Chapter 21: It's Not That Easy

……..

What comes around goes around.

Sometimes it goes around and around so much that it pukes itself all over the newly waxed floor. Leaving you torn between comforting the poor thing and beating the thing till you can no longer recognize what it was.

Currently Uchiha Sasuke was in possession of that thing.

That thing was a scroll that had been forgotten by nearly everyone. While it was signed by the Hokage and the Kazekage regarding something about Gaara gaining a wife, to Sasuke it seemed strange that something of this nature had been forgotten.

So after deep thought and consideration he decided that he was going to return it to the Hokage.

…………

"So now do you have a plan?" Kiba asked Shino.

"I indeed do." Shino replied.

Kiba stared at him, waiting for Shino to continue and inform him of this plan. Shino apparently didn't know this or had forgotten to care. For he was still walking further and further away from the dog nin.

"Bark."

The two nins jumped slightly, Akamaru who had been traveling with them the entire time had finally decided to break his silence and speak.

"Fuck! You scared me Akamaru!!" Kiba yelled as he pretended that he hadn't just clung to Shino in fear.

"I had forgotten he was with us..in fact I had forgotten him entirely." Shino stated as he glared at the sleeve that Kiba just recently clung to. "I just washed this jacket.." Shino quietly added to himself.

"What was that?" Kiba asked.

"Bark." Akamaru repeated.

"I guess…" Kiba responded.

Shino only raised an eyebrow and wondered if it wasn't still too early to once again ask the Hokage to remove Kiba from the team.

……………

Hinata was staring at the pile of sand that had somehow managed to pool around the bed, stopping her from attempting to leave the bed. She knew now that he was watching her and was quite close to her; also that she was not allowed to leave the bed.

"This is not looking well." Hinata thought to herself as she moved to the middle of the bed. She was certain that her teammates, maybe even hopefully Naruto would be coming to her rescue. "I can't leave this bed, and Gaara is close but unless I activate my Byakugan…I don't want to know how close he is to me." She thought as she closed her eyes and forced herself to think happy thoughts.

Gaara watched as she coward, he didn't blame her. He was very willing to snap her ankles, break her knee caps and legs to keep her exactly where she was. Here, alone with him and no one else.

He was not possessive, he was merely psychotic.

Hinata was going to remain here in the sand with him, and she was going to enjoy her time here.

…….

He wasn't proud of what he had done, but he was somewhat relieved that he hadn't spoken to Hinata. Now that he was actually thinking about it, he didn't know what it was that he was going to say to her. Sure, I'm sorry seemed to be on the top of the improvising list.

He wanted to say something to her, and he wanted to show her that he saw her. More than a simple glance over his shoulder but he had seen her. He had seen her and he had witnessed that she was becoming someone in his eyes.

Temari and Kankuro were walking him to the border of the sand to ensure that he didn't attempt to reenter. He frowned slightly, in a way he had caused this. He was the one that had informed Gaara that Hinata was interested in him; he was the one that had agreed that Gaara do all in his power to keep Hinata in love with him.

It was his fault.

Naruto felt the bottom fall out from under him, if either Hinata or Gaara were hurt, then he was the worst person in the world.

……

Kakashi was leaving the Hyuuga compound; he had thanked Hiashi for the kindness and was now prepared to avoid the clan leader. As he neared where the supposed exit was, he came to a strange realization. There before him was Hanabi laying on the floor apparently KO'd and Neji stood above her, obviously waiting.

"You finished whatever business you had with my uncle?" Neji asked.

"Yes." Kakashi hurriedly answered.

"You are fond of my uncle?" Neji inquired.

Kakashi was unsure how to take that statement, so he merely smiled and waved at the beautiful haired nin.

"He has been lonely since auntie died." Neji informed Kakashi. "It does not seem strange that he would seek company, even if the company is less than…well all their own." With that statement Neji returned to staring and waiting for his cousin to awaken from the forced sleep he had placed her in.

Kakashi wondered if it would be bad manners to harm Neji. He was a guest here after all; a guest that was soon to be fleeing out those doors and remain in his apartment until he forgot this day.

There was a light cough that caught both guys attention. Hanabi was coming to, this was great for Neji who was feeling very confused at the moment.

"Hanabi I'm tingling again." Neji informed his cousin.

Hanabi stared at him and then sighed. "Hinata is your cousin, you are her protector…go protect her.."

Neji nodded and left.

Hanabi turned to look at Kakashi. "So, you're daddy's special friend."

Kakashi once again chose to smile and wave as his response.

"Daddy doesn't have much taste…."

………….

Gaara had finally chosen to enter the room, his eyes never leaving the cowering the girl that sat in the middle of the bed. She was not surprised that he had entered the room, fear was better enjoyed close up.

