"So, what are our plans for the wedding?" I asked as I cuddled close to my future husband. Sasuke had decided to come by unexpectedly and talk with me of our plans for the wedding. I really hadn't been thinking about it that much and I was sure that he hadn't either. Mostly because neither one of us was sure of when nor how we would get married.

"Honestly, I've got nothing," he said softly as he wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair gently.

"We have to get married soon. I only have four months left. How about this month. Screw the details. Let's just have a simple wedding. It'll just be Tsunade, Ino, and your family."

"Sakura, don't you think you're rushing now? If you have four month's then why not just wait until the third? I'm not worried."

I then sat up to smack him on the head, but decided to just yell instead. "Sasuke, I can't wait. We have to get married now. Hell, let's just do it today."

Sasuke sighed then wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me on top of him. "Calm down Sakura. We'll get married next month if it makes you happy," he said softly as he began to kiss and suck on my neck.

I managed a small smile then I pulled away from his kissing and sat up. "Really? Fine, I'll wait a whole month." I smirked then I moved closer and kissed him on the lips. "But, are you sure you want to wait so long? Remember, you said you won't do anything sexual until we're married. Since you said that I refuse to do the same. Our first time should be a special one."

Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "Indeed it will. I don't mind the wait," he said as he pulled me back on top of him. "I'm fine with just holding you like this."

"Aw, you won't be saying that in a week," I said with a grin as I kissed him on the lips.

As we laid there and spoke, our moment was soon interrupted by Ino bursting into the room. I groaned and rolled off of Sasuke to stare at the blond. She simply smiled nervously then said, "oh, sorry. I didn't know you were in here Sasuke."

"Yes you did Ino. You just wanted to snoop," I said as I sat up on my bed. "I swear I can't wait until I can kick you out. Then maybe I'll have some privacy."

"Sakura, please don't be that way. I merely came to say that Sasuke's brother is here looking for him," she said and then she groaned, for now what she said before was a lie. "Ok, I was snooping, but you can't blame a girl for wanting to know everything going on around here."

"Ino, just stop talking," I said softly then Ino quickly left the room. I shook my head then turned to Sasuke. "I guess your going to leave then?"

"I guess I will. Although, I'm not too sure what my brother would want. Maybe he wants to drawn me or something," he said softly then he gave me a kiss on my forehead. "I was only kidding," he said after he saw the look on my face. He then gave me another kiss on the lips before he got up and headed out my door. I groaned as I watched him leave.

It's true what they say. You always hate to see your love go, but you love to watch them leave.

Ino soon reentered my room and was a bit anxious. "Oh, Sakura I can't keep this a secret any longer! Shikamaru asked me to marry him!" she blurted out then sat down next to me. "Wow, I feel so much better."

"He what?! Why the hell would he do that?"

She gave me a look. "Why would he do that? Isn't it obvious? He's lost his mind! I hardly know him and he wants to get married!"

I just stared at her with awe. No words could express my feelings. "Ino...I don't know what to say," I said softly.

"I have to tell him no," she said softly as she stood up.

"No, you'd break his heart. He apparently has fallen in love with you. It didn't take you long to fall in love with Gaara, did it?"

"That was different! I was so much younger then and Shikamaru is nineteen and so am I," she said as she sat down again. "May I burst out into hysterical tears?"

"Ino, get a grip! How and when did this happen anyways?" I said as I put my hands on her shoulders and shook her.

"Gah....it happened last night after our date," she said and then I gave her a look that told her to go on. "Do I have to relive it? It was so awkward."

"Ino!"

"Ok!"

Ino began to talk about her date she had with Shikamaru. She began saying that it started off so well. She looked good that night too. She had her hair up in the usual pony tail she wore and she wore a white dress. The dress had sparkles all over and a spaghetti strap that went just below her knees. She started to get off track with the dress then I had to hit her to make her stop talking about that and move on. She just said "ok, gosh!"

"You look great tonight Ino," Shikamaru said as they sat down at their table.

"Thank you, you make me blush," she said then she began to play with her hair out of nervous habit. "Anyways, you said that tonight was a special night. That you had something for me."

