A/n: You know, in the space of time it took me to write this chapter after uploading the last one, I suddenly bought Naruto and now own all its characters.

……

Okay, I'm a liar, but you can't blame a girl for dreaming!!

The next few months passed and the treaty was signed, though Haru never came back and it was just between Konaha and Suna.

Tsunade was disappointed by this, but knew it would be a very long time before Iwa gave in and stopped their hatred for the Country Hidden in the Leaves.

Kira and Gaara's relationship blossomed and were rarely seen out of each others company.

And get this, Gaara was caught smiling.

By the general public.

I know, it's a miracle.

Oh and they bought a puppy.

Gaara was not a happy bunny when he found out what Kira and Temari had done on a supposed clothes shopping trip, how did they go from clothes shops to the pet shops? The pet shops are on the opposite side of town!!

Well anyway, yeah they got a little black, fluffy puppy and named her Aiko.

Gaara despised it.

Kankuro found it amusing.

Temari found it cute.

And Kira loved it to bits.

Kira had taken permanent residence in the Kazekage home and her friends and big sister had visited, Kakashi upset with her because she didn't send him the newest edition of Make-Out Paradise.

Kira simply said he was a perve and shouldn't be reading those kind of books, especially if he was going out with her sister.

While Kira was away she had missed her sister finally getting together with Kakashi, they were engaged for christ's sake!!

The day we are currently talking about though, was a fine summer day, a year after Kira had arrived in Suna, her hair had grown slightly longer and now came to mid back and she slightly tighter fitting clothes.

She and Gaara were sitting in their favourite spot on the roof, Kira in his arms, her head against his lean chest.

She played with the star on her choker, which she only did when she was nervous and Gaara knew this.

He frowned slightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her.

Kira smiled back, nodding, 'how the hell am I supposed to say this?!' she thought to herself as she bit her lip slightly, looking out over Suna.

"Okay," Gaara muttered unsurely, tightening his grip round her waist fractionally, almost unnoticeable.

"I need to tell you something," Kira blurted suddenly, "I just don't know how to."

"Just say it," Gaara prompted softly, looking down at her with confused eyes.

Kira nodded, listening to his calm heartbeat and taking a deep breath.

"I lov-" she was cut off as a resounding bang echoed through all of Suna.

And she could feel Gaara's heartbeat quicken rapidly before he stood and pulled her up with him.

They ran into the house, Gaara holding Kira's hand tightly as they met Temari and Kankuro, both of them looking wide eyed.

"Gaara, what's going on?" Temari asked, attaching her fan to her back.

"I don't know, go and see, Kankuro you go too, I'll meet you there," Gaara ordered.

His elder siblings nodded and sprinted down the stairs and out the house.

Kira released Gaara's grip and bolted into her room, she picked up the katanas Gaara had bought her….but Gaara slammed them back onto the desk.

"You're staying here," he said slowly, knowing she would fight.

"I am bloody well not," Kira hissed, yanking the two black blades free and buckling them round her slim waist, "I'm fighting and there's nothing you can do about it."

"You're staying," Gaara repeated, taking her shoulders and holding her tightly, "just stay here."

"No," Kira snapped, but her emerald eyes were soft, she placed her lips to his gently, then pulled back after a few seconds, "I need to fight, for Konaha, for me and for you."

"For me?" Gaara echoed, frowning in confusion.

Kira nodded, smiling slightly, "I love you, Gaara," she whispered.

Gaara's eyes widened, no one, no one, had ever said they loved him, the one person he thought might have loved him, betrayed him and tried to kill him.

His own uncle.

She was the first to ever say 'I love you' to him.

Gaara crushed his lips to hers, one hand on the back on her neck, he pulled back slightly.

"Sorry," he said softly.

"Gaara, wha-" Kira stopped as Gaara pressed a pressure point in the back of her neck and rendered her unconscious.

