The Chunin Exams came and went and though she was sad to see them go, Shikamaru and Naruto eventually returned to Konoha with Kakashi. Hopefully the next time they visited, they'd bring their wives. Or news of a pregnancy, Xin wasn't picky.

"…so then I twisted his arm behind his back."

Asuna chortled behind her hand at the expense of Jura. One balmy afternoon found her at the Mikawa household, visiting Jura. Asuna had come along with her and she was currently telling the eldest Mikawa of the training session she had with Jura the other day. "Chin up, Jura. I doubt anyone has come close to beating her in a spar," Asuna patted her brother's shoulder. He was pouting violently. "Except for Kazekage-sama, of course."

Xin shrugged offhandedly, "If it's just Taijutsu, I can totally take him."

"Asuna, you don't understand. She's the Devil."

"That's not nice, Jura. Is that nice, Ryuu?" Asuna cuddled him to her chest, smiling broadly. She missed when Momoka was this small. She loved her daughter dearly but the energetic little girl was a lot to handle sometimes. Xin would truly have her hands full when they got older. But then the front door slammed open and the good vibes shared between the three shattered. They turned towards the front hall and watched with varying degrees of interest as Hatsune, Hideki, Ukyo and Kankuro came in.

"—and another thing, your puppet skills are questionable!"

"That hairstyle is questionable."

"Hideki."

"Oh, he sounds like Sensei."

"You're an asshole, Hideki and you can barely take any criticism."

"You're two years older than me and think you know enough about puppets to tell me what to do. What you can do is back off!"

The argument came to a halt when the four stepped into the living room, unaware of Asuna and Xin's presence. Kankuro looked absolutely exasperated and though Xin wanted to laugh, she chose not. Hideki and Hatsune's arguing clearly wore on his patience. "What's all the fuss about?" Xin asked loudly and in a pointed voice. Jura and Asuna cringed, not at all impressed that their siblings were bickering again. The two siblings in question paused for one second before they began shouting over one another in an attempt to explain their side of the story. Jura slapped his forehead and Asuna sighed. They could hardly make sense of what was being said.

Despite the chaos, Xin regarded the two with raised eyebrows, listening as best as she could. If anything, she seemed amused. Riku pulled at a lock of her hair though he lacked his usual baby-strength. She turned her attention back to him but hummed at the appropriate moments, every time the siblings took a breath of air. "My, they're still going strong…." Xin trailed off, garnering weak laughter from the older Mikawas. "Okay. That's enough."

Hatsune and Hideki finally stopped their babbling, faces red from the exertion of their anger.

"So what I'm hearing is that Hatsune has too many critiques and Hideki has no respect." She patted gently at Riku's back. "Even at eighteen and sixteen, you two are brats."

Hatsune scoffed, clearly offended. "Brats? What, just because you're somebody's mother, you can go around saying what you want?"

Xin smiled and leaned against the arm of the couch, chin resting her knuckles. She shifted Riku around until he was sitting up but leaning against her torso. Despite Hatsune's harsh words, she was smiling. "That was kind of my thing even before I had the wonder twins." Hatsune glared at her but Xin brushed it off. "Look. I get that you may know a little more than Hideki but there's a difference between criticizing him and giving him advice. Quit making him feel like shit and he might actually listen."

Hatsune's glare fell immediately, somewhat surprised. "And Hideki, honestly, I expected better of you at least. You're very talented in puppetry but you're nowhere near your siblings or Kankuro. Take the advice with some grace and maybe you'll improve." Hideki blinked and flushed terribly before turning sharply. He stormed off without a backwards glance. Ukyo glanced in his direction before turning back to Xin with an uneasy expression. Xin only waved her away, chuckling softly when Ukyo hurried after Hideki.

"Well." Asuna blinked down at Ryuu, who was staring at his mother. "I was expecting more violence."

"If they don't straighten their shit out with one another, there will be violence." Xin stood up. "I should be getting back now," she reached down and scooped up Ryuu. "But mark my words and make sure Hideki gets this too. If you two keep stressing Kankuro out, I will break something on the both of you."

"Xin…" Kankuro trailed off.

"Save it. I meant what I said. Your students shouldn't be stressing you and they damn sure shouldn't be bickering over petty shit. I'm getting too old for this shit…" she mumbled the last part and looked down at her sons. They were innocent now but she'd probably have to break up arguments between them when they got older. "Anyway, I'm gonna take these two home and get started on dinner and some work. Don't be late, Kankuro, or I'll break your kneecaps."

