Ikkatsu
All together
I woke up to the sun, shining bright in my face. I sat up, stretched, and looked around for Gaara. He wasn’t lying next to me, but I heard him in the kitchen with Suki. “Daddy, when’s Momma gonna get up? I’m hungry!” she asked. “She’ll be up soon, Tenshi-chan, don’t worry,” he sighed. I smiled as I slipped into my jonin outfit. “Good morning!” I called as I walked down the hallway. “Mama!” Suki said, delighted. “Did you sleep well, Mama? ‘Cuz you sure slept long!” She ran to me and hugged my knees. I leaned over and kissed the top of Suki’s head. “Good morning, Tenshi-chan. And I slept very well, thank you!” She grabbed my hand and led me to the table. I looked at Gaara with a questioning look. “Are you staying here today? Or are you going in late? It’s almost ten o’ clock, you know.” I grabbed a pan and cracked a few eggs as Gaara rushed to gather his belongings. I finished two tamagoyaki just as Gaara was headed out the door. “Here!” I said as I wrapped them in a cloth and handed the parcel to him. I kissed him on the cheek, and he walked out the door. “Bye, Daddy!” Suki called after him. I went back to cooking breakfast for Suki, when Temari and the girls walked through the door.
“Good morning!” Temari called in a singsong voice. I heard a thunk as someone tripped over something, presumably the desk in the front room. “Ha, ha, look out, Kito-chan! There’s something there!” Mizuhana laughed. “You’re in high spirits today,” I told her as they all walked into the kitchen. She blushed slightly. “Um, I went to take a breather. I should be fine,” she giggled. There’s something she’s not telling me, I thought to myself, but at least she’s not hitting anyone. I’ll let it slide. I groaned suddenly as a thought crossed my mind. “What?” Ame asked me. “I’m going to have to cook for all of you, won’t I?” “Yo! You up?” Kankuro asked as he let himself and Sasuke in. “Doesn’t anyone knock anymore?” I called to no one in particular. Kankuro laughed as he and Sasuke walked through the kitchen. “So, you gonna cook?” Kankuro asked me as he sat down next to Suki. “I was just debating on whether or not I should,” I grumbled. “Hey, why don’t we go somewhere to get breakfast?” Temari offered. “That sounds great!” I told her with a sigh of relief. So we all went out, searching for a good breakfast place. “What sounds good?” I asked. “I want dango!” Mizuhana laughed. “That’s not breakfast, that’s sweets,” I chided her. “Taiyaki sounds good,” Ame offered. “Um, but what do you want, Sasuke-kun?” she asked. He shrugged. “I don’t know . . . Takoyaki, maybe,” he muttered. “Oki, so that’s fish pancakes with azuki bean filling for Ame-chan, balls of fried octopus for Sasuke-bozu-” “Kizu-chan!” Ame growled, "-what does everyone else want?” I asked, ignoring Ame and Sasuke’s glare.
Temari snickered. “Ooh, harsh, Kizu-chan! Use the honorific for ‘kid’! And, hmm, kashiwa mochi, maybe?” “Oki, and Temari-chan wants azuki filled mochi balls. Any other suggestions?” “I want sakayaki!” called Suki. “And Suki-chan wants grilled fish,” I finished. “I’m fine with whatever,” Kitoku mumbled. “Yeah, me too, as long as I get something to eat!” Kankuro added. I shrugged. “I’ll go for anything, so you peoples decide amongst yourselves.” In the end, there was a tie between kashiwa mochi and taiyaki.
“Hey, there’s an azuki shop down in the food district! Maybe we should go there?” Kankuro stated. “Um, I want to eat outside!” called Mizuhana. She was smiling, like she was up to something. I couldn’t figure out what it was, and it was eating at me! But I let it slip to the back of my mind again once my stomach growled. “All right peoples, lets move out; I’m starving over here!” I called as I waved the others forward. Ame and Kankuro giggled a little as we walked to the azuki shop.
“Oh yeah. Hey, Kizu-chan, you never told me the story of your little one here. I knew you’d gotten together with Gaara-sama, but I never knew you’d had a child!” Mizuhana asked. I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, but you told me not to put anything too important as evidence in our letters, remember? But there’s really no story. I had a kid with him after you left.” I shrugged as we walked down the street. The food district was huge, and I couldn’t remember where this azuki shop was! “Oh, so the moment I left, you guys got busy, eh?” Mizuhana snickered. It took me a few moments to hear what she said. I whipped around to face her. “What kind of question is that, perve!” I snarled, blushing furiously. The others laughed at my reaction . . .well, all except Sasuke, because he’s “too cool” to even blink. I grumbled as we neared the azuki shop. “Pay for your own!” I called. No way was I paying for everyone’s meal! Kankuro eats too much as it is, I mentally groaned. So we all bought breakfast, but by that time, it was brunch. Just Mizuhana’s luck, there happened to be a table outside to eat at.
She sat down and giggled. I finally gave up as my curiosity got the better of me. “What the heck are you so happy about, woman?” I exploded. She jumped when I yelled, and then forced herself to stifle a giggle. “S-sorry, Kizu-chan. I was just supposed to meet someone today, that’s all,” she smiled. I grumbled. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” I picked up a bean-filled fishie pancake and nibbled on its tail as I watched Suki devour hers. “Mama, this is really good!” She smiled at me, and a little bit of azuki-bean paste squeezed though her teeth. I smiled back at her, and munched on the rest of my pancake.
