Chapter 1

"Best friends forever! Promise!" she looped her pinky finger with the red-haired kid in front of her. They were at a park in front the swings. The sun was sinking fast. "Keep teddy safe for me and I'll come back! I promise!"

"You will right…? You won't leave me alone like everyone else?" His green eyes were outlined by the black around his eyes as they stayed on the ground but his finger was still in hers. He gripped the bear tight in one arm.

"See this?" she lifted the fingers up "it's a pinky promise. I can't break it and I don't want to. We'll be friends forever and I'll be back before you know it" she was a little younger than Gaara and shorter also. Her thick brown hair was pulled into ponytails held by yellow bows. She hugged him and jumped up waving at him as she disappeared. Gaara watched her go and waved back.

His first and only friend as a child.

Umeko had been his first friend and when she never returned it deepened his mistrust of people. Her smile and face had become a nothing more than a distant memory.

"Earth to the Kazekage!" Temari poked at him. Gaara glanced up at her. They had been having breakfast looking through pictures.

"Come on, just pick one!"

"I can't just… pick one… I don't even want to…" he picked at his half-eaten breakfast.

"Don't make me have to get with Kunkuro and we pick one out for you."

"Still haven't decided huh?" Kunkuro was leaned in the doorway, "Gaara you have three more months to find a wife for you before the council appoints one for you."

He glanced through a few more and pretended to be interested in a few. He got up.

"I have things to take care of. I'll look through them better later"

"This should be your top priority" he picked up one "look at this one, she's hot. Choose her," that earned him a hit from Temari, "What?"

"Kunkuro!"

"Fine!" Gaara slipped away. He really didn't want to deal with that at the moment; he had a village to run.

Coming into Konaha was refreshing to say the least. After all the traveling it would be nice to finally settle even if it did cost her a bit… Her mother had died six months earlier. Having no father growing up, her mother had been her only guidance and had been her ticket to exploring new lands as a healer. Here in Konaha, she wanted to help them. She had heard rumors of wars and battles that Konaha was trying to help resolve being one of the largest villages there was. Lush in resources and blessed in many ways, it would be perfect for moving forward in her life and forgetting the old. She looked down at the single sack she carried and then took one last look around. There was children playing, a soft wind, and a strong wall. To keep those children smiling and care free she would help Konaha.

"Miss..." Tsunade looked up at her over her mounting paperwork, holding a single file "Umeko? Am I correct?"
"Yes Ma'am, so few get it right the first time"

She smiled softly. "I have reviewed your applications and made notes on the information I have also gathered. You have been a guest in our town for almost two weeks now and I haven't had a single complaint. It is hard to find someone of your skill and they belong to no village" she eyed her in a way that made her uneasy in a way, as if she knew all of her dirty secrets.

"I promise, before my mother pasted we were only traveling where we were needed and helped anyone that was sick" she gave her an innocent look "you may label me as a traitor if my story isn't true and try me as one as well"

She smirked and petted Tonton, her pig. "Alright," she stamped a paper in front of her, "Welcome to Konoha, you are now a citizen on level 3 restrictions until further notice. Also, you will be going on trial runs with some of our chunins and jonins."

She beamed and bowed "Thank you so much!"

"You're dismissed"

She turned and strolled out.

As the council went on and on about policy updates, taxes, etc, Gaara started to gaze out the window and paid attention when needed. He signed where needed, nodded when needed, and went where needed. He enjoyed his village and cherished everyone in… including the ones that once feared him. He felt the demon stir but understood how to control it very easily at these times. Naruto had taught him not to be afraid and guided him, he would thankful to him for that.

"Now Lord Kazekage," Gaara peeked up moving his hat some, "there is the matter of your union. We talked with your father the same as we speak to you."

Gaara sighed annoyed, couldn't they just go on about taxes again? "I have narrowed down my choices and will make a selection within my time frame. When I decide, you will be the first to know" Calm, cool, collected was his tone but the underlining annoyance did not slip by.

"Very well, now as for your trip to Konoha…" Oh, yes. That had slipped his mind. As a sign of good faith, he was going attend the Chunin exams in the following week. It was purely a sign of faith since the last time the Sand Village had been over taken by Orochimaru and his minions from the sound village as well. He wanted to show the peace they had established diplomatically. He had been so focused on the upgrades to the hospital it had slipped by him.

"Oh yes, what are my arrangements for it?"

"They are going to be having a festival for the chunins becoming jonins and then their graduation, then, by that time, the genins will be completed with their paper exams," he chuckled internally remembering his exam, "and will be doing preliminary matches. The next day will be the actual matches where you will attend. We will be sitting with Lady Tsunade to watch."

Gaara nodded, "I look forward to it, please dispatch a messenger to Konoha and let them know we are accepting their invitation and we look forward to our visit."

Umeko looked around. When you became a citizen in Konoha, you are put into classes and assigned different vacant apartments based on your rank, status, linage, trade, and dependants. She received a very cute one-bedroom, one bathroom apartment. When you walked in, there was a closet for your coat and shoes with no door, on you right was a kitchen with a pantry, the living room was in front, and as you turned left around the corner was the bedroom and bath. A basic home but at least it was hers and Lady Tsunade was kind enough to furnish the apartment until you started making an income for yourself. The washer and dryer was actually in her bedroom, there was separate closet for her clothes. She laid down in her furnished bed and fell asleep quickly.

A few days later, she was assigned her first mission. It was a fairly simple get-and-retrieve mission but with the rumors, Tsunade wasn't taking chances. She had a healer one every mission and two for every dangerous leveled missions. Tsunade was smart, if she was getting ready, the rumors were most likely true…

She stretched and yawned walking back into Konoha. She had been assigned to a weaker group called team Komugi. They originally had taken the chunin exam and quit. The next year they tried again and succeeded. It had been some important scripture Tsunade was to take and put in some secret place. She didn't know the specifics and preferred it that way.