The Shadow Room

影の室

By Ariel-D and Surreptitious Chi X

Description: When Gaara declares he is running for Kazekage, a complex assassination plan is hatched, one in which Baki and Temari are also caught. Kankuro must save them from an ancient jutsu without any idea of what has occurred.

Disclaimer: Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, Baki, and the Naruto-verse are copyrighted by Masashi Kishimoto and Weekly Shonen Jump. I am making no profit; this is just for fun.

A/N: Set when Gaara is 14, Kankuro 16, and Temari 17, sometime after they've made chuunin.

Chapter One: The Gauntlet is Thrown

The election for Kazekage was due to start in two months, which meant that candidates had to be chosen now, this week. In Suna, a person appeared before the Council in person to submit their name, and at least one council member had to approve them or 'sponsor' them. If not even one council member could say that this person was worthy to be Kazekage, who among the villagers would vote on them, anyway? Or so went the theory.

This was the first day of the candidate choosing process, and all the older councilmen were grumpy about it. Pretty much everyone over the age of 40 thought this process was a pain in the ass and got in the way of doing important things. Baki soon saw why: in the first hour, 60 people had come to submit their names, and only four of them had been sponsored. The rest were all high-confidence, low-qualification upstarts.

After the second hour, the Council called a ten minute break to stretch, get something to drink or eat, and blow off steam before continuing. It was odd to see important men casually chatting and eating candy or crackers, but Baki was used to it by now. Whether he liked them or not, he certainly knew them well.

Ashio, the Head of Education, was eating dried apricots, his favorite snack. His best friend Omarugawa, Head of Citizenry, ate pretzel sticks. He did so with his usual sour expression. The two had been through many elections. Only two of the elections had been for Kazekage, but still. They were both old men, and Baki politely referred to them as 'out of touch.'

Ryu, Head of Civilian Affairs, was older than they, but clean-shaven. He also had less wrinkles than the ever-frowning Omarugawa, though that was no surprise. He ate cheese sticks calmly and politely, smiling but not saying a word to anybody. He looked like he didn't even need this break. Baki knew appearances could be deceiving.

Although Baki had been lounging in his chair, drinking cold coffee, he realized he might go crazy if he didn't stretch, so he got up and walked, aiming to make a circuit of the room. He had the bad fortune to pass Ashio and Omarugawa at exactly the wrong moment.

"Let's not," Ashio said decidedly.

"It seems prudent not to thrust children into positions of command," Omarugawa agreed. "There are plenty of people from old families who would be willing Kazekages."

"Let's not what?" Baki asked pleasantly.

Ashio flinched and looked up at Baki with wide, blue eyes. "Nothing. That is, something. Well . . . "

"We've decided not to sponsor any of Yondaime's children," Omarugawa said, having less of a reaction to Baki towering over him, even though Baki was a little over six feet tall and muscular, while Omarugawa was five foot seven and a stick.

"Just like that?" Baki asked.

Omarugawa shrugged. "Too young. Maybe the next time we need a Kazekage they will be a little more . . . mature." He ventured a smile, which for Omarugawa was a smirk.

Baki briefly imagined punching Omarugawa in the face, and then nodded, smiling in return. "Makes sense." He walked on, but he didn't get a quarter around the room before he heard other people saying the same thing.

"What about the Kazekage children?" the Head of Finances asked Ryu.

Ryu looked dissatisfied. "I don't know that any of them are suited to command."

"I heard a rumor that Gaara wants to —"

"Gaara?" Ryu shook his head. "The fourteen-year-old jinchuuriki?"

Baki forced himself to walk by. Otherwise, Ryu might get hurt.

When the break was over, and everyone was settled — the table being foodstuff-free and businesslike once again — Ryu had the gall to call a short meeting and announce that in the 'best interests' of Suna, they should refuse to sponsor any of Yondaime's children due to their age. An age cap had never been explicitly discussed before, especially in the previous generations due to early graduation ages.

"But the children of this generation are different," Ryu said. "Things are changing. People are not as mature as they used to be. I think it wise to implement an age cap of nineteen years old for this election."

"We would need to vote on that," Ashio protested. "We haven't got time."

Ryu held up his hand. "Unofficially of course. Just a guideline. Of course an . . . exemplary . . . candidate can be considered even if too young."

"A guideline?" Baki repeated.

