Sakura marched to Gaara's room. She knew that if he missed even one simple treatment, the result would differ and she was not going to let his stubbornness fail her mission. Her vision was blurred from the tears that wouldn't stop pouring from her eyes. There was a big hole in her heart and before she could start thinking of how to heal herself, she needs to attend one inflated stubborn guy. This wasn't her day.

'Why all of a sudden he wanted me to treat him? Michiko could have done it, it's a simple treatment today and he knew it', she said furiously to herself.

When she reached his room she stopped to wipe the tears from her eyes. She didn't want to look weak in front of this person, who thinks of everyone as being inferior to him.

Sakura slammed the door open and put her hands on her hips. She wasn't scared of him knowing that he wouldn't dare going against Tsunade's strength should something happened to her.

Gaara who was standing near the window immediately turned around, folding his hands. "I'm ready for my therapeutic massage," he said. To Sakura, it sounded nothing like a mere sentence, it was more like an order.

"Yes but I must warn you that it's going to hurt today, Gaara-sama," she said sarcastically. She swore she could hear him sneering from her cynical tone.

Sakura walked closer towards him and flicked her hair.

'There it is…'he smirked.

He suddenly realized that something was quite different about her. Her green eyes weren't shining as usual. It was red and puffy.

Has she been crying?

Sunagakure

Sitting in his office, Gaara remembered that day perfectly. It was playing smoothly like a motion picture in his head. It was the day they started talking.

Sakura's parents passed away that day on a mission. She had told him that it was like being stabbed by several kunais at the same time inside. She was in no condition to be interacting with other people; nevertheless she took care of him.

Back then, he couldn't understand the reason why she had to be so distressed about it. In any case, dying is to be expected of a shinobi going on a mission. He was of course an idiot. Now, he could almost feel what she was feeling back then. He felt like giving his old self a 'Sabaku Sosou' for being so rude and arrogant to her.

Oh, how he wished he could go back in time and wipe the clear bead of tears from her delicate face. Gaara could feel his heart crushing slowly from the image of Sakura's innocent face. How he wished he could cup her face and plant small kisses on it. How he wished to take her in his arms and protect her from everything.

Shit…. I'm losing it…

Gaara tried to reach his back with his left hand and softly rubbed the spot where he made a tattoo of a Sakura flower a week after Sakura's mission succeed. A week after he divorced himself from his gourd. His head was spinning with memories. Glancing at the mission papers stacked in front of him, The Kazekage decided to leave them for later. He closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful afternoon trance.

----------

He was at the lake. The lake where they see the rainbow. Sitting on a big rock, Gaara decided to close his eyes. But before his mind could take a swim, he heard someone screaming his name

"Gaara!" she called

'That voice… could it be…'

He turned around to face the owner of the soothing voice he longed for.

"Sakura!" he gasped.

Jumping off the rock, he greeted his wife with a loving passionate hug.

"I thought I might never see you again! You…" cupping her sheer innocent face in his hands, he was loss for words.

"I told you that I will never leave you, baka!" Sakura giggled.

"What do you mean? What do.."

"I also told you to have faith in me, right?" she said pointing her finger in front of his face.

Suddenly, out of nowhere several kunais and shuriken flew to their direction, hitting Sakura at the back.

Outraged, Gaara hold Sakura's limp body and started shouting.

"Get out here! Show yourself or I'll make you!"

Ordering his sand to locate all possible hiding spots, Gaara started to do 'Sabaku Sousou' to the entire landscape surrounding them.

It was a man-made disaster. Heavy sand dropping into the lake water and trees falling against another trees.
"No, Gaara stop…" Sakura said faintly.

Gaara was panting from anger. His chest was rising up and down rapidly. Never would he thought that he would have to encounter this situation again.

Breathing through his gritted teeth, he refused to hear his wife's voice.

"Gaara please… just hold on to me. I want nothing more. I don't want revenge Gaara. I want you to have faith in me. I'm here, my Gaara. Don't let me go… not just yet." With that, she closed her shining green eyes. He could feel blood was gushing from her terribly exposed wound to his bare hands.

"No… Sakura… Sakura…stay," he hissed at the frail figure in his arms. Rocking her softly, he started trembling. He had forgotten about the enemies surrounding them. What mattered to him was just holding on to her until the very last moment. Everything stopped for him.

I won't Sakura… I won't let you go…

----------

Gaara opened his eyes in shock.

Breathing heavily he could still feel his body trembling from the fear. He lifted his hands up but he found no blood. Instead, it was sweat.

'It was a dream…I'm still at the office…'

As much as he hated that dream, a small part of him cherished the moment of being close with Sakura. Rubbing his arm against each other, Gaara could almost be certain that he just felt Sakura's skin against his.

'Why? What is this dream?'

Sunagakure

5 years earlier

"Gaara, the village is vulnerable without a leader" said a dark skinned man, half of his face covered with sheer cloth.

"Thank you for stating the obvious Baki."

"Well then you must! The elders have chosen you!"

'This guy is so persistent', scowled Gaara.

"Gaara, I must agree with Baki on this. You have the power of deterrence Gaara and we can't always rely on Konoha for help. We are getting weaker by the day," said another man who was slouching lazily on Gaara's wooden chair.

The word 'weak' slapped Gaara on the face. His patience was running out. "Watch what you are saying, Kankurou! You are under my roof!" snapped Gaara. His sand made a sudden burst movement as if agreeing with his angry reply.

Kankurou jolted a little in his chair. He knew that convincing his little brother to lead the village would be harder than passing the Chuunin exam. He decided that he and Baki should come over to his place and discuss this matter therebecause he knew that Gaara would not be able to stand a formal council meeting. Without a doubt, that idea has backfired him.

