Chapter 41: Travel Party Pt. 2
As soon as you wake up, you have to deal with something political. . . Shukaku complained as Gaara followed his siblings and sensei out of their suite and into the hallway. Again, why couldn't you just have just agreed with your brother and shelved this till the morning?
"Were you not listening earlier?" The redhead asked in return as he stifled another yawn. "My sister may be the queen by law, but her position is still precarious at best. . ."
And who the fuck will the detractors turn to?! You and your puppet-loving brother have made it clear that neither of you will usurp your sister's position!
"Well, they could always go to the next bloodline with the strongest link to our own, but we don't need to give them a reason to do so. . . Temari is the Queen regnant, but she does need support on her side to secure her claim. Kankuro, Baki, and I can only do so much."
. . . And thus the need to play nice?
"My sister needs a strong power base, Shukaku. The more allies she has, the stronger her claim will be, preferably getting to the point that no one can argue against it." Gaara explained as he followed the group down the stairwell.
But you're not going to play nice the entire time, right?
Gaara couldn't help but shake his head at the tanuki's inquiry, knowing that the concept of playing nice was simply something that didn't come to him naturally. The earlier interactions he had with Ryuna and Kurama, especially Kurama, was enough proof of that.
"No, we won't be playing nice the entire time, just until Temari's position is secured," The redhead admitted as a maid passed them on the stairs. "Besides, if we act too nice, the court will only see us pushovers primed to be manipulated."
And you humans do love manipulating each other for your own ends. . .
"One of our many faults, if you could believe that. . ."
Oh, I certainly can. . .
There was an obvious note of bitterness in the tanuki's tone, but Gaara couldn't begrudge him for it. After all, he's been made to suffer at the hands of human manipulation for decades now and counting, so his feelings on the matter were absolutely justified.
After reaching the lower floor and traversing a couple of hallways, they came across one of the corridors designated for foreign envoys and dignitaries, eventually coming to a stop in front of a set of couple doors that looked unguarded, but all four knew better than that.
"You did mention that some of the ANBU were a part of the traveling envoy," Kankuro mused as he looked around. ". . . They're not on the sides, so . . . ceiling?"
"Well, it is a great way to get the drop on people. . ."
The four immediately looked up to find a masked wearing figure standing on the wall above the door, channeling their chakra to their feet to keep themselves in place. Dressed in the typical uniform that designated them as a member of the Wind Kingdom's ANBU Division - which was pretty much the beige/sandy colored version of the Konoha Anbu's uniforms - the figure greeted the group with a small wave, undoubtedly smiling underneath the scorpion mask they wore.
". . . As long as you can mask your presence until you do such a drop, that is," Temari corrected her fellow ninja. "Baki mentioned that some of the ANBU were a part of the delegation. Who else is with you Scorpion?"
"Camel and Armadillo, your Grace," Scorpion answered as he fell into a crouch. "Cobra and Osprey were also supposed to join this mission, but were recalled back once . . . well, new information came to light."
"New information?" Baki asked, having not been alerted to this when he visited earlier.
"Your ascension to your father's throne is not popular among certain circles, your Grace," Scorpion calmly explained. "There has been some dissension within the court, and even the mention of plans for a coup or two within the nobility."
"Pfft, they aren't even waiting for us to come back before they want to stir the pot," The young queen mumbled, shaking her head. "I'm sure Owl has the Anbu working double time to ensure that these plots don't have time to bear fruit?"
"The court should be a little smaller once we return your Grace," Scorpion declared, nodding slightly.
"Good to know. . . Baki, if you may?" Temari asked, gesturing to the door.
"There's no need!"
The voice came from behind the door, and as it opened, a head of jet black popped out, the face a sight that none of the siblings were happy to see at the moment. ". . . Ah, I see you've all made it."
"Hmm, you seem surprised Lord Kikuchi," Temari pointed out, stepping forward. "Did you really believe that we wouldn't show?"
"I thought you would take offense to the fact that we requested one as soon as possible. . . your Grace," He declared, his tone challenging as he resisted the urge to spit out the deferential term.
"Considering that we have much to talk about, I believe it's best to get it out of the way as soon as possible," Temari explained, her tone even as she stared directly at the older man. "After all, it's best to make sure that everyone is on the same page. . . As for making such a request, quite a strong statement to make, don't you think? Making requests of your queen?"
"Apologies, Your Grace. . . I guess you can say the quick travel has not left everyone in the best of moods."
"Everyone? Or just you?" Temari challenged, smirking slightly as the man failed to hold back his grimace. Kankuro couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as his sister handled business, and while Baki and Gaara had no noticeable reaction to the exchange, both did approve of it, to varying degrees.
