Sorry about length of this one guys...
:D
Chapter 4
"Kankurou, Temari!"
Gaara directed as he stood before his two siblings, leaning against his large desk with his traditional folded arm posture.
"The hokage is on her way to Suna, she will be here by midnight."
Both siblings gawked at their brothers words. Would the Hokage herself actually come? She agreed to this request? Both siblings stared at Gaara and back at each other before Kankurou spoke.
"So, the Hokage agreed to come...?"
Kankurou was sweating a bead down his cheek. It wasn't every day the leader of a nation trekked across freshly torn lands to help another village personally.
"In a way, yes." Gaara nodded standing away from his desk.
"She is sending her young apprentice. I am fortunate to have used my sand, otherwise they would not have told me. From what I gather, her apprentice is the best in the village."
Temari spoke up interrupting Kankurou before his words came out.
"Gaara, I'm guessing you want us to meet this apprentice and direct them half way?"
Temari smirked, figuring out her brothers intentions. He knew who her apprentice was, and they must be important to warrant both of us, temari thought to herself.
"Correct. That is all"
Gaara motioned his hand, much to the siblings dismay but he was the kazekage after all. With two blurs of smoke both shinobi left to fulfill their duty as per ordered. They would make sure the apprentice would arrive safe and sound.
"Sakura..Haruno."
Was the last Gaara muttered before closing his eyes and massaging his temples, relaxing into his chair.
Sakura had finally made it to the desert right at dusk, finding new energy to sprint through the sand that looked like snow in the bright full moon's light. She never knew the desert could be so beautiful, and exciting. Every step Sakura took was filled with chakra to propel her faster and faster. Her chakra levels matched her endorphins to the point her smile never even faltered the whole way. All she could think about was how pretty the sand looked and how amazing it was going to be to lead a hospital to become possibly better than Konohas. That was a dream befitting of a pink haired brute.
After what seemed like a short jog, Sakura saw two familiar shapes in the distance that caused her to halt to a dead stop in place. They were running with surprisingly speed, becoming larger and larger in shape. Sakura's eyes widened as she used chakra to enhance her vision, only to continue running at the sights rushing towards her. It was Gaara's siblings! They had come to greet her. Already a priority to help, thought Sakura as her ego could rival the size of the world.
"Kankurou! Temari!"
Pink was all the two sand shinobi could focus on. And then the name followed.
"Sakura! Sakura Haruno!?"
Temari looked baffled while kankurou shrugged off and stepped forward.
"Gaara says we are to bring you back safely and take you to him, have to say, you made the trip to meet you short."
Kankurou brought his arms behind his black pointed hoodie and smirked.
"What are we waiting for then?" Sakura huffed with her hands on her hips.
"Oh..uh..nothing I guess" Kankurou stuttered.
"Then let's go!"
Sakura leapt over both siblings and sprinted away leaving the two sand ninja to catch up with the pink blur in front of them.
After a short race like run through the desert they reached the walls of Suna. The walls were more like a valley really, just guarded with a few peekish soldiers that didn't look very human.
"Home sweet home, Haruno" Kankurou muttered as they stepped through the outer wall to behind the entire village of Suna.
Sakura was mesmerized immediately. The lights glowing in the dimly lit houses all gave a certain glow to the sand tanned structures that looked to be made of sand themselves oddly enough. The village wasn't very bright, but it possessed a bland that Sakura appreciated in her own right. This could be her new home no problem. She couldn't wait to see what the hospital looked like. Sakura could barely contain her chakra from excitement as she turned to the sand siblings.
"This is gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it before. Did it always look this pretty at night?" Sakura asked, eyes glazed over.
"Yup, you can thank Gaara for that. Every house was made of the hardest minerals in the earth to stand for as long as..well, I've never seen anything of his really "break"." Temari lost herself in her memories finishing the sentence in untelligible whispers.
"Speaking of Gaara, where is he?"
Kankurou chuckled.
"Seems like you're more into leading and this mission than we are Haruno."
Sakura blushed at the puppet masters words. Why she didn't know, but for some reason she felt shame and embarrassment. He was right, she loved both of those things, but hearing it from someone else made her not love them so much. Sakura just stared at both siblings with a glare forming on her expression.
