• The village was in a constant state of joy at the appointment of the new Kazekage. He represented all that they sought to achieve. The feast was unlike any other and Gaara had to sit through a long speech. “Welcome to the feast of the Kazekage. Now I’m sure we’d all like to welcome our new Kazekage Gaara. Let’s hope he makes the right decisions and lead Sunagakure into a bright new future. In the meantime lets talk about this village’s glorious past shall we? Temari, Kankuro and Gaara here are direct descendants of the founder of the village. The lord Kemaari traveled here directly following our Daimyo’s orders to start this village. He and a band of future villagers settled in this spot. Kemaari was the brother of the Daimyo of this land. The very one who sent him on his journey to make a new village. Kemaari was meant to be the leader of this new village. The Kazekage as he would be later called. Then among the villagers he mated and took a wife.”
    “She produced a son whom the Kazekage called Kemri. Soon when Kemri was old enough he took over the village from his father. From Kemri came Kaami and Kemi the twins produced by Kemri. Kaami was the daughter of the twins with Kemi being the son. When they were grown up Kemi took over leadership of the village and soon under Kemi’s leadership Sunagakure prospered. Then came the birth of Kemlin, your father Gaara. He is the one who took away the prosperity of the village and into the state its in now. He squandered most of the villages resources to try and gain the attention of the Daimyo whom had long since forgot we existed. He married briefly with the marriage ending abruptly. She died giving birth to you Kankuro. Kemlin was distraught and soon found solace in a new woman whom had moved into the village from another one. They soon fell in love and within just a few months time she became pregnant. Desperate for help from the Daimyo he initiated a deadly Jutsu while you were still inside your mother. He thought he was saving the village then. When your mother learned of the plot she knew she would die for you. It made her sad and angry and she wanted to raise you so bad Gaara, I mean Lord Kazekage. The rest is history and as to any questions as to why Kankuro is not Kazekage it was in the lord Kemlin’s will that it be Gaara whom leads us. He has the strength to defend us. Thank you for hearing me out as I recount the history of our village.”
    He was finally finished and he sat down among much clapping. Gaara never knew he was directly descended from a line of Kage’s. It made him feel special. He was also stunned to realize he was distantly related to the Daimyo of this land. The party lasts all night. Even after Gaara fell asleep and was carried home people still had reason to celebrate. In the morning Gaara began his first day as Kazekage. He awoke early. 4am early. Despite getting to sleep late he was up way early. He nervously gobbled down a meal and headed out the door. The Icy blast of the nighttime desert air hit him like a ice punch. He shivered and hurried where he was going. As soon as he arrived at the building he quickly opened the door and rushed inside. Looking around he saw the light khaki colored hallway that led to a door way. Next to him was another door. He was not sure which door led where. Glancing at the door to his right he studied it. It was a light blue in colour. Looking at the end of the short hallway the door was white.
    He finally just heads down the hallway and opens the door. Once inside he sees rows of books lining the walls and a large desk at the back of the room. A chair sat waiting there were stacks of papers and a sleeping bird. There was a couch nearby the front of the desk and a couple of chairs. This was his fathers office? What was the other door? He goes back down the hall and opens the other door. The room was a bedroom with a big comfy looking bed and dresser. The colours of the room were tan, khaki and beige. All sand colours. The bed was piled high with thick comfy quilts and pillows. The most comfortable bed he ever saw. Leaving the room before he got tired looking at the bed he goes back to the Kazekage office. He sits down.
    He had just sat down and was about to look at the first sheet of paper on the stack in front of him when there was a faint knock on the door. Startled he jumped slightly. Then realizing he was doing nothing wrong he cleared his throat,” Come in.” In walked three elderly men and one elderly woman. All had white hair and all wore the loose grey robes of the elders. “Morning Lord Kazekage. We are happy to see you so dedicated to your position. We are proud to see you here so early.” Nodding he pulls the first piece of paper off the stack. Looking down at the paper he notices it is a request form for him to review. He was just about to start when he heard a knock on the door. He looks up. “Come in,” he says. Temari and Kankuro walk in. They glance at the elders and narrow their eyes.
    “What do you want? Gaara’s here doing his job now you can leave.” They move from the corner of the room and leave. Temari and Kankuro walk around behind Gaara and glance down. “Don’t let them hang around Gaara. Okay.” Gaara nods his head. “This is all overwhelming.” he admits. They glance down at the desk in front of him. “Its really not so hard,” Kankuro says surprising everyone.
