Of the Sand 8
.
Chapter Eight: Breaking and Entering
Gaara had a slight look of disappointment when he came home for dinner. Others wouldn’t have seen it, but Temari did because she felt it herself. It had been days since Jack and his group had come into town and they hadn’t been back at all. Not even one of the other five that Gaara said existed had come into the village. She had wanted to talk to Jack once more, to try and convince him to join the academy. It would be tricky, since he was an orphan, but it could be done. This was the year that she would be attending regular classes as a public relations function and she had been hoping to have someone there who wouldn’t be afraid to talk to her.
“I don’t get what you’re so upset over. It’s just a bunch of foreigners,” Kankuro said as he fiddled with his puppet.
“Foreigners who don’t know who we are, and therefore will talk to us,” Temari shot back. She shot a glance at Gaara to make sure that he was focused elsewhere. “Do you want to play with Gaara?”
“You’ve got a point there,” Kankuro mused as he looked over at Gaara. “The foreigners can have him.”
Besides, you haven’t even met them, so how can you say something against them?” Temari pointed out.
“Easy, I don’t care about them,” Kankuro said and Temari scoffed at him.
“They’re here,” Gaara said as he stood up.
“Really?” Temari asked, looking at the fading sunlight. She had expected them to travel at dark, not to arrive before sunset, given what Gaara had said about where they lived.
Gaara walked out of the room without replying. Any other kid would have run with excitement but Gaara was expressionless and walked as he always did. Temari was the one who raced after him and Kankuro sighed before following both.
Gaara led them over to the gates and then stared on a wandering path back into the city. Temari was surprised when they came to a stop in front of a clinic. Then she noticed the four figures hidden in the shadows. One of them was kneeling in front of the door, doing something. Kankuro snorted at the sight and the figures whirled around, two of them brandishing staves. The way that they shifted brought their faces into light and Temari recognized Jack and two of the boys who had been with him on the first trip. The youngest of the brunets wasn’t there, though, and a redheaded girl accompanied them instead.
“Don’t scare us like that, kid,” Jack said as the two shouldered their weapons.
“What are you doing?” Temari asked.
“I know that you guys were too good to be true. It’s obvious that you’re taking something if you wanted to play with Gaara,” Kankuro said. “I’m not surprised to find you breaking into the clinic.”
“Gaara’s not a bad kid,” Jack replied. “You’d probably know that if you interacted with him more.”
“Hey, I interact with him. I stay away from him and he doesn’t kill me,” Kankuro said.
“Where’s Daniel?” Gaara broke in.
“Left him at home for this one,” the second brunet offered as Jack turned back to picking the lock.
“He’s sick, which is why we’re here,” the redheaded girl answered.
“Breaking into the clinic,” Kankuro added. “You know, you can just take him to see the doctor, like a regular person.”
“It wasn’t wise to move him, we live too far away,” the redhead answered.
“Over at the cliffs across the desert,” Gaara said.
The group shot him startled looks. “How’d you know that?” Jack asked.
“I followed you with my sand eye,” Gaara answered.
“Sand eye?” the second brunet questioned.
“Would it be safe to assume that this ‘sand eye’ is made out of chakra?” the dark skinned boy asked.
“And sand,” Gaara confirmed.
“Can we get back to the fact that you’re breaking and entering?” Kankuro asked, scowling at all of them.
“Well, we were going to just ask the doctors for a favor, but we got here too late,” Jack drawled.
“So now we’re trying another way,” the second brunet added, a hint of a drawl in his own voice.
“I still don’t get how you can just casually break into a building like that, especially a free clinic,” Kankuro said.
“If it’s a free clinic, then does it really matter if we rummage around unnoticed?” Jack asked. He huffed a sigh. “Look, kid, we’re not going to be clearing the place up. The doc’s just going to check a few things and that’ll be all.”
“Is Daniel really sick?” Temari asked, thinking back to the young boy who actually played with Gaara and looked like he had fun.
