NationStates Jolt Archive

Gaara closed his eyes, he could still clearly remember the moment Masato told him he was needed elsewhere instead of following the King’s orders to protect Daniel and Quatre.

“You can’t be serious, you can’t do that.”

Gaara opened his eyes. “I can and I am,” he said almost coldly. “I have to do what is best for the village, I failed as Kazekage and I must resign and hand the title of Kazekage over to you. No arguments Temari.”

Temari looked at her brother with shock, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She didn’t know how the King would react to this news, or anyone else for that matter. Kurt was back in the Draconian capital, he had said nothing about their son’s capture, nothing other that he didn’t blame Gaara for it. Her brothers eyes looked tired and forlorn.

“You’re not staying in Suna?” Temari then realised.

Gaara looked up at her, his eyes told her everything. “I cannot stay here,” he told her. “I must do what is in Suna’s best interests and that is to leave, I doubt my own ability after what happened.”

Temari didn’t know what to say to that, in truth she knew that whatever she said wouldn’t do anything anyway. His mind was made up already and there was no way anyone was going to talk him out of it, not even Naruto. As her eyes crossed the room, she saw that he’d already packed. Next to his gourd was a bag that could easily be carried over it.

“A nin who abandons their village becomes a bounty,” Temari warned.

Gaara’s eyes narrowed at her. “I am not abandoning the village,” he replied. “I am leaving to find myself, I will be back when I have, when that might be I don’t know. I am already in the Bingo Books of enemy villages already, so that will make no difference.”

He had got her there, as the new Kazekage she would have to remember each and every Suna law. Temari shook her head.

“I cannot stop other hidden villages from placing a bounty on you if they choose to,” Temari warned. “But I can dissuade them from doing so but we do still have enemies amongst the other villages.”

Gaara just nodded and went to pick up the bag and his gourd. Much heavier than usual but he could manage. Taking one last look at his sister, Gaara said nothing and left the room, leaving Temari as the new Kazekage with no fanfare.

“Baka,” she muttered under her breath.

This could be bad, she worried that Gaara might once again walk then the dark path. Perhaps resigning as Kazekage was his way of avoiding that path and was leaving to find himself again after all. She doubted that he would have told Konoha, their closest and most trusted ally, of his decision and felt she would have to let Tsunade know. This was more bad news that she knew the Leaf nin could do with out but it was important for them to know. Besides it might be useful to have Naruto find Gaara and try to talk sense into him. She sat behind the Kazekage’s desk and sent the message of Gaara’s resignation to Tsunade.

***

“It is not his fault,” Quatre said, now fully recovered from the stab wound inflicted by Masato.

Kurt looked over at him.

“No one knew that anything like that would happen, Masato attended the academy as a young child and was there ever since.”

Kurt nodded. He didn’t blame Gaara for their son’s kidnapping, doing so wouldn’t bring Daniel back. No they had to work together, or at least they would have been able to but news of Gaara’s resignation had arrived much to the surprise of everyone. There was an air of change about, Kurt didn’t like it, it meant that his sister was planning something. Civil war? Possibly.

As Temari settled into her new role as Kazekage, Kankurou entered the room with his son Katsuo.

“You should have made him stay,” Kankurou told her.

Temari glared at her brother. “He wasn’t going to listen his mind was already made up.”

Her brother pulled his hood down and ran his hand through his messy brown hair. “Kurt’s pissed about it,” he said. “Haven’t heard from the Leaf about it.”

Katsuo looked to the ground, his teammate had been taken and he hadn’t been there to help him. That was something that would be weighing on his mind for a long time. He wasn’t sure how Katana was taking it, he hadn’t seen her since Konoha.

“They have their own problems to sort out right now,” Temari pointed out. “They can’t worry about us as we can’t worry about them.”

“Hmph,” Kankurou shook his head. “We have to work closely to get both boys back. We just needed Gaara here so you could commute between here and Konoha.”

Temari leaned back in her chair and sighed. Swirling it around she now faced the windows and looked out.

“In the old days the village council would have been telling me what to do,” she then said and smirked. “Until the Akatsuki incident, wasn’t pleased that the council didn’t want anyone to go after him.”

“And then he assumed proper control over the village, made it better,” came Baki’s voice.

Their former team leader appeared through the doors of the Kazekage office.

