Summary: Homecoming for Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari is ensured with Baki's guidance.
Forceful Winds
Family Crests
Baki's team followed him out of the Crystal Caves before dawn. As they scanned the expanse of sand before them, Kankuro asked, "What's the plan, Baki? Do we just show up at the funeral? Don't we need formal wear or something? How long will it take to get home? Hey, wait a minute. Where is home now, exactly? Are we staying in the barracks?"
"I don't want to live in the barracks," muttered Gaara.
Before Baki could reply, Kankuro declared, "Man, I'm gonna hate that, too. I know! We could use the jewels to rent an apartment. How much are they worth, anyway?"
"I don't want to live in a strange apartment," murmured Gaara again.
"Boys, we're not living in the barracks or in a strange apartment. We'll be staying in Baki's house," announced Temari. Gaara and Kankuro did a synchronized swivel of their necks to look at their Sensei.
"What?" Now the brothers were sounding like the other's echo.
"My house not good enough for you?" asked Baki in a wry tone. "You've invaded it often enough."
"You sure you can handle a permanent invasion?" Kankuro squinted at Baki.
"Who said it was permanent? I'm just trying to protect the village from your adolescence," replied Baki. He turned to Gaara who was clearly frowning and asked, "You have a problem with it?"
"What did they do with our--possessions?" Gaara now stood stiffly with arms crossed at his chest.
"I had to use a handcart to move the puppets." Baki stared at Kankuro in annoyance, but the boy merely pumped his fist in a yes-gesture.
"And all the fans." His tone was a bit exasperated as he remembered the multitude of fans with botanical images, but Temari offered him a bright smile of apology in return.
"And the bear?" ventured Gaara.
"And the bear," Baki confirmed with a sigh. "I felt like a damn peddler. The genin moved the rest later."
Temari and Kankuro then started arguing over whose 'treasures' were more important and who had the most 'junk.' Meanwhile, Gaara unfolded his arms and cast a questioning glance at the jonin, but the man merely offered a shrug. Of course he'd known the bear was important to the boy. Why would he leave it?
"Now cut the chatter. We'll be on the trail for five hours and that gives us just enough time to bathe at the house and change for the funeral. Let's go."
When Kankuro ignored Baki's directive and began to chatter to him about his puppets in comparison to the Shugyoko clan's menagerie, Temari hung back to assure Gaara.
"See, Gaara? If Baki didn't care about you, why would he go to the trouble to get your bear and let you stay at his house?"
Gaara remained quiet for a moment before observing, "You are precious to him. So by extension, anything that is precious to you becomes something he will protect, even a demon-child who is your brother."
"Gaara, Baki wouldn't do something just to make me happy. He would have to see the value of such actions." Temari then reached out and ruffled Gaara's red hair, something she had always wanted to do. "But I'm glad you realized that you are precious to me."
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Sunagakure
Baki led them to his house without much incident after instructing the sentry to not bother reporting their passage since the trio was with him.
The three teenagers seemed to relax once they entered his home and all fell into their familiar places for a moment. First their weapons were placed near the entry, then Temari sat on the couch so she could look out the window into the xeroscaped garden, Kankuro sprawled out on the rest of it, and Gaara perched himself to sit cross-legged on the back of the couch above his siblings.
"You can take a minute to catch your breath, but then you hit the showers and change. Temari, you'll take the master suite since it's the only one that has a private bath. You boys have to share the other bathroom, but the two rooms connect to it. I'll take up residence in the Councilors' Quarters."
"I didn't think we'd be kicking you out of your own house," said Temari.
"It's best that I have a separate residence if only to guard your reputation. I'll move my things out after the funeral today. Why don't you go ahead and use the shower now? You, too, Gaara. You should find what you need in the hall bathroom. Your room is the one guarded by the bear."
"It will feel good to get my hair washed properly," said Temari as she rubbed her scalp She left the room with Gaara at her heels. Everyone pretended to ignore the muted squeal the boy gave when he found his bear, but Kankuro did smile before addressing his Sensei.
"Baki, are you sure you don't want those jewels that were the ruby wolves? It would be like we could pay you rent for your house, you know."
"I'm just satisfied the wolves are gone, Kankuro, and I will be greatly offended if you ever bring up the idea of rent again. Besides, you might be legally free adults now, but the Council has confiscated the Kazekage's assets. They could bind you with all sorts of debts to keep you under their thumb."
