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Shogi Anyone?	By : Shortcake Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 13931 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything Naruto related. I make no profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 17
- 18
- 19
Sakura ran. She had no idea where she was going other than away. Tears streamed down her face as she sprinted, chakra bursting through her feet as she sped across the sandy terrain at sunset. The scenery was beautiful; it gave her something else to focus her mind on. As darkness set in on the stark landscape, she finally stopped. The kunoichi simply sat down in the warm sand with the cool night air sweeping over her. She cried. What was she going to do? She knew it had hurt Gaara that she didn’t implicitly trust him. And just being logical, she couldn’t blame him for questioning her motives. She’d told him she was using birth control. He had no expectations of suddenly being a father. Hell, he hadn’t even proposed. They hadn’t discussed marriage at all after that disaster of a conversation with Kankuro at the beginning of their affair. Sure, he said he loved her and she said she loved him, but neither of them had suggested anything permanent. Could she hack it as a single mom? Would Suna even let her go carrying Gaara’s child? Kankuro was the only one besides Gaara who knew. Would he insist the child be raised here even if she couldn’t stay? Ah! So many questions without answers. And her heart… her heart was utterly broken. Could this relationship even weather such a storm? Yet another question for which she had no answer. In any case, it was starting to get really cold now that the sun was gone. She ought to get back. Maybe a good night’s sleep would clarify her muddled thoughts. She stood up and looked around. Which way was Suna? She’d run beyond the sight of the village lights. This could be bad. She had no water with her, she didn’t eat supper, and she had no warm clothes. Shit.
Just as she was assessing her situation and options, a figure called to her from the top of a nearby ridge, “Sakura!” It was Kankuro. For once, she was glad to see him. She walked towards the dark-haired shinobi with a wave of her hand.
“Kankuro, I’m glad to see you.” Sakura smiled weakly, “Kind of embarrassing, but I … uh… didn’t really think about where I was running. And now it’s dark and getting cold.”
Kankuro smiled. “I know, that’s why I ran after you and tracked you. The desert gets dangerous at times like this. Even a talented shinobi like you can have trouble.”
Sakura nodded. “Yes, I’ve been here for the chunin exams. In fact, I was just assessing my situation when you showed up. Thanks.”
Kankuro shrugged. “Don’t mention it. It’s been an eventful day for you. I can’t imagine you’d be thinking clearly at a time like this.” He removed his head covering, folding it out into a rather large shawl which he placed on Sakura’s shoulders.
She promptly wrapped the garment around herself to ward off the evening chill. “Thank you, again.” She smiled.
“Come on then,” Kankuro threw his arm across her shoulders and pointed the way back home. “Let’s get you and my little nephew there something to eat and a warm bed, shall we?”
Sakura laughed, “And what makes you so certain it’s a boy?” she elbowed him lightly in response to his presumptive remark.
Kankuro squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, “Easy. Boys are always so much more trouble than girls. This one has to be a boy.”
Sakura laughed again. “Kankuro I cannot argue with your logic there.” They walked on in silence for a while. Sakura held on to Kankuro for warmth. Even with the wrap, the temperature was plummeting, and the wind had picked up. She finally spoke, “Kankuro, what the hell am I going to do?”
Kankuro responded as though she were concerned with the cold. “Don’t worry Sakura, we’ll be home in less than an hour. We’ll get you warmed up with a nice cup of Jiro’s tea.”
She sighed, “You know that’s not what I meant Kankuro.”
“Damn it. I was afraid you’d say that. You realize you are speaking with someone who has a vested interest in what you do, right?” The puppeteer was uncharacteristically serious as he spoke.
“Yes. However, you are my friend and one of the few people I can talk to. I value your thoughts.” She’d calmed down quite a bit, even if she was still processing everything.
Kankuro nodded, giving her shoulder another small squeeze. “Okay then, first question, and I pray you have the right answer, but yours is the opinion that matters. Do you want the child?”
Sakura was shocked at his unspoken suggestion, “Of course! It’s a living human baby. It’s part of me and part of Gaara and I love him, and I could never…” She couldn’t even say the words. The mere thought had her on the verge of tears again.