"Sure, Xin…"

She left after that. "For Kaguya's sake, that woman is batshit," Hatsune folded her arms across her chest, miffed at the lecture. Still, at least she hadn't broken anything on her. Her wrist still popped funny from the last time she made good on her threat.

"She's just trying to look out for everyone," Kankuro was staring out of the window, watching as Xin walked out of sight. "I was complaining about how worn out I am because of all the bickering. Plus I fucked my shoulder up separating you too—"

Asuna squawked, "You did what?"

"Jeez, man, you are getting old," Jura snorted, only to grunt when Asuna elbowed him in the side.

"You got hurt trying to stop them from fighting?" Asuna pressed before turning her eyes on her younger sister. "Hatsune, what is the matter with the two of you?"

"It wasn't my fault," Hatsune snapped immediately.

"No, it was yours and your brother's fault, " Kankuro snorted.

Asuna pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't believe her younger siblings and the fact that their chaotic bickering leaked into Kankuro's household was just embarrassing. It was one thing for Kankuro to be involved, Xin was a different story. She didn't want the younger woman involved but it was too late now. "You two need to get a grip," the blonde sighed heavily. "The fighting is getting out of hand if you're stressing Kankuro out to the point that Xin feels like she needs to get involved."

"Just be glad she's still amused with it and not fed up," Jura chuckled and stood up. "Come on, Sune'. Help me with dinner." He was being serious when he said they were lucky Xin was still somewhat amused with the situation. The minute she stopped being amused, one of them would seriously get hurt.

Hatsune pouted violently but she followed him into the kitchen, leaving Asuna and Kankuro alone. The blonde sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm really sorry about...well...them." She cut her eyes in the direction Hatsune had gone. "And I'm sorry about your shoulder and having Xin involved."

Kankuro laughed. "Come on, Asuna. It's not a big deal. Xin's a busybody anyway. I'm sorry for what she's going to do to them if they don't straighten up."

This time Asuna laughed though there was some seriousness to his words. She'd have to really knuckle down on her siblings if she didn't want them in the hospital. She cleared her throat, deciding to put it on the back burner for now. "Ah, about what you asked me before. About that date?"

"It's fine if you don't want to, Asuna. We can still be friends."

"No, that's not it at all!" The blonde waved her hands animatedly. "I wanted to say that I'd love to! Ah, I just have to make sure Momoka is properly looked after for the night but I'd love to."

Kankuro was surprised by the warmth that radiated from his chest. He smiled slowly at her, glad to hear that she would be willing to go out on a date with him. "Good..uh..I'm glad to hear that. We could get some drinks, if you want."

She turned her body to completely face him, her body language open. She reached out towards him, sliding her hand in his much larger hand, a shy smile pulling at her lips. "That sounds really nice, I'd like that a lot." When Kankuro left with cemented dating plans for the upcoming weekend, he felt good. He felt more than good, actually. He couldn't recall the last time he felt so…excited.

But he liked it.

Souji was sure to warn him of the enigma that was Hyuga Xin. He was older and he knew of people like her, ruthless people. Hyuga Xin was notorious for her ruthless attitude and her obsessive paranoia. He warned Yuma that if he made even the slightest mistake, that vicious woman would notice and she would be on him. And that was not something pleasant. Most of the time, that meant death. And even if that particular woman wasn't running around committing murders all willy-nilly anymore, she'd regress if she found out what Yuma planned.

But still, Yuma couldn't help himself. He was, in a sense, obsessed with the woman. He hadn't meant to follow her around the marketplace one sunny afternoon but that's how the afternoon played out. He kept a careful distance, of course and even did some small shopping just to make things seem less suspicious. She had her children strapped to her front and back and was armed with a basket hanging from her elbow as she milled about the marketplace casually. She was shorter than he remembered but the last time he'd seen her, he'd been hidden away and only twelve years old when she destroyed his world. She didn't look as menacing as he remembered but back then, she'd been standing among dead bodies before setting the affluent estate on fire.

She was small in stature with pretty eyes and a welcoming smile to match. It was the array of impressive scars that gave it away though. A regular woman, a regular kunoichi wouldn't sport those sort of scars.

She made sure to speak to anyone who caught her attention, which was impressively a lot. Anyone who walked by her wanted to talk to her or coo at her children and she was just fine with it. Her kids also enjoyed the attention. Yuma couldn't believe this was the woman responsible for ending his entire world. His anger bubbled but he tried to reign it in. He hadn't waited this long to get his much deserved revenge just to fuck it all up. Souji said they would die if they tried to take her head on and Yuma believed him.

