So there's a problem with the reviews on this site right now. I'm not sure what's up, but people on reddit have reported errors and reviews disappearing. So, if you should have happened to review the last chapter and you don't see it, I didn't delete it, I swear. It's the site acting up.

Thanks again to all the readers, especially the people who tell me what they think of this. It's hard to judge reception without feedback. Socrates_symchych, I'm glad to see your still with us :).

We're getting closer to the 'good stuff', I swear it.


Chapter 7 – The Gukgong's hospitality is better than that of his soldiers.


Gaara was entirely indifferent to his nakedness as he snatched up a kunai and prepared to fight. His sand sprayed, seizing his attacker. A muffled shriek emitted from the figure within the sand.

Wait a minute. That shriek sounded familiar. It ought to; he'd heard it plenty of times that day in the forest when they were attacked.

"Chan-Sook?" he asked, incredulous, lowering the hand with the kunai, and letting his sand recede enough to let her speak.

"G-G-G-Gaara-ssi," came the hime's tremulous voice. "Please let me go."

He recalled his sand abruptly, and it slid back into his gourd. Chan-Sook gave a little relieved gasp when she was freed.

"Chan-Sook, what are—ooof," Gaara didn't have a chance to finish his query; the girl launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his armpit. What the fuck? Did someone hurt her? He thought she might be acting like someone who needed comfort, but what the fuck did she want with him? Gaara wasn't good at comfort.

"Are you alright? Did someone do something?" he asked, somewhat concerned. This girl was under his protection.

She mumbled something into his armpit. He couldn't understand her. "What was that?" he asked.

"I-I-I want you to m-m-make love to me," she stammered.

He jerked in surprise. "What?!" Alright, this was not what he expected.

"I want you to have sex with me. Like a man and a woman," she said, a bit firmer this time.

"Absolutely not!" he snapped. "Are you out of your mind?" He attempted to free himself from her grasp without harming her. It wasn't as easy as he might have thought. She kept trying to grip him tighter.

"You want to!" she whispered loudly, insistently. To Gaara's immense embarrassment, her hand went straight for his half-erect manhood. "This tells me you want to! Karin said when a man wants a woman he gets hard down there!"

Karin said!? Just what had that troublesome kunoichi done now? Had she put Chan-Sook up to this? Gaara wasn't in a position to probe more fully – he had to get Chan-Sook's hands off of him and do it in such a way that she didn't render him unable to father children.

"That's not—don't touch me," he growled.

"But—,"

"Don't touch me!" The sand hissed out of the gourd once more, wrapping around Chan-Sook's feet and up her legs. She froze at its touch and he carefully pried her fingers loose from his endangered package. As soon as he was free, he used his sand to seat her in the chair in the corner of his inn room. While she was sliding across the floor, frozen in terror, he groped in his pack and quickly donned some garments, replacing his kunai. He sat on the bed and switched on the light.

"Are you going to stay put?" he asked, giving her a no-nonsense look.

Chan-Sook cringed. "Yes," she said. This was not turning out how she had expected when she'd snuck past the snoring kunoichi. Gaara was supposed to treat her tenderly, give her her first kiss, and agree to make love to her. He was supposed to tell her how beautiful she was, and how he had wanted her from the day he first laid eyes on her. Instead, he had wrapped her up in his sand, twice, yelled at her, brushed her off, and treated her coldly. And now he was giving her that look, the one that told her she'd better fess up and be quick about it.

"What in the hells were you thinking?" he snapped, as the sand once more flowed back into the gourd, revealing the young hime in a simple linen shift. She stayed put.

"I wasn't—I mean… I-I-I didn't want my first time to be with a stranger," she said.

Gaara sighed. "Chan-Sook, this is exactly the kind of thing we were hired to prevent. We're supposed to be guarding your purity, not taking it from you," he said, forcefully. She looked down at her feet. "You're supposed to go to your wedding night a virgin. It's part of the reason your Iron Lord is paying such a generous bride-price for you." She flushed at that, ashamed.

"I'm scared," she said, still not looking at him. "What if he's mean? What if he's ugly? What if he's old?"

"Why don't you wait and meet him first before you go throwing yourself at foreign men?" Gaara snapped. "Besides, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your Iron Lord has a good reputation with his people. He's supposedly quite good looking, and not that much older than me."

