Fanning His Flames

Authors' Note: This is a collaboration between myself and celestia193. We decided to try out a new pairing and here it is. If the thought of this pairing bothers you for whatever reason, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, we hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto or make any profit off of our fanfics.

Chapter 1

The Sun was sadistic, Sasuke decides as he continues on his trek towards the Sand Village. For days, it had slammed down on him without any mercy until it set. The only respite he had was the fact he could use Water Style now and he'd already set his traveling cloak in his pack.

"The Loser would laugh his ass off, if he could see me now." He rolls his eyes at the thought.

He had fought against some of the greatest ninjas to have ever lived and was still standing and yet, he had been conquered by nature. With every step he takes, it feels as though his skin had been set ablaze by a powerful Amaterasu and Sasuke curses his fair complexion. It had never been an issue before, but then again, he had never bothered traveling to the desert before either.

"Finally." He sighs as he sees the Sand Village in the distance and Flickers to the entrance.

He could have used his Rinnegan to teleport from much further away, but Sasuke didn't want to activate it for fear a Sensory Type might realize what was going on. Walking was more normal. Hell, even the Body Flicker Technique probably wouldn't raise as many alarm bells. At least now though, the Sand Village's buildings would provide some shade from the harsh sun, if nothing else.

The two guards take a step back as they lay eyes on the darkly clothed, but seriously sunburned Uchiha. Every shinobi knew his face, even without seeing his Sharingan or Rinnegan.

On with sandy blond hair speaks up. "Sasuke Uchiha?"

Despite the situation, Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk. "Yes. Don't worry, I'm not going to attack your village." Who knew that Sand Villagers had a sense of humor? He highly doubted anyone in the Five Great Nations over the age of five couldn't identify him on sight, he'd made no effort to hide his identity. "If I was going to do that, I wouldn't come through the front entrance. I just want a place to rest until I resume my travels."

Why should he? It wasn't as if anyone could seriously threaten him anymore besides Naruto? That and he knew that he deserved every dirty or awe inspired look that the Sand Villagers were currently sending his way. To their credit though, they were by far the most subtle about it that he had seen. Most villages either whispered or flat started screaming when they saw him.

If nothing else, that was something he could respect. Maybe it wasn't a representative sample though, but Sasuke was pretty sure this was a quieter villager than the Leaf. Then again, he doubted there were many villagers that were louder than the village of his birth.

"The Hokage gave me a diplomatic pass to freely travel in our allies lands." He pulls a necklace out from underneath his shirt, displaying the symbol of the Leaf Village. "So are you going to honor the alliance between our villages or do I have to continue on?" They had to know that he'd alert Naruto if they didn't let him in. Sasuke felt a little guilty about using the pass, but honestly it was just easier than playing twenty questions.

The female snorts softly and relaxes her hand which was going for a kunai. "Not a transformation jutsu, then." They were ninja, and that meant that they had to be careful. "Yes, you may enter. The Kazekage has given us standing orders that you are to be allowed to pass through the gates at your leisure. Something about…the newest Hokage not shutting up about his best friend." Or so Lord Kankuro had put it.

Sasuke snorts at that. "That does sound like him." It looked like he was going to be granted entry without too much difficulty, if the woman's words were any indication. "Thank you. I'll go and announce my arrival to the Kazekage then." He bows as he starts past them.

He was an introvert by necessity these days, but that didn't mean he was completely unfamiliar with how to 'play nicely' as Naruto called it. It was just that he had never seen the value of doing so after the Massacre until recently.

If he was going to redeem himself and restore the name of his family, it was now a necessity. For Itachi's sake, if nothing else...he'd be polite. That meant doing things like addressing Gaara by his title in front of his villagers and minding his manners. With that thought in mind, he ignores the stares of the Sand Villagers as he makes his way to the Kazekage Tower.

He knew no one would stop him. Mostly because they'd have to be foolish to do so and also because of the symbol he wore around his neck. The adults knew what that meant and no parent would allow their child to get near him, if they had any notions about questioning him or 'saving the Kazekage.' Sasuke could easily imagine that most of the Sand Villagers would have been terrified on Gaara's behalf at his presence. Never mind the fact, that he held no ill will towards the red head. They didn't know that.

"They'd reported that a stranger was seen crossing the border a few days ago, but I never thought it would be you." A female voice drifts down to Sasuke from on high as a shadow passes overhead. "But it looks like someone's spent too much time out underneath the desert sun."

