Hey guys! Just a reminder that if you skipped the Prologue, you should really go back and read it. It's kind of really important ^~^. Thanks for reading! xx
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The air was quiet, with nothing but the wind to keep me company as I ran through the warm sand. My feet caused dust clouds to billow behind me due to my speed, and I silently looked over my shoulder to make sure that I wasn't being followed.
I hope nothing bad has happened.
Currently, I was making my way back to the village from being deployed out on a reconnaissance mission. We were to patrol the bordering villages to ensure that no enemy ninja were hidden amongst them. It would be all too easy for a skilled assassins to take advantage of a smaller village with no shinobi protection, so we needed to start keeping a closer eye on our neighbors. Everything was going smoothly with no signs of the enemy when a messenger hawk swooped down from the sky, giving me an urgent summons to report back immediately for a new mission. With a confused expression, I bid my unit farewell. They continued on without me as I back tracked towards the village. Luckily, I wasn't too far.
Jumping over the Suna Border, I quickly made my way to the Kage Building. The cloth covering my face flapped in the wind as I squinted my eyes at the sand, landing on the roof without a sound. The Anbu on patrol nodded to me in recognition as I took a deep breath, feeling a bit apprehensive as I realized what I had to do now, or rather, who I had to see now.
Well, here goes nothing.
Without another moment to spare, I reluctantly made a hand sign and teleported into the Kazekage's office. Immediately I was greeted by three sets of eyes, causing my stomach to lurch.
God, its like a family reunion in here.
Gaara, the Kazekage, sat with his hands folded behind his desk while his two siblings, Temari and Kankuro, stood in front of him. They all turned their attention to me as I spawned behind the duo. Temari smirked at me and placed a hand on her hip as Kankuro gave me a confused expression and Gaara remained stoic.
I allowed my eyes to scan over everyone briefly, silently assessing the situation. As my gaze landed on the Kazekage, our eyes locked and suddenly I was thankful for the mask covering my face.
Gaara...
It had been so long since I'd been this close to the Kazekage. Sure, he gave me almost all of my missions, but never during a face to face encounter. Usually he sent Temari or some other Jonin in his stead, although I wasn't sure why. In fact, the last time I stood in front of Gaara was right before the trio departed for the Chunin Exams all that time ago...
I grimaced and shook my head to disperse those thoughts.
Not now.
"Why is there a member of the Stealth Anbu unit in my office?" Gaara asked after a moment, lifting his brow at his sister as he removed his gaze from the tattoo on my arm. The deepness of his voice caught me off guard and once again I was thankful for the mask that shrouded my face. He sounded so calm, so professional, much less monotone and menacing than I remembered.
"Because you need some added protection, Gaara," Temari said with a roll of her eyes. "You think you're invincible or something because of Shukaku, but trust me, an extra pair of eyes is always good."
"You summoned an Anbu member to watch over me?" He asked incredulously.
"Now, don't take it like that bro," Kankuro said defensively. "She did it because she's worried about you. You're working yourself ragged, always watching your back, never taking breaks. You need an assistant to keep the edge off."
"Not to mention, we have no idea when the Akatsuki might come after you--"
Wait, the Akatsuki? What's going on?
"--so having a sensory specialist with you can't hurt anything," Temari added. My thoughts were racing as she finished her words. Gaara nodded in his chair, not saying anything else.
"You there," Temari suddenly turned and pointed at me. My eyes widened as yet another shocked expression took over my face. "For this mission, you will not be acting as a Stealth Anbu Elite. You will be operating undercover as yourself, assisting the Kazekage and assessing any danger that may be approaching. I'll have Gaara fill you in on the details later, but for now, take off your mask."
I blanched in hesitation. While an Anbu of any division is on duty, it is against all policies to ever remove your mask for any reason. I locked eyes with Temari, silently asking her not to make me do it, but she only nodded confidently with a twinkle in her eye. I squeezed mine shut as I slowly reached behind my head to take the cloth from my face.
As it was removed, I felt an intake of breath break the silence that had stretched over the last couple minutes. I opened my eyes to see Kankuro with a shocked expression, clearly remembering our last encounter four or five years ago. His eyes shot to Gaara quickly before returning back to me.
