Gaara pondered for a minute as one idea after another polluted his mind, one more sexual than the last. Perhaps he could request another special date like this one, or use it to receive another passionate kiss, or… maybe he dared to go further than that. His face looked like a ripened tomato as the nerve sweat dropped down the back of his neck. She agreed that it could be anything, but how far did that mean he could go? Was there a limit? If not, then he had to make the most of this opportunity given to him. What held him back the most was if he asked for something that she felt uncomfortable doing. Would she go through with it anyways? As if he would force her to do something she didn't like.

Eventually, silently arguing with his consciousness was leaving Yue more concerned by the second. "Gaara?" she called, pulling him back out from his deep dark inner most thoughts. "Your request?"

He rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck and shyly looked away from her hypnotic icy blue eyes. "I'm not sure yet… Could I ask for it later?"

"Sure." She replied. "Any suggestions of where to go next?"

Peering at their surroundings, they looked over their options. The night was fairly young, and knowing that, the crowd of city people didn't thin out, not in the slightest. Gaara really didn't want to go back through it. Any place that had people shoving you here and there made him feel like a caged animal. Sadly, that was where the rest of the fun games, rides, and food was located. They probably won't be able to have this type of festive enjoyment back in Suna. He wanted to make the most of this date with Yue, even if that meant sharing the air with hundreds of strangers. Just before he was about to ask Yue what she wanted to do next, he paused. She was staring at something in the opposite direction of the city. Following her eyes, he witnessed a few couples walking hand in hand towards a corner that was lit by a dim purple light. Curiosity got the best of them to see what exactly that purple light was. If civilians were allowed to go there, then maybe they could check it out.

"I wonder what's over there…" she said.

"Only one way to find out…" he replied as he took charge by leading her over to it.

As soon as they turned the corner, their eyes widened in amazement. It was a long open pathway with Sakura Trees erected from where they stood to far beyond they could see. Each tree was lit with purple and pink rope lights up in the branches, making their flower petals glisten and fall like snow onto the ground. The path was covered with nothing but fallen flowers, like a gorgeous pink river. Yue couldn't believe that something this extravagant was hiding outside the city.

"It's like a dream." She muttered with the little bit of breath she still had in her lungs. No wonder all the couples came here. It was so romantic.

Gaara didn't really understand. Did she actually dream of sights as pleasant as this? Or was it an expression that she really liked it? Curiously, he glanced at her, thinking that maybe his answer would lie somewhere on her face. As he did so, the faint purple light shimmered over her silvery white hair, presenting a magical aura that sent the fallen petals dancing in the air around her. Seeing the corner of her lips curl into a smile and the glow of the lights in her eyes, made him feel something he didn't think would be possible. He felt alive. Before reaching maturity, the only pleasures in his life involved killing and fighting. Now, it was almost unbelievable to think that something as simple as a smile could change everything about him. The way she was standing there, focusing only on her own happiness… So perfect… He couldn't help but to admire that.

"Do you mind if we walk this way?" she asked with a smile to him. Clumsily returning the gesture, he nodded.

Along their walk, they observed the other civilians. Some were photographers capturing the beauty of the trees in their prime season, some were small children kicking and playing in the flower petals like it were a pile of leaves, and the remainder of them were couples from young teenagers to the elderly just walking around enjoying the dreamy atmosphere. It made them glad to see that this part of the village wasn't commercialized by big businesses. If it were, this natural element would have disappeared and become forgotten. Hopefully, it will remain exactly this way until the end of time. Beauty like this should be shared with the world.

Still holding hands, Yue gave his a small squeeze. "Gaara?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you for tonight… for everything… You didn't have to do so much…"

"I wanted to…"

"Receiving gifts isn't exactly something I'm used to… I'd rather you didn't spend anything on me."

"Do you not like the gifts?" he asked.

"No, I do. It's just- I don't feel that being with me is worth this much."

His heart throbbed with pain to hear that. "Yue… You shouldn't ever put a price on yourself… I understand that being given things makes you feel in-debt to others… I want you to know that I never expected you to return anything for accepting it. I only wanted you to be happy…"

"Still… You deserve to be happy too. I just don't know how to make it happen… I can't afford to give you things equal to the value of what you have given to me." she muttered unable to look him in the eye. It was a bit embarrassing to admit that. It was like she was making excuses for him. Since the incident, she never permitted herself to involve anything sexual, including matters of romantic gift-giving. Nothing came to mind when she tried to think of making a man happy, not for friends, not for Reo, and now nothing for Gaara. And due to the funeral and Tea Shop payments, even if he agreed to pay off her debts, it would take her a long time before she could afford any spending money. What could she possibly present to him, right here, right now?

