A/N: Hmmm okay. Thanks for the reviews again! Hmm. There isn't really couple stuff here though. For now. The wheels in my head are slowly turning. SLOWLY mind you. I'll keep the suggested couples in mind, I'm just finding it hard to fit into this chapter. Just a heads up. Sorry if you really wanted it now! I'm working on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All characters within this fanfiction belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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Face Paint

Previously…

A few destroyed trees later, Temari and Anko parted ways with a smile and a nod as they each made their way back to their respective homes. Temari couldn't help but smile to herself. She was never one to look for friendship and love, even if she'd always wanted it, but she was content and grateful she'd somehow found a true friend in Anko. And whilst she didn't expect Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten to be just like her, she started to open up her heart to the possibility of knowing what it was like to have real friends.

--

As she stood outside the door of Tenten's home, Temari noted the feeling of uneasiness that had once again pooled within her, spreading to the furthest of her limbs. Beside her, Sakura stood with a smile, patiently waiting for Tenten to open the door. Her smile was soon replaced by a scowl when she realised Tenten wasn't coming yet. She banged on the door harder.

'TENTEN!' she screamed through the door. Temari managed a small smile at the girl beside her, attempting to calm her nerves.

Soon enough, but not quick enough for Sakura's liking, the door opened and Tenten ushered them in. Temari managed to smile a greeting to her and Hinata as she placed her things in the corner with Hinata's.

'Where's Ino?' Temari questioned as she took a seat at the kitchen table a moment later.

'Late. As usual,' Sakura muttered darkly. Temari looked at Hinata for confirmation, the latter merely nodding with a smile to answer.

By the time Ino arrived, Sakura, Temari, Hinata and Tenten had had dinner, gambled with chocolate and lollies, and set up for bed in Tenten's living room. Tenten's home was decorated with unique artefact replicas, as well as paintings, some of which were signed with Sai's name. The colour red was predominant in various hues, as well as its associated colours. It was simple and clean but welcoming in Temari's opinion. Apparently Tenten had moved into this apartment less than a year ago, wanting to try life as an independent shinobi ... and her room could no longer hold all the weapons she'd used and experimented with.

'So you're looking to add more dangerous things to the axes, maces, kunai, swords, daggers, flails and whatever else you have in those scrolls of yours?' Sakura asked, staring in shock and admiration. Temari shared a similar look.

Tenten merely smiled in response.

'Yep.'

Temari and Sakura exchanged glances, before looking over at Hinata, expecting some sort of response. The girl in question looked rather embarrassed at the attention but smiled all the same.

'Don't give her such a funny look!' Tenten said to them, shaking a finger at the staring kunoichi. 'Hinata's helping me with this!'

'Really?' Temari asked curiously.

'Hai,' Hinata answered politely.

Temari gave her a friendly smile. She wondered if she still scared the Hyuuga, but she'd also heard that she was particularly shy, especially around Naruto. All the same, she didn't want to make an enemy out of a possible friend.

'I suppose a family as old and noble as the Hyuuga clan would have developed quite a collection of information on weaponry, even if you prefer hand-to-hand combat, ne?' she told her with a smile.

Hinata nodded in response. 'Hai, Temari-san. Over the years we've kept and gathered information of the weapons and skills of past enemies.'

'Ah yes! That's right!' Eyes turned to face Sakura, realisation written on her face. 'I saw some of that information in Master's library when I was studying! A great deal of the information there's from the Hyuuga Clan!' Sakura exclaimed.

Tenten grinned and nodded, Hinata blushing lightly but smiling all the same. It was around this time, when they were discussing the various weapons and skills once used in the past that Ino arrived, apologising over and over to everyone except Sakura for being late, who continued to mutter comments between her speech.

'Sorry sorry! I was helping mum close the shop before I left and we found a little pest in one of the plants so we had to recheck all of them and spray with this pesticide and ahh it was so annoying! And then I smelled disgusting – '

'You always smell disgusting – '

' – So I decided to shower before I came – '

'Are you sure, you don't smell any different … you reek.'

'Oy forehead girl! Don't think I don't hear what you're saying! Baka!' Ino yelled at Sakura. Once again, sparks flew as they glared at each other.

'It's like an angry staring competition,' Temari muttered to Tenten and Hinata, both of whom smiled in response.

'Well, while you two have a good argument, I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight,' Temari said, waving as she made her way to her sleeping bag, only to find that the arguing kunoichi had stopped and blocked her way.