“We don’t know just what’s wrong with him, but yeah,” Jack answered.
“Then go on,” Temari nodded towards the door.
“Temari,” Kankuro yelped, turning to look at her.
“Shh,” she hushed him. “His brother is sick and he needs this. Beyond that, we’re ninjas and ninjas are meant to be sneaky. We’ll go in with them and make sure that they aren’t up to anything, if you feel that strongly about it.” In all actuality, she wanted to follow them in to find out what was wrong with the young boy, not because she was worried that they were going to steal what could be taken as recreation drugs. Plus, she didn’t think that Gaara was going to let it go just like that; he seemed to be unusually taken to the group of kids, especially the one who was sick.
“If you say so,” Kankuro said, his voice making it clear that he thought they were all stupid. “Just don’t tell them I’m with you when ANBU catches you.”
“You mean you want to be charged separately for breaking and entering?” the second brunet asked, grinning at Kankuro.
“Got it,” Jack said as he straightened up and opened up the door. He held the door open as he motioned everyone inside.
“This way,” the redhead said as she led them into the back room, separate from the examination rooms.
“Never been back here before,” Kankuro commented, looking around while trying not to look too interested.
“You know what you’re doing?” Temari asked
“I should be able to figure it out,” the redhead answered as she headed over to the likely looking machinery. “It’s not the first time that I’ve had to figure out new technology.”
“So, how’ve you been, kid?” Jack asked Gaara. Temari split her attention between Jack and the redhead.
“Why haven’t you come back to the village?” Gaara asked.
“It’s quite a distance between here and where we stay, kiddo,” Jack said as he shrugged. “We haven’t really been gone that long considering.”
“Why don’t you live in town?” Temari asked. “Even without parents, you should be able to find some place to stay. You can even sign up for the Academy.”
“They probably won’t get in,” Kankuro said.
“Kankuro,” Temari hissed.
“You know as well as I do that they’re suspicious,” Kankuro exclaimed. “They broke in here, who’s to say that they aren’t going to break in other places? What if they’re spies?”
“We’re not spies,” the second brunet said.
“We told you, our friend is sick. Besides, it’s not as though we’re stealing anything.” Jack held up a few coins and then laid them down on the countertop, “See?”
“It’s still suspicious, so many of you living in a cave of all places,” Kankuro replied.
“We only just arrived in this area and we thought that we would stay someplace free of charge while we scouted the area,” Jack said.
“Right,” Kankuro scoffed, but fell silent.
“Are you going to stay?” Gaara asked.
Jack sighed. “We can’t promise you anything. We kind of got stranded from our village, so we’re hoping to find a way back, but there is a possibility that we won’t be able to and then we’ll stay.”
“I want you to stay, so that you can play with me,” Gaara said.
“That’d be great,” Jack said, grinning down at Gaara.
“This looks like a virus similar to influenza,” the redhead interrupted as she pulled away from the microscope. She headed across to the medicine cabinet and started browsing through. “I should be able to find something to help Daniel here. As well as Vaccines for the rest of us.”
“Shots?” Jack wrinkled his nose.
“Shots,” the redhead confirmed. She took down three bottles from the cabinet and put them inside of her pouch. She then took out several syringes and put those in the pouch as well. She then crossed back over to the microscope and started to clean up from her tests.
“Ready to go, Doc?” Jack asked as soon as the redhead was finished.
“I’m ready,” the redhead replied.
Jack took the lead, ushering them out of the building. Temari was one of the last ones out of the building, along with Gaara and as soon as they were out, Jack knelt down in front of the door and locked it once again.
“So, I guess this is it,” Jack said as they walked out into the street.
It was that moment when the ANBU dropped down from above them, surrounding them on all sides.
“Maybe not,” she murmured.
“I knew you guys were going to be caught,” Kankuro muttered before they were all knocked out.
.