Chan-Sook finally looked up. "How do you know that?" she asked, slightly accusatory.

"People gossip; I listened," he said, succinctly. "As for him being a stranger, well, he won't be, if you take the chance to get to know him first. Are you to be married immediately?"

Chan-Sook shook her head slightly. "The next full moon," she admitted. "It's auspicious." The next full moon was a half month away.

"Then you'll have some time to spend with him. Try, at least, Chan-Sook. Arranged marriages are a part of life for the nobility. But there can still be love in an arranged marriage. You just need to work towards it," he said, feeling more than a little ironic. He was one to talk about love, alright. The man who had killed his own uncle at age 6 – the only other person in the world who had ever claimed to love him. Gaara had to look away, briefly.

"Do you really think it's possible?" Chan-Sook asked, tremulously.

"Yes," Gaara lied. He was entirely unsure he could really believe in love. But this innocent teen did not need to be saddled with his emotional turmoil.

She looked relieved. "Ok, Gaara-ssi. I'll try it," she smiled. He felt relieved. He would have had a tough time explaining this to Bon-Hwa.

"Good. Are you ready to go back to bed? We're supposed to be arriving tomorrow, you should be rested."

She nodded.

"And by the way," he said, pinning her with a stare. "What exactly did that woman tell you?" He hadn't forgotten Karin's part in this little fiasco.

Chan-Sook blushed, suddenly hesitant to discuss sex with the man who she had so recently thrown herself at. "Don't be mad at her, Gaara-ssi. She just didn't want me to be afraid on my wedding night," she said.

Gaara let out an exasperated sigh. Trust Karin to complicate things like this. Of all the things he'd had to deal with on this journey, this was by far the most fucking ridiculous. "Go to sleep Chan-Sook," he said. The girl nodded, standing. Gaara stayed seated on the bed, watching her go. After she had shut the door behind her, he silently rose and locked it, wondering why he had neglected to do so earlier. It was his preoccupation with Karin, he suspected. It had slipped his mind.

He crawled back into bed, feeling suddenly bone-weary, and flicked off the bedside lamp. Sleep took him quickly.


The next day, they arrived in Danpung City, and at the estate of Iron Lord Beong-Kyun, the Gukgong of the province. It was, oddly enough, sunny for one of the first times in a month, which was taken as an auspicious sign. The carriage was brought within the compound gates, under the honour guard of the Gukgong's higher-ranked soldiers. Gaara and Karin ignored the speculative glances the soldiers were trying not to give them.

The Gukgong was waiting for them, having been warned of the arrival of his betrothed. It was immediately noticeable which of the several individuals in the courtyard the lord was. One of the people was definitely a functionary, and there were two in uniform. The fourth was not in uniform, and had a definite aura of command and self-confidence. The other three automatically deferred to him. That would be Beong-Kyun, then. The rumours were accurate; he was fairly good looking and looked to be in his early 20s.

"Welcome to my province, my city, and my home," the Iron Lord stated after Chan-Sook and Byun-Soon exited the carriage and the escorting guards and soldiers had dismounted. "Please be at ease. I will have grooms come and see to your horses and carriage." At his words, several people came from the stables to do just that. He turned to Bon-Hwa, but his eyes lingered over the two shinobi in interest for a mere moment. Gaara suspected that he would be called to a meeting soon.

"You must be Cheung Bon-Hwa-ssi. Gukgong Heung Chin-Mae-gun has written about your competence. I am glad to see that he is correct; you have brought my betrothed to me in good safety," Beong-Kyun commented. Bon-Hwa bowed. The lord continued, "I would like to receive your report, after I have met my betrothed. Are those Five Countries shinobi with you?"

"Yes, sir," Bon-Hwa replied.

"Interesting. Bring him with you when you report," Beong-Kyun said, indicating Gaara. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to meet my bride," he smiled, and walked forward to where Chan-Sook stood by the carriage, breathless and wide-eyed. Beong-Kyun took her hand. "My lady. Welcome to my home. I am very happy to have you here," he breathed, eyes glued to the girl. Chan-Sook stared back at him.

"Thank you, my lord," she said, breaking into a sudden smile. "I'm happy to be here."

"We are preparing a feast in your honour. You must want some time to recover from your journey. Please, allow my servants to escort you to your quarters so that you may rest," Beong-Kyun said.

