The warm morning light hit Sakura. It was like a ray of pure white light hitting a radiant and slumbering angel. Sakura opened her glassy emerald eyes, stretched, and laid back down. Last night felt like a far off dream, a wonderful, beautiful dream. She kissed Gaara. Gaara kissed her. Sakura thought to herself that it was only a friendly kiss, almost innocent, no real lust, well from Gaara. Sakura had the desire to have her lips touch his passionately. Sakura's thoughts slowly lifted form Gaara and his soft lips to the clock on her night stand. 7:31. Breakfast already started.

"Wake up Ino," Sakura said climbing out of bed.

"5 more minutes," Ino mumbled in her sleep. Ino wasn't ever one to wake up on time during the weekends, but on school days, boy was she was everywhere, and early.

"I guess even busybodies need a little rest." Sakura smiled pulling the falling covers of Ino's bed over Ino's slumbering body. She's kinda cute when she's quite and stays put, Sakura said to herself. Sakura walked to her closet, picked out white skinny leg jeans, her fave black cami, a fitting black sweater, and black stilettos. Sakura put in an ABBA's Gold CD and cranked it up. She hoped into the shower and sang aloud to Take A Chance On Me.

Gaara woke up to the neighboring Akumaru's whining and barking. Gaara turned on his side to look at the clock. 7:31. He looked over at Naruto's bed, it was empty. He must have went to breakfast already. Gaara laid in thought for a couple of minutes. All he could picture was Sakura's perfect face and last night. He remembered how the first kiss felt, it made him feel all warm on the inside. Gaara felt actual love for the first time. Gaara felt like that was just a thing of the moment for Sakura but he knew that to him it was an action of needing to know if he loved Sakura, the answer was a plain and simple yes. To bad she'll never want me like I want her, Gaara thought. With that thought fading from his mind, Gaara got up and walking slowly to the shower.

Sakura walked out of the shower to see her roomy stretching. "Mornin' sleepy head." Sakura beamed as Ino let her long blonde hair down from her usual ponytail. "Morning" Ino mumbled with a smile, "What time is it?"

"7:54," Sakura said picking her clothes up. Ino grumbled and wearily made her way to her closet. Sakura predicted Ino would chose something revealing and maybe even a thin sweater if Ino felt it was cold this morning. And of course, Sakura was right. Ino went for black low-rise jeans with a white stud belt, a black crop top with a white flower design, and white leather kinky boots.

Gaara got out of the shower and went to pick out his clothes. Inside his closet was his neat folded clothes on a shelf, hanged clothing, and on the floor, Naruto's wrinkled clothing, he must have put them there the night he got wasted. Gaara picked out a black Led Zeppelin tee, dark blue jeans, and a pair of black converse. He checked the mirror before leaving, "Everything looks fine, I guess," he thought. He then walked out the door and headed for the mess hall.

"I'm going to the mess hall, you better hurry up Ino!" Sakura yelled opening the steamy bathroom door.

Ino stuck her head out of the curtain

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit," Ino yelled back over the hissing water and bumping music. Sakura briefly closed the dorm room behind her when...

"Hey Sakura!" Kiba popped out of nowhere.

Sakura jumped up, "Kiba, you scared me!" she said punching him on the arm.

"Sorry," Kiba said in a whinny tone while rubbing his arm, "Is Ino ready?" he asked.

"No, she's in the shower," Sakura answered.

Kiba smirked. Sakura couldn't even start to imagine what Kiba was thinking. "Yeah, you wanna go to the mess hall with me?" Sakura asked hoping he'd turn her offer down.

"No. I'll stay out here and wait for Ino." Kiba turned her down.

"Suit yourself," Sakura mumbled, happy that he reclined. She had the feeling he wasn't going to wait outside. "Okay, c'ya" Sakura said and left.

"I know what your thinking and it ain't true!" Kiba yelled after her. Once Sakura was out of sight, Kiba smirked and slowly opened the dorm room.

"Kiba-kun!"

In the mess hall there was Naruto, Hinata, Chouji, and Gaara. Sakura smiled to herself once she saw Gaara sitting there, he was gorgeous, even with his messy spiky hair. Sakura thought of what to say to Gaara once she sat next to him. But before Sakura could even get close enough to sit in the only seat next to Gaara, a year ten girl with brown hair and black eyes sat next to Gaara. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. Matsuri was smiling, pulled on Gaara's arm, Gaara slightly looked down at the girl but said nothing. Instead of sitting next to Gaara, Sakura sat next to Hinata. "Good morning, Sakura-chan," Hinata greeted her.

"Morning," Sakura replied angrily stuffing pancakes into her mouth. Gaara looked up at Sakura, it looked as if something was bothering her.

