Disclaimer: Nope don't own Naruto, and I never will. I'm only saying this because I'm at gunpoint. I do own Naruto…I mean I don't!
Story: Fem!Naru Minato tells Kushina to flee to Suna, if something were to go wrong in Konoha after his death. Because of this, somehow Naruto is raised in the Sand.
Set as an AU.
Spoilers: …Probably?
Warnings: The usual stuff? I mean, most people who read my stuff are repeated readers, so they should know…otherwise…eh…
Pairings: Yondy!Kazekage/Fem!Naru

Suna no Hoshi
Chapter Three: Orenji Suna

Rasa groaned as he woke up, blinking wearily into consciousness. He could feel a small weight on his lap and blearily looked down and saw his small son clutching onto him, quiet and still but at least awake. Somewhere during his sleep, he'd managed to wrap his arms around Gaara, and now they were still embracing the boy. Hesitating, he sighed inwardly and allowed himself this moment with his son and tightened his hold, letting himself just sit there with his son in his arms for the moment.

Then he abruptly stood up, though he wasn't callous enough to let Gaara drop to the floor (subtly gently putting him down), and walked away to the middle of the room, leaving his back to his kid. He took a shuddering breath and then turned stoically back to Gaara, straightening up.

"We're not leaving here," Rasa said harshly, glaring. "Until you can have enough control over your sand, we're staying in this room."

Gaara looked at his dad in confusion, shifting awkwardly along with his sand.

"Your training begins now."

Even if he had to be harsh, then he'll play the bad guy in order for Gaara to win over Shukaku and the Council. His son may hate him, but the demon will not win and neither will he let the Council condemn his son when he already had to from his son's premature birth.

"You'll hate me, but at least you'll win," Rasa stated coldly.

And then he called up a large amount of Gold Dust and started sending it after his youngest. From then on, Rasa forced himself to go into the mindset of Kazekage and ignore whatever failed instincts he had as a father.

Still, it is not easy and possible to completely disregard those instincts and close his eyes to his son's pain and his own misgivings.

But he would not let the Council take his son from him completely, when they had already forced his hand against Gaara since his birth and had taken apart his family from the moment he'd gained them in the first place.

He may fail as a father, but he will not fail them.

It had been going on for days. The resources he'd stuffed into a bag were all that he'd brought along to keep them going. The first day, after a rigorous start, Rasa had allowed a break and gave his son some of the food he'd carelessly tossed into the bag.

"Aren't you going to eat, Otou-san?" the little red-haired boy tentatively asked his father.

"No," Rasa answered shortly. "Just finish your food so we can go back to begin training."

By the third day, Gaara had finally noticed it. His father hadn't eaten at all since throwing the both of them in there and training like hell.

"Otou-san, you haven't eaten…"

Rasa looked at his son blankly. "And I'm not going to."

Gaara didn't understand and was starting to worry even more. His father's form was starting to slump, and his eyes looked dilated. Gold Dust hovered around him lethargically, but Sabaku no Rasa continued to stand and face his son with an unwavering stare.

"Again, Gaara."

"Otou-san, you need to eat," Gaara blinked back tears.

Rasa frowned. "I'm not eating. I won't eat. Not until you finally have control over your sand," he finally revealed his reason.

Gaara stared horrified at his father. "But you'll die! You've already gotten so sick! Otou-san –"

"I'm not going to eat, Gaara. If you really want me to live, then hurry up and get control of your sand. Because I'm not going to until you do," his father's voice was hoarse by then.

Then his father unhealthily took yet another soldier pill and a small sip of water from a bottle, before making a sharp gesture with his hand and directing some of his Gold Dust towards Gaara again. Gaara redoubled his determination, knowing if he didn't his father would continue to starve himself to death.

By the end of the week, his father still didn't seem satisfied and neither was Gaara with his progress. He wanted to be in control so badly, to hurry up and get his stupid sand under his control so he could save his father. Because his father didn't look like he could last any longer.

