Hi all, I know its been a few days (haha, three) but here's another chapter. I've got maybe one or two chapters left of material I can post without Tallman0029's crossover...so enjoy it while it lasts. I'll have to start dedicating the time I spend writing these on nagging him to write. I say this, but we were supposed to write together today and ended up watching Aliens instead...Damn you, James Cameron! I get irresponsible when people start talking about Alien or Predator. I love that universe almost as much as I love the Naru universe. Except, you know, sometimes the Alien/Predator universe makes more sense than Naruto (A fire that is so hot it burns fire. Yeah. I'm pretty much talking about the Uchiha and everything to do with them). Rant over. Commence reading.

Also, thank you for your feedback so far. I really appreciate you taking the time to be a part of this. If you ever have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. Every once in a while, I might even message you for your direct feedback on something I'm considering for a story. You've been warned :D

"Kid, I don't know how you pulled this off, but good work." Tsunade examined Beki's forehead, the girl's chin in her hand. "Unless, of course, you stole his seal. Then you are in a world of trouble."

Beki shook her head violently.

"You really think I would be stupid enough to try to pickpocket that guy?"

"Good point," Tsunade patted Beki's chin. "But there will be repercussions for this."

"I'm ready to accept my punishment." Beki bowed. No real damage had been done, plus Beki had dealt with the aftermath herself. No skin off the Hokage's nose. She would probably get some grunt work and a slap on the wrist.

"50 hours of community service and a ban on buying flour within fifty miles of the city limits for a year. Anyone found providing you with flour will be considered aiding and abetting and will be liable for fines up to 3000 ryo and 2 months in jail." Tsunade folded her arms.

"That's kind of steep," Seiichiro mumbled.

"This was a ridiculous crime that deserves a ridiculous punishment," Tsunade shot him a challenging look.

"It actually makes a lot of sense, dad." Beki smiled. Tsunade was going to let her off easy.

"If you're okay with it, whatever," Seiichiro shuffled uncomfortably. "Just know she's probably going to have you picking garbage out of the river or something."

"I'll just help out at the school," Beki smiled. "Iruka sensei has already asked me to. Say, isn't your rescheduled meeting soon?"

"Yes it is," Tsunade smiled. "How about you get a start on those community service hours by picking up some lunch for us all?"

"Yes Lady Hokage," Beki saluted. "What do you guys want?"

"Just get some bentos from the diner across the street," Her father waved dismissively.

"Okay, I'll be back," Beki skipped out the door.

The guard gave her the stink eye.

"What's with the mark on your head?"

"Did you hear about the flour incident?" Beki covered it self consciously.

The guard gave her a weird look and shook his head. Beki looked around suspiciously, gave him a conspiratorial look, then held her finger to her lips. The guard's brows furrowed with confusion, and he mouthed "what?" as she skipped down the stairs. She knew she should probably wash off the mark, but she was nowhere near running water. There was no other choice, so she took her mirror out of her kunai bag, licked her hand, and rubbed away the red ink. It left a pink splotch on her forehead she would need soap to get rid of, but that was better than legible ink.

The bento shop was backed up about ten orders. Beki waited five minutes to place her order and they told her it would be almost an hour before before they'd be ready. The chef told her that she could leave and come back to keep the place from getting overcrowded. Beki walked outside the shop and wandered down the street a ways.

Her thoughts kept wandering to the Kazekage in his hospital bed. They had resolved the issue but she still felt guilty. Beki, a complete stranger, had knocked him out. All she had to do was ask, and he forgave her completely. She found herself standing outside the flower shop. Was it weird to get a guy flowers? It seemed like an innocuous enough thing to do. People had given her dad flowers before. Usually they were because they knew he had a daughter, but hey. She walked inside.

"Hey flour girl," Ino smirked at her.

"Hey flower girl," Beki sighed.

"What are you doing in here?" Ino asked. "Looking to perform another assault?"

"No, I'm obviously hunting for elephants," Beki rolled her eyes. "I'm looking for a thank you present."

"You could tell me who it's for and I could probably give you some suggestions," Ino's voice was pure innocence, but Beki knew she was fishing for gossip.

Beki's eye caught on a small selection of tiny cactus. Something about them was absurdly cute. They were little squat needly saguaros in terra cotta pots no bigger than a pen cup. She smiled to herself. The Kazekage is from the desert, and these are the trees of the desert. It would be like giving him a bonsai. The symbolism was perfect.

