Chapter 7: Finally, we’re getting somewhere!
Shikamaru’s P.O.V
Ino is still in Gaara’s body, she must be getting some important information. I stare at the blonde girl in the tiny purple outfit lying in the grass. She’s been out for about 5 minutes, any longer and I’ll go crazy! What a drag…
“Shika,” Ino says.
“Huh? Oh your back!” I smile. “So what did you learn?”
“Sasori didn’t have to use Puppet Jutsu on the Akatsuki after all, and I saw Noketsu and Sasori said to come back in about 30 minutes if they’re not out,” she tells us.
"Thanks,” I say. I look at Temari and Baki who nod. Ino rests her chin on her crossed arms and stares down the hole. I lie next to her on my back and watch the stars. “Something wrong Ino?”
“No, just bored,” she says continuing to stare down the hole.
“Oh me too, this is such a drag,” I lay my right arm over my eye and yawn. Ino giggles.
“Tired Shika?”
“Yeah,” I laugh. I can feel Temari’s eyes on me but I ignore it. I don’t know who I have a crush on, sometimes its Ino and sometimes it Temari. Right now it’s Ino, later it will probably be Temari, like it was earlier when she came to my house. I peek out from under my arm to see Temari training with Baki.
“Ino,” I glance at her, she doesn’t answer. I stand up and walk over to Temari and Baki. “Can I join you?”
“Sure,” Temari jumps back and slings her weapon fan. A gust of wind blows Baki over.
“Please do!” Baki stumbles on his way over to me. “She may be my student but she isn’t going easy on me.”
“Go on that side of the field,” Temari points in front of her.
“Are you sure we should train in the dark?” I ask form my side of the field.
“Yep, it makes it harder,” she says. “For you at least.”
“Why?”
“No shadows,” she smirks with an evil glint in her eye.
Sasori’s P.O.V
I watch as Dei and Tobi tape Noketsu’s mouth shut.
“Cat,” I turn to the girl who finally stopped crying. “We can kill him now.”
“No Sasori, killing him is my job,” her voice is as cold and hard as ice.
“Yes ma’am, but I did not know if that is what you wanted or not,” I reply.
“Understood, please, lock him up. But keep him bound and taped. He probably knows how to get out of the cell,” she says. Dei slings him over his shoulder and Tobi follows him out of the cell. I hear a slamming cell door on the other side of the hall and 3 Akatsuki members come back. Dei, Tobi, and Hidan.
“Hello,” Hidan strolls past Gaara and to Cat. “You’re Cat right?”
“Yes,” she steps back when he steps closer. I can see the fear on her face this man creates. Hidan takes her hand and kisses it. Gaara’s face goes cold and he balls his fists at his sides.
“So Cat, when we bust out of this joint how about me and you go do something together,” he winks at her. “You’re single right?”
“Eh-”
Gaara pulls Cat against him, “She isn’t going anywhere with you.”
“So you’re taken, I can respect that,” he sits on the swing. “But not for long.”
“Go bother Konan,” I roll my eyes at him.
“That’s a good idea,” he comes to his feet and strokes Cat’s cheek as he walks by. “See you Pussy Cat.”
Gaara’s P.O.V
She shakes all over as I hold her to me.
“You okay?” I hold her tighter.
“I th-think so, I don’t l-like him very much,” she whispers. She looks up and kisses my cheek, accidently kissing the corner of my mouth. “Oops. Thanks for pulling my away from him.”
“No problem,” my lips still tingle from her kiss. If we were the only ones here I might actually kiss her, but 3 Akatsuki members are still here.
“You’ll have to get used to him, un, Hidan explains himself as ‘sexy’, un, but I explain him as ‘annoying’, un,” Dei says.
“I agree with you Dei,” she says.
“I think he’s really dumb,” Tobi says.
“Not as dumb as you trying to fly, un,” Dei laughs.
“Sori told us to distract Noketsu so I acted dumb, like how I was dumb to let you push me into the oven,” Tobi argues.
“It wasn’t acting dumb Tobi, un,” Dei says.
“I will be right back, I am going to have a talk with Hidan,” Sasori tells me and Cat.
“Yes, thank you,” Cat says. Sasori nods and walks away. Dei and Tobi stay and argue.
“Oh, and Cat,” Sasori pokes his head back into the room. “Don’t be hugging like that for long; Ino should be back in about 10 minutes.”
Temari’s P.O.V
Shika slings a kunai at me but I use my weapon fan as a shield. All he can use is kunai since there aren’t any shadows.
“I give!” he shouts.
“We’ve only been fighting for 25 minutes!” I tease.
“So?! Wait-25, I need to wake Ino up,” Shika runs to wake her up. My arms fall to my side as I watch him go. Why does everything have to do with Ino?
“Ino wake up,” Shika says, shaking her shoulder slightly. Ino looks up at Shika and holds her arms out; he picks her up and holds her like a baby. I kneel down and pretend to clean my weapon fan while I really watch them out of the corners of my eyes. She’s standing now and Shika seems to be telling her something. She nod and makes a hand sign.
