Missing Kunoichi (Book 2 of MK Series)

I Hate Sand

"I hate sand," I mumbled as I entered the Kazekage mansion.

"And yet you've moved here for an entire year," Rowan spoke in a bored tone, not finding the sand anymore enjoyable than me.

"Shut it," I grumbled this time as I narrowed my eyes at him.

I knocked on the door and waited for someone to call for us to enter. I smiled lightly when I heard Kankurō say that he would answer the door. When the door opened, he had a soft smile on his face that seemed to grow even more when he saw me. His eyes lit up as he let them dance over my body but the warning growl that sounded from my wolf made Kankurō snap from his daze.

"Lady Y/n, you're ahead of schedule," he continued to smile and stepped aside to allow us entrance.

Rowan and I entered and found Gaara sitting at his desk with a stack of papers crowding him. "I hope I'm not interrupting." I smiled lightly as I looked between the brothers.

I stood before the desk and Kankuro moved to stand to my right, Rowan sitting to my left. Gaara gave a rare smile and replied, "A break would be nice."

The weight of his role sat heavily upon his shoulders and I could see he's aged a decade since the short time he's held this role. Such young lives ruined and wasted on things like politics and warring nations. Perhaps not wasted, but I feel as though the generation Naruto is in was thrust into life and death situations far too early. I saw the effects of two wars now, and I prayed the boys never saw one for themselves.

"Some tea then?" I gave a closed eye smile and heard Kankuro chuckle beside me.

"I actually just sent Temari for some," Gaara stood and moved to the table in the room and we all moved to join him.

Gaara sat on one side of the circled table and I sat almost directly across from him. Kankuro again sat to my left and Rowan found a place out of the way to lay down. Before any of us could speak, the door opened and Temari entered with a younger genin behind her, a tray in the young nin's hands. The poor girl was trembling and just as went to sit the tray down she jostled it and the cups went to fall but I reached over the table to steady the contents of the tray.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" She clasped her hands together and held them up as she bowed in apology.

"Shune," Temari caught the girl's attention, "will you get another cup?"

"Yes, ma'am!" She squeaked and ran out of the room. I watched as the girl ran down the hall to carry out her errand.

I sighed and looked at Temari, "You three are quite intimidating it seems."

Temari still looked to the hallway, "She has a crush on Kankuro."

"Ah," I looked to the puppet master, "Understandable." Under the purple face paint, I could see the tint of pink rise. "Go easy on her, she's still young."

My words made me remember Kakashi and me, but I also found the irony in my statement, Kankuro would know all too well about a crush on an older person. If the girl was a newly appointed genin, she'd be fifteen probably, Kankuro would be twenty-one now... sounds about right. No one spoke as they saw the girl turn the corner into the hallway and we waited patiently for her to return. She placed the cup on the tray and began to pick up the kettle with wobbling hands.

I couldn't help it, maybe it was the mother in me now, but I had to help the poor girl. I stood, which made her flinch and she sat the kettle down hastily. I stepped closer and put my hand on her shoulder to lean in to whisper. "Show confidence," I started, "be yourself, and nothing more, nothing less." I knew Kankuro wouldn't, and couldn't, do anything, but she needed to be herself, no matter who she was around. And Kankuro could at least offer her support and recognition, they go a long way to a teenager.

"Yes, ma'am," she answered quietly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes. She reached for the kettle again and a steady hand was shown this time. She poured and served each cup without incident, though she did blush madly when Kankuro smiled at her. "Excuse me." She gave a quick bow and exited the room, closing the doors behind her.

"I hope your journey wasn't any trouble," Kankuro was the first to speak.

I swallowed the bitter yet sweet tea and sat my cup down, "I haven't traveled like that in a long time, but it was a nice break."

"Break?" Temari seemed a little uncertain by my response.

"I know you asked Lady Tsunade for my assistance with ANBU training, and I am flattered." They all looked at me curiously, "I'm wondering though, has anyone told you about my whereabouts the last three years?" My question was directed towards Gaara. When Temari and Kankuro visited in Konoha, I gave them a brief rundown of what happened.

"You were with Obito Uchiha," Gaara said plainly.

"That would be the short version," I couldn't help but let the corner of my lips twitch upward as I saw Gaara's do the same. "The shortest version I can give you, so you understand me, and my mindset, is this: I am the daughter of Minato Namikaze and Princess Kaminari, a clan that was massacred over twenty years ago."

"You're Naruto's half-sister," Kankuro stated for confirmation.

I nodded and continued, "When I received this information, I also found out that Jirayia, Tsunade, and Kakashi all knew this, but chose to withhold it from me. I was emotional and angry, so I left the village to do work similar to Jirayia." A deep breath in and I continued, "Obito, Tobi as I knew him then, offered me shelter, but I knew I had no other options. I was pregnant, and my chakra was snuffed out due to it. I was too far from Suna at the time."

"Kakashi's son?" Temari asked for clarification.

"Yes, Raiu," I smiled, "he's a little over two now," I explained. "After Raiu was born, I did the idiotic thing and fell in love with Obito, which lead to my youngest son, Kain, being born, he's now three months. My loyalties are with the Leaf village, and its allies, so I am at your disposal." I bowed my head lightly as a sign of respect.

"Lady Tsaunde said you had baggage, and I had no idea what she had meant." Gaara seemed to understand a little better, but I'm sure the idiom was lost on him. "None of this will affect your ability to perform as a Kunoichi, so I still wish to ask for your help."

Confidence and pride swelled within me and I hoped I could live up to their expectations. We discussed the plan for how Gaara would like for me to train his ANBU, as well as in what. Come to find out, Shune had an aspiration to be in the ANBU one day, and I requested to train her personally if she'd accept my offer.

I was set up close to the Kazekage mansion, able to slink my way in and out as needed. I would take the day and then return to the Leaf using the Thunder God technique tomorrow. I was curious how the long journey with the Jutsu would fair, but I needed to find out one way or another.

A year in Suna. I thought as I stood on the balcony, the dry, hot air so different from the breeze back home. The moon was full and bright and I found myself smiling at the cheesy thought that filled my head: Kakashi is beneath the same moon. My bare feet shuffled across the balcony as I went to step into my open-concept apartment, more like a hotel room, and the sand was gritty on my hot feet.

I hate sand.