Chapter One: Reunion

Sand.

Sand was everywhere, in every direction. And frankly, if she didn't have a natural sense of direction, and hadn't been here many times before, she would have easily gotten lost.

Granted, it had been several years since she'd been here, but that was beside the point.

She'd reached the desert hours ago, and by Kami, it was hot. The sun shone brightly down upon the terrain, relentless and unforgiving. It was so hot that she could see the fumes rising up off of the hot sand. She was used to the pleasant, mild weather of Konoha, so the heat that was consuming her now was making her uncomfortable. She was dirty from days of travel, and the heat was making sweat form in areas she didn't even know she could sweat. Her clothes were damp with it, and her feet slid around in her shoes because of it.

She'd forgotten how much she hated traveling to Suna.

She didn't have to worry much longer, however, because reaching the desert meant she was almost there. She only had a few more hours and she'd reach the entrance to the village. So, with a resolute nod, she continued on through the sand, keeping her footsteps on the sand light and quick.

XXX

As she thought, she arrived at the walls of Suna a mere few hours later. However, in that few hours, her clothes had gone from damp to soaked, and her hair clung to her neck, which was soaked with sweat. It ran down her face and into her eyes and every inch of her was filthy. She felt like the swamp monster, or worse. She could tell she looked pretty haggard, too, from the looks the guards at the entrance gave her as they asked her what her business was.

"I'm a kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato. I have business with the Kazekage."

"Ah, we've been expecting you," one guard said politely. "Make your way to the Kazekage Mansion. You can't miss it."

She thanked them and entered the village. She ran down the main street, stirring up sand in her wake. She was too tired to do anything other than run at this point. If she walked through the village at a leisurely pace, she wouldn't have the strength to switch back to business mode when needed. Some civilians stopped to stare at the foreign kunoichi as she darted by, a blur of colors. Her breath came in short pants, and the sweat blurred her vision, but she didn't need perfect vision to know where she was going. The Kazekage Mansion was the biggest building in the village, making up its center. Every other building in the village surrounded it in a giant circular structure. The huge spherical building loomed over her as she ventured closer, casting shadows that were a relief from the sun. This encouraged her to move faster, eager to reach her destination before she collapsed. She'd journeyed for three days straight, without a single stop to rest her body. She felt ready to collapse. She was a kunoichi, so she'd been trained to endure harsh environments and long amounts of time without sleep, but she definitely wasn't used to Suna, and even though she'd dressed for the sun, wearing a halter-top and short shorts under her skirt, she was still weary.

She opened the door at the bottom floor, and the temperature inside the building was a huge relief compared the sweltering heat outside. Without stopping, she began climbing stairs, her footsteps echoing through the air. She heard nothing but her footsteps and the sound of her own breathing as she climbed up floor after floor. Soon, after she reached the fourth floor, she began hearing signs of life, and seeing something other than walls and windows. The stairs kept spiraling upwards, but now a walk-way with a railing circled around the stairs, in a sort of hallway for each floor, and doors lined the walk-way. Different rooms had different purposes: meeting rooms, work rooms, different departments for different orders of business. It was the same for the Hokage Building at home.

But she wasn't here for the translation department or the science department or the missions department. Her destination was the office at the top floor: the Kazekage's office. She was here by order of the Kazekage, and that's who she was to report to. And as she mindlessly traveled the spiraling staircase, she wondered how much, or if, he'd changed. It had been literally over two years since she'd last seen him, during the Fourth Great Ninja War. She was about nineteen years old now, and she'd become a Jonin due to her actions in the war. She'd proven herself a capable kunoichi and had been promoted. He was supposedly doing very well, according to Naruto, who visited often on his vacation days. He was lifelong friends with the Kazekage, and while Sakura was cordial with him, she didn't truly know him, at least not well enough to call him a close friend. She wondered what he looked like, how he'd grown. She wondered if he'd finally gotten that connection with the village that he'd longed for.

She finally reached the top floor, and she'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed that the door that led to her destination was opening, and a person was leaving the room.

WHUMPH!

