Hello pretties! Sorry this is so late, but even as I type these words to you, I am dead.

DEAD.

Really, if it wasn't for my eternal love for you pushing me forward, there wouldn't be an update at all.

I didn't know which couple to put this under, but more of Temari and her brothers interacting was requested by Jayjoan, Milo, and Missy, so here we go.

Gaara watched as the procession of leaf-nin approached where he stood along with his brother and a few others in front of the the large cliffs of rock that hid the village of sand. His face was as blank and as passive as ever, though the people that knew him the best noticed the signs that showed he was excited, the foremost of which being that he had been unable to wait in his office or even inside of the village.

But nobody said anything about it since it was only right for him to be so happy. After all, he was about to see his best friend.

When Naruto spotted the little greeting party he hurried up to them with a big grin on his face and wrapped the Kazekage in a nearly crushing hug, and everyone who watched knew that it was a testament to their years of friendship that Gaara didn't slam him to the ground with his sand as violently and painfully as possible. As it was he only shoved him away, knocking him to the ground as he stared at him passively, though if you looked closely you could see the smallest hint of a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

"Gaara! Is that anyway to greet the great Hokage?" Naruto asked in his usual loud manner, jumping back onto his feet with a grin as he brushed off his clothes. Gaara just gave him a look and a small sigh, still fighting off his smile.

"It is when he hugs me, especially since he knows I dislike it." He said dryly as the rest of the leaf ninja caught up to them. The blonde man just laughed as if it were some joke and threw his hands behind his head, and Gaara couldn't stop the smile that slipped through his hold for just a moment at how reassuring it was that his old friend hadn't seemed to have changed a bit.

"Well, I brought Hinata and Kori with me so that we can have a bit of a family vacation." Naruto said with a grin, and Gaara looked past him to see the man's wife and daughter standing amidst their little group, the little blonde child tugging on her mother's hand excitedly as she pointed to the high cliffs that protected the village they were about to enter, obviously talking rapidly and asking dozens of questions.

"Idiot. This is the Chunin exams, not some stupid resort." Kankuro gritted out, rolling his eyes at the "Great Hokage's" stupidity. "And why would you drag the brat through miles of desert anyway? Can't imagine she would have been very quiet or happy about that."

Naruto nodded at that, remembering the weary and emotionally taxing trip with a slight frown, but then he smiled at the older man in a way that made him look at the blonde distrustfully.

"Now, that isn't very nice. Especially when I brought you a present." Naruto chided. The two brothers looked at him questioningly, and Naruto turned to point to where a certain blonde stood hidden partially from their sight by some of the others in the group. She was sweating and was red faced, her hair was a mess from her tugging on it in frustration and she was heavily pregnant. Her husband stood beside her looking miserable as she glared at him, and she was obviously complaining about something—everything.

Both boys' faces went white with dread as they took in the sight of their sister, and Kankuro quickly reached out and grabbed a fistful of the gleefully grinning Hokage's shirt, jerking him forward so that they were nose to nose.

"Take her back. Now." He hissed, but Naruto only shook his head, his eyes silently laughing at the predicament he had put the other man in.

"Can't. It's a present, and you just don't take back presents." He taunted.

"Then I'm returning it." He growled as his hold tightened and he held back the impulse to punch the other man. He didn't want all of the happy little leaf ninja—and probably his brother—attacking him. Especially not since SHE was currently in ranks with them.

"No." Naruto said, his grin now almost impossibly big.

"You would do this to Gaara? Your dear, dear friend?" He asked desperately, and Naruto shook his head while glancing over at his concerningly pale looking friend.

"Oh no. You see, were going to have to be in talks about our trade agreement for a little while, along with Shikamaru. Then we'll need a nice tour, and after that we'll be busy with the chunin exams. And since Temari couldn't just be left alone at home, without her husband and missing out on a wonderful chance to see her brothers, we brought her. And now, because we're going to be so busy, she gets time to bond with you, Kankuro. All day. For entire days in a row. Because you must have missed her." Naruto said, the wicked glint in his eyes clearly saying that the meeting was completely unneeded and that he was only doing this in an attempt to torture the older man.

It was an attempt that was proving to be successful.

"Why?" He gritted out.

"To teach you not to call my daughter a brat." He said easily as he pulled out of his hold. "After all, I have warned you."

Kankuro desperately turned to his brother seeking help, but the younger man only patted his shoulder somewhat sympathetically and condescendingly.

"This meeting sounds extremely important." Gaara said, nodding sagely, "And it is your duty as her brother to take care of her."

He was about to very loudly and colorfully explain to him why that was such a complete and utter lie when the reason for all of his upcoming hours of horror and pain came up to them, Shikamaru lagging a few steps behind with that same look on his face that he always had, though Kankuro knew that there was a little hidden smirk on his face and that it meant that he was in on this whole thing too.

Of course he was. He was getting a few precious hours of freedom at his expense. The bastard.

"Why do you two have to live in the middle of a damn dessert?" Temari grumbled, and from the look on Shikamaru's face they knew that she had been sharing this sentiment for a long while. "It's so hot that I feel like I'm about to drown in my own sweat and sand."

"What are you talking about?" Kankuro snapped before anyone else could say anything, "You were born here and grew up here. You should know perfectly well how hot it is, and it isn't our fault that you moved away and became such a fucking pussy."

There was barley a moment of silence as everyone else winced in sympathy at the poor man's stupidity before the inevitable explosion happened.

"What do you mean by that, you fucking asshole?! Do you somehow, in that pathetic little mind of yours, think that it is easy to make a six fucking day walk from Konoha to here in blistering heat while pregnant? Well, I'm going to tell you something right now. The only reason I'm here is because I'm a loving sister, so I better be hearing some fucking gratitude soon or else I am going to do something very violent and extremely bloody to whatever piece of you I can get a hold of." She growled dangerously. During her speech she had managed to get him into a strangling headlock, which he was struggling against uselessly.

His face, what wasn't covered by his purple face paint, was turning red as he unsuccessfully attempted to pull her arm away from his throat so that he could breathe.

"Crazy... Bitch..." He managed to gasp out, and her arm tightened.

"That doesn't sound like gratitude." She hissed.

He held out for just a handful of seconds longer before he finally broke, "Fine!" He gasped, his eyes watering slightly, "Thank you... For coming!"

She released him easily, smiling up at the her youngest brother as the one she had just tortured fell to the ground coughing and gasping.

"We're happy that you're here." Gaara said flatly, and Temari nodded, a smile on her face.

"Well now," She said happily, turning to start in towards the village, "This is going to be fun."

Naruto could only laugh as he swung his giggling daughter—really, the man with the funny makeup was so weird—up onto his shoulders.

Well, there we are.

A how-de-doo to my new sweeties Vivere Memento and Dire Doodle, and thank you for all of the feels and questions. Ringo (physically) takes after Ino, while Anzu and Momo take after Choji. And also a hello to my little sweet guest Arty.

Thank you for the kindness on my small take on Shino's character, and yes, Kiba will accept his and his sister's relationship. He was just pouting.

I wish upon you love and happiness, my dearest ones! Hurah!