So, now I have four Naruto fics, all going at the same time! lol; man, what with this, school, and work, it'll be a wonder if i don't die!

Anyways, this fanfic was inspired by DarkSakuren's 'Naruto of the Sand' (profile .net/u/1386015/) and is named after it in honor of the now terminated project. It happened just yesterday, to my sadness. I was enjoying the idea, and as I gave my last review, i came up with my own version of the story, and asked if i could write it. Of course, it will be very different than DarkSakuren's was. Right from this chapter it has major differences, as you can tell if you read their's. Still, this story is inspirited by them, and I am honored that they let me take their idea and write my own version of the story.

So, with no further adeau, (besides a dislaimer), ladies and gentlemen, Naruto of the Sand! (version 2)

disclaimer- i do not own Naruto

warning- fem-Naruto; first time for me. I like to keep Naruto a guy, but, well, the original "Naruto of the Sand" was a girl, so that's what I'm doing.

NOTICE! 1-27-11

In several early chapters i reference the original which, at the time, was still posted on DarkSakuren's profile. That is no longer the case, so ignore any comments relating to it because at this point, this is the only existing version of Naruto of the Sand. Alright, that's it. Enjoy!

The woman named Karura was fleeing swiftly through the night. Her hair nearly matched the color of the sand beneath her feet, and she wore the long robes common to people of the Suna country. And she was also obviously pregnant.

Despite her long robes constantly catching the wind of the desert, and despite being well along in her pregnancy, she moved very quickly. After all, nothing was worth what her husband was trying to put her through again. He had already cursed one of their children, and now he wanted to do it again, but she would not allow it. Only one of her children need face that fate, and he was already poised to enact her revenge on the people that put her through so much pain.

She shivered. Giving birth to her first two children was nothing compared to giving birth to her third. Oh the pain! She should have been dead, but granny Chiyo had worked her magic, and so she lived. She lived, and her husband wanted her to go through the same pain again. No, she had thought, no, I will not let you do that to me again! And so, after feigning weakness for months, the time had come, and she had left. Now no one would know, and she and her child would die elsewhere… She felt a small pang of guilt for that. She knew that her child didn't deserve to die, but it was better to die a human than live a demon, and so she ran, not looking back…

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Kakashi lazily jumping from tree to tree as he headed back home. He had just finished a mission on the outskirts of the fire country. It hadn't been too hard, especially as he was still pretty young. He grinned under his mask. He had had his fourteenth birthday on his mission, but Rin had given him an early birthday present… or a half present. After she had finished kissing him she had said that he would get the rest of his birthday present when he got back.

Ever since Obito's death, he had watched over Rin just like he had promised, but not only that, he had felt himself growing to like her, much as Obito had liked her. Of course, he knew, since that day so long ago, that Rin liked him, and but he had kept himself aloof from her because he felt guilty, as if he was taking the place that Obito was supposed to have, being that close to Rin, and he still felt lingering guilt that he had almost left her. He thanked Obito everyday for teaching him that lesson.

Just then he heard a cry and all he senses jumped to the alert. Even though Konoha now had an alliance with Sumo, it was a tense one, and being on the outskirts of the two countries could be bad. However, he quickly found the source of the sound, and realized that it was a woman simply falling over a root. He sheathed his kunai and jumped down.

"Miss," he asked, walking over with his hands in his pockets, assuming his usual slouch. "Miss, are you okay?" The woman turned to look at him suddenly, a little fear at first in her eyes that faded as she saw his leaf headband, and she smiled.

"Y-yes, I am fine. I was just… taking a walk." She knew this young man would not be fooled by her face, but she didn't want to reveal all her troubles just now. What she didn't expect was the concern on his face. She had expected dismissal and him leaving, but this leaf shinobi, did he actually care.

"Miss, not to be captain obvious or anything, but you are quite obviously pregnant, and I know for a fact that there is no village for miles, and only desert to the west, after you pass through the River country, of course, but I think we both know that that's not where you're from, is it?" She looked down.

"Please, shinobi-san, don't take me back." Kakashi quirked an eyebrow slightly. He had had a feeling that she'd left on purpose, but the utter despair in her voice, the pain, was much more than he would have expected. He sighed.

"Miss, well," he scratched his head. "Miss, in Konoha we have a very good hospital, and I'm sure Minato-sensei would be happy to help you out." He kept going, averting his eye slightly as she looked at him in shock. "Would you like for me to take you there?" Karura looked at him for another moment. He was so kind hearted, actually wanting to help! In Suna, the goal of shinobi was simply power, though she had heard, from her husband, about this Minato, if it was the same one, and how 'weak' he was. Was this weakness in actuality… kindness? Could she trust her child to these people? She smiled and made a decision.