"Thank you, my lord," she replied, again. Beong-Kyun smiled. He gestured, and a female servant emerged from the household, bowed before him, and requested that Chan-Sook and Byun-Soon follow her. The girls did.

"Please come give your report after you have settled your affairs with the shinobi, Bon-Hwa-ssi. Bring the shinobi with you," the Iron Lord stated. Bon-Hwa nodded. The commanding young man turned and returned to his household.

"You may stand down for now. There should be space for us in the barracks," Bon-Hwa said to Chung-Hee and Dak-Ho. The two men nodded and followed the rest of the Gukgong's soldiers through one of the several doors of the buildings facing the courtyard. Bon-Hwa gestured for the two shinobi, and Gaara and Karin walked over to him.

"You two fought like an old married couple, but I doubt we'd be here right now without you. There's extra in there. Consider it an additional bonus. You two are worth your weight in gold in a fight," the head guard said as he counted out their pay and gave it to Gaara. Both shinobi blushed at their erstwhile employer's mention of their squabbling. Gaara counted the money, and nodded. It was all there, including a bonus.

"Has the contract been completed to your satisfaction?" Gaara asked, mildly. It was more routine than anything else.

"It has. I'll have to remember you Five Countries shinobi for when my Gukgong's younger daughter is married."

"Send your contracts to Sunagakure in Wind Country and we'll see that competent teams are sent," Gaara replied. Karin gave him a slightly disgusted glance. Trust Gaara to attempt to monopolize business from this empire. Oh well. She certainly didn't have the authority to offer anything on behalf of Konoha.

Gaara split out Karin's portion and gave it to her. At least he was honest and fair about that, she thought. She stashed the cash and waited for her next order.

"As of now you're no longer in my employ. However, the Gukgong has requested your presence, Gaara-ssi," Bon-Hwa said.

Gaara nodded. He was not surprised. Karin scowled. So she wasn't invited? Well they could have their little sausage fest. Damn fool misogynist country.

"What about me?" Karin asked as Gaara made to follow Bon-Hwa.

"Do whatever you want, just don't leave the compound until I give the word. Stand down until further notice. Go to the barracks," Gaara said, dismissively, and followed Bon-Hwa into the building. They were shown to the Gukgong's office and invited in. They took their seats in front of Beong-Kyun.

Bon-Hwa proceeded to give his report of his journey. It was the first time Gaara heard the full story about the events preceding the moment they joined the party. Apparently, Bon-Hwa had originally set out with a protective force of eight under his command, plus Dak-Ho and himself, a full Sonamu squad. It would have been enough to deter most bandits. However, five had defected shortly after crossing the border of the third province they passed through – they were five who had argued persuasively to become a part of the party. Bon-Hwa was of the opinion that they had left to become privateers. Two had been killed in a skirmish with bandits several days later. And then, he had come across the two shinobi.

The rest of the journey Gaara was familiar with. He'd been there the entire time. It was still interesting to hear Bon-Hwa describe the fights. "Fought like a demon" was not a phrase he would prefer to use, given that once upon a time he had housed a tailed beast, but Bon-Hwa was clearly impressed with both his and Karin's performance.

"Well," said the Gukgong, as Bon-Hwa finished his report. "It sounds like I owe the safety of my bride to you and your subordinate. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Gaara said.

"You seem familiar. I think I've heard of you. You're Sabaku no Gaara, the leader of the sand ninja town, aren't you? Your title is shadow of the wind or something like that, right?" Beong-Kyun remarked.

"Yes, that would be me. I am the Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato," Gaara admitted. No use hiding it, he'd obviously been recognized. Bon-Hwa started, giving Gaara a surprised look as he realized that his shinobi hireling was far higher rank than he'd initially assumed. He knew the young man was highly placed, but he hadn't realized just how highly placed.

"How fortunate for me and my bride. My province has used your services before, I think. The first time was when my sister was married, before my father died and I took the position of Gukgong," Beong-Kyun mused. "Your village sent a squad to escort her, and in it there was a man who used puppets to fight and wore a hood that made him look like a cat."

Gaara's mouth twitched. He remembered the mission, it had been shortly after he'd become Kazekage and one of the first he'd authorized. "I remember. That is my brother, Kankurō."

