This is a revised repost on September 8, 2004 - Expect more to follow
A/N: Please don't steal! It's illegal and not nice and will make me stop writing and... Gaara will send you to a desert grave. However, if you like this fic enough to want to post it on your website, please ask and I will consider.
Sweet Surrender -- Sands of Time
Chapter Two – An Unlikely Pairing
"Squak! Squack!" The flapping sound from the wings of the messenger died down as its feet approached the windowsill. Gaara turned his head towards the windowsill, unsure of whether or not it was a message or just a loiterer. The markings indicated the former, and the tiny scroll that was fastened to its leg confirmed it.
"Okay, let me have it." Gaara outstretched his arm and the bird flew towards him, landing on his forearm. He carefully pulled the scroll from the fastener and moved his arm towards the window, signaling to the bird that it could leave. The bird remained.
"What do you want? Eh? You delivered your message, now return!" He made another sweeping motion towards the window. The bird remained.
"Oh I see how it is. If you don't want to leave willingly, you can be forced it leave." Gaara smiled cheshirely, but the bird remained.
"Squwack!!" FLAP FLAP FLAP! The bird motioned its head towards the letter it had delivered.
"What? You want to see that I have read the letter? Are you supposed to take a reply?" Gaara didn't want to believe that he could believe that he was talking to a bird. Was he that lonely for company?
"Fine. Have it your way-"
"Squack!" Gaara's eyes slitted and he unrolled the scroll.
"The Godaime requests your presence in her office at three pm today. Please acknowledge reciept of this message and intention to attend with your seal. Return the scroll to the messenger after you have stamped it."
No wonder the bird was so damn pushy. Gaara burned his seal into the parchment with his chakra, rolled the scroll back up and replaced it into the holder on the bird's leg. He fastened the holder and then with a sweep of his arm, the bird flew out the window.
Gaara looked outside towards the sun that was nearly overhead. "What is it going to be today?" A deep sigh was heard before he stood up from his comfortable place on the floor. "I guess I might as well get a move on and kill some time on the way over. Come to think of it, I haven't had breakfast or lunch yet."
It was not unusual for the Godaime to request Gaara's presence since he was a powerful shinobi, much more powerful than he was when he came to the Leaf as a genin and a spy to take the chunin exam. Of course his presence was requested more often than not because of his behavior. Although he had not killed any leaf ninja since the re-alliance, he did tend to scare some of the villagers. That, Gaara surmised, was one thing that made him feel at home, since his own villagers were scared of him as well.
Perhaps I should take a shower before heading over there. That would kill some time, and probably keep the Godaime off my back. Gaara headed towards the bathroom, but stopped by the bedroom on the way to grab his scarlet towel and disrobe. He wasn't wearing much clothing to begin with since he had just woken up not too long ago. Gaara had not worn a t-shirt to bed, he had just wore a pair of thin, boxers with a slit in the front that exposed what nether regions he had when the angle of incidence was wide enough to allow a glimpse of what it was that he had to offer.
He slid his boxers past his hips and down his thighs, past his calves and onto the floor where he stepped out of them, left foot and then right. He leaned over towards the floor to pick up his discarded undergarment and threw it to the corner of the room where all his other worn clothes, soaked in his essence lay in wait to be washed.
The 'ai' marked Gaara walked from his bedroom to his bathroom. He put the towel next to the sink for when he was done. Stepping into the shower, he reached for the knobs to turn the water on. The water began to come out and he waited for the hot water to begin running. When it was getting too hot for his skin, he adjusted it to be a little warmer and pulled the knob for the shower. There was a small lag between pulling the knob and shower starting, but when it did, the water beat out at a furious rate, raining all over Gaara.
Ah... this hot water feels good against my muscles. That cramp I had in my back is almost gone between the temperature and my rubbing it. It's a shame that I don't have someone here to do it for me... What? What did I just think? "Why is it that I let my mind wonder in the shower?" Gaara groaned.
