Hi! I'm the author. A short author's note before we begin, I'm going to be posting shorter chapters- also, there's going to be a lot of notifications from this story tonight because I've decided to split the chapters up into smaller sections that are easier to read! This is going to be extremely long, but I've got a wonderful beta reader! I'm currently going through this story and adding more scenes now that I'm through what's technically the first 2% of the story. xD Bear with me, please!

If text is bolded like this, it means it will be replaced soon with a much better-rewritten scene!

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The crisp, cold morning betrayed the heat of the rising sun over the shimmering desert. Mist settled over the village, most things obscured by its touch. The sand muffled their footsteps, but three figures entered the sand village; one stopped, looking to the left and the right, seemingly lingering a little too much. They crouched down, sifting through the sand with their fingers before kissing the trodden path. The secondary figure pulled the first up almost violently, shaking its head.

Above them, a shadow stood on the rooftop nearest to the entrance, watching the visitor's every move. His eyes did not leave them, not even for a second, as they began to move down the main road towards the Kazekage's office. As he found them disappearing into the mist, he moved to the next building and the next, keeping them just in sight while staying out of theirs. They came to a curious stop, where the one who had kissed the ground beneath them turned back to the others, holding up a hand. It was clear the second figure tried to push past the first, but the first only shook their head. The third grabbed the arm of the second calmly, and the second settled down.

Particles of sand fluttered in the air around the one watching them, his eyes trailing their every move, no matter how slight. Who could be entering the village at this hour? His hand raised haphazardly, aimed in their direction as the sand beneath his feet rose into the air, slowly moving toward the figures. However, someone in a familiar outfit exited the building, and the boy let his hand go slack, releasing all of the sand into the morning breeze. Envoys of Orochimaru, probably, but at the last minute like this?

Suspiciously enough, the frontal figure once again motioned for the others to stay out in the open, and the Kazekage led them in. The boy's eye twitched. What was this? Putting two fingers up to his lips, he faded into nothing but sand, flowing against the current of the wind, before gripping the side of the window, his hand reforming first and feet giving him a good place to support himself. Putting his hand over his eye, sand began to twirl in a circular motion in front of the windowpane, forming into a realistic-looking eye.

That person that had entered the Kazekage's office stood before him, wandering. They walked over to the desk, picking up a photo and examining it before placing it back on the wooden surface. For an envoy, they were strangely invasive.

A distant, fleeting memory of the past, one long gone, graced his ears as he heard a voice he never thought he'd listen to again.

"It's been so long... so long since I've been..." The girl's tone was one of choking, all-consuming sadness as if she was trying to hold back tears. The shadow's teeth gritted as he boiled with rage. Confusion clouded his mind as he thought of the impossibility of their current situation. There was no way that the person standing in that office was the one he recognized her as. It was a trick. An illusion. Genjutsu.

"Your return was unexpected. You were proclaimed dead, but your remains were never found. You disappeared without a clue otherwise, leaving us with nothing to go by. Even when everybody else gave up, Sansa searched for years." The Kazekage took the picture that she had placed back on the desk, his thumb tracing the lines of the photo she'd been holding. "This is so unimaginable that anyone would call it a trick. But, I have no option but to face the truth now." A soft sigh came from the girl as she shook her head. The boy's nails dug into the hardened sand that made up the windowsill as his hatred built toward the man that was his father the more he spoke.

"Sansa... must have been so sad." His attention snapped back to the girl. There was somebody who he had to hate more than his father. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I didn't want to..." His rage boiled as his mind raced with thoughts of why she had disappeared in the first place. She must have thought he was disgusting. She must have been afraid. His perception of her had changed the minute she had spoken; he had once thought she was the only one who truly understood. Now, he knew- she was just like everyone else. She'd die the same. She deserved death. She'd been so scared that she'd run away for so long. She'd have been smarter to stay away. Only when her blood coated his sand would he finally cut any ties to his past that still lingered in his mind!

"Sansa is fine." The Kazekage's voice was monotone and unsympathetic, as his job usually called for. It still irked the boy every time he spoke, like the facade he put on in front of everyone was believable. Gaara couldn't believe that his father felt nothing. If he felt nothing, then Rasa and Gaara were too alike for Gaara's taste. "She has a certain fire to her that's allowed her to live on despite her misfortune." There it was. A twinge in his voice. Something that sets them apart. He recognized who his father was speaking about, at least- a woman he hadn't spoken to since the day their lives changed. "We thought you were dead, Rena, for the longest time. We thought you'd been crushed by..." His words trailed off as he searched for a way to put his thoughts into form.

