Blood In The Sand

Baki had finally reached the Elder council's ears on the subject of a proper court case for Rena. It had taken quite a bit of convincing, as the Shinobi guarding the room had rejected his entry six times. He had to use all of the goodwill and favours he had collected in the Hidden Sand in his entire life to make it happen. He had never name-dropped the Kazekage before, not like this- but it was for a good cause. He hoped Rasa would forgive him. As he stood before the Elder Council, judgemental gazed mixed with the soft ones, Merui was the first to respond to his plea. "You have intruded a rather important matter to argue the life of a single Genin that has been missing for years, Baki? Have you not considered the fact she could be a sleeper agent designed to fool you- to fool the Hidden Sand- so Orochimaru can do to us what he tried to do to the Leaf?"

Baki bowed his head, hoping a small show of respect would go a long way. "Lord Kazekage himself showed her goodwill and welcomed her into the Hidden Sand. He gave the order to let her through untouched. Wouldn't he of all people be the first to see she was a threat?"

"If only I was as simple-minded as you, Baki. I'd have not a single care in the world, would I? Now, listen closely. I'm not going to repeat myself." Lady Merui's tone was as cold as ice as she stared him down, causing him to step back a little."Her connections to the Kazekage before his death are what put her in the realms of suspicion. I don't know about the rest, but I will take the correct path; my answer is no." As her eyes trailed to another member of the Elders, his back pistoned upwards as if he was trying to sit up straight. Tojuro, another member of the Hidden Sand.

The old man was ecstatic that Merui had made good on her promise; that he would be involved in every major he would be a beacon of power and light in the Sand. He knew that the youths of Suna would grovel before his power as his grandchildren and children did. He wasn't opposed to seeing Baki on his hands and knees, either. Deciding to take the old woman's cue, he spoke. "I agree with Lady Merui; my answer is proper and only path before us; Rena Hikari must die."

Baki's face fell as he tried to speak against it, but his mouth locked. Without the support of a single council member, it was pointless to try- all that would end up happening is Merui would brand him a traitor, something she'd be looking to do in the future. He could feel his hope crumble into dust in the breeze of the desert. "I would like to give this Rena a chance." He rose his head, turning to view a small, but gentle-looking Elder. It was clear this hadn't been planned as the look that crossed Merui's face was one of pure rage.

"A mere side branch..." Her nails dug into her palms as Merui desperately attempted to keep a smile on her face. How humiliating! How unthinkable! This old bag dared defy her will!?

"I may not be part of the main branch of my clan like the rest of you, but I am the appointed Honored Lady Ine. The Kazekage himself bestowed this position upon me; he knew a day would come when this council required reason and I believe today is that day." Ine nodded her head to Merui, but Tojuro snapped as he slammed his hands on the table, his chair scratching across stone as he rose.

"What are you implying, Ine?!"

"Ohohohohoh!" The bickering had halted in favour of a larger man, who wiped tears from his eyes as he threw his head back and hollered in laughter until he felt like his throat was hoarse. "All right, all right. All of our eggs are in two different baskets right now! I think I'll make this vote a little fairer and say... Let's give the kid a chance, dammit!" Baki was surprised that Ikanago would pick a side like this. The man was definitely notorious for his unpredictability, but he didn't expect Ikanago of all people would participate. "We don't really have solid proof of anything. If the opposite can be scooped up, proof she isn't a minion of Orochimaru, then isn't it right to let her have a chance? She is, after all, a member of our esteemed village!"

Merui's eyes narrowed as she covered up her grimace with one of her long sleeves, raising an eyebrow in disdain as she stared down the boisterous old man. "Ikanago, don't get things twisted. She is no kunoichi of Suna; she was born to Sansa, an outsider, and she threatens the very honor of our village!"

"Nonsense, Merui! Just because she was born to Sansa doesn't mean she doesn't have the Honor of Wind running through her. She was born in the Hidden Sand, Merui, in the Suna Hospital as we all were!" His tone was jovial and his voice boomed through the meeting hall, bouncing and echoing off of the walls. "You make it sound as if she's at fault for all of our sins; we are to blame, entirely, for what has happened to us. Besides, if that doesn't make her one of us- what does? Do you have to be a member of the Nine Noble Families or a legacy to truly count as a member of Sunagakure? What does that mean for our civilians and common folk, then?! What about the wishes of the First Kazekage?!"

