Blood Is Thicker
He took the fan, he took the puppets and forced them to leave the village without them.
It was a training exercise he told them.
He led them into the desert.
Before he left them to weather the sandstorm that was coming on their own he cut a slit in the palms of the older two children with his kunai.
His theory was Shukaku would protect its own blood.
By Dawn's Early Light
Daybreak.
Sunlight reached above the horizon.
Baki held his breath as he slip-stepped down the dune to where he'd left them.
If he was wrong…
If they were dead…
If Karura's children were dead he swore he would join them by his own hand.
The dune in front of him began to dissolve – of course the sand protected Gaara.
He exhaled in relief.
The sand had covered all three.
Family Ties
It had been six years since the night Karura died.
In those six years he had earned Temari's trust.
He had earned a somewhat grudging admiration from Kankuro.
And for the moment, at least, it appeared he had earned a stay of execution from Gaara.
Baki looked at the three homicidal siblings sitting obediently in front of him.
He never had a family when he was growing up.
Maybe this was his now.