The Kazekage's wife.

Those three words ran through Sakura's head in a loop, and she quickly pumped chakra into her soles to secure her feet to the ground in order to prevent herself from backing away or outright bolting.

She had only offered to go to him as a rut partner, and he in turn was supposed to comfort her during her heats - a purely sexual transaction, with no other ties to bind them together. She would be free to leave when he finds another compatible Omega to share his ruts with, if he agreed to release her after she successfully breaks the soul bond (Sakura was quite confident that she knew a technique or two to knock him out with, as Tsunade had advised her to do if he did not surrender her back to Konoha then).

"Haruno-san?" He queried softly, turning to face her. One of his hands twitched with the urge to reach out to her, but he forced it back down to his side as he took in the combination of surprise and fear in her eyes. The former he had anticipated while the latter immediately caused a rush of sourness to settle on his tongue; it was too similar to the looks that he used to get before he tamed Shukaku, and strangely reminiscent of how Sakura had looked at one point when he was baying after Sasuke's blood.

"Wife? Kazekage-sama, surely you jest. I am but a mere chunin kunoichi, not someone worthy of becoming a Kage's spouse." It would be safest to remind him of her inferior status compared to his, to highlight the stark difference between their stations so that he would seek out someone more appropriate for his position in the shinobi world. Also, a wife meant the promise of forever, of permanence in a foreign land - because there had never been a record of a Kage's marriage being dissolved, and Sakura was certain that Gaara who was a stickler for rules and traditions would never agree to one.

Gaara could not say that her response was unanticipated. After Temari gave her (unusually) hearty blessings to take on Sakura as his wife, he had summoned the Suna council at once to announce his decision to them. Understandably, most of his councilmen were not pleased with his plan, no doubt disappointed that the title of Kazehime would not land on one of their female relatives instead. Tojuro had wrung his hands in frustration, but it was the older Joseki who had outright declared Sakura unfit for the position.

"A Konoha kunoichi for a wife, Kazekage-sama?" Joseki had uttered with evident distaste, "Was she the one with pink hair that came with the Konoha-nin? Because from what I can see here, she is a lowly chunin, and certainly does not come from a prominent bloodline, if at all. She will bring us nothing."

Several of the other councilmen were bent over the conference table, Sakura's shinobi file pages scattered haphazardly over its surface after Ebizo requested the document to be brought to them; it would help them understand more about the woman that their Kage had set his sights on as wife. Chiyo glanced at the pages briefly, then loudly scoffed as she saw Tsunade's name repeated on the paperwork. She addressed the room at large, "A Konoha kunoichi, trained by the Slug Princess herself. The current Hokage's apprentice is not too shabby a title to hold, I suppose."

It was as close to an approval from one of their most respected elders that he could get, as far as Gaara was concerned. He was aware of the animosity between Chiyo and Tsunade after Baki's explanation in addition to his perusal of old mission records, and Kankurou's dramatic retelling of how Chiyo had teamed up with Sakura to defeat a S-rank criminal was a sign that the woman both trusted and respected the young kunoichi, no matter her feelings towards an old foe. He was certain that Ebizo, Chiyo and Baki were on his side, and it was now a matter of getting the rest of his council to accept his decision.

"Councilman Joseki," he turned cool jade-green eyes to face the man, and Joseki automatically straightened his posture at being addressed in such a curt tone, "You are concerned that Haruno-san will bring nothing to Suna. Then let me ask you this - what have you done for Suna that is worthy of your title?

"Didn't you oversee the construction of the new water system from the underground springs? I remember you have boasted that it would not have been possible without your expertise. From what I recall, the water source was located by Team Hekigyoku, the construction materials were purchased from the returns of our gemstone trade, and the installation of the wells was done by tradesmen from Ishi. What did you directly or even indirectly contribute to the entire project? I was not aware that standing under a tent to 'supervise' and asking for servants to bring you refreshments required skills beyond those of mere mortals."