Suddenly, his father collapsed onto the floor, sitting with his posture slumping and his legs sprawled out in front of him.

"Otou-san!" Gaara screamed, rushing over.

Rasa barely lifted up his head, halfheartedly glaring.

"I didn't say we were done."

"But –!"

"Just because I'm sitting down, doesn't mean I can't keep going," Rasa declared. His Gold Dust rushed out from around him and pushed Gaara back.

Even collapsed against a door, body slumped and head drooping in exhaustion, barely able to lift his head up and strain his eyes to see Gaara…his father was still able to push Gaara to his limits.

Two hours later, Gold Dust hung lazily around him in there, just hovering. Gaara tensed, waiting for the next attack, but suddenly the Gold Dust dropped to the ground all around them and stayed there. His head snapped towards his father, who lay unmoving against the door.

"Otou-san? Otou-san!" Worried and becoming hysteric, he ran to his father and shook him, gaining no response.

"Otou-san!"

Fearing that it was too late and that his father was already dead, he commanded his sand to grab onto his father and lift him carefully away from the door. He thought quickly on how to get out, because the training room was literally a death chamber if you didn't know how to get out and didn't have resources to keep you going. It was why neither he nor his siblings were allowed near or in the training room, unless with their father, who was the only one able to open and exit it because of the seal (which ironically enough was partly also there to keep them from entering).

The only thing that could get them out now was his sand. Determinedly, focused and refusing to think he could fail at this, he rushed all of his sand at the door and practically demolished an opening. Blinking in surprise, wowed that he was able to actually do it, he turned back to his father. Remembering how his father had used his Gold Dust to gently wrap around…Yashamaru and had carried the man, Gaara mimicked it hesitantly, growing more confidently as he seemed to be doing things right.

Then he was stumbling to the hospital on his short, childish legs. A pretty lady he'd never seen before was walking around, giving out orders and directing the hospital staff. Her blonde hair was in short pigtails hanging just behind her shoulders, and there was an odd diamond on her forehead.

"H-help! Help my otou-san!" he yelled at her.

Startled, she turned to him and frowned, but then immediately spotted his father and focused on him instead, starting a medical scan. There were cries of 'Kazekage-sama!' and a rush towards his father, but his sand warningly kept the others away and the lady beside them also helped to deter the others.

"Keep your calm!" she snapped at them. "And prepare a room for the Kazekage! I'll diagnose him and then pass it on to the Head Doctor here, and from there we'll start work. Get a move on!"

There was a scramble of people and then they were all in order, working diligently on their assigned tasks. The lady then turned to him, her frown lightening up.

"I'm Tsunade. I want you to tell me everything that happened," she directed towards Gaara sternly.

The little boy gulped, but then steeled himself and determinedly told the blonde lady everything that had happened. The more he told, the worse her frown got again. Until finally, she just shook her head in exasperation and sighed.

"Sounds like that brat," Tsunade grumbled. "Always stubborn too. Come on, gaki. Let's go see your dad and make him healthy again."

With Yashamaru stabilized, that left Tsunade freed up to focus on the Kazekage. And work she did, thoroughly making sure the red-haired man was pulled out of the danger he had stupidly put himself in. He'll be bed resting for awhile and unable to do much, but at least he'll live. She was very sure of that, once she had her hands on him. Though, after she was done and he was completely healthy, that might change.

Really, what a stupid idea, starving himself to train his kid. She was just itching to bust his head open.

After she was done and he was as stable as his brother-in-law, who was another one with stupid ideas (really, the men in that family were just stupid), she left to find her assistant and take a break, and probably get drunk while she was at it.

While she was gone, a small girl with blonde hair brighter than even hers, practically bounced into the Kazekage's room, having snuck into the hospital to explore. She leaned over him, staring with wide blue eyes.

For him, he'd been in and out of consciousness since being put into the hospital. His mind was hazy and everything he saw was either blurry or he just blacked out completely. And then he was seeing a cherubic face bearing down on him, watching him with worried, impossibly blue eyes and chin-length bright blonde hair that cascaded around her face like a halo, leaving him wondering if an angel had decided to temporarily watch over him.

