Where we are.

"You were supposed to wait for me" he said softly, as he held the kunai to her throat. "But don't worry, I'll make you see, I'm here now". There was no way out. He had her trapped, and as he forced their eyes to meet, she saw the crazed look on his face. His eyes was showing the madness that possessed him. He took out another kunai and started slicing through her shirt, slowly, as she struggled to get free. "I'm here now, and I will never let you go again"

Her leg got free and sent him flying, as she kicked him hard in the stomach. As he slammed against the wall and fell to the floor, she tried to get her chakra working, but it was no use. As he got up, she could see his anger. "I WILL HAVE YOU" he shouted and threw a kunai, aimed at her head.

(1 year earlier)

A falcon soared above Konoha, carrying a letter with a request. As the messenger made her way through the tower towards the main building, she saw a familiar figure. "Hello Sakura-san! We just received a message from the Sunagakure, the Hokage will want to see this right away" the messenger stated. "I'm on my way to her office, let's walk together". After handing over the scroll, the messenger excused herself and left. "What lesson did you have in mind for today" she started, but Tsunade stopped her. "Sakura. Sunagakure has had an alarming increase in attacks from bandits, and their medic ninja are simply not skilled enough to handle the injuries they are inflicting. The Kazekage has requested that we send a medic ninja to teach the sand ninja. As the most skilled medic for both teaching and healing, I have, I send you" she informed the surprised konoichi. "I know you are equipped to take care of yourself, but as an ambassador of Konoha you will be escorted there. I will tell two teammates to expect you at the gates by midday". Sakura regained her composure, quickly nodded and headed out of the door to begin preparations.

Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha, visiting her parents as she always did before leaving and restocking on some supplies for the trip. With her master's approval she had been in charge of the hospital for now 5 months, she hadn't exactly had a lot of spare time, but it had given her the experience fit for a mission like this. It would be a piece of cake.

As she walked towards the gates, she wondered who her team mates would be. She'd been so busy at the hospital, it'd been a while since she had hung out with any of her friends. She hoped Ino would be one of them. The blonde had been on so many missions lately, and with Sakura so busy at the hospital, they never even ran into each other. Sakura got to the gates early, so she stretched and sat under a nearby tree, waiting for her teammates to show up. Only to fall asleep after just a little while.

Kiba was the first to show up. Riding on Akamarus back, he went to the gates and looked around, spotting the sleeping girl under the tree. He got off Akamaru and went over there as quiet as he could, to look at the pink-haired konoichi. She hadn't been around for a while and he realised he'd missed her hanging out with everyone. He suddenly felt as though he was being watched.

"Don't wake her up!" Lee whispered from right next to him, making Kiba jump. "That wasn't my intention you idiot" Kiba snapped back at the new arrival. ~Guess it means it'll be the four of us going to Suna~ he thought to himself while looking at the sleeping girl right in front of him.

Lee looked away. Blushing madly from seeing his beloved Sakura-chan sleeping, but he didn't want Kiba to see it. Even if he hadn't, Kiba still wouldn't have. He was paralyzed by the sleeping konoichi. ~Damn she's beautiful, I wonder what she's dreaming about~ he thought.

Lee looked back at Kiba again, and saw his eyes fixed on Sakuras face with a gentle smile across his lips. Lees blood was boiling and he said with a loud voice "Sakura-chan, we're all here now, and I think we got to go if we want to beat our record to Suna". Kiba jumped back while glaring Lee, as Sakura rubbed her eyes, "I'm sorry, I guess I was a bit tired. You three must be the ones Tsunade assigned to the mission as my team mates" she said while standing up.

"Yeah, that's right, it's really good to hang out with you again, right Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed and blushed a bit and went over to the dog who barked affirmatively. "You too and Lee-san too! Is something wrong though? You both seem a little tense?" Kiba shrugged and started to walk through the forest with Akamaru, Lee, and Sakura following him. Sakura soon started running and called out to the boys "I've planned to be in Suna in 3 days so we better hurry".

