Gaara stood at the top of the guard tower, scowling with displeasure. He crossed his arms over his broad chest, watching the winds roll over the dunes. Behind him he could hear the bustling in the marketplace. The festivities roiled below. A band played live music behind the distant chatter and cheers that somehow managed to reach him as high up as he was.

"You should stop pouting," said the dark haired man beside him. "It's undignified."

Gaara uncrossed his arms and glanced over at the man who had become a close confidant and friend over the last three years. He was leaning back against the guard rail, his expression amused. Gaara wished he could share in his delight, but he was in no mood for celebrating.

"What are you doing up here, Hideki?" Gaara asked. "Shouldn't you be down there celebrating with everyone else?"

"Shouldn't you?"

Gaara scowled deeper, re-crossing his arms.

"Oh, just be happy for your sister," Hideki said, rolling his eyes. "She's getting married. What is there to be upset about?"

"She's leaving Suna," Gaara supplied. "Why should I be happy about that?"

"Because she's happy and you should want that for her because you're a good brother," Hideki said. "Besides, Sarabi is coming back today. Aren't you excited?"

Gaara was not excited about that, but he didn't say as much to Hideki. Truthfully, he was a bit nervous to see the girl again after so long. They had hardly known each other when she left to go to Konoha to be Sakura's apprentice. She was essentially a stranger to him.

"You must at least be excited to see Sakura again," Hideki said when Gaara didn't respond.

Gaara grunted his acknowledgement of the statement, but had nothing to add to it. It had been years since he had seen Sakura. In the interim, he had found himself a girlfriend (at the council's request) – a girl named Matsuri, who adored him a little too much. Their relationship had been brief, but affectionate. Ultimately Matsuri had decided that being with the Kazekage was too much pressure. Gaara had to admit that he was relieved when she broke up with him. He liked her, of course, but having a girlfriend was much more work than he thought it would be. He rather liked being alone instead.

He was as nervous to see Sakura as he was to see Sarabi. Would things be awkward between them after so much time apart? How much had she changed in the last three years?

"Gaara-sama?"

Gaara dragged his eyes away from the dunes to glance back over at Hideki.

"You're not going to be this surly when Team 7 arrives, are you?" he asked cautiously. "I don't want your bad mood to spoil Sarabi's view of Suna. She'll take one look at that frown and want to go straight back to Konoha."

Gaara groaned in irritation, but he was secretly worried about the same thing. What if Sarabi loved being in Konoha too much and decided that she was better off there?

"I'll try to be in a better mood by then," he said dryly.

/

He was not in a better mood by then. He stood at the village gates with Temari on his right and Kankuro on his left. He had spotted the squad of Konoha shinobi from his perch on the guard tower and begrudgingly come down to meet them. It wasn't that he didn't want to see them, but rather that he knew it was only a matter of time now before his sister was taken away from him.

"Cheer up, Gaara," Temari said, elbowing him in the ribs. "Your girlfriend is coming back."

"She's not my girlfriend," he grumbled. He had hardly spoken Sakura's name for the last three years in the hopes that everyone who knew about their tryst would have forgotten about it. It seemed that neither Hideki nor Temari would be able to let it go, though.

Gaara gave a side glance to his sister, catching her profile as she gazed out toward the traveling foreigners. Her cheeks were tinged pink and a warm grin spread across her face. It was refreshing to see her happy for once. Her usual grouchiness wasn't indicative of her mood most of the times. Gaara realized it was a way to keep stress at bay – to hold people at arm's length. As upset as he was that she was leaving Sun to marry Shikamaru, he couldn't deny that he was pleased by how happy she seemed.

"You don't have to leave, you know," he said to her. "I'm sure you could convince Shikamaru to move to Suna."

"We've been over this, Gaara," she said, glancing at him for a brief second. "I'm moving to Konoha and that's final. It's not like we'll never see each other. Besides, you're getting Sarabi in exchange. Suna needs a medic of her caliber."

"I'd rather have you."

"Don't say that in front of Sarabi," Kankuro said. Gaara looked over at his brother, who seemed much less affected by his sister's impending absence. "Come on, admit you're at least a little excited to have her back here. Hopefully those damn Konoha-nin didn't teach her how to wear proper clothes."

