[[Two weeks 3 days later]]

"We all know what a poison is. If not it's a substance that causes injuries, sickness, or death. There is a large variety of plants and chemicals that can be combined to create lethal poisons so it's best if we aquire sufficient knowledge of each one so that we may strike back with an antidote." Sakura paced the length of her class as she opened it up with a rather good statement. Most of the ninja here were a bit skeptical because of her age but soon relaxed and took notes intently.

"This is the third day of class so I figured enough with the lecture and time for an actual lab. I require you all wear protective gear if you wish to participate. We are going to work with the same poison that was used against the Kazekage. After hours of study I was able to break it down and recreate it. I figure this is the best course to go down first since this is the most highly advanced poison I've come in contact with. I warn you it absorbs into the skin but spreads slowly."

"Sakura..." A nervous voice spoke up as the rest of the class shuffled to put on their gear.

"Yes matsuri" She smiled at the young girl and picked up her clipboard.

"Did you ever find out who poisoned the Kazekage?" The rest of the class seemed to hear the question and stopped waiting for the answer.

"Why yes, The intruders from before. The one that Temari went after and killed, that was the culprit." The ninja seemed to sigh in relief that the intruder was dead. Matsuri turned to slip on her gear and Sakura paced the rows of counters that had the labs set up on top of them, making sure nothing was out of order.

"Lets hurry up class we only have 2 hours of left and it will take a good amount of time to dissect the bacteria. Pair yourselves up with someone who has good chakra control"

It was strange teaching a class of people over half her age, but it was kind of fun. She went out of her way to prepare for this semester studying, and re-studying material so that she provided them with the best knowledge. The chakra controlled machines had already been sent back to Konoha so now she had to make sure she did an extra good job on her part.

The Lab had been a success, Sakura watched as the students finished cleaning up the lab areas and filed out of the class room. Thanks to Temari the classes weren't until 1 pm so Sakura never felt upset that she had to get up early the next morning and do it all over again. She glanced around the desk a moment, still neatly organized and smiled at the photo of her and Gaara. She had to force him to take it but his smile was real despite him refusing several times. She wondered why she never noticed how amazingly attractive he was before.

A soft knock sounded from near the door and Sakura shuffled to answer it. A short woman with a violet shade of hair that matched her extremely pretty eyes stared nervously at Sakura as though she was in the presence of royalty.

"How can I help you" Sakura asked stepping aside so she could come in. She didn't budge though, instead shuffled through her notes a moment before finding the one she had been looking for.

"I am here to inform you that the representatives from Konoha have arrived a day ahead of schedule. We've stationed them at the suite in the Inn just west of the mansion. They would like to see you." The girl bowed slightly and gasped as Sakura grabbed her in a bear hug.

"Excellent, thank you for the news!" Sakura left her there blushing, and ran out of the academy. Of course she'd go change out of these cloths before heading to the inn but she pushed herself on so fast she barely noticed the buildings beside her as she came to a stop in front of the mansion. Every thing was a blur from there besides the small mental argument of what to wear. Of course they wouldn't mind anything she had on but she figured bright colors might better indicate she was a lot happier than before.

A white skirtt and a pink tanktop that matched her sandals was the outfit of choice. She pulled her long hair up into a ponytail and hurried out the door towards the inn.

It took her a minute to find the right building, they all seemed to become bigger on this side of town. She was about to ask for directions when she spotted a slim figure squinting down the road at her. She jumped waving her arms and the person responded enthusiastically. Hinata. She ran towards the girl quickly, faster than she thought possible and they collided into a hug that seemed to last a long time. People walking past looked at them funny one older man even snapped a picture. Hinata glared at him.

"Sakura!!! you look so... So refreshed!" The girl squealed and hugged her again.

"I feel refreshed, that's for sure." She let hinata drag her towards the Inn where the others were waiting. Naruto was the next to spot her and checked her over carefully as if making sure everything was as it was supposed to be. Satisfied he gave her a huge hug and carried her into the inn. Hinata followed laughing.

