Hey guys~

I'm really sorry for the late update because I had school yesterday and I had night shift so no much time (plus, my school is far away from my home)

And now here's chapter 12~

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

ciao~

The next day, they all made it through Konoha that afternoon. The ones who welcomed them at the gate were some ninjas and the remaining members of Konoha 11- except for Neji and the additional one is Sai.

"Welcome back, Hokage-sama!" they all greeted him.

"No need for formalities, everyone." Naruto informed them. "By the way, I have plenty of guests."

"Is that so, Hokage-sama? Now come in and welcome to Konoha." A jounin said and they all went past the gate.

Somehow, Gaara missed a little part of Konoha. The first time he stepped on Konoha was also the first time he made a friend. The others were taken to the Uchiha compound while Gaara, Matsuri, Mei and Yagura were taken to the Hokage tower.

After moving to their rooms, Naruto told them a quite few rules in living at the tower.

"First, no destroying of things or else Hina-chan would beat me up." Naruto said and they all nodded.

"Second, no noise coming around from your rooms. Hinata is very sick now and you should consider her situation. Lastly, no using of jutsus in this tower when fighting. I don't have money to fix the damages." Naruto added and motioned for them to go to their rooms while he takes care of Hinata.

"Let's go, Matsuri." Gaara told her and they went inside their room.

"Are you fine now?" he asked, worried that her fever might still not be down.

Matsuri sat on the bed, petting the tanuki. She looked at him for a moment then smiled.

"I'm fine. No need to worry, Gaara." Matsuri assured him and he nodded.

"Let's go out." He announced.

"Where?" she asked and he only grinned.

"Wow!" she squealed in amazement.

Gaara took her to a place where sakura trees are in full bloom. She never knew that Gaara could be this romantic. But, she knew that he only brought her here to have fun.

"When did you learn about this place?" she asked, twirling around to face him.

"When I went here for one of my meetings with Tsunade." He simply answered.

"Is that so? It really must be a fate for you to be brought here." Matsuri mused, still taking in the scene before her.

"This is where Temari confessed to Shikamaru though I don't know when. She just told me that she confessed here when she tried to make me relax." Gaara added and Matsuri's eyes soften.

"That's romantic." She commented then turned to him. "When you fall in love, will you also confess to her in this place?"

Gaara stoically stared at her. One wrong answer and Matsuri will finally be broken. He can always say that he'll love her; that she can stay with him for the rest of their lives but he also knew that this is a forced marriage and Matsuri doesn't like being forced.

"I will not confess to her here. Maybe… some place unique." He answered and she nodded.

"Sakura, don't follow me around." A cold voice said.

The two turned their attention to the Uchiha walking behind them with Sakura following him from behind. If this was a movie, the title would be: The Master and His Dog.

"Matsuri-chan!" Sakura called her and Sasuke finally saw the two.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"We only stumbled upon here." Gaara lied, not wanting anyone to know that he brought Matsuri here to have time together.

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kun, let's go with them on a date." Sakura suggested, linking her arm with his but he only shrugged.

Matsuri wanted them to have a date. Sakura told them once that Sasuke is never into dates and they never even kissed once. Now, Matsuri is desperate to grant Sakura's wish.

"Sakura, I have no-" Sasuke was about to say when Matsuri spoke first.

"Let's go!" Matsuri chirped happily and a vein popped on Sasuke's head.

They went walking afterwards. They just went window shopping and pointing at any various stuff to buy. Matsuri would occasionally glance at Sasuke and Sakura and find that they haven't even progressed at all.

"Damn! What should I do?" she asked herself.

Gaara, on the other hand, is having a mental conversation with Shukaku. Having a double date- with the Uchiha nonetheless is what Gaara doesn't like in the least. It would be fine if it's someone he finds comfort with but he can't complain since Matsuri and Sakura set this up in the first place.

"Just put up with them, kid. Matsuri is planning something." Shukaku advised his host.

