The Chivalrous Crook
Chapter Two
-Welcoming-
Gaara sat out in the courtyard, dressed casually in nothing but black pants and a loose fitting black shirt, with sleeves going only to his elbows. He was actually content sitting in the beautiful spring weather reading a book from one of their many grand libraries. He glanced up, spotting an odd color and then quickly returned his gaze back to his book. Sakura had come into the garden courtyard and was admiring all the beautiful flowers.
The redhead suppressed the smirk that was trying to creep up his features. He had been watching her and Sasuke since yesterday, and his friend definitely had an interest. Perfect, he thought darkly. It was his life goal to try and see how crazy he could drive Sasuke. They had been friends since they were very young, but things slowly began to change when their responsibilities came into reality. Their paths had led them astray, since he had to train in combat more so than Sasuke had, being a knight. Sasuke on the other hand was subjected to learning how to control the kingdom.
For the past couple of years, Gaara had passed the time by doing things that made Sasuke mad, because he liked to see just how far he could go. His actions had actually been a lot more addicting than he thought. Being of noble birth was boring and the long years he had spent as a true knight were dull and unrewarding. So…he and his good friend Neji, along with their subordinates, had turned into an infamous group who stole and robbed from anything Sasuke had ordered.
The people of the land had even given him a name, The Chivalrous Crook. He didn't really mind it or like it, but whatever, they could call him what they pleased. But aside from the fact that he did things that were frowned upon, he kept to his code of honor and never did anything harmful to an innocent. So he was a little crooked…but who wasn't?
By now the pink haired princess had come closer and finally realized she wasn't alone in the garden. He didn't look up, pretending he had yet to notice her.
When she noticed that she was no longer alone, she self-consciously smoothed out her dress. It was made of a light gold fabric, with a camouflage type print in various gold's in the bodice, which was box shaped, and down the center of the gown. The sleeves were long and flowed loosely down her arms and past her hands. They were made of a different gold material with golden swirls sewn into them, forming large flowers. The ends of the sleeves were trimmed in a thick red cloth. The side and back of her dress were also made from the gold material covering her arms. Around her neck she wore a choker made of the same red fabric at the ends of her sleeves, and she had gold shoes to match her dress. Her hair was done in the same way it was yesterday, since she didn't want it in her face while she was outdoors.
Sakura was unsure as to whether or not she should speak to him, since he was reading. She knew that she hated it when she was interrupted. But it would be considered rude if she ignored him, so she decided to speak up. "Good morning Lord Gaara. Are you enjoying the weather?" she asked, trying for polite, casual conversation.
He glanced up, pretending he had just now seen her. He repositioned himself on the bench and shut his book, standing politely with a small bow. "Yes, I am. And you? Are you having fun looking around the garden?"
She shrugged slightly. "It is certainly interesting. There are a lot of flowers here that we don't grow in my home." She said, looking around.
"Well I hope you enjoy it. The garden is very lovely." he yawned then and started to walk off. "I suppose I will see you later, I do not wish to interrupt your exploring." He glanced back, wondering if she would take the bait he was giving her.
"Wait." She said, catching up to him. Her gaze turned unsure as she thought about what she was going to ask. She had kind of stopped him on an impulse. "Would you mind showing me around the garden? It's just that, it's so big and I don't feel like getting lost." She asked, smiling slightly. The truth of the matter was that she was extremely bored, and the redhead seemed like he could provide some sort of entertainment for her.
He rubbed the back of his head, acting as if it were really something to think about. "I suppose, wouldn't want the little princess to turn into a damsel in distress." He smirked, trying not to laugh too much. He was experimenting. Being the brilliant warrior he was, he was analyzing everything she did and said, seeing what he could do and what he couldn't, and just how he could use her to make 'his' prince angry.
Her brow furrowed at his words. No one had ever spoken to her that way before, and she wasn't entirely sure how to react to it. But it made her slightly annoyed. She crossed her arms and glared at him lightly, her temper taking control. "Damsels in distress are weak women who are too stupid to help themselves." She told him.
He walked back to her, towering over her a bit menacingly. He stared down into her emerald depths, but let his face contort into a twisted smirk. He reached to his side and pulled out a hidden knife, twirling it in his hand and then holding it to her throat. "Are you afraid?" he asked menacingly.
