Chapter 28: My father is Dead Because of Me
(In which the Princess nearly dies from shock and reveals her secret)

Even though I knew I had to face Temari and I had promised to explain things to her, I found myself avoiding her. That was my reason for being in the library, ducking in at the last moment when I heard her voice further up the hall. I hoped that she wouldn't see the door close and come in after me, and, to stop her from spotting me if she did, I hid myself behind a book case.

Her laughing voice passed by, and I wondered who she was talking to that was amusing her so much. Probably Kankurou. Not that it really mattered. The point was that I was hiding behind a dusty book shelf that probably hadn't been touched in ages, all because I was too much of a coward to face Temari yet.

I don't know why I was so afraid. Temari had been hinting for so long that she knew the truth, or at least a great deal of it, and she didn't seem to be too upset at the charade. Perhaps annoyed, but not angry.

"How long are you going to hide behind that shelf?"

I whirled around in shock, nearly losing my balance in the process, and saw Sasuke sitting at one of the heavy, wooden desks. There was a pile of books stacked beside him, and he was pouring over a green bound one with uneven letters.

I put a hand over my heart, "Sasuke, don't surprise me like that. I almost died from the shock."

"Hm," he said absently, scribbling a note onto his parchment. Curious, I moved closer and looked at what he was writing. He had drawn a map on the parchment, and was currently drawing connecting lines between the Kingdoms and detailing alliances.

"What are you doing?" I asked, hoping he would give me more explanation for why he and Gaara despised each other so much. And why Gaara was acting so cool with me lately. Thinking about how he would barely glance at me anymore made my chest tighten, so I tried not to dwell on it much.

"I'm preparing notes for the next war meeting we're having. More monarchs will be arriving throughout the week, as the decision we will be discussing will impact them all."

"Interesting," I said, thinking about how much royalty was going to be in the castle and how much it would change the table arrangement. "Would it really be wise for everyone to gather in one place, though? The Akatsuki could just attack this one castle and, if they were successful, take care of all of our alliance at once."

"You think you're the first one to think of that, Lady Ino?" Sasuke asked, raising his eyebrows at her. "Of course not all of the royalty will be here. Many will leave a family member behind to run their estates and to take over in the event that the castle is attacked and we're all killed. On top of that, we aren't heralding to the countryside that we are all meeting up."

"Oh," I said. Curiosity pressed me to ask, "What is the meeting about?"

Sasuke smirked. "Those who are involved in the meeting know, and that's plenty."

"That's hardly fair. If you were curious about something I was up to, I would tell you," I sniffed. He was wearing that smug smile of his, and I knew I would be unable to get anything out of him. Sighing, I stood and looked at the many books lining the shelves. Here in the library were hundreds upon hundreds of books, seemingly older than time itself, and then us two people, who haven't lived twenty years yet.

I was reaching for a book on a high shelf that had caught my attention – the cover was a royal purple – when the door creaked open. Worried that it was Temari and she had caught me in my hiding spot, I whirled around. It was Gaara. His face hardened as he saw Sasuke sitting at the table.

He strode in, pulled down a leather bound book, and left. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should go after him after seeing that look on his face, but decided that I would have to face him sooner or later. Maybe I would finally be able to face Temari afterward. Besides, I hadn't forgotten about training

"See you at supper," I called to Sasuke over my shoulder as I ran out after Gaara. He was heading back in the direction of his chambers, and I stopped him before he passed around the corner.

I wondered if it was just my imagination that he regarded me with a cooler expression than even the ones he'd been giving me lately or not and almost changed my mind. I took a deep steadying breath and said, "I haven't seen you around much, Gaara."

"I have been busy," He answered, moving again towards his chambers. I followed, having to walk quicker to match his pace. He wasn't much taller than me, but his strides were longer.

"Oh," I said. I took another steadying breath and reminded myself that I wasn't just some random girl that Gaara saved, but the princess of Kumamoto who had dealt with all sorts of suitors and ambassadors. I could handle this one man, right? With fists clenched I said, "If you can manage the time, I have something I need to tell you and another thing I need to ask of you."

He looked at me, his hand resting impatiently on the door knob to his chambers. I straightened under his scrutiny. "What is it, then?"

"I have to confess that," I started, and realized it was a terrible way to begin. So, I tried again, "I'm sorry that I haven't told you before now…I mean it's not like I told you I wasn't. But, I'm the Princess of Kumamoto. My father is Lord Inoichi, and I'm Princess Ino."

"I know," Gaara said and I was thrown off balance.

"How do you know?" I demanded in my shock.

Gaara said, "I fought Akatsuki and Deidara revealed your identity long ago. Kankurou knows as well. It hardly matters."

