A/N: Here's the next chapter! My reviews went down by 2. I expected more for this chapter. But...all's well! Remember to review for this one!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the other characters.

Summary: Sakura is sent to Sunagakure on a mission to train the medic ninja there. Yet, there is one little problem…She'll be living with the Kazekage and his family. Will she survive long enough to complete her task?

Chapter 7

Sakura woke the next morning, surprised to see how late it was. She got up, stifling a yawn, and shuffled to the bathroom. After washing, she dressed in a pale green shirt and black skirt. Slipping her feet into the typical shinobi shoes, she left the room. She stopped in the hallway and glanced curiously at the door at the end. She had been living in the house for two weeks and she still hadn't snooped.

Grinning slightly, she made her way toward the door. She reached for the knob, turning it easily. The door swung open and she peered inside. It was a rather classy room with a bed bigger than hers. But it was empty. She was about to step inside when she found her way blocked by a wall of sand.

"What do you think you're doing?" The cold voice came from right behind her. Sakura turned, glaring. "I was going into the room." She replied coolly.

"Did it ever occur to you that it was somebody's room?" Gaara was not pleased. The wench was going to nose around in his room!

Sakura ground her teeth to stop herself from lashing out at him. She had to remind herself that this was the Kazekage.

"Well, I'm sorry for thinking about walking into your room." That one sentence took so much effort to say.

She pushed past him, their shoulders brushing. She walked downstairs without a backward glance, although she knew he had been staring after her. When she entered the kitchen, she found Kankuro sitting at the table, staring into space, holding a cup of water. He had his paint back on, though Sakura had saved the image of him without it.

He looked up at her as she sat down across from him and smiled. "It's nice to see you up."

Sakura smiled back and nodded. "I'm tired. I couldn't sleep." This was true. She had tossed and turned in bed, Gaara's words repeating in her mind.

"So, where's Temari?" She asked.

"She's going to meet with that shinobi from Konoha." Replied Kankuro.

She stood. "I'm going to go see her." And with those words she left.

"I don't think it went well last night." Thought Kankuro. He stood and left.

&&&&&&&

Sakura strolled through the streets of Sunagakure, deep in thought. Why exactly was she going to see Temari?

Ah, yes…She was looking for someone who could understand what had happened last night. After all, who was better than the sister of her problem?

That and she was curious as to who the shinobi from Konoha was.

She picked up the pace, becoming a blur. She reached the Kazekage's offices in a few minutes. It seemed as though Temari and Kankuro went more to the offices than the Kazekage himself. There were several sand shinobi going around with piles of paperwork, many of which were treaty requests from other villages.

She navigated around the people and found the meeting room. She knocked and heard a faint 'come in'. Sakura opened the door and quickly spotted Temari. She was sitting in a chair at the end of a long table. A man sat next to her, head bent over some papers.

Sunlight streamed into the room from several windows which took up the whole back wall. Squinting from the light, she made it to her. "Hello, Sakura." Said Temari. She smiled at the girl and motioned for her to sit.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to listen in on the meeting?" Asked Sakura.

"There's no problem."

Just then the man looked up. It was Nara Shikamaru, Konoha's genius.

"Shikamaru?" Sakura was surprised. She didn't expect it to be someone she knew well.

"Well, look who it is," Said Shikamaru. "It's Sakura."

A smile appeared on her face. "How's everything in Konoha?"

"Everything's fine." Replied the shinobi. "I think Naruto has realized how Hinata feels for him."

"Really!" Exclaimed Sakura. "How cute! It's about time that baka opened his eyes!"

Shikamaru laughed. "I'll make sure to tell him that when I get back."

Suddenly, Temari spoke up. "Anyone want to go for lunch?"

They agreed and left the building. As they made their way to a near by ramen stand, Sakura grabbed Temari by the arm and pulled her back, letting Shikamaru walk ahead. Grinning mischievously, Sakura whispered, "Do you like him?"

The sand nin turned red and looked at him. "No." She replied flatly. The pink haired kunoichi raised an eyebrow. "You've probably spent a lot of time with him since he's the shinobi who always travels between the villages."

"I thought you were surprised to see him!" Hissed Temari.

"I was surprised to see how you were looking at him when I walked in." Sakura said, her grin widening at the look on Temari's face.

"I should know how a girl looks at the guy she likes by now." Sakura explained with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Hinata's one of my closest friends and she's liked Naruto for the longest time."

Temari sighed and glanced at the shadow ninja. "He's just so dense." She whispered.

"All guys are like that." Said Sakura. "I just wouldn't expect that of Shikamaru, the smartest ninja I know."

Sakura must have said his name a little too loud because Shikamaru shot them a questioning glance. The kunoichi just smiled and waved at him, causing further confusion. "Troublesome women…" He muttered, making Sakura giggle.

"He'll figure it out sooner or later." Whispered Sakura to Temari. The girl sighed, a frown upon her lips. "When does he leave?"

"He leaves tomorrow. I'll be leaving for Konoha in two weeks." Responded Temari.

