Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Loveless Suna ❯ Chapter 38

This was a hard chapter to write, since it required a lot of thinking, but I like the final result. Finally the plot is moving.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Little reminder: Washi: Gaara's assistant

I threw the door open and rushed after Gaara, but he was nowhere to be seen. `Probably teleported.' I thought bitter. I hoped he was at his office since that was the way I was going. Spurting along I noticed white flashes pass by the windows. `ANBUs?' I questioned myself and got a bad feeling. `If ANBUs are rushing to the Kazekage than something bad has happened.' I bit my lip seeing the crowed forming in front of me.

“Shizuka! Great you're here!”

“What's going on?!” I asked squeezing my way to Kankuro.

“A riot!” My eyes widened shocked.

“A riot, by who?” He opened his mouth to answer, but the Kazekage came in view pulling everyone's attention.

“I want troops all over the village to avoid more trouble.” Gaara ordered before starting to split up teams. “…Kankuro, you're team takes the north, T-…” He turned to me almost revealing my so-called identity. He looked calculating at me and came to a resolution when his eyes met my stomach. “Shizuka, you stay in my office.”

“But…” He shut me up with one hand movement and concentrated on getting everybody where he wanted them.

“Leave!” He dismissed everyone and entered his office again.

“Gaara!” I followed him noticing the room was occupied by even more people. From the clothes I presumed most of them were counsel members, then there was Baki in a corner and a couple of ANBUs guarded the windows. “Who started the riot?” I asked when everyone stopped talking and aimed their attention to their leader. Nobody said anything while Washi came in with a pair of files. Without a word he gave them to Gaara, who flipped through them. The frown he had been carrying deepened and he gave the file he had been looking in, open to Baki.

“It seems Eho is behind this.” The redhead finally answered my question, although I had no idea who Eho was, but the name did sound familiar.

“I knew it was a bad idea to let her enter the counsel.” An old man stated firmly.

`That's right she's the youngest female counsel member.' I remembered Temari telling me once.

“She's too young, only thinking about herself.” Another older man added.

“But that's something you could also say from the Kazekage, that he's too young.” A middle-aged man noted. “No offence.”

“None taken.” Gaara leaned backwards in his chair.

“What are her reasons?” I asked wanting to know more. For the first time since we had entered the room, the redhead looked at me.

“First of all the love-prohibiting law,” Baki read from the file he was holding, “and second…” He hesitated.

“My sleeping around.” Gaara ended his sentence, keeping his eyes trained on me. I felt a pang of hurt inside, but choose to ignore it.

`He hasn't slept with any of them!' I remember myself. “W-what does that have to do with your job?” I asked forcing myself not to stutter.

“She says it's hindering his work. He would be busier with those women than with his work as Kazekage… and that while he has a concubine.” A woman's voice came from my left.

“Does she have facts that aid her statement?” It seemed my question brought up a wave of rumor, but Gaara only had to raise his hand to get everyone to quiet down.

“She doesn't.” Confused I looked in his sea-green eyes.

“That would mean she's risking her place on the counsel for something she doesn't even have proof for?”

“She must have something up her sleeve.” I knew that voice! Turning my head I saw Daisetsu looking through the file Baki had handed him. I had to admit that I was glad to see him on our side, which I doubted his wife was.

“We have to find out what her cards are.” Baki decided on his own and the redhead nodded. Suddenly an ANBU landed on the window frame and got through the security after a small word exchange.

“Eho-sama has started to address the people on the marketplace.” The nin said and unconsciously I noticed the ANBU was a woman. With the loud scrapping sound of his chair Gaara got up and the look in his eyes told me he was ready for the fight. He nodded to Baki before teleporting himself away. The counsel members started to push themselves outside, leaving me to stare at them oddly. They looked like hysterical people caught in a fire. I turned to Baki and the ANBUs who were leaving through the window.

`Better follow them.' I mustered and walked over to them. The nins let me cut in line and a little hesitating at first I jumped down on a nearby roof. `Thank God, I've perfected my chakra control.' I sighed relieved before running further to the marketplace.

-

From far I could see Gaara's red hair in contrast with the brown of the sand buildings around him. Second a woman with dark blue hair wrapped in a bun and glassed to make her seem older. There had already gathered a large crowed in front of them and the woman seemed to be yelling things to them and Gaara. We landed behind the redhead and to my surprise I noticed the counsel members had already arrived, actually more were present. `Probably the one against Gaara are here too.' I mustered.

“…and he says that he's doing everything for the best of our village. Does screwing every young girl that crosses your path count?” Eho turned from her audience to the Kazekage, but the redhead didn't seem faced at all.

“I didn't screw you.” He said uncaring and the woman seemed to boil in anger. I could so picture steam coming out of her ears.

“I would never let you. I wouldn't get it over my heart to hurt that young woman you took as your concubine.”

`She's pulling the concubine card.' I eyed her warily. She glanced at me before turning to the people, who seemed to be cheering for her. I had to admit I was kind of happy to see that the crowed thought Gaara was treating me wrongly, but I couldn't let them choose that woman's side.

“Thank you for your concern, but that isn't necessary.” I stopped her from continuing. Confusing was spread over her face for a moment.

“Isn't he hurting you?” I hesitated before answering truthfully.

“Yes,” I saw Gaara stiffen, “but that isn't the point.”

