A/N: Behold, Chapter 4! Thank you once again for following this story and for your reviews, they mean the world to me. And now, enjoy.


It was late in the afternoon when the two shinobi from Suna arrived at Konoha. The sun lit the day with a bright orange glow, and from the branches high above their heads they could hear birds singing to each other. The wind wove its way around them, bringing the forest to life as it tugged leaves away from their branches and sent them flying into the air. From beyond the large gates barring their path into the village, the sound of voices was carried towards them. Most likely, those were the people coming to open up the gates and welcome them into the village. Then again, they might not have even gotten the scroll they'd sent. It could've just been a few guards having a laugh, completely unaware that the leader of the most powerful village in the Land of Wind was standing on the other side of Konoha's protective walls.

Either way, Gaara didn't care. He just wanted out.

As soon as he'd step foot out of Suna, all he'd wanted to do was turn right back around and return home, where he could go about his duties as usual. But it was too late – even though he'd changed his mind, he'd already agreed to this ridiculous scheme, and there was no stopping it now, not when his siblings were so determined to get rid of him. Temari had taken the initiative to scrawl a vague explanation down for Tsunade (choosing to write only about the attempted assassination and their investigation into it) and sent a messenger bird to the village early in the morning, just a few minutes before the two left. They'd taken two packs with them, one full of supplies for the journey and the other stuffed with clothes for his indefinite stay. Seeing as Gaara had to carry his gourd, his brother was designated as the trip's pack-mule for the day, a job which he'd gone to great lengths to complain about throughout their journey. Gaara hadn't minded this; it'd served as a much needed distraction for him. After all, the last thing he needed to do at a time like this was start thinking.

He could still see the hopeful look in Temari's eyes as she'd waved them away before returning to the Kazekage's office to inform the villagers of their leader's temporary absence. Their goodbye had been rather awkward – she'd pulled him into a long, silent hug and then told him to be safe. She believed that she was doing the right thing. After all, she merely wanted to keep him sane, and give him the opportunity to step back from this suffocating job and take a breath. She didn't realise that this was hopeless. While she remained in denial, he knew this plan of hers wouldn't work. Sending him to Konoha wasn't going to do anything for him. All she'd managed to achieve was the separation of him and the one thing that kept his mind occupied long enough to keep the voices at bay.

This was doomed to fail. He'd tried to tell her this before their goodbye, to give her the opportunity to back out of this, but she'd chosen to ignore his protests. She was stubborn. His whole family was. That was how they worked.

Oh well. Sooner or later they'd need him back. They couldn't keep him out here forever.

Until that time came, he'd just have to accept this predicament of his and go along with it. Still, he couldn't help but feel incredibly uncomfortable as the gates swung wide open, revealing a party of three leaf-nin. Leading the way at the front of the group was their confident, blonde Hokage. Her hair was held back in two ponytails, and she wore a striking green haori which she'd wrapped around her torso, probably to keep the wind out. One of her hands was balled up into a fist, and a tiny rolled-up paper was poking out from it. She'd brought Temari's letter with her. Well, that wasn't very surprising. She probably expected him to elaborate on what his sister had written. Well, she'd be pretty disappointed. He'd only repeat what was in the letter.

"Gaara-sama!" she greeted cheerfully. She bowed respectfully, and the party behind her mimicked her actions. The sand shinobi bowed in return. "And Kankuro-san! It's good to see you both."

"It's good to see you as well, Tsunade-sama," Gaara replied. "I apologize for not send word sooner –"

"It's not a problem!" she said, waving away the rest of his apology. "The preparations for your stay were easy enough to make. Come on now, we want to get you settled in before dark."

The two men who had come with her held out their hands towards Kankuro expectantly. He tossed the bag to them gratefully, elated by the knowledge that he'd only have to carry the half-empty supply bag on his return trip.

"Thanks," he said. "Tsunade-sama, please take good care of my brother while he's here.

She nodded, and he shot her a small smile before turning back to his brother. "Try to relax while you're here, okay?" he pleaded in a low voice.

"I don't think this is going to help anything, Kankuro," Gaara said, a last ditch attempt to get his sibling to take him back. "Being over-worked isn't the problem here."

"I'm not talking about work. I'm talking about you. You've been different ever since Shukaku was taken out of you. We hear you when you sleep, and we see how tense you look all the time, even though no-one else seems to notice."

