Chapter 2

The Line

Present Day, Sunagakure

She remembered little of Suna, as it had been upwards of 3 years since she'd last visited the desert of Sunagakure; the bit she did recall however, scarcely prepared her for the sight that greeted her eyes once she was within the village gates.

As memory served, Sunagakure was a heavily walled fortress in the midst of an endless sea of desert. The structures were domed shape shelters made from sand and stucco, with heavily tiled roofs, and a plethora of various earth-toned shades. Sakura remembered thinking she'd never known that brown, could have its very own rainbow of variated tones, and she'd suddenly felt very thankful that her home village of Konoha was rife with rich, vivid vegetation as far as the eye could see.

Yet, as she stood just within the desert village's gates, awaiting confirmation from the on-duty watchmen, her eyes gazed in awe and wonder at the tropical oasis that greeted her.

While the earthen tones of Sunagakure remained, there was now a plethora of rich exotic vegetation. Everywhere she looked, there seemed to be vining flower gardens climbing the walls of every building; mini Eden paradises with fountains and groves of palm trees, littered the tiny front courtyards, and the marketplace was rife with vivid color as the merchants presented their wares of exotic fabrics, hand-crafted beads, pottery and Sunaian rugs.

Sakura was awestruck; it was literally a paradise and the former Konoha medic found herself dizzy with a sense of excitement – the first she'd felt in what seemed like, months.

'Maybe this truly is just the change I needed..' she thought, just as the guard on duty waved her on, after confirming her papers and identity. She moved ahead, flanked by 2 high-ranked Anbu escorts, and was just about to question it, when Sabaku no Temari dropped down from a high roof, landing gracefully before them.

Something brightened further within Sakura, at the sight of the green-eyed sand woman, and she found an almost beaming smile spreading across her face. "Temari!" the blonde dismissed the 2 guards with a flick of her wrist, then gave Sakura an appraising look before one corner of her mouth curved up in an answering smile. "Well, well Sakura; I gotta admit, for tracking 3 days through forest and desert, you look pretty damn alright."

Sakura inwardly preened at the compliment; she'd grown so used to being overshadowed by both Sasuke and Naruto's personalities and unmatched skill, it was so nice to have someone actually focus on her and notice her good points – when it came to traveling and physical exertion, Sakura had always ranked in the top kunoichi category in her village, and that was even before she'd gained her legendary monstrous strength from Tsunade's tutelage.

"Uh, yeah I honestly really enjoyed the trek; each time I've come in the past as well, the journey was enjoyable. Stimulating for my health." She adjusted her pack, and Temari just shook her head in wonder, an almost secretive smile touching her lips as she fell in step with the petal-headed woman, "God, you sound like my brother. Gaara; he always talks about physical activity, training and how 'refreshing' and 'stimulating' it is for his physique and psyche." She waved a dismissive hand, rolling her eyes, despite the obvious grin pulling at her lips.

At the mention of the redhead, Sakura felt a curious pull in her chest, but she couldn't place the source of it. "Ah, see? He gets it. The psyche part too; that's something I've noticed myself, during my physical training. It calms me mentally and emotionally. Naruto and Kakashi-sensei – they always went on and on about the physical benefits and 'training's to get stronger! Push yourself to get better' yada yada…" she snorted, feeling that familiar sadness creep up at the mention of her team. But she pushed it back, refusing to douse the moment, "I think they always thought I was crazy for feeling calm and peaceful while training."

"Eh, that's because those boys of yours are all reckless powerhouses; 'punch first, ask questions later'; maybe not Kakashi-sama so much, but Naruto and the Uchiha? Most definitely."

Sakura actually snickered at this, emerald orbs growing a little wistful. "That's very true, they always have been, those two."

There was a charged sort of silence that fell between them, yet Temari didn't sense it was fully forged from discomfort; she knew only a little of what had transpired in Konoha and likely, had lead to Sakura's transfer; she and Naruto had been an item, yet circumstances had arisen and their romantic relationship had been dissolved. She had a feeling Gaara knew more if not all of what had transpired, but she also knew her brother was extremely discreet. He wouldn't speak of private business unless he thought it absolutely necessary to the matter at hand.

