The journey to the Sand was strenuous, to say the least. The ache in her back and the cracks in her lips, proved that her body wasn’t meant for this kind of travel and certainly this level of monstrous heat.

Rin leaned back against a boulder and massaged her sore feet, finding more than one blister at the bottom. “I’m going to be a mess before I even get there.”

She blew out a long sigh and glanced up, shielding her gaze from the harsh sunlight.

With the walls of the Sand Village coming into view, she tried for the umpteenth time to brush down her wild hair, only to have it blown up again by the desert wind. It kicked wave after wave of sand into her face, most of it landing in her mouth, right as a lizard went shooting past her feet.

She shuddered, suppressing the scream climbing up her throat.

What a terrible place to live.

Rin longed for the sight of white walls, the beeping of machines and especially, the scent of the laboratory where she’d spent her childhood.

Even if her home had once been used for nothing more than experiments and her family were mostly made, instead of born, it felt normal to her. They ate dinner together and laughed and were studied under various forms of exertion for extreme weather patterns, what wasn’t normal about that?

The switch to making the Sound an actual village wasn’t going to happen overnight.

She knew being summoned by anyone from the outside, especially someone as important as the Kazekage, was imperative for their success. That knowledge left her on pins and needles the entire way and even made her turn back once...twice...four times.

Finally, finally, her tired feet found their way to the impressive gate and she waited for the guards to acknowledge her. They didn’t even look in her direction.

The sack slung over her shoulder gained weight the longer they took and her patience waned beneath the unforgiving sun.

“Hello?”

No reaction.

Rin planted her swollen feet and tried a little louder. “Hello!”

Blissfully, one of the guards stopped his pacing and glanced down to her. “Hey, you down there! What business do you have with the Sand?”

Her mouth felt dry. “I am Rin Ito from the Village Hidden in the Sound. The Kazekage sent for me.”

There was a shuffling up top, suspicious voices carrying on the wind. One guard raised his spear and pointed it down at her. “What would Lord Kazekage want with someone from the Sound?”

“Well...” She hesitated. It was in her express orders not to reveal the purpose of her mission.

Trading or negotiating were one thing, but insinuating that the leader of their village needed help from someone as lowly as her was another matter altogether.

“Speak up!”

Her mouth opened, but closed again. She’d practiced what they told her to say, but it wasn’t coming out right.

“You better start talking, girl. We ain’t got time for any games.”

“Enough! This is a guest of our Lord Gaara. Stop pestering her.” The voice belonged to a woman with a large fan strapped to her back.

The way the men parted around her made Rin jealous. This was the kind of woman who commanded respect from birth and it showed. Her strides were proud, her head high, with an expression that showed no tolerance for insubordination.

When the wide gates opened, the sudden wave of relief she felt at the woman’s rescue disappeared into familiar anxiety, who had been her companion on this long trip.

She’d heard stories about the Sand and certainly done her research on them. She’d even participated in the Great War that united the Five Nations, though her role had been more support than front-line battle.

Her talents lied in healing, not in bloodshed.

The woman took the stairs in threes and landed before Rin, her sharp eyes assessing the younger shinobi. “My name is Tamari. I am head of security for the Sand and Lord Gaara’s private counsel. I’ll be escorting you to the courtroom where you will meet with the Kazekage. Do you understand?”

“Ye... yes ma’am?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

Rin straightened up, her bag sliding off her shoulder. “Yes ma’am!”

“That’s more like it. Let’s proceed.”

She followed closely, but not too close, afraid Tamari would stop and she would slam into her. She moved so fast that it was nearly impossible to keep up, especially with the blisters stinging every step she took.

Around her, villagers stopped what they were doing to stare. She’d considered leaving her headband at home, but was encouraged by her leader to wear it proudly. If she were to be an ambassador for their people, she was going to have to look like she had nothing to hide.

Rin set her shoulders and tried to match the proud stance her guide executed, even adding a bit of the same scowl, though it felt foreign on her face.

By the time they reached the courtroom, Rin felt as if she may faint. Tamari’s relentless strides took what little energy she’d spared from the journey and she felt her legs wobble as she climbed the final two steps.

