The boiling sun beat down on the town as wind blew around the buildings and sand whispered through the streets.

Sakura huffed in exhaustion as she settled into a stance. She shifted into another, muscles straining with the weight of her sword. A side step. A block. A parry. She moved fluidly into a sweeping cut, sweat soaked hair whipping into her face, before a shout drew her out of her thoughts.

"Sakura!"

She lowered her weapon and turned away from the endless expanse of the desert to see a hazy figure running towards her. As they came into focus, she grinned. "Kankuro, what are you doing all the way out here?"

"Temari's on the warpath, I set one of her fans on fire..." Kankuro panted out. "Think you can hide me for a while?"

Sakura laughed. "I won't tell her where you are, but if she wants vengeance then I'll let her have it." She sat down on the sand below and patted the ground next to her. "Have a little rest before she finds you."

With a sigh, Kankuro settled down on the dune, his laboured breathing calming with every passing second. "Why not? If this is my last day on Earth, then I might as well take it slow."

"So, why'd you set Temari's fan on fire?" Sakura asked. "A sudden penchant for pyromania? Perhaps revenge for a well-deserved insult?"

"Hey!" Kankuro whined in mock offence. "I may be annoying but it's not always my fault. And it was an accident! She just leaves her fans everywhere and I didn't notice it when I lit the fire."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And why were you lighting a fire?"

Kankuro wriggled his feet further into the sand.

"Gaara was bored and I thought some shadow puppets might excite him, and it did work for a while until the fire got just a little bit out of control. Temari's fan just happened to be lying next to it on the table."

"So, do you think that was a good idea?"

Kankuro let out a huff. "Considering the flaming fan and shrieking sister, maybe not. But Gaara did like the puppets! Even for just a little bit..."

Sakura reached over to rustle Kankuro's hair, his brown locks sticking up in messy spikes from the drying sweat. "At least you only burnt the fan and you didn't burn down the house. Next time make sure Temari or I am there. Just in case."

"But Temari's only three years older." Kankuro swatted away her hand. "And she started cooking by herself at my age!"

"She also got permission from me first, and I made sure she knew exactly what she was doing," Sakura scolded. She shifted closer to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "If you were so eager, why didn't you just ask?"

"You've been so busy lately: every week you double your workload and I didn't want to disturb you." He lent against her side. "Plus, Gaara's been asking for more of your time. I just wanted to help out."

Sakura rested her head atop of Kankuro's and let out a sigh. "I'm looking after you, remember? But if you wanted something to do, you only needed to ask. Maybe teach Gaara more of his letters and numbers or ask Temari for something to do."

"She thinks I'm too dumb to help Gaara. Something about my spelling being worse than a six year old. In my defence, Gaara's way too smart for his age." Kankuro pouted. "One day he'll know more than her and she'll know how it feels!"

Sakura let out a chuckle. "We'll see, but how about tonight you cook dinner with me while Temari teaches Gaara. You can help me out and Temari won't bully you."

Letting out a beaming smile, Kankuro hugged Sakura tightly. "Yes! I'll be so helpful! Soon you'll want me all the time, not Temari." He thrust a fist into the air. "I'll usurp her throne and stand victorious in the ashes of her defeat!"

A snort escaped Sakura as she returned Kankuro's enthusiastic hug. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, you've got a long way to go before you surpass Temari's culinary skills. But I believe in you."

Silence fell over the two as they watched the sun crawl across the midday sky. Clouds drifted occasionally to cover them from its burning rays. Frequently,a bird would squawk from the river, the ambiance making them sleepy in the desert heat.

Kankuro let out a whisper. "You don't think those rumours are true, do you?"

"What? That old lady Chiyo keeps scorpions for pets? Or Ebizo never wears anything under his robes?"

"Ew!" Kankuro scrunched up his nose. "Neither of those! I meant what the visitors say about Rome and its army. That they're marching towards the continent. That they're marching towards us."

Sakura looked towards the horizon and the ever-changing landscape. "The elders say that the end of Carthage would sate the Romans, but now that they've become an empire... Well I can't say for certain what the new leadership could mean. Hopefully, even if they do keep expanding, we'll be seen as too weak to be a threat. Maybe they'll leave us alone and focus on the larger cities to the south."

"I hope they do," said Kankuro as he mirrored Sakura's gaze into the distance.

Sakura glanced down at Kankuro, her eyes soft in concern. She stood abruptly, picking her sword up in the process, and turned to face the village. "Well we've been out here long enough, and the day is running out."

