Archive of Our Own

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Many years ago, during a time
simply known as the Warring States era, all that was to be seen across the various lands were strife, resentment, deceit, and worst of all, war. Various shinobi clans, most with abilities that mere mortals could only dream of, battled each other to the death over territory, money, and power, not caring about the damage they caused, only wanting the glory and satisfaction of beating their various enemies.

However, in time, certain clans began to rise above the rest. They used their powers to end the wars and unite clans together to form
great nations and vast kingdoms. The clans that took such an initiative became the ruling families of their respective dominions, all of them overseeing their territory with keen eyes and an iron fist.

Out of the many kingdoms that formed, there were five that grew to become major powers within the
Elemental Nations, becoming known as the Imperial Five.

There was the Water Kingdom to the east, a land of
islands and mist, ominous in legend as well as in real life. It was one of the more isolated kingdoms in the region, and one of the most war-ravaged, with its capital, Kirigakure, being one of the more difficult to find in the entire landscape.

There was the Lightning Kingdom to the northeast, mountainous in its terrain, and shameless in its thinking. This was a kingdom that went to great lengths to achieve its success. Only its fiery neighbors to the southwest beat them in terms of power and prestige, a stinging rebuke to some within its nobility.

The Earth Kingdom was located in the northwest, and despite the desolation of the deserts and the mountains that lied within the Land of Lightning, it was considered the bleakest of the Imperial Five. Covered in rocky areas as far as the land could see, the terrain was as sturdy as its people, who would never hesitate when an order was relayed to them. These rock-hard attitudes were great for missions, but it didn’t make them the best of friends with the other nations.

Lying within the center of the Elemental Kingdoms was the Fire Kingdom, the largest, eldest, and most powerful dominion in the land. Its capital, Konohagakure was the strongest of the lot, with the highest concentration of ninja clans around, including some of the most powerful families to ever walk the earth. This kind of power made them both feared and respected, something that they surprisingly didn’t flaunt as much as you’d expect them to.

However,
our story begins in the final member of the Imperial Five, the Wind Kingdom. Located in the southwest, it’s mostly desert environment has led the kingdom to become one of the hardest to invade. In turn, it grew to have one of the largest populations, most of them spread out across the arid landscape either in merchant caravans or enclaves and towns built around various oasis.

Its capitol, Sunagakure, was by far its largest village, and it is here where our story begins, with a certain redhead sitting on the roof of the largest building, his eyes staring up at the full moon overhead. . .
 
A - x - R - x - S
Sunagakure, the capital of the Wind Kingdom, was quiet. Village guards silently moved along the streets and rooftops, the wind their only company as they remained vigilant. Stragglers that had enjoyed one too many drinks at the bar struggled and lumbered their way through alleys and avenues, trying to make their way back home in one piece to join the many others already in their beds and futons, sleeping the night away.One certain person couldn’t enjoy such a luxury.That person was silently sitting on the highest roof that the Wind Palace - a building made from the finest stones found throughout the kingdom - could provide. His gaze would occasionally scan the surrounding area to see if something was off, but he’d always find gaze back on the large beacon in the sky.When it came to sleep, he didn’t think of it much.Simply put, he couldn’t sleep. Ever.He had lost the ability to do so before he was even born. His father had taken the choice away from him; a decision that had stark repercussions for all those involved. The dark rings that rimmed his jade green eyes were proof of the many years he spent living through sleepless night after sleepless night. If he ever tried to even take the smallest of naps, it could lead to disaster, not just for him, but for the entire kingdom as he knew it . . .. . . Or, that's what the legends supposedly say.
“Oi! How long are you going to mope around like this?!”
The silent green-eyed roof dweller let out a small breath as he listened to the voice that bellowed from somewhere in his mind, its agitation and restlessness hard not to mistake as he brushed a hand through his blood red hair.
“You've been sitting in the exact same position for more than two hours now! What are you? A GARGOYLE?! How long are you going to keep this up?! Your inactivity is boring me to tears!”
"It's nice to know that you are willing to show some concern for my well-being after all Shukaku," said the redhead as he continued watching the moon. "Usually, you just complain about being locked up in me, or rant about the pitiful humans worrying about trivial things like schedules and napkins . . ."
“Don't get all snippy with me, you redheaded brat! Besides, what I said is not what you think. You are my host. My vessel. My fucking human prison! If you die, I die, well, for a while. . . . You have no idea how much of a fucking hassle it is to regenerate back into my original form after I get wiped out Gaara, and I have no plans on having that happen to me again anytime soon!”
"Oh yes, I should have known that this would lead back to you Shukaku," said Gaara as a small gust of wind brushed past him, ruffling his spiky hair. "Nothing can make a tailed beast focus more than its own self-preservation."
“Damn straight. Preserving our own asses is a highlight of being a tailed beast, unfortunately . . . And out of all the people I could have possibly been sealed away in this forsaken kingdom, I had to be sealed away in you, one of the prized princes . . .”
"Not like I had any choice in the matter. You were sealed in me before I was even born,” the prince reminded him as a dark cloud crossed over the moon, momentarily obscuring it from view. "Sealing you away is basically a family tradition at this point."
“Don't remind me . . . If it wasn't for your family's knack for the Magnet Release, I would be roaming the deserts right now, terrorizing anyone and everyone who dared crossed my path!”
"When you put it that way, it’s good that you’re sealed away and not out there wrecking the place. . . On the other hand, it's bad for me because I'm basically stuck with you in my head for the rest of my life," Gaara mumbled as the sounds of footsteps coming toward him reached his ears. "You've already ruined 13 years' worth of nights for me with your ranting and complaining. You can at least give me one night of peace and quiet, or is that too much to ask?"
“Well now, aren't you just being a sensitive little prick? If my ranting and complaining annoys you so much, then I'll take my words somewhere else dammit!”
"You can't take your words somewhere else. Where else can you go if you're sealed inside of me?" Gaara grumbled as he closed his eyes. When the tanuki never replied, he took that as a momentary reprieve from the inner spirit.Noticing that the footsteps had stopped somewhere to his left, he turned his head to find a tall man in flowing robes standing a few feet away. A white turban covered his head, with a strap of the remaining cloth covering the left side of his face. Two reddish markings decorated the skin on the right. "What do you want Baki?""Your father requests your presence in his private office Prince Gaara. Your brother and sister are making their way there as I speak." he calmly replies, his voice clear and deep as his eyes looked toward the village around them."I see . . ." Gaara mumbled, slowly getting up from his seated position, his voice filling with disdain at the prospect of seeing his father again. "Well, I better not keep the king waiting then."All of a sudden, wisps of sand swirled around the young redhead until he was completely encompassed by it. It moved as fast as it appeared, swirling right past Baki and through the lone doorway that led to that part of the roof. The sand traveled through the palace's dimly lit hallways, passing by startled maids and servants alike as it traversed the floors.Eventually, it reached its destination, depositing Gaara right in front of a large set of bronze doors before dissipating from view, not even leaving a speck of sand on the boy as it went."Figures you would use your jutsu to get here before either of us!"Gaara turned his head in the direction the voice was coming from, finding a boy a little older and taller than him walking up dressed in an old set of black pajamas. Following him was an older blonde girl dressed in a purple nightgown, scowling at nothing in particular as she looked around with tired eyes."It's convenient for me. What else can I say Kankuro?" Gaara replied as he turned his attention to the girl. "You look worse for wear Temari.""I’m justified. Father and Baki put me through hell during training today, well, yesterday actually. I could barely stand because I was so drained of chakra afterward . . ." she grumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes."Well, it’s pretty common for the ruling monarch’s heir to be trained more than his or her younger siblings. It’s the luck of the draw, and you ended up with the short end of the stick big sis.” Kankuro couldn't help but tease, smirking with tired glee."Oh, shut it Kankuro!" Temari grumbled as Gaara moved his attention to the door. "So, do either of you have any idea why Daddy Dearest decided to call us to his office this late in the night?""You would know that much sooner if you all just stepped into his office already," said Baki, suddenly appearing beside Kankuro. "Do you really think it is wise to keep your father waiting like this?""Hey! It’s late! Can you blame us for being a little crabby right now?" growled Temari, irritation the dominant emotion she was feeling as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Not everyone can go a full night without sleep like you and Gaara can Baki.""That may be true, but still, you have been trained well enough to withstand long hours of sleep deprivation. Really, this should be a cakewalk for you," said the older man as he turned to the door, ignoring the scowl that was etched across the blonde's face. "Anyway, enough talk. Let’s go. We've kept your father waiting long enough."He walked forward, pushing the doors open with both hands before stepping off to the side. Taking that as their cue to enter, the royal siblings walked in from eldest to youngest, with Baki bringing in the rear.Their father’s office was a large room decorated with the best pieces of furniture that the kingdom could offer. The room was simple at best, save for a few portraits of desert landscapes that hung on three of the walls, and the large bookcase that covered the far wall. In the center of the room stood a large mahogany desk, the table's surface messily covered with important documents and books.Sitting behind the desk was a middle-aged man with disheveled brown hair dressed in flowing white and green robes, a stern expression plastered on his face as he looked at the three children and grown man coming up to him."Someone doesn't look happy . . ." Kankuro mumbled as the four lined themselves up in a straight line a couple of feet before the desk."If you're wondering if it's because I think you four have come later than I expected, don't worry, it's not that," said their father as he weaved his fingers together. "A few hours ago, I had a meeting with some members of the Council. According to them, things are not looking too good for our kingdom right now.""What do you mean by that?" asked Temari as concern spread across her face as Baki remained expressionless. Kankuro raised an eyebrow, while Gaara just looked disinterested, like always."The kingdom is losing valuable profit from the shinobi division due to clients looking to other kingdoms for better prices." said the king as he flipped through some of the documents on his desk. “Simply put, the lack of shinobi work is hurting our country’s bottom line.”"Well that can't be helped," grumbled Kankuro. "Our homeland is at a natural disadvantage due to our location alone. We're basically on the outskirts of the lands compared to the other kingdoms. Plus, crossing the desert itself is never a walk in the park in the first place.""All of what you said is true Kankuro. What you mentioned is indeed something that we can't help," said the King as he leaned back in his chair. "Due to our 'natural' circumstances, we can't afford to lower prices on the services our shinobi provide. The Council is getting worried that if this keeps happening, then the worth of our ninja will begin to diminish in the eyes of the other kingdoms.""Our reputation would be diminished. We’ll be seen as weak,” Temari mumbled as she brought a finger to her chin. "And yet, I still don't see why you've called us in here exactly.""Don't worry, I was just getting around to it . . . In two weeks' time, the biannual Shinobi Showcase will be taking place. The Fire Kingdom will be hosting it in its capital, Konohagakure, and I have decided to send you three as one of the teams representing the kingdom. Baki will be going along with you as your team's mentor.""Wait? Us?" asked Kankuro, his eyes wide in shock. "Why? Because of our status as your kids and how young we still are, you barely allow us to go out on missions of this magnitude, especially Gaara . . . What's with the sudden change of heart?""He believes if we have a good showing during the Showcase, then potential clients will become interested in Wind shinobi again, thus bringing back more revenue to the kingdom," Gaara answered, finally injecting his thoughts into the conversation as his gaze took aim straight at his father. "And who better to entrust this mission to than the three teenagers that went through the best training that the Wind Kingdom could provide. . ? Did I get all that right, or am I missing a detail or two?""What you said is correct Gaara," his father’s stern eyes never left his youngest son’s gaze as he addressed him. "The Council believes that if the country is going to have a good showing at the Showcase, we have to send our very best to represent us. Your tutors, mentors, and I have all agreed that all three of you have been excelled well enough to warrant making you prime candidates for this mission . . . You are some of the best that our kingdom can offer, and what’s a better way to attract clients than by showing off the very best?""I see, and since you're handing us this mission personally, it's definitely not a mission that we can take lightly," said Temari, shaking her head. "The Shinobi Showcase always attracts a multitude of teams from all across the Elemental Nations. Are there any that you know of that we should be particularly wary of?""The other members of the Imperial Five have always sent formidable teams to the Showcase, with most of these teams comprising of members from well-respected and powerful clans," said the King as he picked up a small stack of documents from off his table. He held them out to Baki, who took them from his hand. "One thing is certain: you will not be the only royals competing in this particular Showcase.""The children of the Fire King and Queen are also competing," said Baki as he perused the papers. "They’re twins, a boy and a girl. However, they are not part of the same team.""That is kind of expected . . . Most kingdoms usually don’t allow their royal heirs to be on the same team," Temari mumbled, her face looking slightly interested as Baki passed the documents to her. She quickly scanned through the sheets before handing them off to Kankuro, a small pout lining her face. "Hmm, should have figured there wasn't going to be much information on the royal twins. All that's written in there is their bio stats. Nothing else.""Info on those two is surely lacking in the official files. The Fire King is known to have a protective nature, especially in regard to his own family," said the King as he slowly stood up. "At best, it is easy to assume that the Fire King and Queen have taught their children some of their own jutsu, but you shouldn't be assured by that fact alone.""Of course not . . . The jutsus used by the Fire Monarchs aren't the most well-known, but everyone agrees that they’re still quite powerful. They don't usually go all out in battle, but when they do, their opponents don't really see the light of day long enough to blab about their experiences," Temari added, shaking her head. "At best, if any one of us goes against their kids, we would be going in blind.""You’re not including Gaara in your assessment, are you Temari?" Kankuro asked, an eyebrow raised. "Gaara's sand is an ultimate offense and defense, all in one. In truth, he probably has the best chance against either of those two."“Your brother sounds like he has so much faith in you.” Shukaku couldn't help uttering, a small chuckle slipping by his teeth. “Almost sickening, if you ask me. I bet he believes that if you handle the Fire King's brats, he won't have to.”"Just shut up," Gaara mumbled, refusing the urge to roll his eyes. "I don't need your damn commentary right now."
“Aw, your words wound me.”
"You say that Gaara has the best chance out of the three of you against either of the Fire King's children Kankuro. It’s a fair assessment. However, even he may have a hard time if he had to battle one of them." said the King as he walked over to one of the windows."What do you mean by that my king?" Baki asked as Gaara shot his father a narrow-eyed glare, slightly irritated with the man’s sudden critique of him. "Is there something you're not telling us?""You see, we all know that the royal families of the Imperial Five have had close ties to the tailed beasts for many years. The Fire royal family has been linked to the Nine Tails ever since its kingdom's founding," mused King Rasa as he looked out the window. "Hmm, it is possible that the Nine Tails’ chakra could come into play if one of the twins is pushed enough."“The Nine Tails? Now things just got a little interesting,” Shukaku mused, now sounding intrigued. “I haven't seen my older brother in ages! It'll be nice to finally say hello to him after all this time apart!”"Why do I have the sudden feeling you want to say more than just 'hello' to your sibling?" grumbled Gaara as his father walked away from the window. "What? Do you have some kind of vendetta against him?"
“You have no idea.”
"Okay, so our goal is to either win or have a very good showing in the Shinobi Showcase, but we have to be wary of our competition, particularly our fellow royals," mumbled Kankuro as he thought it over in his head. "Is that it?""Hmm, there is one more thing that I should mention to you four," said Rasa as he brought a hand to his chin. "What I said about the Fire royal family and its connection to the Nine Tails has been true for the longest time. However, times change, and the Nine Tails is no longer the only tailed beast they’re linked to.”"My king, are you saying that the Fire Kingdom has somehow managed to gain a second tailed beast?" Baki asked in surprise, his voice practically an octave higher."According to my sources, the royal family came into possession of a second tailed beast around the time of the twins' birth . . . There are ten beasts in total. We hold the One Tails. Lightning holds the Two and Eight Tails, while Water holds the Three and Six Tails. The Four and Five Tails are in the Earth Kingdom’s possession, and the smaller Waterfall Kingdom holds the Seven Tails . . . How the last one managed that feat, your guess is as good as mine" said Rasa as he listed them down with his fingers. "I have failed to mention the last one, but I think you all can figure it out if you really think about it.""No way . . . When you think about it, then that means Fire now holds the Ten Tails! They have the two most powerful beasts in their possession! You gotta be freaking kidding me," grumbled Kankuro, bringing a hand to his forehead. "You know what that means?”“No Kankuro, I don’t,” said Temari, sarcasm lacing her tone. “Enlighten us will ya?”“It’s pretty obvious. It means that Wind is the only one of the Five Great Kingdoms that has one beast!" Kankuro, absolutely serious and not showing a hint that he knew that Temari was simply pulling his leg. “That puts us at a disadvantage compared to the other kingdoms sis.”“Ten Tails he says? So, that's where Ryuna has been these past few years.” Shukaku grumbled, his voice sounding slightly contemplative. “She was always the best at avoiding capture. She’s rarely been caught since we were originally formed, and if she was caught, it wouldn’t be for long. Many have tried their hand at catching her, but they’ve all failed one way or another, going to the wrong location, running into her and dying as a result . . . I wonder how those Fire shinobi finally managed to do what no one else has done.”"Father, you mentioned that the Ten Tails was captured around the time the twins were born. Is it possible that one of them were used as its vessel?" asked Temari, already thinking about the possibilities."That may very well be the case," said Rasa as he sat back in his chair. "For now, you need to prepare for your journey, because you will be leaving as soon as the sun rises. The quicker you move, the sooner you can reach Konoha to assess your competition . . . I don't need to stress how important this mission is for the sake of our kingdom's economy. Failure is not an option.""Of course, milord," said Baki, his head bowed. "We will see to it that this mission is a rousing success.""See that you do. You are dismissed."Baki bowed once more before turning to leave, followed by Temari and Kankuro, with Gaara bringing up the rear; however, he didn't get far. "Gaara, stay for one second."“Now what does the bastard want now?” Shukaku grumbled as Gaara stopped walking. The redhead's siblings shot him curious glances before leaving for their respective rooms, leaving Gaara to deal with their father alone."If you have asked me to stay behind just because you want to remind me that it’s best if I don’t lose control over Shukaku, then stop. You would only be wasting your breath," Gaara quickly said as he turned around. "Besides, I've heard the speech before.""Must you speak to your own father like this?" Rasa asked, an eyebrow raised as his youngest child’s indignation."Hmm, that depends. Did you have to seal a demon inside me? Before I was even born no less?" Gaara asked in return as he took a step forward. "What you did to me was a great way to start off my life Father, real nice.""Sealing a tailed beast within a member of the royal family is how we maintain our power," his father reminded him, his tone serious as he addressed the boy. "You were the one deemed the most compatible with Shukaku's chakra. That compatibility made you the prime candidate for the sealing.""Yeah, but at the cost of my ability to sleep," Gaara mumbled. ". . . And somebody's life."Rasa visibly flinched when Gaara said those words, his face somber as he leaned back in his seat. His eyes went to one of the two picture frames that stood on his desk, his gaze momentarily taking in the picture of himself holding a smiling blonde woman in his arms. His late wife, his queen . . .. . . Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro's deceased mother . . ."It's no secret that your mother's death has affected this family. However, we cannot let past events affect our actions now, especially when you have such a big mission ahead of you Gaara," said Rasa, addressing his son more like a king and less like a father. "Go and get ready. Remember, you leave in the morning."Gaara stared coldly at his father before summoning his sand. The beige, multi-grained cloud swirled around the young redhead before flying out the room, swiftly taking the prince away through the open doors, and leaving the King of the Wind Kingdom alone to his weary thoughts.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Hmm, that was quite an interesting little talk,” Shukaku mumbled, his voice sounding vaguely interested as Gaara continued to travel through the palace hallways within his cloud of sand. “It seems things got a little testy between you two at the end of that conversation.”"Say what you want Shukaku. I’m too irritated to give a fuck at the moment," the young prince grumbled as they came to a stop in front of a large set of ornate bronze doors. "Right now, I just need to focus on preparing for my mission, just like the damn king ordered."
“Oh, you and your daddy issues. Sometimes it's just plain sad. Other times, it's quite entertaining to watch.”
Gaara ignored the remark as he opened the door and stepped into the quiet refuge that was his bedroom. It was fit for a prince, large in size and furnished with the best furniture available. The two floor-to-ceiling windows on the room's far wall gave the redhead an amazing view of the village. However, he preferred the view he would get from the palace's roof; the roof just gave the encompassing view he liked that the windows just didn’t. Bypassing the king-sized bed he never used - for obvious reasons - Gaara sat down in his lounge chair, his arms crossed over his chest as his thoughts slowly went back to the discussion he had with his father earlier."Sealing a tailed beast within a member of the royal family is how we maintain our power . . . You were the one deemed the most compatible with Shukaku's chakra. That compatibility made you the prime candidate for the sealing.""Father has three children, and yet I was the one lucky enough to be born with chakra that was compatible to Shukaku's own," the redhead grumbled to himself. "I had to be born with the short end of the stick . . ."
“Don't blame me for that one! Your father could have easily sealed me away in someone else that was compatible with my chakra, maybe into the child of a trusted advisor or general but no, he didn't. He didn’t want to risk that power going to someone else, someone who would betray him in the long run. Your father decided to adhere to tradition and chose to consolidate the family's power after all, and he did it with you, ensuring that you had a fate that only a rare few are privy to . . . The love is strong in your family, don’t you think?”
"Only with my siblings, I guess. Love is too strong a word to describe the relationship I have with my father," Gaara slowly stated, looking at nothing in particular. "Our relationship is tolerable at best."“Oh, trust me, I’ve witnessed quite a lot between you two. You don’t have to tell me twice,” Shukaku cackled as the redhead leaned back into his seat. “You can cut the tension in the air with a kunai whenever you two are in the same room together. It’s so obvious that I wouldn’t be surprised that your relationship with him is a favored topic in the gossip circles.”"With what he's done to this family already, especially to me, I guess you can say that my feelings toward him can't be helped," he grumbled as a knocking sound erupted from the door. "Who is it?""It's only me!" came his sister’s reply. "Just wanted to let you know that we're gathering in the main foyer at dawn, so don't be late!""I wouldn't dream of it," Gaara quietly murmured as he listened to his sister's footsteps grow quieter as she walked away. "Well, at least there will be something good that comes out of this mission."
“And what would that be hmm? That you'll get to beat the frustration you have toward your father out on your unsuspecting competition?”
"I meant that I won't have to see my father's face for a while, but in a way, what you said isn't untrue either."“Of course it's fucking not! I have been watching you fight ever since you were a little tyke with a teddy bear. You may not want to admit it to yourself, but you can't hide it from me,” Shukaku said, his drunkenly teasing voice starting to border on grating. “I know how you think in a fight Gaara. I've seen how your mind works in the midst of battle.” "And how exactly does my mind work from your perspective Shukaku?"
“You try to hide it, but it’s obvious once you look between the lines. You enjoy venting out your anger on others sometimes, as if they're convenient little punching bags ready to use at your disposal. Even with your 'stationary' style of fighting, the way you fling around your opponents with your sand is quite fun to watch.”
"You make it sound like I'm actually proud of inflicting pain on others.”
“You should be! Personally, I’d be annoyed if you didn't. I tend to take pride in my kills. I expect my jinchuriki to do the same!”
"That is so enlightening. It really is, but sorry, I do not take pride in my kills like you do with yours. When I fight, it’s mainly out of self-preservation, not because I want to feel superior.”
“You disappoint me.”
“This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard that line said to me,” said the redhead as he walked over to one of the windows. Shukaku indeed wasn’t the first person to say those three words to him before. His father was quite a repeat offender in that regard, though it had lessened in recent years. “The Shinobi Showcase . . . What do you make of it?"“I see it as a prime opportunity for you to crush your opponents underneath your sandals. The wimps you’ll face will witness the power of our sand, and their blood will spill at our feet.” Shukaku growled in excitement as the redhead sat down on the windowsill."Does that include the ones that hold your siblings? The Fire Prince and his sister could be jinchuriki, but then again, they could not. It's not a certainty Shukaku."
“I'll know for certain once we reach the Fire Kingdom's main village. Trust me, just get me within the vicinity of the royal family, and once we’re close, I’ll know who the jinchurikis are.”
"You sound very confident on this Shukaku," said Gaara, speaking out loud instead of in his head for once. "Huh, I never thought you were one for family reunions."
“My feelings are mixed when it comes to my family. On one hand, I hate Kurama with an absolute passion, but on the other hand, Ryuna happens to be the most tolerable of my siblings.”
"Why exactly do you hate Kurama?"
“He holds on to this stupid belief that the more tails a tailed beast has, the more power he or she possesses. Which means to him, I'm the weakest in the family! He can't help but remind me of this "fact" whenever we see each other, even though he isn’t the strongest one himself! Fucking piece of shit . . .”
"I’m not intending to be a devil’s advocate here, but honestly, is he wrong to believe in such a thing?"
“The only one that believes in that stupid idea of his is Kurama himself! No other beast believes that fallacy. I just happen to be the only one that voices it! However, with the kind of power he possesses, it's hard to refute his claim if you do try to challenge him . . . Being the beast with the second most tails has really done a number on his ego over the years. It’s quite sickening if you ask me.”
"And what about Ryuna?"
“Ryuna is no Kurama, thank the heavens for that . . ! While Kurama acts like the boastful prick that he is, my eldest sister is more of the ‘silent observer’ type. She doesn't speak much, preferring to watch the action unfold before speaking her piece, and yes, when she speaks, the rest of us listen. It’s kind of the rule in the family since she’s the eldest and commands the most respect after all . . .”
“I can understand that . . . Continue.”“Yeah, I was going to flesh bag, so don’t interrupt!” the tanuki grumbled, a little annoyed at the interference. “Anyway, she usually minds her own business and willingly isolates herself most of the time. . . Now that I think about it, it would explain why she has always managed to be better at hiding from you shinobi than the rest of us put together. She avoids your villages like they’re the plague.”"Well, she may have been the best at hiding, but her hiding streak didn't last forever, or else she would still be hiding instead of being in the Fire Kingdom's possession." said Gaara as he shook his head. Shukaku simply growled at him for his statement, but the redhead ignored him in favor of looking out his window.He remained there till dawn was near. Gaara quickly gathered what he needed, which was minimal at best, and sealed them away in a few scrolls before putting them away in his ninja pack. After quickly changing into a new set of clothes, he walked over to one of his bedside dressers to retrieve the lone item inside: a single beige and gray scroll. He opened it and unlocked the seal inside, unleashing a large plume of smoke that dissipated to reveal a large gourd of sand now standing in front of him.Gaara quickly grabbed it by the strap and hiked it over his shoulder before disappearing in a cloud of sand. The sand traveled through the palace, weaving itself through the hallways until it stopped in the large foyer where he was supposed to meet the rest of his team."Alright, I'm here," said the redhead as he emerged from his sand cloud. "Now I just have to wait for the others. They better not take too long.""You don't have to worry about me, but Kankuro and Baki may be a different story." said Temari as she emerged from behind a nearby pillar."What do you mean by that?" said Gaara as his cloud of sand disappeared into his gourd. “And how long have you been there?”"Only a few minutes . . . And as for Kankuro, he’s still trying to figure out which puppet to bring with him," Temari grumbled as she adjusted the position of the iron fan strapped to her back. "He does this practically every time he's sent on a mission, but he always ends up picking the same two puppets every time. . . Every fucking damn time!""Can't a guy be picky with his puppets and not be criticized for it!?" exclaimed Kankuro as he walked up from down the hallway. "Also, watch the language sis! You're the heir, the Crown Princess. You're not supposed to be using that kind of language missy!""Don't try to reprimand me little brother!" Temari replied back as she shot him an agitated look. "I don't need you to nitpick what I say. The elders and court ladies do that enough already. . . Besides, I rarely curse, and when I do, I do it with good reason.""Me having a tendency to take the time to pick out my puppets before a mission is not a good reason for you to curse me out." Kankuro flatly stated, his face a full on deadpan as he glared at his sister."But like Temari said, you do tend to pick the same two puppets every time," said Gaara, entering the conversation. "So what's the damn point in your whole puppet picking process anyway? It’s a waste of time that could be better spent on other stuff.""Gaara, you are so not helping here," grumbled the puppeteer prince as Temari shot him a superior grin. "Why couldn't you have just stayed silent and kept yourself out of the conversation like you usually do?"Gaara refrained from answering his brother's question, his eyes paying more attention to what was coming down the main hallway than his sibling. Noticing how the redhead was looking past him instead of at him, Kankuro followed his gaze to see Baki and their father walking toward them, the latter still in the clothes he wore when they saw him in his office earlier in the night."Huh, looks like Dad's has decided to send us off in person after all," Temari mumbled, not looking very impressed at the moment. "That's something I haven't seen in a long while.""He must have slept in those clothes, or didn't sleep at all. He looks tired as hell." Kankuro muttered as he shook his head. Unlike his two siblings, Gaara remained silent, his eyes conveying how annoyed he was as his father and their mentor finally reached the three."Good, you all appear ready to go," said the king as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you all certain that you have gathered what you need for this mission to be successful?""I believe we have everything covered," said Temari, sharing a look with her brothers before turning to her father. "So, any other parting words you'd like to share before we go Dad?""C'mon sis, don't be too hard on the old man," Kankuro admonished as he shot his older sibling a quick smirk. "Let him have his moment to try to act like a father instead of acting like a king for once. We can at least give him that much.""Can you two stop with the foolish antagonizing for just one minute?" asked Baki as a stoic look remained on the king's face. He was showing no emotion, but the siblings had a feeling their words were leaving their mark. "Your father came down here to give some last minute remarks to you three before we head off. You can remain quiet for just a little longer can you?""That depends . . . You're going to give us the usual spiel of how despite being on a mission, we still need to act in accordance of our station in this family aren’t you?" Temari mumbled, raising an eyebrow in challenge."Why would I tell you something that has been ingrained into your heads since you learned how to talk?" their father bluntly replied back as he looked at his only daughter, answering her challenge with ease. Temari resisted the urge to scowl even more, choosing to look at some of the tapestry on the walls instead of her father's face. "Anyway, I came down here to say one last thing to you before you leave: Watch out for the teams from the Sound Kingdom.""The teams from Otogakure?" Kankuro asked, curiosity lining his face. "What trouble have they been causing?""They haven’t done anything notable yet. However, there have been rumors swirling around that the Sound Kingdom may try something during the Showcase. We've been trying to validate these claims, but all the leads have been coming up empty so far," explained Baki as he slightly shook his head. "The Sound has always been one of the best when it comes to keeping their secrets, well, secret, and when one of their secrets do come out, it's very hard to determine if there's any truth behind it.""Great, as if we have enough things to worry about," grumbled Kankuro as he placed a hand on his hip. "So what? Should we avoid any teams from the Sound unless we can't help it?""That will be the way to go during your time in Konoha. You will avoid any contact with Oto shinobi unless it's absolutely necessary." the King simply stated as sunlight began to pour in through the windows."And if the Oto shinobi do decide to make contact?" Temari asked as the guards manning the entrance started to pull the doors open."Don't respond to them, and if they don't get the message, deal with them as best as you know how," came the king’s response as the early morning breeze traveled into the room. Temari simply nodded before running out the palace, Kankuro following close behind her. The king turned his head just in time to see his youngest child turning away from him before running after siblings, and he couldn't help but notice the hint of disdain in the redhead's eyes just before he left. "Dammit . . .""You would think that those three could have at least waited till you had dismissed them before leaving." Baki grumbled as he took a step forward, his eyes watching the three receding forms in the distance."It can't be helped," said the king as he started the long walk back to his office. "Besides, what child actually listens to their parents at their age anyway? You're dismissed, Baki. I expect good results. Don’t fail this kingdom."“Yes sir . . .” Baki replied before following after his subordinates, running past the open palace doors, down the long clay staircase, and down the main road that led to the palace gates before. He managed to overpass the siblings just as they set foot into the village's downtown area."Oi Baki! Glad you could finally join us!" Kankuro practically cackled as the four made their way down the village's main avenue, bypassing still-closed and just-opening shops as they went. "I was starting to get worried that you would never catch up, old man.""Oh be quiet you," the turban wearing shinobi ordered, not wanting to hear the mockery. "I don't need your sarcasm right now Kankuro.""You're only acting like this because we didn't wait for father to dismiss us before leaving the palace. . . You're not going to say it for yourself, but we all know that what I just said was true." said Temari, her face smug as she pointed out the obvious."It really is that obvious," Kankuro added, letting out a small chuckle. Baki remained silent as the two elder siblings continued to share jabs with each other. As for Gaara, who was bringing up the rear, he remained silent as he looked around at the surroundings that they would soon be leaving.He observed how still the village was, and how it was only now coming alive for the day. Shopkeepers along the row were busy setting up their businesses for the day ahead, their faces looking eager to make their daily profits. Village police continued to go along their patrols and normal citizens went along on their walks to who knows where. When the people noticed the royal team running by, they stopped and stared at the group, many bowing their head slightly in respect. However, the peoples' eyes quickly went the other way as soon as they looked at the redhead, and Gaara knew their reason why.They looked away because they knew what was inside him. They knew that he was the jinchuriki for the One Tails. They knew he was cursed since birth, forced to live with the demonic entity for the rest of his life for the sake of maintaining the current political structure.The people were either too scared or too simple-minded to separate him from the tanuki, the boy from the monster. Some people even believed that he was Shukaku in human form, rather than just his vessel. Regardless of their reasoning, people were simply scared of him, terrified even, enough to not make contact with the young boy unless absolutely necessary, which was minimal. . .
“Hmm, I just love it when people look away from us all scared and shit. I don't even need to lift a finger to make them terrified. They just look and turn their heads once they see you incoming Gaara.”
"You may love it, but I don't. . ." the young redhead grumbled as the group reached the Suna Wall, a towering structure that was part of the natural barrier that wrapped around the village like a protective fence. The four ran through the main opening, which was a large, yet slim, crevice within the wall, emerging into miles and miles of desert as far as the eye could see."It takes about three days to get to Konoha from Suna. Let’s go! This isn’t a leisure trip so be on your toes!" Baki called over his shoulder. Temari and Kankuro both nodded in agreement while Gaara offered no response, the latter still thinking over the reactions he got from the people they just passed by. Baki ignored the lack of reaction from the redhead, choosing to look ahead at the mission before them.Things would not get easier from here.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Three days later . . .

"Huh, Konoha's climate is definitely a lot more comfortable than Suna’s," Kankuro mumbled as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, relieved that he didn’t smudge his face paint. "It’s hot, but not terribly so. Plus, the plant life around here is unbelievable. All you see are trees in every direction you look at, as far as the eye could see.""Well, they don't call Konohagakure the village hidden in the leaves for nothing," said Temari as the group continued moving from tree to tree. "The name wouldn’t hold up if there were no leafy trees around to give it cover now would it...? Anyway, how much longer till we reach the village Baki?""I’m certain that we're near the Hokage Rock by now. The village will be located right at the base of it," came their mentor’s quick response as he continued looking forward. "I don’t have to explain to you three what the Hokage Rock is do I?""Don't worry about us Baki! We all know the history thanks to the tutors our dad assigned to us, so it’s okay. We’re covered," Kankuro assured. "I know you're supposed to be our mentor, but I don’t think you need to worry about our academic standing, especially not for a mission like this.""Sometimes I wonder why I even bother . . ." Baki mumbled under his breath. When he saw that the road below had shifted from dirt to pavement, he jumped down to the ground, the royal siblings following right behind him."Now that we’ve crossed onto paved road, it won’t be long before we reach our destination. Another hour of running, give or take.”“Good! It won’t be long now before we can sit down and rest in a bed for the first time in a few days.” Temari mumbled as she looked up at their sensei. “But I feel that there’s a bit of a ‘but’ coming along. The rest of this run isn’t going to be entirely smooth sailing now will it?”“It’s 50-50 at best Temari,” Baki mumbled, not bothering to use her proper title. The use of such distinctions was restricted to certain instances. Traveling between kingdoms while out on an official mission was one of those instances. “Make sure you stay on guard. In the past, some teams have tended to ambush their fellow competition as they were traveling to the village hosting Showcase proceedings. There’s also the usual issue of bandits trying to make a mess of things, but that shouldn’t be an issue since Konoha always has its ninjas patrolling the surrounding area on a daily basis."“Pfft, as if we could ever allow ourselves to get caught in an ambush,” Shukaku mumbled with a snort, his overconfidence shining through. “Our sand would kill anyone planning such a thing before they even set foot into our field of vision.”"Unless the people planning the ambush are capable of powerful water-based ninjutsu that is . . . Then again, it's nice to know that you're very confident in our abilities Shukaku," Gaara stated as the group continued on their run. "Now that I think about it, this is the first time you've spoken in a few days. Something must be on your mind for you to hold your tongue for that long?"
“It’s nothing you have to worry your little sleep-deprived head about, flesh bag.”
Gaara would have raised an eyebrow at that, well, if he had any eyebrows to raise.Instead, he kept his eyes on the road ahead, following the path as it widened the further they went, reaching to the point that it could fit a line of ten people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Forty-five minutes passed before the group finally reached Konoha’s gates, stopping when they reached the checkpoint area that stood mere feet from the main entrance"Huh, didn’t expect this many people to be coming in at one time . . ." Kankuro grumbled as he looked around the long lines that were stretching away from the check in booths.“The Shinobi Showcase tends to bring in large crowds from far and wide, even for the preliminary rounds, and those are not usually viewed by the people at large,” Baki explained as he took in their surroundings. “People come to stake their claims and set up shop before the festivities even begin, which means it tends to take a while to get through check in.”"Good thing we're royalty then," said Temari as Baki and Gaara started walking ahead. "Long lines are foreign to people like us. We'll just use our royal status to skip ahead of everyone else."“We could do that, or we can use the express line reserved for royalty, nobility, high officials, and special guests at the far end," said Kankuro as he pointed to the noticeably short line in front of the booth closest to the main gate. It was the same booth that Baki and Gaara were heading for."Huh, the people of Konoha really are a convenient bunch," was all Temari could say as she and Kankuro quickly ran to catch up to the other two. Once they had all their papers approved by the shinobi at the desk, the four walked through the open reddish-brown gates and into a village that was so unlike their own.While beige clay and stone were the norm for the buildings in Suna, their counterparts in Konoha were made with materials such as wood, brick, and cement. The buildings were also more multi-colored than the sandy hues that their homeland had to offer, but none of the buildings stood out more than the large, intricate, reddish-brown building that stood in Konoha's center.“Hmm, that must be the Fire Palace,” Shukaku mused as Gaara followed his team down the busy street. “So that's where Kurama and Ryuna have been living it up these past few years. . . I got to admit. The place doesn't look half bad. I thought they would have done something stupid to the palace’s design, like add a flame-shaped roof or something, but I digress . . . This whole village looks a little livelier than Suna don’t you think?”"It is? I never noticed before." Despite no longer being in their home kingdom, the siblings were recognized well enough by Konoha's citizens. People whispered among themselves as they caught sight of the three royals passing them by. Gaara’s name was mentioned the most, but it was more so out of curiosity and awe than outright fear, terror, or indifference. It was something he didn’t expect, but it was a nice change.“Huh, the people here seem much more receptive to your presence than your own subjects do . . . I guess your full reputation hasn't reached their ears yet.” Shukaku said with a snort as Baki led the three onto one of Konoha’s busiest thoroughfares, a wide boulevard lined with various shops, inns, and hotels. “I’m sure that will all change soon enough.”"Don't get your hopes up Shukaku. . . I'm not going on an all-out rampage just because you feel like it." said the young redhead as they soon reached a large seven-story hotel that took up one side of an entire block. "So, this is where we will be staying during our time here Baki?""That’s what the official documents say, so say hello to your home for the next few weeks everyone," Baki calmly answered as he looked around at their surroundings. "Teams that come from the same kingdom are assigned the same hotel to stay in, so expect to see other teams from our homeland make their way here soon.""I hope the rooms here are good . . .""This is supposed to be one of the best hotels the village can offer Kankuro, and with your royal pedigree, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave us the penthouse suite." said Baki as they walked into the sprawling, luxurious structure. They quickly handled their business at the check-in desk, taking their room key to the penthouse suite on the top floor."Hmm, not too shabby," said Temari as she looked around at their opulent surroundings. The suite was large enough to contain four bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Their suite also included a living space, an elegant dining area, and an outdoor porch that gave the four an amazing view of the surrounding Konoha skyline. "This should do us just fine.""Good to know," said Baki as he set his things down in the bedroom closest to the exit. "Now then, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have to leave you three to yourselves for the next few hours.""You're leaving already?" asked Kankuro as he took off his puppet. "Where are you going?""All team mentors have to meet with the Showcase organizers at the village's Academy as soon as they arrive. Mainly to get more info on the event's activities, the overview, that sort of thing," Baki calmly explained as he reopened the door. "Konoha keeps its training areas in the eastern part of the village. Teams may already be there honing their skills for the upcoming challenges. . . I suggest you three do the same.""C’mon man! We just reached the village and you already want us to start tra-" Kankuro cried out before Temari abruptly cut him off with a slap of her hand over his mouth."We'll leave within the hour," the blonde answered as she faced Baki with a serious gaze. Baki simply nodded before leaving and when he was finally out the door, Temari released her hold on her brother’s mouth, but not before she shot him a nasty look. ". . . Seriously Kankuro, you can be really dense sometimes.""What did I say?" the puppeteer asked, agitation marring his face. "Like I said before, we just got here! We haven’t settled in yet! Is it too much to ask to have at least a few good hours of rest first before we start training again?""Just follow me you two. I think you'll figure it out once we get to the training grounds." The brothers shared a long look with each other before Gaara started following after their sister, leaving Kankuro to bring up the rear."But seriously, is it really that bad to ask for a quick rest around here?!" the puppeteer grumbled, hoisting his puppet onto his back before following his siblings out the room.Neither bothered to give him an answer. 
A - x - R - x - T
The siblings left their hotel and traveled along the rooftops, mainly to avoid anyone that may give them some kind of hassle due to their royal status. As they jumped from building to building, Temari and Kankuro looked around at their surroundings, taking note of anything they thought was memorable enough to remember for later. Gaara, on the other hand, kept his eyes straight ahead. The only time he moved his gaze was for the brief moment he glanced at the Fire Palace.“Hmm, I can feel them,” Shukaku stated, his voice cutting into Gaara's train of thought like a sharp blade. “.  . . I can feel them both.”"You can feel both the Nine and Ten Tails within the vicinity?" he asked as he and his siblings came to a stop in the middle of an empty road. Behind them was a row of buildings of various sizes, but in front of them was one of the supposed training fields, with oak trees as far as the eye could see, a chain link fence standing tall a few feet in front of it.“That's right,” said Shukaku, a small growl passing by his jagged lips. “For us tailed beasts, it’s pretty much impossible to hide our chakra signatures from each other when we’re in the same general area, even when we’re sealed away. . . Trust me, you’ll find them in there, which means . . .”"Their jinchuuriki are in there, already training," Gaara mumbled as he followed his siblings toward the entrance. “If you can feel your siblings’ chakra, can you feel their jinchuuriki’s chakra as well?”
“Somewhat. There are some similarities, but not much . . . I can feel a lot of untapped potential in there. It almost makes me excited to see what they can do with it once they're older.”
"A lot of untapped potential huh? Well, considering the usual rules when it comes to the tailed beasts and their jinchuuriki, the royal twins are just like me. They’re either training with each other or with whoever got assigned to their teams," Gaara mused as the he and his siblings entered the field. "The question now is who holds which beast?"
“Well, we’re about to find out. If you and your siblings head a little west of here, you'll certainly run into them.”
"Thanks for the heads up," said Gaara, turning his head west. "Kankuro, Temari, let’s head west.""Why west?""Just a hunch Kankuro. . ." was all the redhead would say before he disappeared into the trees. His older siblings shared a glance before following him, stopping at the edge of a large grassy field. Realizing that they were not alone, Gaara was quick to spot a group of six standing in the field’s center, all with varying hair colors that ranged from the normal to the unique."Hmm, it seems your 'hunch' has pointed us in the right direction," mumbled Temari as she came up beside him. "The two blondes . . . They're definitely the Fire Prince and Princess.”“How are you so sure?” Gaara challenged.“I read their bio info of course! It may have been sparse, but it did have useful details to help us figure out their identities,” Temari admitted, a small smirk growing along her face. “For starters, the info mentioned that they were both blondes, a trait they inherited from their father, which is impressive considering that anyone who ends up marrying an Uzumaki always ends up with redheaded children in the end. Conveniently enough, there's only two blondes in that group.""That may be true, but did that intel also mention that the prince had whisker marks on his face?" Kankuro asked as he stared at the supposed prince in particular. "Like seriously, how are whisker marks natural?"“Oh, they're natural alright, especially if the jinchuuriki has been one since his or her birth. . .” Shukaku mused with a throaty chuckle. “We tailed beasts have a tendency of 'marking' our jinchuuriki if he or she becomes our host as soon as they're born, or, in your case, before they are born. Anyway, Kurama marks his hosts with lines across his or her face that resemble whiskers, three on each cheek.”"You tailed beasts may not like being sealed away, but you certainly don't mind marking your territory," Gaara mused as the Fire Prince began dueling the raven-haired boy. "So, what does the Ten Tails usually mark her jinchuuriki with?"
“Ryuna’s mark is a lot more subtle, not as present as the rest of ours. You won’t know until you face the girl in a fight.”
"Great . . ." Gaara turned his attention away from the duel to look at the Fire Princess herself. The girl stood between the brunette and the lavender haired girl, watching the fight unfold. Judging from how the brunette and lavender haired girls were speaking to her in whispers like they were adhering to her direction, Gaara quickly got the feeling that she was probably the leader in that three-man team."So . . ." started Kankuro as he took a step forward. "Should we make our presence known?""I think it's best if we keep quiet for now. What real reason would we have for disturbing them at this point?" Gaara and Kankuro didn’t answer, knowing there was some truth to her logic. "Besides, the longer that they remain unaware of our presence, the longer we can watch them and study their moves.""Is that so?"At the sudden voice, which was coming from somewhere above the siblings, the three turned their heads, weapons at the ready, to see a blonde-haired girl standing on a branch in one of the tallest trees. It didn't take them long to realize that the girl was the Fire Princess herself."Huh, well this is unexpected," mumbled Kankuro as he held his puppet out in front of him, still wrapped in its bandages. "I could have sworn that we saw you standing with the others in the field just seconds ago.""Ah, the beauty of shadow clones, am I right?" the princess asked, her gaze unwavering as she looked at the three, as if she was searching for any noticeable weaknesses they may have. "Judging from the weapons you're carrying, it's safe to assume you’re the Wind King’s children.""You would be correct, but may I be so bold to ask? How exactly have you heard so much about us?" asked Temari, her voice taking on a challenging edge."Being a part of a royal family does have its benefits, don't you think?" she replied, her tone calm. "Although, I'll admit. I was a little miffed that all the info that could be gathered on you three were bio stats. . . I'm sure you three experienced the same thing when you received info on my brother and me.""You have no idea . . ." mumbled Temari as the four heard footsteps from somewhere behind them."Hey sis!" exclaimed the Fire Prince as he looked up at his sister, his voice as loud as his orange colored outfit as he led the group over to their position. "These three aren't giving you any trouble, are they?""On the contrary Naruto. Our fellow royals and I were just having a little chat, that's all," said the princess as she jumped down from her perch."Fellow royals?" A look of realization soon replaced the confusion once he finally got a good look at the Sand Siblings’ faces. "Oh yeah. Pa mentioned that we should look out for you three in the coming days.""Despite only being here for about an hour now, you've already made quite a buzz around the village," mumbled the girl with shoulder length lavender hair as she pushed her black rimmed glasses up her nose. "Especially the prince with the ‘panda-like’ eyes."“Did she just say 'panda-like' eyes?” Shukaku growled, his anger instantly getting Gaara's attention. It also had the side effect of sending a tremor of pain through the redhead's skull. “For her information, it's tanuki-like eyes. They're not panda-like, and I will kill any and all who continue to make that mistake!” "Calm down you damn tanuki! You're letting something as simple as an understandable misinterpretation get under your skin? Really? Do you know how sad it is for you, a centuries-old demon, to be so easily irritated by the smallest of things?" Gaara responded right back, his eyes not missing how the Fire Princess was staring at him from the corner of her eyes."I don't care about who's making everyone talk. Right now, all I care about is getting ready for the Showcase," mumbled the raven-haired boy as he walked away from the group. "Are you guys coming? Naruto? Sakura?""Coming Sasuke!" exclaimed the pinkette as she eagerly followed him. Naruto grumbled something under his breath before following after them, quickly doing a small wave at the rest of the group before disappearing into the trees."Sorry about Lord Uchiha. As you can see, he's not really the most courteous person here in the village." mumbled the Fire Princess as she shook her head. The last name was definitely familiar to the siblings, considering it belonged to one of the strongest clans in existence. The fact that the Uchihas held one of the strongest dojutsu on the planet instantly made them a cause for concern for many shinobi, which meant that the siblings knew they had to tread carefully around Sasuke if they ever managed to fight him in the future."When is he ever courteous?" grumbled the scowling brunette. "Sasuke has been rocking the pompous attitude for as long as he's been wearing that ridiculous duck-butt hairstyle of his!""However, whether you like it or not, he does have the right idea," said the lavender-haired girl as she looked off into the distance. "We should be spending less time talking and more time training. Ishida-sensei won't be too happy with us if she finds out we haven’t been training like we said we would.""Damn, same goes for our mentor," Kankuro managed to spit out before Temari could answer for the group. "I guess we'll just have to part ways for now.""I guess you're right," said the Fire Princess as she started walking away, only to look over her shoulder seconds later. "Unless you three plan on following us to study our moves like you originally planned."Despite her innocent tone, the Sand Siblings knew that the Fire Princess' voice carried the hint of a veiled threat, one that she wouldn't mind acting on as a sudden chill went down their backs. The three had been on guard from the get-go, but now they were enveloped by a sudden tenseness that almost made their legs quiver, even Gaara’s, who usually sees this kind of reaction from people as soon as they meet him.“Hm, this chill is definitely Ryuna's doing,” Shukaku mumbled, his voice sounding agitated, yet impressed. “Maybe my sister is more interconnected with her jinchuuriki than I originally thought. . . Better say something boy, but be careful with your words. If you say the wrong thing, you’ll definitely pay for it later.”"Fine . . . Don't worry," Gaara finally said, deciding to take the tanuki's words to heart, this time around. "We’re simply here to train, not spy.""That's all I wanted to hear," said the royal as she turned forward. "Let's go Haruka, Nanami!""Right!" the two girls chorused as the princess leapt onto a branch. As the three disappeared into the trees, the siblings were left to contemplate on what just happened and what they’ve witnessed so far.There was a lot to take in."Okay, did either of you two feel a chill just move through your spine?" Kankuro asked as he pointed to his own back. "Because I felt it, and it didn't feel good. . . Not good at all.""It's probably due to the influence her tailed beast has on her," Temari suggests as she continued to stare off in the direction the three girls went off to. “Besides that, we at least got to see what some of our upcoming competition looked like. We may not have been able to witness any of their jutsu, but judging from how they carry themselves, they may put up a good fight.”
“Che, the girl’s last words; that definitely had Ryuna’s claw prints all over it. She's definitely sealed in the Fire Princess. I have no doubts about that.”
"Your sister definitely knows how to make a point.” Gaara mumbled, more to himself than to the tanuki inside him."Gaara, c’mon! Let's find somewhere else to train!" called Temari, who was already halfway into the field with Kankuro when she realized that their sand-manipulating brother was still at the field's periphery.
“You have no idea flesh bag. Think of it as a common trait that all jinchuuriki happen to share. Ryuna just happens to be the best at it.”
"And just when I thought you were unique in that aspect," the prince mumbled as he joined his siblings in the field. "Still, I'll have to be careful of the Fire Princess from now on. . . Now that I know who’s sealed inside who, we can’t take the twins lightly, especially her."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Day 1 of the Shinobi Showcase