"Ikanago!" Merui's eyes held venom. "Do not patronize me! How dare you bring up the First Kazekage for a situation such as this?! The dead are dead- they have no place in a conversation between the living!" Not to mention, bringing up such a person opened bitter, old wounds. She was sure he knew what he had just said to her.

"I have to say I agree with Lord Ikanago's words. On the basis of her being an outsider, that's incorrect since she was born in Sunagakure. She is a member of our village. There is no point in disputing this fact as it will just run in an endless circle like a snake eating its own tail." Ryusa, another Elder, said, shaking his head. His voice was gentle and calm, like a soft breeze on a hot day.

"Even you, Fifth Lord?" It seemed like Tojuro couldn't contain the surprise he carried in his voice. A lot of people would take Ryusa's remarks to heart with his reputation for always being calm and collected, knowing what to do in a time of crisis and always being set on his path. It didn't bode well for their cause.

"My nobility has nothing to do with the discussion at hand, Tojuro. Might I remind you that we are all members of the Nine Noble Families? Just because the Hebidoku Family is known as the Second Noble Family due to its contributions to the Sand doesn't mean it diminishes my input or my position in the Council any more than it would the Kashikoi Family in an argument for the wellbeing of Suna." Tojuro didn't know what Merui could do to recover the conversation in her favor now. Things weren't looking bright; judging by the look on her face, she had expected the rest to agree with her. This was something she hadn't expected. "Most of us are simply retired Family Heads or respected and appointed figures within our families. There's no longer any need for us to compete amongst each other; we are here for the future of our village, not the present. Leave the competition to the new generation and simply focus on the issues that need to be resolved."

"There is only one family that holds more sway than any of ours. Perhaps we should call in Rasa's children? The Sunai's input would be integral to our-" Although he hadn't spoken yet, Sajo was cut off in the middle of his sentence by a seemingly more impatient member of the Council.

"Respect the wishes of the Third Kazekage. They have long since discarded the 'I', Sajo. As for Rasa's children, not only are they inexperienced, but also failures as you can see our village is currently thrust into chaos." His words were bitter and stung to the bone, but they were true in the eyes of many. "If they had succeeded we'd be in a different position right now but we're set up for failure having to deal with this useless, insignificant child when we should, in reality, be rushing to fix our relationship with the Hidden Leaf!" Joseki took his cup from the table before him, taking a few long swigs, before slamming it back down, the liquid splashing over his hand as he shot a glare at the sympathizers. "Asking for a trial is pointless, we have more pressing matters to deal with than arguing over some useless, untrained Genin! My vote is obviously no, just let the ANBU do their goddamn job!"

"I think that we should look further into this and save an innocent life if need be. I agree with Ryusa." Sajo shook his head, making the total vote uneven. Four to three, seeing as there was no representative of Sunai- as the Kazekage wasn't there. There was a single Elder Council member, her hands clasped over one another as she looked out the window at the blue sky above, trapped in thought as her brows cascaded into a frown. Everyone turned to look at her, before she took a deep breath and locked her hands together.

"This has negative undertones for the future. Surely, Lady Merui has her reasons for acting as fast as she did; as the representative of the Tamashi Family, I have to say I would rather protect the lives of the Genin we have than risk it all for one we haven't had. Seeing as the entire village could potentially face danger, a single Genin, in comparison, can be sacrificed to ensure safety."

"Even the Elder of the Tamashi Family sees the reason in my words. Can't you all see? A single Genin is not worth our entire village. Even if this is our fault we cannot deny her involvement in not only the failure of the plan, but the fallback and the fact our Kazekage is missing." Merui shook her head, placing a hand over her heart as she attempted to lower herself to their levels. "Please. If you have even a single nephew or niece, granddaughter or grandson that pops into your head when I say this, you will agree with me- Rena Hikari must die."

