Twirlygigs and Gizzards
Chapter 10: And the Verdict...
Warnings: Small amounts of SasuSaku angst ahead. Also, remember the warnings about crack pairings in the first chapter.
"Naruto? Sasuke? Ino?" Sakura looked around in shock at the pile of friends and casual acquaintances lying in a twisted heap at the foot of the tree. "What on earth are all of you doing?"
Every head in the wreckage twisted around to stare expectantly at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto looked over at Sasuke, to find Sasuke also staring expectantly at him. He gulped and worked himself free. "We were just... in the area, and,"
Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "Were you spying on me?"
The entire group stopped trying to stand up and looked at each other. All began to murmur something along the lines of, "No, of course not, that's ridiculous," refusing to meet Sakura's annoyed glare.
Finally, Naruto helped Sasuke to his feet. "Yeah, we were spying on you," the dark-haired boy admitted. "I mean," he pointed at Gaara, "Who is this?"
Sakura glared at him and wrapped an arm around the Sand Nin. "This is Gaara. I'm dating him."
"We know he's Gaara, we aren't stupid," Kiba said. "The question is, why are you dating him?"
Sakura felt Gaara recoil next to her. Just when he had been starting to feel accepted, these idiots come along. But just because they were morons didn't mean that she wanted them lying dead on the hillside in bloody, sandy little pieces. She had to intervene. She tightened her grip on Gaara's shoulder.
"I'm dating him because I like him. Duh," she declared, kissing him on the cheek. "Now, will you please get out of here?"
"No," Lee shouted. "Sakura, don't you see the danger you're in?"
"No, Lee, I don't."
"But, but, Sakura-san!" Hinata squeaked.
"Sakura, you can do so much better!" Ino said.
Sakura glared coldly at her. "I don't see how. All the other boys I know are nothing more than stalkers."
"But we were trying to protect you!" Sasuke said.
"And what's wrong with Lee, anyway?" Chouji asked.
"Nothing's wrong with him!" Sakura explained exasperatedly. "I'm just not interested in being with him! I mean, nothing's wrong with Tenten, but you're not dating her! Look, I have the right to date anyone I chose, and that happens to be Gaara, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"I told you we'd drive her right to him," Shikamaru sighed.
"Sakura, have you thought about why Gaara's interested in you?" Shino asked calmly. "Why would a boy who has repeatedly stated that he loves only himself allow you to drag him around like a pet?"
Gaara broke away from Sakura and stepped forward to explain himself. "I— it's because... Sakura is," Frustrated with his inability to put his feelings into words and hurt by the others' rejection, he turned away and began walking downhill, away from everybody. "Forget it."
"Gaara!" Sakura dashed after him, intercepting him before he got too far. "Hey, forget them," she said gently, kissing him. "Who cares what they think?"
"They're your friends. You care what they think."
"Not this time," she assured him. "Not this time."
"Sakura, get away from him!" Tenten yelled. "He's only using you to get at Lee!"
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" Sakura yelled back at the approaching group. "Why would he want to get at Lee?"
"Because of the Chunin Prelims!" Lee explained. "Please, Sakura, I know that it is hard to realize you've been deceived by someone you once loved."
"Like finding out that all of your friends have been stalking you so they can break up you and your boyfriend? Yeah, I know."
Lee blinked, but soon recovered his romantic disposition and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her away from Gaara. "I know you're having trouble accepting this, I know you're hurting, but I will be there for you through this... and always."
"Are you DEAF?" Sakura shrieked, yanking herself away. "I'm sorry, Lee, but I'm not interested in going out with you! I've got a boyfriend now! Why do you people have so much trouble wrapping your brains around the idea of me and Gaara as a couple?"
"Sakura, let's think real hard about what you just said," Neji suggested dryly.
"What? What did I say?"
"Gaara is creepy!" Kiba finally explained. "How on earth could you be attracted to him?"
"KIBA!" Sakura yelled, appalled. Gaara glared angrily at him, one hand reaching for the cork in his gourd, but Sakura knocked his hand back.
