CHAPTER 1

Beginning of the Start

IN SUNA ***

"Out!" Temari screamed at her little brother as she kicked him out of her room. "Stop hitting on my friends!" She slammed the door.
He heard giggles from the inside of the room.
"At least I got their numbers." He smirked as he got up from the ground.
Kankuro looked down at the four peices of paper before shoving them in his pocket of his jeans.
"Kankuro?"
His head looked up to see Nekokeeme, one of Gaara's right hands.
"Hm?" He nodded as a sign to continue.
"Lord Gaara is requesting you in his chambers." He informed the puppet master.
Kankuro flashed a glare down the hall landing on the Kazekage's door.
He headed down the hall an entered.
"What's on your mind bro?" He leaned on the wall.
"I have two leaf shinobi delivering a scroll to us today."
"So, what of it?"
"You are going to meet them at the gates and escort them to me."
Kankuro looked at his sibbling.
"They haven't been to Suna before?" He inquired.
"Actually, yes...they have. It shows curisy in our village."
"Gaara...who are you trying to impress? Is it a girl?" Kankuro flashed a grin and cocked an eyebrow.
The red head gave him an unimpressed look.
"My concerns are of the village, not with my personal gains."
"Yeh. Your too tense." Kankuro snorted. "Well then what's your deal?"
Gaara sighed. "It's one of the shinobi...I don't think you have met, she is one of the top medics.
I want her to stay longer than inttended, to help around Suna, and see what she is capable of.
I believe it is in Suna's benifit."
"And?" Kankuro pried.
"And that's all you need to know. Just make sure you do the job."
"Whatever, I will." He went to leave.
"Kankuro, try not to mess things up."
"How would I possibly mess it up?" He smirked.
"With your...~charm~"
"Oh please..." He opened the door. "All Konoha ninja's look the same, I think it's the least of your problems."
"They will be arriving in an hour as predicted."
"Cool." He shut the door and strided down the hall in one swift movment.
"Just enough time to have some fun." He smirked.
Gaara shook his head and heaved a sigh as he pulled out some papers and laid them on his desk as her scanned over them.

Sakume and Shikamaru arrived at the gates of Suna. They nodded to the guards as a greeting.
Kankuro was scouting around for girls when his eye caught a girl with long black hair,
wearing mesh diagonal across her stomach and shorts over laped by a skirt type article on one side having her weapon pouch on the other side and a symbol on her chest clothing which was a swirl with a line through it. He assumed this was her clan.
She seemed to be alone standing outside a building. He walked over to her clearly letting his ego shine.
"Hey." He flashed a ~charming~ smile her way.
She looked at him, she didn't know anything about him. Usually she would put any guy in their place for even attepting to hit on her. She although did know who he was, so she was polite.
"Hai." Kankuro could see he wall around her, he looked around racking his brain for an ice breaker.
His gaze floated across the gates. He took a double look and realized it had probaly been way over an hour.
"Danmitt!" He ran off without even a word.
Sakume shook her head at the man's swift retreat. Shikamaru exited the building as Sakume took lead upon herself towards the Kazekage's tower.

Nekokeeme made it know to her Lord that the small duo had arrived on schedule before escorting them in.
They stood promptly before him.
"Will that be all?"
Gaara nodded. "Yes for now, thank you."
His assistant bowed his head and shut the door as he left.
The red head looked over the group to see a member missing.
"Where is Kankuro?"
"Kankuro?" Shikamaru had no idea, he hadn't seen him in the span of their arrival.
"Yes..."
Just then the puppet master burst through the door. Realizing just how late he was he shut the door and smiled sheepishly.
"Hey Kankuro." Shika gave him a lazy wave.
"Hi...Shika..." He managed to speak between huffs trying to catch his breath.
"Why was he suppost to be with us?" Ume spoke up.
"He was your escort." Gaara glared at his older brother leaning on the wall.
: Hey...isn't that the girl at the resurant...sweet, wait what if she's not the medic? That would suck... : Kankuro was thinking to himself.