"Temari! You ready yet?!" Kankuro yelled as he, Gaara, and Baki patiently stood by the exit, the heir apparent still a no-show. "If we don't leave now, we're going to be late for sure. Don’t blame me if we end up missing something important okay?!""I'm coming, I'm coming!" called the blonde, finally walking out of her room as she tightened one of her pigtails. "Sheesh, can't a girl fix her pigtails in peace?""Not if she wants to be on time for the Showcase preliminaries that is. This wouldn’t have been an issue if you took care of your hair a little earlier. . . Now then, let’s go." Baki announced as he opened the door and walked out, the siblings immediately following suit like chicks following after the mama duck.They quickly left their hotel and traversed Konoha's many streets, weaving through the busy thoroughfares until they arrived at the ninja academy. It was a long multi-level structure coated in white marble with a roof of red tiles. The main door was wide open, but most of the action was happening in the surrounding courtyard.When the siblings walked onto the premises, they finally came face-to-face with their competition, and there was plenty of it to be seen. The courtyard was almost filled to the brim with teams from kingdoms scattered all across the land, and teams were still filing into the courtyard after them.Many instantly took notice of the three Wind natives, and while most kept their faces neutral, some wore expressions that clued them in to what they were thinking. A number of them seemed wary, while others weren’t impressed.The three didn’t mind proving them wrong."Alright, this is where we part ways," Baki announced as he turned to his charges. "Traditionally, all mentors and senseis wait out the preliminaries away from their respective teams until a certain point is reached. So, until that moment comes, consider yourselves on your own.""If that’s the case, how many preliminary rounds should we expect to face then?" Temari asked, slightly amused. "Two? Three?""The number is not a standard thing Temari. It changes with each new edition of the Showcase. The participants usually don’t know until they are well into the competition . . . Anyway, if that is all, I will see you all later."“Well this should be fun. We get to face off against a lot of competition in a series of preliminary rounds whose total amount is unknown to us.”“Not only that Kankuro. What the rounds entail is not known to the competitors until they are actually competing in them, which means we don’t have the luxury of planning and strategizing for them hours before they happen. We just have to wait and adapt when needed.” Temari added, trying to be helpful, but her words only helped to darken her brother’s mood.“That too, and this is the preliminaries we are talking about here . . . Great,” Kankuro grumbled as Baki took his leave. "Anyway, let’s size up the competition, I guess. Do you two see anyone around here that could prove to be a problem for us?""Besides Princess Shizuka and her team?" Temari asked, pointing toward the staircase. The Fire Princess, Haruka, and Nanami, were the only team on the stairs, sitting along one of the flat stone railings. It was the first time the siblings had seen them since their first encounter at the training grounds days ago.“Huh, so that’s the girl’s name. Shizuka, huh? Sounds strong.” Shukaku mumbled, weirdly in a complimenting mood. “The girl definitely looks quiet, yet perfectly calm and unfazed . . . It's almost unsettling. I’m impressed.”Gaara couldn't help but agree with the tanuki's assessment as he observed the blonde, who looked completely serene despite the commotion going on around her, and the fact that her teammates were arguing about something toward her immediate right.He would have threatened them with a Sand Coffin if he was in her position."Well, yeah, besides them," said Kankuro as the three walked over to the shade of a nearby tree. "Is there anybody else - besides them - that you guys think could cause us some trouble today? I'm sure you two have seen someone around here that you're worried about."“Well, there is a lot of competition to look at,” Temari mumbled. “A lot of them should be strong, considering that the Showcase is notorious for attracting teams with members from powerful ninja clans after all.”“Including us . . .” Gaara added as he crossed his arms. “The fact that we’re royalty also has the drawback of putting a larger target on our backs compared to most.”“That’s true, but at least we’re not the only ones in that boat,” Kankuro added. “The Fire Twins will be targeted as much as we will, if we think about things from a royal standpoint. Hell, they probably have the biggest target out of all of us because they do have the home soil advantage.”“Fair point,” Temari conceded. “However, the last part you just mentioned could apply to every Fire Kingdom team competing here today.”“That’s true . . .” the puppeteer conceded in return. “So, how long do you think they’ll make us wait?”"ALL TEAMS! MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE STAIRCASE! ALL OF YOU! OVER HERE! NOW!""Does that answer your question Kankuro?”The brunet scowled, but Temari simply smiled in return before following Gaara over to the crowd gathering at the base of the stairs. As everyone gathered at the base, a rather intimidating middle-aged man stood at the top. He was dressed in a gray, military uniform with a black trench coat over it, matching black boots, and a black bandanna tied around his head.Despite his intimidating choice of apparel, his face was what really sold his menacing appearance. Two long scars stretched across his face, with one stopping just below his right eye, while the other curved along his face's left side and through his lip, stopping in the middle of his chin."Welcome to the Shinobi Showcase!" said the man, his voice deep, grating, and very far reaching, being clear as a whistle to those standing in the very back. "My name is Ibiki Morino. I'm the head of the Interrogation Corps, but today, you will know me as one of the main proctors assigned to oversee the Showcase . . . Many of you are here today for glory, honor, or whatever incentive your kingdom offered you before sending you here. However, only a certain number of you will actually make it to the final round, and this is where the preliminaries come in.""Now then, I bet you all are wondering how many rounds you’ll be facing in these preliminaries,” Ibiki continued, guessing right on what was going through most of the crowd’s collective minds at the moment. "Well, might as well end the suspense now . . . You will only be facing two rounds, but many of you will be eliminated at the end of each one, I guarantee it. . . We can only allow a certain number of you into the finals, so if more teams pass the second round than expected, a special third round of preliminaries will take place to cut the numbers down even more.""But how many people are expected to make it to the finals though?" Kankuro mumbled as an annoyed look crossed his face."He was nice enough to give us the number of rounds we’re dealing with, but I guess asking for how many spots in the finals would be a bit too much, don’t you think?" Temari mumbled as she continued to look ahead.“I don't care about the number of people allowed in the finals,” mumbled Shukaku. “All I care about is spilling some blood before the competition is over.”"Blood, blood, blood . . ." Gaara grumbled, shaking his head. "That all you can really think about right now . . . Damn shame.”
“Shut up! You make me sound like I’m addicted to it.”

“Well, aren’t you?”
Shukaku didn’t bother to entertain that question with a response."Right now, you all will make your way into one of the classrooms here at the Academy. The choice of which classroom to go into is up to you, but your entire group must agree to it. Once there, the monitor assigned to your room will give you further details on today's first round," said Ibiki as he jutted his thumb to the building behind him. "It's time to move, and if I were you, I’d pick my classroom wisely."The crowd moved to follow Ibiki into the Academy, walking past the main lobby and up a set of stairs to the second floor, where they were greeted by a hallway lined with jonin on either side, all of them dressed in the same uniform that Ibiki was wearing."Like I said before, pick your classroom wisely," said Ibiki as he stood beside the open door at the very far end of the hallway. "Now then, CHOOSE!""So, which room guys?" Kankuro quickly asked as some teams started entering random classrooms while others were still weighing their options. "Any ideas?""I suggest we go with the room that our biggest competition will be in," Temari advised as she looked around the hallway. "It's best to keep our eyes on our biggest threats at all times. If they make a mistake and show a weakness, then we'll certainly know about it.""We’re only left with one option then." Gaara pronounced as he looked down the hallway. His eyes were on the doorway that Ibiki was standing next to, which happened to be the same one that Princess Shizuka and her team just went through. His elder siblings nodded in agreement and quickly followed him down the hall. When they entered the large classroom, they saw that most of the shinobi were natives of the Fire Kingdom, including Prince Naruto and his team."Damn, a lot of teams came in here," said Temari as she looked around to get a layout of the classroom. The lecture-style room was simply designed at best, with the tables being long enough to fit three people, organized into three separate columns. " . . . And a lot of them look like they could prove a challenge.""I think using the phrase 'a lot' is a bit of a stretch sis," said Kankuro, resisting the urge to chuckle at one team that consisted of a girl looking at her reflection in the window, a boy snacking on a bag of chips, and a second boy who already looked half asleep, his hair tied up in a way that made his head look like a pineapple. "I don’t know about you guys, but some of these people look like they should be eliminated already.""Appearances can be deceiving. You should never misjudge your enemy, or else you’ll get a kunai in your throat for all your troubles," said Ibiki, startling Kankuro so much that he almost jumped out of his sandals. "If you really are that simpleminded toward others, I suggest you leave right now little princeling."Kankuro didn't bother to respond. The intense stare he received from Ibiki instantly made him tongue-tied, much to Gaara's annoyance and Temari's chagrin. Ignoring the silent prince, the head of the Interrogation Corps walked back over to the open door and immediately slammed it shut, instantly gaining everyone else's attention."I want everyone to take a seat, but do not sit next to either of your teammates. Separate yourselves from each other as best as you can," ordered Ibiki as he walked over to the teacher's podium. "You have thirty seconds. Your time starts now!"Not wanting to agitate the proctor any further, everyone quickly got into a seat, with some holding back more than others to see where people were moving to. One of them happened to be Gaara, who stood back as everyone scrambled for a good seat. When the dust started to settle, he saw that Princess Shizuka was sitting in the back of the room at the last table of the middle column. She was sitting in the middle seat, with the chair to her left being already filled by a shinobi from the Rain Kingdom. The chair to her right was still empty.And it was the chair that Gaara decided to take.“Bold move of you Gaara. Not many would choose to outright sit next to a royal, especially if they know that she’s a jinchuriki. Granted, you’re in the same boat, but still, it’s quite ballsy of you to do such a thing . . . This should be interesting.”"Shut up you damn tanuki," Gaara retorted, not in the mood for the beast’s amusement as he reached the table. He took off his gourd and placed it next to the table before sitting down. The Rain shinobi shot the prince a curious glance before turning away, but Shizuka never spared him a glance. ". . . And she doesn't even bother to look my way."
“Maybe it's because you and your siblings tried to spy on her the other day.”
"Ok, fair point, but still, shut up." Gaara ordered as he noticed that Ibiki held a stack of papers in his hands.The look on his face didn’t help matters either."This first round is simple. In fact, it’s probably the easiest round you will face in this entire competition," Ibiki calmly explained as he held the stack up like it was a hard-won trophy. "Simply put, you all will be taking a ten-question exam.""What the fuck?!" "Is he serious?" "But I didn't know we had to study for a test!" were some of the answers that the man got in return. He brushed the comments aside as he began to pass the papers along. He kept them face down as he went from table to table, passing along pencils as well."You will have only one hour to complete it," Ibiki further added once he was done. “Any questions so far?”"Um, excuse me, but is there a benchmark score we should strive for?" asked a pink haired girl from the front row. Gaara immediately recognized her as one of the girls from the training ground, the one who was a part of Prince Naruto’s team."A benchmark? Hmm, you know, I'll let you guys ponder that one," said Ibiki, his smirk inspiring a sense of dread among most in the room. "However, I will tell you this. If any of you decide to quit this exam - and many of you will before the hour is up - you'll not only take yourself out of this competition entirely, but you will also be taking out your teammates as well. If you decide to leave, the rest of the team must leave with you. . . Also, here’s another piece of advice, keep your eyes on your own paper. You got that?!"
“Hmm, it seems that this first round does not leave much margin for error.”
"You're right. They are not making things easy for us,” Gaara added as he looked down at the paper before him. “If you quit, not only do you take yourself out of the competition, but your entire team as well. If they wanted to increase the pressure, this stipulation certainly covers it.”"Now then, you have your instructions. You can now turn your papers over and begin your exam. You have one hour!"Everyone turned their sheets over and instantly, shock and dread were obvious on the shinobi's faces as they started reading over the questions. Despite the fact that only nine questions were on each sheet, the level of difficulty in each question was much higher than originally expected, especially since most of the field were officially ranked as genin, aka rookies.All of the royals in the room were included in this category."They expect us to know the answers to these damn things?" Gaara grumbled as he looked over the sheet. He looked around to see what his siblings’ reactions would be, which was difficult since he was seated in the last row. His brother was shaking his head, as if the sheet offended him just for even existing. Considering the room’s overall reaction to the test, he couldn’t blame him.As for Temari, she looked completely calm from her seat in the front corner of the room. She always did consider herself the most book smart of the three. For her, this could be a relative cakewalk for her.
“I can feel the pressure building in the room. They're definitely not making things easy for you little squirts, and I like it! If you want your spot in the finals, you’re gonna have to really work for it, your princely status be damned!”
"Speaking of the pressure, it looks like the round has just claimed its first victims." said Gaara as two teams exited the room. He didn't linger on them long once movement on his left gained his attention. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Princess Shizuka was already halfway finished with her test, writing down her answers in her crisp, neat handwriting. ". . . Okay, didn’t expect that, but it is impressive."
“This girl already has that much of the test completed, despite the level of difficulty. Hm, she must have studied under some really good tutors to accomplish this much already. . . Too bad you can't really cheat off her. With you two sitting next to each other and all, you would be accused of cheating right off the bat.
”
"Cheating . . . Wait a minute . . . I think you just gave me a good idea Shukaku." The redhead tuned the tanuki out before he could even ask what he meant. Bringing a hand to his forehead, his middle and forefinger touched the skin right above his right eye, obscuring it from view. His action would seem normal to most, but in truth, he was discreetly molding his chakra-infused sand together until it became a replica of a human eye.
"I should have known that this test wasn't going to be as straightforward as it sounded.
They gave us these hard questions for a reason. The organizers know that most of us will find them difficult if we had to answer them on our own."
“Wait a minute. Are you saying that the organizers WANT you to cheat?” Shukaku asked. “Hold up . . . Oh, I see. They're not testing you squirts to see how much knowledge you have in your pea-brained skulls. They gave you this test to see how well you can cheat without getting caught.”
“Exactly! Instead of testing us on our intellect, they’re testing us on one of the core skills all shinobi must have, gathering information.”

“And I see your way of cheating will be the Third Eye technique . . . Probably your only option at this point.”
Gaara quickly sent said eye up to the ceiling without anyone noticing, placing it behind one of the light fixtures right above him. The angle allowed him a good view of the rest of the room, allowing him to see who was worth cheating off of and who to not bother with. He paid particular attention to his sister and the pink-haired girl, both already done with most of their respective tests. He quickly wrote down the answers he saw - going slow enough that the proctor wouldn’t think that something was up, but fast enough to be considered a reasonable pace - and set the test aside before dissolving his technique, finishing everything within 20 minutes.“Hmm, that wasn't so bad, but there's still an issue with the tenth question,” said Shukaku as another team left the room. “Mainly, WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS THE TENTH QUESTION?!”"We'll find out soon enough." Gaara calmly answered as he looked around the room, noticing that Shizuka was now finished with her test. So was Temari, the pink-haired girl, and a few others, including the boy whose spiky, dark ponytail reminded him of a pineapple. Others were still writing, with some, like Sasuke and Kankuro, calmly answering questions while others - most shockingly Naruto - were visibly struggling.
“Hmm, should have figured that some people would finish faster than others. The faster ones are probably the best when it comes to gathering intel. The slower ones, not so much . . .”
 
"I actually have to agree with you on that one," Gaara mumbled as more shinobi finished their tests. "But back to the tenth question though . . .  What could it possibly be?"
“Don’t worry, little redhead. I believe we're about to find out.”
The sound of the new voice instantly made said redhead eyes shoot open, never expecting the response. Instead of hearing Shukaku’s grating, slightly hysteric voice, the new one was calmer, feminine, and ancient, as if the voice belonged to someone - or something - wise beyond its years. It was completely unfamiliar to Gaara, but it seemed that Shukaku recognized it easily enough, because he was over his shock much faster than his host.“RYUNA!!!” Shukaku growled in disbelief, his voice reverberating through Gaara's skull so much that it made the redhead clutch his forehead, as if he suddenly gained a migraine."Ryuna?" Gaara asked, his voice laden with shock and disbelief, his mental ears open to see if the Ten Tails would speak again. Alas, he got no answer. The beast remained silent, as if she had never spoken in his head to begin with. "Was that really the Ten Tails speaking to me just now?"“It was, but she's not bothering to answer back. She was probably checking to see if the link between me and her was still working or something. . . Nice to see that it is.” Shukaku mumbled, no longer sounding surprised by his sibling’s apparent intrusion.Actually, he sounded quite used to it."I see . . ." Gaara whispered as he noticed that Shizuka had a tiny smirk on her face from the corner of his eye, as if she was in on the little intrusion.Judging from the smirk, she probably was."Alright then. There are 15 minutes left, and it seems that all of you appear to be finished with the questions that have already been given to you . . . Well, most of you," said Ibiki, his voice cutting through the silence. "Anyway, it's time for the tenth question, well, if you choose to accept it anyway.""Wait a minute. If we choose to accept it?" asked a boy dressed in what Gaara would describe as the most ridiculous outfit that he has ever seen a shinobi wear. Despite looking different, the clothes were simple at best: a green bodysuit, orange leg warmers, and bandages wrapped from mid-hand to the elbows. "What do you mean by that?""Before I tell you what the last question is, I will give you all a choice," said Ibiki. "If you choose to take on this question - which is the hardest of the bunch - and fail to answer it correctly, you and your team must leave, now banned from participating in any further Showcases from this day until your deaths.”Ibiki took that moment to pause, letting the shinobi before him absorb this bombshell. Once he saw that he thoroughly terrified a few souls, he continued.“However, if you choose to leave now, you will remain eligible for future Showcases, but you will be eliminated from this one . . . Choose wisely. I'll give you all a minute to decide your fate."“They really are not making things easy for you brats. I like their style,” Shukaku mumbled as a sizable amount of the remaining shinobi decided to call it a day. With their departure, less than half of the total shinobi that came into the room in the beginning remained. “It's amazing to see so many lose their composure as soon as they hear something detrimental. . . Fucking hell, I saw at least three people cry as they walked out the door! How weak can they could be!?”"Really? This many are willing to stay?" Ibiki asked as he looked around the room, his voice sounding unimpressed. "I don't believe it. I'm sure some of you are still thinking about leaving. Hell, some of you look like you want to leave. I won't judge you if you decide to go now, but time is precious, and you’re wasting it at this point . . ."Despite the complaint, those remaining in the room stayed seated. Some looked unfazed by the proctor’s ‘insistence’, while others looked like they just didn’t care."Hmm, what about you Naruto?" Ibiki asked, his eyes going straight to the Crown Prince sitting in the middle of the room. Gaara turned his head to see that Shizuka now looked mildly interested in this sudden turn of events; her eyes trained on him like a hawk. "Are you thinking about leaving Prince? I know as the heir to your father's throne, you have a lot of pressure on you to do well, but I'm sure he'll be okay with finding out that you decided to leave early.""Not a chance!" the blonde exclaimed, unabashedly shaking his head. "Nice try Proctor Morino, but I'm not quitting this competition that easy! You're going to have to try something better than that if you really want to see me leave.""Hm, should have known he would react like that," Shizuka mumbled, leaning back in her chair. "He hates it whenever someone suggests he quit something.""Is he really that stubborn?" Gaara asked, going out on a limb to ask the question. He hadn’t been planned to speak with her, but since he was sitting right next to her, he figured why not."You have no idea. Quitting is just not in his vocabulary," Shizuka answered. "Just like how sleep isn't a part of yours I'm guessing."
“Ooh, she got you there flesh bag!”
"No thanks to you, you damn tanuki!" Gaara answered right back, but Shukaku ignored him, still too busy chuckling over the dig the princess hit his host with. And speaking of the Fire Princess . . .  "And let me guess, friendliness isn't really a part of yours?""To be honest, not really. My background really hasn't helped me in the 'friends' department, for more reasons than one might I add." said the blonde, her voice solemn as she gave her stomach a quick glance"You and me both." Gaara thought, looking down at his own stomach, home to the seal that kept Shukaku at bay. The tanuki snorted at that remark, but before the redhead could say something back, the proctor’s voice stopped him short."CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ALL PASSED THE FIRST ROUND!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ALL PASSED THE FIRST ROUND!"

“WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FLYING FUCK?!”

Shukaku's sudden - and very abrasive - exclamation echoed throughout Gaara's skull, taking the young prince completely off guard. The pain of it all actually made the redhead visibly flinch, but no one picked up on it, much to his relief.The tanuki's sentiment was shared with pretty much everyone else remaining in the room, sans Ibiki, who looked quite smug about his latest reveal. While some were stunned into silence, others tried to form sentences, too shocked to come up with any proper wording to address the proctor with."It seems that what I just said has gone over some of your heads, so I'll say it again, just for your collective sakes,” Ibiki calmly stated as he leaned against the teacher’s podium. “Congratulations! You all passed the first preliminary round. You all are one step closer to the finals. . . Give yourselves a pat on the back."“Wait a second! How the hell did we all pass?!” The question came from the blonde girl in purple. Despite her hair hiding practically half her face, it wasn’t hard to see the disturbed look on her face. "Well, the Showcase isn't just an event for people to watch and make monetary bets on,” Ibiki started as he looked around the room. “It's also an event that tests your skills as shinobi. For example, this first test was designed to test not only your critical thinking skills, but also your ability to collect information.""So, basically you were testing us to see how smart we are and how well we could cheat off each other." Sasuke clarified as he leaned back in his seat, which was three tables away from where Gaara and Shizuka were seated."More or less,” Ibiki admitted. “There was one more thing that you all were tested on, and that was how willing you were to continue on despite the unknown that laid before you . . . Because you all decided to remain in this room - despite not knowing what the tenth question was, whether or not you would get it right, and the consequences for if you got the question wrong - you chose to go with the unknown instead of the certain path, the guaranteed way out. . . That itself was the tenth question, and you all passed with flying colors."“I've said it before, and I'll say it again. They are not making it easy for you brats!” Shukaku mumbled, but Gaara only paid half attention to him as a brownish figure suddenly crashed through the window that was closest to the front, startling most of the room as glass flew everywhere.A few tense seconds ticked by before the figure stood up from its crouch. It turned out to be a woman in an open brown trench coat, her ninja outfit leaving little to the imagination. A serpentine smile stretched across her pale face as her eyes scanned the room, the intensity of her gaze starting to rattle some of the remaining competition."Anko, what have I told you about bursting through windows to make an entrance?" Ibiki chided as a scowl appeared on his face. “You’re a ninja. Act like it!”"Oh Ibiki, you know simply walking through doorways isn't my cup of tea," said the woman as she plucked a piece of glass from off her sleeve. "I like to make my entrances more entertaining, if you will.""More entertaining?! Frightening is more like it?" Ibiki mumbled, clearly not impressed with her antics. Anko simply answered him with another grin, but it only earned her a roll of her eyes from the older man. "Why do I even bother . . . I'll leave the group to you from this point on.""Good, and don't worry! I'll take good care of these guys Ibiki." Anko promised, her grin sugary sweet, yet hinting at the malice she likely had planned for them."It's not them that I'm worried about. . ." He mumbled; his tone too low for anyone to hear properly as he closed the door behind him with a sharp slam."So, now that he’s gone, I suggest you all forget about what just happened here in this room and start focusing on how you're going to get through the next round, because it starts right now!" Anko announced with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. "My name is Anko Mitarashi, and I'm the head proctor for the second preliminary round. Nice to make your acquaintance everyone!"“Hmpfh, didn't strike me as the proctoring type . . .” Shukaku mumbled, which was a statement Gaara couldn't help but agree with."Okay, I’ll admit it. I don’t look like the proctoring type. Hell, I don’t even look like I should be around children at all. I’m only here because my area of expertise makes me a prime candidate to oversee this upcoming round. . . I hope you all have brushed up on your survival skills!" she teased, though her eyes were very serious. “Follow me! It's time that I showed you all your next battleground.""Survival skills huh?" Gaara thought as he stood from his seat. "Wherever she's leading us to must be a dangerous place."“That's fine by me!” Shukaku exclaimed, his voice verging on erratic. “Danger means the potential for blood after all! We may finally get to kill something in this damn competition, maybe even one of your fellow competitors if we're that lucky.”"Why am I not surprised you said that . . ." Gaara thought as he put his gourd back on. "Blood spilling is the only thing that makes you really happy these days after all."
“What else do you expect from me?! I can barely do anything while I’m sealed in here, and my main form of entertainment is what I see through your eyes . . .”

“So, let me guess. If there’s no blood involved, you just get bored to tears? Without it, you’re just not interested, is that it?”
“More or less. It does bring some color into my dreary life . . .” Shukaku mumbled, his tone a little airy due to the reminiscing. Gaara was not impressed, and the tanuki could feel his displeasure. “Oh, don’t be like that Gaara. This is just how I am . . . Besides, if this next test is what I think it is, you may have the chance to take out some of your tougher competition in one sandy swoop, like the Uchiha kid, or maybe even the Fire Prince, or his sister if you wanted to take a shot at her.”"Did you just suggest the idea of me taking on the Fire Princess?" Gaara couldn't help but ask as he snuck a look at the blonde walking just ahead of him. "Granted, you do make a fair point, but seriously? You want me to attack the girl that has your most powerful relative sealed inside her? That’s poking the proverbial bear right there you know." “It was only a suggestion . . .” Shukaku was quick to correct. “Anyway, like I said, you have many options to choose from, even some of the small fry still in this thing, though they won't be as satisfying as those with the larger chakra reserves.” "You always did prefer the blood of powerful shinobi."
“Aw, you get me!”
"That was probably the most ridiculous test that I've ever had to do!" Kankuro grumbled as all three siblings reunited in the hallway. "If it weren't for my puppets, I would have been fucked!""At least we know who we would blame if we suddenly found ourselves booted from the room," Temari not-so-quietly mumbled, her comment earning her the puppeteer's ire. "Oh, come on Kankuro! We all know you were struggling. . ! Anyway, the field has been cut down quite a bit from the look of this hallway alone. There's still quite a lot of teams still in this thing though.""Let’s hope the second round does a better job than the first. The less people in the showcase, the easier it'll be to win it all," said Kankuro. "Any idea on what this 'survival' themed second round gonna be about?""Four words: The Forest of Death."
“I like the sound of that!”
“Of course, you would . . .” Gaara thought as he looked at his sister. “The Forest of the Death Temari?”"Since this is supposed to be a survival themed challenge we’re facing, then Konoha's Forest of Death is the most likely place Proctor Mitarashi is leading us to," the blonde explained. "It's a gated off area located on the outskirts of the village. . . It has gained some well-deserved notoriety for being one of the deadliest places in all the kingdoms. It’s so dangerous that people have to sign waiver forms releasing the Fire Kingdom from any liability in their potential deaths or injuries before going inside. . . If the organizers really don't want that many people moving on to the finals, then the Forest of Death is the best place to use."Kankuro opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it right back, slightly unsure at what awaited them. Gaara took what Temari said and filed it to the back of his mind, not wanting to fret on it too long.Then again, he wasn't one for fretting regardless.It didn't take long for the remaining competitors to arrive at their somewhat desired destination. After jumping from rooftop to rooftop throughout the village, the remaining competitors arrived to see a large crosswire gate separating themselves from a large, thickly dense forest. Entry points were scattered along the gate at 50 feet intervals, and in between two of the entrances was a booth manned by two Konoha jonin."Alright, gather round small fry! I'm only going to say this once! I don't plan on repeating myself, so keep your ears peeled!" Anko ordered as she stood in front of the booth. "Behind this gate here is the Forest of Death, the location for the second round of these preliminaries!""Now then, your objective for this challenge revolves around these bad boys," Anko announced as she took out two matching scrolls from her coat pocket. One was marked with the kanji for ‘Earth’ while the other was marked with the kanji for ‘Heaven’. "These are the Heaven and Earth scrolls, and each team will get one of them from the booth right behind me . . . You will have to get the other scroll you need by stealing it from another team while inside the Forest of Death.""Now, just because you claim both scrolls doesn't mean the challenge is over for you. You have to bring the scrolls to the tower located in the center of the forest, within five days’ time, in order to pass the challenge. . . There is no extension. Five days is all you have.""Huh, all we have to do is steal the opposite scroll to the one we'll have and bring it to a tower within the next 120 hours," Kankuro summarized, his face contemplative. "That doesn't sound too hard. . .""You’re forgetting about the part where we’ll have to navigate a deadly forest with unknown creatures and dangers in its midst in order to get to said tower Kankuro," Temari chastised, not looking impressed by her brother’s simple thinking. "Anything can happen in there. Quicksand, poisonous animals, ambushes . . . Who knows? We may run into something that not even Gaara could handle. Now imagine that!"
“How dare she say that!? As if there was something actually in there that my sand couldn't beat! You got to be fucking kidding me!”
"One word: Water"
“Oh, shut up! You’re not helping with your brand of negativity!”

“Was I supposed to?”
"Now then, there are some rules that you must follow if you're going to get through this challenge successfully," Anko added as she stuffed the scrolls back into her coat. "Firstly, if you lose the scroll you start with, you are not immediately disqualified. . . You just have to work that much harder to claim two scrolls instead of one. If you try to bring two scrolls of the same type to the tower - for example, two Heaven scrolls - you won't be allowed entry into the tower unless you have one of each type. No exceptions!""Secondly, you must not open your scrolls until you enter the tower! If you open them too early, well, I think I'll just keep that a secret for now. . . How you claim a scroll from another team is up to you. If you have to kill your fellow competition in order to get what you want, then so be it. This is why we make you sign waivers before entering here after all. Do you have any questions?" Anko asked as she looked around at the ninjas that stood in front of her.No one uttered a single word."Good. Now then, get with your teams and head for the booth. Once you got your scroll and you have signed your waivers, make your way to one of the entrances. Only one team per entrance is allowed . . . The second round will start in 20 minutes, so get to it!"When the line eventually formed, the Sand Siblings ended up behind one of the teams from the Grass Kingdom near the front. When it was finally their turn at the booth, they each signed off on a liability waiver before claiming an Earth scroll and making their way over to one of the entrances on the right."Okay, so how are we gonna do this?" Kankuro was quick to ask as he leaned against the gate. "We have an Earth scroll, which means we'll have to get a Heaven scroll to complete the set. How exactly are we going to procure it?""We could head for the tower first and then ambush any incoming teams that follow behind us, but other groups may have the same idea," Temari grumbled as she looked out at the dense forest that awaited them. "We'd be wasting time and chakra fighting them off . . . I’d say we travel until we run into another team and ambush them. If they have the scroll we need, we take it and go; no point in wasting time after all!""And if they try to fight back after we take their scroll?" Gaara asked, knowing very well that the tanuki in his head would bug him about it until he finally asked."Well, they did sign the waivers after all. If they want to risk their lives against us, then let them. I don’t think you need me to explain what comes next . . ." the blonde mumbled as she continued looking forward.Gaara simply nodded his head at that, but Shukaku was very much thrilled.
“The point of this round is to dwindle the numbers even further. We would honestly be doing them a favor!”
Gaara chose to ignore the tanuki, tuning the tailed beast out as the door finally swung open. The three siblings cleared it, jumping onto the branch of the nearest tree before propelling themselves forward.Aside from the sound of their sandals hitting the branches, the three traveled in relative silence. Considering that they were surrounded by competition left and right, drawing any unwanted attention was definitely not the best move at the moment.Unfortunately, it didn't take long for one of them to break the silence."Anyone else getting a little unsettled by this place?" Kankuro mumbled as his eyes scanned the trees around them. "I know it's called the ‘Forest of Death’ for a reason and everything, but still . . . This place is just giving me the creeps!""I know," Temari mumbled, shaking her head in mild agreement. "It's as if this place is alive somehow, like it's watching us . . . You know what? Let's try to not focus on how creepy this forest is okay? We have bigger things to worry about anyway."
“Sheesh! Are your siblings really that freaked out over a bunch of bushes and shrubs? What's so damn fucking scary about plant life?!”
"It depends on the plant life, actually," Gaara grumbled as he jumped over a branch. "Just calm down Shukaku. I know you’re eager to kill something, but sometimes you just don't get what you want in life."
“Like how you want to be with your mother but can't because she's dead. . ? I guess you're right on that one.”
"Ouch, that was a cold-blooded move and you know it Shukaku. . .” the redhead grumbled as he brought a hand to his chest, his heart echoing the familiar ache he felt whenever his deceased mother was brought up. He knew his mother passed on after bringing him into the world, but it still hurt to think about her, nonetheless.“Brat, have you met me?” Shukaku asked, his voice laced with all the sarcasm in the world. “I’m the very definition of cold-blooded . . . Now look alive! We got company.”"Oh great . . ." Gaara grumbled as he and his siblings jumped down into a small open plain. The rustling of a nearby bush grabbed the three's attention, their eyes going straight over to a set of nearby bushes.They parted, revealing a second team emerging from their depths, their forehead protectors depicting the four straight lines that symbolized the Rain Kingdom. Gaara was quick to remember that the shortest of the three sat at his and Shizuka's table back during the first round."Well well well . . . Looks like we’ve run into some royalty boys!" said the tallest of the trio, most likely the team's leader. "I knew we would end up running into teams along the way to the tower, but I didn't think the royal children of the Wind Kingdom would be the first ones we’d see. . . I don’t know about the rest of my team, but I’m honored.""Save the chit chat will ya? We're not here to talk." Temari announced as she took a step forward."Right you are Princess. . .” said the Rain nin as he flexed his fingers. “How about this? Hand over your scroll, and we'll let you live.""As if we'll give our scroll to you three," Kankuro couldn't help but say, his eyes looking ready for a fight. "You're better off giving your scroll to us! If you do, we may guarantee you that your deaths will be painless.""Well aren't you a joker . . . You're definitely dressed the part.""What was that?!" the puppeteer growled. He always took offense when anyone said anything negative about the traditional garb he always wore. "Care to repeat that?""I'm sure you heard me loud and clear. Now give us your scroll or else we'll send you back to your kingdom in body bags!" said the Rain ninja as he reached to grab hold of one of the umbrellas he had strapped to his back."Yep; he just signed his death wish!" Kankuro grumbled, stopping himself short when he noticed his red-headed brother walking forward. "Gaara?""Enough talk!” The young prince proclaimed; his pale eyes locked on the Rain team's leader. "The more we keep this up, the more time we waste. This team decided to confront us, so a confrontation is what they'll get . . . If this Rain ninja wants to die, then why should we deny him his opportunity? We settle this; now!""Uh Shigure, do you really think this is a good idea?" asked one of the other Rain nin, his eyes showing his fear as risked a glance Gaara’s way."Yeah, maybe we should go?" Added the other ninja, almost stumbling over his words. "It's probably not the best idea to go against this team, especially the redhead. There's just something off about the red-, this situation."“He's probably talking about me, and we both know that Rain ninja meant you when he said that something was off!” Shukaku teased, Gaara resisting the urge to roll his eyes in response. “So, what do you plan to do about it flesh bag?”"Shut it, Baiu, Midare! If the redhead wants to talk smack, then he better be able to back his words! I'm not backing down from this fight!" exclaimed Shigure. He angrily took off one of the umbrellas from his back and threw it high in the air, clasping his hands together. "SENBON SHOWER!"
"To answer your earlier question Shukaku, I'm going to finally grant you your long-awaited wish."
A multitude of senbon needles erupted from the airborne umbrella, raining down onto the battlefield. They were all directed at the young redhead, making him disappear in a cloud of dust and needles. Shigure smirked as he watched his weapons hit their target dead on, but he refrained from showing a grin when he noticed the relaxed expressions on the siblings’ faces. He watched with slight trepidation as the dust started to settle, a look of shock appearing once he saw that Gaara was still standing."Was that the best you could do?" Gaara asked, his arms crossed over his chest as his pale green eyes stared Shigure down. His opponent could only look on in horror, his mind trying to determine which was more shocking: the fact that the redhead was completely unharmed, or the fact that he was being surrounded by a barrier of sand. "Well?""How?" asked Shigure, his voice more agitated than fearful. "How is this even possible?"“It should be obvious,” Shukaku grumbled. “The answer is pretty much staring him in the face.”"Gaara's sand instantly responds to whatever threat comes his way. No matter what, you’re not getting past his defenses." Kankuro calmly explained, since Gaara made no move to give an answer himself."His sand PROTECTS him!? Like it has a mind of its own?!" Shigure growled, suddenly rushing forward. "DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!"
“Oh great. Another nonbeliever . . . Gaara, do me a favor and just kill this guy already.”
"I'm not doing this as a favor to you Shukaku," the redhead thought, stretching his hand toward his incoming enemy. The sand followed, grabbing the ninja by the ankle and wrapping itself all around his body, leaving only his scarred face bare. "I'm simply doing this because I don’t want to waste any more time.""If you hadn't bothered to approach us, you may have escaped this day with your life."Gaara’s voice was void of any emotion as he caught the falling umbrella with his other hand. Raising his arm, the sand covering Shigure followed, lifting him up till he was a good fifty feet up in the air.Gaara didn't bother to give Shigure time to plead for his life."SAND COFFIN!"The sand covered the Rain ninja’s face, muffling his panicked screams as the grains began to compress down onto his body. The sound of bones breaking echoed across the area as blood shot out from the sand, going in all different directions. Some of it landed on Shigure's horrified teammates, both stock still as they watched as Shigure got the life crushed out of him.Gaara managed to protect himself from the blood splatter using Shigure's discarded umbrella while Kankuro and Temari had moved back just enough to not be caught in the blood shower."HERE!" Baiu practically screeched as he took out his team's scroll from his pouch. He set it down on the ground before moving a couple of feet back, making sure that the siblings could see the kanji for heaven printed on the front. "Here, you can take our scroll! Just please, let us go!""Hmm, I don't think so." Gaara’s tone was acerbic, his statement earning shocked glances from everyone in the vicinity. It didn't take long for his sand to follow his whims, enveloping the other two Rain nin in its grainy depths before crushing the life right out of them as well.And just like Shigure, there was barely any trace of them."Gaara, why the hell did you do that?!" Temari exclaimed as she stared her brother down in complete disbelief. "Was that even necessary?!""You may think it’s unnecessary, but I think it was a great way of killing two birds with one stone," Gaara calmly stated as he dropped the umbrella. "Not only did my actions cut down some of the competition, but it also served as a message to those that are still in the running."Temari looked at her brother with confused eyes, but the sound of leaves rustling brought her attention to the bushes on their right. She turned just in time to see three Leaf shinobi speeding away from the plain, disappearing into the trees. It was safe to say that those three didn't want anything to do with the royal siblings, with good reason."After seeing that, I guess you make a good point," Temari reluctantly conceded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It may have been beneficial to us, but still, it was a tad bit cruel.""You may not like it sis, but you gotta admit. Gaara's logic is pretty sound. . . With the literal, and I mean literal, elimination of those Rain nin, that’s three less people to worry about. And as for sending a message, if that shinobi team running away was any indication, I think the message will be well received," said Kankuro as he picked up the Heaven scroll. "Well, we got the scroll we needed, so let’s get moving . . . The faster we head out, the faster we can get out of this damn forest!"“Agreed . . .” Temari mumbled as the puppeteer quickly stuffed the Heaven scroll into his pouch. With Gaara now in the lead, the three were back to jumping through the trees, now making a beeline for the tower."Are you satisfied now; you damn tanuki? I gave you what you wanted. A few deaths should soothe your spirit for a while."
“It's good for now, but it would have been even better if you had killed the Leaf shinobi instead of letting them leave unharmed.”
"Wow, not only are you greedy, but you seriously like to whine a lot Shukaku. . . It's very annoying, and very unfitting for a creature such as yourself."
“Oh, shut up you damn flesh bag! I don't need your criticism!”
"And now you know how I feel living with you inside me for all these years. . . Stings doesn’t it?"
“SHUT UP!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Guys, are you seeing what I'm seeing!?"At the sound of their sister’s voice, Kankuro and Gaara both glanced at each other before following her gaze to see a towering red and grey structure about half a mile away. Considering its rather monotone surroundings, the building stood out like a sore thumb."Huh, that must be our destination, and we made great time too,” Kankuro mumbled, a smirk stretching across his painted face. “Has an hour even passed since this challenge began?""Probably, but we'll know for sure once we get there," Temari clarified as she strapped her fan onto her back. She had been carrying it in her hands ever since their encounter with the Rain shinobi, just in case they encountered any other threats. "Hmm, maybe we did get the record. . ."
“We would have taken longer if someone would have just stopped to kill a few more shinobi along the way, but NOOO! That someone chose to ignore me to follow his precious siblings' lead instead.”
"Are you still complaining about that? You need to get over it Shukaku. We have a mission to accomplish, and it does not include satisfying your damn bloodlust. . . If you’re so worried about the remaining numbers, then don’t worry. There's plenty of ways for shinobi to die in this place. It is called the Forest of Death for a reason, after all.""C'mon guys, let's keep moving! We're in the homestretch now!"Gaara, with a grumbling Shukaku still berating his mind, quickly followed after his sister, leaving Kankuro to bring up the rear. The siblings traversed the last stretch of forest they needed to get through before coming to a stop right at the base of the tower's stone steps. Two Leaf shinobi stood guard at the large bronze door, but other than them, there was no one else around."Damn, we really are early," Kankuro mumbled as he looked around the small plain that separated the tower from the rest of the forest. "It doesn’t feel like there’s anyone else around here but us and the guards. . . How much time passed again?”"Do the math Kankuro! The clock above the entrance says it's 2:37. This test started around one . . . So, how much time is that in total?""That's, that's 97 minutes!" said Kankuro, his eyes widening in disbelief. "That is a record!""Good to know, I guess . . ." said Gaara, his monotone voice tinged with annoyance. "Let's go inside already. I'm starting to get a headache."Quieting, Kankuro and Temari immediately knew from past experience that 'I'm starting to get a headache' was code for 'Shukaku's nagging the hell out of me again'. Not wanting to earn any more of their brother's ire, they followed him up the steps, looking like bodyguards rather than siblings.When they finally reached the door, Kankuro showed the two guardsmen his team's Heaven and Earth scrolls, allowing them to check to see if they were the real deal. With both nodding their heads in approval, the guards opened the door before stepping out of the siblings' way, paying them no mind once the job was done.The three entered the building and walked down the long, bare hallway, which eventually opened up into a large, bright room. It was completely bare, save for a large parchment that was hanging on the middle of the wall before them, and the closed doors on the walls left and right of the trio. Other than that, there was nothing else to take note of."If you are reading this, congratulations, you have successfully completed the second stage," said Temari, her eyes scrolling down the parchment. "You are now allowed to open your scrolls. Please note they must be opened at the same time.""Open at the same time?" Kankuro mumbled as he handed the Earth scroll to his sister. "We traversed one of the most dangerous places in all the kingdoms to get here with these damn things . . . Might as well see what's inside them."Gaara and Temari nodded before turning their attention to the scrolls. With a quick glance to each other, Kankuro and Temari slowly knelt down before opening the scrolls, rolling them out along the tiled floor. Both scrolls held the kanji pattern of a jutsu the siblings instantly recognized, and knowing how far reaching it can get, they took a few steps back as the scrolls disappeared in a large puff of smoke.What emerged was someone that none of the three expected to see.. . . Well, not so soon that is."BAKI!?" Kankuro yelled. "You are what the scrolls summon!?""Well, the scrolls you’ve been carrying all this time were indeed two halves of a summoning jutsu. And yes, as your assigned mentor, I was the one you summoned," said Baki as he moved his slightly skewed turban back into place. "As you well know, the goal of this round was for each team to bring one Heaven and one Earth scroll to the tower within the five-day time limit. . . What you weren’t told was that the scrolls held summoning jutsus that would bring the teams’ respective senseis or mentors to the tower.”"So, while we did all the work getting our asses here, you just waited somewhere quaint until it was time for us to summon you?" Temari asked, agitation crossing her face. Baki simply nodded in the affirmative. ". . . Talk about a freeloader.""What I want to know is how exactly could this summoning even possible?" Kankuro mumbled as Baki actually scowled at Temari for her last comment. "The scrolls were randomized, weren't they!? How exactly were our scrolls able to summon you specifically?""It's pretty simple really. You'll find your answer if you just look up toward the ceiling.""Cameras . . ." Gaara mumbled, not bothering to look up like his siblings did, their eyes widening as they spotted a camera in each corner of the room. "Let me guess: You and the other senseis stayed in an area with monitors connected to the cameras in this room, and when you finally saw us appear on screen, you reversed summon yourself here as soon as we opened the scrolls.""You are absolutely correct Gaara." said Baki, allowing himself the smallest of smirks. "To be honest, I was a little surprised that I had to reverse summon myself so soon. I thought it would take you a few more hours to get here, not a little over 90 minutes . . . You broke the course record.""Well, at least we don't have to worry about the Forest of Death anymore,” the puppeteer mumbled as he scratched the back of his neck. “Now what?”"So, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that we got here in record time. The bad news is that we have quite a wait on our hands," Temari announced. "Proctor Mitarashi gave us five days to get here, and we didn't even use up a tenth of that time.""You can use this to your advantage," Baki advised, crossing his arms over his chest. "You'll have more time to observe and gauge the strengths and weaknesses of all the teams that make it through this round."“If they make it through this round that is. . .” Shukaku couldn't help but add in, his tone still sounding quite annoyed due to the lack of deaths Gaara had a hand in back in the woods.". . . Looks like you won’t have to wait long to start analyzing either," Baki added as he looked behind them. "The next team has just arrived."At the sound of incoming footsteps, the siblings turned to see that the team coming in included another royal. Princess Shizuka walked into the room first, followed by her teammates, the brunette Haruka and the lavender haired Nanami, soon after. All three took a quick look around at their surroundings before looking to see that the siblings and Baki were staring right back at them, as if they were daring them to do so."Huh, looks like we're not the first ones after all," said Shizuka as she turned to the brunette. "You know what that means Haruka.""I take my winnings in crisp 10-yen bills Haruka." Nanami added, a small smirk gracing her face as her glasses poorly hid the amusement dancing in her eyes. The brunette could only scowl back at her, too annoyed to really say anything."The Fire Princess and her team huh? I doubt the rest of the teams will get here just as fast," Temari mumbled as the four watched the three as they walked up to the wall where the next set of instructions were posted. "Maybe the Fire Prince and his squad, but other than them; I just don't see it happening."“. . . At least we won’t be completely alone here for the next five days."Temari could only nod as she continued to observe the other team with Gaara and Baki. They watched as the girls opened their scrolls before jumping back, just as a cloud poofed into reality.When the smoke faded, a tall, slender woman with pale skin and long pale blue hair tied into a loose ponytail stood in its place. She wore the standard Leaf shinobi flak jacket over a black short-sleeved shirt and matching shorts that stopped just above her knees. White bandages were wrapped around her arms until it went an inch past her elbows, while a black bandanna was tied around her head, a steel plate with the engraved Leaf insignia stitched across its front."Aw man! Their sensei’s a babe!" Kankuro quietly whined, a small blush crossing his face. It disappeared once Temari slapped the back of his head. "What!? She's hot! Is saying that a crime?!”"Keep your opinions to yourself Kankuro! We don't need you advertising to the whole world that you're crushing on another team's sensei!" Temari complained, obvious with her disapproval. "Besides, she's way out of your league anyway.""Pfft! Really sis? She's out of my league?" the puppeteer asked as he pointed to said woman in question. "I'm the highest ranked prince of the Wind Kingdom! In truth, I'm probably out of her league!""You're out of her league Kankuro."Baki’s admission was matter of fact and blunt, very, very blunt. It shocked Kankuro, but amused Temari to the point of hiding her chuckling behind her hand. Gaara didn’t bother with a reaction, his face both blank and unreadable."The woman you're talking about is Akame Ishida of Konoha's Ishida Clan. Their Reflection Jutsu has led the Ishidas to become one of the oldest, most respected, and most feared clans in all the kingdoms. Their status is on par with the royal families, including your own. . . Besides, I doubt she would waste her time with someone as hard-headed as you. You're taijutsu still needs work, your genjutsu could be improved on, and there's also the obvious fact that you're too young for her."Kankuro was downright annoyed by Baki's sudden, and harsh, critique of him, showing his disapproval by glaring at the older man as Temari tried in vain to hold back her chuckling. Gaara was barely paying attention to the dispute, his eyes more focused on his fellow jinchuriki as she watched her teammates argue over something trivial.
“Careful Gaara. You don't want the girl to catch you looking at her do you!? She may think that you're a creep or something, and do you really want to leave that kind of impression on her?”
"Shut it Shukaku! Besides, I've been called worse and you know it." Gaara reminded him as he averted his gaze before Shizuka could notice him. It was in the nick of time too, because as soon as the redhead turned away, the blonde princess turned hers in his direction, something that didn't go unnoticed by Gaara and Shukaku alike.
“She almost caught you. . .”
"You think I don’t know that Shukaku? You don't have to rub it in." Gaara retorted as he noticed that the girls' mentor was pointing in his team's direction. The group didn't linger for long, quickly disappearing behind the door on their right. "Where does that door lead to?""The door to the right leads to where all the beds are. Since this is a five-day challenge, the organizers thought it was best to have sleeping and eating arrangements prepared for the teams that arrived before time was up . . . The room to our left holds the cafeteria.""Good to know, because I'm starving!" Kankuro exclaimed as he started making his way to the cafeteria. Temari and Baki followed after him, leaving Gaara behind as he continued to watch the door the girls' disappeared through. "Gaara, you coming!?"Gaara turned his head to see his siblings and mentor standing by the door, waiting on him. The redhead silently walked over, sneaking one last look at the other door before following them into the cafeteria, hoping to whatever deity was up in the skies that his siblings and senseis wouldn’t ask about it.
A ~ x ~ R ~ x ~ T

