Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other of its characters, Masashi Kishimoto does. I only own original characters. And this story takes place when the Konaha 11 are all in their twenties, just so thats clear.

The Vastness of Sand

Her blue eyes looked out over the village from her perch on top of the academy. It had been a long time since she had been to the academy, not since the Chunin exams. One of her booted feet dangled over the side and she swung it back and forth softly, the low tap of her heel hitting the side of the building filling the silent air around her. The sound of two sets of feet were approaching her and she looked over her shoulder, some of her short white hair blowing in her face and she quickly tucked it behind her ear with one of her gloved hands. Her two squad mates sat down on either side of her, one with a sigh of contentment and the other with a grunt.

Taki looked back out over the village that she had called home for her entire life. She could never imagine living somewhere else, risking her life for another village and its people. Konoha was her home and the people were her family. She leaned back on her hands as she smiled out at the retreating sun.

"Do you think we will always be like this? Together, fighting for the village that we love?" The girl asked to her left. The girls brown hair was pulled back neatly in a high ponytail, showing off the sharp features of her face. Taki had always found herself a tad envious of her squad mate, but it only made her strive harder.

"Yeah, were ninja's of Konoha…" Taki started, but the boy to her right cut her off, looking over his shoulder at her, some of his long black bangs blowing in his green eyes.

"Until the day we die." He said with a smirk. Taki smiled back at him before she looked out at the village, the sunset casting a golden glow over the faces of the past Hokages, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Exactly… Until the day we die."

**********

Taki let out a huff as she fell back against the dusty chair in the Suna Wall Watchtower. She remembered those days like they had just happened. Ten years had gone by since she had become a Chunin and the silly dreams of a fifteen year old girl were lost to the twenty-five year old woman sitting in a tower in the middle of a vast desert. She kicked her feet up on the empty chair in front of her as she let out a small sigh, her head falling back. Life when one was fifteen was so much less complicated, even if she had just been appointed Chunin.

A slight, warm wind passed through the makeshift tower, granules of sand rubbing against her skin in the least pleasant of ways. She might have been in Suna for five years now, but Taki still wasn't used to the excessive heat and the endless amounts of sand. Taki kicked the chair out from under her feet as she stood and walked over to one of the walls, leaning against it and looking out the opening. The watchtower was more of a hut, half walls and a roof to try and provide shade. The shade was nice, but the hot wind still made it uncomfortable.

Her blue eyes scanned the horizon and saw nothing but sand. It was all she ever seemed to see… sand. It was days like these that really made her notice, days where she was longing for the coolness of her small apartment where the only constant man in her life was waiting for her. She smiled to herself when she thought about him, his big brown eyes looking at her with a grin plastered on his face. Yes, she would much rather be home telling him about all the crazy people she knew back in the leaf village, his personal favorite to hear about was Naruto, or any mission she had gone on. Taki would much rather be home then out on guard duty again. She was a Jonin for crying out loud, why was she always stuck with guard duty? The scuffing sound of dirt under feet drew her attention away from the horizon and to the form slowly approaching her.

His hands were shoved deeply into the front pockets of his brown pants, his shoulders slightly hunched forward. His black hair was a little longer than it had been back when they had both been in the leaf, but it still had that spiked style to it. His black Suna headband was tied tightly around his head and his black shirt was tucked into his pants. He wasn't wearing a vest, but he never did. Sasuke Uchiha had no need for a vest.

Sasuke stayed silent as he looked at the woman that was observing him, her blue eyes narrowed and wary. Taki had always been wary of him, ever since they had been kids. Her white hair was held back in a wild bun, her Suna headband absent from her forehead. Her black pants were tight on her slim legs and her deep red shirt sleeves just peaked out from the arm holes of her tan unzipped Jonin vest. A black belt worked its way through the loops of her pants where her Suna headband had been made into a belt buckle.

"What are you doing here Sasuke? Isn't it your day off?" Taki asked as one of her dark brows arched toward her hairline. Sasuke didn't say anything as he continued to observe her. Her blue eyes never left his face, intense as they always seemed to be. It had something to do with that dark red apache stripe that ran across her eyes and nose, temple to temple. It was something she said she had been born with, a marking of a clan that she had never known.

"Just needed some air," Sasuke finally said as he scratched at the back of his sweaty neck. Taki let out a curt laugh as she looked back out over the vast sea of sand looking for something, anything. The amount of guards at the wall had been increased in the last couple of months due to more reports of skirmishes around the border flooding in. There was only one person due to be coming to the village that day and that was Kankuro. His mission with the leaf was over and he was supposed to be on his way back, but when it came to a trip to the leaf Kankuro was never home when he was expected.

"What about that baby of yours?" Taki asked still not looking at him. Taki had arrived in the village a year after him and by that time he had married Temari and three years later they had, had a baby girl. He might have gained another Uchiha to the clan, but at the cost of losing his wife during childbirth. Yui Uchiha looked just like her mother, except she had gotten her father's dark eyes.

"With the Kazekage."

"She's always with Gaara," Taki laughed as she wiped at her brow. Gaara had taken to his niece like she was his own. Sasuke found it ironic that the guy who used to think he only lived to kill was now mush in the palms of his two year old niece. The symbol on his head was no longer ironic, but described the man perfectly.

