AN: I've decided to go ahead and post tonight because, I don't know if you all know, but I live in Florida, not far from Orlando. And right now, we are getting pummeled by Ian. And before any other Floridians poo-poo this, I'm fairly new Floridian, and this is my first hurricane. And if you're wondering why I didn't get out of Dodge, my daughter's school wasn't canceled until the storm was almost to Florida, when officials started predicting our area was actually going to get hit except for an inch of rain (for a while, that wasn't the report. It was supposed to hit North). And after that shift, they suggested not to evacuate, but put-up shutters for possible debris. Which I did do. So, currently I still have power, because I'm on the Tornado side of the storm. But most of my local friends are telling me to expect to lose power tonight, meaning no internet. Meaning no posting tomorrow.

Because I've been tracking Ian the past 3-4 days, I haven't been able to get much of any writing done. So, next week will be a by-week while I try to catch up. Power's flickering, so hopefully I get this up before it's gone.

I also just found out Monday afternoon that I'm pregnant (my second kid), which is really exciting, minus the congestion and nausea. But again, it plays into the saying, "Life happens all at once."

Positive thoughts! Please review. I get pinged on my phone, so I will see if you review even if my internet and power is gone.

Chapter 14

The weekend passed rather uneventfully, except for the pins and needles they all sat on waiting to hear from the House of Daimyos. The reception guest list had been finished, and invites all mailed out. They'd hear how many were coming by the end of the week, then one more week to prepare for that. As soon as that was done, Emika had sent Akira to Gaara's flat in Futen to prepare it, even paying for a cleaning crew to come out. He was to stay in a hotel room with Kura, who she'd hired as another guard once she did the math, and realized sending her private secretary alone wasn't wise. Other than waiting on the invite, everyone else seemed eager for the Opura interview Gaara and Emika had done on Thursday to come out.

Then Tuesday, a day before the interview was to air, the invite came. Gaara had the afternoon to make preparations before heading out at 7pm, and getting on the train for Futen, which they would arrive in after 6pm the next day, if they made their transfer in Cobra Town at least at 8 in the morning. They had agreed on Kankuro, Chie, and Shijima being their guards while in the capital. So, Baki was staying home to handle the Kazekage Offices, and house sit the Penthouse for lack of a better term.

Of course, as he informed the Council of the cancelation of that week's meeting, since he would be in Futen for the vote, they pressed the heir issue again. He managed to dodge their questions with excuses of their busy schedule and vague promises that they would discuss it after the vote.

The Opura interview would be aired while they were on the train, a few hours before arriving in Futen. So, unless they crowded the bar car, they'd miss it. Gaara didn't really lament that fact. He never really liked to watch himself on tv. Even if he answered every question perfectly, he'd always find some error in himself to fixate on, from an odd fidget to sometimes looking a little dead-eyed.

The train ride was 22 hours and thirty minutes, and Emika was trying to fill the time by educating Gaara on the who's who of the Wind's nobility. There were four royal houses who would each have someone present, including Emika. Kawamaru was the last member of the Delta royal family. Prince Hamaru had been his younger brother. Apparently, a member from the Delta royal line had married a great great, possibly another great, aunt of Emika's to settle the Delta War, meaning they were technically cousins. Gaara didn't want to think about it. While marrying cousins was a common practice in a lot of the ninja world, especially in places like Konoha, where clan ninjutsu was held tightly within the clan, it wasn't a practice of Suna's. The way clans worked in Suna was the woman would marry into her husband's clan, and forget her own. Such incestuous relations, like marrying one's cousin, were generally left for the nobility and other countries.

Again, he didn't like to think about the fact Emika almost married, not to mention bedded, either her second or third cousin.

Queen Sarana of Loren was another cousin of Emika's. Her great uncle had married Princess Seramu when Loren pushed the Wind to become its ally for protection. They had a daughter, Queen Sara, who ended up begging the Wind to allow her kingdom to join the Wind after her palace fell to ruin. She married one of her regional daimyos, and had her daughter Sarana. Sara had died five years ago now, leaving her daughter Queen. Emika pointed out that Loren was the only kingdom of the Wind that allowed its women to inherit the title, so it seemed obvious to use that as legal precedent when they tried to push for power. However, its last two total queens before Sarana had caused the kingdom to fall to ruin, so he wasn't sure if it would be a good recommendation or not.

Lastly, the Kogen Kingdom, whose royal family was so closely tied to the Wind Royal family, it seemed likely if there was a question of succession, the crown would go to them. Hiroto and Ginmaru had had a younger sister who had married the Kogen Kingdom prince, which was apparently a tradition every hundred years to keep the peace, promised 850 years ago when Kogen and the Wind united unofficially as allies. When Sunagakure was built, Kogen decided to fully annex their land as part of the Wind, given the close relation of the Royal families, as their most powerful clan, the Kahza had already given a branch of its family when Suna was settled. However the Kogen Royal family maintained their royal rank, allowing them more votes in the House of Daimyos. It also meant since the current Prince of Kogen, Takaito, was Emika's first cousin through her father, he was a likely candidate for the crown, except he was ten years younger and said to be sickly. He also had three sisters. Two older, and one younger. The eldest, Sarami, who was a year older than Emika, had married King Kawamaru of the Delta Royal family just over four years ago as soon as she turned 18, with an age difference of eight years between them. "And I thought Hamaru's and my five-year age difference was bad enough," Emika commented.

