A tryst with destiny (Tales of a Gutsy Ninja - 2)

Chapter 28: The extent of folly

Aira P.O.V

"Aira? Are you done yet?"

I turned to look towards the source of the sound. Gaara had two cups of tea balanced perfectly on top of a tray. The tray also had a box of Higashi.(A/N: Higashi is a kind of japanese confectionery often served at tea ceremonies. They come in a variety of flavours and are a type of traditional japanese candy)
 

He sat down next to me and held out one of the candies. Sugar was one thing I would be extremely glad to consume at the moment...not to mention Gaara feeding me sweets lifted my mood immensely.

Aira: Thank you Gaara...I swear, if you weren't a guy, you'd make a wonderful wife.

Ignoring the jab entirely, Gaara peered into the document that I was currently going through. 

Gaara: A letter from Godaime Mizukage? If I heard right, Terumi Mei-san took the post of Mizukage after Yagura-san right? Why would she write you a letter?

Aira: She didn't write me a letter, she replied to my letter...or perhaps request would be a closer term to it.

Gaara: A request? You made a request from the bloody mist village? Why would she listen to you?

All these years, the one place I had no contact whatsoever was Kirigakure. But considering their extremely tarnished reputation, I didn't have a choice. But if we are going to fight Madara, we couldn't ignore Kiri nin's strength.

Aira: She would. An ex-member of the seven swordsman of Kiri, Hoshigaki Kisame is a part of the Akatsuki. Utakata, the jinchuriki of Saiken(six tails) is one of Akatsuki's targets. I'd say has a lot of reasons to listen to me...especially if she intends to fight the Akatsuki and repair the village's bloody reputation.

I ate another sweet before drinking the steaming cup of green tea. Ah...that hit the spot. Considering that I had been starving since morning, the sweets and the tea were very comforting. All because Chiyo obaa-sama and Saaya decided to unearth the mystery of my 'disease'. I had to undergo the blood test on an empty stomach.

Gaara: I see...and why did you write her a letter? To meet Utakata-san?

Aira: Well that is true...but there is also the fact that I am scouting a certain someone for Kuroko. A very special person indeed...

A letter of permit from Mei was exactly what I needed. After all, this special person is related to Hozuki Suigetsu and Hoshigaki Kisame...thus a very valuable addition to my team.

Aira: We'll have to start packing. I intend to leave in two days. That way, we can reach our destination in a week. We'll have to travel through Kawa no kuni(land of rivers), Konoha and Nami no kuni(land of waves)-

Gaara: W-Wait...what do you mean by 'we'?

Aira: Exactly what it sounds like. Gaara-kun, you're coming with me. Not only you...I want Mizuriha Kana to accompany us as well.

I had a talk with Hyosuke Raijin. Who would have thought that Kana had water release and...specialized in bukijutsu(weapon)? 

Gaara: B-But aren't you the one who asks me to stay put and manage the village?

Aira: Chiyo obaa-sama will manage the village. She has Nobunaga to help her out. As much I'd wish it were otherwise...at the moment, the village will be safer without us there. We are main targets on Akatsuki's radar. Besides...you are my greatest weakness and vice versa. We'll be able to focus better if we are together.

Gaara: I-I see...

It wasn't often that I saw Gaara blush. Ah...I never really told Gaara openly that I cared a lot for him. I placed a document jampacked with information in his hands. He groaned at the sight of it. I thought about it during the 'adventures in the land of wind' but he's not very fond of studies, is he? But then, he was infinitely better at studies than Temari and Kankuro.

Aira: Aw...don't make such a face. It only information about Kirigakure's history, economy, military strength and 'the seven swordsmen of the bloody mist village'. Just make sure that you memorize the entire thing within two days.

Planting a soft kiss on Gaara's cheek, I went off to meet Chiyo obaa-sama. She wouldn't be very pleased with me taking Gaara along for a dangerous mission but this was inevitable. However, he wouldn't of much use against water style users...Kana, Saaya and Itachi are very important for the success of this mission.

Chiyo: ...I see. If the mission is inevitable, then I don't see how I can refuse to give you permission. Just make sure that you keep Gaara and Kana safe.

Aira: Okay...

Chiyo: One more thing...Aira, did you give up on meeting Kabuto?

I sighed quietly. Chiyo obaa-sama is really smart. It isn't like me to give up just because I failed once. In fact, not all missions go right on the first try. If something goes wrong, you prepare even better and challenge it again.

But the previous mission is nothing like that.

Aira: No...I haven't given up. It's just that the time isn't right...

The fight against Zetsu had been an eye opener on various levels. It was my fault for completely disregarding the possibility that another person might exist who had seen the anime like me. A person who, like me, knew what was going to happen. The precaution that Kabuto had taken up was too convenient to be true.

If Oda Nobunaga, a person from the warring states era of Japan and I, a person from the present time were here...what is to prevent another person from my world's present or future time to come to the Narutoverse?

They may know more about the Narutoverse than I do.

On the brighter side, I had changed things so much since I came here- Chiyo Obaa-sama is alive, Land of Iron and Itachi are our side, 3/4th of the world(excluding Amegakure and Kirigakure) supported me and none of the tailed beasts(except Shukaku) had been sealed. Overall, I can say with guarantee that the original timeline had been altered to a great extent. So just knowing the story won't help anymore. It is now a battle of wits.

But on the darker side, Sasuke showed no signs of joining our side(as long as Itachi is with us) and we all know how important Sasuke-Naruto duo is to defeat Madara and Kaguya. Kabuto is marching around with Orochimaru's powers, aided not only by black Zetsu but by a strategist who might be Kakeru. If Kakeru is on the other side...it means that the other side is privy to a lot of Suna's confidential info.

Gaara: Aira? Is something wrong? You have a very troubled expression on our face.

Aira: No...nothing at all. Just that we need to hurry up. The war is definitely approaching. I can only hope that we manage to stack the odds in our favor before it begins.  

Gaara: War? But if the dealings with Kirigakure succeed then won't the world would be united under your banner?

Aira: All except Otogakure(Sound village) and Amegakure(Rain village) and they are both extremely important. Even if there is no internal scuffle, as long as Madara is present, a full-blown war with Akatsuki is inevitable. The world as we know it, will change. Whether for better or worse...depends on the outcome.

Not to mention, saving Madara is key to correcting all of my past folly...