"I have to do this," he said as he placed her on her bed and unbuckled her katanas, "because I can't let anything happen to you, I need you to stay safe, I…." he paused, should he say it too?

"I love you too, Kira," he whispered, kissing her lips swiftly before leaving the house, going to the battle.

Gaara arrived at the gates of Suna and found his siblings ordering the Jounin and ANBU into positions, the Chunnin were already placed and the Gennin were escorting the Academy students, non-fighting women and other children into the safe houses.

"What's going on?" Gaara demanded, his eyes flicking in the direction of his home where Kira resided unconscious and would hate him forever when she woke up.

But it was better than her being dead.

"It's Iwa," Temari answered quickly, "they're attacking, saying we didn't keep to the agreements, saying we kicked Haru out."

Gaara's eyes narrowed and images of the way Haru looked at Kira in their last meeting before Haru walked out flashed through his mind.

"Is Haru here?" he asked coldly, his voice sending shiver of fear running through everyone in hearing range.

Temari nodded hesitantly.

"He's mine," Gaara hissed dangerously.

As he started to walk away, Temari caught his arm.

"Shouldn't someone contact Konaha, we're starting war, Gaara?" she frowned, then looked round, "and where's Kira?"

"Kira is staying at home," Gaara replied quietly and Temari saw worry for the purple haired girl flash through his eyes before they became impassive once again as he nodded, "and yes, contact Tsunade, tell her to send troops ASAP."

Temari nodded and ran toward the bird tower, not noticing the brief smile on Gaara's face as the very first meeting about the treaty came into mind:

"Like I was saying," Haru growled, "My Kage would like full alliances therefore if we need your assistance in battle, you should be there as soon as possible."

"Why don't you shorten that to ASAP?" Kira suggested, "a lot quicker to say."

He shook his head instantly, trying to clear his mind, but her face, her voice, even her sweet strawberry smell and taste haunted him, filling him up.

"Kankuro!" Gaara shouted, "what's the status on Iwa?!"

Kankuro was by his side and answering is question immediately, his usually goofily grinning face serious.

(A few hours later)

Kira groaned as loud explosions interrupted her sleep, she buried deeper into her covers.

Then sat up suddenly.

Explosions?

She leapt out of bed and ran to her window, people were blowing up Suna's gates, at least they were trying to, Suna's gates were too powerful to just be blown apart, but, by the way the gates were starting to tilt, they were getting there.

Kira then scowled as everything rushed back to her.

Gaara knocked her unconscious.

Unconscious!

He wanted her to stay home like some little child, like some housewife.

Well, she wasn't like that.

No, she fought for the ones she loved, her countries, both Konaha and Suna and herself, to prove she was a worthy ally and kunochi to her country.

Kira grabbed her black katanas and ran down the stairs hurriedly, skipping the last couple of steps and bolted out the house, pumping chakra into her feet as she ran for the gates of Suna.

She skidded to a halt beside a line of Chunnins.

"What's going on?" she demanded, hands on hips, her green eyes holding determination.

The Chunnin recognised her as a sensei down at the Academy and the Kazekage's Lady, also as a powerful Jounin.

"It's Iwa, ma'am," one of them answered, "they're attacking on false accusations."

Kira nodded slowly and sent them a small smile of thanks before running to the front lines, stopping directly next to Gaara.

"You knocked me unconscious," she hissed dangerously, glaring at him.

Gaara's head turned slowly to her, his eyes wide as she glared at him through firey emerald eyes.

"Kira, get out of here," he ordered.

"No," she said coldly.

People had turned to watch this argument, the couple unaware of it as they snapped at each other.

"I will not abandon my duty!" Kira said, her voice starting to rise.

"Go home, that's an order as Kazekage!" Gaara retorted, his voice also rising.

Kira gaped, he never used his Kazekage status against her, she shook slightly with repressed rage.

"No," she whispered, her anger showing clearly through her voice.

"Now," Gaara growled.