"Oof!" someone grunted, and as she slammed into them, her legs buckled weakly and she fell into them. They caught her by the shoulders before she could fall, and held her steady with a strong grip.

She opened her eyes blearily, about to apologize profusely, when she lifted her gaze and locked eyes with the person she'd run into. Jade met sea-foam, and she froze. She just slammed into the Kazekage. After a long moment of silence, she suddenly gasped and straightened up, pulling from his grasp and blushing furiously. She reached out to begin dusting him off, shouting apologies of every kind.

He silenced her and stopped her actions with a simple wave of his hand. His dark-rimmed eyes merely gazed at her in a serious way, and he shook his head. "No need for apologies, Haruno-san," he said smoothly. "Please, have a seat inside." He motioned to the door he'd just come out of. "I was just about to deliver a scroll to the translation department. I'll return in just a moment." And just like that, he swept past her gracefully and headed down the hallway.

Sakura watched him go, before numbly moving to step inside his office. Like the rest of the building, it was cool, and the walls were made of the same mud-like substance as every other building in Suna. His office was neat and sparsely decorated, with only a desk and a few chairs, including the large, comfortable one he sat in. Paperwork was neatly stacked on his desk, and it made Sakura wish that her own teacher kept up with her work so precisely. The blond woman usually just let papers litter her desk in unruly piles, making her office look unkempt.

Seeing nothing to catch her interest, Sakura's thoughts turned inward, and she was suddenly ashamed of her appearance. She hadn't thought about it before, because she was so focused on just getting there, but now that she looked at herself in the mirror on wall to her right, she realized just how awful she looked. Her pink hair was damp with sweat and clung to her face and neck, and her clothes were wrinkled and soaked with perspiration. She looked rough, and she smelled awful too. She had clumsily fallen onto the Kazekage, looking and smelling like this? Was her luck so bad? She felt horrible about it now.

She didn't have long to sulk over her appearance, because he'd returned, smoothly closing the door behind him and approaching his desk. He brushed by her and then sat at his desk, motioning for her to sit down as well. Sakura hesitantly sat, looking at him nervously. All she could think about was how much she hated him seeing her like this and how humiliating it was. However, Gaara seemed to take no notice of her scruffy looks and instead untied a scroll sitting on his desk, unrolling it. He glanced at her before setting it down and reading it. "Haruno Sakura, have you been briefed on why you're here?"

Sakura nodded slightly. "Tsunade-shishou told me what I was going to be doing here. She said that I was going to be training Suna's medical corps in advanced medical ninjutsu."

Gaara nodded back. "Yes. You'll be working at the hospital and teaching classes there. At 8 A.M., you'll report to the hospital and teach classes until noon. You'll have a lunch break, and then you'll work at the hospital, organizing and lending a hand until five. Then, you have the rest of the day to do as you please. You'll also have one day off a week to do as you please. While you're here, you'll be staying in a guest wing here in the mansion, and you'll receive all meals as well as pay."

Sakura nodded, absorbing the information and storing it for later use. She had questions, but she saved them for when he was finished speaking.

Gaara continued. "Since you're not very familiar with the village, I've given my brother Kankuro time off of missions to escort you around and make sure you know what to do and where to go. In fact, he should be here any time now to show you to your room and to get your I.D. made."

"I.D.?" Sakura questioned.

"Since you're a foreign shinobi that will be residing here for a while, it's village policy that you have an I.D. made while you stay here. It's mainly a formality."

Sakura only had one more question. It had been burning in her mind since the moment she'd left Konoha. This was a mission and she had no qualms about doing her duty, but she was going to miss home, that was for sure. She wanted to know how long she'd be homesick. "How long am I going to stay here?" she asked quietly.

"Perhaps a few months," Gaara said brusquely. "When enough progress has been made, you may leave." It was clear to Sakura that Gaara hadn't understood the reason behind her question. She wasn't surprised; the red-head didn't decipher emotions very well. He never did.

There came a knock upon the door, and Gaara said, "Enter."

Kankuro, clad in his usual black outfit, burst in through the door, saying, "Is she here? Am I late?"