I wonder what it would be like to have Sakura in here with me. She could rub my back and work out the kinks in my muscles, that's for sure, knowing all the massages she'd give Sasuke when he was sore from a mission. Would she come into this shower with me, unclothed and offer to wash my back? Would I let her? Would she let me wash hers in return? Wait-"What the hell am I thinking these thoughts for!?"
Gaara reached for the washcloth and then the soap in order to lather it up. He worked the soap around the washcloth until it was slippery. He backed away from the water that was running over him and began to wash himself, in circular motions from his neck, to his shoulders, reaching around for his back, his chest, down to his legs. The concentration of soap was weak on the washcloth from the area it covered and the water that was diluting it so he reached for the soap again, lathering the cloth. He reached back down to wash his other leg, starting from his ankle and working his way up his calf and past his knee to his thigh. He rinsed the cloth out and left it still dripping wet over the cold water knob.
Gaara reached for the soap and lathered up his hands before returning it yet again to its holder. He brought his hands to his face and closed his eyes, working his fingers in hard strokes from his forehead to the bridge and sides of his nose, his cheeks, and his chin. He moved his face towards the running water and submerged it beneath the pellets washing the soap away from his face and his hands before leaning back and wiping the water away from his eyes to open them.
The Shukaku-cage closed his eyes on rare occasions, taking a shower was one of them. When his eyes were closed he conjured up thoughts of images he wanted to forget, memories he wanted to deny. A demon came for his soul and images of a pastel pink haired girl with eyes as green as his came into his mind. He couldn't seem to shut either of them out of his thoughts and consciousness.
He pictured her smiling and laughing at jokes that Naruto had made. The same Naruto who taught him a lesson that was important enough for him to return to Konoha for. He pictured her when she was crying, sleeping, brow-sweated on a mission. One hand steadied himself against the shower wall, another hand made its to the soap. He turned the soap in his hand, getting a fair amount on his palm. He brought his hand down past his abdomen and onto the proof of his manhood. His only regret was that his memories of her were not with him.
What if Sakura was in the shower with me right now? Would her breasts caress mine trying to move around in the closed space? Would she take the shampoo and wash my hair? The movement of Gaara's hand responded to the images in his mind and moved quickly in succession up and down the length and around the girth given to him. "Uuuuunnnnn..." Gaara's panted breaths moved in cadence with his hand and his knees were getting weak. "Aaaaaaaahh..." I would turn to face her and she would blush at the sight of me naked in front of her and blush because I was seeing her with nothing on. She reaches her hand out towards me, and touches me with her fingers, and seeing my response she would take me with her hand and "yeah, just like that... ooooohhhhhhhh.......mmmmmm..."
"Is that how you want it...?"
Yeah, just like that. "Unnn...umm......AAAAAAAHHhhhhnn...." In a heated fury after vigorous movement from his hand, wrist and arm, Gaara came all over the shower floor, and watched as part of him was washed away down drain, just like the ecchi thoughts that had led him to that point in the first place.
I haven't released that much in a long time. Man, why all of a sudden. No matter. Now that that is out of my system, I can finish up in here, finish getting ready and leave for the day.
He washed his hands and reached for the shampoo bottle, squirting out what was left of it onto the same palm that relieved himself. He put his palms together and created lather, and worked the shampoo through his hair. The sand was a savior, quite often, but it was also troublesome to get out of hair. He rinsed his hair out after working all the roots and washed it again until he was sure that all the sand was out. When it was, he finished rinsing his hair and then washed off the rest of the lather with his hands and the running water.
Gaara turned off the water knobs in the shower then shook his head to rid the excess water. He paused, looking at the showerhead that was still releasing a drop of water every few seconds. He knew that it would stop eventually when the pressure that was built up before ran out, just like his urges. He took in deep breaths of steam infused air, letting the relaxing effect coarse through his system. He pulled the curtain to the left side and stepped out onto the bathmat taking his scarlet towel from the side of the sink. The towel was (shortly thereafter the drip drying) deftly wrapped around his torso and covered all the way to six inches above his knees.
