Lifer

"What the hell is wrong with my brother?"

In retrospect, she really wished she'd paused to think for a moment or two instead of blindly leaping off that metaphorical cliff. Damn Ino for coming up with such a stupid question. Damn her for answering with the first thing that popped into her head.

"Well…"

She had to diffuse the situation, and she had to do it quickly. Who would've thought that in a few short years Temari could become so over-protective of the brother she'd once feared?

"He just seems so… intense."

Inwardly, she congratulated herself. 'Very politically correct.'

Whenever Temari visited Leaf, she and Sakura made a point of catching up over lunch. They would tell stories, about training and politics and generally intelligent, safe things. Today, though, Sakura had discovered that adding Ino to their little gathering had been a horrible, terrible idea.

"And you prefer men who ignore you," Temari suggested, deadly calm.

Sakura was a little scared. "No… I don't like to be ignored…"

Temari attacked her insecurity like a shark. "Then you want attention?"

"Well, I suppose that it's nice…"

"Then you would 'do' Gaara!" Ino exclaimed triumphantly. Now they were double-teaming her?

"No, I wouldn't!" she protested. Before Temari could open her mouth again, though, she continued. "You don't just 'do' Gaara and then never see him again. You're in it for life."

Temari looked pensive. "You do have a point."

Sakura allowed herself to relax just a little bit.

"Why don't you want to be 'in it for life' with my little brother?" Temari suddenly said accusingly. Apparently, intensity ran in the family.

Once again, Sakura flailed about for an answer. "I'm young. I don't know what I want yet."

It was about then that everything started to sound remarkably well rehearsed for something that was supposedly completely spontaneous.

"If you don't know what you want, how do you know that Gaara isn't it?" Ino said.

"I…"

"You should give him a chance," Temari said cooly.

Wait, what? Hadn't this been a hypothetical question?

"You might like him!" Ino added helpfully.

"He's very intelligent."

"And attractive."

"He's quite strong."

"He's got a nice body."

"He's single-handedly saved our village."

"I hear he sleeps now, too!"

"Sometimes," Temari said, looking at Ino.

"See?"

"I've spoken with him twice," Sakura pointed out. "Maybe three times."

"Three conversations is hardly enough to base a proper opinion on," Temari said.

"They were hardly conversations."

"Exactly!" Ino said.

"Ah," Temari said, standing to leave. "I should get going soon. I'm supposed to meet Shikamaru…"

Sakura sat back in her chair. Thank goodness this conversation was over!

And then Temari paused, turned back to look straight at the pinkette, and said, "He'll be in town next week for official business. I will tell him to pick you up Tuesday at eight."

It wasn't till that late night that Sakura realized that Temari and Ino had just conned her into a date with the Kazekage.