Minna-san! Hello! How are you all doing!? I've come up with another exciting story! Do not worry! I am still working on my other ones! This one was so interesting that I thought I should present it to you!

Yes, I know...Yugioh and Naruto are an odd combination, but like always my mind started thinking about the possibilities. I will say this though, most of the characters will be from the Naruto series, particularly from a certain sand nation (grin). This story is set during the Fourth Shinobi War Countdown...right after the Kage summit in Iron Country and right before the Fourth Shinobi War begins. As for Yugioh, only the elements are there...nothing from the actual story save for lure...and a few items...(wink, wink)...

Of course, all of my stories begin with a 'what if' moment. For this one I wondered what would happen should Gaara meet survivors of his rampage as a child. That is what propelled this story in to action. Very soon I began to make connections between Yugioh lure and the village of Suna (some of you are pretty much getting it all ready!)

Alrighty! Let's get the show on the road!

Disclaimer: Naruto and Yugioh, their characters, settings, etc., belong to their respective creators. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

Chapter 1: The Lone Heir

Suna, the land of sand ninja, had quite a history...Before the reign of the current Kazekage, there was fear and terror in every corner. Those that could, fled into the desert, never to be seen again. Now, with an age of peace and prosperity ruling over all, a decree had been made...So long as allegiance to Suna had been made, all who fled would be welcome back with open arms.

It was the first order Gaara made when he donned the Kazekage role. He felt it was the right thing to do...after all they had fled because of him. Many on the council protested but he would not relent upon this specific order. It wasn't like he was expecting a herd of people to return, but he wanted them to know Suna was safe to return to if they so wished it. It would take some time for the word to be spread across the nations but if they returned, Suna would be ready.

To his surprise, return they did.

Like a wave they came, a caravan of people who wished to live in Suna. After an initial screening, the new residence were given food and shelter until they could provide for themselves. More people meant more prosperity for Suna and Gaara was glad for it.

Kankurou had been appointed the task of filtering out the families. Some had relatives they could stay with while others needed temporary housing. It was madness for a time but slowly he got into the flow. All he had to do was get them to sign their allegiance to Suna then send them to the housing area while the allegiance papers were taken to Gaara to be signed. With missions and the return paperwork, Gaara had become slammed but he hadn't complained.

Not that he ever would anyway, but after seeing the same paperwork day in and day out Kankurou was about to throw in the towel. How his brother managed to do this day in and day out Kankurou would never know.

Kankurou wasn't the type of person to just sit at a desk and perform the same task over and over again, yet here he was on the fifth day of hearing returning residence speak the oath of Suna which hung over his head. This had to have been at least the hundredth time he heard that damn thing and it was getting annoying. The next person that came up to his little table outside of the Kazekage tower. He barely acknowledged the person...He was so done with his job.

"State your name and state what it says up there…" He muttered while pointing to the allegiance pledge above his head. Everyone had to say before they signed the the allegiance paper. Maybe after this one Kankurou could get a long break...seriously he had been here nonstop all dang day for five days straight!

"I, Yahili Mutou, do swear allegiance to the land of Suna-"

The haze suddenly left Kankurou. He stood and gapped at the confused woman in front of him.

She was quite slim in form, her long black hair streaked with yellow. Yellow bangs framed a small face...Red ruby eyes bore into his very soul.

There was only one family in all of Suna that had that specific exotic coloring...They had supposedly been killed several years ago...

"I...What did you say your name was again?" Had he heard right!?

"Yahili Mutou." She stated. "I'm the great granddaughter of Yugi Mutou."

Kankurou stuttered. "Um...Yeah...sign here…" He pushed the paper in front of her and she quickly signed it. "Um...You...Mind coming with me for a second? Um…" Gaara needed to know this right now! A freaking Mutou was ALIVE!

"Sure." She nodded. "I understand the importance of my name...I'm sure it was a shock…"

He took a big breath. "No kidding!"

He took the young woman straight into the Kazekage tower, told her to wait outside the office doors. He burst into Gaara's office, his little brother knee deep in paperwork. Standing beside him was the ever faith Baki.

"Gaara!" Kankurou shouted. "You're not going to believe this!" Hell HE still couldn't believe it!

"A Mutou!" He gapped. "A Mutou survived!"

Baki's eyes widened just as Gaara's pen suddenly stopped in mid sign. Seafoam eyes stared at Kankurou.

"Are you sure?" Baki asked in deep shock.

"Definitely!" Kankurou nodded quickly. "She's got the black hair and red eyes! Nobody has that combination in Suna!"

Gaara raised an eyebrow…A girl Mutou?

Gaara rose from his chair...Paperwork would have to wait.

Kankurou didn't need a verbal command from his little brother. Quickly he rushed to the hallway to get Yahili Mutou all the while both Gaara and Baki waited to greet the last of the Mutou family.

Though it was a small family, the Mutou family was very recognizable in Suna. Each member had distinct features, mostly the red eyes and yellow streaked black hair gave them away. They were said to be the most...good looking of families in all of Suna yet that was not the main reason why they were so familiar…

The Mutou famiy was the first to live in Suna well before the village was even created. Suna's history books spoke of them as the true rulers of the sands, for their family once ruled this place when kings were in power. Though lost in history, the Mutou family rescinded their claim to the sands, becoming a simple family...Until one called Yugi Mutou was born.