(Meanwhile in Suna)

"Gaara, the Konoha ninjas are on their way, they should be here in 3 days" Inumi told the young Kazekage. "Thank you. Temari and Kankuro insisted that the medic will be staying with us. The one that I requested is an old friend of theirs. Please find a place for her assistants" the redhead responded. He was looking out the window at the city, now under his care, and thought back to the chunin exams, when he wanted to kill everyone in it. The time he fought Naruto, and had endangered the girl's life, only to have her help save his later. Though he needed a medic, it would've been preferable if she could've been accompanied by his first friend, the one who changed him for the better.

(2 days later…)

"We should be reaching Suna soon, but let's rest for now and run the last bit afterwards, so you should get some sleep. I'll take first watch, Lee-san will take the next and Kiba-kun will take the last one" Sakura decided. The boys merely nodded and went to sleep.

~I wonder how Gaara-sama is doing. ~ She thought to herself while she starred into the darkness. ~Ino did a diplomatic mission there a while ago, didn't she say he had become quite popular with the girls~ she thought to herself. Realising where her train of thought were heading, she blushed and shook her head.

She shifted her position and thought about the good old days with team Kakashi. Now Kakashi was the only one she even knew where to find… After finding Orochimarus hideout and Sasuke, but losing him again, Naruto went off on his own. That was more than five years ago now. She'd somewhat made friends with Sai and Yamato, but it just wasn't the same without the loud and obnoxious blonde. She was determined to keep herself from being depressed, and working to be a stronger ninja, to be their equal. Still, when Sasuke left it'd been devastating, but with Naruto gone, so many things seemed impossible. She could barely even smile for real. A tear trickled down Sakuras chin. She quickly wiped it away and cursed her brain for the directions of thought. ~Why do I have to choose between sad or inappropriate!?~ She thought to herself. Her brain responded by finding something silly –training with Lee and Gai-san.

"Oh just shut up!" she snapped loudly. Kiba and Lee jumped to their feet, ready to fight. Sakura cursed at herself. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to wake you" she said sheepishly. "It was just a…ehm… squirrel making a… noise, and I suddenly got very… annoyed by it" she said as the two settled down again. "Why don't you get some sleep? I think me and Kiba slept enough" Lee offered. "Thanks, is it ok with you Kiba?" "Sure why not, I'm good" he quickly answered. "If you lie next to Akamaru you'll be warmer" he offered, and Sakura smiled at him and took place next to the giant dog. Akamaru gave a small approving bark.

While Sakura slept, Lee and Kiba did nothing but glare at each other. "You will not prevail, as long as I am here to stop you" Lee said suddenly. "What are you babbling about" Kiba retorted with an annoyed sneer. "You wanted to kiss her, that's what I'm talking about" Lee said, as he rose. "It was quite obvious, even if you can't see it yourself. I have loved her since I first laid eyes on her, so don't think you can just jump on the wagon whenever you feel like it". "So you're just jealous. It's true you've been in love with her since forever, but you're never getting anywhere, are you. Maybe it's time you get over it. She's obviously not interested" Kiba replied calmly while standing to look his rival in the eyes. Akamaru whined at the two, accidentally waking up Sakura.

"Alright, I think it's time to get a move on" Sakura said as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She looked at the guys, doing some kind of weird stare-off. "What are you doing, is something the matter?" She asked quietly as she padded Akamaru on the head and got ready to leave. "No" the boys quickly answered with their eyes never leaving the others', obviously telling her the opposite, but that wasn't for her to stick her nose in unless it affected the mission. "If you say so, let's just get moving then" she said, wondering what was going on between the guys.

(In Suna)

"Gaara, how would you like to proceed today?" Inumi called from the kitchen, and the next second his sand clone materialized right beside her. "Our guests will be here soon, please welcome them at the gates, I will be delayed". "My, my, aren't you chatty today? I guess the council meeting will be dragged out as usual? I will make sure Haruno-san and the others are taken care of" She said. The clone dispersed and she finished her tea, before heading towards the gates.

(At the gates)

As the Konoha team neared the gates of Sunagakure, Sakura saw a familiar figure, although the closer they got the figure got both more familiar and a lot stranger. By the time they reached the gates Sakura was absolutely baffled. "Sakura-san, do you think it's possible that Gaara-sama has learned Naruto-kuns transformation jutsu?" Lee whispered as they walked the last bit. The girl before them were the female version of Gaara of the Sand. She had the same face, but more feminine. The same hair colour, but it reached all the way to her waist. Her eyes were cyan like Gaaras but she had pupils and eyebrows, also she lacked the dark circles around her eyes. She was wearing a similar outfit but had no kanji on her forehead.