"But –"

"Don't interrupt me! Any idiot can see you're being haunted by something. But what would I know? You don't tell me a thing. Honestly, I think Temari's right. This time here, out of Suna, it'll help you. I know it will. Just give it a chance."

Gaara didn't know what to say. All he could do was sigh and nod reluctantly. Kankuro gave him one last pat on the shoulder before he waved at the leaf-nin, who'd been standing by and chatting amongst one another as they waited for the two to finish their conversation. And then he was gone, and Gaara was alone.

"Well, now, Gaara-sama, why don't we get going?" Tsunade asked, beckoning him to her side. "You'll want to get settled into your guest room straight away."

"...Alright."

"Now, you lot," she said, addressing her entourage, "Drop his bag off in my apartment and then spread the word that the Kazekage has arrived. Got it?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

They leapt away from the area, leaving the two Kage to their business. Gaara strode in silence beside Tsunade for a few minutes, watching as the scenery changed around them. Buildings began to sprout up, large structures of wood and stone that seemed to have their own unique character to them. Some were familiar to him, but he'd forgotten about most of the places in the village. It had been more than three years since his last visit, after all. The main streets were crowded with both civilians and shinobi going about their regular business, so Tsunade guided him down a slightly less-crowded road that went along the outskirts of the village.

"So, Gaara-sama," she began, "Would you like to explain to me what this surprise visit of yours is all about?" As if he needed to be reminded, she held the scroll out towards him. There, scrawled in his sister's messy handwriting were the words: Tsunade-sama, Gaara needs to stay in Konoha for a while. There was an attempt on his life. We need to keep him out of the village and out of harm's way while we investigate, so we hope you'll let him stay until we've settled this. We're keeping everything from the public, so if necessary, tell your villagers he's there to talk about sending more sand-shinobi on joint missions with your own. Thanks so much for your help. "You kids really didn't give me any choice in this, you know. I understand it's because you had to react quickly, and I'm fine with helping you out, but I feel like you're leaving something out. It just seems like there's more to the story than what I can see."

What was he supposed to say? Well, those two assassins are dead, seeing as I violently murdered them both. I didn't want to, but Shukaku – oh, sorry, the voice in my head that sounds almost exactly the same as him – got me to kill them. We had to hide it from the public, who, let's face it, do not need to hear about their leader doing something like this. The elders are afraid I'm going off the rails, and that I might be turning back into the murderous psychopath I was before. And Kankuro and Temari, well, they both have the idiotic notion that staying here is going to fix whatever's wrong with me. Yeah, that would definitely work.

"There's nothing more to tell," he lied. "Last night, two men attempted to kill me. As you can see, they failed. Temari and Kankuro overreacted to the situation. They decided they want me out of Suna while they try to find out if those two were the only people behind this plan, and the elders went along with them."

"That's the only reason you're here?" she sounded sceptical. "You're the Kazekage. I wouldn't expect you to ignore your duties and run away because of something like this."

"I didn't want to leave. They didn't give me any choice. Most likely they're worried it's some sort of secret conspiracy, and that the attacks are only just beginning. I can't really blame them for their decision, though. I did die once."

"Taking that into consideration, I suppose it makes sense." She fell silent, reflecting on the matter. "Are you certain that's all there is to it?"

"Yes."

"Well, if that's the case, I guess you can consider this a fun holiday! Konoha's a very relaxed village most of the time – just enjoy yourself while you're here.

"Alright."

They spent the rest of their walk talking about their usual business affairs, although at times the conversation would break apart when Tsunade stopped mid-sentence to point out the streets leading to certain places that Gaara should visit during his stay.

After what seemed like an endless walk, they reached a tall, circular building that stood just opposite of Hokage Rock, where the faces of all the previous Hokage had been carved. Gaara took a moment to admire the skill that went into the crafting of this monument before following Tsunade inside the building. The interior was rather impressive; it was well furnished, and there were doors leading in all different directions. She led him through a door at the far end of the room, where a winding staircase led to the floors above. "This is a pretty big building, but mostly it's used for storage. My apartment is at the top, and that's where you'll be staying."

Then they were climbing up the stairs, working their muscles hard as they climbed their way to the top of the tower. By the time they reached the top he'd started to run out of breath. Tsunade was completely unfazed by the trop. She gave him a once over and an amused grin spread across her face.

