Amateru sat peacefully in the sand while her eyes kept a careful watch over the humped cattle that grazed on pads of hay. Her fingers ran through the sand that blew around her with a light wind, her nails painted a light brown so she would not have to continue to see the dirt that would accumulate underneath them from working with the earth. Footsteps behind her forced Amateru's gaze to cross her shoulder. She could see a man approaching but all he could see from under her light tan shawl hood that shielded her face was a few strains of loose deep burgundy brown hair.

"Baraka, Amateru?"

The man was tall and wearing all black. The fabric from his black hood waved in the light wind over his painted face. Kankuro was his name if she recalled correctly. She had met with him only a few times on rare occasion, mostly as a means of communication between her and the Kazekage. Slowly Amateru stood to her feet; her tan robe blew back from her body revealing her lightly tanned skin. The chocolate brown top that adorned her chest was cropped and tied up under her bust while her long layered tan and brown skirt flowed back between her legs.

"The Kazekage is requesting your presence." Kankuro addressed. He watched the young woman, still unable to see her face, turn back to look at the cattle situated behind her. Baraka, Amateru, two year new leader of the sand nomads that lived outside of the village keeping charge of Sunagakure's agricultural resources. The moment Amateru took over the position that was previously ran by her father, communication with the village commenced in conversation with improving their agricultural system. Kankuro watched as a covered man on a chestnut colored horse galloped up to her side.

"I'm heading to the village; keep the cattle on track till I return." Her voice was soft but held a commanding undertone. The man on horseback's face was covered with a white scarf while his arms were wrapped in bandages. Kankuro could not read his expression with the exception of a light nod that sent the man and the horse in a controlled gallop around the side of the small herd. Amateru turned back to face Kankuro. Her face still covered by her shawl's hood as she approached him. The nomads, though Sunagakure born and raised, held a different culture than the rest of the citizens that were village bound. They moved around the dunes constantly, never staying in one place too long. Their focus was solely on the well-being of livestock and crops. Kankuro turned with Amateru's movements leading her back to the village. That was one of the main reasons why it was hard to come into communications with them besides written messages. Amateru definitely made herself more accessible than her father before her. Kankuro didn't know very much about Amateru, she was strictly raised on the outskirts of the village like the other nomads.

"Nervous?" He broke the silence as he led her through Sunagakure's mountainous entrance. She was helping them build a better foundation of resources, it was best to try and be personable. Her clothing's appearance stood out and attracted her quite a bit of attention. Nomads never set foot into Suna.

"What for?" Her voice was calm and kind.

"Well, you've never met the Kazekage before, I'm sure you've heard stories." Kankuro smiled. The soft laugh that escaped her lips caught him off guard.

"The Kazekage? From the messages I've received he seems like a level headed man," Her head raised to look up at the large spherical building that housed the Kazekage's office. Kankuro could only make out her lips from under the shawl hood, they were in a soft smile, "It's quite dangerous to follow grape vines."

A smirk played on his lips as they entered the building. Clever analogy, he liked her.

Kankuro knocked on his younger brother's office door,

"Yes?" a calm voice spoke out from within.

"I've brought Baraka, Amateru." He addressed.

"Come in."

Amateru entered while Kankuro held the door to the side for her. In front of her sat a young man with vibrant auburn red hair and tanuki circled eyes that were focused on the piles of papers in front of him until she approached. He looked to be about the same age as her. She didn't think they would have been so close in age.

"Lord Kazekage," she bowed

A puzzled expression crossed Gaara's face for a moment. This... that voice was too young to be the Baraka Amateru he had been in communication with. Did Kankuro make a mistake? As she straightened her posture from the bow she pulled her light tan shawl hood down. Both Kankuro and Gaara's eyes widened.

"I'm Baraka, Amateru," a smile was placed onto rose petal lips, her face bight with sun kissed skin. She couldn't be older than 22! Her heart shaped face was framed by burgundy brown bangs that fell into copper eyes while the rest of her thick hair was held back by a low loose braid over her shoulder. This was not who he was expecting to meet. Where was the old woman he always had envisioned he was exchanging messages with!?

Kankuro released a broad grin, well this was unexpected. Who knew the desert dunes were holding back such a beauty? He looked over at his younger brother who quickly recomposed his shock, oh-ho he saw it too did he?

Amateru smiled kindly with her hands held gently behind her back, "It's wonderful to finally be able to meet you in person, thank you for requesting my presence."