Her eyes widened and she gulped lightly. She was afraid, but that didn't mean she would admit it. He was testing her, trying to see if she would stand by her words. She could understand that, but what she didn't understand was why he would draw a weapon against her. Her gaze hardened and her eyes narrowed. "Put it down." She ordered firmly.
He leaned closer and laughed, being so close now that she could feel his breath on her cheek as he spoke into her ear. "Why don't you make me?" he could hear her breath stop when he pressed it closer, not enough to harm her in any way, but she could feel its sharp tip.
She quickly grabbed the hidden dagger that was in her sleeve and pressed it against his side hard enough for him to know it was there. "I will ask again. Put. It. Down." She repeated.
She could feel his smile, but was a bit angry that he didn't even flinch from her threat. "Impressive." He admitted. Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and gave it a painful twist, forcing her to drop her weapon. "Don't ever pull a knife on me again though." He informed her, pulling away and placing his back in place. He bent over and picked hers up, twirling it between his fingers.
He tossed it up and caught it by the blade, holding the handle out to her. "And a damsel in distress is not a weak woman. A damsel is an attractive woman, and I hope I don't have to explain to you what distress is. So, no offense, but you are…because if I really wanted to, I could have killed you easily. Making you…a damsel in distress." He pointed out with a confident smirk.
She took the knife from him and put it back in her sleeve, still glaring at him, despite his compliment. "By definition a damsel is a girl or woman. It says nothing about looks, so don't try and flatter me. And you wouldn't have killed me anyways, so I was in no real distress. Now if you don't mind, I would like to continue my tour of the gardens before it gets too hot." She said, walking past him.
He followed her with his eyes and sighed. "I wouldn't be so quick to trust someone you just met, Princess." He followed behind her closely. "After all," he breathed into her ear. "You don't know if I'm a good guy."
She halted, causing him to halt as well, and turned her head slightly to see him. "It's Sakura, not Princess. And I never said I trusted you, only that you wouldn't kill me." she told him, and then resumed her stride.
"Touché." he said simply, following her once more. "But...what makes you so certain I will not kill you?"
"I'm not certain you won't kill me." she said, pausing to examine some flowers. "But in that moment it would have been foolish to kill me, and I don't take you for a fool my Lord." she continued, moving on down the path.
"Hm." he said nothing more, but stayed with her as she walked through the garden. Only speaking up when she asked questions about the flowers.
She paused in front of one bush of flowers and touched its petals. "It is interesting that the prince would have so many dangerous flowers in his garden." She observed.
"Because he's an idiot." Gaara sighed, looking at the plant she was talking about. When he didn't recognize it he asked. "Why what is that?"
"Aconitum. More commonly referred to as Wolf's Bane, Women's Bane or Devil's Helmet. The flower itself is fine, but you can pull up the roots and use them to make a very deadly poison most commonly used to cover the tips of arrows, although it could be ingested. I noticed in my walk that there are plenty other similar plants here and thought it odd. If anyone wanted to kill Prince Sasuke, all they would have to do is find a good enough shaman to tell them about the plants." She looked over at him and smiled.
"An interesting way to die, don't you think? Poisoned by one of your own flowers, how ironic." She said, shaking her head.
He gave her an irritated look. He didn't realize how annoying an educated woman could be. "I can assure you that even if anyone got into the palace it wouldn't happen. Besides, I have to try all his food first. So if it did happen I would be the one to die. And I don't find it at all ironic." he passed her then, taking note of all the plants that looked like it. He would have the servants come in later and rip up every poisonous plant. Just to be on the safe side.
Her brow scrunched at his sudden change in demeanor. Curious, she moved to follow him. "Why should you try his food first? You are a Lord. Shouldn't he have a servant do it?" she asked.
"And what if the servant is the one trying to kill him?" he snapped, glaring back at her and then quickly calming himself. "I will die before Sasuke. That is my job." He tried to look for something now. Anything that would distract him from his sudden outburst.
Sakura looked off into the flowers sadly. "It doesn't seem right." She said softly. She always tried to look for the best in people, and it made her sad to think of the cruelty of reality. She knew his words were true, but it still bothered her.