Temari turned and took to freshening Rin up; combing her hair with her fingers, straightening her head band, all while speaking a mile a minute. “When you enter the court, ensure that you don’t speak unless spoken to. Stand up straight, bow when you must, speak quickly and be direct. The Kazekage is a busy man and he doesn’t have time to waste on your pleasantries. You understand?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good. I’ll go in first.”

Rin suddenly felt as if she’d landed in a nightmare; everything was happening too fast. She’d figured she would be shown to her quarters and perhaps not even see the Kazekage for a few weeks, give how busy his schedule was. She’d have time to prepare herself properly, not being thrust head first into the deep end of politics.

What if he were angry at her disheveled appearance? What if she showed her village in a poor light? What if he were so unimpressed with her, he’d crush her in that sand of his, just for the entertainment of his court??

Her mind raced with the stream of terrible thoughts that seemed to swallow her. She’d seen Gaara at the Great War rally, but it was only the few moments he addressed the armies as a whole. She’d never come face to face with him and certainly never had a conversation before.

She knew about his past, as everyone in the world did, but reports claimed he’d been a new man since the jinjuruki had been stripped. By the graveness of his own sister’s words, however, she wondered if the reports were correct.

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The feeling of stone beneath her feet was heavenly compared to the hot sand and the cool did a small bit at calming her panicking imagination. She doubted she would even see a gross lizard inside the hall either. Maybe that’s how the people of the Sand did so well in this desert place? Never. Go. Outside.

She could get behind that, no problem.

When the hall opened up, five men and two women waited to greet her, all seated around the young man in the middle, who barely noticed when she approached.

“Lord Gaara. Your guest from the Sound has arrived.”

The sound of his pen scratched, as he stopped writing and glanced up to take her in, though he remained silent.

Rin felt underdressed. She’d worn traveling clothes, but maybe she should have insisted on changing no matter how Temari would have scolded her?

Her fingers came up to twist the ends of her ponytail, a nervous habit she developed years ago.

To Gaara’s right, a man with a painted face stood and smiled at her. “Welcome, Ms. Ito, to the Village Hidden in the Sand. I hope your journey wasn’t too taxing.”

“Thank you, and no, it was fine.”

Yeah right, every step brought me closer to death.

“Good. I trust you’ve come with the appropriate supplies necessary for your business with us?”

The bag on her back felt even heavier now that everyone was staring at her. “Yes. I’m prepared.”

“Very well. Your silence on the matter has been greatly appreciated. We’ll show you to your quarters, if you’ll just...”

“Excuse me, Captain Kankuro, but we have some questions for the girl.”

This came from an older member of the council, who stared her down with thinly veiled suspicion. “Young lady, I’m sure you are aware of the reputation your village carries.”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m sure you are also aware that your presence in our hall today is somewhat unprecedented, since the unfortunate incident with the Leaf some years back.”

Rin shuffled a bit under her gaze. The tone of her words didn’t feel friendly. “Yes.”

The older woman leaned forward on her elbows. “Does it not seem strange, that our Lord Kazekage, received such quick response from the Sound and they saw fit to send one solitary shinobi? It’s customary to travel with an entourage when visiting the head of another village, so why the secrecy with just you?”

There was a look passed between the council, before resting back on the strange girl.

The captain, Kankuro, raised his voice slightly. “That was per our instructions. The last thing we wanted was a spectacle, councilwoman.”

“It seems suspicious.” A male voice piped up from the right side.

“It wouldn’t be the first time the Sound has sent an assassin under the guise of healer. Easier to sneak about unnoticed if you don’t have a group of foreigners to bring attention.”

Assassin? Is that what they think, I am?

There was a murmur growing louder amongst the council-members, fear and suspicion rising with each passing second.

“Where did you intend to be staying tonight? Surely not on the grounds?”

Rin’s mouth formed a hard line. “I won’t be sleeping tonight. I have my mission to complete. I will be with Lord Gaara, if he is prepared to receive me.”

“In his chambers?”

“Yes.”

“Alone?”

Her eyes flickered across the faces staring her down, the copper taste of pride in the back of her throat. “Yes.”

“Captain Kankuro! Captain Temari! Neither of you said this would be a solitary encounter!”

“Would you have agreed if we had?”

“Well of course not! You are leaving the Kazekage defenseless, while an assassin from the Sound waltzes in and has her way.”

Rin's mouth curled into a snarl; her heartbeat wild in her head. How dare these old geezers accuse me! They don’t even know me!