“Well, I have to get to work soon,” grumbled Kankuro. “The Puppet Master Corps is working on a new project. Top secret, though. Only Lord Gaara-sama knows about it, besides the members.” He stood up and started to walk away, when I called after him, “So, watcha workin’ on, Kankuro-san?” I mentally smiled. “Nothing much, just a Reanimation Technique,” he said over his shoulder. Kankuro stopped once he’d accidentally told me, bit his lip and glared at me. “Dirty, rotten trickster!” he growled at me. The rest of us laughed as he stalked away to the Kazekage’s residence. “I never thought Kankuro-chan would be so dense!” Kitoku laughed. “And yes, I know, I’m so one to talk,” she finished when some of our group smirked at her. Turning her attention to Mizuhana, Kitoku asked, “So, who’s this person you’re supposed to meet?” She blushed and ducked her head between her shoulders. “Well, um, he’s my boyfriend. . .” “Since when have you had a boyfriend?!” I gasped, flabbergasted. Temari rolled her eyes. “It’s not impossible, you know,” she scoffed. Ame smiled mischievously. “So is this Nakago person your boyfriend?” Kitoku snorted. “He’s dead, remember? Mizu-chan said so herself!” Mizuhana shifted in her seat. “Well, he’s not actually dead. . .”
The girls leaned forward and Sasuke stood up and walked a few steps away, as to not interfere with our conversation. “So, what is his name?” I pried. This has to be a good story! I exclaimed mentally. “Well, um, Ame-chan is right . . . It is Nakago-san! But how did you know, Ame-chan?” Mizuhana answered. “I noticed you blushing when you said his name. So, what does he look like, Mizu-chan? Come on, we all want to know this one!” Ame replied with a grin. Mizuhana straightened up as she crossed her legs under the table. “Um, well, he’s tall; he has shortish light brown hair with bangs, and green eyes. Oh, and he’s 19. What else do you want to know?” I placed a finger on my chin as I leaned back. “What’s his full name?” I questioned. “Even though he was part of the Nairu clan, his true last name is Kuro. So his name is Kuro, Nakago,” she concluded while playing with a strand of hair. That caught my attention. Wait, isn’t her hair usually a misty-blue color? I wondered. “Mizu-chan, what happened to your hair? And why is it dyed green? I thought you hated green as a hair color,” I asked. She groaned and slumped on the table. “Oh, it’s terrible, isn’t it? Ugh, I can’t wait for it to fade!” We all gazed confusedly at her hair. She sighed. “I suppose you’d like me to explain?” -We all nodded- “Well, Daichi-sama and the other survivors basically tortured me after the, um, massacre. They tried to drive me into insanity and kill myself, I think.”
Suki shuddered a little at the word “massacre,” but Mizuhana continued her story. “They dyed my hair green, and then they fed me all this really gross stuff for about two weeks. It didn’t work, really. I just got annoyed because they wouldn’t stop blaming me for killing the other members of my clan. See, I tried to stay with them for as long as I could because I knew Saka-kun would die soon. Only after I left with Nakago-kun did I realize staying there for so long only hurt the others.” Temari gave a little huff, as to agree with what Mizuhana was talking about. She’d seen it all too often with Gaara as a child, and then meeting me a while later after running away from Konohagakure. “Why did Nakago run away with you?” Suki asked. I was slightly surprised she was interested in this story. Mizuhana smiled at her.
“Well, one night he’d offered to guard me, as my clan took turns doing so. He sat beside me on the ground and we watched the moon. After a little while, I got fed up with his presence and I basically insulted him. ‘Why are you here? It honors me that you’d offer to stand guard to the one who supposedly killed off half your family.’ He just sat there and shook his head. ‘No,’ he told me, ‘Though I know you sometimes have bloodlust, I don’t believe a girl like you would kill off her family.’ I didn’t know what to say after that. He is the only member of my clan that doesn’t accuse me of something that happened four years ago! About a week passed until I was guarded by Nakago-kun again. He surprised me by telling me he loved me. But, I have a feeling that another member of my clan had heard us talking that night.” I nodded. It must have been Kyoko. “So Nakago-kun offered to take me to safety if I let him travel with me in return. During our journeys, we have protected each other countless times. We’ve managed to get through many different villages disguised as fellow travelers. Now that the Nairu clan is after me again, I don’t know how long we’ll be able to pull it off,” she concluded. “Whoa, you’re just full of good stories, aren’t you?” Kitoku giggled. Mizuhana smiled and shrugged. “Well, I guess, if you call that interesting.”
I gasped suddenly. “Um, Mizu-chan?” I asked worriedly. Mizuhana frowned. “What is it, Kizu-chan?” I leaned back and placed a hand over my eyes. “What is it, Kizu-chan?” Mizuhana repeated. I peeked at her between my fingers. “Where’d you say you were going to meet him?” I asked feebly. “Why, here in Sunagakure, of course! Is something wrong with that?” she answered. I covered my eyes again. Oh, no, I hope Gaara-sama doesn’t do anything rash, I mentally groaned.