“Shhh… Sakura. It’s okay. It was only a question I had to ask. I’m truly glad you feel that way. I do too. I’m happy for you and Gaara, even if this is a bit of a mess at the moment. I know this was not a mission for you. We cleared that up at the very beginning, you and I remember?” The taller man held her close to shield her from the wind.
“That’s right. I’d kind of forgotten.” She smiled. “Much like today, that day was full of surprises. I’d been Gaara’s girlfriend two whole days and both of you were already laying plans for our wedding.” She chuckled at the memory.
“I still am, by the way, though I’ve moved up the date a bit and have some major political hoops to jump through first.” And this right here was one of them. He desperately wanted this match to work. He knew they’d be happy. He knew they’d make wonderful parents. They just had to get past this hurdle.
“Um… Excuse me, Kankuro, but Gaara has never asked me to marry him. Don’t you think you’re getting the cart in front of the horse?” She was more nervous now. He hadn’t proposed, and she didn’t know if he would. Moreover, would she accept? Did she want a shotgun wedding? Would it be wise to marry while she was pregnant?
Kankuro sighed. Damn his job was tough today. “Let’s play a little game, Sakura. It will help us pass the time, okay?”
“Alright.” She agreed.
“Let’s pretend you didn’t take a pregnancy test today. While we’re at it, let’s pretend your birth control pills were real and you are not even pregnant. Just for a moment, okay?”
“Mmmm. That’s a bit hard, but okay. We’re pretending and that was yesterday, so oaky… I’m with you.” She replied somewhat hesitantly.
Kankuro continued the hypothetical. “Suppose, under those exact same circumstances of yesterday, suppose Gaara asked you to marry him. What would you say?”
She didn’t think twice, “Yes. I would’ve said yes. But isn’t that irrelevant?”
Kankuro rubbed her arm, trying to warm her as he shivered himself, “Totally relevant! Because it means this is not a shotgun wedding. You’d have gotten married anyway. The truth is, both of you have been putting off even talking about marriage because its awkward and you haven’t needed to. Given his choice, Gaara would wait until you were on the verge of completing your mission just out of fear that you might say no.”
Sakura thought about it. It was possible, likely even, that Kankuro was correct. She certainly wouldn’t have raised the topic until then herself. “How do you know this?”
Kankuro smiled. “He’s my brother. I’ve known him his entire life. Of all people, you know how close our bond is.”
“Thank you Kankuro.” The petite woman smiled up at him.
Kankuro smiled back. “My pleasure to be at your service, miss.” That smile of hers was both heartwarming and gut wrenching. He felt way too much for this woman destined to be his brother’s wife. Hell, she was already the mother of his child. They desperately needed to push up the wedding plans. But no, Gaara was being the jerk only he could be.
They were both shivering by the time they reached the house. The warmth of the kitchen drew them like a magnet. Jiro was surprised to see Kankuro with Sakura and even more surprised they were so cold.
“We got caught outside the gates at sunset. It took us a bit longer to get back than we expected.” Kankuro explained without too much detail.
Jiro eyed the medic nin skeptically, “And someone who was expected at dinner, hasn’t eaten but has been shedding tears. Oh, Sakura, sweetie, what could make a beautiful girl like you cry?” The older man wrapped the small woman in a big hug. This just sent Sakura into another round of tears.
Kankuro stepped in, “A bit of a … uh… disagreement with Gaara.” Sakura nodded as her tears ran down the plump cook’s apron.
“Ah… A lover’s quarrel then? Oh cheer up, Sakura sweetie, let me get you some tea and … ah yes! I saved you some tiramisu from dinner tonight. You’ll love it.” He reached around her to pull a plate of the delightful sweet from a higher shelf.
The coffee smell hit her like a truck. Sakura quickly released the cook, then ran down the hall to the bathroom, where she promptly vomited.
Jiro turned to the kazekage’s brother, “So, when did she find out she’s pregnant?”
Kankuro jumped in surprise, “What do you mean?”
Jiro just continued, “Don’t act so surprised. It’s obvious. Crying at the drop of a hat. The smell of a desert she’d have loved last week sends her to vomit. Lover’s quarrel. You bringing her in out of the cold and not him. That’s a recipe for a pregnant girl, right there.”