"The Shukaku, right?" Gaara wanted to crawl through the window and have her choke on his sand. Rarely did anyone say the beast's name out loud, but Rena never did have any tact. Fearless was just another word for stupidity, and he'd never met another person as stupid as she was. He saw his father flinch at the mention of the monster that he'd sealed within his son. No remorse or regret. "I... guess that's the easiest way to explain why I was gone."

He knew it. He knew that Rena had run away from him. The silence in the room lasted for an unsettling, uncomfortable few seconds. "I don't know where you've been for the last six years. I only know that it's genuinely you." The girl placed her hands on the hood, drawing it down. Gaara's heart throbbed painfully as he clutched the spot. Her hair was around the same length it had been when they were children. It was clear the cloak had hidden most of it. She placed the cloth on the desk, doing away with it entirely. Her piercing purple eyes conveyed just how troubled she was about everything.

"I've been counting the days. He's almost thirteen now, isn't he?"

Rasa hesitated to answer. His hesitance is what made Gaara thrive off of hatred for him; he knew he was hated. "I think that we should speak more about your disappearance."

"I was kidnapped." The short and bittersweet statement was ridiculous. The boy was sure she was lying. She couldn't be telling the truth- she saw what he was and ran away! She let him think that she was dead, that he was the one at fault for her death! Who would even want to kidnap someone like her, anyway?! "I'm not really sure why myself. I met two people in a similar situation to me, and we escaped together. If everyone is already in a team... would we qualify?"

"You're still intending on becoming a shinobi? But you have none of the experience or training the others do. You don't even qualify as a Genin." Rena's upper lip trembled, but she bowed, her hair spiralling out on the floor underneath her.

"Please, Lord Kazekage! Allow me to prove my worth- I want to enter the Chuunin Exams!" The Kazekage remained stoic as he observed her, keeping quiet. "I want to do something for the Hidden Sand now that I'm back. I want to push myself to my limits and become stronger!"

"You just returned. I think it would be better for you to rest, become reacquainted with life here. Maybe we can even get you on a simple course for Genin. If you work hard, in a few years you may be able to-"

"I've spent enough of my life trapped in one place!" Gaara jumped at her tone of voice. This was new. He'd never heard her speak like that before. He didn't like new. "I'm sorry, Kazekage. I really want this."

Rasa's eyes softened as he stared at the girl. "You don't qualify for the Chuunin Exams. You haven't been on a single mission in your entire life. You're not even a Genin. You're so far behind the others that I doubt you'd be able to keep up. But... think about this. I won't discuss this any longer with you tonight, return to me in the morning after you've thought about it and we can discuss further. All I ask is that you question whether or not this is the best course of action for you." Was he really offering to break the law for this girl? With any other child, this atrocious behaviour wouldn't be allowed. Rules were rules. But... the woman that he saw in the child softened him up. He knew she wouldn't reflect, that she'd be just as earnest about her goals tomorrow with the exact same words, as her mother would; completely ignore any and all advice.

"I will, Kazekage! I'll think about it hard!" Liar. He almost chuckled to himself as he imagined Sansa in her place, with a more sarcastic tone. She was still young; she'd hide her brazen feelings for a while more. Charging headfirst into whatever she wanted with no second thoughts... it was a foolish thing to do, yet endearing all the same. Silence permeated the air between them for a moment more and he knew he couldn't avoid the topic he didn't want to reach any longer. "Kazekage... I want to see Gaara. It's been so long since I left... I'm sure he'll be excited to see me!"

Gaara's heart lept as he heard his name spoken brazenly, with a heartful tone. It had been forever since anyone dared to utter his name; he hadn't heard it in six months. It made warmth flutter around inside his chest. He glared at her, his impatience reaching maximum levels; he needed to get rid of her. That was what his body was telling him to do.

The Kazekage placed the picture he'd been holding back on his desk. It clacked softly against the wood. He adjusted it so it was at the angle he liked, so he could view it whether he was standing up or sitting down with no glare from the sun. "I suggest you direct your attention elsewhere, Rena. Gaara is no longer the person you once knew; he's dangerous and unpredictable. He's taken the lives of countless villagers." How could his father deliver those lines so smoothly, without any trace of remorse for his role in it like everything he'd done was Gaara's fault?