"You'll get use to the climb soon enough," she promised.

And then she was off again, walking at a pace that he'd rather not try to keep up with. He followed her past a small, open kitchen where he spied a fridge and a wooden cabinet that was filled to the brim with sake. They passed a cosy looking sitting room with cream-coloured couches and a small, round coffee table. She stopped in front of the third closed door they'd passed, where Gaara's bag had been propped up neatly against the wall.

Pushing open the door, she revealed a rather spacious and brightly lit room, one that just barely resembled his own. On the left hand side a desk and a wardrobe stood before the wall, and right opposite him was a large circular window, its dark green curtains held back neatly beside it. As well as a desk chair, he had an arm chair sitting in the right corner of the room beside the door, with a small table beside it upon which a single black lamp stood. His bed was beside the window; it was a narrow thing, with a wooden headboard and clean white sheets.

"This is your room," Tsunade said as she lifted his bag with ease and tossed it onto his bed. "The kitchen and sitting room are back down there, and the bathroom is just down the hall, first door to the left. Now, there's a good chance a lot of the upper-class clan leaders here will want to meet with you, so we'll start arranging times for them tomorrow. I'm not going to bombard you with much, just a few dinners and such now and then. It'll help your visit look more 'official', so it's worth the effort. But like I said, that can wait until tomorrow. I know you must be tired from your trip, but Shizune will be up here soon for a meeting with him. You can join us for some tea, if you'd like."

"Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll be sleeping early tonight," he replied.

"If you change your mind, we'll be right outside," she said. With a small smile and a wave, she disappeared, shutting the door behind her.

Now that he was alone, he wasn't really sure what to do with himself.

Don't worry, Gaara. I'll keep you company. We are roommates after all – I have an obligation to keep you entertained. And oh, the activities I have in mind! We're going to have a whole lot of fun.


"You have to be faster."

His fingers flew forward and jabbed her upper arm. She winced; he'd managed to partially block the flow of chakra through that point. But it was bearable, and she could still move it about with relative ease. She'd hoped for a bit of respite now, or even an opening through which she could make her own move, but it wasn't possible, not when he was moving so quickly, barely leaving any space between each of his attacks.

She swerved to the left, neatly dodging her father's latest strike. Now, while he was still leaning forward, this was her chance – she countered with her own attack, an upward strike aimed right at his solar plexus. She nearly hit him, too, but at the last second her arm failed her and hesitated in the air, giving him the time he needed to slam his forearm against her wrist and alter her path so her fingers merely grazed the side of his torso.

He's got me, she thought agitatedly as he clamped a hand down on her shoulder. With a hard shove he sent her reeling to the ground.

That was it. She'd officially lost their training match.

"That was a decent attempt," he told her, folding his arms across his chest. "You've improved a little, but you still have a long way to go."

Hinata lifted herself off the ground, wincing as her elbows began to throb. She'd been forced to cushion her fall with them, which meant that come the morning there was a chance her skin would be splotched purple. Ah, well, that wasn't too bad. It'd heal up in a couple of days. After all this time, she'd gotten used to getting bruises here and there.

"You need to work on your speed," Hiashi said once she was standing. "Your form and balance both need attention as well. When we spar next week I expect to see that you've improved in both areas. Is that understood?"

"Yes, father."

He left the room, and she dusted off her shirt and pants before beginning her stretches. As she raised her arms high above her head, she went over every detail of their fifteen-minute match, and couldn't help but feel a slight rush of pride. Compared to all of their previous sessions, she'd managed to last an entire three minutes longer. And if that hadn't been enough to raise her spirits, for the first time since their spars had begun a few months ago, she'd caught a glimpse of genuine astonishment in his eyes as he'd watched her counter. He'd been impressed by her! Just the idea of it brought a warm glow to her cheeks.

I have to tell Neji, she though excitedly, bending forward to touch her toes. He'll be really happy! For the past few months, missions had been coming around less and less often. The world was in a more peaceful state than she'd ever known it to be, and both she and her cousin had found themselves with more free time than either of them had ever expected to have. Hinata had, of course, immediately started planning a new training regime, her goal of becoming the strongest kunoichi she could possibly be still engraved into her mind. It'd taken her a bit of time to work up the courage to ask Neji to help her, as she was sure he was busy with his own work, and didn't need her bothering him. But in fact, he'd been pleasantly surprised by her request, and had accepted in the knowledge that he could definitely help her reach the standards that her clan had set for her.