He watched the remaining water run down his chest and into the towel, staining it a darker shade of scarlet, the shade of freshly shed blood. He could feel the water racing down his legs at various speeds and sizes onto the scarlet bathmat that mirrored the towel he used. Gaara looked up and saw himself in the mirror and paused, eyeing the image longer than he ever thought necessary. Why am I bothering with this? Usually I don't even bother glancing into a mirror. Unless I am shaving, of course. I never bother with my appearance. Who have I ever needed to impress, what have I ever needed to impress besides my ability? What is it that is telling me to care today? Appearance isn't important to a ninja... Though I have to admit that some ninja are easier on the eyes than others, and some are swooned over. Uchiha Sasuke is one of those ninjas, it wasn't enough that he had Sakura at his tail, but he also had a third of the eligible girls or more lying in wait for his affection. I don't have any onlookers, especially ones 'brave' enough to approach me on a casual basis. Hell, with eyes like mine I wouldn't want to approach me either if I didn't know what I was getting into.
Gaara's eyes started at the crown of the image reflected before him. Questions and musings aside, he had to notice that his hair was unkempt and croppy- wild and untamed, in the color of rouge like the blood he split of others. Even though it wasn't completely dry yet, it wouldn't look any different when it was. His pale skin looked as though it hadn't ever seen the sun, and his forehead adorned with 'ai' was as prominent as it was the moment he crested it. The mark was the most unusual thing about his appearance, being where it was, and what it stood for barring the man adorned with the promise. He saw the eyes that stared back at him were a clear honest color of light green, similar to a particular kunoichi, and lips that weren't puffy, but full with restrained passion that he recently was made aware of. Gaara eyed the lines of his collarbone and the smoothness of the curves. His line of sight in the mirror trailed along his shoulders and he turned slightly, flexing to see his shoulder blades. His chest was broad and defined, arms that had muscle but weren't mountainous or rippled. Gaara concluded that the figure in front of him was not bad looking. In fact, as far as his body was concerned, he was better built than average. The dark circles that proved as evidence to his turmoil were a contrast to the rest of the silken painting, but over all, the figure wasn't bad looking. What does Uchiha Sasuke have that I lack?
Gaara concluded that the figure in front of him was that of a man, regarless of anything else. The figure mirrored for him was he.
This is me... this is what I look like. Not that I have been oblivious before, I just never took the time to notice before. Tomorrow is the seventeenth anniversary of my cursed existence. That has to be why my mood is the way it is now, why I am thinking about these things. All these, sentimentalities.... "Hah."Gaara added to the air, "I guess I will travel back to Sand after the meeting this afternoon for my yearly ceremony with a gravestone" One of my few wanted sentiments...
A while later and Gaara was dressed for the day and left his apartment. He went first to the small udon stand nearest to his apartment to have lunch, and by the time he was finished eating, it was already two o'clock. Remembering that he was supposed to be at the godaime's office at three, he did not want to arrive too early, lest he get asked to run some small errand or take care of some problem.
Gaara decided to do a short bit of running around the park that was on the way to the hokage's office building. Jogging to the park he passed by rows of houses and a number of small shops, children that backed away from the direction he was coming from and adults that turned their heads to other matters.
He was almost there. The park was just around the next bend. Keeping his eyes straight forward, not wanting to look to the sides to give other's a reason to turn away, he neared the curve. It was then that one of the worst possible scenarios had happened.
"Itaiiiiiiii!" Sakura yelled out half in shock and half in pain when she hit the ground, her backside first and her back second, with the water that she was drinking now over all her clothes.