She stared at them, waiting for an explanation. She was once again awed at how quickly their arguments could end.

'You can't be serious, Temari-san!' Sakura said to her, the shock evident in her voice.

'We're going to do the corny 13 year-old girl thing and stay up and ask questions that are probably too personal to answer!' Tenten translated, posing with Lee's 'nice guy pose'.

The corners of Ino and Sakura's eyes started to twitch, Hinata giggling to herself, Temari staring blankly. Tenten crossed her arms in annoyance.

'What?'

'Do you realise what you just did, Tenten?' Sakura asked her.

'No?'

'Do you realise what pose you just did? Or better yet, whose?' Ino asked her, eyeing her closely.

Tenten thought for a moment.

'Uhh… nooooooo it can't be!' Tenten said as realisation hit her. She hung her head. 'I've been spending too much time with them.'

Ino and Sakura each put a supportive hand on her shoulder. 'Don't worry, we understand.'

'Hinata!' Tenten said quickly, head snapping up to look at the younger girl, who looked partially afraid.

'Y-yes, Tenten-chan?'

'Don't tell Neji, please! He'll be in shock if he finds out Lee and Gai-sensei are rubbing off on me! He'll think I've turned against him!'

Hinata relaxed, laughing in her Hinata way, before nodding.

Tenten sighed in relief, closing her eyes.

'How is Neji-kun, Tenten?' Sakura asked with a grin.

'Is it just me or are you two getting closer?'

Ino sported a similar look as she taunted Tenten, whilst Hinata looked amused. Temari was somewhat confused but following all the same. Tenten flushed, out of embarrassment and anger at the same time. She picked up the nearby lamp and held it above her head in a nonchalant matter.

'He's fine, do you want to know anything else?' She said, the lamp hovering menacingly above her head, ignoring Ino's question. Ino and Sakura looked afraid, not wanting to test the girl's rumoured 100 per cent accuracy. They dropped it with a fake smile, glaring at her back as she closed her eyes in thought.

When they opened, they shone once more, and she declared, 'Girls' night in can officially start!'

Cheers echoes the room in the form of Ino and Sakura's voices. Temari and Hinata sweatdropped in response. They grabbed their sleeping bags, Tenten leading the way, before they sat in a circle, huddled together.

'Shall we pick up where we left off, Temari-san?' Ino asked, looking over at the jounin. Her smile was too sweet. Temari looked a little uncomfortable, but nodded all the same. She could have easily taken out her fan as a defence and threaten them like Tenten had but … that wouldn't have been a very nice thing to do.

'What do you want to know?' she asked, looking around at them. The smirks on Tenten, Ino and Sakura's faces were starting to scare her, and Hinata looked almost apologetic, as if she knew they were up to something but was sorry she couldn't stop them – for Temari's sake.

'Well you've told us about Suna generally – the fighting style, tradition a bit, and the guys, and we gathered it's hot there as well because it's in the desert … and forehead girl's been there too,' Ino started, a mad glint in her eyes. It was the kind of spark Temari recognised in Anko's eyes and she'd learned it wasn't a good thing.

'But we don't know about you personally,' Sakura finished, sharing the same spark.

Ah.

'We know where you fit into the fighting style but what about the guys? Seeing anyone, Temari-san?' Ino asked with a grin.

Temari scratched the back of her head, an embarrassed – or was it fearful – smile on her face.

'Ano … not really.'

'Not really? But is there someone?' Tenten pressed on.

Temari shook her head confidently. Her companions looked shocked.

'Really?'

'Yes.'

'Really?'

'Yes.'

'Not even Shikamaru?'

'What?'

'I heard there's something with you two – '

'I heard that too!'

'No.'

'Really?'

'How many times do I have to tell you people?' Temari responded, annoyed.

'Ano, what Sakura meant was that we thought there'd be a lot of guys after you,' Tenten explained with a smile.

'What do you mean 'Sakura meant'?! You were doing the same thing,' Sakura muttered under her breath.

'Yeah, you're the hot, smart, sister of the Kazekage, and a great kunoichi to boot,' Ino added, listing her thoughts on her fingers. Temari gave an embarrassed smile, touched as she was.

'Thanks … there are suitors but just …'

'Not the one you really love.'

