[Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm diligently trying to finish this story for you! I have such great ideas. The next chapter is underway and should arrive shortly for your enjoyment! I had more, but my program crashed before I saved the next chapter, so I have to start it over. ;_; It makes me sad, but I'm on it. It's getting easier to flow! Please subscribe and review!

-LovelyWrath]

Temari was a familiar face across Fire, Rivers, and Wind since the alliance between Konoha had grown so strong. Being the sister of the Kazekage had its advantages. In her presence, even when delivering relatively minor messages and intel, she enjoyed respect. A direct blood relative of the Kazekage and Ambassador were not to be ignored. Temari enjoyed playing messenger between Suna and Konoha, when she might otherwise be stuck in the offices of the Kazekage. Being honest with herself meant that she knew that Gaara sent her to Konoha as frequently as possible to get her out of his hair. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought. Why, just last few days ago she had inquired whether he'd met a nice young lady that he'd like to settle down with. Prompted by his awkward negative response, Temari teasingly offered to set him up on some dates. It wasn't long before she was being ushered out of the office with a sackful of scrolls to deliver to Konoha and Katabami Kinzan, the gold mining village.

Regardless of why she was there, Konoha as a whole always treated her well. The Hokage, Tsunade, always was polite and offered Temari every accommodation that Konoha had to offer. The leaf village was wonderful, filled with many enjoyable restaurants, clothing shops, and fruit- one simply couldn't get fruit as fresh in Suna, since it often took a day's desert trek or more for the merchants to cart it in.

It was a hot day- not the hottest it'd been in years, but hot. It was the kind of heat that sapped the energy of a ninja, and for that reason Temari stopped to rest while crossing the Land of Rivers. Her mission had been simple- deliver documents to the Hokage, retrieve any necessary documents for the Kazekage. Enjoy a day off, then return to Suna.

Temari had indeed enjoyed her day off. She slept in, bought herself a new evening dress hand-tailored by Konoha's finest, and stocked up on bath salts and soaps. She snacked with Tenten, Sai, Rock Lee, and Naruto, who badgered her about Sakura for a half-hour strait. In the afternoon, she found Shikamaru- he wasn't hard to find. It was an unspoken 'thing' for them to meet up and lounge under the big oak tree center of a field just outside of the village. He knew when she was visiting, and he'd just happen to be there. On a good day, Temari'd pick out a restaurant to drag Shikamaru to, then they'd retreat to the guest house that the Hokage had designated as Tsunade's since she visited so frequently. One inside, Shikamaru would waste no time in trying to remove her dressings, while she tried to close the door and draw the curtains. Anything she did that didn't involve wrapping herself around him would be more than 'troublesome'.

Temari couldn't help but get hot and bothered by the mere thought of it all. A half-day's journey ahead of her and she just wanted to turn around and hunt Shikamaru down again. At least she'd be able to return to Konoha soon. Her thoughts turned back to Suna, and the state of things in her absence. Advisors had the tendency to circle Gaara like vultures, trying to manipulate him into giving in to their will. Not all- but some of them. With Temari around, they wouldn't be so bold. She sighed, continuing her journey to Suna.

Kankuro dropped several scrolls off at the market, to be dispersed by the head merchant there. It was about the tenth ridiculous errand around and across Suna that Gaara had scheduled him to do. Every time Kankuro returned to the main office, he barely got past the front doors before someone loaded him down with assignments that were far below his position. Kanuro didn't often get angry, but the trivial tasks were beginning to grate on his final nerve. Gaara only did this sort of thing when he was angry and didn't want to see someone. Kankuro had seen it before, but had been lucky enough never to have received the treatment himself. What was worse, several employees and even a sleazy adviser or two had snickered at him as he was continually turned away from Gaara's office with academy-level assignments-no, a regular postal delivery could handle these scrolls.

Kankuro slowed his pace, and stomped down the street with a scowl. If Gaara didn't want him around for anything serious, then he wouldn't hurry back to the office. Besides, it was getting late in the day, and he'd not had a good filling meal. This revelation hit him as he rounded a corner and entered one of the main streets. From here, he could see the hospital, and it made him wonder how Sakura was doing since he'd not been asked to check in on her, and he hadn't had the time to outside of his normal duties. In fact, Kankuro hadn't seen Sakura since he left on an out-of-village mission. By the time he returned, it was extremely late, he'd missed dinner, and everyone was asleep. He recalled how eerily quiet his house was that night.

Shrugging, he decided that he deserved a good lunch and good company, and he made his way to the hospital to retrieve Sakura, who without a doubt would be working without regard to her own health.

Shortly Kanuro would find himself wandering the halls of the hospital, until he found Sakura shuffling paperwork from one pile to another on that crowded desk, alone in her designated office. The door was open, and he knocked on the door frame to politely announce his arrival, "Hey, there!"

