Username   Password  
Remember   Register   |   Forgot your password?

Chapter 10 - Festival of Love

This is the story of Akara, the Red Demon of Kiri, her life as a new Suna nin, and the demon she fell in love with.
ChaosShipping, IgenShipping, YakusokaShipping (MariaKabuto), HyperShipping

Chapter 10 - Festival of Love

Chapter 10 - Festival of Love
Wow, two new chappies in one night...you people are lucky to have a writer like me...*throws more confetti while watching kittens do La Cucaracha*


Gaara hated this time of year.

It wasn't because it was extremely hot this time of the year, nor was it the fact that his siblings almost never received missions around this time. No, it was because around this time, Sunagakure held its annual Summer Festival.

The Summer Festival was always a big deal in Suna. It involved live entertainment, dancing, food, rides, bonfires, and games. And every year, the ten most talented kunoichi in the village performed the traditional dance of Suna.

Temari would take part; she always did. She was, after all, one of the best, and the fact that she was his sister probably meant something, too. But Gaara nearly choked on his morning coffee when he reviewed the list of kunoichi participants. As he scanned it, he could only utter one word, a word that sent the windowpanes rattling.

"TEMARI!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"Me?"

"Yes you," said an irate Gaara. Akara blinked.

"I'm the top of the list of performers for the belly dance?"

"It's a tradition, one that is to be taken seriously, Akara-san. Don't call it a mere belly dance."

"But doesn't the person at the top of the list have to...?"

"Yes." Akara blinked.

"BULLshoot!" She slammed her fists into the table, emerald eyes flashing in malice.

"THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'M GOING TO BE DANCING IN FRONT OF YOU!"

Gaara rubbed his eyes. "Did I say that I wanted it like this? No, I didn't. I'm just as surprised and disgusted by this as you are, Akara-san."

She glared at him. He glared at her. Finally, she broke the silence.

“I hate you.”

“I hate you, too.”

It was silent once more. She turned to leave.

“Whatever, but you’re footing the bill for my kimono.”

Gaara paused. "Your kimono?"

"Yeah, my kimono! Did you expect me to go to the festival naked or something?!"

Before he could stop himself, an image of Akara (who was rather naked) popped in his head. He mentally gasped, and shook his head to clear the image from his mind.

"No, but I wasn't aware that you required new clothing."

"Who said what about new clothes," asked Temari, walking into the room.

Gaara sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Akara-san says she needs a kimono for the festival. I take it you want one too, Temari?"

"Heck yes! I can't wear the one from last year, everyone's seen it already!"

Gaara sighed again, and threw his wallet to his sister. Smirking, she caught it and dragged Akara to the market.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What we need is something you can wear all year, but can be altered with accessories to look different each time you wear it. I have a few old kimono that should fit you, but this festival is the most important festival of the year," explained Temari as they browsed the shops. Akara didn't argue, instead choosing to just smile and nod.

The area of the market that they were in was filled with teenage shinobi and civilians alike. They weaved through the crowd, sidestepping the male Chuunin, who were sure to try hitting on them. As Temari consulted a map of the area, Akara felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see a large Chuunin male with tanned skin and blonde hair. His eyes were a startling lavender-blue.

"Hey, babe," he said, acting cool, "The name's Katsu. What's yours?"

"Excuse me," asked Akara, voice low and dangerous.

"I asked what your name is, hot stuff."