"Did you go?" Gaara asked. "To their wedding, I mean."

Emika frowned. "Er, no," she answered. She shook her head with a wince as she stated, "It was eight months after Hamaru died. It didn't feel right to go."

Gaara nodded his understanding vaguely. Gaara had never noticed before, but so many of these land acquisitions and alliances were made official through a strategic marriages. For hundreds of years, people like Gaara and his ninja died on the battlements until proper trade and peace could be agreed to, celebrated by the marriage of a prince and a princess. He always knew the adage at the end of those stories was after the prince and princess were married, "they lived happily ever after." As a child, he thought it was because of fairytale love, as most children did. He didn't think it was because their lands were finally at peace. Not until Emika explained the Wind's history, not from the perspective of war and politics, but from the more personal connection of her family's strategic, yet loveless, marriages.

Beyond the Royal families, Emika pointed out the importance of the Regional and Major and Minor Daimyos. The way the House of Daimyos worked was simple. Each noble rank had attributing power behind their votes. The standing Royal head of each family, as in the standing King, or Queen in Loren's case, had a strength of five votes, totaling in 20 votes. The Regional Daimyos, of which there were 34 across the Wind, had a strength of four votes, totaling in 136 votes. 48 Major Daimyos, or daimyos of large towns across the Wind, had a strength of three votes, totaling in 144 votes. Then 95 Minor Daimyos of the less populated areas of the Wind had a strength of 2 votes, totaling in 190 votes. And then there were the 100 Elected Daimyos, representatives chosen by the people of certain districts, mostly depending on size of the population. For example Futen had five Elected Daimyos, while Suna, Ao Nami, and Tsumi Shi had four. Those Elected Daimyos held one vote each. They also chose the 7 Justices that ran the legal system and held the system in check. The Supreme Justice would preside over the House's vote, and the Justices would make final determinations once the votes were counted. In total, there were 590 votes to be cast. Gaara and Emika needed 325 to gain the House's backing officially.

They paused their discussions to eat their dinner, which had been brought from the dining car. The Daimyo's car was always the last car on the train, consisting of three suites. Gaara didn't get to ride it often, since he shunshined most places. Even going on their honeymoon, he and Emika had opted for second class seating, which had bunk bed compartments with a couch, rather than the Daimyo car, which again had full suites. As far as Gaara knew, a standard ticket didn't even get beds. Just an upright seat in the front cars. Today, Emika said they should ride for their station, as security would be easier to manage. However, that meant Gaara and Emika were sharing the double bed suite, while Kankuro and Chie shared the twin bed suit, and Shijima had the other twin bed suite.

The sun had already set, giving them a nice view of the desert night sky and the endless belt of stars in their galaxy as they gave the kitchens their order. He'd been shocked to hear her order the Beef Tongue Roulade with the red wine mushroom sauce and a side of roasted brussel sprouts for her own dinner. She turned to him and asked, "What would you like?"

He couldn't pass up getting his favorite dish. "The same," he answered. "Except, broccoli. Not brussel sprouts." Although he'd never had red wine mushroom sauce. Usually just a creamy mushroom sauce.

Then she hung up the phone, stating, "The food should be here in fifteen minutes."

He nodded blankly, then said, "I didn't take you for someone who liked lengua."

She pouted thoughtfully, then said, "When it's done right, it's delicious. Like liver pate. If it's done wrong, it's horrible."

He smiled at her answer before schooling his features. All of his other friends seemed to think he was odd for loving such food. Even his brother hated liver.

Gaara's gaze wandered until he looked at the bed at the back of the suite nervously. He and Emika hadn't shared a bed since the Gilded Pearl, the night Emika got drunk and seduced him. He knew tonight would be ok, since he was going to sleep on the couch. But tomorrow night was another matter. His Futen flat only had three bedrooms: Gaara's, Temari's and Kankuro's. Meaning Shijima or Chie would be on the couch, keeping watch, while the other was in Temari's old bed. Gaara and Emika would be sharing a bed … again. Given his and Emika's track record, he was nervous about doing so again.

She sighed, walking over to the window and breaking him out of his thoughts as she said, "Aren't the stars beautiful?"

He frowned, looking out at the sky. He'd never given the stars much thought. Sure, being out in the desert made them more apparent, but it wasn't in his nature to look at them for their beauty. He'd always used them as a guide. "Mm," he grunted back.

She pointed at one and said, "I believe that one is called The Hunter. And that one next to it is his dog." She turned to him smiling as she asked, "Do you know the story of the hunter?"

Gaara frowned. "No?"

She smiled. "His name was Karuido. He was out hunting with his dog, Kuroinu. He'd been tracking this white deer. You know the legend of the White Deer?"

Gaara shook his head. He'd never been one for myths.