    Temari looks at him, “How do you know about this?” Kankuro blushes, ”Dad gave me some pointers and well you know…He thought I would be his only son…after mother died and all.” Temari gives Kankuro a look like he better shut up. Gaara was confused. “Wait if mother died when you were little Kankuro then how.. did.. I?” Temari sighs, “ I guess he should know after all it explains a lot.” They move around the front of the desk and Temari clears her throat.
    “I was born first. Father was kind of angry that his first born was a girl. He wanted a son to rule as Kazekage for when he retired. But I messed everything up. Traditionally the first born are supposed to be male. He wanted to follow histories footsteps and be just like his dad. Then a year later Kankuro was born. You’ve seen our hospital right Gaara? Well when Kankuro was born our mother bled to death. He was such a large baby she never made it. Anyway your mother eventually showed up and father fell in love with her. You would have been born with her blonde hair except for the fact that the Shukaku needed a sacrifice to keep you alive when you were born.”
    “ We don’t have the same mother? “ He asks his voice soft with his feelings. The echoes of the night’s party swim to the surface of his mind. He remembered that guy saying that now. They shake their heads no. One of the elders sticks his head in and says something about the fact that Gaara had a lot of work and they better leave him alone. They leave and glance back at him curiously to see if he’s okay. He doesn’t really see or hear any of this till later. The day passes by in numbness as he slowly works his way through the paperwork. He had a lot to think about.
    So much had happened and so much learned. He also noticed he had not heard a peep from Shukaku. He didn’t know if he should count his blessings or be worried. Looking around he knew he was not going to get anymore done. With a heavy sigh he gets up slowly. Reaching out a hand he pets the breast of the sleeping hawk. “Goodnight”, he tells it sleepily. As he moves down the hall he realized he was very tired. All the lost sleep of years past catching up to him.
    As he sinks his head on the pillow in the Kage’s office he sits up with a sudden thought. With all this sleeping maybe Shukaku will take over now. He had to be sure. Going inside himself once more he faces the Shukaku. “If I sleep you wont take over will you?”, he asks boldly. “No Gaara,” Shukaku says tenderly,” Come here” As he cautiously approaches he gets pulled into Shukaku’s front paws. Shukaku was laying down. He lays Gaara on his paws and nestles beside him. “Good Night” is the last thing Gaara remembers hearing.
    He stood there the next morning. He stared at the Kazekage office. So much had happened. So much information he found out he never knew. What was his mother like? He slowly approaches the door and grabs the handle. What was he so nervous for? Walking in he closes the door behind him. Was this what it meant to be the Kazekage? Sit in an office all day behind closed doors? That’s not what he was going to do. Spending the next few hours doing paperwork. It made him wonder what Baki did while he was here. Baki had been Kage temporarily
    There was so much and more seemed to come. Finally he closes his eyes. Kankuro, he thinks in his mind. After a few minutes He hears a knock on the door. Without waiting for an answer Kankuro comes in. Sitting down beside Gaara he grabs a stack of papers and helps sort through them. By the end of the evening of the next day working nonstop the paperwork was gone and the fresh ones coming in had slowed to a trickle. He looks at Kankuro with new fascination and slight awe. He never would have gotten out of this by himself and now that he had his beast under control maybe they could be a real family.
    Furrowing his brow he realized that there was a better chance of pigs flying than for him to have a normal family. That was the stuff of fairy tales. Stretching he slowly headed for the door. Kankuro watched him the whole time out the corner of his eye. Then as he moved towards the door he reached out and ruffled the top of Gaara’s hair. He came to a stop as he felt the unfamiliar touch of affection.
    Looking back he saw Kankuro’s smile. “You did a great job and never once buckled under the pressure. I’m proud of you, Gaara.” Cautiously he looks towards the window to see if a pig was flying or not. Seeing none he shook his head to make sure he was not dreaming. “What’s wrong Gaara? Kankuro asks anxiously. “Nothing Kankuro.” He moves out the door and into the sudden darkening of the skies. Traveling he reaches his other secret destination in 10 mins.
    Looking around nervously he knew no one came here late ate night but still to be better safe than sorry. Striding down the rows of stately marble and granite he found the only odd headstone. Made out of red obsidian it was the only one of its make and colour. Kneeling down in front of the stone he caresses it with a free hand. Leaning closer he nuzzles his cheek against the cool stone. Sighing he shifts most of his body weight against the red stone. “Momma.” he sighs contently. He lays there sleepily telling her his progress and exclaiming how he felt as of recently. He tells her how confused he’d been and how he was trying to pick up the shattered pieces of his life.