"Oh, I'll get to that part later," he said as he took her hand and smiled. "After we eat."

"If you must," she said then smiled back at him.

Ino didn't bother to ask about her special surprise. She spent the rest of the dinner just speaking with Shikamaru. There were so many things she found out that they had in common. For example, they both played an instrument. She played the flute and he played a violin. She didn't think about what he had said earlier through the dinner until she was finished. She decided to ask him about it again, but he was already pulling something out of his pocket.

"It's time for your surprise," he said softly as he pulled out a black box. "Close your eyes," he whispered to her and she did so. He then slipped something onto her finger and said, "you can open them now."

Ino slowly opened her eyes to look at the ring on her finger. It was a diamond in the shape of a flower and it appeared to be four carrots. "Shika, what is this?"

"It's a ring."

"This isn't...."

"Ino, I know it seems so early in our relationship, but I've fallen deeply in love with you. Your perfect and I need a wife anyways. I want to marry you Ino. Will you marry me?" he says softly as he kissed her hand.

"Marry you? I...I don't think you quite understand the rules. Match makers don't find love for themselves. They find it for others. That means I never marry unless I quit being a match maker," she said softly then she stared him in the eyes.

"I'd hate for you to do that," he said then took his hand from hers. "Just think about it," he said then he ordered for the bill and paid it. He then escorted Ino to the carriage and sent the carriage home without him.

After Ino finished her story I just stared at her. "That's it? What did you mean about the rules and all?"

"Sakura, I told you before. One reason a match maker can't be in a relationship is because it will affect how she acts and works with the person she's suppose to be finding love for. That's why they took me away from Gaara. They saw something was there and told his court. They sent me away. If they find out about Shikamaru then they'll send me away from here too."

I just looked at the ground and sighed. "If you decide to marry then you have to quit? That isn't fair."

"It's the rules Sakura. I don't make them, I just follow them," she said softly and I just shook my head.

"Those rules are completely unfair," I said then I looked Ino directly in the eye. "Ino, what do you love the most? Shikamaru or being a match maker?"

"Sakura you can't be serious! I can't choose between whom I marry and the dream job of my life!" she said as she started to get hysterical.

I groaned then I got up. "You have to pick something."

She got up as well and said, "I choose to ignore Shikamaru until after your wedding. So, just worry about yourself and I'll worry about me later."

She then left my room and I started to make little noises to try and bring her back. I groaned as I watched her slam her door. I then sat down on the ground in the hall and began to hit my head against the wall gently. "Why me?!" I complained then got up and went into my room and slammed the door behind me.

After my talk with Ino I started to avoid my own idea of marriage. How could I be happy when my best friend was miserable? Sasuke kept asking me of a date for us to set and I just kept avoiding the question. I could tell he wanted to get to the honeymoon. I wanted to get there too, but I was just too absorbed in Ino's problems to want to fix mine.

Finally, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore and decided to confront me.

"Sakura, you know I love you and I'd do pretty much anything for you, right?" he says as he grabs me around the waist and pins me where I stood. He had jumped me in the garden while I was with Tsunade gardening, of course. Tsunade was off to the side. She too wanted to put an end to me avoiding the question.

"Of course I know this Sasuke. I'd do anything for you as well," I said as I tried to pull away from him. He just pulled me closer to him and sighed.

"Sakura, stop avoiding this and just tell me a date. I thought you wanted to get it over with. Its been over a month and you only have three months my love. If we don't marry soon the court will come storming in and-"

"Sasuke, don't you think I know what will happen?!" I snapped before he could finish. I then pushed him away and looked away with my arms crossed angrily. "I'll lose everything. I don't want to lose the last thing I have left of my family, but right now my mind really isn't on me. It's on Ino," I said then I turned back to him with a look of annoyance. "You know, this is all Shikamaru's fault. Why did he have to purpose to her anyways?"

"He what? I haven't heard about this. That's odd. He normally tells me everything," he said as he looks at the ground with a hurt look.

