Memory Lane

As a ninja, Shino was more than used to his fair share of adventure. He had his past missions of course, and even learning to become part of Konoha's force. He even held a war under his belt. I stepped into a room primarily used for storage, having just come home through a storm. Wringing my hair out, I cast my gaze over the room, pinpointing my husband's location at once. He was looking through boxes that held things I hadn't seen since our daughters were especially little. A handmade mobile to hang over one's bed, the small blankets and baby clothes, a butterfly-shaped dummy, all scattered at his feet. I made my way over beside him and cuddled up to him.
"Tough day?"
"Not the worst."
"The kids cause any trouble?" She could have been referring to their own children or the children in the class he taught.
"Kakamu started a fight with Shikamaru's boy again." He answered tiredly. "Mimi's class is...asking a lot of questions. She's now started asking when she'll stop being the youngest."
I laughed a little, winding my way under his arm. "Taking a trip down memory lane?"
He glanced at me with a wistful smile. "Mimi found a picture of her sisters when they were younger. Kakamu got really embarrassed by it. I decided to dig out a few things. They were wonderful when they were little. Remember this dress?" He held up a red dress with a netted skirt, black spots on the top part.
"Kuroinu's Halloween dress?" I guessed with a smirk. "I made it myself, didn't I?"
"That explains the loose stitching."
I gave a playful hit and went to dig in for the next item. I drew out a pink cuddly lamb. "This was Kuroinu's, wasn't it?"
"She tore its head off once and wouldn't stop crying until you agreed to fix it."
"Oh, these shoes, Shino! Remember when Ka took her first steps?"
"She wandered out of her pushchair at the zoo and we didn't even know she could." He reminisced, nodding slightly. "I remember that panic well. It was bad enough she was our first. She had to go missing just like that." A quick click of the fingers and a little more laughter shared between them.
"We found her in the reptile house in the end." I remembered with a smirk. "She certainly wandered far, and even then managed to toddle back to us before deciding it was time to sleep."
"There's a pushalong riding horse in the corner." He pointed out, gesturing to it. "Our eldest two used to argue over it all the time."
"Now it's boys." I let out a little sigh, pulling out a dusty old book. It was a baby book with a few precious memories inside. The first load of pages recorded every milestone in pregnancy, followed by Kakamu's early years. There was a little less for Kuroinu, and again less for Mimi, but we blamed that on the fact we were rushed off our feet with multiple kids at that point.
He straightened up as he flicked through the baby book, a blissful smile on his face as he remembered our precious daughters. I leant in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek and straightened my hair, today allowed to hang down my back with no ties. There were shouts from downstairs, so I knew I couldn't stay long. "I'd better go before the girls tear each other to shreds. It's your turn to cook tonight...and if you really miss the little kids, we can always have some more." I shot a wink and walked off as his face reddened, ready to break up whatever fight had gotten started downstairs.

Adventure. We'd had our fair share, but none ever as wonderful as the adventure of our family.

The Shipping Wheel: Kurotsuchi/Kankurou

He had the perfect evening planned for when she arrived. He'd meet her at the city gates, they'd go back to his place and he would change into something nice and lend her one of his sister's kimonos, insisting they both dress nice considering the prestige of the restaurant he was taking her to. He knew she'd turn up in something casual whether he told her to dress up or not (which he had), so the other kimono was on immediate standby. After dinner, they would  go watch the sun set. He was determined to make things as romantic as possible so he could make a proper move.

He waited by the gate, hood and make up gone. It would be too much bother to wash the make-up off before going for the reservation, and the hood didn't look right without the make-up, although it was at least good for keeping some of the heat off his face. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he kept his eyes pealed, ready for the all too welcoming sight of his girlfriend.

She made her way slowly through the dunes, towards the welcoming arms of Suna, fidgeting with her fingers, trying to banish the anxiety welling up in her chest. You know when you just have something, some news, and you just know the person you have to tell won't like it? It's like you don't want to be around to see the reaction, you become almost...afraid to admit the truth. Not to mention the fact that the heat was doing her no good whatsoever. Things would be awkward enough without her getting heatstroke over the evening. A slight sigh of relief escaped her as she approached the gates and passed gently into the waiting embrace of Kankurou. "Hey." She breathed, burying her head into his shirt and letting him run his fingers through her hair.
"Hey. I thought I told you to dress up nice."
She stepped back and turned in a circle. "This is nice."
"You know what I meant, Kurotsuchi-chan."
"Yeah..." She planted a kiss on his cheek before they started walking into the village. "Why do you want me all dressed up anyway?"
"No reason." He assured her awkwardly, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Just been thinking, I guess."
"Thinking?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. "What about?"
"Just stuff." He answered quickly, trying to squash his own nerves down. This day could go one of two ways, after all. Joy or embarrassment?
"Kankurou-kun?"
He glanced over, smiling. "Is something bothering you?"
"We...have to talk about something..."
He stopped, turning to her fully. "What's the matter?"
She shuffled her feet, trying to think of a way to break the news. He waited patiently, the sweat on his brow no longer just from the heat. This could mean anything, after all.
"It's just...I...um...I don't..." It wasn't the kind of thing you can just blurt out, especially not in a crowded place. She stepped closer, cuddling up to him with a sigh. Thankful he wasn't about to be dumped, he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close.

There had to be a sensible, sensitive way to say this. She disentangled herself and crossed her arms, looking away. "Look, I know you don't really...like...kids...like, I know little kids annoy you, but..." A sigh escaped her.
"You're..." He laughed. "You're kidding, right? Tell me you weren't about to say the word 'pregnant'. You weren't, right?"
She stayed silent, but didn't miss the opportunity to give him a look that said 'shut up and just accept it'.
"You were..." He tried to keep his face impassive, but inside he wasn't sure how he felt. It was kind of different to just being around little kids like his nephew and niece, and even then, they were family, he cared for them and was even willing to babysit when it came down to that need. It was different if they shared common blood, facts were facts. He still had no wish in particular to be a father, but was the disappointment he was feeling directed at himself? He shouldn't have felt down in the dumps about it, right?

Shaking himself mentally, he grabbed her wrist and kept walking. "Come on, Kurotsuchi-chan, I have to show you something."
Her look turned into one of disdain, as though wanting to scold him, but instead choosing to humour him. He led her to his home, as he had originally intended, unlocking the door and leading her to the sofa. He gestured for her to sit, and with a roll of her eyes, she did just that, crossing her arms as he disappeared into his bedroom. What kind of stupid antic would he be up to now? Probably panicking, she mused, resting her head in her hands as she awaited the telltale sound of the door sliding open.

There it was. She turned to ask what he was planning, only to find he'd changed into a kimono. He looked nervous, it had to be said, as he came over and sat beside her.
"Look, I had this whole evening planned out. I knew you'd dress like that so I had a kimono ready for both of us, then we were going to go have dinner at the nicest place I know. I mean proper nice, not 'greasy junk I like' nice, or whatever you call it. Then maybe go up to watch the sun setting over the desert and I would ask you to marry me, but with what you just told me you're now in a mood and I have no clue what to say without sounding stupid or making it seem like you've done something wrong, which you haven't. Look, I love you and I really don't care about the kid thing, because it's different, you know? It's different when it's family, it's okay if it's family...and I want us to be family."
She froze as he pressed a small, velvet box into her hands. Of all the reactions, she certainly hadn't expected that. Hesitantly, she nodded.
"I'd love to be part of your family."

The Shipping Wheel: Matsuri/Gaara

Wedding bells were pealing out amongst Suna. It was a decidedly average day. The sun was scalding hot, people were going about their business as usual, and Matsuri had no work for the day, so she was simply wandering through the streets, basking in the wonder that was her home. She paused a moment to watch the newly-weds travel off towards their honeymoon, and she felt...proud. It was hard to explain, but perhaps it was that even in a world of death and suffering, it lifted her heart skywards when she saw that people could still find love. Even she had, despite there being days in which she believed no-one would ever love someone like her. Maybe that was what drew her and her Gaara together, that belief. That loneliness.

Of course, she knew her adversities were nothing compared to his. Nothing more than a speck of sand in his desert. But the important thing was not the past, but the present and future, all that was within reach now they had each other...now he had his friends and family, and the support of the whole of Suna.