"What do you think is she planning?" Gaara asked.

"Getting those two Konoha nins together. That Uchiha brat really is a tsundere."Shukaku muttered then looked at the two. It seems that Sakura's hand is tempted to touch Sasuke's hand but she held herself back.

"Matsuri is really troublesome." He commented then stopped walking which the others find odd.

"What is it, Gaara?" Matsuri asked.

"Let's go somewhere else. I wanted to have a private talk." Gaara said and before Matsuri asks him, he pulled her to another direction- leaving the other two alone.

"Sakura." Sasuke called her- making her slightly jump.

"Y-Yes?" she asked, fearing that he already knew her motive.

"If you want to have a date…" he trailed off then looked away to hide his blush. "You could've just told me."

"But, you'll get mad. You're not even into this kind of things." Sakura replied back and Sasuke felt guilty and annoyed at her.

"Do you want to date or what?" Sasuke asked firmly and she only giggled, holding his wrist and pulling him to another direction.

The walk was very silent. Matsuri did not try speaking or making a conversation with him. She only stared at the shops they passed through. She then noticed a couple walking. The woman is pregnant and the man held her carefully.

"Will I also get pregnant and give birth to his child?" she asked herself, blushing on the while then shaking her head. She knew that Gaara does not want to have a child with her.

"Gaara-sama!" a female voice greeted him.

The two turned to see Ino holding a flower pot with Shikamaru and Sai behind her. It seems that they had stopped in front of the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Who's this cute lady?" Ino asked as she turned her attention to Matsuri.

"She's Gaara's wife- Matsuri." Shikamaru told her and Ino beamed with excitement.

"Would you like to help around?" Ino asked, holding both of Matsuri's hands.

Matsuri wanted to refuse since she wanted to spend some time alone. But, she saw Shikamaru nod at her so she nodded in response.

"That's great! Now, let's get you a makeover." Ino said then pushed Matsuri inside the shop.

"Uhmm… Nara-san, is this-" Matsuri was about to ask when he already replied.

"She's troublesome but she'll help you." Shikamaru answered and the two girls went inside the room.

Once Ino closed the door, she flashed Matsuri a teasing grin. Then she rummaged through her things, throwing them in random direction- making Matsuri dodge them all with the use of her umbrella.

"I found it!" Ino exclaimed then held up her make-up kit.

"Don't worry, Matsuri-chan. This will be over soon." She assured her and Matsuri only held a horrified expression.

"Shit!" she mentally yelled.

"Sai, put it there." Shikamaru instructed him as he gave the pot to him.

Sai did what he was told and joined Shikamaru at the counter. Somehow, Gaara only observed the shop. It was filled with various flowers and he only knew little about those. He sighed. If he was a flower, will Matsuri take good care of him?

"Gaara, are you bored?" Shikamaru asked and the redhead only shook his head, waiting for the two girls.

"What's taking that troublesome woman long anyway?" Shikamaru asked, glancing at Sai.

"I don't know." Sai shrugged, smiling at him.

"Jeez… and I don't know why you agreed to be her boyfriend." Shikamaru muttered and Sai only chuckled.

"Gaara, how are the two of you?" Shikamaru asked, lighting up his cigarette.

"We're fine." He simply answered.

"You know, you should take her on a date tonight. Matsuri has never been to Konoha for a long time- except when she went here to tend her wounds seven years ago." Shikamaru suggested, a cigarette in between his lips.

"Besides, it's perfect for Matsuri to buy ingredients for your night picnic." Sai added.

"Picnic?" Gaara repeated and the two nodded.

"Ino used to gaze at the stars with me while we eat her homemade sandwiches. It would be fine if you also tried it." Sai explained and the door slammed open.

"She's done!" Ino exclaimed. "You can come out now."

