A/N: Hey, got bored so I decided to dive into my files some more and post these for self-muse. Please enjoy. Also, leave a review at the end. Although, please, no flaming.


Drabble one- Smirks

Kankuro had been known to smirk; most did but Kankuro's was different. His right eyes would close shut as he saw the world the way it should be, through his left. His face usually pointed higher as his nose wrinkling in amusement. Than, the long sneering smile would encase his mouth, marring many of his features as his cheeks stretched out his face. The whole look was strange in itself, but it was Kankuro's smirk.

It was the smirk that let his enemies know that with one swipe he could have their carcass lifeless on the ground or already being picked up for the morgue. It let friends and family know his emotions of pride, amusement, or confusion. It was the smirk that could bring people to their knees if they could only read the implications: Kankuro didn't screw around.

Despite the fact that it was his tool, it went against every puppeteer protocol. The puppet core taught the puppet master was to be fearless, emotionless, and tied to nothing on the outside. In some regards, Kankuro was that. He could be cold, heartless, and even downright detached when he wanted to be. But the smirk sometimes gave him away. And for it, the puppet core would not truly acknowledge his true genius; he was once again, underestimated. It didn't bother the sand Jonnin though, he wanted no part in leading the puppet core. His job was to Suna and his siblings first, not his fellow puppeteers.

The smirk still bothered him sometimes, although Temari and Gaara had come accustomed to his mannerism and signature smirk; others didn't. He saw them and their stares but he had long grown out of the need to fit in. None of the sand siblings felt the need any longer, they were happy with what they had.

At times, however, Kankuro did wish that he could cast off the action; not only because it gave away his feelings at times. For Kankuro did believe the puppet core was wrong about completely hiding them, no, it was simply because of the short distant memories they entailed. Simply, because Kankuro had not made up this habit for himself, he had gotten it from another. His father.

The Fourth Kazekage hadn't always been a power hungry fool. No, in fact, he used to be good man, solely intent on taking care of his small family with the life of a top ranking Jonnin. Kankuro could still vaguely remember the days when he would wait at the door with his mother excited for his father to come home. These days were short and few of course, seeing as their mother died when he had turned three. But Kankuro could still remember his smirk.

It was probably a kinder smirk than the one Kankuro imposed but it was the same none the less. His father used to close his right eye, his face stretched out in a wide grin the moment he saw his two young children running to him at the door step long past their bed time. It was a warm memory and probably the only good one left of his father, the rest marred by time and hate.

The smirking hadn't been a purpose choice. As a young child, Kankuro had been susceptible to many influences and he supposed his father smile must have been something he had loved dearly. For soon enough, he began to do his own imitation of it. His mother had cooed him on quite well, thinking it was quite cute seeing as Kankuro had almost every likeness to their father. The young cat-nin had also enjoyed it as well, feeling important and loved more because of it. He enjoyed smirking and soon it became a fall back habit more than an actual decision.

His whole perspective on the manner completely changed the day their mother had died. The man the Kazekage used to be was gone, left with only a heartless shell that felt nothing. And under his Kazekage robes, he stopped smirking. The rest of his humanity gone with it. Kankuro didn't stop though; he couldn't, the habit had become too embellished to quite even at an early age. But it never felt the same; in fact, he felt he hated himself more because of it. He couldn't stop being like his father, no matter what. No matter how much face paint, clothing, or attitude appearance he put on, he couldn't escape the facts: below the surface, he was his father. He hid it well from the world, but the smirk spoke it all. Although not many remembered the smirk, only the older villagers, Temari, and him really remembered the way the man his father used to be. Gaara didn't, having never met the good man that had been his father.

At times he longed to throw off the practice, especially when Temrai's eyes flashed over with sudden sadness if he directed a friendlier one toward her. She never said anything though, he knew she wouldn't. What could she say? It was an old memory and nothing more. Whenever situations like these occurred, it always left the older two quite in bitter sadness as the youngest red head sat staring confused. He would never understand. He had been born into the chaos, the madness, and the dark times. Kankuro and Temari could remember the years before, and despite the fact they loved their life as a family now, they both found themselves wishing to return to better days.

But it was never to be, the rest of their family was gone, worn down and crumbled with time. They were the only three left who had stood fast and lasted against all odds. And Kankuro's smirk was a sign of that.

No matter how much pain or memories it brought, Kankuro would never cast it off. For there were times during the night as he stared in the mirror and caught a quick smirk from himself, he was brought back to earlier times. Ones filled with his mothers loving touch on the back of his neck, the feeling of his sister's hand in his, and the giddy sensation as he stood by the front door waiting for the man that he looked up to. And at times, Kankuro wanting nothing more to remember them. He would never stop smirking.


A/N: Hey! Thanks for the read! Once again, please review! It will really make my day, seeing as I'm putting myself out here now...

Anyway, next chapter will be called 'The mother he hardly knew...' so I'll let all your intelligent minds fill in the blanks about what's to come next. ;)