Hello! In honor of my OTP, I'm publishing a Shikatema multi-chapter exploring the conflicts leading up to their wedding. The story takes place after the time skip (Blank Period) when the four leads are adults. Inspired by characters/themes in Gaara Hiden.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Story profile pic from Naruto: Shinobi Collection/Naruto: Shinobi Collection Shippū Ranbu.
In the midst of a drawn-out battle between the Suna Council and himself, Gaara received a letter he was not ready for. At noon, a messenger hawk from Konoha arrived at his office window. Kankuro had just stepped out to deliver the Kazekage's request for more academy funding to the Seniors down the hall. His request would doubtlessly unhinge the old geezers, but not as much the contents of the letter he was currently holding.
Gaara, Kankuro.
It's been a while! Hope things are well there. Hope the council isn't being too much of a pain in the ass, though knowing them…Anyways, I'm doing well here, too. Konoha is really nice with the season changes and all. Shikamaru loves to watch the clouds this time of year, he says the skies are clear and open and mesmerizing...
Anyways, we're engaged. He proposed just the other day while we were cloud-watching. I can't believe him sometimes, we go cloud-watching all the time so I wasn't expecting it then. Even Yoshino was in on it!
We'll be dropping by Suna in three days. I want to show Shikamaru the sights since he's never really been outside of shinobi affairs.
See ya soon. Gaara, remember to rest. Kankuro, wash your face before bed, I'm not telling you again.
Temari
Gaara read the letter twice for good measure. Anyways, we're engaged. Yup, he read that correctly.
On his third read, Kankuro returned to the office, visibly agitated from a recent encounter.
"Alright, message delivered. Though I should warn you, the council didn't look too happy about it." He collapsed in the seat next to the Kazekage's desk. "You'd think the Seniors would be happy to give money towards the future of Suna. That's not the case with them at all."
The letter was clear as day, if not a little skittish and unfocused. Gaara slid the correspondence to Kankuro who was now slumped in the chair with Crow, his trusted puppet, leaned against the side. Reluctantly, the older brother took hold of it.
"What's this? Something else to deliver to the council?" Kankuro puffed his cheeks.
Gaara shook his head. "You should read it for yourself."
"Can't be good." Then he read it. And read it again.
He read it a third time, this time rising from his seat to pace the room. This had to be a joke. Was the Uzumaki kid pranking Gaara? But Naruto himself was now married; he couldn't have time to write this. Besides, the last sentence was in true Temari-nature. She never missed a chance to boss Kankuro around even in a letter. The message was legit.
Gaara sat with his hands crossed, staring out the window. The messenger hawk had departed, indicating that Temari did not expect a response from her brothers. She would be arriving in Suna, regardless, with Shikamaru in tow.
"You know what this means, Kankuro."
The older brother let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah. When they get here, we dispose of the lazy bum in the middle of the desert and tell Temari it was an accident." The Kazekage did not laugh.
"I'm just kidding."
"I…the council…this is…." Gaara struggled to grasp for words that were not there.
"Yeah, I know."
Though the Kazekage was having a hard time expressing himself, his second-in-command knew exactly what he was trying to convey. Their sister was getting married. The cruelest kunoichi, as notoriously known throughout the Five Great Nations, had a fiancé. The thought left them slightly dazed and confused.
Kankuro broke the silence. "I mean, it was bound to happen."
"You think so?" Gaara turned to face him. "This feels...sudden."
"Not really. Well, it does to you. You've been preoccupied with Kazekage duties. I'm the one at our Allied meetings with Temari and the lazy bum. I've seen the way they interact. This didn't come out of nowhere."
It was true. The years after the Fourth Shinobi War had been an interesting period for the cruel kunoichi from Suna and lazy advisor from Konoha. They had not been dating during this time, but there were little signs Kankuro had picked up on. For instance, Temari once swore she would never wear makeup. What was it again, she thought it was trivial and conceited? And yet, in the months leading up to Naruto's big wedding, she became quite interested in Kankuro's face paintings. How long does it take to apply? Is it hard to wash off?
The puppeteer would smile and ask if there was someone she wanted to impress to which she would tell him to fuck off, she was just curious. Still, before long, Temari would attend Allied meetings with a hint of pink lipstick. It was quite amusing for Kankuro to witness.
When the two actually did start dating, sometime around Naruto's big day, Kankuro was not so surprised that Shikamaru was the one that she had taken an interest in. He was more shocked that she admitted to it publically. And when she proposed that she stay in Konoha longer—to continue post-war trade negotiations between the Leaf and Sand, of course—Gaara did not object. Kankuro could tell that Gaara still thought that Temari and Shikamaru were just "good work buddies" who went cloud-watching on occasion.
Even now, the Kazekage rose from his chair to peer out the window, searching the desert view for answers. Was there something that he missed? Was Temari not happy being a top shinobi and ambassador in Suna? Did the job restrain her? What were her other goals and desires?
And the big question that loomed heavy in the room: was she running away from her brothers?
"It's not like that, Gaara." The youngest whipped his head.
Kankuro continued. "Whatever thoughts we have about it—and trust me, I have thoughts—it's not like she's trying to cut us out of her life or anything. She's just made a choice that concerns her life specifically. That's all." Gaara couldn't argue with this reasoning.
"And besides, we're making assumptions off a few measly paragraphs with some grammar errors. You know Temari can't write well!" Gaara smiled. At least that didn't change.
Kankuro stepped towards the desert view which Gaara's eyes bore into. He placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder.
"We'll see what she says when they get here. And we'll straighten Shikamaru out if we have to. Until then, just worry about what the council will say when they realize they'll have to cut back on their leisure budget to make way for education." The older brother rolled his eyes. He could only imagine the absolute hell they would raise.
"Thank you, Kankuro. Your words are comforting."
"No problem. For now, I'm heading down to the workshop. Gotta approve the new puppets." The puppeteer slung Crow over his shoulder. As he turned towards the door, Gaara made one last comment.
"The council. What should we tell them about the letter? They're not going to like this."
The older brother paused. "They'll know soon enough. For now, we tell them nothing."