Gaara immediately withdrew his surprise; this couldn't be a joke was it? He quickly glanced to Kankuro who grinned and shrugged his shoulders. He was surprised as well.

"Thank you for coming," He stood from his seat, "I know coming into the village is foreign for nomads."

Her eyes stayed focused on him respectively, "That is something I would like to change." Amateru's voice was soft but direct.

"I agree, one of the main reasons why I requested your presence. I believe it is important for the distance between us to be eliminated. You are all Suna citizens after all." Gaara walked around to the front of his desk to be more personable. This woman was holding the future of Suna's economy in her hands essentially. She held the knowledge of how they would become more self-sufficient resource wise. He just- the way she wrote did not give him the image of someone who looked like… her.

"Thank you Lord Kazekage." Amateru nodded her head, "I do have to admit, the structures here are much larger than I imagined," she raised a hand to her head with a laugh, "It's quite dizzying. I do think it will be some time before my people are comfortable around so much…. activity."

She had a good laugh.

"I can imagine it would take some time. How about you?" Gaara inquired

"When all eyes are on you what insecurities are you really allowed to have?"

He related to her words immediately. Amateru waited, she was sure that the Kazekage didn't summon her presence just for small talk. He handed her a file studying her face as she took it from him. She opened it carefully to read its contents, her copper eyes moving with the strokes of the kanji while a smile played at her lips before she just couldn't contain it. It was a report of other village's views on Sunagakure's resource state, it was horrible!

"This is horrible," she softly laughed handing the file back to Gaara taking both him and Kankuro back. Her response made no sense, should they be insulted? The papers showed that they were thought of as a dependent village rather than an independent one. Yes they were surrounded by a desert but they were not a cry for help. The two men watched her walk to the window behind the Kazekage's desk. She touched the clay wall of the building with her fingertips closing her eyes. Her hand scaled the wall till it was level with her face, her eyes opening to look out over the roof tops of the village.

"Sky gardens." She spoke, Gaara watched her, "Vertical gardens, they can be erected anywhere around the village. It will allow people to grow their own food without plots of land." Her idea….. it was good.

"Self-sufficient." Kankuro spoke

Amateru looked back at them both, "Those reports are misguided." She explained walking back to them. The air of which she carried herself was strong, Baraka held an old soul. That is why the Kazekage had envisioned her as such, "I make sure live stock is kept separately and not in one large herd. That way to outsider's eyes it looks as though stock is deplenished but that is far from the truth. I apologize for laughing." She quickly bowed

A smirk sneaked onto the Kazakage's face, Kankuro was quick to catch this. Gaara was impressed; to be honest he was too. Amateru was proving to be a great asset to Suna.

"Baraka," Gaara spoke up, Amateru straightened her posture. "I would like to make you my adviser on issues concerning agriculture and resources."

Her eyes glowed, "I would be honored Lord Kazekage, I apologize that past relations have not been better."

"That does not fall on your shoulders." He turned returning to his desk, "Is it possible for you to return tomorrow to fix our own documents so an accurate resource count can be considered." He was the Kazekage but she still was in charge of the nomad fractions. He couldn't just demand her presence as if she was a Suna shinobi.

"Of course Lord Kazekage." Amateru pulled her shawl hood back up over her head acknowledging that their meeting was finished. Kankuro observed his younger brother take care to watch her leave. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth before he followed her to escort her out of the village. There was an interest present that their great Kazekage was trying to cover, of which, he had not witnessed before. Kankuro watched her walk in front of him; her movements were in sync with the rhythm of the earth around her. She walked lightly on her toes almost like a dance. The villager's eyes were glued on her the entire way to the Suna's entrance. Her movements were different; the air around her was different. Were all nomads like this?

Amateru turned to Kankuro as she exited the village, her face once again shrouded.

"Did I seem nervous?" she smiled returning to their previous conversation.

"I know the Kazakage was impressed." A half smile returned her expression

She released a calming breath through her nose, "I know I didn't grow up within the gates of Sunagakure, but I do love this village. I will help in any way I can."

Kankuro watched her in all seriousness just as a sorrel horse slowed it pace behind her. It was not the same man who he saw on horseback that morning. With a pull of her hand the man had her on the horse seated behind him.

"Till tomorrow," Kankuro dismissed. Amateru nodded before the horse took off across the dunes, sand flying up behind its hooves.