A/N

Let me just say that you guys are simply amazing! I've received so many reviews already and I love it! It makes me feel so good that you loved the intro!

Also I had a question wondering whether or not Naruto will be in this story, I sort of teased that individual, but yes Naruto will be in the story, however he will not play a main role, nor will he appear for quite some time.

A huge thanks to my reviewers!

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I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please let me know!


"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough"

~Frank Crane~


Temari sat by the front window of the Kazekage building, waiting impatiently for the messenger to arrive as the sun began setting behind the horizon. He was supposed to have been there an hour ago, but she supposed crossing the hot desert did have its draw backs. She paced back and forth, her long black kimono flailing around her long legs. She finally paused, her eyes catching the messenger running towards their building, worry clearly etched across his face, knowing he would be scolded for his lateness.

Her vision was drawn to gaze across Suna, their beloved country. There had been so many who had tried to conquer the land, yet Suna had held strong; their enemies unaccustomed to the desert terrain its Shinobi had trained within. Training in such harsh conditions had yielded ninja that could stand to battle on almost any frontier.

The village within the walls seemed peaceful enough as they had ensured its safety though out the extended war with Konoha. From the first time their father had attacked, he had assumed Konoha could be taken out easily, but it had proven more difficult than expected. Konoha had a reputation for being more lenient in their training, forming schools and with it bonds among their fellow Shinobi. Bonds only lead to emotions and emotions would only get in the way on the battle field; especially during times of war.

The fourth Kazekage, her father, had come to find out Konoha had several powerful families within their ranks. The first they encountered had been the Uchiha clan; their Sharingan proving the most difficult battle they had ever faced. It was with great victory Suna had celebrated upon finding out one of the Uchiha had slaughtered his entire clan; even if it was a bit eerie.

After the Uchiha, another powerful family had reared its head, the Hyuga; their Byakugan proving almost just as difficult. A special team of Shinobi had been dispatched to secretly deal with the Hyuga clan during the night. They had successfully taken out half of their forces, but were then forced back, other ninja from Konoha coming to their ally's aid. That had taken place almost a year ago.

Temari turned, brought out of her revere as she heard the messenger ascending the stairs, expecting him any minute. He was reporting from the troops stationed on the front lines, directly on the boarder of the Fire Country; her younger brother led those ranks. It had been decided to allow Gaara this position due to his tactical skills, but most of all due to his lack in self-control. Gaara didn't care about anyone, including those who followed him. The men with him now only obeyed out of fear, though it was a rare occurrence Gaara didn't emerge victorious in battle. When Gaara fought you either got out of the way or died.

The young man finally burst through the door, almost tripping in his abrupt attempt to stop. His clothing was covered in sand and he struggled to catch his breath before he spoke, "Lady Temari." He bowed respectfully, holding a scroll out to her.

"You're late." She walked forward, snatching the parchment from his grasp, immediately unrolling it. They had decided messengers would be better to use during these times of war as birds could be too easily infiltrated. Temari sighed as she looked over the documents, then proceeded towards the Kazekage's chambers. She pushed the door open, causing whoever had been speaking to stop immediately. The stranger seemed to recognize her, bowing respectfully before leaving abruptly.

"What is it Temari?" His voice sounded bored.

She turned towards her brother, "Gaara's forces are requesting more men again."

"Dammit!" Kankuro pounded his fist on the table, sending a stack of papers floating towards the floor, "I thought by putting him in the epicenter of the battle it would help spare our forces, not continue to deplete them!"

"Perhaps it has and we're just lucky there aren't more casualties." She signed the parchment, calling in the same young man from before, "Get this to the council and make the preparations." The man nodded and headed off hurryingly.

Kankuro rubbed his temples, "I'm surprised the men haven't already revolted against me for making him lead commander on the battle front."

"Our people trust you to make the right decisions, they know Gaara is…difficult, but at the same time he had lead our troops into many battles and came out victorious."

"Hn, and taking our own with him."

"I know." A silence followed, both siblings remembering his violent acts; his easily angered demeanor that would lead to the death of anyone he found less than satisfactory.

"If he weren't my little brother I would have already had him killed."

"Father tried that." She reminded him, "Perhaps someday, someone will melt that icy heart of his."

