Chapter 1: A Moonlight Song

Sakana could hear the wind howling outside her window. It was the third sandstorm this week. Sighing, she wondered if she would ever get used to them. Even though she had been living in Suna for three years now, the powerful winds still unnerved her. She reached up and untied her long black hair and began to brush it.

For the umpteenth time that day she thought about tomorrow and her team's journey to Konoha. Again she wondered if she was ready for the Chuunin exams. Baki-sensei's words floated into her mind. "Sakana I do believe you are ready. Your water ninjutsu will surprise the other ninja and your taijutsu and genjutsu are superb." His words comforted her. Smiling, she put down her brush and glanced outside. The sandstorm had stopped and the full moon was high in the sky.

Suddenly, she heard someone on the roof. Her smile turned into a serious expression. Turning out her lights she opened her window and quietly walked up the wall. The rooftop was bathed in moonlight, illuminating a shaggy-haired figure sitting near the edge of the roof. It didn't take long to realize who it was.

Sakana often saw her teammate Gaara sitting on the roofs of various buildings in Suna, but this was the first time he'd ever appeared on the roof of her apartment building. She walked over to him and said, "Hi, Gaara-san." As she expected, he didn't jump, but just turned his head to face her. "May I join you" she asked. He nodded slowly, as if he hadn't expected her to ask. She sat down next to him and looked up at the moon.

After a while Gaara spoke. "I heard someone singing here last night. Do you know who it was?"

The question surprised her because she had been the one singing; it was a song her foster mother taught her, 'The Beautiful Mists.' Sakana nodded. "It was me."

"Do you think you could sing it again?" he asked.

She smiled softly and started to sing.

She finished and turned to Gaara. His face still held no emotion, but she could tell he was grateful for her singing.

Feeling tired, Sakana stood up and said, "I'm going to bed now; I'll see you tomorrow morning Gaara-san. Goodnight." Returning to her room, she closed the window, slipped into her sleeping kimono and laid down on her bed. Soon sleep was upon her.

Gaara's POV

He watched as Sakana walked back down the wall and then returned his gaze to the moon. Briefly, he wondered why she was so kind to him. Sakana was the only one who treated him like he was normal. His father wanted to kill him, his siblings feared him and his mother died hating him. But there was one difference between them and Sakana - she didn't know about Shukaku. He didn't want to think about what she would do or say if she ever found out; for some reason the idea greatly disturbed him.