Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A Matter of State ❯ The 'Date' ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Three:

 

As the now enlarged group headed towards the restaurant, Ino maintained her grip on Gaara's arm. She could tell that Sakura wanted to talk to her, but she only had a week to get to know this silent man before she had to marry him and she planned on using it. Besides, Ino was used to physical contact, it was an essential part of her existence and reminded her she was there and connected to everybody else. Gaara was going to have to get used to it, at least from her.

When they reached the restaurant the waitress directed them to a booth and they slipped in, Ino and Gaara on one side and the three members of team seven on the other. After they'd placed their orders, an awkward silence fell on the table. Okay, so maybe more people won't get rid of the awkwardness, Ino thought with a sigh.

Naruto, ever the blunt one, cracked first. “Are you two - umm - dating?” he asked suddenly.

Gaara and Ino looked at each other. What to say, what to say? Catching Gaara's bewildered and slightly panicked expression Ino sent him a reassuring smile and turned back to the other three to answer their question.

“No,” Ino said.

“But - then - why?” Naruto spluttered, completely lost and still wondering why Ino hadn't jumped on Sasuke.

“We're getting married. Speaking of which forehead, you're gonna be one of my bridesmaids, k?” Ino said, dumping the information on them without any warning.

Silence once again reigned, but this wasn't an awkward silence. No, it was a silence of completely shocked stupor. Apparently, no one was sure how to respond to that.

Suddenly, Naruto burst out laughing. “Ha, ha, ha, you almost had me there Ino. That was a good one! And I would know - I am the prankster king. Ha!”

Sakura looked relieved and managed a grin, but Sasuke simply looked at the two wonderingly.

Although both Gaara and Ino could perfectly understand why this could easily be mistaken as a joke, they couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Did they think they weren't good enough for their spouse-to-be?

This time it was Gaara who spoke. “Naruto, there is no joke. Ino and I are getting married at the end of the week.”

Naruto abruptly stopped laughing and stared wide-eyed at his friend.

“Why?” he asked.

Ino resisted the urge to smack his head, and was happy when Sakura fulfilled her unexpressed desire.

“Ow!” Naruto yowled. “What was that for Sakura-chan?”

“For being an idiot,” Sakura said simply. “Congratulations, you two,” she said with a small smile and a look that let Ino know she expected the full story later.

 

Suffice it to say dinner passed slowly, filled with awkward small talk and glances. When they were finally ready to leave they all stood at the door before quietly saying good bye as they went their separate ways.

“See you tomorrow, Ino!” Sakura called over her shoulder, not so subtly reminding Ino that she still owed the pink-haired girl the whole story.

“Yep,” Ino responded as she proceeded to walk towards her apartment.

 

Ino was a skilled kunoichi. She had graduated top of her class back in the Academy and was an expert in stealth missions. So even if she wasn't the Hokage's prize pupil, like Sakura, the idiot following her home really ought to know better. After walking a few blocks and trying to ignore the itching feeling at the back of her neck caused by the mysterious stalker's gaze, she snapped.

Stopping in the middle of the street she turned and fixed her gaze on the spot where she sensed the other's presence.

“What do you want?” she asked exasperated.

She was slightly surprised to see Sasuke jump out of the tree, but she greeted him with a small smile.

“Hn,” Sasuke said as he walked up to her and they began to continue down the street together.

Ino just rolled her eyes. “What's up Sasuke?” she questioned.

“I was just wondering what was really up with you and Gaara,” Sasuke said. “You can't really expect me to believe you two just met up in the streets when he arrived this afternoon and decided to get hitched.”

Ino just giggled at this - Sasuke always had brought out her fangirl behaviour.

“Don't be stupid,” she said, reverting back to her normal self. “Of course that's not what happened.”

Sasuke remained silent, and Ino knew from years of interpretation that he really wanted her to tell him what was going on.

So she told him about Tsunade's request and about the arranged marriage. Sasuke listened quietly - that was one of his good points, he'd always been a good listener. When Ino was finished with her story, complete with a full account of her worries about Gaara, Sasuke had placed a comforting arm around her shoulder.