¤ ¤ ¤
“We have to do something about this! Too many people are wandering freely in and out of our village!” I stood up and leaned over the table. “But Gaara-sama, we can’t do anything about it if they say they’re travelers. Disguised they may be, it’s impossible to tell if they’re speaking the truth!” A young man also stood up and leaned in my direction. There was silence for a few seconds. “Sit down, Kokuochi-san,” an elderly voice said. I turned to face the owner of the voice. “What our Kazekage-sama says is true. Sit down, Kokuochi-san.” Kokuochi unwillingly slumped back in his seat. “Ebizo-san,” I greeted him. “Though,” he continued, “Aren’t you housing some of those who come through?” he accused. “Those just happened to be friends of my spouse. But the others! What do we do if someone dangerous comes through, disguised as a traveler?” My stomach then growled quite loudly, and there was an awkward pause. Ebizo smiled. “We’ll continue this debate tomorrow,” he answered. Just like that, the council was dismissed. I sighed as I gathered my paperwork. Jeez, and I was doing great, when my stomach interrupted! I mentally groaned. Ebizo stepped behind me and patted my back. “Well done, Lord Gaara-sama,” he wheezed, “My sister, Chiyo, would’ve been proud of you.”
“Yes, but I haven’t won the argument yet. We’ve just pulled back on the amount of shinobi encircling the village. Plus, we’ve already sent out over 40 jonin to neighboring lands to help them. I doubt all but few of the higher-ranking shinobi would agree to strengthen our borders again. Even if I am the Kazekage, it will still put many on edge if they have to find people to help train the younger genin and chunin,” I sighed. Ebizo nodded. “I remember Yura-san, our past senior official. He should be here right now, when we need him most. He would have been perfect at analyzing the good and the bad at our topic of debate right now. If only he hadn’t mingled with the Akatsuki and gotten himself killed about decade ago.” I frowned as we walked out of the council room. “I never really trusted him. He was good at analyzing, I’ll admit that. But I knew he’d been involved with something in his spare time. He always seemed to be covering something up.” I was in the large, open hallway outside the council room when my stomach rumbled loudly again. Ebizo gave a laugh that sounded almost like a cough. “Go find yourself something to eat, Lord Gaara-sama. What would Lady Kizuki-sama say if she heard that rumbling in your gut?”
“Which reminds me. I’d better go see what she’s up to, if I can find her. That woman is everywhere all at once!” I exclaimed. Ebizo laughed again as we parted. He strode off to his living quarters, and I headed out the main hallway. “Hmm, some sukiyaki sounds good right now,” I said aloud to no one in particular. I exited through the thick stone doors at the front entrance, and was met by two guards. “Good afternoon, Lord Gaara-sama,” they said in unison. I nodded a hello, and continued down the steps to the street. To others, the blistering heat would seem like hell on earth, but I was used to it. The dry, parched dirt crunched under my feet every time I stepped. Lots of passers-by greeted me or waved at me. I heard someone come up behind me, but I ignored the footsteps. If it’s a fan-girl, I’ll just ignore her, I planned. “Boy, it’s hot here,” I heard the voice grumble. No, that’s a male voice. Why did they complain about the heat? I questioned. My eyes widened as I came to a conclusion: another “traveler.”
I felt him tap me on the shoulder. “Excuse me,” he asked. I turned, and was met by a young man who appeared to be in his late teens with light brown hair. “Yes?” I asked. “Um, could you direct me to the Kazekage’s residence? I see it over there -” he pointed to the looming shape of my home “- but I can’t figure out how to get there. There are too many streets!” He smiled sheepishly. Who is this kid? I groaned. Wait. Maybe I can . . . “Sure,” I answered. “Hey, what village are you from?” I asked him. “Oh, I’m from the Mist. I came here because I was looking for someone.” I frowned slightly. “You’ve come a long way,” I said with a false note of curiosity in my voice. “Yeah, I’m looking for my girlfriend,” he told me. Wow, this kid is ditsy. He reminds me of Naruto! I semi-smiled at the thought. “Has she disappeared?” I asked. Could he be looking for Mizuhana-kun?
“No,” he answered, “She just told me to wait awhile before I come to find her here. She said she had to find some ‘Kizu-chan,’” the boy shrugged. That definitely sounds like something she would say. “So, you said you’d show me how to get to the Kazekage’s residence?” I nodded. “Do you know who I am?” I asked in a gruff voice. “Um, no?” Nakago answered questioningly. “I’m the husband of your girlfriend’s ‘Kizu-chan’. I also run this country.” I grabbed his arm and started dragging him down the street. “Hey, wait, what are you doing?!” he asked worriedly. “I thought you were going to show me how to get to the Kazekage’s residence!” “I am. In fact, I’m going to escort you there myself. That’s an honor, because I’m the Kazekage.” I growled. “Am I in trouble?” he asked me weakly. “Boy, you don’t know just how much trouble you’re in.”
¤ ¤ ¤
“Are you kidding? Why didn’t you tell me! I would’ve gone and stopped him!” Mizuhana exploded. “I’m sorry! I didn’t think about it until a few seconds ago!” I apologized. She was standing over me, fuming, as I curled into a ball on the bench. “Um, Mizuhana? You can calm down now, I’m sure he’s fine. . .” Ame mumbled with a sweat drop hanging over her head. Suki halfway reached out to Mizuhana as if to stop her, but seeing as how she was almost as violent as I used to be, Suki thought against it and folded her arms in her lap. “Ha, ha! You look like Kizu-chan in her younger years!” Temari laughed. “Hey, I still am young, thank you very little! And I’m still violent,” I growled at her. Mizuhana sighed and sat back down in her seat. “Sorry, Kizu-chan. Nakago-san is a bit of an airhead sometimes. You’ll see to it that Lord Gaara-sama doesn’t hurt him, right?” she asked.