Kira smirked, "make me," she said simply as the gates blew apart, sending everyone flying back.

Kira did a back flip in the air and landed on her feet and Gaara's sand caught him.

Both had forgotten about arguing, right now, they needed to protect Suna from these backstabbing bastards.

They both glared at the advancing Iwa shinobi through green eyes, though one pair was full of fire, while the other was full of ice.

"Well well, if it isn't little Kira," a taunting, mocking voice said.

"I thought we settled this the first time we met," Kira hissed, "I am not little."

The voice laughed coldly, "oh yes," it said as the owner of the voice appeared, it was a man with dirty blonde hair and cold blue eyes.

"You fucking bastard, Haru!" Kira snapped at him.

"You're fighting me," Gaara cut in coldly, glaring directly at Haru, who smirked.

"I always did like a challenge," he grinned as another shinobi attacked Kira.

Gaara's eyes widened slightly, but then had to concentrate on his fight with Haru as the blonde threw a volley of shurukin at him.

Kira's opponent was a pretty strong shinobi and she had been caught off guard, the shinobi had brown eyes that seemed dead and black hair, he threw justu after justu after her along with weapons.

"FIRE BOMB ATACK!" Kira screamed finally, sending a load of tiny but powerful bombs at him, they hit him in one go and she grinned triumphantly.

But as the dust cleared from her attack, she saw the shinobi still standing, his burns rapidly healing.

"No way," Kira breathed.

The shinobi moved too quick for her to dodge this time and landed a chakra filled kick into her stomach, she flew across the battlefield and into a the bit of remaining wall from the Suna gates.

She grunted in pain as she slid down to the sandy ground.

Kira jumped up instantly though, shaking her head as her vision blurred slightly from the impact, she then leapt at the shinobi, one of her katanas poised to plunge through his heart, he dodged it and appeared behind her.

Kira was expecting this and swung her second katana round and sliced his foot off as he went to kick her, she smirked as they dropped to the ground, her landing on her feet effortlessly, him falling over.

The shinobi was whimpering now as blood spilled from his wound, sweat trickled down his face as he tried desperately to stop the sounds of pain escaping him.

Kira took pity on him and plunged her already bloody katana through his neck, killing him instantly, she withdrew the black katana with the gold dragon on it and turned to find her new opponent.

But something caught her eye.

It was a blonde and a red head fighting, yet the blonde was stronger than when she had fought him, he was getting past the red head's sand shield.

Gaara moved his sand as fast as he could to block Haru's attacks, but he was too fast and his attacks hit Gaara as the blonde smiled sadistically.

Gaara felt the metallic tang of blood enter his mouth and he spat it out hurriedly, sending a wave of sand after Haru, he jumped over it and landed behind him.

"I am stronger than you, I always did say I was never fighting my best," Haru hissed softly into Gaara's ear before stabbing a poisoned kunai through Gaara's chest, just below the heart.

One single scream stopped the fight entirely.

"GAARA!!" it was from Kira.

She ran through the crowd and caught Gaara as he fell to the bloody ground, blood spilling from his mouth, tears pouring down her cheeks, as she watched Gaara gaze up at her with wide, startled eyes, pain filled her and her heart breaking slowly.

"You'll be okay, I'll make sure of it," Kira whispered, her voice breaking, her tears spilling freely down her smooth cheeks, "I need you to be okay, I love you, Gaara."

Everyone watched as Kira sobbed softly and tried to blot Gaara's bleeding wound, she poured chakra through her fingers, trying to help him hold on long enough for her to stop the bleeding and save him.

"MEDIC NIN!!" Kira heard Temari shouting, "NOW!! THE KA-KAZEKAGE NEEDS-" she stopped as sobs took over.

"Kira," Gaara whispered hoarsely.

"Hold on, just hold on," Kira pleaded, "the medic nin, they'll be here soon, they'll make you okay."

"Kira, I love you," Gaara croaked.