He watched numbly as the Kazekage suddenly appeared. The villagers treated him the same as his wife, fawning over him as he eventually made his way to Xin. He took the basket, which was weighed down by her groceries, and received a grateful kiss in return.

Yuma scowled, his mask hiding the awful skin underneath. The little family looked so happy and had things been different, he would've thought they made a pretty picture. But he hated that woman and she would suffer, no matter what.

He would make sure of that.

Xin liked to think that she mellowed out, even just a smidge. Sure, the threats rolled off her tongue with ease and her humor was still impressively dark but she wasn't as high-strung anymore. She wasn't so distrusting and wary and she liked it about herself. But Xin trusted her gut feeling and for some reason, she'd been feeling off for some days now. She'd been feeling that way since the last part of the Chunin Exams but she couldn't pinpoint why. She just had this..uneasy feeling. It nagged at her and had her distracted.

So distracted, she missed the presence standing over her until large hands slid along her hips. She jumped and nearly dropped her cooking chopsticks. "Xin?" Gaara asked gently, surprised that she was so zoned out. He drew his hands across her stomach in an attempt to soothe her frazzled nerves, hugging her around the waist.

Xin blinked and took a deep breath. "Oh. Oh, you're home. Welcome home," she patted at his hands. "I didn't even hear you come in."

"What's got you distracted?" He kissed behind her ear, humming when she laughed softly.

"Ah, well." She could recall that some of their fights had something to do with her obsessive paranoia. Most of the time her paranoia was for good reason but she tended to handle it poorly, which he hadn't been a fan of. Understandable, she'd been a menace. But she didn't want to lie to him, not if something was really bothering her. "I have a strange feeling and I've been having it for days."

The young Kazekage settled his chin on her shoulder, watching as she effortlessly cooked. He wasn't totally inept at cooking but he couldn't put together a meal like Xin could. Even more impressive was that she could cook while carrying one of the twins. "Is it a bad feeling?" He learned over the years to never doubt Xin's intuition. They clashed over it before but she had the odd tendency of being right more often than not. It was easier to accept that her freakish intuition was right.

She frowned softly. "Yeah, it is. I can't figure out why though. Everything is so peaceful now."

"You know as well as I do that some men and women want the opposite of peace."

"Sure, that's what they want until they run into me."

That got him to laugh. It was a true statement, however. Everyone was tough until Xin showed up. It was impressive, really, and almost amusing. Sometimes it was even appealing but Gaara kept that tidbit to himself. "Listen, this will probably always be a problem for us," she began talking but her voice was serious now. "One of these days, we might not win and if I'm being honest, I'll probably die before you do."

He pulled back, as if scalded. "Xin—"

But she quickly shook her head. "Hear me out, honey. I most likely will die, I don't have the same defensive strategy you do and I can be reckless. I'm just saying that if that happens, I want you to do whatever it takes to make you and the boys happy."

He eyed the back of head warily but she kept her back to him, head bent low and eyes focused on the food. She could just feel Gaara's gaze on her head. "Happy?" he pressed.

"Yes," she answered slowly, shoulders beginning to twitch. "If something were to happen to me, they'd still need a mother and you'd still need a wife."

"They have a mother and I have a wife. She's short and prone to saying ridiculous things." She finally wheeled around to face him, hand on her hip as she eyed him. "Xin, what exactly are you trying to tell me right now?"

Her expression was tight. "I'm just saying that if I were to die young, you should…move on."

"Move on."

"Yes," she nodded her head with that same tight expression. "You should still be happy, even if I'm not here. I'm not saying that I will die but…."

"I am happy."

"For now."

Gaara sighed, a deep heavy sigh that conveyed his annoyance. He loved his wife to death, it was a known fact but the woman really knew how to push his buttons. Of course, she had a point but that didn't mean he'd go off and remarry. The very thought of that, of coming home to a woman that was not Xin, did not sit right with him. It felt like betrayal.

"No."

She raised her eyebrows. "No?"

"That's right. I said no, Xin."

Clearly unhappy with his answer, she glared up at him with a pout. "Gaara, I know no one likes the thought of their spouse dying or remarrying but I'd hate it if you were stuck in place because of me." She'd been thinking about this all day, once she realized what that bad feeling was all about. Her memory might be shot but those gut feelings of hers were trustworthy. She couldn't remember all that well but Gaara and the others made sure to tell her all about Masahiro and the chaos he caused. They talked about Seijun and Kojika but not often, talking about those two particular women stirred something dark within Xin's chest. She still had yet to hear the full story but she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to hear it.

