A/N: Welcome to Ino's love story. Brace yourself it's not going to be an easy path. There will be references to events in my other Konoha Babylon stories, so if I refer to something that has not appeared in the gospel according to Kishimoto-sama you can be sure it's in one of my other stories. Truth is that I've had this particular story in the works for about a year now…but I had hoped to get my other story to a specific juncture, but somehow it didn't quite get to where I wanted them to. And with Kishimoto's own story picking up pace again I wanted to get this out here…

Yes, there have been some changes in Sunagakure…I'll try to cover a little of that at the end of this chapter. Promise.

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sama owns the rights to his creations, Naruto and the rest of the characters that appear in his manga

Mission start

Ino looked at the walls of Sunagakure looming in the distance. It made her think of some sort of insect hive...or an inverted piece of pottery. It didn't seem to be the most inviting looking place. Why did they decide that early August was the right time for this journey? There was so little shade other than the hats and gear they had brought with them. Even the winds of this land offered no relief. And then the nights are almost too cold; What's up with that? I hate this mission already, she thought, Shikamaru belongs on this kind of mission, definitely not me…or Chouji.

She glanced back briefly at her companion. Beneath his shade hat, sweat was plastering his brown hair to his face. But he trudged steadily along in the lighter clothing this journey required. She could tell it was fairly draining for a man of his stocky build. He's working harder than any of us to avoid heat stroke. Hell, I'm surprised he hasn't burst into flames yet.

Ino had decided that this year was determined to be the most frustrating one of her life. First, the Hokage had set up her 'Speed Dating' scenario back in May. The only thing of note that came out of putting twenty-five women together with the same number of men was one couple of any note. The worst part of that was that Ino had gotten caught meddling. Most of her dates were spent secretly chaperoning and helping Satou Chisa, the library research specialist, get through four dates Ino had set her up with on a whim. So, other than making a new friend, she personally had gotten no real satisfaction out of the whole affair. To top it off, Chisa was part of that noteworthy success story: she had been dating Hyuuga Neji since mid-June.

Then there was the whole affair of Sasuke's return. That was her worst nightmare come true…

--Flashback--

Ino was coming back from running deliveries for the flower shop on an early July morning. As she wandered through the streets, she heard a commotion coming from the direction of the main gates. Suddenly, she saw a fair number of jonin heading that way along the main street from the direction of the Hokage's residence. What's going on? she wondered, There's no general alarm, so we're not under attack. Maybe I'll check this out.

A moment later, she emerged onto the main street. She saw Kotetsu heading for the gates and went to ask him what was going on.

"Sasuke's back," was all he said.

So she fell in along side him to see for herself. Her excitement grew with each step. He's back…maybe my efforts weren't in vain. Smiling, she thought, This is it…yes, he's come back to me.

There were the gates. A huge crowd was already gathered, Where is he? I've got to see. She started to look for a rooftop vantage point since the assembly was so large.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm, "You don't want to see this, Ino." She turned to find Shikamaru.

"What do you mean?" she noticed his grip hadn't loosened. "Is he hurt?"

"No. Just wait here with me." He looked just a little shaken, "The Hokage and Hinata will be here soon."

"Did something happen to Naruto then?"

"You could say that."

Chouji came running up to them, "I just heard. Is he really back?"

"Yeah, I was just about to leave after the guard duty change when they walked up." Shika frowned, "I just had to get a little further away, so I could take it in."

"Take what in?" Chouji had already pulled out a snack for the wait, and was talking as he chewed.

They watched as Tsunade and Shizune arrived. The two of them paused on the periphery of the crowd, looked back and waited.

"You'll have to see it to believe it," Shika muttered as he looked over and saw Hinata, with the assistance of her sister Hanabi, bringing her two little boys. Hinata was held Shigeki, the younger of Naruto's sons, "Oh man, I wouldn't want to be Hinata today." As they joined the Hokage, the crowd parted to let them through.

"What's wrong?" Ino was really getting curious now.

"Give it a minute. I'm sure they'll make an announcement."

The three of them waited, observing as the crowd around them grew. Then finally they watched as a wooden stage rose up from the ground in front of the gates.