"Naruto put me-"

"SAKURA" Ino cut her off and yanked her from Naruto's arms embracing her hard. Kiba waved and shikamaru nodded, his attention averted to the crowd of people nearby as if searching for someone.

They were all the same, regardless of the three weeks that felt like forever. She wondered if they noticed the change in her, the way she did. Tracing her finger mindlessy around the rim of a cup that had been used and abandoned she slipped into colorful thoughts of gaara had her. So many nights now they spent simply making love and holding each other. Regretting the moment when they'd have to fall back into reality.

Kiba stretched and stood, mumbling something about suna only being good for the sand. Akamaru barked excitedly as kiba knelt to kiss Ino. She grinned mischeviously and forced her lips to his pulling his face closer. He smiled and pulled away, never seeming to get enough of her pervertedness.

"Calm down baby." He whispered kissing her again, she closed her eyes savoring the touch of his lips and smiled at the thoughts of how her night was going to turn out.

"I'm thinkin me and the guys could go get some drinks while you ladies catch up." kiba offered exchanging glances with naruto and shikamaru.

"I'm in, I could careless for girl talk" Shikamaru rose from the spot he had been sitting in and waited near the door for Naruto to finish saying goodbye to hinata. She was blushing wildly and saying good bye several times as naruto left with his friends. Sakura wondered what she looked like when gaara left, was she shy and affectionate, Or full out perverted like Ino. She thought about it a moment and decided she was probably a mix of the two. At that moment her eyes focused back on reality and found Hinata and Ino staring at her curiously.

"Ahh... Sakura?" Ino started eyeing her up and down. Sakura's eyes widened a tad and she stared back at the blonde girl.

"What?"

"You okay?" she reached her delicate fingers across the table and placed them on green eyed youth, pretending to check her temperature.

"I'm fine" she replied swatting her hand away. "You're hand are really soft"

"It's a new moisterizer, it smells great I brought you some as a gift" She smiled wildly and motioned her head towards the bag across the room.

"How sweet, I didn't get you guys anything I'm sorry, I knew you were coming but i've been so busy at the academy I forgot all about gifts" she shrugged slightly and Hinata made a disapproving noise.

"Sakura, You know we don't care, we are just worried about how Suna has been treating you" the eyes of her two friends dug into her like magnifying glasses, searching for whatever they could.

"It's great, I expected it to be alot hotter but the machines run excellently" She tried to avoid all the juicy details, but she could tell she'd have to ruin the surprise soon.

"And...." Ino pried, dragging out the word.

"And what?" She raised her eye brow pretending to be lost. Hinata reached across the table and pushed her in the shoulder playfully

"How are the people treating you?" Sakura could tell she was trying to avoid the subject as best as she could, or conceal it behind some sort of innocent question.

"They are absolutely great." That was the truth at least, most of the people she'd met, seemed to take a liking to her right away.

"And the guys? Are they hot. Did you meet one" Ino finally spit out, unaware of how awkward that question would have been if only sakura hadn't hooked up with Gaara.

" uh..." she tried to think of way to save it, she was really hoping to bring them to dinner tonight and surprise them, quickly she glanced at hinata who nodded understanding.

"Oh Ino, will you hush up. Life isn't all about boys" Ino gasped in horror at hinatas comment

"You take that back!" She pushed her playfully, sighing sakura thanked hinata mentally promising to buy her something really nice.

"You guys, will you have dinner with me tonight? Like everyone, Naruto, kiba, shikamaru, and even akamaru." She blurted out trying to put the plan into paly

"Yea, saku, like we'll say no." hinata teased, shaking her head.

"Fantastic, Well then I know we still have a ton of catching up to do, but I say we do that tonight after dinner. I have to go make preparations" She stood and smiled at the girls who were practically her sisters.

"alright, sounds fine. How will we know what you decide" Hinata questioned.

