Booyah! another chapter!
thanks for all of the awesome reviews everyone!
you all rock my world...

:-)

The Suna people did more then welcome Sakura into their everyday lives…they embraced her.
It was as if she was once a beloved member of this village who was lost and then found again.
Their patience was never-ending with her as she occasionally made mistakes that would normally offend people.

And Sakura was willing to learn everything about Suna.
Every sentence out of her mouth was a question about why people did this or what that was used for…she even wanted me to teach her our native language which was only spoken in our village and few people outside of the village knew of.

Everyday she would wake up and immediately go outside and explore Suna…which made me nervous.
It wasn't very hard for everyone to realize that she was special to me; and that in order to get to me, they could easily use her.
And I couldn't be with her all of the time since I had my duties as the Kazekage.
But Temari helped out and said that she would go with Sakura and answer her questions while I was tied up at work.

One afternoon when the people started to go inside to escape the midday heat, Sakura joined me in my office and brought me some lunch.

"Temari said you liked these." she said as she handed me a stick filled with salted lizard tongues. "But if you ask me, that's disgusting…"

Taking a bite out of my lunch, I watched her reaction with amusement as she physically gagged.

"And to think I kiss you…" she said offhandedly as she sat down in the chair across from my desk.

"Learn anything new today?" I asked her as I glanced over another scroll that was littering my desk.

Sakura shrugged, "Not really. Temari took me down this one street…oh, what was it called?"

I couldn't help but smirk at her while she tried to remember the name of the street that Temari had taken her down. She was biting her bottom lip and I could hear as the gears in her head turned.

"La Cour! That's what it was called!"

My face went from amused to stunned to angry.

"She took you down that street?!" I said a little too harshly.

Sakura's excitement disappeared completely as she sank back into the chair slightly.

"Yeah…why? What's wrong with that?"

Cursing at my sister's stupidity, I said "Because it's a dangerous street Sakura! There's nothing but thieves and cut-throats down there. You both could have been killed or worse!"

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I closed my eyes and turned my head away from her.
I heard as she stood up from the chair and walked behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her head on my shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"I just told you." I said agitatedly as I pulled out another scroll, skimmed it, and then signed it.

"What's the real reason you're upset?"

I looked at her then, giving her a questioning look.

"I know you, you only ever get upset when you over-think a situation…"

"I am not over-thinking this."

"I can take care of myself you know…"

Damn her.
She was right…she can take care of herself.
But that wasn't the point. She wasn't seeing the big picture!

"You don't understand." I said as I turned away from her again.

"Then help me to."

Sighing I stood up from my chair and walked away from her.
Turning on her I said roughly, "Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe someone could try to use you against me?"

"What do you mean?"

"If someone kidnapped you and held you hostage, they could demand anything from me and I would have to do it. I would be powerless to do anything and I don't like that feeling. I wouldn't be in control of the situation and I can't be out of control…not again. I've lost control before Sakura and I'm doing whatever I can to make sure it never happens again."

"But you wouldn't have to do everything they tell you to…"

Sighing and shaking my head, I walked out of the room and said loud enough for her to hear me, "but I would."

She found me on the roof staring out over Suna.

"You forgot your lunch." she said as she hesitantly stepped onto the slanted surface. "It's probably too cold to eat now though…"

"Leave it." I said monotonously, "I like it cold anyways."

She made her way over to me and sat down taking in the view.

"I'm sorry Gaara. I didn't realize it was such a dangerous street. I begged Temari to take me down it since it's one street I've never seen before."

"Just promise me you won't go there again."

"I promise…"

We sat in silence for a while watching the people below us.

All of Suna was so much more lively now that everyone had a steady supply of food and water.
Even the beggars looked thicker and had the energy to change street corners.
The Ninja Academy was teeming with kids once again. I was even considering adding on to the building since it was filling up so quickly.

In every aspect, Suna was flourishing.
An immense sense of pride washed over me as I realized that I was the one who had helped that happen.
Even the elders didn't have any criticisms for me.

"Gaara…" Sakura broke in, interrupting my thoughts, "what does 'daemon domito' mean?"

Looking at her curiously, I asked, "Who said that?"

"First tell me what it means, and then maybe I'll tell you who said that."

I smirked at her stubbornness, "It means demon tamer."

"Oh…"

"Now who called you that?"

"Don't hurt them Gaara…"

"Why would I hurt them?"

"Aren't you mad?"

I shook my head, "Why would I be mad? It's the truth."

"It is not!" she said defiantly.