“If we can get back to the Kazekage’s residence quick enough, I think I can persuade him. Gaara-sama will probably get mad at you, but I can’t do anything about that,” I said as I unfurled myself on the bench. Mizuhana groaned. “Oh, all right. But you better treat me to candy after this is over.” I frowned as I stood up and stretched. “Why do I have to treat you? I’m the one who is gonna save your boyfriend’s butt from my guy!” Kitoku laughed at that. “She’s got a point, you know,” she giggled. Mizuhana grunted, and we all stood to travel again. As we gathered together, a young chunin made her way to us. “Lady Kizuki-sama!” she called. “Who’s that?” Ame asked me. I put my hand over my eyes to block the glare of the sun as I tried to distinguish the figure. I recognized the slim shape immediately. “Oh, that’s just Matsuri-kun,” I responded. “Who’s Matsuri?” Kitoku asked. “Matsuri-kun used to be Gaara’s apprentice,” Temari explained. “Oh-!” Ame and Kitoku said in unison.
I watched as Matsuri came running up to me, waving. “Hey! I was out shopping, when I saw you! So, what’s up?” she said cheerfully.
I shrugged. “Um, nothing much. We just went out for breakfast, that’s all,” I mumbled. Jeez, she comes out of nowhere!
“Oh, that’s cool. So where’s Lord Gaara-sensei?” she responded.
“At a meeting,” I told her simply.
“Oh, okay! Well, tell him when he gets out that I said hi, okay!” She skipped off without waiting for a response. I turned around to face the others, and was met by an awkward silence. “Wow. I don’t even know her, and I already think she’s annoying,” Sasuke grumbled. I hated agreeing with Sasuke, true as it may be. So I bit the inside of my lip, whipped around, and stalked off in the direction of the Kazekage’s residence. “Hey, wait up! Come on, Kizu-chan, wait for us! Some of us aren’t used to the blistering heat!” Mizuhana called after me. “You will soon enough,” I called back.
“Don’t worry, Nakago-san! Kizu-chan and I will help you!” Mizuhana called as we ran through the streets. Our walking pace had increased to our run steadily as Mizuhana had gotten uneasy. I shook my head in embarrassment as passers-by jumped out of the way to avoid us. “Mizu-chan, I’m sure he’s fine! Can we slow down? The heat is killing me!” Ame begged. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby stand as we raced through the village. “Here!” I called to her. Ame caught it and gulped it down as we rounded the corner. My house, otherwise known as the Kazekage’s residence, was just at the end of the street. Almost there . . . Wait, what’s that? In front of the residence, I saw what looked like Gaara dragging someone up the steps of the entrance. I watched the guards tensed up as he entered the stone doors of the front entrance. “I see them up ahead! Ooh, Gaara-sama, get your hands off him!” Mizuhana called. I can’t go any faster! Gaara-sama, please wait before you do anything!
A few seconds later, I was in range to where I could yell and he would hear me. I took a deep breath, and making my voice as loud as I could, I shouted, “Gaara-sama, stop!” He turned to face me, surprised. “Kizuki-sama?” he called back, “What are you doing here?” I raced up the steps, tore Nakago’s shirt out of Gaara’s grasp, and pressed myself up against him. “Please let him go,” I breathed. He was quiet for a second, and then looked away, blushing slightly. “Okay,” he mumbled. Man, that works way too easy! I freaked. Mizuhana and the others followed behind me. Mizuhana rushed to Nakago’s side and hugged him. “Are you okay, Nakago-san?” she asked worriedly. “I’m sorry, Mizu-chan,” he sniffled, “I got in trouble with the Kazekage!”
“Oh, it’s all right, Naka-chan! Kizu-chan will make sure the Kazekage leaves you alone for now!” Growling at me, she added in a demented voice, “Isn’t that right, Kizu-chan?” I nodded with a small sweat drop hanging over my head. “Um, what just happened?” one of the guards asked. “Oh, don’t worry about it,” Temari told them.
As Mizuhana was helping Nakago to his feet, she asked, “Hey, Gaara-sama? Why’d you harass him like that if you knew he was my friend?” Gaara frowned. “I’m holding a council meeting about the amount of people passing through this village,” he responded while gazing around at my friends from different villages. “Look, Ame-kun, Kitoku-kun. Your. . .group isn’t really welcome here. I’m almost positive they aren’t aloud in any village, in fact.” He was gazing at their outfits, which had the Akatsuki print on it. Ame pulled her black and red cloak tighter around her, hoping to cover it before the guards saw, but Kitoku did nothing.
“Um, why don’t we go inside? It’s kind of hot out here,” Kitoku asked. I looked at her and gave a little gasp. She was drenched in sweat, and so were the others. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to this weather!” I unwrapped my arms from around Gaara’s neck and rushed my friends inside (Sasuke‘s not my friend, but I made him go inside too). “So, um, Nakago-san,” Kitoku asked, “Are you male or female?” An awkward silence followed her question. “Oh, snap,” Mizuhana groaned. In a time lapse of three seconds, Nakago went from calm and confused to raging mad. “Look you, just because I have my hair in a ponytail does NOT mean I’m female! I HAVE NO CHEST FOR A REASON!!!” he shouted. “Oops, sorry. I forgot to warn you about that,” Mizuhana mumbled with a sweat drop looming over her head. “Wow,” was all I could say. Mizuhana sighed as she pulled her giant scythe off of her back. Pointing it at Nakago, she growled, “Calm down, Naka-chan. Don’t force me to use this against you!”