Later, in the middle of the night

“You're going to go find a freaking window so you can look at the moon again aren't you?”
"Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. It's my decision to make, and you just have to deal with it." Gaara was currently sitting on his bed - one of many in the tower's large dormitory - thinking over what happened throughout the day, which wasn't much. His siblings and Princess Shizuka's team were the only ones that made it to the tower on the first day, and the teams never interacted throughout the afternoon. They were separated even in sleep, with Shizuka's team sleeping in the beds located in the middle of the room while the Sand Siblings made the far right corner of the room their base.
“If you go look at the moon again, you're just going to prolong my boredom. You're better off just going out into the woods, killing the competition as soon as they get here rather than wait for them for the next four days . . . At least it would be more entertaining.”
"I guess we have very different ideas on the concept of entertainment. I'm not going to kill just because you need a bit of excitement in your existence." Gaara bit back as he looked at his team, both asleep in their respective beds. "I rather not talk about this, period."
"Fine . . . What do you suggest we talk about then?"
"I want to talk about what happened earlier today, when your sister talked to us through your link with her. Do you have a similar link with all of your siblings?"“Pretty much, but I don't use them unless I really want to speak to them, and that's barely,” Shukaku explained, sounding quite annoyed at the prospect. “What happened today with Ryuna was probably just a fluke. She’s more of a ‘one-and-done’ kind of creature. . . It won't happen again.”"Why do I have the feeling that you're the least liked sibling in your family?"
“Don't. Even. Go. There. Fleshbag. I will forcibly take this body over if you say something like that again! Whether you like it or not! Don’t try me!!”
Gaara let the smallest of smirks show on his face, pleased with himself for managing to get under the tanuki's skin once again. Before he could try his luck with another witty reply, he noticed sudden movement from the corner of his eye.He slowly turned his head to see Shizuka sitting up in bed, her face looking quite disgruntled as the hair that wasn't tied back into her loose ponytail stuck out in different directions. If it wasn’t for the scowl on her face, Gaara would have thought she looked kind of cute in an awkward kind of way.It was a good thing that Shukaku was still ignoring him. If he had heard that last thought, the tanuki would have rubbed it in his face for days.He watched her as she slowly looked around the room, her eyes stopping when she spotted the redhead looking straight at her.“See something you like Prince Gaara?” she asked, her drowsy voice carrying throughout the room fairly easily.“Not exactly . . . I’m just a little bored, that’s all.”
“Real smooth genius! Real smooth!”
"I see . . . Well, I guess I should apologize then," Shizuka conceded. “I’m not that entertaining when I sleep.”"If you were thinking that I've been watching you while you slept, then don't worry, I didn't do anything of the sort," Gaara calmly explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "You only got my attention because I noticed you waking up.""Hmm, well you don't even look remotely tired, now that I think about it," the princess mumbled as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. "You're an insomniac, right?""That's correct . . . What gave it away?""The dark rings of course . . . You don’t seem to be the kind of person that overtly paints their face like your brother right next to you, so I figured insomnia was the next best guess. Am I wrong?"
“I love how she just figured it out while critiquing your brother in one smooth move. Don’t you?”
“Well, you’re not wrong,” Gaara conceded."I've met people who’ve suffered from insomnia before, but the bags under their eyes do not even compare to yours. . .  I’m not sure if you’ve heard this before, but has anyone told you that you look like a tanuki because of them?"  “So, there is someone on this planet that won't compare you to a raccoon or panda at first glance,” said Shukaku, his voice sounding strangely pleased. “I like her already.”"Well that's a change. . . You usually don't like people, including me," said Gaara as he watched the blonde swing her feet to the ground, slipping on her sandals soon afterward. "Hmm, most just compare me to pandas or raccoons. . . You’re the first in a long time to make the tanuki comparison.""Well, let’s just say that I have a tendency for saying things that aren't expected and leave it at that." Shizuka suggested as she stood up and stretched. "So, what's it like?""What's what like?""The insomnia of course,” she clarified, her words catching Gaara a little off-guard. "It must be frustrating, right? Never being able to get a good night's sleep while everyone else around you can . . . Must be lonely for you, in a way.""Except for the annoying tailed beast in my head that keeps badgering me to kill people every five seconds, including you . . ." Gaara thought, his mental roommate not amused in the slightest. "Why are you asking me this?""Call me curious, I guess. . . Besides, it's not every day I meet someone like myself.""Someone like yourself? How so?”“Don’t play dumb. It’s not a good look on you anyway . . .” she dared to tease, her words immediately getting Shukaku to cackle. “Anyway, isn’t it obvious? You're a jinchuriki, just like me."“And how can you tell?” the redhead decided to ask as he watched her walk toward the door."Well, Shukaku has always been known as the tailed beast that prevents his vessels from ever sleeping. Something about threatening to take over their bodies if they fell asleep, something like that. Plus, the very noticeable rings around your eyes is a dead giveaway . . . I'm guessing you have known about me and my brother for a while now.""My siblings and I have had our suspicions." came Gaara’s reply. He would have raised an eyebrow at the realization, well, if he had any."I see . . . Well then, this should be an interesting Showcase after all. I've heard that all of Shukaku's jinchuuriki tend to share the same abilities, so I do have a feeling I know what to expect from you," Shizuka admitted, looking over her shoulder to address the redhead. "However, something tells me that you're different from the ones that came before you.""Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Gaara couldn't help but ask as the princess opened the door."I guess we’ll just have to wait and see . . ." was all she was willing to say, leaving for who knows where before Gaara could say anything further."Well, that was different." mumbled Gaara as he watched the door close shut. "What? Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?"“Don't joke with me. I have no time for your jokes,” mumbled Shukaku. “And as for the princess, the last bit that she said . . . I highly doubt those words were purely coming from her.”"What do you mean by that? Her tailed beast was influencing her speech?" 
“It's possible . . . Just make sure you watch out for her. With Ryuna being the one sealed inside her, that girl is very much a threat. One that you should always be wary of.”
"Thanks for the heads up . . ." Gaara thought, his opinions on the Fire Princess more messed up now than they were earlier that morning. "I guess I'll just have to keep your advice in mind."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Five days later

"Okay, I'll admit it. . . I did not expect to see so many people make it through the second round." Kankuro grumbled as he stabbed his chopsticks into his breakfast, a sentiment that his siblings shared.The three of them were seated at one of the tables in the far corner of the cafeteria, a tactical choice that gave them an easier chance to scope out their competition, many of whom were currently eating breakfast as well. "Hell, I was expecting three, maybe four other teams to make it through, including us. . . But seriously?! Nine teams are still alive?! I thought the Forest of Death was supposed to cut down on the competition!""Considering there were 29 teams at the start of the last round, I think the Forest of Death did its job well," Temari mumbled in between sips of her tea. "But you do make a good point Kankuro. The number is never this big this far into the Showcase, but soon enough, the number will shrink.""Of course, it will. The five days have finally passed, so the third round won't be long now." Kankuro declared as he plucked some eggs from off his plate. Gaara watched him as he brought it to his lips before turning his gaze away to stare out into the room, not ready to add to the conversation just yet."I don't think we’re heading for the third round just yet," Temari admitted as she finished the last of her tea, her words stopping Kankuro mid-chew. "For as long as the Shinobi Showcase has been around, how many groups usually end up reaching the third round?""Three to four, tops. Why'd you ask?""Well brother, if you look back on all the past Showcases, there have been instances where more than the usual number of teams make it through the second round. However, not all those teams make it to the third round. Care to guess why?""The preliminary one-on-one round," Gaara bluntly stated, speaking before Kankuro could even say a word. "The organizers are going to have us fight another ninja to make it to the next round.""Exactly!" Temari stated as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "So, do either of you two have any ideas on who's fighting who in the upcoming matchups?""I don’t know. The possible matchups are endless . . . All I know for sure is that I'm just hoping that I'm not matched with anyone who specializes in short range attacks and taijutsu," said Kankuro, being perfectly honest with himself. "My puppeteering is not the most versatile of techniques after all."“That wouldn’t be the case if you just honed some of your weaker skills Kankuro.” Gaara mumbled.“Pot calling the kettle black there Gaara,” Kankuro grumbled as he glared at his brother. “You should not be talking about me not honing my weaker skills when you’re in the same boat little brother.”“I have the stronger ninjutsu technique though. . .” the redhead mused, facing his brother without flinching. Then again, he was never one for flinching in the first place.“Which gets negated if you face someone that can summon a whole lot of water, or a whole lot of fire to turn it into glass,” Kankuro started listing off. “Need I go on?”“Hmm . . . touché.” Gaara conceded, internally irritated that Kankuro got his beat for once. He was lucky that Shukaku was not listening in or else he would have berated him for the rest of the morning for getting outwitted by his own elder brother.  "Hmm . . . There are several opponents here with fighting styles that would certainly do you no favors Kankuro. After all, you pretty much described a good third of the field," said Temari, looking quite amused. "You must really be regretting not practicing your taijutsu as often as you should, huh?”"Don't rub it in Temari. After all, last time I checked, you don't fare so well when it comes to taijutsu either," said Kankuro, his lips curling into a smirk as he watched the amusement leave his sister's face. "Then again, taijutsu isn't something that any of us specialize in, so why are we debating this in the first place?""You were the one that introduced the topic in the first place, remember?""Hmm, Gaara does make a good point." Temari pointed out, looking quite pleased as the puppeteer shot the redhead a blunt look, a look that he ignored as he continued to watch what was going on in the rest of the room.All the teams were present. Most of them were chatting amongst themselves while the rest were too busy eating their respective meals to start a conversation. Though Gaara took account of all the teams, his gaze lingered the longest on the two other teams with royal members, Team 7 and Team 9.Team 7, which was Prince Naruto's team, was sitting in the center of the room, chowing down on their breakfast. Surprisingly enough, they were one of the last teams to arrive at the tower, coming in only the day before. They were all rather dinged up when they arrived, especially Sasuke, who had been clutching the left side of his when they came in. All three went to the medics, and looked better after their visit, but Sasuke would still clutch at his neck on occasion.On the other hand, Team 9, which was Princess Shizuka's team, was sitting a little further away from them, having long finished their meal. While Haruka and Nanami were engaged in a heated conversation, Shizuka sat in a meditative position about a foot away from them, completely tuning them out.How she was so perfectly serene within all this noise was beyond him. 
“She's probably talking to Ryuna.”
"Do you really think so Shukaku?"
“It's the only reason I can think of as to why she would even bother to meditate in such a noisy area. That, or she somehow finds peace in such busy areas. . . It could be a gift for all we know.”
"Your insight is helpful Shukaku, this time around." Gaara mumbled, just as the ringing of a gong echoed throughout the room. "What the hell?!""EVERYONE, OVER HERE!"The yelling came from a man standing in front of the cafeteria's lone entry point. He was a jonin, dressed in the standard ninja gear of the kingdom, and was holding a portable gong by a silver strap in his right hand while a small wooden baton stood pat in his left."Please throw away your trays and follow me!” He ordered, his face brokering no room for argument. “It's time for the next round to begin!""Hmm, notice how he said next round, and not third round." Temari mumbled as she got out of her seat. Strapping her fan to her back, she picked up her tray and led her brothers over to a trash bin. Once their garbage was thrown away, they joined the crowd as it moved out the room.They were led back into the room with the large parchment, with some of the crowd looking on in shock at the new door that stood right under it.“They must have hid it with a very good genjutsu. . .” Kankuro mumbled as the teams were led toward it, his siblings simply nodding in agreement.Passing through the door, they were led down a hallway that started slanting downward the further they went on. Following the light at the end of the tunnel, the teams soon found themselves in front of a large set of doors. The jonin pushed the doors open, revealing the sparseness of the large room they were about to enter.The room consisted of a green tiled floor, an iron balcony that ran along the two longer sides of the room, a large TV screen on the far wall, and a large statue of two hands clasped in the ram hand sign right under it. It was a room suitable for watching a battle, however, everyone's eyes were squarely on a man standing in the middle of the group of mentors and supervisors standing in front of the sculpture. He almost seemed unassuming at first, but a closer look made people realize how much the others in the group seemed to defer to him, and why not?    The Fire King tended to have that kind of effect on people."So, that's King Minato in the flesh huh?" Temari mumbled as the group stopped their approach about ten feet away from the King and his group. “Hmm, I honestly thought he was taller.”"Who needs height when you’re one of the fastest men in the entire world.” Gaara reminded her, remembering some of the history lessons he had on the man. Though King Minato came to his position rather young in his age and was a cordial man to many of his allies and friends, to them and his enemies alike, he was also known as the Yellow Flash, one of the most dangerous and deadliest speedsters in all of the kingdoms. It was rumored that the Earth Kingdom had an active ‘Flee on Sight’ order on him whenever he was on the battlefield, but that has yet to be confirmed.Earth Kingdom ninjas were quite stubborn in that regard.“Huh, at least we know which parent Naruto takes after," Kankuro pointed out, switching his gaze between the king and his son. Both Temari and Gaara followed his lead and quickly glanced at the Fire Prince, who was standing a little ahead of them in the group. After glancing at the king, both couldn't help but agree with their brother's assessment.Besides the difference in skin tone and head shape, and the obvious whisker marks, Naruto was pretty much a younger doppelganger of his father in the flesh. "I wonder why he's here though. Usually the hosting monarch doesn't start overseeing the proceedings til the third round.""Well, maybe he's just being a proud father. After all, both of his children are still in the running," Temari suggested, her tone slightly bitter. Kankuro simply nodded while Gaara continued to stare straight ahead, knowing exactly where his sister’s thoughts were heading.He already knew that their own father wouldn't have made the same effort the Fire King had made today."Well, well, well . . . Congratulations on making it through the Forest of Death. There were 29 teams at the start of the second round, and now only nine remain," Anko announced as she locked eyes with each and every ninja in front of her. "Unfortunately, that good news also comes with bad news. Too many of you passed the second round, so we need to whittle the numbers down even further before we move on to the third round.""From this point onward, you do not need to lean on your teammates to be successful. We've reached the point of the competition where your teams are pretty much moot for the rest of the showcase," Ibiki added as he stepped over to Anko's side. "In simple terms: it’s every man for themself. You may be friends out of this building, but in here, you are each other’s enemies.""Now then, before we begin, we are required by official Showcase rules to allow you at least one opportunity to exit the competition without any penalty held against you," Anko grumbled, sounding not too happy with the rule in of itself. "That opportunity is now. So, if anyone wants to leave, the exit is right behind the lot of you."“There's no way anyone is going to leave now, not after making it so far.” Shukaku grumbled, thinking it pointless. “They made you pipsqueaks run through a forest whose name literally has the word ‘death’ in it for crying out loud! Why would anyone want to leave now after going through all that?!”"Hmm, why don't you ask that silver haired ninja with the glasses for yourself? He's leaving right now." Gaara asked in return as the ninja he pointed out started to silently walk away. The redhead was quick to notice the familiar leaf symbol of the Fire Kingdom's ninja village on the ninja's forehead protector when he turned to look at the group one last time before leaving, which got him thinking. "So, a lone Leaf ninja has decided to give up. . . 27 down to 26."
“And with his King in attendance too? Well that's just shameful, don't you think?”
Before Gaara could answer his question, a loud cough grabbed his, and everyone else’s, attention. He turned his head in time to see a second man slide over to stand in between Ibiki and Anko. Unlike the two ninjas on either side of him, he was dressed in the standard outfit for ninjas of the Fire Kingdom, complete with a forehead protector stitched onto the bandana he wore on his head. However, unlike his fellow ninjas, the man looked a little on the sickly side, complete with a chronic cough to boot."Hello everyone! My name is Hayate Gekkō, and I will be the referee for your preliminary round, and the upcoming third round," said the ninja as he covered another cough. "For this preliminary round, each of you will have to compete in a one-on-one battle, and the winner of each fight will earn their spot in the third round. . . The screen behind us will randomize the names for each matchup. Now then, let’s see who’s first."“We better not be made to wait long,” Shukaku growled, just as names started to blur in and out on screen. “I want to have my fun already.”"It's not up to me to decide the matchups Shukaku. You're just going to have to be patient until it's our turn to fight." Gaara said right back as the first two names were finally decided on. "Sasuke Uchiha vs. Yoroi Akadō?"
“Yoroi Akadō . . . Who the fuck is that?!”
"Another ninja from the Fire Kingdom, actually." Gaara answered as he looked at the tall ninja cracking his knuckles. He was staring menacingly at his Uchiha opponent, his glare not hindered by the fabric and sunglasses he wore over his face."Sasuke, Yoroi, you'll remain down here. Everyone else, make your way up to the balcony."
“Hmm, so, we have one of the teammates of the Fire Prince going up against a teammate of the guy that quit seconds ago . . . Considering the Uchiha still doesn’t look to be in full health right now, this could be an interesting battle.”
Gaara simply nodded before following his siblings up one of the nearby staircases to the balcony. When the siblings and their mentor found a spot to watch the battles, Gaara snuck a look at Sasuke, who had a hand clamped down on the left side of his neck once again. Despite his injury bothering him, the Uchiha didn’t show it on his face."I see you are both ready," said Hayate as he took a step back, his eyes switching between the two competitors. "You may begin."Yoroi quickly went through a few hand signs before leaping right at Sasuke, his right hand glowing with chakra. Sasuke was quick to avoid some of the ninja's jabs and swipes, but the taller shinobi managed to finally catch him. His hand landed right on the Uchiha's forehead, sending the younger boy headfirst right into the ground."Hmm, are you still keen on wanting the Uchiha's blood now?"“Don't start sounding smug, you damn redhead,” Shukaku grumbled as they watched Sasuke struggle to break free from Yoroi’s hold. “Despite the other guy's ability for siphoning off his opponent's chakra to make it his own, there's just something about the duck butt head that interests me.”"Did you just call Sasuke Uchiha 'duck butt head'?"
“Yes, and can you honestly blame me? His hair looks like a bird’s ass for fucking sake!”
Gaara remained silent for the rest of the battle, having no idea how to respond to the tanuki’s rather on point remark. The battle itself ended up being a short one, as Sasuke promptly defeated his opponent with a swift and successful taijutsu technique that sent him plummeting to the floor. As soon as the proctor announced that Sasuke was the winner, his mentor led him away to be taken to the medical bay.“Well, that was quick, and there wasn’t any blood spilled in that matchup.” Shukaku grumbled as everyone watched Yoroi get stretchered out the room. “Not an impressive match overall. . .”"Any fight without much blood spilling is unimpressive in your eyes," Gaara was quick to say as the screen started shuffling through names for the next match. "And I doubt the referee will allow any of the matches to go that far either . . . Better luck next time tanuki.""Zaku Abumi and Shino Aburame, please make your way down to the floor!" Ordered the sickly proctor as he looked up at the balcony, watching for any movement.A spiky haired ninja dressed in a large light blue coat with a collar that hid his mouth quietly made his way down to the floor, but Gaara's eyes didn't linger on him for long. His attention was more so drawn toward his opponent, a taller male from the Sound Kingdom. Unlike the kid in the coat, the Sound nin had one noticeable detriment that no one in the room could ignore."It's amazing that Sound genin still wants to continue despite his two dislocated arms," Temari mumbled as she leaned against the railing. "Sheesh, he has a better reason to quit than the guy that left earlier.""For some reason, despite his handicap, I doubt he is going to go down quietly," Baki pointed out as he crossed his arms. "Your father advised you three to be wary of the Sound ninjas after all, so I suggest you don't take him lightly, despite the ailments.""Gee, thanks for the reminder Baki. We couldn't have remembered that piece of advice without you."Baki sharply glared at Kankuro, who kept his eyes glued to the battlefield. Not because he was actually ignoring him, but he was scared to lock eyes with the glare his mentor was sending his way.Contrary to popular belief, Zaku had regained some movement in one of his arms. As soon as they were allowed to fight, he quickly leapt forward to strike Shino in the head, but the attack was slow enough that the Leaf ninja managed to block it with ease.However, the Sound ninja had a couple more tricks up his sleeve, blasting Shino away with a sound based jutsu from the windpipe in his palm, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Unfortunately for him, Shino did not stay down for long."Damn, he got back up that quick?!" Kankuro mumbled, shaking his head. "Did that attack even phase him?""I think the bugs coming out of him softened the blow," Temari suggested, her eyes looking a little disgusted as beetles started to crawl out from Shino's coat. "This must be the Aburame Clan's signature jutsu coming into play.""The Aburame Clan is world famous for using various insects in their many techniques. Chakra eating beetles happen to be a signature of theirs," Baki explained, his eyes going straight to the large swarm of beetles that were moving behind the Sound ninja. "It might be weird to some, and disgusting to others, but it is quite effective on the battlefield. . . It's a big reason as to why the Aburames are one of the oldest clans in the entire Fire Kingdom after all.""He's surrounded on two sides, and one of his arms is still in a sling. What can he possibly do next?" Temari asked, just as Zaku pulled his other arm out and directed it toward the swarm of beetles coming his way, his other arm facing his opponent. "Well there goes my curiosity . . ."
“There's no way he could have pulled out that arm from his sling that quickly and not feel any discomfort in the process. . . They must be hurting like crazy!”
"Or his arm is probably not injured and he just kept it in a sling to mess with his competition's heads to gain a slight advantage?" Gaara suggested in return. "If he could pull off a decent jutsu with just one arm, he betters his chances if the other one is just as okay, if not better."
“Too bad that's not the case. . . His arms just went limp.”
 
True to what the tanuki said, Zaku's arms suddenly dropped back down to his sides after exploding from the inside out, his face marred with sudden disbelief and pain as he looked down at his bloody appendages. Blood was also spilling from a corner of his mouth, most likely to hold back the scream of anguish that threatened to tear out from his throat. 
“That Aburame kid must have commanded some of his bugs to enter the windpipes in the Sound ninja's arms to mess them up. . . Sound strategy, and excellent blood splatter. Don’t you think?”
"I'll be honest, you're probably right . . . Except for the blood splatter part. That is something I don’t agree with you on." Was all Gaara could think to say as the battle reached a quick conclusion, with Shino moving to backhand Zaku into unconsciousness to end the match."Two battles down, many more to go," mumbled Temari as she shook her head. "Who's next?""Well, why don't you look up at the screen to find out?" Baki suggested as the medics took Zaku away as Shino made his way back to his team.It didn’t take long for the screen to start shuffling through the remaining names for the next match, and when it finally stopped, all eyes in the room widened at what was shown on screen."Hmm, it didn’t take that long for the first royal to be chosen," said Kankuro, a smirk slowly appearing on his face as he looked at the screen. "This should definitely be one to watch."“Hmm, your brother is making a good point . . . Things should certainly be interesting now.” Shukaku growled, eager to see the matchup unfold."Yeah, maybe . . ." It was all Gaara could say as he continued watching the screen.“Princess Shizuka Namikaze vs Hiyori Muguruma" he thought, not knowing what could possibly come next as the audience buzzed with anticipation for what was to come.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Shizuka Namikaze vs Hiyori MugurumaThe names displayed on the board elicited the largest reaction from the competition so far. Most of it was rather subdued, but there were a few who looked rather eager to see one of the royal children in action. Others took it as their chance to see what the Fire Princess was capable of, ready to store what they were about to learn for a later date.After all, it’s not every day you get to see a royal actually fight, regardless of how old they are."Hmm, I guess it's not common for the royal twins to show off their skills for an audience." Kankuro mumbled, a little annoyed with the reaction in the room. "All this talk is making me think a swarm of bees are coming our way. It's getting annoying!""It can't be helped Kankuro," said Baki, who was doing a better job at ignoring the noise as he folded his hands behind his back. "It's common for royal families to keep the skills of their children a closely guarded secret for as long as they can. A royal child's skill set wouldn't become public knowledge until they were trained enough to defend themselves properly. The only reason your father ended up revealing your skills to the royal court earlier than expected is because of that training exercise that went too far years ago. . . It was quite windy that day after all.""What happened that day wasn't my fault and we both know it," said Kankuro, quick to get on the defensive. "Temari started it when she thought she saw a spider crawling up her fan! All hell broke loose after that!"“I didn’t think I saw it. I did see it, and it was massive!” Temari countered as the conversation turned to her. "I wasn't going to let that thing run around in the palace, especially since it was as big as a small dinner plate! I had to kill it.""But you ended up extensively damaging the main training ground in the process,” Kankuro pointed out, a smirk starting to spread across his painted face, while an embarrassed blush appeared on his sister's. "You scared the living daylights out of some of the maids as they were walking by at the time!"
“Hmm, I remember that day well . . . Fleshbag, are you ever going to tell them that the spider your sister was trying to kill was your creation, all because you really wanted to see how well you could toy with your sister's emotions simply out of boredom?”
"Nope," Gaara stated flatly. "I never will, and with you sealed inside me, you won't either."“Thanks for the reminder. You didn’t have to rub it in you know . . .” The tanuki growled. He never liked being reminded of his current predicament. “That's just putting salt in the wound right there.”
“Good. . .”
The murmuring along the balcony eventually quieted down, but the anticipation was still palpable as everyone waited for the competitors to come down to the floor. A short, silver-haired girl dressed in a simple dark green kimono top, black shorts, and matching sandals grabbed the railing and swung herself down from the balcony with little fanfare, landing with an almost ungainly grace as she awaited her opponent to join her.Most of the room's attention wasn't even on her. Their gazes were on the blonde who was calmly walking toward the stairs.“At least we know she likes to take her sweet time getting to places . . . Ryuna better be telling her vessel to pick up the pace already! I'm starting to get impatient here!” Shukaku grumbled, proving once again why he wasn’t the most patient of the tailed beasts."Leave it to you to come to conclusions without thinking things through first . . ." Gaara thought as he kept his eyes on the blonde. "No action is done without a reason behind it Shukaku. She could have easily jumped over the railing like her opponent did, but she chose to take the stairs . . . Why do you think she would do that?"
“She couldn’t be bothered with it?!”

“Think deeper dammit. . .”

“Hmm, how bout no?!”
"It looks like the Fire Princess is employing a little psychological warfare here," Baki mumbled, unknowingly sparing Shukaku from hearing Gaara's response."Psychological warfare you say?” Kankuro asked, a little oblivious to what the turban wearing jonin was talking about."I think I see what you're getting at Baki. The princess is subtly trying to make her opponent uncomfortable. The longer she takes to get down there, the more likely a little inkling of doubt will seep into the other girl's head. . . The drawback, however, is that the longer the princess takes, the more time the other girl has to plan," said Temari, turning her gaze to Muguruma, who was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, a slightly unsure look dotting her face. "Oh wait. She is unsettling her, slightly.""Her headband indicates that she's from the Grass Kingdom . . . Good luck to her I guess." The puppeteer grumbled as he folded his arms along the railing.Suddenly, his eyes widened, as if he just came up with a sudden plan. He smirked as his eyes found who he was looking for along the balcony before turning to his team, his mind already working through the plan he was forming. "You know what? I'll be right back.""Wait, where are you going!? The match is just about to start!" Temari cried out as she watched her brother from the corner of her eye. She refused to fully take her gaze off from the floor, where the girls scheduled for battle were now standing feet away from each other, giving the proctor their full attention as he repeated the rules for their benefit."I’m going to make a new friend. . . Don't worry, I'll be back soon."Baki was going to order him to stay put, but the sounds of metal clashing stopped him before he got a single word out. He looked down to see the two girls exchanging strikes, with the Grass kunoichi using a standard kunai, and the princess using a wakizashi. "A wakizashi?”"It came from a seal on her left wrist. Didn't even need hand signs to unseal it,” Temari explained. ". . . This battle has barely started, but you can already see the difference in how they fight. The Grass girl's abrasive and blunt in her style. There's a noticeable lack of finesse in her movements. On the other hand, Namikaze's a lot more fluid. She’s stronger and more precise in her movements."“I usually don't agree with you humans, but your sister is making a good point,” Shukaku mumbled. “In fact, the brat looks like she's toying with her opponent more than actually fighting her.”". . . Or she could just be gauging her skills, waiting for the right moment to strike and end this battle." Gaara countered.As if Fate had heard his very thoughts, Shizuka found her opening.She struck Muguruma right in her chest with a well-placed kick to her sternum. The hit sent the Grass kunoichi flying through the air for a few feet, eventually landing back first on the hard ground with a harsh thud.The Grass kunoichi didn't stay down for long, using her momentum to flip herself back onto her feet. When she was back to her full height, she took a deep breath, involuntarily starting a coughing fit so strong that she ended up coughing up blood, and a decent amount of it at that.
“FINALLY! Someone drew blood . . . Sweet kami that took too long!”
"I'm happy you finally got your wish." Gaara sarcastically grumbled, shaking his head as the Grass kunoichi spat out another lob of blood.“Damn, that must have been a hard kick if she’s coughing up that much blood,” Temari mumbled, rubbing at her own sternum. “Makes me glad that I wasn’t paired up against her in this round.”They watched the Grass kunoichi as she went through a set of hand signs. When she was done, chakra surrounded her hands, becoming pointed along the tips of her fingers, similar to a feline’s claws. A small, bloodied smirk stretched across her face as she launched herself forward, narrowly missing Fire Princess’ shoulder. The royal may have only dodged the attack at the last second, but she was well prepared for the next strike, dodging a strike to her chest."She channels chakra to her hands to make her jabs extra sharp. That's a skill usually seen in those that have some knowledge in medical ninjutsu." Temari mumbled."Indeed," Baki stated, agreeing with his charge’s statement. "However, knowing medical ninjutsu isn't going to be enough to defeat the princess . . . I don't think the girl even realizes that the princess is still messing with her. She's playing right into her hand.""But what is she leading her into...?" Gaara thought, his face void of emotion as he continued to watch the proceedings.He finally got his answer once the princess created some space between herself and Muguruma. Without needing any hand signs, a chain made from pure chakra erupted from the palm of the princess' hand. She launched it right at the Grass kunoichi, but the girl dodged the high-speed attack, leaving it to crash into the spot she was previously standing in.A decent sized crater now stood in her place. "What the fuck was that!?""Language Gaara!" Baki was quick to reprimand the redhead, but Gaara shot him a nasty look in return. Baki promptly ignored it. "And as for your question, what we are witnessing is the Adamantine Sealing Chains, a trademark fūinjutsu of the Uzumaki clan.”"The Uzumaki Clan . . . The clan of the Fire Queen," Temari concluded as she snuck a look at the Fire King. He was standing with the proctors of the two previous rounds on the balcony across the room, watching his daughter keenly as she started using her chain as a whip. His face was emotionless, but his blue eyes did convey some of the pride he held for his child.She ended up looking away, knowing that she has never gotten such a look from her own father. "What exactly do these 'Adamantine Sealing Chains' do?""It’s a technique that can be used in a variety of offensive and defensive purposes," Baki calmly explained as the Fire Princess resealed her wakizashi. "Rumor has it that the technique, when used in the right hands, is strong enough to restrain a bijuu."“Hah! I'd like to see anyone try using those chains on me!” Shukaku cackled. “I bet you I could bust out of them with ease.”"Well, since there's a possibility that both the Nine Tails and the Ten Tails were restrained with those chains, how in the world do you think you would have done much better?" 
“The fuck. . ? Way to ruin the mood you redheaded flesh bag! Can't you just let me dream, just this once?!”
"You never let me dream. Why should I let you?"
“Uhm . . . Damn you and the good point you’re making!”
Bringing his attention back to the match, Gaara watched as the Fire Princess broke the chain off the palm of her hand, twirling it around like a bo staff. She quickly went on the offensive, her movements so fast that her opponent barely had enough time to deflect her relentless attacks effectively.It almost made Gaara feel sorry for her opponent . . . almost."She's picking up speed. Her opponent can barely block her now," said Temari, who looked more interested in the match than ever before. She visibly winced when Shizuka smacked the end of her staff hard against Muguruma's cheek, sending her flying right into the wall. She hit it so hard, spider web-like cracks erupted from the spot where she made impact. "Ooh, that's gonna leave a mark . . . The princess must possess some serious strength if she's able to cause damage like that."“Ah, the perks of being a jinchuuriki,” Shukaku mumbled as Shizuka's staff dissipated into thin air. “Physically, Ryuna's jailers tend to be the strongest amongst the jinchuuriki. One punch from her will surely send you flying if you're not careful.”"I'll remember that for when I may actually have to face her." Gaara flatly stated, though now knowing this new bit of information, the redhead was quick to note it for later.Down on the arena floor, the Fire Princess was going through hand signs as she sucked in a deep breath, her eyes locked on her opponent. Her gaze was that of a person that knew she had the battle won. It was only a matter of time."Wind Style: Dragon Gale Jutsu!"Like a roaring lion, or a dragon, in her case, the princess launched a torrential gust of wind from her mouth. The attack struck her target dead on, launching her opponent right back into the wall with so much force that it knocked her unconscious.Proctor Gekko didn’t hesitate to appear at the fallen kunoichi's side. He checked her pulse before standing back up, his face not betraying anything."Muguruma is unable to continue. Winner: Shizuka Namikaze!"The room was silent as he made his announcement. While everyone absorbed what they just witnessed, Shizuka took in a deep breath before using a shunshin to reappear beside her team."Dragon Gale Jutsu?" Temari mumbled, sounding intrigued as she watched as the medics placed Muguruma on a stretcher, the room coming alive with voices and whispers once again. "I've never heard of that technique before.""Me neither. Must be an original jutsu of her own making. . . Quite impressive to say the least," Baki admitted, bringing a hand to his chin. "It’s definitely a powerful technique, but still, you can see that she was holding back in that battle.""If that was her holding back, I do not want to see what she's like when she goes all out.""Oh, so now you finally come back?" Temari mumbled as Kankuro finally returned to their group. Her words made the puppeteer scowl, but she wasn’t deterred. "What happened? Wait, let me guess! You struck out in the friend-making department?""Uhm… I guess you can say that," the puppeteer grumbled as he walked up to the railing. "I thought it would be easy to strike up a conversation with Naruto, but I was wrong on so many levels.""Naruto . . . Wait, you approached the Crown Prince of the Fire Kingdom?! That's who you suddenly tried to be friends with?" Temari asked, disbelief lacing her tone as Baki and Gaara looked on with blank stares on their faces. "What were you thinking!?"“What you tried to do has potential political ramifications, depending on what the two of you discussed of course,” Baki explained. “Care to explain your actions?”"Well, I was thinking that if I managed to befriend the prince, or at least converse with him in some way, he would let slip some info that could have been important for the duration of this competition,” Kankuro explained, squirming under his team’s gaze. “I figured that since I'm a fellow prince, I would have a good chance in talking to the guy.""And what? Were you hoping to get info that would give you a leg up on the competition?” Gaara asked, his voice as blunt as his stare, sending shivers down his brother’s spine."No… I was hoping he would give up info that would give us a leg up on the competition," Kankuro clarified, though it didn’t help to lessen the glares the rest of his team was giving him. "C'mon, don’t look at me like that! At least I tried to gain some intel!""By doing it in the most obvious way possible!?" Temari asked, her words making Kankuro visibly blanch. "Oh yeah, what a nice effort on your part, little brother.""Anyway, were you able to get anything from the Fire Prince?" Baki asked, ignoring Temari's blatant sarcasm."Well, I tried to," the puppeteer eventually admitted, now actively avoiding his siblings’ eyes. "Hey, Naruto may look like a loudmouth dressed in a kill-me-now color, but he's definitely not someone who betrays his allies’ secrets. . . I couldn't get anything out of him.""Did you at least sense something off about him when you were near him?"Gaara knew his sister asked that question due to her concerns in regard to the tailed beasts. Hell, he would have asked the same thing himself, but it just wasn't his style."Well, despite the way he looks, he's not dumb enough to be blatant with his power," Kankuro grumbled as he brought a hand to his chin. "When you feel his chakra, it seems so normal, too normal. However, when you take the time to look deeper, you can feel something just hiding underneath the surface. Like it’s itching to get out, but something is stopping it from doing so.""I see," Baki mumbled as he noticed that the board had already decided the next matchup. "What you said only helps to confirm the concerns your father had about the royal Fire family. Now then, you're going to have to push your encounter with Prince Naruto aside for now Kankuro, cause your match is next.""It is?" he asked, quickly turning around to look at the board. “Misumi Tsurugi. Who the hell is that?!"“He’s the glasses-wearing Leaf shinobi making his way to the proctor." Temari answered, sarcasm lacing her voice as she pointed to the black-clad genin making his way to the official. The tall ninja was indeed wearing glasses, but the rest of his face was kept hidden by a black cloth. "Now that I think about it, I believe he's the teammate of the guy that faced the Uchiha earlier.""Well, if he's anything like his teammate, I better watch out for any unwanted surprises." The puppeteer announced, walking away with a wave of his hand."Knowing that lughead, he'll use his usual strategy against his opponent." Temari grumbled, already looking irritated before the match even started."Kankuro does tend to be a bit predictable when he fights. However, his strategies have worked in his favor up till now. It may work again this time," Baki pointed out, being part insulting, part hopeful. "You know what they say: if it isn't broke, don't fix it."Gaara stayed out of his sister and sensei's bantering. His attention wasn't on his brother's match either, though he made sure to give the impression that he was.Honestly, his mind was still on the last match, particularly on the person who won it.Ever since he first saw her, he couldn't completely figure Shizuka Namikaze out.He knew that she was the ten-tails jinchuuriki, and after seeing her fight, he knew that she was a capable kunoichi. However, he couldn't seem to get a concrete read on her as a person.Throughout the five-day rest period, Gaara had discreetly observed the blonde, watching her go from lively and friendly one minute to quiet and aloof in another. With each new person she faced, came a different way of interacting with him or her, highlighted by subtle changes in her demeanor that never gave away her intentions.She was a mystery that continued to plague him.“She's quite the puzzle for you, isn't she?” Shukaku asked, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying what he saw within Gaara's thought process. “You seem interested in her. Almost perplexed. . .”"Interested in her?" Gaara thought, sneaking a look at the blonde, only to quickly avert his gaze when he saw her staring right at him, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
“Yeah, and from that look she was just giving you, I think she may be a little interested in you too.”
"Shut up you damn tanuki!" Gaara grumbled, cursing himself when he heard how weak his inner voice sounded in response.
“I have a good feeling a little blood is running to your cheeks right this minute . . . If only the sand armor wasn't up. I would have loved to see how your siblings would have reacted to seeing their baby brother blush for the first time in forever . . . This is your first blush at a girl right?”
"Shut. Up."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kankuro's match was a short one.For the most part, Kankuro’s opponent appeared to have the upper hand in the battle, using his unique jutsu to coil himself around the prince like a snake entrapping its prey. He even managed to snap his neck, but it was all an act as it was soon revealed that the ‘Kankuro’ he was wrapped around was actually one of his puppets in disguise.Kankuro ended up winning his bout by utilizing some well-timed duplicity, and not only did the puppeteer successfully escape a very precarious situation, but he probably permanently damaged his opponent in the process."Well that was easy. . ." Kankuro mumbled as he rejoined his team, watching as a medical team carried his opponent away on a stretcher. ". . . It certainly didn't take that much effort on my part.""Don't start gloating now Kankuro. It makes you look petty!”“Me? Petty?!” Kankuro asked, feigning offense. “What are you talking about Temari?! I’m the complete opposite of petty!”“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. . .” The blonde grumbled. “Yeah, you won your match, but you still need to be careful. That bait-and-switch tactic you like to use isn't going to work on everyone.”"Your sister has the right of it, Kankuro,” Baki added, immediately taking the elder sibling’s side. “One day, someone is going to see right through your tricks and counter you soundly in response. . . What will you do with yourself then, I wonder?”"Don’t worry. I would think of something to get myself out of it," Kankuro admitted, speaking as if he were talking about the simplest thing in the world.Instead of following up on the urge to slap him upside his head with her war fan, Temari simply rolled her eyes at Kankuro before turning away. She looked calm on the outside, but those who knew her well knew she was cursing out her brother’s overconfidence in her head.While Baki sighed, thankful that he wouldn't have to break up another brewing feud between siblings, Gaara remained silent, almost unperturbed by the conversation.Shukaku, on the other hand, was very vocal in his disappointment, with his main complaint boiling down to how he didn't get to see them battle it out.He already pegged Temari to be the winner, hands down.
“Sheesh, she could have slapped the paint off his face at the very least!”
". . . She could have," the redhead agreed, thoughtful. “But sometimes you just have to know when to pick your battles.”
“And you don’t think it was worth it for your sister to pick one now?!”