Gaara and Temari both shot him withering looks.

"Is she here yet?" asked a voice behind them.

The trio turned to face the man approaching from behind. His milky eyes were wider than usual. He had neatened his hair into a low ponytail, wisps of which smoked away from his face in the breeze. Taiyo was a typical, grouchy old man, but today he wore a smile and just the barest hint of excitement on his wrinkled face.

"See for yourself," Gaara said, pointing off to the shinobi running toward them. By now they could see the brightness of Sakura's pink hair against the sandy dunes. It sent a sharp pang through Gaara's chest. He tried not to think of what exactly that pang was.

"Sarabi," Taiyo breathed. He lurched forward, smiling as he began to run toward the group. Gaara watched him amble a few more steps before he caught up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. It wouldn't do to have him run out and collapse into the sand.

As the party came closer and their faces came into view, Temari ran through the gates to greet her future husband, crushing him into a warm embrace. Shikamaru looked slightly less grouchy than usual as he returned her hug and kissed the top of her head. He nodded curtly to Gaara over the top of her head. Gaara nodded back, but pressed his lips together in a tight line. He would vastly have preferred for his sister to have found a suitable Suna shinobi to marry, but he couldn't deny how happy they both seemed together.

"Taiyo-sama!"

Gaara glanced toward Taiyo, who had swept Sarabi up into a hug. She was much taller now. She had lost a bit of the girlishness in her face, developed a few wrinkles, even. Her eyes were bright and she was every bit as cheery as he remembered her to be as she launched into questions about Taiyo's life in Suna. Her hands were lit with chakra as they roved over his arms – a trait she'd picked up from Sakura, no doubt.

Taiyo eagerly regaled her with tales of his time in Suna, his eyes absurdly bright. Gaara couldn't remember ever seeing him look so happy before.

A flash of pink caught Gaara's attention and he turned to face the inevitable, the moment he had simultaneously been dreading and excited for. Instead, he felt himself being crushed into a hug, his vision filled with blond hair.

"Gaara!" Naruto screeched, pulling away from him to grab him by the shoulders and look him square in the eyes. "How have you been?" he asked, his blue eyes glittering with amusement. Gaara couldn't help the smile that spread across his own face, the dread in his stomach dissipating instantly.

"Naruto, it's good to see you," Gaara said, extricating himself from Naruto's grasp.

He had only a second to regain his composure before he was tangled in another mess of arms, this time belonging to delicate, pink-haired kunoichi. She wrapped his arms around his waist and squeezed hard enough that he felt all the breath leave his lungs. Naruto laughed and re-wrapped his arms around the two of them, pressing Gaara between their two giggling bodies.

"Oh, I see how it is," Kankuro said dryly. Gaara quickly pushed the offending Konoha shinobi away and watched as the newest member of Team 7 approached Kankuro with open arms.

"No, Sai," Sakura said quickly, grabbing his arms and pushing them back down to his sides. Behind him, Kakashi laughed.

"It's good to see all of you again," Gaara said feeling a tad overwhelmed by the attention. "I hope your journey went smoothly. You must be exhausted so I'll have Hideki show you to your rooms immediately."

"No way," said Naruto, shoving his way through the village gates. "We're here to celebrate. Drinks on me, everybody!"

Everyone filed through the gates behind him, cheering and hollering. Gaara watched as they all filtered past him, feeling like a stick in the mud. He still wasn't quite in the mood to celebrate, but he had to admit that being near his old friends again elevated his mood a bit.

He glanced at Sarabi, who was still deep in conversation with Taiyo as they made their way to the marketplace where the pre-wedding festivities were still in full swing. He wanted to properly greet her, but he didn't want to intrude on her time with the only person from her old life who still lived.

"Yikes," said a feminine, acutely and familiarly annoying voice beside him. He looked down near his elbow, where a head of pink hair hovered. She looked older, he noted, though the grin on her face was just as churlish as he remembered her to be. Her eyes were sparkling, lit by some joke he was not privy to.

"What?" he asked, hating how his voice already sounded so irritated. The first word he had spoken to her in years was nothing but a snap of annoyance.