That voice. He'd heard it somewhere before, but where? "Well, you know what they say." He looks up and finds a smirk gracing his lips for the second time that day. "A ninja should always expect the unexpected." Now, that he could see her, Sasuke recognizes her easily enough. "Lady Temari." That blonde hair in those spiky ponytails was very distinctive to say the least and if that didn't trigger his memory, her fan would have.

The blonde shoots him an echoing smirk as her gaze roams over his reddened cheeks and neck. "I should say the same to you. Though maybe it would be more accurate to say that you did not expect what should have been expected." The desert was no joke when it came to sunburns.

"I suppose that I deserved that." Sasuke shrugs in an effort to appear casual. "I was just on my way to inform the Kazekage of my arrival." In reality, it was taking all his self-control not to gawk at her. The woman had actually TEASED him about having sunburn. He could count on his left hand how may people would dare to 'joke' with him about anything and he hadn't expected Temari to be one of them.

Looking like that? Temari raises an eyebrow as she floats down on her fan, touching down and whirling it around to close it. "I'm sure that Gaara will understand if you get some…treatment for your injuries, first." She stares at the bright coral of his skin. She chuckles and shakes her head. "You may not show it, but I'm sure that you're in agony right now."

She was enjoying this, Sasuke decides. "I don't think there's much that can be done about sunburn after one gets it, but thank you for your concern." Oh well. Let her have a few laughs at his expense. He still had to alert Gaara to his presence.

Temari rolls her eyes and slides her fan through a leather strap on her back. "Come on, there's plenty that can be done about sunburns once you've got them. You can see my brother afterward. We do live in the same building, after all."

"Alright." Idly, he wonders if Temari actually recognized who he was at this point. "Lead the way." He'd rarely had anyone boss him around who wasn't family or an instructor of some sort before, but especially not someone who could be considered a female peer. "Are all Sand women as...assertive as you?" He strides closer to her. "Or is that just a unique trait of yours?"

"We're less shy than your women." Less loud, as well, but when a Sand woman wanted something, she knew exactly how to get it. And it didn't have to involve screaming like a rabid fangirl. Temari was a perfect example of that. "Less annoying, too."

"You're also exceptionally modest." Sasuke smirks. "Though I'll keep all that in mind during my stay here."

"I never affirmed or denied it." And she couldn't be held responsible for whatever came out of his mouth. "So, what brings you here? I doubt it was just to enjoy the…" She glances at his burns again. "…weather."

The woman was brave, Sasuke had to give her that much. "I just go where my feet take me at this point and somehow, I ended up in the desert." In retrospect, that hadn't been his brightest idea.

Wandering, then…Temari could understand why, after everything that had happened and the less than favorable opinions a lot of people held about him. "Doesn't your village always say something about putting down roots?" Even if Sasuke's tree had been uprooted long ago, there was still plenty of soil in the world to plant it again in.

"It's better that I don't." Sasuke shakes his head as he bites back some scathing replies to that. Temari didn't deserve them. "Naruto is Hokage now. It's easier for him to be so without my being there. It would cause tension." The fact that the Leaf had once ordered the massacre of his entire family for doing just that, putting down roots, wasn't her fault. Besides, the blonde was just offering friendly advice.

"Tension, huh?" Temari knew a bit about what that was like. "I think that you don't give yourself enough credit. If you absolutely wanted to limit your interaction with other people, I'm sure that Naruto and Kakashi could put you to use as the new head of the ANBU."

"I still would have been seen around the village, unless I wanted to wear that mask for the rest of my life." He sighs as though debating whether or not it was worth it to elaborate. "Besides, I have a very unique chakra signature, any decent sensor would have recognized it easily, even if I cloaked and...I'm too recognizable even with a mask on." There. That didn't sound too vain, did it? He definitely wasn't going to point out the fact that his former admirers might comment on how he filled out even an ANBU uniform.

All of those were fair points, though Temari felt like Sasuke was intentionally limiting his own options. As some kind of penance, maybe? After all, sufficient stealth skills and some lessons from a sensor type in how to dampen and erase your chakra signature could solve those problems in a hurry. "Well, if you're sure about that, then who am I to stop you?" She pushes open the door to the Kazekage mansion and steps inside. "But at least in here you'll be able to get out of the sun."

He nods gratefully as he heads inside. "I'm sure and thanks." Sasuke allows himself to familiarize with his surroundings. "Gaara has better taste in design than the Loser does." He shakes his head. "At least he didn't paint the walls orange."

"I doubt the walls would take the color." In fact, it was generally difficult to paint the buildings, since most were made of sandstone. Some, however, like the upper floors of the mansion were public offices, and were reinforced against the weather with steel framing and interior walls. The ones down here, however, were sandstone, which took about as well to paint as oil to water.