"Gaara is... dangerous?" She said it like she couldn't believe it. Like she didn't consider him a monster. She had seen him, though. Seen him as the Shukaku. "That's not possible, Gaara is the kindest person I know!"

"I have a counter-offer, Rena. That boy is beyond you now. He's been beyond help for a very, very long time. I'm sure that I can make your life in the Hidden Sand an easy one, free of poverty and fear. Please consider my request; Kankuro's of age now, a time where he must be thinking about the next stage in his life. Marrying the Kazekage will make sure you see comfort. Nobody will question your disappearance, they wouldn't dare."

"What are you asking me...?"

"I think that you should become Kankuro's fiancee. If you want to benefit the Hidden Sand and yourself at the same time, you'll do as I ask." Not to mention, it would get her away from Gaara.

"I can't..." Rena glanced away from the Kazekage, her eyes shifting to the ground as she took a step back, uncomfortable. "Kankuro is..."

"He's been smitten with you since you were children. Now that you've returned, I suggest you reconsider. You don't need to answer me now, but if need be I will make sure you will be taken care of." Rasa's heart skipped a beat as Sansa crept into his mind. He wondered if she would smile at him the way she used to, rather than avoiding eye contact and talking with him as little as possible.

"Talking to Kankuro and Temari is next on my list, but I'm not ready to think about something like what you're suggesting. Please just let me see Gaara! I'm sure that he'll remember who I am and he'll be himself again!"

He'd been a fool to think she would listen to him on anything. "You're just like your mother," He murmured. If they hadn't been related, there was no way Rena would have gotten away with any of what he was letting slip by. "His room is in the same place it's always been. Be careful, Rena. He's violent and I doubt he'll react well to seeing you again."

"I know it'll be okay!" A light, warmth-inducing smile stretched across Rena's face, a reminder of the carefree happy child she used to be. A foolish sentiment that Gaara would never understand. How did she smile like that? It was wrong. "Gaara will forgive me. I know he will. I know him." Rena turned her back to the Kazekage as she grabbed her cloak, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her, leaving only the Kazekage on one side of the window and Gaara on the other.

Rasa shook his head, placing his hands on the windowsill as he looked down. "You know only the Gaara of the past, Rena. The Gaara of the present day is nothing more than a mindless monster." A mass of sand shot past the window as the wind outside unsettled the particles, whipping against the Kazekage's window. "There's a sandstorm coming..." He watched it fly by for a moment more, before turning to his desk, preparing paperwork.

X

X

Rena came to a stop in front of Gaara's bedroom door, memories flooding through her as she recalled the days she spent here with Gaara. She pressed her palm against the weathered door, full of cracks and mementos. They threw kunai with each other here when they were young, despite getting scolded endlessly by Sansa. Rena let her hand slide against the door, before lifting it and giving three, solid, heartful knocks. "Gaara?"

There was no response. After a moment, however, the door slowly opened, exposing his face. Something she missed. She wanted to burst into tears and embrace him on the spot right then and there and never let go, but due to the situation, it would be impolite and unwelcome. She had so much explaining to do and both of them had grown up, even if it hadn't been by much. She'd had years to come to terms with her feelings for Gaara, trapped in nothing but a dank cell, promising herself she would return to him someday. "May I come in, Gaara?"

Saying nothing, he stared her down, his eyes not moving from her face. After a few moments, he shuffled to the side, silently waiting. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was no longer the open, heart-on-his-sleeve child that he was. She had been told that he'd changed, but seeing it for herself was something else entirely. Entering the room, Gaara closed the door softly behind her to the point where she couldn't even hear it shut. She could see small flecks of sand floating in the air around him.

He had changed his wardrobe in the years she was gone. A rather form-fitting black shirt took the place of the almost identical garment they used to wear, a traditional child robe for the children of the Sand. There was netting on either of the sleeves, to which she exclaimed, "Are you a ninja, now, Gaara? I never knew that was something you wanted to be!" His pants were black as well. Surely that was hot during the day. Even if he didn't respond, she walked over to his bed, sitting down on top of the covers. They were still made and the bed was cold. Gaara always had problems with sleeping, but she didn't think it was this bad.