"Oh, I…I guess it doesn't really. I just thought things would be better off if we were more open," I said, feeling strangely on the defensive now. "I wasn't the only one not sharing secrets. Like, you never told me that you were royalty from Marugame. That you used to be in alliance with Bicchu, a Kingdom that happens to be the enemy of my own. Does that hardly matter?"

"I wouldn't consider those secrets. I have made no move to conceal them from you, and I don't think that they are any of your business," Gaara said.

My hands were shaking as I fought to keep my anger in check. If I didn't control myself, Gaara would march into his room and I would be left outside with my questions. "If I believe it is my business, than it is. Any alliance your Kingdom makes that is against alliances mine makes could cause a rift in our friendship. Yes, friendship, Gaara. I consider you one of my friends, whether or not you consider me one of yours."

"It wasn't an alliance that I made. It was a foolish one of my father's. A mistake, and we all nearly died for it," Gaara answered, a hard anger in his face.

"When I asked Sasuke why things were so tense between you, he mentioned that alliance. But, it doesn't explain anything at all. He calls you murderers. I don't understand why he would call the man who saved me a murderer. Perhaps you can explain that to me?"

"Before we became part of Naruto's alliance, my father and Lord Orochimaru lead an attack on Sasuke and his friends' Kingdoms. I fought Sasuke. I was winning, I think, before our fight was interrupted," Gaara said. There was a crease in his brow as he remembered the fight. "That's when Lord Orochimaru revealed that he was using my father. It was a grave mistake on his part, because my father was nearly as moral-less as him and less loyal. We joined Sasuke's side and fought against Orochimaru."

"Why does Sasuke say that he lost more than Naruto, then? If neither of you won the fight?" I pressed.

Gaara rubbed his cheek and sighed, "He blames Marugame for supporting Bicchu and leading his brother to the Akatsuki."

"Itachi is part of the Akatsuki?" I asked. Maybe I had been so focused on my own pain and personal tormentor Deidara to notice much of the other Akatsuki members.

"He is," Gaara said, "but he wasn't there when you were with them."

"I wonder where he was," I pondered aloud. Gaara regarded me with the softest expression I'd seen from him in days, and I felt a strange and sudden urge to touch him. Knowing that he would probably push me away, I smoothed the wrinkles over his chest. The fabric was rich, soft, and warm from contact with his skin, and I could feel his muscles. His eyes searched my face for a moment, before he shoved my hands away.

I was shocked by his sudden violence, because he had never reacted so angrily to my actions - even when I had trained against his will, and I barely remembered the other reason why I had searched for him. "Gaara," I said quickly, hoping to stop him before he disappeared into his chambers where I could not follow. He turned to look at me. The expression on his face was angry, but there was another element to it I couldn't decipher. "I still want to train. Will you train me, or will I have to ask Kankurou again?"

It seemed that he wanted to hit me, but I refused to allow myself to flinch. Princess Ino would never flinch to anyone, never back down, even if that person was the fearsome Gaara from Marugame.

"I will train you," He said tersely, and then shut the door.

I pumped my fist in the air, not caring that I probably looked foolish, and cheered. Gaara was going to train me! Now all I had to do was find Temari and confess my secret with her, and everything would get better. Maybe after spending some more time with Gaara I could figure out why Gaara was acting the way he was and fix it.

I was heading down the hallway, seeking out Temari, when I finally recognized the other part of Gaara's expression. It had been hurt. What had I done to warrant that reaction? I was still considering this, when I accidentally bumped into Kankurou. I looked up in surprise.

"Don't think too hard, Ino. You'll hurt yourself," He jested, and I jabbed him hard in the ribs.

"You should watch yourself when you're speaking to a lady. That's hardly proper, especially for the Crown Prince," I teased back. He did his best to look reprimanded, but he couldn't stop the smile from resurfacing.

"What were you thinking about, anyhow?" He asked, ruffling my hair. I stretched away from him, because I would have to find a maid to fix my intricately pinned up hair, but laughed all the same.

"I told Gaara who I really was and found out that you and him already know that I'm Princess Ino, but just allowed me to continue my act. I'm embarrassed," I admitted, watching carefully for his reaction.

Kankurou sighed heavily. "We didn't really understand why you wouldn't tell us who you were, but Gaara and I weren't too worried about it. I, I don't know about him, figured you would tell us in your own time."

"I was scared to tell. I felt like I could trust you, but common sense told me that I hadn't known you long enough. I didn't want to end up a hostage again. So, I kept quiet," I explained, even though he hadn't asked me why I would lie. He nodded.

"Gaara and I never told Temari, but I suspect she guessed at who you were. To be honest, there aren't very many Inos around for there to be wars fought for and Gaara rescued you from the Akatsuki. They raped common women, but never took them for hostage," Kankurou shrugged his shoulders.