“She has to save her strength for whoever she has to face doesn’t she?”

“Fuck you and the decent point you just made.”

“Decent? And not good?”

“Again, fuck you!”
“You really should stop cursing. . .” Gaara mumbled, looking up to see that the next two names were already on the screen. "Sakura Haruno vs Ino Yamanaka."
“Why do I have the sudden feeling that I’m not going to like this match one bit?”  
Gaara shook his head at that, looking down to see that the girl with the long blonde ponytail and the pink haired girl from Naruto’s team were walking toward the proctor. Both looked determined as they eyed each other, but there was something in their body language that hinted that this was going to be more than just a simple match between them.“Yep; just from the look of those two, it’s safe to say that this match is probably gonna be a dud,” Shukaku concluded, his tone hinting at his exasperation. “Neither of them appear to have strong ninjutsu in their arsenals. They both may be 'iffy', at best, in taijutsu, and who the hell knows how good they are in genjutsu!”“Are you sure you want to be so quick to judge them?” The redhead couldn’t help but ask as the proctor gave the two girls the go ahead to start.   “Trust me on this one. This match here is going to be one of the boring matches . . . Maybe it’ll even be the worst of the bunch,” Shukaku grumbled as he made his prediction. “In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if this battle ended via double knockout, if they're that lucky.”
“We’ll see. . .”
About ten minutes later, both girls were on the ground; their bodies scratched, battered, and bruised. Each girl's right fist had connected to their opponent’s cheek, which knocked them both out, to the disbelief of the crowd.Shukaku, on the other hand, was rightfully smug as the proctor called the match, announcing that neither was moving on due to the, of course, double knockout.
“CALLED IT!”
Gaara ignored the demon's gloating, barely wincing at how loud the demonic tanuki got.After Sakura and Ino were taken off the field, the next match commenced, which happened to be Temari's match. She was pitted against TenTen, a Fire kunoichi who was also a weapons specialist.Unfortunately, the odango haired genin's versatility with blades was nothing compared to the crown princess' skill with a war fan. Every attack she launched at Temari was blown right back at her, and with one especially powerful swing of her fan, the wind prodigy had the fight won, game, set, and match.The sight of TenTen’s bruised and battered body being balanced on the short end of Temari’s fan was bound to haunt some minds in the nights to come."Hmm, that was interesting,” Temari mused once she rejoined her team. “I was expecting a lot more from her though."“Sometimes our expectations are simply not met by others, princess.” Came Baki’s curt reply as he kept his eyes on the floor below. The blonde simply nodded at that, remaining silent as the screen displayed the next set of names.The next match featured the lone female member of the one remaining team from the Sound Kingdom going up against Shikamaru, the heir of the Nara Clan, one of the most prominent ones in the Fire Kingdom. At face value, he didn't seem like much in the eyes of the Sand Siblings, and Kankuro was quick to voice such misgivings.Surprisingly enough, Baki was quick to come to the boy's defense."Shikamaru Nara may not seem like much to you three, but don’t be fooled. How he comports himself is quite common for the members of his family. . . It adds to the overall image.”"Overall image?" Kankuro asked, irritation speckling his tone."Every ninja clan has a way of showcasing themselves to the public . . . For the Naras, they tend to appear as lazy slackers, especially the male half,” The jonin explained as the match began. “Truthfully, they're a clan of absolute geniuses. Their strong mental aptitude spans generations, almost like an unofficial kekkei genkai when you think about it. . . The current head, Lord Shikaku Nara, is a testament of the clan's ideals. Apparently, he's just as lazy as his son, but his intelligence has seen him rise to become the Fire King's Chief Advisor, a position he has held since King Minato started the second year of his reign more than a decade ago. . . In fact, Lord Shikaku is a big reason why the Fire Kingdom won the last major war they participated in, and why the Earth Kingdom has a large, yet respectful dislike of Naras ever since."“Chief Advisor huh?” Kankuro mumbled as the Sound kunoichi threw a slew of senbon needles at Shikamaru, the boy dodging every single one. “With a father like that, expectations must be high for him.”“Many see Lord Shikamaru as the one who’ll replace his father once Prince Naruto is officially crowned King,” Baki added. “. . . If the predictions are correct, he will be quite the pivotal figure in the political sphere in the years to come.”Shikamaru's match was just as short as Temari's, if not shorter. Using his intellect, and little  chakra, the Nara lord managed to trap his opponent with one of his clan's signature shadow  jutsus, connecting their shadows together. With a simple backbend, the Sound kunoichi knocked herself out, hitting the wall headfirst behind her."Huh, his jutsu allowed him to control her like a puppet and forced her to move exactly how he moved,”  Temari observed as she watched Shikamaru return to his team. "You’re right Baki. With his mind and the kind of jutsu he can use, he’s going to be dangerous in the future.”"I wonder if his moves work on inanimate objects though," Kankuro mused, his thoughts going straight to his puppets.Those thoughts soon went out the window once he saw who was up next.The room was abuzz with whispers once it was revealed that the next match involved the Fire Kingdom's Crown Prince. He was pitted against a rather wild looking boy named Kiba, a member of the Inuzuka Clan."Is it just me, or does that Kiba guy look rather feral?" Kankuro mumbled. "And what's with the puppy on his head!?""That's his fighting partner Kankuro," Temari bit back, annoyed with his question. "The Inuzukas  are known for using Cooperation Ninjutsu to work with their ninja hounds. . . As for why he looks so feral, that's just a family trait.”“This should be interesting . . . The brat’s sister was mildly impressive, but if he can't match her, or deliver a better performance than she did, then I'll be sorely disappointed.” Shukaku half-grumbled, half-slurred as the two opponents faced each other on the floor."You have some high expectations for this match, don't you?" “Of course, I do, you damn redhead!” Shukaku growled. “The prince is my oldest brother’s walking prison! I want to see what he's exactly capable of. . . I want to see how much of his power is truly his own.""Truly his own?"
“Kurama has a nasty habit of forcing his jinchuuriki to use some of his chakra in battle, whether they want to or not.”

“Just like you?”
“Pretty much . . .” The tanuki grumbled. “The more he forces them to use his chakra, the better his chances are to influence his host's mind.”
“So, exactly like you!”
“Oh, shut up . . .” Shukaku grumbled. “Then again, even I must admit it. You've been getting better at pushing back my advances. . . It’s quite annoying, actually.”"Good to know." Gaara mumbled as he watched the battle unfold. The one-tailed jinchuuriki watched as the competitors duked it out in what became one of the longest, and most heated, matches of the day. Both proved to be quite adept at taijutsu, with Naruto having the better speed of the pair, but Kiba utilized his partner and Cooperation Ninjutsu to great effect to counter it.By the time the battle came to an end, the floor was a complete mess, looking like a shell of what it once was. Thanks to a well-timed smoke bomb-Substitution Jutsu combo, Naruto pulled out the victory by switching places with Akamaru, who was in a henge that made him look like Kiba. With his deception, the prince sealed his win with a well-placed kick to the back of his opponent's head, sending Kiba into the tiled floor face first, knocking him out cold."Winner by knockout: Naruto Namikaze." The proctor finally announced after checking to make sure that Kiba was truly down for the count. Naruto simply nodded at the acknowledgement before returning to his team. He was dinged up, but not enough where it warranted any medical treatment.“Hmm, the boy appears to have a strong will after all . . . I didn't sense a trace of my brother's chakra in that battle.” Shukaku mumbled. ”Maybe my brother is finally losing his clawed touch.”"Maybe . . ." Gaara mumbled. He was quick to notice the subtle look of approval that lined the Fire King's face as he watched his son rejoin his team, a look that he never saw on his father’s own face.Not wanting to linger on it any longer, the redhead turned his gaze on the son, with good reason. He was standing a couple feet away from what remained of his team with a faraway look in his blue eyes, one that Gaara quickly realized he usually took on himself when he was talking to the giant mass of chakra sealed inside him. "He's speaking to his tailed beast."“Kurama is probably berating him about not using his chakra. . . Doesn’t surprise me. That old fox is a stubborn piece of shit,” Shukaku announced as he started cackling. ”Now then, what's next on the agenda?”"Nanami Otoribashi, Chojuro Toriyama, please come down!" The proctor ordered, coughing midway through his declaration. In response, the lavender haired girl from Princess Shizuka's team and one of the boys from the lone Grass team made their way downstairs. While Chojuro looked a little nervous for his upcoming duel, Nanami’s face was indifferent, as if she really didn’t have an opinion on the matter.
“Wait a minute. . . That's the same girl that said you had 'panda-like' eyes!”
"That she did . . .  If I remember correctly, you said that if anyone else made that same conclusion, you'd kill them," Gaara mumbled, looking down at the lavender haired girl. "So, do you still plan to kill her for making that error?"
“It depends . . . Let’s see how she performs in this match.”
"Hold up a second: Her last name is Otoribashi?” Kankuro asked, looking slightly confused. “Isn't that clan known for their legendary blacksmiths and swordsmen?”“That is correct. . .” Baki admitted.“I thought the Otoribashi Clan resided in the Water Kingdom!" The puppeteer mumbled as the two combatants were given the go ahead to begin."That was true, but the situation is a little more complicated than that Kankuro.”“Uncomplicate it for me then.”“You're right to say that the Otoribashi Clan mainly resided in the Water Kingdom, but that is no longer the case," Baki calmly explained as Nanami dodged a kunai strike from her opponent. "Originally, the clan’s main line resided in Kirigakure, the Water Kingdom's capital, while a smaller branch family lived here in Konoha. That had been the arrangement for decades, with official permission from the respective monarchies of course, however, the main line moved here once the situation in the Water Kingdom became quite . . . severe.""Oh yes . . . Isn't the Water Kingdom still going through some sort of civil war right now?" Temari mumbled, listening in despite never taking her eyes off the battlefield. “Something about a purge?""Indeed. . . According to our sources, the Water King has ordered a purge of all the clans that hold a kekkei genkai within his domain.”“Now who in their right mind would order such a thing?!” Kankuro growled, shaking his head at such an idea. “You’re only asking for trouble when you order the killing of your own people on purpose! Let alone people with abilities that could only be found in a single bloodline!”“Why King Yagura has ordered this, your guess is as good as mine,” Baki mumbled, his irritation with such a decision seeping into his tone. “There have been many theories that have come about to try to rationalize such a decision. Some believe he’s very paranoid, especially since his closest heir was born with two kekkei genkai instead of one. . . Others simply believe he’s been driven insane."“Driven insane?” Gaara asked.“King Yagura was confirmed to be a jinchuuriki a long time ago,” Baki announced, staring Gaara right in the eyes. “Remember, the Water Kingdom is the home of the Three and Six Tailed Beasts. The Six Tails was already confirmed to have been sealed away by the time the King was born, but the Third Tails was not . . . I think you three can figure out the rest on your own.”
“Sounds like your sensei thinks my brother made the Water King go crazy. . .”

“And you don’t think so?”
“Nah; that doesn’t sound like Isobu to me,” The tanuki admitted as Gaara returned his gaze to the battle below. “He tends to be of a gentler disposition. Isobu won’t react unless you provoke him first, and there’s not that much out there that can make that freaking turtle react!”“I see. . .” Gaara mused, realizing he missed something that his sister just said. “Wait. . . What did you just say, Temari?”“I just said that King Yagura’s decision would definitely not give him any favors among his people,” She mumbled. “The more sympathetic civilians would be against it, the rest would be indifferent, and he must have lost a lot of support among his shinobi when that decision was made.”  “Oh, he did, but he still has some powerful supporters behind him,” Baki admitted. “Those that would be victims of the proclamation either stayed, fought, and died, or escaped to other kingdoms, a decision that the other kingdoms have welcomed with open arms . . . When word got out about the situation with the Water Kingdom, the other kingdoms were quick to institute an 'open-door' policy for any refugee clans that managed to escape.""Do you know which kingdom has benefitted the most?" Kankuro  asked as Nanami pulled out a small scroll from her holster. After rolling out the paper, she unsealed her weapon: an elegant katana with an oval shaped guard and a long hilt with lavender fabric wrapped around the hilt."So far, both the Fire and Lightning Kingdoms are neck and neck as the top destination for the refugees. However, I've heard that the Lightning Kingdom has been 'trying' a little too hard to attract these families to its mountainous doorstep." Baki answered as the match ended in quick fashion.His eyes, as well as those of half the audience, noticeably widened as Nanami disappeared, and then reappeared right behind her opponent, who was already halfway to the ground, collapsing in agony as a red smile stretched across his abdomen.“Winner by total knockout, Nanami Otoribashi." called Proctor Gekko as a medical team quickly ran over to Toriyama before he lost too much blood. Nanami simply nodded and spared one last glance at her fallen opponent before returning to her group, who looked incredibly pleased with her win. . .. . . So was Shukaku.“I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I can say, with outright seriousness, that someone is safe from my wrath after I originally wanted to kill them for a slight they delivered,” the tanuki announced, sounding like he didn’t even believe his own words. “Sure, her technique isn't my usual cup of tea - I'm more of a rampaging destructive type of demon after all - but that precision and speed revealed a hidden bloodthirst that I can surely appreciate.”"Wow, well isn’t that quite a compliment?" Gaara couldn't help but think as he watched as the Grass-nin was taken out of the room. "Nanami really made an impression on you if you're going to compliment her that much."
“Don't get used to it.”
“Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga, please make your way down to the floor!" The proctor declared as the two names appeared on screen. A timid-looking girl with a hime-style haircut and a stoic, long haired boy both started to make their way down, however, the girl stopped when she was mere feet away from Naruto, who quickly stepped over to speak a few quick words into her ear.". . . So, we'll finally get to see the famed Byakugan in action." Temari announced as she looked between the two opponents. "Hold up a second; are they brother and sister?""No princess, they're not. . . They're actually first cousins. Their fathers are twin brothers, with Lady Hinata's father serving as the head of the Hyuga clan, while Lord Neji's father serves as the head of the clan's main branch faction." Baki calmly explained as Hinata finally made her way down to the proctor and her cousin, her timidity looking to have lessened quite a bit in the matter of seconds."Is it just me, or does she seem different since her talk with Naruto?" Kankuro asked as the two  took up their clan’s default taijutsu stance."From what I've heard since we've first arrived in this village, Lady Hinata has always been on the shy side despite being a clan heir. . . Apparently, her timidity was worse during her younger years, to a point that some in the clan thought it would be a better option to pass the heirship to her younger sister, Lady Hanabi," Baki answered as the proctor allowed the two fighters to begin. "That was, until she became a part of the royal children's circle of friends, that is."“So, they let her keep her position, for now, because she got closer to royalty?” Temari asked, slightly annoyed with the politics of it all as the cousins ran toward each other, striking and blocking each other with open palm thrusts and precision strikes.“That’s a possible reason,” Baki admitted. “However, it could also be a result of genuine friendship dynamics. Lords Hiashi and Hizashi were childhood friends of King Minato after all.”“If a friendship worked out between them, why shouldn’t it work for their children?” Kankuro concluded as he continued to watch the match. While Neji had the better precision, using his weight and technique for more power behind his strikes, Hinata was, by far, the more flexible of the two, dodging and weaving around her cousin's hits and striking when the opportunity showed itself.It was a neck-and-neck affair that appeared to be evenly matched, but one of them was going to slip, and when they did, it would prove pivotal.“I gave up on seeing blood in this match once I realized two Hyugas were going to battle each other.” Shukaku grumbled. ”The Byakugan is a dojutsu well-known for allowing the user to see the chakra pathways of his or her opponent, and the Hyugas have used it to great effect, developing their own lethal taijutsu style in the process . . . I must give the edge to the boy at this point. He looks the freshest.”"And I wouldn't fault you for it. . . His opponent already looks like she's tiring."And just as Gaara had this thought, Neji struck, hitting his cousin squarely in the chest when she left herself open after blocking one of his other attacks. The hit landed close to her heart, and as a result, Hinata coughed up a large amount of blood, the substance splattering all across the front of her pale jacket.Realizing that she was distracted, Neji moved to attack even further, dealing more strikes to her torso until she finally succumbed to its effects."Hinata Hyuga is unable to continue in this match. Winner: Neji Hyuga!" Hayate announced.Neji watched his cousin with a concerned look on his face as she was tended to by the medics, but the girl simply waved him off with a small smile on her face. Taking that as a sign that she would be fine, Neji nodded before walking toward the stairs as Hinata was taken out the room."If my calculations are correct, there are six of us that have yet to fight," Temari mumbled as she brought a hand to her hip. "There's Gaara, the brunette from Princess Shizuka's team, the last Grass genin, the Sound genin that looks like a walking mummy, the chubby one next to Shikamaru, and the bushy-browed Leaf genin wearing the green jumpsuit. . . Gaara, who do you think will be your opponent out of the remaining lot?”"Considering that all the matches are randomized, I have no idea . . . Your guess is as good as mine," answered the redhead as he turned to the screen, which was already shuffling through  names for the next match.When the randomizer finally stopped, Shukaku let out a yell of pure relief when he saw that Gaara was finally chosen. "So, it looks like I’m going down to the floor . . . But who the hell is this Rock Lee?""Uhm, I think it's the guy in the jumpsuit."At his brother's words, Gaara followed Kankuro's gaze to see the boy in green getting some kind of pep talk from his sensei, who looked like an older version of him, down to the way he dressed and wore his hair. They were loud enough that Gaara could make out a few of the words they were saying, but half of them revolved around the same word: youth.
“We get paired against the kid with the bowl cut?! He doesn't even look like a challenge!”
"I wouldn't be so quick to jump to that conclusion Shukaku," Gaara advised as he brought two of his fingers up to his face. "Something tells me that this Rock Lee is much tougher than you think."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Much tougher than I think . . . You got to be fucking kidding me!”Instead of launching into a full-blown, headache-inducing yell, Shukaku quietly said his words in a measured tone that he rarely used. For a moment, Gaara thought the tanuki actually sounded normal as his sand started to swirl around his body, but he pushed that aside as the sand began to thicken. It became a swirling, almost violent cloud of earth, transporting the redhead down to the battlefield below. When Gaara’s feet returned to solid ground, the sand dissipated as fast as it appeared, barely leaving a trace.A quick glance up at the railing told him that his little 'trick' left quite an impression on the rest of the competition.“Now what are they looking at?” Shukaku teased. “They're acting like they've never seen a swirling cloud of sand transport a human before.”"In their defense, I doubt they have. They’re not around the desert as much as we are after all . . . Anyway, if they haven't realized what I can possibly do yet, they have an idea now." Gaara reasoned as he noticed the Fire Princess from the corner of his eye.“I see someone can't keep his eyes off a certain somebody!” The tanuki added, his voice forcing Gaara to move his gaze. “. . . Must you be so obvious?”"Oh, shut up Shukaku!" Gaara growled, irritated by the tanuki’s sing-song tone as he waited for his opponent to come down. His jumpsuit-wearing adversary threw himself over the railing with gusto, landing on the ground in a crouch before jumping to his full height with a small smile on his face. Gaara was not impressed, but he was suspicious.
"There's something about him, something off, but I’m not sure why. . .”
“Are you sure it’s not his appearance that’s throwing you off?” Shukaku grumbled as Lee approached. “Look, all you have to do is kick this guy’s ass and boom, you're through to the next round. . . Against you, the boy won’t last long.”
"You always did like to underestimate your opponents Shukaku.”
“I’m a malevolent ball of chakra capable of kingdom wide destruction!” Shukaku was quick to say, a little miffed by his vessel’s words. “Not that much can compare to me in general.”“Except for your own siblings, of course,” Gaara was quick to point out, earning a fierce growl from his tenant. “He may not seem impressive to you Shukaku, but for this match, I believe it is for the best that I do not follow your line of thinking. . . I hope you understand."“Now don't get all catty with me Gaara . . .” Shukaku mumbled as the proctor checked on each competitor. “I get enough of that from Matatabi already.”"Begin!"As soon as the proctor gave the word, Lee sprinted toward Gaara, but the redhead didn’t bother to move a muscle to counter the incoming attack. He stayed perfectly still with his arms crossed against his chest as Lee leapt into the air with a yell, delivering a roundhouse kick to his head. Unfortunately, Gaara’s sand wouldn't allow it to happen, shooting out of his gourd to form a wall between Lee's foot and the prince's head.Lee was quick to back away when the attack failed, but the sand wouldn't let him get away that easily. It gathered into one large mass before launching forward, but Lee leapt out of harm's way. Rather than go for him again, Gaara recalled his sand, his face void of emotion as he stared his opponent down."He has decent reflexes," He thought as the crowd whispered amongst themselves. “I’ll give him that much.”“He's still going to get crushed,” Shukaku mumbled, adding his two cents. “He won't get through the Absolute Defense with kicks and punches alone.”After taking a deep breath to gather his bearings, Lee launched himself forward for another offensive attack, but every time he tried to land a hit, the sand met him blow-for-blow. When the sand itself went on the offensive, Lee used a kunai to cut through the attacks, but as soon as the sand grew to a denser, larger size, he was forced to dodge instead of defend.“Hmm, we got ourselves a wily one here, which means things can get very interesting, or annoying, the longer this battle drags on . . . It can go either way,” Shukaku realized as the sand finally caught Lee, grabbing his leg before swinging him into the nearest wall. “Right now, I’m leaning towards annoying.” Though a little banged up, Lee was not willing to give up on his strategy just yet. When he saw Gaara's sand coming his way, he sidestepped it, letting it splatter against the wall beside him.“Smart move. . .” Shukaku mumbled as Lee launched himself forward yet again. “This kid is a tenacious and determined brat; I'll give him that much.” “Tenacious, determined, but oh so predictable.” Gaara added as he watched Lee narrowly miss getting grabbed by an arm of sand.“That’s true. He has only used kunai and taijutsu so far,” Shukaku groused. “What happened to his ninjutsu and genjutsu? Does he even know anything else besides punching and kicking?”“I don’t think he has used any genjutsu or ninjutsu since this exam started. He has been heavily reliant on his taijutsu so far," Gaara answered, a sudden thought popping into his head as Lee tried to find an opening. "Or maybe . . ."
“Or maybe what?”

"Maybe he has no talent in ninjutsu or genjutsu whatsoever.”

“The fuck?!” 
“I know it sounds a little crazy, but maybe he's just not capable of doing either discipline," Gaara suggested as Lee dodged once again, flipping into the air before landing on top of the hand sign statue. "If he had any skill in those areas, he would have used it by now. We're getting too far into this match for him to still gauge my skills. . . If he’s not going to use ninjutsu or genjutsu now, I highly doubt he’s going to use them at all at this point.”“If all he has is taijutsu, then this match is over for him!” Shukaku said with a flourish of finality. “He's basically a short-range fighter who'll have to approach you in order to land a decent hit. . . He'd be walking into his own defeat at this point. This is your match to win.”"ALRIGHT LEE, TAKE THEM OFF!"
“What the hell?! Who yelled that?!”

"I believe it was my opponent's sensei. . . You know, the one who looks like an older version of him." 
Gaara watched Lee’s sensei keenly as he gave a thumbs up to his student, his eyes hinting at something that was only known between the two of them. Lee could only grin and nod as he sat down and pulled off his leg warmers, revealing the set of leg weights underneath. Pulling them off, he stood up with a leg weight in each hand, the grin never leaving his face."Ah, now that I got these weights off, I can move more freely!" Lee announced, his tone bordering on gleeful as he let the weights fall from his hands. . .
“Oh, come on! Does he really think that dropping some weights will give him a better chance in winning this bout? This boy must be crazy!”
. . . And then the weights hit the ground.
“WELL DAMN!” 
And Gaara couldn’t help but agree with that sentiment.The weights imploded the ground as soon as they landed, sending large plumes of dust and debris flying high into the air. Amidst the smoke, Lee disappeared, making Gaara visibly react for the first time all match.“The first lesson they always teach you in training? Never lose sight of your opponent.” Shukaku reminded his vessel as he quickly looked around in a vain attempt to spot him.“I don’t need the reminder Shukaku . . .” Gaara thought, just as Lee reappeared, aiming his fist right at the redhead’s blind spot. His sand protected him just in time, but even he couldn’t help but notice that its reaction time was slower than usual. It was something that Shukaku noticed as well.
"Did his damn fist almost get through the sand!?" 
Gaara had no time to answer him as Lee suddenly reappeared behind him, this time going for a kick to the head. He was blocked once again, but vanished before the sand could grab him.The genin in green continued his smash-and-dash tactic until he finally found an opening, reappearing right in front of Gaara to nail him with an axe kick right to the top of his head, shocking everyone in the room, his siblings and sensei especially.“Did he just, did he just HIT YOU?!” Shukaku yelled as Lee slid away, daring to keep a smirk on his face. The redhead grimaced as his right cheek was wracked with pain, a sensation that was completely unfamiliar to him up to that point. “You better make that bastard pay!”
"I'm working on it." 
Gaara swung his arm, taking a more direct command of his sand as he moved to attack Lee, but his opponent moved before the sand could touch him. “. . . Shit.”It wasn't long before Lee connected again, this time nailing Gaara right in his left cheek. The impact sent him sprawling to the ground, and Shukaku couldn’t help but speak again.
“Well, well, well, this is some plot twist.”

“Don’t start Shukaku. . .”

“What?! I’ll admit it! This boy is decent!”

“Oh really? I haven’t noticed. . .”
“He's actually managed to land some good hits on you, and for fuck’s sake! He's forced you to implement the armor!” The tanuki was quick to point out as the sand started to swirl. “If you’re not careful, he may actually force my hand. . .”"Don't you dare think about it Shukaku!" Gaara was not in the mood for the tanuki’s threat as he felt his sand armor crack off his skin. "I can handle Lee without your assistance."
“There’s a part of me that thinks you may actually need it, and then there’s a part of me that thinks you're just trying to save face . . . You sure you’re not saying that because you want to impress a certain blonde-haired princess?”

"As if I’m doing this because I want to impress my sister.”

“You know what I mean fleshbag!”
Gaara immediately tuned him out as he watched Lee unwind some of the bandaging around his wrists, tense to what he could be planning next. He sent his sand toward him, but Lee moved with no hesitation, running around the redhead in a large circle before striking him with a kick to the chin that sent him up into the air. Knowing that time was of the essence, Lee continued his assault, kicking the prince further and further into the air until they were close to the ceiling. Gaara could barely defend himself as his sand struggled to catch up to him, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from noticing Lee close his eyes and wince in pain when he delivered one of his kicks.Before he could move, the bandages Lee had previously unwound from his wrists wrapped around Gaara. Trapping him in a tight hold, Lee grabbed hold of the redhead and pivoted him downward, rapidly spinning both him and himself as they plummeted to the ground.
“Well this is gonna sting. . .”
It was the last thing Gaara heard before he hit the ground, the impact being so great that a large plume of dust and debris rose into the air and covered much of the room. Lee soon appeared from the smoke, appearing unscathed as he landed a few feet away from the carnage he caused.As for Gaara, his body was at the bottom of the crater, laying cracked all over as he remained perfectly still, his face the textbook definition of shock and disbelief.Well, that was what everyone was led to believe . . .“Okay, now I definitely need to take charge,” Shukaku announced, his tone serious for once. “I'm not going to just sit back and let you get your ass handed to you in this fight any longer. I live here too, you know!?”"I'll admit it. I underestimated my opponent. . . No man has ever gotten past my sand like he has before," Gaara admitted as he felt his sand shell break apart, thus ending his momentary ruse. "Still, just because Lee has the upper hand at the moment doesn't mean I'll let you take over in this battle!"
“We'll see about that!”

"What? WAIT SHU-"
Before Gaara could finish his statement, Shukaku's presence grew in his mind, his consciousness slowly slipping under the tanuki's influence. He felt like he was starting to lose himself as Shukaku started to take more of a front row seat, but instead of being completely forced out, Gaara felt like he was just being pushed aside as the other being took control, like a puppeteer preparing to man the strings.The change was noticeable on the outside just as it was going on in the inside, and it was a shift his siblings and sensei couldn't ignore, no matter how much they wanted to.They had seen it too many times now to not recognize it."This isn't good," Kankuro mumbled as he nervously watched his brother move."It looks like Shukaku is starting to take control," Temari added as she looked on with a tense expression on her face. "When that look appears on Gaara's face, it's never good for anyone involved.""If his opponent was wise enough, he would forfeit this match right now," Baki mumbled as he looked at Lee. "Just look at him now. He's barely moving. . . At this point, I doubt Gaara sees him as an opponent at all. . . Just another "toy" to play with before he throws him away."With a sinister grin on his face and his hands folded into a position that mirrored the statue's own, Gaara sent his sand shooting out in multiple directions before having them converge on Lee. The onslaught sent the jumpsuit-wearing ninja into the air before smashing him into the wall, sending sand and dust flying everywhere and covering the battlefield in a thick beige cloud that didn't seem to have an end in sight."This isn't just a battle anymore," Nanami mumbled as she took out a blue handkerchief from her pouch, using it to cover her mouth as the dust around the room continued to swirl around. "It'll be a one-person massacre if things continue on like this.""Prince Gaara doesn't even look like he's in his right mind right now," Haruka added as she leaned against the railing. ". . . I'm so glad that I didn't have to face him.""It's a good thing you didn’t have to," Their sensei admitted as she leaned against the wall behind them. "Your skills revolve around taijutsu, just like Lee’s, and even though you do know some ninjutsu, it wouldn't be enough against Prince Gaara. . . Not by a long shot.""Thanks Ishida-sensei, your vote of confidence has brought my spirits up real high."  Her sensei could only smile at the remark before turning to her third charge, who watched the proceedings with barely hidden interest."Hmm, you've been silent since before this match even started, princess,” She pointed out as the blonde looked at her. “Care to speak your mind like the rest of us?"
“Your sensei is right, young one. You've been very quiet so far.”
The voice of her tailed beast reverberated throughout Shizuka’s mind in a tone that was almost hypnotic, but the words the bat-dragon spoke were something that the girl couldn't really dispute. “Have I really been that quiet?” She asked as the dust cleared. To everyone’s surprise, Lee was still standing, his arms stretched in front of him as a large crater decorated the wall behind him.“Quite so, but I don’t mind it of course,” Shizuka couldn’t help but smirk at her tenant’s words, knowing that Ryuna preferred her peace and quiet over continuous noise. Knowing that her team was expecting a response, Shizuka finally gave them one."I highly doubt that Lee will pull off a victory, but considering his sensei is Master Guy, he may still have a few tricks up those green sleeves of his." She mumbled as her eyes followed Lee’s movements."But what can he still possibly do though?" Haruka grumbled as she turned to Shizuka, her slightly feline-like face scrunched up in agitation as Gaara continued to toy with Lee. "As we all just saw, pulling off the Primary Lotus hurt Lee more than the panda-eyed prince himself. He can barely move now!""Now, now Haruka. Shizuka does have a point," Their sensei rebutted as she stepped over to the railing, her blue hair gently swaying as she walked. "If my suspicions are correct, Guy may have taught Lee a move that could win him this match. . . The question now is whether or not he's willing to make the sacrifice needed in order to use it.""Sacrifice!? What kind of sacrifice?" Haruka quickly asked as Lee started popping in and out of view once again. "And wait, he can still move that fast!?""Somehow he has the audacity to appear a little smug," Nanami added as she uncovered her mouth. "Just look at him. He's smiling. . . He must have something good planned if he's going to go as far to smile in the face of almost certain defeat!”
"For Lee's sake, I hope Nanami is right."

“I doubt it.”
"Way to give Lil Bushy Brows a vote of confidence Ryuna," Shizuka quickly retorted, using her brother's nickname for Lee in the process. Ryuna simply chuckled in return. "Don't laugh."“Sorry, I couldn't help myself . . .” The tailed beast responded in return. “When you've lived in this world for as long as I have, you start to notice who wins and who loses much more easily.” 
“Care to explain?”

“Your fellow countryman may indeed have a trump card in his pocket, but it likely won't do him any good against the young prince, especially if my little brother has indeed started to take him over.”
"Shukaku hasn't fully taken over yet, or else we all would be buried under a wave of sand by now." Shizuka pointed out as Lee finally stayed still, bowing his head and crossing his arms in preparation for his next move. "Gaara still has some semblance of control. The question now is how long can he actually maintain it."
“Not long if Lee continues with what I think he's about to do.”
"What the hell is going on now?!" Haruka mumbled as Lee's skin tone started to change color. "Is, is it just me, or is he actually turning red?""He's opening more of his Eight Inner Gates." Ishida-sensei explained, looking on in disbelief. "I've only seen this kind of skill used only once before, but I can recognize the signs easily enough. . . It's a high-risk maneuver, allowing the user to surpass many of their limits for a short time, but it is one that has easily ended the careers of those that have used it in the past. The longer Lee uses this technique, the more damage he puts on his body, so if he's going to win this match, he has to end this quickly!""But what does opening more of the Eight Inner Gates do for him exactly?" Nanami couldn't help but ask as Lee got redder by the second."Just watch."Lee attacked with blistering speed, breaking the floor in his wake as he landed a kick to Gaara's chin, sending the redhead high into the air. He then proceeded to pummel him, landing blow after blow as he launched the prince back and forth throughout the air, rendering Gaara’s sand useless as it was too slow to stop the relentless onslaught.Before long, Lee had grabbed the fabric that helped hold Gaara's gourd to his back. Pulling back the fabric like a yoyo, Lee slammed his fist into the prince’s midsection, sending the redhead into the ground in a cloud of sand, dust, and rubble. Lee soon fell with him; his body having given out from under the stress."Lee looks absolutely done," Nanami mumbled. "Has he done all he could?""Possibly," Her sensei noted, looking slightly unsure. "Unfortunately, I don’t think the prince is finished just yet.""You're right sensei," Shizuka mumbled as she watched the scene with keen interest. "Prince Gaara has not lost yet.”"How can you be so sure Shizuka?" Haruka grumbled as she turned to her. “He seems pretty done to me.”"It's just a feeling I have," Said the princess, smirking despite the situation. Haruka's frown only deepened in response. "Haruka, why are you frowning?""Because whenever you go by one of those "feelings", it’s usually right," She answered glumly as the dust started to settle. “And here I thought the bowl cut had the redhead beat.” "You were pulling for Lee Haruka?" Ishida-sensei asked as the redhead finally came into view. The prince was laid out in the crater, cushioned by the sand underneath him as he stared Lee down with wide, disbelieving eyes."I was, for a moment. . . Lee really had me rooting for him for a good second," The brunette admitted as she watched Gaara hold his hand out toward his opponent, the sand moving with the motion. "But now, it's all over for him.""Well, it was fun to watch while it lasted," Nanami added as the sand struck, grabbing Lee's left arm and leg in a stranglehold. The ear-splitting yell that erupted from his mouth as the sand crushed the appendages chilled half the crowd to the core of their bones. ". . . That has to hurt."“Now then, it’s time we kill this green fleshbag and be done with him for good!” Shukaku growled, readying the sand for another attack. "Shukaku, don't do this!" Gaara exclaimed, helpless as he watched the sand rush toward Lee. Lee disappeared from his view, but to his shock, the sand was batted away by Lee’s sensei, who stood before his pupil with his arm outstretched and calm anger shown across his face"Don't you think you've done enough?" Might Guy asked, not a hint of emotion in his tone.
“WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?! INTERRUPTING ME IN THE MIDDLE OF MY KILLING?!”
"I believe he is someone who simply wants to protect his student from the crazy psycho that’s trying to kill him Shukaku." Gaara calmly explained as he slowly got back to his feet as his sand armor started to reform itself around him, having protected him from the most grievous of injuries that Lee could have dealt him with that last attack. "Now then, I'm going to take control of my body back now. Goodbye. . ."
“Oh no you d-”
That was all Shukaku could get out before Gaara completely tuned him out and regained control. Once he was back on his feet and his armor was perfectly intact, he looked toward Guy, who was trying to stop Lee from continuing the fight, despite his heavy injuries. Realizing that Lee was too injured to continue, the proctor gave the win to the redhead, who had already transported himself back to his team, who nervously awaited him."Congratulations on your win Gaara," Temari was the first to say, finally finding her voice. "That was quite the match, to say the least.""I wish Shukaku hadn't jumped in when he did though." The redhead quietly admitted as Lee collapsed into his sensei's arms, just as the medical staff approached them."Hey! Despite the hostile takeover, you still got control back and won the match, and that’s what’s important. . . It definitely wasn't pretty, but a win's a win." Kankuro advised as Lee was taken out of the room. "All you can do now is look forward to the next challenge.""Easy for you to say Kankuro," Gaara thought as he looked out at the damaged floor. "But still, Shukaku doesn’t make things easy?"
“It's only a matter of time before I try again.”

" . . . And that's exactly what I'm worried about."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"I must admit, what we just witnessed was one of the most impressive matches that I've ever seen in my history as a jounin sensei," Ishida-sensei slowly admitted as she turned to her team. "Unfortunately, this same battle could have cost one of its participants his ninja career.""Wait, what do you mean by that Ishida-sensei?""Isn't it obvious Haruka?" Nanami mumbled as they watched a couple of Leaf jounin use an earth-based jutsu to even out the ground. "Opening a bunch of your Inner Gates in such a brief time span is considered a forbidden technique for a reason. . . It puts too much strain on the body, causing more harm than good if used for too long. Broken bones, possible paralysis, even death.”“Death? Damn, Lee risked all that, and he still lost,” Haruka mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief. “I know being a ninja means running into a lot of situations that aren’t fair, but man some things really aren’t fair.”"That’s the life of a ninja . . . All kinds of unfairness, from the common born to royalty," Ishida added. "When Lee recovers from all the trauma he’s been through, he may come out worse mentally, or he may become a better ninja than ever before. He definitely showed that he has the determination and heart of one down there.”"When Lee recovers?" Shizuka parroted, sensing something more behind the wording. “How long do you think that’ll take?”“My best guess? A few weeks to a couple of months, but it’s not just the bones that’ll have to heal. His chakra network and his nervous system have been put through the ringer in that match, let alone his mental state," Ishida theorized as she looked at the Sand team standing across the room. "Only time will tell if he will be able to physically function the same way he did before this all started though."Shizuka followed her sensei's gaze until her blue eyes landed on the redhead. Instead of looking at her or her team, he was paying attention to the ground, looking lost in thought as he kept his arms crossed tightly across his chest."Ryuna, do you think Gaara feels . . . a little guilty for what he did to Lee?"“I do not believe he feels guilty for beating Lee and winning the match. Truthfully, I believe he feels guilty for letting Shukaku grab control, and I can’t blame him. My youngest brother has a terrible tendency for biting the hand that feeds him too much; no wonder he’s considered the most unstable of the 10 of us,” The dragon demon calmly replied as the monitor started shuffling through names again. “The prince came into the match knowing he had to beat Lee to move to the next round. . . Shukaku must have jumped in when he found his chance. He tends to be quite the opportunist in that regard.”“Hmm, Gaara is probably thinking through every detail of his battle just to comprehend everything,” Shizuka mused as she continued observing the redhead. “He’s likely not in the best headspace right now.”
“With Shukaku being his tailed beast, is he ever?”

“Really Ryuna . . .”

“I was simply asking an honest question.”
"I possibly just ended another ninja's career, and all because I couldn't maintain full control in a simple battle," The redhead thought to himself as he glared at his feet. "Shukaku, you just had to fucking interfere . . .""If I hadn't interfered, you would have lost! You would’ve been stuck with Baki in the stands, watching as your siblings represented your kingdom while you wallowed in self-imposed disappointment!" The tanuki bit back as the monitor settled on the next two names. "That Lee kid would have beaten you clean if it weren’t for me. . . If only this seal wasn’t keeping me at bay.”"Haruka Nekonome, Akio Sakamoto, make your way down for your match!""You would have done a lot worse, but you still would have been stopped in the end," Gaara predicted as the brunette from Princess Shizuka's team and the last Grass genin both swung themselves over the railing. "Remember, if the Fire shinobi can seal away the Nine and Ten Tails, then they are more than capable of sealing you away too if need be."
“You really have a knack for ruining the mood, you know that right?”