Before anything more could be said the sound of crunching gravel could be heard. Sakura looked up to see Sasuke approaching them, and quickly pasted a convincing smile on her face. "There you are Sakura. I have been looking for you." The young Uchiha said halting before her. He looked at Gaara and then back at her, raising a brow as he did so. "I'm not interrupting anything am I? I just finished with a meeting, and was wondering if you would care to dine with me for lunch."
"No Sasuke, you're not interrupting anything. Lord Gaara was kind enough to show me around the garden." Sakura told him, shaking her head. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth. "I would love to have lunch with you." She said, trying to seem cheerful.
Gaara bowed respectfully, even to Sasuke. "Enjoy my lady." he said softly looking down at her and then to Sasuke. "Your Highness." he said with a bit of strain and then walked off.
She watched him walk away and grew even more confused. He was a very complex individual it seemed. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, turning back to Sasuke.
He shrugged, not really caring. "Gaara's always been that way. I just ignore it, everyone does." He held his arm out to her then. "Shall we?" he asked, raising a brow.
She took his arm, glancing at where the redhead had disappeared. "Yes, we shall." She said, allowing him to lead her back into the palace. It seemed to her that living here would be odd. They did things quite differently in her kingdom. Her mouth curved slightly. At least things would always be interesting.
Gaara walked through the beautifully decorated halls and came to a slow stop, he looked down into one of the other courtyards and saw the two women who were with Sakura the day before. His eyes darted across the field to Naruto and Neji who were coming from one of the practice rooms. He leaned forward, watching the scene and tried not to laugh when he saw the awestruck face of his blonde friend.
"Whoa!" Naruto gasped, stopping his pace and grabbing onto the Hyuuga's arm. "Neji look!" he pointed through the weeping willows to the two women. "That is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life!"
"Oh." he blinked and looked over as well. He let out a dejected sigh. "Come on." he gestured and began towards them. Naruto shook his head, not wanting to confront the goddess. But having to follow his master they stopped in front of the two. "Hello dear cousin." Neji said to the dark long haired female, taking her hand and kissing it.
Naruto almost yelled in shock, seeing the similarities between the two. "Your cousin?" he seethed, glaring at the brunette.
"Hello Neji." Hinata said, smiling at her cousin. "How have you been since I last saw you?" she replied softly.
"Fine. Nothing really interesting has happened as of late. Though, you and the princess' arrival have started up quite a commotion. You know how everyone loves a princess." He smiled tenderly at her and then shifted his gaze to her companion. He made no facial gesture but he felt his heart skip a beat. She was extremely beautiful, with green ribbon braided through her hair. "Please forgive me. I am Hyuuga Neji, one of Prince Sasuke's personal knights. It is an honor to be graced with such beauty." He bowed and took her hand, kissing it gently.
The brunette blushed and curtseyed. "It is a pleasure to meet you my Lord. My name is Tenten." She said, finding her voice. She had never seen a more handsome man in all her life. Which was odd, considering she traveled with a princess.
"The pleasure is entirely mine." He smiled, kissing her hand once more and then releasing it. He glanced at his friend and sighed, seeing the pleading look he was getting. "This is Naruto. He's my slave." He said with a bored tone.
The blonde puffed up. "I am not! I am your servant. Ser-vant. There's a difference." He said, crossing his arms.
Hinata giggled and looked from the blonde to her cousin. "Really Neji, there's no need to be so mean." She said. "My name is Hinata." She said, blushing lightly.
Naruto uncrossed his arms and took her hand, kissing it lightly the way he had seen Neji do. "A lovely name for a lovely lady." He complimented, earning himself another blush. He let go of her hand and turned to his friend.
"Gosh Neji, I didn't know there were any attractive people in your family. Guess I was just proven wrong." He joked with a smile.
With a quick movement, Neji socked Naruto right in the face, making him fall to the ground in pain. "Idiot." He scoffed and then shook out his hand. "So," he looked back to the ladies. "Are you two going to be attending the welcoming party tonight?"
"We must, since the princess is attending." Tenten said.
"For the most part we shall just stand on the sidelines in case she needs us for anything." Hinata continued.
Naruto stood then and began to brush the dirt off his clothes. "Really? Me too! We should stand on the sidelines together!" he said, smiling at them.
