A/N: Welcome back, dear readers. Please enjoy the conclusion of "Masquerade". =)

The Reveal

"L-lord Kazekage," she said, but it came out a mumble. She tried again. "Lord Kazekage, I am truly honored for this dance." Now if she could get her trembling under control.

"Thank you, Yamanaka-san," he said with gravitas. He held out his hand. "The honor is mine."

She could do nothing but step forward and settle her hands where they belonged. She prayed she wouldn't stumble or step on his feet. Her interactions with him had been from afar, and she never was close enough to see the color of his eyes. Her heart continued to pound out of control.

The music started. It was a careful, graceful waltz. An easy dance to end a long night. She and the Kazekage moved in time, and he was precise with his lead, but stiff and uncomfortable. The silence extended between them, as her brain whirred for a topic of conversation.

"Yamanaka-san, I must admit the truth of the situation," he said before she could think of anything.

She met his unblinking gaze. Swallowed. "Oh?"

"My older brother is a chicken."

The nervous laugh bubbled up and out before she could stop it. She got control of it. "Lord Kankuro is a solid shinobi. I believe it isn't in him to back down from a fight, ever. Why would you say he's a chicken?"

He seemed to weigh his words. "Kankuro is a warrior. He knows how to fight and win battles against other shinobi. He's never had to fight his own emotions." Gaara paused. "My sister finds it easy to manage her feelings for Nara Shikamaru. The same cannot be said for Kankuro. He has had amorous affection for you for sometime now," he continued. Ino listened, in awe of what Gaara said. "He didn't know what to do about it. He wanted to do nothing. Temari and I spoke together and decided that he should take a chance."

Ino understood the direction of this confession. "May I assume that your lordship and Lady Temari planned for Lord Kankuro and me to connect here, at the ball?"

"Your assumption is correct. At the last minute, Kankuro chose not to attend. He, quite understandably, stated that it would ruin his integrity. To paraphrase, he would rather miss this opportunity than to profit from a misleading scheme concocted by his emotionally deficient younger brother and bitchy, mannish older sister."

"Sounds like Kankuro was on a tear," Ino commented. "Those are harsh words to speak to your village's protector and hero and a sister with a twelve-foot steel fan."

"He was angry for our meddling. I cannot fault him for that anger. Yet, he used our behavior as an excuse to avoid seeing you." Gaara's eyes flicked back to hers. "He fears commitment to a Leaf girl. He twists himself in knots over that and passes it off as an infatuation that will fade. It has not faded. I, myself, do not know those feelings, and which emotions are infatuation and which are not. I can only say that he will regret not seeing you and not speaking his mind to you."

"I should find him and confront him," Ino said. That seemed to be the sum of Gaara's intent.

"Yes. You will have to take the lead. Otherwise, he will waiver and nothing will ever be resolved."

Ino smiled. The waltz had come to a close. "Where can I find him?"

"In the Hokage Tower in the guest suite." He slid a keycard from his pocket and pressed it to her palm. "Good luck, Yamanaka-san."

She popped to her tiptoes and kissed Gaara's cheek. "Thank you. You are a loving brother and a wonderful dancer."

Then she grabbed her skirts out of her way and charged between the close-knit bodies toward the Hokage Tower. Once inside, she tore off her shoes because the traction was shot and leapt into the stairwell. Her bare feet smacked the tile as she pounded upwards, but after a few floors, she had to stop.

These spiral stairs were the bane of her existence, seriously. Ino leaned against the railing to catch her breath. Being on her feet the whole week had caught up to her. Undaunted, she raised her burning legs to continue climbing the stairs.

After what seemed an eternity, she stood outside the guest suite for visiting dignitaries. Should she knock? Shrugging, she rapped a couple times on the door. Her harsh breathing ruined the silence, so she pressed her ear against the door. Nothing stirred.