She sighed, "The white deer is usually an omen. It usually symbolizes purity and innocence, but to kill it is said to curse the person who killed it." She smiled as she looked back up to the stars as she continued. "The hunter, despite knowing this, hunted it anyway. This was because the pelt of the white deer was very valuable, and to have such a trophy meant he was the best hunter. He and his dog chased it down until they reached a lake of moonlight where a beautiful woman was bathing. Karuido didn't know who the woman was, but she was gorgeous. So, he stood there, hidden in the brush, but watching the beautiful woman bathe. Then she turned to him, and called him by name, and declared him the worst defiler of purity. Then he recognized her. The goddess of the moon and chastity, the beacon of the hunt. And she was particularly unforgiving of men." She added the last sentence with a wink at him. Gaara only nodded uncomfortably, following the story. "He begged for forgiveness, but she could not be appeased. She said for his greed and his lust, he would become the thing he hunted most, and turned him into bright white stag. Then she whistled for his dog before disappearing on the lake into the moonlight. When Kuroinu appeared, he saw only the white stag, and unknowingly hunted his own master down."

Gaara's brow furrowed as he murmured, "That's cheerful. I hope that's not a threat."

She frowned at him confused, then stated, "No. It's the stars." When he only blinked at her, she walked around him and said, "Here." Then pointed over his shoulder so he could see what exactly she was pointing at. "That cluster of stars, that's the hunter, Karuido. And the cluster of stars behind him, chasing him through the sky, is his dog Kuroinu. They're just under the zodiac line. Between Gemini and Taurus."

He blinked, then muttered, "I never really followed zodiacs." It seemed counter-productive for ninja life. What could he discern from the sun being in Cancer? Nothing. And vague news-clipped horoscopes definitely couldn't predict what was going on.

She chuckled, "Nor I. Although, that's a very Capricorn thing to say of you." He raised a brow curiously at her. Clearly, she followed it somewhat to have a remark like that. She stepped away with a shrug, as she said, "I just like to look at the stars."

He pursed his lips, then asked, "And what exactly is Capricorn?"

She smiled, "Your star sign," she stated. "You were born in the middle of January, meaning you are a Capricorn. Like how I was born at the tail end of February, making me a Pisces." She sat down in her chair, absently stating, "It means nothing really. The zodiacs supposedly predict your personality, but it gets it wrong all the time. Like you. According to my one of my star books, being a Capricorn means you're a detail oriented, fact based, big picture kind of person. You value honesty and loyalty above everything else. And even though you are in tune with your emotions, you can seem cold, unemotional, and cutthroat, because you have eyes only for the goal. All of that I can see applies to you, but while Capricorns are mostly conservative, they are also fall into the party-life, with the 'work hard, play hard' mentality, which I haven't seen apply to you. Capricorns are also supposed to be really punctual and almost anal about they're calendar and time-keeping, which you most definitely are not."

He forced a smile, finding odd humor in her assessment. "What about you? Is your sign wrong about you?"

She scoffed. "Oddly, Pisces describes me kind of well. We're supposed to be dreamers and poets. Hopeless romantics. Have big imaginations, and into creative fields like art and music. Sees everything as a sign to something greater. Also, very empathetic, with a knack of forgetting to take care of ourselves, or letting others take care of us. When it comes to love and family, we're more people pleasing."

Gaara tilted his head, looking at her oddly, as he said, "Yes. Running away from your family six years ago was definitely to please others."

She pressed her lips in a thin smile. "Well, it also says it's to a boiling point, in which Pisces tend blow up unexpectedly. So, in a way, it does apply," she said with a wince. "After years of not taking care of myself or having any agency, I met a man who fed into my delusion." She gestured to him, and he bowed his head guiltily. It hadn't been his intention. It had been his mission. They both knew that now. "And on a fantastical whim, what I saw as a sign from some higher power, I ran away to find myself." She set her jaw as she sadly added, "Only to find out too late that I knew who I was and what I wanted the entire time." She smiled leaning forward as she said, "All that. Believing in signs. Being so eager to love someone that I completely forget myself. Ignoring myself until I break, and in the end being the main cause of my own turmoil. They are all exactly Pisces traits." She held her hands out, palms up in a way that asked Gaara to make his own judgement.

Gaara chewed his cheek, then said, "Well, that also feels like it could apply to me. Except for the fantastical part. Or it could easily apply to my friend who is … what's October?"

"Early October or late October?"

"The tenth," Gaara answered.

"Libra." She shrugged. "Ironically, Pisces and Libras are supposed to have similar temperaments. Both being highly empathetic and hopeless romantics. However, Libras are more extraverted, and hard-lined on fairness, justice. Being decisive and sticking to their words. It's why they're the scales. The old world's symbol of judgement." She shook her head for emphasis, "Pisces don't care about justice or promises really. They forgive easily, and they'd rather be sad than numb. They mostly care about the people around them. Their comfort. Their safety."

Gaara nodded with an odd understanding grunt. He could definitely see Emika and Naruto being somewhat kindred spirits, even if they clashed on some things. Someone knocked on the door, and Emika called at them to enter. The server produced the dishes, and they dug into their food with gusto. Emika grumbling, "Thank God, I'm starving." She paused the server and said, "I meant to ask. What type of wine is in the sauce? Merlot? Zin?"

"Chianti, Ma'am," he answered.

She smiled brightly. "Wonderful. Thank you."