She didn't notice him approaching. She was watching the bride in that colourful yukata, and the love in the groom's eyes, and when she felt the hand on her shoulder, she was jolted out of her train of thought. She looked round, her dark eyes meeting with those beautiful turquoise orbs. "G-Gaara-kun..."
He offered a slight smile and the thought of how lucky she was to have him flashed through her head. "Hello Matsuri-san." His gaze went to the now empty wedding scene. "Lovely, isn't it?" He asked absent-mindedly.
"Yeah..." She breathed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Wonderful."
He shifted his weight nervously, almost as though he were uncomfortable around her. She glanced at him in slight concern and he turned away, hiding the red that was creeping onto his cheeks. His hands went to his pockets, trying to remember the advice he'd received. The whole idea for how to do this wasn't his, but it was probably better than anything he could think up. His brother was strangely good at romantic nonsense. "Matsuri?"
"Mm?"
"Close your eyes."
"Why?"
He turned to her with a smile, trying to alleviate her nerves. "I...have a surprise for you."
After a pause, she obediently closed her eyes. Slowly, Gaara leant in, brushing his lips gently against hers, one hand caressing her cheek while the other drew something from his pocket.

Matsuri jumped when she felt the cold metal on her finger. Her eyes flickered open and he drew back, still holding onto her hand, and when she looked, she found a ring on her finger. Plain, but beautiful, nothing too over the top. Fine by her. The ones with big diamonds and an overload of gems were, in all honesty, ugly. This was sleek and shiny, simple, but conveyed the emotion within and the unspoken question perfectly.
"Are you...?" She asked uncertainly, feeling a strange anxiety rush through her. He wanted to marry her?
"Matsuri-Chan...would you do me the honour of becoming my wife? Becoming part of my...family?"
She remained caught within a wave of shock. Her whole body just froze. It was like a dream come true, and suddenly she was afraid she was going to wake up and find it had all been just that. She had to make the most of things before that had a chance to happen. She forced herself to move, throwing her arms around him and pulling him in close. "Of course!" She shouted, nuzzling his neck. "I'd love to. I'd really, really love to!" She'd started crying, burying her face in his shirt, hoping against hell she wouldn't wake up and find it was all just a dream.

~*~*~*~

The week running up to Gaara's wedding had been undoubtedly eventful. His friends from Konoha had flooded in, eager to make things perfect, although they found they would have to be on their toes. The stress of arranging everything, mixed with their normal jobs, seemed to be getting to the bride and groom. Heck, Naruto was sure something was wrong. Gaara wasn't acting like Gaara, and Matsuri looked almost afraid whenever he saw her. He barely saw Temari and Kankurou. When he tried to talk to Matsuri about it, she shushed him hurriedly and looked around.
"If Gaara's listening, you'll be in big trouble."
"But that isn't Gaara-!"
She covered his mouth with her hands then. "You're going to get yourself killed!" She turned and hurried off, clearly terrified. Frowning, Naruto ran after her.
"Matsuri, wait! There's something really wrong with Gaara!"
Suddenly, a swirl of green fire appeared before him, stopping him in his tracks. The first thing he saw through the flickering flames was the grinning visage of the Kazekage himself, and then hands were at his shoulders, pulling him down, through the floor.

~*~*~*~

Gaara didn't know how long he'd been trapped down in that ice cold cavern. Long enough to miss a good few meals. He couldn't find his way out of there. He'd tried, but he'd just gotten more lost. Thinking about it carefully, he realised today he was supposed to get married, Instead, up there, with Matsuri, was someone else in disguise. Someone else who wanted to overthrow Suna and have as many people as possible under his power. He'd gotten Gaara out of the way in a decidedly simple manner, managing to poison a simple glass of water.

He stopped by an underground oasis. There were a lot down here to sustain him. He took a deep drink, wishing he at least had his sand gourd with him, but alas, that was in the possession of the faker. Suddenly, a hand at the scruff of his neck heaved him up and he was thrown against a wall. His eyes remained clothes, almost out of hope. Matsuri was about to be wed to a man who simply wanted to use her to achieve his own means. He crossed his arms, waiting for the other man to speak.

Naruto released him after a moment with a sigh. "You look awful..."
He didn't look up. "How did you get here?"
"I-"
Gaara didn't give him a chance to answer. "Is anyone else here? Do you know how to get out?"
Naruto shook his head solemnly. "How long have you been down here?"
"I...don't know...the wedding...is it still going on?"
He gave a slight nod. "If this is what he does to everyone who realises he's fake...that explains why I haven't seen Temari since we got here..."
"They're all in danger...we have to get out of here before he hurts anyone else." He ran on at once, the blond following at his heels, determination on their faces. They couldn't let the fake get away with it. They couldn't let him unfurl his plans or use Suna or Matsuri as he planned to.

Up above them, the wedding was beginning. There were people missing from the audience. Gaara's siblings, Naruto, they just weren't there. 'Gaara' had stated a falling out with the blond jinchuriki had called the need to reassign the best man. As the two trapped within the cavern drew closer to the escape, they could hear the voices from the wedding drift down. Exchanging worried glances, they silently agreed they had to hurry.

Something flashed out of the shadows, attempting to strike Gaara's chest. The redhead stumbled back as Naruto got ready to fight. It was a puppet, the blades almost certainly poisoned. Familiar ones at that. Kankurou's puppets, being controlled by chakra strings that, in the end, did not connect to their true owner. He was down there somewhere, but not with the puppets.

Of course, Naruto was not the only one to notice the man now in the wedding was not who he said. Midway through the ceremony, Matsuri drew back a fist and punched the man before her. Naturally, nothing came up to defend the faker, and he fell back with a grunt. There was a stunned silence before the bride had a weapon held to the man's throat. "Where's Gaara?" She snarled before getting a kick in the stomach for her efforts. He launched himself at her only for hands to grab at him. She kicked back, screaming her question again. Someone wrapped an arm around his throat, trying to haul him away from her as he hailed down punches. A burst of green flame erupted from him, knocking the others away.
"All of you stop!" He snarled as he got to his feet, part of his façade beginning to melt away. "You can't fight me forever, you fools. I have a power far greater than yours, especially now I've had time to feed off the chakra of you stupid kids who just went along with me from the start." He shook his head, turning to Matsuri, a sick grin on his face. "Your Kazekage is dead. Don't worry. You'll get to join your precious fiancé soon."

Sand came crashing through the windows at that point, lifting the faker into the air and beginning to crush him. Four people came in through the shattered windows, and Matsuri noticed Gaara, the real Gaara, at once. She ran to him and caught him as he fell, the weakness from being trapped all that time finally getting the better of him. He clung to her, gazing into her eyes as the others fought around them.
"I thought you were...he said you were..."
He planted a quick kiss on her lips to silence her. "I'll never leave you like that, I promise."

~*~*~*~

Time. Time needed to be taken for healing, for the guests, for the groom, for many people. Everything was being rearranged, replanned, rescheduled. Even so, it wasn't long at all before the next wedding, the true wedding came round. A proper show of real love, where Gaara and Matsuri could be joined for life.

The Shipping Wheel: Moegi/Konohamaru

Peaceful days in a peaceful world generally brought the same thing with them every time. An undying, unrelenting boredom that she could never shake. She dragged a brush through her hair as she gazed out the window, half-wishing for something fun to fall from the sky. She was supposed to be a grown woman now, she scolded herself internally. She was thinking like a child. Heaving a sigh, she pushed herself back from the window and went to find something to wear. Maybe something interesting would present itself later. Maybe she could go see Tenten or something, buy something to keep her busy.

As she was changing tops, the door was flung open. She spun to look at the intruder with a shriek, hands holding a shirt in place to cover her. "Konohamaru!"
He stood in the doorway, mouth hanging open in a stupid, gormless expression. God, why was he just standing there staring? He'd gone red, freezing up from whatever he had been coming to say. They both stood in silence for a moment before it was clear he wasn't going to look away or leave.
"Get out!" Moegi shrieked, trying to will away the redness of her own cheeks. Not that he would notice, she thought. He was a teenage boy in front of a topless girl. She didn't need too many guesses as to where his eyes were stuck.