But the fact remained that their lives involved chaos. Peace or not, chaos followed after Gaara and Xin. The last round of chaos left her with a wiped memory. Who's to say they'll always be so lucky? Xin was a great kunoichi but she was reckless. It was her determination that often pushed her enough to ignore her wounds and exhaustion long enough to be victorious. What if she bled out? What if someone got lucky enough and got the drop on her?

She didn't want her sons to grow up without a mother and she didn't want Gaara to be alone. Sure, it hurt to think about her being dead and eventually replaced but she'd do anything for them.

"It wouldn't be fair," Gaara folded his arms across his chest. "I can't love someone the way I love you, so no."

"You love me that much?"

Gaara gave her a dry look. "That's a stupid question, Xin. Don't you love me just as much?"

"I've literally committed murder for you," she snorted.

"Never asked you to," Gaara grunted. "Would you remarry if it was me that's dead?"

"I probably wouldn't," her mouth quirked but her smile was empty. "But I'm selfish like that, you're not. Besides, who the hell would put up with me?"

But he shrugged his shoulders. "Anyone with eyes, Xin."

"Oh, are you saying I'm pretty?"

"Yes."

She flushed but laughed a genuine laugh, one that shook her small shoulders and shattered the tense air that threatened to settle over them. They put the subject to rest for now, allowing Xin to get back to cooking.

"I'm hungry," Kankuro announced loudly, stepping into the kitchen with Ryuu and Riku. He'd been nervous just holding one at a time but he was more confident these days in holding both of them. Immediately they began to squirm and he dutifully handed them over to Gaara.

"Hi, hungry. I'm Xin," Xin said from the stove, grinning as Kankuro groaned at the terrible joke. "Oh, shut up. You're just in time. Help me set everything on the table."

Kankuro helped her with no problem and they settled down for dinner, Xin and Gaara each holding their sons. They fell into their dinner ritual of asking about their days, giving their opinions and making comments. "Uh," Kankuro cleared his throat, garnering Xin and Gaara's attention. "Asuna said she'd go on a date with me. Saturday night."

Xin's eyes were bright but Gaara grunted, nudging at her foot. She was smiling so big, it actually hurt her mouth. "Where do you plan on taking her?"

"Uh, I wanted to ask you for help with that."

"You realize I've only ever been on one date myself, don't you?"

Gaara glared at her. "Oi."

But she only waved him off, still smiling. "Listen, it's not always about where you go. You could take her to Suna's greenhouse. We've been growing some desert fauna, she could pick some flowers and then take her to that nice cafe. Ah, what's it called? The Desert Flare?"

Kankuro nodded along to her words, it sounded like Asuna would like that. She was feminine, after all and he bet flowers looked pretty in her hair. They finished dinner after that and Xin took the twins away to get them ready for bed. Gaara patted Kankuro on the shoulder but followed after her. Almost immediately he could hear the chaos that came with bathtime and it made him smile. Something was always going on at their house, it wasn't so startlingly quiet anymore.

He really, really liked that.

"Oh, come on, honey. It's good for you."

Saturday evening found Xin dealing with the very difficult task of transiting the twins from breast milk to baby food. They were at the point of being able to sit and support their weight and so Xin plopped them in their high chairs and sat in front of them. She was sure that they weren't bothered with eating baby food, they just liked making her life a living Hell. "I'd bet you'd eat if Daddy was feeding you, wouldn't you? Brats."

Gaara stepped into the kitchen, having come home early for once. "How is it?" he asked with an amused smile. Xin only shot him a dirty look. "Kankuro wants your opinion on something, switch." They switched places, Xin handing the spoon and jar over. She wasn't the least bit surprised when Ryuu and Riku turned into angels and obediently listened as Gaara coaxed them into eating. She rolled her eyes but kissed the redhead on the cheek, grateful.

"Ungrateful brats," she grumbled and stormed out of the kitchen. "Oi, Kankuro? What's up, Gaara said you need my opinion or something?" She stepped into his bedroom, knocking on the opened door as she did so.

Kankuro was halfway dressed in something other than his awful black smock that she criticized him about. It made him look frumpy, which swiftly got her the order to shut the hell up. "Uh—" he squinted at her, wondering if it was worth it to ask her advice. She had a motormouth. "Uh, the face paint—"

"Don't you dare!" Xin stormed into his room and snatched the brush away, scowling as she did so. "I'll break this shit and stab you in the foot with it if I see one swipe of purple on your face!" Kankuro gave her a sour look but he was grateful for the forceful opinion. His face paint was more than that, it was a shield, a mask, something to hide behind. She waved the brush around for good measure before throwing it down on his desk. "I mean it. Kankuro. At least give it a rest for the night, I'm sure Asuna would appreciate seeing your goddamn face for once."

