Warnings: Spoilarage for ARC 2, shonen-ai, perchance a wee bit of swearing on Kankurou's part... I don't think so though.

Disclaimer: Tori the shopkeeper is mine... Rest is not.

Kazekage was making his address to the inhabitants of Suna gakure. He did it roughly every month or so, covering matters like trade, awarding praise for particularly successful missions, discussing their relations with other villages and anything else he thought the villagers might need or want to know. Gaara had started making such addresses shortly into his term as Kazekage, hoping the people would grow more familiar and used to him that way. At first, mostly only upper level Chuunin, Jounin and a few prominent businessman and the city council would attend, but now, a little over three years into his reign as Kazekage, almost the entire village showed up to hear him speak – especially since the Akatsuki scare.

Whatever the reason, Gaara was grateful for the support it showed, and also the opportunity it gave him. He'd been fidgeting a little over how best to break the news to Suna, when Naruto had suggested he make it part of his announcements, essentially pointing out the obvious solution. Still, now that he was up at one of the balconies of the Kazekage's home as usual so everyone could see, it was a bit difficult to actually find his way to the subject.

He had decided to leave it for last so if it looked like the news was getting a bad reception, he could leave quickly while the villagers got used to the idea, and had also decided to make the recognition of people's performance in missions and such right before it, so hopefully the villagers would be in a good mood, and the transition to his touchy topic would be eased…

Behind him, the shinobi he'd finished recognizing stood tall and proud, and to one side the council sat, at the other side a few prominent representatives from other villages, particularly Konoha, stood along with his brother and sister. Gaara took a deep breath, leaning forward slightly to grasp the railing before. "I have one final announcement…" His jutsu enhanced voice rolled clearly over the crowd, despite his quiet tones. "It doesn't exactly concern the village, but it's something I've been sort of getting a lot of questions about, and, more over, it's time I revealed to you all…" He pondered exactly how to say what he was trying to get across.

He started to blush slightly as he continued, "Some of you kunoichi have been asking me out, and I've declined on the grounds I'm not single, but I haven't told anyone who… So… Uzumaki Naruto, would you please step forward?" Gaara asked, looking at the group of Konoha and other nin just back and to the side of him.

Naruto grinned and joined Gaara at the rail, waving cheerily to the crowd. "So… So here he is! I think most of you have met him at one point or another, and if you haven't, you'll probably get a chance to soon now…" Gaara said, smiling weakly as he surveyed the crowd. It was true the villagers generally liked him now, but he wondered how they'd take then news that he liked a Genin male from a foreign village who was, moreover, another Jinchuuriki.

A quiet murmur arose from the villagers as the talked it over with one another with frequent glances and Gaara decided that, since they didn't appear inclined to lynch the two, he might as well continue. "It's not as though we're… we're planning much of anything, but it's been about a half a year now… Basically since he and the others saved me from Akatsuki… So we decided it was time we came forward… I apologize for the secrecy but I wasn't sure how people would take it…" he explained, slowly turning a nice rosy shade of pink.

The crowd's volume doubled, as the Konoha-nin laughed and cheered. "Good going, Naruto! Bagged yourself a Kage, eh?" a few of them joked. Slowly, the Suna villagers began clapping, lead by the Konoha-nin and the shinobi Gaara had called up for recognition. Gaara smiled softly and Naruto beamed, throwing an arm around Gaara's shoulders. Somewhere, a group of kunoichi chorused, "Kiss him, kiss him!" and before long the whole crowd chanted.

Naruto laughed, "Oi, Kazekage-sama, I can't tell where your face ends and your hair begins anymore!" he teased, making Gaara turn a nice plum shade that clarified where the former ended and the latter began. "So, you gonna' give the people what they want, dattebayou?" Naruto asked.

Gaara smiled. "This was the last thing I imagined happening, you know…" he said after releasing the voice amplifying jutsu.

Naruto laughed. "Maybe so, but it sure works for me, dattebayou!" he replied, leaning in, his eyes shining mirthfully. Gaara closed his eyes and leaned in as well, kissing softly as the crowd burst into whoops and cheers. He was planning on making it brief, still concerned about appearances, but Naruto threw his arms around Gaara's waist and tugged him in, lengthening the kiss and pushing his tongue gently into Gaara's mouth. After a moment, Gaara forgot about his fears, listening to the crowd's enthusiasm, and forgot them all together, returning the kiss with equal passion.