"It just seems like it's blood money, especially those diamonds that were the hearts. I feel as if--as if nothing good can happen until they're gone from Suna." Kankuro then ducked his head and offered a bit bashfully, "I guess I'd like to be able for Kagami to know that they're finally being used for something good. She deserves that satisfaction."
Baki was pleased by the boy's concern; it spoke of a noble heart. "There are new orphans in Suna, so the jewels could be used to help with that. Let's just keep an eye out for opportunities."
"Yeah, Kagami should like that." Kankuro nodded and stood up. "I'm gonna check on my puppets. Thanks."
The young man punched the jonin on the shoulder as he walked out. Everyone heard his yell of delight reverberate through the house when he found his puppet collection.
IIIIIIIIIII
"I can't tie this--thing." Gaara's voice held a familiar irritation as he stood at Kankuro's door, but instead of ending with a threat to kill his brother, he asked, "Could you help me, Kankuro?"
"Sure, bro, you just have to push through here and pull through there." The Puppeteer deftly secured the tie of the hakama and shifted it into place so that the formal kimono wasn't wrinkled.
Kankuro then poked at the five circles on the kimono that were embroidered to resemble the crest he normally wore on his shirt. "The tailor did a great job on the Sandstorm kamon. Let's see if Temari is ready."
They walked into the living room to find their sister standing with Baki. The black kimono highlighted the girl's pale features and this was accentuated by their Sensei's looming presence behind her. The man's cowl and eye drape were also black which served to make him look quietly menacing.
"You're looking dangerous there, Baki," observed Kankuro.
"Good," replied the jonin.
"So how do we look?"
"You clean up very well, both of you," said Temari, although she reached out to straighten the neck of Kankuro's kimono and Gaara's sleeve.
"You look nice, too," offered Kankuro. "How come your kimono has the tri-moon crest?"
"It's from Baki's family, so it carries the same Mitsuki crest that's on my fan," explained Temari. She really hadn't noticed it until he mentioned it. She touched absently at the hair pin that held the bun at the back of her head. It, too, carried the tri-moon kamon.
"I don't want anyone who sees Temari to forget her ties to my family," explained Baki. He turned the topic to their current mission. "The Kazekage will be buried without cremation as is tradition. I'll arrive first, then you'll make your entrance."
"Are you expecting trouble?" asked Gaara.
"I think it's best to be prepared," confirmed Baki. "Carrying weapons openly would violate our customs."
"So that means all weapons are concealed?" Kankuro was sufficiently cynical about Suna customs.
Baki smirked at the boy as he addressed him, "Could you use the diamonds you have in a small puppet?"
"Sure. You think we'll have to offer a bribe?" The Puppeteer cocked his head to one side.
"Or retribution. Make it simple, but with some flourish," instructed Baki with a slight smirk.
"Gotcha!" said Kankuro as he left to gather the six large diamonds.
"Gaara, your sand gourd would not be appropriate to carry," began Baki, but even as Gaara began to frown, he added, "however, if you shape the container into a rectangular box and camouflage it with the black sand in the back garden, it will blend with your clothing."
Gaara stood silently for a moment before nodding and walking away to take care of his sand.
"I don't suppose my tessen will work?" asked Temari. "It does fold up black."
Baki turned to a table and removed a slender box from a drawer. "Take this one. It's hand-sized, but the steel is sharp. I don't want you waking up to find you've become someone's trophy bride."
"What? But we're going to a funeral? Who would--would--"
"Offer to console you? Drug you outright?" supplied Baki with a sardonic tone.
"No one is going to force me to get married." She muttered under her breath, "The bastards."
Baki nodded in satisfaction as he surveyed his team when they re-assembled. The black fan hung with gleaming menace on Temari's waist. Gaara was standing with perfect posture with his sand in a slender box at his back.
And Kankuro? He did not disappoint. The diamonds, now embedded into a heavy link chain, gleamed like a snake wound around his shoulder like a ceremonial braid. He nudged a finger to extend a chakra string and the head of the adamantine reptile seemed to move like a cobra.
"Perfect. Let's go."