"A simple yes or no would've been fine, goddamn." Kankuro was scowling but still very grateful for her forceful opinion. It was hardly even an opinion and more of an order but semantics. "Uh, thanks. I—uh—"

Her cross expression morphed and she smiled at him, mood switching like a damn light switch. "No problem, I understand completely," she patted him on the shoulder, seemingly understanding without him saying much. "You're handsome, stop wearing that shit so much."

Kankuro snorted and turned away, reaching for his nice but casual jacket to pull over his shirt. "Thanks, I appreciate it, Xin. I really do." He grinned down at her, eyes bright.

"You should appreciate it. Getting you to agree to this was like pulling fuckin' teeth! You and your siblings are so goddamn stubborn." Xin began leading him out of the room, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Kankuro followed her, still grinning despite her ranting and raving.

"Your sons are going to be just as stubborn, if their behavior now is anything to go by," Kankuro chuckled as they made it downstairs. They could hear Gaara in the kitchen, humming as Ryuu and Riku listened and ate. Xin scowled in their direction, shaking her head. She was a hellion as a child, it was only right her kids would drive her up a wall.

"It's karma," she swung the front door open and leaned against it, smiling once more. "Now, have a good time, yeah? Be respectful of her boundaries and ask her about her interests." She nudged him out the door and leaned on the tips of her toes, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "And have fun!" She watched him go, still smiling all the while before ducking back inside. She returned to the kitchen, amused to see Gaara feeding Riku and his sand feeding Ryuu. "Please get your bloody sand away from my son."

Gaara grunted but let her take the spoon, waving the sand away. "I only have two hands."

"Suffer like me."

"Why can't you use a clone?"

"Because that's cheating!"

She dragged a chair over and sat down in front of Ryuu, smiling with the spoon. "You're going to listen to mama, aren't you? Be a good boy and eat this shit, it's good for you. The oba-chan at the market said so." She frowned as Ryuu purposely kept his mouth closed. "Gaara, a little help here?"

"Be good for mom and eat your food, dragon."

Xin was hardly impressed but Ryuu seemed to get the picture, opening his gummy mouth. She pursed her lips in amusement but said nothing more. She hoped they would listen better the older they got. They finished up feeding the twins and had their own dinner before doubling down for their chaotic bath time. By the time they finished, Ryuu and Riku were sharing big yawns as Xin and Gaara buttoned them up for bed. "Mm?" Xin blinked as Riku yawned widely into her face. She gently pressed her thumb against his chin and held his mouth open. She peered into his mouth and then smiled brightly. "Gaara, look! Look at his gums."

Gaara paused and leaned over to peer into Riku's mouth. "His gums look swollen, that's not good, is it?"

"It means they'll probably start teething soon."

"Already?"

Xin scooped up the sleepy baby, smiling brightly at him. "My storm cloud, stop growing so quickly!" She hugged him to her chest and kissed his dark hair. "They're almost six months old, it's normal. They're going to be really irritable soon."

"Great, just like mom," Gaara grumped into Ryuu's hair. These kids were growing faster than he could blink. Xin warned him that they would be achieving some milestones once they turned six months old. He really hoped he'd be around to witness it. Once the twins were successfully in bed and were sleeping, the two parents found themselves thrown over the couch, exhausted. Xin wriggled around until she was sprawled over Gaara's chest, gratefully inhaling his very familiar scent.

"So," she puckered her lips against his chest. "How do you feel about having more kids?"

Gaara didn't answer for a long moment. "...Are you pregnant?"

"Of course not!" But Xin paused with a thoughtful look before shaking her head. "Definitely not pregnant but I was just wondering."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if we should. You've suffered a lot when it comes to having kids. I'm content with Ryuu and Riku."

Xin pouted, that was a fair point. She still wasn't all the way sure if it was her body or just bad luck but miscarriage and hemorrhaging could put a real damper on the baby train. She sank down until her face was pressed into his stomach. "But I might want a daughter."

Gaara ran his fingers through her hair, sifting the blue locks among his fingers. Although everyone insisted that she cut her hair shorter, he was glad she resisted. He liked her hair long. "Maybe in a few years, when the twins are older," Gaara finally said, realizing that Kankuro was very right in saying he gave in to Xin's demands and whims.

"How about…in two years?"

"A few years, Xin."

"…Three?"

"Xin."