"Our sommelier has picked this wine to go with this meal," the server added, holding out a bottle of red. "It's called Rugi from Puma Cliffs Vineyard in Fennec. It's their Syrah wine, flavored with black currant, peppercorn, and allspice, aged in oak barrels. It's a very bold, dry, and full-bodied wine, and the peppery ending should complement the lengua nicely." Gaara wasn't particularly paying attention. As Emika looked over the bottle, he asked, "Would you like a taste?"

"Sure," she said, "and some water."

He opened the bottle and poured her a little.

Gaara blessed his food quickly and silently as she swirled the dark wine and sipped, before promptly digging in. "Some for you, sir?" the server asked, but Gaara shook his head. He'd never gotten into wines.

Emika sipped it, and let out an exclamatory hum. "Mmm. That's wonderful."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Leave the bottle." He placed the bottle on the table for them to repour. Gaara eyed it oddly as the server finished pouring their waters.

His beef tongue roulade drenched in red wine mushroom sauce was surprisingly good. The chianti sauce had given the meat a surprising complementary kick. Emika ate her meal just as contentedly. Although he had no idea how she happily ate the roasted brussel sprouts. The meat though, it was probably the best he'd ever tasted.

"Everything to your liking?" the server asked as he set out the desserts on the bar. Tiramisu, it looked.

Gaara grunted affirmatively as Emika lifted her napkin and swallowed, looking every bit the polished princess as she said, "Yes. Give my compliments to the chef."

"Will do, Ma'am." Then the server was gone.

Emika poured herself some wine from the bottle, then asked, "You sure you don't want any of this? It is delicious."

He shot her a pursed smile, and said, "Well, first I've never been much into wines or drinking. And second, I wouldn't want to risk us having another drunken mistake." He hadn't meant to sound bitter, but it came through in his tone anyway.

Her soft smile fell a bit, her eyes flinching a little, clearly hurt by the statement. "Oh," she breathed.

He opened his mouth to apologize, but the words died in his throat. Instead, he turned back to his food, and they ate in silence. But now the thought festered in the back of his head, swirling with the reminders of the Council's pressures. He tongued his cheek, then asked, "Your cousin, Prince Takaito. Is he your heir?"

She frowned oddly, as if the question were completely random. It was, but not really. "No," she answered. "He's too sickly and impaired. He was born with hemophilia, and when he was four, suffered an incredibly high fever that … for lack of a better descriptor, fried his brain and gave him epilepsy. According to the doctors, his mental capacity will always be stuck at that age. He couldn't rule, not unless someone else was pulling the strings. And he can't live without a caretaker." She licked her lips then stated, "That was two months before my dad's first heart attack. It was one of the reasons my parents started to press heavily on getting me married." She pursed her lips then muttered, "I wouldn't doubt my Uncle is looking at him favorably as an option now, though. A permanent regency."

Gaara pursed his lips pensively. "I ask because the Council has already pressed the issue several times," he stated.

"Pressed what issue?" Emika asked. "My heir?"

Gaara nodded. "I haven't told them the marriage will be dissolved in a few months' time." He smirked bitterly as he added, "They seem to want to negotiate how many heirs we have."

"Negotiate?" she scoffed.

"They agree three sons would be sufficient," Gaara stated. "The first two to the royal line, and the third would be my clan heir."

She laughed as if it were ludicrous. "Let's pretend I'm entertaining this option for the sake of discussion. What about daughters? It's a fifty-fifty shot per pregnancy."

"All daughters would be in the royal line," Gaara stated. "The Council would just ask us to keep going until we had three sons."

She laughed again, shaking her head. "Given statistics, that could easily mean five children total, at a minimum," she said. "Possibly seven at the most, which is way too many."

"I agree," Gaara stated, tonguing his cheek again in thought, "I just don't know what to tell them."

"That we won't have any heirs, because you are to remain Kazekage," she answered as if it were obvious.

He sucked his teeth, sitting up. "You need an heir."

"I have an heir," she said again.

"You won't tell me who it is, which leads me to believe you actually don't have one," he stated. He shrugged, adding, "Sure, with the law you want put in place, you will have four cousins in the other Royal houses who could become your heir, but I should know which one it is. That way, I can tell the Council we are not having children, because we are not staying married, without upsetting them."

"Then you'll just have to upset them," she said plainly.

Gaara set his jaw with a sigh, then said, "You're being unreasonable."

"I don't trust anybody with that information," she stated. "It's not unreasonable."

Gaara pursed his lips, then muttered, "Did Ryuki know who your heir was?"

The way her lashes fluttered and her mouth pressed tightly and twisted, he knew the answer. "That was different," she replied.

Gaara bit the inside part of his lower lip, not wanting to get angry or frustrated with that knowledge. Ryuki did know who her heir was. So, it was that she didn't trust him. Gaara. He pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded. He took another two quick bites of his meal, finishing the plate, wiping his mouth with his napkin before dropping it unceremoniously on the plate. Then he stood with a forced, amiable smile. "I think I'll join my brother in the bar car." With that, he left her sitting alone with her wine and cake, aching to get rid of the sour taste her distrust left in the back of his mouth.