"You could give me this…" Before she could look to see what he meant, his free hand grazed gently under her chin, lifting so that their eyes connected. There was a stillness in the air as he slowly leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. The light touch was enough to calm her down for a moment. "That shows me enough gratitude… And you can always tell me if I'm giving too much. It won't bother me to know that, but… it does bother me to hear you value yourself so little… What made you think that?"

She quietly huffed her breath. Was it not obvious? "You're Gaara, the Sand Village's Kazekage, one of the strongest, noblest, most honorable, and attractive of all the men I've ever met… How could I possibly be what you want?"

He sighed quietly, looking to the ground in defeat. It was nice to have heard those compliments, but to use them in a sentence like that. What kind of a man was he to allow her to think that way? "For a long time I believed that the meaning behind being Kazekage was to protect and serve my village. I have done exactly that, and still continue to do so… But in reality, it's just a title… I chose to take that role not exactly to be the village's superior, but as their equal… I always strived to ensure that. The only way that I would show superiority is if I had no choice. The Great Shinobi War is a prime example of that… As a shinobi, you were never below me to begin with. Rather, I consider you to be by my side."

"But why me? Of all the women in the world, why did you choose me?" The questions just came out uncontrollably. Yue felt dumb for having asked them. Her subconscious nagged to not look for a reason to make him end this, to just keep her thoughts inside. She couldn't.

"I could ask you the very same question, but I'm sure you know what the answer will be…" She shook her head, making him sigh yet again. "What you said to me before, about me hurting others because deep down I was suffering, wanting to be loved… Well, you were right… I was betrayed so many times by the ones I cared for that my views on right and wrong became distorted. I've done many terrible things that I regret over the years… But you've managed to erase all that pain from the minute I met you... The crimes I committed, that alone left me in-debt to everyone that I wronged. I believed that the only true way to bring joy to them was to do as they pleased, and in return, I could be happy in their service… But you showed me happiness beyond what I interpreted… Seeing you smile gives me more sense of accomplishment than winning a battle… I chose you because I want to continue feeling that way and maybe, someday I will be able to give that feeling right back to you… I love you for you…"

Yue's mouth opened as if to speak, but she said nothing. It was as if all the knots in her chest untied themselves and strummed a tune of tranquility with her soul. So much detail… that it couldn't be anything but the truth. His eyes though serious showed a hint of insecurity, waiting for her response. She quickly tried to piece some words together.

"I…" she began, still unsure of what to say "I didn't know… You are so collective that I never know what you're thinking… To be honest, I'm always wondering what you're thinking when we are together… To hear that now… I feel so alleviated."

"I am a very private person, yet I am an open book… If you do not ask, I won't tell…" he paused for a minute as an idea popped in his head. "I know what I want my request to be."

She met his gaze with curiosity. "Yes?"

"I request that you will never belittle yourself again."

Yue blinked at the order. He could have used it on something else, but she did say anything he wanted. Accepting it, she nodded. With a smile, he continued to guide her down the trail. As they walked, Yue reached her free hand out to catch the fallen petals. For some reason, the color and feel of these tiny fragments of plant gave her a sense of calmness. It reminded her of the Orchids he left on her bed and of the Echinopsis cactus back in Suna.

Soon the violet lights faded away and they were yet again face to face with the large crowd. From the looks of it, it seems that the Sakura pathway circled them right back around to the center of town. Their hotel building was far away, but still in their sight, which helped them ideally recognize their location. In the distance, they could see the fluorescent lights of the amusement park rides, but the ocean of people made it difficult to see the lines. Gaara hesitated going towards them. Pushing through that was going to be a pain, but he needed to know if that was where she wanted to go.

"Would you like to go on one of those rides?" he asked, pointing in that direction. Yue immediately cringed at the sight of them, and shook her head. "What is it?"

