2 - Kunai Wall Run!
Rena walked with her new team at her side. "Tsuki...yomi..." The woman, whose expression was similar to that of a porcelain doll's, unchanging and absolute, with light blue eyes and hair as golden as straw, sounded out the words. "I don't understand. My designation is Marionetta. Why must I be Tsukiyomi?"
"I'm sorry, Marionetta. They don't understand the names of foreigners. Your appearance might scare them, too." It was true; Tsukiyomi's skin was a brilliant, pale, unblemished white. Her expression never changed and her voice was free of any emotion, as picture-perfect as a doll...
Suno walked behind them, his hands behind his head as he took greatly exaggerated steps. "Ha! I guess I'm better off than Tsukiyomi. She must be from somewhere pretty crazy, seeing as I've never heard of a name like that before."
Rena turned to face the two. "Don't make fun of Tsukiyomi, Suno."
"You should listen to our Master." Tsukiyomi said as Suno slung an arm over her shoulder, giving that lecherous grin that would become his trademark smile.
"Reeeeelax. I'm completely loyal to Rena, but you're a little broken, aren't you? Master? What are we, slave drivers?"
Rena shook her head, sighing. "Stop it. I knew when I met you, you'd been places I didn't understand..."
"Oh? Are you jealous?"
"And you're a disgustingly notorious womanizer."
"Hey, I don't choose the game, the game chooses me."
Rolling her eyes, the three proceeded to the Hidden Sand's training ground. It was right next to the wall, so it was half in the shade, half out and rather massive. Kunai were scattered all over the wall- Rena remembered this.
Listen, Rena. Someday you're gonna have to do the Kunai Wall Run. Make it up the wall in one piece or don't come home the night you fail!
Yeah, thanks to Sansa's endless nagging. It was something that had been imprinted into her head since she was small: she must succeed someday at doing the Kunai Wall Run or shame the Hikari family name. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the massive wall before her, the marks of those who failed to climb. Everyone was only ever given three chances at the wall; the first time they entered the academy, the first time they graduated and the time they become Chuunin. Sansa was famous for entering the Sand Village and doing the run after her pregnancy to get her citizenship. The Kazekage had challenged her and she had accepted. The only difference was that it was raining and the wall was nearly impossible to climb and as slick as a slip n slide. Rena wanted to match up to her mother; she contemplated trying the wall, as she was sure she would come back a Chuunin.
Walking towards the wall, she ignored the sand siblings who were training with a few select Jonin, straight up to the wall. Kankuro was the first to notice her advance. "Hey! Rena, as much as I enjoy your visits, this place is for Chuunin examinees only."
"Well, Kankuro, as much as I enjoy your visits, I am a Chuunin examinee."
"What?" Kankuro was visibly surprised, but Rena didn't stop there. She stood in front of the wall, looking up. "Wait, you're not seriously thinking of trying out the wall, right? You need a witness." He looked back at Tsukiyomi and Suno. "A Hidden Sand born witness. No outsiders."
Rena paused, before looking back. "I nominate Gaara as my witness."
"Huh? Why not me?!" Kankuro complained, almost crying over not being picked.
"Because you'd probably lie and say I did well or something."
"I believe her." Temari was training with her fan, swiping it back and forth to block incoming projectiles.
"Dammit! Why do you guys always gotta team up against me?"
Still, Gaara paused for a moment, his eyes shifting to Rena momentarily. "I refuse."
"I didn't say you could refuse." Most of the Jonins shrunk away, not wanting to interact with Gaara. He was training alone for the most part. Rena grimaced. Was this always how it was? "Come on. Witness me."
"..." Gaara slowly walked over to the wall, before staring it down. "Fine. I accept. But my witness statement probably won't be accepted." So that's how it was in the Hidden Sand. With the way his father spoke about him, of course, their rituals and customs wouldn't include Gaara. She didn't want to know how much he'd been excluded from, so many stories of honour and glory from Sansa that they'd both listened to in their childhood and he wasn't even able to participate in anything despite the fact his eyes sparkled so deeply when being told about them. At least, they once did.
"Alrighty! Don't worry, Gaara, I'm gonna do it!" She was pumped up now. A Jonin came forth, holding a pouch and his hand out. They exchanged pouches. This one only had thirty Kunai and nothing more. The wall stretched so high that she didn't doubt it would take at least 400 to scale the entire wall... but she was given thirty and whatever was on the wall. She looked for the mass of kunai, something that would make it easier to climb.
