Summary: Gaara knows only of duty to his village. Shizuka knows only of duty to her people. When she is sent to Suna, both of them are forced to see that there is more to life than they had imagined. They must learn to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the recognizable characters or places or things that you see in this story. I do, however, own Shizuka, her kingdom, and this particular plot-line.

Prologue

Far below, the tiny figures of the palace servants scurried about here and there, each with a different purpose, each pivotal to running the intricate network that made up the kingdom. Shizuka focused on a group near the stables, indistinct in the wavering torchlight, who were loading miscellany into carts. Today she had celebrated her eighteenth birthday and already they were piling up shiny treasures to accompany her like some garish offering to the warlord.

If she were in a more lenient mood, she might admit that that was not entirely fair. After all, most women in her position would have been married two or three years ago. It was only owing to her mother's insistence that Shizuka had not been shipped off on her fifteenth birthday; that she was allowed to grow up a little before being sent away to a foreign country and tied down to a stranger. Of course, the other party had been in no particular hurry either, so that might have had something to do with placating the elders enough to agree to her mother's request. But here they were, her eighteenth birthday not yet over, and already the palace was readying her personal convoy for tomorrow morning's departure. As it stood, she felt that her family could not wait to be rid of her. And why not? She was merely the youngest child of five, one of three daughters. Shizuka held little practical value for either family or country beyond her ability to help secure an alliance through an advantageous marriage. A marriage to a man she had never met and knew very little about.

In her heart of hearts, Shizuka did not really blame her family for this. Though her father was distant and her siblings all had their duties to keep them busy, her mother loved her dearly. Given the circumstances, she had done what she could for her youngest child. With the time that was allotted them, she had tried to give Shizuka as many different experiences as she could, not all of which were traditional for a lady of her station. In fact, some of them might even be considered scandalous. Still, no matter how much she might dote on her youngest, the duties of noblewomen were as clear as they were undeniable. The daughter of the Morikami family would wed a foreign man in order to secure a much-needed alliance. If she failed in her duty, shame would befall her family and disaster would befall her people, especially now. They were healers, not warriors. She had no choice but to succeed.

In turns, she would obsess over it and then try her hardest not to think of it, but the fact remained that Shizuka was deeply curious about the man she was to marry. Despite the fact that he was the same age as her, he was the leader of his village, the kage. Kazekage, she recalled. He is the leader of the Suna ninjas. His father had died a few years ago and for whatever reason, his older brother and the other candidates had been passed over in favor of himself. So, it was left to him to take up the mantle of leadership or forfeit his right. It seems that he had chosen to not only lead, but lead in such a way that it left no room for any challenge to his authority.

Indeed, his reputation was so disproportionate to his age that Shizuka was not entirely certain what to make of it; however, at least some of it had to be true for him to still be alive and in control. He was reputed to be a demon in battle: untouchable and utterly merciless. He was also said to have an unusually high amount of bloodlust. His enemies have been known to flee in terror rather than face him on the battlefield. Or rather, they tried to flee. He would destroy them before they had the chance to get very far. There were several tales lauding his more vicious exploits. In fact, none of the stories about him were kind. They were not what one might hope to hear about one's future husband. She could only hope that there was more to the man than what was shown on the battlefield.

Frowning, Shizuka looked away from the courtyard to consider the scenery beyond the limits of the city. She let her gaze settle on the lush forests and snow-capped mountains, though they were little more than shadows in the nearly moonless night. Where she was going, there were no forests or mountains. She would not be able to walk beneath a verdant canopy and listen to the leaves rustle in the wind, inhale the heady scent of growing green things and the decay of rich earth. There would be no thunderous waterfalls or rushing rapids. There would be no glistening snow or ice-covered lakes. There would only be endless desert. Bare rock and sand and heat. Perhaps there would be some scraggly plant-life, sparse and twisted from eking out nutrients in such a harsh climate. Were there even flowers in the desert? Would even the moon be different in such an alien environment?

With a sigh, Shizuka turned away from the window, padded silently across the floor to her vanity table, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Troubled, emerald eyes stared back at her and a frown turned into a scowl. Considering her rather dainty figure, the scowl did not look like it could be taken seriously, but the fiery look that her eyes now held promised otherwise.

Enough self-pity, she told herself sternly. It's not like you haven't known about this betrothal your entire life. So what if it's in a foreign land? You like adventures. You're not the only woman in the history of humanity to have an arranged marriage. Deal with it. Tomorrow, you'll wake up and be on your way and there will be no more self-pity. You are a daughter of the Morikami family. You are not a coward. Have a little pride.

That settled, Shizuka removed the golden hairpins and combs that held an elaborate hairstyle in place, allowing her inky black tresses to slide freely down her back. She turned away from the vanity and readied herself for bed, trying not to think too much about the future. Shizuka spared one last glance at the moon before blowing out the candles and going to sleep.

I~I~I

Deep in the desert, a lone figure sat upon a rooftop, staring at that same sliver of a moon, blissfully unaware that a very large part of his future had already been decided for him and would, in fact, be arriving in a matter of days.

To be continued…

Author's Note: I know that original characters are often not as popular as cannon and sometimes turn out rather Mary Sue. Please bear with me. I promise you that there is more to Shizuka than meets the eye and I will try my best to make this story worthy of your time and attention. Also, fear not. The next chapter, which I will be posting shortly, will have recognizable characters and is a bit longer.

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