She was really excited. Otou-sama had said that she needed to see the world beyond the base. And Saso-chan had a mission with Dei to Suna, a really easy one; so Otou-sama decided that it was a good start for her.

Everyone was there to wish her good luck on her first mission, even Hidan was there. She was on Hiruko's back, careful of the poisoned weapons, waving to her family while Dei made a clay bird for them to fly to Suna. It was going to be her first time flying and she couldn't wait.

:::

After some time flying, Sakura could say that she loved the sensation. Her cheeks felt weird from smiling so much, but she didn't care. The sun on her skin felt warm and calming, and the breeze on her skin was like heaven. Dei and Saso-chan were staring at her, smiling warmly. She rather liked the desert, as weird as it was.

When they were near Suna, Sasori knelt in front of her.
"Sakura, we have to do some business, and it's too dangerous for you to come with. Please stay in the park playing with the other kids, and don't tell anyone that you come with the Akatsuki. If anyone asks, you came on vacation with your cousins, okay?"

Sakura nodded. Even though she was a little girl, she understood that not many people liked her family, and that they could get hurt if she ever told anyone where they were located. She understood the need to lie for her family's sake. Dei ruffled her hair and they landed near the huge walls of sand. Sakura guessed that the bird had been hidden by a genjutsu if they had been able to come so close to a Hidden Village.

When she looked back, she was not faced with the Sasori and Deidara she knew, but with a pair of twins with beautiful green eyes and red hair, tanned skin and clothes that protected them from the sun. She guessed that they could pass as her cousins.

:::

The air-conditioning was a relief to the heat outside, but Sasori and Deidara had to leave soon. They all grabbed some water bottles from a freezer and headed to the park. Sasori handed her some money in case she wanted a snack; and told her that they would be there to pick her up by seven. Then they left.

Some kids were playing with a ball, but there was someone on the swings. A little boy with a teddy bear, red hair and dark circles under his eyes.
He was watching the other kids, his aqua eyes were sad and longing. He was clutching his teddy bear tightly, as if he didn't want to lose it. Sakura couldn't help but feel sad for him. She could tell that the way he looked at the other kids was because he wanted to play with them-but they didn't want him to.

She walked towards the other swing, the one beside the boy, but did not sit. She noticed that he stiffened, ready to stand and run to somewhere else if she proved to be dangerous.
"May I sit here?" she asked, smiling warmly at him. His eyes widened, surprised that someone that wasn't Yashamaru was talking to him in such a nice way. He nodded his head and she grinned, before sitting down on the wooden swing and taking out a piece of paper from a little backpack that she had brought with her.

She noticed that he was staring at her when she started folding the paper into a rose. Apparently, he was fascinated by origami. When she finished, Sakura looked at the boy, who immediately turned around when he noticed that he had been caught staring. Sakura thought that his blush was rather cute.

She smiled a little, and without saying anything, she handed him the rose.
At first, he thought that she was going to hit him, but he was surprised when he realized that she was giving him the rose. He shyly took it and examined it.
The rose was pale pink, lighter than Sakura's hair color. It looked like a bud that had just begun blooming. He thought it was beautiful.

Tentatively, he smiled at the girl, and in return, she grinned.
"My name is Sakura, what's yours?" she asked. Aqua eyes met emerald, and she heard his voice.
"I'm Gaara." His voice was soft, warm and calming. If Sakura concentrated, she could sense his chakra. If she were to describe it, she'd say it was sad, and sandy.

While she had been thinking, some kids had walked towards them.
"Hey girl, you should stay away from him" one said, a ten-year-old boy with dirty blond hair.
"Mom says he's a monster, so it must be true." another boy, this time a brunette.
Sakura glared at them, and then moved closer to Gaara to prove that she wasn't going away.
The kids shook their heads and walked away.

When Sakura looked at Gaara, he was staring at her with tears in his eyes. He was clutching his teddy bear with one hand, tightly against his body. The rose she had made for him rested on his other hand, and he was making an effort to not damage it.
"You should listen to them" he said "I'm a monster. Everyone says so, even Father." He opened his mouth to say something else, but she hugged him.

His tears were running down his cheeks and into her clothes.
She whispered something in his ear.

"I don't think you're a monster Gaara."