Neji shook his head and smiled at his cousin's brunette friend. "Nonsense, my Lady Tenten, if I may be so bold as to ask, may I escort you tonight?"
Her eyes widened in shock at his question. This perfect male specimen wanted to go with her? Now she would have to completely rethink what she was wearing. "I would be honored my Lord." She said with a smile.
"Excellent. I shall be at your room later then, for now I must go see if master Sasuke needs anything of me." He bowed to each of them and gave his cousin a thoughtful look. "Naruto…why don't you take my cousin, I'm sure she'd love to." He waved his hand in the air and then started off, leaving his subordinate with the girls.
Naruto looked from Neji back to Hinata. "Uh, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to…" he said, not wanting to appear too eager to ask her. Why couldn't he be cool and suave like Neji and Gaara in these types of situations?
"No! I'd love to go with you!" Hinata exclaimed. She covered her mouth with her hand, startled that she had actually raised her voice slightly. A deep red blush spread across her cheeks then.
Naruto's smile nearly covered his entire face he was so happy. "Awesome! I'll come by with Neji later to get you. Bye!" he said with a wave, running after his master.
Tenten and Hinata watched them leave, both letting out a sigh at the same time. They looked to each other, startled. Then they began to laugh. "Who would have thought we'd actually get to participate in this dance instead of just watching?" Tenten asked her friend as they resumed their walk.
"I know what you mean. Sakura will be most pleased to hear this." Hinata said.
Tenten laughed. "Yeah, she's been trying to fix us up for the longest time. Come on Hinata, we have to go get ready. I want to look my best tonight." The brunette said, grabbing her friend's arm and dragging her back towards the palace. Hinata followed, equally as eager for the night to come.
Gaara leaned against the wall, watching the nobles and higher class citizens. He crossed his arms and shut his eyes, already hating the evening that had only begun. He actually had to dress up for this event. He still had on his black boots, but wore dark dress pants and a loose white shirt with big sleeves. Over the shirt was a tight blood red vest that went over his pant line and over his shoulders only slightly. Despite the formal wear he still had his sword fastened to his side.
Neji was dancing with one of the women Sakura always had with her, and Naruto had accompanied Neji's cousin. There was a loud trumpet and all the music ceased. Two large double doors opened slowly as a servant announced Sasuke and the princess' entrance.
The redhead glanced over towards the doorway and actually went wide eyed when he saw Sakura. She looked absolutely stunning. Sakura smiled as she looked over the crowd. Her dress was strapless, the top consisting of white silk. Just below her chest covering the rest of her torso was a deep crimson material that had a large white diamond pattern sewn into it, reaching down just paste her hips. Where the diamonds connected the same white silk flowed freely from the dress and to the floor, each part being separated by the same crimson fabric that made up most of her gown. She had a red shawl draped around her shoulders, although she planned on losing it soon, and matching red shoes. Around her neck she wore the necklace that Gaara had given her, and small diamond earrings to match. Her hair was curled into ringlets and put into an up-do, her bangs framing her face as always. On her head she wore a small tiara made of diamonds, the band formed to look like a vine with small flowers on it. In the center the vines rose to make a triangle, and the flowers got slightly bigger.
Sasuke wore his regular black boots that went up to his knees and formal black pants. Instead of his normal white shirt he had on a navy blue tunic with a black belt around his waist. He wore his crown on his head to show his status, and a ring with his family crest on his middle right hand finger. He sighed and looked down at his lovely companion. "Ready?" he asked, smiling slightly at her.
She looked up to him and smiled genuinely. She did love parties after all. "Yes." She replied. He escorted her down the stairs and into the crowd. People immediately began to swarm around them in an attempt to talk to the lovely princess from another land, most of them having never seen nor met her.
Now that Sasuke was in the room, he had a job to do. So reluctantly, he got up and made his way towards the two. The people around them saw the redhead and immediately dispersed, not wanting to meet his threatening gaze. He stopped in front of the prince and princess and bowed lowly. "Your Highness." He rose then and looked over at the Uchiha. "Sasuke."
He took Sakura's hand from Sasuke and lifted it to his lips, not letting his eyes leave hers. "You look absolutely beautiful Princess."
She blushed darkly and gave him a shy smile. "You flatter me my Lord." She said.
