A/N: I do not own the characters. I wish I did though.. Shishi means lion in Japanese, this nickname was chosen for Temari because of her hair color and the fact that lionesses are protective over their young.
Nine year old Temari was in room, as always, trying to decide what she should wear. Out of force of habit, she started going through Kankuro's clothes like she used to. Then she remembered they had someone new to care for them. She sighed in frustration. Ever since Kakashi came into the picture she barely got to spend time with them. It was irritating.
Temari slipped her goggles onto her wrist, and strapped her fan to her back. She buckled her shoes and called to Kankuro. When she got no answer, she swore and stomped off to his room, where she found him coughing and looking ill.
"Kankuro! What's wrong?" She rushed over to his side and felt his forehead. He was hot. He coughed and looked at her.
"I don't feel good, Temari." His bottom lip quivered.
She never had to take care of her brothers when they were ill. She couldn't remember either of them ever getting a fever since her mom died. She felt panic begin to rise in her chest. She didn't know what to do.
"Temari? Kankuro?" Kakashi called, walking into the room with Gaara in his arms, wide awake. "What's going on?"
"I don't feel good" Kankuro burst into tears, not used to the feeling in his stomach and head. Kakashi walked calmly over to his side and felt his head.
"A fever." He said this calmly and walked out for a moment, returning with a bottle of syrupy medicine. "Open your mouth, Kankuro." (Gaara attempted to repeat Kakashi's words, saying "Open Kanky!")
Kankuro looked at the red syrup before shaking his head no. Temari smirked at Kakashi and folded her arms. Kakashi sighed.
"It's going to help you, Koneko. Please open." He stroked Kankuro's forehead. Kankuro shook his head no.
"Kankuro, open your mouth stupid." Temari climbed on top of him and forced his mouth open, looking back at Kakashi, who was astonished. "Hurry up."
Kakashi nodded and poured some of the medicine onto a spoon and stuck the spoon in Kankuro's mouth, who sputtered. He finally swallowed and looked up. "Water, Chichi?"
"Temari, can you go get your brother water?" He asked Temari, and she was pleased to be able to help with her siblings. She returned with a glass of water and handed it to Kankuro, and downed it all.
"Temari, I don't want Gaara to get sick," Temari glanced at the redhead clinging to Kakashi neck, "please take him downstairs or to his room while I get Kankuro comfortable."
"Ok!" Temari exclaimed, reaching up to get Gaara. Gaara grabbed Temari's hand and looked at Kakashi. "Chichi?" The redhead sounded confused as he said this.
"Go with your sister, Panda-Chan."
Temari led Gaara downstairs. She walked him to the kitchen and sat him down, making a piece of toast for him and setting it down. Gaara looked at it and stuck it in his mouth, sucking on the toast. When Kakashi returned downstairs after getting Kankuro to sleep, he found Temari and Gaara playing together outside with sand, making sand castles. Temari looked up and smiled at her new father. He had let her help with her siblings, and she was happy with that.
That night as Kakashi checked on the sleeping siblings, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, whispering "Goodnight, Shishi."