“You ruin my mood, I ruin yours. Fair trade off!”
“Fuck you too fleshbag, fuck you too!” Shukaku grumbled as the redhead started paying more attention to the battle instead of him.As soon as Proctor Gekko signaled for the match to start, Sakamoto launched himself forward to punch Haruka in the face, but the Leaf kunoichi saw it coming and dodged accordingly. She bent herself backward, becoming almost vertical with Sakamoto's arm before rolling out of the way and nailing him in the back with a forceful kick that sent him sprawling.Pressing her advantage, Haruka moved before her opponent could get back on his feet, flipping over him to nail him with another kick, this time to the side of his skull."One thing's for sure: that girl is definitely agile." Kankuro mumbled as he watched the Grass genin slowly stand up, already looking a little dazed as Haruka moved around him."Agility, flexibility, they’ve always been the Nekenome Clan's strong suit," Baki explained. “Comes with their long-standing partnership with ninja cats.""Like the Inuzuka Clan and their ninja hounds?" Temari asked as she watched Haruka's nails elongate into sharp claws half a foot long. Her face also became more feline in appearance, giving her a more feral look as she charged forward."Pretty much," The turban-wearing jounin agreed as they watched Haruka release an onslaught of slashes and kicks on Sakamoto. Her opponent tried to fight back, but it was quickly proving futile in the face of her speed and viciousness. "Of course, the Nekonomes and the Inuzukas have been rivals for centuries. Not to the degree that the Senjus and Uchihas were, but close enough. . . However, once they're side-by-side on the battlefield, they're quite the fearsome fighting force."By the time Haruka was done, her opponent was lying on the ground unconscious, an absolute mess of bruises and slash marks you would think was a living abstract painting. Save for a few scratches and bruises along her own arms, Haruka was fine, looking at her handiwork with an impassive expression as her nails returned to their natural size.“Well, that was a beatdown alright,” Temari mumbled as the proctor announced Haruka as the winner of the match. “The other guy practically had no chance!”“Nekonomes also have a tendency to be relentless in their onslaughts,” Baki informed his charges as Haruka walked off the field, leaving Sakamoto to be tended to by the reappearing medics. “Once they hit you, they won’t stop until you're down, permanently in some cases of course.”“Noted. . .” Kankuro mumbled, hoping that he wouldn’t need to fight her in the next round.“Now that girl knows how to fight a bloody fight. . .” Shukaku mused, but Gaara ignored him, still not over his own battle just yet.“For our final match, Dosu Kinuta, Choji Akimichi, please make your way down!""Finally, the last match," Kankuro mumbled as he watched as the two that were called made their way down. "A fat kid and a living mummy . . . Should be interesting.”"Shouldn’t be long either," Temari added as she observed the two. "The Akimichi doesn't look like much, but he could surprise us with his clan's body expansion techniques. As for the Sound mummy, well, if he's like his teammates, his repertoire must be sound based as well.”“If Akimichi wants to win this, he must be mindful of any sound techniques his opponent has,” Baki advised. “Sound travels very well through the body because of our high water composition. His body expansion techniques would only give the Sound genin more of a target to attack if he’s not careful.”“Well, he should be aware of something as simple as that,” Kankuro mused as the match began. “If he’s not, it’s his downfall.”The match ended up being one of the shortest ones of the day. The Akimichi heir appeared to have had an advantage in the early goings of the battle, forcing Dosu to stay on the defensive. However, once Choji put himself at a disadvantage by getting stuck in the wall, Dosu grabbed victory by sending sound waves into Akimichi's body with the use of his gauntlet, letting the water within Choji’s body do the rest.Once the match was called and Choji was taken away by the medics, the proctor called for all the winners to make their way down to the floor, just as Sasuke returned to the room with his sensei.“Well that last match was anticlimactic!” Shukaku grumbled as Gaara followed his siblings to the staircase. “But at least the men were finally weeded out from the boys!”"That’s true. . ." Gaara unenthusiastically grumbled as he looked across the room to see Princess Shizuka's team already descending the other staircase. “There’s only 12 of us now."
“Which means six matches, well, if they continue with the whole one-on-one battle strategy that is . . .”
Gaara quietly followed his siblings down the stairs. When the preliminary match winners were all gathered, they formed a single line in front of the Fire King and his jounin, ready to hear the next course of action.Little did they know that they were going to hear from the King himself.“Congratulations everyone! After thirteen battles, you twelve genin have proven yourselves worthy of making it to the next round,” King Minato spoke with authority as he stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. “Now then, I am sure that you are all under the impression that the third round will immediately begin after I’m finished speaking . . . That will not be the case."“What do you mean by that?” Kankuro blurted out, getting a sudden feeling of self-doubt when he felt all eyes suddenly on him. “What?! I wasn’t the only one thinking it!”“Real smooth brother. . .” Temari whispered under her breath, but loud enough that the grimacing puppeteer could hear her. “Real smooth indeed.”“Oh, shut it sis!” He quickly whispered back, a response that only made Temari smirk in return."Today marks the end of the preliminary competition. . . As per Showcase tradition, the finals will be held one month from today. Though these next few weeks will serve as a time to rest and recuperate, it’s not an excuse to get lazy. We expect you all to be at your absolute best once the finals begin, so use your time to improve on your abilities, maybe add something new that your opponents would never expect,” The King calmly explained, not even hinting that he was annoyed by the interruption.“This month is also meant to give enough travel time to those who plan to attend the final rounds, as well as make their respective bets. After all, people travel from far and wide to see the Showcase every year . . . Hmm, from the looks of things, there is no question that at least two other monarchs will be making the trip to Konoha to see the proceedings this time around.”
“The only ones that he could possibly be talking about is the Sound King and your father. Along with Fire, Sound and Wind are the only other kingdoms that still have a stake in this thing . . . Ready to see your old man again, flesh bag?”
"Hardly"
“I had a feeling you were going to say that. . . Predictable.”
"Now then, before you are all dismissed, there is one more thing that needs to be addressed first," The King announced as Proctor Morino came forward with a small box in hand. "You all need to pick lots to see who you will be facing first.”“I still have no idea who I want to fight first,” Kankuro thought as he subtly looked up and down the line. “My skills don’t give me a definite advantage against most of the remaining competition, especially not my siblings . . . As long as I don’t have to face a close-range fighter, I should be okay for Round 1.”“You will come up one-by-one in alphabetical order by first name,” King Minato added as he gestured to the box in Morino’s hand. “Please, don't open the paper until I give you the go ahead . . . Genin Kinuta, you're first."The mummy-looking Sound genin simply nodded before stepping forward to take a slip of paper from the box. Once he picked his slip, everyone else, starting from Prince Gaara and ending with his sister, came forward to grab slips of their own. When the king eventually gave them the go ahead to open them, Gaara opened it to see that all that there was inside was a single blue dot."Now then, each slip has one of six colored dots stamped on it. Whoever has the same-colored dot as you will be your first opponent in the finals," King Minato explained, locking eyes with each finalist. "Let's see, for the finals' first match, who holds a red dot?”Both Neji and Naruto's hands went up, with both nodding at each other as Proctor Morino wrote their names down on a clipboard he somehow procured.“The Hyuga gets to fight the prince first huh?” Temari mused. “Both favor close combat, but unless Neji has some useful ninjutsu in his repertoire, the odds favor Naruto.”"For the second match, who has a blue dot?"Gaara slowly raised his hand, and when he looked down the line, he saw that Sasuke had also raised his hand.Shukaku was almost giddy.“So, the Uchiha is our next opponent . . .” The tanuki observed said in a tone that Gaara didn't like very much. “This is going to be fun. His blood should be fun to spill.”"And there you go again, acting like the bloodthirsty animal you are," Gaara mumbled as he tried to pay attention to the rest of the proceedings. "You really can't go one day without mentioning blood in some way, can you?"“This has been the way I’ve acted for years now. I’ve always been bloodthirsty, but when you get consistently sealed into people for the sake of their family members maintaining a stranglehold on their power, can you seriously blame me for my attitude towards humans?” Shukaku asked, his tone slightly condescending.“When you put it that way, honestly, I really can’t,” Gaara admitted, knowing that the beats had a point. “But still, tone down the rhetoric. I can understand the reasoning, but that doesn’t mean you have to repeat yourself everyday like a broken record.”“I make no promises, but still, aren't you excited?” Shukaku asked, but Gaara offered no reply. “If not for the blood, then you must be excited to face an opponent from such a strong lineage as the Uchihas. It’s not like you get to test your strength against someone like that everyday back in your homeland.”“The Wind Kingdom isn’t known for having doujutsu wielding clans like Fire does, but I’ll admit, you’re not wrong,” Gaara mumbled. "It will be interesting to see which comes out on top: sand or Sharingan."“If you allow me to take control, then no question, we will be the ones on top!” Shukaku advised, but Gaara wasn’t biting. “Not taking the bait huh? Fine then, I’ll drop it, but still. Once we beat Uchiha, if they're successful in their matches, the other jinchurikis could be future opponents for you, and the same could be said for your own siblings . . . I hope you don't plan to take it easy on them.”"They may be my family, but I plan to treat Kankuro and Temari like any other opponent I’ll have to face, and no, I’m not letting you have a turn!" Gaara announced. If he had been staring at the tanuki face-to-face, he would have been glaring holes at him, despite the obvious size difference. "So, don't get any bright ideas! You've already done enough damage for one tournament."
“Again, I helped you win!”

“By interfering when I didn’t want you to!”

“We can agree to disagree, but still, I helped you win!”

“I’m ignoring you now.”
“Alright, the pairings have been made,” The king announced, his words finally breaking Gaara out of his thoughts. “Competition wise, you all are each other’s enemies. You may immediately know your first opponent, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare for everyone else as well. . .”“Here’s a recap of the order, for your benefit of course,” Morino announced as he turned his clipboard around, giving the group one more look at the order.They were quick to learn it by heart.Naruto Namikaze vs Neji HyugaGaara vs Sasuke UchihaKankuro vs Haruka NekonomeShino Aburame vs Nanami OtoribashiDosu Kinuta vs Shizuka NamikazeTemari vs Shikamaru Nara“You know who you will face, you know the amount of time you have to prepare yourselves, and I am eager to see the results of your hard work,” King Minato admitted as he looked down the line. “Work hard, fight harder. . . Good luck to you all. You are dismissed!”Before anyone could say anything else, the king used his Hiraishin technique to disappear from the room, leaving without a trace as some of his guards quickly followed suit."Ok, that was impressive," Kankuro mumbled as the rest of the class began to disperse. "So, that's it huh?""Pretty much . . ." Temari concluded as people started leaving the room. "We now have a full month to prepare for the finals. I get to face the lazy kid, you get the cat girl, and Gaara gets to fight the moody Uchiha"“I was hoping to not get a close ranged fighter in the next round . . . The universe hates me.” The puppeteer grumbled as Baki reached the three"If you don’t want to get beat by a close combat fighter, then I suggest you increase your taijutsu training," Baki quickly advised, his words only making Kankuro grimace at the thought. "However, you can save that training for tomorrow. . . You’ve done enough for today after all."“Rest today, train tomorrow. Simple enough.” Temari mused as the four moved to leave. “We can’t let this month become a complete waste.”“I get it. No being lazy for the next thirty days,” Kankuro grumbled as he crossed his arms. “Sheesh, four weeks of training in an unfamiliar village. Sounds like fun.”“It’s not all about fun. There’s still kingdom pride to think about,” Baki reminded them. “You’re not in it just for yourselves. You represent the Wind Kingdom, so keep that in mind when I put you through your paces in the coming days.”“As if he could show you anything that could help you at this point.” Shukaku scoffed as his fellow vessel as he snuck a look at the Fire twins’ teams, who were lingering in the room as they conversed amongst themselves.“I wouldn’t dismiss him just yet. . .” The redhead mused. “He’s just thinking about the kingdom’s reputation, something that you don’t care about of course.”
“Damn straight I don’t!”
“Still, I highly doubt that the rest of the remaining competition are going to slack in their training these upcoming weeks,” Gaara suggested as he looked forward. “I don’t plan to either.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next morning

Gaara quietly sat on the hotel roof as he watched the sun rise; having spent the night watching the moon and thinking through the events of the day prior. Usually, Shukaku would have tried his best to annoy the hell out of him during his reminiscing, but the tanuki had been strangely quiet for most of the night, leaving the redhead to his thoughts in an act that was so unlike him. . .. . . Until now.“It’s daybreak brat!” Shukaku announced, smirking when he felt the boy grimace. “And knowing your sensei, he'll want to start talking about the final round as soon as you and your siblings sit down for breakfast.”"I know Shukaku, and I'm not looking forward to it,” The prince mumbled, slowly standing up. "But that's the kind of person Baki is. No nonsense, all business, and as annoyingly formal as you can get."“And your father?” The tanuki suddenly asked as Gaara dusted off his pants. ”How would you describe him as a mentor?”
“As if you have no idea, Shukaku. . .”

“Pretend I don’t Gaara. Humor me here!”
"Fine. . . He’s coarse, unforgiving, and unrelenting, like the desert we were born in," Gaara grumbled as he re-crossed his arms. "Why are you even asking me this Shukaku? You've been sealed inside me for my entire life, before I was even born. You've seen what my father is like through my eyes; what he has put me through. Why the sudden questioning now?”“True; I’ve seen what your father is like, especially when he puts in the effort to train you,” Shukaku admitted, his tone tame in comparison to its normal level. “But in all honesty, I didn't know what your true opinions on his mentoring was until now. You are surprisingly tightlipped over that, even in your thoughts . . . I may be sealed inside you, but I'm not completely privy to your thoughts.”
“Well, that’s surprising to hear. . .”

“Hey! I may like destruction and carnage, but I’m not really nosy. . .”

“Unless the topic involves destruction and carnage that is.”

“Okay, you got me there.”
Gaara simply smirked as he looked up at the sky; his thoughts slowly going back to the times when his father took the time out of his busy schedule to oversee his training personally.It was a long-standing tradition, especially for shinobi families, for the older generation to pass their skills and teachings to the next one, and not even the royal families were excluded from this trend. However, it was more difficult to uphold due to the Kings and Queens' various duties to their respective kingdoms.King Rasa was no exception.For the better part of his adult life, the man has had to juggle his duties as a monarch with his duties as a father, and unfortunately, his royal duties usually won out, much to his kids annoyance, consternation, and eventual relief. He always struggled to make any time for them, and it had only been getting worse with the Wind Kingdom's various problems piling up in recent months.For most of their lives, the Sand Siblings were raised by nannies and tutors. The King would receive updates on their progress, only really spending time with his children during some of their training sessions, official royal events, and the occasional family dinner, and even during those moments, he was not entirely fatherly in his demeanor.He proved to be quite the stubborn man, being standoffish, cold, or even a bit unwelcoming to them when they interacted, especially with Gaara, who simply rewarded such behavior with similar behavior in return.“Your father is definitely no 'Father of the Year' candidate by any means . . . It’s like he has had a permanent stick up his ass since birth.” Shukaku couldn't help but grumble as Gaara walked toward the roof’s entrance. ”Hey! Have you ever wondered what the bastard was like before you were born?”"A few times, but it’s not like I’m going to get a good answer if I asked around," Gaara was quick to say in return. "I could ask Temari and Kankuro, but they were so young at the time they likely don’t remember much, and I'm not planning to ask the palace staff either."
“And why not?”
"I make them uncomfortable enough as it is already because I have you sealed inside me.”
“Oh yeah . . .”
“Plus, I wasn't the most well-behaved child growing up, and some of it was not even my fault," Gaara added, his comment earning him a quick chuckle from the tanuki. ". . . The staff would be more worried about not offending me than actually giving me a truthful answer anyway."
“Ok, fair point.”
When Gaara finally returned to the suite, he found his siblings standing by the dining room table as a member of the hotel staff set out their breakfast, which was a mixture of traditional delicacies and Western cuisine. Still dressed in their pajamas, both looked quite disheveled, and hungry, as they watched the young man work.As for Baki, he was out on the porch, looking out at the village with his arms crossed behind his back, totally oblivious to what was happening inside."How long has he been out there?" Gaara asked as he approached the table."For a while," His sister mumbled as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I woke up just as he finished calling for room service. . . He's been out there ever since.""Knowing him, he's probably thinking about what he’ll say during breakfast," Kankuro suggested as he tipped the worker, watching him bow before leaving. “I expect something finals related, probably what we should expect and how we must conduct ourselves.”"Most likely,” Temari agreed as she walked over to the open doorway. "Baki-sensei, breakfast is ready!"She didn’t wait for him to respond, choosing to join her brothers at the table instead. Baki joined them seconds later, taking his seat across from the Crown Princess, remaining silent as everyone started filling their plates.And then he spoke. . ."It’s tradition for the Showcase organizers to send letters reporting on the preliminary proceedings to all the kingdoms once the preliminaries are over, even to the ones that weren't competing," Baki announced as he cut into his meal.“And you bring this up why?”"Because you should expect a message from your father in the coming days." Was all he said in response to the puppeteer, his words making Temari grimace."Please don’t try to ruin my appetite," Temari grumbled as she brought a piece of bacon to her lips. "Father will probably write us some half-hearted congratulations note before launching into why it's crucial for us to do well in the final rounds, again.""Don't forget the part where he mentions that he's coming to view the finals," Kankuro mumbled, his attention more on his food than on the conversation. "I can just imagine it now: Him sitting with the other kings in attendance, watching us stoically behind that cloth he likes to wear over his face.”“Does he even speak in that fantasy of yours?” Temari asked, slightly amused.“Oh, he’ll make small talk alright. At the very least, he has to be cordial to his fellow kings, but sometimes, I wonder if he was born to be an Ice King than the Wind King.”"Oh, will you two stop with the mockery?!” Baki asked, his words coming as a bit of a shock for the three. “Yes, I understand that all three of you have issues with your father, and yes, he doesn't help the situation either with the way he acts toward you three.”“Isn’t he supposed to be one of your father’s most reliable supporters.” Shukaku asked, just as baffled as his vessel.“He is, but I guess even the most reliable supporters are allowed to criticize the people they support every once in a while.” Gaara quietly replied as he watched his sensei.For as long as the siblings could remember, Baki had been a reliable supporter of their father never speaking an ill word about him while sticking with him through every decision he’s made while in office, even the bad ones.This was as close to a negative remark that they had ever heard him speak, and they’ve known him for years."As you all may have noticed, things have not been going well for the kingdom these past few months, and it's not just because of the lack of profit we're seeing from the shinobi division,” Baki continued. “The dry season has been especially brutal this year, and the nobles have been a bit restless these days thanks to some of the decrees your father had to make to offset shortages . . . Altogether, the situation has made your father more stressed than normal.”"Oh, we know. . . At this point, we think that if the heat of battle or an assassin won't do him in, the stress will." Kankuro pointed out before taking a sip of his orange juice. "Father doesn't know how to take a break or sleep for that matter.""It's only a matter of time before he develops insomnia rings even bigger than Gaara's." Temari added, shooting a smirk the redhead’s way."It’s possible . . ." Gaara mumbled as he dipped his spoon into his miso soup."Maybe . . . Now, get back to eating. When you’re done, head for the living room. We need to start discussing your future competition."Twenty-five minutes passed before all four Wind natives had finished their morning meal. While Baki moved all the empty plates out into the hallway, Temari and Kankuro went to get ready while Gaara quickly brushed his teeth. The three siblings found Baki waiting patiently for them in the living room, seated in one of the leather armchairs. Temari quickly claimed the other one, leaving her brothers to take the couch."Ok Baki, where do we start first?" Temari asked as she watched the older man lean back in his seat. “What’s on your mind?”"We'll start with your immediate competition." The older man announced, crossing his arms. "I want to hear your opinions and observations. What do you make of them?""Well, Nekonome will be trouble for me if her claws get anywhere near my chakra strings." Kankuro mumbled as he rolled his head back."Is that all you’re going to say? You're worried about her cutting your chakra strings?" Temari asked as she looked at her brother with disbelieving eyes.“It’s a legitimate concern!”"But it’s not your only one,” Temari argued. “Nekonome’s performance in the preliminaries shows that not only is she very agile, but she has quite a good understanding of taijutsu as well. Her agility is not a good match against your puppets' projectiles, and you wouldn't be able to protect yourself if she manages to take your puppets out of the equation. Your hand-to-hand skills simply don't match up with hers.""Your sister is correct on all fronts Kankuro." Baki announced, cutting in before the puppeteer could even launch a rebuttal. "As you are now, you would definitely struggle against Haruka Nekonome.”“Thanks for the vote of confidence!” Kankuro grumbled, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “I’m happy to hear it, but seriously, do you really think I’ll do that badly against her?”“Most likely,” Baki admitted. “You have a definitive talent for puppet ninjutsu, and that can’t be denied, but puppeteering is a standard practice in our kingdom. One that’s well known, so Nekonome will be familiar with the type of tactics you’ll likely use.”“Don’t expect her to fall for any of your poisonous tricks so easily,” Temari advised. “Puppeteers like you are known for using poison in battle, so she'll prepare for that. . . She’s fast too, and if she manages to get past your puppets. Well, I suggest you start brushing up on your taijutsu, because you're definitely going to need it."". . . I figured as much," the puppeteer mumbled as he looked up at the ceiling, conceding to their points. “Gaara, you want to add anything?”“Well, since the Nekonomes are so closely linked to cats, why not mess with their senses for a bit?” The redhead suggested. “Her senses are likely similar to a cat’s own, so if you confuse her sense of hearing or smell, you should have a better chance at disorienting her.”“. . . Now that’s the kind of advice I was looking for. Thanks!” Kankuro said, a little shocked by his brother’s words. “Does anyone else want to add on, or can we move on to one of you two now?”"Let’s move on to your opponent then Temari," Baki conceded, turning his gaze to the Crown Princess. "What do you make of Shikamaru Nara?""From a purely physical standpoint, he’s not the most dangerous threat going into the finals," said Temari, thinking it over as she brought a hand to her chin. "He’s physically lazy, but his intelligence is what makes him such a threat. He's likely the strategist of his team, so I wouldn't doubt that he’ll already have a couple of plans ready for me when we finally meet for battle.”"You must also be wary of his shadow ninjutsu," Baki added. "His use of shadow manipulation means that you must always stay aware of your surroundings completely. One wrong move, and you'll become his puppet. . . Now then, Gaara, it's your turn. Your thoughts on Sasuke?""From what I saw, he wasn't at his best yesterday," The redhead mumbled, with Shukaku voicing his agreement in his head. "He was holding back, and I think it has something to do with why he was clutching his neck so much before the preliminary fights began.""I think you're right Gaara. I noticed that too," Temari mumbled. "Sasuke didn't take any noticeable physical damage during his fight, but his sensei was quick to take him away once the match was over. . . It was probably an injury he got while in the Forest of Death. That would explain the quick exit.”"Does it matter!? He'll be all healed up by the time the finals roll around!" Kankuro reminded them. "Besides, he likely won’t have a concrete strategy against you when you two face each other. He wasn't present for any of the other matches. He only reemerged once they were all over!""He may not have seen Gaara fight, but the rest of his team certainly did. He could always ask them for info." Temari stated matter-of-factly, shutting Kankuro up immediately."Speaking of Gaara's preliminary match, it was an eye-opener for me,” The princess slowly admitted as she turned to the redhead. “Your sand has earned its reputation as an ultimate defense. We’ve seen it in action so many times, it’s hard to dispute it at this point.”“Prior to our arrival here in Konoha, I always thought that the only possible way someone could beat it was if they had a very powerful water affinity.”“How strong are we talking here?” Kankuro suddenly asked. “Like strong enough to create whirlpools or King Tobirama level strong?”“Hmm, you can’t get any stronger than King Tobirama,” Baki mumbled. “The second Fire King earned his reputation as the greatest water ninjutsu user of his time for a reason. No one has ever come close to his power since then, not even any of the Water Kings themselves.”“I wouldn’t go that far in terms of strength. I’m just saying that I always figured someone with a strong penchant for water ninjutsu would be the worst person that Gaara could face in a battle,” Temari clarified as she held her hands up. “And then that match with Lee happened. . . Turns out your shield has a second weakness after all.""It's not fast enough to protect me from high-speed attacks." Gaara admitted as Shukaku started grumbling in his head. "This was the first time I ever faced an opponent who could use speed as an effective counter, and, well, it was shocking. I’ll admit that.”"Shocking?" Kankuro asked, his eyebrows raised slightly. "I've never seen you looked so shocked in battle before till after those weights dropped, and damn, they dropped. . .  Lee’s sensei may be weirdly eccentric, but his teaching methods are apparently effective.”"Unless Sasuke increases his speed exponentially in these upcoming weeks, I don't see him beating Gaara with that strategy,” Baki admitted. “Genjutsu-wise, he’s an Uchiha, so he’ll undoubtedly use his Sharingan during the battle.”“It wouldn’t be as effective though against him as it would against other opponents, right?” Kankuro asked. “Shukaku’s presence within him should give him some protection.”“I’ll admit it. Your brother’s not wrong,” Shukaku quietly mumbled. “My presence should give you some protection, especially since your opponent is still young and likely not too experienced with the genjutsu aspect of Sharingan. . . If he had more years under his belt, then maybe there could be some issues.”
“Maybe, Shukaku?”

“Look, if you’re going to go up against a tailed beast with genjutsu, you better make sure you’re Madara Uchiha-level strong when you make the attempt. . . That’s all I’m gonna say on the matter.”  
“Gaara, are you okay?” Kankuro suddenly asked, breaking the redhead out of his thoughts. “You looked out of it for a second.”“Shukaku was talking to you about something, wasn’t he?” Temari asked, more curious than concerned.“All he said was that his presence will give me some protection from whatever genjutsu illusions that Sasuke plans to use,” Gaara calmly replied as he took a deep breath. “Apparently, the younger and more inexperienced the genjutsu user is, the worse off against tailed beasts they are.”“Well, that’s comforting. . . Then again, Sasuke may not need genjutsu or a boost in speed to beat you,” Temari suggested as she shrugged. "A jutsu with enough piercing power could be enough to get through your defense.”“A month gives the Uchiha brat enough time to develop one.” Shukaku grumbled, not happy with the thought.“Great. . .” Gaara said in return, not liking the idea of anyone being capable of piercing his sand.He already dealt with Lee breaking through his armor with his fists, but someone being able to pierce through his sandy walls with a jutsu with enough force behind it was an entirely different prospect that he just wasn’t looking forward to."Temari raises a good point," Baki mumbled. "The Uchihas are known for their fire style ninjutsu, but fire alone isn't enough to break through sand. Lightning and wind hold the most piercing power among the five elements, but we don't know if the Uchiha is capable of either one.""He didn’t really use ninjutsu during the match itself, now did he?" Kankuro couldn’t help but ask as he took out a notepad and a pencil from a scroll he had in his pocket. "All that we really know about Sasuke is the basic clan info you can read about in any history scroll you come across. We haven’t seen anything unique from him so far.""In other words, I'm going into my battle practically blind." Gaara pointed out. ". . . Eh, that's usually how it is, isn't it? I usually don't know much about my opponent at the start of a fight anyway.""So, we shouldn't treat it like it's completely different from all the other battles you've been in before?" Temari asked, looking amused. Gaara simply shrugged, but that answer wasn't the satisfying one she was hoping for. "Anyway, all I can really suggest is that you just stay vigilant. Don't give the Uchiha any openings. . . He seems like one of those guys that will really make you pay if you do.”"Um, I guess that wraps up our immediate opponents," Kankuro mumbled as he started sketching the base of a new puppet. "Should we talk about the others now? They’re not our immediate competition at the moment, but it would be good to make sure we left no stone unturned.""We should," Baki admitted. ". . . Regardless of who you end up facing, it's always beneficial to learn all you can about your future opponents before the time comes.""Well, if we’re going to talk about the rest of the competition, for starters, our fellow royals must have learned some of their skills from their parents, skills that may be difficult to counter," Temari mumbled as she rested her elbows along her chair's armrests. "Other than Shizuka's Dragon Gale jutsu and Adamantine Chains, our knowledge on their ninjutsu is limited. . .”“Princess Shizuka definitely learned her jutsu from her mother, as for Prince Naruto, it’s likely that his father took the lead on his training,” Baki mused. “His speed is already an indicator of his father’s influence. . . Could be building him up to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.”  “The Fire King is terrifying on the battlefield because of that technique alone. If his tailed beast carrying son learns it . . .” Kankuro trailed off, slowly becoming terrified by the thought as his eyes went wide. “. . . Aw man.”“Yeah, that thought is not fun,” Temari mumbled, agreeing with her brother for once. “Let’s move on to someone else.”"Well, that Neji guy is straightforward," said Kankuro, glad that they could move to someone else. "He's a product of his clan; a Hyuga through and through.”“All you have to do is not let him get close to you to knock out your chakra points, which means long range would have to be the way to go,” Gaara advised. “However, it'll definitely be hard to catch him off guard. His Byakugan gives him near 360-degree vision . . . Sneaking up on him will be nearly impossible.”"You can’t get close to that Aburame kid either," Temari added. "His bugs eat chakra, and if they get a hold on you, it’s game over.”"Nanami Otoribashi showed that she’s competent with a sword.”“You remembered her full name?” Kankuro quickly asked, his eyes wide again.“Shukaku liked her match. Plus, why would I forget someone who took down their opponent in one move?" Gaara asked. When Kankuro didn’t offer up a response, he continued. "She's probably one of the fastest ones still competing. . . The question now, is how competent is she in a fight when she doesn’t have her sword in hand.""And then there is the lone Sound genin," Baki added. "His sonic attacks will be troublesome.”"I see him as a wild card, and I don't like wild cards," Temari grumbled. “You can’t really plan for them.”"No, but you can still observe them," said Baki, smirking for once. ". . . For the next month, in between your training sessions, I want you to watch your competition when possible. Any new information you can get could be beneficial. After all, the more you know, the better you can prepare. . . Now, if you excuse me?""Where are you going?" Temari blurted out as Baki started heading for the door."The Fire King has requested my presence, along with the sensei overseeing the Sound team, likely to go over the upcoming arrival of our respective kings," Baki calmly answered. "I'll be back later.""Well, at least we don't have to deal with him for a while," Kankuro mumbled once Baki was out of earshot. He was going to speak again, but Gaara suddenly disappeared in a cloud of sand, cutting his words short. "Now where's he going?""Probably to observe the competition, which is something we should be doing too," Temari reluctantly admitted as she got to her feet. “C’mon Kankuro. Let’s go people watching!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Well, that was a quick getaway . . .” Shukaku mumbled as Gaara traveled through Konoha’s alleyways in a cloud of his sand. “Never took you as someone so eager to spy on their competition.”
“And what did you take me for Shukaku?”

“Definitely not someone that embraced the espionage aspect of the ninja arts. . . You’re more of a smash first, ask questions later kind of guy.”
“I’ll admit it. Outside of your influence, I do tend to not waste time in battle,” Gaara conceded as he reappeared on top of an apartment building, blocks away from his designated lodgings. “Still, even I have to do some actual spying from time to time.”
“Well, this place will not make things easy for you. Konoha is vastly larger than Suna. It’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack here!”
"That would be true if Sasuke was from an ordinary family,” Gaara pointed out as he looked down at the street below. “But he’s from a noble clan, and the large homes of noble families tend to be much easier to find than an ordinary apartment.”“Okay, true, but you still have to find the damn place though . . .” Shukaku bit back. “So, how do you plan to do it? Are you gonna ask for directions, cause that's just way too funny of an idea to take seriously!?”
“Is it really that odd for someone like me to ask for directions?”
“One: you’re a fucking prince fleshbag! People of your station tend to order rather than ask,” Shukaku was quick to say, sounding way too happy to explain things to him. “And two: you are naturally intimidating, whether it’s because I’m sealed in you or because you can barely smile to save your life. Take your pick! You’re more likely to scare people rather than reassure them.”“Just because I’m a prince doesn’t mean I can’t be nice to people, or at the very least show some manners,” Gaara grumbled. “And as for the intimidation thing, I blame that on both you and how I was raised.”
“And I will take my share of the blame gladly . . . So . . .”

“So, what?”

“Are you going to ask for directions?”

“No.”
“Then what do you plan to do then?” Shukaku asked as Gaara turned his head, just in time to see his siblings move across the rooftops in the opposite direction. “And where the hell are they going?”“They're probably heading for the noble district,” Gaara admitted, vaguely remembering Baki telling them about the area in a prior conversation. “Most of the ninja nobility usually keep their homes there.”
“Shouldn't you be going after them then? Last time I checked; the Uchiha Clan is a noble family. Them having a home in that district seems like a no brainer to me.”
"True, but the Uchiha Clan aren’t like most families,” Gaara mumbled. “Despite its large size, the Uchihas aren’t a very social group. They prefer their privacy . . .”
“Which means they’ll prefer living somewhere secluded, not smack dab in the middle of one of the most well-known districts in this entire village.”

“Exactly . . . Besides, the noble district is usually home to the smaller clans or the ones that were more recently established.”

“Pretty much the small fry in the pecking order then. . .”

“Well, yeah . . . Stronger, more established clans like the Uchihas and Hyugas would have moved out of that neighborhood a long time ago. They would establish their homes somewhere else; somewhere a lot less cramped.”

“Alright then, if I was a member of a large, influential clan, but I didn't want to live in the noble district, where would I establish my home instead?”
“I would pick somewhere secluded that will ensure my family’s privacy. It also has to be a spot that can be well-guarded, with vantage points that work in my clan's favor, just in case of an attack . . . The area would have to be very spacious. After all, the bigger the clan, the more room it would need." Knowing what he needed to do next, Gaara initiated his Third Eye jutsu, closing his right eye shut as the sand-made eyeball formed in front of him. He then sent it out into the village, keeping it out of sight so that no civilians or shinobi would spot it and think it was hostile.As a foreign prince, it wouldn’t be a good idea to initiate an international incident by any means after all.Gaara ended up surveying the village for almost a full hour before finally finding what he was looking for in the westernmost edge of the village. Canceling his jutsu, he quickly disappeared in a cloud of sand, reappearing on the rooftop of an abandoned building a few minutes later.Walking over to the building’s edge, he looked across the street at the solid wall of painted granite surrounding the block. Beyond it, the Uchiha Clan's property didn’t feature a singular manor. It was a large compound filled with a mix of traditional and modern buildings painted in shades of white, black, gray, and blue.The tall, iron gate at the front was manned by two guards, both wearing the traditional clan robes that featured their famous high collars. At the top of the gate stood a dark blue flag, stamped with the image of a traditional red and white uchiwa fan stamped in its middle, the clan’s family crest.“There's no mistaking that symbol. We're in the right place alright.” Shukaku mumbled as he observed the scene from his vessel’s eyes. ”The brat could be anywhere in there!”"And sneaking into the place undetected isn't going to be easy,” Gaara added as he moved back a couple feet. “If any one of those Uchihas look in the direction of my Third Eye with their Sharingans activated, my cover will be blown immediately. . . News of the matchups would be known to all the clans by now, so they could be safeguarding their little prodigy in there to make sure none of his secrets get out."“Hmm, if that's the case, the guards would already know to look out for you just in case you did try to make an appearance,” The tailed beast was quick to point out as Gaara suddenly heard footsteps coming up behind him. ”What the? Now who the fuck would try to sneak up on you!?”"Who knows? No self-respecting shinobi would try a sneak attack in broad daylight, in the middle of a crowded village no less. Plus, the approach is just too noisy to be a valid attempt.”
“So, at the very least, the person isn’t competent?”
“Or they’re not trying to sneak up on me in the first place,” Gaara suggested. “Maybe they’re trying to alert me to their presence.”
“But why though?”
"Well, let’s find out. . .”Gaara slowly looked over his shoulder to see who the stranger was, only for his eyes to widen slightly at the sight of the Fire Princess standing a little off to his left. Dressed in a flattering, light blue sundress that barely went past her knees, her hair fell freely down her back, stopping just past her waist as she silently watched him in return.
“She’s definitely not dressed for a fight.”

“I can see that. . . What are you going to do now? Talk to her?”
"What are you doing here?"
“Well. . . Real smooth fleshbag, real smooth.”

“Shut it Shukaku!”
"Hmm, you see, I was enjoying a nice stroll through the village square when I spotted a very peculiar sight disappearing into one of the alleys,” She explained, her tone never wavering under Gaara’s hard glare. “After all, it's not every day I get to see a floating eyeball moving around, so I decided to follow it . . . I figured it was your doing once I spotted the bits of sand it was leaving behind."
“I’ve always told you that you needed to tighten your control on that technique.”
"Again, shut it Shukaku!" Gaara growled before returning his attention to his fellow royal, who was waiting for his response.
“Ah, look at that face! She’s waiting for you to speak. . . Are you going to keep her waiting because if you are, that would be so rude of you?”
"Shukaku, I really don’t need your sarcasm right now!" Gaara growled again before looking up. Now seeing that Shizuka no longer stood in front of him, he turned to see that she was now standing close to the edge, taking in the street below. "What are you doing?""I’m checking to see why you’re up here in the first place, and considering who you face first in the finals, I'm not surprised," She told him as she looked up. "You're not the first person to spy on their opponent before a final, and you'll definitely won't be the last.""Am I really that obvious?" The words escaped the redhead's mouth before he even realized what he said."Not really . . . Your face is a blank slate most of the time, so it's hard to guess what you're honestly thinking about."
"Should I take that as an insult or a compliment?"

“I'll let you decide that for yourself.”
 
If Gaara could see the tanuki right now, he would have scowled at him."Sorry, I don't wear my emotions on my sleeve.”"Oh, I've noticed. You definitely come off as the strong, silent type if you asked me,” Shizuka mused as she looked down at the Uchiha compound. “Anyway, there’s no point in scoping out Sasuke’s place. He’s not home.”“What?!” Gaara grumbled, annoyed that his target was eluding him without realizing it. “Where is he?”“Out training somewhere with Kakashi-sensei. They’ve been gone since the preliminaries were declared over.""And how do you know this?""When the Showcase is going on, It's common policy for senseis to alert the hosting monarch that they are taking a remaining competitor out of the village for personal training. Got to make sure that all the competitors are accounted for at all times of course . . . I just happened to be in the room when Kakashi-sensei came in to make his request to my father.""Oh really?”“Nah; Naruto told me over breakfast. Was a little annoyed because Kakashi is his sensei too, but he understood in the end.”“And I should take your word for it?”“Technically, you shouldn’t. To you, I’m just the strange princess that you’ve only recently met after all . . . I could be trying to lead you astray for the sake of her fellow countryman,” She explained as she crossed her arms behind her back. “It’s up to you to decide if you want to take my word for it or not.”“She has a point fleshbag,” Shukaku mused. “. . . I like her kind of thinking.”“That’s what I’m afraid of. . .” Gaara admitted as he watched her, trying to gauge how truthful she was being from her face alone. “. . . She’s really trying to misdirect me isn’t she?”“Isn’t misdirection one of the prime tenants of being a ninja?” Shukaku bit back. “Plus, she’s right. It’s up to you to believe her if you want, but something tells me she’s not truly trying to lead you astray.”“Thanks. . .” Gaara mumbled, figuring it was best to just cut his losses at this point. “You wouldn't happen to know where Sasuke and his sensei went off to, would you?""I would love to, but my knowledge only stretches so far," She admitted as she took a seat on the edge, crossing her legs at her ankles like a proper lady would. "I know that they’re out of the village, but I don't know exactly where they went. You'll have to find that out yourself.”"Hm, figured as much . . . Why?""Why what?" She asked in return, watching as his eyes narrowed with suspicion."Why are you telling me all this? Why are you giving me this intel?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're from different kingdoms. We are rivals in the Showcase.""We are, but so is everyone else that remains in the competition. . . If telling you what I know about Sasuke’s whereabouts will help give me a leg up, then so be it,” She admitted, looking not the least bit repentant. “After all, getting an advantage over your opponent is a part of ninja life, so it can't be helped. Plus, Sasuke acts way too much like an emo prick for his own good. . .”". . . So, this is your way of getting back at him, hoping that my antics will knock him down a peg or two," The redhead concluded, ignoring Shukaku’s chuckles.
“Smart, and knows what she wants . . . Now I really like her.”
"Of course, you do. . ." Sarcasm was dripping from Gaara's mental voice, but he quickly focused on the girl in front of him before Shukaku could even offer a rebuttal. Looking back on Shizuka, she looked to be off in her own little world. However, he knew better, especially since he knew about her special condition, one that was nearly identical to his own. "Does your . . . occupant annoy you as much as mine does?"". . . At times," She admitted, a little caught off guard after being interrupted from her own conversation. "She either sleeps or remains silent for the most part though. I'm guessing it's not the same for you.""Hardly! I probably got stuck with the tailed beast that talks too much."
“Hey!”
"Is that why you don't sleep?” Shizuka then asked, more curious than anything else."Not really . . . Simply put, if I fall asleep, the chances of Shukaku taking over my body increase exponentially.”“And when you say exponentially, you mean it’s pretty much a given.”“Pretty much. . .” He agreed."That sounds like Shukaku alright, well, from what Ryuna has said about him.”
“Ryuna’s been talking about me?!”
“You thought she never would?” Gaara asked in return, but the tanuki didn’t bother to answer back."Can I ask you something personal?""It depends on the question you're asking." He admitted, not really saying yes, but curious enough to not say no either."What seal was used to seal Shukaku in you?""Huh?" Shukaku smartly asked as Gaara’s eyes widened slightly. “Did she really just ask that?”"The seal tends to make all the difference for us jinchurikis," Shizuka explained as she got back to her feet. "A seal that’s rightly configured can safely hold back a tailed beast's power so that it doesn’t corrupt your mind and chakra in a negative way. . . Improperly configured seals, or ones not designed to handle the chakra load, will lead to unintended consequences. Maybe that's the case for you. . .""Is it really that possible?"“How the hell should I know, and if I did, why would I ever tell you when my main goal is to be free from you?” Shukaku asked, though there wasn’t much bite to his words. ”Anyway, I don’t need to remind you that your homeland has always been very inconsistent with the sealing arts. You guys can handle the basic sealing techniques that everyone else knows, but when it comes to the advanced stuff? Boy, your kingdom isn’t known for producing masters.”
“Well, that answer was helpful . . .”
"I don't know what seal was used to seal Shukaku into me," Gaara stated, speaking the truth. "And why do you even ask? I doubt that you're as knowledgeable in the subject as you're trying to let on.""Huh, good catch . . . My parents are considered sealing masters - my mom more so than my dad - and they've been teaching my brother and I what they know, but thanks to their royal duties, the lessons tend to be few and far between," The blonde admitted, even looking a little miffed over it. "Anyway, I better get going. I've taken up too much of your time, and I'm sure you want to get back to finding Sasuke."“Are you really going to let her leave like that fleshbag?” Shukaku asked as the two watched her walk away.
“What do you expect me to do Shukaku? Say goodbye?!”

“Well, you could thank her for the intel, for starters.”

“Wait a second. Are you seriously giving me advice on manners?!”

“It sounds like I am, doesn’t it. . .? Don’t expect this to happen from me again.”
“I really can’t believe you sometimes. . .” Gaara mumbled, not believing that he was about to do what the tanuki just suggested. “Wait!”"Yes?" Shizuka asked, turning around to face him once again. “Is there something else you want from me?”"It’s just . . .” He trailed off, sucking in a deep breath before going into a picture-perfect bow. “Thank you, for the intel.""Oh, you're welcome," She said in return, admittedly shocked at Gaara’s apparent sincerity. “Never expected that, but it is very welcomed. . . From one jinchuriki to another, I wish you the best of luck on your search, Prince Gaara.”
“From one jinchuriki to another? Wishing you the best of luck . . ? You think she's being honest?”
"I'm not too sure," Gaara thought as he watched her jump from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of her family’s palace. "Only time will tell, but for now, I'll keep an eye on her."
“Of course you will . . .”

