The next day, his schedule cleared for a while, the young man decided to make his way to her place of employment. He entered the sweet shop early, just after it opened, to ensure that it was empty.

Emi was tying an apron around her waist, hands swiftly forming a knot in the back, and she then proceeded to tie a small bandana, yellow like the store sign and her dress, into her hair. He waited silently, watching her, and when she noticed his presence she jumped.

"Kazekage-sama!" She dipped into a quick bow. "I didn't see you there, please forgive me." Straightening up, she fixed him with a cautiously curious look. "Are you…Can I get you something, Kazekage-sama?"

His deep, probing eyes narrowed slightly again, but he simply stood there with his arms crossed until she began to fidget uncomfortably. "I don't care for sweets."

"Then what are you…"

"Lord Kazekage!" came a sudden voice behind her. A man, the owner of the shop, came bustling in from the kitchen. "In my shop!"

"Sabiki-sensei!" said Emi.

"Emi! Why is the Kazekage standing in my shop and not being assisted! Can't you do your job?"

"Sabiki-sensei, he…" Emi looked at her boss helplessly. "Kazekage-sama doesn't care for…"

"I'm here to pick up something for my sister," interrupted Gaara in a calm voice. "Temari was quite distraught yesterday after an appointment ran late and she was unable to stop in. Perhaps it could be possible for you to make her something, Sabiki-san?"

Sabiki, a stern-looking man, blinked in surprise. "Of course, Lord Kazekage! Anything! What does Temari-sama like?"

"She's very fond of chestnuts. They're her favorite." Gaara's gaze was riveted on Emi, who had lowered her head.

"Ah! A fresh dessert with chestnuts! Right away!" Sabiki bowed quickly and made his exit to the kitchen, mumbling to himself about the possibilities.

For a while, it was quiet. Then, Emi whispered, "You lied."

Gaara waited a beat before responding, "I did not. Temari loves chestnuts."

"You know what I mean." Her face was completely hidden by her hair.

"You're hiding something."

She looked up with a start at his blunt tone. "Hiding something, Kazekage-sama? How can I hide something, I only have memory of the last two weeks in this village—"

"I'm not fooled. I think you're the one who's lying."

"I don't understand—"

"If your goal," he said dangerously, leaning in until his breath tickled her face, "is to harm this village or any of its inhabitants, I will kill you."

Her head reeling, he stepped back. "When Temari's dessert is finished, deliver it to her." He placed some money on one of the empty tables. "There is your payment."

Then the redhead was gone.


The mound of paperwork in his office was frying his brain. He prevented a sigh, rubbing slightly at his tired eyes, but froze mid-gesture when his sense picked up something outside the window of his office. Now quite late into the night, he highly doubted—

He stopped again, sensing a distinctly different chakra than his two guards posted outside the door. Two chakras—three—four—

Four.

His sand reacted quicker than his own reflexes would have been allowed, forming a shield to his left and blocking a barrage of weapons. He stood, gesturing, and the sand whipped his door open—his two guards lay dead in the hallway outside of his office. He tensed, ready for a battle, and four men appeared, surrounding him. They were all clad in garb that seemed most like the style of the Hidden Cloud Village, shielding their faces, and the one directly in front of him stepped forward and said, "Gaara of the Desert?"

Gaara's green eyes met the ninja's coldly. "Yes."

"Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand…" The ninja laughed. "We're under orders to kill you."

"Is that so." He settled into fighting stance swiftly and added, "Come on then."

His sand stirred to life all around them, and he wasn't worried in the least. These ninja didn't look too threatening, and he would simply activate his Sand Burial and—

Suddenly, the ninja who had spoken and was obviously the leader made quick hand signs, and Gaara's eyes widened slightly as he realized he could physically see his chakra in the sand…and it was being leeched away.

"This will make it a much fairer fight." His head cocked to the side, staring at Gaara. "Don't you think?"

The three others came at him all at once, weapons ready, and he attempted to summon his sand. The sand still moved, but lazily and lethargically. It wouldn't reach him in time—

There was a metallic clashing noise as shuriken knocked the weapons from their hands. A fifth ninja, a ninja Gaara had been unable to sense, crouched in the window. This ninja was cloaked, hood up, and dressed in all black. He wore a face mask, had no headband, and the shadows from the hood prevented a clear view of his eyes.

"Who're you?" demanded the leader of the Cloud ninja.

"Riku, you said there wasn't anyone around," said one to Gaara's left.

The leader, Riku, snarled. "There wasn't."

The cloaked ninja straightened, a kunai gleaming in one black-gloved hand. Riku nodded at the one to Gaara's right and said, "Nari, take that one out."

"Yes sir." Nari drew a handful of shuriken, launched them at the mysterious ninja. He dodged to the right, but Nari appeared right there with yet another weapon, slashing. The weapon caught him on the right shoulder, tearing the arm of the cloak, leaving a gash in his skin, and revealing to Gaara's eyes a spiral tattoo.

"He's ANBU," said Nari. "Riku, you didn't say there were ANBU here—"

"Forget what I said and take care of it!" Riku ordered harshly, eyes glinting.

Gaara used his distraction to strike, taking out one of the other members with a well-placed punch so that the ninja fell into a gathered pool of Gaara's sand. The man shrieked, but the noise was swallowed by Gaara's Sand Burial. The one to his left sprung on him, and as they engaged in a fight, Nari and the mystery ninja were clashing as well while Riku snarled.

"Enough of this." He joined the fray with Gaara as the Kazekage began to worry that his sand wasn't reacting fast enough. Whatever technique Riku had used had drained away most of the control Gaara had over his sand.

There was a gargling noise abruptly as Nari fell to the side, her throat slashed.

"This was supposed to be a quick assassination." Riku made more hand signs, saying, "Lightning Surge Jutsu!"

The mystery ninja dodged it narrowly, his cape in tatters, before making hand signs of his own. He didn't speak a word, but whatever jutsu he had used cancelled out the technique from Riku—Gaara watched his chakra returning to the sand. He lifted his hand, capturing Riku and the last unnamed Cloud ninja. Riku struggled angrily, but it didn't matter; Gaara's fist clenched, and the two were killed.

There was a second to breathe. Gaara didn't look at the ninja who had helped him when he said, "I should have been able to take them out without a problem."

The ninja hesitated at the window, then strode over to the mutilated body of Riku. He bent, searching Riku's pockets, and came up with a scroll, which he handed to Gaara. Meanwhile, Gaara was looking long and hard at the injuries the other had sustained—in particular, the horizontal slice over the ANBU tattoo. He opened the scroll: inside were details of the plan to assassinate him, and a description of how to perform a jutsu that drained chakra from the enemy. That's why Gaara hadn't been able to take them down as easily as usual.

The ninja turned away, but Gaara said, "You're not a male."

Again, this gave the other pause.

"Your ANBU tattoo. Only females get it on their right shoulder." His suspicions rose. "Let me see your face."

There was continued silence, and then she tried to leap out the window. He caught her with his sand, holding her in an iron grip.

"Tell me who you are, or I'll kill you."

The ANBU said nothing, remaining steadfastly silent, and Gaara closed his fist—

She turned to water.

Water Substitution Jutsu? No…I couldn't sense her. It was a clone. She used a Water Clone..

He growled agitatedly. The ninja was gone. He had lost her.


A/N: only one review? :( i'm going to go cry in a corner. not.

but reviews would be much appreciated. thankyouuu.