Chapter 21 - Mobilize: Sound Prepares to Attack!

“Gaara! Get down here NOW! Dinner’s ready!”

The young Kazekage sighed. “Once again, the sister beckons,” he muttered.

Taking the steps two at a time, he walked briskly into the kitchen.

“What would you like, she who gives migraines?”

Temari frowned. “Dinner’s ready. Sit your bony @$$ down.”

Gaara sighed, and Akara plunked down a bowl of miso soup. Kankuro was in silent hysterics. The four ate, occasionally asking for food items to be passed their way. Finally, Akara broke the silence.

“So why is everyone so testy?”

Temari looked at her brother. “Gaara, did you not tell her?”

“I saw no reason to. She isn’t a diplomat, nor is she my sibling.”

“Gaara!”

Gaara knew better than to argue now. Temari had been pushed, and she was officially angry.

“Alright, I’ll tell her. Don’t freak out like last time,” he said nonchalantly.

“Akara-san, Sound is mobilizing. You know precisely what that implies, do you not?”

Akara nodded. “It means that the shinobi of Konoha are a few steps closer to the recovery of Sasuke-san.”

“Not only that, but there was word from a source placed in Sound that Orochimaru is plotting the kidnapping of a certain shinobi,” said Temari gravely, “a very special Suna kunoichi.”

Akara went wide eyed. “Do you mean…?”

Gaara nodded. “He wants to kidnap you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The two allied Hidden Villages began to mobilize. Konoha had no idea which village would be attacked first, which left Gaara and the rest of Suna completely in the dark.

“Gaara-sama,” said Akara one day, “What are we going to do? Will I be able to fight?”

“No. It’s too risky. You might get hurt.”

“But I want to fight!”

“No,” Gaara repeated, gritting his teeth, “we can’t risk it.”

She slammed her fist into the desk, sending a pencil and a few scrolls bouncing to the floor. “Damn it, Gaara-sama, I want to fight!”

He smacked down the pencil, and glared at her. “Akara, you aren’t going to fight! We have no way of knowing if they’ll attack here or in Konoha! Now sit down and shut up!”

Akara was flabbergasted. As her eyes widened, Gaara sat back down at his desk, and went back to his paperwork.

A sniffle broke the silence.

His head shot up, and he twitched in surprise. Akara was looking down at her feet, biting her lip and sniffing audibly.

“Wha…? What are you doing?”

She looked up at him, fat tears rolling down her cheeks and her big green eyes shining with unshed tears.

He panicked.

“You…you aren’t gonna cry, are you?!”

She turned away, sobbing lightly. He sat up out of his chair, and ran around his desk to stand in front of her.

“Don’t cry!”

Akara couldn’t help it: she burst into tears.

“I-I j-just w-want to h-help…” she stammered out, wiping the tears from her eyes. Gaara was frantic.

“Fine! You can fight! Just stop crying!”

She sniffed. “Really?”

Gaara slumped into his chair. “Yes…just don’t get yourself kidnapped. That’s the last thing we all need to worry about.”
~~~~~~~~~~

A lone figure hid along the tree line that was the border of Wind and Fire Country. His red eyes flashed in the darkness.

“She’s here. I can feel it.”

“Calm down,” said his companion, hazel eyes staring ahead through thick wire-rimmed glasses, “We want her alive, or Orochimaru-sama will be displeased.”

The youth with the red eyes smirked, and motioned for several shinobi to advance. “Well, let’s not keep Suna and its Kazekage waiting.”

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