"I-I can't…" she stuttered anxiously, feeling a bit stupid. Gaara probably secretly wanted to go on one of those rides. It didn't occur to her in the moment, but now she understood that Gaara was always rather busy, especially taking the Kage title so young. Being at a high power at that age, the council would have definitely taken advantage of his energy. So much work to do, it made her think, just exactly how often he let loose? How many fun things did he miss out on?

"How come?" He was getting a bit concerned.

"They're too fast…" she admitted quietly. Gaara glanced back at the rides. One of them, he noticed was shaped like a giant wheel with little pods to hold the people, and it was moving incredibly slow.

"What about that one?" He pointed again. Her skin turned cold as the color in her face turned white with fear. This time, her head shook violently. Gaara was even more confused. "Why not?"

Her fingers timidly began to fiddle with her Yukata sleeve, her eyes trying to find comfort in the ground. She didn't want to expose one of her biggest fears to him, for something ignorant like that. He would probably laugh. Gaara was smart, though. Carefully observing her behavior, he could tell something was wrong. He knew the look of fear very well; he just wanted to hear her say it. Gently stroking his thumb across her knuckles to try and establish a form of comfort, he leaned in closer to her.

"You can tell me…" he spoke softly, as if talking to a disturbed child that could react at any minute.

Perhaps the Gaara in her head wasn't real at all. The Gaara before Yue would never do anything to hurt her, if he could help it. Taking a deep breath in, she prepared herself. "You won't laugh?" He shook his head. "I'm afraid of heights… It doesn't matter if I'm on a fast moving ride or one that's really slow. When I'm high up, I have the tendency to look down and that's when I lose it… I can't breathe. I feel sick… Sometimes I scream or faint… I've never been able to overcome it."

Gaara felt a bit dumbstruck having heard it. "Is that it?" Her eyes shot him a confused glare, making him immediately regret it. "I mean… there are worse things to be afraid of." Her look still didn't budge. Now he was starting to slightly panic, but he forced his body not to show it. "You don't have to go if you don't want to…"

Her expression softened a bit then. "Maybe we can find something else to do."

He nodded and proceeded to walk through the crowd with his sand still hovering the giant panda doll behind them. They bumped and thudded over and over. It started to leave a stressful numbness in his head to endure it. When this is over, he was surely going to suggest for Naruto to extend the festival through the entirety of the village instead of one city. At least then, if they ever came back to another one, there wouldn't be this many struggles to get around. Gaara would have gladly used his sand to transport them above all this mayhem, but now knowing Yue's fear of heights and with the Sand already in use, he didn't really have another option. He gripped her hand tightly as he maneuvered through, taking every opening that came his way and soon they were able to breathe again.

The newly open area allowed Yue to walk beside him instead of behind him. Taking a look around, they were in another game district near the Hokage monuments. There were still plenty of civilians, but this was tolerable. Some vendors were selling useless mementos, others were luring kids to play their competitive, pricy games, and the rest were small salespersons selling small snacks such as cotton candy, popcorn, and drinks. One vendor caught Yue's eye.

"Gaara, look over there." He followed her finger that pointed over to a man behind a small mobile cart offering customers these small cups. "That man over there is making snow cones."

"Did you want one?" Gaara asked.

"No, that's okay… I remembered you asking about eating snow on the day we trained. I just thought I would show you that other people do it too. How it works is that man will have a large block of ice and using a large blade he will scrape over the top to form the snow. Then he will scoop it into a cup and flavor it with a sweet fruity syrup." She explained. Gaara watched the customers dip their spoons back and forth from the colored snow to their lips. All of them seemed to enjoy it. "I'll remember to make you one later. My snow is a little different compared to what they're selling."

"How so?"

"My snow is much finer and I can make it last a while before it starts to melt… All I need is a drink flavor of your choosing and I can make it happen." She smiled. It was nice to talk about her ice powers. It wasn't for combat or a tool. It was simply something she liked to do and it always seemed to make others happy as well.

"I'll have to take you up on that later…" he said facing her directly.

Suddenly, a piercing scream caught their attention. This was no ordinary scream like the ones they heard from the people on the rides, this sounded serious. Something was coming.

"Look out!" Someone yelled at a short distance. A faint swishing sound was drawing near them. There was no time to think or to look. He listened sharply to his instincts and took action. The sand dropped the bear and started to encase a barrier around them, but it wasn't quick enough.

SMACK!