Finally, his brain returned to him and he covered his eyes, apologising profusely. She gave a slight roll of her eyes as he turned to leave and walked into the doorway. Uncover your eyes, stupid. But he didn't. He just blindly tried to find his way. Heaving a sigh, Moegi threw a shirt on and hurried over to him, guiding him away from the stairs before he did himself a mischief.
"You can look now, baka. You were about to pitch yourself down the stairs."
He peaked through his fingers and heaved a sigh of relief once he realised he wasn't going to be killed. After a beat, he dropped his hand, noting how close his team mate was to him. Why was she so close? Their noses were almost touching!

Moegi seemed to jump, realising how close she was, and pulled away quickly, blushing again. "Sorry, Konohamaru-kun. I'll be down in a minute, okay?"
"Uh, o-okay..." She quickly disappeared into her room and he stood there for a moment.

For the rest of the day, he found his eyes drawn to her. It was...strange. She would go to look at something, and he would follow, not with his feet, but with his eyes. Well, he'd always liked her, that much he could say. She was a fun person and a good friend, you know?

And pretty.

Pretty face, nice body, a wonderful, kind girl who was always looking out for her friends. He had to pretend not to notice certain things. He couldn't risk wrecking that friendship. Especially not to tell her he thought he was hot, or whatever. Firstly, what was he supposed to say?

She'd probably blame it on the fact he'd seen her rack that morning. How do you say 'I've liked you since kindergarten'? Moegi hardly noticed him looking anyway. She had...more important things on her mind.

Yeah, more important things. That whole morning had been so embarrassing. God, it wasn't like either of those two would want to see her almost naked. They'd known her for so long, they probably saw her as a sister. So embarrassing. Still, she kind of wished things were different. At the very least that Konohamaru would talk to her instead of hanging back and just...staring. It was like he thought she would blow up any minute. He was leaning against the rails of a bridge now while she sat a little way off, playing with a cat. Konohamaru had dragged Udon away, insisting they needed to talk, 'guys only'.

He heaved a deep sigh, drumming his fingers against the bars. "I feel so stupid right now..."
Udon glanced over, crossing his arms. "Because of this morning?"
"Because she's been running away all day." Another sigh escaped him as his gaze swivelled upwards to the clouds. "She's always looking the other way when things get...interesting. Whenever I want to do or say anything something gets in the way. If I say something now, she'll just think I'm being a pervert"
"You think so?"
"I can't just suddenly come out with a declaration of love after seeing her naked! What would you think if someone did that to you? They're only after one thing, that's what you'd think. Or any normal person, at least."
Udon gave a slight shake of his head. "Not if they explained."
"How am I supposed to explain?" Konohamaru asked exasperatedly.
"Just...tell the truth."
"The truth? It'll just sound stupid. 'I love you, I have since we were little kids who didn't even know what love was because you're special. You're perfect, you're the most amazing girl I've ever met and...I love you...'" He sighed again, hanging his head. "It all sounds so stupid and hopeless."
"I love you too..." The boys' heads snapped up, and there Moegi stood at the end of the bridge, looking a little red. When had she gotten there? Shakily, she made her way towards Konohamaru and gave him a tight hug.
"You're so cute when you blush."

Kankuro Dream Story

His eyes were drilling holes into the woman's back as they walked. He was supposed to be a bodyguard, not a pack mule. Yet there he was, carrying his own equipment as well as the woman's umbrella. At least the moment they got to the hidden grass village he would be shot of her and could go back home. A rustle of leaves brought his mind back to the mission. They were out of the desert at least, but that meant people were more capable of hiding.

He couldn't quite remember what this woman was. Something wealthy from the grass village, probably some form of diplomat or ambassador, though she didn't look much like one. She looked like she thought of herself as a princess of some kind. That wasn't what annoyed Kankurou, though. No, it might have been the fact that she looked at him like he was nothing more than a bug when he was assigned to her, or the way she held her nose and pulled a face whenever she passed him, maybe all the nasty things she felt obliged to say about his family and fighting style or that she was determined not to let the squad rest, or maybe even the fact that she insisted she didn't need guarding and the ninja around her were nothing more than a waste of resources, but whatever it was that really grinded his gears, Kankurou hated this woman. He'd rather be in charge of a skunk, for goodness' sake.

Focus on the mission, he scolded himself, casting his eyes about the surrounding forest, ears straining for the slightest noise before little miss loudmouth decided to start complaining about sore feet.
"There was a tea shop half a mile back, but you didn't want to stop." Kankurou reminded her, eye twitching.
"Well, you should have made me stop before my feet hurt!" She insisted, stamping one foot with a whimper. God, she was getting on his nerves. "I'm hungry, too. Are you hungry? Maybe we can find something to eat around here."
"If you leave the path, I am going to kill you."
She turned and stared at him like he'd grown an extra head. After a moment, she burst into a fit of laughter. "You're so childish."
"No wonder they wanted me to watch you. If I'm that childish, I'll at least know your mind well."
She gave him a blank look as he passed her, as though she didn't understand, but didn't miss the chance to close off her nose and scowl.
"You smell like glue and wood and sweat."
"Well, you don't exactly smell like a bouquet of roses yourself." He muttered, eyes flickering from tree to tree, but ignoring his own feet. Had he let his mood get the best of him? Not that it mattered once the wire was tripped.

A scream, a long white bandage flying through the air, the sound of kunai thudding into wood...
"What are you trying to do? Get us all killed?" The woman shrieked, stalking over to him, past Karasu, and hitting him around the head as hard as she could.
"Cut it out!" Kankurou snapped back, bringing his puppet round closer. It was just a trap, so most likely the ones who set it were already gone...right?

Wrong. One moment things were tense, but he couldn't sense a soul around, and the next moment, it was raining weaponry.

Kuroari. He needed Kuroari. He couldn't tell where the enemies were, but it looked like they were surrounded. A quick push sent the girl into Kuroari, where she would at least be safe from the kunai and shuriken. This wasn't a good situation for him, no doubt about that. The girl was screaming and already giving him a headache, one of the weapons had impaled one of his hands, and without knowing what was going on fully, the most he could do for now was deflect. It wasn't a good defence under the circumstances. He could feel things getting through but there was no way he could attack without completely bringing down that defence. Maybe if he could plant himself between Kuroari and Karasu...

Only moving to do just that proved to not be the wisest choice. Something thudded into his chest, things were slashing across his stomach, face, neck, arms and legs, anywhere they could. One last attempt to save himself, send what he had out in all directions...

Thud.

Screams.

The clatter of metal, the taste of blood, the sounds of people moving amongst the shadows.

Was he safe?

With a flick of his wrist, he unlocked Kuroari, and the girl launched herself out, screaming about how it stank in there of death. She found her eyes drawn to the weapons littering the floor, alongside a copious amount of blood. A shudder ran through her, and shifting her gaze a little further along, she let out another scream.

Kankurou covered his ears with his hands.
No, he didn't. He tried to, but his hands stayed on the ground, keeping his face and chest out of the mud. He wasn't that badly hurt though, surely. Just as long as he could get his stupid body to obey...

He tried to stand, but instead just managed to lurch forward. He hissed in pain as something wrapped around his torso. The girl he was supposed to be protecting heaved him up. They were far closer to Kusa than anywhere else, that much she knew, so to the hidden village of the grass it was.

He must have passed out at some point. When he awoke, he was in a dazed state, semi-sedated, mildly aware of the presence of doctors in the room with him. Nobody he knew, but part of him hoped he wouldn't have to heal up here. Heck, the moment he saw an opening, he was off home, no matter what they said. Firstly, the sooner he could get home the less the others would worry about him (although being covered in bandages probably wouldn't help ease their minds). Maybe it was the drugs messing with his better judgement, but he still decided the best course of action would be to take the trek back to Suna. It would probably throw up some dumb high alert about the missing patient.

By the time he got to the deserts in the country of the wind, night had fallen and the cold slashed at his skin even through his clothes. The painkillers had long since worn off, and he was slowed considerably by hunger and thirst, but he'd come so far and really he was more likely to make it to Suna alive than Kusa right there and then. He just had to power through. The village was in sight, and soon he'd even be able to see the stupid lookouts, provided he didn't faint for the fifth time that day...

