Hello ! I wrote this small one shot for Rama-chan's contest. I should write a story about choosing a name for Temari's second child (son). Big thanks and hug belong to CrazyNinjaPenguin for editing this story. He did a really good job .

Kit-chan

Baby name

Temari is pregnant. It will be her second child with the Konoha ninja, Nara Shikamaru. I have to say that I wasn't very happy when I first found out that he was dating my sister. No, please do not misunderstand my words and believe me to be a "caring brother", or some such nonsense, because I most definitely am not. I just never liked the idea that there would be somebody so close to my teammate, somebody in a position where he could uncover the deepest mysteries surrounding me and my village. It is my duty as Kazekage to care about Suna. I wanted to kill him when I first learned; not all too many years ago I would have. Now I am a different person then I once was, or so most believe; I suppose I am less bloodthirsty than I was before. My past was full of nothing but painful memories—blood and killing was all I knew, it was how I proved my living was relevant, but then a sudden encounter with a certain individual altered my fate and helped me to understand what love is. Did I really say love? I don't think I fully understand that emotion even now, but perhaps one day I really will.

Was my childhood really so nightmarish and depressing? It's hard for me to answer that; I haven't any understanding of a happy childhood to compare it to, but it was... lonely. That's the right word, lonely. There's no need to feel sorry for me. I hurt many people. Believe me. I didn't regret what I had done because I had my reasons for it. What I do regret is that I hurt my siblings many times. This is the reason why I have allowed Nara Shikamaru to continue walking, breathing, living with my sister and having children with her. It's a sort of compensation for my sister. Temari is a good mother ... and I think she is happy. Even if choosing a husband from our village would have been preferable, it's her choice. I won't interfere in her love-life. It has now been a couple of years since she married Nara-san. I have to admit that I got used to him. He's smart and Temari is pretty, so it's a great combination, isn't it? Smart and beautiful children... at least somebody in this world will have happy childhood... Such sentimentality is unlike me; paperwork or some such other mindless distraction is in order.

"Kazekage-sama! "

"Hm, what?"

"Your sister, she wants to see you Lord. She's in the hospital."

She's in hospital right now!? So the new member of family is here then. I hope it will be boy, because she already has a daughter. That girl is almost cleverer than Shikamaru. She will surely be one of the smartest ninja this world has seen one of these days. And she loves to play with sand... Maybe she has inherited some of the same genes I had, though she had better not have. She looks sort of like Shikamaru, but thank Kami-sama she isn't as lazy as he is. Her eyes are the same as Temari's; I think she will have her mother's temper.

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As I made my entrance into the hospital everybody around me became manic. In the incessant noise of it all, as everyone tried to talk as once the only words I could decipher were "baby", "name", "Temari", and "Kazekage". Luckily Kankuro stood right in the corridor.

"Great, you're here. She wants to see you."

"Is it a boy ?"

"Yes, it is."

I was quite excited but you wouldn't be able to tell from the cold expression I continued to wear. I'm not that kind of person who panics every time something interesting occurred. I opened the door with my sand and entered the room. Temari was lying on the bed, caring for the children in her arms. Nara was sitting near her bed and he stood up when I entered.

"Gaara-sama, glad to see you " Temari said smiling. She looked really tired (which isn't unexpected of course) but she looked calm and happy at the same time.

"Kankuro said it's a boy. What's his name? "

"Well, we didn't decide name yet." Shikamaru said looking at me. He always acted so rigidly when I was in the same room as he. I suppose he has no reason for it. I had told him that he could be with my sister but that if he hurt her I would most definitely kill him.

"I want you to choose the name, Gaara."

"W..what Temari-chan ... honey ... do you think it's a good idea" Shikamaru whispered into her ear but I heard what he said. And I have to admit that I totally agree with him. Me picking a baby name... the idea was laughable.

"Can you do it for me, please?"

"I'll see what can I do. I'll come back to visit you later."

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I returned to siting in my office. Was I actually expected to come up with a baby name? It is impossible. Even when I try to think about it I can't come up with any suitable name for my nephew. Going to the bathroom, I wash my hands and look to the mirror. I stare at the kanji mark on my forehead: Ai, which means love. I decided I would just return to the hospital and tell Temari that I can't help her with the baby name. It was now somewhere around 7 pm and hospital was calm and quiet. I entered the room. Shikamaru was sleeping on the sofa and Temari was tenderly cradling her baby.

"Hey, You already have a name? "

"I want to talk about it with you." Shikamaru woke up and began to listen to our conversation.

"So, then, what have you chosen?" Temari said ,smiling. She looked so happy, tender and I knew that I couldn't say that I hadn't yet chosen a name for her baby.

"I ... Ai."

"Ai-kun! That sounds great. Thank you I knew you'd choose a great name. Ai-kun is beautiful name isn't it Shika?"

"Y.. Yeah it is."

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My life was once very difficult and in some cases it still is. But some things have changed. Now, I understand that I have some people close to me. Death was cone something amazing to me something, my whole being craved; it proved there was meaning to my existence. But now I know there is something more amazing that death: the birth of a new life, my new nephew, Ai-kun.