“Temari, where’s Baki?” he asks me.
“I don’t know,” I look around. “Don’t worry; I’m sure he’ll be here in time to fight.”
He walks to me,” Fight? Who said anything about a fight?”
“Noketsu probably won’t go down without a fight,” I close my favorite weapon fan and strap it to my back.
Noketsu’s P.O.V
I struggle against the bounds around my feet first, kicking my sandals off and slipping my heel out of the thick rope. I glance around to make sure no one was watching me. I pull a kunai out of a secret back pocket on my Akatsuki cloak and go to work on my hand bounds. It’s slow but worth it once I’m free. I do quick work of my feet and netting, then I pull the tape off of my mouth. I look around quickly and do a hand sign. The next thing I know, I’m standing outside my house but inside the barrier. Doing another hand sign, I remove the barrier. Stupid Akatsuki…
Shikamaru’s P.O.V
“Woah! Did you see that Shika?!” Temari points to the pitch black hole.
“Yeah, a flash of light. Nokestu or someone must have taken down the barrier,” I look at her. “You go quickly, I’ll stay with Ino and wait for Baki, okay?”
“Okay,” she does a hand sign and disappears. Finally, we’re getting somewhere!
Temari’s P.O.V
Another flash.
I look at where I am: a big living room with barely any furnishings. A red headed boy in an Akatsuki cloak stood in front of a tall tan, white haired Akatsuki member.
“She is Gaara’s girl,” the boy says. “Not yours.”
“Alright, I get it Sasori,” the man runs a hand through his hair. “It just gets boring hitting on the same dang girl.”
“Uh, Sasori?” I say. The boy turns to look at me.
“Who are you and how did you get past the barrier?” Sasori asks.
“I’m Temari, Cat’s friend. Someone took down the barrier for a second and I got in,” I answer.
Sasori’s face goes pale, “Hidan go check on Noketsu!”
“Sure,” Hidan slowly walks in the direction of the door.
“Faster!” he shouts. Hidan runs out of the room. “Temari, hold onto my arm.”
I grab his arm and we transport into a small square cell with 4 people. Cat is talking to Gaara and a blonde Akatsuki member is argueing with an Akatsuki member in an orange mask.
“Ino, Cat!” I say. They turn- it’s weird calling Gaara Ino- and smile. At least Ino didn’t do that squealing thing she usually does or she might break Gaara.
“Hey Temari,” Cat hugs me. “How did you get here?”
“Someone took the barrier down…” I explain the story.
“Then how do we get out if Noketsu isn’t here to let us out?” Ino wonders.
“Ino, I think you can help us with that,” Sasori says.
Baki’s P.O.V
“Are you there Ariu?” I ask the darkness.
“Yes,” a deep voice comes from behind me. I turn around and come face-to-face with a brown haired man in an Akatsuki cloak.
“You realize if we go through with the plan of setting the house on fire you will never see your daughter again,” I say.
“That doesn’t matter to me,” he says. “But what about your Kazekage?”
“So?” I grin evilly. “I will become Kazekage.”
Cat’s P.O.V
“Is it you again Gaara?” I ask.
“Yes,” he answers. I smile.
“Hey Gaara!” Temari waves.
“Hey Temari, wait!” he does a double take at the sandy-blonde. She tells him the story without waiting for him to ask. I just stand as close to Gaara as possible without touching him.
“Gaara, will you hug her already?!” she shouts.
“What?” we both ask.
“Cat is trying her hardest to be close to you but not touch you-” she turns to me. “Don’t deny it!”
I feel my face go blood red as I avoid looking up at Gaara.
“Noketsu isn’t there!” Hidan runs in the room. He winks at me, “Hey Pussy Cat.”
Gaara pulls me against him and glares at Hidan who gets the message and leaves. Temari looks at where Hidan was and back at Gaara.
“Wow,” she says. Gaara tightens his grip on me and I lean my head on his chest and close my eyes. The steady rhythm of his heart and breathing makes me want to go to sleep.
“I’m tired,” I whisper. Gaara leads me to the corner next to the swing where he sits leaning against the cement wall. I glance over at Temari who is talking to Sasori; I look back at Gaara who is holding his arms out waiting for me. I smile at him and sit next to him with my head on his chest.
“Gaara,” I say.
“Yes?” he kisses my forehead repeatedly to make me laugh.
“Am I you- you know…?” I blush and avoid looking at him.
“It depends, do you want to be?” he pushes my chin upwards with his finger. Our faces are less than an inch apart and I just stare at him as his question sinks in.
“I-” he presses his lips into mine and my eyes flutter closed. Kissing Gaara feels better than I thought it would, I sigh and put a hand on his cheek. He very slowly pulls away and stares into my eyes.
“Finally, we’re getting somewhere!” Temari claps. I smile and peck Gaara’s lips quickly. He kisses me again but longer this time and I feel as though I’m in heaven. I kiss him back with all that I can and we have to stop so we can breathe, but we kiss each other over and over. I’m just glad that someone likes me, and I bet Gaara feels the same.
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I hope you had the butterflies that I did. <3