Temari strides past the kitchen and opens a closet, pulling a bottle of clear green gel from one of the upper shelves. "Now, would you prefer to lay on the couch or on a bed?"

"That's a good thing." Orange would look even worse in the desert in Sasuke's opinion. "It doesn't matter, but thank you." He reaches for the gel, figuring he'd put it on as far as possible. Never did it occur to him that Temari intended to do it for him.

The blonde rolls her eyes and seizes his wrist as he reaches out for the aloe. "Bed it is." If the man wasn't going to choose, then she would choose for him. "Follow me." Not that she gave him a choice as she pulled him down the hall towards one of the bedrooms. She nudges the door open with her foot and strides inside, dragging him along behind her. "Shirt off and get on the bed."

Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk as Temari orders him about. "Maybe things are different in the Sand, but I always imagined I'd at least take a woman out to dinner first before getting into her bed." Honestly, he blames Kakashi's influence him for that comment. Hell, even Suigetsu could be at fault, but the way she was bossing him around made him more...bold than he normally would have been otherwise.

All his life he'd either been too young or too busy to express much interest in the opposite sex beyond their fighting abilities. Certainly, he'd never made a 'dirty joke' before, but well it was hard not to say SOMETHING when Temari was shoving him onto a bed and ordering him to partially strip.

His mother probably would have given him a disapproving look for that comment and his father, well Sasuke wasn't sure how he would have responded, but he follows Temari's orders. After all, his skin still felt as if it was under siege by the Amaterasu. Being defiant wasn't in his best interest.

Temari answers his smirk with one of her own. "Believe me, if I want a man in my bed, it wouldn't be that hard." She squeezes a large glob of aloe into her palm and puts the bottle on the bedside table as she rubs the cooling gel over her hands. "Now, try not to scream like a little girl, but if you must, my name will do." She places her hands down on his badly burned shoulders, noting with some amusement that the burns had managed to seep through the thin cloth of his shirt somewhat. She was almost impressed that he wasn't screaming in agony already.

Honestly, he was a bit gobsmacked. This was the point where a Leaf woman would either start giggling or smacking someone for saying what he had just said. Yet here Temari was, making it almost sound like they were actually lovers.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh at her audacity or hiss in pain from his 'injury' being treated. So he settles somewhere in the middle between pain and laughter, Itachi.

"Itachi would have liked you." Sasuke bits back a hiss. "You might not be a Genjutsu User, but you're good at fucking with people's heads."

He probably shouldn't have used vulgarity in front of Gaara's sister. She was addressed as if she was actually nobility. 'Lady Temari' was what the other Sand Villagers called her, but well, Itachi was right. Sasuke was foolish, but in his defense Temari had started it.

"Of course I'm good at fucking with people's heads." Temari leans over him and presses down on his shoulders, rubbing the aloe gently but firmly into the burned skin. "I wouldn't count for much as a tactician if I didn't know how to get into my opponent's head."

"That's a decent point." Sasuke nods as he allows her to tend to his injuries.

How long had it been since anyone had touched him outside of a combat or medical situation? Years most likely. The burn was still there, but now it was being replaced by something entirely. The soothing sensation of aloe and skillful, feminine hands. How were her hands that soft when she lived in a desert anyway? Were all women's hands this soft and he'd just never noticed?

"Of course it is, I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't." If nothing else, Temari was very proud of her intellect. Her ability to formulate an argument was second to none. Except, perhaps, Shikamaru Nara. "How much is your back improving?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're modesty is your most becoming trait?" He snorts, but actually smiles all the same. "Much better than it was. Thank you." The action feels almost alien after not doing it for so long, but Sasuke recognizes it for what it was. A smile. Usually, smirking was the closest he came to that.

Temari snorts with laughter. "Good, then I suppose you've learned your lesson about being out in the sun for too long when your skin is clearly not used to it. But it seems that you have yet to learn that I put no stock in being humble. It's useful on a mission where you can get away with lying by omission, but other than that, I see no reason to use it."

"Yes, I've learned my lesson." Sasuke nods as he begins to stand up, thinking she was done with him. "Thanks for your help, but I should probably let Gaara know that I'm here." The village tongues were likely wagging and it had to be only a matter of time. "As for feigned modesty, I agree with you. I'd prefer an arrogant and honest rose to a falsely humble cactus." They were in the desert, so Sasuke feels absurdly pleased with his little pun.

"Back down with you." Temari pushes him back down onto the bed and straddles his hips to keep him from getting up again. "I still need to do your front." She reaches over him for the bottle of aloe and squeezes another glob onto her hands.