"I'll bet Yamato's responsible for that," Ino commented.

The Hokage walked up onto the stage followed by Shizune. Sasuke was followed by Naruto who in turn was followed by Hinata. Hanabi brought up the rear.

"May I have all your attention?" Tsunade's voice carried with practiced clarity. "I know everyone is gathered here because you've heard that Sasuke has come back. Of course, you can see that this is true: here he is," she gestured.

"There is a reason that I want to make this an immediate very public welcome. I do not want any misinformation about what has just occurred here today." The Hokage put her hands on her hips and surveyed the masses with a stern expression. "Those of you who witnessed Sasuke's return first hand may have noticed something unusual. There is a bond between him and Naruto. Stronger than teammates, stronger than brothers…Hinata wants me to inform you that she was well aware of this possibly when she let Naruto continue his search for Sasuke."

A general murmur arose from the crowd. Ino felt faint as she turned to Shikamaru, "They aren't saying that he's …"

"Sasuke had his arm around Naruto in a very intimate way," Shikamaru muttered,

"and Naruto seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit." He had a palm resting against his head like he had developed a bad headache.

"Attention, please!" Tsunade quickly silenced the mutterings. "Naruto, would you please come forward and explain to the crowd exactly what's going on?"

The blond shinobi came forward. The orange jacket he wore hung open, showing the black tank he wore underneath, "I want you all to know…I…I…"

The Hokage placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at Hinata, then to the other side to look at Sasuke, "I love them both and want them both to stay with me-ttebayo."

Hinata walked forward, Sasuke walked parallel to her. "I am willing to accept whatever arrangement makes my husband happy." She blushed for a moment, "Sasuke is more than welcome in our house."

The crowd started to murmur among themselves, but quickly quieted down when the newly returned Uchiha took a step forward.

It was Sasuke's turn to speak. "I thank Hinata for her acceptance and welcome." Then he turned to look at Naruto, "I thank Naruto for being the balm that's healing the wounds on my soul. I will never doubt the depth of his dedication again."

Ino turned to Shikamaru, "Do you think Hinata's one of those yaoi fangirls, and she'll be peeking at them when they think they're alone?"

"A what?" Both Chouji and Shikamaru looked at her. They obviously hadn't heard the term before.

"Never mind, forget I said that," Ino had made the quip trying to make herself feel better. What she really wanted to do was run home and cry her eyes out. Her thoughts screamed, How can he do this to me? All the time I spent trying to develop skills I thought he wouldn't be able to resist. And now I find all I would have needed to do was grow a penis. Her mind couldn't handle this right now.

"Ino…Ino…INO!!" Shikamaru's voice cut through.

Ino found herself looking at Chouji as he waved a hand back and forth in front of her face.

"You were laughing in a really creepy way a moment ago," Chouji said softly. "You okay?"

"As okay as a girl can feel after losing the guy she's been waiting for to another man," she muttered.

--End of Flashback--

When they were given this assignment, Tsunade had told all three members of Team 10 to consider this as more than an escort mission. It was to be a major experience in diplomacy and negotiation for all of them. Yeah, right, like Chouji or I will really get into that. At least Shika will be in his element; diplomacy is definitely a strategy game. The Hokage probably just said that to try and make us feel more useful, especially since we're going to be here for about three weeks. Ino waited for them to catch up to her. She was starting to think it was about time she got out of her anti-social mood and interacted with everyone again.

She looked back at Shikamaru as he walked with Mitokado Homura, who was the elder they had been asked to accompany on this mission. It actually amazed her that the old man had decided to walk all this way. Sure, it had taken them a week instead of the usual ninja three to Suna, but it was still an impressive demonstration of his resolve. Although Ino wondered what remarkable piece of misinformation Tsunade-sama had planted to get him to go on this trip and get out of her hair for over a month.

Chouji was talking with Kumosakai Kosugi who was also assigned solely for his diplomatic skills. The man was noticeably shorter than Ino and was about eight years older than they were, but his career as a shinobi had been cut short about six months before Tsunade's return to Konoha, when his vision had been severely damaged. The thick glasses he wore barely gave him the ability to read, let alone see much else around him. However, his cheerful disposition and sense of humor more than made up for his shortcomings. Ino preferred to talk with him most evenings over the far too serious Homura.

