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A/N: I had to change Kanea's age because the math didn't work out in my head. She is fifteen, and it is changed in the first chapter. I am sorry about that!

Chapter 7

"So the little brat is really getting married? To the Kazekage of all people, well isn't that just wonderful." Nikamaru sat on a chair in his lounge, slouching and brooding about his niece's new attempt to make him pissed off.

"Well I am sure Kanea will make an excellent clan leader dear." Teria said comfortingly.

"Kanea is just like her good for nothing mother! She doesn't have the power or the will to use what little power she has! All she will ever be good for is producing children, and even then they will probably be too weak to even pass academy." Nikamaru growled, throwing a cup of tea against the closest wall. Teria jumped and looked down into her hands.

"This has gone on long enough, if Kiera wont come home and be clan leader like she is supposed to then she should not be allowed to live anywhere. All people accused of treason are brought back to the village for trial, so lets find something treasonous for her to be brought back for." Nikamaru smiled evilly, and stood to call in a few favors to his corrupt friends in the Kage's office.

Teria stood nervously and went to the desk in the far end of the lounge and pulled out a small tape recorder. She smiled sadly, wiping a tear from her eye and placed the recorder in the folds of her kimono. She loved her nieces with all her heart, and this was going to be the last time that her husband hurt them.

Neji and Kakashi arrived a week after Gaara sent the letter, in exchange for four Suna shinobi, who specialized in construction, to help build a new section of Konoha. Neji would train with Kiera in the morning and Kakashi would train with her in the evening. Neji's training sessions were hard, and he made her keep her Bykugan activated for the entire two hours, which made her vomit from pain the first few times. It started getting easier to keep it activated and the pain started to dissapeare after the first couple sessions. The way he trained with her was helping her not only control the Kekki Genkai but helped her with her Taijutsu and taught her to use the gentle fist technique.

Kakashi's training was more focused on just the Sharingan. She could now hold it for twenty minutes, and was working on using it in combat. Kakashi was shocked that she was able to use it properly so quickly, but only mentioned his surprise to Gaara. Both Neji and Kakashi reported to Gaara after each training session to report how it was going.

Temari had started getting things together for the wedding, mostly from Konoha, but came often to Suna to finalized things like invitations, and the reception. Kanea and Youta had to go back to Cloud the week before the Konoha shinobi arrived. Kanea sent a letter to Kiera nearly every day, telling her how much she missed her and how much fun she had in Suna. Kanea didn't mention that her uncle had been becoming more verbally abusive to her and telling her things that made her feel so low.

Kiera was training one afternoon when six Cloud shinobi entered the village, one carrying a scroll. They surrounded her and the one with the scroll opened it and began reading from it.

"Kiera of the Saei clan, daughter of Saeka of the Saei clan of Cloud, you are under arrest for treason against the village of Cloud. You are to be brought before a jury of your peers to be judged for the offenses listed against you. First, that you betrayed information about the village of Cloud to enemy villages of Mist and Sound. Second that you took money to let enemy shinobi into Cloud to stage an attack, and third that you attempted murder on your uncle, Nikamaru of the Saei clan. Do you understand what you are being charged with." The man looked up to a bewildered Kiera.

"That's all lies! I never betrayed Cloud!" Kiera's electricity rose with her anger. During the reading, a passing by shinobi went to inform the Kazekage about what was going on. He came around the corner as Kiera's electricity started causing the hair on the arresting shinobi to stand slightly.

"What is going on?" Gaara asked darkly. One of the shinobi visibly gulped and began to tell the Kazekage of the offences listed against his fiancé.

"Kiera, calm down before you electrocute us all." Gaara said impatiently and stared at the lead shinobi. "You will not take anyone from this village. Go back to Cloud and we will follow shortly after." Gaara moved to Kiera's side, and Kiera started to calm down with his presence.

