Gaara'sGoddess

.x.

The cloud from the explosion had a distinctly mushroom look to it. Sakura grimaced as two bodies flew through the air, crashing into the ground. Every day they came to this training ground and Gaara and Naruto would beat each other to a pulp. One had the perfect defence (apparently) and the other enough stamina to rage for days. They didn’t look to be stopping any time soon either.

And every day, Sakura would hover around like a mother hen, waiting and worrying about what they were doing to each other. It used to be Naruto and Sasuke back when Team 7 was still a thing but Sasuke had moved on to ANBU and was now preparing for his Uchiha wife-to-be.

Sakura still sighed heavily and wistfully remembering the day he told them in that monotone voice of his that he was getting married to some distant cousin. Naruto told him his clan was “gay and weird” for that and the two had barely spoken since.

Sasuke didn’t have a sense of humour about his family and Naruto had no tact.

A loud war cry broke Sakura’s thoughts and she looked back over the destroyed training field. They were still at it. The mushroom cloud turned to dust and disappeared. But a moment later, it reappeared - this time the colour of chakra.

Naruto had something to prove to the outsider who dared to say that Konoha ninja were children. Gaara had something to prove to the orange clad idiot who retorted that all sand ninja were weak compared to the leaf.

Sakura just hoped they didn’t end up killing each other and causing an inter-village incident. So here she was, loyally waiting for them to finish and not be able to move anymore before heading in to heal them. She always decided who to heal first based on who was being the least rude. It was often a close call.

This had been going on for three weeks leading up to the new Chunin Exams and neither were backing down. And every time she healed him, Sakura developed a new appreciation for Gaara of the Sand. To stand toe to toe with Naruto and sometimes even outlast him was no small feet. Naruto had more power but Gaara had better control and (seemingly) more jutsu up his sleeve.

And his heavy breathing when she healed him was almost too distracting for her to concentrate on her chakra. It was lucky she had perfect control or she’d not be able to heal him. He watched her, too, when he wasn’t too exhausted to. In her peripherals, Gaara’s sweaty, flushed and intense face zeroed in on her calm and focused expression.

Sakura rushed forward when the two landed, a moment of hesitation sending her in Naruto’s direction first. It was a quick heal but he whined the whole time, under his breath, so quietly that she doubted Gaara heard him. Then she moved to Gaara and struggled to push down her blush when his head turned in her direction and his eyes moved to her face. The first time she healed him he was confused why she bothered but she never wavered.

By now he was used to it but still flinched whenever her bare fingers brushed against his bare skin. He could get punched over and over in a fight but the gentle touch of healing hands still unsettled him, she supposed. She had no idea why.

Naruto had a smug grin on his face as he wandered over to them, not noticing how Sakura was trying so hard not to stare back at Gaara, her fingers only trembling slightly every now and then.

And Gaara couldn’t stop the light groan that exited his mouth as Sakura’s hands accidentally brushed his skin at the distraction.

“Don’t be a baby.”

Sakura gave Naruto an irritated look and he obediently shut up.

They all waited in silence but she was having trouble focusing, again. Gaara flinched again and Sakura hesitated. Her chakra flickered and she forced herself to channel it back into her hands and focus on healing the redhead.

Sakura held her hand to his bare skin and tried to focus on healing him and not how surprised she was that Gaara had a six pack. It really was unfair.

.x.

A few months passed and Sakura was beginning to think that she’d imagined that blush on Gaara’s face when her fingers brushed along his skin. She hadn’t seen him much during the exams because he had come to Konoha to help officiate it - they were both Jounin so allowed to. If she’d known she would start to become infatuated with him she’d have signed up for that as well.

So she sat in the audience as the genin fought to impress the judges but she wasn’t watching the battles. Not really. She watched the redhead who’d been pressured into sharing the proctor duties with Naruto. She watched as they gave each other barely concealed glares - but Naruto’s was more obvious; so much so that the Hokage told him to bugger off and let Gaara do it all. Which only aggravated Gaara even more.

It was entertaining to everyone.

Sakura could have sworn that Gaara looked up at her when Naruto yelled at her from the ground to remind him to pummel the redhead later. The glance was so fast she believed she imagined it. But she was surprisingly excited either way. It meant that they were going to fight, giving her the excuse to touch the redhead again. To heal him of course.

She couldn’t wait.

But a few hours later when she went looking for them at the training ground to “accidentally” find them trying to kill each other, Sakura couldn’t find them anywhere. She figured they went to a different training ground so made the rounds between them. Nothing.

Another few hours later she gave up and decided to listen to her stomach. It was close to sunset and she was getting hungry. She stopped suddenly, spotting the familiar blond and red heads standing outside Ichiraku Ramen. They were talking animatedly; Naruto waving his hands around and Gaara’s arms crossed as he tapped his foot on the ground.

Then they made to move away from the shop and she kept watching but Gaara didn’t look in her direction. Something was different.

They weren’t fighting. They started laughing. And heading off toward other shops instead of fighting each other. They weren’t angry. And she wasn’t needed after all.

They were finally getting on?

.x.

Another month passed. Sakura was pining and she didn’t like it. After years of following Sasuke around amounted to nothing and she promised herself she’d never pine for guys again. It was their turn to pine for her! But she missed Gaara. She missed healing him after he and Naruto were done pummeling each other. The two were getting along and she didn’t like it.