He stopped, and the fire suddenly left his eyes. “Ulp! S-sorry, Mizuhana-san.” Pointing over his shoulder at Kitoku, he grumbled, “Just make sure she doesn’t confuse my gender again, or I won’t let you stop me!” She nodded as she slipped her scythe back over her shoulder. “Yeah, uh, huh. Sure, Nakago-chan,” she grumbled disbelievingly. Mizuhana turned to look at the rest of us behind her. “What?” she asked when we all gave her blank stares. Temari snickered. “Lover’s quarrel!” she said mischievously. “Oh, shut up!” she growled as she punched Temari’s shoulder lightly. Turning her attention to me, Mizuhana asked, “So where’s my candy? You promised, remember?” I scoffed. “Like crap I owe you candy! I promised you nothing, remember?” She gave me one of her best death glares, and I huffed. “Oh, fine. But I swear I didn’t promise you anything.”
“Hey, I’m going to the party room where we were last night!” Ame called as she walked down the hall. “Hey, that sounds good,” Temari exclaimed as she followed Ame. “Hey, wait for me! I’m coming too!” Kitoku called as she chased after them. “You’d better go with them,” I told Mizuhana and Nakago. “Okay!” Nakago said cheerfully, like he hadn’t just gone full-out raging just a few minutes earlier. “What about my candy?” Mizuhana frowned. I sighed. “Oh, chill. I’ll get it in a second,” I grumbled. “Okay!” she exclaimed just as cheerfully as Nakago had. She took his hand and skipped down to where everyone else had gathered. “Am I going to have to put up with this again?” Gaara groaned. I sighed sheepishly. “Eh, heh. I’m sorry, Gaara-sama, but yes. I’ll try and see if I can’t get them to go home tonight,” I told him. “Oh, okay. Hey, I have to get up early tomorrow morning. I’m going to finish my argument about the ‘travelers,’” he responded.
“All right, Gaara-sama,” I sighed. “Oh! Hold on, I have to get Mizu-chan her candy. I’ll be right back!” I rushed off to our living quarters and raced to my bookshelf, where I keep all my goodies. I quickly shoved a few books out of the way and grabbed an old, wooden clock. I removed the dust-covered top and reached inside. “Hey, Kizu-chan, where are you?” I heard Ame call. “I’m in here!” I called back. The door opened, and I listened as she shuffled inside, closing the door softly behind her. I scrounged around until I’d gathered a handful of candy for Mizuhana, when I heard Ame start to cry. I whipped around to see tears staining my younger sister’s face. “What’s wrong, Ame-chan?” I asked, alarmed.
She wiped away the tears slowly. “I’m sorry,” she apologized with a watery smile. She sat down on the edge of my bed, where Shi was sleeping. She stroked his back, and he awoke with a start. He meowed at her, and it translated as, “Why are you crying, sister of Kizuki-san?” Ame smiled at Shi, for she knew cat-speak. “I’m crying because I am sad, dear friend of Kizu-chan,” she responded. “But what are you sad about, sister?” I asked sorrowfully. I sat down opposite her and took her hand in mine. She gazed our entwined hands and sighed. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just been under a lot of stress since I joined the Akatsuki, that’s all,” she answered. I frowned slightly. “What kind of stress? If you don’t like it there, you should come live with Gaara-sama and me! Stress is not good for a kunoichi, we all know that. It gives you a bad complexion!”
“Since when have you been a cosmetologist?” she smirked.
“Not sure, but that’s off topic! Seriously, Ame-chan. Tell me what’s up.”
She sighed again. “I’m sorry, Kizu-chan. As much as I would love to tell you, I can’t. I swore to the Akatsuki leader that I wouldn’t tell. Please understand.”
I nodded slowly. In a small voice, I asked, “It’s about my jinchuriki, isn’t it? Ame-chan, you’re my sister. . .and you have all my sisterly love, but. . . How could you try and take my two-tailed cat demon? I hate that I have it, but I’ll die if I don’t. You know that,” I told her.
Her eyes swelled with tears again, and she lowered her head. “I’m so sorry, Kizu-chan!” she sobbed. “I told them that I couldn’t hurt you! But I had to join, because I wanted to make sure that Sasuke-kun didn’t get hurt!” Great, she brought that pretty-boy Sasuke into the conversation, I growled mentally. “B-but, you’d do anything for Gaara-sama, wouldn’t you?” she continued. “You’d follow him wherever he goes, right? Well, that’s how it is for me. . . You know, I realized something: we’re almost exactly the same, aren’t we?” I smiled and hugged her. “That’s why we’re sisters, isn’t it?” She gave me another watery smile. “I suppose so,” she responded.
“Kizu-chan! Where’s my candy?” Mizuhana yelled.
“Ha! What a way to ruin a moment, eh, Ame-chan?” I stated. She nodded. “It’s all Mizu-chan’s fault!” she laughed. We stood up together, and I picked back up my handful of candy to give to Mizuhana. We walked out of my living quarters hand-in-hand, with Shi following behind us. “Ah! There you are, Kizu-chan! Where’s my candy?” Mizuhana asked when we walked through the door. “Here,” I sighed as I shoved the candy into her open hands. “Yay, candy!” I gave a sideways glance at Ame, who was wiping away her tears. That won’t work, I thought, Someone else will also notice your tearstained face, no matter how well you wipe them away. She caught me glancing sympathetically at her, and shoved her hand inside her cloak. “Oh, be quiet!” she sniffed. “You know he’ll notice,” I said grudgingly. Ugh, I hate talking about him!
