Chapter 40: Standing Alone Against The Council

The following day, the sun rose over the walls of Sunagakure, heralding another sweltering day. Sakura awoke to the tantalizing aroma of crisp maple bacon wafting through the air. She turned in bed, trying to evade the harsh sunlight streaming through the window. As she adjusted her position, she found Kankuro sleeping soundly beside her. He looked so different without makeup—sometimes even reminiscent of his father. She shook off the unwelcome memories and gently pinched his cheeks to rouse him. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead. Those puppets aren't going to repair themselves," she whispered playfully.

Kankuro groaned and rolled away, turning to the other side of the bed. He stretched his arms above his head, releasing a deep yawn before tossing the blankets aside and hastily getting to his feet. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sighed, "Unfortunately, we have a meeting with the Sunagakure Council of Elders today. I'd love to skip it, but our situation is too complicated to leave them out of the loop."

"I know, too many civilians have lost their lives," Sakura sighed. "May had such a bright future ahead of her, and now she's gone."

Kankuro, slipping into his black onesie, replied, "You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened to that little girl. I'm sorry, but she would have died regardless. Our goal was to minimize casualties."

"Yeah," Sakura said, rubbing her red eyes, a clear sign of her sleepless night—Shukaku's aggression had left her on edge.

Kankuro gently grasped her chin, drawing her closer. "When was the last time you slept?"

"I've only slept enough to function," she admitted. "Any longer, and I fear Shukaku will take control and hurt everyone in the village."

Kankuro sighed, his fingers brushing against the dark circles beneath her eyes. "After Gaara was a toddler, he fell into that same pattern. Soon, six hours will dwindle to five, and before you know it, you'll always be as grumpy as he is."

Sakura chuckled, moving toward the door. "Well, I don't know about that. Come on, we have work to do."

The enticing aroma of a freshly prepared breakfast wafted through the air, and her mouth watered at the thought. Suddenly, the emotional weight of her recent mission felt a little lighter.

Kankuro followed her into the hallway, his stomach growling like a lion. "Temari must have woken up early to cook something that smells this good."

"She must be anxious about the meeting today," Sakura added.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Kankuro playfully shook her. "It's too early to stress about that. Forget all that for now, and let's enjoy a nice meal."

Sakura laughed, gently pushing him away. "Okay, fine. You win."

Downstairs, Temari worked hard in the kitchen, preparing the perfect meal for her siblings and best friend. She had already set the dining room table, arranging it just right for their gathering, and her dedication brought a lump to Sakura's throat. One day, she hoped to extend that love and kindness to the boys when they needed her, too.

The warm morning light filtered through the shoji screen, casting soft patterns onto the low wooden dining table where Sakura sat. Her long, wavy black hair fell over her shoulders. Her red eyes glanced toward Gaara, who sat quietly beside her, his arms folded, his expression calm yet intense. Kankuro lounged on her other side, his face partially obscured by his black hood.

Temari stood proudly at the end of the table, placing a steaming plate of freshly made Japanese Omurice in front of each of them. "I hope you all enjoy it. We've had a rough week, so I figured we deserved a little treat today," she said, her tone light but hiding the tension beneath. She took her seat across from Gaara, folding her hands together.

Sakura smiled softly, "Thank you, Temari. It looks delicious."

They all began eating, the air filled with the pleasant clinking of utensils, but a shared unease hung over the group like a shadow. After a few minutes of silent eating, Sakura could not help but break the silence and leaned back with a sigh. "We don't want to discuss the bombings before the meeting, but we must figure out something."

Gaara's pale green eyes flickered up from his plate, his voice steady but grim. "There's something coordinated behind it; we're not the only ones affected."

Sakura looked between them, her brows knitting in concern. "Right. Gin from the Land of Rivers—he came to cross-reference our intel. His village was hit, too."

Temari's fork paused halfway to her mouth, her expression suddenly more severe. "Gin mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. He can't be trusted so easily. Are we sure he came from The Land of Rivers?"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed," Kankuro added, folding his arms again. "He wasn't wearing a head protector, which raised some red flags. We might have to contact his village to confirm if he is a real Shinobi or a rogue." 

Sakura shuddered slightly, recalling Gin's hollow, unreadable single blue ocean eye. "He was way too nice to us as if he was attempting to gain our trust quickly."

Gaara's voice cut through the room, quiet but commanding. "We don't know his intentions yet, but we'll discuss it during the emergency council meeting. The elders need to hear what we've learned. If there's a deeper threat, we have to be ready."

The group fell into another stretch of silence, each lost in their thoughts. The once comforting smell of Temari's cooking now felt distant as they faced the growing realization that their mission had only opened the door to something far more dangerous.

Eventually, Kankuro broke the silence, dropping his chopsticks onto his empty plate. "That was delicious! We should do this more often."

Sakura asked, "Should we start heading to the office now?"

"Yes, we have a lot of work ahead of us," Gaara replied, rising from his chair and making his way to the front door, pausing to let everyone catch up.