Tenten, Ino, Temari and Sakura all turned to Hinata, who had spoken, somewhat shocked that she'd said anything at all. She gave a shy smile in response, and Temari smiled, thankful that she understood. She found herself thinking that Hinata was closest to understanding her than any of the other three, even if the thought was simple and clichéd.

'What do your brothers think of that? I bet they're happy, ne?' Sakura said with a smile, breaking the silence. Temari's eyes found hers as she pondered the question for a minute or two.

'Yes and no. In Suna, an unmarried woman can seem shameful. It's kind of a tradition too that the head of the house meets the suitors and finds one for his daughter,' Temari explained.

An intake of breath followed.

'Yeah,' she said simply.

'I didn't know that kind of thing still existed,' Tenten stated.

Temari smirked.

'It does, no matter what you think,' she told her.

'Yeah but I wouldn't expect it of one of the great nations,' Tenten answered. Temari kept her temper, fighting the urge to beat the girl to a pulp. She convinced herself that she had no reason to, and that what Tenten had said wasn't intended as an insult. She didn't know about Suna and about their tradition. That was it.

Noticing a change in Temari, Hinata pressed on.

'So your brothers are pressured by tradition?' she asked timidly, bringing Temari out of her thought.

'Yeah, sort of,' she said, forcing a smile and begging her brain to think of what else to say to avoid silence. 'It's different now. It's not a law and a lot of families don't follow that tradition, just some of the older ones. Even then, if the daughter in question doesn't want to marry the suitor, some of the families are considerate.'

But because of my family … it's not the best if I disregard the tradition. It's expected of me.

'Do your brothers follow that rule? With the asking the parents and expecting the girl to say yes if her parents tell her to?' Sakura asked.

Anger flared once more but Temari fought it well.

'No,' she answered simply. 'Gaara's busy running and protecting Suna and Kankurou's always at his side. That's why I'm the liaison and not him.'

The hostility that she fought was well hidden from her tone and voice, sounding no different to the usual. Even if they didn't intend to offend her, they were doing one hell of a job insulting everything she was.

'Kankurou? The puppet-guy? Is he still wearing that ridiculous face paint?' Ino exclaimed, breaking into a grin.

Temari's eyes darted to hers, anger ridding her of all resolve.

'My brother does not wear face paint, as you call it. He is an elite ninja of Suna and you know nothing about him. And he deserves a hell of a lot more respect than you give him,' she spat at them, words dripping with venom.

'Temari-san, we didn't mean to offend you,' Ino said quickly and sincerely.

'We're sorry if we have, really,' Sakura continued.

Temari looked at each of them, all of which wore expression of genuine sincerity. They really were sorry. She sighed, making her way to her sleeping bag.

'It's ok. I'm done for the night though.'

With that, she lay down and turned to face away from them. She'd positioned her sleeping bag close to the window on purpose, staring out at the stars as she'd done those nights she felt alone. She sighed to herself. She felt their eyes on her, their silence confirming it. After a while, their voices returned, first in low whispers before escalating to the normal tone of voice.

Temari lay awake for an hour or so, lost in her own thoughts. And her stars.

Kankurou's 'face paint', they'd called it. She scoffed to herself, before a melancholy look soon replaced it. She shouldn't have snapped at them but they didn't know, they didn't understand. They didn't know what Kankurou had gone through, and she'd be damned if she let them insult her brother.

She closed her eyes for a moment, before looking for her stars once more.

It had been years since that night. She and Kankurou sat atop the roof of their home. It was a cold night, but no colder than normal. The wind made its presence known and the two siblings sat side by side, staring at the stars as their mother had taught them. Or rather, how Temari had told Kankurou their mother had done with them. It was rare for them to spend a night together outside, watching the stars. It had become rare at least. They'd train until dinner, and even then sometimes Kankurou would still be training with his father and he'd come home late. They'd usually gone straight to sleep, exhausted from a day's work and wanting as much rest for the next day.

But not that night. She still remembered it vividly. Kankurou had knocked on her door, which in itself was unnatural, considering he usually just opened the door, much to his older sister's dismay. She'd usually bellow down the hall after him and if their father were home they'd suffer consequences.

'If you are to be shinobi of Suna you are not to show any signs of weakness! You are not to lose your temper! You are not to allow the enemy the privilege of seeing discord within a unit! Do you understand?!'

Temari and Kankurou would nod, bowing to their father, fighting the tears that screamed to spill from their eyes and their hearts. Their backsides were sore, or their hands, depending on the reason for their argument. Despite their father's warning, they still seemed to argue with each other.