The room was silent as the Council all contemplated the voices before them. There was another moment, before all that could be heard was a loud guffaw and Merui felt like a blood vessel in her head had burst. "I think that's enough of this, don't you? We're all the same here- a tie means that we're all stubborn old bastards who won't change our minds anytime soon." Ikanago stood up, walking around the table. "Since we can't seem to vote properly, we'll leave it to a member of the Kazekage's council- one he appointed himself. Baki will be the final, deciding vote- one made fairly." How dare Ikanago imply that the votes backing her weren't fair?! He was taking control and steering everything to his benefit- to his views!

"My vote is to give her a chance. The Hidden Sand is experiencing issues in strength as it is, definitely being the weakest of the Hidden Villages. If some Elders might think we can afford to throw away future Genin with such promise- as this one- they're wrong. Rena outperformed many Shinobi during the Chuunin exams despite the clear gap in strength. She fought on despite all odds. In a trying time like this, we can't afford to treat our future Jonin as throwaways!"

"How dare you assume...?!" Tojuro very well might have lunged at Baki had Merui's sundering glance not crossed his path. Still, he couldn't calm down- he felt like he was reaching a boiling point in his anger. "What difference will one Genin make?!"

"It may not seem like it now but when you're sorely lacking power and force in the future, it will be a direct result of the way you seemingly throw away Genin like they're nothing!" Baki replied, his response causing Tojuro's boiling anger to display on his face as it reddened in both anger and embarrassment.

"Bah!" Tojuro was near screaming. "You may be a low-ranking, lesser member of the Sukuma, but you're a part of the Sukuma Family no less! You're definitely leaning toward what Sajo voted! Show some respect to your greaters!"

"Shut... up!" Ikanago roared, his hair-trigger unpredictability rearing its ugly head once more. "Absolute nonsense! Baki wouldn't risk pissing any of us off just to gain Sajo's favor! I can tell this man is truly passionate about the future strength of Suna and desires more than just the death of our Genin! It's clear this matter requires more than a death sentence as some of you are so fond of, so stop trying to delay the proceedings and let's go already so we can get it over with and deal with other issues!" As he cracked a fist down on the table, it collapsed under his fist. "In other words, stop fucking bitching! This could have been done with already by now!"

Merui's nails raked across the wood of her side of the desk. Damn Ikanago- his foolishness had gone too far this time. He'd always been partial to Ine, but to favor her so much he'd go this far... why were four of their Elders defending someone they'd never met at the risk of upsetting the Hebidoku in the middle of a power vacuum? Trying to gain more power for themselves? She'd destroy them all, no matter the cost or the means. She wouldn't let this go any other way... Other than her own.

"I've had a change of heart." She put a smile on her face, Tojuro looking at her as if she was insane. "I agree with you. Why threaten the life of a single Genin over such nonsense as proof?" Her tone was lighthearted, but the others could feel the venom behind her words. "I agree to a court for Rena Hikari." The others looked around, uncomfortable, as they had been backing Merui- they couldn't change their votes, which disturbed them. It would expose a darker mechanism deep within the grinding cogs and gears of the Hidden Sand..."Bring her here." Merui signalled, to which two Elder Council members, Ine and Ikanago, stood, vanishing via the body flicker technique in a rush to get to the place where Rena was held.

But Merui was sure that Rena wouldn't be in any state to speak, let alone move. She had assured that Sensan would do his finest work. He was, after all, a Hebidoku, and venom ran deeper than blood, bonds, honor or loyalty.

Sansa had cleaned off her tools and wrapped bandages around Rena's arms. Blood seeped through them, so thick it almost glob-dripped onto the floor. On the other hand, though, Ikanago and Ine walked through the door, seeing the scene; Sansa stood over Rena in her overturned chair, her hair splayed out against the dirt. Ine walked over to her, leaning down to examine the situation. "Sansa. I never imagined you, of all people, would be this heartless."

"The Hidden Sand's teachings involve the philosophy that the mission is more important than the life of a comrade. By that extension, the village is more important than the wellbeing of one Genin. I did what I did for the Hidden Sand and I won't regret that; I have the truth." This caused Ikanago's eyes to harden as he stared at the Genin before turning back to the Black OPs member.

"And? What is this truth of yours?"

