Suna's Ninja (Gaara Love Story)

9: Angry Kazekage

Author's POV

Time stopped as Lord Kazekage stepped into the kitchen, his teal eyes observing the scene. There was the princess in disarray standing nearby, a couple of bodyguards, and Akimi against the wall, her arms up in a protective stance and--was that blood on the counter?

"Gaara, you should get rid of her!" Princess Ji Mi suggested frantically. "She's a nuisance to you and she even attempt to attack me!"

"That's not exactly what happened," Akimi said, narrowing her eyes, getting to her feet and leaning on the counter.

"Liar! You came at me with that wretched thing!" Princess Ji Mi cried, stabbing a finger in the direction of the bloody knife. Akimi glanced over at the knife that had been knocked to the floor.

"What happened, exactly, Princess Ji Mi?" Gaara asked coldly.

"Lord--"

"And no one is allowed to interrupt her." Akimi shut her mouth and hung her head.

"I was just coming in to ask what was for dinner, when she came out of nowhere and attacked me with that knife!" Princess Ji Mi lied innocently, putting on a dramatic act. "She was growling at me and even threatened to torture me!"

"And you retaliate by sending your bodyguards after her? You should have consulted me. After all, she is one of my many subordinates," Gaara scolded. "In addition, as a Genin, if she wanted to truly hurt you, there wouldn't be any marks like this on you. Akimi's style of fighting relies on different factors." The princess was taken back, but once Gaara turned to look at Akimi, Ji Mi smiled smugly at the Genin.

"Now Akimi, what happened? And no one is to interrupt her either," Gaara continued.

"What?! But she was the one who hurt me!" Princess Ji Mi cried out furiously.

"Princess Ji Mi, I am not going to repeat myself. Akimi, go ahead."

"Lord Kazekage, I was making preparations for dinner when I found Princess Ji Mi in the kitchen. She asked me why I was so close to you, so I tried to respond, only for her to threaten to get rid of me. Then when I asked, she proceeded to injure herself, as you see the result now."

"You dare to--"

"Silence!"

Time stopped in the kitchen, not a single person spoke. Gaara's eyes trained in on Akimi, as if he was searching for something. Then Gaara stared at the princess. "Princess Ji Mi, for framing my subordinate, you can find the door out by yourself."

Akimi looked up to see Princess Ji Mi's priceless reaction. At her side, Pearl was helping her out of the kitchen to stop her bloody nose she had received from a bodyguard right before Gaara came in. The other mailmen ninjas watched in the lobby as the princess threw a temper tantrum before finally taking her leave. Once she was out the door, Gaara turned and grabbed Akimi by the forearm. He took her upstairs to his office, where he had a first aid kit in his desk.

"I'm going to lift up your shirt," he murmured, locking his fingers around her ribbon belt holding her shirt kimono vest in place.

"Okay." He removed her vest, lifted up her three-quarters shirt underneath, and firmly probed her stomach. After deeming nothing was severely hurt, he lowered her shirt and snapped his fingers at Pearl.

"Pearl, a warm pack please."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage."

"Lie down," he ordered Akimi. She lied on his couch, and he rested the warm pack over her shirt. He cleaned up her bloody nose and rested a ice pack on her face.

"Toze gizes shur pak uh punh," Akimi tried saying. Gaara removed her pack to study to her face carefully.

"What was that you said?"

"I said, those guys sure packed a punch," she wheezed. He sighed and pressed his lips to her cheek.

"I'm sorry for making you go through that." Akimi reached up to pat his soft hair.

"It's all good, Gaara," she grinned, dropping formalities.

"Points for you for not punching the princess," Pearl pipped up. "I would have gone all taijutsu on her."

"Please don't," Akimi winced. "I don't need to see that. Attitude-problematic or not, I don't want to see someone get on your bad side." It was no secret Pearl was an expert in taijutsu. Her skills in the KP team proved that.