Red Roses2: Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Been a while, hasn't it? Hope you guys haven't missed me TOO much.

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Kankuro turned on his desk light. His curtains were closed, his door locked. His clock read midnight. He took out a few marionettes he had constructed himself. He set them on the desk and began to play. Kankuro often did this when he couldn't sleep. Dad was late coming home again. In Suna, Temari, he, and Gaara would be worrying their heads off. Then Temari would yell at Dad while crying tears of relief, Kankuro would give him a hug, and Gaara would ask what took so long, trying not to act like Temari. Dad would always say that there was a car crash or a break-in he had wanted to stay out of so he took the long way home. Here in Konoha, however, Temari didn't worry too much; she'd say that the bank was probably still holding him up. Gaara would take out one of those books he bought with Naruto and read, occasionally glancing at the clock. Kankuro knew Gaara was still worried because the red-head held a knife while he read. Kankuro himself would wait in the kitchen, trying to act normal. He knew it wasn't the bank; it was the Mafia that was making Dad late. He didn't want to think about what was going to happen. So, here Kankuro was, playing with his marionettes at midnight, waiting to hear the front door open. He knew Gaara was still reading his book in his room, still holding the knife and waiting for the click of the front door unlocking. Temari probably was doing homework all three of them knew she had already finished, also waiting.

"How are you today, son?" said the tallest marionette; Kankuro threw his voice despite the fact he didn't have an audience; he never did.

"I'm good, Dad. School was a drag, though. Mom will be back from the grocery store soon," said a smaller marionette that looked suspiciously like Kankuro.

"Daddy!" said a third marionette that looked oddly like Temari.

Kankuro made the marionette run up and hug the father marionette.

"You won't believe what happened today! That cute boy down the street asked me out! Isn't that great?" the Temari-looking marionette said.

"It sure is, daughter," said the father marionette. "Where is your baby brother?"

"In his room reading those horror books again. I think they're the reason he has nightmares," said the Kankuro-looking marionette.

"I can hear you, you know," said the smallest marionette; it looked just like Gaara except without a tattoo on its forehead.

Kankuro stopped playing as he stared at the fifth and sixth marionette. One looked like Yashamaru; the other one looked like their mother. He let all four of the marionette drop and he leaned back in his chair. Back in Suna, he had always done little puppet shows on how he wished their life was. He wanted his mother back. He wanted them to be normal and happy. In his perfect world, Temari would've liked the boy next door, Gaara would just be a normal Goth/horror geek, and he would be the weird kid who would hold puppet shows for the kids at the library. Dad would have a real job, not a career in the Mafia, his mother would be alive and staying at home. Yashamaru wouldn't have died or raped Gaara; he would've been a normal, fun uncle. Like Kankuro had thought he had been. It was sad that he thought that holding little plays would make it all change. He sighed and put the puppets up.

He started at the sound of the front door opening. He shut the desk drawer closed and raced out of his room and down the stairs. Kankuro was closely followed by Gaara. Temari was right behind Gaara. They ran into the hallway. Kankuro's eyes widened. Was that . . . blood on the hall rug?

"Oh, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara. I thought you three would be asleep by now," their father greeted.

"W-what happened?" Temari managed.

"It's nothing, Temari, really. Nothing that a few bandages won't handle. The police took care of it," their father said.

Liar, Kankuro thought.

"Do we need to call an ambulance?" Gaara asked, book still in hand.

Kankuro looked at Gaara. His little brother's voice sounded emotionless. Kankuro saw more than enough emotion in his eyes, though. Anger and worry radiated from Gaara's gaze.

"No, we don't have to call an ambulance. Why don't you three go on up to bed. I'll take care of this myself," their father replied.

Kankuro glanced out of the window next to the door. He caught a glimpse of someone outside.

"Who's outside?" Temari asked.

"It's no one, Temari. Go to bed. All three of you. Now."

There was no arguing. Gaara left the hallway first, opening his book again. Temari looked like she was about to cry. She ran after Gaara, and Kankuro heard her footsteps thundering up the stairs. Kankuro stayed, fists clenched.

"I want to know who's outside. I'm not going to bed until I know."

Kankuro and his father stared at one another for a minute. The man sighed.

"He's a colleague of mine," was the answer.

