Chapter 31: Listening In

"So, where exactly are you leading us to?" Temari was quick to ask as the two siblings joined up with the four Fire shinobi on the next floor. "Somewhere interesting I guess?"

"You'll see . . ." Shizuka trailed off as she turned to her left. Remaining silent, the rest of the group followed the princess until they reached the end of the hallway, which was marked by a large floor-to-ceiling window that showcased the southern gardens down below.

Stopping in front of a bare patch of wall, Shizuka tapped her fingers along the surface until she found what she was looking for, pressing down on a tile that sunk deep into the wall. The wall beside it slowly revealed itself to be a door, sliding open to show the dark stairwell that awaited them.

Huh, can you really call it a palace if it doesn't have its share of secret passageways? Shukaku mused as Shizuka took out a piece of paper, slapped it against the wall, and waited for the lights within the passageway to illuminate. Now that I think about it. I don't think you've ever bothered to explore the tunnels back in your home palace.

"The thought never occurred to me." Gaara bit back as the group walked into the stairwell one by one.

You should consider exploring them then. . . It should be much more interesting than just looking at the moon all night long.

Gaara didn't say anything back as he followed the group down the stairs, focusing on his steps than on the tanuki giving him suddenly helpful advice. It was a short trip down, and once they reached the bottom, Shizuka started leading them through a dark tunnel covered in dust and cobwebs.

"Why do all secret passageways have to be so dark, damp, and creepy?" TenTen grumbled as she narrowly missed walking into a large cobweb on her left. "Can't your family spare a few maids to clean and maintain this part of the palace too?"

"Secret passages are supposed to be just that TenTen: secret," Shizuka reminded her as she looked around the hallway. "It would be rather moot to call them secret if more people knew about them after all . . . The less people know about them, the better."

"And yet here you are, leading two foreign royals through one of your home's secret corridors," Temari was quick to point out, smirking as she made her point.

"Eh, I'd figure I'd make an exception in this case. Besides, this corridor happens to be one of the few that doesn't lead out of the palace, so if you have any infiltration plans coming to mind in that head of yours, I suggest you stop now."

"Darn, and just as I had come up with one too," Temari mumbled, sarcasm lacing her tone as they came to a stop in front of a sealed door. "We're stopping here?"

"This is our stop," Shizuka agreed as she pressed her hand against the door. A large seal appeared once her hand touched the surface, disappearing before anyone had the chance to really get a good look at it. Once the seal was gone, the door jutted back before sliding left, revealing the dark room inside. "Watch your step. The floor is a little lower than you think."

She stepped aside to let everyone else enter first, stepping in last once everyone else was securely inside. Once the door closed behind her, the lights switched on, revealing the bare room they stood in.

Before anyone could question why they were there, the Fire princess walked over to the wall on her right and quietly pried off a piece of the paneling, allowing the sounds of tense voices to filter into the room.

"Those voices. . ." Shikamaru mumbled as a gruffer voice reached his ears, one that he was quite used to listening to back at his family's ranch. "That's my father!"

"Shizuka, where exactly did you bring us to?" TenTen quietly asked the blonde as she sat down by the revealed paneling.

"This room is right next to the palace command center, aka, our Situation Room," She quietly explained, keeping her voice barely above a whisper. "I discovered this room a couple of years ago while exploring in my free time. . . If we remain quiet, we'll know what's happening out in the village as it's going on."

"Um, are we even supposed to be here?" Choji asked, looking a little nervous as he fell to a crouch.

"You're free to leave if you want." TenTen pointed out, but the Akimichi heir quickly shook his head. ". . . Thought so."

"Technically, they are not supposed to be here," Shizuka mumbled, pointing in Temari's and Gaara's direction. "But like I said before, I was willing to make an exception. . . Now then, everyone be quiet. If we're able to hear them, the others may hear us if we're too loud."

"That shouldn't be too hard. . ." Shikamaru quietly mumbled as he took a seat, just as the sounds of a female voice reached their ears.

"The enemy has been taken out in the southern and western districts. . . Shall I have Commander Hyuga reroute some of his command to the eastern districts so that they could assist in the efforts there?"

"Do it. Make sure he only releases them once he has his areas fully secure first," Lord Shikaku calmly ordered. "How are the efforts at the arena?"

"Proceedings are stable," said a new voice, a masculine one that sounded like it had years of smoking under its belt. "Those that are still able to fight were quickly patched up and released, but those that needed more immediate medical attention have been securely transported to Konoha General, including Prince Kankuro."

"Good; King Rasa's disappearance at Orochimaru's hand will already cause tensions to build between Fire and Wind. We don't need something happening to one of his children to add on to it."

"Tension to build between Fire and Wind?" Choji quietly asked, being a little slow to connect the dots.