After their father had dismissed them, they'd usually go to their rooms and fight the urge to cry or give in if they couldn't fight any more. They'd punish themselves afterwards, forcing themselves to train harder and better, despite aching muscles, empty stomachs, and the numerous cuts and bruises that adorned their soft flesh. Their hardest fight, however, was to fight the prospect of failure. Their father would never accept failure, and they made a silent pact never to expect it of themselves, or of each other.

Naturally, people tried to protect them, telling the Kazekage that he was too harsh on his children. The children refused their pity, shoving the protective hands away and standing beside their father, silently proving their loyalty. They said nothing, knowing better than to speak for the Kazekage, and that in his presence the Kazekage spoke for them.

Young, determined faces would stare back at those who dared to question their father, glaring at the friends and family of their mother. She still remembered the pain some of their eyes reflected, the pain they felt in seeing Karura's children reject care yet know they wanted it all the same.

It was one of these moments in particular that it happened.

'They're children!' a woman yelled at the Kazekage.

He smirked.

'They're my children,' he said simply.

'You don't treat them like their yours or anyone else's! You treat them like shinobi, you see them as shinobi and come down on them harder than you do for a majority of the shinobi in Suna! You expect too much of them – '

'It's their choice to be shinobi. If I am to raise the quality of shinobi in Suna, I must first start with myself, and then my family,' the Kazekage had responded in a calm voice, similar to that of Gaara's.

'By forcing them to near death? Karura is dead because of your little experiment! By the way, where is that little abomination you call a son? Yashamaru died soon after because of that monster,' the woman continued on.

'And look at your children now! Look at how they're turning out without a mother! Scowls instead of smiles, hatred in their eyes, burning into their mother's oldest and closest friend!'

The Kazekage didn't respond.

'You destroyed their family! Look at Temari! Her mother's princess! She has Karura's eyes and her smile but inside she's all you. Same with the boy! Although he already is the spitting image of you, so I guess I could expect nothing less of him, you cold-hearted bastard!'

'Shut up!' Kankurou had yelled. He shook with rage, and he pointed an accusatory finger at the woman before him. 'Shut up! You don't know anything!'

'Kankurou,' his father had said calmly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.

The woman looked shock. There seemed to be an added level of hatred in Kankurou's eyes. Temari glared at her with venom, despite a part of her telling her not to, that this woman genuinely cared for them, and was angry with their father, not them. A part of her wanted desperately to smile and run into the woman's arms, and ask for stories about her mother. But another part of her told her about duty and loyalty. This side told her of her role as a shinobi, and as the Kazekage's daughter, but most of all as Kankurou's sister.

'Leave.'

The Kazekage's words had been simple the whole conversation, but the woman seemed to sense it as a warning. She shot him one more glare, her eyes softening on the young children, before she turned and left.

They never saw her again.

That night, Temari had been sitting on the roof on her own, the events of the day playing through her mind, when she noticed a faint knocking. Climbing back down through her open window, she opened her bedroom door to see Kankurou or whom she assumed was Kankurou – he'd donned the mask of purple, the colour of their mother.

He looked at his sister with sad eyes and she simply led him into her room, out the window and onto the roof, where she once again told her younger brother how their mother would sit outside with them, recalling the stories Yashamaru had told her before his death.

'Temari,' Kankurou had said in a soft voice, breaking the silence between him and his sister.

She 'hmm'-ed a response, eyes not tearing from the stars, just to let him know she was listening.

'I'm not a monster. I'm not like Gaara.'

Temari's head turned to look at Kankurou.

'Kankurou, I know … and it's not right for us to call Gaara a monster either – '

'But he is!'

'Shukaku's the monster! Father taught us about loyalty,' she'd answered simply, and before Kankurou could interrupt, for he'd started to stutter a response, she continued, 'even if he didn't mean it in regards to Gaara, doesn't mean it shouldn't apply to him. And don't forget, he could kill us in a second,' she added to scare him.

'Everyone who sees Father and Gaara thinks that they're monsters. Even the lady who said she was Mother's closest friend said I looked just like him. She doesn't see any Mother in me, she just sees a monster, a cold-hearted bastard.'

Temari didn't answer. She instead found herself placing her hand on her brother's shoulder, before she stood to place it atop his head, as their Father did to them. Her brother seemed shocked by the action, but understood it all the same.