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The Funeral
Baki brought up the rear of the procession of Councilors as they entered the main courtyard for the funeral. As he turned to take his place, he executed a quick Wind Whisper justu. The timing was perfect.
The Head Councilor rose to offer greetings before the priest began the ritual, but his words died as he began saying, "All are welcome..."
A gasp spread through the crowd as a carpet of sand flew over the gates and hovered at the center of the courtyard before the Kazekage's coffin. Gaara was at the center with steadfast posture while Temari and Kankuro flanked him.
They remained silent as they waited for a reaction from the Council. As Baki expected, a Councilor named Fundo stepped forward. "How dare you desecrate this solemn ritual! You impersonate the Kazekage's dead family. Gaara is a demon who would happily kill his brother and sister, not carry them to this ceremony! This must be some trick our enemies have concocted. Guards, seize these impostors!"
Immediately, the sand began swirling at Gaara's feet. Temari opened the fan at her waist and assumed an attack posture. Kankuro manipulated his digits and the glittering snake uncoiled at his shoulder and rose as if to strike.
"Hold!" Baki's roar literally made the jonin who were moving toward his team stop in their tracks to look at him. "As their Sensei, I can assure you this is my team. You see proof of it in their talents."
The crowd murmured and Yura, now also a member of the Council, declared, "Baki's right; they carry the chakra signatures I've come to associate with them."
Fundo stepped forward and sneered. "If that's true, the Kazekage's children should know they are now wards of Suna!"
"The Kazekage's children are legal adults," countered Baki dryly as he pulled three scrolls from the sleeve of his kimono. "Here's the proof."
He flicked them into the air and executed an elegant wind jutsu so that the scrolls unfurled and fluttered in the wind so that the signatures were in view of the Councilors. A wave his hand brought the scrolls back to the jonin.
"You think you're so clever, Baki?" hissed Fundo. "Their father might not have ordered the invasion of Konoha, but he was still a failure in protecting Suna! The retribution to Konoha will take their lifetimes to pay. They must be taken into custody! Can we let them bury their father and then escape his debts?"
"They're adults. They can speak for themselves," replied Baki.
At this point, Temari snapped her fan closed while Baki stepped forward. He bowed to her deferentially and offered her a hand as she stepped off of the sand and onto the courtyard with regal composure.
"I am Sabaku no Temari. I am here to see that the Kazekage is buried with the dignity appropriate to his office. I willingly offer my life to protect Suna, but I pledge to be an agent for maintaining peace among the Shinobi nations. That is the lesson I learned from my father's failure."
Temari took her place on Baki's left as they faced the crowd. Then Kankuro stepped onto the courtyard with a presence reminiscent of the Kazekage. Indeed, some Councilors did a double-take given his strong resemblance to his father. The Puppeteer made a point to confront Councilor Fundo as he spoke.
"I am Sabaku no Kankuro. I am here to see the Kazekage's debts are paid and I offer these diamonds to be used as tribute to Konoha."
With a quick flick of his fingers, the chain holding the diamonds snaked around Fundo's neck and tightened ever so slightly as Kankuro finished. "I willingly offer my life to protect Suna, but I pledge that those left orphaned will not be undefended and will not become slaves to the state. That is the lesson I learned from my father's failure."
Kankuro released the chain with an absent wave of his hand, leaving Fundo to gasp for a moment. The diamonds were immediately coiled at Kankuro's shoulder again. The crowd whispered at the wealth the boy carried so nonchalantly.
As Kankuro took his place on Baki's right, Fundo turned to his colleagues with a red face. "You see the menace that has come back? Do you mean to welcome even the Shukaku?"
Before any could respond to his challenge, the hiss of Gaara's sand caught everyone's attention. He took his place in front of Baki with his arms slightly opened as if to guard Temari and Kankuro. His harsh tone carried the force of his words, although he was soft-spoken.
"I am Sabaku no Gaara. I am here to protect my family and whether you want me here or not, I will not abandon them."
The murmurs rose in the crowd as they voiced their disbelief. The boy was known to have no affection for his own family. How could this be the demon they had long feared?
Gaara continued, "I am the Kazekage's legacy and, yes, I carry the Shukaku. But I offer my life to protect my family, and by extension, this village. I pledge to destroy the enemies of Suna, whether they are from another village or hiding among our own. That is the lesson I learned from my father's failure."