This startled Ino out of her monologue/reverie and she turned to look at him with a little shock. Sasuke had never really been good with the whole touchy-feely thing. However, Sasuke had also known Ino for years and knew that even if he didn't like it, she needed it. As surprising as it may seem to some, he considered the loud blonde girl one of his few close friends.

“Guess that means you were the first to go,” he said with a slightly sad smile. “Now what am I supposed to do?”

“Psh, you'll be fine,” Ino said, lightly slapping his arm. “It's about time you found someone and settled down anyway. You're the one who always spouts all the `restore the clan' crap.”

The Uchiha pouted a little at this. “You're so cold, Ino.”

Ino just grinned.

 

Years ago, back at the Academy, Ino had approached the solitary Uchiha survivor with an idea. Ino had told him (it hadn't been a request, she'd told him straight out what they were going to do - she'd always been brash and determined) that she was going to become his number one fangirl. A confused Uchiha hadn't known how to respond, and had just begun to back cautiously away from the pretty but insane blonde girl in front of him when she'd finished with her explanation. She would pretend to be obsessed with him, and in doing so would severely limit the number of girls who bothered him - not many were willing to mess with Ino, even back then. Those who weren't deterred would at least have to acknowledge significant competition, and since he was to be slightly nicer to Ino (again, this was an order) they would never really be able to entertain serious hopes of getting him. This would limit their overall annoyingness and the strength of their pursuit of him, and they would accept from the beginning that they would have to be content with their fantasies and staring.

While Sasuke could see the logic behind her plan, and the benefit to him, he still hadn't been sure why she would do this.

“I'm not going to date you,” he had replied coldly.

Ino had laughed at him. No girl had ever laughed at him before. “I don't want to date you,” she'd said, trying to contain her giggles. “If the guys think I'm completely obsessed with you, they'll leave me alone. And the one's who still try will at least be determined and maybe a little more worth my time.”

Sasuke had thought for a moment, before agreeing. Despite its flaws, their plan had worked surprisingly well.

They'd agreed that as soon as the other found someone the deal would end. Apparently, that day was now. Over the years they had grown quite comfortable in each other's presence and even had several actual conversations. Sasuke felt a small sense of loss whirling in his stomach as he realized that everything between them now had to change. It wasn't that he harbored any secret feelings for the blonde girl, she'd just become a fixed part of his life it would be weird to do without. And now his fangirls would probably become rabid.

 

“I think you'll be good for him,” Sasuke said into the silence as they reached Ino's apartment.

“I don't know,” Ino said a trifle wistfully. “I mean, we hardly know each other, and it's practically impossible to get to know someone under circumstances like this. We feel too awkward around each other.”

“Well, if anyone can reach him, it's you,” Sasuke said. “I guess this is good-bye.”

Ino snorted in an extremely unladylike manner, “Don't be so dramatic, I'm getting married, not dying.”

“You're moving,” Sasuke reminded her.

“Oh yeah,” Ino said her head tilted as she remembered. “You're coming to the wedding,” she added after a minute of staring at nothing.

As usual in their relationship, she didn't give him a choice. Sasuke knew he would go - the only time he hadn't listened to her and instead done what he thought was best he'd wound up in the clutches of a creepy snake man who wanted to take over his body. He'd learned his lesson.

“See you around,” Ino said with a small smile before she enveloped Sasuke in a tight hug. When she went to pull away, he didn't let her go.

“What's this?” she asked teasingly. “The Uchiha actually wants physical contact?”

Sasuke ignored her. “Did I ever say thank-you?” he asked her.

“Huh?” she replied, confused. She pushed herself away from him just enough so that she could meet his gaze.

“For being there. All the time. Even when I didn't want you to be...” he said, half-joking, half-serious.

“No,” she said with a gentle smile. “You never did.”

“Well, thank-you. For being there. Even when I didn't want you to be - I needed it, even though I didn't admit it.”

“I know,” Ino said. “But it's good to know you know it too. And it's nice to hear - sometimes a girl can't help but wonder if she's just being annoying.”

“Oh, you were definitely annoying,” Sasuke said with a hint of something in his voice that might have been a chuckle. “But annoying works for you.”

“Bye Sasuke,” Ino said, pulling him into one more tight hug before stepping back. This time he released her.

