A/N: ok!here goes chapter 3 for my 1 reviewer!!!...oh wells i write for the fun of it!here goes!!!

Chapter 3: Better...

Rikos's eyes fluttered open as she stared straight up at the ceiling. She laid the back of her wrist on her forehead as her eyes narrowed.

"Goodnight...Kazekage-sama,"she spoke respectfully.

Gaara stared at her as his body shook involuntarily.

"Ri...ko...?"

"I said goodnight!"...

Her lips formed into a thin line and then parted as she took a breath and her facial expressions softened.

Looking over to her window, she sighed.

It was just a dream...she told herself mentally. You have not personally met the new Kazekage yet and furthermore he is not Gaara.

After all, she was not even a shinobi of Sunagakure anymore. Riko sat up in her bed. She had only come back here for one thing; to take care of her ill father.

Stepping out of bed, she stretched with a yawn.

She was a citizen shinobi of-

Riko gasped as she stared, petrified, at the sight below her. Sand.

She bent down and inspected it then she looked at the window to see it closed.

Riko frowned; sand couldn't come through a closed window, even in the middle of a desert; he was here/

She sighed as tears flooded her eyes. Why did he have to look at her like that? With those eyes filled with sadness, disbelief. He had given her that lonesome stare, that practically screamed that he wanted her back.

But she didn't need it. Not now,

The pressure of being an excellent ninja, taking care of her father, and equaling up to her sisters, was enough, thank-you.

Riko wiped away her tears as she walked out the room and then went down the hallway. She knocked on a door down there and then opened it, walking into the room.

"Father, are you feeling alright, today?" asked Riko meekly.

Her father nodded slowly as if it pained him to even do that.

She walked over to the bed and sat on it, feeling his forehead.

"I'm going to get you a glass of water but then I have to do some errands,"she explained. "I'll be right back though."

With that she got him a cool glass of water and his pills and set them on his bead side table.

Riko smiled lightly at her father and was about to walk away when he called her.

"Yes, Father,"she answered as she turned around.

"Were you out training late again, Riko-chan?"

She gasped as her eyes widened. "How..."

"I can tell you're tired and stressed by the look in your eyes..."he replied with a tender smile. "You're working yourself to hard, Riko..." he continued.

She shut her eyes tight and clenched her fist. "Please..."

"You're already a great shinobi..."

"Dad..."she pleaded.

Her father went on, "What happened to the young and happy Riko who used to kick a ball around with her friends-"

"She left with her best friend!"Riko cried as tears slipped off her chin and onto the floor.

A silence ensued between them. Riko began to regret yelling at her father, but she didn't know what to do to take it back. All she knew to do was turn around and walk away.

"Riko...what are you trying to be?"asked her father softly.

Riko did the first step and turned away. "Better..."she replied.

"Better than who?"

"Better than..."she looked down at the ground sadly. "Better than me..."

And so came the second step...

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She walked through the market place with a not so happy look plastered on her face, holding a basket with both hands.

"Riko-chan! Riko-chan!"called a voice.

Her head shot up as sh looked toward a stand. There she saw a lady waving her hand in the air. She had short black hair and surprising blue eyes. She looked to be in her mid 30's.

Riko walked over to her stand with a sad smile.

"Good morning, Miyoko-san," she greeted with a bow.

Miyoko grinned. "How is your father doing? Is he doing better?"

Riko nodded, her smile fading. "He's doing better..."she answered and then looked down and bit her lip.

"Riko-chan..."

She didn't answer.

"Riko-chan!"

"NANI?!" she asked with a shocked face on.

"Something is bugging you, Riko-chan?" asked a concerned Miyoko.

Riko looked up at Miyoko to see her leaning over the bootj.

Then she heard a gasp. "Oh, Riko. I didn't know and I should have..." mumbled the her friend quickly with sympathetic eyes.

Riko put her hands out in front of her defensively. "Miyoko-san, please don't beat yourself up. It wasn't your fault. Gaara just visited me last night, after a-" she paused.

"So that's what...or should I say who it was..." said Miyoko with a sly smirk.

Riko gawked at her. "You...you set me up! I cant believe...you..."Riko's eyes widened as she analyzed her suroundings .

"I...I know that chacra..."she whispered to herself.

Miyoko gasped. "You mean...Kazekage-sama?"

Riko bit her lip and then bowed. "I'm sorry Miyoko-san but I've gotta go!"

Miyoko nodded hesitantly as Riko rushed off. She fought through the crowd with a few 'gomens' and 'arigatos' when they let her pass.

She began to breathe hard as she fought through the last throng of people and hid behind a wall. Sighing in relief she turned around and jumped in surprise, some of the fruit and bread falling out her basket and being caught by sand.

"G-Gaara..." How did he...

She backed away from the Kazekage's face and reached into her back butt pocket, feeling for a kunai. She grabbed one as she backed up another step with a very soft, low growl.

"Were you really thinking of killing the Kazekage?"

Riko spun around quickly, her eyes wide. She let out a squeak of terror as she realized that the one before was a replication.

Without saying a word she scowled at the boy and got into a ready stance charging at him.

As a chunin, she couldn't do much, but she would try her best to get him to leave.

Riko bombarded Gaara with shuriken as he blocked every single one. She made a few hand signs as more of her appeared.

Gaara scoffed; there was no way a Bushin no Jutsu could phase him.

The young Kazekage looked around himself swiftly, his eyes following the girl. She was very fast though. He would give her that.

He noticed something quick coming toward his face and smirked.

"Stop this...now..."

A/N: Cliffy! I know i suck at action scenes but just bear with me! I did most of this chapter at summer camp in the after care so i could put this up when i got home so plz be happy! Review plz!!!!luv u and laterz!