"I knew he was a family member. So, he was your brother? He did an exceptional job," Beong-Kyun said.

"I am glad to hear that. Kankurō is very skilled." After that, more contracts had come through. Not frequently, and mostly for escort missions, but they had come. He knew where he was now; just across the mountains lay the desert of his home. In fact, it was largely because of these mountains that the desert was a desert – it was in the rain shadow of this range.

"And now your family has aided mine once more. Are you headed back to your country?"

"Eventually," Gaara began. "I have to return the girl to her village, and as you know the mountains are impassable now due to the rains." The Gukgong nodded and Gaara continued. "We are headed to Beullu Sawon to take a steamship back to the Country of Fire and to Konohagakure, the village of the Leaf."

"Beullu Sawon? The journey is not bad, it's scenic and the roads are well-patrolled," Beong-Kyun commented. "Do you need to return immediately? I would be honoured if you would consider staying for my wedding."

Gaara considered. The full moon was in two weeks. That was a long time to be away. He needed to return to his village and he needed to get Karin back to hers before Konoha's Anbu found her. "I'm afraid we cannot, though your invitation honours me. Karin risks execution for being AWOL if she doesn't get back soon, and I cannot leave my village without a leader for much longer," he said.

"I understand," the Gukgong said. "Please, at least stay for the night. We are preparing a feast, and there will be traditional entertainment. You will receive a place of honour beside me."

Gaara nodded. Tonight he could do. "I would like to extend an invitation to you and your bride to attend the next chūnin exams, which are to be held in Sunagakure in five months," Gaara said.

"What are those?"

"They are the semi-annual advancement examinations for up-and-coming shinobi youth. They are quite exciting; there are several tests including combat trials. We typically invite the leaders of countries, as the exams are an excellent way for the shinobi villages to showcase their most talented students," Gaara replied.

Beong-Kyun considered this. "It'll be the dry season by then. I'll definitely think about this; I might like to see your ninja children in action."

Gaara gave a slight nod.

"Well, Gaara-gun. Thank you for your service to my province, and thank you for the invitation. If you would like, I will have someone give you a tour of the fortress. Then you will be shown to your rooms and you will have an opportunity to prepare for tonight's feast," the Gukgong said.

"You are welcome, and thank you. I would like the tour," Gaara said. Both men rose and bowed to each other, heads of state meeting as equals. Gaara exited the room and found a functionary waiting to give him the tour. He took it.


Karin, on the other hand, experienced entirely different hospitality. She followed through the door she had seen Chung-Hee and Dak-Ho go through, going from the bright, sunlit courtyard into… well, she wasn't sure at first.

"Well, would you look at that? It's that foreigner girl, the one who thinks she's a warrior," came a male voice. She used Kagura Shingan. Five men were nearby, in the room with her (with many more beyond that but she wasn't concerned about them), their chakra auras betraying curiosity, contempt, and excitement.

"Do you think she really knows how to fight?" one of the others asked.

"I doubt it. She's a girl. What would a little girl know about battle?" snorted another contemptuously.

Karin dropped the Kagura Shingan. She was in a training room, in what she assumed was the barracks. Mats lined the floor and there were weapon stands against the wall, with an assortment of wooden, blunted and real weapons. She gave the five men a glare.

"Oh, I think she's mad at you, Babo. I think she wants a fight," one of the men said, mockingly. Babo? That meant 'stupid.' It must be a nickname.

"I bet that's not all she wants," another laughed. Karin stiffened. Ok, these goons needed to be taught a lesson.

"Oooo, I pissed the little girl off. What are you going to do about it, little girl?" the one called Babo taunted. "You think you're gonna fight me?"

Karin gave him a vicious smile. "If you really want ass kicked, I fight you," she said.

There was scattered laughter at her statement, and jeering taunts, mocking the simplistic way she spoke and her challenge. Babo smirked at her. "I'll take you out, girl. Then I'll show you what a real Danpung man is like."

"I not see any men here, only boys," she retorted with a contemptuous snort.

"Alright girlie, you and me, just fists and feet like the gods intended, none of your foreign ninja tricks," Babo said.

"You're on," Karin grinned, shark-like.

"10,000 on Babo," declared one of the men.

"Put me down for that too," said another.

"Of course I'm betting on myself. 10,000 that the girl is mat fodder in less than a minute," Babo said.