Only to wake up in a warm, familiar bed, hot water bottle tucked under the sheets...The curtains were drawn across the window, the room set in darkness despite it being midday. There was a tray of warm food on the nightstand, settled behind a cracked picture of himself with his siblings. He tried to sit up, but just got a sharp shot of agony through his chest for his efforts. Laying back with a groan, he tensed up a little as someone walked over from his work table. A hand was there to brush his hair off his face and then arms were around him, helping him sit up. He was unaware he had asked...or maybe it was a reaction to the grumbling complaints his stomach was making. Light flooded into the room as the curtains were drawn open.
"It wasn't wise of you to walk all the way here in your state." Gaara began as he moved the tray, resting it across Kankurou's lap so he could eat his fill. "You're lucky you were noticed. You could have frozen to death out there."
He took a moment to respond. The way his younger brother spoke made it sound more like he was informing him of facts than proper concern, but he had known the younger man for years, he had learnt to interpret the emotion, though it had taken a while from that first apology he had heard from the boy. Slowly, they'd grown closer. "I was drugged." He admitted with a nervous laugh. "I wasn't exactly bothered about whether it was wise or not, you know? I just wanted my big sister and my baby brother."
Another long moment of silence.
"We're both glad you got back okay though. I'll be back later to clear things away."
"How long have you been in here with me?"
More silence.
"Three hours. I wanted to make sure you would be okay."
The sentiment sunk in deep. "I'm okay. Thank you...for wanting to make sure..." His brother had wanted to make sure he would be okay. It probably shouldn't have meant as much as it did to him, but for some strange reason, he thought as he watched Gaara leave the room, he was undoubtedly touched.

The One I Want To Protect

The village was shrouded in darkness and silence, cold winds cutting through the roads and side streets between the buildings. A man walked brusquely down a path in dire need of maintenance, arms wrapped around himself to stave off the cold. Most in Suna were fast asleep by this point. There wasn't much point in staying up this late. The only thing that happened was the desert dropped down to freezing temperatures that no-one in their right mind would be out in.

The man out there paused, leaning against a building and looking back the way he had come. He was aware someone had been following him, but he'd felt strangely safe with that presence behind him, as though the man a good twenty paces back was someone he knew well and could trust. The follower didn't stop, he kept coming. His whole purpose was to see what his big brother was doing out so late, with his face covered by hood and scarf. The younger brother approached, arm outstretched to pull down the hood, and the elder let him, staring at him with curious dark eyes. "You should be in bed." He scolded softly the moment the material was out of his eyes.
"As should you." Gaara responded, arms folded. With Shukaku gone from his body and mind, he certainly needed to rest, but every other night the tired Kazekage was awake in the living room after a long night of work. Maybe he was avoiding sleep, or maybe for the same reason Kankurou himself had been awake to see his little brother's struggles. The puppeteer rubbed his eyes, giving a slight shrug. "I didn't feel tired." He lied. The frown that crossed his younger brother's face told him at once that he could see right through him. The problem was, ever since that night those people had come and taken Gaara from The Sand, purely for the sake of the beast within, sleep had come hard to Kankurou. When he lay awake, he thought about his brother's lifeless form, the pain in his heart upon seeing him in that state.

The pain Gaara had felt his whole life.

When he fell asleep, he was trapped within visions of his brother's death, his failure to protect his family when they needed him most...the voices of those he let suffer and die and the mocking tones of those he couldn't defeat. His eyes found Gaara again, alive and well, and thought of the dreams he must have been having. Did he dream of everyone he'd hurt and let down? Did Gaara too dream of his siblings turning away?

"You were struggling to stay awake today." Gaara noted, taking an uncertain step closer, but still keeping his distance. He wasn't used to close contact or showing concern, but there was a clear difference in his frown to the one he usually wore. "Are you unwell?"
Kankurou paused, biting his lip and trying to fight back a yawn. He shook his head slightly. Part of him was still surprised when his little brother showed this concern, especially since most of his life had been spent fearing him. "I just wanted some air." He explained softly, which at the very least was true. "What about you? Why are you out here so late?"

Gaara pondered the question a moment. Why was he out here, following Kankurou? He'd woken after another nightmare, another chapter fuelling the pains in his chest. A nightmare of those closest to him and all the deaths he had caused, of them going away and leaving him alone again. Awake again, and no work to do for the night, he wandered the halls, and he'd heard the pacing footsteps within his brother's room. He saw him leave the room and building. Why follow, though? Concern? A need to spend time with his brother? Kankurou had been willing to risk life and limb for Gaara's sake. An act of...love? And if he would put himself in so much danger to protect Gaara, would the younger brother do the same? It made sense, didn't it? And what he knew of siblings...they were supposed to protect one another, weren't they? They were supposed to fix one another's problems.

He realised after a moment, that he had fallen silent through his thoughts. Kankurou decided to close that silence. "You couldn't sleep?"
Surprised by that, Gaara gave a slight nod. "You haven't slept much recently either. It is...a new concept for me...very different to what I am used to..."
Kankurou reached to him, but seemed to think better of it and let his arm drop to his side instead. He couldn't explain it, but for some reason when his brother's arm dropped rather than making the full journey to the Kazekage's shoulder, he felt a painful twinge in his chest. Kankurou was still afraid of him.
"You'll get used to it. And the bad dreams don't last forever." Really, the puppeteer should have taken that to heart himself, but instead he was out here, escaping the pain brought on from his own vivid night terrors. "You're not alone." He said, the sentiment coming from seemingly nowhere, even in his own mind.
"I know. Neither are you." Tense hands found tense shoulders, and Gaara wished he could transfer strength and courage to his brother with that one comforting squeeze. "You needn't worry about me, Kankurou. I'll be fine, and I'm alive. Calm yourself and get some rest." He pulled slightly, trying to encourage his older brother back home.
"I'm sorry." The puppeteer muttered.
He looked up again then, shocked. "What for?"
"I..." The question almost froze his throat. There was so much he could apologise for, all the years of looking at a brutally pained child and seeing only a monster father than his baby brother, desperate for some form of affection. Years of failing to be an older brother and showing the redheaded child before him nothing but fear and anger. Simply put, "I failed you."
Gaara's confusion only deepened. "You haven't failed me."
"I should have protected you. I should have been there to protect you, but I wasn't. I never did. I let you suffer. I let you die. I ignored every feeling you possessed and let everything crush you. I let everything fall apart, I just watched as this village, this family, pulled you into pieces."
Bright icy blue eyes widened in shock. A hand moved uncertainly, shaking slightly as it inched toward his brother's cheek. "Kankurou..." The puppeteer jerked away, guilt flowing through him, tears stinging his tired eyes. He turned away, desperate to keep his tough attitude up, not let his baby brother see him cry. "Nii-san..." He felt his breath catch in his throat. A memory flashed through his mind, of Gaara telling him he never saw him as a brother, but there he was, calling him big brother. "A group of shinobi could not defeat them without difficulty and losses. You did what you could, and I appreciate that you've wanted to protect me at all. You were one of the...You were the first to stop viewing me as the monster the entire village saw me as. That in itself-"
"But it isn't enough. I let you suffer, I made you suffer-"
"I did the same to you." Kankurou took a moment to let that set in before wiping his eyes and turning to embrace his younger brother. For a moment, he worried he'd gone too far, but the tense form within his tight grasp quickly relaxed and returned the embrace. "I'm sorry too, for every pain I've ever caused you."
"...I forgave you long ago for that."
"I've never blamed you for your fear. You've done nothing that would make me resent you. Apart from, maybe, harm yourself for my sake."
"You're my little brother. It's my job to protect you." He smiled slightly, and Gaara felt the corners of his own mouth tug upwards.
"But depriving yourself hardly protects me. Rest."
He was silent for a moment. "You aren't sleeping either."
"Perhaps I need someone to watch over me. Just as you do, nii-san."
"Ototo..."
Gaara turned, heading back home, and after a moment, Kankurou followed, a silent agreement between them to watch over one another, to protect even from the nightmares plaguing them both. To be the brothers they'd always wanted to be.