Afraid that Gaara might lose his temper, Baki and Kankurou decided to stay quiet. The awkward silence was broken with the sound of a baby crying. Glaring at the two of them as if it was their fault, Gaara abruptly stood up and walk to his bedroom.

He found his wife looking very much exhausted. Knowing that she hasn't been having a good night's sleep for a week, Gaara felt like threatening Baki and Kankurou to baby-sit.

"Gomen, Sakura…"

"Its okay anata…"she whispered. Her attention was back to the baby. Sakura was trying hard to put the baby back to sleep. Rocking her back and fort, she sang her a lullaby.

"Nen nen kororiyo okororiyo

Boyawa yoikoda neneshina"

'Sleep, sleep,

Little one, sleep.

You're a good baby,

now go to sleep.'

"Boyano komoriwa dokoe it ta

Anoyama koete satoe it ta"

'Do you know

where your nurse has gone?

Gone to her village

she won't be long.'

"Sato no miyage ni nani morata

Denden taikoni sho no fue

Sho no fue"

'What will she bring baby

when she does come?

A flute so lovely

and a thunderous drum.

And a thunderous drum.'

Little Hana was so stubborn like her father; she decided to keep on crying. Sakura made a gesture with her fingers, which signaled Gaara to sing the lullaby with her. Gaara mouthed the word 'NO' as clear as he can. Sakura glared at him.

Hana's crying was becoming louder than before. The volume was getting on Gaara's nerves but at the same time it calms him down. It make him forget about the two annoying people in his kitchen and the urge to kill whoever came up with the brilliant idea of him being the Kazekage. Whatever matters to him was what in front of him. His two pink angels. One looking terribly exhausted and the other one being awfully stubborn. Again, the world has stopped for him.

Hoping that he could ease Sakura's burden, Gaara approached them and start whispering the song.

Sakura was looking at him in awe. Her husband has been trying his best to assist her in relation to post-natal activities. From being terribly patient to her mood-swings, changing the diapers, bathing and sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to watch her watching the baby. Now, Sabaku no Gaara was singing the lullaby. It was dreadful. Nonetheless, he tried.

"Nen nen kororiyo okororiyo
Boyawa yoikoda nenneshina"

Slowly but surely, Gaara chanted the lullaby along with his wife. It seems to him that everything was slowing down…

"Nen……… nen……….. koro…riyo……. Okoro…riyo….."

Gaara could see Sakura's blinking in a very slow and beautiful motion. He could see each strands of her hair slowly falling down to her shoulder as she flicked them in a very serene and gentle way. Gaara looked outside the window and he could have sworn that he saw the petals from the Sakura tree stopped mid-air. Gaara could even hear himself singing. He was terrible.

Surprisingly, Hana's crying turned into muffled cooing which eventually turned into silence. Gaara realized that everything was suddenly moving normally. He watches as Sakura slowly put Hana down on their bed and wrap her with more blankets since it was very cold at night in the desert.

"See, she just need to hear my tone-deaf voice," Gaara said quietly.

"You are amazing," Sakura said, gazing at him in wonder.

"Our daughter understands the concept of threat, Sakura. She realizes that if she kept on crying, I will keep on singing. I believe you agree with me that it is painful to hear me sing?" Gaara asked, sneering as usual.

Sakura nodded her head lovingly and kissed him gently.

"The half-dead idiots wanted me to be the Kazekage," said Gaara suddenly.

Sakura embraced him and with a puzzled look she asked, "You mean… the council asked you?"

"Yes, if that's what you call them"

"Why are you being so upset with it, my Gaara?"

"Because, you told me that going hungry for power is not good. I have you and Hana. That's enough for me."

"I know dear, I understand. But you must also consider that the job will still be there even if you don't take it. Sooner or later some other person, weaker and stupider than you possibly, might take the job of the Kazekage. That person will be in charge of protecting the village. Protecting the villagers. Protecting me and Hana."

Gaara gasped inside. His expression remained oblivious despite knowing that his wife was making a very good point.

"Would you rather have someone else in that position and doubting on that person's ability? Or would you rather be in charge knowing that everyone including me and your daughter is safe?"

Gaara stay quiet. He knew that she was right. He was always so selfish and somehow Sakura manages to creep under his selfishness and show him the light. Embracing Sakura tightly, he whispered, "Go back to sleep, my Sakura. I have some announcements for my guests outside."

Sakura smiled, "Congratulations, honey".

Returning her smile, Gaara then walk out of their bedroom to face his irritating guests.

The presence of Gaara in the kitchen made Kankurou and Baki tensed. Expecting to hear the worst swearwords and curses ever invented, Kankurou sighed and prepared himself.

Gaara opened his mouth and said, "When do I start?".

Kankurou and Baki gave each other an eyeful.

"Start what?" Baki asked him.

"Start leading the village! Baka," Gaara hissed. They weren't expecting this. Kankurou's tensed face turned into a relaxed smile and Baki beamed at his former student.

Kankurou heave a sigh of relief. His little brother was surprising indeed. He just heard him sing a traditional Japanese lullaby and now he decided to lead the village. He was an amazing shinobi, indeed.

Hope you like it, guys!

The lullaby is a traditional Japanese lullaby called "Edo Komoriuta".

source: http/ giving you a 'teaser trailler' for the upcoming chapters:

1.Why does Gaara always feel like the time stopped (re-read chapter 3)?

2.What really happen to Sakura?

3.Two words: Kekkai-Genkai (or however you spell it, somebody correct me if im wrong) / Bloodline Limit

As usual, please read and review onegaishimasu:)

xoxoxo

Kagura-chan