After a few moments of silence, Rena tried again to strike up a conversation. "So, Gaara, it's been a while!" She gave him one of her signature, warm smiles. 'A while' was an understatement. How dare she march into his room like she'd done nothing wrong? "How have you been?"

"...Different." Rena's smile widened. One word was better than no words! He was finally responding to her! Still, it was troubling- he wasn't the friendly, outgoing Gaara she once knew. He seemed so much lonelier, like he was holding all of his pain inside. Rena wanted nothing more than to make it up to him.

Gaara sat down, a gap in between them and she reached over to touch his hair, to brush a lock of it from his eyes. His glare stopped her cold, his eyes filled with bloodlust. "Don't touch me." Rena froze, hand midair, her eyes wide and he swore he could see terror. She had startled him; shocked him. He'd never expected her to try and touch him.

"Should... Should I leave, Gaara?" The sadness in her voice felt overwhelming and at that moment he felt more hate than he ever had toward his father or any of the villagers. He didn't know or understand why he was filled with such hate, but he hated it. He wanted that tone to disappear from her voice and never come back.

"It's five in the morning." She was surprised to hear him finally say more than one word. "If you go home now, you'll disturb Sansa." His reaction was quick and precise, knowing that Rena cared enough to not want to wake her mother.

"I suppose you're right," Rena mused, standing up. "I should go get a room at an inn."

"You should sleep here." It was an automatic response, but there was something in him stopping her from leaving. If he let her leave, he felt like she'd never come back. It was a move out of sheer desperation... and not something he liked. This wasn't normal behavior.

"That would be too imposing on the Kazekage and my companions-"

"The Kazekage doesn't have to know." Gaara stood from his bed, opening the closet and getting out a fresh set of blankets, laying them on the floor. "I'll sleep on the floor. Take the bed."

"But my-"

"Take the bed." He didn't like to repeat himself, and he didn't care about her companions. They could fend for themselves.

"But if you get a cold... it's drafty!" The worry in her voice irked him. She was as weak as he'd expected her to be. He would give her a lesson in strength later, but for now, he'd allow her a night of rest from her travels. Soon, she would learn he didn't care and that she shouldn't, either, which would lead to thoughts of her disappearing from his mind.

"Worry about yourself." As he shut off the light and got into the futon, turning away from her, she got into bed, squirming under the blankets. She got comfortable but stared at the mess of red hair that occupied the blankets. "You have insomnia, right, Gaara? It's probably worse than when we were kids, isn't it? Want me to sing for you?"

No response.

His eyes were wide open, but he was facing away from her. He couldn't sleep, but he didn't want to move and if he opened his mouth, it would be to object to her singing. So, he didn't.

"The night sky watches above, woven with glimmering love. Sleep, dear child, don't be wild. The thorns of roses might mean you harm but temper your heart- calm before storm. Thorns and branches and summer spirits too, don't you know I love you?" Her gentle voice somewhat reminded him of the past. The long nights they'd spend together where he couldn't sleep, where Rena invented lullabies as a child to try and find one that would put him to bed instantly. When she had succeeded, she found a rose on her doorstep the next day and the day after, and the day after that. The roses never stopped coming, but Rena didn't know what happened to them after she disappeared. Sansa's house had soon filled with them, but Sansa didn't mind. Rena wondered who had sent all the roses, chalking it up to one of Sansa's admirers.

Like that, the two slept, reminiscing of the old days separately...

X

Rena's eyes fluttered open at nine-thirty. Turning her head to the side, she noticed that Gaara had disappeared and the blankets he'd laid on the floor were nowhere to be found. The blanket she had been using had been changed to a much lighter one, which was a good thing because the heat in the desert would have baked her alive. The light breeze coming through the window washed over her face and she took a moment to bask in it, appreciating the natural beauty of the Hidden Sand.

Rena made Gaara's bed, tucking in the corners properly. It wasn't made to Sansa's standards, that's for sure. Sansa would flay anyone alive if she saw their bed like this... However, on the nightstand beside Gaara's bed, a small plate of fruit was lying there as if it had just been freshly prepared. She didn't think it was Gaara that had done it, as he was prone to getting sand all over the food whenever he did prepare as a child. Softly biting into the succulent fruit, she enjoyed the bounties of the Hidden Sand. She did hope Gaara left this food for her.

