Tension

Disclaimer: I do not Naruto.

Temari quickly scanned the forested area around her brother and herself, then turned back to Kankurou, "I don't see anyone and I don't sense anyone either. This is a good time for us to go. Are you better now? Can you move around or do you need my help?"

Kankurou rose slowly to a standing position, taking deep breaths to focus his energy and gather up his remaining chakra, "I don't need your help - I'm fine now." (Next to him, Temari rolled her eyes.) He grew quiet for a minute, listening intently to the faint sounds of battle coming from the direction of the Leaf Village, "What a waste. We already failed our mission - we might as well just leave now before things get worse."

Temari nodded in agreement and then turned in the opposite direction, facing the way she'd just come, "I think you're right. Let's go get Gaara and leave." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kankurou still, just for a moment and then he turned away to gather up his puppet. She turned to him, "Kankurou?"

He did not look at her but she could sense his disquiet, "Yeah?"

"What is it?"

Kankurou frowned and looked away from her, obviously uncomfortable with whatever he was about to say, "Maybe...we should just go. I mean, Gaara can take care of himself."

Temari froze, her mouth half open in shock, "You're not serious? Did you forget about the wound he got? Are you saying we should just leave him behind?" Her tone echoed her disbelief.

Kankurou looked down at the puppet in his hands, muttering, "It's not like he can't heal himself," then he looked up at her again, "Look Temari, don't get upset, alright? But you know, he doesn't really need us to watch out for him. And besides we don't know if he's still in that form, I mean, he's always dangerous but like that..."

An image of Gaara in Shukaku form flashed through her mind and she shuddered involuntarily, 'Maybe Kankurou's right. It would be safer for us if we - No! Is he crazy? We can't leave Gaara behind!' Temari's mouth closed with a snap and her expression suddenly became hard and cold, a stubborn glint appearing in her eyes, "Kankurou, our mission was to make sure that Gaara played his part. Unfortunately we failed but that doesn't mean we can just abandon him. What do you think the Kazekage will do when he finds out?"

To add to her rancor, Kankurou laughed then - a hollow, mirthless laugh, "What will he do? Probably give us a medal," he scoffed, "Face it Temari, the Kazekage's been trying to get rid of Gaara for years. You really think he's gonna be upset if we leave him here?"

Temari had had enough - of everything - of this idiotic mission which was doomed to fail from the start, of this so called family of hers and most of all, of hearing the heartbreaking truth coming from her brother's mouth, "So?! So you think it's okay that our father wants our brother dead?!"

"Our brother? Our brother?! Didn't you hear what he said to us? He doesn't think of us as siblings! He'd kill us in a heartbeat and you know it. Temari, he's not our brother. Maybe he was once, but now he's just a monster - just like that thing inside of him."

Temari took a stunned, uncertain step backwards and then turned away, blinking back the angry tears that had suddenly sprung up in her eyes. She took a deep breath to steady herself and turned to face Kankurou, "You're just like him, you know - the Kazekage. I hate to say it but it's true. You're just like him and not just in looks."

Kankurou's eyes widened as he processed her words - it was the biggest insult she could hurl at him. "You don't mean that? You don't, right? Temari?" He asked, his voice suddenly quiet and almost pleading.

She turned away and took a few deliberate steps in Gaara's direction, "If you think so - if you really believe what you just said to me, then you are more like him than I realized. I am going back to get our brother. Do what you want." Those were her final words before she took to the trees, heading back the way she'd come.

Kankurou remained rooted to the spot, pierced by his sister's words. After a couple of minutes, he hoisted Karasu onto his back and took to the trees, moving much faster than he probably should be in order to catch up to Temari. When he did though, she remained silent which was just fine with him, "Let's get one thing straight - I am nothing like the Kazekage. Now, I'll admit that I was wrong to suggest that but only if you promise never to say that again."

He waited for her response as they moved further and further away from the Village and deeper into the forest that surrounds it. Finally she turned to him and said, "I don't have to say anything." Then a minute smile appeared on her face, "You already admitted it." Kankurou rolled his eyes and groaned and just like that, the tension between them was broken.

Later on, when they had retrieved Gaara and were on their way back to the Sand, Temari looked over Gaara's head to Kankurou and said very quietly, "I promise."

A/N: Back to the angst - whoo! That was fun to write. I was really eager to write something new. Anyway please don't be upset with the way I portrayed the siblings, particularly Kankurou. Feel free to agree or disagree, just drop me a line and let me hear about what you think. Thanks for reading! Maki