Love for a Brother

Things were a downright disaster.

Three months ago, my wife passed away, three days after the birth of our daughter. The rule of threes, working against me. Kurotsuchi was the leader of the village of Iwagakure, where we lived together. She was the worker, I stayed home to look after the kids. I guess it was just how things worked. My son loved having me around, at least. He found me a fun person, enjoying my tricks and games and hugs, but after his baby sister came along, I couldn't spend as much time with him. It was the curse of being a single parent.

All the time I wasn't dealing with Kichona and her urgent needs, I would check in on Tanto to see how he was holding up. His mother may not have been his primary caregiver, but that didn't make it any less painful for him to lose her. I remember I'd just gotten Kichona to sleep, and I hadn't eaten in two days, and I was so tired, but I passed Tanto's room and he was curled up in bed, crying. As exhausted as I was, I guess the parental instinct kicked in...I went off, got a few puppets and put on a bit of a show in his room. I'd do anything to keep my children from tears, even though I'd never really been that fond of them. Children in general, that is, not my own. I love my own. They're my own flesh and blood.

My brother and sister knew things were tough for me. They knew I was struggling to cope with the kids. I mean, they came round on my birthday and I fainted from hunger, so they stayed a little extra time to help out, and they told me to put myself first (because otherwise how could I care for the kids?) and to call them if I ever needed help.

Looking after the children by myself wasn't just a problem because I was swept off my feet, though. My wife had been the one who was earning, and by the time I realised I was running out of money, it was too late. I needed money I didn't have to get a babysitter so I could go out and work. I had to choose to work or watch the kids, but Kichona was only three months old, and for that matter, had been born premature as well. Tanto was too young to help, and I was worried he held animosity towards his baby sister. I could call my siblings, but, well, Gaara had a village to lead, and Temari was over a week away. It just wouldn't be fair, I thought as I lay awake in bed. I was getting weak...too tired, too hungry, too weak to do anything...I felt like everything was becoming a pointless battle. I was fighting destiny. I was destined for this, destined to become a poor wreck, and I couldn't rely on my siblings. I'm from The Sand, for god's sake! We don't need help.

We don't need help.

We don't.

My children are suffering. I can't handle this. I heard Tanto crying last night. I cried too. Kichona was always in tears these days. She was so small, so young, and I couldn't even afford milk formula for her. I'd stopped eating for the sake of ensuring my kids had enough, planning to eat their scraps. That wasn't working. Tanto didn't leave scraps. I hadn't eaten for days yet I still couldn't sleep, no matter how tired I got. It was hard enough physically, but with the kids suffering, my emotional state was nothing but turmoil and agony. I curled up, clamping my hands over my ears, trying to shut out the crying, but it just got louder. I didn't realise what I was hearing was my own desperate wails.

I'm trying my best to stay strong. I am trying, I'm trying to keep things together.
"I know I don't quite have enough." I muttered, voice pleading with the shop keeper. I had my kids with me. We were all pretty hungry now. All we needed was this one batch, this one dinner. "Please, this is the only money I have left. We need this food, you're still getting paid for it, so please let us take it..."
The woman behind the counter shook her head, pulling the basket towards her. "If you can't pay for it, you can't take it from the shop."
"Please, we're starving!" I could feel tears stinging my eyes now, and my fist clenched. I considered hitting her and running, but Tanto tugged at my sleeve.
"Daddy? It's not working, I wanna go home!" He was crying. Reluctantly, I left the shop, my children in tow. Home was empty, lights off. Tanto went running in and opened the fridge, as though he expected something new to be in there instead of just some old spinach that had long gone past inedible. Well, now even that was gone. I'd given into desperation and swallowed the gunk, and thrown it back up a couple of minutes after. My shirt was hanging off my shoulder now, and people were noticing what was happening, I was sure of it. Nobody cared, that was all. After the Fourth Tsuchikage died, someone else took ownership of the big place, and I stayed in the home we'd gotten here when we'd married, only a short time before she'd gotten the title.
"Tanto?" I called, offering Kichona to him. He took the screaming infant uncertainly. "Be a good boy and put your baby sister to bed?"
"But she's still crying."
"Sing to her, it'll help." I assured him. The moment he left, I heaved a sigh, sliding down the wall onto my backside. I gripped my head in my hands and let myself cry. My shoulders shook with heavy sobs, wailing until my throat went raw, and not even noticing Tanto coming back in, even briefly.

I didn't know he'd seen it, and I didn't know he saw me when I got up, threw the knife block on the floor and picked up one of the fallen blades. I just screamed at my reflection in the stainless steel, screaming at myself. Why can't you be more useful? Why can't you actually manage this for once? Why are you such a bad, useless, worthless father? Why would you let your children suffer? Why can't you find your way out of this? Stupid fucking fool! Stupid bastard! Why?! Why did you have to cause pain to anyone you ever met...? Even your own siblings...
I didn't cut myself, not that day, but Tanto mentioned in his letter to Temari that I was hurting myself. He was a clever boy, he didn't miss a thing.

Dear Aunt Temari
I'm writing to ask you to come round soon. Things are scary and I don't like it. Daddy keeps crying and still isn't eating or sleeping. He just stays up all night crying. Also I'm hungry and there hasn't been any food in the house a while. I miss mum and so does dad, and I'm scared. He's been hurting himself and he's stopped looking after baby. I know it will take some time, but come here as soon as you can, and bring money and food please.

My clever boy sent that to his aunt. I didn't know a thing of it. The day she arrived I wrote a note of my own.
Please send Tanto and Kichona to Konoha. Their aunt and uncle will be willing to care for them, and they need love. They need things I can't give.
I was sat in the bathroom, a kunai in my hand, scratching it across my arm harshly. I moved up my arm, making parellel marks. Reached the shoulder, changed arms. I could feel my blood leak down my arms, and it made me shudder, but at the same time it calmed me. It was as though once I died, things would be okay. My children wouldn't have to suffer, and I couldn't worry about burdening my brother and sister, or the Village hidden in the Rock. I could just leave them all be, at peace. Snarling at my own cowardice, I held the knife to my throat. This was what I was driven to? Suicide? When I had two young kids? I'd rather die than sort out my problems. No wonder I sickened myself so much.

I couldn't cut my throat. I was too cowardly even for that, as I imagined myself gagging for breath...alerting Tanto to my suffering...instead, I choked back my sobs and nicked my collarbones, nothing more, before drawing the bloody knife away, gazing at it as a wave of weakness flooded me. I wouldn't remain conscious much longer. All the lost blood...I would pass out soon. There were noises in the house that I could just about make out. Conversation...footsteps...

"Kankurou!" It sounded like the voice was sounding out through water. I felt hands, one pulling my head back, a handful of hair being brutally torn at, the other closing around my wrist, my suicide note in her hand, the paper stinging my wounds. I could feel her trying to bandage the cuts, and her panicked voice at hurrying in to see this of all things. I think she was crying, I could feel something splashing on my face before I passed out into a cold embrace.