She didn’t like that she didn’t like it. It was a good thing for inter-village relations. But Sakura was so useless when it came to guys that she didn’t know any other excuse to get close to Gaara without him knowing she liked him.

She was almost eighteen and she’d never been kissed or been out with anyone other than Ino and that didn’t count because they did it to make Sai drool, and Ino wanted his attention.

It was time to end her abysmal failure love life.

.x.

Sakura was digging through Tsunade’s files looking for missions to Suna. She knew she’d lost the plot. She was desperate. It had been several months since she last saw him and she was going crazy and it was getting painful. No matter what Gaara said when she told him she had to tell him how she felt. Pining for him was unhealthy for her.

Her inner won the fight and she was keeping her promise to herself.

“S Rank, land of lightning.” She mumbled and tossed the file back into its folder. Ten minutes later she found an A Rank for Suna but the people Tsunade had circled for the mission were Neji, Tenten and Naruto. She frowned, reading over the details. It sounded like it could use a medic and she wondered why the Gondaime hadn’t included one.

“Sneaking around I see.”

Startled, Sakura stood up so fast she knocked all the files onto the floor. “Lady Tsunade! You were supposed to be at a meeting.”

“It ended early.” Tsunade pointed at the pile and Sakura obediently bent to fix them up. “What’s this about?”

“I..I just wanted to ask for a mission,” she stuttered.

“Uh-huh.” Tsunade grabbed the files from her. “Suna?”

Sakura blushed. Did she know? She nodded.

“Figures.” Tsunade huffed. “The brat goes and makes friends with the Kazekage’s kid and you’re pining after him.”

Sakura lowered her eyes to the floor.

“Don’t be embarrassed, girl. I’ll add you to the team. Was thinking you might be good for it anyway. They could use a medic.”

Sakura nodded and looked up into the warm smile of her mentor.

Tsunade used the file to slap Sakura on the butt. “Go get him, kiddo!”

.x.

”Yes!” Naruto fist pumped the air as Tenten rolled her eyes and Neji mentally groaned. He was excited that Sakura was joining them.

They met at the front gate of Konoha and started moving out immediately.

“Thank goodness you’re coming,” Tenten said. “I didn’t much fancy being the mediator between Neji and Naruto.”

Sakura understood. But the three days they spent travelling to Suna all she could think of the seafoam eyes that were waiting for her. The nights spent in the tent she was sharing with Tenten and ignoring the arguments coming from the boys, her mind was elsewhere. Her bunkmate noticed but kindly didn’t mention it.

As they approached the walls of Suna, Sakura was so nervous she had to rub her sweaty palms on her clothes. He was waiting for them at the gates, alongside his brother and sister. The Kazekage was nowhere to be seen even though it was typical for him to greet allies.

But Gaara was a welcomed sight; his eyes widened slightly as they landed on Sakura. And a genuine smile was elicited from him. She was happy to see that he was happy to see her.

.x.

After they were given their duties and Sakura discovered this mission was just a cover as it turned out the Kazekage was retiring and Gaara had been named to replace his father.

They were here to get things ready for Tsunade’s official arrival. It all sounded so pompous and unnecessary but that was the nature of politics and inter-village relations.

Sakura worked tirelessly to help and wondered now what a medic could possibly be needed for, on this job. But she didn’t regret coming. At the end of the three days it took for them to set everything up, Gaara came to her and she returned his smiled.

“Naruto and I are going to spar and we could use a medic.”

She grinned. “Okay, let me just grab my pack.”

Whether he was doing this for himself or her she didn’t know. He gave her a knowing look as they walked together to a training ground he’d already arranged for the fight.

He didn’t flinch when she accidentally brushed his fingers, taking a water bottle from him as he got ready to stretch and prepare. In fact, his breath hitched and the blush was back on his cheeks.

She felt suddenly very confident and stepped over to him, kissing his cheek softly. His eyes widened and she blushed.

“For good luck.”

He nodded absently and moved to engage Naruto. Neji and Tenten were also nearby, taking the opportunity to sit in the shade and watch.

Several hours later Gaara and Naruto were both exhausted but neither needed any serious healing. Sakura still placed a hand on Gaara’s skin and healed his minor scratches.

“I like you,” she blurted and they both blushed. “I… wanted to tell you.”

He cleared his throat. “I like you too.”

She nodded, licking her lips and finishing her healing, then dropped her hands by her side as he continued to watch her. He had a thing for watching her.

“So.. uh. What now?”

“Now, I do what I’ve been wanting to do for months.”

Gaara licked his lips and then lowered his mouth to hers. She didn’t mind that he bit her bottom lip. Nor that his fingers found the hem of her clothes and started tugging absentmindedly. They were moving a bit fast but she had time to stop him and would do so if he pissed her off too much.

They kept kissing and kept touching each other even as Naruto’s voice rang nearby; the alarm he was sounding going unnoticed by the newly found lovers. Tenten attempted to shut him up, with Neji’s help, to leave Sakura and Gaara alone.

What was coming next wasn’t for them to see.

Sakura felt Gaara’s sand whipping up and teleporting them. She knew what was coming and though this was indeed fast, she didn’t care, for now.

For now she didn’t want to stop touching him. Or being touched.

Her parentage was never in question. Sakura was the fifteenth daughter born to the Emperor of Japan. She was the only daughter of a noblewoman who had been sold to the Emperor when her father couldn’t pay his debt. A woman who had failed to produce any more offspring since.