"Gaara-kun, will you let me interview you for one of my classes?" Matsuri asked flirtingly, "I'm supposed to interview the person that I admire the most. We could do the interview over dinner, maybe?"

"Your treat?" Gaara asked looking back at Matsuri. Matsuri nodded.

"It better take less than 30 minutes." he accepted to her "interviewing" him.

"Okay, Gaara-kun!" Matsuri beamed and left the table.

Sakura heard the whole conversation, she was a little jealous, but she wouldn't admit it, even to herself. "I'm not hungry anymore." Sakura said slamming her glass of orange juice on the table.

"Can I have your left over pancakes?" Chouji asked heavily.

"I don't care!" Sakura snapped and stormed off. Everyone in the table sat in confusion... "What the hell is her problem?" Naruto demanded as he snatched Sakura's leftover pancakes before a shocked Chouji could get to them.

Sakura didn't know what she was doing but she managed to get passed the main hallway, the dozens of buildings, and all the way up to her dorm floor . Once Sakura slammed the door open, she found Kiba on top of Ino making out on her bed.

"Sakura!" Ino shrieked, "We weren't doing anything, especially not on your bed!" Ino blushed. Sakura ignored them and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. "Sakura?" Ino said. Ino knew when her best friend was upset, and as of the moment, Sakura was beyond upset.

"Kiba, you can go of to breakfast," Ino said pushing him out of the room, "I need to stay with Sakura."

"Okay. How about a goodbye kiss?" Kiba said leaning in.

"There's no time for that." Ino said placing her hand in front of his face, "Sakura needs me." With that said Ino closed the door in Kiba's face.

"Geez," Kiba murmured, "Sakura's not in the much need!"

"Sakura are you okay?" Ino asked knocking on the bathroom door. Sakura sat in the corner, hands on her lap, tears falling down. She didn't know why she was so mad or why she was crying over what most people would consider nothing. She thought to herself, What if Gaara doesn't really like me in the slightest? Does he look at me like he does that Matsuri girl? I've always been to caught up in him to notice how he really looks at me...

"Sakura! Please open up!" Ino was yelling now, banging on the door. Sakura only sat there wishing she understood why she was so upset.

"Open up before I break the door the fuck down!" came from the other side of the door Sakura didn't budge. "I warned you!" Ino yelled. Two seconds later the door broke into half, little pieces of wood flying everywhere.

"Sakura, What's wrong?" Ino asked hugging her crying friend.

"Ino... G-Garra... M-Matsuri..." Sakura tried to start a sentence but horribly failed.

"What? Garra? and Matsuri?" Ino asked

"Y-Yes!" Sakura said burying her head into Ino's shoulder.

"What happened?" Ino asked.

"She... She, Sh-she..." Sakura couldn't continue.

"Get a hold of yourself, Sakura!" Ino shook Sakura,"Control yourself and tell me what happened!" Sakura sat up, and slowly told her best friend everything.

Gaara was walking up building eleven's staircase, just when he bumped into Kiba. "Hey, Gaara." Kiba grinned.

"Have you seen Sakura?" Gaara questioned Kiba.

"Yeah, man," Kiba replied, "I suggest you stay away. She ain't looking her best at the moment."

"Where is she?"

"Locked up in her bathroom"

"What?"

"Well that's the last place I saw her go."

"Alright thanks"

"No problem, man."

Ino inhaled, "Okay, Sakura. Matsuri just has a simple crush on Gaara. There is no way her juvile flirting and flat chest will ever make Gaara take a second glance at her. And Gaara does not look at you like he does her. When he looks at you something in him changes. He's eyes go softer. He's in love with you." It was moments like this that made Sakura happy to have Ino around. "But don't worry. Gaara will go for you and no one else. Just be patient and let it happen."

"Thanks, Ino" Sakura said hugging her empty-headed bestie. "When it comes to these things you act like you actually have a brain" Sakura giggled.

"Hey! Just because I'm to beautiful to think doesn't mean I don't think." Ino said in a playful tone, "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you!"

"Glad I could help. Now I expect you to wipe them tear streaks, reapply your make-up, and walk out of here and strut what you got to offer to Gaara!" Ino said cheering.

Sakura looked at Ino seriously. "I love you, Pig!" Sakura beamed hugging Ino once more.

"I love you, too, Billboard Brow!"

Gaara opened Blondie and Pinky's dorm door slowly, only to get tackled to the floor by Ino.

"Hey Gaara!" Ino greeted him in the rowdiest manner.

"Get off me, bimbo" Gaara grunted.

"Why should I?" Ino teased.

"I'll kill you if you don't." Gaara said trying to push her off.

"You sound like you did when we where twelve!" Ino kept teasing him.

"Ino get off of Gaara." Sakura said walking out of the bathroom.

