Once, when she was five years old, little Shamo approached mother's room, and knocked on the wooden door, holding her cute teddy bear toy. She was barefoot on the wooden floor, and dressed in her white pajamas.

No one answered from the room.

"Mama?" she called, apparently being saddened. She knocked louder on the door.

"Come in sweetheart!" she suddenly heard beloved mom's voice, but it was a little quiet - it seemed she was in the shower.

"Okay!" rejoiced child giggled and softly pushed the door, entering the room.

Mother's big cozy bed was already made. Shamo always loved this fluffy bed, so now she giggled joyfully and jumped on it, cuddling within it, being soothed.

"Mommy's lovely bed..." she murmured. Then she suddenly spotted a sand gourd on the bed! With those rose and orchid depictions on it...

She widened eyes, and looked aside, at the window-sill, where that eternal orchid was blooming...

She looked back at the gourd. She was eager to touch it, feel it, knowing it was a forbidden fruit. She sensed that this sand was special... It was not an ordinary sand she could see outside on the beach...

She slowly stretched her tiny forefinger towards it, nervously squeezing her teddy bear with the other hand.

But then she hesitated, glancing at the bathroom door of her mother, where she was now taking a shower and gently humming.

She gulped.

Mommy will get upset... she thought, but the sand gourd was dazzling her eyes like no other jewel of sumptuous Hidden Gem Village of the Land of Gold...

She stretched her forefinger slowly again, and softly, tremblingly touched the gourd.

Unlike the usual sand, this one was really warm...

She felt strange energy streaming into her body through her finger she had placed on the gourd...

She widened eyes, and gasped.

So cool... she thought, and now fully put her hand on the gourd, slightly giggling.

And suddenly, the sand emerged from the gourd, floating in the air around her tiny hand, as if playing with her!

She widened eyes and slightly cried, putting her hand away.

The sand flew towards her slowly, surrounding her, and caressed her hands, fondling with her hair...

She gasped, and giggled as it tickled her. She felt really happy... This feeling... It was so wonderful and... so strange...

"Hello sand..." she waved her hand to the sand, as if this latter was alive.

The sand rolled in the air, as if greeting back!

She got even more astonished, and amused, giggling.

"Um... What is your real name, sand? Do you have one?" Shamo asked, giggling.

The sand caressed her hands again.

"I guess that means no," Shamo beamed.

But suddenly sand landed down on the bed and gathered in a strange position, making a hieroglyph for love - Ai ( 愛 )!

Shamo widened eyes.

"Ai?! You say your name is 'love'?" she was astounded.

The sand fondled with her hair.

Shamo giggled, being tickled again.

"I guess that means yes," she smiled, "Okay then, Ai, nice to meet you!"

The sand was actively floating, as if rejoiced.

Shamo smiled.

"Hey, do you want to play?" she smilingly offered, "My mommy teaches me lightning style, but I kind of feel it is not my strong side..." she looked down, "I've never made it... But I've heard from various ninja in the village who have travelled westward through the ocean, that on the western continent a lot of ninja use sand style... You are sand, so maybe... if we become friends..." she blushed, "you would teach me how to work with you?"

The sand tickled with her cheeks. She giggled happily.

"Thank you so much!" she brightened, "Then maybe, we start now?" she fearfully glanced at the bathroom door, "until my mom comes out... She will get upset if she sees me playing with you..."

And thus, she and the sand, who had 'introduced' itself as Ai, started working on her moves. The sand was floating around her hands, teaching her the moves, and she started manipulating with it in two minutes. She was perfecting her newly learned 'jutsu', feeling amused by playing with her new 'friend', when the bathroom door suddenly opened and her mother, Lady Lao Shin, in her white bath-robe, walked out!

Shamo startled and looked at her.

"Hey Shamo, sorry for making you wait, darling..." Lao said, her eye closed, as she was adjusting her hair, but then she opened her eye and gasped in shock - Shamo had opened the gourd and was playing with the sand, and even more than that - manipulating it!

Seeing her mother's shocked expression, Shamo got frightened and put her hands down.

"Wh... What are you doing?" Lao came up to her, being astonished.

Shamo felt scared, and tears appeared in her eye.

"I... I'm sorry mom... I just..." she started sobbing. "I'm sorry..."

Lao ran up to her.

"Oh, no, no, dear," she pressed her to her chest, caressing her, "Don't cry... I didn't intend to frighten you, sweetheart..." she kindly beamed, "It is just... so unexpected..."

Shamo cuddled with mother.

"I didn't actually do anything bad, mom... I swear..." she tried to justify herself, tears falling off her eyes at the same time, "I just got curious and... I... I only touched it... the sand emerged and started playing with me..."

"Oh, really?" Lao widened eyes, and then beamed, patting her child and wiping off her tears with her fingers, "Now there, don't cry honey... Calm down..."