Wednesday, February 11, Temari and Shikamaru made their way through the Hokage's office, both carrying a tea in hand. Both were working late thanks to the emergency meeting Kakashi had called. They knew, thanks to the timing, exactly what the meeting was about. The Opura interview was set to air from 7 to 9pm, which would have been 4 to 6pm for Suna time, or 5 to 7pm in Futen, where the channel the interview was broadcast on was based. Wind Broadcasting, or WBC didn't take into account other country's time zones when airing such content, even though it broadcast across the entire continent. The Wind was so large, it held five time zones with it. The Fire took up three, and Konoha sat in the middle time zone.

Kakashi had asked Temari and Shikamaru come watch it in Conference Room A before discussing some things. As they entered the office, Kakashi sat them down with a team of other high ranking jonin and advisors. All of which were surprisingly familiar faces. Lady Tsunade, who was back running the hospital in Sakura's stead while Sakura was traveling the world. Gai, Lee, Naruto, and Shizune. She wasn't sure why Gai, Lee, and Naruto were there, but Tsunade and Shizune were a given. A television had been wheeled in a trolly while everyone tried to get as comfortable as possible around the conference room table. Thankfully, Kakashi had the forethought to order dinner, because Temari was starving. They watched the interview in mostly silence, and Temari could feel Kakashi not only watching the interview of her brother closely, but herself as well. Maybe to infer how much he was lying about or not.

There was a moment when Opura seemed to harp on the fact Emika was engaged to Ryuki when they got married, before the actor had even been found dead, insinuating their wedding had driven Ryuki to suicide. Immediately, Emika jumped in to defend Gaara's honor, saying getting publicly engaged to Ryuki while she and Gaara planned their wedding in secret had been Ryuki's idea. And she was adamant he didn't commit suicide.

Shikamaru and Temari shared a glance at that as Gaara and Emika expounded on their engagement, saying they'd been engaged since last August, shortly after Gaara had his marriage meeting, which had pushed their relationship to the head if they were going to marry or not. They also said they had been secretly dating for almost a year, but that their several years' long friendship was kept up by written correspondences after she'd run into him on her worldly travels. All of which was a lie. Especially the part of them running into each other in an inn while he was on his way to the Five Kage Summit before the War, which started their correspondence.

Gaara mentioned the only people who knew were his siblings, because he lived with them. Temari's eye twitched at that. She could understand them lying to get their stories cohesive, but why bring her into it?

By the end of it, the questions seemed to turn more personal as they walked through the Suna Oasis Gardens.

Who said "I love you" first? She had, and they joked that Gaara had been in denial about it for a few days after she admitted.

How did it feel keeping this huge secret? Did they enjoy everyone's shock, that they had been successful? Of course, they had gotten some enjoyment out of seeing everyone realize it. Gaara did commend the paparazzi that had somehow gotten a few photos without him noticing.

Had they discussed children? Emika said they hadn't yet, but Temari noticed something in both of their eyes as she answered. Gaara's smile stiffened, as if a little bitter, while Emika's eyes looked a little pained. That caused Temari's gut to twist nervously. Obviously, they were lying. Children had come up in conversation, but it was a topic they didn't agree on. Was Emika pressuring him to have children? Or was it Gaara wanted children, and the Princess did not? Temari couldn't tell.

But the fact it had been a discussion did tell Temari Gaara was lying when he said "Love had nothing to do with it." Although, she still wasn't sure what their endgame was. What were they working towards. It couldn't be just to remove Ginmaru from the throne. Marriage still seemed a little drastic on Gaara's end. Being Kazekage, he wasn't supposed to pick sides.

The only way she could see it was if Ginmaru had threatened Suna in some way. Sure, there had been significant cutbacks in recent years, but that was throughout the five great nations. Of course she wasn't so focused on Suna's finances since Shikamaru proposed to her, and she had to focus more on the wedding, then Gaara's marriage meeting, and then her wedding and becoming a citizen of Konoha. But surely, Suna was no worse off than the other five villages.

Once the interview ended, Kakashi turned it off, and looked at the group at the table. Naruto was the first to speak, laughing, "I still can't believe he's married."

Temari frowned, clearly taking offense to the comment as she remarked, "Well, you got married."

Naruto blinked at her, surprised by the barb in her tone, as if Naruto getting married was more of a feat than Gaara getting married. "I just meant he didn't seem like the type," Naruto stated. "No offense, but neither of your brothers do."

Temari's eyes narrowed dangerously as she hissed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Naruto blinked oddly, looking at Shikamaru for back-up. Shikamaru knew better than speak up against his wife, though. Naruto made an empty gesture with his hands before he asked, "Well, I've never seen Gaara have a crush, much less been in love. He's a bit … stoic for that, isn't he?"

"So, stoicism means you don't fall in love?" Temari asked.

"Not necessarily, but in Gaara's case—"

"And Kankuro isn't stoic at all," Temari continued, cutting off the blond loudmouth.

Naruto opened his mouth to respond, as Lee cut in, "Come on, guys. Let's not fight."

Kakashi cut in, stating, "Yes. Let's not devolve down that road. However, Naruto does have a point, Temari. This marriage wasn't something anyone predicted, and the Daimyos are upset because of its many implications."

Temari stiffened, but asked as if ignorant, "What implications?"

