As the cart finally ground to a halt, Temari could feel the bundle of nerves her stomach had become weigh heavily in her body. They had finally reached the agreed upon halfway point where she was to be handed over to new husband and his Konoha escort. Hearing the soft tap at the doorway, the kunoichi from Suna gave her own form one last cursory overlook. Loathe as she was to go through with it, she would make sure she did it right. Any failures on her part would reflect upon Suna.

Satisfied that she was presentable in her battle kimono, she took a deep breath and exited the carriage with a turn of the handle. Her escort was fanned out around the expensive looking transport, eyes peeled for danger. No doubt some enterprising nation might try something to destabilize the peace process between the two allies that had recently spilled each other's blood in order to capitalize on the continued chaos of the aftermath of the failed invasion of Konoha.

Across from the carriage some thirty meters away stood a group of leaf ninja, no doubt the group that was to ensure she safely got to the leaf village. Scanning the crowd, she tried to pick out who her new husband might be. She crossed off the masked Anbu members present as they were no doubt simply there to act as guards. Kakashi Hatake was present, and for a moment she wondered if perhaps he was to be her husband. She could certainly do worst. But with his genin team present as well, it was more than likely just a chance for him to practice running a diplomatic op with his squad.

She felt some bile rise to her throat as it left only one person in the present group. He was indeed an older man if she was being kind, witheringly ancient if she were asked to be candid. He walked with a cane, his other hand wrapped up in a sling, a permanent fixture by his side judging by the well-worn state of the cloth. His right eye was covered in bandages, either a recent injury or a lasting disfigurement. The exposed parts of his face was marred with scars and wrinkled with age. It would seem that Konoha had deemed fit to marry her to a cripple. Either a calculated insult or perhaps the man held more esteem than she suspected.

Kankuro and Baki had moved up to flank her as they advanced towards the group, the old man coming forth to meet them with a surprisingly steady step for a man that needed a cane. Perhaps it was just for show to throw off his enemies?

"Greetings," he began in a rough sandpaper voice. "We welcome the daughter of the sand into the folds of the leaves."

Ah, a traditional greeting then. At least the man was cultured, she thought. That had to count for something.

"I bid you thanks in offering me warmth by your hearth and shelter in your home," Temari automatically replied, the stiff formal wording spilling from her mouth with the ease of practice. She even managed to say it without a hint of sarcasm or drop of venom in her words. Maybe she might be able to prevent all-out war after all.

The older man nodded in approval before turning his body slightly to face his own forces and thumping his cane on the ground. With that, one of Kakashi's genin stepped forward, a sullen scowl on his face. As he came closer, Temari almost unconsciously took a step back as she realized with a start that this was the boy who had defeated her brother.

During the chunin exams, Temari had thought the blonde to be a loudmouthed fool who had simply lucked his way through the tests. His brash announcement to the surrounding group during his entrance had evoked a disdainful sneer from her, and his strategy for defeating the Inuzaka had been laughable at best. But now that she thought about it, he was probably more experienced as a shinobi than she. He certainly had pulled the wool over her eyes in making her think that he was a buffoon when he had in fact had the skills to defeat her brother when Gaara had been in a full on massacre mode. Even her late father would have beaten hasty retreat in the face of the raccoon demon fully unleashed.

"May I introduce to you your new husband, Uzumaki Naruto," the crippled man intoned with a half gesture of the hand holding the cane.

At once, both relief and tribulation coursed through her body. So she was being matched with someone close to her age. That was one of her fears settled at least. But the one they had chosen happened to be Konoha's own monster it seems. Anyone who could defeat her brother couldn't be anything less in her mind.

Opening her mouth to greet him with the lines she had practiced in her head through half her trip from Suna, she found herself interrupted by a harsh swirl of sands. Instantly the half dozen Konoha Anbu had various weapons in hand, bodies tensed to spring into action at a moment's notice, though nobody had moved from the formation. Even without turning, Temari could practically feel the fear and dread rolling off the people behind her.

"Gaara," Temari stuttered at the redhead's back.

"Oh shit," she heard Kankuro whisper from next to her.

Baki's face may as well been carved from stone, his expression mirrored by the crippled man who had not reacted at all to Gaara's entrance. The redhead ignored everyone around him, instead choosing to take a step forward so that he was face to face with the blonde genin from the leaf.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the demon host stated slowly, as if tasting the name for poison.

"Gaara," greeted the boy calmly in an equally neutral tone.

Anyone who could look Gaara dead in the eye as they spoke was either very self-assured of their own skills or a complete fool in Temari's books. More than likely the latter even if they were particularly skilled, but here was someone who had fought her brother and not only lived, but won. Her stomach felt like it might explode from the tension. Was Gaara about to make good on his offer to kill everyone?

"You will care for my sister as you would one of your precious people?" The question coming from Gaara was so unusual that Temari was fairly certain she heard one of her people drop their kunai in surprise.

"I will," Naruto replied with a serious expression after a long pause in which the two genin exchanged hard gazes.

Gaara gave a measured nod after a moment. "Do so, or I will come find you. And should that come to pass, only one of us will walk."

As Gaara stepped away from the blonde, the tension in the air eased somewhat. He pulled back until he stood facing Temari.

"Goodbye sister," he said dispassionately. "I will come if you need me."

With that, he once more vanished into a cloud of sand, and this time Temari was certain she heard a kunai hit the ground from the general direction of the Suna Anbu.

"Well that was exciting," drawled Kakashi as he stepped up behind his student, his body relaxed in posture in comparison to his comrades who still showed hints of their unease, especially the two other genin hanging further back. "We should head out before anyone gets any funny ideas Danzo-san."

The older man nodded and gestured for Temari and her husband to step into the carriage the Konoha shinobi had brought with them. Interesting enough, there was no animal drawing the vehicle, just a masked Anbu member seated in the driver's area of the coach.

Taking a deep breath, she followed her new husband up the cart, never once looking back. It would be too much if she had to say goodbye. Kankuro would understand. And if he didn't? Well the Sabaku family was never big on emotions anyways.