Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Author Note: Ah, the old arranged marriage between Gaara and Sakura to preserve the unity of the alliance between Konoha and Suna plot... yeah I couldn't help myself. I had to write one. I love the Gaara and Sakura pairing. As for the chapter length, I know the first chapter is short, but the second one will be longer. So... here's the first chappie!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter One: Reunion

As Sakura walked slowly down the streets of Suna, she felt like she was in a funeral procession. Her guard of black opps shinobi flanked her on all sides, and the street, despite the fact that it was crowded with people just waiting to see the pink haired girl, was eerily silent.

"What's going on?" One child whispered to another. "Why is that girl being escorted by so many shinobi?"

"You idiot!" The other child hissed back. "Haven't you been paying attention? She's the Konoha kunoichi that's going marry the Kazekage."

"Of coarse I've heard!" The child retorted blushing. "But I thought that the marriage was still a few months away."

"Father said that they pushed up the date." The know-it-all whispered. "He said, someone tried to kill her."

Sakura flushed in anger and embarrassment. She was a fully trained kunoichi and she had been caught completely unaware by some low level assassins. She had been as helpless as a newborn. If Naruto hadn't come to visit her... Well, Sakura couldn't bare to think of the consequences.

This marriage arrangement to Gaara was far from what Sakura wanted. After Sasuke left Konoha, Sakura hadn't believed that she could move on. And then she met him. His name was Ryou and he was a jounin. Yes, he was a full thirteen years older than she was, but he had been loving and attentive and everything that Sakura had needed to heal her aching heart.

Everything had been perfect. They had dated for over a year and she had moved in with him. And then it happened. He had been late coming back from missions before. Sakura understood that it just happened sometimes because things didn't always go as planned. So, for the first week, she hadn't been too worried. But then another week passed and a team was sent to recover them. When the team came back, it was with the worst news possible. Ryou and his team were dead. They had been ambushed on the way home to Konoha. Their bodies had been scavenged for potential jutsus and there was not even enough left to bring home. There were no witnesses and no evidence left behind. Ryou's murderers had gotten away.

There was nothing Sakura could do and, so, a detached sort of helplessness settled over her life. She would still go on missions, but the energy had been drained out of her. Her reaction times were slower, her strength was gone. She had become a liability. Sakura finally put her foot down when Naruto had been injured protecting her. That had been her last mission ever. Tsunade had assured her that it was not her fault, but she had not pushed her to go back into the field. Sakura had remained in Konoha as a medic at the hospital. Within a few months, her entire life had fallen apart.

Two years later, Sakura had still not picked up the pieces of her life. She still refused every mission, even when Naruto begged her to go, she still even lived in the apartment that she had shared with Ryou. Sakura really only had two things in life; her work as a medic and her memories of Ryou. Naruto, like the good brother that he was, came over every single day and tried to comfort her. She had appreciated it and she only wished that Naruto could understand just how much she did. However, despite Naruto's many attempts and Sakura's own strong desire to move on, she simply couldn't. Nothing thrilled her anymore. Nothing made her happy.

That was the reason she was in her current position. She hadn't been able to move on in Konoha. Everything there reminded her of Ryou. So, when Gaara's brother and sister had come to Konoha to claim a bride for Gaara to unite Konoha and Suna through marriage, Sakura had opted to go with them. She was of no use to Konoha and, in return, Konoha taunted her with a life that she had been denied. Suna would be a new start for her, even if it was with a man as unappealing as the evil Gaara, a man who had once tried to kill her.

There were some things about Suna that Sakura found she instantly liked. While Suna was definitely oppressive in its heat, it lacked the sticky, overwhelming humidity of Konoha in the summer. Anyone who has lived in a humid climate knows that humidity only increases the heat of the summer. While dry climates may actually get hotter than wet climates, over all, the wet climate feels hotter. Also, Suna had become more beautiful under Gaara's careful watch and people now flooded the once empty streets and markets. However, what liked most was that she had no memories of Ryou here. Neither Sakura nor Ryou had ever visited Suna together. In Konoha, Sakura could be swept away in memories by just walking down the streets. Suna was a refreshing change.

As the guards got closer to the Kazekage's office, Sakura braced herself. She had never gotten along well with Gaara, not that they had ever verbally disagreed about anything. The root of her discord with Gaara had more to do with him trying to kill her. Sakura had never gotten past that incident. She still shuddered at the memories of the demonic hand pressing her up against a tree and squeezing her until she thought she would pop like a grape. Gaara had never apologized for that, not that he ever would. Apologies weren't in his nature.

The guards escorted Sakura to the upper most tower of the building. Gaara was seated at his desk writing, while spoke to him in an excited tone. When the door opened, Temari looked up and smiled.

"Hello, Sakura." She said excitedly.

"Hello, Temari, Gaara." She smiled.

Gaara glanced up, nodded at her, and then stood. He had grown up. Gaara's blood red hair was slightly longer and hung down to his shoulders. He was taller and more muscular than he was in their previous encounters. The traditional Kazekage robes made him look imperial and exotic. He looked like he was made for his role as Kazekage.

"Welcome to Suna." Gaara said, straightening up. Sakura couldn't help noticing that his voice had gotten deeper. "I would take you on a tour, but some of our trading caravans have come under attack and I am needed here. Temari will be your escort for now."

Temari nodded at her brother and then led Sakura toward the exit. "Come on, I'll show you your room."

Sakura was half-way out the door when Gaara's voice stopped her. "Sakura," he said, "I would like to meet you for dinner after this is taken care of. I believe that we have things to discuss."

Sakura turned and appraised Gaara. "All right, then." She said before allowing Temari to pull her away. Maybe marrying Gaara wouldn't be so bad. He was definitely handsome and he obviously cared deeply for Suna. The city prospered under his rule and the people adored him, something that they would have never thought of doing while his father was in charge. If Gaara was as affectionate toward her as he was toward Suna, then maybe their marriage would not be doomed for failure.

Well, there's the first chapter. If you like, please review cause I can't stand seeing my writing with like 200 hits and no reviews. It makes me feel like people didn't like my work and I will not update unless I think it's worth my time. Another reason that I ask for reviews (The most important reason) is because I don't leaving typos or plot holes unaddressed. So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE if you see an awkward scene change, a plot hole, a typo, or ANYTHING of that nature tell me. I don't always catch these things and I don't have a beta. Also if you have ideas for furthering of the plot, I am always open to new ideas. Anyways... I am hoping for much tension in the next chapter and maybe I will have a lime/lemon or something of that nature. It depends on how quickly I can set it up without making it cheesy. I can't stand cheesy plot lines. Much love to everyone –LunarEclipse/librianangel