PROLOGUE:

Life of a Kazekage

Knock knock knock

"Give me a minute!" I yelled while throwing off my covers and horridly putting on my white and purple robes. I had gotten used to diving out of my bed, into my clothes and straight into work. I glanced at my alarm clock once I was changed "five fifteen" I sighed "It just gets earlier and earlier" I had just gotten back the ability to sleep and no ones hardly let me try it out, this job has me coming home at three every night when I'm lucky or decide to blow some of the work on my brother kankuro. I let out a heart felt sigh, "Some times I actually miss Shukaku". "O.K you can come in now" I yelled once I checked I looked in the mirror and found my self looking great as always do.

"Kazekage-sama a letter has arrived from Konaha, asking to grant permission for three shinobi into our village" Baki popped his head between the door. He was wearing that serious, monotone expression that he hardly ever took off and the usual standard Jounin uniform.

"Yeah sure, does it say which ninja they're sending and why? I hope they're going to build me a chocolate fountain or something now, I mean, how crazy is their Hokage? sending me a note at five in the morning?" I open the door for him and lean on the wall next to it to let him through.

"I'm sorry Kazegake-sama, I know how cranky you get once you've finished sleeping" Baki said, "It's about some sort of invitation to something, sorry Kazekage-sama it didn't have much information on the subject, but they are sending over rock-lee and Uzumaki Naruto.

My ears perked up at the end of that sentence, I haven't seen them in quite some time, ever since I saved Rock-lee from Kaguya Kimimaro we've been quite good friends since then, and as for Naruto, his helped me ALOT since the chuunin exam.

"Erm, didn't you say there was three ninja coming?" I wondered.

"Yes Kazekage-sama, there's also a girl called…" he flicked through his pages "ah here it is… Ino Yamanaka, hmm I think it's her first visit to Suna, Kazekage-sama".

"Please Baki, Don't call me Kazekage, I thought we've been through this, besides I'm not some seriously old business guy with money hungry kids screaming at me because their diamond shoes don't fit" I smiled cheekily and asked "is that all?".

"Ha-ha, It's good to see you smile so much now a days Kazeka-I mean Gaara" and with that he turned to leave before adding "oh and Gaara, I've noticed your working hours kind of… for lack of a better word: suck, and seeing as though there's hardly any work today, I volunteer myself to do your work today".

"Aww couldn't you of asked yesterday, I would of asked that blonde at the ramen bar on a date, she's had her eye on little ol' me for me for quite some time now" I winked and said "thanks" with that he walked off and I went back inside.

Yep! You heard right Sabaku No Gaara is now the Kazekage! Ever since the chuunin exam I had decided that I wanted to have a reason to live besides killing and gain back all the respect I had lost on my killing sprees. I thought Kazekage was perfect for me. I had worked for three years straight to get to where I am, during that time my siblings had told me I seemed different; smiling more, feeling more comfortable with people and just genuinely acting the good Samaritan.

When my siblings and I had become jounins, the councillors had asked us if any of us had wished to be the Kazekage. Seeing as though our father was the Kazekage before us and we were among the top ten shinobi in the village they had asked us if we wanted the position. We had all rejected the offer, I don't know the reason Temari or Kankuro did it, but I rejected it for two reasons I wanted to improve on my skills before I took the job and I did a little research on the previous Kazekages, I wanted to find out how I could be as great as them, but when I looked I noticed they all resembled power mad, war crazy assholes. I just didn't want to be Kazekage if it meant turning into something like that.

a year had passed and the Kazekage still hadn't been chosen, the councillors begged us to be Kazekage, and seeing as though I had always dreamed on becoming Kazekage, But I vowed to my siblings, that I'll be the Kazekage for the people and not for myself, and so far, I've kept true to that promise.

I got to say, being Kazekage I feel more confident in my people's trust in me.

I got dressed into my casual wear, I decided to wear my old black shirt with fishnets underneath along with a dark brown cotton trousers, oh yeah, and of coarse, my guard. I was really looking forward to seeing Naruto and rock-lee tomorrow, I haven't seen them since I lost shukaku.