There was a short pause trying to register what just happened. Quickly, Gaara's sand dispersed to reveal Yue, her eyes full of seriousness that he didn't think he had ever seen before. Her free hand was raised right next to his face, her eyes never parted from it. Curiously, he turned and that's when he saw it. The pointed end of a massive dagger in the clutches of her pale white hand, merely inches from slicing his face. Yue slowly removed the blade away from him. In that moment, Gaara looked back to her confused and awestruck at the same time.

"How did-" he whispered, but slowly trailed off into silence, trying to piece everything together. Yue's serious demeanor faded back to her normal innocent stature as she looked at Gaara's surprised face. She had never actually seen him that way before. Did she impress him?

A small crowd of people drew around them, asking if they were okay. The two of them didn't know what just happened, only that Yue reacted before he could. It was so amazing that it ultimately left him speechless. Out of the crowd burst an older man and his young son trailing behind. He stammered his way over to them and dropped to his knees.

"I'm so sorry! Are you two alright?" he asked. Yue listened, but Gaara couldn't find the words to respond as he was still figuring out what had happened. "I was trying to win my son a prize at one of the game booths, but I threw too hard and the blade went flying over to you. No one got hurt did they? Please forgive me!"

Yue shook her head and offered the back end of the dagger to him with a smile. "No, we are fine. Please be more careful next time."

The man stood and took the blade from her with a bow. "I will do my best. I deeply apologize for my terrible aim. I was under a lot of stress because this was my last chance to win something for my son, but that's no excuse for what I've done. Thank you for your kindness, Miss."

Yue looked down to his son hiding behind his shirt. He was quite small, probably no more than seven years of age, and looked to be very shy. It made her think that maybe this boy didn't come out to festivals often with his father or liked to be around many strangers. The man reached for the kids hand and turned in the direction of the booth he came from.

"Wait!" Yue called, making them both stop in their tracks. Inside, the man panicked, assuming she changed her mind and was going to finish him off. Bending over, she picked up the massive panda bear that Gaara dropped and dusted it off. Before moving to them, she looked to Gaara. "Is it okay?"

Knocking him back to reality once more, he thought it over. He knew what she meant and quietly nodded. She then proceeded to kneel to reach the boys eye level and with another warm smile, she offered him the bear. "Here." The child cautiously stepped out from behind his father and hesitated to reach for it. "You can have it… Just be sure to take extra care of him… You have a truly great father who loves you." The young boy then gave a small smile and hugged the bear closely.

The older man helped her stand up. "Miss, you really don't have to do that… After all the trouble I caused you-"

"Please, sir." Yue halted with her hand in the air. "It would save us the struggle of having to lug it around the entire night… I would rather see it in the hands of someone who would appreciate it more. You're a good father… Please take it."

Clenching hard onto the dagger, the man felt overcome with joy. He knew that if he went back to that booth, there was no chance of him being able to win a prize, especially not with that aim. His pride was the only barrier keeping him from wanting to follow through with this acceptance, but as he looked to the smiling face of his son holding the giant animal, he decided to go against all odds. She willingly gave up her toy to his son, and not just a small prize, but a large one. Who knows how many rounds they had to win in order to get it? And he couldn't manage to get even a small one. This was the only way he could let his son be happy.

"Are you sure, Miss? I really don't feel right accepting this." He asked.

"I'm sure… Think of this as a sign of my forgiveness for your bad throw. You said that you were already struggling to win him a prize. That is proof enough for me to see that you are a dedicated father. You deserve to have him go home with a bear." She explained softly. Gaara felt his heart throb watching her.

The man's eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you so much!"

"It's my pleasure."

"Thank you, big sister." The little boy said in his quiet adorable voice. She smiled to him once again and patted him on the head.

The two of them waved goodbye and then walked away leaving her alone once again with Gaara. He was still surprised from how she caught the dagger, but was just then preoccupied with other interests. "Why did you decide to give him the bear?" he asked.

"A certain someone showed me the meaning of gift giving… Besides, he looked really happy to have it."

Just when he thought she couldn't be more kind. The warmness returned in his chest. It was then that he developed a better appreciation of her. He was able to help her understand the meaning of giving and receiving. What she did just then was proof of it. He couldn't help but to smile.

"Could we go somewhere to sit down for a while?" she asked out of the blue.