It was a fact. That was who she was. Who she was told never to forget.

And so she believed for eighteen years of being prepped for a marriage to some unknown man, whichever suitor her father decided brought him the most money or power. She learned her kanji, her cursive, her history, her airs and pomp, and her manners. Anything that would be needed to attract a high placed family to want to welcome her into theirs, was taught to her.

She said “yes” to a stranger. To a man she would spend her life with. A man that refused to meet her until then. But she would do her duty. She would wait for him.

In the meantime, her father saw fit to send her to the allied camps to learn to heal. To learn to take care of people. She already knew how to serve her future husband and what to expect when she moved to his land to begin her new life. For now her present was spent tending to the injuries of soldiers who fought and died to keep her father’s control of this land in his own hands. She got a taste of what life was supposed to be about.

With war and death rampant in the country, the shoguns fought over who had dominion where and who deserved to. The Emperor was just a figure head but he was an important one. He spent his days in meetings and adding this pomp and stature in the eyes of the lowly, commoners, and his nights whoring - with whores and wives. Sakura had so many siblings she didn’t think it meant anything who she was, really. Or him. The father who didn’t care about appearances.

And who had no control over what was coming.

.x.

He was the son of a whore. The devil didn’t care about gender. His father was a whore. It didn’t matter that he carried the title of shogun. It didn’t matter that he was well respected. It only mattered that the man deserved to die.

Gaara caught him fucking the servant girls on a weekly basis and a noblewoman’s daughter - or two - every other week. Rasa didn’t bother to hide it anymore. His wife was expected to not care. But his children hated him for it.

Gaara grew up respecting this man; he wanted to be just like him and signed up to become a samurai, as his father had done in his youth, without a second thought. He wanted to get married once he turned eighteen, like his father did, and carry on the tradition of moving into politics and teaching everything he’d learnt to his children. He wanted to matter.

But on the eve of his sixteenth birthday he’d had enough. Gaara packed his bags and enlisted with the regular army and didn’t look back. His father didn’t bother trying to stop him but said he had to return to marry some rich man’s wife in two years.

Not happening.

He never bothered to ask what the girl’s name was. Nor to attend the meetings that had been organised between them. He should get to know her, his mother said, and he almost yelled back “like father is getting to know the servants?”. Almost. She was to be pitied and he did. His father was a whore and a cunt.

But he couldn’t bare to watch her suffer Rasa’s indiscretions. So he left and didn’t look back. His siblings went their own way too, also disgusted.

That was a decision he’d never regretted. Until the day he met the blacksmith’s daughter and decided fate was indeed a fickle bitch.

.x.

Sakura wiped her forehead with the back of her hand before standing and stretching. The last group of soldiers had been hit by enemy arrows in a final attempt to rule the battlefield and were full of holes for their troubles. She’d been on her feet all night.

After years of tutelage, she was almost ready to be allowed to return home. She enjoyed healing people and was not looking forward to returning to the noble court. Her mother’s latest letter had her afraid of what awaited her. She wasn’t ill but talked as though her days were numbered. It made her want to rush to her side but it also left her fearful for her own well being.

Mebuki spoke of assassination attempts and having betrayed her Emperor. That she was going to hell for what she’d done. The raving comments also told Sakura that she was in danger.

‘Don’t come here.’ She wrote. But it made no sense.

“Lady Sakura?”

She started before smiling at her newest patient. Sakura smiled widely at him. “Lord Kankuro, you need to rest.”

He scoffed, failing to sit up in his cot. “I’m fine.”

“Your arm was infected and you’ve been unconscious for days,“ she said, fussing over his bandages.

“You sound like my mother,” he mummbled. And she tutted at him. “Are you busy after this?”

“Huh?” She frowned at him, confused.

“Uh,” he rubbed the back of his head. “I’m not coming onto you, I promise. It’s just, I asked out a cute nurse and she turned me down but if she thought it was a group thing… never mind forget I asked.”

Sakura glanced at the nurse in question when Kankuro looked over at her. She was one of the new recruits who barely knew anything about medicine. Called Matsuri, or something. Sakura also knew that Matsuri was crushing on some other soldier who apparently refused to give her the time of day and had transferred out of this med-tent when the brunette girl wouldn’t stop following him around. Kankuro might be just what she needed, since the rejection from the other soldier had affected her performance in surgery.

Sakura sighed. “I’ll get her in the mess tent and you can bump into us.”

“Thanks, Saku-chan.” He grinned.

She shook her head. “And don’t call me that.”

“Okay, Saks.”

She poked him.

“Okay, okay.”

.x.

Gaara left the tent for two reasons. One: that Matsuri chick was getting on his nerves. Two: the flush of embarrassment he felt when he spotted his brother. He was talking to some pink haired physician and the brothers had not spoken for years. He knew Kankuro had enlisted but didn’t give it much thought, since he kept to himself and took on the more dangerous missions. And he remembered his brother as hating conflict. But so much seemed to have changed.

Pink hair.

Something stirred in his memory but he brushed it aside.

“We’re heading out.” Baki, his commanding officer, hollered at him.

Gaara took a last look at the laughing man he’d once called brother (his eyes drifting over the pretty physician) before following Baki. The redhead had risen in the ranks so fast because of his power and prowess that even the General had stood to attention. The strange man that had connections to nobles and warriors alike.