"I thought you'd be happier to see us."

With a stab of guilt, he turned to face her, to give her his full attention. He noted the tiny orb of sand that hovered above her right shoulder and he cocked his head, remembering how he had sent her that letter all those years ago. He hadn't forgotten about the sand, but he didn't believe she would have lugged it around with her for all that time. She must have brought it with her for his benefit.

She was staring at him so expectantly that it was hard for him not to believe that. For a moment he felt himself completely entranced with the way her wide eyes bore into him – such a vibrant green. She was an oasis out here in the desert, a diamond in the rough.

"I am happy to see you," he said, smiling the first real smile he had felt in days.

"I'm happy to see you, too," she said, grinning from ear to ear. It was infectious and sent a swarm of butterflies spiraling through his stomach. "Now come buy me a drink, Kazekage-sama. I've been in the fucking desert for three days."

/

Gaara didn't usually drink. He was the Kazekage, after all, and he needed to be sharp at all times in case something were to happen. Tonight, though, he couldn't help but feel like he deserved a drink, needed a drink.

Seated next to him was Naruto, already astoundingly drunk as he very loudly reminisced old times with an equally drunk Kankuro. At first Gaara had listened to those stories with a detached sort of amusement. Eventually he became bored when Naruto began to repeat stories, or forget what he was saying halfway through his sentence.

On his other side sat Shikamaru, who seemed every bit as displeased by the festivities as Gaara did. He sat with his chin propped up on his hand, pretending to listen while Temari and Sarabi exchanged pleasantries with one another.

Gaara took a sip of his wine as he listened to them chat.

"Apprenticing under Sakura must have been rough," Temari teased. "She's got quite the temper from what I hear."

Sarabi laughed. "Oh, that's definitely true," she said, "but she never really directed it towards me. Poor Naruto got the brunt of her rage most of the time."

Naruto, who had perked up at the mention of his name, shrugged. "I'm used to it by now," he said.

"Well, if you weren't such an idiot all the time you wouldn't have to get be to it," Sakura said, but there was a teasing tone in her voice and a warm smile on her face. Naruto smiled back at her, and for the first time, Gaara really wondered what their relationship was like.

"So, Sarabi, did you study poisons under Sakura?" Temari asked. "Suna has called on her several times for her poisons expertise. It would be nice to have someone in house for that."

"Unfortunately, no," Sarabi said, shaking her head, "but I'm sure I could be of some use if a poison problem comes up. I actually studied physiology with an extra focus on chakra pathways."

Temari murmured her approval, and Gaara was inclined to agree. That would certainly be handy to have in Suna.

"Sarabi has near perfect chakra control and a real aptitude for medicine," Sakura said, beaming at the girl.

"And she's got a mean right hook," Naruto chimed in.

Sarabi blushed under the praise, smiling bashfully down into her lap.

"You were trained in the shinobi arts as well?" Gaara asked, taking another sip of his wine. He could feel the alcohol making his head swim now, but he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time, so he took another generous sip before setting his glass down again.

"Just the basics," Sakura explained. "We wanted her to be able to defend herself if she was sent on a mission as a medic for her team. But like Naruto said, she's quite strong. With more training, she could be taking A and B rank missions by the end of the year."

Gaara was pleased to hear this. He intended to train her personally, to hone her skills with sand to be as great as his own. With both skills combined she would be an insanely useful ally and a great asset to Suna. He glanced in Sakura's direction, grateful that she would take the time to train her. He owed Konoha a favor now, but he couldn't help but feel that favor was mostly for Sakura.

Sakura, who had been smiling at Sarabi, glanced in his direction. Their eyes met across the table. If he hadn't felt a little tipsy from the wine, he might have glanced away from her. Maybe he would have even blushed. Instead, he held her gaze, the corner of his lips quirking into a smile. Her smile widened and she averted her gaze, tucking her hair behind her ear. Near her elbow he noticed his orb of sand hovering. For a moment he was tempted to touch her with it, to spread the grains over her hand as if he were holding it.

"Maybe we could spar sometime," Kankuro suggested to Sarabi. "Sakura may have the superior medical skills, but no one in Konoha can teach you how to be a better shinobi than we can."