"Yes," Ryu said. "I think it makes things simpler, don't you?" He gave Baki a benign smile.

Baki paused, pretending to think about it. "Yes. Of course."

And everyone was satisfied.

Until, of course, 11:03 rolled around. Not because 11:03 was inherently a bad time, but because that was when Gaara entered the council chamber with Kankuro.

Baki smiled at the two people he'd come to view as his sons, while everyone around him tensed.

"Name," Ryu said, remarkably still able to sound bored.

Baki could see people waiting, holding their breath. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know that people were internally chanting, Kankuro. Kankuro. Please let them say Kankuro.

Gaara inched forward and opened his mouth. "Gaara."

Color suffused Ryu's face, and a few people looked faint.

Ryu cleared his throat. "Reasons?"

"Qualifications," Gaara said. "I have served with nearly every team in Suna, and I feel I have the experience and the pedigree to be Kazekage. My father was Kazekage, and I inherited his talent."

Kankuro crossed his arms and stood just behind Gaara on his right side — his usual position of support. When Gaara had told him that morning that he was going to make good on his desire to be Kazekage by submitting his name, Kankuro had been sorry Temari was on a long-range mission to Tanigakure. She wasn't due back until midnight, and Gaara could really have used her support as well. Kankuro would give it all he had, though. "A blood relative of the previous Kazekage has always been elected," he pointed out needlessly, "and three of the four previous Kazekages have had magnetism release, which is the most powerful kekkei genkai Suna has." In addition to Sandaime and Yondaime, Shodaime had possessed magnetism release; also, Sandaime had been their father's uncle. "Gaara is the most logical choice, and he has the work ethic and dedication to do it."

"I see," Ryu began, but he was cut off by another man.

"Yes, but a jinchuuriki has never been elected Kazekage." The caustic voice made everyone turn and stare. Unji, a man with a broad jaw and a small, pointed white beard, stood out by a mile with his aura of fighting-ready coldness. His white hair was cropped short, and he had unpleasant wrinkles around his eyes. The kind of lines caused by squinting. Like he was doing now at Gaara.

"I have Shukaku under control," Gaara said in a quiet, calm voice. His chakra was indeed, serene, like the glassy surface of a lake.

"Well, let's put it to a vote, and that will be that," Ryu said hastily. He looked around the room with desperate relief. "Shall anyone say they sponsor Gaara in this election?"

And everyone sat back, settling down again.

Baki smiled and raised his hand. "I will."

Ryu almost fell out of his seat and grabbed onto his composure with both hands for dear life.

"Baki-san, why?" Ashio wailed.

"Is this another stunt for attention?" Omarugawa asked, glaring at him.

"Another?" Baki asked innocently. "What was the first? I was merely answering the question. Will anyone sponsor Gaara? That was the question. I will. That is the answer."

Omarugawa slapped his forehead. "You can't do that! It's irresponsible —"

"I think it far more than irresponsible, gentleman." Unji's cold voice cut through Omarugawa's effortlessly, and Omarugawa was a hard man to shut up.

Baki felt the urge to roll his eyes. Great. He's got his wind up. Most of the time, Unji would sit silently, giving no indication he'd even paid attention. As far as the council was concerned, Unji didn't have to, because he was an Elder Advisor and nothing more. As far as rampant rumor was concerned, he was the secret head of ANBU.

Unji attempted to pin Baki with a stare that didn't work because Baki wouldn't look at him.
"You are coldly undercutting our very chance of survival," Unji said.

Baki gave no indication of hearing.

"Ah, you are dismissed," Ryu said to Kankuro and Gaara, trying to keep in control of the situation. "Thank you."

That went about as well as Gaara said it would, Kankuro thought, internally flinching. He never ceased to be amazed by how people talked about Gaara right in front of his face. As though he weren't there, they insulted him. It made Kankuro angry and even depressed, but he knew Gaara was used to it by now.

Although "used to" did not mean immune.

But, also just as Gaara had predicted, Baki had supported him. Not that Kankuro was surprised. Baki had been by their sides nonstop since their father had been killed. And if anything, Kankuro wished he were around even more.

"I'll see you at home," Baki called cheerfully, grinning at Kankuro and Gaara. He joked that the Kazekage mansion was his real home because he was over there so much. He ate dinner with 'the kids' almost every night, unless he had a mission that got in the way. Sometimes, they stayed up watching TV until the minute the broadcast shut off for the night or stayed up even later watching a movie. It was like having a family again.