The Emperor’s favoured mass killer.

.x.

A month of blood stuck to his skin. Gaara didn’t wash except to trek through streams. He smelled like the country side. It made for decent cover as he slinked into the shadows and pounced from bushes and hovels to kill his targets.

He’d become an assassin. After Baki’s death and word spreading of the decimation of his entire platoon, he was reassigned to the darker, specialised killers. He wasn’t a ninja. He wasn’t one of them. But he drew as much blood as they did. He killed like he’d been born to it. Gone were the concerns over the brother and sister he’d left behind. The mother who had passed to illness in the last winter.

Six months ago he’d avoided Kankuro in a medical tent and now he stood, face-to-face with the man, unable to hide his true intentions. He’d been sent here to assist with a platoon that was trying to take out a rival shogun’s family. They needed this family dead. They needed someone who could disappear into the shoin-zukuri in shadow and slit those throats without raising any alarms.

His father needed to appear to have clean hands in their deaths.

Times were changing and the old man was losing control. These enemies needed to die. And so they did. Gaara emerged from their home, covered in blood. He faced down his brother - the man who greeted him and thanked him for his service as though they hadn’t once occupied the same womb.

Gaara’s grip on his sword was tenuous even as he gripped it tighter. How he wanted to just charge the stranger in front of him. To show him who it was that deserved to be in the light and put the dark behind him. But then a mousy girl came out of the tent behind Kankuro.

His wife.

Matsuri had given into him after all. And her belly was full of his brother’s child. She watched on at the silent exchange as though she had never followed Gaara around hoping to be the one to carry his children.

Who cares?

But it made him wonder if someone could. If the monster he’d become could have that. So his hand slacked and he lowered his weapon. This was not worth the aching in his heart. It was time to choose his fate and he refused to die here.

Gaara turned and fled back to the dark. Back into the pain of his life.

.x.

Her return home had not been the horror story Sakura had feared. Though she wished she’d not returned at all. She’d stood at the walls and contemplated fleeing her future. The man who’d been her betrothed had been killed in battle, she said. He was a stain on the memory of her family, so she was to pretend he’d never existed.

But she’d also heard rumours he’d simply defected. A runaway and potentially a traitor. The son rose high and she’d been falling from herself so far. Sakura could not climb the wall in front of her. So she let the guards usher her inside. To see her mother’s corpse. The accident had been tragic they said. The poor woman died so suddenly they claimed. How sad.

Sakura did not spend much time in the presence of the body but even she had seen how only poison could make those pink lips turn so blood red. But what was she to do? She questioned the mortician. She asked to see the autopsy report. But nothing came of it. At last, her father sent an official to inform her she was being sent out again.

Where you’ll cause less fuss.

And this was how she descended into infamy.

.x.

Sakura did not correspond with Kankuro and Matsuri after that first time they’d spent together. She helped him woo the girl and got out of there. Apparently, the man the brunette had liked was determined to ignore her and had gained a reputation for being blood thirsty, which was unbecoming of his noble status. No good was going to come of it.

She wasn’t even invited to the wedding.

But she didn’t care. Sakura returned to the medical tents and threw herself into the work. But she knew she couldn’t keep this up for long. Soldiers would give her strange looks. Shogun under her knife would not call her Lady anymore when she visited them in recovery. And every night she sensed the hidden follower when she returned to her tent. Someone had decided she was trouble. What she could have done, other than question the healers back home, she didn’t know.

But time was getting short as she started to get called into the med tent less and less. She was not as needed as before. She was getting a bad feeling. Rumours of how the war was turning away from her Shogun had her worried. Perhaps the children of the Emperor were being watched more closely? But nobody here should know who she was. She was just supposed to be another noble, not royalty.

Her surgery talents were being wasted.

After overhearing her superior talking to a soldier about transferring her to the front line to get rid of her, Sakura had had enough. She decided to take things into her own hands.

.x.

He followed the girl as she began packing and making her excuses to the soldiers that she was going for a run to get rid of hospital scrubs. He watched as she stole a horse and rode away as though the devil were on her tail. He was tempted to follow. So desperately so, that Gaara didn’t bother questioning that urge. He took his horse and rode into the darkness of the night that surrounded the camp.

Pink hair.

She was the same healer who had helped his brother. The one who’d given Kankuro his happy ending with Matsuri. It had to mean something that he’d been assigned to watch her, and kill her if she tried to flee.

.x.

They did not get far. Sakura and the horse she’d dubbed Shugo. A dark brown pedigree that she’d pushed to its limits in the span of the night. The devil was on her tail. But a day had passed and already she had to sell it for supplies. She needed to go incognito and figure out her next move. Sakura had no idea how to live as a peasant but she’d dealt with harsh circumstances before. Living as a physician in the middle of a war was not the lap of luxury of her former home of course.

And still she felt the weight of eyes on her like that shadow from the camp would not leave her alone. Something or someone was following her and she needed to get out of the open. Dyeing her hair and offering her services as a weaver seemed the sensible thing to do. Nobody noticed the dark haired girl walking among a crowd of similarly dark haired girls.

A month later she was still being hounded by the darkness of her shadow and no amount of companionship from those she met and dallied with could throw off her feeling of being hunted. But the hunter did nothing. And she was letting everything go.

