Forevermore ~Gaara~

"That's just mean!" Naruto complained, slumping in his chair after hearing the relayed message. He had only been in office as Hokage for a few weeks and already the elders of Suna were doubting his loyalty to their alliance! He's good friends with Gaara for goodness sake! Their Kazekage! But no, they want something concrete. Something that prove that they were friends.

Gaara sat across from his friend, seeming as irked as Naruto with an exasperated Temari and Kankuro on either side of him. Tomoe sat with a smile next to her loveable blonde husband. "You guys just need something to prove the strength of the alliance right? That doesn't seem to hard." She said with confidence.

"You have some ideas?" Naruto asked, looking hopefully to his wife. Gaara and his siblings also looked to her hopefully.

"Of course I do. One in particular that would work as ultimate proof and bind our two villages together in such a cute way." Tomoe has always been an idea girl, even if her ideas seem farfetched, they tend to work out for the best. However this particular plan had the red haired leader narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"No." Was his simple answer.

"Now hold up." She gave him her confident smile and stood, walking around the desk to sit on it in front of him with her legs crossed. "We have many single girls in this village to choose from. Pretty ones with brains, strong kunoichi, whatever you might be into, we got it."

Naruto snorted behind her. "You sound like you're selling clothes, Tomoe."

She merely shrugged as she returned her attention to the ever irritated Gaara. "It's a great idea. Arranged marriages in my experience tend to work out well. And the resulting alliance is very strong."

"Oh that's right." Temari mused. "You and Naruto were arranged for an alliance with the mist."

"Right." She said with a happy smile.

"I won't marry someone I don't love." Gaara simply stated.

Naruto stood and went around to be next to his wife. "If that's the issue, you could always do what we did."

Tomoe slipped her arms over Narutos shoulders. "When in arranged marriages, there is a grace period where the couple gets to know each other before agreeing. Naruto and I spent two weeks together for our grace period and figured it wouldn't be terrible. It's worth a try Gaara."

He sat there with his eyes closed in frustration. These two... He had no interest in getting married, especially not to someone he barely knew. But something was speaking to him the way the two were talking. "Actually, Gaara, it wouldn't be a bad idea." Temari said, causing him to look to her in surprise.

"Yeah, some of the elders have been talking about you needing to find a wife." Kankuro finished.

"You are almost twenty-one." Now he's really irritated. He thought for sure his siblings would back him up on this, but they wanted him to go through with it as well. There was no way he would go through it. Marriage is not an option to him unless he feels something for the one he is to marry. And he would prefure that someone not be tossed in with him. It's also important that she would be willing, happy even, to spend a life with him.

But perhaps there is something to this. Maybe it would be the best course of action and the resulting alliance would never be questioned again, especially if the girl were to have a connection to the leaf that is strong. If he were to give this a chance, maybe it would end up for the best. And if he failed to find a suitable girl then there is no real harm done. With an inward sigh, Gaara looked up. "I will agree to give it a chance. One the condition that I meet and get to know the woman before the beginning of the grace period."

"Done." Tomoe said. "Now, lets get down to business. What kind of girl you looking for?" What had he gotten himself into?

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Two days... fifteen 'dates'... and every single one when they left he crossed off as a no. Either they were to self involved, clingy, annoying, or beyond uptight. Tomoe and Temari were beginning to get irritated by his picky behavior in this matter. But if there was ever a time to be picky in his life, Gaara figured now was the best time.

Tomoe had only introduced him to high ranking kunoichi or elders grandaughters. She said the royal family of Konoha has a daughter but shes already promised to someone else. In other words, they were running out of suitable candidates. But Tomoe refused to give up, and called a friend at the library to bring her the book of the high ranking families. She knew she was forgetting someone.

Gaara, however was ready to give up at this point. It was stupid idea to begin with, doomed to the start. "Don't give up yet, I know I'm forgetting someone." Tomoe pleaded.

"One girl won't make a difference." Gaara replied.

"You're being picky. What was wrong with that last girl? Mayaya?" Temari asked. The argument was sparked. Reasons why he said no to the girls, reasons he should have said yes. It was an angry mess.

But the argument halted immeadiately at the sound of a soft voice at the door. "Excuse me?" Everyone turned to find a short, thin girl with hair the color of cream and a soft face standing in the doorway with a book in her arm. "I'm sorry to interupted, but I have what you asked for Tomoe." She walked in and handed the book to her friend.

How could she have forgotten! She's right in front of her! Perfect! Not only is this girl of royal blood but she's alsp completly different from the other fifteen girls she had introduced to Gaara, which is probebly exactly what he's looking for! She smiled to her friend. "Thank you very much." But as the girl turned to leave she reached out and grabbed the back of her loose white dress. "One moment, Honi. I think I have another job for you."

"But I have to get back to work." She said softly.

"Don't worry, you can do this when your shift is over." Tomoe's smile was slightly evil and the girl wondered what was running through her strange friends brain this time. She gestured to Gaara and his siblings. "Have you met the Kazekage?"

The girl looked to Gaara, grey eyes meeting blue ones. "I haven't." She bowed respectivly and stood again. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Honiji Etamae." With her hand held out, Gaara could already see something different in this girl.

Taking her hand he nodded to her. "Gaara of the Desert."

"Gaara and his siblings are in town until tomorrow and he wants to see more of the village. But I have work I have to finish with Temari and Kankuro and you know how my hubby is always so busy. So I was wondering if you might be willing to help out."

"Is that alright with you?" Honiji asked. Gaara only nodded and they made plans to meet outside the Kage building at five when her shift was over. Once she left it remained quiet. Until finally Kankuro broke it.

"Adorable." He mused.

"She's polite too." Temari added.

Tomoe grinned as she wrapped her arms around Naruto, recieving his hug in return. "You wanna know what's even better?" They all looked to her. "She's the illigidament child of the king, which means she's royal technically and has a tie to the village."

"In other words, she's perfect!" Naruto beamed. But Gaara wasn't paying attention. He was to busy thinking about the way she didn't immeadiatly turn on some form of 'charm' the moment she learned he was the Kazekage. Already, little Honiji Etamae had a point in his book.