Temari inhaled sharply at her brother's tone while Joseki withered under Gaara's unwavering stare. Perhaps he was being too blunt when confronting his councilmen - the overseers that he had to work hand-in-glove with for the smooth running of their village. The Suna council was supposed to represent the will of the villagers, both shinobi and civilian alike, and Temari had witnessed her father acquiscent to them more than once even when he was loath to do so. The Suna council could not unseat a Kazekage, but they could create enough chaos in the running of the village to make him look incompetent and in turn, make him look weak to both the village and their Daimyo; the loss of popular support could cost the Kazekage the loyalty of his shinobi and result in mutiny from the villagers who would accept only the strongest shinobi as their leader and protector.

Gaara had always tried to maintain a certain level of civility with them despite half the council never quite accepting his rise to the title. It seemed his patience had finally run out. And his confidence being bolstered by his Alpha status lent new weight to his words.

Blood, Temari noted the new metallic scent in the air. Gaara is displeased.

Seeing that Joseki was in no condition to refute his words, Gaara swept his gaze over the remaining councilmen, and said, "Even if you strip Haruno-san of her title as a kunoichi of Konoha and the Hokage's apprentice, there is no denying her incredible medical expertise, the proof of which is standing before you." He paused to glance backwards at Kankurou who waved back lightly, obviously wanting to avoid the ire of the councilmen, and resumed, "She will bring with her all of Konoha's more advanced medical knowledge, and most importantly, she will bring me comfort and peace of mind. Is that not what you want for your Kazekage?"

When he framed it in such a way as to imply treachery if they disagreed, what else was the council to do except mutter uselessly amongst themselves before coming to the conclusion that this was a decision they could not make their Kage revoke?

Joseki gritted his teeth, audaciously snapping at his Kazekage, "If it is medical knowledge you seek, Kazekage-sama, then perhaps you should consider the Hoki clan's offer of one of their daughters! They are renowned in the world of medicine, and we are at least certain of their loyalty…!"

"Our Konoha allies are loyal!" Temari interjected suddenly. "They have overlooked our transgression from five years ago, and have sent their best and strongest to save my brother. They risked sending their own Jinchuuriki right into Akatsuki's hands, all because we are allies!"

Gaara took in the murderous expression on Temari's face, and understanding leapt to his mind like a quicksilver bolt of lightning; if the council could cast derision on the strength of their alliance with Konohagakure, not only was it a slight towards Sakura, it also meant that her own future with her Konoha-nin lover was at risk. If they could refuse their own Kage's demands, they would have no problem slighting his sister.

It was time to put his foot down.

"I have heard you all, and I have heard enough. I will take Haruno-san as my wife, both to strengthen our alliance, and selfishly, for my own desires." Gaara's tone brooked no arguments. "As your Kazekage, I ask that you see the wisdom in my choice, and trust that my decision will only benefit Suna. Is that understood?"

More murmuring between his councilmen, and finally, Tojuro stepped forward. He bowed low - much lower than he normally did - and cajolingly declared, "As the Kazekage wills it, so it shall be. We agree to your taking of the Konoha-nin Haruno Sakura as your wife and mate, with the understanding that you will secure the bloodline through her. If that is not done within a reasonable amount of time, we ask that the Kazekage seek out a suitable mate to meet his obligations."

Children. They wanted children from the union.

The redhead bit the inside of his cheek in order to swallow down a string of choice words. Of course his council would try to invoke the old Alpha practice of having both a wife and a mate (or several). It was their last ditch attempt at trying to secure their position by mating one of their own with the Kazekage, and Gaara had always found that practice distasteful even as a child; his idea of what love entailed may have been corrupted, but even as he bleed out his enemies and basked in their entrails, he had always understood it to be something found in exclusivity, and not carelessly shared as was the norm in whorehouses. The sight of a target cavorting with multiple women - sparing each with a morsel of affection and nothing more - it was a guarantee of a slow and painful death. Why let others freely allot what he always wanted, but could never have?