"Anyway, follow us. He wanted to see you when you arrived anyway. "
The sand siblings motioned for Sakura to follow, while she complied and began her trek with the two through the dimly lit streets of Suna. Each house they passed was noticeably different and uniquely carved out, even possessing light fixtures that somehow were powered in the middle of this desert. This wasn't the land of lightning so she was uncertain of the technology one would use to sustain life here. Caught in her daze, Sakura ran into a hard surface and bounced back coming back to reality.
"Watch it Sakura, I said we're here."
"Sorry Temari-chan". Sakura apologized. She would have to be more careful. She wasn't going to make a first impression good with clumsy behavior.
"Third floor, can't miss it. Our jobs done. G'night Haruno"
Kankurou disappeared as soon as his words were finished, along with Temari who mouthed something of a "sorry" before she vanished. Guess they were in a rush for some reason thought Sakura and she ascended stairs three flights.
"Guess they were right." Sakura smirked as she walked to the large wooden door.
With a breath Sakura opened the doors without knocking and entered into a fairly room with a stone floor carved into patterns it seemed. In the middle of the room was a large desk, and there sitting with his arms folded, staring at his intruder was the Kazekage of Suna, a site for Sakura to behold again. Gaara of the desert. The ex-jinchuuriki she watched die and come back to life. His once light red hair had become darker, more akin to blood than before it seemed. His eyes still hued with those dark circles from insomnia, they were befitting of his lack of eyebrows. Sakura noticed his face had gotten older, his cheekbones more defined as his fact looked less round than it used to. A few lines of stress of being Kage evident on his features left Sakura strangely attracted to the fact he had grown up to become a leader of a village, despite his history and age.
"Perhaps it is wise to knock before entering an unknown door?"
Gaara twitched his right eye still retaining his solid position with his folded arms. He studied her features without notice, until he met her eyes. Jade and emerald met and clashed, locking into place a fight to discern pain and desire for power from memories past. This pink haired female had the same eyes as he did. He knew that haze, he had lived there, survived it, and thrived in the end. A sadness washed over Gaara, he knew the turmoil that must lie within her. She didn't look weathered by pain, so she must be repressing it with determination. Gaara's assesment was broken by her words.
"Next time I will, why are you staring at me again?"
Gaara's eyes widened ever so slightly and returned to his emotionless gaze. She gave an answer he didn't predict, and even more it broke his concentration on remaining neutral. That was an odd effect. A sickening tightness suddenly developed into Gaara's chest. It felt like someone was twisting his insides into their fist, but at the same time without any unbearable pain. Discomfort perhaps, no. Pain, but not pain.
"Kazekage-sama?"
Sakura inquired a little worried and confused over why he was remaining so creepily quiet and repeatedly staring at her like a piece of meat.
"Hn. My apologies. It's been a long night. Now, to the business at hand. I assume you have been briefed as to your assignment, so as it is late we will go over details tomorrow. You must be tired from your journey"
Sakura could have swooned for some reason. This voice, this commanding, authoritarian voice of reason and strength telling her orders. This was not like Tsunade. No, something was strangely attractive about him giving her orders. The authority he demanded but something she could only drool over and pursue, but he had achieved it. Would that be the price she would have to pay as well she wondered.
"H-hai Kazekage-"
"Gaara, please."
Gaara hated formality, but hypocritically he hated it when people that didn't have his permission were not formal with him. Selfish at times I suppose, but it was a quirk most understood well enough by now.
"Hai, Gaara-sama"
Sakura smiled and turned on her heels to walk out of the door but was promptly jerked back by a sudden commanding voice telling her to "wait a moment".
"You know where you'll be residing then and how to get there I assume?"
Sakura could have dropped dead right then and there. How could she do this on her first meeting? She had no idea what to do after leaving here. No plan to follow, didn't even think about where to go. Her face was heated as she could feel the blush radiating from her. She didn't dare turn to face her accuser, who was probably smirking at the thought of her idiocy.
"No gaara-sama.."
"Then allow me to show you, before we part ways."
Sakura, still aface to the door heard rustling as she felt a presence behind her. She turned her head slowly to see that the red head stood almost a foot taller than her. Since when did that happen she wondered?
