Enko and Gaara

A lone female figure walked through the thickly blowing sand, her protective cloak whipping around her violently. The female stood at around five feet tall, her brown, but naturally blond highlighted, hair falling to her shoulders and her bangs hanging just over her eyebrows. They shadowed her eyes; eyes that had a base color of hazelnut, though they reflected blues and greens depending on what her mood currently was. At her side was a sheathe, holding a katana that measured two and a half feet in length. Adorning each cheek was a set of whisker-like scars that she had no idea how she had gotten.

Night had fallen around her, but she hadn't realized how late it had become until it was too late to get back to Suna without night falling. She didn't mind wandering in the darkness all that much, though. It wasn't like there was anyone in particular waiting for her there.

She had originally been born a Cloud villager and had lived there until she had turned a good four years old. People hadn't trusted her, nor liked her, and she still couldn't figure out why, though she was now sixteen years of age. Her sensei had taken her on a long journey, touring the villages and training. When they had gotten close to the Village Hidden in the Sand, the place she now resided, when she was fourteen, her sensei had been murdered.

A dull ache centered around her heart throbbed when she thought of the death of the teacher that had practically raised her. Her sensei had called Kumo home, though they had disagreed with most of their views. It had rubbed off on the girl, and though now she resided permanently in Suna, she still called Kumo her home. After avenging her sensei's death, she had taken up residence in Suna, and though they were cautious around her, they left her alone and she didn't mind it so much.

It was only when she got the wanderlust that she even strayed away from her apartment. Though she had a bright and bubbly personality, she couldn't help but stay on her own most of the time. Being with people reminded her that her beloved sensei had been so good with people.

Finally, the village of Suna came into her sight and she sighed in relief. That's when she heard the footsteps. She spun around, kunai drawn, and her hood flew off now that she was standing against the sandy wind. At least fifteen shinobi adorned in black and wearing no village symbol that she could see surrounded her. She rolled her eyes; rogues. Then, she went for their throats.

Though she was viciously outnumbered, she held her own. She swung and kicked and twirled expertly away from their attacks, but even then, their number proved too much for her to handle. She wouldn't give up, no she'd fight to the very last breath, but it still angered her to know that her skills had rusted in the two years she had thrown herself into seclusion.

A huge wave of sand swarmed the rest of her attackers and she looked quickly to where a redhead was standing with his hand outstretched. An angry pout pushed at her lips, but she held it back.

"I was doing fine on my own, thank you! I didn't need any help!" The redhead looked at her, faintly amused, before rolling his eyes. This time, she couldn't hold the pout back from her lips.

"You looked like you needed some. And I wasn't about to let a resident of my village be killed by some low-life rogues. What's your name?" His voice was strangely monotone, just as his face had been strangely expressionless. But she expected the latter was because the redhead had no eyebrows. Just an odd marking on his forehead that looked like the word 'ai'. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air.

"Isn't it more polite to give your own name before asking for someone else's?" She asked haughtily. The redhead's look got even more amused and he jerked his head in the direction of the village.

"Isn't it more appropriate that we have this discussion behind our own village walls?" She nodded, slightly thawed, though she still burned with anger at the thought of someone having to come to her rescue.

"I belong to the Cloud village." She muttered softly before taking his advice and pulling her cloak up over her head and moving quickly towards the place of her recent residence. After a few moments of silence, she turned to the redhead, her eyebrow raised indignantly. "You never did tell me your name."

"Gaara." He replied at once. "And you never told me yours." His strange monotone voice made her want to blush, though she didn't.

"My name's Enko Uzumaki." She replied. He looked at her in surprise, or at least what she thought was surprise. It looked like he was perpetually surprised since he had no eyebrows.

"Uzumaki? Could there possibly be any relation between you and the shinobi Uzumaki Naruto?" She rolled her eyes, suppressing a groan.

"No. I've met him and there could possibly be no relation to me and that hyper-active blonde ball of energy that you call Naruto." She had been to the leaf village once and she didn't really intend to return. Gaara looked thoughtful and looked away again.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get to know you a little better. I know a lot about all the residents of my village, but you're an enigma to our reports." Enko looked over at him in surprise. It looked like he was blushing, though she couldn't tell in this light. The heat on her cheeks told her that she was. She grinned, flashing her teeth.

"Well, you could come to my apartment later. Maybe when we get back? I don't sleep often." He nodded, an innocent grin on his cute face.

"I'd like that." The blush on her face became more pronounced.

"Yeah, I would too." She whispered, looking to the stars. And she could almost saw that she saw her sensei's face in the pattern of the night sky, looking down on her and smiling.

Well, I'm sorry that I haven't gotten to this sooner – it was a lot of fun to write! I hope that you're satisfied with it, Hinata-chan89. I tried to stick to character as best as I could, but there's no telling with the randomness of my writing. Thanks for reviewing!

- - Kulani Tawanoki