Fundo turned to complain to the other Councilors, but the murmurs among the crowd were hard to ignore. The Shukaku...to protect us?...Such power...thought the boy was crazy, but he seems sane enough... Ultimate weapon...
Baki's voice cut across the murmuring crowed. "With the Council's permission, I would escort my team to pay their respects to their father one last time."
The jonin met the gaze of every Councilor and wasn't satisfied until he received at least a reluctant nod from each, although the majority seemed relieved at the turn of events.
The four turned in synchrony to walk toward the open casket. A preservation jutsu gave the illusion of an uncorrupted body lying in state. Baki approached first and tucked a slender scroll under the Kazekage's hands. He walked back and knelt to bow formally. His team echoed his actions, each one leaving a token and then stepping back to bow.
Temari felt the quiet tears streaming down her cheeks, but let them fall onto their father. He couldn't run away from her tears now. She removed a small paper fan she had made from her obi. She flared the fan across the Kazekage's chest to reveal their mother's name inscribed on it.
Kankuro looked at that familiar visage of the Kazekage for a long moment and fought back the twinge of sorrow this final encounter drew from him. He took one of the rubies he had up his sleeve and instead of flipping it onto the body, he carefully tucked it into the folds of his sister's fan. To Kankuro, the ruby glistened like the blood of their mother.
Finally, Gaara looked down at the corpse. He felt nothing for the dead, but for the living. For his brother and sister--and his Sensei, he felt a sense of hope as they bid farewell to the man who had controlled their lives for so long. Gaara let a bit of his precious sand cascade into his hand first, then he slowly let it filter through his fingers to anchor the ruby and the fan. It was only fitting a part of their mother now stay with their father.
The Yondaime Kazekage would have been pleased with their tokens, even the scroll from Baki. It read: As Sensei, Servant, or Soldier, whatever they need, I will be for them.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The funeral procession led the congregation to the mausoleum, the final resting place of the Kazekages and Suna nobility. The coffin was sealed in its compartment and the crowd began to disperse.
At this point, the Baki became separated from his team as he responded to queries from other Councilors. In his periphery he could see Kankuro with Gaara quietly standing beside him as the boy exchanged greetings with acquaintances. He had left Temari with Hiroko, but now couldn't see her.
After a time, Kankuro caught Baki's attention in the distance with clear hand signals indicating that he and Gaara were making their escape. Either that, or Kankuro was intent on choking himself and wanted his body dragged home. Baki nodded; it was understood he'd follow with Temari later. Again, Baki felt uneasy about not knowing where she was.
A short time later, Baki had no trouble locating Temari. In fact, everyone remaining on the grounds turned their attention to the voice emanating from behind one of the monuments.
"No, I don't need to be consoled, and if you don't unhand me, this fan will be slicing off more than just silk!"
Three seconds later, Fundo's nephew came limping out while quiet laughter erupted around him. In contrast, Temari was quite composed when she appeared. She carefully snapped her fan closed and gave a bow to those remaining. "Please forgive me; I can abide neither bad manners nor morons. And for the record, no one should presume to be my future husband."
She rose to see expressions of admiration among some of the Councilors and caught Yura offering a comment to Baki then laughing. Thinking that she would soon lose her grip if anyone made a snide remark to her, she got her Sensei's attention by announcing, "I'm ready to leave now."
Several men offered to walk her home, but Baki made it to her side before she had to make her refusals. The fact that her kimono bore the Mitsuki crest prevented anyone from claiming they had precedence to escort the Kazekage's daughter. Baki bowed to her, offered his arm, and led her away.
It was the first time Temari had taken the arm of a man as if she were a grown woman. She was relieved that Baki was there because she began to feel her energy draining with every step they took. Walking in the kimono was also tricky, so it was fortunate that Baki could support her if she stumbled.
Then she remembered Yura''s laughter. "What did Yura say to you? I saw him laughing."
Baki's lips twitched a bit before he turned to look down at her. "He said that you're scarier than Hiroko."
"Oh." They continued walking in silence for a moment.
"I agreed," Baki finally admitted.
"What? Why you--" Temari whacked his arm with her fan, although she used the blunt end.
"Quit beating on me, woman, you're only proving my point," cautioned Baki, but there was laughter in his voice.