Chapter 9
Chapter Eight: Breaking and Entering
Gaara had a slight look of disappointment when he came home for dinner. Others wouldn’t have seen it, but Temari did because she felt it herself. It had been days since Jack and his group had come into town and they hadn’t been back at all. Not even one of the other five that Gaara said existed had come into the village. She had wanted to talk to Jack once more, to try and convince him to join the academy. It would be tricky, since he was an orphan, but it could be done. This was the year that she would be attending regular classes as a public relations function and she had been hoping to have someone there who wouldn’t be afraid to talk to her.
“I don’t get what you’re so upset over. It’s just a bunch of foreigners,” Kankuro said as he fiddled with his puppet.
“Foreigners who don’t know who we are, and therefore will talk to us,” Temari shot back. She shot a glance at Gaara to make sure that he was focused elsewhere. “Do you want to play with Gaara?”
“You’ve got a point there,” Kankuro mused as he looked over at Gaara. “The foreigners can have him.”
Besides, you haven’t even met them, so how can you say something against them?” Temari pointed out.
“Easy, I don’t care about them,” Kankuro said and Temari scoffed at him.
“They’re here,” Gaara said as he stood up.
“Really?” Temari asked, looking at the fading sunlight. She had expected them to travel at dark, not to arrive before sunset, given what Gaara had said about where they lived.
Gaara walked out of the room without replying. Any other kid would have run with excitement but Gaara was expressionless and walked as he always did. Temari was the one who raced after him and Kankuro sighed before following both.
Gaara led them over to the gates and then stared on a wandering path back into the city. Temari was surprised when they came to a stop in front of a clinic. Then she noticed the four figures hidden in the shadows. One of them was kneeling in front of the door, doing something. Kankuro snorted at the sight and the figures whirled around, two of them brandishing staves. The way that they shifted brought their faces into light and Temari recognized Jack and two of the boys who had been with him on the first trip. The youngest of the brunets wasn’t there, though, and a redheaded girl accompanied them instead.
“Don’t scare us like that, kid,” Jack said as the two shouldered their weapons.
“What are you doing?” Temari asked.
“I know that you guys were too good to be true. It’s obvious that you’re taking something if you wanted to play with Gaara,” Kankuro said. “I’m not surprised to find you breaking into the clinic.”
“Gaara’s not a bad kid,” Jack replied. “You’d probably know that if you interacted with him more.”
“Hey, I interact with him. I stay away from him and he doesn’t kill me,” Kankuro said.
“Where’s Daniel?” Gaara broke in.
“Left him at home for this one,” the second brunet offered as Jack turned back to picking the lock.
“He’s sick, which is why we’re here,” the redheaded girl answered.
“Breaking into the clinic,” Kankuro added. “You know, you can just take him to see the doctor, like a regular person.”
“It wasn’t wise to move him, we live too far away,” the redhead answered.
“Over at the cliffs across the desert,” Gaara said.
The group shot him startled looks. “How’d you know that?” Jack asked.
“I followed you with my sand eye,” Gaara answered.
“Sand eye?” the second brunet questioned.
“Would it be safe to assume that this ‘sand eye’ is made out of chakra?” the dark skinned boy asked.
“And sand,” Gaara confirmed.
“Can we get back to the fact that you’re breaking and entering?” Kankuro asked, scowling at all of them.
“Well, we were going to just ask the doctors for a favor, but we got here too late,” Jack drawled.
“So now we’re trying another way,” the second brunet added, a hint of a drawl in his own voice.
“I still don’t get how you can just casually break into a building like that, especially a free clinic,” Kankuro said.
“If it’s a free clinic, then does it really matter if we rummage around unnoticed?” Jack asked. He huffed a sigh. “Look, kid, we’re not going to be clearing the place up. The doc’s just going to check a few things and that’ll be all.”
“Is Daniel really sick?” Temari asked, thinking back to the young boy who actually played with Gaara and looked like he had fun.