When Naruto's friendship enlightened him to fraternal love, it came with it the understanding of respect in camaraderie. And respect meant to not share oneself carelessly with others who did not deserve it. Gaara had always been polite and respectful towards his people and his peers, but his heart remained guarded and kept out of reach even for the rare women who dared approach him. He held in him the belief that if he did find love someday, it would be with a wife - most likely one pressed upon him by his council, but still someone he could call his and his alone; she would be someone he would be wholeheartedly loyal to, and he expected the same from her. As a Beta, the notion of a mate had never even crossed his mind. So it was to be expected that with the change of his designation came the change of his council's presumptions.

A wife for politics, and a mate for children.

Preposterous.

He was too young to entertain the notion of becoming a father. Certainly, in the years to come, he might find the idea of coming home to a house filled with the sound of children playing a pleasant one, perhaps even a coveted one. The academy children who did not grow up prejudiced against him like his generation or their parents - their innocence and optimism always gave him that extra push to seek the betterment of Suna in every single action he took. Maybe, in the future…

"I am but eighteen years of age. What you consider a reasonable amount of time is guaranteed to be different from mine. You will have your next Kazekage, but at my own pace." He swallowed the lump in his throat as he suddenly realised the act that preceded the creation of children was one that he would most likely be performed with surprising frequency with a certain pink-haired kunoichi, and the memory of her agreeable scent and warm curves caused his jaw to clench and tremble imperceptibly.

"Certainly, Kazekage-sama. We have no doubt in your ability to fulfil your duty when the time is right. A son begotten from the Kazehime herself would be greatly honoured." Tojuro's expression turned mocking and oily, and Gaara's fingernails dug small crescents into his palm as he held back a growl. There was little doubt in his mind that his Alpha councilman was making a reference to his clandestine visits to the brothels with Jiraiya. Though both the Sannin and him wore genjutsu for their meetings, as the Kazekage, he could not refuse the protection of his ANBU guards. He had always ordered them to keep watch on the streets, so that they could converse without being eavesdropped on; now it was clear that what his guards did not see or hear, they conjured up in their minds in their not-so-secretive reports back to the council.

Certainly, none of his councilmen were rebuking what they supposed was their Kazekage's sexual proclivities - not if they wanted to be pots calling the kettle black. Tojuro's tone heavily implied that if their Kazekage was sleeping around with women of the night, his councilmen would much rather prefer he take a lover (or several) from their families instead.

Gaara wanted to lay all the blame at Jiraiya's feet for tarnishing his image with his council, but he supposed he was responsible as well in the sense that he never once challenged the older man's decision to hold their meetings in the red light district. "No one would dream that we are trading intel on S-rank criminals when we are surrounded by beautiful women and alcohol!" Was Jiraiya's reasoning the first time he made the proposal. It happened in the first year of his inauguration, when Jiraiya was making a pit stop with Naruto in Sunagakure to restock supplies before heading back out into the wilderness. After ditching Naruto with Kankurou who was tasked to find the blond some ramen, the white-haired man all but dragged Gaara into the gaudiest whorehouse on the street; he would have put up a fight or at least offered a verbal retort, but Gaara had frankly been more disturbed by the sight of several of his shinobi shoving ryo notes down the cleavage of a woman who looked too young to be involved in such a line of work.

"I'm underage," he finally mustered up as Jiraiya pushed a masu of sake across the table to him. The Sannin threw him a grin and nudged it towards him once more. "Well, pretend to drink it, then. Because you looking like a forty year old man and refusing sake is only going to make you look even more suspicious."

"I have dismissed everyone from the office already," Gaara offered up as a last ditch effort to shift their meeting to a place with less skin on display. How strange it was, that flayed human bodies did not invoke in him the same sense of revulsion as the idea of trading money for a facsimile of love and adoration.

Jiraiya's smiling face suddenly turned sombre, and he pretended to knock a sake bottle to the ground; he gestured for Gaara to come closer as he bent forward, and when the redhead did, he muttered, "Your ANBU have loose lips. At least here, they won't be indecent enough to risk spying on their Kage fucking"

It was not exactly news to Gaara to hear that. ANBU members were always loyal to their village first, their Kage second. He expected more than a handful of dissenters given his past as Suna's living blade, but Jiraiya's words implied that his ANBU would have no trouble disclosing highly secretive matters to his councilmen. With Akatsuki's extensive reach in almost every village, who was to say that one or more of his councilmen were not in their pockets? The last thing he needed was for the Sannin's intel to reach the wrong ears.