"You're right. I'll show you some mercy and pretend I'm a delicate lady," said Temari as she tried to stifle an unladylike yawn.
They walked to the house with Baki describing all kinds of impossible damage she had wrought to his arm while Temari offered cures even more caustic than the injury. Still, their banter made the long walk pass quickly.
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Council Chambers
Sunagakure
The next morning, Kankuro, back to his face paint and cowl, presented the six diamonds to the Council for assessment. Their value would, indeed, cover the remuneration demanded by Konoha.
"That much, huh?" Kankuro was trying to keep his voice from squeaking. If he had been a greedy man, he would have been set for life. Luckily for Suna, he was a simple shinobi who just wanted to get rid of cursed gemstones.
"How exactly did you come by this fortune?" asked one of the Councilors.
"It was guarded by a demon," replied Kankuro, "but my brother and sister helped me defeat it in the Crystal Caves. We left before any of the other beasts that dwell there hunted us."
Baki gave a nod of approval to this version of the story and heard Temari release a sigh. Kankuro sometimes spoke before he thought.
"We will keep the diamonds in the treasury until we can deliver them to Konoha," proclaimed Fundo. "Suna should not be in a rush to submit the jewels until a new Hokage has been installed and settled."
"You really think it will be safer in the treasury than guarded by Gaara?" asked Baki with smirk.
The boy chose that moment to look directly at Fundo while the sand around him cast a menacing shadow on the wall. The jonin was beginning to think Gaara had a dark sense of humor.
Temari bit back a smile at how Fundo was squirming and spoke. "The treasury would need extra guards. Do we have enough jonin to maintain the security on the jewels?"
Yura immediately shook his head. "We are rather short-handed. I'd propose that the jewels are safe with Gaara. He's like an impenetrable fortress."
The Councilors agreed and soon the topic turned to considering a new Kazekage before Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were excused from the chamber. After some discussion, the Council held a slim majority for an innovative attempt to operate the village through Council rule.
"There goes the neighborhood," muttered Kankuro to Temari. He glanced to Baki and found the jonin actually massaging his temples.
"Baki, since you've had the most experience as an administrative aide to the Kazekage, we'll put you in charge of seeing to those operations."
Baki looked up and scowled. It was actually a logical choice, but he wanted to gain something for being saddled with the duty. "With all due respect, I need to train with my team--unless you want to grant them chunin status outright. They passed their written exam and they passed the Forest of Death in record time--and without a scratch."
Temari, Kankuro, and even Gaara all looked at their Sensei in disbelief. Hadn't their mission to Konoha ended in failure? Temari had been literally handed her victory by the Shadow Boy, Kankuro had forfeited outright, and even Gaara had been on the defensive when his match had been interrupted.
"But the invasion was a disaster," began Fundo.
"They survived their battles in the Konoha forests and defeated a demon from the Crystal Caves. Surely these acts are sufficient reason to recognize them as chunin as I have for the past year," insisted Baki.
An elderly Councilor now stood to speak. "It is true that we lost many soldiers in the battle, fine shinobi who thought they were following the Kazekage's orders. Still, the retreat was called before irreparable damage to the alliance between Wind and Fire Countries was perpetrated."
Another older Councilor then spoke. "After the Konoha, er, excursion, I decided to get re-acquainted with a past colleague. I have been exchanging informal letters with with Koharu Utatane--"
Fundo murmured, "You're too old to have a girlfriend."
The other Councilors ignored the statement, but Kankuro and Temari exchanged a smile that left Gaara baffled. Why would any man, regardless of age, want a girlfriend?
The Councilor cleared his throat and continued. "She indicates that Konoha would still welcome Suna as an ally. Konoha now understands the role they played in fostering our actions by turning a blind eye when missions best left to Suna were offered to them. Yes, the invasion failed, but a new understanding between Konoha and Suna can blossom. We have the opportunity to forge an alliance that is more than just words decorating a scroll. I regret the catalyst, but not the opportunity or the future it portends."
"So, does that mean we're chunin or not?" murmured Kankuro to Temari, although the Council overheard every word.
The Council took a vote and approved the designation with one caveat. The chunin status would not be revealed to Konoha until the next set of exams when their names would be conspicuously absent.