"I'll take this," Beki said, holding up the stoutest and squatest cactus of them all.

"If you say so," Ino eyed her choice disapprovingly.

Beki paid for her item and walked out of the shop. She walked back down the street to the diner and tucked the little cactus safely into her kunai pouch. As she carried the bentos up to the Hokage's office, she did her best not to jostle the pouch. As she basked in her genius, all she could think about was how great this was all going to turn out.

…

Kankuro was extra jumpy that morning. As he walked Gaara to the meeting, every shadow was a threat. Gaara seemed completely unphased by the events of the previous day and acted as though it had never happened. When they finally arrived at the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade stood and walked over to introduce Gaara to Seiichiro.

"Tsukimori Seiichiro, this is the Kazekage, Gaara no Suna," Tsunade gestured to the Kazekage.

"I'm glad to finally meet you, Kazekage-sama," Seiichiro bowed politely.

"And you as well, Ambassador Tsukimori," Gaara held out his hand to shake. "I believe I had the pleasure of meeting your daughter yesterday."

Seiichiro, for all his composure, visibly blanched. He took the Kazekage's hand and shook it.

"I do apologize for her mischief. She's young and a little impulsive."

"There was no harm done," Gaara said graciously. "I am looking forward to finally holding this meeting."

As soon as their hands parted, Beki awkwardly stumbled in with the stack of bentos.

"Oh," She fumbled awkwardly. "Hi."

"Beki, when I said this would count towards your community service hours, I didn't mean you should take hours to do it." Tsunade's voice was full of impatience.

"Sorry Tsunade-sama," Beki held up the bags apologetically. "There was a long line and they lost my order in the shuffle. They gave me extra food for it though."

"Then this sounds like it'll be a meeting over lunch," Seiichiro took the bags and set them on the table. He did a quick count of the bentos, grabbed two, and simultaneously handed them to the kages.

There's dad, Mr. Smooth, Beki thought. He'd played this game long enough to know although common courtesy would be to present Tsunade with a bento first, a diplomat never showed any favor outwardly to anyone.

He then handed one to Kankuro, who waved it off, so Seiichiro handed it to Beki. It was the last one.

"No pops, I'm okay to go grab another one," Beki protested.

"Take it, girl, and go eat it on the roof," Her father ordered. After what happened yesterday, it was likely she was going to be discussed. Beki knew better than to argue with him when he used that tone and went outside.

"I'll be back," Kankuro said as soon as the door shut and followed after her. Gaara watched him go and gave him a cautioning look.

"So, without further ado, let's start this meeting." Tsunade cracked open her bento.

…

Beki sat on the roof facing the village and opened her bento. The smell of katsu and curry made her stomach growl. She had been so caught up in picking out that cactus she hadn't realized how long it had been since she had eaten last. She broke apart her chopsticks and was mid bite when a shadow fell over her.

"It's time we had that talk," Kankuro's voice was dangerously low.

Beki looked up at him innocently. He was putting on his best tough guy attitude, but after she saw how he acted about his brother in the hospital, she wasn't fooled. She patted the spot next to her.

"Sit with me," She smiled.

"No, I think I'll stay standing." He folded his arms.

"Suit yourself," She took a bite. "But I hope you don't mind if I have my lunch."

Kankuro stared her down for a long minute and then sighed. This girl, was a lot of things but it was clear she was no would-be assassin. He sighed with frustration and asked:

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Beki blinked.

"Get past Gaara's defenses?" Kankuro's patience growing thin.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about," Beki said, nibbling on her katsu.

"Gaara's sand," Kankuro explained. "It's nearly impossible to get past. What kind of technique did you use?"

"Just to reiterate," Beki put down her chopsticks. "He wasn't my target, number one. Number two, I was just looking to clock my friend in the face with a bag of flour. Good old fashioned bakery fisticuffs. I didn't use any technique, I mean, unless you count that I hid in a blind spot."

Kankuro stood there silently as he pondered what Beki said. What could have negated Gaara's defensive abilities? The only times Gaara had been taken down were by incredible speed or massive force, neither of which Beki possessed. He decided he would need to go investigate the scene of the crime further. He hopped off the roof, and he heard Beki lean over the side and yell after him.