I can't trust my own council; the same people whose lives depend on me; who court my favour at every turn.

Jiraiya had clapped his back like a proud uncle as Gaara downed the sake in two gulps. "That's the spirit! Now, how about a pretty la-"

"No, thank you. Really."

"Oh, I understand perfectly," Jiraiya's voice dropped low as he leered like a wolf, "I'm sure the title pulls more chicks than I care to know about. I'm jealous, honestly. I really am."

"Again, I'm underage."

"And yet, you drank the sake."

In the years to come, the title of Kazekage did indeed draw women to him like bees to honey; Kankurou quipped that it was more like rabbits to a bear trap, seeing how Gaara rebuffed most of his admirers so succinctly that their egos were left in shreds.

He might be the Kazekage, but it was easy for those around him (including himself at times) to forget that he was still an adolescent male, and that it was only natural for him to be tempted by beauty. When he partook in a mission a year ago to save a faraway vassal village from raiders, one of the grateful young women he had rescued had thrown herself into his arms and kissed him recklessly. Coupled with the adrenaline of his prior battle and away from the scrutiny of his pack, he was ashamed to admit that he had responded in kind, and would have been tempted to go much further had he not come to his senses in time.

He had hated himself for succumbing that one time, but like an unstoppered bottle, there was no sealing its contents back fully again. Kankurou noted how Gaara would sometimes get distracted when an especially alluring woman walked past, and Temari on her part openly scowled at any women who tried to approach the Kazekage. She never trusted their intentions, and the one time when she caught her youngest brother's eyes following a minor lord's daughter's footsteps, she sat him down for a lesson on the birds and bees while drilling in him the dangers of falling for a woman's charms. Even if he was a Beta and not in danger of bestowing a mating mark on a woman in the throes of passion, there was the issue of his reputation. Gaara had looked rightfully offended as he told her bluntly that he had never been with a woman; at least, not in the manner in which she was implying. There was that tiny part of him that whispered that this act was supposed to be one of love, not cheaply shared with women who won't even have given him the time of the day were it not for his position as the most powerful shinobi in the Land of Wind; if he did not lose his virginity to his wife, he wanted her to at least be a woman that he cared for more than a quick tumble with.

And that was how he felt like right now, standing before this breathtaking Konoha kunoichi, negotiating with her to bind herself to him as his spouse instead of just fucking her like the Alpha in him wanted, versus the man that he was raised to be.

The first thing he did was correct her notion of herself. "You are too modest, Haruno-san. Beyond your shinobi rank and your apprenticeship to the Hokage, you are possibly one of the most accomplished medic-nin I've met. I do not care for my partner's social standing, nor the title she bears. The only thing that matters to me is her heart; that it is filled with the capacity to love."

Love.

Sakura's eyes automatically landed on the kanji on his forehead. She did not know how that scar came to be, but recalling how it looked during their Chunin Examinations, she knew it had to have been several years old by then. The irony of a boy who did not understand what love entailed bearing a scar that said exactly that - out in the open for one and all to see - somehow, she had her doubts.

"What do you know about love?" She kept her tone neutral, and when he lifted his gaze to meet hers, there was a hint of darkness in them. He turned himself fully to face her before approaching, stopping just shy of bumping into her.

His eyes squeezed shut briefly, as if he had encountered a painful memory. But when he blinked them open, there was only conviction reflected back at her.

"I know," he exhaled softly, his breath caressing her ear as he leaned in close, "It is what you give to those whom you cannot live without. For that precious someone, you'd overcome otherwise insurmountable odds. You'd better yourself each day to become worthy of their attention, shaping yourself into a version of you that your childish daydreams could never foresee. You will become stronger, to protect them. And even when you are not strong enough, you won't let it stop you."