"If this is a power grab for a ninja to get on the throne," Kakashi listed. "If he's successful in getting the power of the Daimyos as well as Kazekage, there's good reason to assume other ninja leaders would try something similar. Especially in smaller countries. As for the Five Nations, if he becomes Daimyo, there's a good possibility he'll have to step down as Kazekage, meaning the Peace Treaty we created, which is still very young and not strong yet, could be in jeopardy."

Temari looked at the Hokage doubtfully, then letting her gaze flick to Tsunade obviously, before commenting, "Has the Leaf not changed hands from Tsunade to you since the treaty was made?"

Kakashi pursed his lips, barely holding back a knowing smile as he said, "You and I both know that when the Treaty was made, I was the Hokage who agreed to it, as Tsunade was in a coma thanks to the battle with Pein. So, the situation is a little different, since we don't know who would be taking over for Gaara. Politically, I hope it's Kankuro, who has worked with the Leaf for years, and has a vested interest in Peace with us." He gestured to Temari with the last comment. He tongued his cheek pensively, which was only visible through a small lump appearing under his mask. "However, the other three Kage who don't know him as well, and who don't have as strong ties to the Sand like we have, might use this change of power as a reason to leave the Treaty." Kakashi looked at her pointedly, so his meaning was clear. "That, we cannot let happen."

Temari bowed her head a little, not entirely looking at the table, but away. It was a bad situation.

Naruto made a face, then said, "I feel like if there was a Princess on the way to the Land of Iron during the Summit, we would have run into her." He turned to Lee, and said, "You showed up a day later, Bushy Brow. Did you see her?"

Lee shook his head enough to make his hair fly up a little as he answered, "I did not. I never forget a face."

"That was because they didn't meet at an Inn," Temari confessed, licking her lips. Gaara had passed his coded message to her for a reason. He had to know his closest allies in the Leaf would be asking questions. Surely, he wanted her to tell the Sand's closest allies that something else was going on, but after what she saw in the interview, she felt most of the story was pertinent, if not all.

The comment caused everyone to turn to her curiously. Tsunade's brows furrowed deeply as she asked, "Are you saying the whole interview was a lie?"

Shikamaru licked his lips, looking at his wife worriedly. "Lord Kakashi, we received a coded email from Lord Gaara a week ago suggesting something else is going on."

"An email?" Kakashi pressed.

Shikamaru opened his mouth to answer, but Temari cut him off, stating, "They need to know more than just the email." Shikamaru gave a small, disagreeing shake his head. He'd debated against revealing the whole story before coming tonight. Mostly because the Trial was six years ago, and didn't seem entirely pertinent. But he was wrong. Something in her gut told her he was very wrong. And maybe Gaara didn't even realize it. But the Trial was still significant in what was happening now. Ginmaru only gained power because it had fallen apart the way it did.

"So, you did know about this relationship?" Tsunade asked carefully.

Temari straightened, trying to ease the permanent backache she had since the start of her pregnancy. She took a deep breath, then started, "Gaara and Emika met when they were fifteen, before he became Kazekage. Right before he became Kazekage." She cleared her throat, then laid everything she felt pertinent out. "To become Kage, the Daimyo has to sign off. Lord Hiroto, the Daimyo at the time and Emika's father, had come to Suna, with his family, to sign off Gaara becoming Kazekage. However, Gaara was the youngest Kazekage Elect in the Wind's history, so Lord Hiroto demanded a Final Trial, which was to be extra security for Emika while they were in town, without Emika realizing Gaara was hired by her father. Emika is a bit of a trickster to those who know her, and after an incident at a concert, she ran off, with Gaara intercepting her to save the mission. Unable to just take her back to the guardians without breaking cover, he ended up being her personal tour guide of Suna, and sole security for an evening until she decided to return. However, when she was supposed to go back to her father, she instead bartered a diamond necklace for a ninja warhorse and galloped off into the desert, again with Gaara unable to stop her without breaking cover. So, he chased after her. They were together for four days in the desert, just them, thanks to a Sandstorm delay." She licked her lips, thinking of her words carefully, then continued, "He never went to much in detail with me about what happened those four days, but what was clear was that something had happened between them. They had clearly fallen in love. Gaara had even proposed, even though he said it was to make sure she didn't stray from him, to keep his mission and cover intact."

Shikamaru frowned, turning to her. She hadn't told him that bit. Everyone at the table was surprised to hear it. She continued. "To keep his cover intact during the change off, we pretended to arrest Gaara. By the time we'd returned, Lord Hiroto had passed from a heart attack. Gaara thought Ginmaru, the Regent, was going to perform the sign off, but Emika had pushed to perform the sign off, thinking Gaara was just an arrested ninja whom she could still save. When all was said and done, both of their hearts were broken, and Emika had signed off on him as Kazekage, saying he had succeeded his mission in fooling her." She looked directly to Kakashi, so he could see her sincerity. "They didn't see each other, or have any contact after that. No letters. Nothing. He broke her heart, so she cut him off. Three months later, she agreed to marry Prince Hamaru, a man she had previously turned down."

"So, how did she end up married to your brother, if she got engaged to a prince six years ago?" Naruto pointed out oddly.