"Sakura, if I had never met you, this village probably would have extracted Shukaku and killed me years ago. And the people know and recognize this, so it's no wonder they call you that…because that is what you are."

"Well, I think they're giving me too much credit…"

I chuckled softly at her defiance for receiving compliments, "Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"Not for this." she said as she motioned to my salted tongue.

"Come on," I said as I stood up and held my hand out to her, "let's go get you something to eat."

"What about your paperwork?" Sakura asked as she pulled herself up using my offered hand.

"I can do it tonight while you're asleep."

Pulling her to me, I transported us down to the street and then began walking to the various restaurants that had recently been built now that there was more food to cook with.

That night, Temari and Sakura talked excitedly in the kitchen while Kankuro and I relaxed in the living room. Kankuro was repairing one of his puppets that he had broken during training and I was going over a few of the scrolls that I had brought home with me.

Breaking the silence, Kankuro asked, "So how are those old men treating you?"

"Hn."

"Oh really?! You don't say…wow! That's interesting! They did WHAT?!" Kankuro carried out the conversation sarcastically.

I looked up from my scroll and glared at him for a while.
When he finally grew uncomfortable and returned to repairing his puppet, I answered, "They went behind my back and invited Tsunade to visit."

Putting down his tools, Kankuro gave me his full attention, "When is she going to be here?"

"Tomorrow." I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers, fighting back the building pressure that was accumulating there.

"Do you know why they invited her?"

"No. The only reason why I know she's coming is because she sent me a scroll saying that something came up in Konoha, and she had to leave a day later."

"So she was supposed to be here today then…"

I nodded.

"Does Sakura know?"

"I don't think so. I haven't told her anything."

Kankuro only smiled at me.

"What?" I asked as his smile kept growing.

"You know Gaara, I'm the older brother…I'm supposed to have kids first."

My eyes grew wide at his statement, he was insinuating that Sakura was pregnant!

"That's not possible, we've been…care…ful." As I continued talking, Kankuro's smile grew bigger and bigger…I had fallen into one of his traps.

"So you two ARE having sex! I knew it! Temari owes me money!"

I rolled my eyes at him and returned to reading the scroll that I was still holding, "You may be the older brother, but I'm more mature then you'll ever be."

"Are not!" Kankuro coughed in defiance.

"At least I don't play with dolls…" I said smirking behind the scroll.

"That's it! You're dead!" he yelled and moved to attack me, but only found himself glued to where he was sitting since my sand had unknowingly traveled to him and wrapped itself around his legs.

"What's the matter Kankuro? Does the truth hurt?" I teased as he struggled to reach me.
I was just out of his reach and watched in amusement as he stretched and pulled in order to gain that extra inch in order to be able to reach me.

"Temari!" he yelled at my sister.

"WHAT?!" her voice spat out from the kitchen, obviously agitated.

"Help me get Gaara!"

"Coward." I muttered to him.

Temari came out of the kitchen with her hands on her hips, Sakura following closely behind her.

"What did you do Gaara?" she demanded.

"Nothing. Kankuro and I were just having a discussion about his dolls…"

Kankuro's grunts grew louder as he struggled even harder against my sand.

Temari smirked at me and said, "Did you tell him to stop talking to them? Because otherwise no one is going to want to hang out with him anymore…"

Kankuro shifted his eyes between the two of us and then sighed in defeat.

"I hate you both…" he muttered.

"Oh, but Kankuro… we LOVE you!" Temari said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Sakura laughed behind her back.

"Be glad you don't have any brothers Sakura…see what I have to put up with?" Temari said as she rested her arm on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura nodded in agreement and then laughed again.

Later that night, Sakura was reading a book on my bed while I was sitting at yet another desk and going over the few leftover scrolls from the day.
But I found that I couldn't concentrate…she was distracting me.

Knowing by now that I shouldn't fight it, I got up and walked over to the bed.
Crawling on top of her and kissing the back of her bare shoulder I asked, "What are you reading?"

Glancing at me over her shoulder, she said, "A book on Suna's history."

"Boring."

"It is not! It's really interesting actually…"

"That book is full of lies. They're just stories meant to make us feel better about who we are as a country and glorifying all of the atrocities that we've done to other villages in order to get to where we are today."

"Oh really…" Sakura said as she rolled over onto her back and wrapped her legs around me, "then what should I read in order to get to the truth?"

"The books in the Kage library." I said as I rubbed my hands over her smooth thighs and knees.

"I didn't think I was allowed to go in there…"

"Normally you wouldn't be allowed to since that room is full of secret documents and books, but I give you permission. So feel free to read until your heart's content." I rubbed my fingers behind her knees, tickling one of her ticklish spots which caused her to laugh. "It's one of the perks of dating the Kazekage." I smirked at her.