"Take your time in Konoha. Spend some time with him or something." She smiled encouragingly at the ninja. "Show him you care without losing your dignity."

It was funny how she was giving another advice on how to win the attention of a guy. She didn't seem like the type of person to do that. Maybe she once had been but that was the past and she didn't think too much about the past.

"Oi, can you two walk faster!" The shout from Shikamaru startled them both. They separated and looked up. He had already reached the ramen stand, apparently having been walking faster than them. They reached him and Sakura saw the glances they exchanged, a slight blush rising to their cheeks.

"I just remembered that I forgot some important scrolls at the hospital." Said Sakura. "I'm afraid I'll have to leave without lunch." She smiled. "I hope you two don't mind eating with each other."

"Um, no, not at all." Said Shikamaru.

Giving Temari a small shove as she walked out, Sakura silently told her to make the most of the moment. The sand nin nodded and grinned. She turned back to Shikamaru and sat down, looking up at the menu.

Sakura walked away and after a few minutes, realized she had no destination. She decided to head back to the house instead of wandering aimlessly around the village.

&&&&&&&

Sakura entered the dark and quiet house. The kitchen was empty, signaling Kankuro had left quite a while ago. She couldn't sense Gaara's chakra and assumed he had also left. She made her way up the stairs, heading to her room. She wanted to lie down and sleep, hoping that would get rid of the pounding headache that had formed on her walk home.

As she turned the corner, entering the hallway where her door was, she caught sight of Gaara's door at the end. It was open, practically beckoning her towards it.

She could only see darkness through the small opening. An image formed in her mind. She saw the room all dungeon like, complete with shackles hanging off the walls and a tiny window that let only a small amount of light in. She shook her head. She wanted to doubt that the Kazekage's room looked like that.

"I doubt he'll forgive you for intruding this time." Commented Inner Sakura.

"I can't help it!"

"It's your funeral." Said her inner self, retreating to the depths of her mind.

Taking a deep breath, the kunoichi began walking towards the door. She reached it and hesitated, her hand resting on the knob. She pushed it open all the way and stepped inside. There was a window, which currently had curtains pulled over it. The bed she had caught sight of before was still there, its covers a dark green.

The door snapped shut behind her, engulfing the room in darkness. Sakura let out a small shriek as Gaara appeared before her. His green eyes were dark and he looked angry.

"What are you doing in here?" His voice was low and menacing.

"Um, I thought I s-saw s-someone in here…" Sakura internally cursed her stutter.

His sand shot out of the darkness and slammed her against the wall. A sharp pain spread up her spine. Her breaths came in gasps. Gaara walked up to her and, placing his mouth to her ear, whispered, "Never come into my room without my permission again. Never."

Sakura tried to clear her mind, a loud pounding echoing in it. She glared at him, trying to ignore the pain in her body. He stepped back, the sand retreating with him. She saw him clearly in the darkness now. He was shirtless, dressed only in black pants.

Her gaze traveled over his body unwillingly. A blush rose to her cheeks and she averted her eyes.

"Are you hurt?" His voice surprised her. It seemed to be full of something...remorse, maybe?

"No, I'm perfectly fine." She replied, sarcasm seeping into her voice. "I felt nothing when the sand slammed me into the wall."

She whirled around and left the room. She stomped to hers and walked inside, making sure to slam the door. Only once she was hidden away did she let a sob escape her. Tears welled in her eyes as her body completely registered the damage, pain everywhere.

Sakura stepped into the bathroom and undressed. She glanced into the mirror, assessing her injuries. A large bruise was forming right in the center of her back. Gritting her teeth, Sakura reached back and pressed her hands into it. A soft pink glow enveloped her hands. The bruise began to fade away, taking with it the pain.

If that sand had more speed and power, it could've caused serious damage. The least she got was a huge bruise, caused by the jar her spinal column took from being slammed into the wall.

She dressed in a big shirt, one she used to sleep in. Sakura crawled into bed and buried her face in the pillow. She let out a scream, one that was filled with all the anger and confusion she held in her.

After some time, she drifted into sleep.

&&&&&&&

Gaara punched his wall, furious with himself. He had seen the pain in her eyes, heard the sarcasm and hurt in her voice. He had heard a loud noise when her back slammed into the wall. But he doubted she was seriously injured. Or was she? She seemed to be fairly good at hiding her true feelings.

Why did he have to lose it like that when ever she was around?

She had just walked into his room. No big deal…

So, she disobeyed him and trespassed again? He could've just warned her like before.

But his anger had been looking for someone to be taken out on and she had been the innocent.

His meeting with the council officials hadn't gone well. Things were getting disturbing with other neighboring villages. Iwagakure no Sato, the Hidden Rock Village, had sent another messenger with the same offer.

"Give us the monthly money and we leave your village alone. Ignore us and pay the price." They were idiots. Didn't they know he had faced Akatsuki and survived? But there was something about them that made him keep his guard up. They were unpredictable; Gaara didn't like unpredictable people.

He sunk onto his bed and held his face in his hands. There was an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Things were going to get ugly and soon.

He only hoped Temari was ready to handle the village if he was unable to for some reason…