'We know better than them, Kankurou,' she said simply, Kankurou looking up at her with tear-filled eyes. 'Father isn't cold-hearted like the lady said he was, and Gaara's only seen as a monster because of Shukaku, not because of anything he had control of. You are the Kazekage's son and you should be proud to share a likeness with him, even if it's the way you look. We both know that Father's the strongest shinobi in the village, that's why he's Kazekage. Everyone knows that. What we know better than that lady and anyone else is that Father is a stronger man than any of the men in the village. Nobody thinks about what Father's like under his Kazekage hat, nobody thinks there's anything left underneath but we know there is. Father has to be the strongest shinobi he can, for us and for Suna. He bears the weight of the village on his shoulders, and to be the ultimate shinobi he has to shed his emotions and do what's best for all of us. We know this, Kankurou, we know he's strong. And you are the proud son of the Kazekage, don't let what that lady said change your mind.'

Kankurou looked away from his sister, staring down at his feet, his hands fiddling. Temari sat down beside him once more, letting her brother think in silence. She watched him every now and then, eyes darting from him, to look at her stars, and to look at Suna once more. Their family suffered a lot for their village. But they all loved their village, maybe not their mother who believed their family shouldn't be put in any more danger than anyone else for the existence of the village like their father had, but otherwise, she loved it all the same. Their father was a man of duty, and he'd made sure to teach his children the importance of that value.

'Even if it hurts, you must fulfil your duty,' he'd told them, 'to your village, to your comrades, to your family – whatever it may be. This is what is right.'

'I am my father's son,' he said quietly.

Temari smiled. Her smile faded when she noticed Kankurou didn't smile at the thought, but seemed saddened instead.

'I am my father's son,' he repeated, 'and you are our mother's daughter. But I am also my mother's son, and you are also our father's daughter.'

Noticing the small smile on his face, relief flooded through Temari, and she smiled once more.

'Yes, that's right,' she said as she once again redirected her attention to the stars.

'From now on, I will wear the colour of Mother on my face, to show that she is a part of me,' he explained to his sister, 'because people see nothing else but my father.'

Kankurou's voice was small and soft, but his eyes and face shone with pride and happiness. Temari smiled, happy for her brother.

'I think she'd like that.'

Temari understood why her brother wanted to show that he was as much his mother's son as he was his father's. She knew he loved their father as much as she did, that their father was his hero as he was hers, and that he was proud of who and what he was. But she knew he wanted to prove himself. Just like she did. He wanted to prove to himself that he wasn't a clone, prove to those that doubted him that he would not fail his father, and prove to everyone that he was his own person. The special feature that made him different from his father was the blood he inherited from his mother. And because he was the spitting image of his father, proud as he was, he loved his mother too, he wanted to see her in himself.

A comfortable silence once again found its way between them but neither let it bother them. After what had happened, peace was welcome. The wind gently caressed their faces, both shining with pride as they thought of their parents and their village. One with the smile of her mother, one adorned with 'face paint'.

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A/N: HA how corny was my last sentence? I couldn't help it though. Ano … sorry if you didn't like this chapter. I just like my flashback memories haha It's what I'm concentrating on at the moment. Just to get the audience reacquainted with Temari from my perspective haha before the other characters can build stable relationships with her.

Oh yes. I don't hate Ino or Sakura, just so everyone knows. I just thought they'd be more likely to say something that Temari could misinterpret, that's all. They're not the badguys or anything, aye? And I'm a ShikaTema fan. Like I said, there's a reason certain things are not in this chapter.

And thanks for reading too by the way. I hope you don't stop Lol My mind's sparked with a few more ideas since I wrote the A/N at the top of the page and read through it Lol

Oh and I'm sorry if I offended anyone by saying 'corny 13-year-old' thing. I was trying to remember the age when I was doing stuff like that, that's all haha I still think nights like that where you annoy the hell out of each other but talk until there's nothing left are fun.

Thanks for reading this far too. I really appreciate it.

jm

Next chapter:

Should she tell the girl in front of her? Share a part of herself and her family with someone she thought she could trust? What if she was wrong? She was a shinobi and an experienced one at that. She knew how evident deception was in the world. She knew that trust was a hard thing to gain, as well as come by. Her brain ached from over exhaustion thinking caused. She was cunning and bright but she was still so unsure what she should do. In the past, she'd just left emotions as best she could. For her sake.