He kept his grip on her hand and looked over to Sasuke. "If I may?"
Sasuke inclined his head slightly, although he was none too pleased. But he had to remain polite in front of his people, especially Sakura. With a victorious smirk, he led Sakura out to the floor, many eyes focusing on them. He set one of his hands on her hip and offered his other hand so she could place hers.
She put her hand in his gently, placing her other hand on his shoulder. Fighting the tingling in her stomach, she looked up into his eyes and waited for him to begin the dance. The music picked up quickly and he pulled her closer, beginning their waltz. "I hope you are enjoying yourself here."
"So far it's been pleasant. Slightly dull, but pleasant." She admitted. Her eyes widened then as she realized her admission might be taken as offensive.
"Yes, Sasuke is rather boring at times. Do not worry, if you ever need something more entertaining you can always come and seek me out." He offered, truly meaning his proposal, which somewhat frightened him. He took in a deep breath and returned his face to its natural state. "I mean, only if you wish of course." He smirked, successfully ridding himself from any suspicion of care.
She smiled at him. "I might take you up on that offer. Sure, you're a bit odd, but entertaining nonetheless." She said humorously.
"Is that so? Well then…I'll be sure to keep an open schedule." He leaned down pressing his forehead against hers. "So has the damsel accepted her distress yet?" he arched what could be a brow, smirking at her in a teasing manner.
She raised a brow and lifted the corner of her lips slightly. "I would have to be in distress first, wouldn't I?" she asked.
He laughed and pulled away, letting her out of his grasp except his one hand holding hers. When he brought her back, her whole frame pressed against his and his hand moved to the small of her back, keeping her against him. "I thought we went over this earlier Princess, you should always be distressed when you are in my company. I'm unpredictable."
"Unstable more likely." She said with a smile. "But perhaps I am just accepting of my fate. Being a princess and all, it's expected for me to always be in distress, correct?"
He actually smiled back, he was fond of this interaction. She was truly a challenge to the mind and he discovered, he really, really liked it. "If you say so." he shrugged, realizing that he was actually showing something other than arrogance. He tried to regain his stoic face and looked down into her green depths. "Unless you wish to be out of distress, you should probably find a knight good for you, who will stand between you and evil."
"And where would I find such a knight my Lord? Point him out to me, and I will immediately ask for his aide." She said with a flip of her head. She couldn't help but continue to smile. Sure she and Sasuke talked of interesting things, but he wasn't nearly as witty as Gaara, and he didn't cause her to laugh as often.
"A knight like that, if he so does exist, the closest you could come to compare would have to be my dear friend and ally, Hyuuga Neji. But it would seem he has already found his own princess." Gaara said, glancing over her shoulder to the formally dressed brunette and the lovely woman he was dancing with. They looked happy. The redhead moved around, letting his nobility show in his movements and grace. "But other than that, I know not one. So it seems you are out of luck." He smirked.
She let out a sigh. "Oh well. I suppose I shall just have to rely on you. Or defend myself. Either one doesn't seem very promising." She said, with a grin.
"Oh such terrible choices." He shook his head and sighed. "You are more likely to hurt yourself than hurt an enemy…but you might last longer that way. After all…" he stopped and leaned down to her neck, pressing his lips against her soft and perfect skin, wanted or not. "I'm a dark knight. I am more likely to kill you than protect you." he said, daringly biting her.
She unconsciously tilted her head to the side, giving him more access to her neck as she let out a gasp, her eyes widening. "I can protect myself just fine, thank you." She said shakily.
His bite turned into a soft kiss, slowly making his way up her neck and to her jaw. "No offense," he mumbled into her skin. "But you are seriously mistaken if you think you can protect yourself from me."
She whimpered lightly and her grip on his shoulder tightened. Never in her life had anyone ever done this to her. But ever since she had arrived Gaara had done many things to her that had never been done before.
Seeing what was happening on the dance floor, Sasuke grew angry. He walked over to the couple and tapped the redhead's shoulder a bit harshly, clearing his throat in the process. The knight looked over, not moving from his position on the princess. His hands moved to her sides and slowly up, touching the sides of her breasts. He smirked at Sasuke and finally straightened up, his hold on her upper body not breaking. "Yes? Can I help you?"