No one knows how he did it but Yugi Mutou had saved Suna before Gaara or his siblings were even born. It was said he used a blood trait that had been long since buried within the Mutou family. Using this blood trait, Suna had glowed brighter than the sun, defeating whatever enemy threatened it... His deed completed, Yugi Mutou went into the desert and came back three days later disoriented and without his memory of why he even went into the desert in the first place.

He was, in essence, a hero...an unsung one for he never wanted such pomp and circumstance to befall his family. Yuig Mutou married, had children who later had children of their own…

No one in the Mutou family spoke of the blood trait ever again. The only reason it was known was a simple scroll written long ago in the handwriting's of the second Kazekage. It said that the Mutou family was the Trump Card of Suna…If Suna was ever in need of them...the Mutou family would surely heed the call.

Of course this wasn't the only reason Gaara knew the Mutous...They had been supposedly wiped out several years ago after refusing to aid the Fourth Kazekage…

At the tender age of ten, Gaara had been the one ordered to wipe them out. In his blood craved mind, he readily agreed to the deed...Personally watching as the Mutous were crushed with his sand...It was one of many horrible memories Gaara wished to bury. Though he could not escape the fact that he had personally destroyed an entire family of famous Suna residents.

At least...he thought he had…

When Kankurou brought the young woman forward, even Baki couldn't believe it himself. She certainly had the coloring down and the thin frame all Mutous seemed to inherit. They had always been short in height...This girl had indeed inherited that for she barely hit Kankurou's chest and she was grown woman at that.

Gaara came around his desk to personally greet her and express his thanks for returning to Suna. However, before he could get a word in those ruby eyes of hers widened considerably as they noticed him approach. Gaara's ninja senses picked up her quick breath easily…

"I wished you had screamed…"

Her words came out breathy and they made Gaara stop in his tracks.

He wasn't the only one that saw the knife in slender Mutou hands.

She screamed as she was barreled to the floor by Kankurou, the knife knocked away from her distraught form. Gaara was the only one standing still at the moment as Baki and Kankurou handled the would be killer.

"You killed them!" She screamed. "You killed my parents!"

Kankurou and Baki shared a glance before directing themselves to Gaara. It wasn't like this was the first time a civilian wanted Gaara's blood. He HAD killed MANY innocent people long ago and he had enjoyed the process of it. Normally a threat to the Kazekage was an immediate death sentence but in these cases Gaara wouldn't allow such to happen, especially if the person didn't know exactly who the Kazekage was. It was mostly children of families he hurt that returned for vengeance but slowly they had accepted that Gaara had changed.

This was, apparently, another of those cases.

"My grandfather and I fled that night…" She was shaking as she was made to stand, Kankurou and Baki holding her still. "My grandfather had to carry me upon his back as we traveled the desert because I had become terrified of sand…" She sounded completely broken. "On his deathbed I promised him I would return to Suna... " Her eyes glared at Gaara. "But...I find it's ruled by a MURDERER!"

Gaara was silent as he went back to his desk, quickly jotted something down on a scroll. Rolling it up as he approached he handed it to Kankurou. These days these types of cases were few in between but still Gaara took them personally. He could not fault the woman for her anger and mistrust…

"I cannot give you my life." He told her. "But…" He locked eyes with her own, accepting the hatred there with sympathy and regret. "I can give you back yours." He gave a nod and Kankurou was gone with the woman, Baki staying.

About an hour later Kankurou returned with a quick report on the Mutou woman. In all the madness of the previous encounter her name had not been spoken.

Yahili...her name was Yahili...

She had been taken to the hospital and put on suicide watch, apparently wanting to die rather than be ruled over her parents' murderer. Where she had been all this time was a mystery to solve later. Right now Mutou Yahili needed understanding and care; Gaara was willing to provide such things to her whether she wanted them or not.

"The doctor said Mutou-san should be okay in a few days…" Kankurou sighed. "Man...what a tough case…" Personally he felt for the young woman but he was also happy that he wasn't stuck at his desk right now!

"Say, Gaara…" He stared at his young brother. "What do you want to do with her when the hospital lets her out?"

It was a simple question with a simple answer. "I promised I would give her her life...I intend to do such."

A nod. "Right...Guess I should check the old Mutou house...It hasn't been used in years but with a little help and a few days of hard work I think we can make it livable for her." Kankurou was itching to do something, ANYTHING to make sure he wasn't sitting behind that table again!

Gaara nodded. "See that it is done."

The Fifth Kazekage returned to his paperwork as if the recent events had never happened, Kankurou retreating to complete his task of returning the old Mutou residence back to its original glory. Already Gaara was creating the deed for the home with Yahili's name on it proclaiming her the matriarch of the family. Doing this gave her the right to the property and any and all monies said property gained.

Gaara made a promise to protect the people of Suna...That included the great granddaughter of Yugi Mutou...Even if she hated his guts, he would still see that she would live comfortably under his wing.

For that is what he, the Kazekage, did.

Next Time: Yahili Mutou