Akara smirked. "Wrong answer."

~~~~~~~~~~

Temari winced when she heard a loud thud and a sickening crunch. She turned slowly to see that Akara had grabbed hold of the man's arm, and flung him into a large sandstone sculpture. Several somethings had cracked. Not the sculpture.

"I don't care if you're name means 'victory' or not, because I sure as hell am no prize for the likes of you." Akara straightened up, and walked over to Temari.

"Where to?"

"We can go to Mameha's. She has some of the finest kunoichi gear and kimono in Wind country, and with Gaara footing the bill, we can get you one to rival all of the finest ones the regular girls will be wearing."

Akara sighed. What on earth have I gotten myself into? I should've slacked off on my missions, then I wouldn't be in this mess...

"Well, who do we have here?" Akara cringed. Oh, for the love of Kami...

Temari and Akara turned to see Haruka and her little cronies, each carrying overstuffed shopping bags.

"The little freak and the fan girl? Well, queer ducks do flock together..."

Temari growled. "Care to repeat that, Haruka?"

Haruka snorted. "That's Haruka-hime to you. Soon, I'll be married to Gaara-kun, and then I'll be more powerful than either of you."

"Yeah, right...keep dreaming, Haruka. Everyone knows that Gaara would never marry a slut like you."

Haruka frowned at Temari's words. "You don't remember your place, to speak of the Kazekage so familiarly, Temari-chan."

Temari tensed. "I have every right. Or do you forget? He's my brother!"

"Keep saying that, Temari-chan..."

Akara stepped forward. "Are you accusing Temari of lying, Haruka of little sense?"

"Akara, leave the air headed bimbo to me," said Temari under her breath.

"Well, what's going on here?"

The five kunoichi turned to see Maria walk up, followed by Kaori and Kristen. Maria raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

Haruka stuck her nose in the air. "You obviously aren't from around here. Either that or you haven't much sense. I'm Haruka, President of the Kazekage Admiration Society."

Maria twitched. I'll show you who hasn't much sense...

Maria didn't have a chance to, though. Haruka was now pinned to the ground, Akara's foot against her throat and her Yashara activated.

"Don't you EVER speak to Maria-sensei like that. EVER!"

"Akara!" The girl turned to see Kaori. "That's enough! Deactivate your bloodline!"

Akara removed her foot, and let her eyes return to normal. Her claws retreated, and her fangs became canines once again. Haruka coughed a few times, and stared at the red and black haired girl.

"You are too freaky! Come on, Izanami! Usagi! We're gone."

The three left. Kaori walked over to Akara.

"Panda-chan, what the hell?! You know what the Yashara does if you activate it for too long!"

"She insulted Temari-chan and Maria-sensei, Kaori! I had no choice!"

"Pardon," said Temari, "but who are you guys?"

Kaori and Maria smiled. "I'm Kiri no Kaori. I used to be on Akara's team!" Kaori turned to Maria. "And that's Mizuri Maria. She's our former sensei."

Maria smiled good-naturedly, and waved at Temari. "How do ya do?"

Temari smiled and waved back. Kristen spoke up.

"And I'm Karasu Kristen! I like you, you look nice!"

Akara smiled. It felt good to be with her team, if only for a short while. As they walked, they chatted about techniques and other such things as teen girls talk about when they shop.

"So what are you guys shopping for," asked Kaori as they walked to Mameha's.

"We need to get kimono for the Summer Festival. This year, we'll have mine, Kankuro, and Gaara's friends from Konoha visiting!"

"Cool," said Kristen, "I can't wait! We should get a kimono, too!"

"Kristen, we don't have enough in our travel budget for kimono!"

"But Maria-chaaaaan..."

"Why don't you borrow some of mine," said Temari.

"Could we," asked Kaori, excited.

"Sure!"

They walked into Mameha's. It was a small but well-lit and clean shop. A beautiful kimono of stars, moons, and nightingales was on display in the window. Temari smiled, and called out.

"Mameha-san? Are you there?"

A sliding sound and a dull thunk was heard, and a thin woman with black hair and an oval-shaped face appeared, riding on a ladder that slid up and down the shelves upon shelves of boxed merchandise.

"Ah! Temari-hime! You are back for a new kimono for the festival, I presume?" The woman's voice was warm and motherly, each syllable clear and soft like a note from a harp.

"Of course. I also brought a friend of mine, who is staying with my brothers and myself." Akara stepped forward and bowed. "I am Akara no Yashara. I'm deeply honored to meet you, Mameha-san."

Mameha laughed, and Akara was surprised to hear that it sounded like the chiming of the temple bells. "Rise, my dear girl. My, you are quite the pretty kunoichi."

"Thank you, Mameha-san."

"I think I have just the kimono for you," said Mameha thoughtfully. She disappeared into the shelves, returning minutes later with a large ebony box in hand.

"Try this on, my dear."