“Again, shut it Shukaku!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Temari, are you sure you know where you're going?" Kankuro quietly asked as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop on their way toward the eastern part of the village.“I’m sure Kankuro, I think. . .” Temari mused, quickly looking around before they jumped to the roof of an apartment building. “Trust me on this, okay?”"But how are you so sure that this is the way to the noble district?" The puppeteer dared to ask, his right eyebrow going up slightly."Because I asked the clerk at our hotel’s concierge desk before we left. That’s how I know Kankuro," Temari mumbled as the two came to a stop on top of a weapons' shop, the street below coming alive with activity. ". . . We may be ninjas, but it doesn't hurt to ask questions when you need to, you know?""Ok, ok, you have me there,” Her brother conceded. “Anyway, how much longer before we arrive at the district?""Shouldn't be long now, by my estimate . . . However, the clerk did mention that the entrance isn't as obvious as you’d hope for," The crown princess mumbled as she walked over to the building's edge. She quickly dropped down to the street, her brother quickly following suit.No one out on the street batted an eye at them, chalking it up to ninjas being ninjas."What do you mean by that?” Kankuro gruffly asked. “Don’t tell me they have some sort of genjutsu on the entrance at all times!”"Thankfully, no, but it isn't going to be advertised by a traditional red arch with a sign saying, "Noble District" in big kanji right at the top either," Temari mumbled as she looked down the street. "Think of it as hiding in plain sight if you will . . . Nothing really sticks out, even the supposedly more opulent houses. Everything blends in, so you’ll likely won’t see anything specific unless you explore the area more closely.”"So, we could have possibly crossed into the district without even realizing it?" Kankuro asked, his eyes widening in disbelief as his sister nodded in the affirmative. “Gotta admit; it’s a smart idea. . . Annoying, but smart.""Yeah . . . If only we knew where our competition exactly lived though," The blonde mumbled as she adjusted the fan strapped to her back. "At this point, any clue would be nice.""What’s this?! You didn't ask the clerk where your opponent lives?" Kankuro couldn't help but tease as he watched his sister scowl. "I'm sure it wouldn't have been too hard, especially for someone like yourself.”“Oh really?!” She sarcastically mumbled, looking off to the side. “Just because we’re royalty doesn’t mean I can demand everything I want.”“Technically, I believe you can,” Kankuro argued back.“This isn’t Suna Kankuro,” Temari was quick to remind him. “We’re in a different land that abides by different rules. Just because we’re royals doesn’t mean that everyone’s going to abide by our orders, especially when we’re not even in our own territory.”“Okay, okay, I see your point,” The puppeteer relented, raising his hands in surrender. “So, what do we do now? Keep moving around till we somehow find it? Wait around till one of our opponents walks into us?!”“You know Kankuro?” Temari mumbled as she looked down the street, shock obvious on her face. “You may be onto something with your latter suggestion.”Curious, her brother looked in the same direction, his eyes growing comically wider when he saw two familiar figures heading their way.“Well, would you look at that!” Kankuro mused as he tempered his expression back to normalcy. “Ask and you shall receive.”“If only real life was that easy Kankuro. . .” Temari trailed off as they watched Haruka Nekonome and Nanami Otoribashi, Princess Shizuka's teammates, as they stopped to window shop at a clothing store. ". . . This really is a stroke of timely luck.”"It doesn't look like they haven't spotted us yet." Kankuro mumbled as they continued to watch the two. “Should we hide now? We got the advantage now.”"At this point, I don’t think it would do us any good,” His sister mumbled in return. “Nekonome comes from a clan that holds a long-standing partnership with ninja cats. It's not hard to think that enhanced smell was part of the deal. . .  She should have a sense of our scents by now, so if she gets one whiff of us, the jig is up.""Not unless we hide ourselves well," Kankuro suggested as he adjusted the puppet strapped to his back. “Quick! What’s your best genjutsu?”"Too late! We already spotted you!"The siblings whipped their heads around to see Haruka and Nanami standing right in front of them, with the former looking rather annoyed, while the latter appeared slightly amused. Instead of their ninja gear, Haruka wore a dark blue tracksuit with the jacket open to reveal the gray t-shirt she wore underneath, while Nanami wore a traditional blue kimono top and black skirt, her lavender hair pinned back with oval shaped clips."You guys waste no time in the spying department, don’t you?!” Haruka sarcastically mumbled as she put her brown locks into a high ponytail. "Like seriously, we finished the preliminaries just yesterday, and you guys are already trying to spy on people!”"We may have a month’s worth of free time, but I guess you Wind ninjas just couldn't wait to get started." Nanami added as she adjusted her glasses."And what makes you think we were trying to spy on you guys?" Kankuro asked, mainly to save face.“I don’t just have an advanced sense of smell. I also have exceptionally good hearing,” Haruka admitted."Ok . . . Didn’t expect that. Probably should have, but didn’t," Kankuro mumbled, conceding defeat.“Look, can you blame us for starting our preparations early?” Temari asked, sending a quick glare her brother’s way."Honestly? Not really," Haruka mumbled as she crossed her arms. "But it does grab your attention when your remaining competition starts their info gathering less than a day after the preliminaries end. . . Taking one day off isn’t going to kill you people!”“I get that the Showcase can be a stressful event, but it won’t hurt you to take a breather,” Nanami added, her face suddenly gaining an inquisitive expression. “Unless . . .”“Unless what, Nanami?” Haruka prodded as Kankuro and Temari could only look on with indifferent expressions on their face, though on the inside, they were growing tenser by the second.“There’s more at stake for them than there is for the rest of us,” She concluded. “It’s one thing to enter the Showcase as a regular ninja, or even as one from a notable clan. . . It’s another thing entirely when you come from a royal family.”“Well, she’s not wrong.” Temari thought as her brother’s eyes widened slightly.“Huh, it’s one thing to compete well. It’s another thing entirely when you’re royalty. At this point, it’s basically a must, especially if you’re the firstborn,” Nanami added, looking directly at Temari. “You already have to deal with all the pressure of being the heir. Couple that with trying to accomplish a good result in the Showcase . . . I’m guessing this is not a fun time for you.”“Considering that your teammate is also a princess, I’m sure you have some inkling to what royalty has to struggle through. . .” Temari sarcastically mumbled, trying to show a tough face despite Nanami’s almost right-on-the-nose conclusion.Despite her best efforts, the two kunoichi were not buying it.“Can the sarcastic barbs, Windy! Your words aren’t working like you hoped for,” Hanabi was quick to say, shutting Temari down before she could say anything more.“Windy? She certainly told you sis!” Kankuro spoke up, vainly hiding the chuckle that threatened to escape past his mouth. The smirk didn’t fall off his face even when Temari punched him in the arm. . .. . . He was too amused to react otherwise.“You really shouldn’t be laughing,” Nanami mumbled. “You’re technically in the same boat as your sister, just with a little less pressure.”“I’m not too sure about that,” Haruka admitted. “He’s probably under more pressure to do well. . . I’m sure he doesn’t want his siblings to show him up during the Finals. At the very least, can you imagine the pushback he may get among the older men back in his homeland if they heard that his sister did better than him . . . Granted, she’s older and the first in line, but still, nothing's more irritating than misogynistic old geezers making their sexist opinions known.”“Now isn’t that the truth,” Temari mumbled, having faced her fair share of them amongst the Wind Kingdom’s nobility. “But then again, misogynistic old geezers happen to be everywhere. Noble and royal ones just tend to be worse because they use their power to back their words, regardless of how wrong they are.”“Can’t argue against that one,” Haruka mumbled as she turned her sights back on Kankuro. “So, are you still planning on spying on me today? I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”"Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!" Kankuro grumbled, irritated that the kunoichi even dared to appear amused."You're a puppeteer!” Nanami uttered, looking baffled by the prince’s reaction. "Puppeteers are usually known for two things: being long-range fighters, and being weak in taijutsu. . . And unless you were hiding some skills during the preliminaries, you really are just one of the many puppeteers your kingdom is known for producing.”"Way to make someone sound so . . . cookie cutter," Temari mumbled as Kankuro could only look on with a blank expression. “. . . You have a point, but wow, you know how to make someone feel unoriginal.”“Hey! Mind not sounding like you’re supporting what she just said?!”“You got to admit that she was on point with her assessment on puppeteers though?” Temari said in return, not bothered by the look her brother was giving her."It’s pretty stereotypical at this point," Nanami added.“A lot of stuff in the realm of shinobi is stereotypical, but yeah, puppeteering in general is one of the biggest,” Haruka added as Kankuro could only look at her in silent disbelief. “. . . Is he going to be okay?”"He'll be fine," Temari was quick to say, more amused by her brother’s reaction more than anything. "He probably feels really called out right now, but he'll be fine.""Sometimes people need to hear things that they don’t like," Haruka mumbled. "And considering your royal blood, I’m sure he doesn’t get to hear it often.""Fair point. . ." Temari conceded as she brought a hand to her chin. "It seems like the company you keep really gave you guys a little more insight on royal life than most.”"Well, your teammate is the reigning princess of the kingdom, it’s a given," Nanami mumbled. "Plus, we also serve as some of her official ladies-in-waiting, so there's that too.""Wait, you guys do the whole lady-in-waiting thing here?" Kankuro asked; Temari almost visibly wincing at how baffled he sounded. “Um, yeah. It's a part of royal tradition, meant to foster good connections between the royal family and the noble clans," Haruka mumbled, her eyebrows furrowing. "Last time I checked; every kingdom follows this protocol.""Not the Wind Kingdom, at the moment,” Temari grumbled as she looked at her nails, missing the curious look that the other kunoichi were shooting at her.“You have no ladies-in-waiting, and you are your kingdom’s Crown Princess?” Haruka mumbled as Nanami remained silent. “. . . That’s a ballsy position to be in. I’ll give you that.”“Is there some sort of shortage of girls around your age among the noble clans back in your homeland?” Nanami finally blurted out, too curious for her own good."No; there are plenty of girls my age back home, but they’re either straight up kissups looking to aid their family’s progress to the top, or completely naive weaklings that can barely handle a conversation that isn’t about makeup or dresses,” Temari griped. “It doesn’t stop my father from getting on my case about it though.”“Can you honestly blame him?” Haruka asked, looking at Temari with a look that didn’t appear unsympathetic to her plight. “Sure, there will always be kissups and naive idiots among the nobility. . . Every kingdom has their fair share of them, but you can’t make all of them your enemy.”“Especially not someone like you,” Nanami added as she gestured Temari’s way. “Don’t you think antagonizing the noble clans back home by not picking out your ladies-in-waiting hurts your chances of securing the throne when it’s finally time for you to take over?”“You may be the first in line, and I don’t think the Wind Kingdom has a law that bans female rulers or clan heads in their law books, but that doesn’t mean that everyone’s going to abide by the idea of you ruling,” Haruka added with a knowing glint in her eye. “You alienating the other nobles by not having a cadre of their daughters and nieces within your inner circle is not a good way to endear yourself to them if you want to have a peaceful reign you know?”“Well, isn’t that a good point. . .” Kankuro admitted, not being the least sarcastic as he turned to his sister, who looked more nonplussed than anything else. “Rethinking your no ladies-in-waiting policy yet?”Temari could only stare at her brother blankly before turning back to the girls. She had always thought that the policy of having ladies-in-waiting was an antiquated system that she would have been more than happy to do away with, especially since she was someone that loved her privacy and alone time, but after hearing Haruka and Nanami’s counterargument, she was starting to think differently on it.Temari knew that her road to the throne would not be an easy one, even though she was the first in line for it. The Wind Kingdom tended to be more patriarchal than most other kingdoms, so her gender did her no favors with some of the traditionalists back home. Having some of their female members within her retinue could help to build stronger connections that she could use in the future, but the fact that she hasn’t acted on this for so long may have hurt her in the long run.It didn’t hurt to try once she got back home though."I’ll admit it. What you guys pointed out makes sense. . ." Temari finally admitted, looking up to see that Nanami was walking off. "Where's she going?""To pick up her order from that weapons shop," said Haruka as Nanami walked over to said building. "It's why we came out this way in the first place. . . If you're thinking about going there to shop, tread carefully.""And why would you say that?" The princess asked, not offended, but slightly curious. “Does the owner not like foreigners?”"No; the owners aren’t discriminatory in the slightest. . . The shop’s just owned by TenTen's family, aka . . .”“. . . The one I beat in the preliminaries,” Temari finished for her, the image of the weapon-wielding brunette popping into her head.“The very same one!” Haruka added. “Don’t worry, she's not one for holding grudges. Her parents on the other hand . . .""I get the idea. Thanks for the warning though.""Anytime . . .” Haruka shrugged before turning her sights on Kankuro. “Just to let you know before I go, if I catch you trying to spy on me in the future, I will not hesitate to dismantle every single puppet you have on you to the smallest splinter . . . Have a good day you two!"". . . Damn, I suddenly felt a chill go down my spine." Kankuro mumbled quietly as he watched the cat girl walk away with a wary expression on his face."Of course a chill went down your spine! She did just threaten you after all," Temari mumbled as she started walking off. "Come on! It would do us no good to spy on them now. . . We'll have to wait till the time is right.""Should we look for our other competition then?" Her brother was quick to ask as he followed her."We have a good month to find out what the other competitors have in store for the finals. . . It's not an immediate thing that we need to do, no matter how much Baki thinks otherwise." Temari theorized as she continued moving. "You can spy on the others now if you want, but I’m going exploring . . . You're welcome to join me if you like.""Well, you do make a convincing argument," The puppeteer conceded, following her down the road.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Sis, remember when you said that you wanted to see what Konoha really had to offer?""I remember Kankuro," Temari mumbled as the two reached their hotel room, finally back at base after a long day of exploring the village. "I remember it perfectly. . . I must ask. Why are you bringing this up now?""Because I know you won't admit what we're both thinking right now, so I will,” He threatened, sounding almost playful as he crossed his arms over his chest.“Since I know you’re about to milk this for all it’s worth, I must warn you that I will smack you as payback later,” Temari countered, narrowing her eyes at him. “I would do it now, but I’m simply too tired to give it the proper effort.”   “Fair enough, and thanks for the warning,” He conceded, his smirk still on his face. “Let’s face it sis. Konoha has plenty to offer, PLENTY . . . I have a whole lot of pride for Suna. We were born there, raised there, and we will always support it, but this village . . . They have an obvious edge over us; a sense of life that Suna doesn’t have, and today? Today, we just experienced a sample size of what this entire kingdom is possibly about, and it’s honestly impressive!""I know," The wind mistress grumbled as she took out her room key. "As a visitor, it's amazing to witness how much this one village has and can produce . . . But as the crown princess of another country, it's intimidating.""Intimidating?” Kankuro parroted as they entered the suite. “. . . Well, it’s not fun seeing another kingdom’s power when you know your own homeland isn’t up to snuff.”"Today, we saw a glimpse of how far ahead the Fire Kingdom is compared to Wind, and this is only one village. Granted, this is the capital, but the other villages could be just as prosperous, if not more, than this one," Temari answered as she took her fan off her back before ungraciously flopping onto the couch, ignoring the setting sun descending beyond the horizon. “This place. . .” She continued, looking up at the ceiling. “It's teeming with life. It has a vibrancy and energy that Suna doesn’t match Kankuro . . .  Suna feels like it’s at a standstill. Like it’s just stagnant with no idea how to progress any further from its current position.”"Considering the current situation back home, can you really blame our kingdom for being so slow to progress?" Kankuro asked as he took his puppet off his back. "Our kingdom has been in financial trouble for as long as we’ve been alive. . . It's gotten so bad that our father has had to sell some of his Gold Dust to help the kingdom make a profit. . . Our father, the freaking leader, the KING, must sell portions of his own unique jutsu to help the country make money. That's embarrassing if you ask me!""The weather we've been getting hasn't been helpful either," Temari added, grimacing. "We've had brutal dry seasons in recent years, and the last wet season was not ideal. . . We're not that known for our agricultural output in the first place - just enough to get us through the years, with some extra left over to trade with - but last year was the first time we had to import so heavily.""At least things are improving on that front," Kankuro mumbled, already halfway through freeing Crow from its bindings. "It's the mining industry that's proving to be the most troublesome sector these days.""You got that right," Temari trailed off, pinching the bridge of her nose as she spared a thought to what was once the biggest lifeblood of their kingdom.Despite the dim reputation deserts usually get, they still hold a wealth of treasures left to be explored, mostly hidden beneath the sands. The Wind Kingdom had taken advantage of its environment by leaps and bounds over the decades, mining and cultivating precious minerals to enrich itself and use for trade with the other kingdoms. However, in recent years, some of their bigger mines were starting to dry up. Coupled with some of their biggest trade partners discovering mineral deposits in their own lands, and you had a recipe for a weakening trade market overall, and people were starting to notice."Mining is still strong, but it isn't at the levels of production we're used to seeing, and it’s starting to put some people on edge," Temari admitted as she took out a sealing scroll from her pack. "You've heard it just as much as I have in court, Kankuro. The whispers are becoming too hard to ignore.""Yeah, I've heard them," The puppeteer grumbled as he put the bindings off to the side. "People are starting to question Father’s power. . . Sure Pa still has his group of supporters, but money talks. If things don't improve, he'll start to lose that support, and they will call for a new person to rule.""That new person would be me, Kankuro." Temari matter-of-factly stated as she unsealed a small fan from her scroll."Oh, really sis?” Her brother challenged. “Are you sure about that?"Temari was quick to scowl at such a question, but Kankuro was admittedly unfazed, and in truth, she knew he was making a point, and a good one at that. Their homeland wasn't the only kingdom to not have a queen rule in her own right in its history, but it was by far the most conservative on that front, even more conservative than the Earth Kingdom in that respect, and they were known for being the stubborn ones.Many of the nobility’s male and elder members were either outright against or not too keen on the idea of a queen ruling over the land in her own right. Some had even tried to convince King Rasa to pass over Temari in favor of Kankuro once he was born and his gender was known. However, the king and queen immediately refused such an idea, with the king himself famously stating that as the firstborn, it was Temari's birthright to be the crown princess. She may have her issues with him now, but she appreciated her father’s stance on the subject.She was still curious as to why he stuck to it though. Considering the mindset of much of the noble class combined with the fact that she has two younger brothers, anyone else in Rasa's shoes would have pushed her aside for Kankuro immediately, or even Gaara if they were that daring. She tried to ask him about it numerous times, but he was either busy with work or simply ignored the question altogether."The people at court are stubborn old fools that have no vision. They're so stuck in their old ways and hell-bent on keeping with the traditions they were raised on that they wouldn’t know a new idea if they were smacked in the face with it," She ranted as she started fanning herself. "They're too scared of the thought of me being queen regnant because they've never experienced the rule of one in their collective existence, and the possibility of one unsettles them to no end.”"You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink," Kankuro mumbled, his analogy not lost on his sister. "Look, I’m sure that if you were a lot more . . . malleable to their interests, then they would certainly be fine with you sitting on the throne, but you’re not.”“But I’m not. . .”“EXACTLY!” The puppeteer exclaimed as he pointed her way. “You’re not. In fact, you’re the exact opposite: strong willed, intelligent, and stubborn. You’re someone that knows exactly what she wants and how exactly you plan to do it, and that's very dangerous to them in their eyes.”“Way to make me feel better Kank,” Temari mused, amused by how energized her brother was acting. “I’m just telling it to you straight Big Sis,” He admitted. “Anyway, let’s face it, if those old coots  can't find a way to influence you, their next best bet is keeping you out of power! Power and influence; that’s all they want, and if they can't get it through you, then they’ll try to get it through their next best bet: ME!"She watched her brother as he tinkered with one of Crow’s joints, a determined scowl now dotting his face. Despite the bumbling, sarcastic facade he tended to show at times, Kankuro was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. If people thought Temari was a hard person to sway, they would only get the same result in Kankuro.It would just take them longer to realize it."And if they find out that you won’t be swayed so easily, they'll probably go after Gaara next." She added, eliciting a laugh from her brother in return. "What?""Can you just imagine someone trying to influence Gaara? Like really? Our baby brother?!" He cackled as he looked up from his work. "Gaara is continuously fighting back the influence of probably the most unstable tailed beast that's ever existed, and Shukaku was sealed inside of him before he was even born! Trust me, if he can keep Shukaku relatively at bay for this long, I’m sure the other nobles will be a cakewalk for him.”“Why Father allowed such an action in the first place is beyond me,” Temari mumbled, having always been irritated by such a decision. “I understand that it’s pretty much a given that someone in the family has to serve as Shukaku’s jailor to maintain our family’s power, but did he have to seal him in Gaara before he was out of Mother’s womb! Childbirth is already a struggle for women as it is! Having to birth a child who has become the new vessel of the One Tails practically seconds prior to the actual birth is mind boggling to me, and this is his wife we’re talking about. Our mother!"“It definitely wasn’t one of Father’s best moments as king, let alone as an actual father. . .”The new voice was sudden, but familiar to the siblings, both of them looking up to find their little brother standing on the ceiling with his arms crossed over his chest, looking down on them as if he was a bat watching its next meal. His face was impassive, as if he wasn't ashamed for butting into their conversation like he did.To be honest, he probably wasn’t."Well hello to you too little brother," Kankuro greeted him, almost sounding annoyed as he went back to his work. "And how long have you been listening in this time around hmm?”“Long enough, if I’m being honest,” The redhead admitted as he dropped from the ceiling, speaking the typical answer he used whenever he suddenly appeared during someone else’s conversation. “And yes Temari, I agree. The old man was completely out of his mind to allow the sealing in the way that he did.”“Glad to hear I have your complete agreement on the subject Gaara,” Temari mused as she sat up. “And sorry. . . I hope what we were just talking about didn’t open any old wounds.”“Don’t apologize Temari. Besides, you’re not wrong,” The redhead conceded. “You’re not wrong about Father, and you’re certainly not wrong about the traditionalists back home. . . You won’t allow yourself to be controlled. Kankuro won’t make it easier for them either if they manage to get you out of the way, and me. . . I already have to deal with a bloodthirsty tanuki sealed inside me on a daily basis. I don’t need overbearing nobles on my case either, well, more than they actually are already.”“Am I really that bloodthirsty?” Shukaku was quick to ask, his tone slow, deliberate, and holding nothing but sarcasm, but Gaara chose to ignore him completely, much to the beast’s consternation."I wouldn't be so sure about that Gaara," His brother mumbled. "We’re not just royalty. We’re ninjas as well . . . Any of us could die at any time, and if Temari and I die, it leaves your path to the throne as clear as day.”“Yes, you make a fair point there,” The redhead admitted. “And if dying in battle or while on a mission doesn’t knock you out of the line of succession, who you possibly marry could.”“Well, I wouldn’t be too concerned about a potential walk down the aisle for myself,” Kankuro mumbled as Temari’s face seemingly darkened at the change of topic. “Temari, on the other hand, is a much different case.” Gaara needed no explanation on that front. The future marriage of the heir to the throne has always been an important issue among the kingdoms, and the Wind Kingdom was not much different. However, since its current heir is a girl, there was much more importance behind it.  For Temari, her ideal scenario would be to marry someone from within the kingdom, preferably someone within the aristocracy or from a generally wealthy background. Even though marriage between royalty and commoners was not outright forbidden, it was heavily frowned upon by the court at large.That did not stop their mother from becoming the first commoner to ever marry into the royal family when she married their father all those years ago.It was a shock to many when then-Prince Rasa announced his engagement to the Wind Court one surprisingly summery afternoon. He had shown no interest in pursuing romantic interests up to that point, having focused on sharpening his shinobi skills and preparing to lead as the next king up to that point, so many were floored when not only did Rasa announce his engagement, the woman he planned to marry was standing right next to him when he spoke.To that point, Karura was a complete unknown to the Wind nobility. The daughter of the owners of a small apothecary shop that was popular with the shinobi class, she grew up quietly, helping her parents run the business while her brother Yashamaru pursued his ninja career. Dressed in a simple, yet elegant blue kimono that complemented her indigo eyes, she didn’t look daunted by all the eyes that were going to be on her from that day forward, knowing that the people in her fiancé’s world would not accept her so easily.The announcement dashed the hopes of all the families that were hoping to see their daughters rise to become the next Wind Queen. They saw it as a lost opportunity to form a connection with the royal family, and thus, expand their own prestige and influence in court.Others thought it was a missed opportunity for different reasons, geopolitical reasons. With their limited allies and trading partners, Rasa could have made a political match outside of the kingdom to strengthen ties or form an entirely new alliance that could work for both sides, but alas, it did not happen.Some just saw Rasa’s choice as messing with established tradition, especially those that believed that marrying Karura ‘would only sully the royal lineage with commoner blood’, as one noblewoman so eloquently put it. She was swiftly reprimanded for her comments, but the sentiment still remained among those that agreed with her thinking. Unfortunately for them, there were no rules against royalty marrying someone from the commoner class, and the engagement was allowed to continue.Despite all the criticisms, the wedding went along as planned, and eventually their mother and father were crowned king and queen in a grand coronation attended by citizens, the nobles, and esteemed dignitaries alike. Over time, Queen Karura became accepted in the court thanks to her sharp mind and social skills, showing an expertise in politics that hadn’t been seen since the days of the reign of the Second King and Queen. It also didn’t hurt that she proved to be quite the capable matchmaker, making pairings that actually led to successful marriages that proved fruitful for the families involved. Overseeing the social circles that dominated the court was always a role that a queen had to fill, and Queen Karura fulfilled that particular role better than most, which helped to grow her pool of allies.No, the larger issue for Temari was if she married someone from outside the kingdom. Her choice of husband would always come under scrutiny by her fellow nobles and the Council, but as Crown Princess, marrying someone from outside the Wind Kingdom had its own unique brand of challenges. She had to be wary of any and all potential suitors, especially those with highly ambitious political aspirations, and commoners were likely completely out of the question for her. Her suitor’s background would be checked and rechecked thoroughly, and whichever kingdom he came from would be crucial for potential alliances and future trade deals. Plus, he had to be compatible with her for the relationship, something that Temari was hell-bent on insisting on whenever the topic was brought up. She didn’t have to love them immediately, but she should be able to work with him in the future."Don't worry about me and my future marriage,” The blonde mumbled. “Besides, I have no plans on marrying any time soon.”"Are you sure about that?” Kankuro teased as he dislodged one of Crow's arms from its socket. "From my perspective, you seem to have taken quite a liking to that Shikamaru guy when we crossed paths with him around lunch time. . . Always sneaking looks at him when you thought he didn’t notice.""You saw your opponent?" Gaara asked as their sister stubbornly looked away from him."Yeah. . . Look, when we stopped at this barbecue place for lunch, we didn’t expect anything besides some decent food. Next thing we know, we end up sitting in the booth next to the one where he and his team were sitting." She admitted as she continued to look off to the side."Did you manage to find out anything about him?""He was the quietest in his group, for good reason I guess,” Temari mumbled. “He only spoke once or twice, mostly about Akimichi’s eating habits. . . Yamanaka took up most of the conversation, and proving how shallow she appears to be, she mostly talked about herself.""Did they notice you two?""They were trying not to, but it was easy to tell that they saw us," Kankuro explained as he continued to fiddle with his puppet’s arm. "So, what about you little bro? Any luck on your end with the info gathering?""I’ve reached a dead end as well . . . Sasuke is out of the village on some training mission with his sensei, and considering how large the surrounding territory is, it’ll take me quite a while to find them," Gaara answered as he looked out the window."And how exactly did you find that out?""Princess Shizuka told me.""Wait . . . WHAT!?" Kankuro yelled as he looked up from his work, almost dropping one of his puppet’s poisoned senbon needle compartments in the process. Temari had a much more reserved reaction, shooting up from the couch with interest in her eyes. "She . . . SHE TOLD YOU?! JUST LIKE THAT?""Pretty much Kankuro," Gaara bluntly admitted. "She followed the sand that was dropping from my Third Eye jutsu until she found me spying on the Uchiha family compound . . . That's when she told me.""Huh. . .” Temari mumbled, never expecting a response like that. “Well, if there’s one thing you should take away from that interaction, it’s that you have to tighten your control on that jutsu for next time."
“Ha! Told you!”
Gaara ignored Shukaku as he glared at his sister, but he had to admit that she - and the demon tanuki, unfortunately - had made a good point. When he glanced back at Kankuro, he saw that his brother was watching him with a curious look on his face, as if he wanted to ask a question, but didn't know how to proceed. . . . . . Might as well give him an opening then."What is it now, Kankuro?""Care to explain to us why she would give you this info so easily?" His brother asked. “Seems a little random and suspicious if you ask me.”"You’re not wrong to think like that,” Gaara conceded. “And I asked her the same thing . . . She said that regardless of kingdom affiliation, everyone remaining in the competition is an enemy. If giving me info on Sasuke benefits her in the long run, then so be it . . . Plus, she doesn't like the Uchiha’s attitude that much, so this is her way of getting back at him.""Considering how he's acted since we first met him, I don't blame her," Temari mumbled, bringing a hand to her chin. "Plus, she’s right . . . Yes, we're siblings, but as long as we’re still in this competition, we are each other's enemies. And yes, we need to bring a win home to Wind, but I still want to beat you guys.”“Well someone is sounding confident,” Kankuro mumbled. “Do you honestly believe you have the best chance at victory when your competition includes three jinchuriki, one of them being our own little brother?!”“Glad to hear you have such confidence in me Kankuro,” Gaara mumbled, though he was obviously suspicious. “I’m just being realistic here, unlike someone else we know,” The puppeteer admitted, immediately dodging the fan thrown his way. “. . . You just can’t handle the truth Temari! We both know it!”“We can argue about it later,” Temari grumbled as she walked over to the phone. “I'm calling room service. What do you guys want for dinner?"Thirty minutes passed before the food arrived, and Baki managed to return just as the food was being set on the table. Though the three expected for Baki to ask about how their day went, mainly to see how much info they gathered, he did the exact opposite, remaining silent for the entire meal.  After dinner was finished and the trays were left out in the hallway, Kankuro went back to his room to work on his puppets, while Baki went into the living room to catch up on some light reading. Temari decided to take a walk around the hotel for a little bit, but Gaara opted to leave the building entirely. Deciding a change of scenery was in order, he traveled to the roof and used his sand to transport himself toward the northern part of the village. He came to a stop on one of the tallest buildings in the area, the perch a good spot to watch the full moon in its entirety.
"The seal tends to make all the difference for us jinchurikis . . . Improperly configured seals, or ones not designed to handle the chakra load, will lead to unintended consequences. Maybe that's the case for you . . ."
“Are you really thinking about that again?!” Shukaku griped. “Give it a break already!”Gaara tuned out the tanuki before he could say anything further. Save for his talk with his siblings earlier, his conversation with Shizuka was all that he could really think about. Though he managed to spend the rest of the day using his Third Eye to search the immediate area surrounding the village for Sasuke and his sensei, his thoughts were never too far away from his conversation with the Fire Princess."Were those that conducted the sealing ceremony really that reckless?" He thought to himself as he looked up at the moon. "Could they have really bungled something so serious?”“You’d be amazed at the amount of stupidity humans are capable of. Trust me, I’ve witnessed a lot!” Shukaku admitted. “The fact that I was sealed inside of you before you were even born is definitely up there in the stupidity rankings, don’t you think?”“I won’t begrudge you on that one Shukaku,” Gaara conceded. “And where was father in all of this? The ruling monarch always oversees the sealing of a tailed beast, so he must have been there when it all happened.”“That’s something you have to ask him yourself,” Shukaku advised, strangely being helpful for once. “I certainly don’t have an answer for you there!”
“I figured you didn’t. . .”
As the redhead mulled over the multiple questions he didn't have answers for, a shadowy presence was looking up at him from the street below. His face was covered, save for his left eye, but from the way he eagerly looked at the prince, it wasn't hard to imagine the smirk hidden underneath his bandages. "Well, well, well . . . Looks like today is my lucky day."If only he knew. . .

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So, how long are you gonna keep on reflecting, Fleshbag?”
If Gaara wanted to, he could have imagined his mindscape slowly filling up with water, just so he could drown out Shukaku for a little while.If the tanuki was going to keep flooding his head with his incessant words, then why not do the same with the element he’s least comfortable with.Then he thought better of it . . . He knew that Shukaku would not take such a petty move likely, and if he wanted to avoid the hell that would result from it, it was best to just bear it until the tanuki fell silent for a while.The redhead had been quiet ever since he arrived at his perch on a building in the northern part of Konoha. He had wanted to get away from the hotel to spend some time alone with his thoughts, but with his mind being so muddled by thoughts of the past, mixed with Shukaku's incessant two cents coming in here and there, he couldn’t really find that much solace in his surroundings.No matter how hard he tried. . ."Could things really have been different the day I was born?" “Obviously yes!” Shukaku replied, his tone indignant as his vessel continued to watch the village from his high perch. ”For starters, if your old man had just decided to buck royal tradition, then we wouldn't be having this fucking conversation in the first place, now would we?”"No, we wouldn't," Gaara agreed as he pulled his leg up to his chest, resting his elbow right on the knee. "If that was the case, you would still be stuck in a teapot deep in the bowels of the palace, while I would be living a normal life where I could actually sleep without the risk of being taken over by any malicious, bloodthirsty chakra beings."
“Um, correction. You’re a royal. By default, your life would NEVER be normal . . . And seriously?! You just had to remind me of that damn teapot!”
For a second, Gaara thought he felt the tanuki shivering when he said that. ”That infernal thing is a terrible excuse for a holding cell!”"You're only saying that because it’s always kept damp whenever you occupy it."“You humans just know how to kick me I’m at my weakest,” Shukaku grumbled in return. ”And come the fuck on! Out of all the different containers out there in the world that I could have been sealed in, it's always the teapot. THAT FUCKING TEAPOT!”"I see you still suffer from the trauma of such actions. . . Do you want to talk about it?"
"
No, I don’t want to talk about it . . . But thanks for asking.”

“Did . . . did you just thank me?”

“Don’t get used to it kid.”
Gaara's face was completely neutral, but on the inside, he was quite shocked to hear his tenant thank him and be genuine about it.Sure, Shukaku has thanked him in the past, but that was either out of sheer sarcasm or within the frames of a barely veiled threat. This time, there was no hint of malice or negativity that Gaara could detect. . .. . . It was a little startling, but not entirely unwelcome, but Shukaku was probably right.He shouldn’t get used to it.Taking in a deep breath, Gaara continued to take in the scenery around him, paying particular attention to the royal palace in the distance.It was something that Shukaku didn’t miss either.
“Hey, if you want to go talk to her, then just go already!”

“Are you kidding me? I think the palace security would take issue with that.”

“Not if you don’t get caught.”
“I’m not going to break into the Fire Palace to talk to Shizuka. . .”“Oh, so it’s just Shizuka now?” The tanuki teased, his words more than enough to make the redhead grow a little flustered now that he realized his own misstep. “When did we get so personal, hmm?”
“Don’t even go there Shukaku. . .”
“Go where?” The One-Tails asked. “I was only making an observation.”
“As my brother would like to say at times: Observation my ass.”
“Oh fleshbag, I didn’t peg you for someone who curses,” Shukaku continued to tease as Gaara looked off to the side. “And please, don't try to play dumb with me! I share this body too you know, so don’t act like I haven’t been noticing your growing interest in the girl from the moment you first saw her.”
“I’m interested in her skills as a shinobi. That’s all.”

“

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

“It’s your choice to believe me or not.”

“Good, because I don’t.”
"Fine then. . .”Gaara came out of that conversation more unnerved than he would like, and not in the ‘disturbed by the bloodthirsty tanuki’ kind of way.Wanting to take his mind off what was just said, he moved his gaze along the village’s skyline, his gaze landing on a certain landmark, a mountain about a couple of miles behind the palace. It was an integral part of the surrounding environment, having seen the moment the first settlers made the area under it their home, to the Warring States period - where it was caught in the crossfire of the ongoing fighting - to now.As it stood, it served as a monument to the previous rulers of the kingdom. There were numerous faces carved into its stony facade with pinpoint accuracy, but it was the one the furthest left that garnered his attention the most.It was the face of King Hashirama, the First King and co-founder of the Fire Kingdom. A man of great power and influence, he, along with fellow co-founder Madara Uchiha, started the shinobi village system that gave rise to the kingdoms of today, and was a major reason as to why the Fire Kingdom was such a dominant force in the immediate years after the Warring States period ended.
“That man may be famous the world over for his damn power and strength, but trust me, he has no fans between me and my siblings.”
"Is that so?" Gaara asked, immediately intrigued. “How come?”“It should be obvious. I did mention his ‘damn power and strength’, didn’t I?” Shukaku asked, letting a harsh chuckle escape past his jagged lips. ”He was the one that initially captured most of us at one point!”
“Single-handedly?”

“Pretty much. I believe Ryuna and myself were the only ones who he didn’t catch, but only because I was already in your family’s possession, and she was the only one he simply couldn’t find . . . Kinda ironic now that I think about it. Physically, Ryuna’s the oldest and biggest one, but she’s always been the hardest to find. . . Made Hide-and-Seek practically a nightmare when she was involved.”

“Huh, never would have thought you were into a game such as that. . .”

“And why wouldn’t I be? It helps to build tension for my victims.”

“When you put it that way, it makes a lot more sense now.”

“Still, it beats dealing with the first Fire King, though admittedly, he wasn't the first to start the whole 'sealing tailed beasts away in human bodies' trend. That was all his wife's doing. . .”
“Oh yes . . . The first Fire Queen,” Gaara thought, grimacing slightly as he recalled his history lessons.He had learned about the woman when he was younger, and he could recall how unenthused he became the more he learned about her.Born Mito Uzumaki, the woman who would go on to become Queen Mito Senju met and married her husband as a part of an arranged marriage between the newly established kingdom of Fire and the more established Whirlpool Kingdom. Though the union made her the kingdom’s first ever queen, it was what she would do later in her reign that would cement her part in history, as well as start a notorious trend that continues to this day.At the tail end of the schism between King Hashirama and his now ex-friend Madara Uchiha, the latter had managed to capture the Kyuubi in his plans to destroy all that he and Hashirama had built together, all for the sake of remaking things in his own image.King Hashirama managed to wrestle control of the fox away from him, and put an end to Madara’s plans, but his wife went one step further and used her skills in fuinjutsu to seal the fox inside herself . . .. . . And from that day forward, she was known as Queen Mito, the First Jinchuriki.Legend says that her original intentions for sealing the Kyuubi within herself was to prevent anybody else from using the fox’s power for personal gain, thus serving as its gatekeeper until her death.Whatever her reasons, her actions, once they were officially known, started a trend that all the major royal families would certainly follow, much to the detriment to those that would become jinchuriki themselves.
“She may have had her reasons for sealing your brother within herself, but I highly doubt that she thought her actions would lead to such ramifications in the future.”
“Considering it was Kurama that she sealed away, I would have been fine with it. Let him rot away in a human for a few decades for all I care . . ! But then the other royal families looked at her and thought ‘Hey! If the Fire Kingdom has a jinchuriki in their royal line, then we must fucking follow suit’!” Shukaku bit back. “And thus, the ‘Era of the Jinchuriki’ began!”"Yeah, I think I get your point," Gaara mumbled as he looked up at the sky. "King Hashirama . . . He was powerful enough to catch eight of your siblings, but how did seven of them fall into the other kingdoms’ hands?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, my redheaded vessel. . . Maybe you should ask the Fire King next time you see him.”
“We’ll see about that, Shukaku," The redhead conceded, not knowing if he should take the tanuki seriously. “But thanks for the help anyway.”
“Don't ever say I never helped you. I don’t give advice that easily . . . And speaking of advice, we have company coming our way.”
Even with the warning, Gaara didn’t have to look far to find the culprit, looking forward to see that his mystery guest was brazenly walking up the tiled roof toward him. Dressed in gray and dark colors, the young prince didn’t recognize him at first, though he didn’t look much older than himself.That’s when some of the clouds opened to let a little more light shine through, allowing Gaara to see the bandages that covered the teenagers face, as well as the forehead protector that signaled his kingdom allegiance. . .. . . Sound.“The last remaining Sound shinobi in the Showcase. . .” Gaara realized. “Now what could he want with me?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He wants to thin out the remaining competition he has.”

“But Shizuka is the person he faces first in the finals-”
“And do you think he cares?” Shukaku cut in. “The less brats he has to beat, the better his odds for winning, and the same can be said for you if you do the same.”“I’m not hunting my competition to kill them before the finals,” Gaara declared, shaking his head. “That would surely get me disqualified anyway.”“Not if you don’t get caught,” Shukaku countered. “Plus, if he attacks you first, you can just claim self-defense.”
“Hmm, you technically have a point there. . .”

“Don’t I always?”

“I’m going to ignore that.”
"Well, well, well . . . I didn't expect to see you out here Prince Gaara," Dosu admitted as he came to a stop about thirty feet from where the royal was sitting, his words ringing false to the redhead’s ears. "Don't you ever sleep?""It's not really a thing I do," Gaara flatly stated as he stared the Sound shinobi down. "What are you doing out here?"“I was taking a nice moonlit walk when I saw you traversing the rooftops. . .” He explained, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched how unmoved the prince was at his ‘reason’. “Even if I continue to say what I was going to say, you won’t believe me, won’t you?”“It would be a waste of time if you continued on that path,” Gaara admitted. “The fact that you cut yourself short and realized this proves that there are some brains underneath all those bandages after all.”“If I didn’t have any, then I wouldn’t have made it into the finals in the first place.”“True, but then again, confronting me like this outside of the finals does not reflect well on your intellect, now does it?” The redhead asked in return. “You’re here to kill me, plain and simple, correct?”"Eh, I figured I shouldn't wait a month to start wiping out the competition. Some may call me impatient; others, prudent," Dosu conceded, his billowy sleeves moving left and right in the wind. "You're facing the person I wanted to fight first in the finals, and if I kill you now, then my chances of facing Sasuke become that much better."“So, this motherfucker wants to kill you because you’re fighting the Uchiha first?” Shukaku asked, and Gaara could practically feel the tanuki rolling his eyes at the reasoning. “I’m all for claiming your kill, but damn, you’re probably the worst person he could have chosen to face!”
“Because of you?”

“Of course, because of me! What other reason could there be?”
Gaara couldn't help but shake his head at Shukaku's ego-filled question, but he, admittedly, has a point. Thanks to the many high-profile names that remained in the competition, any death that could happen before the last phase of the Showcase could begin would be seen as highly suspicious to the public, and especially worrisome to the shinobi population.Coupled with the fact that five of them were royalty and three of them, including himself, were jinchuriki, anyone wanting to cut the numbers down a little more would be hard-pressed to succeed in the coming weeks. It was a strategy that was high risk, high reward if it was successful, but completely detrimental if it went the other way.Even though the strategy has been used before in prior Showcases, considering the current factors surrounding this iteration of the competition, the idea simply wasn’t feasible this time around.Gaara had already thought Kinuta was stupid for approaching him so brazenly, and after hearing his plan for the finals, he now thought that he was downright idiotic and reckless.He was also a little annoyed that the other shinobi didn’t appear to take him seriously, especially since he knew that he witnessed what he had done in his preliminary match against Lee.Well, what Shukaku did, at least.And after all that, he still wanted to fight him now? Gaara couldn’t believe he was talking to such a dumb creature.Shukaku simply wanted to crush him like a bug."So, you believe by taking me out, it'll get you that much closer to Sasuke," Gaara grumbled, successfully holding back the annoyance that was threatening to show in his tone. "If that’s your plan, shouldn't you be going after your direct competition first?"He disliked the question as soon as he said it.Gaara knew that Shizuka was Dosu's first opponent, but the thought of him going against her was suddenly rubbing him the wrong way. He had a feeling that she could hold her own against him, but the idea of the Sound shinobi even being near her, especially after hearing his plans . . . Yes, it was not sitting right with him."I thought about that, but she’s the Fire King's one and only daughter, and they happen to live in the most secure building in this entire village." Dosu calmly explained, sparing a glance at the building in question "I need a small army to get in there, and even if she was out in the open for whatever reason, I’m sure she has a decent sized ANBU squad following her to make sure she’s not in any danger. The same goes for her brother. . . So, with that in mind, I decided to look for other prey, and here we are."“HA! He's going to regret those words once we’re done with him,” Shukaku managed to say in between his chuckling. ”So, shall we prove him wrong then? I would be more than happy to make him eat his words. Just give me five minutes and we won’t have to deal with him any longer.”"Is it even worth it though?" Gaara questioned as Dosu ready his sound gauntlet. "He's just one guy."“One guy who obviously has a death wish! Why not grant him what he seeks?” Shukaku asked, eager as always for some bloodshed. “To be honest, you would be doing the rest of your competition a favor by getting rid of him now, especially the princess . . . I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”"Shukaku, don’t push it."“What? We both know you're interested in her! Don't deny it!” The tanuki practically screeched back. “I felt your irritation when the Sound prick talked about her . . . Face it! You may be starting to like her more than you thought!”
"
I’m not even going to answer that!”

“Then I won’t stop talking about it!”
“You know what?” Gaara was quick to ask, wanting to end the conversation as fast as possible. “I'll let you take over, just to kill Kinuta, if you will just shut up for the rest of the night!"“DEAL!” The tanuki was quick to say, always willing to take control if offered, which was exceptionally rare. “But remember, this conversation isn't over, fleshbag. We still have much to discuss . . .”
“I can’t wait. . .”
“Cut the sarcasm boy!” Shukaku growled, now a little eager to get things started. “Now move over! It's time for me to take the reins for a bit!”“So, shall we begin?” Dosu asked as he readied his gauntlet.“Just a minute,” Gaara conceded as he stood up, taking a deep breath as he let his consciousness fall back into the recesses of his mind while Shukaku’s took hold, a sinister smile crossing his face as his eyes opened to reveal the tanuki’s gold patterned irises instead of the prince’s jade green ones. “I’m ready!”“Oh shit. . .” The Sound ninja declared as the jinchuriki readied his first move, hoping he would survive the incoming onslaught. . .. . . He didn’t, and the chances of the Sound Kingdom leaving the Shinobi Showcase with the win died with him.Gaara wasn't out for long in the end, waking up about three minutes later, surprised to find himself needing to take in some deep breaths as he stood amid a large cloud of dust that stretched across the entire roof.Hopefully, it wouldn’t attract too much of a crowd."That was quick. . ." Gaara grumbled as he finally evened his breathing. "That must be a record, even for you."“The agreement was for me to kill the Sound brat if you wanted me to shut up for the rest of the night, and I did just that,” He reminded his host, his tone blunt, almost insulted. “I may be a ballistic ball of chakra that many see as unstable, but I know when to keep my word.”"Well, at least for one night that is . . .” Gaara couldn't help but add as he walked over to what remained of Dosu's body.Aside from his gauntlet covered arm, which was intact but highly bloody, the rest of the Sound shinobi’s body was an unrecognizable pulp. It was a nauseating sight, but Gaara, thanks to Shukaku, had seen worse. "My father said that we needed to watch out for the Sound teams, and now they’re all gone . . . You think they'll retaliate for what happened here?"“Nah . . . He's more of a small fry, a bottom of the hierarchy scrub. I wouldn't worry about it too much.” Shukaku quietly admitted after taking a moment to think it over. ”Unless he was from some powerful clan back in his homeland, you should be fine from any possible retribution.”"For now, at least . . ." Gaara thought as he left the body behind, not wanting to linger any longer in case someone else shows up. "Anyway, that’s one less person to deal with in the Finals."
“I’m sure the Fire Princess will greatly appreciate you giving her a free pass to the next round. . . Maybe she’ll give you a kiss if you're lucky.”
"Give it a rest already you damn tanuki!” Gaara was quick to say as he felt a weird sensation on his face, like a burning that wasn't too unbearable, but wasn't welcomed either. "Don’t you have some hours of silence to get through!?”
“Fine! Suit yourself . . . But once daylight hits, I’m coming back with new material!”

“And that’s what I’m afraid of . . .”
As Gaara headed back to his hotel, he failed to notice that he was being watched by various eyes throughout the area.The first set, which belonged to his own sensei - well, a clone of his - was feeling relieved now that he knew that the prince had now re-claimed himself after temporarily giving himself over to his notorious tenant. He soon dispersed, relaying his intel back to the original.The second set, which belonged to a certain princess that was becoming a cornerstone of the recent conversations that the prince and the tanuki were having, peaked with curiosity as she watched him from her hidden perch. As soon as Gaara was out of her line of sight, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing that she was a clone as well.The third, and by far the most dangerous, set of eyes had watched from the porch of a nearby high rise, his intense gaze not hindered by the glasses he wore. He had watched the entire ordeal with a smile, not reacting in any other way as he witnessed the Sound genin’s swift annihilation. He didn't mourn the loss either. Instead, he saw it as a fantastic opportunity to witness the strength of his opponent.And he was certainly intrigued."The King will want to know about this."And in the blink of an eye, he was gone too.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Two days before the finals

"Princess Temari, Prince Kankuro! Are you two awake?!”Baki’s voice cut through the nighttime silence like a kunai impaling a person’s skin. Gaara could hear him from his spot on the patio, and when he looked up, he found the man at the doorway, gesturing for him to come inside.
“Now what does he want with you and your siblings?”

