𝙰𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝙻𝚘𝚞𝚍𝚎r. (𝙶𝚊𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝚡 𝚘𝚌)

Importance ( Chapter 17 )

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Moving back to her old room made Ura feel more than just uncomfortable, but frustrated, Gaara still had his own room smack-dab next to her own! She had unpacked everything, Gaara had sold everything she didn't need, in his own way of course, and Ura was sitting in a boring meeting that she had never intended on being in. Yet, Ura payed attention to what the elders were saying, sometimes glancing at Gaara to look at his reaction, but was finding tid-bits of their informatiom to try and sway them to where Gaara wanted them.

"In conclusion, Lord Kazekage, we cannot allow you to make a law that none of our own shinobis are permitted in this country with or without a pass," the leading elder explained with him shaking his wrinkley fist at Gaara.

"My reasons for not allowing that reasonable, if you just listen to one of my Jonin Kunoichi, then you may understand why," Gaara notioned their attention to Ura.

She let out a small sigh, the gave the elders a solemn look, "From the past history on your country has been very...well...not as reassuring as others are. Rouge ninja are fleeting from your country to wherever they please, though your ANBU and Tracking Ninja have caught a few, more rouge ninjas are escaping. One of Lord Kazekage's representatives had spoken with one of the elders of the countries surrounding your own, and they only speak of murder, rape, unresolved bloodshed. Our concern for the common people is very high, especially on where we live that can cause a lot of medical attention, so we cannot risk anything more that the people cannot handle."

"We understand that a lot of rouge ninjas have been escaping, but we've been tracking them down, and we did find a few. But that has nothing to do with allowing our shinobis into your lands with/without a pass, that fact is an insult to our country. Our countries have been allies for a year, and we do not want to become enemies and start meaningless wars..unless you are unwilling to see our side," the elder crossed his mummified arms defiantly.

Ura was losing her patience with the elders in front of her, they were acting like complete children, unwilling to hear her and her country out! She calmly then stated, "Anyone can dress up like a ninja, and even call themself a shinobi. If a rouge ninja dressed as one and acted as one, anyone can make that fatal mistake, which can lead our country to no longer trusting you. Now you can diminish the ties between our countries and create any war you want-"

"Ura," Gaara nudged her, signalling that she was going too far, but she continued...

"But we will not grant access to your shinobi until the we feel it is safe to trust your shinobis to come in," Ura finished as best as she could.

The elders spoke amungst themselves as Gaara was about to kill Ura for speaking to the elders in such a way. Though he did not care about them in any way, he knew if she EVER spoke to one of the leading elders of ANY country, they could get her head chopped off. Ura calmed her nerves down and smiled at Gaara that said 'I-know-what-i'm-doing-so-back-off'. Gaara looked back at the elders, but through the corners of his eyes...he watched Ura, studying the way she was making the elders think of his proposition.

"We have come to the conclusion...we will agree for a three year wait for your law, then you will consider our country?" the leader elder asked.

Ura then propped her elbows on the long, wooden table, giving Gaara a look that said 'toldya-so'. Gaara would wait until after the meeting to sneer at her, but until then he looked at the elders, "It's pleasing to hear that you have compromised. Now, if you do not mind, I have other matters that need me, if you have any requests, talk to Ms. Ura, she will answer anything you have a question to."

That was Gaara's revenge on making him look like a fool, dealing with needy and clingy elders while Gaara got to do whatever he desired. Questions from what day it was to when the heat wave over their country would end popped around Ura, but somehow, she managed to answer them sufficiently enough to get them all to go away.

Eventually, Ura wandered throughout the mansion until she found her own room, but was contemplating the fact on going in there or not. Ura stood outside her door, but then thought 'why go in a room when you'll be all alone'? She took a few steps back, then looked at Gaara's door, it was half way opened...it was still the same, clean in every corner, Gaara didn't like anything messed up... Plus, he still had that dark teddy bear from before, and when Gaara was in the hospital from being kidnapped from Orochimaru...Ura had crafted together a beautiful desert-style picture frame with Temari, Kankurou, and herself in it. But...it wasn't in his room, not next to his bed like it was supposed to be...

Ura took a few more steps back, it was going to be one of 'those' evenings again. Her eyes casted downward, what was she ever thinking in her Genin years? Well, whatever she thought was long since gone, her life was going at such a fast pace now she didn't have time to dwell on feelings that were never true to begin with. With the painful thoughts strung through her mind, Ura walked down a few halls to another room where she could be at peace with herself. As she traveled the mansion, she was trying to track where Gaara was so he wouldn't disturb her with another meeting. Knocking on the door, Ura was unsure of what she really wanted at the moment, until the door was opened.