Akara gasped when she opened the box. A red silk kimono with black silk trim was embroidered with bamboo branches and blackbirds. The under robe was a rich ebony with mahogany trim, and the obi was black brocade with a red crosshatching pattern.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, pulling on the under robe. They had entered a smaller room in the back of the store, and all six were sitting or looking at the kimono in awe.

"Go ahead, child; try it on."

She slipped on the red overrode, and Temari tied all the loops and complicated knots, finally tying the obi into the style known as a "hanging obi".

"Oh my Kami," said Kaori, "she looks like a princess."

"I do?"

"Yeah..."

Mameha looked at Kaori. "I think I have a little something for you too, if you would excuse me for a moment."

Mameha left the room for about thirty minutes, returning with four wooden boxes. Mameha looked at each box critically before selecting a sandalwood box.

"Try this on, love," said Mameha, gesturing to Kaori. Kaori blushed, as she usually did when confronted.

"O-oh n-no, I couldn't!"

"Go ahead," said the motherly middle-aged woman. Kaori opened the box, and nearly dropped it.

The kimono was a soft powder blue, with white chrysanthemums embroidered on it. the trim and the under robe were a rich cobalt, and the obi was navy-blue with a light daisy design in powder blue. She slipped it on, and had Temari tie the obi the same way as Akara's.

"You look like an angel, Kaori-chan," said Kristen.

"Do I really?" The blonde kunoichi lost her shyness for a few moments, gazing at herself in the mirror.

"Here, little one," said Mameha, handing a rosewood box to Kristen. Kristen put hers on quickly, barely standing still long enough for Temari to tie the obi. The kimono was a soft sea foam green, with rose-pink fans embroidered on it. The fans had little turtles on them in a faded moss green. The trim was a light blue, and the under robe was pink with green trim. Her obi was a light blue, with a green and pink squiggle pattern. Mameha laughed.

"There now, you little bird! You look like you could fly away at any moment!"

She handed a mahogany box to Maria, who opened it, and slowly slipped it on. Mameha tied her obi into the "box obi" style. Her kimono was covered with gray clouds on high mountain peaks, stark black against the steely blue background. The trim was a dark gray, the under robe the same with a steely blue trim. The obi was embroidered with tiny zigzags of black and gray. Maria looked like a gentlewoman, leading her little princesses to a dance or dinner party.

"And Temari-hime, a kimono for you." Mameha handed her a cedar box, which contained a dark-violet kimono with silver deer darting between chocolate-brown trees. The trim and under robe were silver and chocolate-brown, and her obi was silver with brown and violet crosshatching. Mameha tied the obi like all the girls had theirs, and stood back to admire the beautiful women before her.

"You all look lovely," she said, tears blurring her vision. "I remember when I was young. I was a geisha, wearing beautiful kimono just like these. After my retirement, I devoted my life to selling the creations of my father, creations that he passed the secret of to me."

"We thank you, Mameha-san. My only regret is not having enough money to pay for these," said Maria. Mameha waved it off.

"Keep them. As a gift."

"Oh, Mameha-san," said Temari, "We couldn't!"

"You can."

"At least send us a small bill. My brother wouldn't stand to hear of his older sister taking such extravagant gifts from the best kimono merchant in town!"

Mameha thought for a while, then sighed.

"Very well, then. The bill will come at the end of the week, as usual."

Mameha untied everyone, and folded the kimono away in their wooden boxes, taking care to fold dry herbs in with them to keep them from smelling musty.

"I shall see you next year, Temari-hime! Farewell!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"You bought all of them kimono?!" Gaara ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Gaara, be reasonable. They are guests of Suna, and they need to look presentable."

"And how much is this costing me?"

Temari bit her lip. "Twenty thousand ryo..."

Gaara froze for a moment, then relaxed.

"That's actually fairly cheap for five kimono...did she offer them to you as a gift again?"

Temari nodded. Gaara silently swore.

"I tell that woman every year: I'm not going to accept her not asking for payment. But does she listen? Never..."

"so, it's okay that I bought the kimono, then," asked Temari tentatively.

"Yes, it's alright."

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, the day of the festival arrived. The caravan from Konoha stared in awe at the spectacle and revelry around them. Venders sold food on the streets, children in yukata and kimono ran by, ribbons and gauze scarves floating behind them.

The day was clear, a delightful breeze whistling through the metropolis. Naruto, Lee, Kiba, and Choji all wore yukata. Neji, Shikamaru, Shino, Ino, TenTen, Sakura, and Hinata wore kimono. The two Hyuugas wore theirs differently, seeing as they were of a particular style traditional to the Hyuuga clan. They slowly meandered through the crowd, finally making it to the Kazekage tower.

