Even after five minutes, Temari and Ai were still sitting there and quivering.
"So you've seen what my brother can do," she whispered. "But I won't let him kill you."
She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them and put the dog down.
"All right, I have work to do," she sighed. She put the dog down and stood up. Ai shook herself off and ran off again. Gaara had locked himself in his room; Temari had heard the door slam. Well, the longer he was in there the better.
She wondered what had happened to Kankuro. Maybe if Gaara didn't get to him first, she'd get to kill him.
"Kankuro, you dumbass," she muttered angrily. "Such a stupid thing to do...you don't take revenge on Gaara."
She sighed again. Her brother was so crazy, it wasn't even funny. It had never been.
The girl opened a cabinet looking for a special food for dinner and found that she was out. As she went through ingredients, she realized there were many she didn't have.
"Damn," she grumbled. "I have to go get some things."
So she grabbed a jacket and stepped out of the door, Ai at her heels, shouting to her brothers that she was going shopping and not caring if they heard her or not.
As Temari trudged down the road, she spoke to her dog.
"That stupid boy," she said. "Why would he try to take revenge on Gaara? Did he think he wouldn't get caught? Of course he would! How could he not? Gaara didn't do it, and I didn't do it, and who else could have? You didn't lock yourself in there!"
The girl crossed her arms angrily. Ai realized Temari's emotion and yapped. Temari loosened up and smiled.
"You're so kawaii," she laughed. "Daisuke."
She leaned down and ruffled the top of the dog's head. The dog pressed herself into the girl's hand.
After a few minutes, the two reached the main part of the village and Temari went into a store, tying Ai out in front of it.
"Let's see..." she muttered, searching through the items. "I need this...and...a-ha."
She grabbed a spice she was missing, and vegetables, and rice.
"There we go."
She paid for the food and walked outside, untying Ai again.
As they walked back to their house, Temari noticed a sign. Glancing at it, she realized it was a 'missing dog' poster.
Pulling it down off of the pole, she saw that the picture was one of Ai.
'Has a black nose and black paws, with a white spot on one of the pads.'
Temari looked over the bottom of Ai's paws and noticed that there was indeed a white spot in the center of one.
"So your name is actually Mari?" she said to the dog.
Ai- or Mari, apparently- yapped and wagged her tail at her name.
"Wow," Temari muttered. "I guess I should get you back to your owners, no?"
The dog just looked at her with inquisitive eyes.
"Well, let's go. I'll get in touch with your people tomorrow."
The pair returned home and Temari made the dinner. She fed Ai, telling her brothers that she'd found out that Ai belonged to someone.
"So when are you going to give her back?" asked Kankuro, taking a bite.
"Tomorrow," Temari told him.
Gaara didn't say anything. But he looked almost slightly relieved that the dog was going to be out of their lives forever. But he also noticed that his sister didn't look happy about this, and as much as he said he didn't care about her, she made his food and took care of the house. So he didn't like it when she was upset and didn't do anything.
Well, that was his excuse.
"She'll be someone else's problem," he said, with his version of cheering someone up.
"Ano...Gaara..." Kankuro started.
"Nani?" Gaara muttered, taking a bite of food.
"Nevermind," Kankuro said, shaking his head.
Temari sighed and answered Gaara's statement. "I guess you're right. But I got attached to her."
Gaara just shrugged. "Well, if she's not yours..."
"I know."
Temari sighed once again and finished her dinner. She took her plate to the sink and Kankuro brought his and Gaara brought his after Kankuro.
The next day, Temari grabbed the sign.
'I guess I should hurry up, and get it over with,' she thought.
The girl took the phone and called the number on the poster. A young girl answered the phone, and her voice sounded upset.
"Moshi mo," she said.
"I found your dog," Temari said automatically.
"You did!" shouted the girl. Temari held the phone away from her ear due to the volume. "Thank you!"
"No problem. I've had her for a few days but I saw the poster yesterday."
"Is she okay?" the girl asked.
"Aa. She's great."
"Well, I'll come to get her in a few minutes."
"Okay."
"Thanks again!"
"No problem. Again," Temari said into the phone. Then she hung up.
Fifteen minutes later, the girl, who was about eight, showed up with her parents at the door. Gaara answered it.
As soon as he saw the three of them, Gaara automatically turned away, yelling, "Temari, it's for you."
Temari rushed to the door, Ai bounding after her.
"Mari!" shouted the girl. The dog pounced onto the girl, licking her face.
"Arigatou gozaimasu," the mother said to Temari. "We've missed her so much."
"No problem," Temari said, for the third time. "She was great to have around."
The parents nodded and the family walked away. Temari watched them for a while before closing the door.
Gaara and Kankuro were fighting again, and the girl sighed.
"Back to normal," she muttered, and walked to her room.
OWARI!
YATTA!
This was fun to write, I got a ton of reviews, thanks to everyone who did so. Anyone else who reads this, review! The story is done, so if you liked or disliked it review! I will know if you didn't. Any authors who read this: you should know what I mean.
