Hanakotoba no kazukazu or "The many words/meanings of flowers"

This is an InoGaara oneshot. I'm attempting strange pairings that won't happen. Yay for me )

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Her hand twitched slightly at the door, anticipating. Sure, she had heard stories of the Kazekage, Gaara, but most of them were...how could she put this? Well, they usually ended with death or serious injury—something Ino did not particularly enjoy, that was for sure.

Of course it was a 'mission' as Tsunade-sama put it, but that didn't make Ino any less afraid of what awaited her beyond the door made of stone. Ino remembered the earlier conversation, and her obvious displeasure.

Ino opened the door, beaming and eyes sparkling like they usually did, to the Hokage's Tower. She tilted her head slightly as Tsunade lifted up a scroll, and flinched, letting it dangle down, revealing mission directions. Tsunade looked very proud of herself.

"Ino. I have a mission for you to the Sand Village." She said with a flourish, and Ino beamed giddily. Her first mission as a Chuunin, and to the Sand Village! What luck she had! Even Sakura hadn't gotten a mission yet. She'd been stuck training with Tsunade for weeks after she became a Chuunin.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama! May I ask what it involves? An ambush? Reconnaissance?" She asked eagerly, ideas churning inside her head. Tsunade grinned remorsefully.

"Well, something like that." She said, waving her hand. Then she took on a serious look. "You are to deliver a boucquet of flowers, of your arrangement, to the new Kazekage as congratulations. Now, be aware, this is a C-ranked mission because of the journey to the sand and the dangers of forest travel, and—"

"Ehhh?!" Ino cried, eyes wide in despair. She banged her fist on Tsunade's desk, her mild temper getting the best of her this time. Her eyes showed deep disrespect for her Hokage. "I became a Chuunin to be a flower delivery girl? Aren't their messanger, ahh," She rambled, racking her brain for the correct title of a mail-ninja, "Courier ninja! Yes!" She said, pointing a finger at Tsunade. Tsunade sighed, putting her hands in the air.

"They charge too much money and take too slow. We want to show the Kazekage we appreciate him, and respect his power. We want allies, don't we, Ino?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow. Ino sighed, then looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama. I was out of line. But you'll need to pay me for the flowers, as well as the mission."Ino stated, looking at the ground. She didn't want this mission. She wanted to train, she wanted to go on dangerous missions with her team. She wanted to do something useful. She'd been spending days at a time in her small flower shop, and it had become rather dreary, especially since business had gone down in the last few weeks. Tsunade smiled at her.

"Don't worry. You leave this morning, in about," Tsunade's gaze lifted to her clock, then lowered, "an hour. Can you finish the arrangement by then?" She asked with a small smile. Ino nodded slightly.

"Hai." She said, and took the scroll from Tsunade. In a heartbeat, she was off and running down the stairs, the door swinging to a close. Tsunade grinned and drank a sip of her sake, then looked dissaprovingly at her paperwork.

She had not known it would be him. She had not known who he was, exactly, until Sakura had told her with a heavy heart of the battle against him, where she was trapped against a tree. Naruto had saved her, and Sasuke-kun had even helped. She sighed. Would her teammates have done the same? Sure, they were good teammates and great friends, but Naruto would do anything for Sakura. He liked her, didn't he? She knew for a fact Shikamaru and Chouji would protect her, but not with the undying love Naruto had for Sakura. Not even close.

Maybe that was when her kindness ticked in, that moment she thought about what Sakura had told her, what she had heard. He had no one, did he? He was said to be alone. He killed to exist. And really, could she blame him?

She opened the door slowly, the flowers clutched in her other hand. Before she had left, she had adopted a new look, bangs flat against her eyes, and a shorter purple top and skirt with netting on her legs. No one had recognized her. That was what she had wanted. Sakura had grinned at her, told her she looked good that way. Ino hoped maybe she would feel better, too.

She looked down at first, turquoise eyes scanning the sandy floor.

Gaara stared up from his work, and blinked a few times. Ino found herself shaking almost. Was he contemplating killing her? Did they make him kazekage out of fear?