When I woke up, I was tucked into bed, arms bandaged, someone stroking my hair absent-mindedly. The house was quiet and smelled of baking. I tuned into the sounds around me, the rustle of the bedclothes as I breathed and shifted, the sounds of life beside me, the odd gurgle from Kichona in the corner, and even the rumble of my empty belly as I inhaled the sweet smell of the bread in the kitchen. I was afraid to open my eyes, afraid to see who had come and 'saved' me. I tuned into her breath now. It was uneven, unsteady. She was crying. Even speaking under her breath. Like she was trying to soothe me, but I could tell she was soothing herself. Telling herself it was okay and there was nothing to be afraid of. Telling herself that I would be okay now she was here, that she would make everything okay again. I dared to crack open one eye, see who was so concerned, even though I was certain I already knew.
"Temari..." I breathed, no idea why she'd come here for me. I sat up, and the moment I was upright, she hit me on the head.
"You idiot! What on earth is wrong with you? You have two little kids and you tried to kill yourself? Do you know how scarring that would be? How hurtful it would be to everyone around you? It wouldn't solve anything, it wouldn't give your kids anything but pain! I told you and told you to call if you needed help, but no! I suddenly get a letter from your seven-year-old boy in the middle of the night! You idiot! Why would you do this to us? To yourself?" She'd been hitting me throughout the speech, and now she just pulled me into a tight embrace. "I don't want to lose my baby brother." Slowly, I hugged her back, letting her bury my head in her chest. I was crying too, but she didn't mind me soaking her shirt, and I didn't mind her crying into my hair.
"I'm sorry." I managed in a strangled sob. "I'm so sorry. I am so, so sorry. I just wanted to be...I just...I'm so sorry!"
"I'm not the one you should apologise to." She muttered. "Tanto..."
"I know." I nuzzled my head against her chest, getting lost in her warmth, letting out little sobs. I just wished my sister would hold me there forever.
"I'm just happy you're okay..." She muttered after a moment. "You're still really stupid, though."
"I know, I'm an idiot...thank you for coming."
"Thank your son for sending for me..." She heaved a sigh before pulling away. "For the record, I'm locking everything away where you won't find it. I can't risk you hurting yourself like that again."
I looked away. "I won't..."
"I'm staying here to make sure of it."
"But what about Shikamaru and Shikadai?"
"They'll be okay with it. I need to help my little brother get back on his feet...mind if we don't tell Gaara? I don't want to stress him out too..."
I have a slight nod. "Okay...We should go see him sometime soon. His new kid is due soon."
She rolled her eyes. "He never stops, I swear to god."
"At least he's happy..."
Temari stood then. "You relax. I'll be back in a moment. It's going to be fine, I promise."
"...Thanks..."

Mirage

It was a hot, humid day, and the desert sun was incredible. Kurotsuchi was well prepared for the heat, well covered in light clothes. Her sandals went smoothly through the sand, and she rested her hands behind her head, basking in the summer sunlight. It was at the very least going to be a wonderful day for a walk, until she heard the weak groaning. Normally, she wasn't in among the desert plains, but there was never anything wrong with a nice walk among beautiful scenery. Even so, she turned on her heel, mind ripping away from her relaxing day and instead leading her towards a formation of rocks. Twisted among the rocks, in the shade, was the form of a man in black.

It was difficult to get into the rocks and get beside him. By his feet and out the other side of the rocks the sand was stained red. He'd dragged himself a short distance into the shade before  passing out. A quick check, fingers to his neck. His pulse was strong enough, he wasn't going to die. Gently, she rolled him over, off his front. What little colour was on his shirt was stained as the sand was, and a thin trickle of blood ran from his mouth. She kept him on his side so he wouldn't start choking. There was smudged make-up over his face, once resembling a Kabuki-style pattern. He was breathing steadily, a slight rasping sound coming from his throat. He'd probably been out here a few hours now, and he looked quite badly beaten.

Kurotsuchi tapped his shoulder uncertainly. "If you can hear me, open your eyes." She told him, loud, clear and firm. To her relief, his face gave a twitch before a somewhat swollen eye managed to open. She couldn't help but smile slightly. He wasn't as bad as she'd first thought. "Can you sit up?" She asked him, gently offering her hands for support should he need it. He let her help him up, then curled over into foetal position, kneading his forehead with his knuckles. It took him a while to lower his legs and hands, to try and relax.
"Who are you?" Kurotsuchi asked, frowning in concern. "What happened?"
He opened his mouth as though to respond, but all that came out was a fit of coughs, a little spittle and the remains of his breakfast. He was quick to wipe his mouth on his sleeve, tears forming in his eyes. He must have been in a fair amount of pain. That dry rasp from his throat was getting more pronounced, so she offered him her water canteen. The man managed to open it with fumbling fingers and drank greedily. At least that would be one problem dealt with. "Think you can talk okay now?" She asked after he handed the canteen back. His hood held his forehead guard. He was from Sunagakure, so at least he wasn't too far from home.
"I don't remember..." He managed to mutter, head hanging forward.
"You don't remember what happened?"
"Who was there...how I got here..."
"What's your name?" She asked him firmly, pulling one of his arms over her shoulders so she could help him up.
"Kankurou..." He leant heavily against her, his own legs barely able to support him. He seemed pretty weak, so she would have to get him into the village soon and find him a doctor. His hand was resting over his belly, where most of the bleeding was. He would probably be rather hungry after all this as well, she thought as she half-lifted him. She couldn't carry him, but he couldn't walk. It seemed like a broken leg now she was looking properly. He simply couldn't walk on that, but if he'd been beaten, she couldn't leave him and go ahead for help.

In the end, he passed out again, blood loss getting the better of him. Kurotsuchi stumbled into Sunagokare with the unconscious Shinobi on her back, calling for help the moment she was within range. It was dark out, the temperature just short of freezing, when she went back up to the hospital to check how he was. The make-up was washed off his face and his clothes had been replaced with a simple clinical gown. He appeared to be asleep, and just as she thought, his broken leg was bound tight and propped up on some pillows. He looked a lot better without purple smudged unceremoniously over his once bloodied features. She ran her fingers over his cheek on instinct, still concerned for his wellbeing. One of his hands came up shakily to meet hers, and his eyes flickered open once more. He gave a slight smile.
"Hey..." His voice was strained, he still seemed rather weak.
"Hey...don't you have any friends here or family?"
"Sister's out of town, brother's being sick elsewhere...I'd rather he didn't come in..."
"Well...I hope he gets better soon...and you..."
"I never caught your name." He pointed out. She found the change of subject sudden.
"Kurotsuchi..." She answered with a slight smile.
"Thanks for the help out there. I swear, I saw her framed by the sun and she looked like an angel..."
She frowned then. It was clear he hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I think you need to get some rest. You remember what happened yet?"
"Not too clearly...I think I hit my head quite hard at some point...Guess I must've pissed off the wrong guys." He offered a weak laugh, and she couldn't help but laugh along. It was infectious.
"Well, lucky you had your guardian angel watching over you." She teased, trying hard not to laugh at his horrified expression. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Maybe you can return the favour some day, though I doubt I'd get my butt kicked that easily."
"Hey, they outnumbered me!" He tried to sit up, but ended up clutching his stomach and falling back. A strange instinct took over and she pushed him down by his shoulder, tucking him in and trying to get him comfy, relaxed.
"Don't exert yourself, Kankurou. Be a good boy, get some rest. I might come round again tomorrow with something sweet for you." She leant in to plant a kiss on his cheek before turning to leave. She offered a quick wave, and he uncertainly returned it. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you..."

My Prize

Every now and then the various villages in the various countries had their various festivities. The fireworks and stalls, the bright lights and sweet, tinkling music floating through the busy streets of Suna that night breathed life into the otherwise quiet village. One man walked through the lively streets, gaze running over each stall but never once interacting. He was more...overseeing events. Keeping the peace, maybe. Plus they were all crowded, and he didn't feel like fighting through crowds just to play some stupid game he would only find tedious. At least those taking part in the festivities were enjoying themselves, he mused as a group of children ran past, ribbons in their hands. The sounds of cheerful laughter.

He went to turn just as someone grabbed his arm. He knew he'd heard someone coming for him.
"Gaara! I didn't know if I'd see you here or not!"
"N-Naruto..." He tried to pull his arm free but instead found himself being pulled along the street faster.
"I've only ever been to the festivals in Konoha before. They're way, way different than these ones. There's always less stuff to do and it's just less fun..."
"I've not been to the Konoha festivals. I never thought I would exactly enjoy them, especially not by myself."
"They're nothing special. This looks awesome though! There's this huge stall of fudge that has all these different kinds! Have you been there yet?"
"No."
"You should."
"I'm not really one for swee-agh!"
The problem with being pulled along was that Gaara himself had little control over where he was going. He was just about able to avoid most people, at least, but when he found himself on a collision course he just couldn't escape (and quite frankly wondered how Naruto had gotten round her) he just tried to dig his heels into the powdery sand. It didn't help much, just caused him to lose his balance when they did collide.