Sansa shook her head from side to side, sighing. "It's as anyone would expect. However, to keep you completely impartial, the details will be revealed in court."

"You're quite diligent, Sansa." Ine replied, a small smile spreading across her face. "I suppose you expected it to work in your favor, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did." She replied. Before pulling Rena up and supporting her. "Let's go, kiddo. It's time to prove your allegiance in court." Rena simply groaned as her head lolled back. "And hopefully walk the wounds off on the way."

"Court is now in session."

A chair had been placed in the middle of the circle of desks the Elder Council had set up, shackles on either armrest. Rena was lead through the doors, blood dripping from the bandages as her eyes moved around the room. Gaara's face showed signs of worry and her eyes widened as theirs met. He didn't look away from her and judging by the ANBU surrounding the party she had come in with they were in just as much trouble as she was. She was forced down into the chair, the shackles closed on her wrists and ones she hadn't even known were there on her legs, completely binding her to the chair.

Merui folded her hands in her lap, giving a superficial smile as she began. "Rena Hikari, child of Sansa Hikari, sits before us. She is accused of betrayal and being a pawn of Orochimaru." She paused, the court absolutely silent as she allowed the information to sink in and take root, looking around at her fellow Elder Council members. "I think that she is undoubtedly guilty. Our proof-" She gestured to an ANBU, who laid out their supposed proof before her, "Is a letter. Sent by Orochimaru himself, found in the Kazekage's office and dated a day before Rena's return... exactly." Her smile stretched across her face. "Dearest Kazekage, I shall return something to you that I took years ago; look forward to it. This particular gift may bring a certain something to the Hidden Sand..."

"That letter alone is not enough to count as proof. It does not mention Rena by name; it is simply dated before her return. Rasa would have mentioned such a thing." Sansa spoke, her mask slightly distorting her voice. She took a glance around the room. The Genin involved had been sorted based on outsiders or not, so they were on opposing sides of the room. "Beyond that, I think that Rena should be allowed to speak. If she tells you what she told me, word for word, then there should not be an issue."

"Speak, child." Ikanago commanded, taking the reins from Merui, who grimaced. Rena looked up, her hands in her lap as she gently traced the lines of her palm with her thumb, anxiously tapping her foot on the floor at the same time. "You have the freedom to speak here."

"I... know that a lot of people thought I was crushed by the Shukaku." Gaara winced. Thinking of the way it felt when he was told he'd crushed her and absolutely destroyed her, the glances of hate in Sansa and Temari's eyes, the treatment from his older brother, it was all a part of what had set him on his original, dark path to begin with. But the girl that had helped him out of that darkness, the one who always had a smile on her face and was always there to surmount unbeatable odds, was now being tried by the same people he wanted to try protecting. "Yes. I did head toward the Shukaku. I did try to reach it and get close to it, but the Shukaku never hurt me..." Her voice was quiet, but so was the court. "It was Orochimaru."

Rena sped up her pace as much as humanly possible, dashing from rooftop to rooftop with the technique Sansa had taught her for her birthday. She didn't know what was going on with Gaara- only that he was that big, terrifying monster trampling the village. Most of the villagers had been evacuated with the exception of those in the slums, as Rena had seen people occasionally rushing and screaming, but she had no time to slow down and stop. She needed to see him...! "Gaara!" She called out, over and over again, but it didn't seem like he was listening. She could feel her fear spiking as she got closer, but her need to see Gaara overcame that terror.

She could feel something sharp penetrate her chest as she lost her balance, her ankles buckling as she jolted sideways off of the rooftops, hitting the ground with an impact that winded her. As she coughed, wheezing for air, she could see a figure lingering over her, the eyes something that reminded her of the scary folk tales the elders would tell to scare the children into behaving obediently. "No... I need to get to Gaara!" She begged between her gasping breaths, but the figure just cackled as his shoulders shook.

"You'll never see Gaara again." All she saw was his hand as he reached down. "Our new... relationship... requires complete honesty, after all."

"Is what you're saying that the Hidden Sand's incompetence led to you being kidnapped?" Merui didn't waste any time in trying to villainize Rena's words and defame and disgrace her honor. Although Merui seemed most eager for her to fail, another spoke in her defense.