"You can't keep me here." A small part of Hinata's inner voice screamed. This was revealed in the sudden rebellion that flashed briefly in her eyes. Gaara's response was a cold stare before he placed his gourd down on the floor beside the bed.

Proud that she didn't flinch when he sat on the edge on the bed. She hugged her knees closer to her body. This was not pleasant to her, all they needed was snow and to be locked in somewhere.

"You are to remain in the sand." He informed her. Hinata said nothing. "Your father agreed." He added, still receiving no response. He glanced at the sand, feeling the laughter from his tail laugh at his course of action. "Naruto was here." He didn't have to be looking at her to know she had reacted in some way. "He congratulated us on our happiness."

Hinata did react, her eyes widened, Naruto-kun had been here.

He hadn't been here to save her; he had been here to see how happy she was making Gaara. She shook her head slightly, she was going to cry. She could actually feel the tears begin to well up and threaten to fall. Gaara was staring at her now; she closed her eyes trying to form a barrier between them.

…….

The Hokage had finally recovered from her drunken break down, and the two second hangover that followed, when Sasuke entered. She noticed the scroll in his hand; it looked like an official document. Sasuke with the magical powers of emo venom followed her train of thought.

"I found this." With that he handed her the scroll.

The Hokage slowly opened the scroll before she started to read it. Leaving Sasuke waiting with some reluctance, while he wanted to summarize the scroll for her, he was willing to wait for her reaction. Thirty minutes later he was rewarded with her reaction.

"WHAT!!"

Sasuke smiled slightly, and then decided to add something to her reaction. "I have already sent a copy to the sand." Wide almost horrified eyes stared at the Uchiha.

"WHAT!!" came her reply.

Sasuke only smiled, feeling for once quite pleased with himself. "Gaara is going to marry someone from the leaf, he even chose her." he reminded with a smile.

The Hokage stared at him, she hadn't expected this. "Sakura!!" the Hokage screeched. "Gaara chose to wed Sakura!!"

Sasuke nodded still smiling. "Love is beautiful." He reminded with a bright smile.

"But..He came here for Hinata..not Sakura ..how…" The Hokage asked.

Sasuke shrugged slightly.

……

Shino flinched slightly, he had that feeling again. Something was being found out and he was not there to hide it away from prying eyes. Kiba and Akamaru were still talking, he was not pleased.

"Bark." Came the reply once again.

"I know that's why I asked!" Kiba repeated.

"Bark."

"He's the difficult one!!"

Shino sighed; he would simply go on by himself.

………

One of the council members from the sand noticed something, there was a bird sitting on the table with a scroll tied on its feet with neon pink string. With much curiosity the council member walked over to the bird and carefully untied the string. From the seal it was from the leaf, whatever it was he didn't know.

While the bird stood there, the council member began to process of reading the scroll. As he read he noticed something, Gaara had finally chosen a wife from the leaf. With a sigh the council member realized the meaning behind Gaara's actions. Before he was wed he wanted to get that girl out of his system.

"Oh how noble." The council member cried, before he started his rush to Gaara's quarters. To congratulate him, and hopefully help incase the girl thought this not how it was supposed to happen.

…………

Sasuke couldn't stop smiling, especially when Sakura was called in.

"I'M WHAT!!" was the shrill question Sakura asked.

"You're marrying Gaara." Sasuke repeated a little too happily.

"WHAT!!" Sakura screeched again.

"You're marrying Gaara." Sasuke repeated. "Congratulations!!"

Sakura opened her mouth and then shut it, looking much like fish that was cursing out the idiot that was tapping the glass.

The Hokage was staring at Sakura with wide eyes. Sure her student had some dealings with Gaara, but she had been under the impression that it was Hinata that Gaara was attempting to wed.

"Look even the Hokage signed off on it! Gaara chose you, out of all the girls, he chose you." Sasuke reminded her. "To him you're special."

Sakura simple stared; this was not what she wanted.

"Tomorrow you will go to the sand, and we will discuss when Gaara wants the wedding to take place." The Hokage stated with defeat, there was no way out of this, if this was what Gaara wanted then it was what he was going to get.

………

"GAARA-SAMA!!" the council member screamed as he entered the room. "Congratulations on your choice of bride!!"

Gaara and Hinata's eyes widened, wife, had they missed something. "Wife?" Gaara inquired.

"Yes. You selected the Hokage's apprentice as your future bride." The council member reminded.

Hinata blinked, the Hokage's apprentice was Sakura. Gaara had chosen Sakura to be his wife, at that Hinata's inner voice exploded with a reaction that horrified Gaara and shocked the council member.

"YAHOO!!"