I couldn't wait to see Naruto especially, while he was on his three-year training binge, the council wanted to mould a statue in my honour, like they did for the other Kazekages, I was thinking, "Why the hell would I want a statue of my pretty face, I mean sure it's gonna look beautiful like the real thing, but how the hell would that help my people, my face is just gonna be sculpted onto the walls with the other Kazekages" (a habit our village copied from Konoha) I started thinking "What would Naruto do?…"

Build a ramen stand.

It was either that or the fact I hadn't eaten in a while because Temari wanted to practice cooking for a date with a certain Konoha ninja. The stuff she made would even have an escaped convict who had only eaten his green, infected toenails for the last three years gag.

Long story short I decided to make thee ramen stole, I couldn't wait for Naruto to see it, I had called it "Naruto's ramen stand" it then had a picture of Naruto with noodles on his face where his whiskers should be, Corny, I know, but I REALLY just wanted to eat at the time.

I walked into "Naruto's ramen stand" for the first time in what seemed like forever, it was designed a little like Ichiraku's Ramen Bar in konoha, except with my own Gaara touch, the seats had pictures of my head doing the peace sign with my fingers I then realised two weeks later that I'd have people sitting on my face.

I took the middle seat. it was early in the morning so it was only me, so it was easier for the owner, a short, grey bearded man named Eisuke, to notice me

"Kazekage-sama! Long time no see! Where you been hiding latly?" he yelled with surprise

"from Temari's cooking, that stuff'll kill you" I said with a wide grin.

"ahaha! So I take it shes still hasn't had that shika-person ask her to marry her him yet? eh Kazekage-sama?" he said winking at me

"no, not yet, and need I remind you're you're a happily married man yourself… with two daughters… and a dog" I said

"ahaha so what can I get you Kazekage-sama? The usual?" he said with a cheerfull smile, I had hardly ever seeen him not smiling before, I'm just glad it wasn't one of those creepy smiles you get from murderers.

"yeah, with extra pork and syrup though, and call me Gaara, remember?"I said.

"ah yes, my mistake, sorry Gaara, so got any plans for today?" he made me my meal, took out his news paper and laid it infront of him to read. He was pretty much the only person I know who smiles while he reads the paper, I find its too much content with murder, drugs and rape and personaly I'm more of an archie comics kind of guy.

"yeah, gonna visit some one, so …er, is it ok for me to take this one out, I'll bring the bowl back tomorrow, I'll have Kankuro clean it up nice aswell" I begged

"yeah, that's ok Gaara, heck I'll put it on a shelf like a trophy, you being a celebrity and all ahaha" he said "so who is it? Is it a girl?! Boy it'd sure be nice to see the Kazekage with a wife soon ya know? And I could do the catering at your wedding ahaha".

"ahaha, nah, I'd think I'd rather have Temari do that, then we could have competitions to see whos the last to either throw up or… well, you know" I said.

"ahaha then you definately have to invite me" he joked "have a nice one Gaara! Knock her dead with that golden smile yours ahaha!"

as I walked to where I usualy met her, it hit me that in order to make up for not seeing her in a while I'd probley have to visit twice as much for a while. I passed a flower store on the way, I thought it'd be best to bring some flowers. I picked up some red and light pink ones, I know theres a reason behind the colours of flowers, ut I didn't have a clue about it, so I just picked them at random and headed on my way.

When I arrived I thought it'd be best to finnish eating my pork ramen before I showed my face, I didn't want to look fat or disrespect her. I leaned on the gates and ate quitely, I noticed the sign that was always there, no one could tell what it said because the letters had faded and moss now grew over it.

When I had finnished I put the bowl on the top of my guard like a lip so I didn't have to carry it and so its not covered in sand in my guard.

I looked throught the gates, a huge golden yellow building was at the back, but you had to quite a long graveled path with what seemed like 2 miles of grass on either side to get to it, good thing I was meeting her on the grass.

As I walked I looked both left and right, I really didn't like this place, it Really creeped me out, especially that building at the back, the curtains were never open and I swear walking along here I saw someone in the window. But she was here so I just put my head down and kept walking.

When I finally raised my head, there she was, as I always remembered her.

"sorry I'm late"