Sasuke blinks as his cheeks go bright pink for a reason that had nothing to do with the sunburn. Temari had just shoved him on the bed and was straddling him and instead of being angry, he was kinda turned on.

Yeah. This was definitely Kakashi's fault for forcing him to read those stupid books. The silver haired ninja had sworn it would help him one day with 'Clan Restoration Efforts.' Totally Kakshi's fault.

"Alright." Of course, he couldn't say any of that. So Sasuke decides it was in his best interest to just let Temari do what she wanted. Maybe if he pictured something disgusting like Orochimaru's ridiculously long tongue, everything would go back to normal.

Temari's hands work over the sunburned skin, rubbing another layer of aloe in to soothe and heal. Though she was still mildly entertained by the notion of Sasuke forgetting that this was a desert long enough to take off his cloak. "See, this is one of the reasons why it's better to travel the desert at night, especially if you're not a native."

"If I ever find myself in another desert again, I'll keep that in mind." He sighs in contentment and closes his eyes at her gentle administrations.

Sure, she was feisty by almost any definition, but the combination of that aloe and her shockingly gentle touch was soothing. In some distant corner of his mind, Sasuke knew it was foolish to let his guard down even partially, but it was too pleasant to be on high alert. He settles on medium alert. If she tried something, he'd defend himself. He just wasn't in a hurry to stop her from tending to his sunburn at the moment.

Pleased by the stubborn man's acceptance of her help, Temari outlines the contours of his muscles with her fingertips as she massages the aloe into his skin. It was a relaxing task, even for the one performing the massage.

Relaxing…until her door, left ajar, swings fully open. She rolls her eyes and doesn't bother looking up. "Go away, Kankuro, I'm busy."

"If you think that I'm Kankuro, perhaps it is time for you to invest in glasses." A raspy voice is heard that has Sasuke sitting up faster than one could say Chidori. "Uchiha is there a reason why you're laying half naked in my sister's bed and why said sister is straddling you in such a suggestive fashion?" Gaara feels his sand bristle.

Temari tumbles back, blinking bemusedly as she takes in the sight of not Kankuro, but GAARA at her door. "Oh, it's you Gaara." That was a surprise. She thought he'd be in meetings all day. "Mr. Genius here thought that taking his cloak off in the middle of a desert in daylight was a smart move. I was cleaning him up."

"Good so there is no danger that you will be bearing an army of blond Uchihas in the relatively near future." Gaara sighs in relief at that.

Sasuke looks at Gaara is if he had grown another head. "An army of blond Uchihas?" Where did the red head come up with such things. "Really?"

An army of blond Uchihas, huh? The thought made Temari want to laugh, but her brother's overprotective streak made her want to smack him. "Gaara, I am twenty-two years old. IF I wanted to pop out an army of Uchihas, there is nothing you could do to stop me."

Sasuke decides it was best to remain silent between the sibling feud, if one could call it that. It was difficult to tell if it was playful banter or if the sand and wind might start flying soon.

"I suppose that's technically true." Gaara shakes his head and crosses his arms. "Though do you really think you would be prepared to deal with the consequences of such a thing?" He pauses fora moment. "No offense, Uchiha. I believe in second chances more than anyone, but you have to admit that would cause a frenzy in the press."

Sasuke couldn't deny that. "None taking." He stands up and reaches for shirt. "I doubt I'll be in the position to have an army of children with anyone, anytime soon." He smirks at the Kazekage's joke. "No offense to your family, of course."

Bickering with Naruto was one thing. Their banter usually ended in Chidoris and Rasengans, but Gaara was another. The Kazekage was capable of a verbal spar and while it wasn't the wisest course of action to egg his host on, Sasuke couldn't resist doing so. It was fun and the red head was a worthy opponent.

Temari coughs loudly. "Gaara…might I remind you that you've granted Sasuke free passage in and out of the village as an envoy from the Leaf." Even if it was mostly an honorary title that Naruto had pushed on him to ease Sasuke's travels, it was still not a good idea to get into a fight with one of the heroes of the last war. That sort of showdown would flatten the village.

"Well, yes." Gaara shakes his head in disbelief. "Come, Uchiha. I'll find you a room for the night. I assume you're staying at least until morning?"

"I am." Right now it was important to rest and perhaps get some traveling supplies before moving on. "You don't need to offer me a room though. I can purchase one at an inn." It was kind of Gaara and Sasuke knew why he was doing it, but he didn't want to take advantage of the Kazekage's hospitality. That and the more people saw him as a regular person, the better.

"Would you prefer to have people gawk at you in public whenever you leave your room at one of the inns?" Temari would admit that the San was better about such things, but thanks to Sasuke's reputation, he was going to be stared at no matter where he went.