One day, her lowered guard would be the best of her.

.x.

He enjoyed watching her. She was his target but her desire to run from the same life he abhorred kept his knife in its sheathe. It kept his eyes feasting on her flesh instead of tearing into it with a weapon that he still wanted to use.

Gaara did not need to kill to survive. He was beginning to realise that. So he decided to take her lead and ingratiate himself into this new world. He found a dwelling and scrubbed the smell of the land from his body. It seemed to take months to finally be free of the blood. But nobody knew how much was still on him more than he did. It would be there forever.

But he finally looked like he belonged the day he purposefully, accidentally ran into her, knocking her groceries to the ground.

This was how the woman came to know him. She had been going by the name Amaya but introduced herself as Sakura the moment he asked. They both looked surprised at this and she realised who he was the moment he smirked, his canines almost looking like they were dripping in blood.

Her heart beat raced. Her palms were sweaty. Her eyes were wide.

But all he did was bow to her and offer his help in picking up her dropped supplies. All he did was ask her to allow him to pay for her dinner. All he did was touch her softly, carefully, to make sure she knew what he wanted from her.

And Sakura had no idea why she gave it to him. Waves of blinding light and rocking motions and crashing against each other; humming and moaning and joining and she was his. They came together in so many perfect ways. She didn’t question why her shadow decided to love her instead of kill her. She was lost to the pleasure and the touches that gave her reason to let go.

To just let go.

.x.

News of her father’s death and his father’s brutal murder did nothing to stir them.

Sakura just smiled as the local gossip spread the news and the official reports came in. As though she were just another citizen. A dark haired girl who used to be pink.

Gaara helped her to her feet and they wandered out of the temple where they’d finally made their life official. Nothing else mattered. Their pasts were fake and they had their eyes on the future, instead.

That’s how he became just some random farmer travelling into the area with his pregnant wife. And that’s how she became the Blacksmith’s Daughter travelling into the new area, pregnant and looking to start a fresh life with her new husband.

“Mind if we join the party, brother?”

Sakura stopped her glaring contest with Ino and gaped. His brother? She tried to find the family resemblance but couldn’t. While Kankuro was cute, Gaara was - definitely - gorgeous. The facial structure was different too and she thought maybe one of them took after each parent. It would be funny if Gaara looked like his mother because his features were softer than his brother’s.

She smiled to herself.

Sakura hadn’t noticed the picnic basket in Kankuro’s hand until then. He didn’t wait for permission before setting up his own blanket and gentlemanly helping Ino to sit down on it. They positioned themselves so they were sitting only four feet from Gaara and Sakura.

The blonde smirked at Sakura as though daring her to complain.

Ino will never change.

“Not at all,” Gaara said, his eyes narrowing.

Ino helped Kankuro lay out their food. They had grapes and sandwiches and a pitcher of what Sakura assumed was juice. The blonde looked self satisfied as she fed some grapes to her lover and glanced at Sakura as though goading her.

It’s so on.

Sakura plucked an Onigiri from their own basket and held it out to Gaara. His eyebrows rose and she motioned for him to open up. She felt the tension from a moment ago drift away as he opened his mouth and let her hand feed him. The hungry look from before returning.

Ino snickered at her but both girls kept it up. At least until Kankuro got thirsty for juice and poured a cup for himself and Ino, breaking the silent competition. Sakura decided she’d won and licked her fingers where the Onigiri had made a mess, not noting the darkening of Gaara’s eyes as she did so.

“So Sakura,” Kankuro said around his food a moment later and Ino rolled her eyes and shifted a few inches away from him, ignoring him as she started picking out the food he’d brought. “Tell us about yourself, love.”

Gaara was still glowering at his brother but Sakura noticed he was interested in this question. He sat there, his hands clenching the picnic blanket now watching her curiously. She’d told him a few things but they hadn’t talked too much, she remembered with a blush. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her most of the time and his libido (and hers too) often put an end to any kind of other bonding. Especially since she gave in knowing this was just supposed to be about the sex.

She cleared her throat as Ino didn’t try to intervene. “I.. uh. I’m pretty boring.”

“Nonsense!” Kankuro proclaimed. “What’s your favourite hobby? Other than fucking my brother of course,” he said with a smirk.

Sakura fiddled with her fingers. “Well I love reading. I’ve built a large library in my room back home. For my area anyway. It’s harder to get books into rural areas than the city.”

“You got a smart chick on your hands Gaara.”

Gaara just nodded his head. The gears were turning in his head, Sakura could tell.

“Sakura loves trivia,” Ino said suddenly. She looked up and winked. “Me though, I love shopping. Not that there’s too much to buy in Konoha.”

“You don’t shop for objects, Ino-pig,” Sakura said. “You shop for boys.”

Kankuro threw his head back and laughed as Ino screwed up her face. Even Gaara had a soft smile on his face.

“I’ll have you know they come to me, forehead not the other way around.” Ino huffed.

“What else do you like, Sakura?”

She turned to face Gaara, startled as his hand found her thigh, but then returned his smile. He started running his thumb over her leg in gentle motions.

“I... uh, don’t collect boys.” Kankuro giggled at that but Sakura continued. “I work at the local trauma center on most weekends. It’s not a big hospital or anything and most days it’s just about learning rather than doing...” She blushed at revealing this to total strangers.

“She’s going to be a doctor in the big city,” Ino said, proud of her.

