-1AN: I AM OFFICALLY THE WOST AUTHOR EVER, YEAH. I suck with deadlines, not to mention I'm wicked lazy. I'm so, so, so, so sorry! So here I am presenting you with the next chapter of this silly little story. I'd like to thank everyone who's looked at this, reviewed it, and added it to their alert list. My computer doesn't like responding to reviews, but I'm trying to convince it it's really a wonderful thing. Without further ado, I give you the next installment.

PS. You can thank Jack's Mannequin, PotterCast, & MugglecCast profusely for getting me to write. It's just something about pianos, and people over-analyzing things that makes me feel smart and motivated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but if I did… Gaara would prance around without a shirt on, Kakashi as well. Hell, every man would.

Chapter Three

"Oh, heh… Sorry, sir! I really didn't mean to--"

"It's fine." He cut her off, quickly silencing her with his gruff manner.

He glanced down at her, his face hidden in the darkness before moving to leave.

Rai looked at him and bowed her head, mumbling apologetically again before sidestepping him and moving to continue on her way. She hadn't meant to bump into the man. Hell, she hadn't even realized he was there until she did bump into him. His dark clothing helped him to blend into the darkness around him and she was sure that was his intention. She didn't sense his chakra and she narrowed it down to two reasons. One, he had hidden it from her or two, he didn't have any. He could have been a civilian for all she knew. It weirded her out that she'd run into him. This was not her first night time stroll since ending up in Suna but she'd never run into anyone. From what she could tell, if anyone was out during the nighttime hours they were at bars or clubs, far from the side of town she was on.

She kicked a pebble lightly as she walked briskly down the dark alley she found herself in. The kunoichi never paid much attention to where she walked, her feet led her where her sub-conscious mind wanted to go. Not that it would matter, she mused to herself, you'd go the same place if you had to think about it. Without another thought she agreed with herself and continued walking.

Ever since that night a week ago when she met that red-headed man she walked to the same spot just outside this alley where he helped her. Not that she was expecting him to be there again or anything, she just liked the reminder of it. She didn't tell Kankurou about it, feeling bad about doing so when the man appeared to be her friend and could possibly tell her who the person is, other than his name.

Gaara.

She surprised herself by not hunting him down. Something told her it wouldn't be worth her time if she did. If he wanted to see her again, she told herself one night after walking back to the hotel, he obviously knew where to find her. When she exited the alley, smiling lightly as the moonlight shined down on her, she noticed a door on one of the buildings was propped open. Not wide open, but just enough that she notice and maybe slip in herself.

She didn't even take a minute to think about it before her curiosity took over her mentality and forced her to slip in through that door, climb up the dark stairs that were right in front of her, and exit through the metal door at the top. She looked around before she stepped out onto the roof, feeling highly exposed but very exhilarated.

She giggled when she sat down on the edge of the buildings roof and swung her feet like a child. It was nice up here. It was several stories up, yes, but there was something about being able to look down on a whole city and watch the various going-on's intrigued her. She couldn't ever do this in her village. When she was back home, she was just a foolish little kunoichi who wasn't really talented at all, but here she wasn't like that. People were interested in her, they were kind to her, and they respected her to a certain degree. It was nice.

No one had asked her yet why she stumbled into Suna in the state she had. It confused her. Since when did other ninja's let anything like that go unquestioned? She was sure the Kazekage would have sent someone down to question her about it, or that maybe Kankurou would have mentioned it but he never even brought it up. That's not to say she would have talked with him about it anyways.

Her home was a sensitive issue with her. It wasn't very pleasant back there. She was deemed weaker solely for the fact she was a female. She was talked down to, disrespected, and often forced into very… emotionally breaking situations. She hated it there. Her life was decided for her, she wasn't allowed to decide anything for herself. She did become a ninja though, and that made her happy. As pissed as her brothers were she was sure they'd make her quit, but they never did. It was like they expected her to do something like this.

She heard a scuff of a shoe behind her and clutched the side of the roof to steady herself, she pulled her legs back from the edge and whipped her head around, completely ready to scold whoever it was for scaring someone like that, when she caught sight of who it was.

It was the Gaara.

