And …so here's chapter 4…it will be long, so I hope you enjoy!
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Gaara sat emotionlessly at a big round table. The counselors around him would pick three they liked best, and then Gaara would choose. Waiting, he stared out into the forest, sometimes looking up at the clouds, and sometimes at nothing in particular. He couldn't actually place what he was looking at…it was somewhere in the middle of everything. He had just completed his task of looking at each girl. Ino, to his surprise, looked exactly as he wanted her to look like. She wore (I dunno how to explain this so just think of Sleeping Beauty's blue dress) a blue dress, with light blue and sparkly gloves that reached up to her elbow; she had light blue high heels, and her hair was down and slightly bushy. The girl that's picked out would wear a crown that whole day, and like that attend the party. So the problem is that if Ino is one of the three, he will have no choice but to pick her. It won't be his fault anyways. The counselors said that they wanted him to marry a blonde with a strong bloodline, and Ino was a mind reader who worked as a spy for ANBU. Even Sakura wasn't there yet, and she trained under Tsunade-hime.
"We have picked three!" the one of the counselors announced shaking Gaara out of his daydream, "Yamanaka Ino, Ayame, and Tora… It's your choice, Kazekage-sama," he finished before collecting the papers and following the rest of the counselor team out.
Gaara took the pictures into his hand impassively. Tora was a pretty girl with long blonde hair and brown eyes. She had no specific bloodline limit, so she was dismissed. Next came Ayame. She had long dirty blonde hair and grey/light blue eyes. Of course she didn't have a strong enough bloodline, and so the last choice was Ino. He called all the counselors back in, and told them they could choose for him. He didn't really mind. Gaara walked out of the room, telling his counselors he needed some fresh air. He, as usual, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and slowly made way down the street, not noticing two blondes running after him.
"Gaara-sama! Please, wait up!" the one of the girls screamed. He slowly turned around, and was face to face with two girls. Ayame and Tora. He recognized them from the pictures he was just looking at.
"May I help you?" his voice was low, and hinted cold sadness.
"Well, we were thinking, and we decided that you should pick Ino-chan instead of us," they exhaled the words in one breath.
"Why?" his voice wavered a little.
"Because, she is indecisive. She wants to be picked, and then she doesn't, and then she does, and then she doesn't. Someone has to make her mind up for her. We knew that deep down inside, she wants to be picked, because she knows that Temari's and Shikamaru's love won't be denied. She knows that she wants to be with you. She wants you, but she's afraid. Now we have a plan for tonight, and we know this will work. Please…just choose her!" they begged.
"Okay…but if this doesn't work…" he sighed.
"OH IT WILL!!!!!!" they screamed, and ran off happy that Gaara would choose her. He just sighed watching them go.
Gaara climbed the steps into the Hokage building, and made his way to the Suna compartment. There, the counselors were making a crown (Think of Sleeping Beauty again. I like the dress and the crown, so…pretend okay?)
"I'm guessing you picked…" he was about to finish when…
"Yamanaka Ino, sire!" they screamed together.
"I guess that works…"
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Ino was getting ready in her room. The picking just passed, and it has been announced that she was the chosen bride of Gaara.
He promised he wouldn't. But I wanted him to, didn't I!!!!! I hate being so indecisive; it makes me so vulnerable. But thinking how happy Temari and Shikamaru looked together, and how they enjoyed being with each other despite the age difference, I can only give them my best wishes, and move on.
Ino brushed her hair for the fifth millionth time that day. She was sitting in front of the mirror, her heart at the bottom of the well; drowned by the teary water. A ring from the front door shook Ino from her dreaming of what could be, and she walked downstairs, still in her dress, and opened the front door.
"Gaara…what are you doing here?" she asked, a little surprised.
"I had to deliver the crown. Bow down…" he ordered. She complied with his order, and bowed before him. Seconds later, she left the crown on her head, and stood up.
"You look beautiful, and I'm truly sorry…" with saying another word, Gaara left. She watched him leave from the window, only to see him stop. And then it hit her…Gaara was crying.
Since when do homicidal murderers cry? She thought, and then remembered his past. She remembered how he was never loved, and always pushed away, how he spent most of his life being hunted down by his own father figure; how he desperately wanted to be loved, and to love. How he died, and then how Naruto saved him, and he came back to life, and only then felt truly loved. She should know. She was there. He risked his life to save something that despised him. That was Gaara for you, and for the first time, in twelve years, Gaara broke down again. She realized what Sakura said was true. Gaara really did love her; he just had not the hell of an idea how to show it. Watching Gaara cry really saddened her. He was eighteen, and this is the first time in all of his years that he had felt something remotely close to real love. Ino just then realized what she had done, and what she must do.