“And you, Ino?” Gaara asked, suddenly feeling magnanimous.

“She just wants to marry a rich guy.” Sakura stuck her tongue out at her best friend as she threw a grape at the pinkette.

Kankuro leant in to whisper in Ino’s ear making her blush. “I...” She stammered. “I want to own a flower shop. Like my mum, but not my mum’s.”

As Kankuro continued to whisper sweet nothings in Ino’s ear, Gaara leant to Sakura and whispered, “we’re playing Doctor later.”

She turned bright red, picking up another Onigiri and shifting into a more comfortable position as Gaara looked at her expectantly. He made a show of sucking on the rice ball as he took the last bite of it from her hand, in his mouth. She couldn’t help but stare at his lips and lick her own lips.

When he finished the mouthful, he pulled her to him and kissed her. She responded eagerly. She was about to ask him about his own life goals.

Oh whatever.

It could wait.

Sakura vaguely heard herself moaning without caring. His hands were wandering so she returned the favour and rubbed her hands over his chest, grazing his nipple. His right arm rubbed her back and shoulder as he leant into her as she shifted to sit on his lap. Gaara’s left hand was rubbing at her breast and she made a cute high pitch noise which just made him smirk into her mouth.

They did not see their audience. Gaara’s right hand wandered down to the front of her shorts. His shorts. They were too slim for his own hips. The shorts weren’t his but he felt a primal pull to his gut knowing she was wearing the clothes he’d chosen (from a guest house). He bypassed undoing her blouse this time and just went straight for her core, fingering her through the denim material. Her hands were in his hair, messing it up and she ground her pussy against his cock which was slowly coming to life.

Someone nearby cleared their throat and Sakura barely registered it. But she was too caught up to respond. A few moments later and when Gaara had seemed to decide he needed to touch her unimpeded, someone cleared their throat again. Loudly.

GaaSaku broke apart and spun their heads around, startled. They’d forgotten they weren’t alone.

“You two are cute,” Ino said, causing Sakura to flush.

“That... was hot!” Kankuro said.

Ino nodded. “I agree.” She stood up. “Okay, we girls need to go wash up.”

Sakura frowned before understanding. Ino wanted to catch up without the boys around. Sakura nodded her head, quickly kissed Gaara’s lips as he pouted and stood to follow her friend.

Kankuro gave Ino some quick directions to the nearest bathroom said, “don’t get lost, lovelies” and they were off, arm in arm. Two sets of very smitten eyes watching them go.

.x. 

Ino didn’t say anything as they walked but she was grinning at her blushing friend, obviously very proud of her. They found the bathroom easily; Sakura noted they were still in the same wing but this area looked uninhabited. Perhaps usually used for guests? The doors opened inwards and Sakura felt like she was walking into well maintained public toilets.

The bathroom was almost as large as the en suite in Gaara’s bedroom. Sakura loved the smell of it too. It wasn’t the off putting disinfectant smell of a hospital but was just as clean and shiny. There were three toilets - what they needed so many for she didn’t know - and three sinks.

“So...”

Sakura turned around as Ino leant against a wall and crossed her arms.

“You lost it last night right?”

Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend’s frankness. “No, Ino.” She smirked as the blonde frowned. “I was too drunk and instead popped my cherry on Gaara’s bed this morning.”

Ino squealed clapping her hands. “I knew you’d find someone here. Isn’t Suna awesome?!”

Her happiness was contagious and Sakura returned her grin.

“I really do need to wash up, though,” Ino said and ducked into the furthest toilet as Sakura waited for her.

The pinkette turned on one of the taps and cupped the water in her hand before washing her face. The water was cool and refreshing and she was reminded of the quality of the water in Gaara’s shower.

She’d gotten carried away in the gardens, kissing and groping Gaara. His kisses were intoxicating and his fingers always felt so good. Never would she have imagined doing such a thing in front of others. She wasn’t an exhibitionist or a voyeur.

But Kankuro was right - it had been hot.

She washed her face again, trying to calm down her flushed appearance. She still felt so naive and innocent and easy to lead on but somehow Gaara had brought out her wilder side. She blushed at all the things they’d done so far but she didn’t regret it and wanted more and more.

Sakura was running wet hands through her hair in order to tame it (Gaara had mussed it up a bit) when Ino finally emerged and started washing her hands. She whistled for a moment before talking about her own sex exploits with the older brother.

“Kankuro’s cock is about average,” Ino said, ignoring Sakura’s blush. “It’s good though, I think he’s not used to girls wanting to suck him off and it fits real good in my mouth.” She patted her own cheeks and smirked at Sakura. “What about Gaara?”

Sakura nodded.

“Come on, I gotta have more than that.”

Sakura sighed. “I don’t know if he’s average.”

“Of course.” Ino started drying her hands with the paper towels supplied on the wall. “But you’ve sucked him, right?”

Sakura pushed down her embarrassment and nodded again. “Yeah.”

“Come on!”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay fine, he doesn’t quite fit in my whole mouth but that’s probably because I’m not used to it.” She bit her lip as Ino grinned at her, but continued. “I... uh... like it. A lot.”

Ino clapped her hands together. “Yea-heh-hes! Take that Naruto!”

“What?”

Ino just shrugged. “You know him. He’d tell you to wait until marriage or something.”

