Bit of an authors note: I realized that one of the best things about this site is how the author and the readers can have a direct dialogue. So I'm going to start talking. I just want to personally thank those who have read my story, regardless if you haven't reviewed. Also, if you have any ideas of ways to improve the story, I would love to hear. You can either PM me or just review.

It had almost been three months since Gaara had come back to Suna. At first, he was resistant to the village's way of life, but slowly he warmed up. Gaara wouldn't ever say that he was comfortable with the Kazekage, even after training with the man almost everyday he felt as if he still hardly knew him. His brother and sister however, had included him in everything they could and slowly, he started to open up to them, much to their surprise and delight.

Gaara had learned a lot about himself, perhaps more than he wanted, but at the same time questions that had nagged in his mind for years finally had been answered as well as the questions he never asked. He came to find out that the gourd was not possessed, more acutely, he was. His penchant for running was also explained because for any mission he went on with his siblings, they ran and then would run some more. That was the other thing. Gaara was first told that he was a 'shinobi', a word which didn't even exist in his vocabulary, but then after a few questions he realized that he was what he knew to be a ninja. At first he had laughed so hard that his stomach began to hurt, but at the site of his father's face, Gaara discovered that being a ninja was indeed a career choice and thus his training began. Much to his surprise, Gaara was able to do a few simple 'jutsus', one making him look like a completely different person, and a few other that were directly related to his 'specialty', or the sand. His favorite one that he had learned was called 'sand coffin' and then with a quick squeeze of his hand Gaara could turn it into a 'sand burial', and thus began his favorite training exercise of taking huge boulders and making them into small piles of dust. In truth, there wasn't much that Gaara couldn't do with his sand, it followed him everywhere. The only things he couldn't do with it usually involved water, such as doing the dishes, as he found out by trial and error and everything else was just restricted by the depth of his imagination. There were a few techniques that he was uncomfortable, just on principle, such as making a clone out of sand or making an eyeball to spy on people unnoticed. However, they where still extremely useful, the sand clones tripled his effectiveness as one could be training on throwing shuriken, another running or doing push ups, and the last could be practicing on one of his new techniques. The only draw back to this is that when he made them all disappear, along with all the knowledge they gained, he also would have about three days worth of memories and a massive headache.

This also meant that he had to carry the gourd around with him all day, a task that was daunting at first but quickly became second nature. It probably helped that he had a new way to carry it that didn't put all the weight on one shoulder. Altogether though, Gaara felt stronger than when he first came, even in the small three months. The small about of baby fat that had once deposited around his cheeks seemed to melt right off, as did any residual fat from his waist and limbs, compared to now at lest, inactive lifestyle. With each sunset, when he finally arrived back at the house after a mission or tanning, Gaara was tried, sore, and most of all, hungry. He never thought that he would every be able to eat that much in his life without gaining ton of weight. This was definitely his favorite perk of being a ninja.

Still, even with all of this, Gaara couldn't help but miss his other family, the Tuners, and his friends. He didn't really have any friends here either, seeing as most where scared of him. The only ones who where 'brave' enough to talk to him was a girl named Matsuri and one of Temari and Kankuro's old friends, Haru. But if he was being honest with himself, they still were hesitant around him, not that he blamed them.

One of the things that both his siblings and his father didn't mention was how much the others in the village where afraid of him. At first when he asked, they would give vague answers until one day he demanded the truth and to his horror he got the truth. Worst of all, he didn't even remember any of the things that he did. His siblings were also hesitant to talk about their mother, and when he tried to talk to his father about it, the man grew quiet and changed the subject quickly. Gaara also found out that he used to have an uncle who had 'died on a mission', although there was a sneaking suspicion that that wasn't entirely correct.

With all of this information, the entire three months had ended up being exhausting, both mentally, emotionally, and physically. He didn't think it was going to get easier any time soon either, which was unfortunate because he hadn't gotten any sleep. Ever. In fact, when he brought up the worrisome fact to his father and requested some sleeping pills, something that he used in the other world, the man looked at him like Gaara was crazy to even think about sleeping. Turns out, Gaara didn't even need to sleep, making his time in Suna start to seem like one long day with small breaks in the middle. He got tired yes, but not sleepy, a weird distinction that didn't previously occur. Much to his astonishment, the only thing that seemed to be effected was the circles around his eyes, which steadily got darker, and his productivity shot through the roof.

Gaara munched on his fourth piece of toast that morning, pondering all of this. Are you even going to tell the old man that you can hear me? Shut up Shukaku. That was the only thing he decided to keep to himself, figuring that he was already weird enough, why add to the list.

"Morning Gaara!" Temari chirped slipping some toast into the toaster, "how was your night?"

Gaara pointed to his mouth which was still full of toast, and signaled for her to wait a minute. A very long and awkward minute of her staring uncomfortably at him, waiting for him to swallow.

"um, it was good" he replied buttering his fifth piece of toast, "I watched a bit of the late night television and just kinda hung around. How was your sleep?"

"Uneventful" she responded. This conversation was almost ritual for them, a scripted connection that said so much with so few words. Then, like every morning so far, Kankuro made his way down stairs and started to make himself breakfast groggily.

