Konoha's Chef (Gaara Love Story)

14: Tricked?

Author's POV

"Did you get it?" Akimi asked, once they were away from the Rain Genin team. Sora grinned and held up their stolen earth scroll.

"I sure did."

"Our help has a price, after all," Shigekazu said slyly.

"Sacrificing all that time and supplies was worth it!" Akimi exclaimed. "Did you plant the fake earth scroll?"

"Yes. By the fifth day, it will revert to an empty scroll," Sora explained.

"Good. We are probably a day away from the tower," Shigekazu spoke up. "Also, it's rather dark. We should rest."

"Yeah, I'll go get some firewood," Akimi suggested. "I'll be back in thirty minutes."

"If you don't return, we will go look for you," Sora said. "Don't wander too far."

"Hai!"

Akimi left the boys who set to work reorganizing their belongings. During their scene with the Rain Genin team, Sora had stolen some of their weapons to replace the ones they had lost. Water had to be boiled and stored, the food stock replenished, and poisons checked carefully. The boys destroyed some of the food that had spoiled and packed their bags the necessities they needed.

Meanwhile, Akimi was wandering around, looking for the dry sticks. She normally liked using a two feet long logs as a campfire instead of multiple branches. This way, she could prop her pot on the log evenly and let the fire from the center heat up the pot. A tent-style campfire required too much trouble in order to cook. However, in the Forest of Death, the ground was wet and mossy and drying out a two feet long log would take too long.

At the same time, she gathered some kindle. Dried grass, twigs, or flowers would work well. Again, everything was wet and hard to use as kindle, so Akimi had to choose the smallest twigs that weren't too wet.

Crack!

Akimi whirled around and came face to face with a boy with purple paint.

"Hey there, I'm just getting some wood," the boy said casually. He had a couple of sticks, but Akimi could see they were still wet.

"I see," Akimi said, nodding. "I've got some kindle if you need it. Here!" She tossed a small bag of kindle she had gathered.

"Uh, thanks? But why are you giving this to me? Doesn't your team need it too?" He asked, confused. By now, every Genin in this Chunin exam has realized how precious firewood and kindle is.

"Yeah, but I can always find more," Akimi responds cheerfully. "It's alright. Just take it. No one needs to starve."

"Right, okay. Thanks," he said, pocketing the bag. "Do you--"

"Kankuro. I told you to get firewood, not speak to anyone," a cold voice cuts in. Kankuro turns to see Gaara approaching him.

"And I did! It's pretty wet, but Temari can dry it, right?"

Gaara said nothing and turns to look at Akimi. Tender brown eyes meet icy blue-green ones, and a moment of silence washes over them. Seconds later, however, Gaara concludes she is nothing more than a weakling, just like everyone else. He turns his calm face to a glare, giving the impression that he was going to kill her right on the spot.

Akimi, however, is too captivated to care. She doesn't run nor does she speak. All she can do is stand, frozen in place without looking away. Minutes later, a yell in the distance breaks the staring contest.

"Let's go." Gaara and Kankuro leave immediately, leaving Akimi alone.

Such lonely, beautiful eyes, Akimi thinks, staring up at the night sky. Sorrow floods her, and she can do nothing to stop the tears sliding down her face.