Finally, they drew apart panting, and Naruto wiped their faces clean and they turned to the crowd, grinning brightly in each other's arms. Kankurou smirked and grabbed Kiba, tugging him out front by Gaara and Naruto. Casting the same voice jutsu Gaara had used, he called out, "Oi, as long as Kazekage-sama's showing off his prize from Konoha, I think I'll share mine!" he joked, holding up Kiba's hand. The two smirked and shared a kiss that rivaled Gaara's and Naruto's, to enthusiastic cheers from a crowd caught up in the excitement.

Next, Temari and Shikamaru came forward, then other couples who had been in hiding revealed themselves in the same manner as the fervor caught on, always to wild applause. Gaara beamed as he watched it unfold, shocked and relieved beyond all words. Finally, people stopped hopping up to the balcony and the crowd dissipated back to its end of the day chores.

"Come on!" Naruto said, hopping off the balcony to the ground below and waving Gaara down. "Don't you normally take a walk through the village after you make your little speech things, dattebayou?" he asked.

Gaara smiled and hopped down, his fall slowed and made graceful by the sand that rose to meet him and set him down gently. "Yeah," he said, taking Naruto's hand cautiously as they walked through the village for the first time as an open, honest couple. As they passed, people waved and congratulated Gaara or threatened Naruto that if he caused their Kazekage pain, he'd get it ten times worse, by turns.

When the warnings came, Gaara would blush and scold the villager, and Naruto would just laugh and say, "No way! Like I'd ever hurt my little tanuki, dattebayou!" That night the whole village seemed to walk in couples, both those newly revealed, and those that had been married 20 years, and everything in between. Boys worked up the nerve to ask out their crush and girls did the same.

Somewhere on the way Naruto ended up carrying Gaara piggyback-style, grinning and laughing as he cracked jokes and people greeted the two of them with a bit of surprise at seeing their quiet, modest Kazekage beaming from on the back of a little Genin runt from Konoha. Still, most of the villagers did know Naruto and liked him well enough, and many people commented to each other it was probably good for their Kazekage to be with someone who could understand him so well and would help keep him happy. A few keen people pointed out that Kazekage-sama always seemed to be in a good mood when Naruto's team visited Suna gakure and people wondered how they hadn't figured it out.

"Evening, Kazekage-sama," a shopkeeper said, waving as Naruto and Gaara passed. Gaara nudged Naruto and they paused.

"Evening, Tori-san. Did you have a good day at the shop today?" Gaara asked, peeking around Naruto's shoulder, shifting a little to slide back up again. Naruto helped him with a smirk, glancing back at him and then at the man.

Tori-san laughed. "After your speech I sure did! You can't imagine how many guys came in, looking for rings to give their girlfriends!" he said – he was a jeweler.

Gaara blushed slightly and grinned. "Part of a Kazekage's job is to look over and ensure the safety of the village, including it's economic prosperity," he said. Naruto and Tori-san laughed.

"Well, thank you, Kazekage-sama! And the best of luck to the both of you!" Tori-san said with another wave and Gaara and Naruto waved and left.

"Oi, Gaara…"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Can we go home now, dattebayou? I want to celebrate and have you all to myself again for a while!" Naruto said with a foxy grin.

Gaara grinned back, resting his face against the back of Naruto's head, inhaling deeply. "Yeah, that sounds god to me!"

Naruto began making haste back, but on the way they met Kankurou and Kiba, both of whom were riding Akamaru. Kiba grinned at them. "You having a good ride, too, Gaara-kun?" he asked.

Without thinking Gaara smiled and replied, "Naruto always gives good rides…!" As the other three started snickering his cheeks heated up and he stumbled to say, "That-that's not what I meant!"

Naruto frowned. "Are you implying I don't give good rides, dattebayou? Maybe we won't go home after all, and you can walk yourself!" he pouted playfully, giving Gaara quite a look.

Gaara shook his head. "No, no, we need to go home!" Gaara replied eagerly, backpedaling yet again. The other three laughed again and Gaara added with a grin, "Quickly, too!"

"Well, you guys heard the Kazekage, we've gotta' go, 'ttebayou!" Naruto said cheerily as Gaara waved and Naruto took off in the direction of the Kazekage's tower with Gaara hanging on for dear life.

"Oi, dog-boy, I think they have the right idea!" Kankurou said to Kiba, who nodded with a smirk.

"Yeah, let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba said, nudging his dog in the direction of the tower.

Gaara and Naruto decided that night was probably the best they'd had in a long time, now that the secret didn't weigh them down, now that they didn't need to fear being caught so much, now that they had everyone's support. They absolutely beamed all night long, and when Naruto woke he imagined his love's face ten times brighter than the sun, and new they'd made the right choice. He'd been tired of always seeing those fearful shadows chasing over Kazekage's features…