"No…" she said as she grabbed a hold of my shirt and pulled me down on top of her, "this is…" and she pulled me into a kiss that sent hot ice throughout all of my nerves.

I glanced at the scrolls out of the corner of my eye and I knew that I wasn't going to finish them…

There's always tomorrow. I thought as I deepened our kiss and stretched myself fully on top of her. There's always tomorrow…

In the morning, I found myself restless.

Sakura was still sound asleep and I paced back and forth in our room.

Why had the elders summoned Tsunade behind my back?
What were they planning?
Did Sakura know she was coming? Was she a part of this?
What was going on?

I had to have answers, but as I watched Sakura sleeping, I found that I couldn't wake her up no matter how desperate I was for information.
So I sat in the corner on the floor, staring at her, waiting for her to stir.

When Sakura finally woke up, I watched as she stretched and yawned feeling for me on my side of the bed. When she found the spot cold, she sat up and looked around the room.

"Good morning Gaara…why are you on the floor?"

"Tsunade's coming today." I cut right to the point.

"She is!? It's been so long since I've seen her!" Sakura said as she excitedly jumped out of bed and got dressed. "There's so much I have to tell her and so much I have to hear from her…why did you summon her?" Sakura said as she calmed down suddenly.

"I didn't. The elders did."

"But you knew about it though, right?"

"No."

"Oh…what do you think it's about then?" she asked nervously.

"I don't know." I said as I stood up from the floor and walked towards her. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Sakura only shrugged and gave me an apologetic smile.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly to relax my nerves, I looked at her once again and said, "Get dressed. We leave in a half-hour."

Foreboding consumed me as Sakura and I neared my office.
I knew Tsunade was already here and that she was in a meeting with the elders…I was informed this by a guard outside of my house.

As we neared me office, I heard their voices talking monotonously through the thick wooden door.
Pulling it open, all conversation stopped and all eyes were on Sakura and I.

"Kazekage-sama. Good you're here…and Sakura as well! How perfect!"

Sakura rushed towards Tsunade and gave her a hug, one of which Tsunade enthusiastically returned. Pulling a chair out besides her sensei and Hokage, Sakura sat down at the large circular table.

"Do you make it a habit to invite the Hokage without my knowledge or permission?" I asked the head elder who started to shrink away.

"No, Kazekage-sama. It's just that together the Hokage and us have been discussing one more step that will strengthen our alliance even more so then it already has been."

"Oh really." I said flashing Tsunade a glare and then directing it back to the head elder, "and what might that be?"

"Perhaps you should sit…"

"I'll stand." I said harshly as I cut him off.

"Very well." the head elder said, bowing to me.
I was beyond agitated at this point.
The conniving rotten old bastards were coming up with treaties behind my back!?
They would pay for this…they had to be shown that I would not tolerate such insubordination.

"We have proposed that you marry a Konoha kunoichi. And since the Hokage has no offspring of her own, it has been proposed that you marry someone who is like a daughter to her…Sakura."

I stared daggers at the man.
Who was he to determine my future for me…

I saw out of the corner of my eye as Sakura's jaw dropped open and looked at Tsunade to confirm the elder's statement.
Tsunade only nodded at her.
Sakura then turned all her attention onto me, I could see hope and happiness in her eyes.

I wish I could share her feelings.

"No." I said flatly.

I saw as Tsunade twitched along with the elders.
Sakura, on the other hand, seemed to cave in on herself.

"I will not marry this girl."

"But Kazekage-sama, we thought that you two were…"

"First," I cut him off, "you go behind my back and come up with a treaty with the Hokage of Leaf. Second, you don't even tell me that the Hokage is coming to Suna. Third, you think you can just decide my future for me?! I should have you all imprisoned for insubordination…"

"Kazekage-sama…"

"I'm not finished!" I said as I turned my full anger on the man, he slowly backed away, creating as much space between him and me as possible.

I spared a glance at Sakura.
She was just staring at the table in front of her, fighting back tears.
Tsunade was gently and discreetly rubbing her back to comfort her, but not wanting to show the elders this weakness for the girl as well.

"I will not marry this girl on political terms. I know how all of your political marriages go…they are just another tool for you to use in the name of Suna; but really it's just to have another nation wrapped around your greedy fat fingers; and I will not allow it. Not this time."

The room was dead silent, everyone was focused on me…except for Sakura.

