Prologue:

The sun was setting on the sandy village of Suna, bathing the streets and buildings in crimson and stretching the shadows cast by the buildings to their limits. Villagers hurried home, getting ready to shut their windows in preparation of the sandstorm on the horizon. The clock was ticking, they had only hours before the winds came.

In the center of the village Suna's council of elders were gathered in the office of the Kazekage, encircling his desk like predators closing in on their prey. Gaara peered out at them beneath a fringe of red hair, his teal eyes weary of their gazes. Despite the impending weather they were calm, a collective of wisdom and experience that was seldom shaken.

"Kazekage the time has come. We've given you four years to find a woman suitable for marriage of your own accord and we have yet to see you make an effort to do so."

Gaara barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, between the responsibility of being the head of the village and having to participate in active missions due to the limited number of able-bodied high-ranking ninja in the village where was the time to pursue romantic interests? Even more so, while he'd gone through painstaking lengths to show the village he'd overcome the rage of his youth and forgiven the citizens for their cruelty, he could not shake the feeling that everyone was leery of him. A monster on good behavior.

"Given the circumstances we have decided to act upon the arrangement we made with the main branch of the Hyuuga clan of Konoha. We will send for the heiress immediately."

The title of Kazekage was passed down through blood, in Gaara's case he'd won out over his brother by sheer strength and aptitude, while Kankuro was a skilled ninja he had no strength in negotiation or delegation. Despite Gaara's reclusive nature he found that he excelled in his duties, however monotonous they were. However at twenty years old, the council felt that Gaara should start thinking about an heir to pass down the title. The life expectancy of a shinobi was questionable at best and with Gaara and his father before him being the strong leaders they were the council was eager to keep the line going.

One of the elders looked out the window and back to the group, "We should get going, the storm is coming, we must prepare." He then turned and looked back to Gaara, "Expect their Hyuuga heiress here within the week. Treat her with compassion, and we urge you to put forth an effort to woo her."

Gaara stood up from his desk and looked at the council, "You should all leave, as you said- the storm is coming."

And wasn't that the truth.