Sakura's head popped up and she smiled, relieved to see a friendly familiar face. "Oh, Kankuro! I haven't seen you in a good minute."

"I've been busy with missions." Kanuro tried not to frown at the thought of his most recent 'missions'. He didn't come here to vent or be infuriated, he came for a distraction, and Sakura was a good distraction, indeed. "I thought you might want to cut out early today for some chow."

Sakura stood and moved around the desk, made a line for the door, "You couldn't have come at a better time. I can't focus on this right now, and if I see another botched document today I might just lose it."

Kankuro moved aside, but grabbed a sun-blocking cloak from the door-hook and slung it over Sakura's shoulder as she passed. He followed her down the hall as she shrugged into the garment and pulled the hood up. To his delight, she looked very much the Suna regular citizen while swathed in borrowed clothing. It sure beat the tourist look that some visiting shinobi were prone to wear after miscalculating the strength of the desert sun.

"Where to? I don't know where any of the good restaurants are." Sakura admitted.

He chuckled heartily, "Well, you are in Suna, so they're all good. But the best ones are a kept secret, and are a little harder to find." He motioned down the street to the East. "There's a good one close by, though, where the cook always marinates the meat overnight. If you'd been there, I'd know it, because you'd have suggested it first." He smiled over at her, and she smiled back, nodding.

"Let's go, then. I'm famished!."

The early dinner was a welcome treat, and it helped take her mind of of the conundrum that was Gaara. It was nice to go someplace new to eat, though throughout the conversation Sakura could feel the eyes of the workers and other inhabitants of the restaurant upon them. It was to be expected, Kankuro was like a local celebrity, being the brother of the Kazekage. Meanwhile, Sakura stood out like a sore thumb. Their server seemed to know exactly who Sakura was, and asked how her day at the hospital had been. It was a nice experience, and an ego boost to have it reconfirmed that her reputation preceded her.

Kankuro and Sakura took their time with their meal and enjoyed the sweet fruit drinks that were the other staple of one of Suna's best restaurants.

"Waaaah! Miss Temari!" The girl was a mess, her face drenched in what Temari hoped was mostly tears, but despite her desire to avoid snot, the woman lunged at and finally clung to Temari's arm desperately. For a moment, Temari wondered if someone had died. What could this woman possibly want? Temari looked from the group of women that accompanied the woman, and then back to the weeping mess at her side. It took the shinobi a long moment to recognize the girl as the oldest daughter of one of Suna's wealthiest stationed merchants- Imara. It was very unlike this particular woman to be seen without makeup and with disheveled hair, so something serious must have gone down, Temari concluded.

"Wait. What's going on? I've just returned, so you'll have to fill me in." Temari hesitantly draped an arm around the woman as spectators looked on. It was just past dusk, so the streets were not particularly unpopulated, which made the situation more awkward. Temari patted the woman's back a few times, there, there.

"It's.. It's the Kazekage." The statement was enough to make Temari's hair stand on end.

"What about him?" Suddenly serious, Temari found both hands on the woman's shoulders, steadying her as she quaked and cried a continuous stream. "What has happened?"

The woman's lips quivered and she shook her head, forcing the words forth, "He.. he DENIED our m-m-marriage papers at the high office! He refused to sign them! He.. he won't let Asano and I get m-m-m-married!" The woman bawled loudly, and her sister stepped forward to retrieve her as Temari stood in the center of the street, dumbfounded. Temari had to think again, realizing finally that Asano was the son of one of the Kazekage's head advisers. The thought made Temari's head hurt.

Imara's younger sister cradled her, smoothed her hair down, speaking softly, "It's just a misunderstanding, calm down. Don't be a spectacle further.." The sister finally turned her gaze to Temari. "Forgive me for being bold, but I don't know what the big idea is, denying the union, when our families so much invested in Suna and a lot riding on this union. The event is paid for, and has been known for months!"

Temari's hands shot up, defensively, "Wait, wait. I just got back! I've been gone on a mission This is the first I've heard of it, and it sounds like a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding? The Kazekage has denied several unions and proposals over the past several days, and without reason," a bystander spat from a distance, "It doesn't sound like an isolated issue to me."

Temari felt sick. Whatever was going on was going to be an absolute disaster if she didn't find Gaara and do some crowd control. A crowd gathered before her before she could advance, several concerned citizens coming to the aid of Imara and voicing their opinions. "I'll look into it immediately! Please be patient!" Temari managed before slipping down a side street to make her way to the office, less conspicuously. This would be one of the downsides to being the Kazekage's sister.

She expected to find a crowd at the offices, but found the place eerily empty. A lingering receptionist informed Temari that despite the excess of visitors and concerned citizens, many of which had been turned away, the offices had closed on time, and the Kazekage had gone home.

That was the next stop on Temari's adventure- home.