"Kazekage-sama..." She said slowly, looking up. She brought the flowers to the front of her. She had used all her skill in making the arrangement. Burgundy flowers half-way closed, to last longer, and yellow, sand-colored ones mixed in with a few greens. "Tsunade-sama...and Konoha...sends their congratulations." Ino said stiffly, settling the vase on his desk.

Gaara continued to blink.

She felt flushed and quickly turned around. "I'llbegoingnowgoodluckwithbusinessand—"

"Did you make these?"

Ino blinked, hearing a voice behind her, and almost shocked, turned around and looked. There was Gaara, sitting silently, staring at her, then back to the flowers. It was her turn to feel utterly wordless.

"Y-yes. I did." She said, still a little stunned. I work at a flower shop, and—"

"You're the girl. From the exams, against the pink-haired one." He said slowly. She blinked and flushed with embarassment and shame. The weakest fight she had done, and he had seen it! The whole world had seen it, it seemed...

"Yes." She said, feeling quite ashamed of her failure to become a Chuunin in that fight. Wait a minute, she was strong! She didn't need to be ashamed. Strong, strong. She was a Chuunin now, wasn't she? But on such an easy mission... "I have to leave now to make it in three days." She said, wondering why she had even said it. She looked up to stare at him for a moment.

He had light, strange green eyes, and tussled red hair. He looked unbelievably tired, although it didn't show much. She wondered how it was, to have a demon inside of you. She suddenly felt so sorry for Naruto. It seemed with every day as a Chuunin she grew a little more mature, inside. Suddenly, he cleared his throat. She blinked, looked away.

"I have a favor to ask...of you." He said in a slow voice. She blinked, resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. Favor? Of Gaara? What did he have in store for her? She almost cringed at the thought. He went on. "The flower girl down the streets in the market just quit, and the shop is closing. There are hundreds of flowers left, and we can't ship them back to where they were grown without all of them wilting. I have decided to make money of this, instead of having the treasury on my back. But I need a new flower worker. Or more precisely, you."

Ino could swear she felt her brain stop. Wait…what was that? She couldn't even reply. He went on.

"You'll be quartered down the hall from where I am in the Kazekage's tower. You'll be paid, of course, and fed. Just for a week. Tsunade didn't tell you this? It was an agreement…" He said in that slow, precise voice of his. She blinked, then her face flushed. She opened the scroll she had on her kunai belt, and skimmed it swiftly.

Mission: Deliver flowers to Suna, work at flower shop in Suna

Rank: C

You will arrive in Suna and make accomodations with the Kazekage. This mission is to return a favor to Suna for saving us in the Sound battles.

Ino blinked, then did the craziest thing.

She laughed.

Horrendously loud, to boot.

Gaara stood slightly stunned, but still remaining calm. It did seem to irritate him a bit, though.

"You were assigned this mission and accepted." He said a little stiffly, pointing to the scroll off-handedly. She sighed, thinking of revenge against Tsunade for being so damn tricky.

"I know, I know." She said, pushing a hand to her face. "I'm sorry…Kazekage-sama." She said carefully, looking up at him with a burning face. Maybe it was Tsunade's plan all along to trick her into embarrassing herself in front of the Kazekage.

Gaara looked at her a little strangely, then looked back to his desk. "I'll escort you to the shop." He said carefully, and walked out. Suddenly Ino noticed how tall he was. Almost taller than Sasuke, even. Not that she cared any more. Sasuke had left, and somehow she had lived. Fancy that.

Yes, the Kazekage was tall, taller than he was as a Genin, that much was for sure. He wore long dark red robes and was putting on a gourd, full of sand as Sakura made sure to tell her. He walked in front of her, leaving the door open. She blinked a few times, before she realized he was waiting for her. She scuttled after him, sand flying up. Gaara kept going, down stairs into the market. People stared at him, whispered, and a few girls even blushed and waved to him. Ino rolled her eyes.

Gaara suddenly stopped at a small shop, and Ino almost gaped. It was a small shop with broken windows and flowers terribly mixed together. She jumped into action. "These go with these—these white flowers aren't the same kind!—no, those can't be in the sun all die!" She cried softly, and ran around switching the flowers. Gaara blinked in slight surprise.

"I trust you can handle this job, then." He said a little quietly. She stopped and turned, turquoise eyes blinking. Her own shop for a week? This wouldn't be so bad…she loved flowers, of course.