Only time would tell if he deemed this matter worth mentioning.

'Speaking of Gaara..'

"Well, you're here now, so that's good; I know you're likely exhausted – despite your finding traipsing about the wilderness 'refreshing' " she mock-teased, causing the pinkette to giggle.

"But Gaara wanted to meet you as soon as you arrived, so if it's not too much trouble, we'll drop by his office first?"

The other woman nodded good-naturedly "Mmm, of course that's fine." And the two women made their way to the Sabaku residents grounds which were adjacent to the Kazekage tower that housed Gaara's office and staff facilities.

"Wow, it's bigger than I remember." Sakura commented as they entered the spacious courtyard that adjoined the tower and Sabaku Manor.

"Mm, we've expanded. Gaara's idea; he wanted his work and home to be conjoined, as it's imperative for him to move between the two efficiently. After the Akatsuki attack…well, let's just say my brother's already-overprotective streak when it comes to Suna, has risen to borderline paranoia."

Sensing the blonde's earlier boisterous mood dim, Sakura drew the other woman's attention with a light touch to her arm. "Is everything okay? Is Gaara alright, Temari?"

Temari was briefly caught off guard by the look of genuine concern that deepened lines around Sakura's eyes, and it gave her pause; 'no wonder Gaara's so fascinated by her; she knows so little of him, yet genuinely cares about his wellbeing…' she supposed she could've just chalked it up to the fact that Gaara was Naruto's best friend and therefore, Sakura was obligated…but somehow, that theory didn't fit with the look in those green eyes.

There wasn't just human compassion mirrored there; underneath it, Sakura looked worried. That was something no one had ever felt towards Gaara, aside from herself and Kankuro, and of course Naruto.

This was indeed, intriguing to the blond sand woman, and while she still held deep concern over her own brother's interest in Sakura, she also couldn't shake the feeling that Sakura's compassion and open caring of Gaara's wellbeing, was an immensely positive thing.

Her brother was a good man and he'd grown so much in 5 years…but underneath it all, he was still intensely lonely and starved for human affection.

Returning her thoughts back to the moment, her expression softened, "I think so… but I also know that my baby brother is very much a loner, despite the fact that he's made huge progress and all the villagers love and adore him; he's still under this intense pressure to prove himself, provide and protect…I just worry that he overworks himself, Sakura."

they'd entered the ground floor via the main tower entrance and were now on their way up to the main floor that housed Gaara's office.

"Hmm, I can understand both sides of it; yours and his. Naruto and Gaara are so very similar in many ways; they have that confident, commanding presence and they're universally loved by their people… but inside, they both still have those insecurities that hounded them in their childhood. That need to be seen and accepted. Loved… and they're both insanely protective." The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped off into the main lobby just outside the double doors that lead into the office.

"You know…you have an incredibly good sense of Gaara, Haruno; is it possible that you're crushing on my baby brother?" Temari had completely switched gears and was now eyeing Sakura with this suspicious look mixed with underlying mirth, as she stood with hands on hips and head cocked to the side in that famous, sassy 'Temari' stance.

Bowled over by the audacity of the other woman, Sakura's emerald orbs rounded in horror and her mouth gaped in an 'o' as red flooded her checks and neck. "T-Temari! You-" her exclamation was cut off however when the doors to the office opened and the Kazekage himself appeared with Kankuro at his side.

Gaara took one look at Sakura's red face, then his sister's 'innocent' expression, and knew that she was up to some form of her ridiculous antics. "Temari. When I sent you to fetch Sakura, I had hoped you would bring her here intact." He muttered gravelly, casting her an exasperated, chastising look that struck Sakura as ironic, considering Gaara was the younger sibling.