“Bye Ino,” Sasuke said. “Good luck with Gaara. I actually think that might work out for you two.”

“Thank-you,” she said, and then turned and disappeared inside.

 

****

When Gaara arrived back at the small house that he and his siblings stayed in while in Konoha he was greeted by his anxious brother and sister at the door.

“How'd it go?” Temari asked.

Gaara thought about it for a minute before answering, “Fine.”

“Just fine?” Kankuro asked. “Come on little brother, you've been alone with an extremely hot girl for the past two hours, and your time was just fine?”

“We weren't alone,” was all Gaara said in response. He actually still wasn't certain if he was happy about that or not. On the one hand, it had been great seeing Naruto. On the other, he hadn't really gotten to learn anything about the strange girl who hadn't shied away from him. All well. Gaara wasn't the type to fret over things like that, and he pushed aside his feelings and headed towards his room.

“Wait just a minute,” Temari said authoritatively, grabbing her younger brother's shoulders and spinning him around.

“I want the whole story from you. Now sit,” she said, pushing him towards the couch. She sat down on the chair across from him and Kankuro, who was curious to say the least, sat down on the sofa next to the red head.

“Spill,” Temari commanded.

“She was hungry so we went out to eat. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura joined us,” he said before standing up to leave again.

A frustrated Temari let out a noise that sounded freakishly like a growl before borrowing a line from her boyfriend. “Troublesome,” she mumbled, before turning her focus back on her youngest brother.

“We're not done yet,” she warned, and Gaara obediently resumed his seat. What did they want? He'd told them everything.

Kankuro just laughed. “Temari, he's a guy, not a gossiping kunoichi. That's the best you're going to get. If I were you I'd just go ask Ino for the details.”

Temari's eyes brightened at the idea - she'd forgotten that the girl was one of her best friends.

Gaara's eyes widened a bit at the realization, and Temari noticed.

“What is it little brother?” she asked sweetly.

“I - just - you-”

Kankuro saved Gaara from having to answer. “He's just realized that you two are going to gang up on him and is wondering where to hide,” he said dismissively. “So Gaara, how far did you get?”

Gaara looked at him, confusion in his eyes.

“I mean you kissed her goodnight at least, right?” Kankuro clarified.

Temari went from glaring at Kankuro to eyeing Gaara curiously.

Gaara's face matched the colour of his hair. “No,” he said. He was pretty sure that she wouldn't have wanted that. “Anyways, there were other people there.”

“Other people? You mean you didn't walk her home after?” Temari asked, shocked.

“No. Should I have?” Gaara asked, completely bewildered.

Kankuro smacked his forehead at his brother's ignorance. “Yes Gaara, you should have.”

“Why? She's a kunoichi, I'm sure she can take care of herself. Besides, I'm pretty sure Sasuke followed her home.”

“That's not the point - wait, you let some other guy walk her home?” Kankuro asked, shocked.

“Gaara,” Temari interjected, adopting her big sister voice. “You always offer to walk a girl home after a date. It's not because she's weak, it's a way of showing her that you care and want to spend more time with her.”

Gaara's brow furrowed in thought. “But I didn't want to spend more time with her. It was awkward, and she probably would have grabbed my hand again.”

At this both of his older siblings found that they couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Gaara really was completely clueless.

“That's Ino for you,” Temari said as her laughter died down to a manageable level. “I think I'm going to go talk to her.”

“Find out what that other guy was doing following her home too!” Kankuro called after her before she left the room.

Temari raised her hand in acknowledgement and proceeded towards Ino's apartment. She knew the girl would still be awake; Ino had always been a night owl.

Kankuro remained seated. He had decided that his brother needed a bit of a talking to.

 

“So Gaara, details please,” he began.

“What do you want to know?” asked a confused Gaara.

“Well how about you tell me what she said to you?” Kankuro decided.

“She called me Kazekage-sama, I asked her not to,” Gaara began, and Kankuro nodded his agreement. “When I called her Ino-san she got all weird - and scary.”

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. This was new, he'd never heard his brother describe anyone as scary before - except when he agreed with Kankuro about Temari.