~~~~~~~~~~

"GAARA!"

Gaara winced as Naruto's shout burst his eardrums.

"Hello, Naruto."

He found a hyperactive blonde bursting through his doorway, followed closely behind by the rest of the group.

"Well, glad to see you made it. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. Akara-san, Temari, and Kankuro said to say hi."

Gaara stood. "I need to prepare for the festival."

Temari and Kaori walked in, looking at Gaara curiously as he left.

"Temari!"

"Sakura! Naruto! You all made it!"

Kaori sat in the corner, shyness kicking in. Hinata noticed the quiet kunoichi, and walked over.

"H-hello..."

Kaori gulped. "Hi."

"W-what's y-your n-name?"

"I'm Kaori. I'm friends with Akara-chan."

The duo hit it off quickly. Before long, Hinata and Kaori were laughing and talking like they'd been friends forever. Neji noticed this, and inwardly smiled.

It seems my cousin has found a friend...interesting...

"KAORI-CHAN!!!"

The group turned to see Kristen run in. "Akara-chan wants to talk to you and Temari-chan! She says she needs help!"

"Alright,then. I'll go."

~~~~~~~~~~

The festival was amazing.

Circles of dancers ringed the bonfires, casting an orange glow on their faces as the intricate patterns began. Kristen, Neji, Kankuro, Ino, Kaori, and Lee weaved through the dancers, copying the movements and having a good time. Naruto and Hinata joined Sakura at the goldfish booth, where they attempted to catch fish with the tissue paper nets. Gaara wandered about, desperately trying to escape Haruka, Izanami, and Usagi as Temari and Akara prepared for their dance.

"Lee-san?"

Lee turned to see Kristen. He had broken out of the circle of dancers to catch his breath, and so was surprised to see one of the others there.

"Yes?"

"I don't think you know me, but my name is Kristen. I'm friends with Akara-san?"

"Ah yes! The youthful flower who traveled with my good friend Gaara to my lovely village...I wasn't aware that she knew anyone here in Suna. It's pleasing to meet you, for you are just as beautiful a flower as Akara-san."

Kristen blushed. Lee was so charming!

"Would you like to go get some dango with me," she asked, blushing. Lee stared.

"Of course! I would love to eat dango with the lovely Kristen-chan!"

She giggled. "Please, Lee-san...call me Ki-chan."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Excuse me."

Kaori turned to see Neji standing behind her. Her eyes went wide, and she could feel herself slipping back into her shyness.

"Y-yes?"

Neji sighed. She was stuttering almost as bad as his cousin...

"I noticed you with Temari-san earlier. You were talking with my cousin, am I right?"

Kaori gulped. "Yes, I...I was..."

"Hinata hasn't many friends. I'm glad that my otouto-chan found someone nice to befriend."

"You are too generous with your praise, Neji-san! I merely thought she was nice is all..."

He chuckled. "You are rather entertaining. Just don't lose that shyness: it's rather endearing."

He turned to leave, Kaori blushing madly as he did.

~~~~~~~~~~

The gong signaling the start of the entertainment reverberated through the streets, calling dancers from the bonfires and carnival-goers from the rides and games. Gaara was now in his chair at the edge of the arena, safely away from the raging fangirls. He stood, and the crowd instantly quieted.

"Welcome to the two hundred and seventy-fifth annual Summer Festival," he said, voice carrying all the way across the stadium and to the guest's booth, where his friends and sibling sat. He was slightly irked to see Akara's friends there, but he pressed on.