Picking up the plate, she exited Gaara's room and by memory navigated to the Kazekage's kitchen. Doing up the plate she had been using, she put it in the dish rack holder, before wiping her hands dry on a towel nearby. As she turned around, she saw a boy biting into an apple with his mouth wide open, eyes almost popping out of his head. The red fruit slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a plop and rolling away. "He wore a strange hood and bizarre face-paint, but she didn't recognize him. If she knew him, she would have remembered him. "R-Rena?"

She tilted her head, looking him up and down. "Sorry... do I know you?"

"I-It's me! Kankuro, remember?! You may not recognize me- I grew taller since we last met. Come on, you can't tell me you don't remember me!" He stood up, dropping the apple on the table before walking over to her and grasping her in a giant bear hug.

"Kankuro!? But... you're so much taller!" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. Kankuro had been one of the shortest kids in the Hidden Sand, being teased viciously for it but he always took it in good nature.

"Kankuro, what are you...?" Another familiar voice. The voice paused as Kankuro put Rena down and got significantly closer. "R-Rena... it's... you?"

"Temari?"

She was suddenly embraced by the normally cold and usually unfond of physical contact Temari. It was like a miracle. She wrapped her arms around her childhood friend's body, hugging her tightly, taking in the scent that was indeed Temari's. She always smelled like cinnamon, even when they were children.

Temari's hug was much tighter than she expected, however. "Sis, let her go! You're gonna suffocate her!"

"I don't want to, Kankuro! She's back! She's alive!" As Rena struggled in Temari's arms, Temari gave her one last strong, close, hug before dropping her to the floor where Rena caught her breath.

"Yeah, well, now she's back I can start teasing her again and there's nobody here to stop me!" Kankuro felt like he was high in the sky now that his precious Rena was back. His father had notified him, but he hadn't believed it. He thought it was some kind of prank in poor taste, but then again, their father never made jokes. Now, there was the talk of a proposal in the works...! What reason did he not have to be on cloud nine?! Rena was back and his dreams would come true. What a life it is!

"Except for me, brother." To him, Temari's voice and aura were like that of nails screeching across a chalkboard and he jumped, turning to his sister's mad expression, sweat rolling down his face.

"I mean, within reason- I'll make fun of her within reason!"

The life in the room seemed to fade as an ice-cold voice joined the fray, both Temari and Kankuro freezing up, looks of terror crossing their visage. Piercing eyes watched their heart-warming scene with absolute disgust, scrutiny the only thing Gaara had to offer. "Why wasn't I invited to this loving reunion?" He asked, walking into the room in his full shinobi getup.

Out of the two, Temari was the first to regain her composure. "G-Gaara, we didn't mean to leave you out of anything. We just..."

Gaara's eyes shot toward Temari and she has paralyzed with fear again. His aura was completely different from last night's; he may have been impartial only three hours ago, but this Gaara... this Gaara was one Rena did not know. He leaned against a wall, crossing his arms, looking seemingly relaxed but the energy in the air was tense. "And you," His eyes slowly scanned the room, settling on Rena, "Who said you were allowed to make this much noise?"

It was as if the air in between them had frozen solid. She felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, shifting from one foot to the other. She had risked everything to get back to him, to see him again, to have the days of old be what she had once more... but he was a different person, a stranger. "Gaara, I apologize for-"

"Kankuro, Temari, let's go. It's time to train."

As he walked past her, it was like she no longer existed. The air went from frozen to nonexistent as he didn't even spare her a second glance and she was stuck in place, staring at the ground.

It was in this moment that she realized that maybe... nothing could ever go back to the way it was before and that is truly what hurt her the most. Gaara looked back between Temari and Kankuro, who started following him reluctantly.

"Training for what?" Rena asked, raising her voice and asking nobody in particular. Perhaps she was hoping for him to respond to her, but it was a futile wish. It was Kankuro who turned around to reply to her.

"The Chuunin exams in the Hidden Leaf. Gaara, Temari and I are entering as a team. We qualified!" Kankuro's rugged smile relaxed Rena some, but he waved to her as he moved to catch up with Temari and Gaara. "See you later, Rena! Sorry to be leaving so soon after finally seeing each other again... We'll talk after the exams!"

"Let's go." Gaara's patience was waning and the siblings could tell. Both of them followed silently from then on. Rena watched as they disappeared beyond the corner.

