(Recap)
"She's married."
"No. But she's going into a forced marriage though. That's why her mother was there, to tell her about her forced marriage. She has to marry Itachi because she keeps refusing men and Itachi likes her, she has to marry some one, her mother said if she doesn't marry him, then she is no daughter of mine. Sakura is trying to wait because next week is her birthday and when we get off she's going to run off on her own." Sasuke as Gaara thought.
"How do you know all of this exactly?" Kankaru asked as Sasuke told him.
"I know this because I'm her oldest best friend. In fact if you guys don't remember Itachi is my brother." They looked at him with surprise.
"Wow really?" They asked except for Gaara.
"Yeah, I know he likes her but I know she doesn't like him. If she turned down every suitor so far, he'll be just like the others, turned down." Sasuke said as Gaara nodded.
"But still, if only I can see her once more." Gaara thought as he left for his room.
(End of Recap)
Chapter Two: Gaara
"Sakura please do tell me that you will except this man. I can't have you refusing more suitors." Sakura's mother pleaded as Sakura shook her head.
"No mother, I told you I don't want to marry unless I want to. Itachi is no different than the rest of them." Sakura said as she looked out the window to avoid looking at her mother. Sakura's mother felt angered but also felt okay about it. She scoffed at it.
"No harm done Sakura, Itachi can't be turned down now." Sakura frowned and began to wonder what she meant and looked her straight in the eyes.
"What do you mean mother? You can't force me." She stated with pride as Sakura looked back out into the endless sea.
"Actually, yes I can." Sakura turned around suddenly and looked at her hoping that she was kidding. But Sakura's mother could never kid about some thing like this.
"The reason why is because your not eighteen and are mine until then. So right now, I can force you to marry Itachi whether you like it or not. Itachi has agreed to these terms and you will wed the second we step off this boat." Sakura's mother said as Sakura felt tears well.
"You'll have to make sure I'm still around when we get off." Sakura said as she left giving her mother a look of hate. Sakura's mother exhaled her breath and sat down at the desk. Sakura walked down the hall way and tried not to cry. Sakura walked back out on to the deck and over looked the ocean.
"Itachi and I getting married? I don't like the sound of that. I don't even like Itachi, how can deal with marring him?" Sakura asked herself in a very low voice. She felt a presence come near her and looked to see it was Sasuke.
"I heard about the marriage. I don't want you to have to be forced yourself into to doing this." Sasuke said as he leaned on his forearms against the railing. Sakura wasn't sure if she should do this or if she should hide from Itachi until the boat came to America.
"I'm not sure what I should do at this rate. Sasuke, your brother is nice but I'm not interested. And if I can't go through with this then I might just go insane." Sakura said as Sasuke nodded.
"Well do what's best for your self. You might not be eighteen but, you're still your own person." Sasuke said as he left. Sakura stood there wishing there would be another way out of this.
"I'm not property. I'm a human being with natural rights. I'm supposed to be free." Sakura thought to herself as she stood there. She sat down in a chair near by and was in deep thought with what her life was going to be if she stayed with Itachi. She pictured it as a night mare. She would have his kids running around the house, she would be a slave to the Uchiha manor, and she would be in a terrible relationship.
"Oh god." She said to herself as she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw him.
"Sakura it is time for dinner." Itachi said as he said as he extended his arm out. Sakura unwillingly took it and put her act on.
"Oh Sakura, I'm so proud. You're finally giving him a chance. This marriage might not have been so bad after all." Sakura's mother said as Sakura, still holding on to Itachi's arm, pretended to smile at her and look happy.
"That's what you think. But like I said before, you'll have to make sure I'm still around to make me marry him." Sakura thought in her head sarcastically. She felt sickened by the fact that she was going near Itachi. She didn't love him, she also didn't like him.
"Hey Gaara. Gaara! Gaara!" Naruto yelled out as Gaara was in deep thought. Gaara was snapped out of his thoughts when Naruto hit him upside the head. Gaara grabbed him around his neck and started beating him on his head.
"Don't do that again Naruto. I was thinking. You know I hate to be disturbed while thinking." Gaara said as he leaned back up against the bench and looked up into the sky, where the stars were shining ever so brightly.
"Yeah well at least I got your attention. Hey listen a party's going on down on E deck. If you want to, come and join in." Naruto said as Gaara glared at him and at the expression on his face, he was telling him to get lost. Naruto shrugged it off and left Gaara alone. Gaara laid down on the bench and listened to silence as he laid there. He soon heard foot soft foot steps walking near by. He didn't open his eyes but he heard them and they seemed to be walking past him and over towards the railing. Curious of who it was, he opened his eyes to see the girl from earlier.
"It's her." He thought as he heard soft moaning. He heard another pair of foot steps. The second pair of foot steps seemed colder, meaner, and demanding. Gaara laid there on the bench listening to the conversation they started to have.