"what? She's intact, see?" She swept a hand in Sakura's direction, who was fidgeting with her hair and clothes in an attempt to mask the embarrassed redness in her cheeks; she willed it away, but it proved nigh impossible when she caught Gaara's ever-studious penetrating jade eyes trained upon her.

He'd always had the ability to exude intensity, in his eyes, regardless of the fact that his overall facial expression remained impassive most of the time; she wondered, was that a skill he'd crafted over time? Or was that simply Gaara?

Dragging her thoughts back to the present, Sakura was again bowled over, only by the eldest Male sibling, Kankuro, who gave an obnoxious exclamation of her name while simultaneously sweeping her up into a crushing hug.

"Sakuraaaaa! My forever savior, you're here!"

She had little time to react, too shell-shocked really, to muster any kind of response, until she heard Gaara's authoritative voice piece through Kankuro's ruckus. "Put Haruno-San down. Kankuro. For heavens sake, don't be a buffoon."

There was a tense inflection in his voice that chilled Sakura, and when she was set upon her feet again, she turned to find Gaara sharply eyeing his brother, invisible brows drawn together in a deep scowl that was intensified by the disapproving frown that curved his lips; never mind his hands that were clenched tightly behind his back.

"Ahm, oh sorry, Gaara; uh…sorry Sakura, heh." The burly brunette scratched his head a bit sheepishly, and Sakura did her best to offer him what she hoped was an appeasing smile.

Honestly, Kankuro's boisterous personality wasn't all that different from Naruto's , and the pinkette found herself appreciating the familiarity.

An exasperated sigh echoed from the redhead who was now pinching the bridge of his nose, to ward off an impending headache. Dropping his hand, he straightened, and Sakura's eyes were drawn to Gaara's actual appearance for the first time since his arrival.

Gaara was taller now; having gained more than a few good inches since she'd last seen him – though not as tall as Naruto – he now stood at an impressive 5foot 10, with a lean, wiry frame sculpted in sinewy muscle. His attire was less buttoned up then she'd recalled; instead of the heavy, long red coat, a scarlet, long-sleeved tunic adorned him, the hem reaching down passed his knees, with high slits in the side that enabled free movement. The dark trousers he wore beneath it were etched in an intricate embroidery along the seams, and the tunic was perfectly tailored to his upper body, with a distinguishing narrow V cut neckline that was also embellished in embroidery and drew the eye downwards along the creamy exposed skin of his chest.

Sakura froze a moment, when she realized she'd been staring, and promptly snapped her eyes up and away from the man, completely missing the pointed stare he'd been giving her.

Sakura wasn't the only one impressed by physical transformations; for himself, Gaara let the bickering conversation of his siblings fade into the background, and took in every detail of Sakura's appearance, with subtly hungry eyes. Though Sakura had never been particularly tall, her stature seemed so in the way that she held herself. Though she only stood at about 5'4 Gaara surmised, her frame was lean and graceful in a way that Haruno was likely unconscious of; from what he'd gathered from Naruto over the years, Sakura's self-esteem had been a struggle since the whole Sasuke affair, and it took Sakura putting in daily effort to heal that part of herself. While her confidence in her skill and strength as a kunoichi had increased as a result of her determination to get stronger and better for her, she'd struggled to apply that self-same assurance into her appearance and who she was as a woman; her inner worth was something that she questioned constantly, and Naruto had shared this in his most recent letter to Gaara;

'Sakura's one hell of a woman, but the thing is, she doubts that 'woman' part, far too often. Even when we were together, I could see it. I mean, I did what I could, ya know? But I've learned that if you don't see something in yourself and you don't really believe it deep down inside you, then there's really nothing anyone else can do to convince you or make you believe it. I worry about her, Gaara; she's one of the best damn friends I have, and even though I hate to see her go, I guess…a part of me is happy and just hoping that maybe Suna's got that missing piece she needs, ya know?'

His friend's words echoed in his mind as his eyes subtly appraised her, and Gaara engulfed with an intense, unexplainable feeling of belief in Naruto's last words; he too, hoped Suna held what she'd been missing, all along.

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