"He didn't tell you. Well, why would he purpose then not go brag about it?"

"Shikamaru is a very odd person. If I hadn't of seen him and Ino practically naked that morning when we were together I would have never known they slept together or even that they were dating."

"I hardly know Shikamaru and even I think that sounds stupid," I said then I turned away. "Well, I can't think about us until I help my friend, which is Ino. I don't want her to be sad and she deserves to be happy and have someone to love. She told me her story and now I just...feel like the two of us are the same. We both lost our mothers at a young age."

Sasuke just smiles at me then grabs me and kisses me softly on the forehead. "You are such a saint. I will help you help Ino. Anything to get this engagement over with."

I smiled and turned to him and then kissed him on the cheek. "You are so wonderful Sasuke. I love you too," I said then I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, turned, and darted off.

For the next week Sasuke and I stayed in my room, plotting of ways to get Ino to be with Shikamaru. We finally came to an idea. We would get the two in the same room and make her see that she needed to put her job aside and let love in. If all else failed I would resort to plan B. Invite her almost love Gaara and his siblings to the kingdom. It didn't matter if they came now or later because I was inviting Gaara to my wedding anyways. After all, he was royalty and his father and my father use to communicate in war affairs.

So, while Sasuke sneaked Shikamaru into the Great Hall I was forcing Ino to follow me there. I had blind folded her and pushed her there since she refused to go willingly.

"Sakura, will you stop this silly game. I have wedding plans to arrange. Your wedding plans."

"Ino, I already told you that I'm not going to have my wedding until you fix yours," I said with a hint of a smirk in my voice.

"I'm not, nor will I ever, get married. It just isn't meant to be," she said softly as I stopped pushing her then pulled her blind fold off.

"Well you better start thinking about it because I'm not taking no for an answer and neither is Shikamaru. You deserve to be with someone that loves you. You lost love once, don't lose it again," I said as I pointed to Sasuke and Shikamaru standing across the Great Hall from us.

Ino stood there with her mouth open for a minute. She then grabbed me and pushed me into the wall. "Have you lost your freaking mind? I told you I can't...I won't!"

"Well you should!" I said as I got in her face and pushed her off of me. "I put Sasuke through so much trouble to get Shikamaru here and you're going to talk to him. Ino, just forget match making and let love in. If it's one thing that I've learned from this whole experience is that you got to take a chance. Even if it means putting yourself out there."

Ino stared at me and I could tell she was on the verge of tears. "Sakura, I love you like a sister. Thank you so much for pushing me," she said as she embraced me quickly then turned and went over to Shikamaru.

Sasuke quickly came over to me to give the two their space. I got closer so I could hear their conversation. Shikamaru was the first to speak.

"Seems like a lot of trouble you put everyone through just to avoid me," he said softly as he looked down into her eyes.

"I didn't want to. I just...I just didn't want to get hurt again like when I first fell in love. It wasn't pretty. Actually, my job isn't so pretty when it comes down to it," she said as she looked away.

Shikamaru smiled then placed his hand on her cheek to make her look at him. "Ino, may I ask you again?"

She looks into his eyes and nods silently.

"Ino Yamanaka, will you marry me?"

Ino smiles at him then starts to nod her head and says breathlessly, "yes."

Shikamaru then wraps his arms around her and she throws hers around his neck in return. I just watch in silence with happy tears rolling down my cheeks. Sasuke then grabs me and pulls me away. I watched as Ino and Shikamaru just stood there and embraced each other in silence. It was such a beautiful moment.

"Let them have their alone time," he said softly as he walked me back to my room. "So, my dear princess, when is our wedding?"

I smiled at him then opened my door. I turned to him and then kissed him. "How does next week sound to you?"

Sasuke gives me his usual grin and then kisses me in return. "Sounds great to me."

I watch him depart from the kingdom as I turn and go into my room. I managed to change everything in just one week. Now, not only will I have my happy ending, but so will Ino. Everything worked out perfectly for everyone.

Well, everything was perfect until Tsunade busted into my room yelling, "Sakura, the court is here! We have a huge problem!"