I did not just knock over Haruno, I did not just knock over Haruno, I did not just knock over Haruno... Of all the people, of all the times and of all the situations. And this after I just used her to satisfy my urges... How embarrassing can this be. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to act? I will have to act like I did nothing wrong, that's it – I need to be cool. These thoughts ran through Gaara's mind a mile a second.
She looked up to see an expressionless shinobi of Sand, though, if she had looked a second earlier, she would have seen a face as red as the hair that framed it and a look of shock, surprise, dread, and fear all rolled into one.
Gaara reached his hand out in a non-chalant gesture to help her to her feet. "Are you alright?" This was asked more calmly than his insides were feeling.
"I am sore, but nothing that won't fade away soon, I hope. My clothes on the other hand," Sakura looked down at her dissappointedly, "took more of a visible beating. I guess it'll be fine since it was just water that was spilled on them, "twisting slightly to brush the back of her outfit off, "and this dirt can just be brushed off." Sakura was miffed to say the least.
"As long as everything is in order." Gaara took back to his accelerated jog. He stopped shortly thereafter when his earlier victim called after him.
"Wait! Gaara! Aren't you forgetting something?" Sakura yelled after him.
Gaara checked to make sure that the belongings he left his apartment with were still with him and they were. "No, I have everything." No sooner did he resume his jog that he heard a very loud "Jerkoff!" resounding after him. If she only knew the half of it, I'd never be able to step a foot into this place again...
"What a mean thing to do, bump someone over and then not even excuse yourself or apologize." Sakura muttered while fixing her attire. "Not that I would expect Gaara of the Sand to have any manners to begin with, let alone admit that he was wrong." She added under her breath, in case he had some supernatural hearing that she didn't know about. When she was satisfied with how well she looked given the circumstances, she continued to the small udon stand that she loved across town so she could have lunch before her meeting with the godaime at three.
Perhaps I should have said that I was sorry back there... no no, that would do no good, then she would know it was my fault...
At two fifty-five in the afternoon, Gaara entered the building where the godaime's office was. He headed through the corridors to his destination when he was interrupted.
"Fancy meeting you here. If this was the only place that you had to be this afternoon, you were sure in a hurry." The venom in the voice did not betray the owner.
"I got a message this morning that I was to be in the godaime's office at three, I wanted to get some running in before I arrived here--" said the red-head, emotionlessly, before he was cut off by Sakura.
"Three? But I received notice to be in the godaime's office then. It was probably just a oversight by whoever it was that sent the messages. In any case, with attitudes and behavior like yours, " Sakura felt inner Sakura just barging out and hoped that wouldn't cause her more problems in the near or distant future with her lifespan, "it is no wonder you haven't been 'romantically' linked or attached to anyone. I'd feel real sorry for the person that was. Poor girl, I'd hate to be her!" Sakura emphasized the last part and in her mind added 'Or poor guy...' Sakura went forward at a quicker pace to the godaime's office.
Gaara did not move from the spot he had stopped at after Sakura interrupted him. He tried to move but for some reason his legs weren't responding the way that he had wanted them to. She had actually told him what he feared the most. That he would be alone as long as he was the way he was, even further, that she would hate to be the person that was. That tore into a part of him that he couldn't grasp a hold of and his legs gave out and he found himself on the floor, glad that no one else was in the vicinity.
Sakura pities the 'poor girl' that would be by my side and would hate to be that person. That pain that he couldn't grasp was burning into him, as it had burned into him when he was a child, leaving a scar on his heart. What is this feeling!? Why can't I stop it!? Gaara screamed inside himself until the waves of pain finished crashing to shore, before he could stand again.
Sakura was waved into the godaime's office at two fifty-eight. "Ah! Sakura. We just have to wait for another person before I start. Did you see Gaara on your way in at all?" Tsunade asked in a way that wondered if she had encountered him given the aura that she was emitting.
"Yes I did, he should be here really soon, he was only just behind me. Maybe he stopped off in the bathroom or something." Sakura wondered what was taking Gaara so long to arrive.
