Birds chirped through the thick, misty morning air. The sun shone through the curtains of the spaceous room that Ino slept in. Her eyes fluttered open lazily before closing again. Her hands ran over her stomach before swooping up into the air to clench into fists. "Ahhhh..." She moaned stretching as far as she could. A yawn escaped her lips as she sat up in her bed and threw her feet off the side. She stood and sauntered over to the closet, pulling the double doors open, and pulling out her lilac colored robe.
She slowly slipped her arms into the sleeves and over her shoulders. Goosebumps rose on her skin in waves as the smooth silk of her robe caressed her skin. She grabbed her obi and cinched it tight around her waist. Ino gathered her hair in her hands and placed it in her signature ponytail. She then turned around checking out her figure in the full body mirror. She couldn't believe she had starved herself when she was twelve to get a good figure. Her curves she had now on her vuluptuous body suited her better than her thin frame.
She opened the door to the bedroom and hopped down the stairs before she sauntered out the space into the living room. The sun had just now come up enough for her to see all the furniture in her quarters clearly enough to avoid injury. She made her way around the barely noticeable end table beside the sofa and into the kitchen. She wasn't really hungry, so she figured she'd make some tea instead. She gathered the black pekoe leaves from the cupboard and put the kettle on the stove. She looked out the kitchen window to the auburn sands that blew past.
She had been in Sunagakure for three days now, and even though this was official business, she felt relaxed and comfortable- like on a vacation. She seldom got missions that took her far from Konoha. Naruto liked to keep her as close as possible for medical reasons, so he claimed. Ino knew that he liked to keep her close because of his relationship with Hinata. He came to her on the daily for advice. She honestly considered writing him his own personal book so he would leave her alone.
But, she didn't have to worry about that now. Naruto picked her to come here to Suna as a personal assistant to the Kazekage. She was expecting to help out at the hospital, but Gaara had insisted she work with him in his office. "I know you do lots of medical ninjutsu at Konoha. Everyone needs a change in routine every now-and-then", Gaara had stated to her the day she arrived. She was grateful for that. It did become a little bland having to place hands on someone just because their leg felt funny.
The rumble in Ino's stomach caught her off guard as hunger set in. She paced over to the fridge to see what there was to eat when the kettle began to whistle. She hastily picked up an apple and walked over to the kettle. She removed it from the heat and poured it over the tea leaves in their strainer. The dark color and rustic smell of the pekoe tea soothed her senses. Ino did away with the strainer and placed the cup on the kitchen table. She took a bite out of the apple, closing her eyes and chewing slowly. What was the secret these desert-dwellers had to making their produce taste so well?
There was a knock at the door. Ino's brow furrowed slightly annoyed as she was about to take a sip of tea. Another knock rang out demanding to be answered. Ino put the cup and apple to the side. "Best not to keep them waiting." She slid off the chair and walked out the kitchen to the front door. "Hell- oh! Lord Kazekage," Ino said in a very off greeting. Gaara nodded. "Ino." He was very informal with her. She called him 'Lord', but he never called her 'Ms.' It was always 'Ino'. "So, what may I do for you, Lord Kazekage?"
Gaara turned around slowly. He raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Please, do not refer to me as 'Lord', just call me 'Gaara'." Ino's lips parted slightly. "But, that would be rude. You do hold a higher authority than I do, and it wouldn't be-" Ino was cut short by his piercing green eyes cutting through her words. "I, the Kazekage, wish it. You and I are the same year in age. My position as Kazekage should not make me more than I am." Ino felt her face flush. Those words seriously didn't just come from the boy who just three years ago would kill anyone.
"Okay.. Gaara, what can I do for you today?" Gaara stepped inside and shifted his weight on his feet. His arms folded across his chest like they always did. His signature stance, and it suited him well. "I needed to inform you that today will be difficult. I have documents coming in from every corner of the earth it seems, and I need you to help me sort and prioritize every document that comes in today." One of Ino's eyebrows shot up involuntarily. "Oh? Is there some big event happening?" Gaara shook his head before looking off to the side. "There's a lot of recovering to do after the war. Konoha and Suna are the most stable of villages at the moment. Our resources are more plentiful than our neighboring villages, and they need as much help as possible."
