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Chapter 2

She arrived in Sunagakure a few days later. She had taken her time on the journey. In truth she was not too anxious to start her mission. She knew that Sabaku no Gaara had been made the Kazekage and it made her nervous. The last time she had seen him was after the chuunin exam when she had tried to protect Sasuke. She had also heard that he was no longer inhabited (or possessed as some people liked to say) by the Shukaku. She was sure that a little sleep would probably have helped stabilize his personality. Insomnia is a horrible disease and she shuddered to think of the mental damage that self inflicted insomnia could do. As she walked through the town to the Kazekages towers she couldn't help but notice how different it was from Konoha. Here the heat forced most people to stay indoors and there were no merchants to be found.

Ah well I guess I'm not here to shop after all.

She showed her pass to the guard at the gate and he pointed her down a long hallway. He seemed to be deathly afraid of going anywhere near that door.

Somethings never change

As she reached the door she could feel a huge swell of chakra. It was no wonder the guard hadn't wanted to come. She sighed.

This is going to be harder than I thought

She knocked and then opened the door.

Gaara's POV

Why was he surrounded by incompetent fools? He had tried to be patient he really had but this was just unnecessary. Yet again the idiots had allowed Temari to pull another prank on him despite his specific instructions that she was not allowed near his office.

Someones head is going to roll for this

Just then the door opened an in walked a target for his wrath. With blinding speed he wrapped his sand around the closest object, which just happened to be a chair and fling it towards the door. To his surprise the chair never made it to the door instead it came flying back at him with twice the speed with which he had sent it. Unfortunately since he no longer had the Shukaku the sand did not automatically jump to his aid and he was too surprised to protect himself. The chair caught him in the gut and sent him to the floor. Instantly he sent the sand out to grab the person who would have the nerve to attack him. His sand pulled until the person was floating vertically above him. It was a woman, and a beautiful one at that. Vivid green eyes flashed at him.

"So this is why Sunagakure needs more medic-nins. You know te job of a Kazekage is to protect the village members not kill them."

The insolent woman he should kill her just as a lesson. As if reading his thoughts she said:

"You know if you kill me Tsunade will not take it well"

It was then that he noticed that her forehead protector was inscribed with the Konoha symbol. She was right killing her would probably be seen as an act of war and the sand needed all its allies.

"I wasn't going to kill you"

"You know I would believe that if you weren't cutting off my blood circulation"

"Hmph"

He released the sand that was holding her up and she fell onto him in a very compromising position. Just then the door opened.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. I think our little brother is getting some much deserved action"

"Yeah it's about time"

Shit

His brother and sister had a knack of showing up and the worst of times. He reached up to shove the offending kunoichi off him but she hoped off at that moment. Getting up he decided to at least try to salvage the situation.

"It's not what you think"

"Nothing is going on …"

They had spoken at them same time and a small smile blossomed on Temari's face. He knew what she was thinking.

"Methinks the lady protests too much. I mean it's not like I care who you are bedding but it might be nice if you chose a more private place anyone could walk in on you here" she said staring at him with the grin she always had when she had found a new way to torment him. He was never going to live this one down.

One of these days he really was going to kill her. Something must have shown on his face because she stopped grinning like an idiot and turned to the only other woman in the room.

"Hi I'm Temari"

"Sakura"

He spared a glance at the woman who was now shaking his sisters hand. The name was familiar but the face and stature wasn't. His eyes traveled over her until the came to rest on the pink hair. Suddenly he remembered. This was the girl that had jumped in front of the Uchiha! He should have recognized her from the eyes.

My my my, I guess I'm not the only one who has changed.

Sakuras POV

She shook hands with the girl infront of her. She looked nothing like her brother. At the thought of the man she turned to him only to find he was staring at her. Well not actually at her. He was staring at a place that men hardly even noticed, her hair. She was used to being ogled by men but this was different. He wasn't really ogling her. He actually had a slightly perplexed look on his face.

I wonder what he finds confusing about my hair except of course the fact that it's pink. But it's not like he hasn't seen it before. I'm sure he must have seen it when he was trying to kill me.

"You changed your hair"
"It got in my way"

She took the opportunity to take a look at this new Gaara. He had gotten taller. The dark circles under his eyes had disappeared and his body had a visible layer of muscle on it.

He actually looks kinda hot. What the hell! I can't think like that otherwise these six months will be even more difficult to get through.

She turned to the other man in the room. Now this was the kind of attention that she was used to. His eyes were traveling over her body in the way that most men looked at her. She cleared her throat.

"You must be Kankuro"

"I sure am. You've changed a lot since the chuunin exams."

His eyes made another shameless sweep of her body while coming close enough to shake her hand.

"I never realized how wonderful change could be." He muttered partially under his breath so no one else in the room but her could hear him.

Is he flirting with me?

Deciding it would be best to ignore the comment she started to look around the room.

So this is why he had been angry.

The whole room was covered in pink. Pink hearts, pink lacy pillows and even a pink tea-cozy and matching frilly pink coasters.

"Interesting décor" She said turning to the Kazekage trying to smother a laugh.

He looked at her and then at his sister who jumped behind her other brother.

So that's the culprit. That girl must be crazy, what is she trying to do … commit suicide.

Looking over at the man who she was sure was going to implode again at any given second she was surprised to see that there was none of the rage that she had expected. Instead there was only sadness.

"Temari, Kankuro … if you would be kind enough to show our guest to her quarters, she has had a long journey and I am sure she would like to rest. Sakura go with them and come see me for your mission specifications first thing in the morning"

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