"What time did he want us to be there?" Gaara asked, making his words as nondescript as possible. He still hadn't gotten a name yet and he wasn't going to ask.

"Baki wanted us to be at the training grounds at seven-thirty, but Father wanted us to be at the Kazekage building at nine for another mission," clarified Temari with her head in the fridge looking for something to eat. Gaara nodded and resumed eating, wondering what kind of mission they would be assigned today. The past ones that he taken were c-ranks, no doubt this one would be too, that escorted merchants to the border of wind country or something like that. It was a bit disillusioning to Gaara at first, who had imagined that he would be fighting bad guys or sneaking into enemy territory, but he was quickly placated by the money he got from each one. Still, he hoped that the next few would be more advanced, ones where he could finally test his new skills against an opponent.

The man in front of Gaara seemed to be somewhat important, judging by the way that the councilmen had treated him, something which seemed to included a lot of head bowing. He didn't seem that special to Gaara though. With a mundane look and the simple clothes he wore, Gaara figured that he was probably just another merchant or maybe a representative from a different village. He didn't even seem to be a shinobi due to lack of a weapon or weapon pouch.

"Monk-san, this is team five" introduced his father, pointing to his siblings and him, " they will be the ones escorting you to the border."

The man politely nodded to the team, silent.

So, this man's a monk? I remember my times as a monk, oh the girls that would come knocking on my- Shut up please, I'm trying to listen.

"-The mission should have few hazards yes?"

"Maybe only a few bandits, but not much else" asserted the monk.

"This will be the cost of a c-rank mission, " continued The Kazekage, writing something down on a scroll in front of him, negotiating the price with the practically silent monk. Gaara continued to space out, bored by the logistics that he knew nothing about. Before he knew it, the Kazekage was addressing his team, "do you have anything you need to get?"

The team collectively shook their heads, ready to get this assignment underway and before he could registered anything, the team was already out of the gates into the sandy dunes of wind country.

It was times like these that Gaara really stared to reevaluate his career choice, not to say that he actually got to choose anything, but still. If he any word to describe the mission thus far it would be silent. They didn't even run, which may have made the time pass faster, because of the monk. Baki-sensei leading with Temari and Kankuro on the sides. Obviously Gaara followed up the rear, slightly paranoid that someone would sneak up behind him but he guessed that it was probably a good thing and that it was going to keep him alive. So, they continued on and on.

Oh look! It's another dune! Oh look more sand! I wonder what could be ahead? Could it be more sand? He thought sarcastically, the heat bearing down on his head. Another thing that the sand didn't do was allowed for air flow for the skin. Or sweating. Which meant that he was basically baking in a hot, sandy oven. I just want this to be over.

It was Baki that first suggested that they take a break, and everyone agreed readily, even the monk. Thus the crew found themselves sitting on the shady side of a particularly large sand dune. The monk took off his sandals and wiggled his toes and feet, cracking and stretching them. As he put them back on though, Gaara noticed that the monk kept looking around, as if he was expecting someone to jump out at any moment. Gaara had noticed this before but chalked it up to the monk just enjoying the scenery. It also occurred to him that was an incredible stupid idea. There was no scenery around them, only sand, which only meant that the monk was expecting people. People who were lethal and out to get him.

Gaara knew that he had to have a discussion to Baki, but not arouse the suspicion of the monk. He searched his brain, trying to come up with an excuse to talk to him. He looked to his side past the monk and his siblings, trying to catch his sensei's eyes without it being to noticeable. He had heard from various friends that if you stare at someone long enough, they would look your way. However, after about a minute or two of staring at the man, Gaara proved that the theory was false. Then he got a idea so effortless and simple that he could have smacked himself. He had absolute control of the sand, why not use it to his benefit?

Concentrating like he had been taught, Gaara willed the sand the creep over to Baki, attempting not to get anyone else's attention. Baki had his hand on the ground, propping himself up on it, so Gaara took advantage of that, making the sand move to tap the top of it. What Gaara hadn't anticipated was Baki's sudden reaction to the sand. The man flinched, and it was extremely obvious. Both siblings turned to stare at him questioningly, as did the monk, but he looked more on edge than anything else.

Baki tightened his jaw and glanced over at Gaara, irritated that he made the sand move. Both the siblings turned to look at Gaara, who held a neutral face until they turned away. The monk just kept shifting his eyes in both directions, nervously. Again, Gaara made the sand tap Baki's hand, only this time the man was prepared for it. Exasperated at his student, Baki turned to say something but one look at Gaara's face told him that it wasn't a prank.

"Temari. Kankuro. You stay here with Monk-san, Gaara and I will scout ahead for a few minutes" Baki ordered, getting to a standing position. Gaara let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and followed the sensei out of hearing range of the monk.

"What is it?" Baki asked seriously, staring at his student. Gaara looked down a little, hoping that he didn't sound stupid or excessively anxious before summoning some courage to speak his mind.

"Monk-san seems to be, um, nervous" he stated," too nervous. His eyes keep shifting back and forth as if he expects someone to pop out and kill him. I don't think that he was truthful about who might try to cross us during the mission evaluation."

