'Sup Guys? ^w^

Tasha here bringing you a new story 'cause I sooooo need to get back into writing!

So, this is gonna be a Gaara love story so you'll have to bear with me as there is most likely gonna be some OOC here! O.o

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Naruto or a lot of ships would've happened by now! ^.^

However, Noemi and her teammates are my own characters so if any of you guys attempt to kidnap them I'll kick your asses! :D

Btw, this is gonna be a short and fast-paced story so sorry in advance for any confusion you guys may have. It's just that I find it really hard to finish a story but I love this plot, so I'm gonna keep it short ;)


15 years ago...

The sun slowly began to rise, hovering just above the horizon and casting rays of light over the land. Morning dew sparkled in the grass like jewels and birds chirped their morning song. Rust-coloured leaves littered the ground, a few more joining them every minute as the crisp wind blew through the trees. Suddenly, a rumbling echoed through the air and several animals scurried away in fright.

A dark hole emerged at the bottom of a mountain, and a yawning man wandered out of it, casting his hazy eyes across the scene. His headband glinted in the morning light, showing two triangles with the smaller one slightly in front of the larger one. He took a few steps forwards and stretched his arms, when a small cry emitted from somewhere. Startled, the man glanced around and his eyes widened considerably as they laid on a quivering bundle of cloth.

As he watched, a fold of cloth fell aside to reveal a small, wrinkled hand, clasping the air as if to latch itself onto something. He cautiously stalked towards the bundle, his eyes darting around in case of any traps. A louder cry sounded as the man crouched next to the bundle, before slowly opening the folds of the blanket.

Large, green eyes with golden specks stared up at him, slowly blinking. The baby reached up with both hands and grabbed the man's hand which was still resting on the blanket. The said person was still gazing at the tiny infant, warmth flooding into his eyes as the baby's mouth twitched up into a small smile. Gently, he took the infant in his arms and rocked her back and forth, murmuring reassuring words in their ear. Casting a final look around him, the man walked back inside the mountain and the hole slowly swallowed him, before being closed up once again.


Present time...

"Noemi Akiyama get your lazy ass down here now!"

I groaned but paid no attention to the aggravated voice, tying the ends of my forehead protector around the back of my neck and slowly pushing the metal plate up and over my forehead, so it rested comfortably on the top of my head. Making sure my fringe was pushed back with the metal plate, I gave one glance in the mirror before trotting out of my room and down the stairs.

As I descended, photos of my life lined the wall, starting with myself as a little baby and finishing with the picture I'd taken with my team when we became Chuunins. I paused to gaze at the man holding the baby version of me, before smiling slightly and skipping off the last step.

That man was the one who'd found me abandoned at the village gate, and he was the one I called Dad. However, it had been 6 years since I'd last seen him as he'd been killed on a mission by Sunagakure shinobi. Ever since, I had resented Suna and had refused to go on any missions regarding that village.

The moment I opened the door an arm wrestled around my neck and caught me in a headlock.

"Thank God! I was getting sick of standing here like a lemon! Why do you have to lie in so late?" Kazuko Saito growled, strangling me. I gasped for air and, my ninja instincts kicking in, I elbowed Kazuko in the gut and I felt the grip around her neck loosen, I wriggled out and bent Kazuko's arm behind her back. The said person hissed in pain.

"I need my lie ins Kaz." I said smoothly. "You know what I'm like when I don't get my lie in."

Kaz gulped at the frightening memory and nodded nervously.

"Please don't remind me." She mumbled. I grinned and let go of her arm.

"Let's go and get Teiji and Ichiro-sensei." I chirped, linking my arm through Kaz's non-injured arm and skipping down the passageway.

I lived in The Village Hidden in the Mountains, otherwise known as Samyaku. Our whole village was situated deep inside the mountains, and the only way to get in or out was the main gate which overlooked the valley we lived in. Not many villages knew we even existed, since we were extremely well hidden. This village is basically a sanctuary for those who need protection or have nowhere else to go. However, we are very suspicious of strangers and very rarely accept people from different villages entering our home.