"Don't worry," she murmured in a childish voice. "Princess Charming is here to wake you up completely, Sleeping Beauty."

He felt soft lips peck his gently and then something sprinkle onto his face. He went back into unconsciousness afterwards.

When he next awoke, it was to a more familiar blonde looking down at him with a strange look on her face.

"…Rasa, why the hell do you have glitter on your face?"

He blinked in confusion. "There…there was an angel," he muttered uncertainly.

Tsunade rolled her eyes before she started to scowl down at him. She suddenly slammed her fist down on the side table next to his head, causing it to break in half and scaring the hell out of him, jolting him fully awake and aware, and wiping the glitter off of his mind. He sat up immediately in alarm, the glitter literally coming off as well.

"Baka," she hissed. "You and that idiot brother-in-law of yours have no common sense. That should have been your head I hit instead of that desk!"

Rasa cowered back for a second before straightening up and glaring back.

"But it worked, didn't it? How else did we get out of that room, if it wasn't for Gaara and his sand?" he said smugly.

"You shouldn't be so smug," Tsunade's hand balled up dangerously. "You practically traumatized your kid!"

"But he won't be looked at as a monster anymore," Rasa retorted quietly.

She reeled back before looking at him wearily. "You don't know that."

"I do," he insisted. "Suna will see to that. If Kumo can do it, then Suna can too. And unlike Kumo, Gaara is a symbol of hope not power. He will be more treasured."

"Baka," she muttered fondly, tussling his red hair.

He scowled at her and ducked away, though he had reacted a little too late. He inwardly sighed at his health.

"I'll stay here awhile," she revealed. "Make sure you and Yashamaru get back on your feet completely and help and advise your hospital a little more before I get going. That way you can never say I never did anything for you."

He smirked, but she mock-glared at him in warning. She turned serious.

"I hear…you have Kushina's grave here," she started solemnly.

Rasa winced. "Yes. She died here and I couldn't just give her back to Konoha, after she'd fled there in the first place and came here for sanctuary. It's near my compound, in a nice, quiet place where none of the locals can disturb it and where I can easily and frequently visit. I can take you there once I'm cleared to leave the hospital."

"That's nice," Tsunade said wistfully. "I wanted to see her at least once before I left here. I never got to know the full story of what happened to her and why she left and how she died."

He hesitated. "…I'll tell you. When we visit," he promised.

She looked at him searchingly before giving a small nod.

Tsunade walked around the desert village, reminiscing on how long it's been since she'd been there. Shizune followed quietly behind her and they made no effort to interact with the locals. Most of them avoided or looked at her in fear or dislike, while the veterans looked at her probingly and many in respect.

She was tempted to make a visit to Old Lady Chiyo.

She smirked to herself, sure that if she really did that the old woman would go into a conniption and come after her with an army of puppets. It was almost enough to make her go and make it a reality. She restrained herself, but only barely. It was rather disappointing actually, though she still hoped that the old woman would tromped down herself and confront her.

"Lady, Lady~" a little girl's voice sing-songed and she turned to see a cute little girl with strangely familiar features standing nearby an alley, a cute orange dress fitting nicely on her. She had a crown of flowers around her blonde head, and accompanied with flower bracelets and necklace to match.

Tsunade smiled at her, gesturing her to come closer. The little girl skipped over to them and held out another necklace made up of flowers.

"Here," the little girl chirruped. "A pretty necklace for a pretty lady."

Tsunade knelt down and bowed her head, letting the girl place the necklace around her neck. She smiled gently at the girl.

"Why thank you, little one. That's very kind of you."

"Na-chan! Thanks for the bandaid. You're so nice! And always helpful! Play ball with us later, 'kay?" a boy caught sight of them and interrupted, waving cheerily before he ran away with a red ball he was holding onto tightly

Tsunade suddenly became speculative, mind already thinking up on the future of the village and how much help it would need in advancing in the medical department. It would start with this little girl…

"Na-chan," she copied the boy. "Do you like to help people?"