She could not suppress the shudder that raced through her at his words ghosted against the shell of her ear. Perhaps it was his close proximity invoking that reaction, or perhaps it was due to how vague his words were - it could be applied to how Gaara had fought against all odds to become the Kazekage, and how he recently proved his dedication to his village by making the ultimate sacrifice for them. Or maybe, it was referring to her and…

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Hearing the name of her former teammate from his lips uttered in that deep, neutral tone of his made her stomach churn for a brief moment. "Pardon?" She replied, and she twisted her neck slightly so that she could peek at him out of the corner of her eyes.

This close to her, even with the annoyance of her chemical Beta pheromones, he could still taste the sweetness of her scent on his tongue. The mixture of honey, wildflowers and pomegranates filled his lungs as he purposely inhaled, and he noted with amusement how the back of her neck was flushed with embarrassment. He allowed the agreeableness of her scent to settle his stirring Alpha before he spoke his next words. "Your teammate that we all tried to bring back for you. He has been Naruto's goal since he defected, and I am assuming he is yours as well."

He tilted his head, and stated in a quieter voice, "You care very much for him."

Sakura did not trust herself to speak; she nodded instead.

"But, my Alpha still wants you."

The ruefulness of his tone caused Sakura to turn to him, and she found herself wondering for the first time if the idea of binding himself to her was as difficult a matter to accept as it was for her. He had already assured her that her standing in the shinobi world did not matter to him, so was it due to her physical appearance? Her personality? Granted, she had not spent that much time with the Kazekage for them to really get a feel of each other's personalities, but Naruto only ever had good things to say about Gaara whenever he stopped back by Konoha during his training - she learnt so much about the Kazekage through his fellow Jinchuuriki that his presence seemed to linger alongside Naruto's; she had no doubt that he had talked about her to the Sabaku siblings as well, if their kind treatment towards her during the Kazekage rescue mission was any indication.

"My Omega… She likes your scent."

The moment the words were spoken, Sakura was left with a deep sense of mortification. Did she just admit that her Omega side found Gaara's Alpha to be acceptable? Alphas and Omegas were heavily reliant on their sense of smell to help them navigate their world, and though an Alpha was more likely to find an Omega's scent to their liking than vice-versa, that fact that her Omega derived comfort from his all but broadcasted to Gaara that she found him a suitable partner to bear children with.

She was not ready for that. She didn't think she would ever be for someone besides Sasuke. And yet… that was why she so readily agreed to pack-bond with Kakashi, was it not? His scent of fresh earth reminded her of the idyllic days of her childhood. In the same way, Gaara's scent of sandalwood and iron reminded her of her forested homeland and her chosen mission in life.

Gaara's posture had stiffened once he took in the meaning of what she had said, and his wild, wide-eyed look gave him an almost feral appearance. A part of him wanted to bask in the satisfaction that his chosen Omega did not find him lacking; the other part of him dreaded hearing her conflicting feelings towards both him and Sasuke uttered aloud.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she glanced nervously over the railings, then back around to the path that led to the lookout where they were standing upon, only to chance upon the sight of Naruto barreling towards them.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Dammit, Lee!"

Lee was hot on Naruto's tail with a struggling Neji hoisted high above his own head as the masked man flailed his arms. "Forgive me, ANBU-san, but we must find Sakura-san at once! It is very important that we do so, before the Most Beautiful Flower of Konoha is plucked from her home!"

"Oh, stars." Sakura involuntarily took a step backwards, and she clenched her fists by her side; she was not ready to deal with Naruto right now, if ever, and while she would not have too much trouble convincing herself to punt Naruto off to the other end of Konohagakure to buy herself more time, the same could not be said for Lee. Neji had tried to restrain them, but he was clearly no match for the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. Could she rope Gaara into helping her avoid Naruto's incoming bout of questions?

Beside her, the redheaded shinobi was keenly aware of her inner conflict, watching how her eyes reflected back frantic confusion. Her scent was starting to sour and turn sharp on his tongue as he breathed her in, and he was suddenly overcome by a strong urge to protect-shield-defend her from everyone and everything.

