The sand blew mercilessly at you, making every step you took an act of strength. The fine powder was sticking to the bit of face that was not covered by your scarf. Nobody in their right mind passed through these sandstorms. The only people who dared cross them, were the shinobi of the Hidden Sand. You were, or rather, had been one of them. At the thought of all the people you had had to leave behind when you were sent into exile your heart twisted. Nobody had understood the decision the Kazekage had made. You were no danger they had all said. You were so happy-go-lucky they said. But nothing had stopped him from sending you away.

Another memory caught up with you, as you trudged still farther into the now almost blizzard like sandstorm. The Kazekage's son, Gaara. He had been there the day of your exile. Again, all the pain you had felt then came back. He had said nothing, just stared at you with that cold stare he had since his father had him watched and controlled. Controlled. You snorted slightly. Nobody had been able to control Gaara, which was why you were what you were. The host of a demon of your own.

"Fools! They learned nothing from him. They thought I could control him, and they me" you thought bitterly.

After Gaara had killed off more than just a few assassins his own father had sent to kill him, he decided to capture the second demon to Suna and made you the host. But you had refused to kill him, refused to cooperate. As a result you were exiled.

Now after, 6 years you were heading home. Ironically they had called on you, asking for your help in the great shinobi war.

"Now they need me" you mused. The only reason you were obliging was, that the new Kazekage was now Gaara. He had personally asked them to find you. It was said he had changed since he had met this famous boy from Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto.

You smiled. A lot was rumoured about the boy. He had magical abilities. Everybody that met him, would suddenly believe in the hope they had been missing all their lives. And Gaara had been one of them.

Suddenly as you looked up, the dark ominous shadow of the wall surrounding Suna loomed before you. As you got closer you could make out the guards positioned at intervals on the wall and 2 at the wide entrance.

"Halt! Name!" one of them shouted as soon as you were in ear shot.

"Ucari Kalista. Exiled Suna shinobi come home"

The man's eyes widened slightly, but he moved not a muscle.

"Go and inform Kazekage-sama that she has arrived" he ordered one of the guards on the wall. Then he turned to you. "Follow me"

You walked behind him and pulled the scarf off your head revealing your snow white hair. The colour was, like Gaara's red, rare in Suna and envied by many. The characteristic green eyes of Suna you had inherited, from your mother. Apparently. You had never met your parents. They had died when you were very young on a dangerous mission. You knew no more about it and hadn't ever questioned it.

Some noise drew your attention back.

"Kazekage-sama, let us check first if she is safe. She might turn on you suddenly. It's too dangerous"

"I think I can handle that"

Your heart missed a beat. That voice. A moment later you could see the red hair among the crowd. As he stepped out from behind the jounin that were trying to protect him from you and dismissed them, you couldn't help but smile widely at him. When you looked into his face, there was no more coldness, no more rejection, no more hate. He looked better than ever.

"Kalista. It is good to see you answered my call. And before we brief you on the latest happenings, I want to apologise on the behalf of my father and on the behalf of all of Sunagakure, for having sent you, and wrongly so, into exile. I hope you can forgive us." and he lowered himself into a bow.

Everybody stared at him for a moment, and the hurriedly followed suit.

"I accept your apology, and ask you all to forget about it. It is soooo good to be home!" you could only just stop yourself from squealing.

Gaara straightened himself and nodded in the direction of the Kazekage building.

*A few hours later*

"So this guy, Madara, poses a real threat to us all? But I understand all shinobi villages are working together." you folded your hands. "How many hosts are there left?"

"Well, with you now here with us, there are the Hachibi and the Kyûbi, the former being from the Cloud and the latter from the leaf."

"I'm sure you have heard of my friend, Uzumaki Naruto" Gaara directed at you. "He is the Kyûbi."

"Friend? I don't think I have ever heard him say that word before"

"Yes, of course. But Ga-I mean Kazekage-sama counts as well, so there are four." you looked at him directly.

"No. I am no longer a host. I was de-burdened by the Akatsuki some time ago. I only survived thanks to Chiyo-baasama and Naruto. I no longer count."

You couldn't believe your ears. He had survived an extraction! You couldn't even start to imagine was it must be like. Nobody up to now had survived the extraction of a demon. Gaara had lived and must be able to remember the feeling quite vividly. A shiver ran down your back. It must be horrible.

Later on in the evening, when the sun was setting, you stood by your window of the apartment Gaara had given you and relished the feeling of being home at last. Your thoughts wandered back to the conversations of before.

"Her demon is not one of the 10 that Madara wants, which gives us a huge advantage. She can fight."

"Yes. I trust you can control the beast now?"

"More or less"

There were sharp intakes of breaths.

"Just kidding, I can. He has been no problem for me for a few years now. I can fight, without turning on you, promise."

You had caught Gaara's lip twitching slightly at one side. Was that a smile?

"I will compose a letter then to the rest of the Kage, telling them about our little ace."

You sighed. Most of them still didn't trust you fully, but Gaara seemed unconcerned about your loyalty and your abilities.

"May I disturb you"

You nearly jumped right out of the window. Turning round you were ready for anything, just not the person standing in your room.

"G-G-Gaara-san" you stuttered and then drew in a breath at your mistake. "I mean Kazekage-sama!"

He waved a hand. "I can't hear that any more."

He walked over, stood next to you and stared out of the window. You both stood there for a while in silence, watching as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon.

"I was worried you wouldn't come back"

Again for the probably hundredth time this day, he caught you completely by surprise. He was so unlike the Gaara you had known and loved so many years ago.

"I am..." he stopped, looking down slightly.

You suddenly smiled. Your love for him had not gone, it had deepened. This man here standing next to you, was the sole reason you had come back. And it had been worth while.

"I'm pleased to see you again too Gaara" you whispered. "I missed you"

He turned to look at you for a moment and for the first time, you saw a small smile on his lips. You both turned back to the view outside, standing next to each other in silence, but in understanding with each other. For even though he had said little, you knew what he had wanted to say.

He loved you too.