She didn’t need this. She didn’t need to be treated like a criminal for something she hadn’t even been part of. She’d rather take her chances back in the desert than listen to another word of this.

I have more important things to do with my time. Screw this.

Rin scoffed, hitching up her bag on her shoulder. Her feet turned to leave, ready to report all of it back to her village head, until her gaze settled on the man in the middle of the noise.

Lord Gaara hadn’t moved from his spot, his pale eyes studying her.

She noticed the black circles, so deep and dark they looked like coal. Rin wondered how many sleepless nights it took to win a pair like those? The longer she stared, the worse she felt under his gaze. He seemed more than just tired, worse off than the average insomniac who visited her family’s shop. He seemed...worn.

A pang of guilt struck her heart.

Though not a word was spoken between them, the intention in his expression was clear.

Please. Please help me.

Rin gave him a small, understanding nod. Her attention turned to the chaos echoing through the room, thunderous in its outrage. She took a step forward and cleared her throat. “Excuse me, fair council.”

They ignored her.

Oh, I think not.

Digging her heels into the stone floor, Rin’s hands cupped to her mouth. “I said... EXCUSE ME!”

The arguing silenced, each member surprised by her outburst and angry at her disrespect.

She lowered her hands; her words slow and careful. “I understand the fears you have. The acts of the past will not be easily wiped away by a piece of paper and wishful thinking. I’m aware of the sins my people have committed, much like I am aware of the atrocities the Sand committed with them.”

“What insolence!”

“But need I also remind you, that I was summoned here by the Lord Kazekage, himself? I am no common street peddler and my bag is full of herbs, not tricks.”

With this, she set down her heavy satchel and opened it for them to see. “Inspect it if you wish. Search my clothes and my headband and you will find no weapon or poison. Just the desire to complete the mission, for which I will now be greatly compensated.”

“Greatly?”

“Why yes. Once for the agreed upon price and twice more, so this insult of my intentions won’t reach the head of the Sound. You wouldn’t want the reputation of the Sand further diminished; I trust? You’re already known as less than hospitable by the other nations, how terrible if the Sound of all places condemns you.”

One of the men narrowed his gaze. “What of this jutsu you claim to be able to perform? What if you attack through it before we have time to assist?”

Rin’s mouth stitched into a smirk on the right side. “Then the tales of the Fifth Kazekage’s strengths, must be widely exaggerated, indeed.”

This comment unleashed a cacophony of outrage, as she knew it would. Good, let them be outraged, it was only fair.

Amongst the shouts and the gesturing, the jeers and roars and complaints, there came a sound no one was prepared for. It started off quiet at first and then grew louder and louder, until it echoed through the hall like the flutter of a bird’s wings.

All eyes turned to the man, sitting at the head of the table, who held his stomach with both hands.

“Lord Gaara? Are you... laughing?”

And indeed, he was.

“Yes! It’s funny! You’re all so worried about something so small.”

A smile was certainly not something she’d expected from her goading and by the reaction of the members around him, she could tell her surprise wasn’t unfounded.

Gaara stood from his chair and crossed an arm over his chest, bowing his head to her. “My apologies for the inquisition. I, more than anyone, understand how it feels to be judged so harshly for the sins of a past, which has nothing to do with you. Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Sand, Ms. Ito.”

“Lord Kazekage, your council advises against this foolish idea.”

Gaara assessed them with no more than a brief glance. “And I’m uncertain of why my personal affairs have anything to do with your dictation, councilwoman. If you think one young shinobi is enough to bring your Kazekage to his knees, then we have much bigger problems in this room.”

She was taken aback. “But... but my Lord, your safety is our chief responsibility.”

“And that responsibility rests on myself, not you all.” Tamari’s voice was sharp, when she stalked in to stand beside Rin.

Her hand found its home on the young girl’s shoulder. “I have assessed Ms. Ito and found her safe to perform her duties tonight. I’ll give her the conditions she states, but I will insist on two guards posted outside the door at all times and an escort to and from her quarters. Does that satisfy the council?”

There were concerned murmurs, but no real objections.

“Does this please you, Lord Kazekage?”

“It does.”

Tamari turned Rin to look at her, and spoke in a voice that was softer than she had heard since her arrival. “And does this satisfy your needs, Ms. Ito?”

Rin nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’ll start tonight.”