"Sakura, I know that you don't like Itachi all that much but please try to under stand that it's for your own good. It's what you need." Sakura's mother said as Sakura felt all her anger rise.
"My own good, for my own need. It's not for me, it's for you."
"It's not. I only want what's best for you. With Itachi, you'll be able to live again. Don't you remember how your father left us with nothing but debts?" Sakura could remember. Her father kept telling them how their bills kept getting smaller and smaller. When his secret of debts was exposed, he left them taking the only amount of money he could.
"I remember but mother, what I need is different from you need. I will not marry Itachi." Sakura yelled as Sakura's mother slapped her across her face. Sakura stood there holding her cheek looking away.
"Stop acting like a child and marry Itachi whether you like it or not." She said as Sakura stood there not looking at her.
"If you want money so bad then why don't you marry him yourself?" Sakura was rewarded with another slap from her mother again and this time it knocked her to the ground.
"I can't. I'm too old but you are young and will last longer than I will. Now, you will marry him the second we get off this boat. If I have to I'll follow you around for the rest of your life to marry and stay with him. End of discussion." Sakura's mother said as Sakura stood up. Sakura began to tear with frustration. Gaara heard the mother walk away and saw Sakura lean on the railing.
"God I hate her." Sakura said to herself. Gaara heard it faintly but could make it out. He could feel her frustration from far away and went over to her.
"Excuse me, are you okay?" Gaara asked as she looked at him. A few tears had fallen down her face and Gaara saw her wipe them away.
"I'm okay for right now." Sakura said as he nodded.
"I couldn't help over hearing your conversation." Gaara said as Sakura sighed and tried to be as calm as she could be.
"Oh well sorry you had to hear that then." Sakura said as she began to let another tear out.
"Are you sure that you're okay?"
"I'm just frustrated that's all." Sakura said as they heard some one come.
"Gaara, Sakura. I didn't know that you two knew each other." Sasuke said as Gaara shook his head.
"We just met actually." Gaara said as Sakura smiled a bit.
"Well, let me give you guys a little introducing. Gaara is my best friend Sakura. Sakura this is my friend Gaara." They nodded as Sasuke could see a little spark between them shine.
"Maybe he's the one for her." Sasuke thought as Sakura and Gaara looked at each other for a while.
"Sakura darling, where have you been I've been looking all over for you?" Itachi said as she looked at him and then back at Gaara. Itachi came to her side and saw Gaara.
"Come on Sakura, no need to hang around the poor people." Itachi said as Sakura nodded. Sasuke on the other hand stood with Gaara.
"I can see what's going on so far." Sasuke said as he started walking.
"See what?" Gaara asked.
"You like Sakura, come on admit it. You like her." Gaara blushed as they started walking down the stairs.
"Well so what if I do, she can't go out with me. She's got a boy friend."
"Actually a fiancée."
"What!"Gaara exclaimed as Sasuke nodded his head.
"I'm serious. Just today she was told of her arranged marriage." Sasuke said.
"Can't she call it off?" Gaara's question was answered with a shake of Sasuke's head saying no.
"She's only seventeen but once she's married, only the man can have a divorce from his wife. She's been stalling up till now on a husband. None of the suitors that her mother picked out for her were what she had been looking for." Sasuke said as Gaara sighed.
"Come on Sakura dear, since we'll be married soon I have ordered that all of your belongings come to my room." Sakura heard Itachi say as she tried to break lose of his grip on her. When they got to the room, she tried to escape but she was held against the wall. She struggled but couldn't break free.
"Sakura listen, we will get married and besides I love you. In time you will love me back."
"The problem though is that I'll never marry such a bastard such as your self." She said as he smirked.
"We'll see about that." Sakura was released and she sat down in a chair while Itachi went to the bathroom. Sakura ran to another part of the suit. She shut and locked the door. She took a deep breath in and a breath out trying to figure a way out of this.
"I'm not going to marry him. If I have I'll die before this boat reaches America." Sakura thought to her self as she Inner Sakura came to the surface.
"Heard about your marriage. That's got to hurt."She said as Sakura nodded.
"I hate Itachi and I'm going to die with a ring around my finger and the ring from a man who I don't like. What am I going to do?" Sakura asked as she felt a heavy weight on her heart.
"Try to run away. Hide."Inner Sakura said as Sakura shook her head.
"Where would I hide until we got to America?" Sakura asked her as Inner Sakura got an image of that one guy.
"How about that one guy? What was his name?"
"Gaara?"
"Yeah that's his name. He was kind of cute. Ask if you can hide from Itachi with him." Inner Sakura said as Sakura wasn't sure.
"Would you rather be with Itachi or be free?" That got Sakura's attention quiet quickly.
"I'll give it a try but I can't try it now, so I'll try tomorrow." Sakura said as she went to bed.