"This festival celebrates not only the beginning of summer in Sunagakure, but also the beginning of the fourth year of the peace treaty between Sunagakure and Konoha." The crowd cheered, then fell silent. "And so, may I welcome the Konoha group here with us on this joyous day and may the entertainment begin!"

Pyrotechnics went off, and ten females appeared in a poof of smoke. They all were dressed in gauzy fabric in various colors and had their faces covered, their bright and shining eyes the only feature visible. Drums played and tambourines jingled out a rhythmic beat as they began performing amazing acrobatics and death-defying stunts, back flipping and cart wheeling lithely. The audience cheered as a pair of them came forward.

The Konoha nins instantly recognized the four ponytails on the blonde and the distinctive red and black hair of the other. Temari wore purple and periwinkle, with silver coins sewn onto her costume. Akara wore red and black, golden coins sewn to hers. She and Temari held katana in hand, and they began to spar.

The entire performance was a spectacle of light, sound, and color. At the end of the performance, the kunoichi gathered into a line, and the music slowed to a lazy, sensual beat as the women began the famous Dance of the Desert Sunset.

Akara didn't lie; it was loosely based upon a belly dance, but it was so much more than that. The performers broke into a whirling circle, then lengthened into a pair of lines: one facing the Kazekage, the other facing the rest of the audience. Akara had been following the traditional pattern up to now; which is why she shocked everyone by breaking out of the group.

She trooped up to the seat of the confused and slightly surprised Kazekage. Temari's eyes then held a glimmer of understanding, and she winked at the younger girl. The younger woman caught the hint, and began to dance.

Gaara couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was moving in the steps, but she made them (dare he say) coy and flirtatious. Her eyes held a fire within them that Gaara had never seen before, like any moment she would fall forward and beg him to take her. She was fluid, fiery; she captured the spirit of wind.

All too soon, the music ceased. The kunoichi bowed, but Akara remained motionless. As the crowd held its breath, she gave a low, sweeping bow, eyes never leaving the Kazekage's. Gaara was stunned for a moment, before realizing what she wanted. She wanted him to show his approval of her performance. He silently cursed his position, but he knew he had to act. He then did what many considered impossible: He smiled, and clapped.

Akara may have won the battle, but this war wasn't over yet.

This is the song I thought of when I wrote this:


http://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/naruto-original-soundtrack-3/19-tea-country...

Done! I know, took me long enough, right? I can explain...see, I had a lot of work going on, and I was desperately trying to update the fics that I had ignored for a while on FF.net and I had to do that on top of this...so yeah, feel free to attack me at any time...

Comments

Comments (7)

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment

setokaibaslittlesis on December 17, 2007, 5:47:56 AM

setokaibaslittlesis on
setokaibaslittlesisThat was really very nice. =)

KionaKina on November 28, 2007, 10:25:34 PM

KionaKina on
KionaKinaO_O I...friggin...am...in...love...with...your....update

IT'S AWESOME! I LOVE MY KIMONO! And I got to meet Hinata-chan and Ki-Ki had the CUTEST moment with Lee and oyu put in Mamaha YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PandaChan21 on November 28, 2007, 10:45:15 PM

PandaChan21 on
PandaChan21Kay, calm down...I'm glad you like it tho...

FluffysPrincess2968 on November 28, 2007, 7:39:53 AM

FluffysPrincess2968 on
FluffysPrincess2968*throws rabid squirrels*
JK JK!! XD AWESOME chap! :D Can't wait 4 the next one! :D

PandaChan21 on November 28, 2007, 12:54:57 PM

PandaChan21 on
PandaChan21Glad u liked it!

SnowKitty on November 28, 2007, 7:31:19 AM

SnowKitty on
SnowKittySWEET! I'm first to comment! That is one awesome festival! How you had the time to think all of this through, I'll never know. I liked it a lot, though. Great job! And yay for me and Lee-kun! XD

PandaChan21 on November 28, 2007, 12:54:33 PM

PandaChan21 on
PandaChan21Thanks, Ki-chan...