Gaara bowed, carefully expressionless. "Thank you," he intoned.

"Your blatant favoritism, your disgusting self-centered attitude, and your need to reject authority, are all going to get us killed!" Unji snapped.

Baki looked at the wall, pretending not to hear.

"We have many more candidates to process," Ryu protested.

Gaara raised an eyebrow at the way the council had clearly moved on without him, turned, and walked out the door.

Although he was furious at Unji's insult toward Baki, Kankuro followed his brother. One of his ex-friends had made a snide remark that there was a magnet inside of Kankuro's stomach that Gaara pulled on so that Kankuro was forced to follow him around. It had a been a really bitchy way of saying that Kankuro followed Gaara like a lost puppy dog. But it wasn't that at all. Kankuro was very protective of his little brother, even more so now that Gaara had started confiding in him. In fact, he had always loved his little brother, and now that Gaara had Shukaku under control, Kankuro could show it without fear.

However, Kankuro wasn't quite sure just how strong Gaara's feelings were for him. After all, Gaara wasn't precisely very expressive. Kankuro had to go on basic cues such as the confiding of dreams.

Gaara waited until they were walking down the hallway of the Kazekage Complex and then gave Kankuro a small smile. Kankuro had stood up for him, even though there was no logical reason for Kankuro to do so. After all, it wasn't as though the Council would listen. Still, it was a show of support. Exactly what their bond had been founded on. Gaara appreciated that about Kankuro. As a matter of fact, Kankuro did what ten tons of sand couldn't: he made Gaara feel safe.

Gaara had already formed a daydream that if he became Kazekage, he would make Kankuro and Temari his bodyguards so that he would never have to feel Not Safe again. He hadn't confided that yet, because it was useless to do so before anyone sponsored him in the election. A prediction that Baki would do that wasn't the same as a guarantee.

The next time he and Kankuro were alone — perhaps after Gaara's mission today — he would tell Kankuro his new dream.

Meanwhile, back in the council room, Unji was not remotely done throwing a fit. Baki was treated to skewering comments for the rest of the day. Baki weathered it silently, but he couldn't help thinking, I wish Chiyo-baa and Ebizo-jii were here. During the days when Chiyo and Ebizo were on the Council as Elder Advisors, before they had decided to become recluses, Unji hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise. If he even tried to speak in the middle of the election process like that, they would have kicked his ass.

Baki sighed to himself, but he took it. What else was he supposed to do? He was a junior councilman, and Unji was an Elder.

And if the rumors about his being the secret head of ANBU were true, a very dangerous elder as well.

When Baki got off work, he went 'home' to the mansion practically next door. "I'm home," he called, slipping off his sandals.

"Oh, hi!" Temari jumped up from the couch. She had a shrimp cracker in her mouth. "I got home early." She grinned and crunched her cracker, eating it in short order. "Totally awesome. So, anyway, let's go shopping." She walked into the foyer and slipped on her sandals.

"Shopping?" Baki asked.

"Yeah, we're out of food," Temari said. "I noticed it when I got home. I had to eat some snacks to tide me over until you got here."

"Ah . . . " Baki saw Kankuro and Gaara coming down the stairs behind her.

Although Temari clearly knew they were there, it didn't stop her from stage whispering, "'Cause Kankuro forgot."

"Yeah, okay," Baki said. He didn't want a fight to start, but he really wished Temari would cut Kankuro some slack.

"We are ready," Gaara announced.

"Great." Temari slid open the front door and walked out. "Let's get it done already."

Baki looked at Kankuro apologetically.

Kankuro held in a sigh, dejected. Since he actually had the day off, he'd started painting after lunch and had gotten completely lost in his picture. He hadn't even remembered shopping until Temari knocked on his door, announced she was back, and asked him what they were having for dinner. When he had to admit he didn't know since he hadn't gone shopping, he'd expected to catch hell. The shopping and cooking were the chores that he'd agreed to do once their dad died and the help had been dismissed. It was his responsibility to keep up with these things, just like it was Temari's responsibility to gather the dirty clothes and do the laundry.

He stayed close to Gaara, unconsciously wishing for protection. In his overall experience, things did not go well for him with others if they didn't approve of his behavior and choices. His paternal grandfather had helped give him that impression, and the "lesson" had stuck so violently that he secretly had anxiety attacks from time to time. Of course, being exposed to Shukaku via Gaara hadn't helped that any. When Kankuro had been a child, a wrong move around either Gaara or their paternal grandfather often had extreme consequences.

