assumed then, it was to attack Suna, not ally with them, Suna and Konoha being "allies"… but of course, Oto never hid the fact that Suna and its Kazekage were nothing more than pawns to them. Disposable ones at that…
Ah, she realized. Oto can't risk Suna changing their minds midway, can it. But they need the Kazekage's head and hand, at the very least, to sign the war declaration and keep up appearances should he disappear. This whole meet being in-person… Aside from security reasons, Kabuto's trying to pick up the Kazekage's mannerisms, isn't he… Among other things, knowing him.
There was a knock on the door. Guren stopped pacing. It was their cue to re-enter.
Gaara (approximate time: 12:30)
The Otogakure man made some statement about speaking to the rest of his team. The sensation of familiarity grew closer. The sensation made Gaara grow ill-at-ease.
Katiya (approximate time: 12:35 PM)
Gaara—!
Katiya saw him immediately as she approached, his eerily face blank. She forced herself to continue forwards steadily, keeping in line with her other teammate, but as she neared, she found her hand slowly becoming outstretched on its own.
Gaara…
Her arm was barely extended, some sort of half-hearted reach. She was still over a meter away from the boy.
Gaara.
Gaara (approximate time: 12:35 PM)
Gaara was ill-at-ease, and his sand therefore more prone to reacting. With a sharp widening of his eyes, Gaara realized the person before him was actually reaching towards him. An automatic sand barrier formed.
But after a split second, he realized who was reaching for him. The sand barrier became a Sand Coffin.
Katiya (approximate time: 12:35 PM)
The movement was so sudden that Katiya had no doubt the move, as violent as it was, was an automatic reflex or very nearly one. She gasped as the sand jumped to envelope her. She didn't have enough water from her staff to cover her body entirely, the Sand Coffin too fast for her to pull out a Storage Scroll.
She didn't have any defense against the move, really. She did what she could, trying to form a bubble around her head. Bur her ribs—her arms, legs—they all remained with the barest protection given only from what she had been wearing. The sand of the Sand Coffin pressed in from around her, but we could realize it was still much slower a crush than Gaara usually offered to his victims.
Gaara… I'm sorry.
But the boy could not hear that as he struggled with his demons.
From outside the Sand Coffin, the Lord Kazekage used his gold dust to halt his son, having known about such a possibility of violence inflicted onto his visitors despite his intentions. Guren, now attempting to help, adding several crystal shuriken to the direction of Katiya's attacker. Several of which sprung up entrapment requiring the Jinchuriki to recall his sand or face potential injury.
Gaara (approximate time: 12:40 PM)
Her… Her… WhY mUSt iT bE HeR—!?
Katiya (approximate time: 12:40 PM)
There was a rush of air as Katiya was released from the Sand Coffin.
Katiya hit the ground with a strangled wheeze, gasping for air. She barely recognized the scene before her, the room bearing obvious signs of Guren's handiwork. Her water pooled by her head in a useless muddy puddle. It was funny, how for all the headbutts the two had, that it was she who had come to Katiya's rescue.
Gaara's sand shields sense fear—the intent to harm—am I afraid? Killing intent—am I?
Kabuto simply stood to the side impassively as her own thoughts swam.
Yes, she answered herself. Yes... It must be why... it can't be...
Katiya closed her eyes, bracing her hands on the floor.
… Gaara, I'm sorry.
Katiya closed her eyes, bracing her hands on the floor as Gaara was escorted away.
What do you think an apology can do?
Katiya only listened to the sounds of footsteps being led out.
You lied to him. "You'll see me soon… It'll be gone and over before you know it," her mind repeated. You intend to kill the Kazekage—Gaara's own father—isn't that indirectly harming him? —You're orphaning him. It's been two years... and the Kazekage—the Kazekage...
Katiya opened her eyes, Gaara gone.
No—the Kazekage's evil—a monster—worse! Katiya's mind steadied.
Aren't I saving him?
Katiya looked about the room again, this time more aware.
No. He doesn't need you. No. What healing, what help do you hope to give, by killing? No… but what does it matter?
What healing, what help can you possibly hope to give to a Jinchuriki who now hates you?
...
What does it matter?