"Now I am late for the meeting. Ah well, she can go first anyway, it's not like I have plans that need attention anytime soon." The last time I felt that way was when my uncle told me he wanted to assassinate me and asked me to die, the night I marked myself.
When Gaara reached the godaime's office, he stood outside the doors for a long enough time for one of the guards to take interest as to why he was standing outside and not in the office.
"What are you doing standing out here? You were expected at three."
"There must have been a mistake, Haruno-san had an appointment at three."
"There was no mistake, you both had an appointment for three." Gaara looked surprised for a moment while taking in this information. "You had better get in there before you keep two women waiting any longer." The guard motioned towards the door to the hokage's office.
"I see." Gaara acknowledged the guard's advice and entered the office with narrowed eyes, a physical reminder of the torment he was put through. When he saw his tormentor however, the expression on his face softened for a moment and then returned to his usual expressionless state. The godaime took silent notice of this before proceeding.
"What time is it Gaara?"
Looking at his watch he replied, "Five after."
Not wanting the press the matter of Gaara's truancy, Tsunade brought about the reason for the meeting. "As you know, most of the jounin are on missions or have other important duties that must be tended to here in Konoha."
"Yes."
Gaara nodded his head.
"Well, a new mission came into the office this morning and needless to say, I need you two to complete it. The-"
"Wait, you want me to work with Gaara? You have to be kidding? He has never been paired with someone like me before. How-" Sakura was then cut off mid-sentence as she had cut off the godaime.
"AS I was saying," Tsunade cleared her throat, "we received a request from an heiress in Fire Country for two escorts, one male, one female, to act as bodyguards to her and her fiancée who are getting married this Friday and then going on a...," wondering if she should finish her sentence, Tsunade paused gauging the reactions from the two poles in front of her.
"A honeymoon, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura finished Tsunade's for her, saving the godaime from having report that, which was not as far of a stretch as the continuance.
"Yes, their honeymoon. As I was saying, the heiress, one Takashima-hime, has requested two escorts for the entire ordeal, wedding, honeymoon, final wedding preparations, and so on and so forth. Given the threats that our heiress has received regarding her wedding and honeymoon if there is to be one, this will be a B-rank mission. Also, given the time requirement, you two are the best male-female pair that this village could come up with. I am expecting Takashima-hime here at five. That gives you two about an hour to pack appropriately and return here by quarter of five, so we can go over a few more details before she arrives. Am I clear?" Tsunade leaned back in her chair and looked at the two faces in front of her. Sakura looked shocked and worried, and Gaara, well, his expressionless face that he put on when he entered hadn't changed at all.
Secretly Tsunade hoped that pairing these two on a mission would help them out, Sakura with getting a break from worrying about Sasuke and Gaara with his behavior.
"I understand Tsunade-sama that you want us to pack appropriately for the week ahead and the week after for a 'vacation' of sorts?" Sakura mumbled the last part.
"Yes. You are correct in your assumption. I will also let you know that the honeymoon will take place on an island. There will be a beach. That is all. See you in an hour." Tsunade started fumbling with papers on her desk and writing down a few notes. When she looked up wondering why neither of the two had left yet, the headed for the door. Tsunade sighed.
"I can't believe I got assigned to this mission!" Sakura exclaimed with happiness in her voice that made it seem as if she had forgotten her partner in this mission was Gaara. "I haven't been to the beach in so long!" She began to put more skip in her step.
"Don't you think you are too happy considering you are going to be on this mission with me?" Sakura stopped in her folly.
Turning back towards the expressionless Gaara, "We will be working separately from the sound of it, and I am not going to let you ruin a paid vacation."
"You seem to be misunderstanding something. This is a mission, not a vacation. And we are working together." Gaara lost his expressionless countenance to be more forceful. Sakura was obviously taken aback.