"No. I will marry this girl because I want to marry her…"

The elders and Tsunade gasped at my statement.
They all knew how binding marriages were in Suna. There was no getting out of them, there were no divorces, you were with that person for the rest of your life.
No matter what.

"For that reason and…" I said as I stared at Sakura who was now looking at me. "If she'll have me of course."

The tears that she had been holding back spilt from her eyes and hit the table.

Wiping her face hurriedly, she directed her attention to everyone in the room and said, "Leave us."

"Sakura, I don't think that…" one of the elders started, but was cut off when Sakura demanded more strongly, "I said leave!"

I stood in my place as I watched as everyone in the room filed out of the doors, leaving the two of us alone.

"Sakura, I know that…" but my explanation was cut off by her lips as she jumped on me and wrapped her arms around my neck pulling me down to her height..

I couldn't help but smile, "I'll take that as a yes."

She nodded her head over and over again as tears kept rolling down from her eyes.

Wiping them away with my fingers I warned her, "You know how marriages are here…we would be bound together until one of us dies; and even then you are not allowed to get remarried or be with someone else ever again…"

"I know." she said as she ran her fingers over the back of my neck.

"You would have to move here…Suna would be your new home. And because I'm Kazekage, children are required…so if you don't want…" I was cut off once again by her lips against mine.

"I know, I know, I know…" she said as she rested her forehead against mine. "I read all about marriages already."

I smiled at her then, "So you really want to do this?"

"The book didn't tell me how many times I have to say 'yes' in order for you to stop asking…" she smirked at me.

Smirking at her as well, I pulled her in for another kiss.

"So I guess we'd better tell them, huh?" Sakura said as she motioned at the door.

I shrugged at her, "You kicked them out. You bring them back in. After all, you are now above them in status and power…"

Sakura gazed at me, shock written all over her face.
I motioned for the door and she shook herself out of it.

Walking up to it, she pulled the doors opened and said, "You can come in now."

Once again the elders filed into the room and Tsunade returned to Sakura's side.

"Make the announcement to the village." I told the head elder. "Sakura and I will be married a month from now. Let it be known that this is our own decision. I cannot stress that enough. Our union will in no way benefit you or bring you any political favor."

The elders clenched their jaws and bowed stiffly to me.

"And if you ever go behind my back again…I will banish you all."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama." the head elder said and they all bowed and walked out of the room once again.

When the door was closed, Tsunade gave an excited yell and hugged Sakura who excitedly hugged her back.

"Come here Gaara!" she said as she motioned to me with her arm.

Waving my hands in front of me, I slowly backed away from the excited woman, scared of how much strength she would give off when she was in such an elated state.

She was having none of it though since I found myself pulled tightly into a hug that knocked the wind out of me.
Even my sand armor cracked…

"Sakura…Gaara…please forgive me, but I have to return to Konoha immediately and tell everyone the good news! I will see you both in a month!" she said as she rushed out of my office.

When she was gone, Sakura and I were alone in the room once again.

Sakura smiled at me once and wrapped her arms around my neck. "So what happens now?"

I shrugged, "Nothing changes really…just in a month we'll be married. But until then…" I said as I grabbed her hand and brought her to the Kage library. "I want you to read this." I said as I pulled down a thick leather-bound book.

"What is it?" Sakura asked as she ran her fingers over the leather cover and traced the engraved 'S' that was on it.

"It's my family's history." I said. "It has everything from lineage to family secrets that no one else knows about. You have a month to read it and think about your decision. If at any point you change your mind…I will understand."

She looked at me and smiled sadly, "I will start on it immediately." and with that, she kissed my once again and then left the room.

Returning to my office once again, I sat behind my desk and sighed into my hands.

It had already been a long and taxing day and it wasn't even noon yet.

I stared at the mountain of new scrolls and the ones that were left over from last night; and what was left of my energy drained out of me.

How was I ever going to concentrate on my work now?

Then an idea came to me and a slow smile snuck its way onto my face.

I walked out of my office and entered Temari's and Kankuro's office, where I found them slacking off as usual.

"You two," I said forcefully, "You will do my work for me today. I'm taking the day off."

"What?! You can't do that!" Temari said standing up from where she was sitting.

"I can do whatever I want." I said as I crossed my arms. "And you have to do whatever I tell you to do."

"I don't care what your title is!" Kankuro said as she stood up as well, "You're still our little brother and we will not be bossed around by you!"

Rolling my eyes and sighing at their behavior I said, "Fine. If you will not do it simply because I told you to. Then let it be your wedding present to me…"

And with that I turned and walked out of the room.

I was already down the hall when I heard a "WHAT?!?!" echo down the hallway…