When Hiashi had found out about this new regime of hers, he'd shown little interest in it. After all, it wasn't like he hadn't seen his eldest daughter training before. Every time he'd stayed to watch her, he'd always been disappointed by her lack of progress. But one day, on a whim, as he passed by her and Neji during one of their matches, he'd decided to stick around. It was purely curiosity that had kept him there, and it was a good thing it had, because he caught sight of the new techniques Hinata had learned under Neji's supervision, as well as multiple improvements in her fighting style. It was only then that he called her over and announced he wanted to start testing her weekly, to see if these little sessions of theirs were actually helping her get to the level she'd always been meant to be at.

She could still remember the sudden rush of elation she'd felt when she heard those words. He'd given up on her so long ago that never once had she dreamt he would take even the slightest notice of her newfound efforts. But when he did, it gave her a burst of motivation that she'd never felt before. Just the thought of being able to inspire even the smallest bit of pride in him led to her doubling the amount of time she spent training. Even though Neji had had to leave her to her own devices a few times when his team had a job, she would continue onwards without his guidance. Sure, she was seeing less and less of her friends nowadays, but she'd spend more time with them eventually. In any case, they'd have more missions to go on before she knew it. Until then, she was content with the way things were. After all, she was going to make her father proud. She wouldn't let anything deter her from this goal.

After a few more stretches she was finished. Taking a deep breath, she began the short walk to her kitchen with the intention of getting a cold glass of water for her parched throat. It was empty; the servants must have been at work elsewhere in the house. She quickly fixed up a glass and downed it all in what couldn't have been more than five seconds, enjoying the sweet, cool rush of the water as it ran down her throat.

"Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama is looking for you."

She turned her head. It was one of the servants who had spoken; a petite woman with a tired expression on her face. "He's outside, at the gates."

"Okay. Thank you!" Putting her glass down, she hurried out of the house, afraid of keeping her father waiting.

He was standing in front of the gates, speaking with a man she didn't recognize. His uniform told her all she needed to know. He was one of the Hokage's messengers. That meant that he'd come to relay important information to them.

I hope it's not anything bad, she thought worriedly, quickening her stride. She was close enough now to hear snippets of their conversation, but by the time she reached them they'd already finished talking. The messenger bowed and then hurried away, off to carry his news to more people.

"What's going on?" she asked Hiashi, unable to read his expression. He looked completely...unfazed. Was that a good thing? She didn't know.

"Sabaku no Gaara has come to Konoha," he said, repeating the exact same words the messenger had used.

"...The Kazekage?" She'd never actually spoken to him before, but she remembered him, both from the Chuunin exams and from a few months ago when she'd heard about how the Akatsuki had taken him captive, and how Naruto had gone to rescue him. What possible reason could he have to come to Konoha?

It seemed like Hiashi had read her mind. "He's here to sort out a mission scheme with the Hokage. They want to send more Suna-nin on jobs with our own shinobi to promote teamwork between our villages."

Teamwork between our villages... It was an interesting thought. Shinobi from different villages generally didn't tend to socialize; how could they when there was decades of bad blood between them? But the idea of developing a closer bond with the people of Sunagakure seemed like a rather good one. If they had the best shinobi from each village working side by side on S-ranked jobs, they'd definitely be done with them at a much faster pace, and possibly with even less casualties than both sides had grown used to having. If this actually worked, there was a chance relations between the two villages would greatly improve. Or it'd completely backfire and things would end up worse than before. The higher-ups must've been working on this plan for a long time before putting it into motion.

"While he's here the Kazekage will be visiting the most prestigious clans, and I've told the messenger to arrange us to be the first clan he visits. We'll have a dinner to welcome him to Konoha tomorrow night. It makes a statement, after all."

"Ah, o –"

"You'll be attending this dinner, of course."

"I –"

"Remember, when he's here, Hanabi and I are not the only people representing this clan. You will be doing the same. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes, father."

He looked satisfied with her response. "Now, go inform your sister, and then the servants. We have many preparations to make for tomorrow."