I felt a blush bloom on my face, embarrassed that it had been so obvious who I was and that everyone was in on the secret except for me. I hated being embarrassed, it gave me a strange feeling in my stomach and I wasn't much used to it. So, I asked, "War fought for me?"

"Yes, the one we had to avoid and take a ship because of. The one that Naruto and I are being sucked into joining to stop the Akatsuki finally," Kankurou said.

My father had started a war to get me back? If I hadn't snuck out that night, I would be safely married to Lord Shino and he would still be alive. I also wouldn't know Gaara, Kankurou, Temari, Tenten, Naruto, Hinata, and everyone else. Was meeting them worth the price of my father's life? My heart hurt, and I pressed my hand against it hard to try and ease the pain. "Why not return me to my Kingdom so that the war can stop?"

"Too late. The war has already been waged, and there's no ending it until one side has been defeated. Hopefully it will be the Akatsuki who'll fall, but there's no saying. There have been hard casualties on both sides," Kankurou said.

"Are you joining the war?" I asked. I was split on whether I wanted them too or not. On one hand, I wanted them to because I wanted them to care about me enough to do so. But, on the other, I didn't want them to fight and possibly die for me.

"We already have," Kankurou said. My head was whirling with all the surprises, but some how I kept my composure. I touched Kankurou's shoulder lightly and looked him right in the eye.

"You and Temari are among the best friends I've ever had. I have always been lonely, not allowed to travel much since I was ten, and besides Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Sakura, you're the only friends I have had. If you are fighting for me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you are fighting to finally rid the world of the Akatsuki, I still thank you from the bottom of my heart," I said, and then I hugged him.

He hugged me back and said, "You're one of my best friends, too, Lady Ino."

"Please don't call me Lady Ino just because I've chosen to own up to who I am. You're a friend, just Ino will be fine," I said. He smiled and nodded. I wished that I could hug Gaara and that he would return it like Kankurou did. I wished that Gaara would say that I was one of his best friends.

"Will do, Ino," He said.

"I've almost forgot to tell you!" I said, feeling excitement burst inside me again as I remembered. "Gaara agreed to train me!"

Kankurou sighed with relief. "Thank the Lord. I was afraid you'd hound me again, and I knew I wouldn't be able to tell you no, and Gaara would be angry. He hates the idea of you fighting. He doesn't want to think of you in a situation where you would have to defend yourself."

"He said that?" I asked, hopeful.

"Not in so many words," Kankurou admitted. "Not in any words, actually. But, I know him. He's more open since his encounter with Lord Naruto, and I can tell that was why he was so angry."

Despite his assurance that was the reason behind Gaara's anger, I couldn't believe that really cared that much unless he expressed it specifically. Especially with the looks he's been giving me lately.

Not wanting to argue about it like I had done many times with Temari already, I asked, "Have you seen Temari? I need to reveal who I am to her as well."

He pointed me in the direction of our chambers and I rushed off once again. It seemed I had been doing a lot of chasing after people today. I found her sitting in the main room, pulling at some pins that were rubbing against her scalp.

She didn't say anything as I took a seat next to her, fixing me with an expectant stare. So I opened my mouth and just began to talk. I told her about how my father had kept me inside and prevented my travel since I was ten. I told her about how I longed to escape the castle and see the world. I left out the part where I stupidly allowed my capture. I told her about my time with the Akatsuki. I told her about how I escaped and nearly died from drowning, and how Gaara had saved me. She sat through it all, taking it all in and not saying a word.

When I stopped talking, I put rested my chin on my hand and waited for her response.

"I knew that you were royalty," Temari said. I smile slightly at the smug tone in her voice. Her eyes were tender when she said, "You've been through a lot."

Compared to Gaara's life it was nothing. Compared to Sasuke's life…compared to Naruto's life. It was hard to think my life was so tough when I looked at their lives. I went to say this to her, but when I opened my mouth, I said instead, "My father is dead, because of me."

I found that I couldn't look at her, and laid my head down on the table that we sat at. I felt her hand in my hair, running through the loose locks. I closed my eyes from comfort, and allowed her to ease my tension away.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Temari said. She hummed a little tune for a while before saying, "Gaara would understand your pain. He blames himself for his mother's death."

"Hm." I didn't really have the energy or the will power to attempt to stop her from going down this path. Temari seemed to sense this, and spared me by remaining silent. We sat there in quiet companionship, her stroking my hair while I listened to the maids going up and down the halls, until it was time for supper.

Megumi was the one who interrupted, approaching and saying, "Ladies, it is time for supper. Shall I fix your hair, quickly?"

While we sat still for her to tuck in any loose ends, I tried to keep my thoughts away from the sure to be tense supper.