Sitting up, he found his surroundings littered with various dolls and sweets. Before him was a dazed girl in a white kimono, pink roses spread across it. He immediately apologised, moving to pick up everything the girl had dropped.
"It's fine." She insisted as she tried to stuff her belongings back into a carrier bag. They both went to grab the same thing at once, his hand closing over hers. He didn't seem aware of her blush as he took his hand away. He did, however, look to her face now, and certainly recognised her. "Matsuri."
She looked away, not willing to meet his eyes. "G-Gaara-sama..."
Slowly, he got to his feet, offering a hand. "I hope you aren't hurt."
"I'm fine, thank you...sorry for, um, getting in your way."
"You didn't." He moved as though to walk on, but instead of letting go of her hand, he gave it a slight squeeze. "Are you here with anyone?"
"I was with Sari and Yukata before, but they've gone off to watch the fireworks. I think they have a thing for the guy in charge of them."
Naruto appeared between them then, a grin on his face. "That sounds like them all right! They're always after the guys with the nicest butt, huh?"
The other two fell into an awkward silence. "Where's Hinata?" Gaara asked after a moment.
"She told me to go around without her so she could surprise me..."
"I see...You remember Matsuri, I'm sure."
"Yeah, she's one of Temari's friends, right?" He asked before muttering something extra under his breath.
"What was that?" The Kazekage questioned, glancing back at him.
"Nothing!" A big part of him, being aware of how Gaara felt about Matsuri and vice versa, simply couldn't wait for them to properly get together. He made a big deal of checking the time. This whole festival was the perfect place for them to get closer, surely. "Hey, since neither of you are here with anyone, why not look around together, hey?"
Matsuri went bright red then, certain she was about to hear the age old rejections she was used to. She knew she was unpopular. A lot of people in Suna seemed to dislike her a fair bit, and maybe she could be annoying at times, but she'd heard enough nasty words and even threats to last her a lifetime. It was unlikely anyone, especially not Gaara of all people even if he had been her teacher for a time, would want to spend an evening like this with someone like her. Heck, he knew her well. He knew how annoying she was.
"If that would be okay with Matsuri-san, I would be happy to."
She looked up in surprise. His face gave nothing away.
"Uh...yeah, sure...that would be...nice!"
"Great! How about I see you two later at the big dance? I should probably check Sakura isn't beating anyone to a pulp!"

Fairground games were a bit of a speciality of Matsuri's. There she went, winning another as Gaara watched from a little away. She bounded over cheerfully, an enormous cuddly toy of a duck in her arms, before offering it out to him. "I know it's stupid but, well, while I have a friend with me, I might as well try giving a prize." She mumbled anxiously, feeling beyond idiotic. He took it uncertainly, holding it under one arm with an expression of distaste. He didn't like it, but he accepted it anyway. It was the polite thing to do, and it made her happy to see him take it.
"I wish it could be better." She mumbled, barely audible above the surrounding sounds.
"You wish what was what?"
"The present was better!" She repeated louder, laughing a little.
"It's fine as it is." He insisted, flashing a small and very brief smile. Stupidly, that tiny smile set her heart going faster.
"This has been a wonderful night..."
"Festival night is always nice."
"Yes, that's true, but I've never enjoyed it this much. Just...spending this time with you has been perfect."
"Hmm?" She had gone quiet again, and he was struggling to hear her once more.
She'd never actually felt that brave before around him. Never brave enough to confess, that was for certain. "Maybe it's because you're perfect..."
"...Perfect..." He repeated uncertainly, running the word around in his head. "You're perfect..."
The noise around them was too loud. They weren't communicating, but they'd heard the same thing. Perfect.
"Gaara-Sama, I have...I mean...I have a crush on you..."
"You have a what?"
"A...I really like you."
"We're friends." Another smile.
"No!...Well, yes, we are, but that isn't what I'm saying!"
"I can't hear..."
"For God's sake, Gaara, I'm in love with you!"
He froze then, eyes wide, a slight blush on his cheeks. "You...are?" He didn't seem to know how to respond. The moment it was out of her mouth, Matsuri was regretting having said anything. She had gone bright red, and just being stared at in silence for some reason was bringing tears to her eyes. Everything suddenly seemed so awkward...
He was looking at her in some form of shock. Like he couldn't quite process the meaning of the words she had just spoken. Like he didn't want to. Like he wished he'd never heard them...
"I...I'm so sorry, Kazekage-sama!" She managed before turning to hurry away.
"Matsuri-san, wait!" He called, reaching out to stop her, but she paid no heed. Just ran.

Maybe she didn't mean it.

He stood in place a moment, for what seemed like an eternity, trying to figure out what had just happened. Why did she run away?

Matsuri sat in a secluded area, away from the celebrations. It was a place few went to, so she could usually be sure she would be alone. She was curled up, head buried against her legs, trying to dispel the embarrassment she felt right there and then. She wasn't crying, just furious with herself. This would almost certainly ruin everything.

She sensed someone come and sit next to her, but didn't look up. Not until she heard Gaara speak. "Matsuri-san..." She glanced up, but at the same time tried to hide that ridiculous blush invading her features. "Look at me properly." He told her simply, crossing his arms and waiting for her to do so. She reluctantly met his eyes, taking in his face, set into a scowl. He still had the duck with him. "I...I'm not sure why you ran, or what happened back there, but just in case I heard you right and you actually meant it..." He too was blushing now, unable to look straight at her. Suddenly, he darted forward, kissing her cheek.

Oh god, she thought, I'm so stupid!

Matsuri swallowed nervously. "I'm sorry, Gaara..." He looked away then, as though in defeat. "Most people here aren't that fond of me...I mean...who would actually want me...?"
"I would."
"But mostly...I thought you would reject me, like everyone else..."
"I'm used to rejection myself." He pointed out.
"I know...but you're gorgeous, you're smart, strong, kind, understanding, helpful, protective, everything I ever wanted in a guy...you're too perfect for words. You're like a dream, I keep worrying any moment I'll wake up and find a man like you doesn't really exist!"
He reached over, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. "I exist, and so do you. So does this moment. I love you too, Matsuri-san."

Siblings of the Sand

Temari, a kunoichi living in Konoha, was hunched over a suitcase, packing away for a week long journey. It would be easier if they were meeting in Suna. A far shorter journey, for one thing,and the shorter the journey, the less Shikadai would complain. He didn't even like his cousins, but next week he would have to spend time with them anyway. It was his uncle's birthday soon, and it was a bit of a tradition for them to meet up together in the home town of whoever's birthday it was. Downstairs, Shikamaru was hunting for his adolescent son. He was hiding somewhere, annoyingly. He always did this when it was time to go out. He just wanted to stay home, by himself. He didn't want to go on some tedious journey just to spend time with his annoying younger cousins...at least he didn't mind his uncles, and there was always the chance Uncle Gaara wouldn't show at all. If that happened, he only had to deal with one younger kid and his favourite uncle.

-----

Meanwhile, in Iwa, the Tsuchikage lay still in her bed, pale and weak, her husband holding her hand. In his other arm was a newborn child, premature but healthy enough to survive. Kankurou had never really liked children that much, but of course things changed when it was your own. He had to like her. He had to love her. The only problem here was his daughter had to come into the world in an emergency, as his wife fell so ill. It was late, the world outside shut down to sleep, but Kankurou remained awake. Tired, but wide awake. These were Kurotsuchi's last moments, and she wasn't going to live through them alone. They had a son, but he was at home, being looked after by a friend. He was too young still to be in this place this late.

But there Kankurou sat, running his thumb over her hand. Kurotsuchi was unable to speak now, just watching her husband with a weak smile on her face, letting him know she really did love him in her own little way. He smiled back, offering sweet words of comfort, promises to care for the family, promises that everything would be alright. Promises that he would be strong, even though he knew the moment she slipped away, he would lose all supports.

-----

Gaara was awoken by a gentle shuffling beside him. Curious, he opened an eye, glancing down to the covers to find another blue-green eye staring back at him. He quickly reached over to ruffle the child's hair, letting his expression do the asking.
"Bad dreams." The three-year-old explained, thumb stuck in his mouth to garble his words. He let the boy cuddle close and glanced at the clock. Two in the morning, still dark and icy over Suna. His son started explaining what the dream had been about, but with his thumb in the way, Gaara couldn't make out a word of it. He just held his son close and told him it would be okay, because his father would always be there to protect him. As long as his father was there, little Genkaku would be safe. His father was the Kazekage, the most powerful ninja in Suna. Nothing could hurt him while his parents were around. In a few hours they would be leaving to go see Uncle Kankurou. It would be his birthday in 10 days or so. The children were excited. They loved going to see their uncles and aunts. They loved the travelling alone as well.

