50 Reasons Why

Epilogue

                  A door slam covered the sounds of shouts, whispers, and gasps. He walked out, his brow furrowed in frustration along with his clenched fists. His robes flew loosely around him as he continued walking down the long corridor.

Shit. He mentally cursed as he struggled to find his calm. He could sense his gourd rattling across the hall.

"Gaara!" A male voice called after him followed by a feminine echo. Brown and blonde hair flew behind him and he stilled so they could catch up.

"Gaara, you just walked out on the council." His sister scowled. He only blinked in response.

"Well, you heard their proposal. If he didn't," The puppeteer stopped when he stared at his brother. He didn't need to finish it, they all knew.

"I know, but-"

"But what?" He spoke interrupting his older sister. "They don't believe him. They're going to send a guard to see if he's telling the truth. We can't stop them."

"Well, maybe he shouldn't have made that stupid lie up in the beginning! A girlfriend in Konoha? Who could that be? We haven't had anyone in Konoha come in a-" Temari stopped as the image of the blonde leaf kunoichi flashed across her mind. She tensed in the spot, her hands tightening into fists.

"She could do just fine." Gaara spoke after the awkward silence passed between all of them.

"Okay, if you ask her. How do you know she is going to say yes?" The sand kunoichi asked her younger brother. She looked into his jade eyes and he closed them to think.

"Just add extra pay in it. Ask Tsunade to let her be your guide. That gives you the chance to ask her." Kankuro responded for him. Temari shook her head in irritation.

"How is he going to ask her, if there will be a guard watching them?" She hissed at her older brother and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm just trying to help him think of some ideas! You got any better ones?" He snapped back and Temari wrinkled her nose in anger.

"Yes I do!" She snapped her head away from him with her eyes closed. "Just tell them the truth. Why drag her into this?"

"Someone sounds jealous." Kankuro muttered under his breath. She looked at him menacingly and he only smirked at her response.

"I'm not jealous! I just-"

"Enough." Gaara interrupted them. His voice echoing down the hall. "Let's continue this in my office."

The siblings made it into the office in ten quick strides. Kankuro closed the door behind them all before turning to face his brother. He took a seat at his desk and began writing on blank paper.

"Well, Gaara?" He questioned as he walked to join his sister by the desk.

"I'm writing a letter." The Kazekage anwsered before taking a pause to dip his pen in ink. "I will ask for her to be assigned as my guard. Extra pay."

"Okay, but when are you going to ask her?" Temari questioned while placing a hand on her hip.

"We are leaving tonight." He simply anwsered.

His older siblings widened their eyes.

"But Gaara, we aren't due to leave until tomorrow." Temari stated while walking closer to her brother.

"I know." He responded but didn't bother to look at her.

"We can't just leave tonight! What about the council?"

"What about the council, Temari?" Kankuro intervened.

"He's the Kazekage! He has a duty to protect this village. He can't just leave it!" She reminded her two brothers.

"That's what makes this so believable!" Kankuro exclaimed causing his younger brother to look up at him as well. "Don't you see? If he leaves quickly, that makes him look eager to see his girlfriend."

Temari sighed in defeat. "I suppose you're right."

"Good." Gaara commented before standing up. "The two of you pack your things. I will send this letter and speak to Baki. I will meet you at the gate in one hour." He sat back down to gather the paper in his hands.

"Hai." Temari responded before turning to leave. "Kankuro?"

"I'm coming, hold on." He muttered with a wave of his hand. Temari rolled her eyes before exiting out the room. "Gaara."

"Hn." He looked up his older brother in a neutral gaze that use to struck the puppeteer with fear. Now it only made him annoyed.

"Pack extra condoms, bro!" He grinned before dodging a wave of sand that flew at him from behind. He quickly exited the room leaving Gaara alone.

Gaara sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He looked around the room and it never seemed so big before now. He was beginning to feel engulfed in a wave of emptiness that began when Ino left ten months ago. He wouldn't admit it, but he was feeling nervous to see the leaf kunoichi again. She wasn't exactly happy with him and he knew it. He rejected her feelings due to fear and now he even denied his own feelings. He didn't know how to act around her. Yet, he had a feeling he would have to start all over with the kunoichi. She wouldn't forgive him easily. She wasn't that kind of girl. Which made him even more content. He gave one last look at he letter in his hands before leaving the room.

An hour later he spoken with Baki and sent the letter. He walked to the gates with his siblings already there waiting for him. When he came closer, they only held neutral gazes and sighed with relief when he made eye contact with them.

"Well, you're late." Kankuro mumbled and Gaara only blinked at them.

"Speaking with Baki took longer." He muttered.

"What did he say?" Temari asked him.

"He was displeased at first. He wanted to speak with the council but it was too late to gather them. I told him to tell them tomorrow and that he was in charge of things until I return." Gaara stated before staring off at the moon rising in the sky. "Let's go."

"Right." They anwsered in unison and the three began to walk through the cool desert.

As the hair colors faded into the scenary, the gate keepers watched their beloved Kazekage leave into the night. The two were unsure of why he would leave earlier than planned but they didn't question it.

Gaara looked once more towards the sky. The stars twinkled endlessly across the vevlet blanket that laid beneath them. The twinkled reminded him of the twinkle in Ino's baby blue eyes. He looked down with determination set in his mind. He will make things right. He will tell her the truth and hope that she only feels the same. He loves her and kami, he hope she does too.