“He was never going to make the mistakes of past Kazekage, your father in particular.”

Both Temari and Kankurou grimaced, their father was a sore subject these days.

“And he resigned before he could make that mistake, now we should concentrate our energies on finding Daniel.”

Blood Pledge Castle, Shin Makoku

“I thank you for gracing us with your presence,” Yuuri smiled.

Gaara just nodded at the Maou. He’d had a long journey from Suna to reach the home of the Makozu and so he was a little tired. However with Shukaku inside him he couldn’t sleep and had to find other ways to rest.

“Temari will no doubt enquire to my whereabouts,” he then mentioned. “Tell her nothing, she won’t do anything if you didn’t.”

“We won’t,” came Conrads voice. “What you do and say here is between us.”

Gaara’s face hardened, his eyes coldened. “I believe Lady Nocturne is trying to set off a civil war,” he then said.

The Makozu went quiet, they knew from history that a civil war would be bad.

“It is my belief that she is hoping to use the princes kidnapping as the catalyst to turn the various parts of Draconis Nightcrawlis against each other. I am trying to stop that possibility from happening.”

“A noble cause,” Gwendel then said. “We will not allow Shin Makoku to be manipulated by Lady Nocturne.”

Gaara looked over at him. “Thank you,” he said.

Somewhere in Dark Valley

Sand Nin never ventured into Dark Valley save for rare missions and of course the Chuunin Exam when Suna were the hosts. They never had much contact with Gahlagæer, the damned child that ruled over Dark Valleys independence from the crown. Even so the county was a potential pawn in Lady Nocturne’s plans and an important county to both sides. Gahlagæer did have a somewhat great admiration for King Kurt II, though he always hid it.

Gaara knew that could keep Dark Valley from taking Lady Nocturnes side was an absolute must. While there were signs that Gahlagæer would stand with the King there was the real possibility that Lady Nocturne and her darkness could sway him. He was after all a Necromancer and a damned child, the spawn of two Lich’s he had killed to take Dark Valley as his own.

“Halt!” came a voice. “Who goes there, identify yourself.”

Gaara stopped walking, he could tell that he was near Gahlagæer’s castles. Instict told him that. “I am Sabaku no Gaara,” he announced.

There was a chuckle from the forest around him. The Dark Forest was known for it’s evil residents, mostly necromancers. It was also known as the location of dark arts schools. He briefly wondered if he had perhaps wandered into the wrong part of the Dark Forest.

“Gahlagæer has been waiting for you.”

A bright flash then engulfed the former Kazekage, evidently they had been waiting for him and they had plans for him. He raised it arm to shield his eyes but even that was useless.

Gaara opened his eyes to find himself in an expensively decorated room that wouldn’t look out of place for a royal family. Stood in front of him was Gahlagæer himself.

“Drink?” the damned child asked. “It’s coffee made from beans in Dark Valley, you’ll like it.”

The former Kazekage just nodded. Gahlagæer motioned for him to take a seat to which Gaara did so. A cup of coffee appeared on the table beside him as Gahlagæer too sat down.

“You know why I am here?” Gaara questioned him.

Gahlagæer nodded. “Averting a civil war, a plan Lady Nocturne wishes to set in motion to make a grab for Draconis Nightcrawlis,” he said. “You can be assured that I will never allow Dark Valley to be associated with her, under Kurt I get to rule my county without worry of being invaded under her my county would no longer be mine. Besides I rather much like Kurt.” He nodded toward the coffee. “Try it.”

Gaara picked up the cup and took a sip, he knew he could trust Gahlagæer not to try poisoning or drugging him in any way.

“Bitter,” he said. “Very bitter.”

Gahlagæer smirked. “Sorry I’m afraid that’s just how I enjoy my coffee.”

The former Kazekage nodded and took another sip. “I only tend to drink tea.”

“How decidedly English,” Gahlagæer smirked. “As I have said if Lady Nocturne were to try and start a civil war, Kurt will have my full backing. Of course I cannot vouch for everyone in this county, you can recall the incident with the Brotherhood of the Wraith.”

Gaara nodded, that mission was still fresh in his mind. Daniels first big mission actually, his most dangerous. That though had been successful and the Godulan diplomat saved.

“But I can deal with them,” Gahlagæer then promised.