Sakura stood up and turned half-way between the brothers, a big smile coming onto her face. She hadn't spoken to Kankuro since the war, but there was always that bond between them, due to her having saved his life years ago. She knew that they were connected because of that, so they were rather friendly with one another when they saw each other. "Kankuro!" she greeted cheerfully, lifting her hand in a small wave.

Kankuro's eyes widened as he looked at her, before he lifted a hand to scratch the back of his head, grinning roguishly at her. "Well if it isn't Pinky," he said, using the nickname he'd coined for her in the war. "You look as good as ever. How's it hangin'?"

Sakura laughed, about to come up with a witty reply, until she remembered that they were still in the presence of the Kazekage. She bit back her retort and shifted her eyes to look at Gaara, waiting to see if he'd say anything.

Finally, he did. "Kankuro, show her to her room, and then take her to get her I.D. made on the third floor."

"Sure thing little bro," Kankuro said, before turning back to the door and opening it. He motioned with his finger for her to join him. "Let's get goin', Pinky. Follow me."

Sakura made to follow him, before she stopped at the door. She turned to look back at Gaara, who sat serenely at his desk. Their eyes met, and Gaara said smoothly, "I'll see you soon, Haruno-san."

Sakura nodded, giving him the smallest of smiles, before following Kankuro out the door. She caught up to him as he walked, and she followed him down the stairs. "I have a name, you know," she said as they walked.

Kankuro laughed. "I know it all too well, Sakura." He glanced at her, smirking. "You don't like my nickname? It's a sign of affection!" He mocked being hurt, clapping a hand to his chest.

Sakura smirked and rolled her eyes. "Affection, my butt. Since when have you ever been affectionate?"

"Only when it comes to you!" Kankuro said, giving her a smirk. Sakura rolled her eyes and shook her head, amused. Then, he gave her a genuine smile. "I really am glad to see you," he said sincerely.

He led her down to the bottom floor, the two making casual, light-hearted conversation. When they reached the bottom, Sakura looked around, confused.

"I thought he said I was going to stay in a guest wing here in the mansion," she said.

"You are." Kankuro chuckled and shook his head, before he pressed a small, unnoticeable button on the wall. A door opened in the middle of the wall, and Sakura gaped. Kankuro, amused by her shock, entered through it, walking into a long hallway. Sakura followed, and only after the door closed behind them did she find her voice.

"Why on earth do you guys have a secret passageway?"

"Well, since Gaara became the Kazekage, we've kinda had to add this here," Kankuro said. His tone was light-hearted, but Sakura thought he seemed kind of bitter about his next words. "The fangirls found out where we'd lived previously, and, well.. you can imagine why we need to keep it secret now."

Sakura made a face. Fangirls? "Well, I'm not really surprised, now that you mention it," she said, rolling her eyes.

Kankuro made a face as well. "Tell me about it."

He led her down the hallway, and passed by two doors. He stopped at the third door on the right and then motioned for her to enter first. Sakura brushed by him and entered the room.

She shouldn't have been surprised at how nice the room looked, but she was. It was probably made for foreign politicians and important people to stay in while they were in Suna. The room was decorated in rich red and gold colors, and was spacious and neat, with a king-sized canopy bed in the middle. It was beautiful, and Sakura was awed that they allowed her to stay in such a nice room. "It's beautiful!" she commented, turning to Kankuro, who stood in the doorway.

He smirked. "It's alright. It's normally for foreign government people when they come to Suna."

"I figured as much," Sakura commented, looking around the room once more. She looked back at Kankuro, suddenly embarrassed. "I, uhm.. I'm kinda dirty from traveling all the way here. I was wondering if I could… bathe first."

Kankuro arched a brow. "Sure thing," he said. "There are spare clothes in the closet. Or, at least there usually are." He shrugged. "I'll be waiting in the hall."

He turned to leave, but Sakura called out to him. "Kankuro!"

He turned back to look at her.

Sakura smiled sincerely. "I'm glad to see you too."

His lips quirked into a coy grin, and he smirked at her. "Hurry up, Pinky."

Sakura shook her head, chuckling in amusement as he left the room.