Ino folded an arm across her stomach. She hugged her limp arm tightly to her body. She never really knew how lucky Konoha and Suna were when it seemed so much tragedy surrounded the two villages. "I need you to have a balanced breakfast and to be fully cognitive today. We can not afford to make any errors today. Not only do we have to sort and prioritize, but we have to copy and send documents as well. Understand?" Gaara asked now turning his gaze back to her. Ino nodded. "I understand." Gaara's arms relaxed a bit. "Good. You have an hour to be at the office." Gaara turned opening the door and letting himself out. "One hour... Okay then."
Ino closed the door and turned around to walk back into the kitchen. She quickly gulped her tea down and disposed of the teacup in the sink. "A balanced breakfast?" Ino asked aloud to herself. She had started in on an apple just to keep her hunger quiet, but she had to actually prepare a meal to help her productivity. "Hmm... I'll just bring a protein bar or two with me." Ino packed her satchel with two protein bars and an extra apple just in case the bars weren't enough. She hung it next to the door and then turned to jog upstairs. She had 40 minutes, and she was going to use them to her advantage. She untied her obi and tossed it, along with her robe, to the side. She twirled into the bathroom to turn the shower on. It took a minute for the water to warm, so she twirled back into her bedroom to retrieve her everyday purple outfit.
Ino walked back into the bathroom and hopped into the shower. She didn't bother to pull the curtain. She liked when the cool air collided with her skin under the water. Goosebumps appeared slowly in waves up her back as a soft breeze caressed her. Sure, she could get sick from this, but it was so stimulating to her senses. Her lavender and cosmos body wash stimulated her even more. She caressed her arms, her stomach, thighs, and legs- covering herself in scented bubbles. She turned and let the water hit the nape of her neck and run down her back. She wanted to fall asleep right there, but she had business to attend to today. Ino turned to cut the water and step out wrapped in a towel.
She looked at the fogged up mirror and wiped a hand across. There she was in her almost naked glory. Her ponytail was all wet. Luckily, her bangs were spared. A thought hit the top of her brain. She opened one of the drawers set inside the sink counter and retrieved her mousse. She ran her fingers through her pony tail a few times to make sure there were no knots. Knot-free. Good! Ino poured some of her foamy mousse in one of her hands. She put the can down and then rubbed her hands together before teasing her pony tail. She wanted to try something different today for Gaara since he gave her a change of rout- wait... She didn't really just think that she was doing a change for Gaara... Did she?
Ino shrugged. It was probably just her thinking in the wrong sense about her intentions. She had finished the teasing, and was now running the towel over her body in a hurry. She should have known with how long and thick her pony tail was, it would have taken a while. Ino tossed the towel aside, and began to pull on her mesh. She wore a mesh halter under her crop top for chest support. She typically wore mesh shorts, but today, she wanted something different. Instead, she opted for a more intimate set of panties. She felt pretty with the way she did her hair, so why not feel discretely sexy? She retrieved a black and purple lace thong from her room and stepped in. She walked slowly back into the bathroom to put on her skirt. Her bare flesh against the material of the skirt made her tingle. How odd, such things could stimulate her senses.
Ino finished slipping on her necessary gear and began on her way to the Kazekage's mansion. She almost missed her satchel by the door she was in such a hurry. She threw the strap across her chest and began on her way. The streets were now lined with vendors, residents, and children. The Sand village was just as lively as the Leaf if not just a bit more. How these people could be so docile in this heat, Ino couldn't understand. The ability to adapt and survive in a climate such as this must have made the residents super humans.
The people of the Sand made sure to bow to Ino. Not extremely low, but just enough for respect to be given. She was an important guest to their village, Gaara had said, and was to be looked at and treated as such. The bows made Ino smile, but she thought they were very unnecessary. She had told Gaara they didn't have to bow to her, but he insisted they did so. Respect meant everything to Gaara, especially since the Leaf and Sand were so closely allied. Now that Naruto made Hokage, the alliance was even stronger. No greater pair of friends could have made greater Kage's than the two.
Ino reached the Kazekage's mansion. The guard opened the door for her and she strode on in. Aki, the desk attendant was tending to the little cacti on the windowsill. Her attention snapped straight to Ino when she heard her footsteps. "Oh! Lady Ino, good morning to you." Aki said happily. Ino gave Aki her biggest smile and a wave. "Good morning! I hope Gaara isn't busy?" Aki shook her head. "Not to worry. He hasn't had any guests or documents come in today." Ino nodded slightly. "Thank you. I'll be on my way then." Aki nodded and smiled slyly. "You have fun." Ino's brows pressed to the middle of her forehead as she questioned Aki's last statement. Oh well. Time to start the day...