"10,000 on the girl," another of the soldiers said, breaking the pattern.

"What? Bamnamu, are you crazy?" One of the first speakers said.

"Hey, maybe she knows what she's doing. It'd be funny to see Babo eat mat." 'Chestnut' said.

"What about you, Bibeo?" the first gambler asked the last soldier, a buck-toothed man who vaguely resembled the beaver of his nickname.

"I'm keeping the books."

Just then, another person entered the room. "Oh, hey, Karin-ssi, what's going on?" the familiar voice of Chung-Hee asked.

"I gonna destroy Babo, here," she said.

"Hey, Sonamu, you in?"

"Sure, put me down for 20,000 on Karin."

"You're betting on the girl too?" the one who had accused Bamnamu of insanity whined.

"Hell yeah, I seen her fight," Chung-Hee said, giving Babo a glance of pity.

"50,000 on me. I wipe floor with Babo," she sneered his nickname, emphasizing the insult.

"Eager to give us your money, too? That's the first whore that ever offered to pay me," one of the ones who hadn't been nicknamed laughed.

"Hey if she wants to give us her money, she's welcome to," said the other.

Chung-Hee smirked and leaned up against the wall, as the rest of the soldiers placed their bets.

"All right. The rules are as follows. The match goes until knock out, or until surrender. No lethal moves, nothing that would render a warrior unable to perform his – or her – role, so nothing crippling. No weapons and no ninja spells. Got it?" Bibeo said, after he had collected the sums.

"Yeah, I got it," Karin agreed.

"Got it," Babo said.

"Alright. Begin," Bibeo nodded.

This was going to be so much fun. Karin's grin widened and she took a ready stance. Babo attempted to rush her, and it was immediately apparent that he'd never fought a woman before and wasn't ready for the difference in centres of gravity. Tossing him was simplicity itself. His recovery was good – someone had clearly drilled him well on recovering from a throw. As he got to his knee, ready to spring into another attack, she flew at him with her feet. He had to dodge her kicks, which were lightning fast and came one after the other.

Babo quickly realized this wasn't going to be as easy as he initially thought. Aside from his initial rush, he'd been on the defensive for the entire fight. And Karin wasn't letting up on the assault. He blocked several strikes, and then she finally made a mistake he could exploit. It was a small one, but he moved on it immediately. It wasn't enough to do much more than throw her on the defensive, but now it was she who was blocking strikes.

The audience called its jeers and encouragements at the two fighters, who circled one another, both backing off to assess the situation after Karin managed to catch Babo's hand mid-strike, deliver a rather nasty kick to his shins, and backflip out of his reach.

They sized each other up for a moment, and then attacked simultaneously. Karin dodged his blows, stepping to the side and twisting her body in a lightning-fast move. Within a heartbeat she had his arm. He reacted predictably, as she had planned, and she moved to the next level of the hold. Within a few heartbeats he was on his chest on the ground with his arms in a vicious hold. Any movement on his part would dislocate both of his shoulders.

"Give up?" Karin asked cheerfully.

"Fuck you bit—ow! Ok, I give up," Babo said, as Karin tugged on his arms gently, sending pain through him. The two who had bet against her groaned at Babo's defeat. Chung-Hee was still smirking, giving Karin a rather affectionate glance. Lucky for him, she wasn't looking at him.

"Pay up, boys," she grinned, releasing poor defeated Babo, who sighed on the floor.

The loser and his supporters reluctantly settled their wagers, and Karin grinned, feeling both smug and richer.

Babo looked at Chung-Hee, realizing the Sonamu guardsman had obviously known what he was in for. "I walked into that, didn't I?" Babo said.

"Oh yeah. If this had been a serious battle, you'd have been a shower of chunks by now. I've seen that girl kill plenty of people on the trip here," he said.

"Don't talk like I not here, boy!" Karin snapped, elbowing the guardsman in the gut. Chung-Hee chuffed, and the others laughed at him.

"Hey, girl, how many men have you killed?" Bibeo asked.

Karin shrugged. "Lost count," she replied. "On this trip? Maybe 13, 15. Gaara get more but he got that sand," she admitted. "I scout mostly."

"A scout killed 13 or 15 people?" one of the bet losers gaped, giving Chung-Hee a glance as if to ask if she was serious. The Sonamu guardsman nodded.