In short order, they had arrived at the gates of Suna. They were greeted by one familiar face: Temari, but she acted in a very reserved manner. She introduced Homura and Kosugi to Kei, the man who had been selected specifically to be their guide for their time in Suna. He was in his early thirties and seemed to be very formal in his demeanor and about the job assigned to him.

As soon as Homura and Kosugi left with their 'host', Temari relaxed and began talking more freely around them, "So, you three are stuck with me …and Kankurou." She looked from one of them to the next, lingering over Shikamaru just a little longer than the other two, "Let's get you settled in."

She turned to lead them into the main complex, the Kazekage's place. "We still reside in rooms here, but there are also some guest rooms interspersed for use by honored visitors," they followed her up couple flights of stairs. "Your other representatives will be staying at the far end of the same floor near where Kei resides, so he is readily accessible to them. He is one of Pokaru-sama's favored assistant." There was something about her tone that seemed slightly uncomfortable.

Ino did a mental flinch: Pokaru was the sixth Kazekage. Of course Temari would be ill at ease talking about the man who had taken Gaara's place in this post almost two years ago. I wonder if she'll let us know what happened. News of the events leading to Gaara's disappearance was virtually non-existent in Konoha. One of the reasons they'd heard at all was the friendship Naruto had with Gaara. He was pretty depressed because of it. Oh well, at least he's got Sasuke to distract him now, she frowned as they walked along the corridor. Dammit Naruto, you already have a wife in Hinata; you didn't need to steal my Sasuke too.

"Yo, Ino!" Shikamaru's voice made her jump. "Oh, were you deep in thought? I'm so sorry to intrude," his voice dripped in sarcasm. "Temari just said that this is your room." He looked at her.

"I didn't mean to; it just sort of happened. One thought just ran into another and I kind of got lost in it." Ino tried not to look as embarrassed as she felt. She turned to Temari, "Thank you. So what else do I need to know?"

Temari laughed, "For now, what all you need to know besides these rooms are three things: One, regular meals will be provided in a room we'd already passed at the beginning of this corridor, breakfast and dinner, before and after the daily meeting sessions. Lunch will usually be served during breaks in the negotiations. Two, tonight there will be a reception for all our guests with Pokaru-sama, you can spend the next couple of hours getting settled in and getting ready. Either Kankurou or I will get you when it's time.

"And three, just for you Ino, please be cautious around this Kazekage. He has an eye for the ladies, and you're the new girl, so he will probably come up to you early and try to strike up a conversation. Keep one of the other Konoha people with you at all times tonight." She gave Ino a very serious look, "I'm not making this up."

Ino looked to Shikamaru then Chouji. They both nodded; the message was taken. They would stick together tonight.

"The man has many other remarkable talents that earned him the job after Gaara disappeared. This is his only major problem…of course, most of the Suna council turns a blind eye to it. I'm currently the one of two women they seem to have any respect for, you'll meet the other tonight." Temari shook her head, "Even Gaara had a hard time fighting against the biases of the 'Men's Club' they seem to be. At least we have more female jonin than we've had ever before because of my brother." She paused and looked down the hall for a moment like she was trying to break away from something, "I'm sorry; I shouldn't be dredging up all this old history on your first day like this. Go on, get comfortable, and I'll see you all in about three hours." She waved and walked down the hall.

Shikamaru watched her go, and then turned to Ino and Chouji, "Are you ready for this? I know this isn't your kind of mission but the Hokage sent us so we've got to make the best of it. Homura and Kosugi are going to take the lead in most of this but if you have an idea don't be afraid to express it. Who knows what can happen in an environment like this?" He looked down the hall again, "Let's make the best of our last free hours."

"Right," Chouji smiled.

"I guess," Ino said. "So, do you think I should dress a little on the conservative side because of what Temari told me?"

"Just be yourself tonight," Shikamaru said. "Whatever happens, we'll be there if you need us."