"Thank-you, shinobi-san. I would love too…"

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Sometime later, Kakashi made it back to Konoha, waving at the shinobi at the gates while helping Karura move along, though slowly. He was surprised by how fast she had been able to go in the first place, for a woman a little over 8 months pregnant. In the week that it took to get home, he had kept praying that she wouldn't give birth while it was just him. He had actually hoped that Pakkun would get to Konoha quickly and tell them his situation. However, in his impatience, he had re-summoned him to see what the village had said, and it turned out that he had been less than four hundred meters from the tower, and was now quite peeved at Kakashi for summoning him again right before he was done.

As far as Karura went, he never had found out just where she was from. She didn't want to say, but he did know that she was afraid of going back, not just for herself, but also for her child. This made him want to help all the more. Now he just hoped that she wasn't important and that they'd have to send her back, but what were the chances of that? Just then Karura stumbled.

"Are you okay? Is it time?" She laughed slightly and shook her head.

"No, Kakashi-san, though it is closer, it is not yet time." She smiled. This boy always got panicked when he looked like she was about to deliver, but no, not yet. It would be a few days yet. She wondered what day it was, exactly. Her doctor, granny Chiyo, of course, had said it would be 12th of the month, but Karura had noticed that she always gave date a couple days late, just so that people wouldn't get worried if the baby took longer than expected. It seemed that people got more panicked over a baby being a couple days late than being a week early. With all of her other children, they had been born exactly two days early, so she was guessing the tenth. What day was it anyway?

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Minato was feeling flustered. Just a little. A couple days ago, he had received word from Kakashi that he had found a pregnant woman from Suna's territory and that he was bringing her to Konoha. Three days before that, he had received word from Suna's Kazekage that his pregnant wife had gone missing, and to please keep an eye out for here and tell him the moment that she appeared, of course appealing to their new alliance to get Minato to keep his word. Minato was more than flustered. He was frustrated. At least, he thought, I didn't have to say anything right away. After all, I haven't seen her yet, so I don'tknow that's it's her. Darn Kakashi! Did you have to find her? He knew from Pakkun's report that the woman with Kakashi didn't want to go back, and that was what made his situation such a dilemma.

Usually, he would have no problem giving into an ally's request, as that would make the alliance stronger, but in this case, his heart was pulling him the other way. What was it that made this woman not want to go back? What had happened between her and her husband? Minato's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yes?"

"Hokage-sama, Kakashi is back from his mission and is ready to personally give you his report." Minato sighed, slightly dreading the coming interview and confrontation.

"Send him in." The shinobi bowed before showing Kakashi inside. Karura stayed outside to wait for Kakashi to ask for her. The young shinobi walked in and bowed.

"Minato-sensei, I'm ready to give you my full report. To start off-"

"Kakashi, Kakashi, don't worry about that," Minato said, waving his hand at him and turning to look outside. "I know well enough that your mission was a success. That's what I expect from you. No, what I want to hear from you is a little bit about this woman that came back with you." Kakashi looked at him a little odd.

"Sensei? What about Karura-san?" Minato visibly stiffened.

"Ahh crap," he muttered.

"Minato-sensei? What's wrong?" Minato sighed before turning around to address his old student.

"Kakashi, I have to tell you, even though I know you won't really like it. However, two days before I got your message, I got a message from someone else about this woman."

"Oh," replied a surprised Kakashi. "Someone's looking for her? They must be really well off, but sensei I really don't think tha-"

"She's the wife of the Kazekage." There was a moment of silence.

"Ah crap!"

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"So, what do we do now?"

"Well, let's start off by talking to her." Kakashi nodded.

"Of course." He turned to open the door and invite Karura in. "And Kakashi," and with this Kakashi turned around to answer to his teacher's coming comment. "You aren't to let on that we know who she is." Kakashi nodded and opened the door.

"Karura-san, Mina-err, the Hokage will see you now." He stepped aside to let her in as the shinobi outside the door stepped over and offered a hand to help her out of the chair she was sitting in.

"Thank-you, shinobi-san, and thank-you Kakashi-san." She stood and walked into the office of the Hokage, and gave a little bow (after all, it's hard to really bow where you're near nine months pregnant. "Thank-you, Hokage-sama, for allowing me to enter your presence." Minato made himself smile.

"It's no problem, Karura-san, no problem at all. Please, take a seat," he said, motioning to his own seat as he pulled it around for her and motioned for Kakashi to pull it over for her.

