Another Hyuga Affair

                                    

                                          
A hand shakes my shoulder, rousing me from my deep sleep. I groan and shove the hand away. "'Snot morning," I slur. "Go away!"
                          
"Up and at em, Akari," Kakashi sighs, shaking my shoulder again. "Lady Tsunade is asking for you."
                          
"Why's she asking in the middle of the freaking night?" I grumble, reluctantly sitting up. I rub the sleep from my eyes, unsuccessfully, as Kakashi says, "I'm not sure. But she said it's urgent."
                          
"Riiiggghhht," I say sarcastically, throwing the blanket off my legs and standing. "She probably just ran out of sake." Kakashi, without his mask on, attempts to hide a smile as I tug on my sandals. I fell asleep with my day clothes on, and while it would normally bother me, tonight I guess it's an advantage.
                          
"That's your third joke this week," Kakashi tells me, to which I roll my eyes. "And you're counting because...?"
                          
"Because I think you're making progress."
                          
"Just don't go all stalker on me, Kakashi. The world doesn't need two Jiraiyas."
                          
"Four."
                          
***
                          
TEMARI
                          
"Gaara?" I mutter, blinking open my eyes. "What is it? Is something wrong?" I sit up, my eyes already adjusted to my dark surroundings. Gaara kneels in front of me, clutching a scroll in his hands. A messenger owl hops around in the dirt someways away from us.
                          
Kankuro is still passed out in sleep. Tch. Typical Puppet Boy.
                          
"It's a message from the Leaf," Gaara says, handing me the scroll. I open it, reading the short message, my eyes widening as I hit a particular sentence. "It seems their new Hokage knew of our position close to their border, and has asked for our help," he says, frowning.
                          
"But that's not what's bothering you," I say, rolling up the scroll. "No," he agrees. "Like it's not what's bothering you, Temari. Or what will bother Kankuro when I wake him."
                          
"Are you surprised that we're backing up this team?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "Of course not. It makes sense to send out this team. The one girl has ties to the subject of the mission anyway."
                          
"But, it's still surprising," I finish for him, sighing as I climb to my feet. "I'll get Kankuro," I say, walking over to our brother. I unceremoniously kick him in the back, and he startles awake. "Read this," I say, tossing him the scroll as he glares at me, muttering curses.
                          
I turn back to my youngest brother as Kankuro's eyes begin scanning the scroll's writing. Gaara is frowning at the ground, looking deep in thought. "Have you been in contact with her?" he asks, snapping his head up to study me. "Since..."
                          
He doesn't need to finish.
                          
"No," I sigh, shaking my head. "I sent a lettter, but never got a response. She has every right to hate me, but I... I still can't..."
                          
"She doesn't hate you."
                          
"What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at Gaara. "She doesn't hate you," he repeats. "How would you know that?" I question, taking an involuntary step towards him. Even though Gaara has calmed down, become almost a completely different person, it still scares me to be so close to him sometimes. I don't tell him that; it would only make him upset.
                          
"One of the reasons she didn't kill me," he says, and I flinch at the words, "was because of her conscience. She said, she cared to much for you to kill her younger brother."
                          
"She... she still cares about me?" I repeat in a whisper. A ghost of a smile crosses my lips, as Kankuro rises to his feet. "Doesn't mean she'll be happy to see you, Temari," he reminds me, and my happiness deflates instantly. "You heard what happened to her brother during our attack. I wouldn't be surprised if she decides to kill us all in our sleep. Well, except for Gaara; he doesn't sleep."