Now that he wasn't so close to her, Sakura's clouded mind began to clear. Her eyes widened as she remembered who and where she was, so she straightened and pulled away from Gaara slightly. "Sasuke…" she said softly, embarrassed at what she had allowed to transpire.
Sasuke's glare only increased. "I believe that your dance is over." He said, as the music to the waltz began to die down.
"So it would seem." he sighed and took Sakura's hand, kissing it with gratitude. "My Lady." he smirked and then looked back at Sasuke with a dark smile. "By the way Sasuke, you will never believe what I heard. Your poor caravan was raided…what a pity, I'm sure there were many lovely gifts inside. Oh well, your mistake in not sending me to retrieve the items myself." He walked off then, going through one of the doors that lead onto the large balcony.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he took the princess' hand in his and picked up the next dance. "Sasuke, I'm sorry. I shouldn't-"
"It is not your fault." He interrupted, finally looking down at her. "You were completely defenseless after all. And I know that Gaara can be overbearing sometimes."
She frowned at his words. She was not completely defenseless; she just didn't want the handsome redhead to stop what he was doing. Sasuke reached up a hand and tilted her head to the side, examining her neck for any marks. Seeing none, he let a satisfied smirk come to his face. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked, his face showing concern.
She shook her head. "No, he didn't."
They continued to dance wordlessly, and Sakura couldn't help but feel disappointment. It wasn't that the young prince couldn't dance, it was just that he couldn't dance the way Gaara did. When the dance was over, Sasuke leaned in to kiss her lightly, and at the last second Sakura turned her head so that he got her cheek. She didn't feel that the moment was right to lose her first kiss, and it was in front of a ton of people no less. He straightened when it was over, and led her off the floor and over to the refreshments table.
"Oh Prince Sasuke!" a loud voice called pleasantly. A long haired blonde walked up in a light blue dress with silver thread laced though, creating an intricate pattern of leaves.
"Now, now Ino. Keep your voice down." Another blond said, walking behind her and giving Sasuke a friendly smile. "And you must be Princess Sakura." She bowed respectfully, grabbing her dark green dress and curtsying. "My name is Sabaku no Temari, and this is Yamanaka Ino. I'm Gaara's older sister."
Sakura curtsied back to the women. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I didn't know Lord Gaara had any siblings." She commented.
"Hn. That's because they're ashamed of him. I would be too." Sasuke said, looking disinterested.
Temari hit the prince over the head with the fan she was holding. "Now, now Sasuke. Is that anyway to talk about your best friend?" She snickered, tapping the fan to her chin.
"Oh yes, Lord Gaara has three elder siblings. He's actually the youngest of his family." Ino giggled moving over to Sakura and bowing with respect. "He may be the baby, but he's definitely the most mature, other than master Sasori. Now that's a man."
"What is he like?" Sakura asked out of curiosity. She couldn't imagine anyone manlier than Gaara was, it was next to impossible. Perhaps she would just have to wait and meet him.
Temari smiled as did Ino, both looking dreamy. "My elder brother is definitely the epitome of a man."
"Oh yes." Ino snickered clapping her hands together. "Master Sasori and our beloved King Itachi are most certainly beyond amazing. Lord Gaara is almost an exact look alike of master Sasori, aside from their eyes." The blonde pointed to her own pale blue orbs. "Lord Gaara has had sleeping problems since he was young, and master Sasori has brown eyes. Even Prince Sasuke looks just like his Highness, isn't that right sire?" She smiled happily, looking to the now irritated prince.
"Ch. Itachi takes after father more and I after mother. We look nothing alike." He said, crossing his arms.
The two women laughed and turned their attention to Sakura. "So Princess, I noticed you dancing with my brother. You sure that's a wise move?" Temari set her hands on her hips and gave the new comer a friendly smirk.
"Yes, Lord Gaara is quite a bad boy, isn't he Prince Sasuke?" Ino smiled beautifully. Obviously everyone knew something that Sakura didn't. Sasuke just glared at the blonde, silently willing her to shut up.
Sakura's brow scrunched in confusion. "It's not like I had a choice in the matter. Sasuke allowed Gaara to dance with me. And since Sasuke is my escort, he is the one who dictates who I dance with, it is custom." She said.