Gaara frowned at Temari.

Baki walked on the other side of Kankuro while Temari pulled ahead, obviously in Get-It-Done mode. She hadn't unwound from her mission yet at all.

Temari finally stopped when she was more than twenty feet ahead and turned around. "Come on. The market's not gonna stay open forever, you know."

"The market stays open until the sun is down," Baki said patiently.

Temari looked at the sky and growled. The sun was still persistently hanging in there and would for another three hours. "Well, fine, then! I'm hungry."

"We understand that," Baki said. "You don't have to take it out on anybody."

"We have ramen," Gaara said. "You said you didn't want any."

"That's not food!" Temari protested.

"You are in error," Gaara said. "Ramen is food. It is packaged, labeled, and sold as —"

"Oh, god, I don't care. Whatever." Temari turned on her heel and pulled ahead again.

"Let her blow off steam," Baki said, resigned. "Maybe if she runs around some she won't be so . . . "

"Aggressive?" Gaara suggested.

Baki pressed his lips together.

Kankuro was deadly silent. People did not tend to blame him in any small way; it usually exploded into massive fireworks, something he didn't want to get started here. Of course, if they got aggressive enough, he fought back. But the concepts of "duty" and "responsibility" had been hammered into his head to the point he felt Temari's impatience was justified. Not that that made him feel any better, of course.

No, his best option was to get the food and just cook it. Make everyone else happy. He'd worry about himself once everyone else's needs were taken care of.

Temari was back into happy chattering mode once they were actually at the market, surrounded by food ingredients that could potentially be combined to feed her.

"Oh, you know what we should have?" Temari said. "We should have tsukune!" She grinned at Kankuro. "You like to cook that, right?"

Kankuro stared at her, aghast. He didn't really like to cook anything. It was just a life necessity. Not to mention tsukune was not an easy recipe.

"Meatballs," Baki repeated blankly. "That have dried mushroom in it. Dried mushrooms take 45 minutes to bloom."

Temari's face fell. "Oh, yeah."

Baki snorted. "Try to think of something quicker, huh? You're hungry."

"Right, right . . . "

They picked up all the dry goods they would need for a couple weeks, things like noodles and rice and a few spices they'd gotten low on. Something only Kankuro would know about, since he did all the cooking.

"Uh . . . soup?" Temari asked when they were at the meat stalls.

Kankuro cringed in horror. Soup, which seemed simple, could take a lot of time and effort to fix. He didn't think she was doing it on purpose — she didn't know anything about cooking because she didn't do it — but it was almost like a punishment for his forgetting the shopping.

"Think faster," Baki advised. "You're starving. Pick something with either rice or noodles."

Temari thought hard.

Gaara openly sighed. "You're taking longer to pick than it will take to cook."

"All right, all right already," Temari said. "Chicken yakisoba."

At this suggestion, Kankuro relaxed. At least that was quicker and easier. He was willing to cook to keep his family fed, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it that much. It was called a "chore" for a reason.

They bought the supplies that would stock the kitchen and took it home. They each had a bag of groceries to carry.

Baki got up to the door first and then remembered it would be locked. He jerked on the handle anyway, merely messing around, and almost fell over. The door slid open on him. "Did you leave the door unlocked or did I?" he asked, catching his balance and turning around.

"I locked it," Gaara said. "The keys are still in my pocket."

"Are you sure?" Baki asked, knowing it was a stupid question when Gaara was concerned.

Gaara nodded.

Baki couldn't comprehend a thief in the world with the balls to break into the Kazekage Mansion. He walked inside and took off his sandals. "Well, that's a mystery we'll solve later."

"Yeah," Temari said. "You probably did forget."

Gaara frowned and entered without comment, close on Temari's heels.

"Gaara forget?" Kankuro said, his disbelief evident. "Yeah, right." He slid off his sandals as well and glanced around the hallway and into the living room, suspicious. Everything seemed in order, although that proved little. A thief? Here? Surely not.

"Well, let's get this stuff put away, anyway," Baki said, setting his bag on the counter. He had the meat.