Kankuro scoffed, "He would kill them before they got the chance."


For what seemed like an eternity she felt his eyes continue to burn into her. His shadow stood, causing her heart to race; fearing what his next course of action could be. He could come after her, kill her even, but instead the lean-build man merely turned, striding towards the bathroom, removing his clothing without regards to the girl now occupying his room. She blushed furiously and kept her eyes locked on her hands as his pants fell in a puddle at his feet.

His shower was short and he came out clad in nothing but a pair of black sweat pants that hung loosely from his waist. She risked another glance, noticing his lean, yet muscular body. Being hidden beneath clothing it would be difficult to detect and could lead the enemy into making an assumption at weakness. His back muscles rippled slightly as he leaned down to start the fire; the September air leaving a small chill to the air.

With the fire ignited, he tousled his hair with a towel and in the new light she could see his dark red locks; whether the color was natural or stained with blood she couldn't tell. His gaze again shifted to her as fierce sea-green eyes seemingly lanced through her core.

Unable to tear her eyes away this time her heart quickened as she realized how vulnerable she truly was. This was the commander of the entire army, no doubt capable of tearing anything apart that crossed his path, even his own men seemed to fear him and here she was sitting in his home with his piercing gaze upon her.

Through all her travels Hinata had managed to maintain her virtue. She had, had many men try to claim it and had silenced them to sleep with each attempt. The techniques her cousin had instilled upon her were the only things that kept her body undefiled. Her slave masters had never grown suspicious, assuming drink had taken over lulling them into a deep sleep. Hinata would then slip out of their rooms undetected.

However this situation was different. The man before her was not consumed by drink and if his own men feared him then he might truly be ruthless. If she fought against him, she would more than likely fall victim to his wants and desires. She was also surrounded by an entire fleet of Shinobi, even if she did manage to defeat the man before her, others would take notice and lead her to an even worse fate, if one were possible

He shifted his gaze from her, adding another log to the fire and walked over to slump in his bed, not caring to tuck himself beneath the blankets. She sat motionless as his breathing became deeper and his movements ceased altogether; he was asleep. She stayed glued to the same spot all night, fearful she could wake him and further ignite his earlier anger. Her legs went numb, burning from her still position. Her neck and back ached, screaming for her to move, but she wouldn't.

The morning sun finally began creeping over the horizon after what seemed like an eternity. The fire had died long ago, leaving a morning chill in the air. The redhead stirred, stretching and getting up, he went to the bathroom, coming back out to change his clothes. He stripped naked, causing Hinata to blush furiously as she locked her eyes to the floor. After proceeding to the kitchen, where she could only assume his actions, the man simply left the cabin without giving her a second glance.

It was only a moment before Hinata activated her Byakugan.

She watched as the same man's chakra walked away from the cabin, the people around him ducking and backing away as he did so. She still remained frozen, fearful he might turn around abruptly and find her doing something that angered him; but he never returned.

After waiting another hour, just to ensure he wasn't coming back soon, Hinata slowly uncurled her legs from beneath her, allowing the blood to flow back into the stiff limbs. She stood, heading straight for the bathroom to relieve herself before proceeding to cautiously glance out the small window.

The window was located on the opposite wall from the bed, thus allowing privacy for the home's sleeping occupant; it was also extremely small, so small she wasn't sure if she could fit through it if the need ever arose. She looked over the few tents she could see, remembering the vast amount she had gazed upon when first arriving. If this army was going after Konoha they would really have a struggle defending against it.

Hinata crept into the kitchen, another, larger window allowing her to see more of the outside world. She could see tents here too and although they were heavily guarded she could also see the forest. That forest could offer her protection if she could reach it before being caught; though, this area also seemed to be the most heavily guarded. There were men everywhere, some of them standing watch over the forest, while other laughed with their friends over things Hinata couldn't hear. She was sure the security increased at night and was also sure there would be no way for her to escape undetected. That was fine; she would simply remain here as she had done in the past year, hopefully being sold to a caravan that brought her closer to Konoha. She recognized this forest and that told her she was at least close to her homeland's boarders.