"Alright, Kazekage-sama." She said with a small smile his way. He looked at her strangely again, and then muttered something very quietly, causing her to raise her eyebrows.

"Call me Gaara."

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"Ino-chan, Ino-chan!" Cried a voice. Ino turned, blinking towards the door. It was a small girl of about five. Ino grinned as largely as she could. The girl grinned.

"What can I help you with?" Ino asked kindly, giving her a large grin. It was the last of seven days, and Ino was almost going to miss her own little flower shop. She had made friends, and business was booming there. She even had fixed the shop, and had made it look much more welcoming. The girl pointed at a red rose, a beatiful flower with soft petals.

"What does this one mean, Ino-chan!" She cried, picking it up. Ino walked over, and bent down to look at her.

"It's a flower that means love…is it for one of your friends?" She asked softly. The girl nodded eagerly.

"I have enough, too!" She said gleefully, handing her some coins. Ino wrapped the flower in tissue and handed it to the girl.

"Thank you, come ag—" She was about to say 'come again soon', although she realized it was her last day in Suna. She suddenly felt a wave of sadness fall over her. She had adapted to the warm winds and welcoming sand. It was almost as if it was her new home.

"Ooooh, I almost forgot, Ino-chan!" The girl cried, turning around. "The Kazekage sent for you!" She said with a big grin. "Temari-san said he was working you too hard and that he would have to let you go eventually, but then he said that it—" Ino found herself blushing too red for her good, and waved her hands in the air.

"Okay, okay, thank you!" She said, and the girl skipped out. Was Temari, Gaara's sister, saying that he was going to miss her? That was strange…Ino thought back to the week. She would walk out of her room, and usually cross Gaara's path. He would say he needed a delivery, and she would do it. Today, though, he hadn't come to tell her any deliveries. What was happening? She closed the little shop for the last time, but not before wrapping up all of the flowers that were left. What kind of person would she be if she let them die?

She stepped quickly up to Gaara's office, to see him standing up, looking out across Suna. She blinked and looked down. "Kazekage-sama?" She asked slowly.

"Gaara." He replied in a monotone voice. Ino blinked, then felt herself turn red again. 'Damn, not here! Not in front of him! He'll think I'm an idiot!' She thought, trying to cover her blushing face. He sighed softly, so soft that she believed she had imagined it.

"A girl told me you called me here?" She said quietly, feeling her face still burning. He turned around and she cringed.

"You're leaving." He said slowly. She nodded slightly. He closed his eyes for a moment and gave her that strange look again. "Are you sure?" She blinked rapidly at his question. Sure? What? "You can stay. As a liaison from Konoha. Temari is a liaison from Suna in Konoha. You can have the shop—"

"Thank you—Gaara, but I must go home. I have a team, and a shop, friends there…but thank you for everything." She said slowly. She was blinking away tears. He was asking her to stay. Suddenly she stared at the Kanji on his head. Love. Was that what he was feeling? What she was feeling? Suddenly He reached out to her. She blinked at what was in his hand.

A single red rose. She almost gasped. Was he…?

"Every day…you were in the shop smiling. No one smiled like that at me before. Thank you…Ino." He said slowly, ever so softly. She blushed dark, dark red, and leaned forward, kissing him softly. She could swear him yelp. Was it his first kiss? It was most certainly hers, and she suddenly felt glad that it wasn't to Sasuke. Now she could brag to Sakura that she had a first kiss before she did. But that meant she had to go home….

Suddenly Ino pulled a flower out of the ones she had, and handed it to him. An Aster. He blinked, and took it. She grinned, still blushing.

"I'll still be Konoha, and I'll visit, I swear." She said with a grin. Then she hugged him. He blinked hard, very stunned by her actions. "Thank you…Gaara."

And with that, she left.

An Aster.

He stared at it for a while, and finally took out a book of Flower Meanings. He read until he got to Aster.

Beginnings.

A/N: ALRIGHT, that was hard. I'm attempting crack pairings so if you don't like the pairing, don't read. Well, you must've read down to here so…sorry! Anyway, I have a ShikaTema oneshot comin' your way! Thanks guys!