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Disclaimer: Naruto, Sailor Moon, and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, their characters, settings, etc., belong to their respective creators. All original characters and settings belong to me!

Chapter 25: For the People, Not for Love

So this is what betrayal felt like…Not like Gaara hadn't been betrayed before but this just felt worse.

Selene had gone…Left without him knowing…To do something completely and utterly stupid.

Giving herself away like a damn martyr, just to save some woman's happiness.

He couldn't fault her for her actions because he knew she was doing what she thought to be right. However, what hurt was the fact she didn't even consider his feelings. She hadn't done this for him or his people, she had done this for some stupid woman she met not but a few hours ago.

It made him think if she really did love him or if she was just playing the nobility game as all do outside the Crystal walls. However, he knew Selene was not like that…She just appeared to love this woman more than him, more than his people…That's why hurt so much.

"This is all my fault…" Makoto was passed grieving. "I shouldn't have told her how to get there…" She shook her head. "I didn't think she would—" She paused. "No…I should've known she would do something like this…"

It had been Makoto who came rushing into his office, in complete distress, stating Selene had gone to sacrifice herself for Lady Mizu's freedom.

"Well…This sucks…" Kankurou huffed. "What're we gonna do?"

"She has made her decision." Gaara became the Kazekage then. "There is nothing to be done."

"That's crap and you know it!" Makoto shouted angrily. "We need to go save her!"

Kankurou sighed. "Save her from what? She did this on her own." He frowned. "I'm kinda pissed about it myself."

"You don't understand at all!" Makoto sighed. "Usagi, I mean, Selene…She's doing this to save a friend!" Her eyes went distant with a hint of sadness in them. "She was always like that…risking her life for her friends and family…Whenever she saw someone in trouble or unhappy, she did whatever she could to help them, even if it meant dying for them." Tears formed in her eyes. "She's risked her life more times than I can count. She just too pure and innocent for anyone to comprehend…That's her power…the power of purity. It's what makes her a wonderful ruler…"

Kankurou paused. "You know…it…kind of reminds me…" He looked at Gaara. "You don't think he would do something—"

"That's a very stupid assumption, Kankurou." Gaara closed his eyes, thinking. "You know very well he would do something similar, has done if you remember correctly."

Kankurou smiled and chuckled. "Yeah…I guess you're right…"

There was a knock at the door; a messenger walked in with a scroll.

"Sorry Lord Kazekage, but I have an urgent message from Water Country." He placed the scroll upon Gaara's desk then quickly disappeared.

Frowning Gaara opened the message.

"It's an invitation…to Lord Mizu's wedding."

Kankurou sighed. "Man, now this really sucks…"

"No it doesn't…" Makoto looked at the two brothers. "Don't you get it? Most likely Lord Mizu thinks he's going to get a way to the throne…From what Michiru told us about her husband, he's not the nicest of guys…" She frowned. "What do you think he's going to do when he finds out he's not going to get the power he wants?"

"Not to mention that the Land of Crystal won't be too happy when they find out their princess is being forced into a marriage…" Haruka finally spoke up. She had been silent the whole time. "From what I have observed, Lord Kazekage…Once the White Ninja discover hime-sama is being forced into this, it will not be a pleasant time in the Land of Mist. They are quite protective of her and her happiness."

"And it looks like Lord Mizu doesn't give a crap that he's possibly risking his people's lives…" Kankurou huffed. "Wouldn't put it past him…I mean why the hell would he care if he thinks he's getting a throne out of this?"

Gaara listened to everyone's views, wondering what he should do. He couldn't deny the fact that the invitation was a slap in the face. Lord Mizu wanted Gaara to be there to watch the wedding…He wanted Gaara to watch him take his loved one away.

"Lord Kazekage." Makoto stood right in front of his desk, her hands firmly planted onto the wood. Her green eyes were glaring right at him. "I don't doubt you're hurting and I understand your position. You don't want to save her, or rather you can't…That's fine…But remember this, Lord Kazekage…She's from a different land than you…She doesn't understand your complexities…And it WAS you who told her to not give up her roots just yet. She is doing what Syaroan would do…What any person from the Land of Crystal would do."

Haruka added something more. "But she doesn't understand that if this wedding takes place…It could mean war."

Makoto was right, so was Haruka. The White Ninja would not stand for this wedding, neither would the Crystal Land's royal family. Gaara could only imagine what could happen if this impromptu wedding was going to happen. Obviously Lord Mizu either didn't care or didn't know the danger he was putting his people and everyone else in.

It all came to one conclusion…Lord Mizu loved power more than he loved his people. Gaara could not stand by and allow this to happen. Didn't Selene not understand what she has done? She could be risking the lives of millions just for one freaking person! Then again, Gaara remembered a time when Naruto had basically done the exact same thing for his friend, Sasuke…It was honest proof that Selene and Naruto truly were related…They were both idiots when it came to self-sacrifice. Gaara supposed he could understand now why everyone was so protective of Selene. Still though, that didn't mean he could forgive her for breaking his heart.

He decided he wouldn't do this for her, rather he would do this for his people. This could affect their peace and he would not let anyone disrupt that.

"I cannot deny an invitation from a lord of another land." Gaara stated. "Most likely the other Kages and other nobles have been invited as well." Lord Mizu always did like to flaunt his power...As much as possible.

Kankurou grinned. "So…Are we gonna go crash a wedding?"

Gaara looked at him. "We leave immediately."

Next Time: Wedding Crasher