It didn't take long for Genkaku to fall back to sleep. Gaara, however, still found rest hard to come by when disturbed. Instead, he lay still a while, watching his wife and younger child sleep. A peaceful sight to put the soul at ease. After a fair while, he disentangled himself from the child beside him and padded barefoot through the halls, to the third door on the left, opening the door a crack to see inside. As usual, his daughter was fast asleep, mouth wide open, head and most of her limbs hanging over the edge of the bed. How she always ended up in that sort of position was beyond him. He stepped in, moving to pick the child off of the floor and put her back to bed. Matsuri would probably end up scolding him for staying up at such an unholy time, but he didn't mind. At the very least he could be active instead of staying in the same place for an age.

-----

The fifteenth of May. Two families arrived in Iwa from two separate directions. With the Kamizuru clan household standing as their point of meeting, they tried to walk at an even pace, keeping the children under control. It was early yet.

Within the house, things were a little chaotic. The newest addition to the family, Kichona, was distressed. Despite her father's numerous attempts to calm her, she kept displaying the raw power of her lungs. The elder child, Tanto, was at the table, eating breakfast. His cheeks were stained with tears, but when his father came over to try comfort him, he pulled away, saying he wanted peace and quiet, nothing more. One week since the death of Tanto's mother. Things were pretty tense between the family, especially with the new baby to care for. Bereavement did not go well with all this stress and deprivation. Kankurou had lost track of the date. Somewhere in May. He hadn't eaten or slept properly since Kurotsuchi died. He'd had to organise so much and inform people and look after the kids, and Kichona was crying every five minutes and he could never figure out why...

Placing his daughter in a carrier on the floor and rocking it gently with his foot while he waited for the bottle warmer, resting his head in his arms, upon the table. He was tired, and almost managed to drift off to sleep when someone knocked on the door. Slowly, he lifted himself up and picked up the carrier, hooking his arm around it as he made his way to the door.

Temari offered a cheerful smile when the door opened, and, taken by surprise, Kankurou forced an uncertain smile in return. He hadn't notified his siblings of Kurotsuchi's death, she didn't know. This would be awkward to explain. She offered him a long and slender box, wrapped in shiny paper. "Happy birthday!" She called. Her husband was regarding Kankurou with a concerned yet almost...suspicious air. Perhaps it was because he was completely confused as to what his sister was talking about for at least a minute.
"That's today...?" He asked dumbly before stepping back to allow the three visitors in.
"Of course that's today...Are you okay?"
"Just tired..." He followed them back up the stairs to the main room, and placed the baby carrier on the table. "Forgot what day it was." He went to feed his daughter as Shikadai gave a nod of greeting to Tanto. The younger boy did not return it, just kept stabbing at his breakfast moodily.
"Is Gaara here yet?" Temari asked after a moment.
"Not yet." Kankurou replied, nodding slightly. "He's got a longer journey, after all."
"Where's Kurotsuchi?" Shikamaru asked after a moment. The answer was, thankfully, delayed by a sudden thought.

You didn't close the door behind Temari.

"Hold that thought." He muttered before running down to close the front door, only to collide with someone coming in. Someone entering the wide open front door of the late Tsuchikage. They both ended up sprawled on the floor, and when Kankurou opened his eyes, he found himself being heaved off of his little brother, who certainly didn't look impressed. He quickly thanked Matsuri and apologised to Gaara.
"Things are a little bit chaotic around here right now, what with the new baby and Tanto and after Temari came in I remembered I left the door open and things have been slipping my mind all week. How do you deal with it all? Well, I guess you have Matsuri with you. I've never done this alone before." This time he made sure to shut the door behind his family before following them up. Gaara turned to address him while Matsuri made sure the kids didn't fight.
"Where's Kurotsuchi?"
"Hunh?"
"You said you were alone."
They entered the main room and he bit his lip. "She's been very ill...I'm sure you've heard, Gaara. She...won't be coming back..." He gestured to the fridge then. "I think she started making a cake before she got sick."

The room fell silent for a long moment. Kankurou started to clear away the table. Then everyone seemed to speak at once.
"I'm so sorry..."
"If you ever need any help..."
"Oh god! Oh, Kankurou..."
"...My condolences...she was always a very strong woman..."
He forced another smile. "Thank you...I was meaning to tell you under...different circumstances..." The smile slipped as he continued. "Things have been rather hectic...I forgot my own birthday..."
"It's all understandable." Gaara insisted, sitting beside Tanto, just for the boy to throw his drink at him. Tanto wanted to be alone. At least Kankurou still had his family to lean on, he thought as he took a few steps toward them...

And collapsed. Hands caught him as he fell and guided him to a seat, trying to keep him conscious and upright, trying to figure out what was wrong. Tanto was crying now, afraid his father was sick too. He could hear Gaara try to calm the boy. Damn it, he was exhausted. One week of parenting alone and he was already letting his body fall to pieces. Every moment free from caring for Kichona was spent trying to keep Tanto's spirits up. Stupid, stupid man, he scolded himself. He was still human. He still needed sleep and food. Right then, he needed nothing more. He rested his head against the nearest surface-unfortunately Shikamaru's shoulder-and hoped they would let him sleep.

When he awoke later, he was in bed. He could hear conversation downstairs. Children?  He sat up, rubbing his head. What time was it? He went to slip out of bed when the door opened. Gaara of all people came in with a tray of food. He handed it over and Kankurou gave a slightly embarrassed nod of thanks.
"Your son noticed you haven't been eating." He explained quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"It wasn't...I exhausted myself...things have been hectic..."
"So you've said..."
"...It'll only get worse...It'll get to the point where I have to start work again...I never even liked kids, and I know I'll never be good with them..."
"You're great with them. Your nieces and nephews all love you, and Tanto's only as he is at the moment because he's just lost his mother..." He awkwardly looped an arm around Kankurou's shoulders. "Things like this will always be tough...but you have your family."
"Several villages away."
Gaara stayed silent then The only solution he could find to it was to leave Tanto and Kichona with Temari for a little while, but it would probably greatly upset the children. "Just think about what's best, that's all I can offer. Eat up..."
He got up to leave, and almost missed the soft word of thanks from his older brother before traipsing back into the world of children, and wishing he had missed the 'Is Matsuri pregnant again?'.  He gave a slight, awkward nod. "16 weeks. She ends up breaking my fingers every time, so I'm not looking forward to that."
"Good luck..."
"Not exactly a congratulations." He pointed out with a smirk.
"How's Temari dealing?"
"With what?"
"Didn't she tell you?"
Gaara turned back round, shaking his head.
"She told me half a year back. She can't have any more kids. She was lucky to have Shikadai."
"Explains why she's so eager to help with Kichona..."
"She'll be jealous."
"Isn't she always?"
Kankurou laughed a little then. He couldn't help it, even though his stupid thoughts were driving him close to tears. "Yeah, I guess so...probably because ours aren't old enough to be that bratty yet."
"If only I could stop them trying to bite each other..."
"I doubt a third would really help that."
"They might shut up for a little while..."
"Tanto just complained."
"He was just one. Gankaku's always complaining about being the youngest."
"Alas, you know his pain."
He came back in, offering his elder brother a tissue. Kankurou was unaware he'd actually started to cry. "I guess I do." Gaara mused, smiling slightly. "I can't remember being that young."
"You used to drag that teddy bear around with you all the time."
"Temari said I used to be cute too. Shame how times change."
"Leave the being cute and attracting people to the kids, that's what I do."
Another smile. So many in one day from the Kazekage. New record, it had to be said.
"Eat and then come down. We're trying to celebrate your existance, it's a little difficult if you aren't there."
"Yes sir!" He puppeteer joked, giving a mocking salute before turning to the tray of food, allowing Gaara to leave and go back to the kids.