Though it had the same drab earthy colored walls as the rest of the building, the room was comfortable for Ino. It was about half the size of her room at home, but that was okay because most of that was taken up with her dressers and closet overflow. Here she would only be using a limited wardrobe, if she needed anything more she'd just have to find it here.

She decided it was time to get the road dust off. I need a shower so badly…then maybe a little nap.

Ino decided to wear the more conventional of the two dresses that she brought that could travel well; an old favorite in very dark plum. It's funny how I always turn to this dress when I want to look nice but downplay my sex appeal. It's kind of like an old friend I visit once a year. She also played it cautiously with her hair, looping it back and pinning it into as soft series of twists, leaving nothing but her bangs free. She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling satisfied with her style. Feminine but not promising anything more.

A tap came at the door. She opened it to find Shikamaru, Chouji and the immediately recognized painted face of Kankurou waiting in the hall for her. They were all conservative in their clothing as well. Kankurou and Chouji were both wearing black, Shikamaru was in olive. She looked Kankurou over one more time, "I hate to say this but I think you look even weirder without the cat ears." Seeing the spiky brown hair above his paint instead of the hat disturbed her in some way. They just didn't seem to go together.

He glared at her, his left eye narrowing like it was reflexive, "That was a tactless way to greet someone you're going to have to put up with for the next few weeks," he replied then added, "or do you pride yourself on being a bitch?"

"Well, this is a great moment in diplomacy we've started with," Shikamaru interrupted. "If you don't mind, Ino, Kankurou does have a job to do. It may not be an ideal situation, but can we just settle in peacefully?"

Kankurou looked at Shikamaru, then back at Ino, "If you will please, follow me then."

Ino walked in the back and talked quietly to Chouji, "I bet Shikamaru's disappointed Temari wasn't the one who got us."

"What do you mean?"

"Com'on, you've got to know what I mean." Ino looked at him, "You're his best friend; doesn't he talk about girls to you?"

Chouji looked upward with a slight blush crossing his face, "Actually, I think I bring up that topic to him more than he does to me."

"But he never brings her up around you?"

"Well he has…but then he always changes the subject abruptly."

"Must like to keep his tormented soul private…if you know what I mean," Ino nudged Chouji lightly with her elbow.

I understand better than you know. He just smiled and nodded when Ino looked at him.

After wandering through a series of corridors and stairwells, they arrived. They had returned to the first floor of the building and were guided to a large chamber. It was set up for a party: tables to sit at, servers carrying around trays of hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

Shikamaru turned to Chouji, "I know you're excited about the prospect of trying the local cuisine, but show just a little restraint tonight."

"Oh please do," Ino put a hand on his arm, "You wouldn't want to do anything to embarrass me our first evening here."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Just like you, Ino, to make it sound like it's all about you.

"Sure Ino, I'll try," was the almost shy sounding reply from the swirl cheeked chuunin.

"What are they, a couple or something?" Kankurou muttered to Shikamaru quietly.

"Nah, Ino just acts like she's the leader of our team. Her bossing of Chouji may seem just a little sugar coated now, but just you wait. I think she doesn't want to raise her voice tonight." He met the puppet master's eyes, "However, her real idea of being in charge is being loud and egocentric."

A smirk crossed Kankurou's lips as he glanced at something behind them.

"About time you got here." The other three turned to see Temari walking up to them, her annoyance clearly written on her face. She wore a simple black dress with a square cut neckline with minimal additional ornamentation. A stylized pendant of Sunagakure's sand glass hung around her throat, "I was worried you were going to make me look bad, by keeping the Kazekage waiting."

Kankurou offered a slight shrug to Shikamaru.

"Ino, there's someone I want you to meet." Temari reached out to take her hand, "I should have just enough time to introduce you before Pokaru-sama makes his entrance." She wove across the room to where a surprisingly elegant woman in her mid-sixties stood talking to a couple of the guardsmen.