“Well, there’s only one way to find out. . .”
Rising to his feet, Gaara took a minute to stretch before making his way inside, where he found his sister already sitting at the dining room table, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there as she looked at Baki, who stood at the head of the table."You must have a good reason for waking us up in the middle of the night I hope?" She asked, her voice heavy with sleep as Gaara slid into the chair next to hers. “Is this about what happened to that Sound ninja a while back?”Konoha went on high alert after what remained of Dosu Kinuta’s body was found by the kingdom’s ANBU division. Gaara made sure that no trace of his presence could be found, and so far, he was never approached by the Konoha’s Interrogation Division, or anyone connected to the ongoing investigation.It still didn’t stop Gaara from occasionally using his sand to do surveillance on those associated with the case though."It’s not about that, but I will hold what I know until all three of you are seated," Baki explained as  he looked in the direction of the puppeteer’s room. “. . . Well, once Kankuro finally graces us with his presence that is.”"He must still be asleep; probably worked on his puppets till he went unconscious," Temari theorized as she turned to Gaara. ". . . Do you want to wake him up this time, or should I have the honor?""I think I’ll take this one on. . . You may accidently bludgeon him with your fan if you do it.”“I do tend to be a little less coordinated with my weapon when I’m tired.” She sarcastically remarked as she watched her brother outstretched his hand toward their patio. They watched as a sliver of Gaara’s sand entered the room before making its way to Kankuro's room, slipping through the crack under the door to enter.“So, are you going to just drop it on him?” Temari asked as a contemplative look crossed her brother’s face.“Nope. . .” Gaara admitted as they heard a noise that suspiciously sounded like a slap echo from Kankuro’s room, soon followed by an indignant shout from their brother. “. . . Where’s the fun in that?”“I like the way you think Gaara,” Temari admitted as they heard some loud shuffling echo from their brother’s room. Two minutes passed before Kankuro finally entered the room, sporting a noticeably red mark on his left cheek.The sight was enough to make Temari grin, Baki shake his head, and Shukaku to laugh uncontrollably in Gaara’s head. The redhead was the only one to not have a noticeable reaction, but he wasn’t an expressive person to begin with, so his stoic face was simply par for the course."Was giving me a sandy bitch slap really necessary?”Kankuro’s choice of words was enough to make his sister break out in sudden laughter, and it even caused Baki to hold back a snort. Gaara didn’t immediately react to his brother’s words, but if he had eyebrows - since he was, strangely, never born with them -  his right one would have gone up slightly."In the moment, yes."“. . . I will pay you back for this.” Kankuro grumbled as he pointed to his left cheek.“Yeah, we’ll see about that. . .” Temari teased, knowing that there was no way Kankuro was going to get the drop on their sibling, not when Gaara had his sand always playing defense for him."Okay, before you three start talking about whether or not Kankuro will get his revenge for the slap anytime soon, I do have some news to share with you all," the turban wearing jonin declared as he took out a small scroll from his pocket. "A messenger from the Wind consulate brought this over half an hour ago.""There's only one person that it could possibly be from," Temari mumbled as she glared holes into the royal seal inscribed on the scroll’s side, her brothers directing their eyes to Baki instead. "Father's close to the village, isn't he?""He and his entourage should arrive a little after daybreak. . . You’re all expected to greet him at the gate when he arrives," Baki explained as he rolled the message over to the princess. "And, per royal custom, expect the Fire King to be there to greet him as well.""How many people will join him?" Temari asked as she opened the scroll and started skimming through the wording."Your father usually travels with a small group, a rotation of royal council members, advisors, and maybe one or two heads of some of the kingdom's most notable families," Baki mused as he watched the princess hand the scroll over to Kankuro. "King Minato will likely have the same kind of people within his retinue when they meet, though the exact numbers remain unknown.”"You think King Minato’s entire family will be there too?" Kankuro asked as he passed the message over to Gaara, who declined it, passing it back to Baki instead.“Queen Kushina has always been by his side whenever he greets royal visitors, so she’s a guarantee. . . From what I’ve gathered, this will be the first time Prince Naruto and Princess Shizuka will be joining them," Baki explained. "Apparently, royal and noble children do not greet foreign dignitaries here until they are either a certain age or have achieved the rank of genin.""Has that always been the rule here?""No Kankuro, it has not,” Their sensei answered, shaking his head. “It’s a rule that has been in place for only over a decade ago, so it is still recent compared to other, more ancient edicts . . . From what I’ve heard, the rule came about soon after an incident between the Hyuuga Clan and the Lightning Kingdom occurred.”“What incident?” Gaara asked.“Apparently, the ambassador of the Lightning Kingdom, at the time, thought it was a good idea to use his visit for some . . . bloodline snatching.”“What a stupidly risky thing for him to even consider!” Kankuro complained as his sister shook her head in disbelief.“Kidnapping people for their bloodline is nothing new. . . It used to be a widespread practice during the Warring States era and it’s still common in the criminal underground,” Temari added, looking disgusted. “But an ambassador? Especially one from a Big Five kingdom like Lightning? What could have possessed him to try something that could have caused an all-out war between his homeland and Fire?”“No one honestly knows. . . Some believe it was all part of a secret mission assigned to him from his king - a claim that will be vehemently denied if ever asked, or so I’ve been told - and others believe he was working on his own,” Baki surmised, shaking his head at the idiocy of it all. “Regardless of who thought of the idea in the first place, it happened, and the ambassador paid dearly with his life.”“As if it could end in any other way. . .” Kankuro commented, shrugging slightly. “Do you know who he targeted exactly?”“Lady Hinata of the Hyuga Clan . . . I’m sure you all remember her.”“He went after the clan heiress?!” Kankuro exclaimed, all three siblings remembering the Hyuuga from the Showcase. “. . . How stupid can you be?! The Hyuugas are one of the preeminent clans in the Fire Kingdom. Going after one of them is risky enough but going after the leader’s daughter?! Is the Byakugan really worth so much stupidity?”"It is if you’re trying to get it in its purest form," Gaara suggested, speaking up. "The Byakugan is one of the strongest doujutsus around, and Lady Hinata is supposed to be from the strongest line in her clan, correct?”“That’s usually how most shinobi clans work. The strongest line of the family is the one that tends to lead it.” Baki confirmed, nodding slightly.“And Lady Hinata is a genin at best skill wise. . . A Byakugan from a strong line that has yet to reach its full potential? That could cause some people to do stupid things to attain it for their purposes, don’t you think?” Gaara suggested, glancing over at his sister, who was still looking disgusted for some reason. “Temari?”“I heard you Gaara. It’s just that. . . well, there’s more than one reason why bloodline snatching is such a problematic issue. It’s not just about gaining power. It’s also about maintaining that same power,” She mumbled, looking angry as the implication of her words settled in the room. “The Lightning Kingdom is infamous for accumulating power any way they can and getting and maintaining a powerful dojutsu in their ranks is probably high on their list.”“But the only way that I can see that happening is, well. . .” Kankuro mumbled, knowing he was about to say a phrase that his sister outright hated to hear. “. . . A breeding program.”“If you want to make sure a bloodline lasts generations, a breeding program is the strongest way to go, regardless of how detestable the practice is.” Temari spat out, looking like she was itching to grab her fan to blow something, or anything, away right at this moment.
“Hmm, it’s rare to see your sister look so angry. . . She really hates breeding programs, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, she does, especially the ones that force their candidates to comply.”

“But don’t breeding programs have a beneficial purpose overall for you humans?”

“It helps in terms of repopulation, but that’s a drastic measure, one that’s not utilized till it’s actually necessary.”

“And yet you humans still practice it when it’s not absolutely necessary. . . All for the sake of your greed and power.”
Gaara didn’t have an answer for that, mainly because the tanuki had the right of it. Breeding programs were a controversial issue no matter how you spin it. Sure, they had the benefit of increasing numbers that were previously lost, but it came with a host of ethical and political concerns that made it an idea that did more harm than good.When the siblings first learned about breeding programs, Temari didn’t take long to condemn the idea, getting into quite the debate with their tutor that day. At the end of it, she swore that she would never institute such a policy during her reign as queen unless a situation occurred that made it absolutely necessary, which she hoped would never happen, at least in her lifetime.That same lesson also had a second effect on the crown princess, mainly that her opinion on the Lightning Kingdom took a definite nosedive once she knew how frequently that kingdom used such tactics.In truth, no kingdom was willing to admit that it utilized breeding programs in their history - and some, like Fire and Wind, can legitimately say they never did - but the Lightning Kingdom was just the opposite. In the early part of its history, Lightning was infamous for sending out hunting parties tasked with finding people with unique chakra or notable bloodlines to bring back into their fold.It ended up being a contributing factor to the outbreak of the First Shinobi World War, and at the end of it, the Lightning Kingdom was forced to give up their breeding policy as part of the armistice treaty they signed with the other nations involved.Despite the official agreement however, the Lightning Kingdom has found ways around it, which only made them more notorious, but it didn’t damage their standing in the world. In fact, with the Water Kingdom still in the midst of civil war, the Earth Kingdom's continuing isolation, and the Wind Kingdom’s weakening economic standing, only the Fire Kingdom would really match Lightning in overall strength."You are correct in your assessment Temari, but as you’ve already seen, Hinata Hyuga did not fall into Lightning’s hands, but that didn’t mean King A was going to stop trying, even after he found out that his man was killed before he could even get past Konoha’s gates," Baki further explained."And how in the world did he expect to succeed?" Gaara couldn't help but ask, irritated by the monarch’s arrogance. "It’s not like he could claim that his side was innocent.”“When the suspect happens to be your very own ambassador, it makes it really hard not to think that the king didn’t give his tacit approval to the plan to begin with,” Kankuro added. “He could play dumb or proclaim his innocence all he wants, but no one is going to fully believe him.”"You both make a fair point Kankuro, Gaara, but still, even kings can dream," Baki conceded. "King A likely knew he wouldn’t get away from this incident scot-free - at the very least, he knew his reputation on the international stage had just taken a big hit - but I guess he figured he could still get something in return based on the fact that one of his top officials still died at the hands of another high ranking official while on official diplomatic business in a foreign land.”“They say that the Lightning Monarchs always seek an opportunity even in the midst of defeat,” Temari grumbled as she looked off to the side. “So, this was par for the course I guess.”“True, but whatever advantage he was hoping to get did not come to fruition. . . King A was determined to get a sample of the Byakugan, but King Minato, understandably, was not going to let that happen. I do not know the specific details, but whatever he came up with, it was successful in making sure that the Hyuuga’s dojutsu, or any jutsu or bloodline for that matter, would not come to Lightning anytime soon.""And thus, another chapter in the long, antagonistic history between Konoha and Kumo was written." Kankuro mumbled as he got up from his seat. "Anyway, if there isn’t anything else, I’m going back to my room. There's still a few hours to go till daybreak, and I plan to use them wisely.""That's the kind of sentiment I can agree with." Temari mumbled as she too got up, watching Baki for any sign of more remarks, only to receive none. "Okay then, I'll see you all in the morning then."Gaara was about to head back to the porch - much to Shukaku’s displeasure - when he noticed Baki was watching him from the corner of his eyes. It was a look that the redhead was all too familiar with, especially in recent days, unflinching with its intensity as it searched for answers that only he had. Gaara knew that look would only go away once he started talking, so he figured it was best to nip things in the bud now before they became more problematic later."Yes?" The redhead asked as he looked over at his sensei. "You look like you want to ask me something."“What gave me away?""Just a hunch," was all Gaara would say as he sat back down. "So, what do you want to say to me?""You let Shukaku out to take out the Sound genin a few weeks ago.”“Well, that was blunt.” Shukaku managed to say as Gaara let out a curse in his head. “He must have tailed us that night.”“Looks like it,” His vessel admitted as Baki’s eyes narrowed at his lack of response. “Out of all the nights he could have followed me, he chose that night to do it.”“I hope you don’t plan to deny it because I won’t believe it for a second. Not when I witnessed it with my own eyes," Baki announced matter-of-factly as he leaned forward. "I simply want to know why you did it.""And I'm curious to know why you're asking me this now when you could have done it sooner," Gaara calmly spoke in return as he crossed his arms, his words challenging despite his tone."I have my reasons Gaara. . .""Reasons that you’re willing to share?"“If that gets you talking, yes,” Baki declared as he placed his hands on the table. “So, do you want to start, or should I?”“Since you are the one that brought this up, you can have the honors,” The redhead conceded, crossing his arms across his chest."Well thank you for being so considerate," Baki stated, keeping his tone light despite the apparent dig he directed at his charge.Judging from how Gaara’s eyes narrowed at his words, the young boy didn’t think it was funny. "Anyway, as you already know, I serve more than one purpose to you and your siblings. . . I'm not just your mentor, and I'm not just one of your father’s advisers.""You also serve as a last line of defense for when Shukaku really starts acting up,” Gaara concludes. “Though I have no idea what that exactly entails.”“As if I could ever tell you when your tenant is listening in at all times?”“The man has a point.” Shukaku quietly mumbled, speaking for the first time in quite a while. “Saying what he could do to stop me while I’m in hearing distance would be absolute stupid on his part.”
“And if he did say what he could do, what exactly would you do in response?”
“As if I would tell you that!” The tanuki exclaimed, sounding smug.
“You have no idea what you would do, do you?”
Gaara was met with deafening silence, but he could feel the indignation rolling off the tailed beast in waves.“Are you finished with your. . . internal dialogue?” Baki asked, having long grown used to the sudden pauses Gaara would take to address his tenant.“For now,” The redhead admitted. “I may have said something that pissed Shukaku off, so we won’t be talking for a while. . . As you were saying?”"You should be careful with how much you upset him. It’s better to deal with a tailed beast in a good mood than a bad one, right?”“I’ll keep your advice under consideration.”"I’m just making sure no tailed beast sized rampages happen on my watch, that’s all,” Baki admitted, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “Anyway, my task is especially important on nights where the moon is full. . . Throughout its history, Shukaku has become notorious for running rampant on nights such as those and considering that a full moon was out that same night the Sound ninja died, well, I believe you can connect the dots.""You followed me to make sure that I didn't go crazy." Gaara mumbled, nodding in understanding."Well, it would look bad if a towering ball of chakra suddenly appeared in the middle of Konoha without any explanation, wouldn't it? We don’t need one of our closest allies thinking we suddenly betrayed them because our prince failed to keep Shukaku contained,” Baki muttered, keeping his gaze leveled with his young charge. “Besides, between you and me, how do you think Shukaku would fare in a possible battle between himself and the Nine and Ten Tails, his two strongest siblings?"“That sounds like an absolute dream to me! I’d definitely tear Kurama a new one!” Shukaku declared, though his tone noticeably changed as he started talking about his sister.
“And your sister?”
“Eh, Ryuna?” Shukaku mumbled, sounding like he just remembered the other part of Baki’s question. “. . . On second thought.”
“You’re scared of your sister, aren’t you?”

“I’m not scared . . . I’m just not one for getting on her bad side, that’s all.”

“Because you know she’ll just squish you like a bug?”

“Oh, shut up. . .”
Gaara didn’t dare to give a comeback, mostly because he was too busy mentally filing this latest bit of info away for another day."Hmm, that’s a fight Shukaku won’t get out of completely unscathed, that’s for certain," Gaara conceded, finding a way to be both honest and placating all at once. “Plus, we don’t know the exact relationship the twins have with their tailed beasts.”“All the more reason to playthings safe while in another kingdom.”“Fair enough. Well, I guess it's time to tell my side now, though it’s not much of a story to begin with,” Gaara mumbled, taking a deep breath. “I wasn’t looking for trouble that night. Trouble found me. . . The Sound ninja approached me, blatantly saying that if he killed me, it would better his chances to face Sasuke.""The Uchiha?" Baki mumbled, his tone questioning. "Why in the world would he be eager to face him specifically?"“Your guess is as good as mine. I didn’t really bother to ask," The redhead said in return, shaking his head. "Anyway, Shukaku was making his usual racket, so I made a quick deal with him.”“A deal?”“I allowed him to kill the mummy, and in exchange, he would give me some piece of mind for the rest of the night,” He went on to explain in the face of Baki’s inquisitive stare. “We both kept our sides of the deal, and that's that.""And Shukaku hasn’t been pestering you since?”"He nags, but I wouldn’t say pester.”
“Don’t start fleshbag.”
“And you have had no issues with any Sound ninja since then?” Baki asked, his eyes narrowing. “Not even the boy's teammates?”"Nothing, nothing at all," Gaara mumbled as he thought it over, soon realizing something that should have come to him sooner. . .. . . Much sooner. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen any trace of his team since the preliminaries ended . . . Did they leave the village?""They have. . . When the remains were found the day after he was declared missing, his team had no other reason to remain in the village. They left that night. . . The Sound King sent word that he was canceling his trip two days after they departed.""You don't seem so happy about that." Gaara noted, unable to ignore the irritation he could hear in the man’s voice."I should be but considering what our spy network in the Sound Kingdom has relayed back to us these past few weeks, the move isn't sitting right with me," Baki grumbled. "The Sound King may have sent a letter to both King Minato and your father to explain his reasoning for the cancellation, but I doubt either believed it.""Do you think that the Sound could be planning something?""Possibly . . . At the very least, I believe King Minato suspects as much," Baki theorized as he looked at his charge intently. "I bet you've noticed it as well, the strengthening of security  around the village.”“That’s not uncommon for a village hosting the showcase though.”“It’s not just Konoha that has been seeing such an increase,” The man countered. “Most of the kingdom itself has seen such increases as well, and King Minato is not one for making such decisions unless he had enough evidence to validate such actions . . . At this point, it’s highly unlikely that he’ll cancel the finals, but he is making sure that his territory is secure enough that nothing too big will slip through the cracks.""I see . . ." Gaara conceded as Baki stood up. "Are you going to tell Temari and Kankuro about this?""I will, likely when we're on our way to the gate to meet with your father, but for now, I better get some sleep before the sun makes its appearance,” Baki mused as he moved toward his room. “Good night Gaara.""Good night . . ." Said the young prince, watching him leave till he was out of view. "Shukaku, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“I have nothing else to do while I’m in here, so you might as well ask Fleshbag . . .”

“What do you think of this whole issue with the Sound?"
“Hmm, you know me. I’m more of an ‘out in the open’ kind of beast, so all this talk about suspicions is not my cup of tea, but I believe things could become quite interesting if the Sound does decide to try something,” The tanuki mumbled as he let out a soft chortle. ”It’s all up to the Sound King at this point. He could plan some covert operation, a kidnapping scheme, or a sting operation to steal some of Fire’s most important and forbidden scrolls . . . Or he could order an all-out attack on Konoha during the middle of the finals. Who knows?”
“Everything you just said is possible, but there must be a reason behind all this speculation. . . Every action has some motivation behind it."

“Maybe he hates that the Fire Kingdom is such a flourishing nation? Or maybe he hates that it has the two most powerful tailed beasts in its possession and wants one for his kingdom?”
The sudden thought of Shizuka getting kidnapped crossed through the redhead’s mind, but he immediately pushed it aside, not wanting to speculate on it too long . . . well, that was the reason he gave himself.Shukaku didn’t believe him for one second."It’s a possibility, but then again, that seems too petty a reason." Gaara mumbled as he brought a hand to his chin. "An all-out attack doesn’t sound completely feasible for a kingdom of Oto’s size."
“Not yet, in any case . . . They may not be able to do it alone, but they could have allies waiting in the wings.”

“It wouldn’t be any of the other Big Five kingdoms. Water is still busy with their civil war, and neither my old man nor the Lightning King would be willing to side with a kingdom they know almost nothing about.”

“And what about the Earth Kingdom? They were the most antagonistic towards Fire during the last war and suffered heavy losses at their hands. . . They’d be the most agreeable to an alliance that would take the Fire Kingdom down a peg, wouldn’t they?”
“True, but the Earth Kingdom is too isolationist to really be interested in offer that the Sound could offer, and we don’t know the full extent of their exact losses from that war, so it’s hard to determine how helpful they could honestly be,” Gaara mumbled as he recalled his history lessons. “Plus, the Old King is known for not making any agreements unless he’s absolutely certain his country could truly benefit from it, and the Sound Kingdom is too much of a wildcard to hedge such bets.”
“Well, look at you, analyzing situations like a seasoned politician. . .”
“I have to use what I learned from all those lessons eventually . . . Anyway, I believe King Minato's smart enough to account for that,” Gaara thought as he stood up. “For all we know, he's probably had background checks ordered for every person that's passed through the village gate in the past month and a half to make sure everyone is who they say they are."
“Quite an invasion of privacy, don't you think?”
"We live in a society where spying, covert infiltration, and invading one's privacy is part of the norm.”“Alright, you got me there . . .” Shukaku conceded, though he didn’t seem so happy that he said it. “So, are you looking forward to seeing the princess again tomorrow?”"Shukaku!" Gaara growled, not in the mood for this as he moved toward his room. “You’re really trying to bring that up?”“What?! Did you really think I would let this die?!” The tanuki asked, completely unrepentant. “Ha, you have another thing com-!”Gaara immediately tuned Shukaku out before he could finish, choosing not to engage in the tanuki's topic of choice as he shut the door behind him. He stayed there until it was near time to meet with the incoming royal party, freshening up in his bathroom before putting on a set of dark green and black formal robes, complete with a white haori emblazoned with the personal symbol of the Wind royal family: a golden gourd surrounded by a circle of bronze.When he walked into the living room, he found his siblings were already ready to go, dressed in similar outfits to his own, save for the inner lining of Temari’s haori being a light green instead of his and Kankuro’s darker hue. Baki was the last to arrive, dressed in silver robes denoting his status as a high official in their father’s court. When he saw that they were all ready to go, he simply nodded before leading them out, the three following silently behind him.The village was starting to come to life as they quietly made their way through the streets toward the village gate. As their destination finally came into view, the group was quick to notice that they would not be the first to arrive, just the opposite in fact.King Minato was already there with his entourage, dressed in formal robes of his own as he spoke with Shikaku Nara, his chief advisor, and Kakashi Hatake, one of the top jonin in his kingdom, as well as the current sensei of Prince Naruto and his team.On the other hand, his wife, Queen Kushina, was speaking with two women - a wild haired brunette with red markings on her face and a pale skinned woman that looked similar to Sasuke - a few feet away from them, all three wearing kimonos and haoris with different insignias on the back. As for the royal twins, they were speaking with Sasuke and Shikamaru, the only other heirs that were present."Baki, do you know who the Queen is speaking to?" Temari asked, her curiosity rearing its head."The slightly wild looking brunette is Lady Tsume Inuzuka, the current head of the Inuzuka Clan. If you remember, it was her son, Lord Kiba, who faced Prince Naruto during the preliminary matchups," said the older man. "The other woman is Lady Mikoto Uchiha. She's currently the regent of the Uchiha Clan, staying in that role till Lord Sasuke is promoted to chunin . . . well, from what I’ve heard of course.”"Huh, wasn’t the head of the Uchiha Clan a man named Fugaku?" Kankuro asked, his eyes wide in curiosity.“Lord Fugaku, Lady Mikoto’s husband, was the head of the clan, for a time. . .”“For a time?” Temari asked, her tone sounding interested, and a little concerned."I’m guessing that whatever happened is a part of some clan business that’s only known by those within and closely associated with the Uchiha Clan?” Gaara asked as the four came to a stop a few feet away from the other group, studiously keeping his gaze away from the Fire Princess before Shukaku could bother to say anything.And he knew that the tanuki was just itching to say something.“What Gaara suggested is correct," Baki admitted as he glanced at the Uchiha regent. "From what I can recall, the Uchiha Clan went into disarray for a time a few years ago, to the point that it was feared that a civil war could break out within the family.”“A civil war?” Kankuro whispered, his tone sharp as he looked up at his sensei.“A family feud of that magnitude, and with all those Sharingan users,” Temari contemplated. “That’s a mess that has the potential to drag all of Konoha, and even the entire Fire Kingdom, into the fold. . . A destabilizing crisis if there ever was one, but it never got that far?”“Somehow, it didn’t. I do not know how much outside interference was needed to avert such a disaster, but by the end of the situation Lord Itachi, Lord Sasuke’s older brother, found himself as the new head of the clan.”“And Lord Fugaku was never seen again?” Temari mused. “Sounds like someone, or something, did him in.”“Whatever happened, you’ll be hard pressed to get answers from anyone that knows them, the Uchihas especially,” Baki mumbled, annoyed at the lack of information. “However, what was more surprising than Lord Itachi’s sudden jump into clan leadership, was his quick abdication from the role.”“He gave it up?!” Kankuro harshly whispered, his siblings a little amazed by the fact that he didn’t yell out like they expected him to.“Indeed, he did, though the reason as to why remains a mystery . . . Once his mother was officially installed as regent of the clan, Lord Itachi disappeared. No one has seen or heard from him since.""Okay, all this drama with the Uchiha sounds like something out of one of those crime dramas Temari likes to read a lot.""Eh, Kankuro’s not entirely off base there," Temari conceded as she tucked her hands into the sleeves of her kimono. "But now is not the time to speculate on family drama.""Temari's right." Gaara mumbled, his mood souring when he spotted the incoming caravan coming up the road. ". . . Cause Father's here."The Fire King and his entourage were also quick to spot the incoming Wind retinue, and with a quick nod to the siblings and Baki, the two groups fell into place, standing at attention as the visitors finally passed through the open gate. King Rasa led the pack, dressed in the robes that distinguished his status as the Kazekage, his official military title.Despite it being a time of peace, it was known throughout the kingdoms that the Wind King would wear his military robes whenever he traveled outside his borders, so when King Minato saw his counterpart in the familiar garb, he wasn't bothered by it in the slightest as he stepped forward to greet him."Welcome to Konoha King Rasa!" King Minato announced, greeting the man warmly as the two shook hands. "I hope you and your party didn't have many issues during your trip.""Not in the slightest King Minato,” The man admitted as he clasped his hands behind his back. “It was quiet on the way here, almost boring.”In addition to his Kazekage hat, King Rasa wore a piece of white fabric around his face, leaving his eyes as the only part of his head that was truly visible. Though he was known for obscuring his face whenever he traveled, Gaara couldn't help but feel off about him, a feeling that his tenant was quick to notice.
“Something the matter? I’m not getting the usual spell of emotions that you feel whenever you and your father are in the same vicinity.”
"I don't know Shukaku. . ." Gaara mumbled as he watched King Minato gestured for his wife and their twins to step forward to greet their royal guest. "There’s something a bit off here, but I can't place my finger on it."
“Got any theories?”
"Right now, not really," The redhead admitted as he watched his father speak with the twins. While Naruto spoke with a stoicism that Gaara, and the rest of his team for that matter, thought he was never capable of possessing, Shizuka watched on with a keen eye, as if she were trying to figure him out with just one look alone.“Well then, looks like you're not the only one thinking like this, if the Fire Princess' gaze is any indication. . . You two can compare notes,” Shukaku helpfully added, grinning mischievously as he felt his vessel try to hold back the grimace that threatened to show on his face, knowing that he got him once again. “Just a suggestion for later.”“No. . .” Gaara managed to say as the two parties continued with the introductions. He noticed his father's eyes linger on Sasuke for longer than it was necessary before finally turning to look at him and his siblings, his head moving minutely in a simple, but explicit statement.
Come over here, now.
"And so, our father beckons. . ." Temari mumbled as she led them forward, followed quietly by Kankuro and Baki, leaving Gaara to bring up the rear. “Let’s just get this over with.”
“I don't know what's going on exactly, but if you feel that something is off, stay on guard. . . Things may become far from normal before they get any better.”
"Yeah . . ." Gaara mumbled as he watched his father introduce his sister to the Fire King, watching his behavior keenly. "You may be on to something Shukaku."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The day of the finals

“Ah, finally! The sun has begun to grace us with its presence!” 
“Yes, Shukaku, I can see that.” Gaara mumbled in return as they watched the scorching celestial body appear over the crest of the horizon. ”You seem to be in a good mood this morning . . . Can’t imagine why though.”“And can you blame me?” He asked, ignoring the sarcasm he heard in his young vessel’s tone. “Today's finals day fleshbag! It’s finally time to show off in front of all those weaklings you call competition!”
“We both know that you’re only this eager for the finals because you know blood is going to be spilled today."

“Guilty as charged.”
Gaara simply shook his head as he got up from his perch on the porch railing, stretching out his stiff limbs until he heard a couple of satisfying pops ringing in his ears. "The competition is going to be stiff. I'm sure none of the other competitors rested on their laurels during the month-long respite."
“I hope not. It would make their defeats all the more satisfying to watch.”

“They certainly won’t be easy to come by though. . . The preliminaries ensured that only the best of us remained, and they will have new tricks up their sleeves.”
“But so will you,” Shukaku argued in return. “I must admit, there was a lot more you could have accomplished these last few weeks, a lot more. . .”
“Thanks, I certainly needed to hear that.”
“Just keeping you on your toes . . .” The tanuki chuckled, ignoring the sarcasm once again. “However, what you've managed so far, coupled with what you’ve already learned, should get you through to the final match just fine.”
“Is this your version of a pep talk Shukaku?”

“It is, but don’t expect me to do this again, at least, for a long time . . . It’s weird. Leaves a queer taste in my mouth.”
Gaara simply nodded as he walked back into the suite to find Kankuro sitting in the living room, already dressed. He was trying to look nonchalant, but the redhead knew his brother was nervous just by how much his right foot kept tapping, a habit he could never seem to break. Not bothering to comment on it - mainly because all the prior times he did led to arguments that proved that his brother was as hard headed as a pile of bricks - Gaara went to his room to freshen up and change. When he returned a half hour later, Kankuro was still on the couch, still looking tense as ever."Hmm, you look ready for the finals." The young prince mumbled, startling the puppeteer out of his internal reverie."Yeah, ready to get this day over with," Kankuro admitted as he looked up at the ceiling. "You know, a few weeks ago, I was really looking forward to this day.”“You were?” Gaara asked, a little confused.“Yeah, I was, but as today got closer . . . I don't know. That eagerness I once felt isn’t really there anymore.""Hmm, maybe it's because you feel, deep in your bones, that you are not gonna win against Nekonome," Gaara suggested as he sat down on the other end of the couch. "When you objectively think about it, your puppet style doesn’t match well against her close combat offense . . . It’s a poor matchup from the start.""Ok, for starters, I didn’t need the reminder, but thanks anyway!" Kankuro exclaimed, the sarcasm rolling off him in waves.“No problem,” Gaara conceded. “That’s what little brothers are for: pointing out their older siblings’ faults, in any way we can.”“Well that definitely makes me feel better. . .” Kankuro grumbled, resisting the urge to pout at his brother’s sudden bout of pettiness. "And no, I wasn't talking about my match against the cat girl.”“Then what are you talking about?”“The competition . . . Today is where we truly have to shine, for the sake of our kingdom, and I don't want to fuck it up,” He admitted, grimacing slightly. “There is a lot of pressure on our shoulders to do well. We are supposed to be the pride of our kingdom, and there will be many eyes on us. . .”“I thought you weren't one for caring so much about attention?” Gaara was quick to say in return. "It was one of the main reasons you decided to learn puppet ninjutsu.""True; puppeteering does allow me some obscurity. . . It lets me blend into the shadows while my puppets steal the show, but obscurity is hard to maintain when you're second in line to the throne."“Hmm, that is a fair point.”"I can't hide behind my puppets forever little brother, especially not today,” Kankuro conceded, looking him in the eyes. “I need to show off, you need to show off. We need to conduct ourselves in the way that fits our position as princes. . . Did I forget to mention that our kingdom's economic status is at stake here?""Our kingdom’s economic status? Actually, I haven't given it much thought these last few weeks."Kankuro's face blanked when he heard that. 
“Brat, I think you just broke your brother.”
“I don't think I broke him,” Gaara mused as he looked at the puppeteer’s blank face. “He’s just a little shocked, that’s all.”“You really haven’t thought much about our kingdom’s financial situation since we’ve gotten here?!” Kankuro asked, sounding like he was testing out the words just as he spoke them.“I had other stuff on my mind.""Uh, um. . . Well, I did not expect to hear that coming from your mouth." Kankuro thoughtfully concluded as he brought a hand to his chin. "You’re usually much more attentive than this.” "Even I can have my off moments,” Gaara conceded as he watched his brother’s eyes narrow. “What?”"Even you can have your off moments hmm?" Kankuro asked, not really believing what he was hearing. "What exactly has been on your mind that has made you this . . . distracted?""Well, there's Shukaku,”“Of course, that tanuki messing with your head is always a given.”
“Again, guilty as charged.”
“And then there's Sh-"“Oop, looks like you just had a slip of the tongue fleshbag,” Shukaku chuckled as Gaara slowly turned away from his brother. “Let’s see how you get out of this one!”"And then there’s Sh-?" Kankuro asked as Gaara failed to meet his gaze, a knowing red flag in his eyes. "Who is Sh-? Care to elaborate on that?""No, I’d rather not.""What are you hiding brother?" Kankuro continued to ask, a smirk now appearing on his painted face. "C'mon, you know you can tell me. . . Are you worried I’d tell Temari if you do?”"I'm not worried about that!" Gaara bluntly stated, his glare back in full force. It usually worked to intimidate Kankuro into silence, but it seemed faulty this time around . . .  His brother’s smirk grew into a full-blown smile instead. "Just drop it, Kankuro. It’s none of your concern.""Fine, if you won't tell me what I want to know, then I'll just have to figure it out myself," said the puppeteer as he leaned back into his seat, his smugness growing more apparent by the second.
“Oh, yes… This is getting good.”

“Please don’t encourage him.”

“He can’t even HEAR me!”
"The 'Sh-' can't possibly be Shukaku since you mentioned him already . . .” Kankuro quietly debated as he brought a hand to his chin. “Let's see, how many people do we know whose name starts with 'Sh-'? It’s not that many, should be someone you have interacted with before, maybe fairly recently . . .""Oh crap . . . He's actually thinking hard about this?!" Gaara thought as he looked at his brother in slight disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me. . ."“This is getting better and better by the second!” Shukaku chuckled. “Trust me, it won't take long for him to figure out who the person behind your slip of the tongue. . . You should give him a biscuit if he gets it right the first try.”
"You're actively rooting for his success on this one. . . Why am I not surprised?"
“The bouts of petty misery you fall into thanks to your siblings has grown to be one of my biggest enjoyments, I must admit,” Shukaku admitted, sounding very pleased with himself. ”Your brother may be an idiot at times, but he has proven to have a knack for being an inquisitive little shit when he wants to be.”"I GOT IT!"
“Looks like the moment of truth is here. . .”
"There is only one possible "Sh-" we know of, outside of Shukaku of course, who could hold your attention for this long, and it is someone we met recently too!" Kankuro admitted as he got out of his seat.
“Wait for it . . .”

“I’d rather not.”
"YOU!” Kankuro’s sudden exclamation snapped Gaara out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see him pointing his finger straight at his face. “. . . were about to say Shizuka, weren't ya?"
“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!”
Gaara ignored the cackling that ensued in his head, resisting the urge to grimace as he quickly slapped his brother’s finger away. Kankuro, for his part, remained unfazed, grinning victoriously instead."Kankuro, I was not about to say the Fire Princess's name." He told him, his tone flat as he looked his brother directly in the eye.“You can’t fool me little brother. . . Not this time.” 
"I hate it when he gets all smug, and when did he start developing a backbone?!"

“Some time when you weren’t looking I guess.”
“You are not going to let this go, are you?”"No, not in the slightest," The brunet admitted, sporting a smug, cat-like grin. "No matter how many times you’ll deny it, I know that you’ll just be lying to yourself. . .”
“Well, he has you pegged, now doesn’t he?”
“Brother, let’s face it. . . Shukaku is no longer the only one spending time in that sandy brain of yours,” Kankuro declared, crossing his arms over his chest. “The Fire Princess has officially moved in, and I think she’s here to stay. . . Congratulations, I think you have your first crush on your hands!"
“Have I ever told you how much I loved your brother?”
"First off, eww. . . Second off, you only like him for the misery he brings me." Gaara countered as Temari finally walked in. “Morning Temari.”."Good morning. . . and did I hear you right, Kankuro?" The blonde asked as she wiped the remaining sleep from her eyes. "Gaara has a crush on someone?!”
“Why me?”

“Fate works in mysterious ways, fleshbag! For now, suffer!”

“That makes me feel so much better.”
"Sis, I believe our dear little brother here has a bit of an . . . interest, a fascination, in the Fire Princess." Kankuro confidently stated as she sat down in one of the other chairs."And it took you this long to notice that?"Neither brother expected that response. Kankuro was in such disbelief that he ended up face palming the ground, which muffled his grumbling as he laid there in shock and defeat. Gaara, on the other hand, stayed completely composed as he looked at his amused sister. On the inside, his mind was silent as the grave, except for Shukaku, who cackled like a madman who successfully completed its latest rampage.Baki walked into the room not long after the Crown Princess asked her question, his eyes immediately finding his blonde and redheaded charges engaged in a stare off.Then he caught sight of their brother, still with his face plastering the ground, and he started wondering why he got out of bed this morning.“Do I even want to know what happened?” He asked, letting out a defeated sigh.“NO!” Temari and Gaara echoed, neither looking away from the other.“I see. . .” Baki mused as he backed away. “I’m gonna call for room service. I hope whatever you are doing here stops before the food gets here.”"I’m sure we can come to an understanding by then. . ." Temari muttered as the man’s footsteps receded. “And Kankuro, get up! You’ve been on the floor long enough!”"How long did you know about Gaara's interest in Shizuka!?" Kankuro moaned after finally picking his face up from the carpet."It’s not like he completely hid his interest," The wind mistress admitted, smirking as Gaara’s eyes narrowed. "Stoicism may be his forte, but he still showed some signs . . . The fact that he actually showed some interest in a girl is certainly a big one."“Then again, he has reached the age to start showing an interest in girls . . .” Kankuro mused, “. . . And here I thought he would spend his life showing no interest in women.”"Excuse me!!" Gaara blurted out, his coldly sharp tone startling his brother. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”“What else is it supposed to mean?!” Shukaku asked in return. “He thought you’d either be single all your life, or be into men! It’s not that hard to figure out fleshbag.”Shukaku’s sudden explanation immediately quieted Gaara, to the point his harsh expression softened into a complete blank slate. It spooked Kankuro a little, but Temari simply smiled, already figuring that the dangerous tanuki had explained things to the little redhead.“I’m guessing Shukaku didn’t bother to use any tact in explaining things to you.” She asked her brother, who now shook his head slowly in disbelief.“I’m sure Shukaku has no idea what the word tact even means at this point.” Gaara admitted, ignoring the irritation he could feel from the tailed beast.“I resent that fleshbag,” He called out. “I may not be known for putting it to use, but I do know what tact means!”"That must have been an awkward explanation to listen to." Kankuro added as Temari nodded her agreement.“You have no idea. . .” Gaara admitted, just as Baki returned to the room. “Oh, you’re back.”"It takes a lot more than one of your awkward situations to scare me away," The turban-wearing jonin snarky admitted as he looked around the room. "Breakfast should be here soon, and I see Kankuro has finally managed to rip his face off the carpet. . . Not a smidge of pain out of place no less.""Ha ha, very funny," The puppeteer mumbled. "Just to let you know, I use no-smudge face paint, and, well, it’s not every day you find out that your little brother finally shows some interest in the fairer sex."Oh, Prince Gaara’s interest in Princess Shizuka . . . You didn't know that?"Kankuro face-palmed for the second time that morning. "You think this too?" The redhead grumbled as Shukaku cackled and Temari chuckled."Granted, I have not seen you interact that much with King Minato’s only daughter, but what I have seen so far is telling.""And when have you had the time to observe us?" Gaara asked, his gaze looking sharp."Well. the welcome dinner King Minato hosted in honor of your father's visit does come to mind."“Oh yeah . . . That’s definitely a good example.” Temari teased as Gaara scowled at the reminder.The welcome dinner was held the same day of their father's arrival, and though the visit of foreign royals would usually warrant a grand affair, the dinner was a smaller affair than what was customary, mainly out of respect for King Rasa’s well known reserved nature.Seated around a long table in one of the palace’s smaller dining rooms, the Wind delegation had been placed across from their Fire counterparts, the two kings seated across from each other at the short ends. As the second son and third child, Gaara’s was seated between Kankuro and Baki, across from Lady Karin, Shizuka's cousin from her mother's side of the family who was staying with the royals as Queen Kushina's ward.Shizuka was seated between Karin and Naruto, and thus, across from Kankuro. The two barely spoke to each other directly during the entire affair, and barely contributed to the conversation going around at the table, but the glances they gave the other was more than normal, some would say. With everyone else either talking amongst themselves or eating their fill, Gaara figured that no one else was really paying them any mind.Considering that they lived in a world where ninjas were the norm, he should have known better."I should be surprised, but I’m not . . ." Gaara mumbled, his answer only inciting his siblings' amusement even more. "Who else do you think noticed?""Well, from what I've observed, everyone else was too immersed in the food or conversation to notice . . . Everyone that isn't a shinobi at least.” Baki admitted, bringing a hand to his chin to distract himself from the mirth he felt seeing the redhead’s disgruntled expression. “. . . You couldn’t have been any more obvious Gaara.”“Great. . . Just great,” The young prince groused. “If anyone asks, I was only looking because I know that she’s a fellow jinchuriki.”“If that was the case, why didn’t you give Naruto the same amount of attention then?”Gaara never wanted to put Kankuro through a Sand Burial more than that very moment.“At the very least, Father will not fall for that excuse," Temari mentioned, the very thought of their old man dampening the overall mood in the room. "Then again, who knows? He’s seemed a little off since he first arrived, don't you think? Or is it just me?""When has he not seemed 'a little off' to us?" Kankuro asked as a knocking sound echoed from the door. "Our father isn’t the typical parent, not even by nobility standards sis.""Then again, your father has never been a normal man. . .”“Baki, did you just throw shade at our father?” Temari immediately asked, sounding a little surprised as he went to answer the door.“In the most respectful way that I could think of, of course,” Baki admitted, speaking without missing a beat. "Look, I know that there has been a lot of pressure put on your shoulders these past few weeks, but you’ve managed to perform well despite all that.”“Mostly because we didn’t even give the health of our kingdom’s economy that much thought throughout this entire trip.” Kankuro mused, shrugging slightly.“And that’s the kind of thinking I want you three to continue with,” Baki advised, his words shocking the three to varying degrees. “. . . Today, I want you to push all those thoughts about kingdom pride and economic livelihood all the way to the back of your minds. Focus on the here and now and take each match one at a time . . . Everything else is just an afterthought.” "Huh, now that is some sage advice," Temari conceded as she joined him to greet the worker bringing in their breakfast.“Hmm, now that Turban Head mentioned it,” Shukaku mumbled. “Your father really did have his eyes on certain people throughout that welcome dinner.”
"Oh, now you mention this to me!?”

“I didn't think it was that important at the time. . . My bad.”
"Care to enlighten me on who exactly my dear old dad was specifically looking at?" Gaara dared to ask, wishing that he could just smack the tanuki upside his sandy head already.
“Well, his eyes always seemed to find you and the Fire Brats, mostly because of your shared jinchuriki status. . . He also managed to spare some of his eyesight for Queen Kushina too now that I look back on it."
"The Fire Queen?" Gaara asked as he raised an invisible eyebrow. "Why her?"“Maybe he misses his own wife?” Shukaku thought, his suggestion making the redhead grimace. "What?! You don’t think it’s plausible?!”
“When it comes to my father, I don’t know what to think.”

“Fair point, but still . . . Yes, even I can admit the treatment your mother went through the day you were born was downright shitty, and it is his fault for allowing it in the first place, but you can’t stop the man from missing his wife.”

“If only I could. . . Anything else I should know about?”

“Well, I sensed slim traces of Kurama's chakra coming from the Fire Queen.”

"Wait a minute. Really?!”

“As if I could ever mistake my eldest brother’s chakra stench for something else?!”
“But, why would that be though?” Gaara thought, shaking his head as a worrisome thought crossed his mind. “. . . You don't think Kurama was implanted into Naruto while he was still in his mother's womb, do ya?”The thought of King Minato ordering the same implantation process his father did on him years ago was quite unsettling.“Now, now, slow down! Don't start thinking like that!” Shukaku was quick to say, grimacing at his vessel’s thought process. “I can tell you, without a doubt, that King Minato did not order for Kurama to be put in Naruto like how your father ordered for me to be sealed into you. . . What I meant is that there's nothing there in the queen to actually be considered viable tailed beast chakra that could be used in battle. Think of it more like a residue that just clings on to the back of an object, like old blood you can't wash off of those kunai you ninjas love to use so much.”"Residue huh?" Gaara asked. "So it means nothing then?"
"Not really, my insomnia-ridden friend . . . I'm not completely certain of this, since I've yet to see it really happen before, but I believe that the only real conclusion that I could make of this is that Queen Kushina is Kurama's former jinchuriki.”
"Former jinchuuriki?" Gaara asked, his eyes widening in shock before he composed himself. "How's that even fucking possible? Jinchuriki's die once their tailed beast is extracted from their body. It’s a well known fact!"
“You think I don’t know that?! I’ve had to go through the jinchuriki switch quite a number of times in my long existence with some of your predecessors, remember? I’m well aware of how unlikely a jinchuriki’s survival after extraction is!”
Gaara held his tongue at that, knowing he couldn't really say anything to refute the tanuki’s words whenever he got even close to personal.“Anyway, even if it's an accepted fact, I don't think surviving an extraction is entirely impossible,” Shukaku continued. “The Fire Queen is an Uzumaki, a clan where vitality is such an essential part of their being you’d think it was their kekkei genkai.”
“So?”

