Sakura sat in her private tent looking through some medical scrolls the elders had given her. After the confrontation with Gaara she had been lead to the elder's council tent. There they were briefed on their living arrangements and the gifts of good will were passed.

It had become something of a tradition now, the gifts. Every time they went to a new place they brought a gift of sorts. And in turn were given one back, it seemed a bit old fashioned for her but who was she to judge a practice which was clearly working?

As such they had brought a gift from their village, a crystal cat sculptor holding a vial of water. It seemed frivolous but most gifts were. It was all about rarity and price with them, the best which could be salvaged of the rubble which had been their own home. In return they had received a jar of ash. This didn't seem like much but the ash was volcanic in nature. Making it fantastic fertilizer. Upon hearing this she had wanted to deny the gift. These people needed it far more than them but to deny it would be beyond rude.

There was a good reason she tried to stay out of politics. Unfortunately for her she had a habit of attracting what she didn't want. She had power, medicine, and grace. She scowled inwardly at how so many people saw her as a tool of breeding, it curled her stomach. She was a woman, not a damn baby factory, and there was no way in the hell which had been created on earth she would be seen as anything less than a woman.

Speaking of unwanted attention she felt like she was being watched. She looked up from her scroll and looked around, she couldn't see anything. And yet the feeling persisted. Rolling up the scroll she stepped out of her tent, desert nights were colder then she had anticipated and she pulled her cloak tight around her.

The urge for company she could identify came into her mind as the feeling of eyes bore through her. She walked to Naruto's tent, a bit jumpy as she went. The night was clear and she couldn't help but admire the stars she could see, the lack of clouds opening a world of glittering lights above to her. She could pick out constellations and the milky way with utmost clarity. She saw the moon hanging full in the night sky, illuminating the land in its soft glow. She could depict nebulas and make out galaxies, the beauty of it melting away the paranoia of eyes.

From a distance, blending in with the sea of tents was Gaara. He hadn't left the group alone since they landed. Naruto's aura and presence bothered him, Sakura's presence bothered him. They all bothered him. He wanted them gone all together. Well…maybe not Sakura. After all it didn't pay to get rid of something fun to play with. He hated to admit it but things had been a bit boring around the village recently. This got his mind working again, his senses up and running.

He wouldn't say he liked her, but her defiance got his attention. That and her strange hair color, which he presumed was caused by radiation. Elders wishes be damned, he only found excitement in snapping her neck. There was nothing to the girl, he had overheard her being an incredible healer. But what good was a healer to somebody who never got hurt or sick?

He was pulled from his thought when he saw her leave her tent. His attention on her she clutched the cloak to her body, shivering. He didn't say anything but watched, idling thinking how easy it would be to break her ankle with the sand she stood on. She was distracted enough, staring up at the sky like a fool.

Deciding to make things a bit more interesting he stalked forward, moving closer and closer. When he was 3 feet from her he froze. She was looking right where he was hiding and didn't look like she was going to back off. Maybe she wasn't such a ditz after all, or maybe she was just lucky. He was well within range to kill her, the thought even sounded tempting.

"I know your there Gaara," she said firmly.

Seeing no point in hiding anymore he came out and locked eyes with her again. That jade defiance was back again. The look of an animal aware of the predator, unsure if it should run or fight yet defiant all the same.

"So you were the one who was staring holes into my back," she said observantly, taking a few steps to the side, closer to Naruto's tent "What do you want?"

Did she think he'd answer if he didn't want too? Apparently so, how disappointed she was going to be, however he wasn't about to let his prey escape. He paced over to intercept her walking to Naruto's tent, and she understood what he was doing so she moved away all the same. There was a heavy silence in the air between them.

Sakura watched him with apprehension, their pacing reminding her of a predator stalking its prey. She acknowledge this in a cautious manner, he was acting like an animal, therefore he was thinking like one. It would be an understatement to say he wasn't pleased with their arrival. It seemed petty bit the best way she could summarize how she believed he was thinking was that they had intruded on his territory. And he felt either threatened or annoyed, most likely the later.

"Trust me I don't want to be here Gaara," she said, it didn't seemed to have any reaction in his face but there was a falter in his step, and that was clue enough. "We will be here for one week. And then we will be gone. None of us want to be here intruding on your…territory. But once were done here you'll never have to deal with us again. We'll disappear with the wind back home okay?"

He processed her offer, so she did know what he was thinking…clever. Still he didn't want them here NOW. And he always got his way. Without so much as a flinch the sand at her feet leapt up to grab her. And with it she leapt out of the way.

She jumped back not having expected her to escape let alone jump so high! She had to be 20 feet in the air. The sand followed and she landed and kicked off it, escaping yet again. Each tendril of sand missing its target. He growled and smiled, this was getting fun. Running with her she hit the sand and sent her strength to her legs. Running faster than a normal human out of the village.

There was no way she'd let innocent people get hurt by this monster, Gaara had lost it and talking him down didn't work. She'd have to resort to her back up plan. And she didn't mind having to punch sense into him. Once she was clear of the village she turned to see, Gaara keeping pace with her. She also saw a wall of sand coming at her. Leaping up as to not have her ankles grabbed she twisted and hit the dense wall with a legendary punch. The shockwaves going up her arm and causing a bone deep ache through it. But in turn the shock waves ran through the wall of sand and crumbled it. She went flying back and skidded in the sand. Gaara looking at her across the way with a psychotic look in his eyes and a grin on his face.