Ino realized that this must be the woman Temari had told her about earlier. The outfit she wore was an eclectic mix of traditional and modern. What looked to have been a steely- blue kimono had been shortened to knee length. It was belted with gold chains that seemed to loop three times around her slender waist, the ends decorated with bird shaped charms. Beneath it she wore satiny pants of a navy blue. She held herself with refined posture and her silvery-white hair was more beautiful in its sheen than that of any other elderly lady Ino had ever seen. It was twisted into an elaborate knot held in place with hair sticks that dangled fine chains and ornaments that matched the charms on her belt. I hope, if I live so long, I can age as gracefully and feel so comfortable about expressing myself in my wardrobe.

"Kazue-san," Temari bowed her head slightly as the woman turned to look at them, "sorry to interrupt, but there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"You dare to disturb me when I'm busy flirting?" she gestured flamboyantly with her right hand.

The two guards laughed. Then one of them added, "You forgot to flourish your fan, my lady."

"You've been hanging around me too long, Osamu; you're starting to think to have the right to cue me," she snapped the fan she held in her left hand open, then laughed in a melodic way, as she waved them off. She returned her gaze to Temari, "Now, what did you need of me my dear?"

"I wanted you meet the one female member of the Konohagakure contingent. Yamanaka Ino, this is Kazue-san."

Ino offered her hand and Kazue shook it firmly. "I am honored to meet you," the blonde kunoichi smiled.

The older woman smiled warmly, "Now, Temari, tell her why what she just did could have been a dangerous thing."

"In her younger days, she was known as 'Kazue of the Iron Grip'," Temari smiled.

"My dear, I still have those skills, I just don't get much opportunity to demonstrate it anymore." She dropped her voice to a quieter tone, "Had you been one of 'you know who's' annoying toadies, you might need to get some bone fractures taken care of right now." Her gaze took a moment to study Ino, "Then again, you're a pretty girl; he just might just send one of them to fetch you. I hope you have some good friends in your contingent who'll keep an eye on you." She lightly tapped her fan on Ino's shoulder.

Temari added, "See, I told you I was serious when I warned you about…"

A voice announced, "His Excellency, Pokaru, Rokudaime Sunagakure."

All heads looked in the direction the voice came from to see a man clad all in white standing at the top of the five steps that lead down from an entrance other than the one they had come in through. He had black hair pulled back at the nape of his neck into a short spiky tail and wore a neatly trimmed beard. His age, by Ino's estimate, he was around forty years old. Although not unattractive for his age, the warnings she'd been given made her watch him carefully.

He looked over the crowd. You could tell that as his gaze passed he identified each new face. "I would like to extend greetings to all of our honored guests from Konohagakure." His voice carried with ease and confidence, "I will do everything within my power to make your stay a pleasant one." His gaze settled on Ino as he said the last part, "Please get to know the members of our council tonight in this social gathering, for tomorrow it all turns into work." He walked down the steps toward his assistant Kei, who was standing with Homura and Kosugi.

"Look out," Kazue's voice whispered in Ino's ear, "he's already spotted you. Of course, official business has to appear to come first, but it won't be too long before he works his way over." She moved to look Ino in the eyes, then took hold of her left hand, "You wouldn't happen to have a boyfriend in your contingent would you?"

"No, but the two over there with Kankurou are her long time teammates," Temari gestured, "and I've given them a head's up about Pokaru-sama as well. Maybe we'd be better off going over to where they are."

"You two are getting me nervous," Ino glance from one of them to the other. Then she started to head back toward Shikamaru and Chouji, but she didn't let go of Kazue's hand. Temari followed.

As they got closer, Kazue muttered, "Just as well you aren't involved with them, neither of them suit you."

"No judging books by covers;" Temari spoke up before Ino could, "Shikamaru has a brilliant mind," she gestured to indicate which one she spoke of, "and Chouji's one of the most loyal and caring people I've ever had the pleasure to meet."

"Why, thank you Temari," Ino smiled. It was reassuring to hear someone else defend them for a change. Of course she would point out Shikamaru first.

Her teammates saw them coming and made it over to them with Kankurou accompanying. In fact, he threw out the first greeting, "Sorry, Kazue, I'm not letting you have your way with me so don't even bother asking."

"You wound me," the silver haired woman flipped opened her fan and hid her face behind it letting out a melodramatic sob, "my heart shall never heal."