How strange it was, that he should develop such feelings towards his fellow Jinchuuriki and first real friends - people he would now have to ward off his chosen mate.

"Come."

Sakura barely registered his hand closing around her wrist. He pulled her back towards himself as sand rose and surrounded them both, and the rush of warmth that flooded her veins as Gaara gathered her to his chest caused her to gasp in surprise. In the moments before the sand completely obscured her vision, she saw a pair of familiar blue eyes widen in shock, and Naruto's lips parting to yell out, "Gaara! Ya better explain stuff, ya bas-"

Once she felt her feet touch the solid earth, Sakura had to blink several times in a row to assure herself that she was not still hidden away in the darkness of Gaara's sand defence. A sliver of light was stealing into the space from underneath a shut door, and Gaara's body had obscured much of it. She could barely make out his outline, let alone where they were.

"Where are we?" She finally ventured.

Gaara looked from one side to another of their surroundings, and the light caught in his pale irises reflected back a startling luminosity, giving him an almost cat-like appearance. Shukaku's influence, she decided. It was doubtless that the rings of black around his eyes were also the result of the tanuki's powers manifesting in an infant and growing within him since. Even if the Bijuu was taken from him, those defining markers of its power might never go away completely.

"I don't know," he confessed at last, and he turned to face Sakura. "I commanded my sand to take us to a place where you feel safe, and I thought it might be your house, or maybe the Hokage's office."

Oh.

Oh, stars.

What would have worked for a Beta or another Alpha was hopelessly inappropriate for an Omega, because where an Omega always felt safest was in their…

"Nest," she swallowed, her throat inexplicably dry all of a sudden. "We are outside my nest."

Gaara stared wordlessly back at her, and were it not for the soft "ah" he eventually uttered in response, she would have thought that he was frozen in shock. That, and the hint of pinkness at the tip of his ears. He had not been able to take her directly into her nesting area, since the room was warded from teleportation techniques, but they had landed practically at its doorstep.

A clueless Alpha, he certainly was. But considering that he only came into his new designation a fortnight ago, Sakura supposed it was too much to expect him to have sufficient time to learn all the niceties that governed Alpha-Omega exchanges.

"We can talk in private here, though." Sakura offered up, and she bit on her lower lip as she realised that she had idiotically invited an unmated Alpha into her nest. It was the ultimate sign of trust that an Omega could bestow upon an Alpha - that the Alpha was trustworthy and a suitable mate - and if Gaara understood the implications…

"I don't wish to impose," his voice was gentle, showing a reverence towards her sanctuary that she had not expected from him.

To avoid staring at the Kazekage's increasingly flushed face, Sakura presented her back to him to unlock the door with her chakra. "I invited you," she reasoned as she pushed the door open, and stepped fully into the room, grateful beyond belief that she was so fastidious about the tidiness of her personal space that she had cleaned it up meticulously; there would be no incriminating tell-tale signs of what had transpassed in this room not so long ago.

Her nesting area was modestly furnished. Since she never really experienced a full-blown Omega heat until most recently, she usually spent her heats reading or meditating when it became too difficult to concentrate on the words, and that meant there was a low table and several cushions around it that she gestured Gaara to sit at.

Except that Gaara was still standing at the threshold of the room, his naked brows pinched together as if he was debating with himself if he should enter an Omega's nest despite being invited. He knew how Omega needed a protected space to nest in during their heats, and how it was always off-limits to anyone that was not an immediate family member or a packmate (unmated Alpha packmates are definitely not welcomed even if they are a biological family member). Not that he had actually seen an Omega's nest before, since he steadfastly steered clear of any Omegas sent to seduce him. Sakura's nesting area was ridiculously neat - even the way in which her nest was piled together indicated a sense of order within its chaos, with the softest fabrics at the very top and the thickest at the bottom.

Instinctively, he drew in a breath, and had to tamp back the urge to snarl as he picked up the presence of a powerful Alpha in her nest. Still, a rumbling growl had escaped his lips, and Sakura seemed confused by his abrupt turn in temperament before she realised what was the cause of it.