"You're not mad at me?" Shamo astoundedly looked up at her, wiping away her tears.

"No, dear, why should I be?" Lao kindly giggled, "It's actually the opposite - I'm really happy..."

"You are?" Shamo widened eyes.

"Yes. I desperately tried to teach you lightning style, but you never made it... And now, here you are, manipulating the sand, and you did it in such a short time!" she smiled, "Just like... just like..." and she suddenly saddened, glancing at the everlasting white orchid blooming in the vase, "Just like him..."

Shamo was surprised.

"Like whom, mommy?" she curiously asked.

Lao started, realising she had spoken it out loud, and got confused, not knowing what to do, what to say, but then she sighed and answered:

"Like the one who gifted me this gourd..." she pointed her on the gourd.

"Really?" Shamo's eyes got bigger as she grasped on an interesting story, "And who was it, mom?" she looked up at her, being all ears.

Seeing her funny pose, Lao kindly laughed, and put her on her lap, caressing her.

"You don't need to know, Shamo, dear. That person is now far far away".

"Aww, pleeease," Shamo made a cute face and puppy eyes.

Lao softly laughed.

"Oh, how can I refuse to those lovely eyes," she chuckled, and tickled her on nose. Shamo giggled.

"Hehehe, stop, mommy!" she smiled.

"Fine then, I'll tell you," Lao beamed.

Shamo brightened and stared up at her, lending ears.

"I met him while my siblings and I were still young, and were travelling in faraway lands to search for our enemy, Akuno Hei..." Lao started narrating.

Shamo was excited.

"He was a handsome young man... With all the traits of a valiant knight - courageous, calm, reserved, loving, caring, and protective... He was the leader of desert nomads, the ninja skilled in wind and sand styles... He was powerful and strict in battles, merciless towards disrespectful and darkened ninja who threatened his loved ones, and kind towards those in need of his help, both physically and spiritually... The ones who were lost, or the ones who were hurt - all would find salvation by his mighty and gracious hand..."

Shamo was attentively listening to her mother, catching every word, being amazed at how this sand master was being described - as a majestic and handsome man...

"Woow, he was so cool!" she remarked.

Lao giggled.

"Oh yes, he was cool..." she then sadly smiled, looking at the white orchid, and got back to her tale, glancing down at Shamo: "He helped us too, and, together with him and his powerful friends, we took down Akuno, finally finding peace within... I owe him... for eternity..." she sighed.

"But why did he go, mom?" Shamo got interested, being a little sad for this outcome.

"Oh, he didn't go, dear," Lao bitterly smiled, "We had to part... Our ways were too different... He was the leader of his people, I - of mine... He stayed in his land, I returned to mine... But he gave me that orchid and this gourd, and also, the most precious treasure..." she beamed, caressing her.

"What treasure?" Shamo widened eyes in curiosity.

Lao kindly smiled.

"You, my dear," she answered, kissing her on forehead.

Hearing this, the child gasped.

"What?!" she exclaimed astonishedly, "So, you're saying, he was my..."

"Yes, he was your father," mother smiled.

Shamo was dumbfounded... But then she happily cried:

"Woohoo!" she got extremely joyful, "That is so cool! I have such a cool father!" she looked up at her, "What is his name? Where is he? When will he visit us?"

Lao sighed, seeing her reaction.

"He was known as 'The Lord of the Desert'... He's in his land, far far away, and he will not visit us... He cannot..."

"But... But why?" tears appeared in saddened Shamo's eyes again.

"Dear, he cannot travel through the oceans... It is too far... A true leader cannot leave their people alone, even for personal reasons, even for family... That is one of the main curses of being a leader... However, you need to get familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of leadership, for soon I will give Diyuma spirit to you to wield, and you must be able to control it, and guide our village and our people..."

"But... I don't want such thing if I get to be separated from my family, mom," tears fell down Shamo's cheeks.

"Darling, no matter how far your family may be, they will always be beside you, right in your heart..." Lao beamed to her, "And in our case, also that sand you played with..."

"I know!" Shamo suddenly brightened, "I will work on the development and perfection of my sand style, and I will take part of this sand, daddy's sand, and infuse it with mine, so he can always be with me!" she jumped up, and grabbed part of the sand with her palm, taking it away and running out of the room, taking her teddy bear as well. The remaining part of the sand returned into the gourd.

Lao watched her running out, and then sighed, glancing at the orchid, bitterly smiling.

Oh, Gaara... If you only saw her right now... She reminds me of you every time I see her... she chuckled kindly. Gaara... I wonder how you are now... In any case, know that, no matter you're not here, everything is just like you told me - I feel your presence, and our little Shamo... I think she feels it too...

She then looked out of the window, smilingly watching her little daughter playing in the green field, manipulating with sand.

You grow so fast, Shamo... she thought, loving beam covering her face.