“She kept asking me what I wanted to do, and I didn't know what to say...and then her stomach grumbled so I asked if she wanted to go get dinner,” he concluded. “I was hungry too,” he added as an afterthought.

“When did she grab your hand?” Kankuro asked.

“As we started walking to dinner.”

“And you didn't like it?” Kankuro wondered out loud. He'd seen Ino's version of holding hands and he certainly wouldn't have complained at having the blonde wrapped around him like that.

Gaara flushed a bright red. “It - it was uncomfortable. It made me feel funny.”

“Funny how?” Kankuro asked. He had made it his personal mission to help Gaara understand feelings. Sure, he was a bit of a pervert, but he was a better teacher than Temari. Her lessons were always accompanied by pain, and she didn't understand how guys saw things. Gaara was his little brother and needed his help, so Kankuro was going to do his best.

“I felt kind of hot, and my stomach felt all jumpy. Kind of like I was sick - but nicer,” Gaara decided.

Kankuro had to hold in his laugh - well, he tried to. He wound up snorting as his hands came flying up to cover his mouth. Finally he settled for suffocating himself with a pillow. Gaara remained impassive, used to his brother's antics.

“Gaara, I hate to break it to you, but that's normal. Ino's a gorgeous girl, it's natural for you to feel attracted to her.”

“But it felt weird,” Gaara whined.

“The only weird thing is that you're twenty and this is the first time you've felt like that,” Kankuro mumbled, but Gaara heard.

“Just because you're a pervert-” Gaara said pointedly.

“Hey-” Kankuro interrupted. “This has nothing to do with me being a bit perverted!”

Gaara scoffed.

“Seriously. It's okay to feel that around attractive girls. If it was an ugly girl I'd sit you down and give you a talking to, but right now I just want to ask you one question.”

“What?” Gaara sighed, resigned. Maybe after this his brother would leave him alone.

“Did you like it?” he asked with a bit of a leer.

“Like what?”

“The feeling. Her holding your hand. Having all of her attention focused completely on you. Did you like it?”

Gaara looked at the ground, thinking.

“Didn't you feel a bit sad when the others joined and she stopped giving you one hundred percent of her attention?”

The Kazekage's face flushed for what was probably the hundredth time that evening.

“Yes,” was all he said.

“Yes what?” Kankuro prodded.

“Yes, I was a bit upset when the others joined. Yes, I liked it. Yes.”

Kankuro's grin should have cracked his face apart. “Well then,” he said. “This should be interesting.”

 

When Ino closed her apartment door behind her she collapsed on the floor with relief. Sure, talking to Sasuke had given her a bit of reassurance, but she really didn't think he was right. She'd never met someone who responded as little as Gaara before. And at the end of the night, he'd left. Well, he'd said good-bye but his hasty retreat had made it plain that he wanted to be anywhere but where he was - with her.

Ino let out a loud groan as she went to change for bed. This was going to be a disaster.

 

That was why when Temari knocked on her door a while later she was curled up on her couch, wrapped in a blanket and eating a tub of chocolate ice cream while watching chick flicks.

Temari took one look at Ino's disheveled state and snorted. Barging into the mindwalker's living room she'd turned off the television and sat on the chair next to Ino's couch.

“You look worse than he does,” the sand kunoichi said in her usual blunt manner.

“Thanks loads,” Ino said pathetically, hitting the back of her head continuously against the back of the couch she was seated on in despair.

“You really disgruntled him,” Temari said, unable to hold back a grin at the other girl's antics.

Ino stopped banging her head against the couch and met Temari's gaze. “Temari, you're really not helping. He's your brother damn it! You were supposed to pick a girl he could like!”

Temari waited patiently for Ino to calm down - there really was no talking to her otherwise.

After a few minutes of quietly seething and fuming Ino drew a deep breath and forcibly calmed herself down.

“What did you want, Temari?” she asked a bit tiredly.

“I just wanted to let you know you disgruntled him,” Temari said, grinning again.

“And again, I'm going to tell you that's not helpful. I already know he doesn't like being around me,” Ino moaned.

“I don't think you understand,” Temari said, her grin positively devilish. “Do you know how hard it is to faze Gaara? You were perfect!”