Kankuro nodded in defeat. Nothing got past the cook. Fortunately, the man was as loyal as any he’d ever met.
“So, when’s the wedding?” The cook asked nonchalantly.
Kankuro sighed again. “That’s another problem. Gaara is being an idiot. He hasn’t proposed. He… didn’t take the news well.”
Jiro arched an eyebrow. “I see… well, I’m sure it will all work out. You’d best be laying the groundwork with all them councilmen.”
Kankuro concurred, “You know it.”
Sakura made it back from the bathroom looking pale, but otherwise fine. “Sorry, must’ve been a delayed reaction to being cold so long.”
Jiro just smiled. He knew better than to talk to a pregnant girl about her pregnancy. “I know just the thing for a rattled stomach.”
Before she could blink, Sakura was sipping a cup of peppermint tea and nibbling on some cinnamon toast. “Thank you, Jiro. This hits the spot. You are a magician, I swear.”
“It’s no trouble at all, sweetie. Anything you need, you just ask.”
Kankuro stood, “Sakura, I want to let Gaara know I’m back. Should I come back here for you?”
That he’d also know Sakura was back was implied. The question was, did she still want to talk. “No, that’s all right, Kankuro. It’s very late. I’ll just go to bed in a bit here.”
“Goodnight then, Sakura. We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Kankuro. And thank you again. You’ve been quite helpful.” She returned to her tea and toast as the tall shinobi left the kitchen.
…
The knock at Gaara’s door was too loud to be his usual tea time companion. “Enter.” Kankuro came through the door.
“She’s back in the house. Currently warming up with a cup of tea in the kitchen. Jiro knows, by the way. Nothing gets past that man.”
“Why the hell did you tell Jiro?” Gaara was getting worked up awfully easy tonight.
Kankuro took a deep breath. “I didn’t tell him, he deduced it. Look, we came in halfway hypothermic. Another hour out there… well, you know. She’d obviously been crying and she vomited at the smell of tiramisu. Plus, I was with her and not you. Anyway, she and your unborn child are back safe and sound. Gaara, you should go and talk with her. She’s tired and she needs you.”
“She doesn’t need me. And you and Jiro have talked with her. And I…” Gaara reached up and rubbed his left temple.
“You have another headache? Already?” Kankuro looked at his brother with new concern.
Gaara brushed him off. “It’s just stress. This is all… stressful. I’m not ready to be a father. What if I’m like him?”
Kankuro understood. Their father had been harsh with all his children, and Gaara got a double portion and then some. Their own father had even tried to murder Gaara several times. “You won’t be like him. None of us will be like him. We swore. Look, I get that it’s stressful, but this is your second headache today and you fainted. I’ll go get Sakura.”
Gaara grabbed his brother’s arm. “No! Please. I don’t want her to see me this way. She’ll think I’m weak.”
Kankuro gave his brother a hug. They didn’t share physical affection much, but tonight was so far from normal, he felt the younger man needed a little extra love. “Gaara, you know Sakura would never think you are weak. Please, let me get her.”
The kazekage nodded as he sat down in an oversized chair, still rubbing his temple.
…
Sakura was still in the kitchen.
Jiro smiled broadly, “She’s doing well, Kankuro. On her fourth piece of toast.”
Sakura just nodded, “I feel like such a pig, but this tastes so good, Jiro.” Then she saw Kankuro’s face. She dropped her toast to the plate. “What’s wrong?”
“He has another headache. A bad one.”
Sakura jumped down from the counter side stool and headed straight to Gaara’s room. Kankuro had to run to keep up. She didn’t bother to knock on the door but went straight to him. Assessing him even as she came to his side. She knelt next to him, brushing a stray lock of red hair from his face as she looked into his turquoise eyes. He greeted her with uneven pupils, “Sakura, dear, it’s not that bad. It’s only a headache.”
Sakura simply smiled wanly, “How about if I be the medic and you be the kazekage, okay?”
He looked back at her with his own bittersweet smile, “That’s a good idea. Much less confusing.”
