Book One- The Enemy

Chapter 4

The Desert, the most dangerous terrain, the harshest living, the most loyal of armies.

The night air nipped bitterly at the sand shinobi below, yet none flinched. They were too used to the highest of heats and lowest of colds to fall under the weather. The army, although not vast, housed the strongest among Suna. With the arrival of their captain the camp silenced at her presence. The wind slipping past her caressing the gracious princess of Suna revealing a mighty goddess as she strode past her subjects. Her teal gaze set on the sandy tent before her.

She had made her way back from Suna with news of a possible battle ahead of them, her reinforcements to be joining them soon. Her brother and Kazekage Gaara putting his trust in her and allowing her to take command as she always did. She was the leader of the front, although small it was specialized in jonin of great talents and of the highest ranks.

Entering the tent, she paused unseen by the bickering fools inside. Temari glanced between Kankuro and Baki arms crossed expressions set in ones of irritation. The chill night air around her seeming to heat up as the two argued with at each other. She'd gotten back to camp just in time to take command it seemed.

"You could have at least hidden the damn bodies Kankuro, I've been at the border all day making sure they don't get on our side" Baki glaring down at Kankuro who equally looked annoyed and with a groan to express it spoke.

"We did Baki, problem is they had one hidden and we couldn't just barge in after him who knows where the camp is" He raised his arms to emphasize his point. Baki scoffed and slammed a fist into his palm voice raised.

"Admit it, it was rash thinking, we didn't have to engage them and yet you did" Baki pulled back when he shoved a finger glared through his pained eyes.

"What exactly are we supposed to do when they attacked first" The room suddenly silenced the conflict subsided as Temari cleared her throat restraining her next words.

"Stop bickering like children, it's embarrassing" The two slowly turned to the narrowed darkened eyes of Temari her voice laced with authority.

"You heard?" Kankuro shrugged back under the glare and Baki avoided her eyes all together.

"It was rash thinking Kankuro you've engaged in conflict without considering what's on the other side, I've heard how the sizes of the units gotten more reinforced since you intervened" She turned to Baki, although her sensei even he knew better then to go against her final say as she was still the Kazekage sister, a noble lady of Suna and his chief in command currently. "Baki don't scold him he had every right to attack" He eyes glanced between them her chin lifted proudly "The Sand doesn't back down from a fight, that would make us cowards. If they want to come to our borders, then we will to" She turned to Baki's shocked face.

"They are going to strike arn't they" he clenched his jaw looking down. She lifted her finger to her chin a moment thinking, their eyes still trained on her once more

"Give me the night to come up with our counter, We'll be at war soon enough so be prepared and double our patrols, we have a reinforcements coming in soon" Kankuro nodded first and gave her a smirk.

"We've got a master strategist on our side I doubt they'll get the upper hand on us" Temari rolled her eyes and smiled at him breaking her stern expression for a moment to that of a worried sister.

"Don't get too comfortable, I need you to oversee patrols" She looked at Baki her gaze just as soft "Baki I want you to prepare our Chunin, they are still new to war and aren't ready yet for the front lines"

"They are still kids" Kankuro muttered looking at Baki who nodded solemnly.

"Well, what do you expect? Our army has taken some big loses, not to mention the Leaf's jinchuriki attacked us a couple of weeks back, it's not like we have to many troops to begin with" She didn't seem fazed as she spoke mind shifting to her brother back home. Gaara had trusted her entirely to take command up front and she had been leading for years now. The other nations believed him to have tamed the demon Shukaku, but it was more different than they thought. The loses hurt but like the desert the army was cruel and merciless that alone won them quite a few battles over the years.