"I think you are misunderstanding something. This is a mission with a vacation. I will be accompanying Takashima-hime and you will be accompanying the groom. Hence, we are not working together." Sakura puffed out her chest as a motion of her validity.
Gaara thought for a moment. "And when they are married and together?"
"Separate rooms, separate areas of surveillance, etc." Sakura flipped her hair.
"Let's hope for that then." Gaara disappeared in a storm of sand.
"Yeah... let's." Sakura left the building and headed for home aided by chakra so she could have more time to pack. She did notice however, that there was less spring in her step.
Back in his apartment, Gaara first looked for his duffel bag so he could start packing the necessities; toiletries, changes of clothes, weapons.
Meanwhile, Sakura was looking for her largest travel bag. When she found it and laid it out open on the bed, she started packing everything that she could possibly need, lots of undergarments, clothes for all occasions, light reading material, makeup and toiletries. She zipped her bag up and almost left the room before she realized that she had forgotten her weapons.
Gaara had arrived at Tsunade's office before Sakura had this time around. Standing in the office, with his medium sized-bag at his feet he awaited the rest of the details. Tsunade had called him in to wait in her office.
"Are you looking forward to this mission?"
"I rarely look forward to missions. I don't know why someone with a list of A and S rank missions under them is assigned to a B rank mission that seems to be a joke."
"I can't say that I completely understand where you are coming from, but there is a shortage of applicable shinobi to choose from right now. I also wanted to give you a change of pace from your normal routine."
"And you think that I need or want a change to my routine? I am satisfied with how things are for me. I don't need a B-rank mission to alter that."
"Satisfied, are you?"
"Yes." Gaara stared at Tsunade without blinking.
"But are you happy?" Rather than smirk, the godaime opted to remain without that apparent twist on her face.
"Happiness is inconsequential. I need not anything more than I already have."
"Gaara, if I may speak bluntly," he nodded for her to continue, "your face tells me that you are lying to me, at the very least, and more importantly, you are lying to yourself. That answer may have suited you last year and years before that. But you are a human. No matter how... different you may be from the average person, or shinobi, you are human, with wants and needs that can only be satisfied with another human. Just don't think that things can't change. I suggest that you take this time to reacquaint yourself with life, and living, with people. I assigned this mission to you because it will challenge you."
"Ah, so that is the reason. And why pair me with Haruno?" Gaara's brow raised.
"Well, she needs a vacation. Waiting for Sasuke has taken its toll, and I don't think you are the kind of man that would take advantage of her situation on a mission such as this one." Tsunade stated as a matter-of-fact.
With much noise, the door to the godaime's office opened and Sakura came in slightly out of breath.
"Sakura, isn't stealth one of the core principles of this line of work? Why on earth are you making so much noise?" The old woman yelled at the younger woman, but still laughed at the scene.
"I had to rush here to be on time, packing, etc. took longer... than...," Sakura inhaled, "...expected."
Both Gaara's and Tsunade's eyes went to Sakura's luggage of 2 large bags and 2 small bags. "Haruno- why are you bringing all of that? This is a mission-"
"Not a vacation, yada yada, I got it already, Gaara. But it is a mission that will span about two weeks and I don't want to be unprepared-"
"What do you need to be prepared? It isn't going to snow, it won't rain everyday-" Gaara was getting irritated at Sakura's 'apparent' lack of professionalism in the shinobi-field.
"I am not going to nitpick about your packing, so don't bother me with your complaints. I won't hear any of it." Sakura stood her place.
"There is nothing to nitpick about with my packing." He stated clearly and pointed to the duffel at his feet. Sakura's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph."
KNOCK KNOCK – "Yes?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama, Takashima-hime is here to see you." Tsunade looked at the clock behind the two people in front of her. Right on time. "Yes please send her in." She gave a look of warning to her two underlings that they had better behave before putting on a welcoming smile for her guest.
"Hello, Hokage-sama. I am glad to see that you look well." Takashima spoke evenly with a ladies' tone.
