The three shinobi left to the bar leaving Gaara and Tenten alone.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the bar with the guys, you can go for a little while," Gaara gently asked.

"Very sure. Lee and Guy sensei get too happy when they drink, and then I have to be the responsible one. I feel bad for Kankuro. Both of them are a lot to handle".

"Don't worry. I am sure Kankuro can handle that mission. Would you like a cup of sake?"

Tente was surprised by the question, "I thought you did not drink."

Gaara brought a fancy bottle of sake with two cups, "I said I didn't drink much… Sometimes, I do on special occasions."

Tenten took a sip and asked, "Is this a special occasion?"

"To me, it is. I was reflecting on my childhood. When I was a kid, I ate almost every meal alone, but tonight the table was full of people dear to me. I know Guy sensei and Lee can be very intense sometimes, but they have so much joy for life in them. I was so happy to see Shinki agreeing to play a game with Metal. He acted like a child even though he did not want us to notice. And you are here. I think it is a special occasion."

They went to Gaara's terrace with the bottle of sake. Once again, they were lost in their conversation, forgetting about the world. The night was getting colder, but they did not want to go inside. They were sitting on a comfortable couch, staring at the stars. He noticed that Tenten was feeling too cold. He was so used to the cold desert nights, but it might be too cold for his guests. Gaara brought a blanket for Tenten.

She thanked him and put the blanket around her body. She noticed that he did not bring a blanket for himself. "What about you? Don't you feel cold?"

Gaara explained that he was used to the temperature and did not mind the cold. Tenten was still concerned for him and did not accept that answer. "This blanket is big enough for both of us. Let's share it".

Sharing the blanket made them have to sit closer together. Gaara and Tente felt the tension between them. They wanted to get closer, but they were not sure if it was appropriate. They always had so much to talk about, but they were silent, unsure of what to say. Tenten decided to take a chance. She was not sure how Gaara would react, but she needed to feel closer to him. Her left hand was next to his right hand. She softly caressed his hand without holding it. Gaara liked that feeling and how it sent electricity to all his body.

He did not understand much of romantic relationships, but his body was telling him to kiss her. He turned his body towards her and gently touched her face with his other hand. He stared at her eyes while getting closer to her face and finally kissed her. The kiss was magical. It was soft, sweet, but intense at the same time.

After the kiss, they looked at each other. Gaara looked a little preoccupied because he was not sure if it was okay for him to have done that. He had the utmost respect for Tenten. She smiled at him to make him feel at ease and kissed him again. The second kiss made him realize that she enjoyed the kiss as much as he did. They continued kissing while holding each other when a loud noise interrupted them.

Guy, Lee, and Kankuro came back from the bar. The three of them were drunk. They were singing and having a conversation that made no sense while trying to find their way to their rooms. Tenten was mad at all of them.

"Guy sensei, you need to set a better example for your pupils. What if Metal or Shinki see you in this state. The same goes for you, Lee. Kankuro, I am honestly surprised."

"Tenten, please don't get mad. I am retired now. Sometimes I might have one extra cup of sake".

"Is that what you and Kakashi sensei do in your travels? Have extra cups of sake?"

Guy laughed out loud and replied, "We also go to the hot springs."

Gaara thought that the scene was hilarious, but tried not to laugh since the situation seemed to mortify Tenten. He asked the guards to help his guests get to their rooms. After the job was taken care of, he walked Tenten to her room.

"I am very sorry for that embarrassing scene. I can't believe Guy sensei and Lee talked Kakuro into joining them. They seem to have forgotten we are in the Kazekage's home".

He tried to put Tenten at ease. "Don't be sorry. I am glad they had fun. Kankuro works too hard. I am happy he got to relax". He held her hand and continued, "More importantly, I wanted to thank you for the evening."

A flirty Tenten replied, "Thank you for the kiss."

They kissed one more time to say good night. Although it was very late at night, Tenten had a hard time falling asleep. She could not stop thinking about that kiss, about Gaara's hands, and how warm and charming felt when he held her. Gaara was in his room, feeling similarly. He wished he could be with Tenten at that moment.

The next day, Kankuro was beyond surprised to see Guy and Lee awake and energetic as ever, while he was nursing a bad hangover. The group had planned to do some sightseeing after Gaara's training session with Lee. Since Gaara was too busy with Kazegage's duties, he asked Shinki to escort the group. Gaara was going to try to meet them through the day, but he was trying harder to find an excuse to spend some time with Tenten. The day went as planned, but Gaara did not find a way to hang out with Tenten.

After dinner that night, the Leaf shinobi decided to go to bed early since they were going to catch the first train back to the Leaf the next day. A couple of minutes after Tenten got to her room, she heard a knock on her door. It was Gaara. "Would you like a cup of mint tea before you go to bed?"

Tenten's eyes lit up after Gaara's invitation, "Sounds nice".

They headed to a small living room with a beautiful view of the village to have some tea. The nervous pair sat next to each other, but very close this time. Gaara took the initiative this time and held her hand. "I am very sorry I did not have the chance to spend much time with you today. I feel terrible. I invited you here, and I wasn't a proper host".

Tenten completely understood. She was happy they got the chance to share a cup of tea before heading home.

"I want to be transparent with you. I find you to be a fascinating woman, and I want to spend more time with you. I have many limitations with my time due to the Kazekage duties. I know you are busy too. I would like to ask for your patience. I know that is a lot to ask, but I truly feel a connection to you that I have never felt before."

"Gaara, I feel the same way. I was thinking of a way for us to see more of each other, but it seems difficult."

A disappointed Gaara managed to put a half-smile on his face, "I understand. I had to ask". He was still grateful for the time they spent together.

Tenten touched his face and said, "Gaara, I said difficult, not impossible."

He smiled at her and held her close to him. They kissed again, and it felt even better than the night before. They became more comfortable with each other since they both knew now how they felt for each other.

They agreed to try to see each other every time possible. Tenten asked to be assigned more missions that involved collaboration with the Sand Village, and Gaara was going to make sure to spend more time at the Leaf Village every time he had to go there on Kage's business. He usually would go to a meeting and return the same day. He was going to make sure to at least stay for the day.

The next day the Leaf Shinobi took the train back home. Gaara went back to his hectic schedule with the plan to make it even more hectic, trying to find time to go to the Leaf.

Kankuro noticed that Shinki looked troubled, "Shinki, what is it?"

Shinki responded in a worried tone, "My father is in love."

That comment caught Kankuro out of guard, "What makes you say that?"

"I saw my father kissing Miss Tenten."

Kankuro saw a feeling of uncertainty that he never saw in his nephew's eyes, "Would it be bad if he was in love?"

Still concerned, Shinki replied, "We don't know her intentions."

Kankuro understood his nephew. Although he was very mature, he was still a child facing a potential change in his family. "Would you be okay if your father had a girlfriend?"

Shinki started blushing. It was probably the only one time that Kankuro saw his nephew blushing, even under the makeup.

"I respect my father's choices."

"Respecting his choices does not mean you could feel in a certain way."

Shinki didn't know how to respond. He always wanted to be supportive of his father, but he felt uncertain about this development in his father's life. Kakuro did not wish to pressure Shinki. He concluded the conversation, "Whatever way you feel, be assured that your father loves you immensely, and that will never change."