"So, Lord Kikuchi, are you going to let us in to address the rest of the envoy that came with you, or would you have us stand in this hallway for most of the night?" Temari then asked, her tone on the verge of biting as she clasped her hands over her stomach.
"Oh let them in already!" Called a sharp voice from within the suite. "The sooner we can get this discussion started, the sooner we can all fall back to our bedrooms and get some proper rest. My old bones haven't touched a mattress in days, and I don't need you to delay things any more than you already have!"
"Hmm, looks like Elder Chiyo is in good spirits," Kankuro couldn't help but say as Lord Kikuchi's face went from a grimace to a frown. ". . . And my sister is right, my lord. There's a conversation to be had, and it's best we get it over with before the woman literally bites your head off."
Knowing he was beaten, Lord Kikuchi pulled the door open even further, holding it open as the group entered the space. Waiting to greet them was the rest of the envoy, who all bowed as soon as Temari entered the room. The two other ANBU members, wearing their distinctive camel and armadillo masks, stood guard by the windows while the two members of the household guard that accompanied the party stood on either side of the door the group just walked through.
Elder Chiyo, the woman who made her thoughts known earlier, was glaring at Lord Kikuchi as he made his way over to one of the empty chairs on her left. Standing on the elder's right was the last member of the envoy, a tall, tanned-skinned woman whose long black hair was patterned with light blue streaks, a common trait shared by those that shared her blood.
"It's good to see you come to your senses, my lord," The elder grumbled, not hiding her disapproval as Kikuchi, amazingly enough, met her gaze head on. "It's not a mystery that you disapprove of women holding any kind of power thanks to some misogynistic notions that you've grown up on thanks to your father, but please, can you act civil for ten minutes so we can, at the very least, get this conversation started?"
"I can manage that much," Lord Kikuchi admitted. "And I'm sorry to say that you are slightly wrong about my disapproval of women in power. . . I only disapprove of women in power when they haven't proven that they can truly handle it."
"Is that why you don't like the idea of me being queen?" Temari asked. "Because I'm. . . untested?"
"Well, your father didn't help your case by trusting you with any major responsibilities that would show your aptitude for the throne," Lord Kikuchi spoke in return, knowing he hit a nerve when he watched Temari's eyes narrow. "Did he even bother to bring you to any of the council meetings?"
"Quite a few, actually," Temari countered, not looking the least bit put out by the man's words. "Of course, since your family does not have a seat on the council, you would not be privy to such details . . . Such a shame."
"Such a shame indeed," The tall woman muttered, smirking slightly as Lord Kikuchi glared her way. "I would be more than happy to explain what the queen is like during council meetings, but it's best we save that for later. . . Elder Chiyo is right. We do have an important conversation that we have to get through first, preferably before the sun rises once again."
"Agreed. . ." Temari admitted as she and her brothers took a seat. "So, where should we begin? What do you already know so far?"
"Our intel is purely from the letters we've received from both Baki and King Minato, and they've been quite general on both accounts," Lady Nishimura explained. "For starters, though we know of your father's passing, we do not know exactly how it happened. . . Though, thanks to what we know of the attack, it's not hard to guess who is behind it."
"Did Orochimaru kill your father?" Chiyo bluntly asked as she looked at the three siblings, none of whom squirmed under her scrutiny.
"He did," Kankuro answered. "Orochimaru tried to recruit Father as an ally in his attempts to upend the Fire Kingdom's stability, arguing that if Fire went down, our kingdom would benefit economically."
"Hmm, I can see why that serpent would go that route," Lord Kikuchi grumbled as he leaned back in his seat. "The Wind Kingdom has never been the strongest from an economic perspective, so he figured if he could play on that, then maybe, he could rope King Rasa into his schemes."
"But it didn't work out, and he killed Father for it, likely to silence him before he could send a warning to King Minato," Temari explained.
"And Orochimaru is still out there, somewhere?" Lady Nishimura asked.
"He is, however, he didn't escape unscathed," Baki admitted before delving into the details of the Snake Sannin's battle with the Fire King and his old sensei.
"Not many can escape King Minato with his kind of speed, and live," Lady Nishimura declared after Baki finished saying his piece. "But I guess sealing away his ability to use ninjutsu, and ruining the use of his hands as a result, is the next best thing."
"Yeah, but he's still out there," Lord Kikuchi snidely reminded them, not looking the least apologetic as all eyes - some of them already annoyed - fell on him. "And with his mental acuity, it won't take long before he finds some loophole that'll work in his favor."
