A/N: A Short Chapter but it's vital! I don't mean to concentrate on Aiko more than Takeshi but it's hard not to... _ I wanted to do a mini-chapter on Gaara's thoughts but you'll see them in the next chapter! (:

Three Years Later

"I want to know who he is Takeshi! Why are we putting it off?" Aiko asked annoyed with her brother's persistence.

"I do too but we need to concentrate on training first!" Takeshi argued.

Sakura sighed at her children. "Why don't you just let me tell you who your father is?"

Takeshi scowled, "No!"

Aiko's grip on her raccoon Hideo had given her almost ten years ago grew tighter, she wanted to know…

Sakura frowned at her son. "Excuse me?"

Takeshi's scowl deepened, "I said no!"

"Watch who you're talking to, Takeshi." Sakura warned.

Takeshi went to retort but Aiko covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shut up!" Aiko yelled, "What's gotten into you, Takeshi?"

She let him go and he pushed her backwards into the cement wall a little too hard. Aiko became dizzy and fell against it.

Sakura gasped, "Aiko!" She clenched her fists at her son, "Go meet your team for your mission."

Takeshi could tell by the tone of her voice that he messed up. "I'm-"

"I said go!" Sakura yelled pointing at the door.

Takeshi gulped and went.

Aiko held her head in her hands… She hit the wall hard! Her mother crouched in front of her.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't be mad at Takeshi…" Aiko whispered.

Sakura gave her daughter a small smile; they were both so much like their father.

"I'm not mad at Takeshi. When your father got upset like this, the only thing that made him stop was for someone to stand up and say so."

The thought of Gaara made tears come down Sakura's cheeks. Aiko watched her mother cry in shock.

Why is Mama crying? Does she miss him?

"D-Do y-you miss h-him?" Aiko asked poking her mother's forehead as a sign of affection.

Sakura nodded, "Very much, Aiko…"

"Can you tell me who he is? I'm tired of waiting for Takeshi."

"Of course, Sabaku no Gaara-"

Their conversation was cut off when Hideo knocked on the door.

Sakura answered it.

"Hello, Hideo, how may I help you?"

"Is Aiko home? We have a mission."

"Aiko! Hideo's at the door!" Sakura called to her daughter, "Come on in."

Hideo nodded and sat on the sofa in the living room. Aiko came in a few minutes later, fully dress for the mission.

"Hey, Hideo-kun!" Aiko greeted him.

Hideo just nodded, standing from his seat. Aiko gave her mother a hug before they left.

Aiko and Hideo always walked together in silence, they were to meet Sasuke and Shinya at the entrance gates. Hideo could tell something was bothering Aiko. They met their sensei and friend in a matter of minutes.

"You ready?" Sasuke asked.

"Where are we going sensei? You said you'd tell us when Hideo and Aiko got here, yeah!" Shinya whined.

"We're going to retrieve some scrolls from Suna." Sasuke grunted.

His students nodded.

"It'll take a few days for us to get there so I'll explain things on the way there."

A few hours later, it was sundown. They stopped at a clearing to set up camp.

"Aiko-chan, is something bothering you?" Shinya asked bringing wood to the fire they started.

Aiko nodded, "Yes, Shinya-san."

"What's up?"

Aiko hesitate, watching Sasuke carefully. She remembered how he said emotions were futile and weak.

Sasuke met her eyes and nodded, "Go ahead."

"My mother told me who my father was before I left."

Sasuke smirked while Hideo and Shinya nodded. Shinya still hadn't met his father…

"Sasuke-sensei, who is Sabaku no Gaara?" Aiko knew he would know.

"Gaara is the fifth Kazekage of Suna. That mark on you wrist, the kanji, is on his forehead. Your hair's the same without the white."

"What's he like?" She had that innocent spark in her eyes that made Sasuke fall in love with her mother.

"Just like you. Strong but doesn't know much about emotion. His sand protects him like it does you."

"He controls sand?"

"Hn," Sasuke nodded at his student, "He was a jinchuriki. Everyone thought he was a monster until he fell in love with your mother," Sasuke paused and glanced up at Aiko, "They were to be married until he told her to marry me."