"Yeah, yeah, and your lines will never change," the painted face of the puppet master frowned, but there was a hint of humor in his eyes.

Kazue lowered the fan, "I've used that line on you before then? I must be getting old, I'm repeating myself."

"Anyways," Temari cut in, "we just figured we'd bring Ino over here now, before Pokaru-sama finishes with your elder statesmen. It was pretty obvious to us at least, that he's already spotted Ino."

"She'd be far better off in a large group," Kazue added.

"Oh yes, you'd know since you pride yourself on being such a parody of him," Kankurou added.

"You have a thing or two in common with him as well." Her eyes narrowed as she said it. Then she resumed her more carefree attitude, "Don't you take my attentions seriously?" She whacked the side of his shoulder with her fan, "See if I help you during the council sessions. I'll find someone who appreciates my special treatment." She flourished a wave as she walked away.

Chouji asked, "Who was that?" as he and Shikamaru watched the woman leave.

"Probably the most dangerous woman you'll meet during your stay here." Kankurou glared as he watched her go.

"Kazue isn't that bad; she just loves attention," Temari added. "You'll see her business side when the sessions start. She can be brutal when driving a point home."

"She's also pretty brutal with that fan of hers." The painted jonin rubbed at shoulder that had been struck, "That's a metal frame and she handles it like it is purely decorative."

Ino blinked. So, she was playing nice with me. I didn't feel a thing when she tapped me on the shoulder.

"She's not your average little old lady, huh?" Shikamaru smiled, "This place keeps getting more interesting."

Temari cleared her throat, "High powered individual on his way over here," she said softly.

They all turned to face in the direction she was facing. About fifteen feet away the crowd was parting to allow the Kazekage to pass. A shorter man with straight, shoulder length, mud brown hair walked along side him. "That's Haijun, his assistant… just wait, he probably won't even bother to introduce him…and I won't do the honors publicly, I don't like him," Temari informed them.

"Temari, Kankurou, how are you both this evening?" Pokaru had a dazzling smile that contrasted with his tan complexion. He reached out to take their hands as they bowed their heads to acknowledge him.

He could give Maito Gai some serious competition in the blinding grin department, was Ino's first thought.

In what seemed to be very controlled moment he held his gaze on the two jonin and said, "Would you please do me the honor of introducing me to our guests?"

Kankurou took the lead here, "Pokaru-sama, I would first like to introduce Nara Shikamaru." He gestured toward the black hair shinobi.

Shikamaru stepped forward and took the Kazekage's hand in a firm grasp. "I'm looking forward to working with your people." Yet somehow his expression somehow couldn't escape its normal bored looking nature. He stepped back alongside his companions.

"Next is Akimichi Chouji," The puppet master continued with the introductions.

Chouji followed his friend's example and offered a firm handshake. "I hope to get the chance to see some of your village while I'm here."

The Kazekage nodded politely.

Ino leaned to whisper to Temari, "I'm surprised he didn't come right out and say that he's only here for the chow."

Chouji stepped back as well. Ino made ready for her introduction.

"And this is Yamanaka Ino."

She was just about to take her step forward, when the Kazekage stepped up to her and took her hand.

"A charming flower from Konohagakure comes to the desert," His green-eyes took her in.

Ino felt like he was invading her personal space even though he'd done nothing out of line. "Thank you for your kind greeting," she managed to get out, her mind had gone almost completely blank, any words she'd previously considered saying were lost.

He gently raised her hand to his lips and lightly kissed it.

A shiver ran through her when his lips brushed her flesh. What is this man? Was that some kind of ninjutsu he just used on me? Dangerous, to say the least, I have to talk to Temari about this later.

"I look forward to seeing what you and your contingent can do," He released the hand and smiled at her again, keeping his eyes locked on hers a little long than one would consider prudent. "If I can do anything at all for you, please don't hesitate to let me know." A warm sparkle filled his eyes.

It was not something anyone but Ino could see from the way they stood. There was a subtle flick of his tongue as he finished the sentence, Oh yeah, I'm gonna have to watch myself all right.

