Wind of Truth & Sands of Change

To Be Better Than Before

050. Everything You've Got

When Temari set her mind to something – anything, she gave it her all.

Perhaps it was because of the way she'd grown up, because of the place she'd been raised. She would never, ever settle for being acceptable, she would never let herself be good, she had to be great, she had to be fantastic.

She had proved to Suna she was a powerful ninja, she had proved to the previous Kazekage she was a valuable asset, she'd proved to her brothers she was strong.

But she was far from finished.

She'd met her defeat in Konoha. She'd been weak. She'd been bested by a chauvinistic, young boy.

She would train until her hands were broken and bloody. She would train until her body was so exhausted she became incapable of movement. She would train until she could look at the face staring at her in the mirror without flinching in disgust.

Temari refused to be that ninja. Be the weak, stupid, feeble kunoichi. She would be great. She'd prove herself to Konoha.

To the shadow ninja, Nara Shikamaru.

She'd prove her worth to herself.

Temari always gave it her all.

051. I Don't Understand Your Logic

Kankuro stared, irritated and confused at his sister. "Why do you have to find a way to fight out of range from your fan? I can easily handle those enemies."

"I also want to find a way to attack those in hiding."

"Gaara can handle that. He's got 'the eye' and his sand reaches almost everywhere.

"We're not always going to be together."

"And you'll be smart enough not to engage in battles where you're clearly at the disadvantage without either of us to back you up."

Temari dropped her fan on the floor and leaned on it. "Kankuro," she sighed, "I fight my own battles. I…" She looked off somewhere in the distance. "I have goals and dreams." She looked at him. "I will fight for my own dreams. I don't want to be the weak one who always has to depend on another."

Kankuro was still irritated. It still did not make sense to him.

052. Faded Wounds

Kankuro had been angry with himself for the longest after the fiasco at Konoha. The three of them had screwed everything up and they'd each lost – terribly. And unlike most occasions he couldn't pin the blame on someone else.

Sure, it might've turned out different if Gaara wasn't so rash and psychotic. It might've turned out different if Temari wasn't so determined to fight at the exams. But it would have been different if he were a better ninja.

He could've done something.

So, he was angry. Sure, he soon found out that it was a good thing it all failed because they'd been played by Orochimaru, but it didn't change how angry he was at his weakness.

He still wasn't the strongest ninja, but he was stronger.

He had trained and tinkered and worked. He was far stronger than the day of the Konoha incident.

He wasn't angry anymore, but he would never forget. He didn't want to feel that type of weakness once more.

A/N: So, I know I skipped Gaara in this sect, but he'll pop up next time, I promise.