The little girl nodded her head enthusiastically.

"And what do you think about healing? Would you like to help heal others and help save people?"

Blue eyes widened adorably. "Yes! Yes! I wanna make sure everyone's happy!"

She turned to Shizune, who had been watching the girl in fondness and amusement.

"Shizune, your old bracelets…and the new ones. Hand them over to me. I can teach you the same things from them myself without those scrolls," Tsunade explained and Shizune complied, when the older blonde gave the eleven bracelets to the girl. "These are my life works, little one. I want you to study hard. If you really want to help people, then don't give up on learning these and be serious about them," Tsunade lectured lightly.

The child nodded gravely. "I promise. Pinky swear," she said seriously, and the childish oath made both women smile.

Tsunade hesitated, before her next act made even Shizune gasp. She tentatively grabbed hold of her grandfather's necklace and slipped it off her neck to replace around the little girl's.

"One necklace for another," Tsunade smiled weakly, touching the flower necklace she had in appreciation for the girl. "Now get along. Study hard and be good!"

The blonde child nodded, eyes wide once more, before flitting off with a dancing rhythm to her steps.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune questioned her.

"I know, Shizune," Tsunade murmured. "But…I have a gut feeling about this."

'Please let my gamble pay off this time.'

And while they stood quietly, the little girl they spoke to was currently in her special place, a pretty fountain hidden in the midst of buildings and koi fish swimming happily in it. She continued her threading of flowers, the new bracelets dangling around her wrists.

A little boy would then stumble upon her, gaping in awe. With the sun bright and shining down on her, her blonde hair made to look like a halo and her skin slightly glowing from the sunlight and the bright colors she wore, it wasn't hard to mistake her as an angel as he had in that moment.

"Hello," she tilted her head, looking at him.

Gaara was still speechless. He'd always been told stories of angels, who were sweet and kind –just like this one here in front of him.

"H-hi," he greeted shyly.

She gave him the brightest smile, something no one had ever done to him before, and he fidgeted.

"You need something nice," she declared. "Here."

And then she skipped over to him and placed a crown of flowers on top of his head, matching the one she wore, and then placed a little kiss on top of his nose, with him turning bright red with her actions.

"There! Be princely! Bai bai now~" she giggled and then she was dancingly walking away, humming an unfamiliar tune and leaving behind a dumbfounded boy.

A little later, once Gaara finally found his feet, he once again was confronted with a group of kids playing ball. They saw him and tense, before one boy with a bandaid on his cheek looked at him oddly.

"You know, he doesn't look like a monster," he stated decisively. "Monsters don't wear flower crowns…do they?" he asked doubtfully.

Gaara tentatively touched the flower crown the angel had given him.

"Nah, real monsters don't wear flower crowns. That's just ridiculous," another kid said in reply.

"Hmph," the first boy stuck out his tongue. "He ain't no monster then. Hey you! You wanna play ball with us?"

Gaara looked at them with wide, hopeful eyes, nodding eagerly. As he played with them, carefully trying to keep his precious flower crown on his head and trying not to mess it up as he played, one thought went through his head.

His angel had helped him finally make friends.

Started 8/13/11 –Completed 1/6/12

A/n: Sooo, you get a glimpse of Naruto, but only a glimpse! Haha, ain't I a tease? Anyway, I wanted to keep her as an important figure in the timeframe of childhood to show the differences that crop up because of her presence, but not to have her directly be at the front to showcase the changes and Butterfly Effect-like things going on in a subtle way. Don't worry! She'll be the main focus from next chapter on, with a time skip to when she's older, now that the whole "see what changes that can occur" have been set up and the main story can start. I have a set Update Schedule on my profile, if you all are curious. Please review, if you enjoyed! How about another ten more, eh?

To Guest: Thanks! Yeah, Naru is glimpsed here, but she'll be back next chapter for sure!