"Naruto Uzumaki, eh?" said the Kazekage. "Baki!"
"Yes, my lord," said the Sand Village jonin.
"How are the three members of your squad developing?" asked the Kazekage.
"Gaara is ready, even eager, to sate his bloodlust," said Baki. "Our mission to rescue the cat of the Feudal Lord's mistress didn't exactly meet with success."
"Sand coffin burial?" asked the Kazekage.
"Yes, that pretty much sums it up," admitted Baki. "What was left didn't resemble a cat much."
"Kankuro?" asked the Kazekage.
"Pretty much defined by terror regarding his brother," said Baki. "Apparently after Kankuro mentioned that he would have brought the cat back alive, Gaara made a Kankuro Sand Clone and began doing things with it..."
"That explains the request for medical leave," said the Kazekage. "Your thoughts?"
"Kankuro has a very bad case of nerves right now, some time away from Gaara might be advisable," said Baki.
"Temari?" asked the Kazekage.
"Saw what was going on with Kankuro and the sand clone," said Baki. "When Kankuro started screaming she tried to berate Gaara, ended up with her nerve broken and hiding in a hollow tree stump until Gaara had calmed down."
"So she could use a break too?" asked the Kazekage.
"Well, yes, that's true," admitted Baki. "I don't think either of them has slept all that well of late. Something about drifts of sand that spy on them and whisper threats in the night. I haven't seen anything to indicate Gaara is doing anything like that. He tends to be more direct. Though I'll admit using that sand clone and having it pop its own head off and start juggling first Kankuro's head and then Kankuro and Temari's heads. Showing more creativity than I'd come to expect."
"I see," said the Kazekage. "Fine, I'm going to have Gaara assist in some construction projects north of the city. Send Kankuro and Temari by later. I have a mission of great importance for them."
"Girls," said the old woman to the empty building.
The empty building remained empty as far as the eye could see.
The old woman shook her head in reproach. "Ninjas shouldn't breathe hard after such minor exertions. Also your chakra can be sensed by one who has sufficient experience. All of you - front and center or there will be extra punishment duties tomorrow."
There were three blurs, a loud thump as someone fell less gracefully, and a splash and yelp outside.
Ku Lon sighed at this current crop of kunoichi, wondering if she was paying for the sins of a previous life or something.
"Do what?!" asked Temari. "You're kidding me, right? I mean, I thought you were talking about me strategizing the situation or maybe an infiltration or something."
The Kazekage shrugged ever so slightly. "Konoha has a problem in that they have TWO kekkei genkai where the bloodline has shrunk to a single individual. Sasuke Uchiha, with the Uchiha clan Sharingan. and Naruto Uzumaki, whose kekkei genkai is apparently some wind jutsu ability."
"Hmph," said Gaara, contempt briefly shadowing his otherwise impassive expression.
"Don't we have some OTHER kunoichi capable of something like this?" asked an exasperated Temari. "I understand that Konoha is about to lose those abilities, and its a shame that no ninja village will have them once those heirs pass."
"Yes, well," said the Kazekage, deciding on another tactic. "I understand that you are extremely bad at seduction."
"That's... true," said Temari, frowning a little.
"Horribly bad at it," continued the Kazekage. "The notes on your file from the Academy..."
Kankuro abruptly made a noise that sounded like trying to snort in laughter.
Temari's frown increased a little.
"...that the only good thing about your attempts at infiltration and seduction was that it managed to amuse the rest of the class," said the Kazekage. "I understand you actually managed to get Gaara to smile... well look at that."
Temari glanced, saw that GAARA was smirking, and went straight to sulking.
"I am looking at other kunoichi who might be able to handle this task, but this would require you to go on a bit of a break," said the Kazekage. "Kankuro could be used to ferry messages with his puppets. Mind you, he'd have to come up with something small, stealthy, and inobvious."
"Oh?" asked Kankuro, getting intrigued now. A challenge to his puppet-making and manipulation skills? Acting as support to his sister? If only it was something she could actually manage.
"I had assumed that this score on your infiltration skill was a mistake," said the Kazekage. "Did you really attempt to make rice and instead made a virulent poison that inflicted the teacher with three hours of projectile vomiting?"
Kankuro again made a noise that sounded suspiciously like trying to hold back laughter.
Temari knew without looking that Gaara had that smirk again.
"RICE? How could you screw up rice that badly?" asked the Kazekage.
"Just you watch," growled Temari, having gone from sulking to embarassed to now gritting her teeth.
"Well, she's very good at her wind jutsu, and she's certainly got considerable taijutsu skills," pointed out Kankuro, now coming to his sister's defense.
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(Posted Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:36)
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