A moment later the Kazekage excused himself and began to talk to other people at the party.

As the soiree wound down, Ino was talking to Kosugi and Chouji. Although none of them had any complaints about sake and wine that had been served, they were discussing beer of all things: it was Kosugi's passion the way Chouji's was food. He had heard of some of the local brews, "I don't know how easy it's going to be to get away," he smiled, "but you can bet I'm going find a way to go out and hit the town."

"Especially to get away from Homura," Ino muttered, "you're his right hand for this mission."

"I knew the job was dangerous when I took it." He laughed as a grin crossed his bespectacled face, "I'll be just fine."

"Yamanaka Ino?" A strangely pitched voice came from behind her.

She turned to find Haijun standing behind her.

"The Kazekage was wondering if you could spare him a minute of your time," he extended a hand to help her out of her seat.

So it begins. She looked over at Chouji; he gave her the slightest of nods, No point in getting Kosugi wrapped up in all of this. She rose up without taking the offered hand and followed the man over to Pokaru's table.

Again, he flashed his pearly whites at the sight of her. "Please, have a seat," he gestured, his moves were graceful, but there was an underlying control that made Ino wonder what his specialties were.

If I hadn't been warned about him, I'd probably have fallen for this. For a man his age he's not that hard to look at, kind of like my dad's attractive…yeah, maybe that thought will help.

"Would you be interested in having dinner with me tomorrow night? We could go over the discussions of the first day. I won't be able to attend for the whole day due to my other responsibilities." He looked so sincere as he said it, "I would like to get the Konoha perspective on things and I could explain ours."

Ino blinked, "If you want our viewpoint you should really talk with Mitokado-san, he's much more knowledgeable than I am." Try as you may, I'm not going to budge…

"Of course he is," A smooth smile crossed the Kazekage's lips, "but I'd much rather have a fresh angle."

And a few curves I'll bet. "I really shouldn't you know, my boyfriend can be a bit jealous. He's quite prone to misunderstandings as far as I'm concerned," she told the lie with comfortable ease. If he persists, I can always ask Chouji if he'll play along. We pretend we're a couple all the time for Character Assassinations, and I can't mess up Shika's chance at Temari.

She watched as he glanced over to the table where she had come from. As luck would have it Chouji happened to look over to where she was at the same moment, Perfect timing.

Pokaru's posture stiffened slightly. A moment later he said, "I'll do my best to make sure there are no misunderstandings. Everything I do is for greater harmony between our two villages."

I'm not some innocent little girl. A line like that is not going to wrap me around your little finger…or whatever body part you have in mind. "Well, that's very reassuring, but I must maintain that I'm really not the one to talk to on this. If you'll just excuse me, I should be getting back to my fellow representatives," she started to rise from the chair.

His arm reached out to gently pull her back, "You're the one whose views I want to hear. Ask any of my assistants, they'll tell you, I have very good instincts about these things…"

"Ooops."

Suddenly Ino was the recipient of a drink spilled across her lap. As she leapt up to start wiping at the mess, she saw Temari with Kankurou. The female jonin looked like she had barely grabbed her brother in time to keep him from falling.

"Sorry," she apologized, "someone has had one too many of his favorite drink."

"I half-nawt." The puppet master muttered.

Temari grabbed at a chair pulled it over with her free hand and pushed her brother down into it. "Here, let me take you back to your room so you can clean up," she turned to look at the Kazekage. "That is, with your permission, Rokudaime-sama."

"Go ahead," he said, "goodnight." There was a hint of disappointment in his tone.

As Temari took Ino's arm and led her toward the door. Kankurou's slurred voice came from behind them, "T'mari, wait fer mee." He moved to lurch out of his chair only to fall to his knees.

As they made it to the door Chouji had also joined them, "What happened?"

"Outside," Temari whispered.

Ino smiled she realized now what was going on. And Chouji just played perfectly into the role I've assigned him.

Ten minutes later, Ino had changed out of her wet dress and met up with her associates in the room that was going to be their meal place.

The others were already there, even Shikamaru. As Ino stepped in, Kankurou made a remark, "So babe, did I make you all wet?" He smirked; the paint on his face was slightly smudged.

