Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait. I normally would have updated before now, but some things got in my way, and I never got to do it. This one's longer then my other ones though…
Note 2: I have decided that as long as summer vacation is still here, I WILL NOT UPDATE ON WEEKENDS. I'll use weekends as a break.
Note 3: This story will have EVENTUAL GaaXSaku, and some SasuXSaku one-sided. However, I don't believe in making people fall for other people in an unnatural super fast way, so Sakura and Gaara will ease into a relationship, NOT just start making out for no reason in the beginning. It may take a while, but I think this is the only way to keep them completely in character.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, FMA, Gaara, Sakura, or any of that.
Sakura Haruno threw some clothes, water, weapons, and other necessities into her backpack. Looking at her watch, she realized that she still had thirty minutes until she had to leave for Sunagakure. Slowly trudging out the door, she made her way up the street to Konohagakure's main cemetery. She walked up and down the isles of tombstones until she found the two marked 'Uzumaki Naruto' and 'Uchiha Sasuke'. The young medical nin sat on the still freshly turned dirt in front of Naruto's grave.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry, Sasuke. I wasn't strong enough to help you guys. I wasn't even strong enough to fend for myself. I always stood behind the scenes, didn't I? Maybe, just maybe, if I were braver, I could have been more useful. I failed you. I failed everyone, DAMMIT!" Sakura muttered. Tears began to fall from her emerald eyes, but she wiped them away instantly on reflex. Sighing, Sakura stood up and walked away to the gates of Konoha…
./In Sunagakure, 5 hours later, 7 PM\\:.
Gaara felt like bashing his head against a rock. Of all people, the just HAD to send that little weakling Haruno. And besides the fact that she would probably be of no use to Suna, he would have to TALK to her. Which was embarrassing, considering that he tried to kill her before.
Gaara-Right. I'll just act like I never tried to annihilate her. Maybe she forgot. I'll just act calm, and she won't notice ANYTHING…
Shukaku-Give it a rest, kid. She probably forgot all about you by now. She probably won't even notice that you're Subaku no Gaara. Don't sweat it. And even if she does recognize you, she probably won't care…
Gaara-Damn, I'm trying to figure out how to talk to Haruno, and you are NOT helping at all…
Shukaku-Whatever, if you don't want my genius advice, then too bad, it's your loss...
./At The Gates of Konoha\\:.
Sakura Haruno took a deep breath, and walked towards the gates of Sunagakure.
'This is weird. There's no guards or anything here…' Sakura thought. 'Such a famous, powerful, and large village such as Sunagakure should at least be able to afford putting guards up…'
As soon as Sakura entered the village, an EXTREMELY disturbing scent reached her nose. A sickly wave of heat seemed to wash over her, as she coughed. 'Damn, this place smells infected…' As she walked up the street, she saw many people walking aimlessly, coughing, and even retching on the sides of the road. Now Sakura felt disgusted. 'Shit, this is way worse then I thought…no wonder the Kazekage sent a request for medical nin…'
Seeing this, she ran to the Kazekage tower. It was a really strange looking building, made of sandstone, but it was HUGE. Countless shaded walkways seemed to sprout of the main sphere like building, like roots of a tree. Sakura ran up one of the 'roots' and into the Kazekage tower. As soon as she was inside, she seemed to step into a whole other world. It was spacious and huge, but seemed to lack one thing- people. It was empty except for a secretary at the main desk, and few medical ninja walking up and down the halls. Approaching the secretary, Sakura pulled off her hidden leaf headband and presented it to the woman.
"I'm Sakura Haruno, medical ninja. I came here on a mission request from Sunagakure." She stated.
"Oh, your finally here I see. Your orders to meet with the Kazekage as soon as you got here. And also, about your lodgings-originally, we had planned on having you live in the staff section of Suna's hospital, but there has been a change of plans. You see, there have been many more sick people then the beds, so we had to use the staff rooms as well. And even so, there wasn't enough room for even half the sick and wounded, so we even converted all but the very top and bottom levels into a makeshift clinic. I'm sure you have noticed the other medical ninja in the here? Your room will be room next to the lab on the 6th floor. There's a door connecting the lab and your room, so you can easily access it when you want." The secretary stated before returning to her work
"Hai" Sakura walked up the stairs, until she reached the top level. Then she walked up and down the hall until she found the door labeled 'Kazekage'. Preparing herself mentally for a long and tedious talk with whom she assumed an old man, she walked in to find---
A 17 year old bishi-honen by the name of Gaara. Wait.
Gaara.
The psychopath.
The deemed insane killer.
The bloodthirsty freak who tried to kill her before.
Was the damn Kazekage.
What.
The.
Fuck?
(hyperventilates) Oh, hi, Gaara! Heh heh…heh…"'Oh Shit. I'm acting like an idiot…WHY AM I ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT?' (mentally punches self)
"…" Gaara was either at a loss of words, or just didn't feel like talking. 'Weakling…why'd they send a weakling like her? She won't help at all…'
It was then that Sakura decided, that hot guy or not, Kazekage or not, he was still more of a cold ice cube then Sasuke ever was.
"Look, just give me the damn mission, will you?" Sakura demanded, a little pissed at Gaara's lack of speech.
"…Just go to the lab on floor 6 and try to figure something out on the disease or something…or go to the hospital or the other floors of this place and help heal some people…Suna has a lack of medical ninja right now…" Gaara said coldly, never once looking up from his paperwork.
Now Sakura was EXTREMELY pissed. This guy had some SERIOUS emotional problems. (cough)psycho(cough, cough)
Backing out of the room, Sakura walked down seven flights of stairs and reached the 6th floor. Walking into her room, she dumped her stuff on the bed and changed from her travel worn clothes into her separate outfit of much-hated fishnets 1 and light pink before entering the laboratory. 5 other medical nin were at workstations, analyzing samples of hair and blood under microscopes and in test tubes.
Sakura sighed, and got to work.
./With Gaara\\:.
Subaku no Gaara, the Kazekage of Sunagakure was sitting at his desk doing paperwork. He was bored. Shoving the papers to the side of his desk, he looked out the window. Then, as soon as he faced his desk yet again, he began to feel dizzy. Before passing out, he noticed faint red clouds seemingly floating along sandstone floor…2 (if you've watched the FMA anime, then you should have a faint idea of what it is…)
Foot Notes:
1 I'm not completely up to date with the Naruto manga (I'm downloading the manga scans off of but so far, I have never seen Sakura Haruno wear fishnets. She's always in that red yukata thing…
2 O.O Russell and Fletcher…