But she only grinned and sat up. "Fine, fine. Be that way," she sat on top of him, straddling him with a flirtatious smile. "We could still do that fun part until then and if…say…we're surprised with a baby…at least we had fun, right?" Kissing her meant essentially giving into her but that was just something he'd have to deal with later. She smiled into the kiss, lips eventually moving sensually against his. She shifted her hips teasingly and just as she began popping buttons to his shirt, she heard Ume yowling. They both paused and looked towards the front door. Someone was quickly approaching their house, bloodlust coming off of them in wild droves. Xin squinted, veins straining against her skin while she scoped the area with her Byakugan.

"Xin?" Gaara prompted after a solid minute of silence. Xin's face balled up in confusion but she didn't say anything at first. His eyes flickered upwards, he didn't want anything so murderous close to his children.

"There's a man outside but he's wearing a mask, like Lord Sixth…." she trailed off, still thoroughly confused. "He's just standing there." Xin slowly got up and readjusted her clothes, waiting patiently while Gaara did the same. She shooed Ume away from the door but didn't stop the cat from following them outside. As she said, a man stood in front of their house. He was dressed in dark clothing and his face was concealed behind a mask, leaving only his green eyes. They could see the skin around his eyes were scarred though and from Xin's experience, they were scars from fire.

"It's late," Gaara said first. "What's your business here?" He stepped in front of Xin, noticing immediately that the man was staring hard at her.

"You don't recognize me, Hyuga?" the man shouted. Gaara frowned and glanced down at Xin. She was frowning, head tilted to the side in question.

"….No?" The man reached for his mask and tore it down with a rough jerk, revealing a face full of burn scars. Xin's expression didn't change despite how ghastly the young man appeared due to his scars. His skin was wrinkled and tight and heavily discolored. Safe to say, she didn't recognize the man. "I…."

"You destroyed everything! You took everything from me, you psycho!"

Xin's head twitched back on her neck. "I don't even know who you are, the fuck?"

Gaara would've slapped his forehead if he knew more of the situation. He shot her a look instead, they shouldn't be antagonizing this man if they didn't have all the information they needed. Xin caught his look but shrugged carelessly.

"Almost five years ago, you took everything from me and did this to me!" He yelled again, pointing angrily to his scarred face.

Xin blinked at him. "Aw, shit."

"You recognize him?"

"No but almost five years ago? I was ANBU."

"I thought you said you tended to kill everyone involved in those sorts of missions."

Xin's eyes narrowed. "I did."

"He doesn't look dead," Gaara intoned blankly, earning him a scowl from Xin. He eyed the man, sizing him up. He was younger than them but not by too much, he was probably just barely a teenager when Xin supposedly ruined everything.

"Listen, kid, I'm sorry for whatever it was—"

"You don't remember?!"

"Well, see, I had a weird case of amnesia so some minor details are fuzzy."

"Killing an entire family was minor?"

"Well—"

"Xin, stop talking right now." Gaara's immediate order shut her up, though she hardly seemed happy about it. The man, whoever he was, was inching closer. "I know my wife has done some things but she's put that behind her. It's hard to accept but you can't let revenge consume you."

"Oh," he nodded in a condescending way. "Oh, sure. Since she's done being a psychotic menace, I should let everything go?"

"Buddy, I never said I was done being psychotic," Xin scowled but Gaara only waved her down, hoping there wouldn't be a fight. They were too close to their house and too close to the twins. She stood in place but she was frowning and her shoulders were set tight. She was waiting for this man to make the first move. Usually, she'd make the first move and kill him, just to be done with it. But she was different now. She was trying to be, at least.

"Take it from someone who's known this sort of anger and hostility," Gaara moved in front of Xin, almost completely blocking her. "It won't change the past."

"But it'll change the future! You think someone like her deserves this?!" The man waved an erratic hand around them. "A nice career, a happy family?! You think you deserve all this after what you've done?!"

"Tough crowd," Xin whistled. He reached into his pouch at that point, brandishing a kunai with an exploding tag attached to its ring. Any humor drained from Xin's face. "Okay," she held her hands up. "We can talk about this, just put—"

The man threw the kunai but not directly at them. He threw it directly above them. At the second floor of their house. Where their twins were. "Gaara!" Xin panicked with a shriek but Gaara was already on it, catching the weapon with his sand. It imploded but luckily the sand had already formed a ball around it. Xin darted from behind him at that exact moment, face drawn with murderous intentions. She slammed right into his body, knocking the ever loving shit out of him. He gasped, somewhat caught off guard and had no way of getting her off of him. Xin raised her arm and it was only because the moonlight glinting off of her kunai that he even noticed it. This woman didn't give a fuck, she was going to murder him.

