Summary:"That's it! Another big and happy family!" "Again, not thanks to you"

Author notes: I really enjoyed translating and remembering this chapter, I laughed remembering how I imagined it going, but also found it really sweet. Hopefully I got to express all of these feeling to you too.

This one is dedicated to Wargraymon0700! Thanks for the comment and for reminding me of my first ship Takari, which got me into the fanfiction for the first time.

Shika Siblings, part II

With some patience and Yoshino's help, Temari got 'Temari the fawn' to get closer to her, only three feet away. Now it was only a question of coordinating the capture so they could help 'Gaara' without 'Kankurou' attacking. But, of course, everything seemed too easy to be true.

When Kankurou sent the pieces of his puppet, 'Kakurou the fawn' realized the movement. And although the fawn wasn't able to escpe the attack, he let out an angry bleat that alerted 'Gaara' and 'Temari'. Shikamaru acted fast and catched 'Gaara' with his shadow before the fawn could even move to stand up. Temari also stepped forward to catch 'Temari', however her fawn was in much better shape than 'Gaara' and tried to escape. Due to the distance, Temari had to almost jump to the fawn and only got to hold one of its leg, which she had to let go as to not hurt the fawn. Yet, her brief hold gave Gaara time enough to send his sand and restrain the fawn. With all three fawns captured, Shikamaru walked to little 'Gaara' to check how it was and treat it properly. The small fawn was visibly scared, and only his fast and terrified breathing could be heard. Shikamaru tried to approach as slow as he could, to show he was not a threat.

'Temari', not being able to move, screamed desperately seeing Shikamaru getting closer to 'Gaara'. Temari sat down beside her homonymous fawn. "Easy, it is okay. No one will hurt you all…" She was trying to calm down the fawn, without much success. Inside the puppet, 'Kankurou' tried headbutts to get out, all while growling and roaring, extremely furious. It didn't look like he would stop at any moment soon. Unless he was either freed or ran out of energy.

Shikamaru sighed, not happy at having a fawn so angry. However, he couldn't deny that the Sand Siblings were of great help in this task. Shikamaru took the small fawn in his arms and walked towards his mother, who was stirring inside the bags she broght with food, bandages and medications proper to deers. He could feel the fawn's frenetic heartbeat and its bones. The fawn was rather skinny.

"Did I tell you that 'Kankurou' here wouldn't be happy with this?" Kankurou said casually, referring to the fawn.

"It had to be Kankurou to screw up everything." Temari crossed her arms looking to her brother playfully.

"Are you talking about me or the fawn?"

"Both! It just HAD to be Kankurou…"

"As far as I know, I did my part perfectly. YOU were the one that couldn't catch your fawn."

"But this wouldn't have happened if you had catched yours BEFORE he alerted the others!"

"You two are missing the point here. The fawns are alright, our goal has been successfully reached." Gaara said calmly, unfazed by his siblings' bickering. Sometimes Shikamaru wondered who the oldest sibling was really. Gaara always seemed to placate his older siblings.

Shikamaru held the small fawn while Yoshino applied a balm to its skin. When she moved its leg to place it in the right position, little 'Gaara' cried, and as a response, 'Temari' let out a piercing bleat, and an angrier headbutt was heard from 'Kankurou' – if that was even possible. Temari approached the fawn restrained by sand and extended her hand to reach its head. "It will be okay. We will take care of your sibling." She said in the gentlest and softest voice Shikamaru ever heard from her. Although Shikamaru couldn't really say he was surprised. Temari had a gentle and kind heart, she was just so good in hiding it behind her harsh words.

The fawn in the sand turned its head to Temari, and let out a short and weak bleat, like it was asking from help from Temari. "It will be ok." Temari kneeled down beside the fawn, stroking its head. Shikamaru felt something warm fill his chest while seeing Temari not only worried about his family deers, but also being accepted by one of them. One of the most unsociable, in that matter. It felt like Temari was already part of his family, his clan. Like she was always meant to be part of his life.

Shikamaru watched his mother improvise a splint to 'Gaara's' hurt leg, using some bands and two tree branches, with great skill, and wondered if his father had once felt this same warmth in his chest when looking to his mother. When Shikamaru was born, his mother was already part of the clan. Shikamaru never thought how Yoshino was before being a Nara. To him, she had always been a Nara. He never bothered to think otherwise. It was easier to think that way, easier to complain about her demanding demeanor than to acknowledge her dedication to their family.

"Done! Your leg is in place. Now you try not to eat your splint until you are healed, okay? Come, take this." Yoshino said and offered some lichens to the small fawn, who ate the food excitedly – very much so for someone who was so scared just some minutes ago. "You can put her down now. She needs to get used to walking with her splint."

"She?" Shikamaru asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it is a girl." Yoshino answered matter-of-factly.

Shikamaru did as he was ordered, releasing the fawn in front of him. The small fawn was able to stand by herself, but had trouble walking. She took a step forward clumsily and turned her head to the Naras who stayed behind her. Yoshino smiled and offered her some more leaves, which the fawn took, but didn't eat. She tried walking again, taking three steps, and stopped to look around. All eyes were on her, but nobody was moving. She must have felt safe, because suddenly she wasn't in a hurry to walk away. At some point, the fawn lowered her head and proceded, still clumsily, but more confident, towards the forest.

"You can release 'Temari' now, Gaara." Yoshino instructed, and Gaara retreated his sand letting 'Temari' go. The fawn ran to its small sister, trotting and sniffing and bleating around her.

"And 'Kankurou'?"

"Wait for them to be a little farther away. We don't want him trying and attacking us." Shikamaru answered, and the five of them got closer watching the two fawns walking away. After they were beyond the first trees, Kankurou released the third fawn. The fawn puffed and growled in their direction, provoking them for a fight, but seeing that his threat was not answered, he ran to the other fawns in the forest.

"That's it! Another big and happy family! Or not so big, but hopefully happy family." Kankurou said, sounding nonchalant, while putting away his puppet.

"Again, not thanks to you" Temari mocked again.

"You two won't ever change, will you?" Temari and Kankurou snickered knowingly to each other to their younger brother's words. And despite what he just said, Gaara did not seem bothered by his siblings' quarrel. He even seemed to be hiding a small smile.

Yoshino was observing the Suna Siblings' small interaction with smile in her face. Shikamaru was watching all of them and smiling to himself too. Everything would be alright as long as they were in family.