"Gaara—"
"Temari, don't say it. I'm the Kazekage now!"
Gaara stopped Temari before she could continue.
Fish Ball chuckled. "Such a touching bond between siblings!"
"If Sand Village married Temari to my master, he might reward you beyond anything you could imagine."
"He could make forests grow in the barren desert, turn the Daimyo of the Land of Wind into Sand Village's personal purse... There's plenty my master can do."
"But as I said, my master has never liked fighting. He only likes Conflict Resolution."
"He won't start a war just because you refuse."
"You don't want to become family with my master right now because you don't know him well enough. You have plenty of time to consider it and get to know him."
"Well, Sand Village was the first stop on my diplomatic tour! I still have other villages to visit."
Fish Ball prepared to leave Sand Village.
Gaara breathed a sigh of relief. From the sound of it, refusing to give his sister to Liao Wu would not start a war.
After all, Liao Wu had said he hated war.
If he started one just because Gaara refused to give him a woman, wouldn't that contradict everything he'd said?
Before leaving, Fish Ball glanced around, apparently hoping to pick up a little side business on the sly.
He said to Gaara, "Kazekage, could you give me the hottest, prettiest female cat in Sunagakure?"
"You can't give me Temari, but surely you can spare a sexy cat?"
"If you do, I'll put in a good word for Sand Village when I'm curled up beside my master."
"Fish Ball—"
Before Fish Ball could say more, another short-haired gray-and-white cat burst out and kicked him in the head with a claw.
The blow sent Fish Ball into the wall.
That