The three new chunin left the Council chambers with Baki and the glee in Kankuro's and Temari's voices was infectious. Even Gaara seemed to have an upturn to his lips. This all faded when Baki stopped their progress.
"Now that you're chunin, you get to help with the administrative duties. I think it's within the range of your mental abilities." The jonin walked away and counted to three before he heard the first complaint."
"Wait a minute, you mean if we were still listed as genin, we--"
"Would be rather useless to me in wading through the paperwork, the accounts, and the legal issues." Baki when turned to his team. "Besides, these duties will give you a perspective on what leading a shinobi village requires."
"But we have so much work to do to get stronger," said Temari with a frown. She never wanted the feeling of losing, especially to a slacker like the Shadow Boy.
"You're right, Temari. You should have used your summoning jutsu to defeat your opponent. Kankuro should have had a second puppet to complete his work. And Gaara needs to quit relying on the force of his sand and work on more finesse. You will be working hard on improving your techniques."
"Damn, I knew we left the Crystal Caves too soon," grumbled Kankuro.
Baki turned and began walking to the house again. "Unless you're called out on mission, you get up ready to train by dawn. That should give you three solid hours before you show up at the offices. The next nine hours will be spent on tedious paperwork, boring meetings, and dull social events. That still leaves evenings for more training. Your days will be full, you'll go home exhausted, but you will get stronger both as shinobi and in understanding your native country."
"Can't I just continue in my blissful ignorance?" queried Kankuro.
"An ignorant patriot can't understand what the fight is about. An informed patriot becomes a leader for the nation." Baki walked away after he murmured, "But for now, we need to go through your father's personal effects."
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Sunagakure Cliff House
The team arrived at the house and waited for Baki to direct them. "Clothing, weapons, or scrolls."
"I'll go through father's robes. We can keep some for Kankuro." Temari began.
"Don't do me any favors," muttered the Puppeteer.
"It would cost a lot to replace them and we have to live on a limited budget now. You did say you'd use most of the rubies for the orphan programs," reminded Temari. "Even Gaara might find the robes useful someday."
"Temari is right," said Baki. "Gaara, examine the weapons. You can test them in the back yard."
"But I should--" began Kankuro.
"Help me go through your father's papers," insisted Baki. "As his eldest son, you would be the legal heir according to Suna law."
"You had this planned all along, didn't you?" grumbled Kankuro as the jonin grabbed him by the scruff and dragged him into the study.
They spent the rest of the day cataloging scrolls. Temari poked her head into the room at lunchtime to drop off some food.
"I've finished sorting through the robes. I'll take the ones I'm not keeping to Hiroko so she can recommend a vendor. She's at home today."
"Good, we need reconnaissance on her twins," said Baki as he looked between two scrolls he had opened.
"Reconnaissance?" asked Temari.
"Hiroko expects us to babysit, remember? Best to find out the easiest way to subdue the enemy."
"But they're babies, not the enemy." The girl waved her hands in exasperation.
"And that means we have fewer options than an opponent we could take down with our wind jutsus." Baki's voice was quite calm as he explained.
"What about that rock-a-bye-baby thing?" inserted Kankuro as he looked up from his scroll. Kagami's little cousins had been humming it that last night at the Crystal Caves. "That would use a wind jutsu."
"We're not throwing rocks at babies, Kankuro! How could you think such a thing!" Temari couldn't believe her brother sometimes.
"No, you rock the baby, like, you know." At this point Kankuro cradled the scroll and swayed his arms. He stopped suddenly as he remember the rest of the verse. "Uh, never mind. I just remembered something about bowels breaking and leaking and everyone falling over on account of the, well, I can't remember why, but it sounded gruesome."
"I'll go reconnoiter, just don't let Kankuro near any babies," warned Temari.
"Where the hell do you come up with these things?" asked Baki in wonder once she left.
"Odd things just capture my attention," Kankuro said defensively. "I blame my family--and my Sensei."
"Good point," muttered Baki.
Gaara interrupted a few hours later by announcing the weapons had been inspected.
"Good, now try to recreate them with your sand," murmured Baki as he opened another scroll.
Gaara stood at the doorway and actually blinked. "Recreate them?"
Baki looked up. "It's a finesse technique and one that your father excelled at. You should have a natural talent for it."