Sakura started walking briskly towards the small cream coloured buildings before her as Kankuro scrambled to his feet to follow.

"Wait for me!"

"You'd better hurry if you don't want to be left behind." Sakura upped her walk to a jog. "There is work to be done in the fields and you have a sister to answer to."

She smiled as she heard Kankuro's cries of betrayal and broke into a run, leaving the desert to fade into the distance as, in front of her, the buildings of Suna encompassed her view.

As Sakura raced through the streets, the buildings and people flashed past her, their greetings swift and her replies just as quick.

Sakura continued her sprint throughout the village until she skidded to a stop before a squat building in the middle of town.

She glanced behind her and saw no sign of Kankuro following her. "He needs to pick up his pace," she mused. "A longer run in the morning will do him good."

The sound of a door slamming open made her turn in surprise.

"Kankuro you cowa – oh! Sakura! I thought you were someone else." The girl poked her head around the door frame and glanced up and down the street. "You haven't seen Kankuro, have you? I need to murder him."

"Well Temari, if you promise to only cause minor injury then he'll be coming around that corner in about... 10 seconds."

Temari glanced up at Sakura in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"Easy: witchcraft."

True to her words, Kankuro flew around the corner and as he raced closer, his face contorted into one of terror when he saw Temari standing next to Sakura.

"Holy mother of a-" Kankuro slipped on the sand as he scrambled to turn around and stop at the same time, falling to the ground in front of the two who immediately burst into laughter.

Kankuro looked up at them. "Where's the sympathy? That hurt."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. What do you say Temari? That enough of a punishment?"

Temari tapped a finger against her chin and hummed. "I suppose it'll have to do if he does my chores for the rest of the week."

Kankuro jumped back up and started to protest before Temari wacked him in the back of the head. Naturally, he doubled over, clutching his head and whined in pain.

"Please," said Temari. "You've got a hard head, you'll be fine."

"Well I trust you two are mature enough to sort this out." Sakura started walking into the house. "I'm just here to get Gaara before heading off to the river."

The house was short with solid walls and shutters for protection against the desert. Although it looked small, barely a tiny room from above, steps led down from the surface to a larger area to keep the house cool during the scorching day. The space below would be dark without the slits in the roof to let in the light.

Sakura made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen to see a young boy with red hair sleeping at the table.

Walking closer, she picked him up and held him to her chest. He stirred in his slumber and she ran her fingers through his hair.

He lifted his head and blinked bleary eyes at Sakura's soft touch. "Sakura? What're you doing here?"

Sakura felt a smile grow on her face. "Hey Gaara, have a nice nap?"

Gaara nodded his head and shifted closer in Sakura's hold.

"I'll take that as a very enthusiastic yes. I hate to wake you up but it's time to go down to the river. Don't you want to play in the water?"

Gaara perked up his head in sudden interest and let out a long yawn. "The river? Of course!"

"Well I'm leaving now, so if you want to come with then you'd better wake up properly."

This time Gaara's nod was eager and he clambered down from Sakura's arms, seizing her arm as he ran towards the front door. "Hurry up! I want to swim and play with the sand!"

Sakura laughed as she let Gaara drag her upstairs and into the sunlight above, grabbing hats on the way out. They passed Temari and Kankuro on the street, now arguing about his 'punishment', as they headed in the opposite direction of the vast desert: towards the river.

They slowed their walk when they reached the lazy river and the abundant fields beyond. Sakura stopped after crossing to the other bank to crouch before Gaara and look him in the eyes.

"You know the rules. Don't wander too far or go too deep, look out for crocodiles, and shout if something happens. I'll be right over there so if you need me, I'll hear you."

Gaara nodded his head seriously. "I know, I know. I promise I'll be careful."

"Good, and one last thing, have fun."

Gaara let out a smile and, after a quick hug, he ran down to the bank of the river, stripping off his outer clothes until he could swim freely in the water.

Sakura waved at his retreating form before trudging up the river bank and walking into the tall stalks of grains and wheat, almost ready for harvest. At the edge lay a collection of tools for the workers to use as they farmed the crops. Picking up a hoe, Sakura stood next to the untilled soil. She raised her arms and sucked in a breath before bringing them down to disrupt the earth below.

Sakura continued her work until the sun was nearing the horizon and her body ached. Sometimes she would hear Gaara laugh from the river as he played in the water, but she halted her movements at the sound of his voice.

"Sakura! Someone's here to see you!"