"Please, Gaara, just ignore them."
"You're lucky my chick's here, man," Gaara muttered at Kiba. Sakura laughed shakily and hugged him, and he brushed some of her hair back behind her ear.
Shikamaru had been lingering behind the others, formulating at plan. Now he emerged from the rabble. "Ok, so you two are dating. We accept this,"
"What?" gasped the others. Shikamaru glared at them.
"We accept this," he repeated emphatically, "but even so, Sakura, we'd like to talk with Gaara alone. We don't know much about him, and we all care about you, and we just want to get to know the guy you're with."
Sakura looked uncertainly at Gaara. He kissed her ear. "I can take care of myself. Don't worry."
Sasuke stepped up next to Sakura. "And, Sakura, I want to talk with you... alone."
He lead her off, out of sight from the rest of the group.
"Sasuke, I can't believe you believe that ridiculous story Lee and Naruto came up with about him using me for revenge or whatever," Sakura began angrily. Sasuke shook his head.
"I don't, not really..." He stopped walking and turned her to face him. "Sakura, I'm going to be honest. I don't like Gaara, and I don't like the idea of the two of you together."
"Well, what's wrong with him then?"
"I... I don't know, really," admitted Sasuke, "I just,"
"I expected jealousy from Naruto and Lee, but not from you," Sakura told him. "I thought you at least would be grateful go be rid of one more fangirl."
"Sakura, those things that Naruto and I said, we were just trying to make you angry so that Lee could comfort you,"
"I'm not talking about that. You've never liked having me around,"
"I didn't want to be rid of you, Sakura."
"No, Sasuke-kun. You did. But now that I'm gone, you want me back. It's as simple as that."
"You don't understand," Sasuke said desperately. "I need you, Sakura. I've always needed you... I have trouble, telling people things like this, but, when I know you're behind me, everything is better, the sky is bluer, the water is fresher, the world is safer, because Sakura is there for me," Sasuke broke off, blushing. "I"m sorry, I'm talking nonsense. I just don't want to lose you."
Sakura laughed gently and hugged him with all her might. "Sasuke," she whispered in his ear, "You haven't lost me. I have a boyfriend now, but I'm still your teammate. I'm still here for you."
Biting down on his lip to keep from crying, and very very glad nobody else could see him, Sasuke returned the embrace.
Sasuke, you and Naruto are closer to me that brothers. Nothing can separate me from you. Know that as long as you need me, I will be there for you.
I will always need you, Sakura. You are closer than a sister to me. I can never repay everything you've given me, but know this; as long as there is breath in my body, I will be there for you.
"Gaara, you seem like a straightforward guy, albeit a psychotic one, so we'll be direct. We're on to you."
"On to what?" Gaara asked blankly.
"Don't be coy," Shino said. "All of us here love Sakura."
"You should," Gaara nodded.
"Look," Naruto said, "I don't know how they do things where you come from, but around here, if you have a problem with someone, you confront them, don't go sneaking around behind their back and pulling in people who aren't involved."
Gaara looked over at Neji, who, through an oversight, was standing next to Hinata.
"Oh shut up," Neji snapped.
"The point is," Ino said, "You have no right to toy with Sakura. If you need to prove something to Lee, come right out and say it to his face."
"What would I need to prove to Lee?" Gaara asked. "I already defeated him once."
"That's true," Chouji nodded, munching on some chips that he had stolen from Sakura's picnic basket.
"It was a close match," Lee objected quietly, his ears turning red.
"It was," Gaara agreed with a shrug. "But if anything, he would have a grudge against me, in which case... trying to take Sakura from me... I would be willing to fight him on any terms he chooses, but... I can't lose her."
There was a long pause while the Konoha kids considered their next move. Finally, Lee stepped forward and hugged Gaara.
"I think my nervous system's had enough shocks for one day," Kiba said to Shino.
Lee leaned his forehead against Gaara's so their eyes practically crossed, but met. "I can recognize real love when I see it, and you love Sakura the way she deserves," Lee said. "Granted, you may not be as skilled at expressing that love as I am, but you haven't trained under someone with the Power of Youth and Spring and Sunshine and Roses, so I'll allow it. Now, you see everyone behind me?"