"Because he died," Temari answered. "The same day the Akatsuki attacked Suna and kidnapped Gaara, Hamaru's whole family and everyone in the family's palace was murdered. It was rumored to also have been an Akatsuki hit." Everyone at the table got oddly silent, as it was clear they were all thinking the same thing Shikamaru had when she'd first said it to him. Why would the Akatsuki kill a Royal family from the Wind? She licked her lips, then gestured to Shikamaru to continue with the email.

He pulled out his folder, saying, "The email Gaara sent us last week had a coded message that said Lord Ginmaru, the Regent, was killing Emika's fiances to hold power. And Emika's proposal to him was a lot more sudden and unexpected. And that there is a possibility all this can lead to a Civil War within the Wind."

Kakashi laced his fingers in front of his mouth, pensively staring at Shikamaru, before shifting his gaze to Temari, as if garnering the veracity of the statement. Then to Tsunade, who pursed her lips and nodded.

"Well, that is actually very helpful information with what we were going to discuss tonight," Kakashi said, sounding rather congenial, while also grave. "Everyone here received an invite from the Suna Council for Gaara and Emika's wedding reception, next week. I've heard word from the other Kage that each of them have been invited, although I doubt they know what Temari and Shikamaru just told us. If that is the state of things there, I feel that while each of us is there, we keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Shikamaru, Temari, you two will be the only ones staying with Lord Kazekage. So, I need you two to get him to speak plainly about what's going on, and how we can help. Lord Gaara is an ally we cannot lose."

He pushed aside a folder as he stated, "The Fire Daimyo has asked us to provide reconnaissance reports on what's going on in the Wind. This is the only way we can do this covertly without sending in Anbu."

Shikamaru pursed his lips, then asked, "So, is this trip actually a mission?" Temari kicked his ankle, and he suppressed a wince.

"Yes, this is a mission," Kakashi stated. "Off the books. So, any findings are to be reported directly to me. I will create the report on the situations for the Daimyo." He flicked a page, and said, "Since the reception is next Saturday, we will be setting out Monday afternoon at 3:00, arriving Friday morning, giving us a day to recuperate."

Gai frowned at his long-time rival. "There is no need to feel like you need to compensate for my ailments," he declared proudly. "I will walk the whole way there on my hands!"

"While the thought is appreciated," Kakashi chuckled, "This is to make sure we as a team stay together. If we arrive Thursday, even better." Gai harumphed, slouching in his chair a little as he glowered at Kakashi with slightly wounded pride. "Please make sure your paperwork is prepared to travel across country borders. We'll need to show our invites and our shinobi identifications, and Fire citizenship."

Little else was added to the meeting beyond preparations. Tsunade would step back into her role as Hokage in Kakashi's absence. Lee would be escorting Gai, and Shikamaru escorting Temari, while Shizune and Naruto would make up Kakashi's team. Then everyone was sent home shortly after 10. Both Shikamaru and Temari were exhausted as they made their way home.

At a passing glance, Temari noticed her husband smiling oddly to himself, causing her to frown. "What?"

"What?" he asked back.

She gestured to his mouth, grumbling, "What's with that smirk?"

He pouted nonchalantly, even shrugging as if it meant nothing. But his smile came back immediately as he said, "I knew we'd be getting paid for this visit." His smile broadened smugly as he added, "I don't think visiting my in-laws will ever be so lucrative again."

Temari scowled, and rolled her eyes under her eyelids. However, despite herself, she felt her lips twisting into their own humorous smile. "Hush, you."

He saw her struggling to hide her smile, clearly a little disappointed in herself for finding the comment funny. His smile broadened to a full-bore grin before slipping his hand in hers, walking home in oddly comfortable silence, despite the dangerous and precarious situation looming over them, waiting for them only a week away in the Land of Wind.

Gaara's Futen condo wasn't a place he took a lot of guests to. That wasn't to say it wasn't pretty or without its charms. It was the penthouse of a riverside condo a block away from Daimyo's Gate, meaning the walk from the Futen Train Station wasn't too long. The building was older structure, probably a hundred or so years old, and had been restructured and revamped over the decades, while keeping the architectural significance of the building in place. The condo was eight floors tall, with the penthouse taking up the top two floors. It was three bedrooms with two decks over-looking the Mikadzuki River that fed into Mikadzuki Bay after two waterfalls in the city, and just past the palace before the final waterfall.

Futen Palace, the home of the Daimyo, and the place Princess Emika had grown up in, was a beacon in the city. A sparkling white building with curved black roofing shone brightly as a modern structure among the old, average beige or ruddy brown architecture of the rest of the city, which was highlighted barely by eggshell ornamentation. Ancient aqueducts framed the city, preserved by the city's historically minded citizens, where the aqueducts near Cobra Town had fallen to disrepair ruins.

Unlike Suna, Futen was one of the desert's ancient cities, and long believed to be the cradle of humanity's civilization. The birthplace of commerce, agriculture, and education. Futen had built the first university of the world, where famous ancient philosophers would meet and debate ethics and morality, and wise men would study the stars for prophecy and other arts of divination. This was before the time of ninshu, before the Sage of Six Paths. Now, ancient temples to deities long forgotten had been destroyed over the millennia, and the ancient library containing the world's knowledge at 100 CE burned. But the aqueducts still stood as a reminder that the Wind was as ancient as Time on Earth.