"Follow me, Haruno-san"
Gaara walked out of his office, with Sakura in tow following the swaying white hem of the kazekage robe he was wearing. She had to admit she never had seen him before in his position of power, of even wearing the customary robes. However she had to admit they looked rather good on him. Suddenly Sakura caught herself in her thoughts. On multiple occasions so far she has referred to Gaara as attractive, where did this come from? All of the guys in Konoha were always after her, but she never even considered one in her mind with the exception of one, who refused her. Why suddenly had she arrived and become infatuated with Gaara of the desert? She didn't even know him, much less know what to even talk to him about. This was ridiculous, she was behaving like Ino for goodness sake.
"We're here"
Sakura snapped awake realizing she hadn't paid any attention to the walk home and how long they must have walked in silence without her realizing it. She looked at the large stone home before her, this must have been Gaara's mansion he was given as Kazekage. Suna seems to spare no expense for their Kage it seems. Tsunade's home wasn't even close to this large. Much less this much detail.
"Are you coming in, Haruno?"
Gaara was already in the doorway, holding the door open for Sakura to enter. She had to start paying more attention.
"Wait, isn't this a bit much for me?"
Sakura hated to admit how much she wanted to stay in her own mansion but the thought of Gaara living elsewhere seemed a bit intrusive.
"For you? If you would prefer to sleep outside, be my guest. I have space enough that is not used in such a large house, but if you don't want a warm bed and hot shower then I suppose you can attempt to buy a room at an inn"?
Gaara had to admit, his attempts at sarcastic joking were horrible. They just sounded like him being serious, ,maybe that was why no one ever understood that he was joking. How was he supposed to change his past self if the villagers wouldn't even try to give his new self a chance? Maybe he should explain.
"Was that sarcasm, Gaara? From you?"
Sakura burst out laughing at Gaara's attempt at a joke.
Gaara nodded and looked away, suddenly feeling heat creep into his face.
Sakura stopped laughing immediately when she saw Gaara blush. Her chest tightened to the point she couldn't breathe. Time seemed to stop as her eyes wouldn't move from that warm red tint on pale alabaster skin. Jade eyes found Sakura's stare and matched it with an intensity she could only dream of matching. Sakura's throat wouldn't move, he had her speechless by some magic that was foreign to her.
Gaara took his glare and stood aside motioning his hand for the pink haired female in front of him to enter. Sakura's muscles moved for her sending her into the doorway while Gaara closed the door behind her with a thud. Gaara dropped his gourd from his back with a thud beside the door leaving it on the floor as Gaara walked ahead motion for Sakura. Though it was dark a dim light gave the room enough hue to follow the figure of the male in front of her.
A bright light flashed on and Gaara stood looking down at Sakura who rubbed her eyes to adjust to new light.
"This is the..entrance...area? I don't really do anything in here. So I'm not sure what you call it. The kitchen is through the archway there. Follow me to the bedrooms."
Gaara gestured to the archway of the kitchen as he walked up a fair sized flight of spiral stairs to another floor. Sakura followed suit admiring the hallway's carvings as they stepped onto the bedroom floor. The walls were carved with various depictions of animals and philosophical kanji. She wondered if this is what Gaara did as his version of decoration.
"Your bedroom is the guest bedroom, the door on the left there. Bathroom is the door adjacent to your room. My room is where my new office will be temporarily while you adjust to Suna. It is at the end of the hall on the right. The only other room on the floor. You are welcome to help yourself to anything you need, kitchen and all. Notify me if you require anything else."
Gaara was too much for Sakura. Such kindness, such consideration. He even moved his work to his home to spend time and help Sakura. What happened to Gaara for him to become so different? He wasn't at all like the bloodthirsty red head who she remembered. The only recent memory being of him dead, and that didn't elude much to his persona. Sakura beamed inside, at the idea that she was to be considered an asset worth any expense, even from a demon like Gaara.
"Hai, Gaara-sama. Thank you. I think I'll turn in for tonight."
Gaara nodded and turned walking down the long hallway and disappearing out of sight into his new office. Sakura smiled and entered her own room to be stunned with what she saw. A huge bed, that was circular and about five times the size of hers. Covered with silk sheets and a long blade silk-wrapped pillow. Her room was dark brown and black, with hints of red into the design of the wood and earth walls. The room by itself was the size of Sakura's house! In a corner she spied a large dresser with a mirror extending to the side of it. Useless for her, but still cool she thought. Sakura stripped her clothing off down to her lingerie and crashed into the silk bed letting her eyes close in the comfort of her new would be home.