"Suiton: Suiben!"

A whip made from water wrapped around Xin's wrist, stopping her from stabbing the man under her. Her eyes were wide and he could practically smell the bloodlust rolling off of her. It was almost as if she didn't care that she was being restrained. She raised her free hand and punched the man straight in the throat, knuckles nearly crushing his throat. Shuriken made from sand went hurtling over her head. Whoever was at the other end of the water whip had no choice but to let go, jumping out of the way. But that's what Gaara wanted. Sand coiled around Xin and pulled her back towards him. He held her to his side, arm around her waist.

Another man joined them but he wasn't dressed in all black. His clothes were generic and maybe even a little raggedy. He was so plain in the face that it seemed strange, he didn't even have any hair. He tutted. "I warned you, Yuma. Now wasn't the time."

Yuma coughed and gagged, hand at his throat as he turned to sit on his knees. "You said wait until she's distracted!"

"Does she look distracted to you?"

"Fuck off, Souji. That woman will pay and I won't wait around any longer!"

"Sure, because you've done such an outstanding job so far."

Gaara and Xin watched the exchange but Xin had yet to even blink. Honestly, Gaara was more concerned with that versus the two idiots bickering in front of them. Yuma's attempted attack on their kids clearly unlocked a part of Xin that's been hidden away. "That's enough!" Xin snapped after their bickering continued. "I don't give a fuck about the past at this point, you're both dying for this shit!"

"Milady, please," Souji turned to her with a pensive smile. "Let's be reasonable about this. The boy was just hasty, you understand."

"He tried to blow my house up with my children in it." Gaara was not the least bit amused. "There's nothing reasonable about that."

Souji's smile only seemed to widen. "Ah, Gaara of the Desert. You two make quite the couple, crawled up from the pits of darkness, covered it up and built a happy home on top of the bones of your pasts. It's inspiring, really."

Gaara's eyes narrowed and black crept into the whites of his eyes. "You've got a problem with me?"

"Oh, no, no. No problem here. Just making an observation."

"Observe this ass-whooping," Xin snarled angrily and snatched herself away. Gaara didn't stop her as she went storming right up to Yuma and Souji. She leaned over and snatched Yuma up, eyes narrowed and burning like hellfire. Souji opened his mouth but Xin sent him a scathing look. He held his hands up in surrender and took a careful step back, smiling innocently. "Listen here, kid," Xin shook Yuma, rattling his head on his neck. "Now usually I wouldn't care about a threat on my life and a threat on Gaara's life will get your shit broke. But my kids? That's something entirely different."

"Not so nice, is it?" Yuma managed to wheeze. "Almost losing those who are dear to you?"

Xin's gaze was intense but there was something blank in her stare. "Who's your family and why did I kill them?" She shook him again. "Spit it out! My memory is shit and if you want a chance at revenge, I need someone to jog it."

"…The Kutsuki family."

Xin paused, face twisting because the name definitely sounded familiar. She blinked hard. "Kutsuki….Kutsuk…I know that name. I know it…" Xin distractedly snapped her fingers, still holding Yuma. "Kutsuki….ah! Wait a minute. I remember that family. They were wealthy and…"

"You killed them all one winter evening," Souji cooed very sweetly.

"Right…." Xin frowned. "I did kill them but that doesn't quite explain….you." Her eyes flickered back towards Yuma, glowing morbidly. "I have a habit of killing everyone involved. Explain."

"Well, isn't that the question of the day?" Souji hummed, his grin never faltering. "Who is this young Yuma? If he was related to the Kutsuki family, he'd be dead too, isn't that right?"

Xin looked at Souji again, sizing him up. "You're starting to get on my nerves."

"That tends to happen."

"Xin?!"

She turned and looked down the road to see Kankuro rushing towards them. Water began bubbling under her feet and she only had enough time to glance down before a gush of water launched her into the sky. Sand chased after her, swiping her out of harm's way before she could land and kill herself. By the time she was safely back on the ground, Souji and Yuma were gone.

"Boys okay?" Kankuro asked when Xin came back into the kitchen. She was visibly agitated but she only flapped her hand, dropping down into the kitchen chair. Luckily, Ryuu and Riku were still sleeping. "So, what exactly happened? I haven't seen you strangling someone in months."

She only sighed and sank into the chair. "Let's wait until Gaara gets back. How was the date?"

Kankuro gave her a strange look. "It was fine, Xin. Nice even. It's a little hard to believe she's attracted to me and not Gaara."