    The next thing he notices was that it was dawn and that he once again fell asleep on his mothers grave. Getting up he stretches and heads home. He half expected a lecture when he got there. He had done this before. “Morning Gaara,” Temari greeted. Nervously he sits at the breakfast table awaiting his lecture. It never came. Nor was there any conversation. That was not that unusual. When it came to Gaara and mornings the two did not mix.
    Still he half expected some kind of talking to. At the Kazekage office there was nothing to do so he left early and wandered around. He had only been walking for five minutes when he heard a voice. “Lord Kazekage. May I speak with you?” Turning he observes a quiet looking young woman with dirty blonde hair and a slim figure. He felt slightly guilty that he did not recognize her. At least He could hear her out.
    “What can I do for you,” he says. “I know you don’t know me but I have been following you for a while. And while I know you don’t know me I am eager to hear about your answer to my proposal.” He furrows his brow. He tried to remember all those papers he filled out the last several months. “If it helps any my name is Jaily.” she said. Shaking his head he begins,” I have been through hundreds of papers in the last…. Putting her hand up she stops him.
    “Its alright Lord Kazekage I understand.” she seemed so disappointed. Head pounding from the strain of his indecision he let a little moan out of his lips. Just as she was about to grab his hand in concern one of his optic eyes spotted a cloud of dust racing towards the border of the village. Turning on his heels he decides he can at least protect these people even if he could not remember them.
    At the edge of the village he watches as the sand kicks up a great fuss from whomever it was that approached. Then as the figure got near a saguaro cactus it stopped and seemed to hide there. Like an ambush on sand was still in his mind. And yes from this distance he could tell it was male. Wrinkling his nose at the very masculine scent he tries to make out hi age. Still young, barely a teenager. The young man sat scanning the edge of the village.
    He would spot Gaara sooner or later. Then a with a gasp and a stiffening of his back Gaara realized he was finally spotted. The boy moves around out into the open. Just as he does Gaara realizes he was not alone. Seeing him standing at the edge of the village with his arms folded like that alarmed kankuro and Temari. And also that Jaily was with them. Great, just what he needed. An audience.
    The lone figure approaches slowly and with hands spread wide open. Gaara knew not to fall for that trick. He narrows his eyes. The young man seen this and his startled eyes reflected his thought. Sinking to his knees before Gaara he bows his head low to the ground. “My lord”, he acknowledges. Taken off balance Gaara looks at the figure kneeling before him. Something did not feel right. And as those feelings continued to stir within Gaara that was when the first assault happened.
    Twirling in surprise he suddenly noticed the mass amount of Raiders poised at the edge of Sand. Thinking quickly he throws up a sand barrier around the village, trapping the villagers inside and them outside. Then he realized he would need back ups. But too late they were within the sand sphere now. Moving swiftly from foe to foe he attacked relentlessly. When he saw a group nearby he concentrated. “Giant Sand Burial!” With those gone he moves on. Temari was doing remarkably well on her own. Something still felt wrong to Gaara. These Raiders were too numerous and too hard to kill.
    And more kept coming. There was no end to them. Using his kunai he quickly moved between them and planted his kunai in their belles and pulled upwards. He had done this several times before realizing he no longer felt sharp gusts of wind anymore. Looking he saw Temari exhausted and Kankuro by her side with his puppets. Kankuro opens up crow and hides Temari in there, protecting her and then concentrating on battle. “Gaara!”, he shouts over the sound of battle, “They are using something that messes up our chakra really bad. Don’t let them touch you.”
    As he spoke one came out from the clouds of sand behind him and stabbed him in the arm with a long kunai. Eyes widening and feeling his arm go dead Kankuro falls to his knee. Looking up he knew then that his Chakra was messed up. As the Raider was about to deliver his final blow there was a red and black blur behind Kankuro. Looking up the Raider saw Gaara. “Eternal Crimson Sands” he mutters. Slumping the Raider died. Kankuro looked in surprise at Gaara.
    What was that move and how had he killed so easily? As they were being surrounded by more of the Raiders Gaara readies himself for more battle. As he raises his kunai Sudden blurs of yellow passed through the enemies followed by blurs of green, pink and white. And before Gaara could blink all the Raiders were gone and all that was left standing before him was Naruto, Rock Lee, and Kakashi. Moving from behind Kakashi he notices Sakura as well. “Hi Gaara! We beat their butts didn’t we. Believe it!”