She took out her first Kunai, embedding it into the wall and stepping on it, hoisting herself up to another. Her Kunai caused her to slip, but by then she had a grip on the new one. Taking another Kunai from the pouch, she dug it into the wall, using other Kunai to propel along her feet as she used the singular one to make the climb up the denser populated part of the wall.
As she grabbed whatever footholds she could, jumping from one to the next with a few faulty ones almost spelling the end of her Kunai Run. As she reached a break in the formation, she began using her kunai, but it was getting harder to hold the grip she had on the wall. As she progressively moved faster and faster up the wall, there came a time when she reached for a kunai, but it wasn't there. Slipping, she felt herself lurch and only the empty, blue desert sky was in her line of sight.
At this moment, everything else ceased to exist. There was nothing but her and the empty sky, with her feeling as light as a feather, falling for eternity. She felt true peace, where there was no pain, suffering or heartache. It was a waking dream and she closed her eyes, waiting for impact- but it was as if she fell into someone's arms, as light as a feather.
"Lady Rena! Are you okay?!" Suno asked, having jumped to catch her, his grip iron on her body. She stood up, steadying herself, before turning back to him and nodding. Kankuro had already advanced and was beginning to grill her about several rather unnecessary questions, trying to make sure that nothing was wrong.
Gaara's hand twitched. He had raised it halfway, more of a reflex than anything else. Sand swarmed up the wall to where Suno had jumped and he released the tension, letting his arm fall back to his side, looking away. He didn't understand why he did what he did, but it wouldn't be happening again.
Temari watched him, somewhat surprised. This behaviour was unlike her little brother and although nobody was watching him, she swore he had utilized the sand he controlled to try and save Rena. No, it was impossible. He had to be doing anything else. But, if Suno hadn't caught Rena, would Gaara...? She couldn't think about that now.
"We have to get back to training. I tried the wall and I failed... which means we need to be more prepared!" Rena smiled at her companions. "Come on! We have to be the best!" As Rena ran over to the other side of the field, she waved and jumped around. Suno waved in response, his behavior outgoing and fitting of someone with such catlike reflexes, while Tsukiyomi was as neutral as ever. She followed along with Rena's directions as they prepared to fight.
Temari, whose fan was open, sighed as she snapped it closed, looking in Rena's direction. She had a lot on her mind.
Temari. When you return from your mission in the Hidden Leaf, I have selected a prime candidate to be your husband. You will marry him and if Kankuro fails to produce an heir, your firstborn male shall be the next Kazekage. You shall secure the future of our family and in doing so bring honor to the Hidden Sand.
"Down in the dumps, sis?" Asked Kankuro, giving her a sheepish smile as he glanced over at Rena. "I'm... kind of worried. I don't think we should let Rena join the Chuunin exams..." Temari's glare was enough to run chills down Kankuro's spine. "A-am I going to be murdered for saying that...? Sis...?" She had trained him to fear her annoyed glares over the years. He never quite knew what his sister was thinking, even if they were close.
Temari wasn't one to consistently feel bad about herself, but from the beginning, she was told it wasn't possible to become the Kazekage. Even if other villages had a woman as the Kage, the Hidden Sand was not one of those other villages. Tradition was held in high regard and tradition rarely made a woman a high-ranking military official. Even in the military, woman to men was a one-to-twenty ratio. Women could not become Kazekage.
She felt sorrow for Rena, knowing that her fate was similar to the poor girl's. She'd just returned and already an arranged marriage with Kankuro was in the works. Kankuro was pushing for it, too- ever since they were kids, Kankuro had almost always wanted Rena since the very first moment they met.
Temari understood her place, that she would never have a chance at Kazekage in this day and age, that it would go to Kankuro as planned. At least her chances were better than Gaara's. He'd never see any type of power in any branch of the village. He was, after all, a monster. Perhaps having Rena as a sister by way of marrying Kankuro wasn't that bad, but Kankuro was rather one-track-minded. He wouldn't think of whether Rena wanted to marry him or not. It was already pretty much too late to change the proposal- the Kazekage was trying to do it through Sansa. That was a whole other complicated relationship...
As Temari watched Rena and her new companions run around the field, she remembered the first time she ever met Rena, the day that not only Gaara was intoxicated and enamored by her; it was impossible not to be. Her boundless, endless happiness and overwhelming optimism couldn't be real. There just wasn't someone who never cried, but Temari didn't think she'd ever seen Rena cry. Always a smile plastered on her face, always the one picking other people up off the ground. Rena's knack for getting into trouble and the way she lightheartedly interacted with everyone, whether it was the children of the Kazekage or the Kazekage himself, was a breath of fresh air. Even their father liked her, which is why he was so eager to have her in their family. Another reason was probably Sansa herself.
