"Again"

The girl commanded. The small animal sneezed in displeasure. The girl narrowed her eyes and placed her hand on her softly flaring hips.

"Don't start this with me again, Itachi san. AGAIN."

The little weasel shook his head. She sighed and folded her fan.

"Ok. I suppose it could be enough for today. You are SUCH a lazy bum!!"

The animal scurried up her leg and onto her shoulder, nuzzling her face. Temari laughed and started scratching behind its ear.

"Ok, ok. You're not a lazy bum. You're more like a cuddle bug. But still, Itachi san, we need to train."

The weasel made a noise and she looked at him.

"There's NEVER too much training."

She retorted and just for the second her eyes became soft and shiny. She remembered... But she shook her pretty head, framed by four pony tails.

"Itachi san. One last time, please?"

The weasel jumped onto the hot, scorching sand.

"All right Itachi San, SUNABUSHIN NO JUTSU!!"

Suddenly, there were so many weasels that the eye got lost in all the eye patches, and the little coats. Temari grinned. She unfolded her fan, gathered chakra and attacked.

"KIRIKIRIMAI!!!!"

Long after the attack was done, the sand still had the hard time settling down. Temari took a deep breath, wiping her forehead, glistering in the scorching sun. She wasn't hot, just exhorting this much chakra took a lot of effort. Her little animal friend looked positively beat. She bent and picked him up, placing him on her shoulder so he didn't have to follow her all the way home and scratched behind his ear.

"Don't worry. Once we're home...I'll get you a nice meal and a bath."

The weasel made a happy noise. Temari smiled and sighed sadly. These moments weren't frequent, but sometimes this sort of change in moods plagued her. She mounted her fan on her back and began her way home.

It was strange to meet the Anbu guard captain right at the village gates. The boy saw her mile away, and waived. She smiled and waived back.

"Halt!!"

The guard blocked the entrance, glaring at her from the height of his muscular, tall figure at the fragile girl with a fan on her back and a pooped out animal on her shoulder. Temari narrowed her eyes.

"What's wrong with you, Godo?"

She hissed.

"Don't you recognize me?"

The man glared at her. He opened his mouth to reply, but a figure leapt all the way from the height of the gates onto the sand between Temari and the guard.

"That's enough, Godo."

The boy ordered. He turned and bowed to Temari.

"Welcome back home, Temari sama."

Temari's lip curled up in a proud grin. She bowed back.

"Thank you, Ichiro-kun."

"So, what's the big rush?"

She asked him stroking the back of the sprawled out animal on her shoulder, absentmindedly.

"I don't imagine your father all of the sudden took you off duty, just so I can have the pleasure of your company?"

She looked at him and smiled. His face went bright pink.

"Temari-sama.."

Temari waived her hand.

"I know...I know... so...what's the rush?"

Ichiro narrowed his eyebrows.

"Kazekage-sama sent for you. She said it was urgent. You have a mission."

Temari's eyebrow climbed up.

"MISSION? AGAIN?"

She sighed and then groaned in pain.

"What again? WE JUST came back from the Mist country few days ago. Do we even get a few moments to rest? Oh well."

She looked at him.

"I'm not going alone, right?"

Her face expressed worry. He smiled and shook his head, his cheeks still pink.

"Not at all. Gaara-sama, and Kankuro-sama were notified already. They're waiting for you."

Temari sighed again and placed her palm behind her head.

"So, do you know ANYTHING about this mission?"

"It's a rescue mission."

"Oh that's good. What is it THIS TIME??? A kitty from a tree? Because if it is, Yanagi is SO going to get it."

He chuckled.

"Nothing like that, Temari sama. You know Number One Suna team can't be bothered with that. It's an emergency rescue mission for another village."

All of the sudden Temari's face became serious and she stopped.

"Other village? What happened?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know all the details. Kazekage sama will fill you in."