Author's Note: This is my first try ever at a Naruto fanfic. There just wasn't enough Kankurou fics out there. He is my favorite character, but isn't liked by many people it would seem. Aw, well. This story takes placed after the exams in Konoha. Please keep in mind that I've only watched up to the end of the fifth box set (FX). So if I get any details wrong, that's probably why. This story WON'T follow the Naruto story line or anything. It also contains the couple: KankurouXTemari. I AM NOT A SICKO! THEY WILL (eventually) NO LONGER BE BROTHER AND SISTER! So feel free to correct me and critique NICELY, but NO flames whatsoever. Please enjoy.

Feelings for You

Chapter One: As a Friend... Or More?

Kankurou had locked himself inside the bathroom, and was leaning against the tiled sink, absentmindedly rubbing the purple face paint off of his face with a washcloth. The black two-pointed hat that he usually wore attached to his metal forehead protector was hanging nearby him on the towel rack, and his spiky brown hair that looked almost identical to Gaara's was exposed. His baggy black outfit flowed loosely and comfortably around his body. He was trying to clear his mind from the stressful day he had just had by washing the paint from his face, but it wasn't working. Kankurou scarcely felt the rough towel soaked in cold water rubbing harshly on his skin. His mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about the person that always seemed to be the center of his thoughts: Temari.

Kankurou had always felt close to Temari. Having grown up most of their lives without a Mom, the two of them needed each other. There was Gaara, but he just wasn't the same. They had practiced their Ninja's arts together. When things were hard, the two of them talked deeply about their feelings. Kankurou needed Temari. His life had never felt complete without her. He worried about her like a mother worried over her firstborn child. Kankurou always tried to be watching over her. To be there if something went wrong and she was in trouble. A ninja's life was a dangerous one, after all. Why couldn't he stop thinking about Temari? He tried to pretend that he didn't fret over her. After all, a ninja was bound to run into some danger. But he was truly panicking every second they were in risk of battling. His greatest fear was losing her. Temari was the closest thing to a best friend that he had. He had always loved her, at first as a sister... and now...

Kankurou didn't know what to think anymore. Lately, his feelings for Temari had grown stronger. He longed to be near her at every moment. Why? Kankurou didn't know. It was a feeling deep in his heart that had always been there. A feeling that had just recently awakened. A deeper love for Temari. Not as a sister... but as much more. He wondered if Temari felt the same way. Of course she wouldn't. Temari was his SISTER. But then again...was she? How could he possibly feel this way about anyone who was related to him?

Kankurou slammed the washcloth forcefully into the counter, sending droplets of water splashing onto his face. He could see himself in the mirror. The paint covering his face was only half-washed, and was streaming down his cheeks in watery streaks. Temari... Something was wrong with him. Why couldn't he stop thinking about his sister! Kankurou sighed, giving into his jumble of thoughts and deciding to turn in for the night. The sky was dark through the slits that shown through the bathroom window. What time was it...? How longs had he been washing his face in the bathroom. The whole house was filled with a miserable silence.

"Huh. I must be really tired," Kankurou croaked out loud, in a voice that sounded hoarse and dehydrated. He observed dark circles forming under his eyes from behind the streaks of paint. It wasn't like he hadn't gotten enough sleep. But every day was agony. His head was always filled with such a whirlpool of hopeless thoughts.

And then there was Gaara. Ever since the battle that had taken place in that forest in Konoha, Gaara had been acting strange. He was even silencer then usual, his face contorted in such deep thought that it made Kankurou's head hurt. What had happened to him? Temari, who was usually kind and gentle with Gaara, had tried to pry the information from him, but Gaara was too smart to be won over by her act. He had refused to tell them anything. But Gaara also didn't seem to have his usual desire for blood, which was a good thing. While in Konoha, Gaara had begun to go insane or something. Why was everything so... weird right now!

Kankurou unlocked the bathroom door with a metallic click and trudged down the hallway wearily, grabbing the soft fabric of his hat in one hand. The whole house was cloaked in darkness, making Kankurou blink in vain as he tried to adjust his eyes that had grown accustomed to the bright lamp light shining strongly in the bathroom. He didn't care that his face was still half-covered in watery paint. He would wash it off tomorrow. If he ever got out of bed, that its. Kankurou could hardly keep his eyes open from pure exhaustion. Life had been so complicated lately. Kankurou just wanted to curl into bed and sleep for a couple long years. Of course, he couldn't do that. He had to practice using Karasu. He was already expert puppeteer for his age, but still needed a lot of work. Maybe tomorrow, if he could snag Temari alone, he could talk with her about his feelings. Although that would probably just completely scare her.

Kankurou blinked his eyes in surprise as he neared the end of the hallway. Was that a light? But the last room in the hall was HIS room. So why was the light on? Kankurou made sure never to leave his light on when he was away from the room. And surely Gaara would have turned it off so he could sulk in his room without a scrap of light to brighten the area. Oh, well. Maybe in his haze of confusion, Kankurou had left the light on. Argh! His head felt as if a cloud of dense fog was swirling around it. He shook his head numbly, trying to clear the unpleasant feeling.

"Hey, Kankurou." Kankurou eyes widened with shock, his body halfway through the door of his room as the feminine voice reached his ears. He rubbed one of his eyes as they transitioned from the darkness of the hallway to the brightness of his room. Then he saw her. She was sitting on his bed, flipping through some scroll that Kankurou had carelessly left on the ground. It appeared that she had been waiting. For him. Her hair was tied up in one spiky ponytail, different from her usual hair style. She was still in her tan outfit, but had taken her forehead protector from around her neck. A relaxed smile was spread across her face, her eyes bright. Kankurou lost his words for a second, unable to believe that the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for had come sooner then he had thought. Finally, he found his voice, though it was still the hoarse croak from earlier.

"Temari."

End Note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Once again, NO FLAMES! If you don't like the couple, then don't read this fic! Thank You!