Sakura didn’t think Naruto was that bad but kept it to herself. This wasn’t about her other blond annoying friend. She loved them both but this decision to come to Suna, though Ino’s idea, was totally Sakura’s. She didn’t want to regret this and she didn’t want to be a blushing virgin anymore than she wanted to be some horny slut.

There was a nice middle - below Ino who wasn’t a slut but had sex way more than anyone that wasn’t. And Sakura wanted that middle.

With Gaara.

There was that traitorous thought again. She sighed.

“We better get back before they think we’ve gone looking for their porn stash,” Ino said.

.x.

Gaara was annoyed with his brother on so many levels.

“Relax, bro.” Kankuro shoved a handful of grapes in his mouth. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your fuckfest.” He ignored the growl Gaara gave him. “But Ino wanted to make sure you weren’t doing wrong by her girl, so here we are.”

Gaara sighed. He could respect that. He pushed down his annoyance and stared after Sakura, wondering how long his idiot brother was going to tag along for. From what he’d figured he only had the weekend with the pinkette and didn’t want to waste a moment. She was definitely something else. Just thinking about her made his dick twitch which was a feat for him. Every inch of her was delectable, he could barely keep his hands to himself, and she tasted so incredibly fucking divine.

Kankuro continued to stuff his face, talking around his food about the blonde friend of Sakura’s. Ino apparently had the tastiest cunt this side of the equator or something. Gaara didn’t respond, not wanting to get into a pissing match with him on whose pussy was best. He just knew Kankuro would do that. After a while, he started to get anxious.

“They’ve been gone awhile.”

Kankuro looked up and checked his watch. “Yeah. Hope they didn’t get turned around. We should probably go looking for them.” He stood up and dusted himself off. “Come on.”

Gaara groaned at his bossiness but followed suit. The last thing he needed was for more time to be wasted because Kankuro’s instructions didn’t lead Sakura to the bathroom. He desperately wanted to just grab her and...

Don’t think like that right now.

If he got a hard on right now he’d never live it down.

Gaara woke quickly after Sakura got bored waiting for him. The cold air hit her and she was going to slide under the covers but she really need to use the bathroom. She really needed to pee. He saw her rush into the room and she felt self-conscious in the bathroom, trying not to make much noise. She’d picked up the bathrobe he had slipped off her before they’d ... done that, and finished up quickly before heading back into the bedroom.

He's still naked.

She blushed heavily, watching him cleaning himself of residue from their activities, her eyes unable to not rake over his body. When her eyes met his she froze and then looked away quickly, ashamed of how embarrassed she was.

“You can look,” he said huskily and Sakura nodded, slowly turning her head to look again.

He’s a smug bastard.

His smirk was almost as brash as his nakedness. He finished cleaning himself and walked to her slowly, so clearly turned on by how she now openly perused his body. She saw his dick twitch and felt a similar stirring in her nether region.

“As much as I’d love to fuck you again,” he cupped her face and kissed her lips softly. “I have a promise to keep.”

She was confused and it showed. “Promise?” She licked her lips wishing he would kiss her again.

Gaara obliged and Sakura wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. His skin felt hot as he attacked her mouth. The gentle nibbling turned into a fight for dominance as they wrestled each other’s tongue, moaning and grinding.

Sakura’s hand slipped down from his waist and ran over his butt brazenly. When he didn’t complain she boldly fingered his muscled six pack before slipping her hand to lightly grasp his dick. He gasped.

“You’re a vixen.” Gaara kissed her fiercely for a few seconds as she pumped him. Then he maneuvered her up against the wall next to his bed. “But two can play at that game.”

He didn’t bother grabbing another condom, slipping his cock between her folds but not inside her. He gripped her hips to stop her from sliding him in and kissed her confusion away, now thrusting but not entering her. Sakura groaned, moving her hips with his as he fucked her thigh gap instead of her pussy.

“God Gaara!”

“Yes!”

The friction was burning but she didn’t care. Sakura threw her head back, screaming his name as she came so hard. He chuckled and lavished her neck as he satiated his own desire, then pulled away before he could cum on her. She groaned, struggling to stand upright as Gaara stroked himself. She didn’t know or care why he hadn’t fucked her wholly. She was happy. A smile plastered to her face as he chuckled and grabbed a towel to clean her up.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

"Come on,” he kissed her forehead.

“What now?”

“Ready to continue that tour I promised you?” He asked, throwing on a pair of jeans and polo shirt. He looked really good whether he was wearing clothes or not.

Not sure what else to do, Sakura nodded.

“I should be able to find something better for you to wear,” he said, then waggled his eyebrows. “Not that I’m complaining about the view.”

She hugged the robe to her body more tightly. Gaara wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. He was so affectionate she still couldn’t believe it was real. This weekend was shaping up to be the best ever. The only problem would be leaving him behind.

Sakura pushed away those morose thoughts. She just wasn’t used to this and needed to keep her heart out of it. She liked boys way too easily when they didn’t give her the time of day, let alone actually wanted her. She was a sucker for a pretty face.

Gaara rummaged through his closet but didn’t find anything. "Hang on, I’ll be back.”

She waited for him by checking her phone, thinking maybe Ino would text or call. It was already ten o’clock and Sakura was surprised she’d slept for so long. She thought of sending Ino a text and decided not to. Then changed her mind thinking it would be best to be safe. But before she’d finished tapping the letters, Gaara returned. She tossed her phone back in her purse, now forgotten as Gaara strode back into the room.