"I'll send someone for you, I wonder if theres a place with a table that holds 10 people...." she mumbled the last part to herself and waved goodbye. Hinata looked at Ino who was suspicious, both trying to figure out who the rest of these people were.

Gaara gripped the thick stack of paper work and set it in front of him. This was his last pile of the day before he could go home to Sakura, he was certain her class was over by now. Kankuro walked in quietly, and gaara looked at him waiting for him to talk.

"Gaara, You haven't even taken a shower yet?" Kankuro stared at him, his arms moving as he spoke

"Most people, take their showers after the work is done. Which i'm clearly still doing" he said calmly wondering what this intrusion was about.

"Real dick move, You pick today as the day that you can't simply pull away from. You know she wants you there" Gaara scrunched his forehead and cocked his head slightly in confusion."

"Kankuro, I have no Idea what your babbling about..." Gaara placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin against his fingers.

"Didn't the secretary bring you sakura's message" Gaaras eyes widened as he remember telling the woman to leave before she even made it fully into the room.

"I... er.. sent her away"

"Great, Get your ass up, put those papers away and lets get you back to the mansion to get ready" kankuro demanded motioning towards the crisp white pages that were screaming at Gaara to finish them.

"What was the message?"

"Ah, the crew from konoha showed up earlier today, Your supposed to be going to a dinner with us. Seriously like a huge get together. Well not huge but ten people, all couples"

"when was this decided?"Sighing the kazekage rose from his chair. Kankuro closed the curtains on the large window as his brother placed the important documents back in a filing cabinet hidden in the wall.

"when they showed up earlier. All I know is sakura wants to surprise her friends with you." He couldn't help smiling at that, the way she looked at him, thought of him, it was simply adorable. Even if he still had the one tailed beast inside of him, she would have never looked at him like a monster. This he knew. She saw down to the core of his soul, and saw the good in him, when sometimes he didn't feel it himself.

Kankuro sacastically bowed as the red haired man left the office. Gaara paid no attention and switched his walk into a sprint, the last thing he wanted was to disappoint Sakura infront of people important to her. It was strange for him, now, always having someone to think about, belonging in someone else's heart as more than just the ex-host of the one tailed beast, or the fearless kazekage. Now he was someone worthy of love, and to be loved. She taught him so much in such a short time and he knew that there was no other right way to live.

*~*

Images of sakura's facial expressions as she searched for the right herbs, flashed through gaaras mind as he remember offering to go with her about a week back. She had been so blissful as foreign herbs were advertised on counters and shelfs alike. He was patient, surprisingly as she read through each description of all the plants she hoped to work with, and enjoyed her face as it nodded excitedly in approval, or shrugged as if saying she would never need it, she was beautiful, beautiful when she as so innocently buying medicine, and so very beautiful when she was giving herself to him entirely. The rememberance of the touch of her skin as they made love so very often pulsed through Gaaras veins and he had to steady himself in the shower.

The cool water driplets helped him to calm his body, and he returned his focus to the present. Tonight was the night he'd meet sakuras friends. Not for the first time, but as her boyfriend he'd greet them. Boyfriend. A strange word that didn't seem suitable for what Gaara and sakura had. Atleast he thought so. He'd never had much experience with any actual relationship. He tried once, but the girl was so idiotic and obsessed with her social status that he couldn't bare to look at her face, even as he made her moan during sex.

Turning of the water Gaara left the bathroom drying quickly as he thought of what to wear. Never had he thought of what to wear. He ripped through his closet feeling awkward as his once proper clothing was now questionable. He didn't want to make an ass of himself and over dress.

Frustrated he crossed the room and picked up the phone dialing a number he never called but knew by heart.

"Hello" A chipper voice asked "I'm kind of in the middle of getting ready for something, who's this"

"Temari, It's Gaara" The voice seemed to quiet and the excitement slipped away. He still resented that, the way Temari always was careful with him never wanting to be herself. It was his fault, he never seemed to take much interest in her, well atleast not acknowledge her. In truth he knew she was one of the best shinobi to be born in the Sand and he was damn proud to have her as a sister. He just had trouble expressing himself.