But still... the day they met was fresh in her mind.
X
As Temari and Kankuro walked through the village, the sun in the distance setting, both of them felt slightly outcasted. Another day of only playing together, while the rest of the children feared to even approach them. Kicking a ball back and forth, both were silent as they'd rather not communicate their thoughts of loneliness. To do so would be a weakness, and the family of the Kazekage could not show any. "Kankuro..." Temari stopped the ball, one foot on top of it. "Do you think that... our traditions are right?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" As always, he was as clueless as ever. He felt the crushing loneliness of being avoided, but at least he had his sister.
"That we deserve to be feared like this- that nobody comes near us."
"Well, sis... it'd be an insult to the Kazekage if just anyone came to play with us. We can't play with anyone from the lower-born Hidden Sand and there aren't many higher-born around our age at the moment. Everyone is younger."
"Yeah, but..." Temari sighed. "Never mind. You wouldn't get it."
As Kankuro rounded the corner, not paying attention to where he was going, he bumped into a flurry of purple hair. Both victims fell backward, Kankuro landing flat on his ass while the girl landed on top of him. "Owww! What the... hey! You!" He shoved the girl off of him, scrambling to get up. "Don't you know that I'm the son of the Kazekage!?"
As the girl struggled to get up from the dust she had been left on, she looked up at Kankuro, her purple eyes wide. "You are?"
"Yeah! It's basically a crime to touch me, especially if you're lowborn!"
"Really?" The girl got up from the ground, sweeping off the dust. "So... like this?" Reaching out her then-tiny hand, it pressed against Kankuro's cheek. He flushed bright red, before screaming and stepping back.
"W-what the... didn't I just say that's a crime?!"
"Liiiike... this?"
The girl began to poke and prod Kankuro all over, which resulted in him getting angrier and angrier. "Hey!" Both paused when they heard the ring of Temari's laughter in the air. Kankuro and the girl's heads turned to view Temari, who was nearly crying at the sight of the assault.
"You're a riot, girl! Who are you? What's your name?"
The girl retreated her hands from Kankuro's personal space. "I'm Rena! Rena Hikari."
"Sansa's kid, right? Relax, Kankuro. She's two years younger than you, and one younger than me. A nine-year-old and a ten-year-old beating up a seven-year-old? What are we, monsters?"
"But- But she touched me!"
Ignoring Kankuro, Temari turned to the girl. "Are you not afraid of us, Rena?"
Rena looked between Kankuro and Temari. "No... I don't know why I should be."
"Well, we're the son and daughter of the Kazekage."
Rena paused for a moment. "Why does that mean touching you is illegal? That sounds stupid. I'll touch that guy, no matter how many times he says I can't just because he said I can't!" She pointed at Kankuro, who flushed a bright red.
"I-I-I, you!"
"It looks like she has a crush on you, Kankuro."
"A crush?" Rena asked, tilting her head to the side.
"It's what happens when you like someone! When you like them a lot!"
Rena flushed red at that moment, thinking of a certain red-haired individual. "Y-yeah... I have a crush. A big one."
It was in that moment that Kankuro stopped seeing red; his face flushing, it fell into gentler features as his heart skipped a beat. Him? She had a crush on him? Grabbing his chest, thoughts ran across his mind, the first of them being that she was way too god damn cute! It should be illegal! It's illegal, he'd get his father to make how cute she was illegal!
From then on, the sand siblings had gained their first friend. They didn't know of her attachment to Gaara until later, but Kankuro had fallen head over heels in love with Rena. It even prevailed through their childhood... endless questions of how to make Rena his, pestering their father for an arranged marriage which Sansa had to reject several hundred times even though Kankuro tried to ask her for permission.
When he thought she was crushed by the Shukaku, any notion of being Gaara's brother fell through the floor. Kankuro began to despise Gaara, but most of all fear him. Night terrors of the Shukaku kept him up; he started sleeping less, crying himself to sleep. Losing Rena had meant so much to him and now that she was back... Well, it probably looked like the ultimate second chance to Kankuro. If he was annoying when he was a kid, watch out Sansa- he'll be more insistent now than ever.
X
A smile played on Temari's lips as she finished her reminiscing. It was true, Rena had been their first real friend- and after her, making friends was much easier. Lowborn or highborn, either way, Temari went out of her way to do her best to be the best her she could when it came to what she wanted. She may not be able to worm her way out of this one, though... but Rena was still the same Rena she'd always been. Temari was glad Rena was back and hoped that she'd continue to stay back.