He couldn’t resist feeling her up as she dressed, not a moment of peace as Gaara had decided there was no need for either of them to be shy around each other naked anymore. But he didn’t take it too far since he had other plans for the rest of their morning.

“Let’s go, love.”

Sakura fumbled with her purse and followed Gaara out of the room.

.x.

“Are your parents home?”

Gaara nodded and tugged on her hand when this admission made her pause. “They’re working so we won’t be bothered. And we have this entire wing to ourselves. Come on.”

His family estate was larger than she’d thought. They moved through the hallways and into a few of the rooms as Gaara gave her the tour. The gaming room was larger than her whole living room and bedroom back home. She had never played pool before and didn’t play gaming consoles so she just hummed and smiled along with him. He had a jukebox too and admitted he loved this kind of stuff. His television took up most of the wall and the entertainment room could host every teenager in her year back home, easily.

She wondered if he ever had parties here.

A few more rooms later, he was summoning a servant and Sakura flushed at their subtle surprise to her presence. Did this mean Gaara didn’t normally bring girls home like this? It made her feel special.

“We’re heading out to the gardens,” he told the servant. “We’ll need brunch and a picnic blanket. Be sure to pack some honey.”

He ushered the servant away and Sakura was awed and impressed.

“My lady,” he said offering his arm and smirking at her.

“Thank you.” Sakura accepted his arm and allowed him to lead her outside into the bright sun. She giggled.

“Find that funny, huh?”

She just smiled. He took them to a stone path that wound through the gardens in this section of his home. She loved the flowers and bushes and sounds of birds, looking this way and that. Gaara kept her from stopping too long, wanting to get to the designated spot sometime today.

The path opened up to a grassy area with a fountain and Sakura was struck yet again by how rich Gaara’s family was. She could never compete with this.

Stop those thoughts.

She inhaled deeply to calm herself and returned his kisses when Gaara started nipping at her bottom lip, asking for entrance. They stood there, just enjoying each other before a servant arrived with the things Gaara had requested. A picnic basket, a bottle of what looked like a fruity cocktail and two glasses, and a blanket. They set it all up then bowed and left them alone.

“Is that alcohol?”

“Yes but go easy, love.”

Sakura scoffed at him then sat on the blanket as he followed and joined her. “I’m not getting drunk in the middle of the day.”

“Whatever you say.” He leaned over and kissed her softly before turning to open the basket to unload it.

Onigiri rice balls, egg sandwiches, a Karaage Bento, Wanpaku Sandwich and a squeeze bottle of honey; Sakura dug in. But Gaara put the honey aside.

“That’s for later,” he promised.

“So tell me...”

Gaara pressed a finger to her lips and she took the hint, falling silent as they ate. She didn’t realise how hungry she was and didn’t pay attention to anything but the food prepared for them. Gaara poured their drinks and held hers out to her when she was part way finished. She devoured it, rolling her eyes at him when he chuckled.

“Hungry?”

“You have no idea.”

“Oh I think I do.”

He gave her a hungry look and took the sandwich from her hand without breaking eye contact. He kissed her, hard and painfully, his hand sneaking up to pinch her nipple. She moaned just as her phone vibrated loudly, startling them and causing them to break apart.

Sakura swallowed thickly and dug into her purse to quickly pull it out. It was a text from Ino. She groaned as Gaara pulled bodily away from her.

‘Where R U 4head?‘

She glanced at Gaara, who was now unscrewing the cap on the honey bottle, then typed back 'Busy. wtf you want?’.

‘Bitchy. R U with that redhead?’

‘Yeah.’

‘U okay?’

‘Fine. Will C U later.’

‘Later, tater.’

Sakura shoved the phone back in her bag. “Sorry.”

Gaara just shrugged and shifted to sit next to her. “Lie back.”

She narrowed her eyes for a moment then sighed when he just raised an eyebrow at her and did as he instructed. Gaara ran a hand over her covered breasts, his finger circling where he could feel her nipple.

“May I?”

She nodded knowing what he was about to do.

Gaara undid the buttons on the shirt he’d given her, stopping half-way down her torso, and pushed the fabric aside to expose her breasts to the warm air. He paused for a moment, leant down to suckled at one nipple before slathering the honey along both of her tits, rubbing it into her skin like he was massaging. Sakura moaned, closing her eyes and sighing with contentment.

A moment later she felt his mouth encase her left nipple and she grasped his hair knowing he loved that. He licked his way along her skin, worshipping her as he went, suckling at the honey and moving to hover over her for better access.

After a few minutes, he started on undoing the rest of her buttons, sitting up to do so. Two voices interrupted them at the same time, making GaaSaku freeze.

“Gaara?”

“Sakura?”

When they realised what they were interrupted doing, Gaara and Sakura snapped up and she was too stunned to cover up. Gaara hastily moved her shirt to cover her breasts and she blushed, turning away to do up the buttons.

“Kankuro,” Gaara growled.

“Well, well.” Ino whistled. “Looks like we interrupted something.”

“Ino-pig,” Sakura snarled. “Ever heard of decorum?”

“Is it that new sex toy that--”

“Shut up.”

Kankuro laughed as the girls stared at each other. “Well if no-one else is going to say it, I have to: Sakura has a great pair of tits.”

Ino smacked him over the back of his head.