"Yes…" That question may have been random, but that didn't cause him to stray from what she managed to do earlier. He would need an answer for that later, but for now, she was right. They were both rather tired of dealing with so many people for the night, even if they didn't do very much. Instantly, Gaara thought of something. "Do you mind if I use my sand?"

"How?" Her brow furrowed.

The wrong answer was to be expected on this, but he could only teleport himself. Taking her hands, he looked into her eyes. "Do you trust me?" This was starting to get serious. She was still clueless.

"Y-yes?"

"Hold onto me."

She gasped, immediately understanding where he was going with this. "No, please. I just told you I can't."

"I won't let go of you, I promise… I can get us there faster without having to move through the crowds. I just need you to trust me on that…" he explained.

"But I'll look down and when that happens, I'll-"

"Then just look at me… I'll tell you when to close your eyes."

Yue thought it over in her mind. Going through the streets for a third time was something she didn't really want to do. Since they were both not very knowledgeable of this village, who's to say that they will actually find a private spot to sit down? This festival is so popular that just about anywhere you went, there was a ton of faces. With Tsuki Ona still absent for the time, she wanted to take advantage of all the time she had actually alone with Gaara. Unfortunately, she wished it didn't have to be this way. With another deep breath, she sighed in defeat.

"You really promise?"

"I swear on my life that I will keep you safe." His answer was direct and honest. She couldn't tell if that was the Kazekage side or the real Gaara telling her this, but nevertheless it was genuine and he would follow through. He hasn't given her a reason to distrust him yet.

Stepping closer to him, he released her hands to bend down and pick her up. He felt a twinge more elated to watch her put her trust in him. He had to honor that to the grave, just as he promised. With his sand, he commanded it to take the shape of a small flat surface and cradling her body tightly, he jumped onto it. As he did so, Yue gasped for air and began to dig her nails into his shoulders. The pain made him flinch for a minute, but he figured that would happen. He should have made it form beneath him instead. The platform he created started to rise above the air, causing Yue to tremble and hyperventilate. He could feel blood being drawn from her clawing at his skin. His sand was too occupied and he didn't succumb to his armor since he wasn't on a battlefield. This trip had to be over and done with soon.

"Yue look at me." He said, trying to calm her down. Shakily, she peered up at his face. "You're doing fine. I'm not letting go…"

The feel of her breath was still shallow, but she did as instructed and kept on staring at him. His face though focused on directing the sand, resembled a calm attitude. Gaara knew what he was doing. The faint light of the signs they passed left a subtle glow on his skin and in his teal eyes. The sand rose above the buildings with ease, causing a small breeze to flow through them. His red hair ruffled within it, causing a faint blush to form around her cheeks. He was truly handsome…

"Close your eyes…" he whispered, lightly gripping her body closer.

"Yes…" she did as told and nuzzled into his neck. Gaara tensed at this new touch. It quickly vanished when he had to rise over the top of a billboard. The movement made Yue squeeze him harder. Her smile was an accomplishment, but now leaving one of her biggest fears in his capable hands, trusting him to keep her safe allowed that feeling to grow. A curl formed at the edge of his mouth.

Soon, his sand gently landed them onto a safe flat surface. The sand retreated back into his gourd as he peered down at Yue. Her eyes were still closed, and her lightweight body was still in his arms. He didn't want to put her down.

"Did we stop?" she asked, now that she could no longer sense movement.

"Yes. You can open your eyes now…" Gaara replied as he set her down.

She sighed a breath of relief, happy that the nightmare was finally over. In truth, it wasn't that bad. Looking around, they were free standing on top of a large stone-like structure. Which one, she didn't know. There was no one around besides them. They were alone.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"On top of the Hokage summit…"

"I wonder whose head we're standing on…" She thought about looking down, but that didn't last long when she realized how high up they were. She probably wouldn't have been able to see the faces from where they stood anyways. Taking a few steps back from the edge, she decided to sit down. Yue patted the seat beside her for Gaara to take. He willingly did so.

For the next few minutes, they just sat there in silence, taking in the amazing view of the overall village. They could actually see all the way to the very back gate. The village was massive, but it was alive and thriving. She missed coming here to visit Yumi. The mild climate, the plant life, and seeing her best friend were all the best memories she had here. Now, she had one to share with Gaara.

"Yue?"

"Yes?" she answered.