"Well, given the fact that I'd split her damn open…" Xin mumbled. "Come on, stop comparing yourself to your brother. Asuna likes you, clearly. Did you ask her on another date?" She let her head drop back, eyes closed.

"I…yeah, I did."

"She said yes?"

"Mm."

Xin smiled tiredly. "Good, now we have the task of thinking of a second date. Did she like the greenhouse?"

Kankuro joined her at the table. "She did. She really, really did. The nice view of the stars were a nice effect too while she was picking some flowers," he drummed his fingers against the table and looked away, a little embarrassed.

"Did you get a kiss out of her?" Kankuro didn't immediately reply, causing her to pick her head up. She stared at him for a long moment before she grinned. "You did! Wonderful. Tell me all about it."

"Xin, I'm not—"

The front door opened and seconds later, Gaara appeared, looking just as agitated as Xin looked seconds before. "You're not off the hook, we'll revisit this!" she said before looking at Gaara. "Find anything?"

"Nothing of worth," Gaara grumbled before sitting down with them. "You want to explain things?"

"What, this is Xin's fault? Why am I not surprised?"

"Oh, please. Masahiro was Gaara's fault and that one lady, Seijun? That was his fault too!"

Gaara wasn't the least bit amused but let her get away with it, seeing as how Masahiro and Seijun had more to do with him than her. She'd just been unfortunate enough to ge t caught in the crossfire. But it seemed that this time around, it was all her. "Get on with it, Xin. That kid, Yuma, he's the one with the grudge."

"A kid? It's a kid this time?"

Xin snorted and leaned back into the chair. "The Kutsuki family were wealthy but they were getting a little too..power hungry. They were plotting something, I think. I don't really remember. Anyway, I killed them all."

"Except for Yuma," Gaara pointed out.

"You let someone get away?

"I didn't let anyone get away, there's something I'm missing here."

"Well," Gaara folded his arms across his chest. "We need to figure this out soon. It's obvious he wants you to suffer the same way he did."

"He wants to kill us?" Kankuro asked. "Fuck, that wouldn't be as bad if we didn't have the wonder twins."

"The one moron you let get away and of course it's after killing his family…" Gaara grumped.

Xin hopped to her feet and began pacing. "This makes no sense. He couldn't have been there that night because he'd be dead otherwise…" she bit her thumbnail, clearly annoyed. "How the fuck is he still alive…"

"And the other guy? There was another guy there, wasn't there?" Knakuro asked as they both watched her pace.

"Souji, from what we heard. I'm not sure how he ties in, he didn't have any animosity against her," Gaara explained before finally having enough of her pacing. He caught her when she got close enough, dragging her towards him to quit it. "He was elated."

"And annoying," Xin scowled but plopped down on his lap, exasperated. "He's sketchy as fuck though. His appearance was too..plain. He had no distinctive features and you know what?"

The brothers grunted.

"That makes him all the more distinctive. I need to be on the lookout for an ugly bald man. I'm guessing Yuma would be harder to track, giving the whole mask gimmick…"

"He was wearing a mask?" Kankuro asked.

"Yes, to hide the burn scars."

"Burn scars?"

"I set their estate on fire to get rid of the bodies."

"So he was there when you killed them?"

"He couldn't have been, he'd be dead! Aren't you guys paying attention?"

"Unless he really wasn't there and came back to a burning estate," Gaara said, thinking hard. "Are you remembering anything else about the family?" The fact that this was riding on Xin's memory had them shit out of luck.

Xin tapped her foot, jaw twitching irritably. "Not at the moment but it'll come back to me. It's gonna bug the living hell out of me otherwise."

"Why wouldn't he be there though?" Kankuro frowned in confusion. "Were they Shinobi? Maybe he was out on a mission when this happened."

"The Kutsuki family were civilians and even if he was a Shinobi, I would've tracked his ass down to kill him too. He wasn't a Shinobi back then, he might be now, given the fact that he had some tools at his disposal."

"Souji is the Shinobi here, he might've just given Yuma weapons for his safety. He was grossly unprepared," Gaara explained and looped an arm around Xin's waist. He could feel the anger rolling off of her, anger that he hadn't felt in a long time. He couldn't blame her though, the two of them could take care of themselves just fine. It was Ryuu and Riku that had her in a tizzy. There was no way he could talk her out of not killing them, new lease on life or not. She was going to kill both of them because they were a danger to their kids and Gaara, though he usually tried to think of a different solution, was on board.

"I'll get them eventually," Xin uttered. "I always do."

TeeBeMe: Everyone's tough until Xin shows up lmao. Neatfreak16, I don't have AO3 but I do read fiction on there :)