"Welcome, Haruno-san, and your companions as well" the redhead said. "I am Inumi, secretary of the Kazekage. He will be joining us in a bit, but until then, please allow me to take you to the hospital, we are quite in need of your services". Sakura regained her posture and asked her to lead the way.

As they hurried to the hospital, Inumi informed Sakura about the attacks and the abilities of their medical force, as well as the injuries their ninja had sustained. "I'm sure you have some questions about me as well, Haruno-san, but we'll have time for that later" Inumi smiled as they reached the hospital. "Please report to Imoua Hatzuko in the hospital, he is the head medic and will be able to give you more details. Meanwhile, I shall show your companions to their housings. Inuzuka-san and Rock-san will be living in an apartment inside the Kazekage mansion, while the Sand siblings have insisted that you live in the main house with us". Sakura was about to question the 'us' Inumi had used, but the girl was already moving on with Kiba and Lee.

Sakura soon found Hatzuko and started dealing with the critical patients, as well as those with serious injuries. They managed to stabilize everyone, except one Jounin who had massive internal bleeding, and was too far gone to save when she'd arrived. Though it didn't stop her from feeling like a failure. She went with Hatzuko to the hospital cafeteria and sat down with a cup of tea to refresh herself. "We would've lost many more if you had not come, Sakura-san" Hatzuko reassured her. He was a young man, older than her but still young for a leading medic of a hospital. On the other hand, who was she to talk? She estimated he was around 28, maybe 29. He reminded her of Neji, only with a gentler face and blonde hair. "I was quite anxious to meet the fifth Hokages apprentice. You have quite the reputation, also here in Suna, after your team saved Kankuro-san and Kazekage-sama. Everyone here is looking forward to learning from you." He said, grabbing the attention of the absentminded konoichi. "Thank you Hatzuko-san, I'm honoured to have been chosen for this. I'm sure I have a lot to learn from Suna as well" she smiled.

"Ah, Inumi-san, have you come to find Sakura-san?" He greeted the Redhead. "Yes, I would like to take her to the mansion, so she can get settled in" she said. "The patients are stabilised so I will leave you for now Hatzuko-san" Sakura said and got up. Suddenly Hatzuko took her hand and placed something in it. Sakura was looking at a round pendant with a small white pearl in the centre, hanging from a thin chain of silver. She started to blush madly, when Hatzuko spoke. "It's a device that will let you know if we need you" he explained, laughing a bit at her read cheeks. "I'm sorry, I forgot to give it to you earlier". Sakura laughed sheepishly, thanked him and went on her way.

As they made their way to the Kazekage mansion, Sakura told Inumi about the status of the patients, and apologised for not arriving sooner. Inumi could tell that it hurt her to lose a patient. She changed the topic by suggesting different schedules for Sakura to use in the lessons she would start in a couple of days, once the hospital didn't need her as much. They talk about how she had befriended the sand siblings before and after the rescue of Gaara, when her team had lived with them for a couple of days. "We are having a dinner in the mansion tonight for you and your companions" she announced to Sakura as they entered the main house. "Go ahead, Temari is home already and I think Kankuro is too. I'll go talk to Lee-san and Kiba-san".

The mansion consisted of five buildings. The main building was a large round building with an adjoining wing on both sides, and behind it was a small sandstone garden with a building on either side. Kiba and Lee had been given an apartment in the building west by the garden, but the Sand siblings lived in the main building and the top floors of the east and west wing. The Kazekage had private quarters on the highest floor of the main building, right above a joint kitchen and living room, which connected the different rooms. Sakura walked through a room made for official visits, one flight of stairs up were residence for high class guests, and on the third floor she entered the resident living room. As soon as she got in, Temari came over.