"Yes, I am fine. I am glad to know that you arrived here without incident." Takashima nodded. Motioning towards each of the other shinobi in the office, "This is Gaara," Gaara nodded in the client's direction, "and this is Sakura."
"Greetings, Takashima-hime." Sakura bowed slightly.
"My! What pretty hair! Has anyone ever told you that your name fits you perfectly? Oh, never mind, I am sure people tell that to you all the time. And, I might add, since you two are going to be working with me for these weeks, you can address me as Hikari. That will also be better for your cover."
"Cover?"
"Yes, Sakura, as escorts for Takashima-"
"Please, Hokage-sama, address me as Hikari as well. Takashima-hime, however appropriate, doesn't agree with me."
"Very well, as I was saying, as escorts for Hikari and her fiancée, you will have a cover. Would you like to explain further, Hikari?" Tsunade stressed her last word.
"Sakura, you will be acting as a very close friend of mine from out of town. Gaara will be doing the same for my fiancée Shin. At the wedding, you two will be in the wedding party. We are going to have a western-type of wedding, so Sakura you will be a bridesmaid and Gaara you will be a groomsman. In order to accompany us through our honeymoon, you will have the suite next to ours to share, and will be posing as a newly formed couple as a result of the wedding. Are there any questions?" Hikari smiled at the two. Gaara stared wide-eyed at the godaime who was trying to keep a straight face herself and Sakura looked horrified and crestfallen. "Is there a problem?" Hikari looked towards Tsunade questioningly.
"No, there is no problem. My initial report of the mission to them must have given them a different impression of their duties while accompanying you." She gave quick glances to her shinobi telling them to pull themselves together.
"Now, I will assume that Gaara has not packed a formal suit given his luggage. Sakura, have you brought any formal dresses?"
"Hikari, I have packed dresses, but not formal dresses. I do not own any formal wear other than my kimono."
"I do not own any formal wear whatsoever," the unamused interjected, "but a simple henge will do." Poof! Gaara was now clothed in a suit.
"My! What style you have! How long does that last?" Hikari asked him excitedly. Sakura just stared at Gaara trying to accept how good he looked right then.
"A henge lasts as long as I want it to last, assuming that I am concentrating on keeping it active." Poof! His attire returned to being his ordinary clothing of black pants and a black t-shirt.
"Gaara, that is a nice idea, but unfortunately, that will not work in this situation. I do not want your cover accidentally blown." Tsunade sighed. "I suppose we will have to come up with something for both of you."
"If I may interject?"
"Certainly, Hikari."
"You three needent worry about formal wear. Sakura will be getting her dress with me this week, and Gaara will get a suit with Shin. We will pay the costs, of course."
"Well then, that problem is solved. Do either of you have any questions before you leave?" Tsunade leaned forward, elbows on her desk, head resting on her palms.
"No." The two answered in unison and then looked at each other surprised. Hikari laughed.
"Well then, let's let the fun begin, shall we? I brought horses for us to travel with, we aren't going too far, but I rather detest traveling by foot, and traveling by anything other than horses arouses too much attention." Hikari headed towards the door.
"Okay." Sakura gathered her belongings. Gaara already headed towards the door.
"Hikari, Sakura and Gaara – have a safe trip." Thanks were said before they all left.
15 pages.
Like? Dislike? It's hard to have a romance story with Gaara as the main character without going a little 'OOC', but the 'present' of this story takes place six years after the present story in the manga, so this very well may be behavior that is in his character. People can change, right? Who'd've thought that Sand would have aided Leaf in the mission to take Sasuke back? That Gaara would help Lee!?
I also decided to do a Sasuke/Sakura pairing in this fic as well. The Sakuga pairing is great (imo) but, I have a soft spot for Sasuke and want him to get it on… in some way or another...
Please review!!!
Thanks for reading!
AstroVixen