"A-amara?" He stuttered, before shooting a knowing look at his sister. "You chose Amarante as Gaara's lookout?"
Temari nodded, "Of course. Amara is the best sensory ninja we have in the village. No matter what our history is, she is the best at what she does."
With every word that was said, my face grew more red. The heat that bloomed on my cheeks caused me to look down at my feet, not wanting the attention on me anymore.
I didn't think I was that big of a deal.
"Well, whatever," Kankuro suddenly walked over to me with a grin and outstretched his hand. "Nice to see you again, Amara."
The gesture was surprising, but I smiled back at him and shook his hand. "Likewise."
"Hm, alright Kankuro we have work to do," Temari strolled over to us and pinched his ear.
"Ow ow ow!"
"Gaara, fill Amara in on what she needs to know. We'll see you later," she called over her shoulder to her brother with a wink, pulling Kankuro by the ear along with her. She glanced at me once last time before closing the door behind her, leaving me and the Kazekage by ourselves.
I nervously chewed my bottom lip as I felt the his gaze on me again. Slowly, I turned towards him, not really sure how to proceed. Did he know who I was? Did he remember? He remained so quite while Temari and Kankuro were talking, I wasn't sure how he felt about this whole situation.
I looked up at him apprehensively. His turquoise eyes met mine, and for a moment my stomach turned to knots.
It felt like forever since I'd actually seen his face, but this time it wasn't twisted into an evil grin. This time he was staring at me blankly, as if he also did not know how to proceed. After all, how do you carry on a conversation with someone whom you almost killed? Not knowing what to do, I gave him a small, hesitant smile.
"Are you afraid of me?" He asked after a moment, keeping his eyes on mine.
I frowned momentarily. Was I afraid of Gaara? It was a valid question, and it told me that he did indeed remember our last encounter. Back then, I felt fear in every bone in my body. In that moment when the end seemed so close, I had broken down in tears. Fear made me feel weak, and weak was something I hadn't felt since then.
"No," I said shaking my head slowly. "I'm not afraid of you."
He seemed to ponder my answer for a moment, closing his eyes and resting his chin on his hands.
"Amarante," he addressed me as he opened his eyes again. The sound of his voice saying my name confused my brain. For a split second, it made me feel weightless.
"Since we're going to be working closely with one another," he started again. "I want to take the time to apologize to you."
He sighed, unclasped his hands, and stood up from his desk, coming around to the other side. He leaned against it as he continued, "I want you to know that my actions in the past do not reflect the person I am today, and any danger that might befall you during the task at hand will not be from my hand. I promise you that."
I couldn't stop my jaw from falling slightly at his words. Heat rose to my face as I quickly looked down at my feet, before returning my gaze to him. I couldn't help but study his face, looking for any sign of deception. No, I didn't truly believe that the Kazekage would harm me intentionally, or any one of the shinobi working under him for that matter. However, his words did ease my stress a little, making my heart beat a little slower.
"Thank you Lord Kazekage," I said, bowing slightly. "I appreciate your apology and will do my best to assist you and keep you safe in anyway I can."
"There is no need for such formality," he said, beckoning me to stand up straight again.
Did I just catch him roll his eyes?
"While I can understand why Temari appointed you to assist me, she might have been too hasty in this decision," his eyes met mine again but they seemed to be sending me a question, wondering something that I could not detect. "You're dismissed for the remainder of today, while I mull over my thoughts on this. Report back first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll give you more details about your assignment at that time."
I nodded, not fully understanding what was going on, but thankful for the break I was given. As I turned to the door, moving from the same spot I'd stood in for a half hour, I heard Gaara say one last thing as my hand grasped the doorknob.
"Amara, I'm glad that you overcame the past."
My breath caught in my throat as I heard those words reach my ears. I paused for a moment, wondering whether or not I should respond. I looked over my shoulder as I pulled the door open. Gaara was standing straight up now, reaching behind him for a manila folder on his desk. He noticed my hesitation and looked up at me again as I gave him a small smile.
"I'm glad you did too, Gaara."
His eyes widened slightly as I said his name. He attempted to keep his face calm, but I saw the struggle clearly behind stoic mask. His mouth fell agape slightly as I turned and walked out of his office with my head teaming with questions.