Gaara wanted to walk Sakura back to her apartment after dinner, but she wasn't sure it was a good idea.

"What will people think if the Kazekage escorts home just some ninja from the neighbouring village?" She asked. She knew what they would think; that she wasn't important enough to merit such treatment. They might wonder if something else was going on. They might start to wonder why she was really there.

Gaara frowned. "You're not just some ninja," he said, and for one second Sakura thought he was going to say something really embarrassing in front of his siblings, but he explained, "You're a hero to the people of Suna. You're the one who saved me."

Temari and Kankuro nodded. Temari said, "It's not just the two of us who are thankful to you for that. You may not have noticed if you haven't been out much yet, but everyone here already likes you. Almost as much as we like our Kazekage." She added, with a smile at Gaara that betrayed her sisterly affection in a way she probably wouldn't do consciously.

After one more weak protest Sakura realized this was one fight she wasn't going to win. "Alright. Fine." She relented, and let Gaara walk with her out into the street.

It was very strange, she decided, to walk through the streets and have everyone smiling at her. Back home, she was used to the occasional smile; after all she knew about half the people living in Konoha, but to have streets full of strangers turning to look at her, and smile, and wave. After a moment, noticing that they were really looking at Gaara, she calmed down a little.

Gaara always waved in return. Sakura's walk home took decidedly longer than it should have, as Gaara kept stopping to chat with passer bys, and to introduce Sakura. The news of her identity was always greeted with a surprised face, followed by a big smile. Everyone wanted to shake her hand. "Job well done." They told her with enthusiasm. She couldn't help smiling.

She looked at Gaara. It was strange; she had always known he was Kazekage, but she hadn't realized how well liked he was. She had never imagined him like this, talking with people in the streets. It was so very different from the way she had imagined him all these years. She felt that the more she got to know him, the more she saw of his different faces, and the more she liked him.

She sighed. She was well on her way to being hopelessly in love.