"Hiya, what's up?"

Of all people, Ura had to be friends, and more intimate, with Kankurou...why the womanizer? Well, there was not many other people whom she trusted, Temari was on a long mission in Konoha, and Ura was still confused to why Kankurou was the main person to gain that title. She tried to look happy about something, but ended up sounding even more depressed and desperate, "It's one of those nights again...could you do me a favor and just hang out with me tonight...please?"

"Sure, your room or mine or in the sand? Either three I-"

"I mean just as friends, I don't want to hook up tonight," Ura interupted him, "If you could do that for me, then you can ask me any favor you want from me."

"Oh...ok... Well, let me get dressed in something more casual and we'll take a walk around the village," Kankurou allowed her into his room.

Ura sat on his bed as Kankurou began to undress, but though she stared at Kankurou's well muscled body...her thoughts were on his brother yet again... Kankurou pulled his pants up, his back to Ura, he tilted his head enough to see her eyes, they were more dull that evening than they were during the day. From his years with Ura, he knew that when her eyes were dull and casted, her mind was on a touchy subject she never spoke to anyone but herself.

After he pulled a normal shirt on, he took her hand softly, "Shall we, love?"

Pulling her hands away from Kankurou told him she was telling the truh about 'friends' that evening, so he better not egg her on about bedding together. He trailed behind her as they left the mansion swiftly, though both nearly getting seen by Gaara, but both managed to keep to the shadows of Gaara's mansion. Neither spoke a word, Ura only wanted Kankurou beside her so she wouldn't feel as alone as she really was. Then, Ura finally spoke, "Are you ever going to settle down with one woman?"

"Well...not for awhile, I guess," Kankurou shrugged, he looked upwards at the stars, he was a bit young for marriage...wasn't he?

Ura spun around to him with an angered glare, "So you're just going to whore around for the rest of your pitiful life!? Age comes fast, soon you'll be yesterdays trash and none of the girls will want you! Plus, the girls that do you want you now will turn to women, and they'll definently not want you because they'll have the idea of you not fully wanting them!"

This was highly unexpected for Kankurou, he was stepping on thin glass around Ura tonight, and he didn't know how to react. But, surely enough, she was pressing hard on his buttons... Kankurou then shrugged again, "When I find the right women i'll go for her, until then, i'll do what I want to do. Besides, you shouldn't talk, all you do is sulk and go on missions, a man doesn't want to marry a female-butch like what you're doing now."

With that comment from Kankurou, Ura stopped walking away from Kankurou... In one split second, Ura turned her head slightly, "I don't want you near me...go away."

"Look, Ura, i'm sorry, I didn-"

"I said go away!" Ura in a heartbeat, had an umbrella out and was spinning the umbrella, releasing the hari at Kankurou.

Kankurou quickly reacted by summon Karasu, who took the fatal hit for his puppet-master. Why was Ura acting so strongly? Though she was lonely before, Ura never attacked him or his siblings... What was going on in her head? Ura put her umbrella away, then disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Kankurou alone. How could Ura still be in pain after a year of giving up? Did she still love Gaara?

"Kankurou."

The puppet-master turned to see Gaara approaching him, his blood ran cold as he eyed his little brother... Gaara never even noticed how much Ura loved him, and yet he still didn't see how he haunted the kunoichi's mind constantly. Kankurou dropped Karasu recklessly at his feet, "Yeah?"

"I'm looking for Ura, she's not at home, and I don't want to waste time looking out here in the darker hours," Gaara crossed his arms, "And you are the only one that I know is very close to her...you should know where she is at."

Kankurou had two choices, he could tell Gaara that she left in a puff of smoke, angering his little brother to high heavens, or...he could just say she went to the Prayer Shrine, which was a lie and Gaara would find out and be even more angered. For Kankurou, it was best just to say she left in a puff of smoke to get the anger over with, "She left in a puff of smoke to somewhere I can't say I know."

Gaara didn't believe his brother in the least bit, Kankurou had always been close to Ura, so he HAD to know, "Tell me where she is...or i'll send you on a mission you will never forget."

"Look, I really don't know, she's upset about something and wants to be alone. Maybe you should consider her wishes before your own," Kankurou commented, which ended up Gaara giving him a deadly glare.