Both women just sighed, but Ino was the one to speak, with a knowing smile on her face. "Right…you were simply doing your duty." She crossed her arms and looked over to her friend.
"I suppose we just misinterpreted the look on your face Princess," Temari said with a grin, opening her fan and beginning to fan herself as if it had suddenly gotten hotter.
Sasuke stiffened slightly beside her. And although he was trying to hide his upset at their words, she could tell that it bothered him. Suddenly she felt guilty for her actions, even though all she had done was become completely submissive. She crossed her arms defensively. "What look? There was no look."
"Don't play coy with me Princess." Temari stuck her hip out a bit, continuing to hide her mouth with her fan.
"We saw you-" suddenly they both went wide eyed and stopped their talking all together. "L-lord Gaara." Ino stuttered, bowing respectfully.
The redhead paid no attention to the blondes, but looked over at Sasuke. "We need to go. Now." He ordered, not even sparing Sakura a glance.
Sasuke nodded at his friend and bowed to Temari and Ino. "Ladies." He said. Then he turned to Sakura. He stroked her cheek lightly before bending down and kissing it, causing her eyes to widen and her cheeks to become pink. "Sakura. I will see you shortly. " He said in her ear. Then he turned to Gaara. "Let's go."
His hand moved to his sword and he glanced around, letting Sasuke go first and then following closely. Neji had pulled away from Tenten by now and quickly met Gaara and Sasuke in their exit. The two knights exchanged a few words and then Gaara and Sasuke disappeared behind closed doors. Neji cleared his throat and looked around getting everyone's attention. "I'm sorry lords and ladies. If you would please remain calm and stay within this room, everything will be alright."
Temari glanced around, looking alert. "I wonder who it is."
"What's going on?" Sakura asked, looking around in confusion.
Ino sighed and looked from the doorway back to the pink haired princess. Temari shut her fan, but continued to look around. "The only time Gaara acts this way is if he thinks Sasuke is in danger. It's usually triggered by someone he's never seen before who starts to act suspicious."
"Lord Gaara takes Prince Sasuke somewhere then until he finds out whether or not it was a false alarm. It's somewhat funny, since Lord Gaara and Prince Sasuke act like they hate each other all the time. But when this happens they act like they used to." The young blonde woman explained, nudging her friend and pointing to a man in the crowd. "Fifty gold pieces it's him."
Sakura turned to see a strange looking brown haired man that was wearing way too many festive colors. He stood out like a sore thumb. About ten feet away there was another man dressed in more subdued colors, looking completely plain and ordinary. Not really one to draw attention to himself. Sakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"One hundred gold pieces that he's the distraction, and Mr. Ordinary over there is the real assassin." Sakura said, pointing to the second man.
The two looked over and gave Sakura approving glances. "Wow, I didn't even see him." Temari admitted, "Good job Sakura."
They all watched, seeing Neji finally move in. He had his sword in his hand and made his way towards the more obvious one. Sakura almost wanted to call out and correct the knight, but Ino set her hand on her arm and shook her head. "Unless you're afraid of blood, just watch." She pointed and as Neji pursued the obvious man, a scruff looking brunette came up behind the other man who was watching Neji closely.
It was over in a matter of seconds, and a woman screamed, fainting from the sight. Neji started cleaning his sword once he pulled it from the dead man. Sakura looked back at her two new friends. "This happens often I take it?" she asked.
"More than we'd like that's for sure." Temari said with a roll of her eyes.
"Skyde is the most powerful country in the world, many people want to try and take it and all its conquered territories. His highness, King Itachi, and Master Sasori carry on a long line that have been going on since the major countries of Fire and Wind joined." Ino continued to explain.
"Back in Allandria there weren't really any attempts on my father or me, but I guess it's because we're such a small country." Sakura pointed out. Then she looked towards the doors that Sasuke and Gaara had disappeared behind. "How long do they usually stay hidden?" she asked, wondering when the prince and the redhead would rejoin them.
Ino shrugged, "There's never a set amount of time. Until Lord Gaara thinks it's safe, usually Neji goes to find them. But even then, they stay away for a while." She said, picking up a pastry and taking a huge bite.
"You might not even see them until tomorrow." Temari sighed and tapped her chin; the guards had already begun to remove the body. "I wonder if I should just retire for the evening."