“I think, with their enhanced vitality, it's entirely plausible that one of those redheads could survive an extraction process if they were made to be a jinchuriki . . . I wouldn't be surprised to find out that sometime around the twins’ birth, something happened that led to Kurama being moved from mother to son.”
"I see, and thank you for the information,” Gaara conceded. “But still, the staring my father did during the dinner. . . It makes me question his motives.""Gaara, are you coming to eat or what?"The redhead lifted his head to see Kankuro entering the dining room, not even bothering to wait for his answer, despite asking the question in the first place. When it came to his food, Kankuro waited for no man, except for formal occasions where propriety ruled all.“Maybe he's just jealous at the amount of firepower at the Fire Kingdom’s disposal, pun entirely intended,” Shukaku was quick to suggest as Gaara got up from his seat. “Or maybe he’s jealous of the Fire King’s personal life? Maybe it’s making him rethink his current stance on a wife? More children perhaps?”"That seems highly unlikely to me . . . He's too devoted to running the kingdom to devote any time to his personal life,” Gaara thought as he walked over to the dining room, trying hard not to sound bitter. "Besides, after what happened the day I was born, why would he want another kid?"“Hey! Don't be so down on yourself.” Shukaku declared, sounding irritated. “Besides, bringing you down is supposed to be my job!”
“And you do such an admirable job at it Shukaku. . . Did I ever mention that to you before?”
“No . . .” The tanuki mumbled, the awkward pause giving way to a wave of annoyance. “. . . And fuck you and your sarcasm. I'm not falling for it again!”“Are you sure about that?”
“Again, fuck you!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Once the four finished their breakfast and set their empty dishes outside their room for the staff to pick up later, they left their hotel, making their way toward the stadium where the finals were set to play out.As they made the trek, the siblings couldn't help but notice the buzz in the air. The streets seemed livelier than usual, with people moving about and running their errands with an extra pep in their step.Having stayed in the village for more than a month now, Baki and the Sand Siblings had grown used to how Konoha operates, so the change in the atmosphere was something they just couldn't ignore.And yet it wasn’t hard to imagine why in the first place."I see the people are really energized this morning," Kankuro mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he looked around the street."The Showcase Finals tends to have this kind of effect on people.” Temari mused, cracking her knuckles with ease.“The Finals isn't just a time for participants to show their talents and skills," Baki calmly stated as they turned a corner. "With the influx of visitors from across the shinobi kingdoms, it's also the time for businesses and traveling merchants to make a huge profit, and the Showcase Finals tends to bring in a lot of revenue for the hosting village, especially in the betting pools.""And speaking of the betting pools, who do you think is going to get the most bids?" Temari asked as she pulled out a small fan from a sealing scroll."It depends on the competition . . . The Fire natives will place their bets on the competitors who originate from their territory, and the same goes for those coming from our homeland.”“AKA, the familiarity argument,” Kankuro mused, bringing a hand to his chin.“Indeed Kankuro . . . A lot of people from our homeland have come to view today's proceedings, so I expect to see big numbers next to your names once I check the betting boards." Baki predicted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I believe the numbers were also high for the lone Sound genin that made it, but due to his untimely departure, it's rather moot now."Gaara acted like he didn’t hear the innuendo in the man’s tone, but here it, he certainly did."Hm, I'm sure the people of the Sound Kingdom were quite put out when they heard that their lone representative in the finals met an untimely demise." Kankuro mumbled, his eyes sneaking a not-so-subtle glance at his brother.Baki had managed to fill the elder siblings in on what happened between Dosu and Gaara weeks ago, a little after the Sound genin’s death became public knowledge.Both immediately concluded that the Sound ninja was a downright idiot for trying to confront the redhead the way he did."And here I thought that the mummy was the smartest one of his team. . ." Temari had mumbled, shaking her head at the stupidity of it all. Kankuro had found the situation quite laughable, only stopping after Temari threatened to smack him once some of his spittle got on her feet."So, any idea on what's going to happen now that Kinuta is out of the picture?" Temari asked as the stadium steadily came into view. "He was supposed to go against Princess Shizuka first, but now that he’s gone, what's going to happen to the match? Are they going to make one of the other matches a three-way duel or something?""We'll find out once we get there. . . If a finalist is unable to compete for whatever reason that occurred outside of the competition, what happens to their match isn’t announced until the Finals begin.”“In any case, the Showcase is one of the most momentous events on the shinobi calendar for a number of reasons. Financial gain. Kingdom and clan pride,” Baki continued. “. . . And most of the kingdoms use it as a gauge to see if the ninja they’ve sent warrant a promotion or not.""Including ours?" Kankuro couldn't help but ask as he spotted a few Suna merchants chatting around a mobile tea booth. When they spotted the royals, they immediately bowed their heads in recognition of their presence, though some still looked wary once they noticed Gaara, who was paying them no mind."Yes, even the Wind Kingdom," Baki stated matter-of-factly, knowing he just answered a question the puppeteer already knew the answer to. "So, if fighting for the kingdom's financial livelihood isn't enough to motivate you three to do well, maybe a potential promotion will."“Hmm, it would look good to our shinobi if we actually earn the ranks rather than have them be handed to us by the old man.” Temari mused absently, looking up at the stadium.It wasn't lost on any of them how important a chunin promotion was in the life of a ninja. A promotion was a sign, a marker that declared them ready for the next level of their ninja journey, a road that led to harder missions and more responsibility.Clans and noble houses prided themselves on the number of chunin, and eventually, the number of jonin they produced within their ranks. The more the members proved themselves to their shinobi superiors, the more respect and acclaim they brought to their families’ name.For the ninjas that found themselves competing, the boisterous ones did it for personal pride, the humbler ones out of duty for their respective kingdoms."Anyway, even though Kinuta’s death effectively ended the Sound Kingdom's presence within the competition, the easy acceptance of it all is what makes it unnerving," Baki continued. "Most kingdoms would make more of a ruckus after losing a participant outside of Showcase activities, especially considering the circumstances surrounding his death.”“Circumstances that only a select few are truly privy too,” Temari quietly mused, sneaking a glance Gaara’s way, a glance he completely ignored.“The Sound Kingdom, weirdly enough, made no such fuss,” Baki continued, grimacing. “They simply accepted it. No questioning. No arguments. . . In fact, the return letter King Minato was rumored to have received from his Sound counterpart was quite cordial in the aftermath of the discovery and return of the remains.""Considering the Sound’s recent actions, I'm sure the response raised some red flags with King Minato and his council." Gaara mumbled as the crowd grew thicker around them the closer they got to their destination."I imagine it has . . . King Minato has been subtle with his directives, but those with experienced eyes can see the uptick in security if they really look for it," Baki advised, looking around at the nearby rooftops for signs.Only Kankuro followed his line of sight. Temari and Gaara didn’t bother looking.When they finally arrived at the arena, they checked in with security at the participants’ entrance before stepping inside. Walking down the hallway till they reached the first intersection, they came to a stop when they spotted a sign on the wall directing senseis and mentors to go left, while the remaining participants had to go right."Security did mention that we would separate once we were inside," Temari mumbled as she put away her fan. "So, got any last words for us before we go, Baki?""Some people have been a little quick to dismiss our homeland due to its current struggles, but I know you’ll prove them wrong. Show your strength! Prove why the Wind Kingdom should not be overlooked so easily,” Baki advised, his tone serious, though his eyes showed a steely confidence that was rare from him. “At this point, anything else I could possibly say would seem redundant.""Well, you have sounded like a broken record since we left Suna." Kankuro mumbled under his breath, but not quietly enough that no one else wouldn’t hear him.Baki chose to ignore the jibe, shaking his head before walking away, but not before he had one last thing to say."Perform well, but not in a way that makes the kingdom look bad. . . We don't want to come out of this as a walking laughingstock, or a place where they question our sanity."“We’ll try our best, Baki! Enjoy the show!” Temari called after him, smirking slightly as Gaara scowled, the latter knowing that the man’s last piece of advice was directed at him.Shukaku also didn’t take the words too kindly, ranting about turban-wearing idiots the entire time the trio made their way to the designated waiting room.When they finally reached said room, they were quick to notice that they were one of the last to arrive. Aside from the Nara heir, everyone else was present, and all eyes were now on them as they passed through the doorway . . .. . . Except the princess. She was meditating off to the side, tuning out the rest of the world."Huh, didn't expect you all to be here already!" Kankuro uttered, not realizing he said that out loud until it was too late. "Eager much?""Eh, you could say that" Haruka mumbled as she went back to her card game with Nanami and Prince Naruto. "Now that the royal Wind trio has finally arrived, who's still missing again?""Just Shikamaru," Neji called out from his spot across the room. "But that’s to be expected from a Nara. Their intelligence can never be argued, but their laziness and occasional lateness tends to be infamous.""Huh, looks like you'll have one less competitor to deal with sis." Kankuro mumbled as Temari quietly shook her head."Not really," Shikamaru announced, finally making his appearance right behind the siblings.No one flinched at his sudden arrival.“Took you long enough Shikamaru.” Nanami declared as he started shuffling the cards. “Did your mother have to drag you out of bed again?”“No, but she made it very clear that if I didn't show up, I better not bother coming home tonight.""Hmm, that definitely sounds like the Lady of the Nara Clan . . . It’s good to see you heed her words then," Naruto remarked as he looked over at his friend. "You still tired though?""I’m always tired." Shikamaru admitted as he walked over to a nearby bench, stretching himself across it like a cat. “It’s basically in my nature at this point.”“Yep, his intelligence really is the only reason he's made it this far.” Shukaku grumbled bluntly as the siblings made their way over to an unoccupied corner of the room, but not before Temari shot Shikamaru an unimpressed glance first."Baki likes to say that one's intelligence can be just as dangerous, if not more, than one's physical ability," Gaara droned on as he sat down. "He may not look the part, but Shikamaru Nara could end up being one of the most dangerous competitors in this competition before the day is up."“From a smarts standpoint, possibly. From a physical standpoint, nope, not in the slightest. You can’t convince me otherwise,” Shukaku mumbled. ”On the other hand, some of the remaining meat in here may put up some decent fights . . . However, you must remember that your main competition is going to be the Fire Prince and Princess, especially if they know how to pull out my siblings' power to use to their advantage.”"Is it possible they know how to do that already?"“It is. I’ll admit that much,” Shukaku stated. Gaara could easily picture the tanuki shaking his head as he spoke. “The girl may have had an easier time convincing Ryuna to work with her though. Ryuna was always more easy going at best, indifferent at worst kind of beast, but if you ever managed to get on her last nerve, I wish you the best of luck.”
“And how many times have you pissed your sister off since you all started existing again?”
“Fuck off Gaara,” Came Shukaku’s immediate reply. “. . . As for Kurama, he’s never been keen on being a team player, but his vessel may have convinced him otherwise. That Naruto kid has quite the knack for winning people over to his side, so it's not hard to think he may have won that blasted fox over, although it may have taken him some time to do so.”Gaara had witnessed Naruto's charm in action during his father's welcome dinner when he interacted with the Wind nobility, which was impressive given the fact they were notorious for being as harsh as the desert winds. In the end, the fox-faced teen somehow managed to win them over with an ease so seamless that it impressed Temari, left Kankuro in slight awe, and made Gaara even more wary of the blonde.The dinner also made it apparent that the twins were treated differently by others compared to how he gets treated by those within his kingdom. Sure, his royal status made things easier for him, but whenever he had to interact with people, he knew they didn’t do it because they genuinely liked him or respected him for that matter. It was like they were eternally walking on eggshells, careful not to make that mistake that would make him angry.He never saw a hint of the same fear or uncertainty when he watched the twins interact with the others at dinner. Naruto was the one that warmed people over with ease, but Shizuka had the more cautious, observant approach. She would speak with a voice that held an air of trained diplomacy to it, but she wasn't as forward with it as her brother was.Overall, she'd rather observe than speak, which made her the more dangerous one in his eyes.Speaking of the Fire Princess, Gaara found her sitting off to the side, away from everyone else in the room. Sitting cross legged on a stool, she was quietly taking in the room with a serene expression on her face, yet despite the calm facade she displayed, the redhead could tell that the girl was ready to spring at the first wrong move."I see someone can't keep his eyes off a certain princess, again."Gaara's immediate reaction was to send a bit of his sand straight into his brother's eyes, hitting him dead on. Temari barely held back her laughter as Kankuro struggled to clear his eyes, cursing his brother as he went.He managed to finally get his vision in check just as one of the village chunin stepped into the room calling for everyone’s attention."If you could all follow me, please. I will be leading you to the battlefield." He announced, gesturing to the exit behind him. Not wanting to waste any time, the remaining finalists followed him, moving through a series of hallways until they reached the field’s entry point. The sounds of the audience had steadily grown larger and louder as they neared the entrance, reaching its apex as soon as the group appeared on the field."Sheesh . . .  The stands are absolutely packed!" Haruka yelled, her voice barely reaching the others as the deafening screams and cheers continued. "There's not an empty seat in the house.""Why would there be?" Neji asked in return as the crowds finally started to quiet down. "The Showcase brings people together from all walks of life, from the common peasant to high royalty. . . This event has become so important to witness that no one wants to miss it if they can help it.""Plus, who wouldn't want to watch young genin knock the shit out of each other for personal and kingdom pride?" Sasuke added, a rare smirk showing on his face.“Duck-butt Uchiha makes a very good point.” Shukaku piped up as the group stood in one line in the middle of the arena floor. ”. . . And by the way, the shit you pulled struggling against that Lee kid back in the preliminaries will not happen here today, you hear me fleshbag!? If I feel you struggling, even once, I'm fucking taking over, and you will not fucking stop me!”"Aw . . . you do care." Gaara mocked him in turn as he looked up, scanning the crowd until he found the VIP box, an area separate from the rest of the stands, narrowing his eyes when he spotted the person he was looking for.
“I don't care like that fleshbag, and you know it!”
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that Shukaku," was all Gaara said before tuning the tanuki out, keeping his eyes on the VIP box instead. His jade eyes were squarely on his father, who was busy conversing with King Minato.Gaara knew there was something off about his father ever since the man stepped foot in Konoha. He didn’t know how he knew, but he knew all the same. Unfortunately, he still couldn't figure out what exactly about the man was putting him on edge.Then again, King Rasa has been putting the redhead on edge ever since he could understand words.He had yet to voice his concerns with his siblings, but he could tell that his sister was also feeling similar regarding the old man. Only time will tell it what was putting him on edge about the man would eventually reveal itself.And yet, something told Gaara that revelation was going to come sooner rather than later.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The eleven finalists stood in the middle of the large arena, basking in the dying cheers of a captive audience that was more than happy to see their skills get put to the test. As the volume continued to die out, a tall, brunette man dressed in the traditional Konoha shinobi uniform approached them from an entry point opposite to the one they just entered through.Most of his hair was hidden under the dark blue bandana tied around his head, and a toothpick hung from his mouth, more for aesthetic purposes rather than picking out food from his teeth. When he raised his hand, those that were still chattering in the crowd fell silent, now ready to listen as the proceedings started below them."First of all, I would like to start these finals by welcoming everyone that has made the time to come out and watch today's proceedings. . . Some have come from just down the block,” His words immediately earned some chuckles, especially since the arena was mere blocks away from the nearest residential district.“. . . While others have ventured here from kingdoms both near and far, and as a citizen of the Fire Kingdom, I would like to take the time to formally thank you all for coming!" The brunette called out, his formal words earning him a nice smattering of applause and shouts from the audience, who appreciated the recognition."Now then, my name is Genma Shiranui, and I am the official referee for today's final competition," He said after plucking out his toothpick, which turned out to be half a senbon needle. "Just like in the preliminaries, you 11 finalists will compete in a series of one-on-one matches until one of you is left standing. Killing is not illegal during these finals, but we do encourage you all to not murder your opponents as you progress through the competition. . ."
“Why do I feel so targeted by that statement?”

“Because you’re the only tailed beast known for having a tendency for going on a bloodthirsty rampage if ever given the chance. . . That’s why.”

“Oh yes . . . Never mind.”
"Overall, the rules are basically the same as they were during the preliminary matchups. If you are knocked unconscious, you lose. If you decide to forfeit, you lose, and if I determine that you have no way out of your situation, I will call the match in the opponent's favor." Genma calmly explained, looking into the eyes of every competitor to make sure he was getting his point across, and only looking away when he was satisfied."Now then, originally, there were supposed to be 12 of you competing today,” He announced, finally addressing the elephant in the room. “. . . But due to the death of Sound genin Dosu Kinuta prior to today's proceedings, that's no longer possible, taking this three-kingdom battle to a duel of two.""Wind against Fire, Suna against Konoha . . . This should be fun," Kankuro mumbled as excited chattering could be heard from the crowd. "The betters are likely having a field day with this."“Wouldn’t put it past them. . .” Temari added, shaking her head in agreement.Dosu's death had slowly been making the rounds around the village in the weeks since his body was discovered, so it wasn't new to anyone who had been in Konoha for a while. Rumors as to why he passed were rampant during the first few days since the discovery, but they eventually petered out once cooler heads prevailed, especially since no one would dare to insinuate that Princess Shizuka had in a hand in it since she was supposed to be Dosu's first opponent.Everyone knew that her mother Queen Kushina had quite the temper after all, and she was quite protective of her children and their reputation.Those who had only recently arrived at the village were completely caught off guard by this development, generating a buzz within the audience that didn't cease until Genma signaled for silence once again."Going by established Showcase rules, when one finalist is unable to compete for any reason in the final segment of the competition, the opponent he or she was supposed to face will automatically go to the next round." Genma addressed the finalists and the crowd before turning to the princess. "Princess Shizuka, you were supposed to face Kinuta first, but since that is no longer possible, you officially move on to the second round.”“Well look who gets the free pass. . .” Kankuro mumbled as the audience buzzed above them, with many of the pro-Fire contingent happy to hear that one of their own was already in the next round, much to the rest of the crowd’s chagrin and reasonable displeasure.“Oh, don’t complain. You would be ecstatic if you got a free pass to the next round if it were Nekonome who was unable to compete today.”“I bet he’d break out into a happy dance if that were the case . . . We all know he sucks at close quarters combat.”“Takes one to know one little brother!” The puppeteer whispered as he glanced at the redhead. “And how about we not talk about my combat deficiencies within feet of my opponent, who likely has superhuman hearing, might I add.”  “You’re sure her feline attributes go that far?”“They go pretty far, to tell you the truth,” Haruka cut in, her voice shocking the siblings so badly that Kankuro almost jumped three feet in the air.“Is something wrong?”The group was so engrossed in their conversation that they failed to notice that Genma had been watching them the entire time, smirking slightly as he watched them get lost in their own world for a bit.However, he had to get things back on schedule, or else the audience would start making their displeasure known, and knowing his fellow Fire citizens, he knew it wouldn’t take long to make the crowd ignite in boos.“No? Nothing?” He further asked, his smirk getting even bigger as Kankuro noticeably blushed under his purple face paint. “. . . Anyway, as I was saying, Princess Shizuka, whoever wins the matchup between Princess Temari and Lord Shikamaru will be your opponent.""Also, since we now have one less fighter to deal with, if everything goes as we expect it to, there will be a three-way battle for the final match instead of the simple one-on-one. . . If you care about winning this entire competition, you better try your damn hardest to be one of those final three. Everyone understands that?!"The young finalists all nodded their heads, all ready to get the show on the road. The audience were feeling the same, as their cheers of anticipation rose once they realized that the action was about to start in earnest."Now then, let's get these festivities started!” Genma exclaims, much to the delight of the audience surrounding them. “Naruto Namikaze, Neji Hyuga, please remain where you are. The rest of you can make your way to the viewing area."The applause was almost deafening as the nine other finalists made their way to the viewing room, leaving Naruto and Neji to face each other in the ring. The viewing area itself was just under the lowest level of the main stands, giving the group a splendid view of the arena floor so that they wouldn't miss anything happening down below. Though there were plenty of chairs in the viewing area, the finalists opted to stand or sit on the railing for a front row seat of the action."Alright everyone, who ya got?" Haruka called as she sat on the railing, crouching on it like a lazing cat. "Who’s winning this match? Our blonde crown prince, or the stoic, pale eyed striker!?""It's really too close to tell Haruka," mumbled Nanami as she looked down at the boys in the ring. "At the very least, this is definitely not going to be a genjutsu battle. . . Neither ever really developed the knack for it.”“Well, that’s something to take note of for later. . .” Kankuro mused as the three siblings just stood off to the side of the main group, keeping his tone low so that the others wouldn’t hear him too much.“Oh, shut it. Genjutsu was never your strong suit either.”“Sis, whose side are you on again?” The puppeteer grumbled as he glared at his older sibling.“The side of logic, little brother, which you seem to forget about sometimes.”“Hmm, Temari got you there Kankuro,” Gaara mused as he turned back toward the main group, hoping to hear more about his future opponents, and ignoring the glare Kankuro shot his way."Hmm, Neji has the slight advantage in taijutsu thanks to his Byakugan and his knowledge of his clan's Gentle Fist technique, but Naruto has the definite advantage in ninjutsu, so this could be one of the more balanced matches we’ll see today," Shino uttered, the normally silent genin speaking for the first time all day. "It should be interesting to see how this match turns out.""This is going in Naruto's favor, no question." Sasuke pronounced, the barest traces of a smirk showing on his face as his eyes remained unmoved from the blonde below."And how are you so sure about that?" Kankuro bluntly asked as he turned to look at the Uchiha. "I know you guys are part of the same unit, but don't you think you’re being a little too biased toward your teammate?""I understand why you may think that, but trust me, you shouldn’t take my words lightly," Sasuke was quick to say, shooting the puppeteer a quick glare before turning his eyes back to the arena. "Yeah, Naruto may come off as dimwitted at times, but trust me, he's a lot more dangerous than he lets on."
“Considering who he must share his body with, Duck-butt isn’t lying on that one . . . Still, the Hyuga brat looks like he'll be tough to beat. His match with his cousin didn't show me much, but he could give the prince a run for his money, even if he is heavily reliant on taijutsu.”
“Well,” Gaara thought as he looked down at the field below, his gaze switching between the stoic Hyuga, and the eager looking prince. “. . . At the very least, we’re going to get quite the show.”"Namikaze, are you ready?" Genma asked as he turned to the blonde."Ready as I'll ever be!" Naruto confidently answered as he quickly stretched out his arms. Genma nodded at that before turning to Neji to ask the same question. The Hyuga simply gave him a quiet ‘Ready’ as he got into his traditional starting stance. He already looked poised to strike, but everyone with a working mind knew that the teen wouldn’t be too obvious with his intentions."All right then. I won’t delay things any further,” The jonin declared as he took a step back. “Let the first match begin!”Neji was in attack mode from the jump, his fingers poised to strike the tenketsu in Naruto’s abdomen as his Byakugan came to life. Naruto, anticipating the attack, immediately went through a few hand signs, which summoned a large cloud of smoke that obscured the prince from view.Seconds later, the smoke cleared, and everyone in the arena was shocked to see what Naruto conjured below.Many would not be able to look at a certain color the same way again."Well, that’s a whole lot of orange . . .'' Temari mumbled, her eyes wide in disbelief as she looked down at the multitude upon multitude of orange-suited Narutos standing at the ready. "What the hell is this? This can’t be genjutsu!""Because it isn’t," Shikamaru quietly spoke up as he let out a yawn, earning him the blonde’s immediate attention. "Naruto has little to no skill in genjutsu. Even he will admit it himself if you go up to him and ask.”“Then what exactly are we looking at here?” Kankuro decided to ask, having not moved his eyes from the sight below.“Well Puppet Prince, what you are witnessing is one of Naruto’s newest specialties: the Shadow Clone Technique."The three siblings looked at the sleepy-eyed teen in various degrees of shock. . .. . . Well, Temari and Kankuro did.Gaara simply nodded, accepting the explanation without questioning it.All three have heard of the jutsu, and practically every kingdom had their own version of the technique. They had seen it used many times over, and have learned their kingdom's version of it, but this was the first time any of them had seen it used to such an extreme degree."How is that even possible?" Kankuro grouched as he looked back at the battleground. "The technique is taxing as hell on a person's chakra because of how evenly it splits chakra up among the bodies! Most can manage creating two or three at a time, but there must be at least a hundred down there!""Naruto’s known for having chakra reserves larger than the average ninja's, a lot larger," Haruka teased as she turned to look at Neji, who had stopped in his tracks as soon as the smoke cloud appeared. "It's technically taboo for anyone to use the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique over the recommended number because of how taxing it is, but Naruto - and anyone with Uzumaki blood for that matter - tend to be exempt from that rule."“Well, that's enlightening, and it makes sense . . .” Shukaku mumbled as they all watched as some of the clones started attacking Neji. One of the major traits of the Uzumaki clan is their large chakra reserves. They live longer, complete harder jutsus better . . . It's a major reason why the clan is as feared as it is respected.”"Naruto doesn't even look remotely tired . . ." Gaara mumbled as the clones started attacking en masse. "He's barely used any chakra to make them."“And I don't even sense a hint of Kurama's chakra either, which means he’s not helping so far," Shukaku chuckled as Neji started plowing his way through the orange crowd. "That brat is using the Shadow Clone technique in a way that would kill most people immediately, and he's not even breaking a sweat. . . In terms of stamina, that's fucking impressive!”"The amount of chakra he is using may seem large to us, but it's absolutely miniscule to him. I know I have large chakra reserves, but Naruto's seems to be in a league of its own," Gaara thought as he crossed his arms. "If he wins, he'll likely have plenty of chakra left over for the rest of the upcoming matches, including all of the Nine Tails'."“His sister is in the same boat, flesh bag, so don’t forget her so easily. . . For all we know, she may rely on tailed beast chakra even less than her brother does . . .” Shukaku mumbled as the redhead snuck a look at the blonde in question, who was watching the match with quiet interest, occasionally whispering her thoughts to her teammates. ”Either way, be prepared for a long, protracted battle if you do end up fighting either of them. In terms of chakra levels, they will have the advantage.”"Duly noted. . ." Gaara asked as Neji finally found the real Naruto. He moved to strike the blonde’s chakra points in his arms, but the crown prince was quick to act, substituting himself with one of his own clones before the Hyuga could land his first strike. "My match against Sasuke is right after this."“. . . Which means that once you win your match, you'll go against my brother's host in the next round.” If Gaara was in his mindscape right now, he would have come face-to-face with a tanuki that was grinning from ear-to-ear. ”This will be good.”"You really are that eager to face your brother huh?"
“Does it show that much? Like, really?”
Gaara cut the connection after that, preferring to pay attention to the battle rather than answer the tanuki’s questions. By this time, Neji had taken out many of Naruto's clones, having expunged little chakra to do so.However, he didn't get out of it completely unscathed, sporting some nasty scratches and bruises along his arms. Along with the real prince, there were still twenty clones in the field, all watching the Hyuga intently as they waited for his next move."His strategy has been sound so far," Nanami mumbled. "With his heritage, Neji is a close combat fighter by default, so keeping his distance as best as he can via his clones is a good move on Naruto’s part.""He's been trying to overwhelm Neji's Byakugan with sheer numbers," Shikamaru added as the clones started surrounding the Hyuga. "For him, it makes sense. With his huge reserves, Naruto can afford to split so much of his chakra amongst his clones.”“But on the other hand, Neji has been doing a decent job in taking the clones out while using as little chakra as needed,” Shizuka mumbled, smirking as she did. “. . . Sooner or later, one of them is going to make a big move, and whoever does will likely win this match."". . . And I think Naruto is about to try one," Haruka spoke up as all the Narutos started rifling through their packs. Some pulled kunai while others took out sharingan, and they all launched them straight toward Neji, who was caught in the middle.Neji, knowing that he couldn't defend against them all with just his bare hands, smirked before rapidly spinning, creating a large blue dome that deflected all the launched projectiles with ease, and some were launched so hard that it dissipated some of the clones."Well, I’ll be damned . . . The Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven," said Shizuka as she shook her head. "Should have known that Neji would pull a move like that.""Um, excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven?" Kankuro couldn't help but ask as he turned to the princess."It's supposedly a secret Hyuga technique that allows for the expulsion of chakra from all of one’s tenketsu points. Spinning around creates a protective dome of chakra that can repel any incoming attacks, but the strength of it is entirely dependent on how fast the person can spin.""I didn't expect Neji to pull this off, but considering he's considered a prodigy in his clan, I should have figured he would do it," Shikamaru mumbled, feeling all eyes on him. "The Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven is as Shizuka said. It's supposed to be a secret technique, so secret in fact that only the clan head and their line are supposed to know how to do it."“That feels heavily elitist, don’t you think?” Kankuro mused as he shook his head.“It really is, but who are we to judge?” Shikamaru asked as he looked over at him. “As nobles and royalty ourselves, we’re technically elitist by default.”“Um . . . Yeah, he got us there,” Haruka conceded as Nanami quietly nodded her head."And yet, last time I checked, Neji isn't the heir to the Hyuga clan." Temari mumbled as she narrowed her eyes."He isn't," Shizuka calmly agreed as Neji stopped spinning. "By his clan's own rules, Neji's not supposed to be taught the Revolving Heaven. . . However, that doesn't mean he couldn't learn about the technique by himself."“So, the long-haired brat went around his elders’ edicts to learn a higher-grade technique on his own? Smart kid . . .” Shukaku mumbled as Neji leaped into action, laying waste to the remaining clones. ”Makes you wonder what else he has in store for the blonde brat.”"Not much I think," Gaara mumbled as Naruto suddenly smirked, putting everyone on guard. "Hyuga seems to be a bit one note in terms of his fighting style.”
“You can say the same for most Hyuga in general. . . And should you really be calling someone one note in their fighting style?”
“Again, whose fault is that?!” Gaara argued in return. “I can feel the irritation flow from your very being every time I even attempt to practice a new technique that doesn’t involve sand in any way.”
“Hey! Just because I get irritated doesn’t mean I’m going to stop you from practicing it. . . There’s not much I can do to stop you anyway.”

“Good to know that you can own up to your shortcomings every once in a while.”

“HEY!”
Gaara chose that moment to exit the conversation, just in time to catch the end of the battle.Naruto launched a couple of kunai toward Neji, who dodged both before they could strike his head.Big mistake.He realized seconds too late that Naruto hadn't thrown regular kunai at him as he initially expected, but the special three-pronged kunai his father was famous for. Before Neji could curse at his sudden change of fortune, the prince disappeared from his view, only to reappear behind him with a glowing orb of swirling blue chakra in the palm of his hand. Neji managed to turn around to prevent the attack from impacting his spine, but that only opened him up his gut for a direct attack. The attack sent the pale teen into the ground, the impact causing a large cloud of smoke and debris to erupt from the arena floor.When it finally dissipated, Naruto was standing tall, looking no worse for wear aside from the slightly scorched hand he was looking at. As for Neji, he was laid out on the ground in the middle of a small crater, with his jacket now sporting a large gaping hole in its center, highlighting the scorch marks that now marred his stomach, along with other scrapes and bruises that littered his form.Genma, who had been watching off to the side, came over to appraise the damage and render a verdict. Once he saw that Neji was not waking up any time soon, he raised his hand before pointing it Naruto’s way."Neji Hyuga is unconscious and can no longer continue the battle. Winner by total knockout: Naruto Namikaze!" He exclaimed, much to the crowd’s absolute delight. The audience had fallen silent as the final portion of the battle played out, but now that it was over, they were free to cheer to their hearts’ content, and the pro-Fire faction of the crowd were more than happy to do so."Damn, so he now knows both the Hiraishin and the Rasengan?" Shikamaru mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Naruto, you really are becoming too troublesome for your own good.""Granted, he was only taught the basics, but the foundation is definitely there," Shizuka admitted as she brought a hand to her chin. "My brother still has much to improve on though.""Damn, he’s his father’s mini me alright," Kankuro mumbled as a sweat drop appeared on the side of his head. "He only knows the basics, and yet he can already do this much damage . . . I am so freaking glad I am not facing him next.""You wouldn't be a match for him anyway. Your puppets would be shredded if a Rasengan ever got close to them," Temari absently mumbled. "If that’s his power output now, just imagine how powerful he'll be once he’s older and more experienced."". . . And whoever wins this next match gets to have the privilege of facing him next," Gaara added as Genma started to look up at the participants' waiting area. “Which happens to be my match . . . This should be interesting."“I wish you the best of luck little brother,” Temari conceded as Naruto started to leave the arena floor, just as a team of medics ran over to aid Neji. “. . . Though I do have the feeling that you won’t need it.”“Well thank you for the support, I guess,” Gaara sarcastically mumbled before turning to their brother. “And what about you?”“As if you need any well wishes from me,” Kankuro playfully mused as the crowd finally started to settle down. “You're good at kicking ass. . . This battle will be the perfect opportunity to show the people of the Fire Kingdom why you’re so good at it in the first place.”"Gaara Sabakuno, Sasuke Uchiha! Please make your way down for battle!"Genma’s yell was enough to stop the redhead from making any sort of witty retort to his brother’s words, but internally, he appreciated it all the same.Nodding slightly, he snuck a glance over at Sasuke, who now stood perched on the railing ready to leap down. Sensing that he was being watched, the Uchiha looked up to find Gaara staring directly at him. Having seen what he could do during the preliminaries, Sasuke acknowledged him with a nod before dropping down, knowing that he was going to be in quite the fight of his life.
“Oh, I know you said that this fight was going to be interesting, but I’ll do you one better. This is going to be downright fun!”

“We’ll see about that Shukaku.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Sasuke’s leap from the railing brought much glee from the teenage girls that made up an extensive portion of the audience above them. While the Uchiha tried not to look too affected by the applause and fanfare coming his way, Gaara opted to take a much humbler route to get to the arena floor below.He opted for the stairs, much to the chagrin of everyone in the viewing area, and especially the occupant he shares his body with.“Why the hell didn't you jump down?! Or use your sand for that matter?” Shukaku grumbled as Gaara made his way through the empty hallway that led to the stairwell. “Why take the stairs?”“First of all: You’re acting as if you’re the one that actually has to take the steps to get down to the battlefield.” Gaara thought, a little amused by the tanuki’s demeanor. “You’re getting riled up when you don’t need to Shukaku.”“I fear that one of us is not approaching what’s to come with the focus it deserves,” The tailed beast grumbled, barely hiding his annoyance. “You're only delaying the inevitable dammit! Don't you have any sense of urgency?!”"I wanted to try something different this time around, you grouchy tanuki . . . I think it would be best to take the limited time I have to come up with a strategy for beating Sasuke.”
“You want to come up with a plan?”
“It’s better than leaping into things headfirst," Came Gaara's calm response as he turned the corner. "To cut to the chase, we have no idea what Sasuke has planned for this match. The fact he kept himself well-hidden throughout the past few weeks made sure of that . . . Sometimes it's just best to think with your head before your fists first, or sand, in our case."“Fair point, but still . . . Our strategy against previous opponents has worked before. Why wouldn't it work now?” Shukaku asked as footsteps could be heard coming up from behind the redhead. ”Sure, the dark-haired brat may have a good idea on what you’ll pull during the match, but our strategy is practically timeless!”
“Timeless you say? It’s only been successful because no one has been able to effectively counter it yet.”
“Just overwhelm him with sand,” Shukaku pushed on, practically ignoring what Gaara just said. “Not only can you squish him like a bug with it, but the boy can't do shit if his Sharingan gets obscured.”"Hm, that is true . . .” Gaara thought, coming to a stop when he realized that someone was calling him from somewhere behind him.Turning his head, he saw two Fire shinobi staring at him, and judging from the sinister grins on their faces, whatever they had planned was not going to be positive.Positive for them that is."This is going to end well . . ." Gaara thought as he watched the two slowly move toward him.“Look at it this way: You’re getting some practice in before the main event truly starts,” Shukaku pressed. “Now, I’m usually one for playing with my food, but you still have a fight to get to, so make it quick before they send the ANBU after us.”  “I’m usually not one for taking your advice, but I’m willing to make an exception . . . this time around,” The young prince conceded as the two older men came to a stop mere foot from him. “Can I help you two?”"Apologies for bumping into you like this, your Royal Highness,” said the man on the left, his words slightly slurred in an obvious sign of his drunkenness. “But do you mind having a word with two measly peasants like us?"“And what exactly do you want to talk to me about?” Gaara decided to ask, already growing tired before he could even hear what the two men could possibly say."You see, the two of us ended up betting a lot of money on your match with Lord Uchiha," said the other one, who appeared completely sober as he gestured between himself and his friend. "And we need to make sure we win that bet."“Hmm, sounds like a bad decision on your part.” The prince mumbled as he started to turn away, only to stop when the familiar sound of a kunai slipping out of a ninja pack reached his ears.When he turned around, the drunk shinobi was holding the weapon in his hand, halfway into a battle-ready stance."Well, there are ways for us to get out of such bad decisions . . .” The drunk shinobi mused as he juggled his kunai around his fingers.“You see, we happened to bet that Uchiha would beat you, and . . . well, after hearing about what you did to that Lee kid during the preliminaries, we figured you'll be quite a wrench in our plans for a big payday." The sober shinobi admitted as he pulled out a kunai. "So, we thought: why don't we pitch in and even out the playing field a little bit huh?”
“You have got to be kidding me.”
"They really are that fucking stupid . . ." Gaara asked, so shocked by the idiocy he was witnessing that he cursed in his head. "Getting drunk in the daytime, making a poorly thought-out bet, threatening a foreign royal and risking animosity between our two kingdoms . . . I fear that the Fire Kingdom has some imbeciles contained within their ranks."“Every kingdom is guilty of this, yours included,” Shukaku mumbled, not really appreciating his host’s comment. “Well, if there’s a silver lining to this, at least you'll get some practice in before you have to go beat the Uchiha.”"I'm not going to attack them, Shukaku."“They’re planning to attack you though . . .” Shukaku argued back as the sober shinobi brought his hands up closer to his face, ready to start a jutsu. ”So, what are you going to do about it? Sit back and let them use you as a punching bag?!”There was no way in hell that Gaara was going to let the two men do that, or allow Shukaku to have his fun for that matter. His pride, as well as his tendency to not do what the tanuki wanted him to do, wouldn't allow it.Plus, he already killed one person outside of the competition. He didn't need to add two more.However, considering how the two shinobi looked like they were not going to stop their misguided antics any time soon, he was starting to think that falling into Shukaku’s influence again for just a few seconds wouldn’t hurt.Gaara was about to send his sand to immobilize the two when their eyes widened at the sight of something behind him. Now noticing the sound of approaching footsteps, the young prince turned to find the slightly disheveled-looking Naruto walking up to them with an unreadable expression on his face.To the redhead, the look was a little unnatural on the naturally welcoming face he has gotten used to. He had seen the blonde smile, chat, and laugh with people so much that he felt a little off-guard at the expression he was looking at now: a more calculating, stern face more suited on an elder’s than his own.Every time Gaara thought he had the blonde all figured out, something would happen that would force him to recalibrate his thinking. Naruto was becoming a curious enigma to him, a puzzle that was becoming harder and harder to solve."Huh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," The blonde mused, his face now splitting into the familiar grin the redhead was so used to seeing on his tan, whiskered face. "Things sounded pretty intense as I was walking up the stairwell.”"There's nothing wrong here, my prince!" The coherent shinobi was quick to say as he put down his hands, attempting to look as innocent as possible as the blonde continued his approach, stopping when he was standing next to Gaara, much to his chagrin. "We simply . . . wanted to wish Prince Gaara luck. Lord Sasuke is a tough opponent to go against after all. . . Isn't that right Shinji?""Yeah!" The other shinobi was quick to say as he tried to put away his kunai.Emphasis on tried. He was so inebriated that he ended up dropping the weapon to the ground, the metal clanking loudly as it hit the surface.If Gaara was a more emotional person, he would have immediately scowled at such stupidity.Instead, he kept his face neutral, leaving Shukaku to laugh at the stupidity in his stead."You were wishing Prince Gaara luck . . . huh?" Naruto asked, his tone indicating that he wasn’t believing the charade either. "That would have been plausible, if only I hadn't heard you guys talking about your bet earlier . . ."The two shinobi instantly paled as they realized that they were caught red-handed. Not only were they caught trying to accost a foreign dignitary, but they had also lied about their intentions in the face of their Crown Prince.Gaara took a moment to watch them squirm, now mildly amused by the entire thing. However, despite his growing curiosity, he knew he couldn't stay to see what would happen next.He still had a match to get to after all."I would love to stay and continue this lovely conversation, but I have a match to get to and I prefer to get there before nightfall," The redhead announced as he started making his exit. "I'm sure the crowd is getting restless out there wondering where the hell I am . . .""I didn't peg you for someone who cared about the audience’s feelings," Naruto mused as Gaara walked past him, his comment making his fellow prince visibly pause. "Don't worry . . . Sasuke is probably enjoying having the limelight all to himself out there.""I highly doubt it. Your teammate doesn't seem like the kind of guy to care about the adoration of others, no matter how much of it is heaped his way. . . He's probably wondering where I am so he could kick my ass already," Gaara countered, figuring it was probably for the best if he just used his sand to get down to the field. "So, before I go, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to do with the two idiots over there?""Oh, don't worry about them. I have them covered . . . You, on the other hand, have bigger things to worry about, remember?"When Naruto turned his head, the sight of his eyes made Gaara go still, and if he had been a weaker man, he would have visibly flinched too.Instead of his ocean blue eyes, his eyes were a bright crimson red, the dark pupils now slit like a cat's own.In the moment, he knew he was not looking the prince in the eye.He was looking at his nine-tailed occupant."Go on. I'll handle things here." He said, turning back around so quickly that the two men practically jumped back in fear.“You heard the kid . . . GET MOVING!” "I'm going, I’m going," Gaara mumbled as he quickly used his sand shunshin to get closer to the field, leaving the blonde to deal with his idiotic subjects alone.As the exit became more apparent to his sights, the redhead listened as the crowd grew louder above him. They sounded a little restless, but he chalked it up more to the vocal minority, aka Sasuke's fangirls, were making their voices known more than the general audience itself.
“Shit. .  I don’t have much time to strategize now do I?"

“Not in the slightest, but lucky for you, my strategy still stands . . . It all depends on if you’re willing to use it.” 
“We’ll see about that . . .” Was all that Gaara was willing to say as he finally stepped out into the sunlight.As soon as he stepped out into public view, the young redhead was greeted by some welcoming applause, though he knew it would have been much louder if he had come out minutes quicker. When he dared to peek at the royal box to take in his father's reaction, he couldn't help but smirk as he noticed the annoyed look the man couldn’t keep out from his gaze. “At least your old man looks happy . . .” Shukaku complained, utilizing as much sarcasm as he could muster as he walked toward the middle of the arena."Downright annoyed is more like it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Your petty side has always been one of your better ones.”

"Coming from you, it means a lot . . .
”

“Hey! Don’t turn that pettiness on me now!”

X - x - With the others - x - X

"Oh, there you are Naruto!" Haruka called out as the blonde in question finally stepped into the room, his signature grin already in place."Congratulations on winning your match brother,” Shizuka said in greeting as he approached. “You flattened poor Neji like a pancake down there.”“Eh, he, I may have put a little too much chakra in that Rasengan,” Naruto quietly conceded, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish look on face.  “And you certainly took your damn sweet time getting up here!" Haruka added, smirking slightly. “Had to reflect on your actions or something?”"Nah, I was just a little delayed, that's all." The crown prince mumbled as he walked over to the railing, his words immediately making his sister suspicious.Catching her gaze, Naruto quietly shook his head, and she nodded in turn, knowing that he’ll explain himself later. "Did I miss anything important?""Nope. . . In fact, they haven't even started yet," Shikamaru mumbled as he looked down at the field. "Prince Gaara just emerged from the tunnel, but if you ask me, he should have been out there a while ago."“You're only saying that because the quicker these battles go, the quicker you can take your daily nap.” Haruka argued as she turned to the boy.“That is a claim I will not deny.”"Hmm, you think something delayed him along the way?" Nanami asked as she turned to the shadow bender. “. . . Or someone?”"It's the most likely assumption to make," said the Nara heir as he observed the redhead, his gaze as lazy as his entire demeanor, carrying an intellect that contrasted with his youth. "I highly doubt he's the type to take a quick bathroom break right as he's about to compete in one of the most important matches in his life. . . Something must have happened to him on the way down to delay him.""I wonder what that could be . . ." Kankuro mumbled, genuinely curious as to what it could be. Temari, on the other hand, remained silent, sneaking a look at the Crown Prince as he talked to his twin. "Sis, is something wrong?""I'm not too sure," she mumbled as she turned to him. "The twins over there are talking amongst themselves, though Naruto looks to be doing most of the talking.""Any guess what they could be talking about?""Hm . . . actually, I may have an idea," Temari mumbled. "Aside from leaping off the railing, there is only one way to get from here to the field below . . . I think Gaara ran into Naruto along the way.""You think they talked?""Talked . . . chatted . . . threatened each other with bodily harm . . . gloated that they would be the one to win this entire damn thing. Well, maybe not that last one . . ." Temari trailed off with a shrug. "Honestly, anything is on the table at this point.""Well . . ." Kankuro mumbled as the two looked down at their sibling. "Things just get more interesting by the second."“And yet,” Temari questioned. “. . . I can’t help but wonder if all that ‘interest’ is going to be good or bad for us in the end.”“Must you be a downer sis.”“Shut it.”

X - x - Back with Gaara - x - X

"Well, you took your sweet time getting down here . . ." Sasuke mumbled as Gaara finally approached him and the referee, his sentiment undoubtedly shared by many in the surrounding audience."Apologies for my lateness . . . I was a little held up along the way," Gaara simply responded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Then again, I'm sure you weren’t too bothered by it . . . I could hear the shouts of many of your adoring fans from the stairwell.”"Pfft, don't remind me," Sasuke grumbled, annoyance lacing his tone. "Trust me, it's not something I take in stride.""I had a feeling you were the kind of guy that wouldn't . . . After all, having all these admirers goes against the ethos of being a ninja," Gaara mumbled as the audience started buzzing with excitement, his words getting a nod of agreement from Genma himself."Now then, shall we get this battle started? I'm sure I've kept you waiting long enough.""Hmm, it's like you've read my mind . . ." Sasuke conceded, falling right into a fighting stance."Well then, since the two of you are in agreement, let’s not waste any more time,” Genma declared as he took a step back."Let the second match: BEGIN!"