Ino stepped out to give them a clear view of Matsuri. Then they heard shy footsteps. Gaara's eyes widened a little while Shukaku whistled in his mind. Matsuri wore her usual shinobi boots but her hairstyle and clothes had changed. She wore a black tank top underneath a loose and long sleeved jade green shirt. It was also added by a black skirt. Her hair was also tied up and she looked quite a little cute with her blush.

"Do you like what you see?" Ino asked the redhead.

"Tell the truth. She's cute, right?" Shukaku told him.

"She's cute." He finally admitted.

"That's great. Now, go with him." Ino said, motioning for Matsuri to walk towards him. "Have fun!"

Matsuri shyly took hold of his hand gently, not wanting to startle him then they went out of the shop.

They went back again at the tower after buying the ingredients for the sandwich. On the other hand, Gaara went to their room to get changed.

"I thought you're fine with your maroon outfit." Shukaku said.

"Matsuri will feel at ease if I wore something other than that. Besides, I don't want others to interview me as the Kazekage." Gaara replied, slipping out of his maroon clothes.

He then wore a short sleeved red hoodie over his black clothes and sat on the edge of the bed. After a few minutes, a knock sounded from the door.

"Can I come in?" Matsuri asked from the other side and Gaara agreed.

Matsuri opened the door and was a little surprised to see Gaara in his casual clothes. The more she looked at him, the more she sees how adorable he is.

"L-Let's go." She informed, mentally slapping herself for being stupid in front of him.

He then nodded and followed her, making a silent while walking.

"Did you see those two? They're so cute!" a woman squealed.

"Especially that young man. I feel like I've seen him before." Another woman added.

"It's the Kazekage and his wife!" another one exclaimed.

"Really?!" the other asked.

"They're fit for each other." Another one commented.

Matsuri blushed harder. Hearing their compliments makes her even confident to be around him. But, they are only tied because of this marriage. If they both walked on their own paths, would she be still important to him?

"Matsuri, hold my hand." Gaara told her, holding out his hand to her.

"E-Eh? But, you always flinch when you are touched." She replied.

"I won't flinch away." He assured her. "Now, hold my hand so you won't get lost."

She stared at it for a while. Those hands that control the sand had killed many people before. This human in front of her is filled with bloodshed without being stained. Yet, she swore to be with him. And so, she took his hand.

"The sky is filled with many stars tonight." Matsuri stated.

They went in a forest and sat by the lake. Matsuri would occasionally glance at the stars then to her reflection on the water. And, her finger would touch her reflection- making a ripple effect.

"If I told you that I still want you to be my wife, would you agree?" he suddenly asked then took a bite of his sandwich.

"That depends. I love being your wife but it doesn't mean that I also love you." She replied, staring at the stars.

"Then, you don't love me?" he asked, keeping an eye on her.

"It's not like that. I love you but even if I'm your wife, it doesn't mean you'll do the same. We are in an arranged marriage after all." Matsuri explained, looking at him.

"If I really love you, will you still marry me?" he asked again.

This time, Matsuri stood from her spot then crouched down in front of him. She brushed away his bangs then kissed his forehead gently, tracing the red kanji all the while.

"Love… even if you don't love that person, you'll still marry that someone. It can be because of money, political issues, despair and etc. But, if you married someone out of love… it's a dream come true." Matsuri said.

"But, this is reality. Dreams crash when you don't work hard to achieve it." Gaara interjected, taking her hand then brushing his lips on her fingertips.

"Still, women always have their wishful thinking." Matsuri added, tracing his lips with her finger.

Next, he pushed her down with a little force left in him and hovered over her. His one hand held both of her wrists above her head and his other hand clamped over her mouth. Their eyes never left each other and it seemed that it held a special meaning that they never knew about.

"Obey my orders and keep your fantasies to yourself." He firmly told her but she did not nod.

The next day, Matsuri woke up but Gaara was nowhere in sight. Last night was the night when they walked to the Hokage tower in an awkward silence. Gaara told her last night to obey his orders and keep her fantasies to herself.