“So what happened before I interrupted your little heart-to-heart conversation?” Mizuhana asked while shifting through her candy. “Nothing much, just saying how stress is bad for you,” I commented. We walked to the open room where I’d held a party the night before. As soon as he saw us, Sasuke made a beeline straight for us. “Oh, great,” I groaned. I tried unlocked our fingers and walk as far away as I possibly could before he could approach us. That didn’t work out so well, because Ame’s hand held fast against mine. Oh, c’mon, let me go! I begged silently. She ignored my struggling and stared straight at Sasuke. She unlocked our fingers right as he stepped in front of her so she could hug him. I managed to slip away quickly, but I heard one little sentence that made my heart lurch. “You were crying again, Ame-san,” Sasuke noted.
I know he loves her, but I can’t stand him! Why did you do that to me, Ame-chan? I sighed aloud, walked over to the couch, and flopped down. “What happened to your sister?” Temari asked me as she sat down beside me. “Ah. Just a little sisterly bonding time. She has a bit of a problem with being in the Akatsuki, that’s all,” I responded. Temari nodded and asked no more, noticing that this was a sensitive topic. We watched in silence as everyone moved about us. Temari does well to let something be. She’s a great listener, I noted to myself. Suki was bouncing in Gaara’s lap as he was playing a game with her. Ame and Sasuke were on the balcony, looking at the stars. Mizuhana was with Nakago on the other side of the large room, with Kitoku torturing them. I gave a heavy sigh and curled into a ball on the couch.
What’s wrong with me? I asked myself, I don’t feel well, and it seems like something’s ripping me apart from the inside! I laid my head between my knees. Shi jumped up next to me and rested his head against my leg. “Is something wrong, Kizuki-san? Do we need to take a walk?” his empathetic mew translated. I glanced at him sideways and nodded. Temari’s worried gaze was boring into my shoulder, but I ignored it. “Yes, let’s,” I told him. I stood and walked slowly to the door, when Suki noticed me leaving. “Mama, where are you going?” The room seemed to go quiet when she asked her question. “I. . . I need to take a walk, Tenshi-chan. I’ll be back soon though, don’t worry,” I said quietly. My voice seemed to echo in the large room. “Mama, I want to come, too!” she exclaimed while climbing out of Gaara’s lap.
Gaara grabbed her arm and drug her back into his lap. “No, Tenshi-chan. She needs some alone time. Besides,” he added, “You don’t spend near enough time with me. I get lonely when I go to work!” I mouthed the words “thank you” to him, and he nodded. I exited out the doors with Shi on my shoulder. I went the quickest route to outside, not going through the main doors. I was met by the guards positioned at my shorter route, and they greeted me in unison. “Yes, good evening,” I replied solemnly. I quickly passed them and made my way into the night. “Is something wrong with Lady Kizuki-sama?” one guard asked the other. “You’re right. She really doesn’t seem herself,” commented the other.
Shi looked at me. “You see? People are worried about you. Do you feel unloved? Because they worry, just like the others,” he meowed with an edge in his voice. I shook my head, and my hair tickled his nose making him sneeze. “No, Shi. That’s not it at all. I’m not worried about being loved. But something doesn’t feel right. Almost like the night before I ran away,” I told him. I took a deep breath of the cool night air. It filled my lungs with satisfaction. Stretching my arms above me, I let out a deep sigh. I began to sing randomly, and I found it turned into a lullaby I remembered singing to myself when I was younger:
Oh, starry night, you shine upon me;
I see you sparkle as I cry.
You watch over me, seeing my actions,
And I know I’m not alone because of you.
Oh, starry night, please take me with you.
I want to fly above clouds,
Fly, and then disappear into the sun.
But you say I must stay here,
Stay here.
I see you sparkle as I cry.
You watch over me, seeing my actions,
And I know I’m not alone because of you.
Oh, starry night, please take me with you.
I want to fly above clouds,
Fly, and then disappear into the sun.
But you say I must stay here,
Stay here.
“That’s beautiful, Lady Kizuki-sama,” a male voice said calmly. I jumped, startled. Turning, I saw the speaker of the voice. “What? Oh, Kankuro-san. It’s just you. Don’t startle me like that!” I exclaimed. His eyes lit up. “Awesome, I scared you!” he pronounced with excitement in his voice. “Oh, shut up,” I grumbled. He sped up slightly until we were walking the same pace. “So why is no one with you?” he asked. “I needed some quiet time. It feels like something’s not right,” I responded. He nodded. “So I’m not the only one who’s noticed it,” he muttered. “What do you mean?” I said questioningly. He shook his head. “Oh, nothing. I’m just talking to myself.” He dismissed the topic, and it was silent for a few minutes.
To break the silence, I asked him, “So, do you want to race?” He gazed at me confusedly. “Excuse me?” “Do you want to race?” I repeated. “I haven’t run in a while, and I’m sure it’ll get my mind off of things,” I explained. He scratched the back of his head and a small sweat drop formed on his forehead. “Well, I’m not really one for running, so. . .” he said sheepishly. “No excuses!” I argued while pulling on his arm, dragging him forward a little ways. “Whoa! Ha, ha! You remind me of a little kid!” I glared at him. “Oh, all right,” he gave in, sighing.
