50 Reasons Why

Chapter Eleven

Day one with Ino.

"What is it, Gaara?" Temari stood in my office, one hand on her hip while the other hung in the air. It was her usual stance.

"It's Ino." I stated and her face dropped.

"Did you say something to her again? You think you would have learned yesterday, Gaara." She frowned and I slightly shook my head. A frown formed on my lips.

"No, nothing's wrong." I reassured her and she gave a sigh of relief.

"Then what is it?" She raised an eyebrow. Well...

"If you need anything, let the guard know." I acknowledged to Ino as we stood outside of hospital doors this morning. She nodded while puffing her cheeks out.

"Well, there is something..." she trailed off.

"What is it, Ino?" I asked her and she looked down at the ground.

"Well, I kind of wanted to go," she looked up at me, her face neutral. "Shopping."

Oh. My eyes widened. Oh, shopping. I have never gone shopping for myself, ever. Temari does that stuff.

"Alright, someone will be here at lunch to take you." I stated and she gave a small smile, yet it didn't reach her eyes. Shouldn't she be happier?

"Thanks, have a good day at work." She muttered quickly before turning into the hospital. How odd she was acting.

"She wants to go shopping." I muttered and Temari's sighed with relief once more.

"Okay, so?" She raised her eyebrow once more. Isn't that enough?

"Can you take her?" I asked and she shook her head.

"I would Gaara, but I have a meeting to attend for the chunin exams. We have to discuss the second round and prepare what we should have done. It's going to be a while." She then gave me an apologetic look.

"Understood." I muttered. Damn.

"Just take her, Gaara. You know where all the markets are and," Temari turned to look at the guard schedule on the wall, "there is only one guard at the hospital watching her and the room. Unless you want to ask Kankuro?" She looked over at me.

"Kankuro cannot either. He has a meeting around noon." I responded.

"Just go, Gaara. More than anything, she's just going to look at clothes. Just stand by her so the rogue ninja don't appear to take her again. You'll be fine." Temari smiled at me but I didn't feel convinced. The last time I was seen in public with her, we got in an argument.

"Okay." I stated after a moment of thinking and Temari cocked her head to the side.

"It's not as bad, Gaara. Shopping isn't the end of the world."

"Says the woman," Kankuro walked in the room with his hands in his pockets. Temari shook her head at him. "So who's going shopping?"

"Gaara." Temari answered and Kankuro's eyebrows raised further than I have seen in a while.

"Shopping, bro, for what?"

"Ino wants to go shopping." I stated once more and Kankuro laughed.