"Sansa, what were the ANBU's designations during this attack?" Ine asked, as calm as ever.

"Half were prepared to assist the Kazekage in re-sealing the Shukaku. The other half were within the tunnels, making sure everyone got out safely. The sweeps would have ended by that time and people would be more focused on escape and sealing." Ine nodded, gesturing to Sansa as if to commend her response.

"In other words, the Hidden Sand is not implied to be incompetent; simply preoccupied with another danger."

"So what you're saying is that it's this girl's fault for not reaching the exit in time. She deliberately broke away from the ANBU to chase after a known threat. Someone suicidal- someone who might be already dead."

"I wasn't suicidal. Only worried about another member of the Hidden Sand."

"The Jinchuriki of the Shukaku. That's another interesting point. What relationship do you have with that bloodthirsty monster?" She shot a pointed glare at Gaara. A small smile spread across Rena's face as she looked at him, causing him to flush slightly. "How do we know it wasn't an internal assassination?"

"Halt. Nobody is saying the Kazekage is dead yet. Another point to add to that is that we don't even know if it was an assassination. Don't fear-monger." Ryusa shot Merui down almost instantly. Even if the price for it was high, they needed more hope than panic at the moment and what Merui was doing, pushing the Kazekage's death, was in no way beneficial to the Hidden Sand.

"I'll tell you about my relationship with Gaara." Sansa's head snapped over to Rena and Kankuro realized that perhaps this wasn't the best way to get her out of it. "When I was a child, Sansa didn't let me go out a lot. She told me I would never be a kunoichi, so there was no point in straying from our home." Sansa herself remembered this quite well; her goal was to protect Rena and let her live a normal life, not one of wars... but Sansa didn't know how to do anything other than war. It was all she had been raised for and taught, so of course her travels led her back to a place steeped in it; the Hidden Sand. Still, despite all she desired for the child she couldn't stop her from becoming the thing that would awaken her past the most. "So I snuck out, trying to train on my own. I didn't really understand back then, I didn't even know what chakra was. I ended up getting lost. I think I was six...?" She took a glance back at Sansa, who nodded. "I had accidentally hurt myself with a shuriken. I was bleeding and crying and it was pretty dark out. I thought I'd die there. But Gaara found me, and he took me back to his house and he and his uncle helped me. I kept sneaking out to see him, showing up at his place over and over again... And we became friends." He recalled the difficulty it took when Sansa found out to convince her of their good.

At first, like all others, Sansa was wary and attempted to keep them apart, but after realizing Gaara meant no harm, she allowed Rena to have a friend. Although they secretly had lessons, it was difficult to teach her anything with Sansa always trying to keep an eye on the two, so they had to consistently fool her. Gaara had specifically studied even harder, trained even more, so he could teach Rena everything. It had been the first time he had a friend, so of course he would do anything to keep them.

"Disgusting. The Shukaku has no friends."

"He's not the Shukaku!" Rena snapped, rattling against her bindings. "You people always treat him with fear and hatred! Why not try a different way?!"

"Excuse me, girl?! I will not stand idly by and let you patronize me! Do you think you know better than your Elders?!" Merui replied, icily. "Enough! You die now. How dare you say such a thing!?"

"Stop." Merui froze as Gaara walked over to the circle. "She does not die. Nobody touches her."

"And what are you going to do about it? Do you truly think you can protect this traitor?!" Her palpable fear was showing. Gaara standing up for the girl was unexpected, to say the least. He was a cold-blooded monster and the reason why they lost so much of their power in the early days. What could this girl possibly have on him to get him to be her shield? "Kill them both! Do it!" She barked as the ANBU descended on the two. What a great way to get rid of two obstacles at once.

Another surprise came in the form of the door swinging open, Kankuro standing before the Council. He had originally been at Temari's side, but the illusion there began to flake away, revealing his puppet rather than him. "I have counter-proof!"

"You... Kankuro, I would have thought you of all people would adhere to the rules...!" Merui slammed her fist on the table, her glare piercing through him. He almost didn't want to speak, but it was in his- and Rena's- best interests for that to happen.

"This requires a little bit of rule-breaking, Lady Merui. Please forgive me."