"I saw her do it," Chung-Hee confirmed.

"I'm lucky to be alive right now, aren't I?" Babo realized aloud. Karin smirked at his conclusion.

"Yeah," she smirked.

"Are all ninja girls as good as you are?" Bamnamu asked.

"No. I was famous S-rank criminal," she smirked. They gaped at her. Chung-Hee looked impressed.

"That's, uh, did you say criminal?" Chung-Hee asked. He hadn't known that part of the story.

"Well yeah, until Konoha catch me and take me as … I don't have word. Means earn place by work hard," she said.

"Uh, repentance or atonement?" Bibeo suggested.

"Something like that," Karin replied.

"Pardon me," a tremulous voice called, and the soldiers and Karin looked up to see a servant poking her head into the barracks training room. She looked to be about 14, and very unsure of herself. "Has anyone here seen a shinobi woman by the name of Karin-ssi?" The girl asked.

"That me," Karin said. "You need something?"

"Oh, Karin-ssi, there you are. Please come with me, the Gukgong has requested that you and your superior grace him with your presence as his guests of honour tonight," the servant replied.

"Guests of honour? She must have killed a lot of guys," said one of the two who hadn't had nicknames revealed.

"She took out a Gughwa squad on her own, and then some, in a single battle," Chung-Hee said, as Karin went to follow the servant, ignoring the chattering guardsmen.

"Are you serious? Man, you have got to tell us about your trip. It sounds like a real adventure. We don't get any adventure sitting here in Danpung so far from the front…" She heard the conversations continue as she left the barracks. Obviously, Chung-Hee was going to have his work cut out for him as a storyteller for the next little while.

The servant led her further into the compound, to a set of nicely appointed rooms. It seems she really was to be some kind of honoured guest, if the rooms were this nice. There was the fact that they were rooms rather than just a room, too. The servant left her in the receiving room, a comfortable sitting room with several western-style chairs of rattan, a rare luxury in the eastern world. Karin explored, discovering a beautiful bathroom and a bedroom, where all of her few possessions had already been brought.

She wasted no time; after stripping off her worn travel clothes and dropping them into the straw basket for laundry, she climbed into the marble-lined tub and got ready to do some serious relaxing. She spent about an hour in the tub, investigating the various scented soaps and oils as she bathed. As she was climbing into the terry robe provided, she heard someone entering her receiving room. It turned out to be a pair of servants, armed with clothing and styling products.

"Chan-Sook-yang sent us to help you prepare for tonight's feast," one of the young girls stated, as Karin arched an eyebrow at them.

"Ok then," Karin replied. So Chan-Sook could think of someone besides herself? Stop the press! Karin was actually somewhat grateful; her wardrobe right now consisted of the very worn kunoichi outfit she'd been wearing when she was deposited in the forest along with Gaara, and a few civvies she'd picked up in the towns they'd gone through. None of it was exactly the kind of stuff she would want to go dressed in to the feast of a feudal lord.

Karin allowed the servants to dress her, apply cosmetics, and put her hair in an odd braided bun at the back of her head, adorned with jewellery and ribbons. The two girls fussed over her as they worked, exclaiming that the rigours of the road had roughened her skin and damaged her hair, but that the cosmetics would hide all that. They were both amazed with the colour of Karin's hair. Neither girl had ever seen such an interesting hair colour before, and were full of praise over it, despite its condition.

Finally, they finished their work, and Karin stared at herself in the mirror. The silken outfit was different from the traditional kimonos and furisodes that she was used to seeing at ultra-formal occasions. The skirt was bright red, with a thin purple sash, and the shirt she was given was yellow. Orange cuffs brought the ensemble together. Karin thought she looked like a fireball. She wasn't displeased with the effect.

When they asked her what she thought, she nodded and murmured her approval with her stilted language. The girls beamed and proclaimed her beautiful. They led her through the compound, to a room where other people were waiting. Karin spotted Gaara right away. He was in his Kage robes, but his gourd must have been left in his room. He looked vaguely grumpy. Then his eyes met hers for a moment, and his expression went blank.

