Disclaimer: She who owns nothing would definitely not own Naruto.

Author's Note: I'm... worried. Its my first time writing a GaaSaku, and although I've read LOADS of fanfics all ready, I still don't think I'm ready to start on one. I'm still a new fan of the series, see, and although I have read about ten volumes (not chapters, VOLUMES) of the manga, I'm still not very familiar with the characters. I sure hope it turns out right.


Semi-Functionable Chaos


Chapter I: Arrangements

Lithe, nimble fingers ran through the pile of thickly, and rather sloppishly, piled folders, pausing once so often whenever the jade eyes that scanned through said folders spotted something interesting or out of the ordinary. The host of such keen eyes and sensitive fingers was named Haruno Sakura; one of Konoha's most beautiful and talented medic nins. The fact that she was also the apprentice for Tsunade-sama, Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, made her all the more sought-after.

'Sakura-sama!' cried a feminine voice, startling said Sakura out of her weary afternoon trance.

Spinning around, pink tresses bouncing energetically against her sinewy shoulders, Sakura focused her brilliant jade eyes on the person who had called out for her. 'Yes?' asked the pink-haired medic as she inspected her caller politely. A small woman, short, thin and young, stammered as she looked up into the jade eyes of her superior.

'Umm...' said the timid nurse, blinking rapidly as though only then processing the light of the situation – she, the new little nurse, was talking to the Haruno Sakura, reknowned medic nin and apprentice to the one and only Hokage-sama! – before taking a deep breath and proclaiming in a flurry of abrupt sentences that, 'Hokage-sama would like to see you right away!'

Sakura nodded politely, a small, albeit honest smile gracing her thin, pink lips, the colour of which matched her hair most accurately.

Upon reaching her destination, Sakura was glad to see that for once in a very, very long time, her superior, Tsunade, was in a (partly) sober condition.

'Sakura,' breathed the Hokage, leaning serenely into her posh arm-chair, watching as her student bowed before her with a calculative eye. 'There is something I've been meaning to talk with you about.'

Haruno Sakura nodded, completely focused and ready for business.

'A very important person from Suna is arriving here tomorrow,' announced Tsunade, her position still admirably well-rested and comfortable. 'The new Kazekage from Sand. We would like to make some business arrangements regarding the settlement of our two nations. Sakura, I need you to assist me in the matter of his stay in Konoha – the Kazekage needs to be very comfortable and pleased with life in our village if any arrangements are to take place. It is very important that you do everything and anything in your power to make his stay perfect – am I clear?'

Sakura nodded, encouraging her superior to continue, 'I should warn you, though, Sakura... The Kazekage of Sand is a very proud man. He likes to consider himself... above other people. He is not the type for social interaction; however, I believe it would be a great addition if you put some effort into... easing that problem up a little.'

Sakura nodded her agreement. 'I'll do my best to lighten him up.'

'Good!' said Tsunade, a small smile forming as she studied her apprentice with a most unreadable expression on her face. 'Astound him with that hundred-watt smile of yours. Be friendly and patient. Consider this... a personal mission for yourself.'

Nodding for the third time in a row, Sakura almost motioned for the door, before a thought struck her, causing her to spin in the direction of her senpai. 'Tsunade-sama?' started the girl. 'What exactly is the name of this new Kazekage I will be meeting?'

For the longest stretch of time, the room of the Fifth Hokage of Konoha was eerily silent; not a word was uttered until a creepy smile had crept up the corners of Tsunade's lips, causing Sakura to raise a brow of suspician and the Hokage to reply...

'Subaku no Gaara.'


A pair of jade eyes; so similar to those of Konoha's talented young medic nin; twitched irritably as a gust of wind blew roughly against his form, spraying sand against his dark-rimmed eyes.

'Nice day for a walk.'

Subaku no Gaara growled at his inner demon before lifting his sand-guard higher and continuing to trudge angrily through the dry, scorching desert.

It was hot – no doubt about it – but the young man known as Gaara, weilder of the infamous, blood-thirsty demon Shukaku, and newly-appointed Kazekage of Suna managed to overcome the heavy conditions of his own desert heat without breaking a sweat. He had been walking for three hours; his sand-guard, of course, doing nothing but weighing him down for the time being. His supply of water was scarce and untouched.

'Do you really find it necessary to strengthen a bond with such weak a nation?'

'Yes,' hissed Gaara, as a reply to the ever-petulant Shukaku, hoping against hope that for once, his demon would accept his short replies and shut the hell up.

But of course, nothing was that simple around Shukaku. When not ripping to shreds the innards of an unfortunate opposition, Shukaku seemed to take up the duty of annoying Gaara to heart. It was a sluggish, difficult job; but, hey, someone had to do it!

'Those idiot leaf nin are nothing but nuisances to us. We would be doing them a favor if we were to kill them all off.'

'No!' snapped Gaara, inwardly, to his demon, with as much menace he could afford during such a hot, tiring and undeniably restless day. 'I am good now. Naruto has taught me that. I don't do massacres anymore.'

Before Shukaku could think up a suitable retort to twist his way into Gaara's own mixed-up mind, the Sand nin had all ready focused his chakra on forming blockades and tuning the beast out – a method he had taken ages to learn from his previous sensei. For a fair length of time, the method had worked, but after about two hours of tuning his own demon out, Shukaku had found a way of squeezing through the gaps of his technique and continued his previous ranting of how teaming up with a bunch of leaf shinobi would only be a waste of time.

Feeling cross and depleted of stamina, Gaara could not summon up the energy to block Shukaku from his mind once more. Thus, with a heavy sigh of surrender, poor Subaku no Gaara continued on his way to the Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha, all the while thinking to himself, 'This is going to be one hell of a journey.'

Little did Gaara of the Sand know that the journey itself was only beginning – only when he would arrive in Konoha and meet with his assigned tour-guide would the real trouble begin.


Author's Note: Yep! I have NO idea whether I've gotten the titles down right. I have no idea if the characters are in character. I have no idea as to what I've just done. Heh... as the title goes, "Semi Functionable Chaos", right? (bonks self in head) Yeah, well... just review! It'll help. Love it, hate it – just don't bash the pairing. I'm all up for intelligent comments, though.

REVIEW!