Sakura frowned. It seemed that her only sources for entertainment were either gone or leaving her, so she decided to find Hinata and Tenten and inform them that she was retiring for the evening. It had been a trying day after all, and after what had happened earlier between her and Gaara, she didn't really want to see him any time soon.
"I think I'm going to retire. It's been a long day." She told the blondes.
"Allow us to walk with you." Ino smiled and looped her arm with the princess'. Temari followed the two out, not caring if her brother was late or not. She was tired and these kinds of things always ruined the party.
Gaara was sitting, his eyes closed, in a chair near the only door to the room. His sword was standing vertical on his leg, ready for anything.
Sasuke sighed as he looked out the window to the room they were in. His brow scrunched as he watched two bodies being brought out. Lovely, more blood to have cleaned up. He hated it when this happened. And it seemed to be happening more frequently now. He didn't even get the chance to ask Sakura about marrying him. He knew it was what her parents wanted, and it would bring great political advantage to both countries if he did. Plus, she was pleasant to look at and be around.
Since his thoughts had turned to the emerald eyed beauty, they also turned to what had occurred between her and the redhead. "It's cruel, even for you, to use the princess in order to anger me, don't you think?" he asked without turning his head from the window.
The knight slowly opened his eyes and glanced over to Sasuke. "What makes you think I'm just using her?" he wondered, speaking somewhat softly.
"Because I know you Gaara." he said sharply, earning a smirk from the redhead.
"Do you now?" he asked, seeming very curious.
At this Sasuke actually looked over at his friend, glaring slightly. "Yes, I do. Probably better than most. You don't like people, especially women, so it doesn't make sense for you to give her the attention you do unless you are doing it to upset me."
"Hm." He looked off then, almost feeling ashamed. Almost. "You're right." He said with a sigh. He stood then and walked over to his friend and offered his hand down. Once they were both standing, Gaara's taunting look vanished and was replaced with a very abnormal, confused stare. "She's…interesting…" he admitted, knowing the admission was safe with the Uchiha prince.
"That she is." He agreed, sighing. "Sometimes when I speak with her I feel as if she is hiding another part of herself from the world. One that she doesn't let out very often."
He nodded and actually smiled, something the Uchiha had actually been the only one to see before. "She actually pulled a knife on me."
"No she didn't." Sasuke said, giving Gaara a skeptical look. At his friend's nod his eyes widened. "Really? What did you do to cause her to draw a knife on you?" he asked incredulously.
"Uh…" Memories from earlier that day came flooding in and he decided it was probably best not to tell Sasuke exactly why she had done that. "I said…her hair was a weird color…" he lied, but made it sound convincing, keeping his face free from any expression that would give it away.
The young Uchiha's brow scrunched in confusion. "It is odd I'll admit but…she doesn't come across as someone who gets angry that easily."
"Hah," Gaara brushed him off and gave him a knowing look. "Don't let her fool you. She's definitely hiding some kind of weird emotional problems."
Sasuke snorted. "They can't be any worse than your manic depressant ones." He joked, smiling at his friend as he punched him lightly in the arm.
"Well my friend at least I'm not an emo." He teased right back, grabbing Sasuke in a hold and trying to give him a noogie to mess up his perfect hair. "That's right! Eat this prince!" he laughed, only able to act like his true self when he was with Sasuke and only Sasuke.
"Nooooooo! Not the hair!" Sasuke cried with a laugh, grabbing his friend around the waist and tackling him to the ground. A wrestling match ensued, as Sasuke tried to gain the advantage.
Things started to get rough from there, as Gaara slammed Sasuke into the ground and tried to hold him down. Sasuke quickly threw the redhead off him and into the nearest wall. They both laughed, launching at each other once more and trying to win their fight. Suddenly the door opened and they both froze, looking at Neji with wide eyes. Instantly they were apart and straightening their clothes, both having matching stoic expressions. "So everything was handled?" Gaara asked nonchalantly.
"Yeah…" the brunette looked between the two, shaking his head as he walked off.
Sasuke looked over at Gaara and smirked. "I still hate you." He said, moving to leave the room.
"Likewise my friend…likewise." He shook his head with an amused grin. He left the room then and headed down the hall, wanting to get a good night's sleep.