Copyright notice: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

The Wind Daimyo: Enter The Daimyo

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The man's lips gently pursed before touching the rim of the obsidian cup of sake, his eyes closing to take in the taste of the drink. He held out his thin hand holding the sake cup to a waiting attendant, who bowed and took the cup before shuffling away. He reached then for the bowls of rice and dates before him, throwing his sleeves out of the feast of beauty before him.

He took a date into his hand, his hooded eyes taking in the beautiful fruit before scanning the finely crafted personal palace that had taken much labor from different villages to create. He had torn down the ages old pagoda of the former daimyos to design something one could register into their senses, creating a sense of harmony and pleasure. He paid his respects to his strong beliefs in Buddhism but also to his keen devotion to the world of pleasure. What now stood was a large pagoda of contrasting shades of black and gold, emphasized by the high curved roof and personally designed reflective emblem of the Land of Wind dangling from the middle of the ceiling. The daimyo had taken painstaking measures to make sure the brassy emblem would cast the sunlight onto the lacquer and gold leaves designed to rise along the steps to the daimyo's stage.

Everything would be peaceful yet pleasing to the eye. Some objected to the expenses as well as the outside labor brought in. The daimyo had received many scrolls and letters from hawks of anger at the debt he was creating for the land. Much rage came from Sunagakure, the hidden village of the Sand. The daimyo had become quite tired of hearing their messages and simply burned them in a pit. He needed create this masterpiece of pleasure! Damn the underfunding of their village and the outsourcing of people to Konohagakure, the land of beauty he so envied! If he could make the Land of Wind like the Land of Fire…but alas, he could not.

Which is why I am so pleased to have the presence of a Konoha kunoichi here and not just a kunoichi, but the heiress of the Hyuga clan, the daimyo thought smugly with rising excitement.

The daimyo shifted in his purple robes when the gong echoed in the atrium, signaling the arrival of his guests. Even if he was quite honored by the Hyuga heiress's visit, he was dismayed and uncomfortable about the reason for her visit.

Why would this heiress come here to vouch for that…devil…that fiend to become Kage of that primitive village? There must be more to this than the scroll the hawk delivered posted to me from the Council of Suna…

The daimyo sat stiffly, letting his face become blank as the guests filed in quickly. He took in a deep breath of pride and bewilderment by the beauty of the women, but only one stood out. The Hyuga heiress, the very definition of grace and humility in all her fragile finery and lush garments, stood now many feet away before each of the guests bowed slowly. The daimyo took in each the guests and their appearances. Disapproval rankled under his skin at the poorly hidden disgust by the 'ambassador' of Sunagakure and the male brunette in black robes. The Hyugas held blank faces, the female with an air of friendliness and the male with genuine focus on the situation. The daimyo last glanced at the flaming head of the candidate for Kage of Sunagakure. His skin became cold, the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

This man, with his dark rimmed eyes and pale skin, wore harsh black robes and a battered gourd along his back. The daimyo had heard about that gourd…

"My lord, before you are ninja from the villages of Sunagakure and Konohagakure. Ambassador Temari of Sunagakure; Kankuro, jonin of Sunagakure; Sabaku no Gaara-"

The daimyo interrupted sharply.

"I ask Sabaku no Gaara relinquishes his gourd to my guard during audience with me."

Sharp, heavy silence filled the atrium. The courtiers and traders, even the musicians with their shamisens by the stage, came to an abrupt stop.

Emerald eyes met the daimyo's dark black ones. No one moved, barely anyone blinked in the room. The man began to narrow his eyes dangerously at the daimyo before a gentle voice whispered over to the man.

"Gaara…please."

The daimyo watched with interest as the redhead's eyes flickered over to the Hyuga heiress, his face shifting just a bit but enough for the daimyo to catch. There was torment, as if inside an intense debate raged inside his mind before, inside those eyes but also…something gentle but still strong.

Interesting…maybe Jai was correct.

Sabaku no Gaara swung his gourd from his back, holding it out from his body to the guard by his side before turning his body back to face the daimyo.

"Good, we may now begin. I understand you requested an audience with me considering this Sabaku no Gaara as candidate for Kage of Sunagakure. Now, do explain your logic for such a decision for me make and why this man of all men in Sunagakure."

All eyes glanced over to the Hyuga heiress before she closed her eyes and opened them, taking in the presence of chattering courtiers near the sides and back of the atrium that had deafened to hear her words.

Author Note: I've been busy with vacation and music but once late July or August rolls around I'll really be publishing some great chapters. The dark waltz is really going to swing into full force...