"Why do we need an escort, I have been here before...so has Shikamaru...wait, what do you want from me?"
Gaara looked shocked. "Why would you think I want somthing from you?"
"Sakume put her hands on her hips. "I'm positive you don't want anything from this lazy ass..."
"Hey!" The Nara whinned.
"...And, face it...I can read you like a book.
This left Kankuro chuckling.
Gaara knew there was no use in straying on an untrue detour.
"Sakume, I believe that Suna would be greatful and would benifit from you prospering skills...if you would be so kind to grace us with your presence for an extended period to teach so that our village can comprehend from none other than yourself."
"Sorry about your luck...that didn't confuse me. That was a bit thick wasn't it."
"Gaara hung his head for a moment at his failed attempt.
"She'll do it." Shikamaru volenteered her.
She turned to her companion.
"And why the hell would I do that?"
"No reason." Shika turned his head away. "Just so I don't have to listen to you all the way back." He mumbled, meaning for nobody to hear it, except everybody heard it. Which meant Ume heard it.
"Excuse me?" She turned to him so fast and punched him through the wall and he made a dent in the one after.
She looked back to the Kazekage and bowed. "Sorry I will pay for the damage I have caused." A smile spread across her features.
Kankuro watched in utter disbelief. The lazy ninja got up cluching his fist on his torso. He entered taking a place beside Kankuro instead.
"Troublesome woman." He snorted to himself.
"Wow she is strong." The brunette whispered.
"That was nothing, literally. If you think that was alot, your going to have a heart attack when you see her give it her all. It's not even a her jutsu." He whispered back.
Gaara thought to himself.
"Knowing you, it could have been worse but I know you don't want to seriously injure your conrad. If you would except my offer, you can consider it taken care of." Gaara looked hopeful awaiting her reply.
"Sakume why did you have to punch me in the stomach?" Shikamaru whinned.
"Oh my bad, next time it will be the face." She made a tiny dove out of her yellow healing chakra and sent it to him.
"What dose that do?" Kankuro asked the ninja beside him in a hushed tone.
"It's a healing dove, a very small one." It flew into his stomach and started it's work.
Sakume caught The man with shaggy brown hair in the corner of the room, he was starring at her.
: What's up with him, I would like to figure him out. :

"I could use a bit of time away from Konoha...I guess I could grace you with my unique, skillful and prospering self..."
She half giggled.
"Good, then I will..."
"Wait. On one condition."
"What would your request be?" The Kazekage looked egar.
"I want to accompany my... conrad home, not only for the joy on his company, but to pack."
"Very well...Kankuro you will go along."
"Yep."
"All that pain for nothing, I don't even get my way, what a drag."
"I guess you should leave for the leaf now, you can still get a good grip on the journey if you waste no time. Have a safe trip home and send the Hokage my thanks."
"I will." Sakume was the first to head to the door, giving the Kazekage a scroll and receving a nod.
"Get your lazy ass in gear Shika." "Let's go Kankuro." He trudged after her.
"Hope you can keep up." The girl said in a rather smug tone as a smirk appeared on her lips and she walked out.
"She scarier than my mom...but in a good way." Shikamaru sighed as they both followed.

"Let's set camp here." The lazy Nara suggested.
"I guess..." Here was a long pause. "Wait...Byakugan." Her eyes turned from her normal blue to a violet and her pupils disappeared.
Kankuro and Shikamaru were still as Sakume scanned their surroundings. Her eyes flashed back to normal.
"Get down!" She hit the boys down to the ground before hiding herself.
A variety of kunai and other assorted weapons flew over their heads into the nearest tree.
"Thanks." Kankuro looked at the shinobi beside him.
"Thank me later." She got up pulling her two swords from behind her back.
"Show yourself!" She yelled "Or i'll force you to."
"Your very good, as I was told...not only did you see me coming, you anticipated what I was to do and you knew where I was, impressive." A man flew from the trees. He was wearing a white robe with navy pants.
"Who told you?"
"C'mon your smart, who other than your father." He chuckled.
Ume signaled Shika to throw kunai as a distraction while she preformes a jutsu. Amaratsu over took the man's surroundings.
"Sharingan!"

The man got up, huffing."
he did a jutsu as well before throwing 5 weapons to each of the other boys. It would seem the weapons were attached to clones, they wouldn't stop untill out of chakra that the man had given them. Sakume charged at the sound shinobi. There battle went on for what seemed forever.
Sakume had striken multiple times. Their weapons clashed as she held it up to guard her chest.
He got so close, his lips practically in her ear, but her hands were occupied. Kankuro saw her discomfort and ran to help but was struck down again. Sakume used a subsitusion but ended up in the same situation. She decided using that only took her chakra for purposes that didn't help her. The man learned closer their weapons still pushed together blocking one another.
"You too much like you father...your mother didn't..." He couldn't get another word out before Sakume pushed him with force that made him stumble back.
"Bastard! I'm nothing like him!" She screamed and knocked his kunai away with her own swords which struck a nearby tree.
Without hezitation, she ran at him with all her anger in her gloved fist.
When it made contact with his body he went flying through the air knocking through trees, he made a path. He went so far she could barley see him crash into the mountain that stoped his speen making a dent in the land mark.
She couldn't see him get up but decided to be safe and finish him off with her fire style.
Sparks emerged from her body, they made their way towards the set enemy.
She turned around to see Kankuro covered in blood and Shikamaru struggling to get up.
"Shikamaru are you ok...stay there!" She ran to the puppet master.
"Kankuro, speak to me!" She laid her hands on his wounded chest and started to heal.
A few moments later he awoke coughing up blood.
"Talk to me." she looked him, reading his expression of hurt. He wasn't doing to good trying to hide it.
"your crying..."
"No... I'm not." She wiped a stray tear off her cheek as she continued healing.
When he was stable and cleaned up she went over to Shikamaru.
: She had a look of genuine concern on her face...wait of course she did, it's human. But was there more to it? What am I saying. She's way out of my range. She would never be interested.
It's just natural. Besides I wouldn't know how to treat her, nobody has ever wanted a lasting relationship with me.
But she seems different. Is she? Why am I thinking about this! : He scolded himself.