Gaara nodded.
"Well, you're one of us now, ok?"
Gaara smiled.
"And if you hurt Sakura, we'll kill you."
The others cheered in agreement. "Yeah, that's right, Lee!"
"Gaara, we're gonna murder you!"
"Welcome aboard!"
"They'll never find your body!"
"Naruto and I are going to a movie next weekend, do you and Sakura want to come along?"
Sasuke and Sakura returned in the midst of this celebration, their arms around each other's waist. Sasuke's eyes were very puffy, but he was smiling, and he kissed Sakura once on the forehead before releasing her and turned to Gaara.
"If you ever make her cry, you're going to find out that I'm not such a good neighbor," he warned simply, patting him on the back.
"You're my neighbor?" Gaara asked.
"All right, Kankuro! The map says that the waterfall is about half a mile from here," a distant voice said.
Tenten's eyes narrowed as her arch nemesis came into view alongside Kankuro.
"Hey, Gaara!" Temari called cheerfully. "Who are all your little friends?"
Gaara shrugged.
"Temari of the Sand!" a determined voice called. Tenten stepped in front of the group, fire in her eyes and a katana in her hand. "You and I have unfinished business!"
Temari smiled wryly. "Tenten," she whispered, shaking her head condescendingly. "Kankuro," she addressed her brother without turning.
"Yeah?"
"Get out of the way," she suggested.
Kankuro stepped back and Temari pulled her fan off of her back.
"Still playing with that little toy air conditioner, I see?" Tenten snarled. "When are you going to start using a real weapon?"
"Silly little Leaf girl likes to play with Samurai swords," Temari laughed.
"Eat steel, bitch!" Tenten yelled, springing forward.
Temari just laughed and swung her fan upward, preparing to strike.
Neither blow landed. When the dust cleared, Temari's fan and Tenten's katana were both being pushed away from their opponent by Rock Lee, who had intervened and stopped the weapons with his arms.
"Lee?" Tenten whimpered, her eyes widening as a trickle of her teammate's blood flowed down the blade of her sword.
"I'm sorry, Tenten, but I had to stop you. You've become mad with revenge... and I cannot allow you to fight this angel,"
"Angel?" Temari and Kankuro gasped.
Tenten shook her head and lowered her blade. "Here we go again."
"What the hell is Lee doing?" Naruto asked.
"He's going after Temari, apparently," Neji shrugged.
"What?" Kiba asked. "But what about Sakura and how her face will forever be etched in his mind and all?"
Neji patted Sakura' head. "Don't take it personal, sweetheart. Lee's very... fickle. He has a tendency to fall madly, passionately, hopelessly in love until she rejects him and he finds someone else. When we were in school nothing on earth could keep him away from Tenten... it was wicked awkward being on a team with them for a while."
Lee knelt before Temari, taking her hand and kissing it, hearts in his eyes. "My dear, sweet, lovely Temari, forgive me for not noticing your beauty immediately. I was so blind... but I will make it up to you. Anything you ask of me, I will do. I will protect you with my life, only say that I have a chance to win your love."
Temari laughed nervously, looking to Kankuro and Tenten for support, but both of them just shrugged. A crafty smile appeared on her face and she looked back to Lee. "Lee-kun... do you know how to swim?"
Lee nodded. Temari's smile widened. She helped him to his feet and ran her fingers gently over the wound Tenten's sword had made. "Let's get you bandaged up, and maybe... you could teach me?"
"Yeah, um, we've got a pool," Kankuro yelled up at the assembled kids. Ino shook her head.
"Let me handle this one, Kankuro-kun," she suggested. "HEY EVERYBODY! POOL PARTY AT THE SAND SIBS'!"
"SWEET!"
Only Kiba hung back as the rest celebrated having new friends with a pool and no adult supervision. Shino tapped him on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure I want to see Temari in a swim suit."
"Kiba..."
"What?"
"Nothing."