She pushed herself into a standing position, mentally willing herself to look calm and confident, but her nervous tone betrayed her when she addressed him.

"G-Gaara?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Hn."

She watched him for a few moments, sometimes flicking her gaze away from him and up towards the stars above so she didn't seem like she was staring at him. Every time she looked back at him she mentally noted something about him. He had teal eyes, unruly red hair, and a stiff yet relaxed posture, and very curious clothes. He wasn't in the white robe this time, now he was in a maroon outfit that, she had to admit, looked very good on him. She wasn't dressed in much, just shorts and a black shirt with mesh sleeves. She didn't know it, of course, but he was silently studying her as well. His eyes traveled from her dark brown hair that shined oddly in the light, her grayish-blue eyes that crinkled at the edges when she smiled, then down the rest of her body then back up again to rest at her face. He was curious about this girl, there was no denying it, but his instincts told him he'd discover everything he wanted to know in due time.

"I didn't expect to see you again," she said nonchalantly, turning her back to him and moving down into a sitting position again.

"I followed you." He said and she heard the scuff of his sandals as he moved closer.

Forcing herself to look forward and ignore him, she raised an eyebrow. "Oh, followed me? Why?"

Gaara stopped walking and sat down next to Rai, crossing his legs in the Indian-style and said nothing.

Rai snorted. "Am I that interesting?"

Gaara looked at her, face void of emotion. "You could say that."

Rai smiled at him sheepishly and looked back towards the stars.

And so it went like that for weeks. Rai would take her nightly walks, and Gaara would appear, literally out of nowhere, and sit next to her. They shared very little conversation, but it was enough that she started to understand the sort of person Gaara was. She liked the feeling she got around him. She didn't feel like she had to talk, or explain herself. She just knew he understood. Or maybe he didn't, but he never said otherwise.

"Rai?"

Said girl looked to her left where Gaara was sitting and 'hmm'-ed softly.

"Why hasn't anyone come looking for you?"

The corner's of her mouth tugged downwards into a small frown. "I… I don't know, actually."

"Hm."

"Why do you ask?"

He didn't answer for a moment, just staring at her. That was a little unnerving at first but she'd gotten used to it. He was making sure it was the right choice to proceed based upon the words he wanted to use and her mannerisms. That's what he told her, anyway, when she asked him about it.

"From when you mentioned about your family," He said a little hesitantly. "They're worried about letting you make your own decisions, leaving home and staying here are your own decisions. I'm guessing that they're not to happy with that."

She snorted. "Gaara, contrary to popular belief, I am not some wimpy little girl. I am considered an adult therefore able to make my own choices. I could stay here if I wanted, of course if I would be allowed."

"Wouldn't then try and bring you back home?"

She paused for a moment. That was a possibility. She wasn't sure what lengths her family would go to bring her back if they really wanted to. "Yes, I suppose the would. If I had to go back, I wouldn't go back without a fight. I wouldn't go back willingly."

If Gaara knew how to laugh without sounding like a maniac, he would have laughed right now. "You're a kunoichi, of course you wouldn't."

"If I requested citizenship for Suna, d'you think the Kazekage would allow me to live here?"

Another moment where Gaara would laugh. "Yes, I think he would."

"How do you know?"

"I have an in with him, according to the villagers."

The brown-haired kunoichi laughed. "An 'in', eh? Nice job."

Rai pushed herself up from the roof, brushing the dirt and sand off her bandages and flexing her muscles. She waved to Gaara and started to leave. She always left before him. ""Night, Gaara-kun. I get my bandages taken off tomorrow. I wonder if Kankurou would start training with me?" She added to herself.

Gaara waited until she was heading down the steps before leaping from the rooftop to rooftop back to the Kazekage tower and slipping through the window. He sat down into the chair behind his desk and smirked and the sitting figure of his bother in the corner.

"Kankurou, she wants to train with you tomorrow. She gets her bandages off."

Kankurou chuckled and nodded. "I think you're getting attached, Gaara."

"Maybe. Am I able to get attached?"

Kankurou didn't answer until he left the room and was a good distance down the hall. "It doesn't matter if you think you're able. It's far too late little brother."