Suna's Ninja (Gaara Love Story)

7: Rivalry for Gaara

Author's POV

Four months passed, and slowly, but diligently, Akimi's name no longer hung in the danger zone of Jini's charts, but in the average zone, a level just below everyone else's. In addition, Gaara did occasionally ask Akimi to make afternoon tea whenever the KP team came to drop off packages.

Also, Akimi learned Ling was the type of guy who brought lunch for everyone daily. As a result, when Akimi decided to make lunch, a rivalry broke out between the two. They would always bring lunch for the team, trying to outdo each other, much to everyone's amusement. As a high-ranking Totsuki student, Akimi won every time, infuriating Ling. However, as a lover of cooking, he managed to improve bit by bit.

"Did you hear?" Akimi ran up to Pearl excitedly who was bringing in medical supplies to the hospital. (The hospital was close by to the Kazekage building.)

"Hear what?" Pearl asked, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm.

"About Lord Kazekage's newest guest. Guess who?"

"Uh.....a Lord?"

"No! I heard it's a beautiful princess!" Akimi exclaimed.

"Could it be one of the Feudal Lord's daughter? Ewww, girls like her are nasty on the inside. All they want is Lord Kazekage's title or something," Pearl said, scrunching up her face.

"Huh?"

"You poor thing, you haven't experienced enough about girls like her, Aki," Kui said sympathetically. "Half the time the royal kids are these sweet angels who love nature and animals, and the other half they are satanic beings who love looking down on other people.  Just listen to our advice and stay away from Lord Kazekage and that attitude-problematic princess for the time being."

"She can't be that bad, right?" Akimi tried again. All she earned was a whack to the head.

"Akimi, no."

That afternoon, the princess came. Akimi and the rest of her friends hid behind doors. The princess did come at last, and Akimi studied the girl's face adorning a smile. Gaara received her professionally, and not a single drop of hate, like her teammates kept insisting, was shown on the princess. Everything was fine so far.

"She's really pretty," Akimi whispered in awe, glancing back to her friends.

"She's a witch on the inside, Aki. Don't be fooled by looks," Jini scolded. "They push themselves on Lord Gaara. Preposterous!"

"Princess Ji Mi, please follow me." Gaara said smoothly. "Send Akimi for tea," he ordered a butler. The butler bowed and headed towards the doors Akimi and her friends were hiding behind.

"Run!" One hiss of that very word was all it took for the mailmen ninjas to dash away from the door and a good five meters away, all pretending to be working. The butler opened the door, and spotting Akimi, he motioned to her stiffly.

"Miss Maruboshi, Lord Kazekage wishes you to bring to his office tea for two."

"Hai!"

"Noooo! You can't go!" Kui wailed, grabbing Akimi by the waist. "I'll go! Just stay here!"

"Guys, don't worry, I'm not a baby," Akimi sighed. "I can do this."

"You can't abandon us!"

"Yes, this is preposterous!"

"And that's my cue to leave."

Akimi made the tea and carried the tray upstairs. She knocked twice before the door opened. "Lord Kazekage, I've brought tea."

"Thank you, Akimi. You may leave," Gaara said curtly. She bowed and left, but not before getting an eyeful of the princess glaring at her. She then ran back downstairs to report to her friends.

"See! I told you!" Pearl said, sobbing fake tears.

"Besides, aren't you worried she might steal lord Kazekage away?" Jini asked smartly.

"No, not really," Akimi said truthfully. "I'm not a yandere. Gaara is the Kazekage, and it is his duty to speak to a lot of important people, even if that means to foreign princesses who eye him way too much for my liking. Hahahahaha."

"You're too mature for your own good," Ling grumbled, shaking his head. "Let's get to work, guys. Akimi, I'll time your scanning today."

"Hai!"

During the afternoon, Akimi was in the gardens looking for goldenrod to use as a medical ingredient for one of her recipes. When she turned around, she came eye to eye with the Princess Ji Mi. Actually, the Princess wasn't looking at Akimi; rather, she was looking around the garden.

"Um, excuse me, can I help you?" Akimi asked, smiling genially at her. The other girl looked shocked before staring at Akimi.

"Are you talking to me?" She asked snootily. "Ugh, I can't believe a servant is talking to me."

"Actually, I--"

"Shut up." The princess stalked off, leaving the chef confused. Shrugging it off as nothing important, Akimi headed back inside. She didn't see Gaara or the princess for the rest of the day.