Temari nodded and held her bag with one arm. It was vegetables, some fresh, some frozen. She whipped open the freezer, stuffed it full of the frozen food, and then unloaded the nappa cabbage into the refrigerator. She straightened up from putting the cabbage in the crisp drawer and did a double-take. "Hey! My bubble tea is gone."

"Your what?" Baki asked, startled.

"Her bubble tea," Gaara said. "She bought it on the way back from her mission and put it in the refrigerator."

"I like to let the pearls sit," Temari said, pouting. "They get all nice and juicy. If I eat them right away, they're chewy and dry on the inside. Who wants to eat dry tapioca? So I put it in the fridge. And it's gone."

Baki frowned, almost amused. "So someone unlocks the front door to steal your bubble tea?"

"We were all gone," Temari said grumpily. "I don't see how else it could've disappeared."

"I can't report the theft of a bubble tea," Baki said.

"Half," Gaara corrected. "Half a bubble tea. She drank half of it before she came home."

Baki massaged the bridge of his nose, overcome by the absurdity.

Kankuro had opened his bag and was busy putting up the rice and buckwheat noodles, although he left out the fresh yakisoba noodles. At Temari's exclamation, though, he opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out the trashcan. Inside was an empty cup. "Your cup is in the trash," he noted. At this, he assumed it was a practical joke by one of Temari's many friends. Probably Emiko with the help of Juro.

"What?" Temari raced over. She stared the cup with wide eyes and then picked it up. She almost dropped it. "That feels weird."

"Let me." Baki took the cup from her and immediately frowned. "There are traces of chakra on it. From someone's fingertips . . . Someone held this cup and performed a jutsu."

Temari shivered. "Well, that is not anyone's chakra I know."

"This is bad," Gaara said flatly. "Someone with a sociopathic mindset broke into our house and did something either immediately before, during, or immediately after stealing your bubble tea. This has boundary violations written all over it."

Baki dropped the cup back in the trash. "You're right. It's not a good sign. It's cold. Cold-blooded."

"So he broke into our home and got thirsty?" Temari sounded caught between offence and shock.

"And took your bubble tea," Baki said.

"It might also be a she," Gaara corrected.

Kankuro realized he'd think it was funny if only it didn't involve someone breaking into their house. "Better questions: what jutsu? And are they still here?"

"I don't know what kind of jutsu," Baki said. "Only that it was strong enough to make their body emit enough chakra through their fingertips to leave a trace on a cup. Enough of a trace to give the cup a 'bad' feeling." Baki frowned. "And if they're here, they're going to wish they aren't. Let's search the house."

"But not alone," Temari objected.

"In pairs," Baki suggested.

Gaara nodded. "I'll go with Kankuro."

"Let's take the second floor," Kankuro said to Gaara. "They can take the first." He paused. "I guess we can take the third floor while we're at it."

Gaara nodded. "Hai."

Baki nodded. "Right. Let's go."

Temari nodded, wary, her hunger apparently forgotten.

Kankuro headed upstairs with Gaara, doing a sweep of the bedrooms. The mansion had twenty bedrooms between the second and third floors, including a massive master bedroom suite and an equally massive guest state suite. Between rooms, closets, and bathrooms, there was plenty of space to check.

Gaara walked alongside him in silence as they swept the rooms, which was typical. Kankuro decided not to attempt conversation since they were looking for intruders. Not that the intruder wouldn't sense them or hear them coming. Also, Kankuro repeated his usual chakra scan of the mansion. He always did it when he got home; he had that night as well. It was an issue of safety, sure, but it was also to practice his underdeveloped chakra-sensing abilities. Developing them before had been useless with Shukaku's massive chakra bearing down on everyone. Now that Gaara had Shukaku under control, Kankuro could make use of his sensing ability. However, his second scan revealed nothing more than his first: four people and three cats. Plus one spirit, although Kankuro didn't ever tell anyone about that part.

Gaara frowned. "Nothing," he commented quietly.

Kankuro heard Temari and Baki coming up the stairs and down the hall. "There's nothing downstairs," Baki called as soon as they were in view.

"But we forgot the attic," Temari said.

"Or rather, we did not factor in the attic because it is stuffy and hot and hardly a good choice for a hideout," Gaara said.

"Unless we don't look, in which case it's great," Temari muttered.

"We may as well," Baki said.

"Well, I'm going downstairs to crash on the sofa," Temari said.

"If you don't want to wait for Kankuro, you can feel free to begin dinner," Gaara said dryly.

