Suna's Ninja (Gaara Love Story)

16: Requesting help

Author's POV

"Pearl!" Akimi banged on her teammate's apartment door noisily. "Pearl, you in? I need to talk to you!" The other girl didn't respond. "PEARL!"

"What's with all this racket?" a neighbor complained, exiting her home. "These walls are soundproof, but I can still hear you."

"I'm sorry," Akimi said, giving a politely bow. "I was just trying to find my friend."

"Well, if you've been yelling at the door of an empty apartment for five minutes now, I suggest you give up and move on," the neighbor scolded, returning back inside.

"Sorry again!" Akimi called, earning a scowl in reply. When the neighbor shut her door, Akimi leaned against Pearl's door. "Pearl, I'm sorry for.....acting really negatively lately. I let my emotions take control, and I didn't even try to do anything. All I thought was 'I can't do anything'. But when you came over and shook some sense in me, I realized there was more I could do, rather than nothing at all. I have an idea to create an instant Chakra-restore potion that's similar a to the  I know you're still probably mad at me, but please, won't you come out and help me? Please, Pearl?"

The door didn't open. The silence surrounding Akimi seemed to mock her, causing her to shrink back in embarrassment.

"Um, maybe you're mad because you got hurt? I the you may have cut yourself on my glass tea set," Akimi chuckled warily, setting the ointment down. Still, the door refused to open. "Ahaha, I've got you some medicine, and......sorry, I'll leave now." She snapped to her feet and dashed away, running towards the herb garden.

"Akimi!" The door was thrown open, and Pearl called out to her teammate, who didn't hear her and continued running down the stairs. "Akimi....." Pearl shook her head and leaned against the door. "I forgave you long time ago.....I'm sorry. I'll recruit the team's help!"

"Beadroot, should be around here--uh oh," Akimi grimaced, squatting down to gently tilt the tiny baby plant upward to examine it. "It's too small. Guess I'll have to find a different recipe."

She returned to the table holding her book of medicine and herbs. "I'm sure Sis has something around here.....what's this? Flaudine? Flaudina? What?"

"It's Fleudinya," Kui said, coming into the greenhouse."

"Kui! What are you doing here?"

"I called her and rest of us here," Pearl said, the rest of the team following. "You seem to have a clear idea of what to do, right?"

"Can't say we won't help," Ling grumbled.

"We definitely won't slack off," Kosei added.

"Jini's out of this one; he has reports to do," Kui added. "So we'll be your support this time."

"Thank you, everyone!" Akimi bowed eagerly. "Let's get this done!"

"No, we're not," Yamu said sternly. "First, tell us your plan."

"You.....talked!?"

"Of course he can, what are you saying?" Kui laughed. "He just acts pretty cold to people sometimes. He'll eventually warm up to you in time."

"Ah, alright. So here," Akimi opened her notebook for the others to see. "I've already done the mathematical work, and I'm ready to make it. Of course, since there is a missing part here, I need to test the ration several times to get the correct amount."

"Is this a type of medicine?" Yamu asked thoughtfully. "But based on your equations, I think it's more suited to be poison......"

"I understand you see it that way, but please just trust me on this," Akimi begged. "This kind of medicine I want to create is both a healing and destructive potion. However, I've found a way to counter that. Each type of--"

"Okay, okay enough. Let's just get to it already!" Ling shouted impatiently.

"Um," Akimi glanced at Yamu.

"Alright, fine. Let's make it. Fail, however, and I'll find a way to kick you off the team," Yamu threatened.

"Agreed. Right! I need the following ingredients: Fleudinya, Sweet Root, Kyss Bark--"

"I'll get those three," Kui offered.

"Thanks!" Akimi continued down the list, while Yamu stood off to the side, his eyes narrowing on her.

Let's just see how good she is.