"I am afraid that aiding a criminal would most certainly cause hostilities between our two villages. A war is the last thing we need and if the criminal does not come with us then a war is most likely what will happen Kazekage. She will be tried in three days, and you may speak in her defense at that time, but a Kage must think of his village first and foremost." The lead shinobi said diplomatically. Kiera's anger spiked when he refered to her as a criminal, but dropped when she realized that by not going with the Cloud shinobi, she may cause a war.

"He is right Gaara, I have to go with them." She said quietly, with almost defeat in her voice. "I am not a criminal, and I have never caused any offence to Cloud and the law will prove that." She turned to him with her head held high and smiled slightly. "I aim to protect this village, and I will do so even if it causes my death." She turned away from her fiancé and walked to the lead shinobi and held out her right wrist.

"No, this is not right." Gaara took a step towards Kiera but the look in her eye made him stop again. She was right, but seeing the shinobi place the submission seal on her wrist made him angry. Angry that he could not do anything to prevent it, and angry for someone taking her away for a crime she didn't commit. He knew it was her uncle behind it and vowed to make him pay with his life if Kiera was hurt in any way. She let her hand fall to her side and turned to Kakashi and Neji and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your training. Perhaps we may train together again in the future." She said warmly, and the two men bowed back to her.

"Come now." The lead shinobi said strongly and they were off, walking into the desert and towards Cloud.

"So you're the Kazekage's whore huh?" one of the Cloud shinobi pushed her roughly to the ground. She ground her teeth and stood back up not answering him. The shinobi laughed and took turnes pushing her around and using the seal whenever they wished. By the time she got to Cloud she was limping, had a black eye, and two broken ribs. She was taken to the interrogation unit where she was tortured for eight hours. They broke all her fingers and made her bleed out a quart of blood every couple of hours. She told them only that she had no clue about the charges and that she never betrayed the village. When they threw her in a cell, she curled up in a ball. She was in pain, and emotionally exhausted. Her chakra had been drained so she couldn't use the simple healing jutsus she knew. Somewhere around noon in the day before her trial she realized she had a very high fever. Her head was swimming and she couldn't keep any food down. The hours went by and the fever didn't break.

The door opened on the morning of the third day to reveal a very sick young woman who was half starved and burning up. They dragged her to the court house, while she was half unconscious. A shinobi threw her in a chair, jarring her ribs and making her more awake. She took a look around the courtroom and recognized a few familiar faces. Kanea and Youta were there, Kanea crying at her sister's appearance. Her aunt Teria and her nanny Kaja sat next to them, Kaja wiping tears with a handkerchief and her aunt looking stoically past her. Gaara stood in the corner with a look of anger across his face, Kankuro standing next to him, looking sympathetic. Her uncle Nikamaru stood up in front of the court room and began speaking.

Kiera was so sick she couldn't focus on what was going on. She heard her uncle tell the court about witnesses saying that she bribed guards, paid enemy villages to attack Cloud and give information about the fortifications to Sound. She heard her sister speak on her behalf, and Gaara telling about her character and showing the impossibility for her to have committed these crimes. She looked over the jury who looked at her as if she were guilty, and they couldn't wait to see her executed.

Then her aunt stood up and requested to speak. The Kage allowed it and Nikamaru looked at his wife with distrust and intimidated her with his eyes. She looked right past him and placed a small voice recorder on the Kage's stand. He played it and gasped in horror.

"You used this village to get even with your niece, Nikamaru?" The Kage growled and played the recording loud enough for everyone to hear.

The jury began to whisper and point at Nikamaru.

"No, that never happened, this is a hoax!" Nikamaru screamed and pointed at Kiera. "YOU!" he lounged at her, only to be stopped by a wall of sand. Four shinobi put Nikamaru in chains and hauled him away. The charges were dropped and the seal was taken off of Kiera's wrist.