"So you weren't drunk," Ino said as she sat down, "then why the hell did you drop your drink on me?"

"Do you know how dangerous that man is?" the puppet master replied, "I figured if I gave him a show of some of your clothes clinging to your body, he'd at least get some satisfaction out of your abrupt exit."

"Bastard," she muttered. Bet you didn't mind that yourself. She folded her arms across her chest almost defensively. "I'm beginning think you're more dangerous than he is."

"Relax Ino, we got you away from him," Temari said. "At least you got an indication of what you're in for with him."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Ino looked at Chouji, "I kind of told the Kazekage a little white lie. I said I had a slightly jealous boyfriend; you think you can handle that?"

The swirls on his cheeks brightened with his blush. "Sure, I can do that. I'll make a point of sitting with you at the meetings and escorting you at night." Public time close together, I like this mission already, he nodded contently.

It was Shikamaru who finally decided to ask the question that had been on the minds of the Konoha ninja all day. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what happened to Gaara?"

There was a moment of silence at the table as the siblings looked at one another. Kankurou gestured for his sister to talk.

Temari's teal eyes showed her sorrow as she spoke, "My brother left three brief messages. In the Kazekage's office, the note read, 'I'm sorry. Do not look for me. You will not find me.' His note to me read, 'Trust me. Believe in your heart.' His note for Kankurou read, 'Believe in me. Trust your inner strength.' We figured he deliberately kept them cryptic so there would be something to reassure us about his decision to disappear yet leave no clue as to where he went."

"We both agree that whatever Gaara did was very deliberate. It apparently resulted from the appearance of a group of fanatics that started up just after Chiyo-baasama made her sacrifice," Kankurou continued. "This cult claimed that Gaara had come back to bring Sunagakure and the rest of the Land of the Wind to greater glory. Needless to say, this was going to be a big problem if it was allowed to flourish. The Daimyo certainly would not have liked it if this cult had spread.

"So, for three years we had a small internal war building against these people. It was always quite a scene when they'd gather for Gaara's public appearances, you never knew what they would say or do next to prove their 'devotion' to him. One girl crawled through the crowds and started kissing his feet." He looked disgusted and his right eye twitched for a moment, "That gave my brother the creeps and then two months later he was gone.

"I believe that my brother left to keep these fanatics disjointed. If he had stayed, they might have started to bring in outsiders. That would have been detrimental to Suna as well as causing unnecessary stress between the Daimyo and the Kazekage. He loved this place too much to let it fall for such strange reasons."

Temari spoke again, "I, on the other hand, believe that Gaara left for more personal reasons. Around the time of his disappearance, Matsuri, a shinobi that used to be Gaara's student, also vanished while she was running a message between two of our outposts. I like to think that the two of them have eloped and are leading a happy, peaceful life somewhere far from here. I had suspected that he had an attachment to her, and they ran away to protect her from the cultists."

"Or maybe they got her because they, like you, thought there was something going on when there wasn't. She was his student, after all. That meant she did have access to him in ways that most others did not." Kankurou shook his head, "There's no way that Gaara would have picked a woman over his duty to Suna. They're not worth the trouble."

"Ouch, that's pretty harsh," Ino looked at him. She realized she shouldn't have said it but somehow it just slipped out.

Kankurou glared at her.

A/N: I have always found Gaara to be a 'problem child', that is a character I feel uncomfortable writing about. When I found out about the fervor that his people felt during his abduction by Akatsuki, and his rescue and resurrection…well it was only logical to take that fanaticism to the next level.

OC Kosugi is inspired by my supervisor especially the glasses, the love of beer and the fact that he has a sense of humor- although I'm not sure I'll demonstrate that much…

The name of the sixth Kazekage, Pokaru, came about as a joke between ladyviolathornhaven and me. We asked what character from anywhere would be the most unlikely to achieve the title of Kazekage. Although we live in the USA, we are in an area that's close to Toronto, Canada, and, somehow, if you sound out his name, it sounds like one of Canada children's TV characters LVT & I watched over a decade ago. I have no idea if the show even exists anymore…hmmm.