The light flicked green when she swiped the card, and audibly, the lock clicked. She opened the door. No lights were on in the well-furnished, posh room, but the gossamer curtain fluttered across the balcony opening. Light from below and from the moon shone in enough that she could see the layout of the suite.

"Kankuro? Kankuro, are you here? It's Ino," she called out to the emptiness.

She stepped further into the area and let the door shut behind her. Her toes curled into the plush carpet. A clean, floral scent permeated the living space. In front of her were a couch and a coffee table, set with a Yamanaka bouquet (one she'd arranged) in a vase. Several loose pieces of sketch paper splayed across the coffee table. Some were crumpled and tossed aside. She lifted one to angle it to the light; her own face stared back at her.

Kankuro had sketched this?

"My brother sent you here, didn't he," Kankuro said. He stood outside on the balcony, his back to her, his hands set apart on the rail. "How…involved of him."

Ino heard his sarcasm. She closed the distance between them. Her dress rustled over loud in the quiet. "I'm here because he cares about you and your feelings. You shouldn't dismiss that."

"It doesn't matter." He continued to face outward to Suna, and not toward her in Konoha. "It's never mattered."

"It matters," she said and yanked his arm so he could face her, so he couldn't be a coward. "It matters to me. Why have you never said anything?"

Under his cheek, his jaw clenched, and he shook off her grip. "Because it's stupid to be in love with someone who doesn't even live in my village. How can it possibly work, Ino?" He gestured with his anger. "I'm Gaara's fucking bodyguard. You run a flower shop across the country from me."

"You won't even try?"

He clucked his tongue, and when she heard a metallic clink, she realized he wore a stud there. She found it strangely attractive. "Ino, you're a beautiful girl. You can find someone close to home to love you. You don't need me."

Her emotions were jumbled and spinning out of control. There would be consequences to this, consequences that she couldn't avoid, and maybe didn't want to. The fact was Kankuro deserved a chance and not because he was beautiful and stubborn and bought her gifts. He deserved a chance because he'd held onto his feelings for her even though they destroyed him. Well, she deserved to be given one too. Gaara and Temari believed that she and Kankuro could work something out, so they should try. They had to try.

"You're right. I can find a hundred other boys who might love me. But I know one loves me and I'm looking right at him." She tangled her fingers into his shirt to prevent either of them escaping. "You may think I don't need you, but I want you. You should know that I always get what I want."

When she'd touched him, the sadness was so obvious and so close to the surface it swallowed her. Now the sadness shifted, changed into golden hope and the curling burn of desire. Tenuous trust bloomed from under the skein of doubts and fears. Tenuous, but present. She could win this.

"Ino…Temari and Shikamaru will fall apart eventually. We'll follow the same path. It's unavoidable in our situation." He curved his hands over her shoulders, spread his capable fingers over her cool skin. Suna heat radiated from him.

She nodded. "That's possible. They may get hurt or they may not. Who are you to predict the future? If we don't try, we'll never know, but we'll always, always regret it."

Carefully, he pulled free the mask from her face. She'd forgotten about it. "What you're proposing makes no sense whatsoever." He closed his eyes a moment, sighed. "This is insane. This is so insane."

A boom clapped the night air, a long, high-pitched whistle followed. They both jumped a little and looked up. Another boom. Brilliant purple and white sparkles trailed the sky, leaving smoky echoes behind. The fireworks had started. Under the riot of sound and color, Kankuro pinned her with his dark eyes.

"You should probably kiss me," she said with a half smile.

He smirked and crushed his lips on hers with enough force that the fireworks exploded inside her, not just around her. His tongue was definitely pierced. She let her eyes slide shut, let her hands find his hair, and let him feel what she felt- -Konoha and Suna united under the same sky and stars through a pair of loyal individuals.

A/N: I know the story is truncated. I apologize for that. This could've gone on for many chapters. Truth be told, I need to keep the stories short and direct. I may have separate sequels in the form of vignettes or oneshots since the idea of Ino and Kankuro appeals to me. Thanks for reading. =)