"Hi Sakura, it's so nice to see you!" the blonde said and hugged her friend. "This is going to be wonderful, your room is right next to mine". She started dragging Sakura towards the east wing entrance and pulled her into the first room. "Mine is the next one, like that I'll be as far away from Kankuros room as possible" she laughed and stuck out her tongue. Sakura put her things on the bed and let Temari show her the rest of the residence. "It must've been nice moving in here" Sakura smiled. "Actually, we've lived here most of our lives. Our father was Kazekage before Gaara". How could she not have known that? Sakura mentally kicked herself. She promised herself to learn more about Suna and its history while she was here. They went to the living room and found Inumi in the kitchen, making tea for Kiba, Lee and Kankuro. Sakura talked with Kankuro who, again, thanked her for saving his life, while Kiba and Lee handed Temari some messages from Konoha, including a not-so-official letter sealed with the emblem of the Nara clan. "They even put in a dog bed for Akamaru!" Kiba excitedly told Sakura when they told her about the apartment they'd been given. "He wanted some rest though, so I'll bring some food for him later" he chuckled.

They were all chatting in the living room when Gaara arrived. The three Konoha ninjas stood, and Sakura went to greet the Kazekage. "Welcome home Kazekage-sama, we are honoured to be your guests. Thank you for your hospitality and inviting me to stay in your private residence. My companions and I are at your service". Gaara was surprised at her formality. She had saved his brother and helped revive him from the dead. "Gaara".

Sakura blinked.

"Call me Gaara, Haruno-san, we are beyond formalities. You and your comrades are welcome here" he stated calmly and held out his hand. Processing it for a second, Sakura lifted her hand to shake his, but instead she received a kiss on her hand. Gaara said something about important documents, excused himself from the room, and went to his quarters, leaving Sakura blushing from head to toe. She had not expected that. "You know, he's pretty happy you guys saved him, too" Kankuro said with a grin. Sakura regained her posture and sat back down with the rest. She needed to change the subject, everyone was looking at her.

"I've been dying to ask all day" she started. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, Inumi-san, but who are you? Your resemblance to Gaara-sama is uncanny and you live with the family in their home". She hit a jackpot, Kiba and Lee looked attentively at the three sand ninja, and Temari gestured for Kankuro to start, as if they'd told the story so many times it'd become a play. "After Gaara was rescued and brought home, he was ill from, well, being dead. He spent a lot of time in the hospital and after a while his kidneys gave out. Luckily that was the only major complication. We'd already started to look for a donor, when the younger brother of Chiyo-baasama, Ebizo-sama, said that the old council had a secret with the fourth Kazekage, our father. When our mother gave birth to Gaara, they had no idea she'd be having twins. Sakura and the others were baffled, staring at Inumi, who were just giggling in response, as Temari continued "Our mother also gave birth to Inumi, who was smaller and weaker than Gaara, but had not been touched by Shukaku, when they had sealed him within Gaara. They decided to send her away to live with a secluded foster family. Our father would visit once in a while, making sure that Inumi knew him and who she was, but making her understand that it was for her protection. When we went to meet her, she had pictures of us and was just happy to meet us. Of course she was happy to give Gaara a kidney after some extensive compatibility tests. When she and Gaara had recuperated, she and her foster family moved to Suna and we invited her to move in here".

"It's been five years now, and I still think Gaara is getting used to me, but I'm happy to finally be with my family" the redhead smiled sincerely. Sakura had no idea how to respond. Finding out you have an extra sibling, and a twin at that, it must've been quite the roller-coaster of emotions. "Inumi were never trained as a ninja, but she is quite perfect as Gaaras secretary" Temari enthusiastically told. It was quite clear she enjoyed having a sister.

As the new sand sibling were officially introduced downstairs, Gaara sat in front of his desk with a pen in his hand, writing a letter. However, he'd not written a single word, nor could he remember who he was addressing. All he could think of was why the bloody hell he'd kissed the Haruno girl's hand. He finally put down the pen and rubbed his eyes with two fingers, wondering if this was that 'giddy' feeling people talked of. It sure felt like the description. When she had been so formal, he'd almost resented it a bit, feeling that he needed to show her how he was indebted to her. Just as he was the rest of her team, and even the one downstairs in the green one-piece. Still, when she approached him, he'd noticed the years that had passed, and how she'd changed since he'd last seen her. He could objectively see that she was quite beautiful; the way she carried herself, her long pink hair resting on her shoulders. Realizing the inappropriate direction his mind was taking him, he shook his head. An ambassador from Konoha on a mission that would strengthen the relationship between the villages, was not to be thought of that way. He sighed and returned to his work, wondering why it had gotten so hot all of a sudden.