"Haaaaa!" Striking the kunai out of Tsukiyomi's hand, Rena turned the tables of the clash they were having in the background while Temari wasn't paying attention. She put in a last burst of speed, her kunai at the edge of Tsukiyomi's throat, to which Tsukiyomi consequentially fell over. Flopping onto the ground, Tsukiyomi struck a dramatic pose, the back of her hand gracing her forehead signaling distress.
"Oh, no. I have been defeated. I require a handsome prince to save me." The way her voice presented this information caused Kankuro to snicker, slapping a hand over his mouth. It was completely bland, void of emotion- but he found it funny nonetheless.
Charging toward Rena, Suno picked up one of the shurikens that had been embedded in the ground as a result of the fight, running straight for her. "Don't worry, Tsukiyomi! This handsome prince will save you!" As he whipped the shuriken at Rena, she was barely able to dodge them in time, skidding back, on guard.
"A handsome prince, please."
"I AM HANDSOME!" Suno yelled, insistent. Throwing another shuriken, Rena deflected it with her kunai, only to get kicked back by Suno. Rena fell to her knees, her hands in the air.
"Aaaaggggh! You have won this time, Suno Akagari! But...!" She pointed in the direction of Temari. "I will return someday and I shall bring skilled warriors with me!"
"Why are you including me in this?" Temari sighed, shaking her head. Secretly, she was amused.
"Why aren't you including me?!" Kankuro looked like he was about to cry just because he wasn't picked by the girl he loved.
Suno knelt by Tsukiyomi, picking her up princess-style. "I've got you, Princess Tsukiyomi. As for you, Evil Lord Rena, I shall wipe any skilled warrior you procure off the face of the earth!"
Tsukiyomi began to clap in Suno's arms. "I am saved. Thank you, brave knight. All the gold in the treasury will be yours." Her empty voice caused a jonin to burst out laughing and soon more joined. Although they had been initially annoyed by the distraction, everyone began to clap and laugh, except for Gaara, whose face darkened.
"I love shows like this! Encore, encore!" Called Kankuro, more than excited. He'd redo it as a puppet show for Rena later- when they were kids, she used to love his puppeteer skills.
"Leave the area immediately." Kankuro froze and Temari gasped, Gaara's face exposing his rage. The Jonin backed away from him as he strode toward Rena, his expression icy. "You're nothing but weak. Leave this place. You don't belong here."
Rena got up from her knees, brushing the sand off before staring at Gaara, frowning. "I don't want to leave."
"Then I will make you." He rose his hand to her chest level, sand swarming around her.
"Gaara! Stop it!" Kankuro yelled, taking a step forward. Gaara's glare pierced him through, causing him to stop in place. He couldn't move. His eyes widened in terror, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes before stepping back, stepping down like a beaten dog. He looked away, anywhere but at Rena, ashamed at his inability to stop his little brother.
It began to wrap around her tightly, all the way up to her neck. "Sand Coffin." It was in this moment that Gaara was staring at her, watching her struggle to escape the sand, his fingers curled not yet into a fist but getting there, that he let his digits go limp. The sand faded into the wind of the desert, releasing Rena. "Don't disturb me again."
He began to walk away from the field, leaving only confused onlookers and a Rena that didn't quite know what to do. Conflicted, she brought her arms up, hugging her own body. The sand hadn't been forceful, but gentle. Uncomfortable at points and somewhat scratchy, maybe, but there wasn't a single mark on her. She could struggle because he hadn't been constricting to her movement. There was a good inch between her and the sand the entire time... was Gaara just attempting to scare her off?
X
The day of the departure had finally come. The Kazekage stood atop his office, looking down at the people below who were eager to hear him speak. He loved his people and his people loved him. "Now I know all of you have been waiting eagerly for this day," He began, the crowd quiet, the citizens of Suna listening to the man they idolized happily, "The day the Hidden Sand enters the Chuunin Exams. We are here to honour these brave Genin!" The crowd cheered at that statement, the ruckus causing Rena to look outside, opening the door ever so slightly. They were in the main hall out of the Kazekage's office and the shinobi of the sand were making a sort of barrier so that the teams would be able to pass by undisturbed, all the way to the entrance of the village.
It was like a sort of parade that the entire village gathered excitedly for; Rena had only seen it a few times in her life when she was young- it was a Hidden Sand custom, meant to honor their eligible shinobi. It was a coming-of-age moment in any Genin's life, after all.