Silence fell over the two as Sasuke shoved his hand back in his pocket. Silence was a common thing between the two. They had never been anything close to friends, but now they were squad mates and Sasuke was trying to make some kind of rapport with her whenever he could, but he still never knew what to say. He remembered when all he cared about was revenge and cared nothing for any sort of bond but after marrying Temari and having Yui, he was trying to change that. He had gotten his stupid revenge and had nothing but agony to show for it. Yui and Suna were his hope for a new life and to finally make new bonds like the ones he had, had once but carelessly threw away.

He shifted from one foot to the other as he struggled to find words, but they failed on his tongue. She was the hardest person he had ever had to talk to. He had better conversations with his two year old then the woman standing before him. Taki turned to look at him again, an expectant look in her blue eyes. He frowned as a low grunt left his tight lips, turning and walking away from her.

Taki let out a curt laugh as she watched Sasuke walk away from her, the Uchiha clan symbol staring at her from the back of his black shirt. His shoulders were still hunched forward and his hands shoved in his pockets. He still mirrored that lost little twelve year old back in the academy in so many ways.

"Some people never change," Taki said to herself as she watched him disappear in a flash. Taki stretched one of her legs out and groaned as her eyes looked at the position on the sun. She had been out there for eight hours and she had another hour to go. One of her hands reached down for the bladder of water at her side and quickly took a long pull. There was nothing more refreshing than a cold drink of water. Too bad her water was no longer cold and a tad on the grainy side. She really hated sand sometimes, it got in everything.

"Are you looking for someone?" A voice rang out behind her and Taki jumped slightly at the voice. She really hated that he could do that. He was one of the only ones that could. She turned around to face the man and when she saw his face she stifled a laugh behind one of her petite hands. Kankuro was standing in front of her looking worse for wear. His purple "war paint" was smudged on his face and a black eye was swelling his left eye shut. When he smiled at her she noticed the nice cut on his bottom lip.

"Have a little trouble with a certain lady of the leaf?" Taki asked as she observed him. It didn't matter that he had been worked over by a girl, the smug look on his face was still there and his cockiness was still as present as ever.

"Yeah, Tenten wasn't happy with me," Kankuro said with a smile as if the butt kicking he had received was one of his fondest memories with the fiery weapons expert. They had been seeing each other for awhile, but while Tenten wanted to be exclusive, Kankuro still wanted to have an open relationship.

"What did you do this time?"

"I got a little too friendly with Moegi. Not only was Tenten on my but Lee had to stop Neji from giving me the gentle fist to my privates."

Taki stiffened at the last name. Neji… now there was a name that was painful. She tried to brush off her reaction, but Kankuro noticed it quickly, one of his eyebrows disappearing into his hood. Taki was his squad mate and a good friend, but there was still so much about her that he didn't know. Gaara was the only one in the Sand besides herself that knew the true reason why she was in Suna instead of Konoha.

"You okay?" Kankuro asked her, getting a forced smile from Taki as she looked back over at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine… How long have Moegi and Neji been together?" Taki asked. She didn't really want to know, but she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"For awhile now. I guess it's pretty serious."

Movement behind Kankuro caught Taki's eye and she quickly let the breath she didn't realize that she had been holding. She gave Kankuro a rough slap on the shoulder before she walked past him.

"Where the hell are you going?" Kankuro rang out as he turned toward her and saw a Chunin heading his way.

"Home, where else? See ya Kankuro!" Taki yelled over her shoulder as she passed her relief. The smile on her face fell as she turned forward again. She just wanted to get home and take as shower and see those brown eyes she had been thinking about all day. Neji was the last thing she wanted on her mind. Her guilt was enormous when she thought of him.

******

Taki walked into the kitchen of her small apartment and set the box of dango down on the counter. The apartment was unusually quiet and a small stab of panic raced through her before she felt something rub against the side of her calf. When she looked down a small orange tabby was rubbing himself against her, his purr loud as he circled her leg. The cat was a sure sign that brown eyes was around. The cat followed him everywhere. She heard a slight rustle behind her, making Taki turn slowly.

She just caught a small body crouched on top of the refrigerator before they launched toward her with a small feral cry. Her arms shot up and wrapped around the body as small arms wrapped around her neck. The figure let out a growl before she dug her fingers lightly into their side playfully, a small giggle erupting from them as they started to squirm in her arms.

"Stop! Stop!" They cried out between their laughs. Taki let them go and they landed in a crouch on the floor. She smiled down at him as he straightened up. His dark brown hair was wild atop his head and his blue shirt was wrinkled. His brown eyes stared up at her happily, their slit pupils only showing innocence.

"Taisetsu how many times have I talked to you about climbing up onto the fridge?"

"I'm sorry mommy," he said quietly as he looked down at the ground.

"If you really want to surprise me take Kuma up there with you so he doesn't give you away," Taki said with a smile as she referred to the small tabby that was now clawing at the boys pant leg. Taisetsu looked back up at her with a huge smile on his face, his elongated canines poking out from his full lips. Taki smiled down at her four year old son, the markings on his face catching her eye. On each cheek he had red fang like markings of a clan she did not belong to.

Why did he have to look so much like his father?