Gaara's condo consisted of two floors, with the first floor containing the living room, dining room, kitchen, and library, which he coopted into a gym to keep up with his taijutsu training. The downstairs deck had glass doors from the living room, and the library. Upstairs had three bedrooms. Kankuro's and Temari's rooms faced the street, and shared the hallway bathroom, while Gaara's bedroom was the Master's suite, with a full ensuite and walk in closet. The ensuite had a sandstone shower and a clawfoot bathtub he was fond of. His bedroom was painted a dark blue, except for the gilded ornamentation behind the bed. He'd bought it like that, fashioned by the previous owners, but he didn't mind the luxurious detailing. It also had a domed window in the ceiling showing off the night sky, and a private deck overlooking the Mikadzuki River with a spectacular view of the first waterfall, which cast a wonderful rainbow during certain times of day.

Gaara sat on his bed reading a book while the news played on the television. Several clips of the Opura interview had aired, causing him to grimace, because as predicted, he found some errors. However, the news wasn't the cause of his divided attention from his novel currently.

When he and Emika had retired for the evening, she'd been a bit awkward about her purse, making sure it was at her side at all times, when it would be logical to set it down. He got the sense Kankuro and Shijima just brushed the behavior off as her being a priss, but Gaara knew better. She was hiding something. Gaara had taken his shower first, noting when he got out, she had hidden her purse conspicuously. It would only be too easy for him to find it with his sand, but he didn't. Her distrust more and more evident during this trip settled under his tongue with great distaste.

Even now, she paused before closing the bathroom door altogether, clearly debating if she could trust him not to look in her purse, which she'd hidden under her side of the bed. Again, finding it was child's play to him. But searching in it would only prove to her he couldn't be trusted, which he didn't want to do. He wanted her to just tell him what she was hiding.

Instead, he was being treated to hearing her fill the bath through the halfway cracked bathroom door. Curiously, he looked to the bathroom to see her back facing the mirrors, which provided him a view of everything in the bathroom. She thought the crack was enough privacy, but it was not. He watched her undress, feeling his heart pound knowing he shouldn't look, but unable to stop. He saw every mole and freckle again in the luminescent bathroom light as she shed her shirt, her pants, her bra, and finally her panties. She bent over, checking the bath water, only to turn the hot water on higher. Then she turned to face the mirror, taking down her hair and letting it fall in cascades of oasis sandy strands. Gaara felt his breath leave him as he watched her rub her scalp soothingly. Her breasts, always a wonder to see, moving so freely now. Then she frowned, dropping her hands to her hips and lower belly as her expression twisted into a disappointed scowl.

It was only when she moved the skin, tracing the blemishes that Gaara noticed them. Shining white stripes like a tigress down her abdomen along her hips and up around her bellybutton. Her skin wrinkled as if the skin didn't quite fit there anymore. Like she'd sustained scars. Her bellybutton wasn't even the same shape he remembered. Her taut innie bellybutton now had odd puckering around it.

Gaara was surprised he hadn't noticed it before. It was clearly different from how it was six years ago. Partially, he realized all other times he'd have gotten a view of it since their marriage, the lighting had been dimmed enough to hide it. But not his bathroom lights. Besides Emika, and the occasional skin magazine, he'd never seen a woman's naked body, and none of them had had such marking. He felt his gut fill with dread, wondering what such markings meant. Had that been the work of Touma, his rapes leaving a permanent mark upon Emika?

She looked up, her gaze flicking to his as if she just realized he could see everything. He quickly averted his gaze back to his book, turning the page as if he'd been reading the book all along. Sure, he'd be thrown off, but it was a small price to pay to prevent being caught ogling his wife.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her frown, as if debating with herself if she'd actually caught him looking or if her mind was playing tricks on her. After a moment, she decided on the latter, and went back to her bath. He tried to ignore her contented sighs as she dipped into the bathwater. Or how she hummed a song stuck in her head as she washed her hair.

Soon enough, she was done. The bathwater was draining as she changed into pink silk pajamas, covering up the scars on her abdomen before walking out and shutting off the light. She brushed her wet hair out, then sat on the bed next to him before wrapping it into a towel, which she tied together above her forehead, making her head look like a spectacular beehive. Then she turned to him with a pursed smile as she lifted the covers over her.

"Goodnight," she said, tucking herself in before turning off the light.

Gaara pursed his lips, looking her over pensively before closing his book and setting it on his nightstand. He turned off his light and turned off the tv, mumbling, "Goodnight," as he settled into bed. As the darkness settled around them, he couldn't help but notice that sleeping next to her, her back aligned against his with only their butts and feet touching, it felt oddly like he wasn't sleeping with his wife or the woman he loved, but a familiar stranger.

AN: I did want to ask you all, because it's been brought up twice the last couple chapters, should Gaara and Emika have children? And if so, how many? I kind of jokingly brought up 5-7 kids, but surely you all have thoughts on the matter. I'd like to hear!

Again, keep sending positive thoughts while we weather this storm.

PLEASE REVIEW! And fave, follow, kudos, bookmark, whatever.