"You get off safely this time," Ino whispered to Gaara before she got up. "The american football classes really paid off, huh, Sakura?" Ino happily asked jumping onto her bed.

"You just caught me off guard," Gaara quickly covered the fact that a girl knocked him down.

Sakura giggled, "Good morning, Gaara."

"Morning, what happened back in the mess hall?" Gaara asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just on that time of the month." Sakura lied.

"Oh, didn't need to know that." Gaara replied, not completely convinced.

"How about we go meet everyone in the main hall!" Ino suggested jumping off her bed.

The whole gang was sitting around circled sofas, bored.

"Should we go ahead with Sakura's idea and go to the beach tomorrow?" Chouji asked.

"Well what else can we do?" Shikamaru yawned.

"I now!" Ino cried "Let's hit the club!"

"Are you crazy?" Sakura asked, "It isn't even lady's night and most of us don't have jobs so we can't get in."

"Ero-Sanin can get us in for free!" Naruto suggested.

"I don't know," Sakura said.

"Don't be a party-popper!" Ino whined, "The beach is so... I don't know. Kiddish! We'll just be there for a couple hours."

"I'm with her!" Kiba winked at Ino.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan, it'll be fun!" Naruto happily cried.

"I'm down." Shikamaru yawned. "I bet Temari will be, too"

"Me, too" Hinata was up for it.

"Even I want to go." Shino said.

"C'mon, Pinky!" Kankuro begged her.

"Don't be a bitch," Sai resorted to name calling.

"Gaara! Convince her!" Ino smirked. Everyone turned to Gaara. Gaara looked at Sakura sweetly and said "Let's go".

Sakura gave in, "Okay! Okay! But if we get in any trouble we blame Naruto!"

"S-Sakura-chan!" Naruto stuttered.

After a while of good laughs the gang started splitting up. "While I better get ready for my date with Temari," Shika said looking at the clock on the wall.

"You better show my sister a good time or Gaara and I'll make you pay," Kankuro joked.

"I'll keep that in mind," Shika said as he walked off.

Kankuro put his arm around Gaara's shoulders, "Our little Temari's going on her first actual date."

"Let's just hope it'll be nothing more then a date," Garra said seriously.

"No way, Temari wouldn't!" Kankuro said picturing his sister with Shikamaru, "I won't be able to sleep tonight because of you!" Kankuro cried. Gaara smirked. "I better go wash this image out of my mind," Kankuro said as he got off the couch.

"I'm hungry," Chouji complained.

"I'm going to go draw something," Sai smiled and waved good bye.

"Akumaru needs a bath," Kiba suddenly remembered, "I hafta go!"

"Bye, babe" Ino said wrapping her arms around Kiba.

"Bye, baby." Kiba said back and gave her a quick kiss.

"I'm going for a walk," Shino said along with his goodbyes.

"So what do you guys wanna do?" Naruto asked the only people left: Hinata, Gaara, Sakura, and Ino. Sakura yawned, "I'm kinda sleepy, better go take a nap."

"I'll walk you to your dorm," Gaara offered.

"Sure," Sakura smiled.

"Okay, then... Wanna go get some ramen, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Okay" Hinata blushed.

"Ohh! I wanna go to!," Ino interjected, linking arms with Hinata and Naruto.

Naruto frowned, "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Nope!" Ino grinned.

"Fine but your paying for yourself," Naruto sighed.

They all said their good byes and went their separate ways.

"Gaara, can I ask you something?" Sakura said looking down at her feet.

"Yeah, go ahead." Gaara replied.

"What's the deal with Matsuri?" Sakura asked, feeling her face get a little hotter.

"Matsuri, eh? She's just a girl from my village. Admires me or something," Gaara said as if she wasn't important.

"Admires you?" Sakura felt herself get even redder.

"Yeah. She thinks that because of the way I managed to turn my life around, considering my past, that I'm a hero or something of that sort." Gaara said blankly.

Sakura's face was starting to return to its light radiant color, "Oh, okay"

"Why do you ask," Gaara eyes turned to her.

"Oh, uhmm... Just curious!" Sakura blushed.

Gaara and Sakura where outside of Sakura and Ino's room.

"Okay. Well thanks for walking me all the way up here." Sakura smiled. She turned to open the door when, Gaara pulled her to him again. Sakura already knew to well what was going to happen next. Their lips where softly touching again. This time the kiss was delicate and very innocent, nothing like the last but yet just as hypnotizing. Sakura could feel her knees getting weak. Gaara again felt the warm in his body, just like the first time they kissed, he felt love once again. Gaara pulled away from the embrace. "You better get your rest," he softly spoke.

"Okay," Sakura smiled.

Sakura opened the door and Gaara left to his own room.