Almost a year ago her camp had been settled on the outskirts of the village, prepared to launch an attack on one of Suna's forces. Most of the men within that company had been from the Hyuga clan, herself included, when the attack came in. She still wasn't sure exactly how they had done it, but Suna's Shinobi began pouring into their camp, killing everyone they came in contact with. She had begun fighting immediately, healing those injured around her as fast as she could manage. She wasn't as good as Sakura, but she did her best.

It was a surprise attack that had almost killed Hinata. The ninja had come up behind her, thrusting his blade through her torso before her cousin had killed him. It was Neji who grabbed her and ran from the battle scene. Ninja had followed of course, leading him to fight and defend her pain stricken, helpless body. He had placed her in a boat along with a few of their servants and sent them off, effectively hiding her features with a cloak. The woman in the boat had helped tend to her wounds until she was able to heal herself; that had taken the better part of a week.

After recovering she had been sold into slavery and had promised to obey Neji's last request, "Stay hidden, I'll come find you." Trouble was, she had been shipped all over the country and was sure her cousin had lost track of her long ago, not to mention that her father needed him to lead the forces. She had decided to find her own way home.

The past year had taught her many things and made her stronger. She wasn't the shy girl that had grown up afraid to speak to anyone; she now had the courage to defend herself if the need ever arose. Although still meek in nature her stutter had almost completely disappeared, unless she was unusually stressed. Her fighting ability had only gotten better; a result of her training.

Two more lonely hours passed as she continued to wait in the cabin. Noon was nearing and Hinata finally decided to take on the duties she was usually required to accomplish. She had been purchased as a slave and thrown into this stranger's home so perhaps they expected her to simply maintain it. If she could earn this commander's favor she could possibly prevent him from killing her. It unnerved her how his own men had spoken of him and then how they had backed away as he strode through. She also wondered why he hadn't made a pass at her last night. He had shown no interest in her at all and had even dismissed her as being powerful enough to kill him in his sleep. She had no appreciation towards death anyway so the prospect of killing him had never crossed her mind.

Looking around it was difficult to tell where to start. The room was covered in a thick layer of dust, with dirt scattered across the room, no doubt from his muddy shoes. It appeared to only be minimally maintained so someone took care of it at least every once in a while. He had made his own bed, but to her eyes the sheets needed to be washed; something she would save for later.

She finally decided to start in the kitchen, shifting through the cabinets to find cleaning supplies. To her delight there were several, along with cloths that appeared to not have been touched in months. She started by dusting the kitchen counters and tabletop, sweeping the floor and finally proceeded towards the living area that also served as the bedroom. A bookshelf resided in the far corner so she went to examine it; constantly keeping an eye out for her captor's chakra signature.

There were several books on strategy and the art of war along with others that probably belonged to the family who once resided here. She found one on poetry and couldn't help to make a mental note of it as she would love to delve into the literature at a later time. It was late in the evening, the sun almost setting before she had finished scrubbing the floors. She whipped the sweat from her brow and quickly returned the items under the kitchen cupboards before taking her spot in the far corner to await his arrival.

He never came.

The room became notably cooler as the night wore on and Hinata found herself shivering slightly as she curled into a ball to keep warm. She fell into an exhausted sleep; having not slept the previous night.

As the morning rays came through the window Hinata started when the door cracked open. It took a moment before a small, slender arm reached around the corner, sliding a tray of food in, before quickly retreating. She looked around the room cautiously, noticing the owner still hadn't returned. As he hadn't had food delivered the morning before, she could only assume the meal was for her and despite its plain appearance her stomach growled for something to fill it.

Though the food threatened to come back up, Hinata choked down the cold gruel before her, ate the block of cheese and then nibbled on the hardened block of bread. She again peered out the windows, but nothing appeared to have changed. It was during the afternoon the arm returned, placing another tray of food within the room. Hinata gently caught it, causing the girl to start.

"Excuse me." She whispered. It was a moment's hesitation before she received an answer.

"Y-Yes?" Came the frightened response.

"May I ask when he is coming back, the one who lives here?"

"He's usually gone for a week or so at a time…I'm sorry, I have to go." Hinata released her and she slid away, closing the door with her retreating figure. Though she hadn't seen her face, Hinata could tell she was young, probably only around thirteen.

The following day, Hinata organized the pantry, cleaning the cupboards and finding several candles hidden within some of the drawers. It was likely he had never found them as they too were covered in a layer of dust; she made a mental note of them and finished cleaning.

