16 year old Sakura walked down the main street of Konoha.
Naruto close behind her.
“Why go to the festival when we could train?” Naruto asked her.
“I don’t know, I feel like I’m going to meet someone who is change my life forever” Sakura tapped her chin lightly in concentration.
“Well then,” Naruto grabbed Sakura’s hand and pulled her into the crowd, “let have fun!”
“Oh!” Sakura was still thinking when this baka had made her weight shift forward, causing her to fall over.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, thanks Naruto.” She looked up, but it wasn’t Naruto.
It was a boy her age, red hair, blue eyes, even the symbol for love above his right eye.
“Um, well, hello” Sakura blushed at her mix up, “and you are?”
“Gaara of the Sand,” the boy looked up at the sky and then down again to say, “you?”
“Sakura of the Leaf, I suppose,” Sakura took his hand to show gratitude for helping her up, “not ever day you see a Sand ninja.”
“Not ever day I see a Leaf ninja as pretty as you.” Gaara replied.
Sakura giggled.
“Gaara…”
Gaara spun around to see who had said his name.
It was Baki (technically Gaara’s father, he raised Gaara when his real father tried to kill him).
“Uh, I wasn’t talking to her, honestly I was-“ Garra was cut off by Baki.
“Gaara what did I tell you about socializing with Konohaians (Leaf ninja)?!” Baki said, twitching with annoyance.
“Um, nothing?” Gaara prepared for a blow across the face, he knew he had answered wrong.
And preparing was a good thing because a blow across the face was exactly what he received.
The sound was sickening for Sakura.
Almost like a whip cracking.
The strike was so intense it almost knocked Gaara to the ground.
He hobbled around for a moment before falling over dazed.
“Gaara!” Sakura yelled, “Are you okay?”
Upon hearing Sakura’s voice, Gaara picked himself up, brushed himself off, crossed his arms, and attempted to look like nothing happened.
“I’m fine” was his reply.
“Come Gaara, I believe  you need a refreshment on why we’re here.” Baki grabbed  the gourd on Gaara’s back, leading him back into the crowd, “I can tell you now it’s not to flirt with girls!”
Gaara waved to Sakura as he was pulled away, the hand mark still glowing red on his face.
Sakura waved back and knew it was the last she would see of him.

That night…..


Sakura was sitting out on her roof, eating a slice of pizza.
It was peaceful until…

“Hello Sakura!”
Gaara popped out of nowhere causing Sakura to scream.
“No, sush, be quite, where’s the off button?” Gaara was trying multiple ways to make her shut her trap.
Finally, Gaara covered her mouth and jumped away with her the second before her parents came up.

On the other side of Konoha…..

“You almost gave me away!” Gaara said after he had found a ledge for him and Sakura to sit on.
“I still can’t believe that you risked getting in so much trouble with your father to be with me.” Sakura said with disbelief.
“I wanted to see you again.” Gaara shuffled his feet.
“That’s so nice!” Sakura smiled and wrapped her arms around him.
Gaara blushed and swore he could of died right then and there.
No girl had ever even come near him.
“Want to, um, go to dinner, I havn’t eaten” Gaara hid his face, he was sure she would say no.
“Of course Gaara, I want to get to know you” Sakura responded.
“Really?” Gaara was surprised.
“Yes.” Sakura said.
So off the went.

At dinner…..
“We’ll take rice, and ramen please.” Gaara had ordered.
“Your first date?” The waiter asked.
“Um…” Gaara wasn’t sure what to say.
“Yes” Sakura had answered for him.
“I guess so.” Gaara moved his arm around her and the waiter saw his forhead protector which was on his arm.
The waiter backed up and ran into the kitchen.
Everyone in the shop was staring at Gaara like he was a monster.
“Oh, Gaara?” Sakura asked.
“Yeah?” Gaara replied.
“Let me take your protector off, it’s better if you don’t ask.” Sakura readed for his arm.
“okay…” and Gaara let her take it off and hide it in her purse.
Everyone in the shop continued with their work without glancing at them again.

Gaara and Sakura spent multiple nights together until one morning…..
“Sakura, honey there’s a meeting in Konoha central!” Sakura’s mother called up to her.
“Okay Mom, I’ll be down in a minute!” Sakura yelled.
Sakura ran downstairs and out the door, it wasn’t very often the children of Konoha village were invited to a meeting.
When Sakura arived in Konoha square the meeting had already started.
Tsunade was saying, “A war has begun, we must fight…..”
A small boy cut Tsunade off to say, “The Sand village, cause’ they stole a something important to us.”
Sakur was stunned, and before she could stop herself she blurted out, “But, I can’t fight Gaara!”
“Gaara’s a monster!” One person in the crowd said.
“He’s horrible!”
“Hidious!”
“Scary!”
“No! Gaara’s very kind, I spand time with him every night!” Sakura realized what she had done and covered her mouth.
“Sakura, you will fight and kill him, that’s final!” Tsunade had jumpd down from her stand and pinned sakura against a wall by the throut.
“Y-yes” Sakura stuttered.
And then…..
“Let go of her!” It was Gaara.
He used his magical sand powers to throw Tsunade out of the way. (cheesy)
Gaara grabbed Sakura and ran off.
Sasuke close behind, he wasn’t going to let Gaara steal her.

Gaara set sakura down and asked if she was okay.
Sakura was stuck, should she attack or thank him?

“Um, Gaara…” Sakura asked.
“Yes?” Gaara asked.
“I, I” Sakura was stuttering.
Sasuke, who was hiding in the background couln’t take anymore.
He knew Sakura wouldn’t kill Gaara so he would.
Saskue ran out and attempeted to stab Gaara in the back with a kunai.
Only to be stopped by a sheild of sand.
”What are you going Sasuke!?” Sakura yelled.
“I’m killing Gaara for you!” Sasuke yelled from his current position behind sand.
Gaara froze and let the sand drop.
“You were going to kill me….” Gaara said quietly.
“No Gaara, I would never do th-“ Sakura was cut off.
“I thought we were friends!” Gaara swung out a sand strike at Sakura.
“We are Gaara!” Sakura screamed dodging the sand.
“No , I won’t listen to you! Sand Coffin!” The sand formed around Sakura.
“Please Gaara, I love you!” Sakura stuck her head out of the only opening in the sand  and shouted, “Please.”
Gaara walked up to Sakura and said “Me too” he kissed her.
“Now’s my chance.” Sasuke said to himself he snuck up behing Gaara and stabbed him straight throught the spinal cord.
A horrible gurgleing noise arose, like boiling blood, as the Sand Coffin died down.
“Gaara!” Sakura screamed grabbing him before he fell to the ground. “You can’t die, no!”
“Sakura… I wish we could have spent more time toge-“ Gaara began to choke on his own blood.
“Gaara!” Sakura pushed her lips onto his, for one final kiss.