“I don't know what deluded world you live in,” Ino snapped, “but I was looking forward to the notion that my husband might maybe possibly like me. You telling me he's uncomfortable around me and that he's perfectly fine with everyone else IS NOT HELPING!”

Temari winced at Ino's volume.

Waiting a few more minutes for Ino to collect herself - again - she patiently explained the situation to Ino.

“Ino, he's disgruntled around you because you make him feel things - that's good. It means there's hope.”

Ino peeked her head out from behind the pillow she'd been burying it in. Hope sparkled brightly in her eyes and Temari knew that this exuberant and lively girl was exactly what Gaara needed. If he could win her love she'd give him everything, and if she won his she'd become the absolute centre of his universe. This match was perfect.

“Really?” Ino squeaked.

“Yes. Now tell me everything,” she demanded. That was all Ino needed to regale the older kunoichi with the full-on version of the story Temari had been dying to hear. The two gossiped late into the night, falling asleep on the sofas as they discussed Gaara and Shikamaru. It really was perfect, being friends with someone so close to their boyfriend/fiancé.

 

Temari left the next morning, she was eager to see what Kankuro had wormed out of Gaara. Ino sat in her apartment, bored out of her mind until she was bit with the cleaning bug and started cleaning up her already neat apartment. Anyone who knew Ino would tell you that she was a bit of a perfectionist - and if she wasn't there they might go so far as to say “obsessive compulsive perfectionist freak” as Kiba had so politely put it after one of their first missions together. And there was truth in his statement - Ino always wanted everything at its best, and everything included her looks, her skills, her apartment, and everyone around her. So she annoyed everyone half to death with her demands, but in the end they benefited.

She was scrubbing happily away at her kitchen floor while humming some made-up tune when she was interrupted by another visitor to her apartment. Placing the bucket filled with warm water on the counter and the rag in the sink she made her way to the door while wiping her hands on her apron.

 

It was Sakura. She, of course, wanted to know what the hell was going on. Ino sighed internally - was she going to have to tell everyone individually? How come no one was bugging Gaara instead - wait a second, Naruto probably was, seeing as how he's so impatient and he hadn't come by to see her yet.

 

Sakura sat at Ino's kitchen table while Ino pulled some cookies she'd made earlier that week out of a cupboard and put them in front of Sakura with a glass of milk. Yes, Ino could cook - she was probably one of the few kunoichi who had bothered learning that skill. Now that she thought about it that did make her more prepared for marriage then any of the other kunoichi, but really, what else was she supposed to do with a shinobi like Choji on her team?

Ino had filled Sakura in on the whole arranged marriage thing and Sakura was once again in awe of her childhood friend. Ino was asked to do so many things - a part of Sakura was jealous for a moment, before she remembered that there was no way in hell she would have wanted to be asked to do many of the things Ino had done. The blonde girl was strong in a way complete beyond Sakura's physical strength.

 

“You really want me to be your bridesmaid?” Sakura asked.

“Of course,” Ino smiled, you're one of my best friends. I have to ask Hinata, Kurenai, and Anko still - Temari agreed last night.”

“Anko?” Sakura asked confused. “That's right, she trained you for your jounin exam, didn't she?”

“Yeah,” Ino nodded, agreeing. “She was a great role model.”

“What about Tenten? She's the only one from our group you didn't ask- won't that make her feel left out?” Sakura asked.

“Good,” Ino said. Something flashed in her eyes that reminded Sakura why it was a bad idea to tick Ino off.

“What did she do?” Sakura asked confused. She knew Ino and Tenten had never been close, but she had no idea that there was bad blood between them.

“She said I behaved in a matter ill-befitting a kunoichi,” Ino sneered. “Apparently, bothering to look pretty is a sin in her book. Must be because she's so ugly herself.”

Sakura gulped. She knew Ino didn't think Tenten was ugly, she'd actually complimented the girl a few times while discussing fashion and things with Sakura. Tenten must have really ticked her off.

“Apparently,” Ino continued, her sneer still present, “I spend all my time obsessing over my looks and guys and I'm too weak to be taken seriously. Hmph. Obsessing over looks and guys is part of being a kunoichi for me, stupid twit,” by now Ino's voice had died down to a mumble, so Sakura knew she was mostly talking to herself.