"Oh, something wrong?"

"Yes"

"Well tell me what I can do"He was quiet unsure of what to say.

"I--uh....I dont..." He heard her sigh amused.

"You dont know what to wear I take it" pulling the phone away from his ear he frowned at it wondering how the helll she read him so quicky. Maybe being with sakura was unleashing his emotions to everyone. He'd have to moniter that, Or maybe it was just temari obsessed with her Romance movies and fashion, not to mention she had an annoying way of knowing what someone was "in need" of. LIke when she took sakura to the spa. He didn't even mention it to her.

"Yea..."

"Haha, dont worry I'll be right over. Just get ready and I'll be by in about 15 to drop off your outfit"

"Thank you"

"No problem, lil bro." She hung up the phone then and he placed it back on the reciever. Despite his gratitude he couldn't help feeling annoyed. He just hated waiting around.

Sakura glanced at her appearance and smiled, the short black evening dress went so beautifully with her skin tone. The backless outfit was tight against her body, deliciously revealing her curves. She slipped on on her black heels and grabbed her handbag. Her friends were just as appealing, Hinata in a more modest dress but still fit nicely to show off her woman figure, and Ino in a short dress that ruffled out at the hips.

"Are we ready to go?" Kiba yelled from the other room, he was starving. His eyes bulged widely as the three girls emerged from the changing room looking like super models. Naruto whistled pervertedly at hinata who blushed and smacked his arm. Shikamaru's eyes stayed averted towards the door impatiently waiting to leave. Sakura noticed and waved her arms towards the door encouraging them to leave.

"Alright lets get going then." The couples hurried along, but sakura trailed behind them with shikamaru. "You excited to see Temari?" He smirked a bit.

"Must you ask?"

"I suppose not, You know she was overly excited to see you too."

"Really, you dont say?" He seemed pleased with the comment, sakura liked shikamaru. Certainely not the way Temari did, but he was easy to talk to and easy to end the conversation with, without worrying if you might offend him.

"Mhm, So how's konoha without me?"

"Falling to ruins of course."

"Figures." They laughed quietly before shikamaru cleared his throat and continued.

"How's it here in the desert, at first I was glad i wasn't in your shoes because of the heat, but now i'm starting to get jealous"

"It's amazing, Alot more rewarding than i had originally expected."

"how so," she smiled mischeviously, her eyes not only illuminated from the moonlight, but bright with happiness and love.

"You'll see" She said and the conversation ended as they entered the sweet smelling resturant.

The room reserved for them, was probably one of these most beautifully decorated dining rooms sakura had ever seen. It was more of a natural setting, the walls a grass green, trimmed with a gold. The curtains, fabrics, furniture, all natural shades of browns, greens, tans, and blues. The blues tending to be jewels of some sort. Sapphire most likely embedded into the chairs and other pieces of lavish furniture. The long rectangle table was set elegantly for 10.

"Well this is one hell of a fancy place" Naruto commented picking his seat next to hinata. "you'd think the Kazekage would be dining here" Sakura gasped quietly fighting the urge to chuckle, and sat next to hinata.

"Oh sorry ino, This seat is reserved for my date" She held her hand out and smiled apologetically to ino who didn't really seem to mind.

"No problem but I get to sit next to him." Her enthusium increased and she sat excited next to the vacant seat. Sakura looked around the room nervously, and politely told the waiters to hold off on the ordering. About 10 minutes later the doors pushed open and Temari, Kankuro, and his girlfriend strode into the room looking like royalty. Temari must have been incharge of the decorations because her dressed matched the amazingly. It was a royal blue dress, Low cut and strapless. The bottom was layered and the right side revealed more leg than the other. She was beautiful. Shikamaru's bored gaze instantly transformed into one of desire and something else that probably was entirely appropriate. She smiled at him, seductively. They seemed to still being playing there game always trying to play it cool. Sakura saw right through it but bit her tounge. If lovers wanted to keep the spark alive let them.

