Their delegation Leader recovered, he came back to life after a quarter of an hour and still pale faced, he appreciated being catered to and cared for as they agreed to the night watch order. First up was Gene, then Tsukiko, Shisui and Itachi until they would be continuing their travels right at the first light of the morning. 
Their diplomat seemed to be less and less happy about continuing their travels with each passing day. 

After the first attack, tension was high, people were growing exhausted and nothing happened. 

Tsukiko ordered them to work in shifts, to grab sleep whenever they could. "Being tired makes us weaker, that is the opponent's goal." She said. "They are getting what they wanted, the more worn down we are, the easiest of a goal we make." 

It was eerie, the silence and the tension but slowly people grew calmer again but short before the border another attack happened. Granted, Gene surrounded them in a wall of ice and nothing happened, but again the peace they had was gone. Tsukiko, Gene, Itachi and Shisui soon we're the only ones in combat state. Tsukiko and Shisui calm enough to fall asleep everywhere, immediately and at every time. Shisui told her this was an ability that came with time, Itachi and she herself slowly adapted and learned, but it was difficult. Especially Itachi struggled a bit at the beginning seeing as he was used to a regular schedule and technically the youngest among them while Gene and Tsukiko were at least mentally adults, even if they didn't always behave like it. 

The Sand was a strange country, she hadn't been there before, but all there was, was seemingly endless expanses of  Desert and sand with a blue sky and a sun burning down mercilessly. Gene suddenly worried about her skin, as pale as it was she was sure to get a sunburn. 

"How do they cultivate food?" Gene muttered. "This land is so barren and water probably is not a plentiful good either, how can people live here?" 

She crouched down and picked up a handful of Sand, it was finer than any she had seen before, and the air was dreadfully dry. 

"Imports, Sunagakure gets a majority of their resources by imports. The Village is smaller than Konoha and calls an Oasis their home, so there is safe access to water. In Suna the principle is quality over quantity in terms of Shinobi. We have more high caliber Shinobi, but the Sand has always had a higher average level when it came down to the skill of their fighters. " 

"I understand, I will be a bit limited in my combat abilities, I cannot draw as much moisture and water from the air like usual." She said. "I can only fight with water created by Chakra." 

"Well, I do not think that will be our biggest problem with your chakra levels, rather the sandy underground, none of us is used to fighting on it." Tsukiko answered and stopped into it with her Geta. "It will be a few days until we have adapted to that, at least you have a definite range advantage with your bow, arrows fly further than Kunai or Shuriken." 

"We have to watch out anyway, no one knows the desert like the Suna Shinobi. Konoha never had it easy dealing with them." He said, and Itachi nodded, stomping into the sand as well. "Our equipment isn't made for deserts as well." 

Itachi pulled out two bundles of clothes and handed them out. "I took some with me, suited for this, in case the two of you forgot. Tsukiko, your mother insisted on her putting her personal touch to it." 

Tsukiko took them and smiled rather helplessly. "I have some clothes prepared, like I had pants and a shirt." 

"Sorry." Itachi said, and Tsukiko frowned before she took the clothes. "At least I know these are easier to fight in. Excuse me." 

Gene opened it and took out a long Tunic that went down till her knees, it was light blue and pants to wear underneath along with a scarf. "Thanks Itachi." She said, and he nodded. 
Changing inside the carriage, she felt a bit too wrapped up in the thin, comfortable clothing that shielded her from the sun. They entered the desert and Tsukiko next to them dressed in another variation of black Kimono, only this time the desert proof one and a snow-white shawl with black embroidery. 
"Let's go then.", Shisui and Itachi had changed to and in their usual formation for the first time Gene entered the land of Fire she stepped into another country and was not too sure if it sat right with her. The Sand, a country at war with her home...she took a deep breath and marched forward following Tsukiko in her position on the left flank, happy to know people she could trust at her back.