Kira blinked down at him, "you're not going to die," she said softly as the medic nin appeared, "and when you wake up, I'll be sitting right next to you, I promise."

Gaara didn't hear her last words as darkness took over him.

Gaara was walking through a black hallway, a few dim lights dotted in random places, giving him slight light.

"Gaara…" a soft voice echoed round him, the speaker was obviously female and she sounded so sad, it send a pain through his heart.

He looked round and saw no one.

"Gaara…" the voice said again, it sounded so familiar.

His eyes narrowed as he carried on down the dimly lit hallway, coming to a stop as a door appeared in front of him he reached out to the handle and turned it, the door swung open and standing there was a purple haired girl, tears streaming down her cheeks, though there was a small, sad smile on her face.

"Gaara…" she whispered.

"Ki-Kira?" Gaara muttered, reaching a hand out to touch her, but his hand passed through her.

"I'm not really here," she smiled sadly, shaking her head, "I'm an illusion-"

The dreamy voice was cut off by a teary one.

"Wake up," it said, "please wake up."

The image of Kira was fading slowly.

"I miss you, Gaara," the tearful echoed round him, "I need you, I miss everything about you, the way smell, taste, feel, everything, I miss you so much, Gaara, I love you."

With those words a blinding white light surrounded him.

"Gaara!" a startled voice yelped as the young Kazekage sat bolt up right.

Gaara turned and saw Kira sitting there, tears streaming down her cheeks, she looked so pale, so thin, so vulnerable.

"Gaara?" Kira whispered softly as he gazed her for a moment, ignoring the shooting pain flowing through him before hugging her tightly.

Kira wrapped her arms round him gently in return, not wanting to irritate his wound.

"I thought I'd lost you," she croaked hoarsely, tears starting to flow again, "I was so scared, you've been out three weeks."

Gaara pulled back and looked at her disbelievingly, "three weeks?" he repeated, his voice sounding rusty and unused.

Kira nodded, "we had to bring you to Konaha, so Tsunade could take are of yo-" Kira was cut off.

"Shut up," Gaara snapped coldly, he was out for three weeks.

Kira blinked in shock.

"What?" she spat, her voice holding restrained anger, "I've been sitting here for three goddamned we-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!!" Gaara shouted at her.

"Fine," she growled, grabbing her jacket and bag before leaving, "I kept my promise, I was there when you woke up," she whispered just before she left, leaving Gaara watch after her confused.

"What promise?" he whispered as Tsunade came in the room, a slight frown on her face.

"What just happened?" she sighed, examining Gaara's wound, "she's been sitting with you since the battle, only left when Anko forced her to eat and go to the toilet."

"Have I really been out three weeks?" Gaara croaked, feeling uncomfortable and Tsunade examined him closely.

"Yep, and she's never left your side," Tsunade answered, unravelling his bandages, "why?"

"I shouted at her," Gaara mumbled, looking out the window over Konaha, it was so different from Suna.

"Why?" Tsuande asked simply, starting to apply new bandages.

"I didn't want to believe I had been out for three weeks," he muttered, not wanting to meet the Hokage's all knowing brown eyed gaze.

"Men and their pride," Tsuande tutted, straightening up, "I'll be changing your bandages every four hours, the kunai was poisoned, so it that's the reason it took a while for you to wake up and he pierced you directly below the heart, you're lucky you survived."

Gaara nodded as the Hokage left.

"Wait," he said as she placed a hand on the door handle, he looked up at her with regret filled eyes, "tell her I'm sorry, if she's there."

Tsunade smiled and nodded before leaving, those two would are like chalk and cheese, yet they seemed so perfect for each other.

The blonde Hokage grinned as she shut the door and headed down the hallway, looking for Kira to relay the message to.

A/N: That was my longest chappie yet hehe!

Anyway, thanks for reviews and please review this chapter!

Oh and Gaara had Shukaku removed, that's why he could be all unconcious without anything bad happening!