"My pack Alpha… he makes me feel safe."

Jade-green eyes continued to linger on her nest, and Sakura was suddenly overcome by a surge of annoyance. Who was Gaara to find her pack Alpha's scent offensive? He had no claim to her as of now, and if she had anything to say about it, would have no claim to her ever.

Still, the Fifth Kazekage was a man tempered by years spent containing an ornery Bijuu. He forced himself to draw in another deep breath, focusing on Sakura's pomegranate scent instead of her pack Alpha's domineering one. His exhale escaped through his parted lips, and when Gaara turned to face her once more, she was surprised to see how collected he now looked. He carefully bent over to remove his shoes before finally stepping into her room, and the soft creak of the wood beneath his feet as he approached seemed inordinately loud against the silence.

He finally folded himself on a cushion across from where Sakura was sitting, and he placed laced hands on the table before speaking. "If we do not find each other undesirable, I'd like to know why you would prefer that I treat you like a lowly rut partner, good only for soothing my rut, when I fully intend on making an honourable arrangement instead."

Sakura was used to directness when speaking to her own Hokage, but hearing the decisive, self-assured tone coming from Gaara was somewhat discombobulating. It was clear that as a politician, he could choose to sway with flowery speeches just as well as he could with a firm demand. Right now, the latter felt like a command for her Omega to obey, and her hackles rose at the realisation that he wanted her to answer him with equal directness as well.

"I don't know you well enough to marry," she argued, "And we barely know each other to know if we are suited to a long-term arrangement as rut partners, let alone as husband and wife."

A weak argument, to be sure; rut partners had the freedom to live their own lives except for when they needed each other for their cycles, so they would not be treading around each other all the time. And that was what she was banking on as his rut partner - that she would not have to associate so closely with him that they would inevitably grow attached to each other outside of their cycles. It would make breaking the soul bond much easier if there was no emotional bond to hamper it.

"I went through my first rut with the memory of your scent. And you welcomed the touch of my hands and mouth. We will be more than adequate to satisfy each other."

An absolutely audacious man.

Sakura glanced discreetly overhead, to make sure that she had turned the ceiling fan on when she first came in; it would explain the unbearable heat under her skin as Gaara's unwavering glance never once shifted from her face.

It was time to cut to the chase. "I don't love you."

Gaara was just as brutally blunt. "Nor do I, you."

Well, that hurts.

Even if she knew he was not in love with her, rejection still stung. Gaara took in her shocked expression, and he sighed inwardly. It was easy for him to forget that women required a more delicate touch, and that meant he could not be so straightforward with Sakura even if he was getting irritated with her dancing around his proposal.

"We don't love each other, but we both love our village and country. That's why I won't dishonour you by asking you to come to me as a lowly rut partner. The Hokage's apprentice deserves a better fate than this, and as my wife, you will be afforded a level of respect and protection that will keep conniving minds from seeking the title of future Kazekage."

It was subtle, but Sakura understood immediately what he meant - a rut partner commanded no position in any household, and if one wanted to gain entry into that family as either a mate or a wife, it would be as simple as casting the rut partner and her belongings out into the cold night. Gaara's proposal might cause an especially determined party to try turning a blade on her even if she held the title of his wife, but she was no slouch in self-defence, and she would no doubt be under constant protection by his ANBU if she were the Kazehime. There was also the obvious benefit to Konoha if she married him, being able to secure their alliance permanently (if she failed to break the bond, which she'd rather not think about). And it was to his benefit as well, if she read him correctly; those plotting for the Kazekage's favour would find it much harder to convince him to entertain other women when he was already bound in matrimony (a Kage could not risk being caught in an adultery scandal, after all).

All in all, a mutually-beneficial arrangement. The logical part of her could not summon an argument against that.

"Let me convince you."

"How?"

Gaara stood up and boldly settled down next to her, a hair's breadth away from her face as he leaned indecently close to her face. His breath ghosted against her cheek as he locked gazes with her, and she involuntarily licked her lips as his warm exhale hit her skin.

"Let me kiss you."