"Bye!" She waved, smiling.

That girl is strange. Very strange, he thought as head headed for the alley.

Beki finished her bento and swung downstairs to drop it in the trash. It was a beautiful sunny day and it had been nice on the roof, so she climbed back up there and basked in the sunshine. She was wearing her mother's gauntlets to adapt to their weight; her father did the same with his armor. She extended and retracted the blades a few time to test the feel, and then laid down with her hands crossed behind her head. She closed her eyes and listened to the wind and the people. At times like this she could almost fool herself into believing she was back home, laying on the deck of the shrine. Except here there was no gentle lapping of the lake water or the buzz of dragonflies.

Just then she heard the door to the Hokage's office open, and her father saying they should take a fifteen minute break. She got ready to hop down there to talk to her dad, but immediately he started bickering with Tsunade about something unrelated to work. It sounded like the odds on a fighter in an upcoming prize fight. Beki knew her dad didn't have many adult friends, so she didn't like to interrupt him when he bantered with Tsunade. She sat back down on the roof and looked out over the village once more. It had been about three months she had spent in Konoha, and she felt like she was finally starting to adjust. It didn't quite feel like home yet, but she didn't feel like an outsider anymore. The shop keepers greeted her by name, and several of the guards and school personnel talked to her on a regular basis. She missed Reika, Ren, and all the other familiar faces of her hometown, but there was always something to do in Konoha. It made it easy to distract herself.

"Do you always wait for your father to finish with his meetings?"

Beki jumped a little and looked over shoulder. The Kazekage was incredibly quiet considering the giant gourd strapped to his back.

"Sometimes," Beki said automatically. "It depends on if it's going to be a sprint or a marathon."

"A marathon?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. .

"My dad calls days when a difficult issue is being discussed or when someone has dug in their heels a 'marathon', because they go on for hours with no end in sight," Beki explained. "A day like today is a sprint, everyone is on board and there's a clear objective in mind. No egos involved."

"It sounds like he has been in politics a long time," Gaara looked towards the door.

"He has," Beki reflected. "He started out as a representative for our village ten years ago and took the position as ambassador about seven years ago. Oh, duh."

She had been adjusting how she was sitting when the cactus pricked her through the bag.

"I have something for you,"

He gave her a puzzled look.

"A thank you gift," She said as she fished it out of her bag. It had poked a few holes in the canvas but was otherwise unscathed. She held out the tiny cactus and smiled.

He started blankly at her for a long time. A cloud of worry passed over her face. Beki's face darkened with worry of her own, and Gaara realized he hadn't responded in a while. He tentatively held out his hand and took the cactus from her. The saguaro was small, maybe the size of a grapefruit, and it's color was off. In spite of its shortcomings, somehow the little cactus seemed happy.

"Thank you," He said at last.

"Sorry, was that a stupid thing to get you?" Beki felt panic rising in her chest. She really needed to stop making bold faced assumptions about people. Hinata=sunflowers had worked out, but Kazekage=cactus? Come on Beki. She was just about to face palm when he said:

"It just so happens cacti are my favorite,"

Trumpets blared and harpsichords strummed out a triumphant melody in her head. Two for two! She thought.

"Oh I'm glad," She sighed, looking relieved.

"Kazekage sama?" Her father called from the door of the office.

"The meeting must be resuming," Gaara looked back towards the door. "Goodbye, Miss Tsukimori."

"You too, Kazekage-sama," She said with a wave. As he stepped off the roof, horror clenched at her throat. Had she said "You too?" Oh my god, she thought. I can never speak to him again. After a moment, she composed herself and leaned over the side of the roof:

"Hey dad!" She hollered. "I'm heading back to the Hyuags. I'll see you later!"

"Alright, be safe," He hollered back.

Beki hopped down onto the stairs. The guard had a kind of smug look on his face that she didn't like. She eyed him down, waiting for him to say something snarky, but instead he looked at her, looked in the Hokage's office, and started batting his eyes. He girlishly held his chin in his hand and heaved a deep sigh. Having already suffered enough embarrassment at her own hand, Beki stormed down the stairs. On the last step, she turned, glared at him, and pointed at her eyes with her index finger and pinky, and then at him. She walked down main street without another glance behind her. After she was out of sight, Beki reduced her pace and made her way back to Hinata's house with a lot of confused feelings about the boy with scarlet hair.