"Not my job," Temari said.

At that, Kankuro swallowed a sigh. "Baki, why don't we check out the attic?" He suddenly needed a moment alone with him.

Baki nodded. "Hai."

Gaara nodded and walked off without a word.

Baki joined Kankuro. As soon as both siblings were gone, he rested a hand on Kankuro's arm. "Bad day." It wasn't a question. First, the Council had openly disregarded Gaara and insulted Baki, neither one of which were things Kankuro coped with well. Then Temari had come home in a complaining mood — clearly — and finally, someone had broken into the house while they were out.

"Yeah." Kankuro's shoulders slumped. He was having one of those moments where he wished he had very different relationships with the people around him. He wished Gaara and he talked more — and more easily. He wished Temari saw him as something other than her irresponsible younger brother. He wished Baki saw him as . . . Actually, he wasn't quite sure. He wished his dad wasn't dead (an opinion he knew Gaara did not share, but that was a painful topic). And he wished he didn't carry around the secrets he did, although he didn't expect anyone to believe him.

Especially the two about his grandfathers — both the good and the bad.

"Baki, would you . . ." The question got stuck in his throat. Kankuro really wished Baki would just move in with them and become part of the family. "Would you stay over tonight? 'Cause even if we find nothing, I'm . . . unsettled . . . now."

Baki nodded and squeezed Kankuro's shoulder. "Of course I will. I would never leave you — or your brother and sister — in any danger, even a breath of danger. I couldn't stand it. I'm glad I have your permission to stay here tonight."

Kankuro relaxed faintly and smiled at him. "Thanks, man." Well, he knew he at least felt safer now. Since he and his siblings were genin when their father was killed, they had all been ruled legally emancipated minors. Kankuro wasn't sure what the Council's reasoning had been on that, really, but he knew it made him feel over-extended. Had they survived? Of course. Did it make them feel safe and stable? Now that was a separate issue.

Baki smiled back and squeezed his shoulder again. "Now let's find this guy and beat the crap out of him. I hope he is dumb enough to hide in the attic."

Kankuro laughed.

Baki grinned, glad to lighten the mood.

They searched the attic, but the most dangerous thing they encountered was stuffy air and dust inhalation. They left the attic gratefully, sweating, and headed downstairs into the much cooler house.

"Nothing," Baki announced.

Kankuro smirked at Temari. "It's probably just Emiko, maybe with Juro, pranking you. This is Emiko's kind of practical joke, you know. I mean, seriously. All we have is an 'missing' bubble tea." Although, granted, it didn't explain the chakra. "Maybe she used a jutsu to mask her chakra or something." He shrugged. Practical jokers made no sense to him at all, so how would he know how far they'd go to mess with someone? His best friend, Shiro, had wild stories of past practical jokes on other friends, so Kankuro at least knew they would go far. Shiro had even gone so far as to puncture the bottom of a can of green tea with a tiny needle and drain it as well as eat someone's bento and then replace all the food with life-like fake sushi just to mess with them.

Temari sat up on the sofa and groaned. "Really? Do you think so?"

Gaara nodded. "The available evidence does state that nothing was taken or moved, only that the door was unlocked and your bubble tea has been drunk."

"The door being unlocked was your fault," Temari said.

Gaara frowned and didn't reply.

"Either way, it could be true that the chakra felt different or wrong because of the intent of the person using the jutsu," Baki pointed out. "If your friend meant to scare you, that might be imprinted on the chakra left on the cup."

Temari sighed. "Okay. I'll catch up with them later and see if I can get one of them to crack."

"Ask them if they unlocked the door," Gaara said. He turned on his heel and walked into the kitchen.

"You know, you should trust Gaara when he says he didn't leave the door unlocked," Baki said as gently as possible.

"Everyone can make a mistake," Temari said grumpily.

Baki knew when to give up. "Come on, Kankuro. I'll help you make dinner."

There was no way Kankuro would say no to help. "Okay." He retreated into the kitchen, not wanting to see the situation escalate into a fight. There had been more than enough fighting in the past. Now that their household had settled into basic peace, Kankuro did not want it disturbed.

The last thought he had when he drew a pot of water was that some jutsu could be time-delayed or action-triggered. In a fit of paranoia, he checked the cup again, but nothing was written on it. He set aside his concern and turned his attention to making supper. After all, Baki was staying the night, and they were all trained to take care of themselves.