“We don’t know just what’s wrong with him, but yeah,” Jack answered.
“Then go on,” Temari nodded towards the door.
“Temari,” Kankuro yelped, turning to look at her.
“Shh,” she hushed him. “His brother is sick and he needs this. Beyond that, we’re ninjas and ninjas are meant to be sneaky. We’ll go in with them and make sure that they aren’t up to anything, if you feel that strongly about it.” In all actuality, she wanted to follow them in to find out what was wrong with the young boy, not because she was worried that they were going to steal what could be taken as recreation drugs. Plus, she didn’t think that Gaara was going to let it go just like that; he seemed to be unusually taken to the group of kids, especially the one who was sick.
“If you say so,” Kankuro said, his voice making it clear that he thought they were all stupid. “Just don’t tell them I’m with you when ANBU catches you.”
“You mean you want to be charged separately for breaking and entering?” the second brunet asked, grinning at Kankuro.
“Got it,” Jack said as he straightened up and opened up the door. He held the door open as he motioned everyone inside.
“This way,” the redhead said as she led them into the back room, separate from the examination rooms.
“Never been back here before,” Kankuro commented, looking around while trying not to look too interested.
“You know what you’re doing?” Temari asked
“I should be able to figure it out,” the redhead answered as she headed over to the likely looking machinery. “It’s not the first time that I’ve had to figure out new technology.”
“So, how’ve you been, kid?” Jack asked Gaara. Temari split her attention between Jack and the redhead.
“Why haven’t you come back to the village?” Gaara asked.
“It’s quite a distance between here and where we stay, kiddo,” Jack said as he shrugged. “We haven’t really been gone that long considering.”
“Why don’t you live in town?” Temari asked. “Even without parents, you should be able to find some place to stay. You can even sign up for the Academy.”
“They probably won’t get in,” Kankuro said.
“Kankuro,” Temari hissed.
“You know as well as I do that they’re suspicious,” Kankuro exclaimed. “They broke in here, who’s to say that they aren’t going to break in other places? What if they’re spies?”
“We’re not spies,” the second brunet said.
“We told you, our friend is sick. Besides, it’s not as though we’re stealing anything.” Jack held up a few coins and then laid them down on the countertop, “See?”
“It’s still suspicious, so many of you living in a cave of all places,” Kankuro replied.
“We only just arrived in this area and we thought that we would stay someplace free of charge while we scouted the area,” Jack said.
“Right,” Kankuro scoffed, but fell silent.
“Are you going to stay?” Gaara asked.
Jack sighed. “We can’t promise you anything. We kind of got stranded from our village, so we’re hoping to find a way back, but there is a possibility that we won’t be able to and then we’ll stay.”
“I want you to stay, so that you can play with me,” Gaara said.
“That’d be great,” Jack said, grinning down at Gaara.
“This looks like a virus similar to influenza,” the redhead interrupted as she pulled away from the microscope. She headed across to the medicine cabinet and started browsing through. “I should be able to find something to help Daniel here. As well as Vaccines for the rest of us.”
“Shots?” Jack wrinkled his nose.
“Shots,” the redhead confirmed. She took down three bottles from the cabinet and put them inside of her pouch. She then took out several syringes and put those in the pouch as well. She then crossed back over to the microscope and started to clean up from her tests.
“Ready to go, Doc?” Jack asked as soon as the redhead was finished.
“I’m ready,” the redhead replied.
Jack took the lead, ushering them out of the building. Temari was one of the last ones out of the building, along with Gaara and as soon as they were out, Jack knelt down in front of the door and locked it once again.
“So, I guess this is it,” Jack said as they walked out into the street.
It was that moment when the ANBU dropped down from above them, surrounding them on all sides.
“Maybe not,” she murmured.
“I knew you guys were going to be caught,” Kankuro muttered before they were all knocked out.
.
Chapter 9