Gaara turned to Kankuro for a moment as if wanting his advice. The Puppeteer shrugged, "Go for it, Sandman. At least one of us is seeing the sun shine."
Gaara nodded and left them to return to their work. The final interruption came from Kankuro.
"Baki? Is this, does this, wha?" Kankuro looked up at the jonin in disbelief, then read a snippet aloud, "Blah, blah, ...validates the betrothal between Sabaku no Temari and Mitsuki no Baki..."
Baki calmly looked up. "Get rid of it; it's not what you think."
"Dude, you're engaged to my sister!" Kankuro stood up. "That means you're gonna me my brother?"
"No, it means you will burn that scroll and never reveal its existence to Temari."
"What? My sister not good enough for you?" Kankuro scowled at Baki. "Sure, she's a bossy know-it-all, and as lethal as a red scorpion, but you've put up with her this long."
"Kankuro, I think Temari is a fine young lady and she deserves to be free to make her choices in life." Baki turned his attention back to the scroll he was de-crypting.
"Oh, I get it. You think you're too old for her? What, it's fifteen years, right. It would be like me--wait. You can't be old enough to be her father."
"Good lord, no. I was twenty-two before I even--never mind." Baki turned away from the boy with determination.
"Really? Why'd you wait so long before doing it?" asked Kankuro. He never would have asked the question except for the fact that he knew Baki was a bit disconcerted now. He had no scruples about taking advantage of this vulnerable moment.
Baki sighed, pushed away the scroll, and decided for this once to answer the boy's questions. No, Kankuro was now a young man and should be treated as one. Still, he gave an abbreviated answer.
"Kankuro, I was a chunin at thirteen, a jonin at fifteen, and master of the Wind Sword by eighteen. I didn't have time for a girlfriend until I became a Marshal and spent more time in Sunagakure. Even then, the only woman I felt comfortable with was Hiroko, a childhood friend and teammate."
"And then you tangled with the Tengu and wound up stuck with us instead of marrying Hiroko."
"It's ironic that I'm all that's left of our line, but the shinobi wars devastated my clan. To them, I've been a failure."
Kankuro frowned, "But I've always heard the jonin being envious of the Wind Sword, your ties to the Kazekage, your seat on the Council."
"The Mitsuki family places more value on marriage and children than gaining titles or advancing in rank. Our kamon has three moons to represent that: Father, Mother, Child. Marriage is not a trivial step. I would not have entered into a betrothal with Temari if it weren't to protect her."
"Protect her? From what? I don't get it."
"Your mother died bearing the Shukaku child. I don't have solid proof of the Kazekage's plans, but things he'd say made me worry that Temari would be used the same way," admitted Baki.
Kankuro was dumbstruck. "He would have, wouldn't he? Found some way to kill Gaara and put Shukaku into Temari's baby. Damn!" He looked at the man who was his Sensei in wonder. "That's why you made plans to run away with us, why you had supplies waiting at the Crystal Caves. Gaara would have been left defenseless even if the invasion had succeeded."
"I couldn't let you stay in Suna if I took Temari away. In the first place, I don't think she'd have gone without you. But there was also the fear that without Temari, the Kazekage would begin to foist girls at you until he got his new vessel for Shukaku."
"So you signed the betrothal before the Konoha invasion."
"And gave Temari her freedom afterward by making sure she was a legal adult."
"But this betrothal document is binding even now."
"It's no longer necessary, Kankuro. Temari is free once you destroy that scroll."
"Here, you do it," said Kankuro as he offered the scroll to the jonin.
"I can't," admitted Baki. "It can only be destroyed by the hand of a male Sabaku."
Kankuro looked at the scroll in his hands. "I see. Well, too bad. I wouldn't have minded you for a brother."
Baki smiled. "I don't need to marry Temari to think of you as pesky younger brother."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, am I really your favorite student?"
"Wasn't it obvious?" asked Baki as he turned his attention back to the scrolls.
"Sure," replied Kankuro. "So, this means you're free to get married now, too, right?"
"I'm settling into the idea of being a perpetual bachelor." Baki was speaking rather absently and unaware of what he was actually revealing. "The only women who can put up with me are Temari and Hiroko."
