Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I'd be rich and would spend my time making this a real ep. than just a fanfic XD

Anyways, this is my first fanfic. I have role-played so I could master/understand the personalities of the Naruto characters. If you don't like my couples, I'm sorry. XD Anyways, here goes my first chapter! This story is for my favorite man, Gaara! Oh, and here are ze couples that will be seen.

ShikaxTemar KankuroXsomeone GaaraXoc and the others will be revealed later on.

This takes place after the exams by a few years. Thus Gaara is the Kazekage and is the age of 20, Shukaku is less of a threat, but is still the bad boy that we all know and love.

The night was pitch black, as though a blanket of black silk had draped itself over the land of sand. (That rhymed o.0) Very little made noise, except for the gentle breeze as it swept up small bits of sand.

A lone figure stood on a dune, his wonderful aquamarine eyes scanning the desert before him. In the darkness, he was well hidden with his black pants and blood-colored shirt. The gourd on his back was open, allowing sand to fall into a small pile before it was lifted away.

'The demon in me has calmed, yet I am still haunted.' His mind said. He closed his eyes, listening to the silent night around him. He reopened them when he heard the gallop of horse hooves.

Turning his head, he spotted a large band of horsemen chasing someone. He immediately took action, racing over to see what was happening.

'Why won't they give up?' she thought, glancing over her shoulder. 'Damn! They're catching up now! I've been running for practically an hour…' she added more chakra to her feet, speeding up. Her long blond hair had fallen down long ago, the curls falling into her face. Her clothes were tattered and cut as well. But the only thing she cared about was getting away from those who were chasing her. It's not like it was her fault anyways…at least not all her fault.

Flash back

The blond haired kunoichi was jumping through the trees, keeping watch of the borders of the Village Hidden in the Rain that rested in between the Sand and Fire country. Her assignment was to stop the transportation of a slave gatherer group between the countries. Sources had given them a map showing them the route the carts were taking.

"Greedy men…" she muttered, stopping to take a short break.

At first glance, many would mistake her for a young teen. By standing at only 5'2", it was a common mistake. The rest of her features though could enchant just about any bachelor, along with stick out in a crowd. Her bright gold hair stayed in constant gold loops, curling perfectly into separate coils. She kept it up though in a high ponytail, allowing two strands to fall along the sides of her calm, gentle face. Her eyes were a light hazel, darkening to a darker hazel in the night, almost black. So far, very few emotions could be read from her eyes; only anger, irritation, and hate. She normally went around with a blank look in her eyes, but comment on her size, and you're bound to get burned.

She wore a beige tank top with a short, dark brown zipper jacket that stopped just below her breasts. A deep, dark red colored skirt (with beige shorts underneath of course) with a beige cloth belt, her villages head protector with the symbol of Suna as its buckle.

She took out her water container, drinking only enough to keep her hydrated. She didn't know if she would be able to refill it before heading back to Suna, and the desert wasn't always kind. She nibbled on some bread she had brought, examining her surroundings. Trees weren't very often in the desert, and they always had a calming effect on her. They seemed so ancient, and had no real enemies besides the people that cut them down. She rested her head against ones bark, taking in the smell of pine and wood. 'So old, yet still so young.' she thought. She allowed herself to relax, knowing that she was going to need all of the energy she had if she wanted the mission to be successful. Once she was done, she started off again, not stopping until she reached her destination.

It was dark by then, and her targets would be arriving in a few hours. She began to set up her traps, trip wires that would help kill those in front so her job would be easier. About an hour after she finished, the faint sound of horse hooves on the ground could be heard.

She jumped into her hiding place, careful not to set anything off before setting herself up for the ambush. 'Maybe I should have allowed the others to come… oh well. This shouldn't be too hard as long as the information given is right.'

It wasn't for another ten minutes when the horses came into view. 'Damn! There are three times the number I was told!' She inwardly cursed. This was not good…

The unknowing men slowly walked into the trap, their horses seemed to sense the presence of the hiding ninja, but it went on unnoticed. Smirking at their reckless confidence, she threw a kunai, cutting the rope that held her traps at bay. Screams and shouts echoed the trees as blood began to spray. Blades or heavy branches crushed or sliced through the front of the group. She then went straight to work before they could retaliate against her assault. She threw a few shuriken, cutting the ropes connecting the rider's saddles to their horses while the others cut the ropes connecting the horses to the wagon of prisoners/slaves.

By then, those in the back of the slave traders group had come forward, taking out their dangerous looking weapons. 'Too many for me to kill in close combat...' she thought, and picked up a rock. She threw it heftily into the darkness. The noise it made worked, for half of the group went after it. 'Much better,' and took out her choice of weapon. Two elbow blades, one red and the other black.