"I suppose I can... " She was surprisingly lenient on Kankuro. "But only because you are the son of Rasa." As if Gaara wasn't...?! Rena wanted to punch that stupid old lady! Why was she being so nice to Kankuro, but the opposite to Gaara?

"Since I'm Rasa's son, you'll let me speak, right?" Merui thought for a moment, before nodding. Of course she would. It was in her best interests, her family's best interests, to adhere to Kankuro's good side as the next Kazekage. "Alright. I have a document here, sealed and signed with chakra." He held up an elaborate tube, before handing it off to Ikanago, who broke the seal and unfolded the precious information within.

"This is..."

"Why would my father sign this if he didn't know it was Rena? Why would he, himself, seek to secure a marriage between Rena and I if-"

"What?!" Merui's shrill voice pierced the air. "Impossible!"

"This is true. Even the Chakra is Rasa's. He signed this in both blood and chakra..." Ikanago frowned, before placing the parchment down. "I, the Kazekage, Rasa of Suna and the Golden Sand, hereby declare that Kankuro Suna and Rena Suna shall be promised to one another as they should have been in childhood. I wish for their deepest happiness and hope that this concord provides the path to their truest dreams."

"What..." Merui didn't know what she'd do. This didn't just put a pin in her plans to blame the murder on the Genin and Orochimaru, but it also screwed her family's path to Suna blood once again! How could she come back from this?! "What do you mean... Rasa wouldn't marry someone of Suna blood to someone who isn't even a legacy!"

"Rasa married someone outside of nobility before." Merui's hand twitched. Yes, when her daughter had failed- they had been so close to Rasa and then he met her. That bitch. She couldn't even survive her own pregnancy, let alone properly handle a kunai. There had been nobody matching her since... the Suna Sibling's mother. Apparently not... as her eyes darted to Sansa. It seemed like that heathen wormed her way into the Kazekage's mind with some kind of jutsu. There was no reason Rasa shouldn't turn to the Hebidoku after the death of his wife. Perhaps it was because he already had heirs. "I'm sure that this decision was based on something Rasa knew that we did not."

"I have always loved Rena." Kankuro's statement was bold, even having some of the Elders blushing.

"Show some decency, boy!" Ryusa's eyebrow twitched, he, too, onset by a furious tomato red. "This isn't the kind of thing to claim in front of the court!"

"I won't!" Kankuro yelled. "I'll say it as much as I have to say it!" Even though his face was red, his eyes met Rena's. Gaara looked at the two of them and saw something that perhaps made him feel a bit sad. If he wasn't here, there'd be no obstacle for Rena's happiness. His brother was definitely an idiot, but he was a genuine one. If it was Kankuro... maybe he could secure a happy ending. One Gaara would never be able to give her. "I've waited for so long...! I've stayed quiet for so long, but all I want is to scream the words in my heart!"

"Don't you think you're too young to know anything about love?" Merui tried to dissuade him, but Kankuro wasn't having it.

"There's no time to wait and find out when we're in a world where we could potentially die."

Ikanago and Ine exchanged fluttering glances, before looking away from one another. Gaara took a few steps back, before hiding behind one of the ANBU members, fading into sand as he disappeared. Perhaps... this is what was for the best. He didn't want to wait to hear Rena's reply, but it seemed like the rest of the Elder Council was now completely unsure about sentencing the future Kazekage's wife to death.

Rushing through the streets of Suna like a whipping desert wind, nobody paid any mind to him. Even that was fine. He didn't know what he was feeling, nor why he was feeling it. As he set down on the wall, he tried to reason with whatever was hurting inside him as he clutched his heart like he had so long ago, tears dripping down his face. Was this... what letting go was? No... he couldn't let go of this love. He understood it would be a pain, but it was one of the things that saved him. If he let go of it... he might forget his purpose. If he let go of it, he might forget her, and such a thing was unforgivable.

As he turned around, his tears rolling off of his cheeks, he stared down at the Hidden Sand. A harder breeze whipped around him, sand rolling over the top of the wall in the form of a starting sandstorm. Perhaps this was his mother, comforting him once more. As he raised his hands, embracing himself, he swore.