"As our Genin walk the trodden path so many of their predecessors did, show them your support! They are proud members of our village! We all wish you the best of luck and hope you return safely with the title of Chuunin!" The crowd's roars became deafening as one of the Jonin by the door swung it open, causing Rena to jump back. He raised his eyebrow as if to say what the hell are you doing, before gesturing to the door. "Our first team is a new one! The team's name is Jumping Scorpion, chosen by the leader herself- a return to the Hidden Sand!" As Rena stepped out into the light, the crowd went silent. She shielded her eyes from the light of the sun, waiting for them to adjust, before dropping her arm. Behind her, Tsukiyomi and Suno took in the sight of the crowd. "Many of you will recognize that purple-haired troublemaker from childhood. Rena Hikari has returned to us, daughter of Sansa Hikari!"
A few in the crowd erupted in cheers yet again, most of the village knowing Sansa as a warrior of the Sand. She was rather popular amongst the villagers. Still, the thing that surprised Rena was that right there, in the front of the horde, Sansa gripped the barrier until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes were wide, mouth hanging open- and then Rena remembered that she had forgotten to check in with Sansa. Tears dripped from the woman's face, her emotions a mix of joy and surprise and wanting to sob in relief. What a reckless, inconsiderate child she had... a reckless, inconsiderate, alive child.
As Team Jumping Scorpion began to walk through the path to the entrance, Rena waved to everyone. "I hope that everyone I left behind in my absence will be able to forgive me, but I'm back now! I'm stronger than ever, and I vow never to stop becoming stronger so that I'll never have to disappear again! I will become a Chuunin, but I will never stop getting stronger!" The crowd erupted in larger cheers, the symphony of people clapping and cheering filling her ears. How she'd missed her home.
Her fingernails raked through the dirt, over and over, caked in mud. Out. Out. She wanted out. Out of this small, boxed cell. No more surgery. No more. No more. She wasn't what he said. No more. NO MORE!
She had stopped mid-walk, but Suno and Tsukiyomi's hands were placed on either side of her shoulders. "You don't have anything to fear anymore, Rena. Not when we're with you. Those memories are useless to you. Let me take them... and put them away." Suno's voice was calm and gentle, his hand on her shoulder as he waved to everyone else with a cheery smile. "Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you all! Oh, you're quite the beauty, aren't you? I'll come back for you!" Rena twitched, before resuming her pace as if nothing ever happened, a smile spread across her face as she began to wave again.
"And now, my pride and joy, the strongest Genin squad in the Hidden Sand... the Sand Siblings. Kankuro, Temari, reach forward to become the best shinobi you can be!" Temari and Kankuro were next. As they waved to the crowd, Kankuro tried to catch up with Rena but was pulled back by an annoyed Temari. Gaara took strides a little further behind them, people going quiet as he walked by.
"Good luck, Temari, Kankuro!" Someone in the crowd called, resulting in a few more citizens bouncing this statement back and forth. "Do your best!" "We believe in you!" "You're amazing!" "That's the Kazekage's son and daughter!" "Pride of the Hidden Sand!"
They were all silenced as Gaara stepped closer. Nobody acknowledged him, nor did they say anything to him. Rena stopped in her tracks, causing Suno to bump into her. He frowned. "That usually works... is she growing resistant?"
Turning around, Rena ignored Suno's comments, picking up her pace as she walked the opposite way she was supposed to. Kankuro looked around before his cheeks flushed as opened his arms a little. She walked straight past him and still flustered, Kankuro dropped them. She walked, standing in front of Gaara's path. He stopped, staring her dead in the eyes, waiting. Watching.
She bowed, her hair touching the ground. "Good luck, Gaara! I believe in you! Please do your best to become a Chuunin!" The crowd, dead silent, didn't know what to make of the interaction as Rena speedily flipped back up. "Now, come on! What are you waiting for? We've got an exciting adventure ahead of us!" Nobody would be able to tell as she held her hand out to him, but his cheeks were lightly tinted pink. He began to walk, walking past her and ignoring the hand she offered him, but she just turned around, a smile on her face. She began to speed up so she could walk beside him, but he sped up a little to avoid walking beside her.
Good luck, Gaara! I believe in you!
Those words echoed in his mind. Why? For some reason, it stirred emotions within him and he couldn't get it out of his head no matter what else he tried to think about. It was the only thing he went over and it would probably be all he thought about for the next few days. Damn it all, this girl... she was a distraction. She was making him weak and for that, she would pay dearly.