Everyone was seated and engaged in intense conversation of recent battles and trips they'd taken on mission, sakura did her best to be social but her nerves were going insane. Where was he? The question stabbed mercilessly in her head, filling it with possibilities of him not wanting to meet them as her boyfriend, or maybe he thought she was a little more caught up in this than he was, she hoped she wasn't ruining something because Gaara was the last person she needed to lose in her life.

Eventually the complaints came.

"Sakura, is your boy toy coming or not, I'm starving." Ino whined not to far from her. Others had things to say but she tuned them out and waved for the waiters to start taking orders Two short black haired girls, probably in there high teens eagerly took the requests and shuffled back to the kitchen. It wasn't long before the food came out and it was definately no surprise. The kazekage was supposed to be dining here today but it appears he had other things to do. Sakura glanced thoughtfully around the table, taking in her friends as they sat happily with there significant other. Everyone was friends here, except kankuros girlfriend, though she seemed to be getting along really well.

Hinata touched sakura's arm tentively and gave her an "It's going to be okay" look. Temari nodded apologetically at her, and motioned her head towards the door. She stood as gracefully as she could and Temari followed her towards the rest room. It was a short walk but the cool air that the hallway provided was refreshing. They didn't talk until they were inside of the bathroom.

"Is he coming or what?" She wanted to bury her face in her hands but fear of ruinin her make up prevented that. Temari grabbed her shoulders gently and looked her in the eyes.

"He's coming, trust me. You know Gaara has to think every last thing through. He's never been in this position before, hanging with people as just a normal guy, he was either a monster or the kazekage." Her words were so true that sakura felt bad for being irritated.

"your dress is nice"

"So is yours," They laughed but then doubt washed over sakura and she fell silent.

"You think he wants this? Being with me publically?" Temari shook her head smiling

"of course, i mean he called me asking for something to wear."

"Really?" her jaw dropped briefly in awe.

"Yea, look if he doesn't make it to dinner, theres still the bar later tonight."

"I want them to find this out sober" sakura smiled linked arms with temari who turned for the door.

Everybody's plates were still nearly full, when sakura entered the room. It gave her hope and she took her seat next to hinata who smiled her kind smile at her.

"Everything going to be alright" She whispered studying her friends face. Sakura smiled at her and nodded.

"Yes i'm just nervous thats all." A wave of understanding washed over Hinatas and nodded.

"As significant it is to the rest of the feast, i'm pretty sure this is the best tasting bread i've ever ate" Ino commented smiling. laughing the rest of them tried it and half nodded in agreement.

"I've tasted better" naruto argued, Ino rolled her eyes at him.

"Yea where?" and a argument about bread broke out around the was half tuned into it when the double doors opposite her opened and Gaara stood there looking like someone from one of ino's celebrity magazines. He wore a crisp black tuxedo, just the same as the others. However in sakura's eyes it was as if she was seeing one for the very first time. A single red rose hung decoratively from his pocket, dark, almost matching his hair. The radiance beaming from him was almost unbelievable he was as handsome as he was magestic, powerful. Sakura had to fight the urge to cross the room and throw herself at him. He smiled in her direction then looked apologetically at his former comrades.

" It appears i've ran far to late, I suppose I can't blame you for starting without me." Curious eyes followed him as he covered the distance between him and sakura, she rose automatically her arm outstretched towards him. He took it kissing it affectionately and then kissed her. She smiled and they sat down together staring at one another. It wasn't until the eery silence pulled Gaara away from her face that she took looked at her friends. Five people stared wide eyed with there mouth dropped open in disbelief. Even shikamaru who couldn't seemed to pull his eyes away from the blonde shinobi was shocked.

The blush forced it's way tosakura's cheeks, and she managed a smile. Gaara pretended he noticed nothing and called for the waiter.

I'm well aware I shouldn't even be allowed to use cliff hangers but i'm writing the next chapter as you read this trust me!