Standing up taller to look along the river, Sakura could just see a figure wading towards her, and she sighed in exasperation. Reluctantly, she waved her hand up high in the air to show where she was standing in the vast fields.

The man waved back and adjusted his course. He finally reached her, and a sheepish smile spread across his face. "I was free for the rest of the afternoon and thought I could help out...?"

"That depends, Baki. I was just about to finish up for the day but maybe if we work together, we can get through another row."

Baki's face lit up at the opportunity to help her and Sakura groaned inwardly in despair. He was very sweet, but she should stop encouraging him. She just couldn't bring herself to shut him down.

Sakura smiled back, hoping her inner struggle wasn't too obvious. "Well you start with that end and I'll start here. We can meet up in the middle?"

"Sounds like a plan," Baki said over his shoulder as he picked up a hoe and made his way to the other end of the field.

The work was quite pleasant, but Sakura could feel Baki's heavy gaze on her as their distance grew shorter with every swing. He'd been trying to wriggle his way into her life since her move to town a few years ago, but she didn't want him to. He also couldn't seem to take a hint.

As they tilled the final patches of dirt, Baki turned to face her and lent on his hoe. "So... you aren't busy tonight, are you?"

"Sorry, I have to look after the kids, Kankuro's getting a cooking lesson." Sakura straightened up and shuffled her feet nervously on the ground. "He'll need all the help that he can get."

"Temari can't teach him?"

"No, I promised to help him myself. I couldn't just let him down like that."

"You always have so much time for them, even though they're not actually yours... can't you have a little bit of time for me?"

Sakura stiffened and eyed Baki coldly. "We may not be related, but they'll always be family." She spun on her heel and starting walking towards the river. "You'd do well to remember that."

Baki blanched and hurried to rectify his mistake. "That's not what I meant at all! Sakura!"

"I'll see you later Baki." Sakura placed the hoe back in its proper place before striding towards Gaara, who was still playing in the shallow water. "Come on kid, time to go."

Gaara looked up in disappointment but swam to the edge and pulled on his clothes. Behind her, Sakura could hear Baki shouting at her to wait, but she hurried across the river towards the village with Gaara in tow. She couldn't bring herself to talk to him. Not after what he'd said, intentional or not.

She might have only been their sister for barely five years, but they were her family now, and they came first.

Baki and the field faded into the distance as they got closer to home. Above their heads, the light faded as the sun dropped out of the sky.

As Gaara and Sakura rushed through the front door, the cooling air followed them into the house. In the kitchen down below, Temari was lighting the fire while Kankuro finished closing the shutters in the ceiling.

The change of routine was abrupt, but not unwelcome. Temari taught Gaara his numbers and letters while Kankuro helped Sakura cook. They chopped the food, roasted the meat, and ate together. All the while Sakura wondered.

She thought about what her life would be like without these kids. Kankuro, the unruly brother. Temari, always responsible, and Gaara, the one who needed the most from her, who she gave the most to.

Baki was a fool. Without these kids she was nothing and although her life might revolve around them, that's how it should be. And as she sat at the table and watched them bicker over their dinner, she smiled and hoped it would never change.

It was late. Temari and Kankuro went to sleep in their rooms and Gaara crawled once again into her bed to fend away the nightmares and monsters of the night.

Sakura sighed in contentment and held him closer. Life wasn't perfect but it didn't have to be to be worth living. She closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

Sakura fell asleep in darkness. She awoke to fire and screams.

Notes:

Hey people, I'm a long time (fan)fiction reader and a first-time writer. I'm also a huge fan of ancient history so why not mash together two completely different things and practice writing at the same time. I've also tried to make this story as historically accurate as possible, so the end notes are a place for proof that I'm not making all this stuff about Rome up.

The biggest thing in the first chapter is that the story is set about 120 years after the destruction of Carthage (146BC), and a few years after the overthrow of the Roman Republic at about the time Augustus/Octavius's reign began (27BC) as Caesar still technically ran a democratic style of Government and Augustus was the first emperor.

If you haven't already guessed yet, Suna is based in Africa; close to the Mediterranean with enough contact to Carthage to know what happened, and small enough to be considered unimportant. The Empire is expanding after its internal political turmoil and constant shifts in leadership and Rome (which is basically Konoha, but I've kept 'Earth's' name) is busy expanding to its max possible size at around 117AD. However, all the dates, events, and locations won't be perfect, especially as the story deviates from history.

Leave comments. Or don't.

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