She did the appropriate hand sings, and created clones of herself, jumping out with them into the view of her targets. Not smart, but she didn't want any unneeded blood staining her hands. "You are charged of possessing and trading of slaves. The fine is death. You have the choice, though, to come quietly. If you do so, the Kazekage of Suna may feel pity and reduce your sentence."

As she expected, the men weren't going to go down without a fight. They yelled, lunging at the clones while the real ninja slipped by. With her blades, she sliced through the locks that chained the prisoners, pointing the way they had come. They took the hint, and slipped away as quietly as possible. "Now let's have some fun." She said, racing back into the fray.

The large band had turned into a small group in a matter of minutes, surrounded by the stern faces of the sand kunoichi. "By resisting arrest," they all said, "You are to face death. No mercy shall be given." And it was done.

The blond sighed as her clones disappeared. "That was annoying…" she muttered, turning around to leave, only to face a face of a horse. "Oh shit." She cursed, seeing the club as it struck the side of her head. Yet, she didn't knock out. Feeling the warm blood drip down the side of her face, she turned and ran.

End of Flashback

After running through the trees and branches and having poorly thrown kunai and rocks at her, she had collected quite a few cuts and bruises. It had only been a few minutes of running, but to her, it felt like hours. Her legs were sore and her lungs begged for more oxygen. She had used a good amount of chakra from making those clones, and she needed as much as she could get if she was going to fight off the men behind her. So she blocked all signs of fatigue and pain to the back of her mind. 'Must get to Suna…' she repeated in her head, before tripping over a patch of desert shrub. "Damn it!" she yelled, for she had badly hurt her ankle. Ignoring once again the pain that was screaming through her leg, she managed to limp a few more yards before she fell again. "I guess running isn't an option..." she muttered, standing up and turning to face her enemies.

She performed a few hand seals, and her elbow blades lit on fire, but didn't burn her skin. "Desert Felines Claws of Fire!" she yelled, swinging the fire blades. With every swing, a slice of fire shot out, hitting the first few front horsemen. The fire took the form of claws as it tore through the enemies. "Damn, I can't pick them off like this," she shot another, "there are just too many!"

They were only a few yards away now, and she knew they would either kill or capture her. "Like hell they will!" she roared, firing as many fire claws as she could. Blood from her head wound dripped into her eyes, turning her vision slightly red. They surrounded her in a circle before closing in. "Heh, just like always. I'm a trapped animal." She muttered through gritted teeth.

One of the slavers on a black horse slowly rode towards her. She glared at him, rising her arms to fire again when she felt an arrow pierce through her right shoulder. She let out a sharp yelp, grasping the shaft and pulling it out. They laughed at her, taunting her and saying how she was going to wish she was dead. 'Yadda, yadda, yadda… like this is news to me.' She thought, rolling her eyes and throwing the arrow at the man on the black horse. It went into his forehead with a loud thud, killing him instantly.

During this time, the sand underneath them had begun to shift. Just before they were able to throw a net or fire at the kunoichi, it burst up, capturing the slavers while the horses freaked, throwing their riders off and running. The kunoichi blinked, barely hearing 'Sand Coffin', before the yelling men screamed as the sand crushed them. Their blood splattered all over her and the sand around them.

She wiped away at her eyes, seeing the Kazekage of Suna staring at her. Like most people in Suna, she knew of his bloody past. Yet, she was neither afraid nor intimidated by him. It was probably because if he was going to kill her, then he probably wouldn't have saved her. Then again, he may have done that so he could kill her personally. Oh well, she'd feel better if it was him that did that job compared to the slavers. "What?" she asked, irritation and fatigue showing in her voice. When Gaara didn't answer, she shrugged her shoulders and limped to a place where the sand wasn't soaked in blood. She sat down and examined her ankle. 'How the hell did I break it on something so simple?' She hadn't notice Gaara walk over and stand behind her while she examined her ankle. "Who are you." He said, more like a demand than a question.

"Kira, Kazekage-sama," she replied, standing up. He glanced at her headband. "What was your mission?"

"To go to the borders, intercept the trade slavers, kill them, and release the prisoners."

"Hn."

"The mission has been completed. If I may take my leave…" He simply stared at her, and then looked down at her feet. He poked her injured shoulder experimentally.

She winced slightly, "I will be fine, Kazekage-sama."

"Don't call me that. Call me by my name." he snapped, then picked her up, placing her over his shoulder. She didn't fuss or fight, for she knew she was in no position to complain. "Gaara?"

"You can't walk. It's my job to take care of the residents and ninja who visit or lives in Suna."

"Fine, but why were you out here? We're quite a few miles from Suna."

"…"

When he didn't reply, Kira didn't press him for an answer. It was almost midnight when they arrived in Suna. Instead of asking for directions to her home, Gaara headed towards the home he and his siblings shared.

END OF CHAPTER. PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Flames are fine. It helps me write better.