45 Gaara and Kankuro (2/2)
'Honored Lady Daji? What are you doing here?!?'
Kankuro was maintaining a cool expression on the outside, but he was actually screaming mentally inside. He grabbed the little pup and then lifted it up so that he could get a closer look at him.
Akamaru had this sly look on his face. His eyes slightly parted open as he stared at the black-clothed boy.
”Damn it, Akamaru! Why did you go out- ugh!”
As expected, Kiba quickly popped out right after. Since they had no other choice, Shino and Hinata followed as well.
Whine.
Both Daji and Ox-Head were long-term acquaintances who had gone way back. As such, they had developed a tactful way of communicating just by eye contact. Of course, it was all just bull crap. They were just mainly guessing what the other party was thinking.
'These kids are under my watch,' the dog's glare seemingly conveyed. 'If you let them get hurt by any means, I'll tear you a new one.'
T-tear where?
He gulped as the puppy looked slightly downward.
'I... I get it. Worry not.'
He winked at the pup, giving an OK sign.
”What, it's those noisy brats from Konoha,” Temari clicked her tongue. Sneaking around them, especially with Gaara here... were they idiots?
”I'll kill...”
”Hahaha! What a coincidence to meet you guys here!” Kankuro abruptly cut Gaara's speech while moving closer to the three.
”Shut up! Let Akamaru go, you face-paint freak!”
Face paint freak... Kankuro's lips twitched. It wasn't like he want to wear it, alright? It was his new body's memory's fault!
”Fine, fine, here's your Da- I mean, dog...”
He put down Akamaru on the ground, surprising Kiba with how gentle his movements were.
”Uh, so what are you guys doing here? Don't tell me that you're looking for a fight?” He glanced at Gaara in the back, who was itching to go. It was apparent from the sand's movement.
”No,” Shino quickly intervened, trying to keep his voice calm despite his growing anxiety. ”We already have two scrolls. Since we have no reason to fight each other, can we pretend that we have never met?”
From what he had seen before, this person seemed a bit more reasonable compared to the rest of his team. He could only hope that they would show mercy and accept his proposal.
”That's good,” Kankuro secretly sighed. He wasn't sure if he could protect three kids against Gaara. If they ended up getting hurt, he could really say bye bye to his little Ox.
The prospect was too scary!
”Since we're heading to the tower anyway, why not go together?”
”...”
Everyone was frozen on their spot. Even the stoic Gaara was left wide-eyed upon hearing that stupid suggestion.
Temari's giant paper fan once again crashed onto Kankuro's head.
”Are you an idiot?! Why would we bother doing something so tedious!”
”Well... why not...?”
'If I keep them nearby, I can ensure their safety, thus saving my future descendants from that vixen's wrath!'
But of course, he couldn't say the real reason out loud, so he just left his sentence hanging like that, earning another smack from the paper fan.
”...Do whatever you want...”
Gaara, who had had enough dose of foolishness for the day, decided to just screw it and move on. He leaped away toward the tower without waiting for his siblings.
”Eh, Gaara! Wait up!”
Temari followed right behind him.
”Shouldn't you catch up with them...?” Kiba pointed at the two's disappearing visage.
”Nah,” Kankuro snickered. ”I'm carrying the scrolls right now. They're the ones who should be waiting for me, heheheh...”
”...”
When they were watching from afar, these guys looked scary as heck. Why did they turn out to be so... well, disappointing up close?
Shino blamed the black-clothed guy for a moment, before realizing that he had also another version of the idiot in his own team. As a result, he gave his Inuzuka teammate a judging stare.
”What? Why are you staring at me like that?!”
Instead of a proper reply, Kiba just got another intense round of judging stare.
”Let's just get this over with. Follow me.”
Kankuro jumped off deeper into the forest. Team Kurenai, however, wasn't too keen on coming along with him. They stood rooted on the ground, not sure on how to proceed from there.
”...What to do?” Kiba wondered out loud.
”Definitely not following them,” Shino shook his head. ”Let's take a different route. Staying with those freaks is bad mojo.”
”Agreed, then let's-”
He suddenly froze up, and then started looking all over the place.
”Wait, where's Akamaru?”
Ah. Right. The dog had disappeared...
”Um... A-Akamaru went with the face-paint guy...” Hinata murmured.
Oh for f-
”Why didn't you say it earlier?!” Kiba roared.
”I-I'm s-sorry...!”
”Bah, forget it!”
He quickly leaped away following Kankuro's scent, throwing caution to the wind.
Seeing how messed up the situation had become, Shino had a major migraine banging on his head.
”W-what should we do...?”
”Do we even have a choice...? Follow him.”
And that was how team Baki and team Kurenai ended up arriving at the central tower around the same time...