Even in the past, Gaara hated being told what to do, and he hated it now, but...maybe Kankurou was right this time. The reason Gaara needed Ura was to prepare her for her mission, like giving her good luck, and to return something to her. Gaara then looked at Kankurou, "If you see her, tell her to come to my office."

"Alright, but it will be awhile..." Kankurou scratched his head as he picked up Karasu, the expression on his face told Gaara something was wrong.

Before Gaara left, he then asked, with a hint of sacrasim, "No women for your bed tonight?"

Kankurou scoffed at Gaara's comment, "That's the routine with you every night, i'm not up for a good time tonight..."

"A women turn you down? That's a first," Gaara added, he was enjoying the fact he was teasing his brother, "A rarety I should say."

Now Kankurou was tired of holding back his rage, especially when Gaara was so blind, "It's better to be turned down openly than having women screaming to get away, like they've been doing to you the past few years. Besides, I know only one woman who would actually put up with you and your isolation, and here's the thing...you don't deserve her."

Gaara was surprised to hear that, but didn't show it, there was an actual female in this village who cared for him? This time, Kankurou was not speaking of Temari, it was easy to see that Kankurou knew this woman well enough to be angry at Gaara for it. Gaara eased up a little, he was curious to know her name, to see her... "What is her name?"

"I don't know...but she's spilled it all out to me and Temari... Believe me, Gaara, you're missing out without her, she would've done everything in her power to make things better for you. But for my opinion-"

"I don't want your opinion I want her name," Gaara interupted Kankurou, "If you don't know her name then she doesn't exist."

Kankurou glared at Gaara even more, "She does exist, and she's right under your little nose all along, and you're losing her bit-by-bit. To me..she deserves more than what you can offer her," Kankurou then disappeared.

If Kankurou had decided to stay, Gaara would have ran his wrath to Kankurou for being rude to the Kazekage, but... Gaara was very interested in finding out who this woman was... Maybe she was the one for Gaara, if he could meet her, he would see to it that he would pamper her like a princess.

But, that would have to be later matters, he had to attend more important matters...like why Ura just took off without his consent of her leaving his mansion. Gaara walked back to the mansion and went to his office, the one place no one ever disturbed him. It was a very quiet room with only two windows over looking the desert he called home, but it was filled with books and scrolls of the ancient history of the desert. There was a wood desk that also had at least twenty opened or closed scrolls on it, all from Gaara looking into the treaties that needed to be updated or having an ally nation look at the rules they agreed to. But, there was only one thing that Gaara made sure no one ever touched or was handled in the wrong way... a picture of Temari, Kankurou, and Ura with a beautiful, hand-made picture that was pieced together with dried sand. When he was hospitalized, Ura had made that for him with her own chakra, and everytime he looked at the three people that were very close to him, it made him feel less alone anymore.

As Gaara sat in his office chair, he knew there was little work that needed to be done, but that thought ran through his head: Who was the woman? Gaara never really desired a relationship from anyone, but when Kankurou had mention a woman actually admiring him, that brought up unknown feelings. The Kazekage frowned at knowing he was thinking about a woman he didn't even know, besides, she might not even exist.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Kazekage?"

Gaara looked up from the picture he was looking at to Ura, who seemed angry and tired at the same time. He then began to close the scrolls on his desk as he said, "Your mission begins tomorrow at sunrise, i'll be expecting your return in one week. Here's some extra money you'll be needing for recreational requirements that'll you need."

Ura took the money and stashed it in her hari bag, but then noticed the picture frame, "Uhm...Lord Kazekage... Who gave you that picture frame?"

"Your memory must be fading...you gave me this," Gaara turned the picture frame for her to see.

That moment, that little moment had brought Ura from her depression to happiness, knowing Gaara had savored her gift. She then smiled at Gaara, "Thank you for the money, and i'll be back in a week."

As she nearly skipped out in happiness, a drunk Kankurou stumbled at her feet, grumbling about something. Ura felt bad for what she had said, so the least she could do for him was get Kankurou to his own room before Gaara saw this pathetic sight. She dragged the drunken shinobi all the way up stairs to his room, where she got him in his bed, while avoiding any intimacy he was trying to pass on her. Then, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her on top of him, "You...owe me..."

"Yeah, I know I do," Ura tried to get off, but he held her lower back hard enough to him that she couldn't get up.

"When you come..back...you, me, and some other gal are doing it hard," Kankurou threw her off of him.

Ura got back up, "Sure, whatever..."

He wouldn't remember that anways...