Ino raised her head and met Sakura's gaze, her eyes now sparkling with mischief. “Oh, who cares what she said - she was just jealous,” Ino said. She then proceeded to answer Sakura's unspoken question. “The girl's in love with Hyuuga Neji, but she's completely inept when it comes to flirting or anything. She's mad because I got him to kiss me.”

Sakura's eyes widened. Ino and Neji - when? “What?” Sakura asked.

“It was nothing like that. We were on a mission, I needed to draw attention to myself, and I certainly wasn't going to use Lee,” Ino shuddered at the thought. “So I started coming onto Neji. I'd told him before hand so he went along with it - Tenten didn't know though,” she said with a smirk. “I think what killed her most was the fact that he obviously enjoyed it.”

Sakura just shook her head at her best friend's antics. Typical Ino.

“Anyways, we haven't gotten on to well since - and I don't really want her to be my bridesmaid. I'm pretty sure she isn't going to care, so moving on please?”

And with that the two kunoichi moved on to discuss the wedding. Hey, they are girls after all.

 

Gaara was sitting at a desk in his room quietly going over some paper work he'd brought when his tranquility was interrupted by a loud knock. He sighed and went to answer the door, Kankuro was out being Kankuro and Temari was in the shower. He opened the door only to be met with blonde hair and blue eyes. Leaving the door open he turned and walked back to his temporary office.

“Come in, Naruto,” he called back to his visitor.

“Hey Gaara!” the hyperactive shinobi shouted, bounding in and following Gaara after closing the door behind himself. “What's up?”

“Work,” Gaara said.

Naruto crinkled his nose in disgust. “You know, seeing you makes me wonder why I want to be Hokage so badly,” he sighed. Then his normal grin reclaimed his face, “Hey, did I tell you that Tsunade officially named me as her successor?”

“Yes. In the letter you sent me last year.”

“Oh, right,” Naruto was silent for a moment.

“So...” he said casually. “What's up with you and Ino?”

“We're getting married.”

“Yeah, you said that last night. What I'm wondering is why? I mean, don't get me wrong, Ino's great and everything - but still. She's so loud and bossy!”

Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow at the loud part.

“To strengthen Suna's alliance with Konoha,” he said simply.

Naruto had to think for a minute to process that.

“Oh, it's an arranged marriage,” he said suddenly. “So why did you pick her?”

“I didn't, Temari and Tsunade did.”

“Oh. I wonder why... - how's it working out for you?”

It was Gaara's turn to think for a moment. He remembered his discussion with Kankuro the night before and a trace of red found its way to his cheeks.

“I think it's going well...” he said quietly.

Naruto saw the red that emerged on his friend's cheeks and suppressed the urge to whistle. This was new; he'd never seen Gaara blush. Maybe he ought to give Ino more credit. Actually, now that he thought about it Ino's craziness might balance out Gaara's craziness - in the sense that they were both opposite kinds of crazy. After all, people always said he and Ino were a lot alike, even aside from the physical similarities, and he and Gaara were close friends.

Naruto settled for a smirk and slapped his red-haired friend on the back. “Good to hear,” he said.

 

The rest of the week passed by in a blur for everyone who was to be involved in the ceremonies - and even more so for the couple themselves. They went on a few walks around the village together, and attended a number of formal occasions, but they never had any time to actually get to know each other. The night before the group was to leave for Sunagakure they both attended their betrothal dinner. Even though they sat next to each other for the entire evening they only exchanged a few words, and they were all polite formalities.

 

Ino lay in her bed and the realization that this was her last night in this room hit her. She suppressed the urge to cry - Yamanaka Ino did not cry - but this room was her sanctuary, her place of refuge. She wouldn't have her own room anymore - after they arrived in Sunagakure she would be married to Gaara. The emotions swirling around in Ino were so complex and confusing that she found herself breaking down and sobbing into her pillow. That's how her mother found her the next morning, face buried in a wet pillow and her eyes still red. Sweeping her daughter up into a wordless hug the two women made sure everything was in order for their departure later that morning.