If not for anyone else, then for her. He would become the Kazekage, not Kankuro. He would make sure she never suffered again, that her husband would always have time for her, and that she would never go hungry. If he couldn't do anything else, then he'd do that, at the very least...! It was all she deserved and more. He would never let her be alone, not like he was...

"Where's... Gaara?" Rena asked, finally being released from the clutches of the Elder Council and being escorted out by the ANBU. Tsukiyomi and Suno were at her side, Su and Ikari in front of her. Ikari shrugged nonchalantly, as he checked out the structure of the Hidden Sand.

"I don't know. He's probably not anywhere close to here. I can't sense him. He usually slips right through my senses when he wants to." It was true, Su had a hard time placing Gaara when he slipped into sand mode, although she'd never know what the hell he did to get away from her. She assumed he was extremely impressive as a shinobi, which scared her even more. That boy... there was nothing good about him, from the way he smelled to the way he talked.

"Stop. For Rena Hikari, her journey in the Hidden Sand continues, but for the rest of you..." As they cut the Genin off from one another, they turned and twisted before Sansa stepped forward. She didn't necessarily enjoy their presence, nor did she like the fact they came from outside of the Hidden Sand, but they did assist Rena in her time of need... and their intentions seemed innocent enough.

"I will be taking these four under my wing."

"What, Lady Sansa?!"

"You heard me. Stand down, that's an order. I have specific plans to make these Genin useful soldiers. We lost many in the fight against the Leaf, so it only makes sense we do what we must to replace them."

"But... they might be spies!"

"Which is why I shall be taking them into my own household and having them under constant observation. If you are implying that even a single one of their deeds can slip past me, I don't think you truly know who I am." All the ANBU member could do was stare, jaw hanging open, as the party passed the rest with little trouble. Sansa waited until the ANBU were out of sight, before turning back. "You must adhere to my rules if this is happening. I only have two guest rooms, so boys and girls will have to share separately. No girls in the boy's room, no boys in any of the girl's rooms. Nobody is allowed in our home. You will not open the door for anyone. You will obey my curfew, 6 PM."

"Don't you think that's a bit much? We're shinobi, you know."

"You, Ikari, are under house arrest until you make yourself more likeable. You will not leave my property even if the village is burning around you."

"Hey!" He snapped. "You can't just do that!"

"Watch me." Sansa towered over him and a shiver ran down his spine. "You, by far, are the least trusted swine in the group."

"Mother..." Half of the members of the group froze, causing Rena to swivel around her head in shock. "Huh? What? You guys look like you've seen a ghost or something." That was right- Rena still didn't know about Owari. Most, if not everyone, had silently sworn not to tell her. It didn't seem like that information would bring out anything good in Rena. No matter what... they knew she couldn't find out. "Mom, Ikari may be a total jerk but he's reliable, I promise!"

"It doesn't matter what you think of him, Rena." Sansa shook her head, her fingers running through the girl's purple hair. She could feel it pulse underneath her touch as she pulled Rena in for a rather tight hug, causing the girl to try and struggle her way out of her mother's grip. It was too late to stop the awakening and this would only get more painful for her in the future. Her body would go through its changes, properly adjusting to fit the abilities she would show within a year.

Sansa had a year to make sure she wouldn't become the Rena from before. A year to change her fate and make sure she wouldn't rise to her blood mother's side. She was grateful that nobody had mentioned it, but now was a critical point of time in the girl's life. Sansa swore she'd drive it into Rena- that her blood mother was something she didn't need.

As Sansa pulled away, she rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what you think because the Hidden Sand wouldn't let someone as shady as him walk around alone anyways." With a shrug, she began walking toward her home. "Are you all coming? Don't lag behind." As Rena watched the others brush past her, she looked back up to the Council Chambers, her eyebrows furrowing. Where on earth could Gaara be? Wouldn't he want to celebrate with her?

She shook off her thoughts. He was probably waiting for Sansa to leave her alone so he could sneak in. Maybe if she went home, she'd find him in her room! She shifted her course, turning around and jogging to catch up with the others. There was so much she had to do, including convince Sansa to allow her to continue to be a Shinobi.