"Orochimaru may be behind the Sound's attack, but he's still originally from the Land of Fire," Shikamaru quietly answered as he looked up at the Sand Siblings. "I'm sure your people will not appreciate the idea that a formerly Fire shinobi is the reason why your king is, well, M.I.A."

"Our father was not truly loved by our people, but he was respected," Temari calmly announced as she leaned her head against the wall. "Even if they are told the true story, some will want vengeance . . . Some may even seek war."

Did I just hear war?!

"Shut up Shukaku. . ."

"Do you think they'll try to push for it?" TenTen asked.

"The war hawks likely will," Temari mumbled, already grimacing at the thought. "They're a minority in court, but they'll definitely be at the forefront of the effort. . . Some are misogynistic enough to think that me being a girl would work to their advantage. Don't worry about it though. I'll squash any war efforts in the bud once we get back home."

"Would your people be willing to commit themselves to a war if you ordered them?" Shizuka dared to ask.

"They would have to follow my decree if I ordered it, but truthfully, we're in no position for an outright war right now," Temari quietly revealed as she leaned back in her seat. "A war at this point would only do the Wind Kingdom more harm than good."

If you release me, those issues wouldn't be much of a problem.

"Shut up!" Gaara grumbled, scowling deeply.

"Um, is he okay?" Choji quietly asked, pointing in the redhead's direction as he turned to Temari.

"He's fine. His tenant is likely annoying the hell out of him right now." Temari mumbled, ignoring the glare that her brother was sending their way.

"Makes sense; Shukaku tends to be the most bloodthirsty of the tailed beasts after all," Shikamaru mumbled, shrugging at the stares he was getting. "What?! When you're the son of the king's Chief Advisor and seen as the next in line for such a position, you get to be in the know on a few things."

"Huh, that would explain the rings around his eyes," TenTen mumbled, shaking her head. "I'll admit. My knowledge on the tailed beasts is miniscule at best, but one thing I've always remembered from my studies is that the One Tails has a nasty habit of not letting his vessels sleep. . . Something about taking over and wreaking havoc if they ever did, right?"

"Pretty much. . ." Gaara mumbled, shaking his head. ". . . I've grown used to it, but the damn tanuki still has his moments."

"Wow, that does not sound like fun," TenTen mumbled, turning to Shizuka. ". . . But I guess that's just the One Tails m.o."

"However, it doesn't always have to be. . ."

What does she mean by that?! Shukaku was quick to say as Gaara turned to the princess. What the fuck does she mean by that?!

"Congratulations; your words just sent Shukaku into a panic," The redhead announced, ignoring the tanuki's complaining. "But seriously though, what do you mean when you say it doesn't always have to be? Are you saying there's a way to keep him quiet?"

"There may be a way, but you would have to talk to my mother about that," She announced as she kept her ears to what was being discussed in the other room. "Now keep your voices down. I think they're talking about what's happening with Sasuke right now."

You're not going to take the girl up on her suggestion, are you? Shukaku bluntly asked, though he already knew what Gaara's answer would likely be. . . The redhead's silence cemented it. . . I should have known.

"You brought this on yourself," Was all Gaara was willing to say as he tuned back into the conversation. "What just happened? I didn't hear what was said."

"Naruto and Queen Kushina got Sasuke back. They apprehended the squad that took off with him just as they reached the village's northern entry point," TenTen kindly explained to him. "Right now, Guy-sensei and his task force are currently covering their escape. They should be back within the palace walls within the next few minutes."

"Right now, they're trying to track down King Minato, Lord Sarutobi, and Orochimaru," Shikamaru added. "We don't have too many seals outside of the village that we can rely on, so getting a visual on them is going to be hard."

"Hard?! Talk about virtually impossible with the kind of power that they all possess," Choji pointed out. "It may take a while before we hear anything from their end."

"Effectively, it's a two-against-one fight, but Orochimaru has never been a fair fighter, even by shinobi standards," Shizuka grumbled. "Both sides will have tricks up their sleeves to one up the other . . . It's going to be a while before that fight reaches a conclusion."

"Hey, at least the situation within the village sounds like it's being handled pretty well," Temari reminded her. "However, there's still a lot of answers to be sought."

"Sir! We have an encrypted report coming in from the scouting team in the western province."

"Western province?" Lord Shikaku was quick to ask. "Where exactly in the province are they reporting from?"

"Close to the border we share with the River Kingdom," Said the same voice. "The scouting party discovered the remains of a battlefield near the abandoned Aki Outpost. . . There were bodies sir!"

"Get to the point Harana," Lord Shikaku ordered as the group of young shinobi waited for the shoe to drop. "Were the bodies identified?"

"They were. We have confirmation that all but one belonged to the honor guard that were assigned to travel with King Rasa for the finals of the Showcase . . . King Rasa's body was discovered about a mile away from the main group. It appears he was the last to fall."

Oh shit . . . Shukaku whispered as everyone's eyes went to a silent Temari. . . Long live the queen, I guess.

A/N: Please review!