Baki nodded his head thoughtfully, much to Gaara's relief, before confessing " I thought that might be the case too. I'm glad you noticed this, it means that you're becoming more aware of others body language, thus making people easier to read."

"But," Baki continued "we can't prove anything until something happens, so in reality it doesn't matter. Understood?"

"Yes sir".

By the time they stopped again, it was night. The team sat against another dune, resting their backs against the sand, which let them get a fantastic view of the stars. The monk sat down and crossed his legs, making his back rigged but letting his head drop to his chest.

"Who wants to take the first shift?" whispered Temari.

Kankuro and Baki shared glances before Baki spoke up, "I'll take the first shift, then Kankuro can and lastly you can."

"I could just take all the shifts" suggested Gaara, " I mean, it's not like I sleep anyways, so I might as well just watch and let you get your rest. Its not like I'd be doing something else anyways."

Kankuro shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to stretch out on the sand, shutting his eyes, Baki tentatively doing the same.

"Are you sure?" Temari hesitated, "just because you don't sleep shouldn't mean that you should take all the shifts."

"You're supposed to help your teammates all you can right? This is one thing that I can contribute without really doing anything." Gaara explained. Temari gave him one last look before laying down and closing her eyes. It was only a matter of minutes until everyone's breathing had steadied, and Gaara was the only one awake.

With the silence of the dark, he gazed up, watching the galaxies above him, wondering if they were the same ones that Mary and Will where looking at. Thinking of them made a huge pain shoot through his chest where his heart was and for the first time, he started to truly miss them.

The early morning light was the first thing to wake that day, but soon after the monk shifted his eyes open. He noticed Gaara sitting up and waiting. Then when curiosity got the best of him, the monk taped on Gaara's shoulder.

"Did you sleep last night?" he asked, "I thought I heard one of your teammates say that you couldn't."

"I don't sleep at all unfortunately," Gaara explained, not really wanting to talk about the subject but also not seeing a way to avoid it. The monk sat next to him, getting a good look at the sunrise.

"Do you know how to meditate?" the monk looked over at Gaara, hoping to get an answer.

"No"

"I could teach you."

Gaara looked over at him contemplating if they had time.

"I thought meditation was something to be perfected. Not like you can teach it and be done" Gaara pointed out, wondering what the man was up to.

"That part of it is true, you must perfect it on your own time, but you can learn how to start" the monk countered, still looking at the slowly rising horizon. Gaara shifted uncomfortable, aware of how close the monk sat next to him.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," he pondered "do you think you could teach me the basics before they had to get up?"

The monk looked over at the three sleeping figures before nodding, "I could do it in five minutes or less, but it will take you a life time to perfect it."

"We have until the sun starts to show," Gaara announced to the monk, to which he replied, "then we should probably get to it."

The monk smiled at Gaara, motioning for him to sit cross-legged. He also straightened Gaara's shoulders and back but simultaneously, pushed down on them so they would relax. He then instructed Gaara to close his eyes and breath in, letting the air fill his stomach instead of his lungs. Gaara was confused at the metaphor but attempted the direction.

Gaara breathed in deep, letting the cold morning air filter through his chest, both relaxing and heightening his senses. He could here the monk's counting, the steady rhythm set for breathing and the occasional instruction that helped him relax. It was difficult at first, letting his mind not wander, but instead think of nothing. then something warm started to hit his face, and Gaara knew that the session was over. The sun was up and it was time to wake everyone. He slowly blinked his eyes open to the monk smiling at him, and out of reflex, Gaara returned it. He looked over at the sleeping forms of his siblings and sensei, but them in one motion made the sand lift them up an inch of the ground and drop them back down again. All three of them jumped and scrambled for their weapons, dazed but ready to fight, only to be greeted by a laughing monk and snickering younger brother.

"Good morning" greeted Temari through tightened teeth and jaw.

"Morning" Gaara snickered, obviously trying to hold back his laughter through a passive face. Both Kankuro and Baki where unamused, as they gathered the rest of their stuff and stretched. Baki then signaled for them to start walking, and like yesterday, they stood on all four sides of the monk.

They walked until the sun got high in the sky before anyone noticed anything, but Gaara practically being one with the sand noticed a group of people farther down the path. He had let his sand travel ahead of their team in the event that something like this happened.

"Baki-sensei," hissed Gaara "remember what we where talking about? Ahead."

The man nodded, and whipped out three kunai, holding the ends between the fingers of his right hand, ready to strike. Both Temari and Kankuro prepared their weapon of choice, Temari opening her large fan halfway, and Kankuro ready to make his puppets go to anytime. The world seemed to stop for a moment as the team surrounded the terrified monk.

The few seconds that passed seemed like hours but as predicted, the first kunai whipped though the air and burring itself into the sand, just to the left of the monk. Ahead of the team stood the first ninjas Gaara had every seen that where not from his village. The fight had begun, but Gaara didn't feel powerful or fearless facing the enemy. It was the first time that he could remember feeling absolutely terrified, and it dawned on him that he actually had to do this. He had to fight, and he had to win at all costs.

Again, thanks for reading and if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions just PM me. Or review. Or both. Seriously, any time.