“Go!” I shouted, and I sped off back towards the Kazekage’s residence. I stretched my arms and legs out wide as I ran, feeling the wind rush between my fingers and blast me in the face. Shi kept pace beside me, his muscles rippling under his shiny coat. Kankuro was behind me a little ways, scowling at me. “Not fair! You didn’t tell me we were starting!” he called to me. I turned my head sideways to look at him. “I said ‘go,’ didn’t I?” I laughed. I sped up and left him behind me. The night air felt great to run in, and stretching my legs out here was a brilliant idea. I raced up the steps and ran into the stone doors of the front entrance. I was going so fast that it felt like I kind of squished against it! Kankuro had staggered up the steps and leaned against the door. Our combined weight made the door open up, and we fell face-first on the ground inside.
The two guards outside looked at us with surprise, and of course, giant sweat drops. I couldn’t stop laughing as I pulled myself off the ground. Shi was purring and rubbing his face against my leg as I helped Kankuro to his feet. “Are you two all right?” the guards asked us. “We’re fine. We just had a race,” Kankuro informed them with a smile. He was breathing hard, but I could tell that he enjoyed our nightly run together. “That was fun! I feel much better now, thanks!” I said. “You’re welcome,” he replied. We walked through the winding hallways back to the party room. Before we entered, I witnessed something I never expected to see: Sasuke wanted Mizuhana’s candy. That could be disastrous! I thought quickly. I watched as he reached over her shoulder to steal a piece, and she wouldn’t let him. Ame was protesting against Sasuke getting Mizuhana’s candy, but he wasn’t listening. So, I watched the angered Mizuhana take her scythe from off of her back and smack him over the head with it. “Get your own candy, pretty boy!” she screeched.
There was a metallic clank as the flat side of the blade was forced onto the top of Sasuke’s head, and a dull thud as he hit the floor. It was deathly quiet as we all waited for him to get up, but he never did. I smirked. Did she kill him? “Um, Sasuke-kun?” Ame asked worriedly as she crouched over his body. She rolled him over, and he groaned. Other than that, there was no response. “Mizu-chan!” she shrieked, “What’d you do to him?!” Mizuhana shrugged. “I didn’t hit him hard enough to kill him. I probably just knocked him out, that’s all!” She was trying to be serious, but was failing miserably at it. I came up behind her, patted her shoulder, and then we both burst out laughing.
“A, ha, ha! Nice, Mizu-chan!” I giggled. We stopped, noticing Ame glaring at us, but a few seconds later, we couldn’t stop laughing again. “Well, that’s what he gets for trying to steal my candy!” Mizuhana chuckled. Kitoku and Temari joined in our laughter after a little while, seeing as he didn’t respond. Kankuro still stood in the doorway, his breathing returning to normal. “I miss so much when I’m gone, don’t I?” he asked Gaara. Gaara nodded to him, but said nothing. “Oh, just leave him there, Ame-chan! He’ll come around soon enough,” Kitoku giggled. “I can’t believe you people are laughing! This isn’t in the slightest bit funny!” she growled. “I’m staying right here until he wakes up,” she finished, crossing her arms.
I noticed Kankuro staring at Mizuhana, or rather, at her back. “Yo, Mizu-kun. Can I see your blade?” he asked her from across the room. “What, this?” She pointed to her gigantic scythe. He nodded, and she pulled the scythe from her back again. “It’s sharp,” she warned as she tossed it to him. I watched as he caught it in midair, but suddenly dropped it with a shout. “Youch! That’s hot!” he exclaimed while blowing on his fingers. Mizuhana doubled over with laughter. “Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention something: it burns!” Suki frowned. “Mizuhana-san, you’re not very nice! You’re so violent! I don’t like you!” She sat, pouting, on the floor next to Shi. Mizuhana scoffed. “If you think I’m violent, you should’ve seen your mother before she gave birth to you! She was ten times worse than I could ever be!”
We’d all had our backs to Sasuke and Ame, when I’d heard Sasuke start to shuffle around. Great, he’s awake again, I groaned mentally. I didn’t make any suggestion to note that I’d heard him, because I knew he’d have a bone to pick with Mizuhana. I heard him step lightly behind me, too light for anyone else’s ears to detect, and then move to behind Mizuhana. I watched as he brought his hand up to her head, and smacked it with all his might. “You little she-devil!” he snarled at her. “Uh-oh, I smell a fight!” Temari exclaimed. “What the-? Oh, so you’re awake again, pretty boy?” Mizuhana giggled. Sasuke glared at her. “Shut up. And stop calling me that!”
“What, pretty boy?” She smirked.
“Yes, that. Shut up, moron!” Sasuke growled, pulling his sword away from his back, pointing it at her.
“Did you just call me a moron? How dare you!” Mizuhana summoned her weapon from at Kankuro’s feet into her hands. She poised in a battle stance.
Gaara stood up and stepped between the two. “Alright, you two. Calm down. I will not have this unnecessary violence tonight! If you insist on dueling it out, then go outside the village’s borders! They both grumbled as they put away their weapons. I sighed. “Oki, everyone. It’s time for you to go home. We can’t house you all for very much longer, especially with the argument Gaara-sama is trying to win,” I said to everyone. There were mumbles of protest as my voice echoed around the room. “Yeah, well, you’re not getting rid of me that easily!” Mizuhana called. I grunted. “But really, people. You need to go home! If not tonight, then tomorrow morning! Please?” I asked them all. Ame and Kitoku were whispering very seriously together in the corner of my eye. Ame turned and nodded to Sasuke as she took his hand. “Kizu-chan?” she said. “We are going to go know. We’ve used up our break time, and there’s something we need to take care of.”