“It isn't? We all thought that when he took you as his concubine, he liked you and would calm down…”

“Then maybe it's my fault for losing his interest or maybe he wasn't interested in me from the start.” I could see Eho getting mad. I was probably destroying her whole point. “You all know about the challenge we made, don't you?” I asked turning to the people, who nodded firmly. “He could have fooled us all in making us believe he liked me… to win the challenge and he's the kind of man that'll give his all when he has set his eyes on something. And he knew that I would never continue to find the right woman for him if I thought it was me. Actually that's a pretty good strategy.” The people seemed to agree with me. I had put them back on Gaara's side.

“But then again that challenge would have never been made if he hadn't made the love-prohibiting and threaten you to dead.” Eho shot back. Our public seemed to be jumping from one side to the other.

`One down, next the law.' I congratulated myself. “But then again, if you had treated him like a human being when he was younger he would have understood love and would have known such a law is just plain stupid.” I felt like I was on the top of the world and Gaara had trouble hiding his surprised face. I glanced at our public and most seemed to feel guilty, but I wasn't done yet. “And to think he still accepted the job as Kazekage to protect you all after what you did to him!” I ended my statement. Eho was again fuming and my challenging look didn't help. `Now comes the thing, we really have to worry about.' I mustered feeling really to take on the world and looked how my debated enemy suddenly pointed accusing at me.

“If he's such a great Kazekage than why does he let someone suspicious be by his side?” My eyes widened shocked. This I hadn't seen coming. “I've did a background check on you and guess what? Nothing was found! I don't know who you are but you're definitely not Shizuka, since Shizuka doesn't exist!” She looked from me, to Gaara before turning to our audience, who were suddenly buzzing a lot. I didn't know what to say, what could I say? She got me.

“Why do you think nobody knows anything about her?” Gaara spook up and I turned surprised at him. I hadn't even noticed that he was standing next to me. The people stopped their gossips and turned all of their attention back to their leader. “Because you're sources didn't find anything?” I could actually see his invisible eyebrow rise questioning and Eho balled her hands to fists. “Then I must say we did a great job erasing her past.” He smirked and I had to admit I almost believed him if it weren't for the little fact that he actually didn't know squat.

“When you erase a past, don't you normally make one too?” The woman asked, full disbelieve and again I felt like we were stuck.

“Normally yes, but as you probably already have noticed this isn't a normal case. You must understand that for the safety of Shizuka,” he turned to me giving me a small smile, “and our village,” he turned to the people, who were waiting impatiently for an answer, “that I can't deepen this subject any further.” Now it was Eho, who was stuck and I just had to add something.

“But if you all are too concerned about this… I…” I faked thinking a little, “can tell you that I'm from a village which has good ties with Suna or else the Kazekage would never go through with it.” The last part I said like it was the most logic thing ever and it seemed the public was on our side again.

-

Eho was red from anger and I couldn't suppress my relieved feeling. But of course I would be stupid to think it ended here. From above us a loud laughter was heard. Surprised I looked up and widened my eyes recognizing the guy with white dreadlocks that had attacked Kaeda, Aya and me. Like expected the big guy stood next to him and twirling around I saw the two other guys of their team on other buildings.

“Don't even think about it!” The dreadlock guy said seeing Gaara call on his sand. “The entire plaza has been decorated with little explosive papers.” He smirked and made a hand sign that unclothed the paper bombs. The redhead balled his hand and took in the situation. I followed his example and decided this was hopeless. In fear all the villagers had gathered together in the middle of the marketplace where most of the papers were present.

“Let's see just how good of a Kazekage you are!” Eho hissed to our surprise. Only Gaara and I had heard her since she had almost whispered it. The redhead took a step in front of me as protection.

“You!” The white dreadlock guy spook again. Looking up we noticed he was pointing at Eho. “Bring the Kazekage's concubine to me!” He ordered and the blue haired woman had trouble not to smirk. She walked closer and finally did smirk when she was standing only half a meter before the redhead.

“The girl, please!” She said and Gaara pushed me more behind him glaring her to dead. “Don't tell me you're going to sacrifice all of your precious villagers for her?” She mocked, but the Kazekage refused to move.

`We have to listen!' I bit my lip grabbing the redhead's sleeve. “We have to listen!” I said walking from behind him. Once in reach Eho pulled me to her. Gaara visually had to keep himself from attacking and watched with hate how I was brought to the dreadlock guy.

“Nice to see you again.” He smiled, plastering me against him and groping me a little to get a reaction out of the Kazekage. Feeling disgusted I spit in his face and I got threw back into Eho's arms. Without a word the counsel member pulled me away from the marketplace to a lower building. She stamped on a roof window that got opened from the inside.

“Inside now!” She ordered and I crawled through the opening. It was dark inside with only a small opening to the right. While my eyes were getting use to the darkness I heard someone running to me and pulling me in her arms. I could feel breasts so it was a she.

“Shizuka, they didn't hurt you, did they?” To my shock I recognized Keiko's voice.

“Keiko!” As on cue Eho lighted an oil lamp and the face before me came in view.

“What's going on?!” I asked confused seeing the woman in front of me.

Stephke23: That debate really took a lot of thinking, but I like the outcome. Now I'm wondering myself what's Keiko's role in the attack. Review!