Disclaimer: I do not own the anime and manga series Naruto.

Gomen, Kazekage-sama.

"Psst, Temari!" Temari looked up from the papers she was reading to see Kankuro poking his head into the room.

"What is it?"

"Come here for a sec." Kankuro did a hand gesture signaling that he wanted her to follow him to the hallway.

"Can it wait? I'm sort of busy right now," Temari replied. It was one of those times in the year where the ambassadors of Suna were very, very busy. She couldn't afford to waste any time.

"It's about Gaara," Kankuro said, looking straight into her eyes. Immediately, almost automatically, Temari rose from her seat and followed her brother out to the hallway.

She was a bit tense; what about their little brother that Kankuro wanted to talk about? As she exited the room, she was surprised to find Baki leaning on the wall next to the door.

"Baki? What are you doing here?"

Baki pushed himself off the wall, stood up straight and looked at the two siblings with his usual impassive face. "Well, I'm here to discuss with you two our plans for Gaara."

Temari looked at Baki in confusion, then to Kankuro, then to Baki again. "Plans? What plans?"

"Kankuro, please explain."

"Alright," Kankuro said, leaning on the wall opposite Baki, "earlier today, Baki told me this crazy but good idea that Suna should throw a party for Gaara. Kind of like a 'Thank you for everything you've done for us, and sorry for looking down on you in the past' sort of thing. The party's like a chance for the villagers to say their thanks to Gaara for protecting Suna when Akatsuki"- there was a slight irritation in his voice as he mentioned Akatsuki- "attacked the village. You know, since not all of the villagers have the chance to personally talk with Gaara, since he's the Kazekage. Get what I'm saying, Temari?"

Temari put on her thinking face. She couldn't really imagine their youngest brother being in a party or a festival. She couldn't even remember if Gaara had ever been to one.

That thought immediately made her want agree to Baki's idea. She was certain that Gaara had never been to a festival, and she wanted him to enjoy himself a little, not to always concentrate on paperwork and more paperwork. "Yeah. I'm in."

Kankuro grinned. "Of course you are."

Baki smiled a little, too. "Alright, then. Everyone in Suna is invited. I'll work something out with the shifts of the look-outs during the time of the party. Please spread the word." He bowed, then walked away.

"Man, I can't wait to see the look on Gaara's face when he sees the party!" Kankuro snorted.

"You're going to tell him?"

"No, we'll surprise him by blindfolding him until we reach the place of the party."

Temari thought about it. "I don't think Gaara will agree to that..."

"I'll work something out," Kankuro grinned mischievously.

Temari sighed. "Good luck. Stop by my office again tomorrow, Kankuro. I need a guy's opinion while I'm choosing a gift for Gaara."

Kankuro looked his sister. "You're buying him a gift?"

"Well, it is a special occasion after all, right?" Temari grinned at him. Kankuro grinned back.

"Yeah, of course it is."

"Man, I have no idea what to get him!" Kankuro dug his hands into his pockets and scowled at the sandy ground as he walked with Temari down the streets lined with shops.

The two had been going through every shop in Suna since 9 in the morning, and Kankuro still couldn't find a good gift for his little brother. "It feels like we've been to every single shop here in Sunagakure," Kankuro added. He looked like he was close to pulling his hair out from their roots.

"You're overreacting, Kankuro. You're just too picky. 'That's too big', 'that's too boring', 'that's too weird-looking'," Temari replied quite harshly. She carried with her a paper bag containing the book she bought from Gaara when they entered a bookstore. It was about the legends and tales that originated from Sunagakure, and they were quite alot.

"Says you. At least you've got a gift for Gaara already," Kankuro replied sulkily.

"Quit whining."

"Whatever."

The two continued walking down the street, lined with shops of all sorts. Clothes, toys, jewelry, books. After a few minutes of silence, Temari suggested, "Why don't you get him clothes? I think he'd like that."

"Hmm. I don't think Gaara cares much about clothes. He's a very modest person," Kankuro replied.

"True."

Kankuro happened to look to his left to scan shops to see if anything there was worth giving his little brother. Next to a jewelry store was a shop that looked unfamiliar to

him. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was the new shop that Temari was talking about over breakfast the other morning. It sold all sorts of paintings. "Hey Temari. This is the shop you were talking about a few days ago, right? The one that just opened? Do you think they accept requests on painting someone or something?"

"...You're gonna give Gaara a painting of you?"

"No!" Kankuro rolled his eyes. He took something from his pocket and held it up in front of Temari's face. It was a picture of him, Temari and Gaara shortly after Gaara became Kazekage. "This is what I'm gonna request them to paint for me, not a portrait of myself!" Kankuro explained.

Temari blinked a few times. "You... you keep a picture of the three of us with you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean... don't you?"

Temari shook her head, smiling. "No. I'm such a bad sister. But there are so many surprising things I never knew about you, Kankuro."

The puppeteer tried to process that. "Sounds like an insult. Let's go."

The two entered the painting shop. The strong smell of paint greeted them. A girl in her early twenties entered the room from a door at the back of the counter. "May I help you?" she asked warmly.

"Yeah, uh, do you do requests here?" Kankuro asked, walking towards the counter.

"Oh, yes we do. May I please see the picture that you want to turn into a painting?" Kankuro handed the picture to the girl's waiting hand. She disappeared through the door she came from for a few minutes, then reappeared again. "The painter agreed to do it. He said he is honored to do a painting of the Kazekage and his siblings. It will be ready by tomorrow," she informed. Kankuro handed her the money, and left with Temari.

"Well, that's all taken care of," Kankuro replied, relaxing. On the way back to their home, Kankuro overheard the conversation between two of the villagers.

"I can't wait for the party for Kazekage-sama!" one of them exclaimed.

"Me too!" the other one replied with as much excitement as the other. "I even prepared a thank-you poem for him, for protecting us from that stupid Akatsuki guy."

The siblings continued walking, and Kankuro smiled from the conversation he just overheard. He was glad the village was coming to appreciate Gaara. From the corner of his eye, Kankuro saw Temari smile, too.

Author's Note: Yet another story in progress! :) I hope you guys like this one. Please comment on them, so I'll know how I'm doing! :D Sorry for any wrong grammar. I dunno how often I can update, tho, sorry. :( School's been stressful lately. But I'll try as best as I can! Thanks for reading!