Rena watched as Gaara walked away, before sitting on her choices for a little bit. With how different Gaara was, letting him go away for a month wouldn't help their relationship any. In fact, it might damage it. She fiddled with her hands, a frown crossing her face. "I have to... I've really thought about it, I promise." She was even lying to herself now. Rasa's words echoed through her minds, an ominous reminder of the fact he thought she wasn't ready.

She ran back to the Kazekage's office, bursting through the door. Rena's palms slammed down on the wooden desk, causing the Kazekage to jump, almost spilling his coffee. He managed to recover just in time, a splash of black hitting his hand and he let out a low-pitched whine, holding in the pain.

Bursting into the Kazekage's office, Rena slammed her palms down on his wooden desk, causing the Kazekage to jump and then readjust a photo that had slid an inch out of place. He looked up at her and similar to Kankuro and Temari, the Kazekage understood that he was in trouble from the expression on her face. "R-Rena... What's wrong?" He hadn't been too on guard, because of the peaceful calm in the village that morning and the fact that Gaara didn't lose control. He made a mental note that now that Rena was back, the village would find itself in a bit more trouble... especially because she got her attitude from Sansa.

"I demand to be qualified for the Chuunin exams!" Rena shouted, causing the Kazekage to slap his hands over his ears. As he expected, her lack of growth came from her kidnapping.

"Please lower your voice. And-"

"Chuunin exams!" Rena turned up the decibels a bit.

"You can't just... we're sending Gaara's team for a reason, and-" The Kazekage attempted to cool the situation down before it got any more heat.

"Chuunin exams!" Rena screeched as loud as she possibly could, probably waking up the entire village if anyone was still asleep by now.

Gaara turned to their home, bewildered, although it didn't show on his face. Was he hearing her voice now...? He needed to get away from her before anything like this got even worse... Looking over to his sibling's faces, he confirmed that he was not the only one who heard that loud, nightmare-inducing screech.

"FINE, GOD DAMN IT!" The siblings were even more bewildered hearing their father's voice and his loss of self-control. "Anything if you'll just stop!" The shout alerted quite a few people in the main square, also looking quite confused.

"Very well, sir! If you insist, I will bring honour to the Hidden Sand!" The Kazekage's eye twitched. "I would like you to know my team. They're rather new... the first is Marionetta. First name Manipulative. It's a rather exotic name, isn't it? My second teammate is Suno Akagari! He's more like us, I think. Anyways, Marionetta prefers her last name to her first and if you refer to her as her first name she gets upset and starts hurting people!" The information came at far faster a pace than Sansa usually threw things at him. It was hard to keep up with Rena Hikari, harder than Sansa, even. That was an achievement rarely seen upon this earth.

"Suno Akagari... that's a legitimate name nobody will question, but we'll have to give this Marionetta a more localized name. Pick something."

"Pick something now? Ummm... damn. Tsukiyomi?" The Kazekage looked up at her as if to say really? Before jotting it down on the cards he had pulled out of a drawer in his desk and sealing them with his crest.

"Suno and Tsukiyomi Akagari." He finished writing on the cards he had produced, drawing back his ink pen. "Do not lose these cards, Rena Hikari. This allows you to walk about Konoha freely without question. It also shows your qualifications to enter the Chuunin exams. You'll be leaving the village on short notice- in other words, tomorrow. I suggest that when someone asks questions about you being a Genin, you avoid them. What I'm doing for you is illegal, you know." He offered them in Rena's direction, but being reluctant to let go, Rena had to tug them out of his hand. "Don't screw this up."

"Don't worry, Lord Kazekage. With these Chuunin exams, I and my team will prove ourselves as worthy of the Hidden Sand... and maybe, then, you can consider giving Tsukiyomi and Suno citizenship?" Rena winked at him, eliciting a long, drawn-out sigh from the poor man.

"We will talk about citizenship upon your return when you've proved your worth. You don't even realize what you're getting yourself into and if you would have simply just stopped and waited a month for them to return-" the slamming of the door signalled that the girl hadn't even been listening to him. Like Sansa, indeed.

The Kazekage had photos of two women on his desk. One of his previous wife and another of a black-haired woman with blue eyes... he looked at the black-haired woman longingly. "Is this enough of an apology, Sansa...? Can you ever forgive me? After the Chuunin exams..." His head tapped lightly on the table as he buried his face in the wood. "I can't steal you away from him. You've moved on and I know I shouldn't disturb you, but I still..."