"Oh Kiera, you're burning up! Please someone get a doctor!" Kanea was frantic, putting a hand on her sister's forehead. Kiera passed out, but could hear voices all around her. Kanea was crying, and Gaara was threatening the doctor if he didn't help her more quickly. Soon the voices stopped and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Kiera woke a few hours later, her fever was gone and the pain in her hands and ribs were gone. She looked around the room and saw hundreds of flowers around her room. She smiled gently and then noticed someone sitting at the corner of her bed, looking out of a window.

"Gaara." She whispered, and he whipped his head around to face her, his eyes wide with surprise.

"You're awake." He stated dazed.

"No, I'm faking it." She said sarcastically, which brought a small smile to Gaara's lips. "What happened?"

"Your uncle is being charged with bribery and blackmailing government officials. He will be tried in a week. You have been cleared of all charges and are free to go as you please." Kiera smiled and looked out the window.

"Where is aunt Teria?" she asked after a long pause.

"Outside in the waiting room with your sister, friend, and nanny. Would you like me to get her?" Gaara stood up slowly and walked to the door when Kiera nodded.

A few minutes after Gaara left, her aunt walked in the room. She smiled at her niece and took a seat next to her bed.

"Thank you." Kiera said, emotion filling her voice. She realized that her aunt gave up her husband to save her life and she was going to be forever grateful.

"Just be happy Kiera, live and be free with your life." Teria said with tears in her eyes. Kiera nodded and reached out to hug her aunt. They stayed like that for a few moments before Teria stood and wiped her eyes. "Your sister wants to see you now, and I do have a request." Kiera nodded and her aunt continued. "Take Kanea with you, she loves you and wants to be free as well. Will you honor me by doing that?" Kiera's eyes welled up with tears and she nodded. Teria bent over and kissed her niece on the forehead before leaving.

A few days later, Kiera, Kanea, Gaara, and Kankuro were on their way back to Suna. They were greeted by the whole village and the shinobi. Kiera took Gaara's hand and smiled at him.

"We're home." She said.

Gaara walked around nervously, waiting for Kiera to come. He had kicked Kankuro out of the house and invited Kiera to dinner, just the two of them. It had been ten days since they returned from Cloud, and they wanted time to talk alone, without siblings and nosey villagers in the way.

A knock made Gaara jump and move quickly to the door. Kiera stood on the porch with a long black halter dress on, her hair was spiked in its usual messy way and she smiled sweetly when he dropped his jaw at her appearance.

"You look nice too." She said as she walked passed him and into the house. She set her bag down on one of the chairs and turned to face him. "So what's for dinner?"

They talked for hours about everything from the insanely trivial to the most complex of conversations. He had her laughing at Naruto stories and she told him of all the ways she used to piss her uncle off.

"Well, its getting pretty late." She said looking at the clock. Gaara nodded and stood to walk Kiera to the door. They got halfway to the door before Gaara grabbed her wrist and spun her into the wall, pressing up against her. She blushed and tried to ask what he was doing before he pressed his lips on hers. She soon relaxed and kissed him back, and what started as a fiery kiss turned into a fiery make-out session. They explored each other's mouths as they pressed closer together. Kiera broke the kiss panting, and looked into Gaara's eyes.

"Wow." Was all she could muster and Gaara smirked. "I should go, before I cant leave." She whispered. He groaned at the meaning of her words and gave her another passionate kiss before forcing himself to back away.

"If you keep wearing things like that, I may not make it to the wedding night before being forced to take you." Gaara said huskily, making Kiera weak in the knees. She backed towards the door and opened it up.

"Keep talking like that and I wont make it to the wedding night before taking you." She smirked and left quickly before Gaara could capture her again.

Gaara shut the door and pressed his forehead up against it. That woman was making him loose control of himself. After seeing her beat to hell at the trial, something inside him snapped and all he could think about was protecting her and keeping her close to him so no one could hurt her again. The dress had stirred the primal feelings again and made him wish she wasn't wearing as much as she was. He took a deep breath and went to take a very cold shower.

A/N: Sexual tension anyone? Please R&R! Thank you to my lovely reviewers!