"Th-thank-you, hokage-sama," she said a little flustered. She hadn't expected such a courtesy. Goodness knows her husband was never this courteous.

"So," Minato said, leaning on the edge of his desk, "Kakashi tells me that you're from Suna? Is that right?" She nodded. "So, why exactly was it that you left?" Karura looked down at her hands, wringing them just a little bit.

"Please, Hokage-sama, I'd rather not say." Minato frowned. He did want to help her, he really did, but to go against the trust that the Kazekage was giving him, he needed a good reason to help her.

"I'm sorry, Karura-san, but Kakashi told me that you had a reason that you didn't want to go back home. However, you must understand my side of things." He looked out the window and gestured with his left hand at the village. "These are my people, and I love them and will protect them with all my power." His hand came back down, though he kept looking outside. "After the war that we were in, we have been able to make some alliances, but some a more…tense than others." He finally looked back at her again.

"Karura-san, we have little to go on, but what if someone from your country comes looking for you? What would you have me do? If they come here and found you, when they wanted you in Suna, I would have to let them take you or else risk our alliance." He saw her face begin to get white as she looked up at him, but he raised his hands in a calming gesture.

"I'm not saying that I don't want to help you, but you have to understand, we need to know why you don't want to go back, and who, if anyone, mightcome looking for you. In that way we can help you to better avoid being found, and we will be truly help you. Please," he said. She looked down again. Small tears formed in her eyes and fell into her lap.

"My, my husband has put me through some of the greatest pain imaginable, and brought my back to bear more. I saw him to the unthinkable to our child, and live with it, and now, now he wants to, to do it again! Again! He-he," and she broke down into sobs, and there was Kakashi, immediately there to give her comfort and pat her on the shoulder. Minato, though, had to work to keep his composure. As an expecting father, he didn't want to think about what the Kazekage had done to make his wife so distressed, and he couldn't help but shudder at the idea of his wife feeling the same way. He waited for her to calm down.

"I'm sorry," she said, dabbing at her eyes with the sash of her robe, head still bowed and Kakashi stepping away again, "but it's been a very trying time for me." Minato nodded.

"Yes, I can see, but please, you have to tell me exactly what it was that your husband did, or I may not be able to help you." He looked her in the eyes as she raised her face a little. "Please." She sighed.

"My husband made our child a demon." Kakashi looked at her odd, but Minato instantly understood and had a sharp intake of breath.

"He, he did what?"

"My husband made our son a demon, and he told me that our next child would become one as well." She straightened her neck and looked the Hokage full in the face before continuing. "I will not have to children of mine become a demon, and I would kill it before I gave it up that fate!" Kakashi gave a slight gasp at this, still not understanding what she meant, but Minato nodded, being able to understand, somewhat, what she meant.

"I see. So that is why he wants you back…" Karura looked startled at the Hokage, and he lifted up a paper from his desk and handed it to her while he looked off to his side. She took it, eyes widening as she read it, then she fell to her knees and clasped her hands together.

"PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO ME! DON'T MAKE ME GO BACK TO HIM!" Minato was quickly there to pull her up.

"There, there, don't get upset. Our doctor keeps telling my wife that it isn't good for the baby, and don't worry," he added, "After knowing now, I promise on my life that I will never let your husband make your child into a jinchuuriki." Both the other occupants in the room gasped, realization coming to Kakashi, while Karura was again shocked by the kindness of Konoha's Hokage.

"You, you're not going to make me go back," she asked.

"No," Minato said. "You will stay here, out of sight, and no one besides Kakashi, myself, and my wife will know of it. I promise. Oh," he said as she began to break down in cries of 'thank-you' to him, "I suppose we should also let Rin know so that she can be able to help in your delivery as well." He smiled down at her, and Kakashi once again walked up to offer his comfort, though now it was a different comfort. Karura knew now that she would be fine, so now he simply did as Minato did, and offered her the comfort of his friendship, and an assurance that they would take care of her and her child.

A little while later Kakashi and Karura left, Kakashi taking her to Minato's home. He would only give Kushina a couple of the details, but Minato would explain the rest later. For now, things were good. Karura would be well taken care of. The only thing that worried Minato now was the Kazekage's impending visit…

So, i hope you liked this opening chapter. I did want to end it at the part where Kakashi goes "Ah crap" but it would have felt like too short a chapter if i'd done that, so i just inserted a break and kept going.

Just drop me a review telling my what you thought, what I did well, and what you think i can improve on. Thanks! Have a nice weekend! [or weekday if that happens to be when you read this)