…

On her way there, she saw Konohamaru training alone. It pulled at her heart to see a lonely kid, and she was in need of a distraction, so she walked over.

"Whatcha doin, half pint?" Beki leaned against a fencepost.

"I'm training to become the Hokage!" Konohamaru punched the air.

"When are you running? I'll vote for you," She joked.

"Well Naruto has to be Hokage first," Konohamaru counted off on his fingers. Again, with this Naruto kid, Beki thought. "So I'll be Hokage after him. Maybe in like, ten years."

Beki chuckled to herself at his youthful naivete. There was no way even this Naruto kid would get to be Hokage in ten years. He would have to single-handedly defend the village from an entire army, while writing poetry, books, and kissing babies at the same time to have a chance at it in fifteen.

"You need someone to practice with you?" Beki smiled. "I'm a Getsu nin, so I can guarantee I won't be like anyone you've practiced with before."

Konohamaru thought about it, then nodded.

"Well, I guess because my friends aren't here I can practice with you, Beki nee-san."

"Ouch, Konohamaru. It's harsh to tell a girl she's your second choice to her face," Beki chuckled, getting into her ready stance. "Don't hold back, now. I think can keep up with a future kage."

"Wait and see!" He said as he charged her.

Beki deflected his attacks slowly so they always almost just missed their mark. When she would return strikes, she exaggerated the blow so he had more than enough time to deflect or dodge her attacks. After a few minutes she picked up speed, posing more of a challenge for him both to hit and to avoid. She was at about ¾ her normal speed when he was at his max capacity. He jumped back to get some space, panting.

"I'll show you!" Konohamaru cried out as he started forming handsigns. "Sexy no jutsu!"

There was a puff of smoke and instead of a tween boy there was a sexy teenage girl there instead. Beki burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?!" He demanded, his pretty girl face flushing with rage.

"Are you really trying to use something like that on me?" Beki said between bouts of laughter. There were almost tears at this point.

"Its working though!" Konohamaru protested. "You think its funny so you're wide open!"

"Let me show you how easy it is to throw you off using that ridiculous jutsu," Beki said as she reached forward and pulled transformed Konohamaru to her. She grabbed him by the waist, pressed him against her, and planted one long hard kiss right on his mouth. He instantly poofed back to normal and retracted. He was beet red and obviously very embarrassed.

"Some people you just can't out-sexy, kid." Beki crossed her arms. "Tsukimori Beki is one of them."

"But how?!" He asked, distraught his ace in the hole had no effect..

"There's a shrine in my village, and so part of my training there included how to block out distractions," Beki explained. "By the way, that's not what boobs feel like at all. Think water balloon, not bag of beans."

Konohamaru's face was less red, but he still looked uncomfortable. Beki sighed. The poor kid just wanted to be able to keep up with her. Maybe she could show him something cool to make up for it.

"You wanna see something cool?" Beki offered. Konohamaru looked unsure at first, then relented at the chance to see jutsu from a kunoichi from another village.

"Yeah, okay. What kind of jutsu are you going to show me?" Konohamaru inched closer.

Beki was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to directly demonstrate any of her villages techniques, so she told him to cover his eyes.

"I'll let you know when you can look, okay?" Beki started performing the handsigns.

"Are you just gonna run away?" There was honest to goodness sadness in his voice. It sounded like that was a very real threat.

"What kind of jerk would do that?" Beki shook her head. "No, Konohamaru. Look."

He opened his eyes. Beki was shimmering as radiantly as the sun. There was a halo of light around her that swirled and glittered as she moved.

"It's so bright," Konohamaru shielded his eyes. "What kind of jutsu is that?"

Beki thought about how to explain it in kid terms.

"I know it seems like it would be anti-camouflage," Beki explained. "But what I'm doing is using my chakra to reflect the light around me, which makes it harder to tell where I begin and where I end. It's hard to look directly at me, so that makes me harder to hit, too."

"Oh, I get it," Konohamaru beamed. Beki released the jutsu and smiled. His friends were coming up the road, calling out his name and waving to him.

"Okay kid, your friends are here," Beki started walking away. "Have fun training."

"Bye Beki nee san!" Konohamaru said as he ran to his friends.