Shikamaru's injuries hadn't been to terrible. He was lacking chakra and he had a broken leg which she easily fixed.
She returned to Kankuro.

"Are you ok? Do you feel better?"
He nodded.
"Can you try to stand?" She offered he hand.
He took it into his grasp as he started to rise. Her other arm came up around his back for support.
He was a bit wobbly, but he was surprised when he felt no pain.
He looked over to his friend who read his face perfectly.
"I know, she's amazing..." He smiled.
"Well you guys will be coming with me." She did some hand signs simillar as to before.
Her sparks came out of nowhere and surounded the other two boys. Instead of buring then it enclosed them into a shelter.
"Wait what injuries were inflicted on you?" Kankuro asked through the wall of her jutsu.
"I'm not telling till we get there."
"Sakume your injured! Let me out you troublesome woman!" Shika protested.
"No." She smirked.
"Where are we going?" The Nara boy sighed.
"To find camp, because we sure as hell ain't staying here." She responded.
"What do we do?" The puppet master whispered.
"There is nothing we can do...it's impossible. So we just sit and wait."
"Great idea." He said sarcastically.
"I know, it's such a drag."

Sakume had set up camp and made a fire, forcing the others to sit beside it. She healed her fractured arm.
"I'll be right back, I'm going to get some more wood."
"If you're not back it ten, maximum...I'm coming after you." Shika told her.
Ume rolled her eyes and muttered a "Whatever." before departing in search.
Shikamaru took a few minutes and stared at Kankuro.
"Do you like her?"
"What?"
"I swear if you hurt her, even if you are my friend..."
"Calm down."
"You are known to be a player...if you ain't about to change that, you should just give up now."
"Where did all this come from?"
"Sakume has been through alot. She likes you. Losing friends, having family betray her, losing her sister, and she has had more than her fair share on heartbreaks. If you don't truly care for who she is on the inside, forget it."
"How do you know she likes me?"
"I see the way see looks at you, It's a troublesome look.
"Y'know you're really scary in your over-protective-brother state.
"Good." he chuckled slightly. "You didn't answer my question..."
"Hm? Oh, right. I'm not sure yet..." He was going to continue when Sakume returned.
"You were gone eleven minutes, I was getting up to go find you." Shikamaru crossed his arms.
"You worry too much." She set down the logs she collected.
"It's your fault I worry. Your very troublesome, you never know what your going to next.
She smirked. "I know." Sakume sat in between the two shinobi.

"Time for you guys to go to bed."
"What?" The other two asked.
"Yep." She went to get up but a sharp pain branched out in her body and she groaned in pain holding her stomach.
"Sakume!" Kankuro yelled as he caught her.

Sakume bolted upwards sitting out of her bedroll.
"What is it?" Kankuro looked at her with a concerned look on his face.
"Nothing, just a bad dream...what happened last night, I don't remember going to bed."
"You didn't. You healed the wound on you stomach and them fell asleep on me. I put you in your bedroll."
He smiled warmly. She blushed.
"Sorry, I must have been tierd."
"No worries, it's ok...I don't blame you, it's not like I minded."
"Thanks. Hey, where is Shika?"
He gestured behind her. he was cleanning up their site.
"Shikamaru!" She got up. "You need to rest."
"So do you." He protested.
Kankuro watched observingly to see who would win.
Sakume was very stubborn, but who knew when Shikamaru was in his state of "over-protevtive-brother."
They kindly argued for more than seven minutes before he gave up and let her do the last bit of packing.
The rest of the unventured path to Konoha was uneventful.

The group of three were infront of Sakume's house, she had packed her bags and was standing with Kankuro beside he and her bags facing Shikamaru.
"I guess I won't see you for awhile."
"I guess not, but don't you dare think your off the hook Ume. You can bet your ass I'll be checking in on you."
She smiled. "I wouldn't even think of it." she leaned forward to give him a farewell hug.
"Try not to be to troublesome."
"In your dreams." She smirked.
He smiled "Atta a girl... I guess I'll be off to the Hokage's office.
"See you later." He waved.
"Bye!" She waved back as she used her fire to carry her bags and the two shinobi set off.