"What happened earlier, how were you able to stop that dagger from striking me?" he asked.

"I don't really know… It was like I could sense it coming…" The response was vague. It didn't really explain much.

"We never went into defensive training… I don't understand how of all things, you were able to catch a blade so fast…" he said, puzzling all the explanations he could "Could it have been Tsuki?"

"Not likely… I still haven't heard from her since yesterday… Although, I can't say that I've actually tried to contact her…"

"Why not?"

"Because it was nice to have some alone time with you again… just you and me without having to hear her inside my head… I felt her leave, but I'm surprised that she's been gone this long. It doesn't seem like her…"

"I remember in the caverns that she explained why she distrusted me. She was able to hear our plan to seal your power… she didn't contact you until much later… So we cannot rule out the idea that she actually left…" he explained.

"But I felt her go… And there's one other reason I can prove that she isn't here…"

"What?"

Without a word, she crashed her lips onto his. It caught him off guard at first, but he soon gradually melted into it by closing his eyes. Small traces of saliva trickled out from their lips as they mashed them together over and over again. Blood started to rush rapidly through her veins. Before she knew it, his hand had been placed on her shoulder to draw her in and his tongue grazed over the line of her bottom lip. It wanted to go further in, but she knew that it would only escalate from there. She was sad to disappoint him by breaking away. The look of longing in his eyes made her feel worse. He wasn't the only one who wanted this.

"Was that to show me gratitude?" he asked curiously.

"No… You know that Tsuki Ona doesn't trust how close you are with me… She even forbid me from touching you any more than holding hands… and yet… I was able to touch your lips many times…"

His eyes widened. He understood now. It nearly split his mind that he wasn't allowed to do that. Every time he managed to feel some part of her, it was like barely grazing the top. He wanted to feel everything from her soft silvery hair down to her small narrow feet. But the only thing stopping them was Tsuki Ona. For all he knew, she could be watching idly inside Yue's head without saying a word, waiting for him to mess up and give her a reason to corrupt Yue to end their relationship. It was clearly unusual if what Yue said was true. He felt a bit happy to see that Yue was going against everything they agreed on for him, but in all the sorrow in his life, he never knew how painful it was to want someone. It hurt deeper to have love and not be able to grasp it than it did not having it at all.

Gaara peered at her from the corner of his eye. She was staring at the ground in silence with almost an angry expression on her face. The crease of her nose crinkled, changing the look from anger into sadness, like she was fighting the urge to cry. Just when he thought it couldn't get more painful. He had to think of something. Quickly, his sand slithered out of his gourd towards her. The sand grazed over her thigh until it was floating directly in front of her face. Motioning his fingers, he transformed it into the shape of an Orchid flower. Yue felt her emotions relax at the sight of the kind gesture.

Using her hand, she concentrated her powers to suck the moisture out of the air around them, finding it much easier to do so since they were no longer in the dessert. The molecules hardened with the dropping temperature as she molded them into the shape she desired. There on the ground between them, she formed the Echinopsis Cactus out of ice crystals. Hopefully using her powers wouldn't draw Tsuki out into the open. It was a risk, but she felt that repaying for Gaara's kindness was worth it. He gave a soft smile and moved his hand once more. The Orchid he created disintegrated into a floating wad of sand that was slowly moving into a new shape. One curve, no two… She felt touched at the sight of a sandy heart before her blue eyes.

Taking a moment, she listened for Tsuki Ona to come back out and say something. Nothing. That was enough clearance to move on to make something else. Concentrating her hand back over the Echinopsis, she commanded the frozen water to melt slightly. The water traveled within the ice crystals, shattering it to pieces and from those pieces she recreated something new. First she did the body, then the face and ears, and then when it was finally done she presented it to Gaara. It was a smaller version of the panda doll he had won for her.

"It was very kind of you to give the bear to that boy…" he stated.

"I hope I didn't upset you for doing that…" He shook his head. "With his father's aim nearly cutting you, I doubted that he would win his son any prize… Besides, a child like him would appreciate it…"

"Indeed." Gaara then remembered his conversation with Naruto before leaving the Hokage building. "Yue, there's something we need to discuss…"

"About?"

"Tomorrow, I plan for us to prepare for our departure to The Mist Village… But there are a few things that we need to do before leaving…"

"Like what?" she asked curiously. He really didn't explain everything all the way through. That's what was so mysterious about Gaara, but she liked that about him.