The engagement ring he bought me really is something spectacular. I love the way the sliver envelopes the sapphire blue stone. It really reflects my eyes. If I am correct, this is one of the most expensive rings in the five countries, and I am wearing it. If only I could return Gaara's love for me, then all of this would be perfect…
"INO!! WE HAVE THREE HOURS UNTIL THE PARTY AND I STILL DIDN'T FINSIH YOUR HAIR, AND YOUR MAKE-UP!!! GET UP HERE YOUNG LADY!!!!!"
"I'm coming ma!!! I'm coming…" Ino raced upstairs and then closed her eyes in hope that the pain or the eyebrow picker would go away.
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I'm not supposed to be crying. I'm eighteen for Christ's Sake. I should get myself together, and just get ready. Gaara thought as he stood in front of his mirror, tears rolling down his face, staining his suit.
"Gaara, why are you crying?" Temari asked walking into the room. She sat on his bed, and watched him silently whimper.
He hasn't done this since he was six years old. I wonder what the Ino girl means to him. She must be something real special if Gaara is CRYING over her. Temari thought as she got up to comfort her younger brother. Gaara just turned and cried into her shoulder like a little baby.
"Come on…time for the PARTY!!!" Kankurou screamed, charging into the room. He was already in his 'party' mood.
"Will you be okay Gaara?" Temari asked, glaring at Kankurou before turning her concerned face towards Gaara.
All he did was nod, and walk out.
"What's gotten into him?" Kankurou asked getting of the bed.
"A girl…"
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Ino hated parting. She used to love being her, and doing whatever she wanted, kissing random guys, and all that crap, but ever since this became an engagement party, she knew the only one she was allowed to kiss was Gaara. Her heart sunk another time. The engagement ring on her hand glistened. It was a real sapphire. She remembered a poem that she used to love when she was younger:
An emerald is as green as grass;
A ruby red as blood;
A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;
A flint lies in the mud.
A diamond is a brilliant stone,
To catch the world's desire;
An opal holds a fiery spark;
But a flint holds fire.
(Copyright: Cristina Rossetti 1893)
He was like the flint. Distant, cold, and somewhere out there. No one cares about him, no one wants him, no one sees him of any real value, but in the end, stones like that prove to be the worthiest.
Maybe I should give Gaara a chance. Yes…that's what I'll do. I'll give him a chance…I'll marry him!
Ino never noticed she had a sad look on her face. She snapped out of her daydream as a pair of strong hands wrapped around her. She twisted around, and was face to face with Gaara, their faces inches apart. Ino backed away a bit and looked at their surroundings. Neji and TenTen were making out, Hinata and Naruto came to the party but were nowhere to be seen. That meant one thing. Temari and Shikamaru looked truly in love, and well…everyone was happy besides her and Gaara. She knew he noticed how reluctant she was, so he backed away.
"Ino…I'm not going to force you to do anything. If you don't want to marry me…that's fine. Ayame and Tori are back up plans the consolers chose, so if you back out, I still have them. Give me your hand," he ordered. Ino just looked up at him, and without warning, a tear spilled. She should be happy right? But she wasn't. She felt that if he removed the ring off of her hands, she would feel empty. A part of her would be gone. He slowly slipped the ring of her hand, and pressed it into her palm, closing her fingers around it.
"Go…be happy…" and with those words Gaara turned around, and disappeared.
Ino looked down at the ring. It shone beautifully upon her palm. No, she couldn't let him get away.
"Gaara!!" she screamed, holding one hand out, as if trying to reach him. He stopped in his tracks and waited for her to catch up with him. When she finally did, he let her twist him around.
"Look, Gaara…." But he didn't listen. All he did was laugh…or smirk…and walk away.
"Gaara…!!!! Come back here young man!!!!" she yelled, suddenly furious.
Gaara turned around, and came so close to her, she could feel his breath on her neck…
And as if on cue…
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Neji, TenTen, Hinata, Naruto, Temari, Shikamaru, Sakura and Sasuke all were walking around but being sure to not amble far away from the DJ…
"I wonder when he's going to make his move…." Sakura wondered, leaning into Sasuke's shoulder, his hand firmly around her waist.
"By the looks of it…he's just gonna walk away…" Hinata concluded…using her Byakugan to see through the crowd.
