Here's the next chappie! ^_^

For you guys who didn't read the updated notes in the last chapter (don't worry, I'll forgive you this time) this story is gonna be quite fast paced so don't start moaning if you think they're getting lovey-dovey too soon. I struggle to write long stories so this is the perfect cure for me =P

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto T_T

"I fucking hate sand!" Kazuko moaned, sitting on the ground and taking off her shoe. She shook it and a waterfall of sand flowed out from it. I giggled and stretched my arms, wincing as the sun burned my eyes. "When will the desert end?"

"Kaz-chan, Suna is in the desert. You're gonna have to put up with it for a while longer." Teiji teased. Kaz shot death glares at him and started up a screaming rant while I surveyed the landscape with Ichiro-sensei. The dunes seemed to go on for miles, but in the distance I could just about make out the buildings of Sunagakure. Dread filled my heart as I thought about entering the place where the murders of my Dad lived, but I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. I'd made a promise to Sensei and I wasn't about to break it.

"Say, Ichiro-sensei, how much further?" Kaz asked, her face red from sunburn as well as her ranting. Sensei chuckled and pointed towards the village.

"It's just beyond those dunes."

"Which bloody dunes?! There's millions of them!"

Teiji tutted and pulled Kaz's scarf over her face.

"Much better." He commented, retreating quickly and setting off in the direction Ichiro-sensei had pointed. I re-adjusted my own scarf over my mouth and nose and followed Teiji, leaving an angry Kaz in Sensei's care.

"Welcome to Suna!" A cheerful gate guard greeted us, handing the mission scroll back to Ichiro-sensei and waving us through the gate. Clutching the straps of my bag tightly, I glanced around the village. It was incredibly bland here, with no colour apart from the never-ending brown. Grains of sand snuck into my scarf and up my nose, causing me to sneeze. Groaning, I rubbed my nose and ignored Kaz's snickering.

"Your sneezes are hilarious." She remarked. "Sounds like elephant getting shot out of a cannon."

"I've never heard that one before." Teiji frowned. I rolled my eyes and shoved Kaz, who wasn't expecting it and fell flat on her back. I stared in surprise before doubling over with laughter. Teiji soon joined in and Ichiro-sensei rushed over to see what the commotion was about.

"Oh, Kaz-chan." He chuckled, holding out a hand to her. "What are we going to do with you?"

Kaz grumbled something unintelligible under her breath but managed a small grin nonetheless. Wiping my eyes, I gazed up at the building in front of us and realised with a shock that it was the Kazekage's building. I noticed the others watching me out of the corner of my eye and grinned at them, managing to hide the panic which was building up inside of me.

"Come in." Came a cool voice the moment we knocked and sent shivers down my spine. I had a feeling that I'd heard that voice somewhere before...

Ichiro-sensei pushed the door open and ushered us in. I couldn't stop my jaw dropping open as I took in the person who was in the Kazekage's seat.

...Gaara?!

The last time I'd seen him was at the Chuunin exams in Konoha where I'd first met Naruto and his friends. I had nightmares about Gaara for a week afterwards after seeing his transformation into Shukaku.

Kaz, Teiji and Ichiro-sensei obviously remembered him to as I heard some not-very-well stifled gasps emit from them. Gaara's eyes widened slightly when he saw us, so I gathered he remembered us as well. Speaking of his eyes, they'd lost the edge of coldness they'd previously had and it was replaced with something softer and more human.

"Welcome to Sunagakure." He greeted, laying down the stack of papers he'd been reading when we came in. "I hope your journey here was satisfactory."

"Could've been worse." Ichiro-sensei replied. He walked right up to Gaara's desk and placed the mission scroll on it. "I trust you know why we're here."

"Indeed I do." Gaara said, opening the scroll and reading it anyway. As he did so, I took this time to observe his office. Stacks of paper were neatly stored away on his desks and shelves, and his open drawer showed how crammed it was with folders. Looks like being Kazekage was keeping him busy. I let my gaze wander and it settled on a picture on his desk. It showed him and his siblings, Temari and Kankuro, standing outside the Kazekage building. They hadn't changed much, apart from the fact they wore slightly different clothing and Temari looked sterner than before. Despite their poker faces, I could tell they were happy.

I smiled. It was nice that they got along now, comparing their relationship back in the Chuunin exam where they were both petrified of Gaara. I suddenly felt a pair of piercing eyes on me and lifted my gaze to meet Gaara's. A flash of curiosity passed across his eyes but quickly vanished as he returned his gaze to the scroll before closing it.

"I have sorted out accommodation for all of you while you stay here." He started. "I hope it is to your likings. Temari, you can come in now."

The door opened and the blonde ninja walked in, her signature fan attached to her back. She gave a double take when she saw us but quickly replaced her shock with a smile.

"Wow, it's been a while Mountain nin." She said. "Good to see you again."

"You too." I replied, with a chorus of 'yeps' from Teiji and Kaz.

"Temari will show you to your rooms. If you need anything just ask her or my brother Kankuro. I trust you all remember him?"

"Cat ears? Yup, I remember him." Kaz grinned. I chuckled and Temari joined me.

"Goodbye." Gaara said, before turning back to his work. Temari waved her hand at us and we all followed her out of the Kazekage's office.

"He's changed so much..." I muttered, glancing back at the door we just came through which lead to Gaara. Temari glanced at me and a soft smile adorned her face.

"Naruto knocked a lot of sense into Gaara at the Chuunin exam. Without him, I doubt Gaara would be where he is now. You guys helped him as well, especially you Noemi."

"How?" I asked, surprised. "Sorry, I have terrible memory."

"She's not joking." Sensei added, earning a scowl from me. Temari snickered and opened the door which lead back out into the street.

"You'd better ask Gaara." She responded, her feet kicking up sand as she walked. "Whatever you did tell him, it's stayed with him all this time."

"Wow, did you declare your undying love for him or something?" Kaz scoffed.

"I wonder how that went down." Teiji added, winking at me. I narrowed my eyes and gave him my don't-fuck-with-me glare. The way he gulped and started increasing his speed to get away from me suggested that I could compete with Sasuke in a glaring contest. If only the duck-butt didn't decide to go to Orochimaru...

"Here we are." Temari said, gesturing to an inn. "It has a cold springs as well."

"Cold springs?" Sensei asked, confused. "Isn't it hot springs?"

"Would you want to take a dip in a hot springs in this weather?"

"Good point."

Temari shook her head humorously and waved at us.

"I'm going try and find, who you call, cat ears. By the way, there's a meeting in a few hours about where you guys are going to guard so you can ambush the rouge nin. I'll come and collect you then. See you!"

And with that, she marched away in search of her brother. I looked back at the inn and grinned as I thought about bathing in cool, refreshing water after today's events. My team looked like they were exactly the same thoughts.

"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Teiji roared, charging inside with Kaz close on his tail. I eyed Ichiro-sensei and quickly took off with him close at my heels.

God, I love my team.