Shikamaru frowned. Something in that ridiculously smart brain of his was trying to tell him something. So far, he had the 'ANBU messenger' and 'Hokage' pieces, but he didn't know what they fit into. Still, as he took a few moments to yawn before knocking on the Hokage's door, he knew that whatever it was, he wouldn't like it.

"Enter!"

He opened the door and walked in, and immediately wished he hadn't. 'Smirking Shizune' and 'Hokage wearing a disturbing grin' popped into his brain, followed quickly by…

"Temari-san?"

"Hey."

'Unhappy Temari?' Where did that piece come from?

"Nara Shikamaru! I have received a request for your services directly from the Kazekage of Suna! Make no mistake, this mission may have dramatic diplomatic repercussions for the Fire, Sand, and Earth nations. As such, it will be considered an S-rank mission!"

"S-rank?"

That woke his brain up. It loved a good workout, though of course, it would never admit it.

"But that's…something for a jounin! Or a team of ANBU!"

"A whole team? Please, I'm not that kind of girl."

"Huh?"

"Shikamaru, this will be a two-person team. Yourself and Temari-san. No one else is capable of carrying out this mission. Instructions are currently being sent along to others who will provide assistance, though they will not act in a direct capacity. Completing the mission objective is something only the two of you can accomplish, and only by working together."

"Together?"

"Yes, together."

"But…what kind of S-rank mission would specifically require the two of us? Assassination? Infiltration? A diplomatic mission?"

"That's it!"

The Hokage's smile grew wider as she stood up from her desk and approached him. Temari walked up to his side and opened a small case, pushing it into his hands. He saw…a ring?

"Shikamaru, put the ring on Temari-san's finger."

He pulled it out of the case and slipped it her ring finger, with Temari's expression quickly going from unhappy to mortified. He wondered what the ring was for. Was it infused with chakra, like an explosive note, for some kind of unique effect? His train of thought was cut off when Tsunade took one of his hands and one of Temari's, holding them with her own.

"And now, by the power vested in me as Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, I pronounce you man and wife! You may now kiss the bride."

"I can WHAT?"

"He can WHAT?"

Tsunade laughed, not letting go of their hands, try as they might to free themselves.

"It must be official! Now, kiss kiss!"

Temari stared at Shikamaru, aghast. Shikamaru stared back, his expression little different from hers. He leaned forward, and she leaned back. After a moment, she groaned and leaned forward, eyes closed, lips pressed tightly together. Shikamaru leaned forward, his lips twitching, stretching, curling this way and that.

"Oh for Kami's sake…Shizune?"

Shizune grabbed them both by their heads and unceremoniously mashed their lips together, laughing as she released them after a few moments, coughing and wiping faces with sleeves.

"Now, for your mission! Shikamaru! A ninja of the hidden stone is attempting to use his families' influence to force Temari to marry him, after she publicly humiliated him."

"That's a habit of hers…"

"Hey!"

"You and Temari are to live together as husband and wife, for however long is necessary to convince this man and his family that you two secretly eloped shortly after the chuunin exam. If you fail, relations and trade with the Earth country will take a severe blow that could be felt for years. I've prepared a list of precise details the two of you are to memorize, and a list of the people who have been tasked to assist you in maintaining the ruse."

"Ahh…just how many people think we're married?"

"In all, Temari's family, the Suna council, your family, myself, shizune, your team, and your sensei. If you feel anyone else should be included-"

"No! No, that's…that's more then enough."

"Alright!"

Tsunade grinned as she handed Shikamaru a sealed folder, and a key.

"A key?"

"A key. Now, run along, and don't forget, communication is key to making a relationship work!"

A few moments after the newlyweds left, Tsunade and Shizune just couldn't hold back any longer. They fell to the floor and were reduced to tears, wild laughter echoing throughout the entire building.

"Our own house!"

"What did you expect?"

Temari unlocked the front door and went inside. Then she came back out, grabbed Shikamaru by the shirt, and dragged him inside as well.

"I'm sorry, would you say that again?"

Gaara scowled, a scowl that didn't carry nearly as much malice as one of his glares, but it was enough to make the group that had just come from the earth country wish they had been listening more carefully.

"I said…Temari could not be married to your liege."

"I…see. May I ask why?"

This was the crux of it. They had planned out every detail in advance, and Gaara wasn't about to fail his sister. The scowl deepened slightly, and the man in front of him gulped and leaned back, though the scowl was actually a response to the odd thought he just had. He filed it away for later and continued.

"She cannot because she is already married."

"She is?"

"Yes."

"To whom?"

"A shinobi of the Hidden leaf. Nara Shikamaru. They first met several months ago during the chuunin exam, then again a short while later."

"And, after this, they married? Just like that?"

"Eloped."

Kankuro stepped forward, painting an expression of distaste on his face.

"She came back babbling on and on…Shikamaru this, Shikamaru that…"

"She disappeared one day, and came back wearing a ring. As her brother, you can imagine I was…annoyed. But as the Kazekage, I decided that it might a good political move after the manipulations we suffered damaged the relations between our nations."

"I see…someone so young, but you seem have grasped the nuances of leadership quite well."

Gaara didn't know how people could actually say such things. Bloodlust, vengeance, those he could understand, straightforward and elegant in their simplicity. But manipulating the course of lives, ordering one person to suffer for the rest of their life, to make someone else's live easier…Gaara's thought's drifted to his father, and the sand outside his office echoed his emotions, shifting and swirling violently.

"Thank you. Now, if there's nothing further..."

The men offered the expected pleasantries, hurrying as Gaara'a expression darkened. The moment the door closed behind them, Gaara slammed his fists on the desk and sand burst from his gourd, a miniature sandstorm filling the room and scouring paint from the walls. Kankuro took shelter in a corner, crouching down and raising his arms to protect his face.

"Gaara!"

Gaara turned at the sound of his brother's voice, and Kankuro caught a look of rage on a level he had never seen before. It faded slowly, the sand slowing and eventually dropping and flowing back into Gaara's gourd.

"Kankuro…"

"Y-yes?"

"Is this…the nature of leadership?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"These decisions…that affect people's lives…to decide who should suffer and who should be happy…is this what's expected of me?"

"…Yes. You are the Kazekage, and the decisions you make will shape the lives of everyone in the Hidden Sand, and a great many people outside these walls as well."

Gaara was silent, the sand around him completely still. Kankuro watched his brother close his eyes and bow his head slightly, sinking into meditation, and he left the room as quietly as he could, leaving the Kazekage to his thoughts.