Naruto scoffed loudly, shoving the puppet master's shoulder. "As if," he said. "Anyone from Konoha could kick your ass. Even Sakura."

"Hey!" Sakura shrieked.

"That's a compliment, Sakura-chan," Naruto insisted while Kankuro laughed beside him. In his drunken state, Naruto must have found Kankuro's laughter contagious, because after a moment he burst into laughter as well.

Gaara chuckled, too, as he reached for his glass of wine. He caught Sakura's eye again. This time there was mirth there, in spite of Naruto's negligent words. She raised her own glass to him before taking a sip.

Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was the company, but Gaara's mood had vastly improved.

/

Gaara woke up the next morning feeling less than fresh. He wasn't hung over, exactly, but there was a heaviness to his limbs that he wasn't used to. His head ached, but not more than he was able to tolerate. He had been used to frequent headaches as a child, so he found it bearable if a little annoying.

Unfortunately for him, he couldn't take the morning to recuperate. In spite of Temari's adamant requests for something simple, Kankuro (and the rest of Suna) were set on having an entire week of festivities to celebrate the wedding and to 'mourn' the loss of the Kazekage's sister. Gaara had also been opposed to the excessive parties, but Kankuro could not be talked down.

So he begrudgingly made his way down to the main courtyard, which had been decorated with all manner of pomp and frills. He briefly wondered whether his own wedding would be so extravagant, if he would even have a choice in the matter. He couldn't imagine that his father's wedding had been so over the top, but just how had he avoided it when Suna's people seemed so spirited?

Though the hour was early, nearly everyone had gathered in the courtyard for breakfast. Gaara spotted Naruto and Kankuro arguing in the corner while Shikamaru and Temari chatted with the slew of civilians who had come by to congratulate them. Gaara didn't envy the two of them, knowing all the polite formalities they'd have to perform for the rest of the week. At least Gaara would be able to escape sometimes under the guise of his Kazekage duties.

On a bench underneath the massive window he saw Sarabi and Taiyo sitting together, chatting animatedly with one another. Gaara snagged a peach from a nearby table and walked over to greet them.

"Good morning," he said, greeting them with a warm smile. "I hope you're settled in comfortably, Sarabi. We're very pleased to have you back here."

"I'm pleased to be back, Gaara-sama," she said. "Konoha was a blast and I'll forever be grateful to Sakura and Tsunade-sama for all they've done for me, but the desert is my home. I belong here in Suna."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Gaara replied. "It's what I hoped for when I sent you away."

"You'll like it here in Suna," Taiyo supplied. "I had my doubts, but Gaara-sama is a good, respectable leader and the people here are nice."

"Oh, you don't have to convince me," Sarabi said with a chuckle.

Gaara took a bite of his peach and sat down on the adjacent bench. His head still ached and his stomach was churning, but he knew he needed to eat something. He listened while Taiyo told Sarabi of his time in Suna, his adventures with the historical council. After three years in Suna, Taiyo had become quite the expert on Suna's history and culture. Though Gaara had been hesitant to trust him at first, his drive and ambition eventually won him over. He had asked to teach history at the academy, and Gaara couldn't think of a single reason to refuse him.

And it was lucky for Gaara that Taiyo's curiosity had extended to cultures all across Suna, including the mysterious one he had come from himself. Once the trust between him and the rest of the village had been solidified, he had been all too eager to share information about the commune in the catacombs, the sand beast, and anything else Gaara had been curious about.

Gaara smiled as he listened to them reminisce, gazing at the familiar, happy faces across the courtyard.

There was one familiar face that he did not see, though – a mysteriously absent pink-haired kunoichi. In all the time that she'd had the bit of sand he had given her, he had never once used it to track down her location – the only viable thing he could really have done with it. He hadn't had the urge to do so until now, but he stifled the feeling.

Having her back in Suna reminded him of how prone to danger she had been the last time she was here. For a brief second he considered that he should have Hideki tail her again, but she wasn't here on a mission and there was no danger to protect her from. And even though he might want to deny it, it was clear his affection for her was the sole reason for that desire.

Still, he scanned the courtyard, hoping to see the brilliant flash of her pink hair, if only to see that she had indeed managed to survive one night without finding some sort of catastrophe.