"WHAT!!!" the three girls screamed at once! The boys just shook their head, or (anime) sweat dropped.
"He--He CAN'T walk away…!!" TenTen cried.
"Well, that's Gaara for you…Temari sighed.
"Ah…how troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed, and earned a hit on the head with Temari's fan.
"Shut up…"
"Hey, look…Ino called him to come back. Put the DJ on…come on!!!" Hinata screamed as the girls ran like crazy to put on the song. Soon enough, after a lot of screaming and commotion, the song came on.
WE ARE FIGHTING DREAMERS, TAKAMI WO MEZASHITE!!!
"No….no…the OTHER cd…." Sakura corrected.
"Well, how was I supposed to know? They look the bloody same!!" Temari screamed.
"Okay, okay…just change the song for Christ's Sake!!"
'In a perfect world…one we've never known…we would never need…to face the world…alone…' the song finally began to play.
"Disney?!" Hinata snorted.
"Well…you pick something Einstein!" TenTen screamed since she brought the cd.
"Okay…okay…but LION KING!? Wouldn't 'Reflection' from Mulan be better?" Hinata giggled.
"Well, in that song, only Mulan sings. We picked something out so they both could relate to it…" Temari added, while Sakura grabbed Sasuke and dragged him to the front of the crowd to see what was going on.
"OMG!! WE ARE GOING TO MISS IT!!" the three remaining girls screamed, rushing around to get their boyfriends…or fiancés…and hit the front of the crowd.
"Aww…look at them Neji!! They are sooo cute together…" TenTen squealed like a little girl.
Neji…being Neji…just snorted, earning a death glare from TenTen.
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His breath on her face…their lips inches apart…yet…Ino had to ruin it all…
She backed away, and began to sing…twist and dance…
Gaara looked like he was about to kill. He hated how every time he's this close to kissing her, she 'runs' away doing 'something…' But this made him want her even more. Suddenly, the male voice came on, and Gaara found himself singing.
He danced with her….and well made a fool of himself. WHICH HOMICIDAL MURDERER ON THIS PLANET DANCES WITH A 'PRINCESS!!??' Well, if this meant winning 'her' over, he'd do it.
And the song came to a close…over in the corner the four girls sighed… "Ahh, to be young and in love…" they cooed in unison.
Gaara and Ino drew closer together.
Finally! This is what I have been trying to do for the past half hour, and repeatedly she'd dance away," Gaara thought as his heart skipped a beat.
I'm actually going to kiss him…is it right…
Of course it is… Inner Ino replied.
Temari and Shikamaru are happy together, and this tingly feeling won't go away. Every time I am close to him, my heart goes to my throat, and I am speechless. Maybe that's what they call love at first sight. Except it took me a while to figure it out, Ino told herself…and then it happened. Their lips locked onto each other. His tongue traced her lower lip, begging for an entry into her mouth. She granted it, and their tongues locked together, fighting. She could feel how he needed to be kissed. Hungrily, his tongue explored her mouth. After a while her calmed down, making the kiss more passionate. Her hands were intertwined into his hair, and his hands were fastened onto her waist. He explored her mouth, and she kissed back with the same fierceness. I guess…in the end, they were longing to be loved, and these two, my dear readers, were no different. One lost her love to his sister, and one was never loved in the first place. It was a great experience…one that wasn't going to be forgotten soon.
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Okay……I promised a long Chapter….but I had things to do, and I just really wanted to update this. It's 2, 470 words…longer than usual… Anyways…all reviews are welcome. PLEASE PLEASE review…do whatever you want……thanx
Here are some evil cookies and milk, to eat while you review!!!!!!!
And one last time…Arigato!!! Thanx for the support and well…prepare for a moth load of love, and a marriage at the end. The pairings won't change, but an OC will come in. Here is her profile:
Name: Elle
Height: 1.65
Hair: Hazel, long…up until the middle of the back
Eyes: Light brown
She tends to sometimes be depressed, and sometimes be worse than Naruto.
She knows the pain of being alone, she is also very dark at times. Easy to cheer up, and don't get her near sugar, or she goes nuclear with her hyperactive ness. Well, all in all weird.
She has a curvy figure, with big breasts… now I don't mean HUGE but they are bigger than normal. She likes to wear only black, and sometimes…due to her unpredictable mood swings…such colorful clothes…that people sometimes puke. She comes in, in part 2 of my story, or in its sequel. You'll find out her purpose.
So…now that you know…please review…please say something, and I hope you have enjoyed my story and will continue reading it. Thanks!!