"I wouldn't be so certain about that Lord Kikuchi," Baki countered. "The Reaper Death Seal is an ancient Uzumaki fuinjutsu, one that's been kept so secretive that only those of Uzumaki blood and outsiders closely connected to them are allowed to know about it and its many intricacies. . ."
"Fuinjutsu has always been a deadly, yet intricate art, and the Uzumakis are practically savants in the subject, even the children," Chiyo mused. "It's why you're better off having those redheads as a valuable ally than an enemy. . . Orochimaru is confident and capable in many things, but breaking an intricate, yet highly secretive seal of the Uzumakis' making . . . Well, that has to be seen to be believed."
"But is it impossible?" Lord Kikuchi countered, looking squarely at the elder.
"One does not mess with the shinigami so easily," Chiyo said in return, her face hard. "If the Uzumakis were willing to utilize such a powerful entity within one of their own seals - an entity that takes its role very seriously - then that means they wanted the seal to be unbreakable. It's undoubtedly a powerful one, and if the creator of the seal did manage to create a way to reverse it, that secret likely died with him or her already."
"Still, we can't discount the fact that Orochimaru will try to reverse his predicament," Lord Kikuchi grumbled. ". . . All the more reason to increase his bounty in the Bingo Book I guess."
"I'm sure King Minato has already ordered a sizable increase to the bounty at this point," Lady Nishimura mumbled. ". . . However, Orochimaru has always been a powerful shinobi in his own right, so it'll be interesting to see if anyone does try to cash in on that one."
"It would be highly difficult to do so, now that we know that he is allied with the Sound," Chiyo muttered.
"Hmm, Orochimaru's attack did just give both our kingdom and Fire all the reason to invade the Sound now, don't you think?" Lord Kikuchi asked, letting out a sharp chuckle. "We shouldn't let King Rasa's death go unanswered, and I highly doubt that King Minato would forgive the invasion of his capital city so easily."
"Queen Temari," Lady Nishimura asked, pointedly ignoring the stare that Lord Kikuchi sent her way. "I'm sure you've had your fair share of meetings with the Fire King these past few days. Has he given you any indication of the actions he plans to pursue in regards to the Sound Kingdom?"
"Oh, King Minato is certainly not a monarch who will send his entire military after a single target, that's for sure," Temari answered, shaking her head. "Though the Sound Kingdom is guilty of allying with Orochimaru, we don't know much about its military power compared to the rest of the kingdoms."
"Fair point," Chiyo admitted. "Ever since the Sound Kingdom made itself known to the international community, not much is known about what they are capable of militarily, let alone, what its entire political hierarchy is like. We know there is a king, but after that, nothing. . ."
"And that's why King Minato doesn't want to rush into things. . . Oh, he plans to retaliate, don't get me wrong on that, but he wants to make sure that Konoha is back to full strength and his intelligence division has gathered enough intel first."
"Best to take a more measured approach when you still don't know much about your enemy," Chiyo declared, agreeing with the idea. ". . . Would the king be willing to hear us out on ideas for possible retaliation efforts."
"Since our kingdoms are allies, we've already started discussing our options," Temari admitted. "I have one more meeting with him before we head back to Suna. It's tomorrow afternoon, and if you want to voice your ideas there, you're more than welcome to come along."
"Who else has been with you in these meetings with the Fire King?" Lord Kikuchi asked, looking suspicious.
"She usually has either Baki or one of us with her during her prior meetings with King Minato," Kankuro spoke up as he gestured between himself and Gaara, who was trying hard to not look as sleepy as he actually felt. "As for the Fire King, it's his wife the queen, Chief Advisor Shikaku Nara, and his cousin Princess Tsunade."
"Princess Tsunade?!" Lady Nishimura almost squeaked out, having always seen the older woman as a personal hero of hers. Her reaction was the opposite of Lady Chiyo, who only looked irritated at the mention of her longtime rival's name. "She tends to spend her time traveling though."
"Well, nothing brings a person back to their homeland like a large-scale attack," Kankuro mused as Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sure Princess Tsunade will be happy to see you before we leave Lady Chiyo."
"And I'm sure she'll be happy to see me in return," The elder griped as she looked over at Gaara. "And if I must be frank: what is the matter with you Prince Gaara? You haven't seemed like your usual self since you stepped in here."
"And what exactly makes you say that?" Gaara asked in return, trying hard to not let the yawn he's been holding back escape past his lips.
"Well, you seem . . . more tired than usual, my prince," Lady Nishimura cut in, having also noticed the difference in his demeanor, ". . . Sleepier even, if I must be specific."
