Kankouro watched the burning sand beneath their feet as they walked slowly and mechanically across the desert.
If he dared gaze out of the corner of his painted eye, he could see the face of the weak form Kankouro and his sister were carrying. He could see those lifeless eyes staring at nothing, with a strange quiet he had never seen on that face before. Most ninjas that Kankouro knew weren't afraid of their younger baby brothers.
Most ninjas didn't have younger brothers like Gaara.
Gazing back at the sand, placing on foot in front of the other numbly, he remembered…
"Kankouro, today you graduate and become a genin," The shadowed silhouette in the doorway in front of the desert sun set spoke grimly, "It's about time you got to know your younger brother, Gaara."
"What?"
"Gaara surpassed the level of Genin three years ago, now that you and your sister are both genins you will become members of his team. Baki will be your teacher."
Too afraid to refuse the dark voice of authority, too shocked, too afraid of his second meeting with his younger brother…
Kankouro replied dazedly, "Yes Kazekage." He wasn't allowed to call this man, Father.
0-0-0-0-0
Opening the door Kankouro hesitantly entered his new home. Gear on his back, Kankouro stood there…unable to open the door.
"Kankouro?"
The puppeteer jumped at the sound of the noise behind him, he turned to see his sister Temari.
They nodded to each other in mutual understanding, the closest thing to a relationship they had, and together entered the door to their future.
Inside, Baki-sensei stood with arms folded, he glance at them with the one dark eye that showed.
Kankouro and Temari looked around, no Gaara. Kankouro realized he didn't even have a clear picture of what his brother looked like; all that remained was only a haunting visage of a dark-eyed nightmare of death…
…Kankouro looked upstairs, and realized his brother hadn't changed at all.
The dark child at the top of the stairs gave a glare as cold as ice, as harsh as sand, and walked out of sight. Upstairs a door slammed shut.
Baki sighed, and glanced at the two stunned siblings, "Well, at least he didn't try to kill you this time." It wasn't a joke to make light of the situation; it was a comment of reality, cold and simple.
"Kankouro!"
The puppeteer's head snapped up at the sound of Temari's voice. "What is it?"
"Gaara says there's someone behind us."
Kankouro looked back nervously, "Sand shinobi?'
Temari shook her head, "Can't tell."
"Sound." Gaara whispered roughly his dry voice barely audible, "I wish… they weren't…so angry."
Two words ran through Kankouro's mind, Not Good.
