A/N: I DON'T OWN NARUTO!! echoes
Raising a Couple
Chapter 3 Three Days Later
Finally, after 72 long, non-stop hours of endless walking, Gaara arrived to Konoha. He stood inches before the village's gate as he stared at it. Moments after, he went inside to start his business. While he was walking, he noticed Sakura and Naruto running towards him.
"Gaara!" Naruto yelled as he waved his hands at him. "Long time, no see!!"
Gaara, noticing that it was Naruto, just snickered at him.
"Kazekage," Sakura panted. "We're here to guide you along Konoha. Master Tsunade sent us."
"Which means that we're going to spend more time with each other!!" Naruto added as he gave Gaara a manly hug. "Isn't that great?!"
Gaara just nodded as he spaced away from Naruto.
"Naruto, you're giving me goose bumps everytime you do that." he said.
"Oh, sorry!" Naruto apologized as he scratched his back.
"Anyway, just tell us what you need and we'll see what we can do." Sakura told him.
"Okay." Gaara nodded. "Bring me to the Hokage's office now. I wish to speak with her ASAP."
"You got it, Gaara!" Naruto grinned as he marched on. "First stop: Granny Tsunade's office!!"
"Is Naruto always like that?" Gaara asked Sakura as he watched him march.
"Forgive him, Kazekage." Sakura shook her head. "It's his exaggerated way of saying: I'm so glad Gaara came!"
"Okay." Gaara nodded as they followed Naruto.
While they were walking, Gaara noticed that his guides Sakura and Naruto were displaying some sorts of unusual affections you don't see normal friends do. He saw them do some what he calls 'disgustingly mushy' stuff. He was wondering why they do that. He knew that Sakura liked Sasuke before, but he was now surprised that Sakura's actually getting along with someone like Naruto.
"Why are you two holding hands and go sweet with each other?" Gaara asked them.
Sakura, hearing what Gaara just said, immediately let go of Naruto's hand as she blushed. Naruto was surprised by the flow of events.
"I-it's nothing, K-Kazekage!" Sakura denied. "We were just… well… I was just…"
"What are you talking about, Sakura?" Naruto pushed her aside. "I'm Sakura's boyfriend now! Right, Sakura?"
"WHAT!!" Sakura shook her head in denial. "Y-YOU'RE NOT MY BOYFRIEND!!"
"Aww, come on Sakura!" Naruto bent down. "Why are you denying me in front of the Kazekage, anyway?"
"Naruto's right, Sakura." Gaara agreed. "It's obvious that you two are together. Your so-called denials are giving the evidences that you like him."
"Wow!" Sakura gasped in surprise. "You know a lot about these things?"
"No." Gaara said. "Temari does that everytime I tell her that she likes Shikamaru. Observing from her actions, it seems that the stronger she denies her true feelings for Shikamaru, the stronger she likes him too. I think it applies on almost all girls."
"You lost me there, Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed. "Who denies what?"
"Geez Naruto," Sakura sighed. "You'll never learn."
"It seems that Naruto's head is too narrow to learn about women." Gaara snickered.
"What does that supposed to mean?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Calm down, Naruto!" Sakura told her. 'And Temari likes Shikamaru?"
"If I'm not mistaken, she's head over heels in love with him." Gaara confirmed. "But I think she's just wasting her time."
"Why'd you say that?" Sakura asked.
"It would be niggling if I had a brother-in-law as lazy as Shikamaru." Gaara glared.
Just a second later, a pineapple-headed boy passed by and overheard their talk. He stopped by to join their conversation.
"Who's as lazy as me?" he asked them.
"Oh, hi Temari's boyfriend!" Naruto grinned at him.
Immediately, Sakura covered Naruto's noisy mouth. She knew what a girl like Temari would feel about this.
"Me?" Shikamaru asked as he pointed at himself. "Temari's… boyfriend?"
"I-it's nothing, Shikamaru!" Sakura smirked at him. "What he meant to say is that you're one of Temari's friends that belong to the male gender, that's all."
"O…kay?" Shikamaru scratched his head in confusion. "Where are you guys going? And what's the Kazekage doing here?"
"I'm here to see the Hokage." Gaara told him. "We're supposed to go straight to her office now, but it seems like they're more interested with my sister's life."
"Oh, right." Shikamaru snapped. "I remember Tsunade mention about Suna having a major water crisis when I just came back a while ago. Good thing you didn't send your sister here. Or else, I'll have to face the rest of the day with a lot of pain."
"Sakura, Naruto," Gaara called them. "Isn't it your task to bring me to the Hokage right now?"
"Oh, right." Sakura scratched her back as she led the Kazekage the way. "Let's go then."
"Wait up!" Shikamaru tagged along. "I'm going with you guys. My resting place is a bit crowded today."
"Alright!" Naruto grinned. "Come along, my friend! I have a lot of questions to ask you!"