Back again? Already? Gaara must have been a masochist or something of the like. Behind him his older sister Temari was grumbling over the lack of special accommodations he was receiving. He knew she would be unhappy regardless, since she thought the chuunin exams to be pointless for Gaara.
"You're strong enough as it is." She grumbled while messing with the pillows on her bed. Temari, after six months of major changes for their family and all of Suna, was coming to not only respect Gaara, but care for him deeply. Scars from so many scares and unfortunate situations had left a lot to be desired in their family life.
"It's fine." Gaara said, brushing her off. He was never one for drawn out words. Temari crossed her arms in a huff.
"You already proved you're strong enough." She insisted. It may have been just him, but Gaara felt their room to grow oppressively small. Wanting nothing more than to forget his wrongs in the past exams, he knew he had shown plenty of strength, now he needed to prove he could control it. Seeing the frustration in Temari's face, Gaara worried he was upsetting his sister. Part of him, the old him with the endless walls and barriers was sickly satisfied, but the new him knew this to be wrong.
"I'm sorry," he told her, feeling it was what a good brother might say.
"For what?" she asked. Guess not. Gaara was no good when it came to connecting with people, even his sister. He tried so hard, but it just wasn't coming as easily to him as he would like. The door opened, it was Kankuro, bringing them a take-out dinner.
"Where were you?" demanded Temari, her attentions easily shifting.
"What does it look like? Konohagakure has too many food stands." Kankuro countered. Temari eased off, eagerly looking at the bags.
"It had to be held here again, didn't it?" She asked rhetorically. It was an act of reciprocity on behalf of Sunagakure, to apologize for what had occurred during the first exam, at their hands of course. Each sibling felt some guilt for a moment, especially Gaara. Coming into the village of the hidden leaves, Gaara noted how one could not even see the damage to the buildings and homes. One could still sense the hurt amongst the people, but if anything, they were stronger because of the attack. Those of Konoha were very adept, and he admired them. Not feeling particularly hungry, Gaara left their hotel room for some air.
"Where are you going?" called Kankuro.
"Out." replied Gaara. Temari went to the door, saying nothing. Both of Gaara's siblings knew there was no arguing with him, and in this moment, Gaara was grateful for this. Since Gaara had been to Konoha before, he had no trouble maneuvering the streets. Very soon he had made his way to a secluded place among the trees near a flowing stream. Another reason he loved Konoha, their endless places to be at a momentary ease. So at rest was he that he almost failed to notice the gleaming kunai heading his way. Reflexively, he blocked the weapon with a wall of sand. Turning his head slightly, he saw an attacker. It was a ninja of Amegakure.
"We knew it wouldn't be easy." The ninja said with a dark expression. Gaara could have laughed at the stupidity of his attacker had he felt so inclined. Now he was on alert for other attackers. As the kunai thrower rushed towards Gaara, another lowered his chakra cloak and started doing the motions for a strange jutsu. While this was happening Gaara had not been inactive. With a motion of his hand, a sharp wave of sand took out the ninja behind him, while he handled the kunai thrower with ease with some simple taijutsu. A great cry came from the surrounding area, and about eight ninja joined in on the attack. It was an unfair fight by every meaning of the word. Gaara was far more skilled than any of them could dream, and he made quick work of the surrounding ninja. Approaching one, he grabbed them by the collar.
"Was this an act of war?" he seethed, noting they all were of the Village Hidden in Rain. The man, young, but age indiscernible, shook his head and made a strange noise in an attempt to speak.
"Just one less to fight." said the ninja. Gaara, disgusted, dropped the attacker who made no further moves to attack. No one rose, and it was unclear whether any of them were left alive, but that was none of Gaara's concern. Sensing a familiar chakra behind him, he turned.
"How long have you been here?" he asked with nihility, coming off of the edge he felt after the short battle.
"Long enough." replied Kankuro, who was standing beside a distraught Temari.
"This is bullshit," she said, "we're guests here, and I'll be damned if we're to be treated like this."
Gaara, knowing his sister's fiery temper rarely raged without reason, remained silent. Turning, Temari eyed the capitol of Konoha, with its tower carrying the symbol of fire. Ideas forming in her head, her eyes revealed the glimmers of her genius. She smiled at her brothers.
"Why not a bit of diplomatic suggestion?" She suggested. Very shortly, they found their way into an audience with the hokage of Konoha. Tsunade, a woman they were unfamiliar with, sat behind the desk, clearly swamped with work. Stacks of papers almost completely obscured their view of her though they were standing. Her assistants weaved in and out of the room carrying out her requests, filling out paperwork for her, and delivering more and more paperwork to her chagrin.
"-And then at least fifty more came to join the fight against my poor, defenseless brother! Thank goodness he was able to pull through… barely." explained Temari, sharing her slightly, if not almost entirely exaggerated tale. From behind the papers the three siblings could hear an exasperated sigh.
"And you want me to do what?" asked Tsunade, unimpressed by the harrowing story. Temari was floored at this leader's apathy.
"I don't know," admitted Temari, who had come expecting better treatment. She quickly rallied her spirits to change the situation, "you're our host and the leader of this village, and surely you can do something!"
An assistant baring more papers clamored in, making more noise than any ninja should. Tsunade looked on disapprovingly at the oncoming papers. Through the stacks the siblings of Suna saw the frown transform to a playful smile. Shoving some papers aside for a better view of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, Tsunade paid no mind to the cascade of paperwork that shot off of her desk.
"I have the perfect solution." She said.
"Yes?" asked Kankuro. Personally, he hoped for a more spacious space to stay, or maybe some exclusive training grounds.
"Sakura," called Tsunade to the assistant who was busying herself with picking up the splayed papers.
"Yes?" asked Sakura, rising with a mass of papers. She looked rather frazzled.
"This is Gaara of Sunagakure, I'm not sure if you have met, he has been attacked, and his siblings believed it is necessary for greater protection during the upcoming chuunin exams. You're participating in them as well, correct?"
"Yes?" answered Sakura in a questioning tone. She knew Gaara very well in fact. From the previous chuunin exams and prior missions Sakura had known Gaara, both as an enemy and an ally. She looked at him and found he was eyeing her. As usual it was impossible to read, and if Sakura were to be honest, she was a little unsettled by him.
"Good, as expected of my apprentice. Well, that settles it; I've found you a solution, Temari of Sunagakure, Haruno Sakura, my apprentice here, shall serve as your brother's bodyguard for the entirety of your stay. You are welcome." Tsunade declared with authority. It was known to Sakura that there was no arguing at this point, and that she was now to be the protector of her enemy turned ally, Gaara of the Sand.