Her chakra covered hands searched once again for the source of the problem in vain. Sighing, she did the only thing she knew to do for the moment, infused his brain with enough chakra to alleviate the pressure and the pain. His eyes returned to normal and his fuzzy thinking seemed to clear as well.
He took her hand in his. “Sakura. I love you. I’ve been an idiot tonight. Please forgive me.” He knew they were all tired, but he couldn’t let her go to sleep without at least asking.
Sakura smiled, holding back a tear in her eyes. “Of course I forgive you, Gaara. I love you too. That’s what love does.” She kissed him softly on the lips. “Darling, please excuse Kankuro and I for one moment. I promise I’ll be right back.”
Gaara raised an eyebrow, “You want to talk to Kankuro?”
Sakura held up her hand, “two minutes tops. I promise.” She dragged a stunned and emotionally weary shinobi into the hall and punched him in the shoulder hard enough to bruise.
“Ow! That hurt!” the taller man was awake now.
“Why the hell hasn’t he been in for an evaluation?!?” Sakura spoke through clenched teeth.
Kankuro rubbed his shoulder. “He has an appointment next week. It was the next available for a non-emergency evaluation, and you know Gaara, he wouldn’t pull any strings for himself.”
Sakura poked him in the sore spot on his shoulder. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I can’t find the problem with chakra, so he needs. A. Scan.” She poked him again with her last words.
“Ow!!! Sakura that really does hurt!” he pried her poking finger off his shoulder and held it for good measure. “Okay, so he needs a scan and he’ll be there next week, alright?”
Sakura ran her palm over her face. “I don’t feel like I’m communicating well with you. Gaara nearly had a stroke just now. His blood pressure was sky high and his pupils were uneven. He’s fine for the moment, but next week is out of the question. I’d say we go this minute except all of us are currently exhausted and doctor asshole is running the ER tonight.”
Kankuro smirked, “doctor asshole? Wait. Did you just say stroke? Gaara could have a stroke?!?!” His attitude changed as he realized what she’d said.
“Yes. Now you know why I smacked you. This could be serious. Since I can’t find the problem with chakra, there are two likely possibilities. One is much better than the other, but in any case, he needs a proper diagnosis and treatment quickly. I’m sure the stress of all … this… has made today worse. I need your help here and you have to know what’s going on.”
Kankuro nodded. “Yeah, he’s not going to like this. Okay then first thing in the morning he goes to the hospital even if I have to drag him by his bright red hair.”
“Good.” The pinkette nodded and dragged Kankuro back into the bedroom.
“Goodnight Kankuro, we’ll see you tomorrow.” The plucky medic nin made a quick clone to accompany him.
“Goodnight Sakura, Gaara.” The puppet master slipped out before Gaara could start asking questions.
Gaara looked at the woman he loved. She was so beautiful and such a bundle of odd contradictions. How was it even possible for her to be so sharp witted as to have figured out Temari’s plan (albeit too late to avoid the checkmate, it seemed) and in the same hour so emotional and short sighted that she ran straight into the dangers of the winter desert? And in the same night, she healed him and punched Kankuro (he didn’t hear everything, but his brother’s yelps were loud), cried bitterly and forgave him like it was nothing. He could easily be with her every day for the rest of his life and not understand all her mysteries. “So, when should we get married, my dear?”
Sakura smiled as she sat on he kazekage’s lap, kissing him lightly on the cheek. “Oh, I’m flexible. We should probably let Kankuro work out all the details and plans and just show up when he tells us to.”
“Woman, I love you.” He kissed her passionately, their lips saying what words lacked.
Finally, they broke the kiss and sat looking in each other’s eyes. “I’m exhausted Gaara. Can we sleep now?”
Saying nothing, the sand shinobi simply carried her to his bed. She threw off her clothes as he tossed her one of his t-shirts to sleep in as he changed into his own pajama pants. As they climbed under the covers, Gaara paused, lowering his head to her abdomen. “Hello little one. I can’t wait to meet you. I’m your father, and I love you very much.” Then he kissed her forehead and held her close as they drifted off to sleep.
- 17
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- 19
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Shogi Anyone?