Well, I'm not like that. Despite growing up in a close-knit community and having everything I ever needed here, I've always wished to explore the world. My team think I'm berserk, but I don't care. It gets very monotonous staying in these mountains every second of the day. I'm very different compared to the village, through looks and personality. Whereas everyone has dark hair and pale skin, I have caramel hair and tanned skin, despite hardly seeing the sun. Whereas everyone is wary of strangers and doesn't like to venture out of the mountains, I'm always getting told off for trying to sneak out into the outside world.

My Dad always knew of my yearning to go outside, so whenever he went on a mission, he'd let me say goodbye to him outside so I got to feel the breeze and sun on my face. I treasure those memories the most, as it showed how much my Dad and I loved each other. My chest ached and felt hollow as these memories rose and the spring in my step subsided slightly. It has been 6 years since his passing, but they had been extremely long and I still had to find out who'd ripped his life from this world. All I knew was that they were from Suna and that I never wanted to see that village.

Ever.

However, fate seemed to hate me today because the destination of our mission was the one place I despised the most. According to our mission, we were supposed to help get rid of a band of rouge ninja who'd been ransacking supplies which were getting shipped to...

"Suna?!" I shrieked. "Why?!"

Our leader, Aritomo Kagawa, sighed and linked his fingers together.

"I know you have a grudge against them Noemi, but you will have to let it slide. They are an incredibly powerful village and we need to build a stronger bond with them, just like we have with Konoha." He uttered, resting his chin on his entwined fingers.

A tic started above my right eyebrow and I gripped the scroll which contained our mission tighter than necessary. Teiji laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder and gave me a closed-eye smile. He was the sweetest guy I'd ever met, constantly looking out for me and lifting my spirits whenever I was down. Without him or Kaz I would've never gotten over Dad's death. If Teiji wasn't gay I probably would've asked him out already.

Ichiro-sensei eased the scroll from my grasp and bowed respectfully to Aritomo.

"We shall leave within the hour." He promised.

"Be back within 5 days." Aritomo ordered. "I can't afford to have you away from the village any longer than needed Ichiro."

Ichiro nodded and turned to go. My team mates and I bowed just like Ichiro-sensei had done and after muttering "Aritomo-sama" we exited the room swiftly. Sensei expected me to explode after we were out of earshot so the moment we were, he ruffled our hair and grinned.

"Get your bags packed guys and gals and meet me at the front gate within the hour!" He barked, grinning before using the transportation jutsu. I turned to vent my anger out on my team mates, but they had vanished from sight. I sighed and straightened my ponytail.

"Am I really that scary when I'm pissed?" I pondered, walking down the passageway to my apartment.


Half an hour later...

"Yosh! We're ready to go!" Ichiro-sensei cheered, hoisting his bag higher up his back. I raised my eyebrow.

"You seem happy today." I commented.

"It's been too long since we've been on a mission together. Reminds me of the good-old days." He shrugged. I smiled and glanced at Kaz and Teiji. Ever since we'd been promoted Chuunin, we'd hardly gone on any missions together, and if we did, it was never all of us at the same time. Hearing Kaz and Teiji argue about whether ramen or grilled chicken was better made me chuckle under my breath.

I'd missed this more than I'd realised.

"Now, Noemi. I know you don't like Suna but please don't let that get in the way of our mission. This bond is very important to Aritomo-sama, as well as the whole village." Ichiro-sensei rationalised. I took a deep breath and shook my head, smiling.

"Don't worry Sensei, I'll behave." I reassured. The gate guards stepped forward and placed their hands against the rock. Slowly, their hands glowed blue and it spread into the surrounding rock. A low rumbling sounded and the rock tardily rose, revealing the bright light of the sun.