The small home was now spotless and with little else to do she again looked out the back window. Though she had noticed it before she hadn't paid it much attention until now; there was a small garden occupying the left corner of the yard that desperately needed tending to. The guards around the home weren't placed within the fence's confines so perhaps she would be permitted this.

She slowly opened the door, catching several of the guards' attention, but they said nothing to her. Proceeding forward, Hinata knelt in the dirt examining the plants. There were several herbs along with some potatoes and even carrots could be spotted protruding from the ground. She was more than happy to see the variety of herbs the small garden contained; including lavender, thyme, cilantro and several others she could put to use.

Hinata started by pulling the weeds that had grown around the garden, then proceeded to cut, pull, and trim the herbs present. She tied some of them in bundles and brought them inside to hang in the darkened far corner. They would get plenty of air circulation to dry out and could be used in several teas and for cooking spices.

Later that evening, after waiting to ensure he wouldn't be home, Hinata had removed the bed sheets and proceeded to wash them through the night. She had found a bucket and washboard, along with some cloths line. Although they had watched her carefully, the Shinobi on guard had not questioned her actions while she had placed the clothes line between two nearby trees; she had remained inside the fence all the while, just to ensure she wouldn't upset them. She also scrubbed his dirty clothing, hanging everything to dry during the night; a nice wind had picked up that would dry them quickly.

The next few days crawled by and she had been told by the food girl that he would be arriving soon. She had kept the house perfectly clean in those days, being sure to pick up after herself and even scrubbed the floor a couple more times. Night had already fallen before she finally heard the door creak open.

Thankfully she had just finished her shower and dressed in a clean pair of clothes provided by the other slave girl. She quickly ran to the corner as he strode in, sinking herself to the ground on her knees. He paused at the hall entrance, taking in the difference between the dusty cabin he had left and the newly cleaned room he now occupied.

He was filthy, covered in muck and blood, tracking it on the wooden floors. Hinata already had a fire going, candles lit throughout the cabin and a stew brewing over the fireplace. She had requested a chunk of beef so she could cook a meal for him; hoping to earn his favor. She had also learned his name; Gaara.

Gaara examined the room further, before that same cold gaze fell on Hinata. She didn't dare meet it this time; knowing it would only instill more fear. He slipped off his boots and headed directly towards the bathroom. While he was busy she quickly cleaned up the floor and his boots, placing them by the door. She then grabbed a bowl and wooden spoon from the kitchen and trotted towards the fireplace, filling it with the steamy broth.

Once he finished with his shower, he seemed to note her new position and purposefully walked a path around her, sitting on the edge of his bed. Hinata shyly raised the bowl towards him, her head bowed.

He scoffed, "Foolish; I've been kind, allowing you to live, yet you would try such trickery. Something only a coward would do." She felt her heart quicken at his deep, accusing voice; trickery? What did he think she- poison- he thought she was trying to kill him. She raised her eyes slowly, now meeting his cold stare. If he truly thought she was trying to kill him, he could retaliate now; ending her existence.

"N-No." She quickly shook her head, averting her gaze yet again.

"Show me then, eat it." Slowly, she brought the bowl back towards her body, took the spoon and ate a large bite without hesitation. Hesitation would mean fear; and fear could be interpreted to prove his assumptions correct. Again she offered him the meal.

Though she couldn't see it, she could only imagine his surprised expression; anyone else probably would have actually tried to poison him; yet Hinata couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. Neji had told her she wasn't cut out for war and the hardships it brought.

Gaara took it this time, seeming to examine the bowl before finally taking a bite. She sat in silence while he indicated a desire for more. At least he liked her cooking. In a place like this it might be enough to keep her alive.

Finishing, he again laid back on his bed, paying her no more attention as sleep deepened his breathing. She looked towards his shirtless form, the faint outlines of his abdominal muscles showing in the firelight, before she stood, creeping around to extinguish the candle flames and finally settling in her cold corner. Would she ever see home again?


Alright, what did you think about the first little encounter? Yes, I know it's not a huge moment between them, but those will come later. Also I am fully aware that Gaara doesn't sleep, I have my reasons for this and it shall be explained later.

Please leave me a review to keep my inspiration flowing!