The dessert was an unforgiving place.

The sands could swallow up whole cities if it wanted to. There was nothing that could control them. The wind may try to move them, but they remain where they are-and that was everywhere. Everywhere but-

Miyuki looked at the stretch of sand and wind before them. She could see it, every particle as it swayed and let the wind carry it. But it never touched glanced down at her feet. They did not sink like most. She did not leave footprints. The sand did not allow it. It did not welcome her touch. Her skin was free of it. Her hair, even though the wind danced with it, the sand avoided.

They have been walking for days. Their destination was close. Miyuki felt it on her skin. She could almost see it. The remnants of peoples chakra around her, telling her of where they had been and what they had done here. They looked like threads to her, whirling around like the sand. Allowing the wind to direct its course.

Her group stopped. She stopped. The head of their group, a man in his late forties walked back, towards her. She held herself still, and kept her expression stoic. Emotionless. Like a mere doll. She was not far off. The man had a hard expression, with thick eyebrows and a stubble of a beard. Miyuki did not blink. Did not cower. She stood as sand blew in circles before her. She envied the sand. They could go anywhere. They just had to let the wind take them there. She imagined what it would be like. To be strong enough to bury cities and build homes, but light enough to be free of its burdens. Not caring what it buries.

The man takes out a blindfold, clean and familiar.

"We're close," he says, tying the blindfold around her eyes. The last thing she saw were the girls, younger than her, and their looks of sympathy. And admiration. Then the world was dark. Except for the remnants of chakra around her. Even with her eyes closed, she could see them. Sense them. Touch them. Blindfolding her, as it turned out, heightened her senses. Heightened her gift. She twitched as he pulled it tighter before pulling away from her.

"Do not fail," he had whispered before she saw his chakra walking away. She could see all of theirs. Everyone around them. Her gift, was a curse. She saw the chakra that flowed in the sand. Very little of it. She was surprised by this but perhaps it was just as it is. They began to walk again, one girl offering her an arm. To make it look like she was blind. She took it, despite not needing help. She had to.

She continued to look at the strange chakra in the sands. As if the sand itself was a person. It flowed through them. Underneath her feet. It was such a beautiful colour, she was tempted to bend down and touch it before she noticed a group, not part of their own, marching towards them. She squeezed the hand of the girl beside her.

"Company," she whispers quietly. She feels the girl nod before letting her arm go. The group marching towards them were still far away and unable to see them, yet they knew someone was coming. She glanced down, at the chakra in the sand beneath her feet. It was flowing everywhere now. Perhaps the sand really was a part of someone in this village. It was not impossible.

Moments later they came to a halt as Miyuki was again held tightly by a different girl. The other group had reached them. Miyuki watched their chakra movements, extracting their gifts. One controlled puppets. She shifted to the other. And another. Assessing each talent. She could hear them talking. Something about not welcoming any outsiders. A search.

The next thing Miyuki knew they were searching them. Their caravans. Their supplies. The girls. She could sense the fear, the nervousness and the strength. Finally, they reached her, standing at the rear end of the group. The girl holding her visibly froze, as if the one in front of her frightened her.

"Why do all of you wear cloths over your faces except her?" a voice, gruff and loud, asked. He was directly in front of her. She knew he was talking about her for Miyuki never needed anything to protect her from the sand. The sand avoided her and that was that. The girl beside Miyuki started to speak up, removing the cloth that covered half her face to speak properly. Miyuki noticed the man in front of her exhale a breath. Like they always do. Kei had always had a beauty that stole a mans breath away.

"She prefers it that way," she explains for Miyuki, who was told not to speak unless needed and right now, their leader has made it clear it was not needed. "She cannot see very well, the light hurts her eyes and we wrap her up any further, she would look very unusual."

There was a soft chuckle before Miyuki felt slender hands across her waist, searching her for a weapon. She stilled. She didn't need a weapon. Never needed a weapon. Her hands had been enough. 64. 64 deaths by her own hands. And all she did was lift it. She shook the thought away. She had a job to do and feeling guilty was no part of it. When the female shinobi finished her search and found nothing, she returned to the mans side.

"Follow us," he says and he leads Miyuki's group forward. Well, they are a bit trusting aren't they? This was going to be easy. They walked, the girl beside Miyuki making sure she held on to her and walked a little bit behind her, lest they noticed the missing footprint. But no one seemed to. Not when the sand kept erasing most of them. To erase something so easily. What a wonderful thing it was.

Finally, they came to a stop. The shinobi that lead them called out for the gate to be opened and suddenly there was a burst of colour around Miyuki. She sucked in a quiet breath. It always surprised her when she was surrounded by many people.

"Is she alright?" The gruff voice asked. Miyuki had not noticed he was so close to her. She felt Kei move.

"Yes, just a bit tired," Kei assures him. Miyuki felt the man smile beside her.

"Well," he begins, somehow accepting Kei's answer. "My name is Kankuro and welcome to Sunagakure, the village hidden by the sand."