Kankuro nodded. He didn't say anything. He turned around and walked away, tears threatening to fall. He climbed up the stairs, refusing to run. He wasn't going to let his father know he knew. That might put Anko in trouble. Kankuro closed his door quietly, then slid face-first into his bed. He took the pillow and buried his face into it and screamed.

-

"Kankuro, why are your eyes so red?" Tenten asked after school.

"No reason," Kankuro lied as he stared up at the sky. They were waiting for Gaara and Naruto again. Naruto seemed to be late for everything.

Tenten looked to Temari and the blonde shook her head. Temari had told Tenten and Lee about what happened last night, but Kankuro refused to put any contribution to the story. Tenten nodded. Suddenly, the brunet found himself in a hug. Surprised, Kankuro looked at Tenten and she smiled at him.

Kankuro felt a little better after that.

-

The phone rang. Temari was up in her room planning another party. Kankuro was trying to finish his essay for History. Their father wasn't home, so Gaara answered the phone.

"Hello," he said sullenly. Gaara's facial muscles contorted like they do when one raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, he's here. Kankuro, it's for you."

Kankuro looked up, surprised.

"Who is it?"

"It's a girl. That's all I know."

Gaara handed him the phone. Kankuro took it.

"Hello? This is Kankuro."

"Hey! It's me, Tenten!"

"Hi Tenten. Why're you calling?"

Gaara rolled his eyes and left the room, opening his book as he left.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you'd like to go out sometime!"

Kankuro dropped the phone. He struggled to keep it from hitting the table.

"Can you repeat that?" Kankuro asked. Did a girl really just ask him out?

"Do you want to go out sometime? Like on a date?" Tenten said.

Kankuro forgot that he was on the phone. He whooped and jumped out of his chair. He heard Gaara tell him to shut up, but he ignored him.

"TENTEN JUST ASKED ME OUT!" Kankuro shouted; laughter floated in from the earpiece.

Kankuro blushed heavily.

"I take it that's a yes."

Kankuro chuckled.

"So, I'll see you at the mall on Saturday at 6:00 pm, okay?"

"Sure, that's great. See you there."

"Bye!"

Tenten hung up first. Kankuro sat the phone on its proper space on the wall. He grinned to himself. At least something was working out just fine.

-

Itachi knocked on his little brother's door.

"Who's there?" Sasuke asked sullenly.

"It's your brother."

"Okay."

Itachi walked in, the bottles he was carrying clanking together. Sasuke didn't look at his brother at first. He continued to stare up at the ceiling. It was the same thing Itachi had seen him doing last time he was in here. The older Uchiha sat down in Sasuke's desk chair. He set the bottles down on the desk and looked up at the ceiling. He frowned. A picture of Naruto holding Sasuke in a one-armed hug grinning hung there. Itachi remembered taking that picture. It had been Sasuke's eleventh birthday. Had they already been dating on that day? Itachi hadn't mustered the tact to ask yet.

"Are you sure you want to keep that up there?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke nodded. The man looked down at Sasuke and sighed.

"If you insist," Itachi said, handing him one of the bottles.

Sasuke turned his head to look at it. It was a beer bottle.

"Before you say anything, I know you're too young, but it's what I do when I feel really down."

Sasuke stared at it for a while before taking it. He sat up and opened it.

"What if Mom and Dad find out?" he asked, looking at his older brother.

"They're not. I'll be here to make sure."

Sasuke took his word for it. He brought the bottle to his lips and took a gulp. He made a face at the taste, but he continued to drink it. Itachi didn't say it out loud, but he was also there to make sure Sasuke didn't drink too much. The older Uchiha could get in big trouble for this if the Konoha Police Department found out. Who ever heard of a police officer giving his now-thirteen-year-old brother alcoholic drinks? Itachi reasoned that it couldn't be any worse than the Catholic Church letting kids younger than ten have a sip of wine. He ignored the small little voice that said that one little sip and a whole bottle were too different things. The anti-religion part of him said to hell with the technicalities.

Itachi gawked slightly as Sasuke finished the bottle. That was fast. Maybe this WAS a bad idea.

-

Red Roses2: Isn't Itachi so bad? Bad big brother, bad! Sorry for the wait, people. And if anyone says anything about the catholic thing, I AM catholic so I know what I'm talking about.