I turned to face them and nodded once. “Oki then,” I answered. I hugged Ame and Kitoku goodbye. “You will have a safe passage out of this village,” Gaara assured them. He shook hands with all of them, and they disappeared into the night over the balcony. “Déjà vu, huh?” Kankuro stated. Mizuhana nodded slowly. “Do we really have to go? I mean, I just got here today,” Nakago asked. “Well . . . I suppose you could stay a little while longer. But only until tomorrow night, oki?” I responded while gazing at Gaara-sama. He shrugged. “Do what you what, I don’t care. They’re your friends.” I sighed heavily. “Oki. One more night, and then you two have to head somewhere else,” I concluded. “Alright, we need sleep. Mizuhana-chan, you’re coming with me; Nakago-kun, go with Kankuro,” Temari announced as she waved an arm in the air. They followed either Temari or Kankuro to their dorms after saying goodnight.
I stood, facing the door where they all left, when Gaara let out a small sigh-slash-laugh of a noise. Tapping on my shoulder, he pointed to our daughter’s sleeping figure on the couch. She was curled up, very cat-like, next to Shi. He was purring very loudly next to her head, and the vibrations were probably what put her to sleep. “My poor girl,” I whispered, smiling slightly, “With all the action, she’s been so worn out.” I picked her up gently and carried Suki to her room. I kicked open her door with my foot silently and laid her down in her bed. “Mama?” she asked me, still half-asleep. I shushed her as I pulled the sheets up around her. I looked around her room before I left, noticing toys scattered all about the floor. Picking up a few, I began to sing my lullaby softly. I placed one of the stuffed animals I held next to her head, and set the others in a large bin opposite her bed. I kissed the top of her head lightly, and closed the door softly behind me when I left.
“Well, it was another long day,” Gaara sighed as I walked down the hall. I jumped. “Don’t do that!” I hissed. Give me a heart attack, why don’t you! He put his arm around my waist. “Sorry, Kizi-chan. I didn’t mean to startle you.” I blushed slightly. “Um, it’s oki, Gaara-sama,” I stuttered. We shuffled to our bedroom, and I yawned. “Ugh, so tired. Are you?” I asked. Gaara shook his head. “Not really, because I thought I’d surprise you with a little something.” He picked me up off my feet and held me close to his chest. I gave a startled mew as he dropped me onto the bed. Don’t you dare tell me he bought saké! He’s going to get me drunk, that little––! Right on cue, he brought me a bottle of Sunagakure’s finest saké, warmed to perfection. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I groaned, as he opened the bottle. He poured it into a cup and offered it to me. “No way. Uh-uh. I refuse! I will not let you get me drunk for your pleasure again,” I told him, crossing my arms. “What do you mean ‘again’?” he asked innocently. “You gave me full permission last time.”
“I know, but that was before Suki could walk. Now it’s unacceptable!” I exclaimed. My heart started beating furiously.
“Yes, but it’s no fun anymore if I can’t watch you get drunk just because we’ve had a child. Can’t we have just one more night of fun with this great saké?” He smiled with the thought as he took a swig of the saké. He set the cup down once he drained it and crawled onto the bed. “Be glad there’s no cookies involved in this,” he smiled.
Oh, no, he’s serious about trying to get me drunk! I screamed mentally. “Um, um, um,” I repeated, breathing heavily. Gaara smiled devilishly at me, and offered me the glass again. I already couldn’t see clearly as the fumes wafted about my nose. My breathing was the only thing I heard besides his small laughter and my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Aw, what the heck, why not? Inner Kizuki said as she reached out for the glass. No! I shouted, That’s a very bad idea! If I get drunk, the side effects will leave me scarred for life! We both now how alcohol affects us! Even one sip will drive us over the edge! I frantically reminded my Inner self, but I had no control now. I was on the verge of fainting already, and I started to sway as I took a sip of the great saké when I heard Kankuro open the door and loud laughing. “Whoa, how much has my brother forced you to drink?!” Kankuro asked, trying hard not to burst out laughing again. Gaara jumped off of the bed, apparently ticked off. “What’s the meaning of this?” he bellowed, grabbing Kankuro’s neck with sand. “I didn’t know you were trying to get her drunk! Put up a sign, or something!” Kankuro laughed.
“It’s called knocking!”
I barely heard all the commotion, for I was still a little woozy. I tried to stand up, but my legs gave out underneath me. I laid my head on the side of the bed and began to laugh. At first, it was a small giggle, but it rose to a maniacal screech. I felt the hair raise on the back of my neck with the awful sound. “Kankuro-baka,” I said, still laughing, “Go. We’ll deal with this in the morning, oki?” I didn’t wait for him to answer as I pulled myself up from the floor. Gaara sighed as the sand uncurled from Kankuro’s neck. “Wow, Kizu-chan. You look really tipsy, but not even a fourth of the bottle is gone!” he smirked while glancing at the open saké bottle. “Go!” I sighed, exasperated. He shrugged, still smirking and walked out of our bedroom. Gaara slammed the door behind him with a giant anger mark floating over his head.
He muttered darkly about the many different ways he would’ve liked to kill Kankuro right then and there as he sat down on the bed again. “That was interesting,” I commented, for lack of better words. “If, he says anything, anything, about this tomorrow morning, he’s dead!” Gaara growled. I laid my head on his shoulder. “Yes, well, I’m going to sleep off this strange encounter, so, good night.” Gaara grunted as he put away the saké bottle. “Yeah, okay.”
As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was dead asleep. Courtesy of the one ounce of saké I drank. Yes, I did say one ounce. I get drunk easily, oki?!
~End of Chapter Two~ ninja
