Author's Note: New Chapter! Yay! Enjoy and please review!

Sandstorms and Falling Leaves

Chapter 29: Obligatory Threats

Naruto shifted anxiously from foot to foot before raising his hand to knock on the unassuming door he'd been hovering in front of for the past ten minutes. Steeling himself, he rapped his knuckles lightly on the wooden surface.

The door was opened at once by a suspiciously glaring Shinta; though that expression seemed to be the one the older ninja always had when he was around. Naruto had the firm impression that the Sand chunin had never quite gotten over their first meeting.

However, having spent the better part of the last several weeks deciding how to accomplish this particular mission; Naruto was set in his course and refused to let anything deter him. "Is Kankuro around?" He asked, hating how unsure the request came out.

"May I ask your business with him?"

"It's personal." Naruto scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Hmph...Wait here." Shinta ordered with a glare that clearly questioned the hyperactive blonde's ability to follow that simple instruction.

Naruto watched the slightly older man disappear into the depths of the apartment and turned his thoughts to the events of the past few days, mostly to avoid thinking about what he had come to do.

Gaara had been released from the hospital and was recovering quickly; already back to her training with Hinata despite Tsunade's admonishments to be careful with her healing ribs.

Naruto stuck his hand in his pocket and toyed with the finally completed necklace. He was ready to propose just as soon as he got her brother's consent.

The leaf ninja snapped his attention back to the matter at hand as he spotted the puppetmaster emerging from the hallway. His face paint made his scowl look especially fierce but the jinchuriki stood his ground with the same sort of blind stubbornness he usually reserved for his dream of becoming hokage.

"What do you want?"

Naruto took a deep breath. "I need to ask you...um...something...in private." He added, with a glance towards Gaara's door just a few yards down the hall.

Kankuro raised one eyebrow and glared for a few moments before heaving an exasperated sigh and turning to move back into the apartment. "Come on then." He ordered snappishly, glad the other couldn't see the slight smirk that spread over his features as he made his way back to the room Temari called his lair. He was careful to wipe all trace of his amusement off of his face as he turned to gesture the Leaf chunin into the room. "Sit." He pointed at the chair by the desk-turned-worktable.

Naruto sat obediently, fidgeting but not touching anything as he watched the middle Suna sibling retrieve a chair for himself from the closet. He remembered the puppetmaker's words about the dangers of his workshop back in Suna and he had a strong suspicion the warnings about the place still applied.

"Right. Now, what do you want?" Kankuro asked again, once he had settled backwards in the chair facing the jinchuriki. He leaned his arms on the hard wooden back and put on his best impatient scowl.

Naruto took a few moments to gather his racing thoughts. "I know you don't really approve of Gaara's relationship with me, but I hope you know I only want her to be happy." He took a deep breath. "I mean, you once threatened to kill me in my sleep if I took advantage of her; and I'm okay with that, because it means you care about her and she needs that and because I would never want to do anything that would hurt her."

"Is there a point to this conversation?" The middle sand sibling interrupted with a frown.

Naruto nodded, his expression firming as he gave up on the careful explanations and reasoning that Sakura had helped him plan. Sometimes bluntness was a better idea. "I would like your permission to marry your younger sister." He blurted loudly.

Kankuro's eyes narrowed and he started to reply. "You..."

"Please!" Naruto interrupted, standing from his chair so quickly he nearly knocked it over. "I love her more than my own life. I'll never hurt her and I will do everything in my power to make sure she's happy for as long as I live." He promised seriously. "Just please, give us your blessing!" The blonde dropped to his knees and bowed his face to the floor, begging without shame. This was more important than his pride

Kankuro blinked in shock at the humble display from the generally brash jinchuriki. While he'd been ready for the request the blonde had come to make, the puppetmaster honestly hadn't expected such desperation from the confident leaf ninja. 'Does he really think I could say no?' He wondered. 'Gaara'd never forgive me.'

Still, he couldn't make things easy on the guy. "Hmph." He snorted, arms crossing against his chest. "Love is a good start, but what else can you offer my baby sister for her future?"

Naruto's head shot up from the floor; his expression determined. "I can take care of her, whatever she needs. I can encourage her. I'm sure she's gonna have her old strength back before long but until then I'll protect her. Then, if she goes back to being Kazekage, I'll move to Sunagakure with her."

"I thought you were going to be Hokage."

"I still want to someday, but Gaara is Kazekage now and Tsunade-baachan most likely isn't going anywhere for a long while. I can wait if it means I get to stay with your sister." The blonde announced with a motion that clearly threw the topic aside as a minor hurdle.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "And what if peace breaks down between our villages? It's happened before." Not that he thought it would now but the boy needed to consider the possibilities. "Which side would you be on then?"

"It won't happen. Gaara's worked too hard to build the relationship between Konoha and Suna. She won't let it fail and neither will I." He grinned confidently. "Besides, think of how much stronger the ties between our villages will be if we intermarry."

The hooded teen nodded thoughtfully. It was true that marriage was a traditional way of cementing peace treaties; though it wasn't generally favored by ninja villages and usually both parties were equal in rank. Naruto was a nobody and Gaara was the daughter of the kage. It was hardly a match that would have been arranged for diplomatic purposes. Still, the fact that the leaf chunin was Konoha's jinchuriki might mollify the council's protests.

Naruto waited, sweat beading at his temples even as he watched the older teen hopefully.

"You got her a necklace?" The puppetmaster asked sharply.

"Yeah." The blonde fumbled in his pocket and pulled the object in question free. "I made it myself."

"Does Gaara know yet?" Kankuro asked after giving the piece of jewelry a cursory inspection.

"Not exactly..." The blonde scratched his head, not wanting to admit that Gaara had actually asked him first. "But I'm pretty sure she'll say yes." He offered lamely.

"Probably." The older boy snorted, wondering if the blonde was actually dumb enough to hae any doubts about the answer. "Which is the only reason I can't say no." He admitted reluctantly. "It's too late to push you two apart. Gaara would be miserable if I tried; so you better marry her before this whole mess blows up in your faces. You understand?"

Naruto grinned and nodded quickly.

"Good...oh...and our previous conversation still applies."

The grinned faltered for just an instant as half a dozen gruesome deaths by poison flickered through his active imagination, but the hyperactive teen rallied quickly and nodded again, bouncing to his feet. "This is great! I can't thank you enough! I won't let you down! I promise!"

"Yeah, great." The puppetmaster waved a hand dismissively. "Now get out of my room before you break something."

Naruto didn't have to be told twice as he practically flew from the apartment. He had to get ready, he had to make arrangements. Tonight was going to be perfect.

'As long as she says yes.' His mind pointed out nervously.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Okay. Kankuro was nicer about that than I thought he would be but he just wouldn't cooperate with me evil plans. I'm sure he will make up for it later. Please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading. Next chapter is in the works and it's the long awaited Proposal! I'll try to get it finished soon.