Fortune smiled on him then. He saw he enter the courtyard from the west side, accompanied by Hideki who wore a grin as bright as the sun. He laughed at something Sakura said, which prompted her to shove him playfully. Gaara was pleased by the sight, happy to see the two of them getting along so well after all their time apart.

"Gaara-sama?" Sarabi asked. He turned his attention to her. "Sakura mentioned an oasis that she got to see last time she was here. I was wondering if I could have a chance to see it today. I know there are a lot of festivities going on, so I don't mean to be a bother."

"Of course you can see it," he said. "I'll arrange for Hideki to take you there, if you'd like."

"Take her where?"

Gaara glanced back up to see Sakura and Hideki standing before them. Hideki's ears had perked at the mention of his name and he raised a questioning eyebrow, though his attention was focused on Sarabi.

"The oasis," she said, grinning up at him. He smiled back at her and it made Gaara wonder whether they would get along well.

"Oh, certainly," he replied easily. "Sakura-san has already stated her interest in seeing it again. In fact, we had planned a sparring session there this afternoon. Perhaps you'd like to join us?"

"Yes!" Sarabi exclaimed. "I'd love to see the two of you in action."

"I'd quite like to see that, too," Gaara said, eyeing Sakura with curiosity. He'd love to have his own chance to spar with her. He also wouldn't mind watching her from a safe distance.

Sakura beamed down at him, looking so much like a ray of sunshine that he swore he could feel heat on his face. Fearing that he was actually blushing, he abruptly stood up. "Of course you're welcome to come, too, Gaara-sama," she said, linking her arm through his, "but first I need some breakfast. I can't kick Hideki's ass on an empty stomach."

"You can't kick my ass at all," he insisted, but Sakura was already leading Gaara away toward the tables of food, waving her hand dismissively in Hideki's direction.

"It's been a while since I've been in Suna, Gaara-sama," Sakura said. "I've forgotten what kinds of foods I like from here. Help me decide what to have for breakfast."

They came to a stop in front of a table filled with platters of fruits and pastries. Gaara turned to look at her, sensing she was up to something. He could think of no other reason for why she would have pulled him away from everyone else. Her eyes were alit with mischief, but she seemed to be waiting for him to answer her question.

Instead, his eyes were once again drawn to the orb of sand that hovered just above her right shoulder. He reached out and touched it with the tip of his finger, his hand coming close enough to her face she he could feel the tickle of her cropped hair on his skin.

"Have you had this with you for the last three years?" he asked. He almost instantly regretted the question. Surely the answer would have been no. She'd have no reason to do such a thing. It was indicative of an intimacy they didn't share.

"Sort of," she said, which wasn't the answer he'd been expecting. "I usually leave it at home in a box under my bed, but I always take it with me when I go on missions."

"Why?"

"I don't know," she said, reaching up to touch it herself. The sand enveloped her finger before releasing it and moving around the back of her head to hover near her other shoulder. "It gives me peace of mind, I guess."

At that, Gaara couldn't help but smile. "Does it?"

Sakura smiled, too, but Gaara didn't miss the barest hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Come on, Gaara-sama," she insisted. "What should I eat?"

"The peaches are fresh," he replied, unable to contain his grin now. He hadn't even realized he missed being near her. He could already feel himself glowing, radiating electricity. Was this how he had felt all those years ago? He could hardly remember now, but how could he have forgotten the way her lips had felt against his? Even now as she caught her lip between her teeth, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to pull her into a kiss.

"Let me see," she said, reaching for the peach in his hand. A little stunned, Gaara did nothing to stop her, but instead of taking it from his hand, she curled her fingers around his wrist and brought his peach to her mouth. He watched as she sunk her teeth into the peach's flesh where he had already taken a bite. She chewed thoughtfully, licking the juice from her lips. He was entranced by her, in awe of her bravery (or perhaps audacity). He was quite sure no one had ever done anything like that to him before and it sent his mind reeling and a sharp heat right through his body.

"Tastes just like the ones back home," she said dryly.

A little nervous and a little amused, Gaara cleared his throat. "Perhaps some of the candied oranges," he suggested.