He glances at her. "Not particularly, but people do have to get used to me eventually." Sasuke knew that if he kept refusing though, it could all too easily be conceived of as an insult. "Though if you insist, I'm grateful for your hospitality."

"Good, there's a free room three doors down the hall on the right side." Temari smirks at her little victory. "And contrary to what you might think, being seen around Gaara will go a long way towards having our people become comfortable around you. Most of the younger generation worship my brother. And the older generations have stopped squirming for the most part and largely regard him with respect."

"Being seen in his company will make them more likely to deem you safe, and even important." Of course, it wouldn't simply blow over that quickly, but the Sand hadn't been nearly as hurt by Sasuke's actions as the Leaf or Cloud had. Their grudges often blew away like the desert sand. Always shifting, always moving, almost alive.

"Good to know." He nods at her as he walks off, leaving Gaara to shoot her a series of incredibly baffled looks.

With the conclusion of his bafflement, Gaara strides out of his sister's room and shuts the door behind himself. His sister was not wrong in her logic, Gaara would give her that. But how they had ended up in her room together was still something of a mystery. "Well, Uchiha? Would you mind giving your version of the events that transpired?"

Sasuke wasn't sure how to even begin. "She started it?" Except that.

"Of course she did." Gaara knew very well that his sister was an instigator of situations. Passive was the last word that should be used to describe Temari. "And did she notice your…interest?" He shoots the Uchiha a sharp look.

He would rather face Madara a thousand times over than be caught in this situation. "I had a sunburn and she drug me off to treat it." Dealing with an overprotective brother who could sand coffin people was not on his To Do List, no matter how much stronger Sasuke was...Gaara had righteous fury on his side. "She's the one who decided she had to sit on me to apply the aloe to my chest and as for that other part, no." At least, he didn't think so. Temari would have said something if she had. This was only his second or third time talking to her and Sasuke already knew she was many things, but shy was not one of them.

While Gaara was still a little irritated that he had walked in on such a thing, he did have to admit that his sister had a very hands-on approach to many situations. After weighting the odds and possibilities in her mind, of course. What those possibilities were…only Nara could guess. "I take it that, at least in some ways, you find my sister attractive?"

"Gaara, I think you're smart enough to realize that no matter what I say, you're going to want to Sand Coffin me." Sasuke shrugs. "You're also smart enough to realize that us fighting won't end well for anyone." He starts towards his room. "So why don't we leave it at that?" Before a diplomatic incident was caused over a freaking sunburn!

And finally, the Kazekage's lips turn up in a smirk. "Yes, I suppose that you have a point." He shows Sasuke to the door of the guest room and eyes him cautiously. "Do be carefuly, though. My sister is a cunning and forward woman. She also makes for an excellent diplomat, when she keeps her temper in check." While Gaara did not seriously foresee it becoming an issue, his sister's actions today indicated that she was at least interested in manhandling the Uchiha for her own amusement. "Whatever she wants, she often finds a way to get. Watch yourself, for you seem to be the most interesting thing she's seen in quite a while."

"Gaara, I'm pretty sure that she just liked being able to boss me around and get away with it due to her political influence." Wait. That probably sounded worse than he meant it to. "She was 'messing with me.' That doesn't mean that she's trying to have my babies." Though the fact the Kazekage felt it necessary to 'warn' him was making Sasuke pause a bit. How much of that was merited and how much was just Gaara being an overprotective brother?

Gaara chuckles softly and shakes his head. "There is no political influence required. That is simply how Temari is. If you would prefer not to be 'bossed around', then I would suggest keeping a minimum of three hundred meters from her at all times." Gaara knew that from experience. Ever since he became a 'teddy bear', as Naruto put it, Temari was no longer afraid of telling him to do things in the comfort and privacy of their own home. "By virtue of her personality, she wields great power over men. And she enjoys it a little too much."

"I've noticed." Sasuke shakes his head. "To think there was once a time when she was terrified of you. It seems you've reversed roles." He couldn't help, but smirk at that observation.

Aqua eyes narrow instantly. "Enjoy having my sister tending to your burns. You'll have them for at least a week." And Temari would manhandle him for all that time.

"I've survived worse." The Uchiha shrugs, feeling a bit embarrassed over such a large commotion being made over perhaps the most mundane injury he had received this decade. I'll just stock up on aloe. Goodnight, Lord Kazekage." Never mind how painful it was. People got sunburns every day.

"Goodnight, Uchiha." The redhead turns and disappears from sight, heading to the kitchen to search for some sake. Clearly, the next week was going to need it, badly.