Kankuro nodded, but slipped the betrothal scroll into a sleeve. His Sensei had taught him to always have plans.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Can I plant it in your garden?" asked Temari. She had returned from Hiroko's house with a cutting from a desert rose. The flower was prized in Suna because the color would vary depending on the soil, but the plant was rather fickle about where it grew.
"I'll dig the hole for you, but you do understand that it might not thrive even with your constant attention. The desert rose is very fastidious." Baki rose from the desk and rolled his neck to get the kinks out.
"Hey, does this mean we're finished here?" asked Kankuro.
"Yes, now go--"
Baki didn't get to finish his instructions because Kankuro had slipped out. Baki just shook his head and followed Temari to the back yard. "So, any ideas about handling the twins?"
"Nope, we're doomed," assured Temari with a quick smile.
"I thought so," confessed Baki. They walked out the back door to find Kankuro using Karasu to spar with Gaara's sand weapons. "Where do you want it?"
"I think it should be where it gets some protection from the big rock in the garden," said Temari, "unless you think another place would be better."
"No, that's where I'd suggest." Baki knelt at the spot and used a wind shovel to dig in the sandy soil.
Temari knelt beside him to set the delicate roots into the ground. She helped Baki shove the soil to cover it and sat back. She looked over at her brothers, noticed they were completely absorbed by their combat, and asked her question. "Do you realize you've never told me no when I wanted something?"
Baki looked at Temari for a moment while he scanned his memory for some instance to refute her statement. He finally shrugged. "You've never made an impossible demand."
"So what color do you think the flower will be when it blooms?"
Baki looked at her and let his gaze fall on her blonde hair. "Yellow, definitely a golden yellow."
The wind users exchanged a smile unaware that Gaara and Kankuro were watching. The red-head whispered, "Temari is happy to be home."
Kankuro nodded, then looked beyond the garden and onto Sunagakure as it lay below the cliffs. "I think she's happy we're all home."
End Forceful Winds
Author Notes:
And so we have the Sand Siblings back safely in Suna with their future about as secure as they could hope. Why adults and why as chunin? The legal status of all the orphans in the Naruto world is left open, so being wards of the state made sense. The chunin level was to explain why in the anime filler arcs we see the three accepting students. There were no chunin exams in the intervening period (Naruto is supposed to leave to train before that happens).
This funeral was more like a Western one, but since it's a Kazekage, I thought I could get away with it. However, the funeral kimonos described would fit tradition. The kamon are the little crests that can dot the formal kimono (3 to 5 depending on how formal).
The kamon, or family crest, was a challenge. I assumed the insignia Kankuro uses on his uniform represents the family crest rather than puppetry, but I could be mistaken, so this has no basis in canon. Furthermore, I realize Sabaku no can merely be a title rather than a surname, but used it for all the siblings just to keep it consistent. Kankuro calls it a Sandstorm crest because in my version, the sand talent comes from the Kazekage's male line and Sandstorm sounds powerful.
Likewise, in keeping with the story, I decided that Baki's family crest was the three moons as found on Temari's fan. Mitsuki actually means three months, but that's close enough to three moons to suit me. So, Baki's family name is not canon, just convenience.
The entrance the Siblings make at the funeral is a bit dramatic, but I figured formal language and speech patterns would be used to emphasize their claim of being adults. What I didn't write was the bantering between Kankuro and Temari on what to say. I give Temari an advantage on eloquence, so she won that argument and her brothers agree to follow her lead.
Gaara's speech was a bit menacing in that he makes it clear that his first interest is his family, but then, Gaara is too honest to lie or flatter. I see him using Kankuro more as a big brother because I think that in spite of the fact the Temari 'loved' him first, Gaara feels more comfortable with Kankuro. Unfortunately for the boys, Baki's apprehension about women has made an impact on them.
Baki's efforts to have the team recognized as adults also make him begin to treat them differently. He can confide in Kankuro, see Gaara as multi-dimensional, tease Temari. I also thought that in Shippuden, Baki has a lot of authority and seems familiar with a lot of aspects of Suna government. That's why I made him an aide at the beginning of this arc. He would become a good source to help Gaara learn the ropes later.
I'll eventually start the next story to cover the Sasuke retrieval arc and Matsuri's rescue. Thanks for reading, thanks for the faithful comments. Thanks for letting me share the story. As usual, reviews are not necessary, but I'm glad that these stories have met with such positive comments.