Gaara saw Karin as she approached, and was stunned. He froze. Ok, he'd been wondering if she was going to show up in her travel-worn battle gear or in the nondescript civilian outfits they'd both picked up. It seemed she'd found another source of clothing. She was dressed in the same kind of formal-wear that other high-rank guests were attending in. Someone had done her vivid red hair up into a bun with gold-toned jewellery and chains decorating it. On her face was a trace of high-quality cosmetics.

The clothes were strange, but she wore them well. Very well. She looked like she belonged here. He carefully stifled all thoughts in the direction of Karin's appearance, and turned back to looking at the entrance, where a majordomo was preparing to announce the guests.

Still, he was well aware when she took a place beside him. "Whatever happened to 'operational security?'" she snapped under her breath.

"I was identified. The Gukgong recognized me. He's hired Suna's shinobi before," Gaara muttered, stifling a flash of annoyance, and then feeling even more annoyed that she'd made him feel he had to justify himself. He shouldn't have to justify himself to any Konoha probationers. "Operational security still stands outside of this compound."

Karin snorted contemptuously, and Gaara felt annoyed again. He hoped the Gukgong didn't seat them together. It would be difficult to keep it together at the table if he had to sit there with her sniping at him all night. And that really wouldn't make him, or his village, look all that wonderful in the eyes of a client.

Perhaps fortunately for them both, after they were announced and brought to the head table, they were seated apart. Gaara was given a spot between Beong-Kyun and the captain of the guard. Karin was seated between Chan-Sook (who was at her betrothed's side) and an old woman who was introduced to her as Beong-Kyun's grandmother.

The old woman was nearly deaf, and in the way of those who were nearly deaf, quite loud. And opinionated. She immediately demanded to know what noble house Karin belonged to. Fortunately, she forgot what she was demanding before Chan-Sook and Karin could stammer out an explanation.

Down in the gallery were the other guests, including the minor nobility and soldiery who were not the guests of honour. The two shinobi spotted the table with the Sonamu guards. Bon-Hwa was in discussion with someone else at the table, but Chung-Hee spotted them back and gave a little wave. Karin quirked her lip at that. Gaara's blank stare became a little less frozen.

Servants came around to the tables with food. The high table was served first, starting with the old woman and a few other elders. After the high table was served, the people seated down below were given food. Both shinobi enjoyed the meal, sampling nearly everything that was brought to them. Karin liked most of the food, although she avoided the mandu, which looked to be like this country's version of gyoza, which she loathed. Gaara managed to insist that he did not like sweets in order to avoid the bean paste confections. It was partially true – he didn't really like sweets all that much, but he hated bean paste confections with a passion.

All through the meal, servants came and refilled the small glasses of alcohol that were placed before each diner. Gaara avoided his, not wanting to risk drunkenness, which might lead to a loss of control. Karin, on the other hand, experienced no such inhibition. She took small sips of the drink in front of her, not really noticing when it was refilled. It had the effect of obscuring just how much she consumed.

Gaara spoke both with Beong-Kyun and with the military captain he was seated with. He was actually enjoying himself somewhat. Both the Gukgong and his captain were intelligent men, and the captain was soundly versed in military theory and tactics. Gaara found the supper which he had dreaded actually passed quite pleasantly and all too quickly.

Karin's experience was far more miserable. The old woman continued to talk at her without ever letting her reply, and she was pretty sure if she gave the old bat a piece of her mind it would cause a diplomatic incident. The only good part of it was Chan-Sook, and that was just comparatively. Chan-Sook nattered about inconsequentialities, when she wasn't busy mooning after her betrothed.

At least that was going alright. Chan-Sook and Beong-Kyun were getting along like a house on fire, and both shinobi doubted the girl would make it to her wedding night intact. There was no doubt that Beong-Kyun would be the one deflowering her, either. They were clearly both very interested in each other.

They sat through the long meal, and then through the entertainment. A poet recited part of an old story, a tale of star-crossed lovers from warring houses. It wasn't familiar to Karin, but she caught onto the plot fast enough – these old tragic romances were fairly predictable. The old woman exclaimed loudly that the tale was a favourite and complained that the poet wasn't loud enough. Gaara did his best to feign polite interest while totally ignoring the story.

Finally, the entertainment ended. Guests continued to linger a while, although people were beginning to exit. Karin finally decided she'd had enough, and made her farewells to Chan-Sook, and reluctantly to the granny, who called her a good girl and told her to go catch a good man. Karin tried not to scowl at that.