She sat up then clutched the blanket tighter to her body. It's not being a wife at all. Maybe he should buy a prisoner if he wanted to do that but she felt she should do his orders.

"It's a torture." She stated mentally.

"What are you spacing out for?" a male voice asked her.

Matsuri slowly turned to her left and saw Yagura leaning on the doorway. His staff is placed on his back with his arms folded on his chest and he held his infamous smirk on his face. Even though his expression held amusement, his eyes also held concern to her who became like a daughter and sister to him.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked again, walking closer to her then sitting on a chair beside the bed.

"Yagura-sama, if you ever got married, will you want a submissive wife?" she asked.

Yagura quirked a brow. He knew she was acting strange from the moment he laid his eyes on their room.

"Maybe she never got to do it with him on bed?" Isobu guessed and Yagura only ignored it.

"Any men would love that." Yagura answered then patted her head gently. "But, what matters to me is that she can still have time for herself."

"What does being a wife is all about anyway?" she raised another question.

"I don't know. All I know is that once you get married, it's not always you. You should also take in mind your husband and kids." He answered thoughtfully.

"Thank you." She muttered.

"Don't mention it. When I passed by your room, you look quite troubled so I went in to check." Yagura explained.

"You really look out for me." Matsuri stated.

"Of course, I do. You're very important to me. Mei and I promised to protect you, remember?" Yagura reminded her.

"But, the one I wanted to be with right now is him."

"And why?"

"Because… there are many things I haven't said last night."

"You'll get to talk with him eventually."

He patted her head again then stood up from the chair. He went out of the room and closed the door. Then, he turned to another corner to see Gaara leaning on the wall while holding his one eye.

"Do you think it's a good thing to do those last night?" Yagura asked.

"I don't know. But, that's the only way I could keep her tied to me." Gaara reasoned out, removing his hold from his eye.

"Why don't you tell her? She's the same as you." Yagura suggested but Gaara only shook his head.

"She loves me more than I do." Gaara said. "Besides, we're both afraid to convey our feelings for each other."

Yagura wasn't speechless at the moment. He really wanted to beat him so that he could shake the fear in his body. But, he knew that it was not his business to butt in their problem. That is why Gaara only saw his retreating form with his arms folded on his chest.

"You should agree to that Mizukage kid." Shukaku stated.

"I know. If only I was born to express emotions freely." He muttered.

He removed his hand from her mouth and she started to ask a question.

"What if I don't?"

He simply made a grin along with a whisper of:

"I'll kill you."

Matsuri clutched the sheets tighter to her body. The more the memories last night played at the back of her mind, the more she felt cold and shivered. The Gaara whom she had made a talk last night was not the Gaara she knew. He was not the same person who held her in his arms during their honeymoon.

"I feel cold…" she whispered trying earning warmth from the sheets which clung to her body.

She then looked out the window. The sun was rising and she could feel heat everywhere. But, the warmth was not enough for her to get out of this coldness so she just closed the windows and pulled down the curtains. She then lay again on the bed and stared at the door. Even without the real thing, she could still picture him leaving her without looking back.

She then reached out to him and called his name- pleading him not to leave but he suddenly vanished and a tear fell from her eye. The reality of their marriage is that it will always end up in divorce.

"Reality hurts." A voice sounded in her mind.

She covered her ears. She doesn't want to hear the painful truth that she'll get to leave him one day. She doesn't want to be separated from him. She doesn't want to be a stranger to him. She wanted to be someone important to him. She wanted to be someone that he will cherish.

"But I can never be his wife forever…" she thought and another tear fell followed by another one and more tears flowed.

There really was an existing wall between the two of them.

Gaara went out of the tower and walked to no particular direction. He didn't want to hear her cries. If he heard, guilt will creep up to him. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. Matsuri can really make him feel foreign emotions that he doesn't want to feel.

While walking, he never noticed that he bumped into someone. He only noticed that when he looked down and saw a Konoha kunoichi with her long blue hair tied in a ponytail and sharp green eyes with a scowl on her face.

