A tryst with destiny (Tales of a Gutsy Ninja - 2)

Chapter 11 : Planning for doom

Gaara P.O.V

Yura: ...and so we decided to reinforce the alliance with Konohagakure by...

I listened quietly and concentrated on areas that still needed improvement. It was so hard before. After the attack on Sunagakure by the Akatsuki, both Ryuugamine Aira and Atsushi Kakeru were gone. It was only after they left that I realized how powerless I was on my own. My strength and status as an ex-jinchuriki protected me and the village but...what this place truly needed was politics and strategy...and I was good at neither of them.

I could see by Tojuro-san's face that he was truly devastated by the loss of Ryuugamine Aira. He still referred to the old document that she had given to me during our mission of meeting the Daimyo of the Land of wind. He had declared it as an S rank scroll that only the Suna council was authorized to view.

'Putting this into practice would change the world' is what he said and now...I couldn't help but agree. Aira had always been that way, brilliantly eccentric, unbelievable, unconventional and yet, for some reason, very reliable.

I realized just how much we had taken her for granted when she went away for the mission to  Kumogakure. I meant to bring her back but...then that happened. Personally, I now understand why Sasuke wants revenge on Uchiha Itachi so badly. Because of Itachi, I was too late...

To late to tell her about what mattered the most.

Kankuro: Gaara, the ambassador from the Land of Iron wishes to meet the Suna council.

Gaara: Set up that meeting. We need continued support from them.

Temari: About that...I've been wondering for a while...the alliance with Konoha and Kumogakure, the fundings and jobs from Wind Daimyo and the Land of Iron...how is it still being sustained so smoothly? All these dealings...Suna is the only ones getting any visible benefit out of them. It almost feels like charity on their part...not that I am complaining though...

Chiyo: Gaara, do you have the copy of the agreements Aira signed as the strategist of Sunagakure?

We looked through them. They were so wonderfully worded. It seems like Konoha hired Aira's services in exchange for their support in building the Suna academy and Kumogakure signed the alliance because of receiving  'personal benefit' from Aira. The Land of Iron's ambassador, Oda Nobunaga seems to know her quite well and thus was helping us out of that kindness.

Aira was bringing Hashirama Senju's wish to life.

 Due to the connections between the ninja villages, the Land of Fire, Land of Wind, Land of Lightning and Land of Iron was connected simply by bonds of faith and trust. That means that about 2/3rd of the world is strung together in peace and cordiality. I quite expected it to crumble after the 'disappearance' of Ryuugamine Aira but no such thing happened...as if she was still guiding us from afar...just that we couldn't see her...

 

But that's not possible...right?

Aira P.O.V

Saaya: Um...may I know what happened?

Aira: Hm? Is there amiss?

Saaya: No...there is nothing amiss but...you two are being too weird! 

Aira: Hm? Is that so?

Well...I was lying down on Itachi's lap discussing strategies with him while he munched on some of Saaya's favourite dangos, slipping some of them into my hands every now and then. No...there's nothing weird at all...

Itachi: Aira...is there any particular reason why you are extremely happy?

Aira: Hm...would you understand if I said that I saved an unborn girl's father's life?

Itachi: Definitely not...

When I defeated Hidan and Kakuzu using Yugito Nii, Isobu and Itachi's help, I completely prevented the death of Sarutobi Asuma! Kurenai's child would have a father...

Aira: Well...it's only expected. Never mind, what I am concerned more about is the fact I need to be alive if I am to give an answer to you in the future.

Itachi: Are you talking about the plans for the capture of the three-tail's jinchuriki? I have some information regarding-

Aira: It's fine. Sorry to make it seem like I am belittling you but...you don't have to tell me. Your true leader has ears everywhere right? Just support me from the shadows. That is enough.

Itachi's scent...I can understand why Sasuke loved him in his childhood. Itachi had this subconscious habit of pampering his sibling. Though...he never poked me in the forehead. Guess...that is reserved only between him and Sasuke...

Right now, I was more worried about the fact that the Akatsuki would be after me next since I am the jinchuriki of Isobu. The worst part was that my right hand was all wrapped up in bandages. Uzumaki Saaya was nothing like Karin so I couldn't ask her to heal my hand.

Aira: Let's try to fly

Cause the the sky isn't going anywhere 

It's waiting, smiling as if to say that none of us are really that different.

When faced with unrelenting regret, we have no choice but to fight

so in a free form, let us go on chasing,

that dream released across the sky!

.

.

.

Saaya: So...is this going to be one of our toughest mission?

Aira: Exactly. Well...one wrong move is going to waste 3 yrs of my hard work.

Itachi: You knew it was going to end up this way.

Aira: Indeed...it's a pity but Ita-kun, you are not going to be a part of the mission. Your 'Leader-sama' is bound to notice it if you aren't at the hideout whenever a jinchuriki capturing mission fails. If my plan fails, you might as well be the one who disposes my body.

Saaya: Aira-san! D-Don't talk of such things!

Aira: No...I am actually serious. A shinobi's body contains secrets about the kind of training they underwent, the research they did or were done on them, their chakra nature and even their clan's secrets. The result would be disastrous if the 'ghost of Uchiha' realizes what I was up to.

Itachi looked like he realized what I was getting at. If Obito and Madara found out about my 'Kami no Kokan'(Divine exchange) jutsu that allows any normal person to store a bit of tailed beast's chakra in exchange for their own, then...humanity might get destroyed even before the fourth great shinobi war begins.

Itachi: It would be a loss if you die.

Aira: Indeed...my list of people to save would be left unfulfilled...

Itachi: No. I meant, it would be a loss if you die. You  worked hard so hard to come so far. The world needs you.

Aira: Well...yeah...that is true...