"I have already made the necessary arrangements for my village to send several squads to meet us there as well as my Kazekage duties for Kankuro to do in my absence, which includes paying off your debts… But there's one thing I discussed with the Hokage that I'm not entirely sure of. It involves you and Yumi…"

"What about us?"

"I need to see you and Yumi fight…"

"What?!" she exclaimed. "Why?"

"If what Tsuki Ona said was true about the Korishi Clan, then we will be fighting ninja possessed with Elemental power… We know that Lightning was taken already, but we don't have any knowledge of the other Elementals or their locations, so we cannot dismiss that they only have one, especially if they were targeting you specifically through all the villages… There must be a reason they want you… I promise not to let them harm you, but in order for me to do that, I need more information on how Elementals fight against each other…"

"I don't know that I could ever hurt Yumi… I've never gone all out with my power, though I can't say I know how to… It was different when we were training, but now... In the cavern, I nearly lost my life trying to protect Yumi from those Korishi scumbags… I couldn't do anything…Tsuki has to be in control now. I just don't know if Yumi will be up for that…"

"Do you think she would refuse?" he asked.

"I don't know. You would have to ask."

"What exactly occurred from the moment Shiro left you outside your house?"

"He left before I walked into the building. For some reason, it was left unlocked. Yumi had received a letter from her mom that day about the house being broken into, and she had to leave, so I figured she forgot to lock the door on her way out… When I got there, my apartment was torn to apart and the two clan members cornered me… I tried to use your charm to summon you, but I couldn't keep it still enough to turn the sand over, so I had to use my power, but they strangled me unconscious…"

Gaara twitched with anger as he remembered the puddle of water she left behind that night. He continued to listen.

"I woke up in the cavern with Yumi. She was badly injured with hardly enough water to heal herself. We didn't see the two of them, so we agreed to split up. She was to keep watch while I tried to find a way out of the cave or signal for help. They found her and knocked her out cold before I could get back… I tried to fight them, but one of them managed to stab my shoulder… I had no choice, so I allowed Tsuki Ona to possess me… She killed the first guy so quickly by shooting an ice spear through his chest… The other one…" she paused, cringing at the horrible memory "She immobilized him in an ice Iron Maiden, which cut him into a bloody pulp… Then you came with your brother."

"That explains the bloody mess…" he stated.

"From what I watched, Tsuki is a merciless fighter… She says that she would never harm a fellow Elemental, but I fear she won't be so forgiving if you forced her to fight Kappa… Please don't make her fight Yumi…"

"In truth, I was against this idea from the beginning… But after much thinking and seeing you stop that dagger from piercing my face, I was starting to consider you training again…" he explained.

"I'd rather not fight unless I had to."

"That's wise…"

"Then why ask me if you were against it?"

"I need to see the full extent of an Elementals power. It would give us an advantage of what we would be up against when we get to The Mist… Then we will have a set strategy…"

She thought for a moment. This guy was the highest ranked ninja in The Hidden Sand Village, and he was the Commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces during The Great Ninja War. If there's one thing she was certain about him, it would be battles. He knew what steps were needed in order to infiltrate enemy territory, and to go over all the threats surrounding them from powers to weapons to backgrounds and location. Everything she didn't know, he did. That was more than enough reason for her to trust him with something like this, but she really didn't want to have to fight her best friend. Fighting against the clan members was one thing, but this?

"I will need to talk to Tsuki and Yumi about this before I can make a decision." She said.

Gaara understood and nodded in agreement. "Should we head back to the hotel?... We will need to rest before we head out tomorrow…"

Yue felt her cheeks form a red blush at the thought of being alone with Gaara in the hotel room… A room with a couch… a shower… and a bed! Thoughts began to swarm through her mind, one more lewd after the next. It shouldn't be any different compared to yesterday, but this was their first real date together. It went nicely… How do people normally end their first dates? She then proceeded to recall the memory of Gaara pinning her against the wall last night. The aggression in his eyes and the tingle of his hot breath on her earlobe gave her chills in nervousness. She didn't realize her chest was rising and falling from heavy breathing.

Instantly, everything zoned out when she felt the touch of a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she met his teal eyes with astonishment. He smiled calmly at her. "Don't worry… I won't let you go…"