"Tired?" Lord Kikuchi mumbled as he glanced at the redhead. "That's a word that should never be heard in conjunction with our youngest prince."
"And yet we are saying it, here and now," Elder Chiyo countered, looking directly at the man before turning her attention back on the siblings., pointing directly at the redhead. "He's tired. . . Care to tell us why?"
"Cut our brother some slack. He just woke up from a long overdue nap," Kankuro came to his brother's defense, more than willing to let the cat out of the bag just for the sake of seeing their reactions.
He was not disappointed. Though Camel and Armadillo faces remained hidden thanks to the masks they wore, the rest of the envoy more than made up for their lack of facial expression.
The guards looked absolutely floored.
Lady Nishimura's eyebrows went up to her hairline.
Lord Kikuchi's face was a mixture of disbelief and thinly disguised contempt.
Even Elder Chiyo's eyes widened, having remained like that since she heard the word 'nap'.
"Um, was it something I said?" Kankuro then asked, completely enjoying the chaos he just created.
"Well, way to let the cat out of the bag Kankuro," Temari mumbled as she looked around at each and every face. "I think you may have broken a few of them."
"All I said was that Gaara had just woken up from a nap before we came here," The puppeteer said in return, playing innocent. "Was that so bad to say?"
"When the person you're talking about is me, yes, it's a bad thing to say," Gaara grumbled. "There is a very good reason as to why I've never slept in my life till less than an hour ago, remember?"
"Alright, alright! No need for the sarcasm, little brother," Kankuro admonished him as he noticed Lord Kikuchi's mouth opening and shutting repeatedly, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't. "Is there something you want to say, Lord Kikuchi?"
"So, what you are saying is true then?" Lord Kikuchi asked as he finally schooled his face into something much more composed. "Prince Gaara actually slept earlier?"
"Indeed he did," Temari admitted, trying hard not to sound pleased at the sight of their reactions. "And as you may have noticed, nothing happened. Shukaku is still sealed inside Gaara, having shown no signs of escaping."
"But how is that possible?" Lady Nishimura asked, now looking more interested than perturbed. "It's always been warned that Shukaku's jinchuuriki may never sleep or risk the tailed beast breaking out. . . It happened with the first one after all."
"That's because his seal was weak, likely due to the seal maker not being too proficient on the subject," Temari countered, shaking her head. "After all, Wind has never been known for being truly proficient in the sealing arts. . . Thankfully, during our stay here, we managed to get a second opinion."
"A second opinion?!" Kikuchi exclaimed, looking scandalized. "There's a reason that the tailed beasts are such a closely guarded asset, Your Grace. Having outsiders know about the identity of our kingdom's jinchuriki, let alone see what the seal looks like, is asking for trouble!"
"Okay, for starters, it's basically an open secret that a kingdom's tailed beast is always sealed into the members of the royal family. As long as you know about the beasts' usual traits, it's not hard to figure out which prince or princess is the one that gets tasked with such a role," Temari corrected him, her cold tone blunt and vicious as she stared down the man that dared to admonished her, much to Nishimura's, and to a lesser extent Chiyo's, approval. "And two, I saw no harm in having Queen Kushina look at the seal. As a seal master herself, I felt it was prudent to get a second opinion on the matter."
"You discussed the seal with the Fire Queen?" Chiyo asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Not just discussed it. She even fixed it," Gaara bluntly spoke up, and when Chiyo turned to him, his eyes met her challenge in turn. ". . . She corrected the mistakes you made, Elder Chiyo."
"You owe us answers." Temari declared. "This is your chance to clear the air. . . I suggest you take it."
"Temari. . ." Baki quietly hissed, but his words went ignored by the girl.
"Is that a threat?" The older woman asked, the tension in the air ratcheting up slightly as the two women continued their stare off.
"You are saying that, not I," Temari bluntly declared. "I have simply given you the chance to clear the air. You have a choice. . . I hope you choose wisely."
Everyone waited with bated breath for Elder Chiyo's response, Temari's words hanging in the air as the old woman looked at the three siblings and their mentor with an impassive gaze. Lady Nishimura and Lord Kikuchi both looked especially interested to hear what the elder had to say, since it wasn't common to see her being stood up to like this.
About a full five minutes passed before Elder Chiyo finally showed signs of a response, but instead of the angry retort or the dismissive snap back they all expected, she chuckled.
It wasn't a full on belly laugh, but it was a chuckle.
"You are bold. I'll give you that, but yes . . . There are certain things that you should be more aware of," The old woman finally admitted as she leaned back in her seat. ". . . Maybe it is time to clear the air a little."
A/N: Please review!