A wave of nerves washed over Sakura, and she hesitated to stand up after such a brief moment of enjoyment. "I won't lie; I'm scared."

Kankuro wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a tight embrace. "We've got your back, no matter what happens. Let's rip the band-aid off and face this together."

Temari chuckled lightly, adding, "Yeah, we're not exactly looking forward to it either, so you're not alone in this."

As they prepared to leave, they stepped out the front door, their arsenal in hand. The Kazekage office building was never far from their home, and they walked in silence, villagers bowing as they passed. But as thoughts of the council filled their minds, anxiety crept in. The elders had never been kind to the siblings; some had even wished for Gaara's demise.

When they reached the office entrance, a group of Jonin greeted them, escorting them inside and up to the second-floor meeting room. The space was daunting, lined with towering statues of past Kazekage and dominated by an unnervingly long table. Sakura sat beside Kankuro while Gaara sat across from her next to Temari.

The first to enter the room was Baki, the siblings' former sensei, and a respected council member. The other elders followed until all twelve had taken their seats. Baki, however, remained standing, his presence commanding attention. "Kazekage," he began, his tone formal, "thank you for convening this emergency meeting regarding the recent incidents in the village. But other pressing matters demand our attention."

He tossed several mission reports onto the center of the table, their contents grim. The reports detailed the missions of Shinobi and the tragic deaths of children, each losing a heavy blow to the village. Gaara, Sakura, Kankuro, and Temari each collected their respective paperwork, preparing to present their findings.

Gaara held the reports firmly in his hands, his voice steady but somber. "Our primary mission was to investigate the disappearance of children from the Land of Wind. Each case followed the same pattern—children vanishing without a trace, all under similar circumstances."

Temari flipped through her reports, recounting her most recent findings. "Before we left for our family break, I was tasked with locating these missing children. But none survived. Witnesses described a shadowy figure abducting them at all hours. We set up watches, but even the fastest Jonin couldn't catch the children before they disappeared into the shadows."

Baki slammed his fist on the table, the sharp sound echoing through the room, making everyone flinch. "So you failed your mission to locate the Phantom Kidnapper," he snapped, his voice filled with frustration.

"'Phantom Kidnapper,' huh?" Kankuro muttered, leaning back in his chair. "It's fitting. We can't catch him, and no one's seen what he looks like. Might as well call him a ghost."

Sakura, her face tense, stared down at the reports before her, the weight of her father's involvement heavy on her mind. She sighed and added, "The shadows he uses are like sinking into thick octopus ink. It paralyzes you, making moving impossible before you're transported somewhere completely different."

Baki's eyes narrowed, his tone cold as he asked, "Did this happen before or after you transformed into Shukaku and caused chaos in the desert?"

The room went still. Gaara, Sakura, Temari, and Kankuro exchanged quick, startled glances. No one outside their mission team should've known about Sakura's transformation. Somehow, Baki had learned the truth, though none were shocked. News like this had a way of spreading, even when it was supposed to be kept secret.

Gaara folded his arms, his voice calm but firm. "After Elder Ebizo left the council, he sealed Shukaku inside Sakura without informing us. It wasn't until the mission that we discovered she could transform. Yes, she lost control, but we are now handling it privately. I suggest we leave this matter for another time."

Baki scowled but relented. "Fine, but we will address Shukaku when the time comes. First, we need to resolve this Phantom Kidnapper situation. When you brought Sakura's father, Kenjiro, back to face justice for his crimes against Suna, he disappeared into the Land of Wind. Since then, there's been a string of incidents similar to the kidnappings."

Kankuro pulled out one of his mission reports, scanning it before speaking. "When we returned from that mission, I followed Kenjiro's trail for a while, trying to see if there was any connection between him and these kidnappings. I found a disturbing pattern. I tried to question Kenjiro in his cell, but he had been silenced when I got to him. We believe the Shinobi we were after killed him before we could get useful information."

"He somehow figured out we were after him," Sakura said quietly. "He kidnapped me and forced me to witness his first terrorist attack to prove how serious he was."

Baki's eyes flicked down to the report in front of him, precisely the details about the mother and daughter who had died. "The first explosion was a paper bomb strapped to a little girl's chest," he said, his tone heavy with the weight of the tragedy. "Her mother shared her fate, but you managed to keep the others at a safe distance, preventing further casualties. That's no small feat. I'd recommend you join Kankuro in the terrorism defense division."

"Normally, I would agree," Kankuro said. "But she's not ready. Joining my division is emotionally taxing, and I can't put her through that."

Instead of defending herself, Sakura felt a surge of gratitude as she saw Temari stepping in for her. "Kankuro mentioned that she became too attached to the little girl and hasn't slept for days."

Gaara quickly interjected, defending Sakura. "She's a valuable asset to my office as my advisor. So I must respectfully decline the suggestion."

"I understand," Baki replied with a nod. "The report was impressively detailed, thanks to Sakura. She gathered as much information as possible from the victim before the situation escalated. I only suggested this because she performed exceptionally during that mission."

Sakura whispered, "Her name was May…"

"What was that?" Baki inquired, leaning closer.