"I'm sorry." He apologized then helped her stand up.

"I-It's fine! Just watch where you are going." She told him then two male Konoha nins rushed after her.

"Yume-chan, don't leave us." The one with the glasses said.

"You even stumbled upon the Kazekage." The other one with the eyepatch said.

"K-Kazekage?!" Yume repeated then looked at Gaara again.

She was entranced at him at first sight but she never knew that the Kazekage was this young. He's probably a teenager like their Hokage.

"I-I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama." Yume bowed then ran away, leaving the other two chasing after her.

Gaara just shrugged and walked again. He looked around and passed by the Yamanaka flower shop. His feet were aching to go inside and talk about Matsuri but he just went to another direction again.

He doesn't know what came in his mind to go in Konoha's cemetery. His feet just brought him there out of mere coincidence. But, he never expected those feet of his to drag him in front of Naruto's parents' stone grave.

He crouched down and stared at their names. Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were carved on the stone. He reached out his fingers and traced his fingers on the stone. They were told before about a little bit of Konoha's history and one of them was the story of Naruto's birth and the death of his parents.

"Definitely a romantic story than your parents, ne?" Shukaku said and he mentally nodded.

"Do you think I'll be able to love Matsuri?" he asked the Ichibi and he only chuckled.

"Of course!" Shukaku exclaimed then added, "Actually… you do love her but you're pretty stubborn so you can't."

He mentally sighed. Whenever he wanted to feel something, there's a feeling inside him that he also doesn't want to feel those emotions. If a wall is continued to be built between him and the others, he'll never be able to return their feelings.

"If you do that, you'll only make her cry." Shukaku reminded him and he is already aware of that fact- the fact that she'll cry and leave him.

"Gaara?!" a voice said in disbelief.

Gaara looked back and saw Naruto with a white rose on one hand. He was still wearing his Hokage robes but his hat was unseen. Good thing that he was alone or else he had no one else to confine to.

"What are you doing in front of my parents' grave?" he asked, walking towards it then placing the flower in front of it.

"I am very envious of your relationship with the Hyuuga heiress and the relationship of your parents." Gaara stated.

Naruto suddenly felt the tension in his words. He knew instantly that he's experiencing another problem with regards to his wife. As a friend of his, maybe he'll listen to what he will say this time.

"I never made her very happy." He added but Naruto punched his cheek, his sand not blocking his hand.

"You're wrong. Because of you, she still continued to smile and because you're here, she'll keep on fighting." Naruto told him, gritting his teeth and giving him an angry glare.

"Hinata is one month pregnant already. I just got her medical results from Sakura-chan. There will be a time that in a few months, we'll be all going to Kiri and face the war. She'll disappear one day so make her happy, okay?" he added with a friendly pat on his shoulder.

After that, he went off to God-knows-where and Gaara was left standing there, dumbfounded. There will be a war and now's the chance to make her happy for once. Shukaku smirked. Gaara is planning something again.

As the wind passed by, Gaara slowly started to turn into sand and drifted into air.

Matsuri slept. Even though she should have already dressed and went out, she still wore her elbow-length sleeved white night dress and lay on the bed. She wanted badly to be on bed and rest. She doesn't want to stress herself regarding her fear of losing him so she just continued to sleep.

Until, she felt the window open was the moment she opened her eyes and saw him on the windowsill. She was surprised that she suddenly sat up and reached out her hand to him. He intertwined her fingers with his and she never noticed that he began to carry her and he lost his hold on her fingers to carry her with full effort.

He crouched on the windowsill; still carrying her but she grasp the hem of his clothes to stop him for a while.

"Let me change first." She said but he shook his head.

"This won't last long. I promise." He whispered and he stood on the platform of the sand, carrying her and making sure that she is holding him tightly.

"I'll make you mine tonight." He said to himself with a hidden smile.

Sorry for the late update! I've been busy since I am a new college student

Please review!