Wind of Truth & Sands of Change

Temari's Mad Skills

086. Guilting Gaara

"Eat it!"

"No."

Temari swatted him with her fan, or attempted to, the wall of sand effectively blocked her attempts. "Gaara," She said crossly, "they're good for you. Eat it."

Gaara crossed his arms. "It looks disgusting."

"Kankuro's eating it. I'm eating it."

"Kankuro will eat anything and you are slightly insane."

Temari swatted Kankuro with her fan.

"Ow!" The puppeteer mumbled through a mouthful of food. "What did I do? I'm eating it!"

"You're influencing him! He's starting to sound like you! Always calling me crazy. It's your fault he won't eat his vegetables, anyway! You're always complaining!"

Kankuro merely grumbled, deciding arguing with Temari during dinnertime could jeopardize his chances of getting dessert. Temari was really good at baking.

"Gaara!" She complained.

"I refuse to eat it." He stated stubbornly. "You can't make me."

Temari sighed and slipped into her chair. "Fine. Do what you want. I can't force you." Temari poked at the food on her plate glumly.

Gaara sighed irritably. He hated this. He still wasn't sure how it worked, but it did, and Temari exploited it shamelessly.

"I was just trying to care for you, keep you healthy…Not that I have any right, after what I've done or haven't done in the past, but you two are the only family I've ever had." Temari sighed. "I should…I'm only a bother…"

Gaara turned away staring pointedly at the wall. She was doing it. Her stupid eyes were getting all watery.

Temari's voice wavered. "I should know better than…to try to care."

Gaara's eyes slid toward his sister on impulse.

Dammit!

There it was, a little drop of water sliding down her face.

Kankuro repeatedly told him that she was merely guilting him, that she wasn't really crying. That it was all an act put on to coerce him to do things. He believed Kankuro was telling him the truth, but that didn't change the fact that he still felt compelled to do something to please her. To remove the fake tears. It didn't change the fact that her tactic worked.

He glared at the green food and plopped one of it in his mouth. He swallowed it down with difficulty. It was as disgusting as he'd anticipated and he still had plenty more green things on his plate.

A small smirk was evident on Temari's face. He chewed down another green vegetable. He had to admit Temari was cunning. She'd found an excellent tactic to convince him every time, one that worked almost all the time on Kankuro as well. He could see right through it, but couldn't help falling into it.

Kankuro grinned at him from his seat.

Gaara grimaced. This stuff really was gross.

087. Political Etiquette

"Okay," Temari said carefully, "let's run by this again. What will you do if a feudal lord calls you an incompetent moron and your village pathetic ruins?"

Gaara stared at her impassively, "Squish—"

"No!" Temari exclaimed. "No squishing!"

The puppeteer who'd been lying on the floor lazily sat up at Temari's rejection of the squishing idea. "Maybe just a little bit of squishing, Temari. It's no fun if there's no squishing involved." Kankuro joked.

"Stop encouraging this behavior! It's hard enough to teach the right behavior without your stupid comments. We need to work on how Gaara deals with political relations!"

"Alright," He muttered. "Forgive me, princess." Kankuro said sarcastically. "This is why you're no fun, Temari."

Temari glowered. "Don't call me Princess."

Gaara sighed. "Let me just…clarify the meaning of this." The redhead said slowly. "I…have to be…nice…no matter what other people tell me."

"More or less. You have to be polite." Temari explained. "Not necessarily nice. Unless of course, the person is attacking the village; then—"

"Squishing is no longer forbidden, but required." Kankuro finished for her.

Temari glared at Kankuro. "Okay, Gaara, let's run by the points again." Kankuro groaned. Gaara sighed. Gaara loved his sister and he was infinitely glad she was trying to teach him the finer points of political etiquette, but all these words were irritating. It would be just so easy to squish whoever insulted his village, but something like that could spark war according to his siblings. And war wasn't a good thing. He didn't even know how Temari knew about political etiquette. Not too long ago, Temari was all about yelling and insults and suddenly she became quite different.

She still yelled quite often and insulted others like crazy, but she could turn it off. She could shut off her brash actions. In front of important people and strangers she was polite, eloquent, and very persuasive. It still startled him, but he wanted to learn how to do that. He'd seen the way she used it and it worked magnificently.

"So?" She prodded. "What have we learned so far?"

"No squishing. No threatening. No insulting. No showing any emotions unless it's the one they want to see. No attacking. And no pretending they don't exist." He recited.

"Good." She smiled. "We're getting somewhere now."

088. Settling a Squabble

It was the most ridiculous scene Temari had ever laid eyes on.

Gaara and Kankuro were fighting over a plate of food, when there was plenty more food to go around.

Gaara's sand was wrapped around the plate pulling it toward the redhead while Kankuro's chakra stings were pulling at the plate so he could get it.

"Would you both quit?!" She exclaimed. "There's plenty of food!"

"But I want this one!" Kankuro whined pulling at the plate.

"Temari!" Gaara grunted, and spoke to Temari in an incredibly spoiled voice, "Tell him this one's mine!"

Kankuro pulled at the plate. "No fair. No bringing in Temari with your spoiled-baby voice."

"Mine!" Gaara pulled.

Temari rolled her eyes. "You used to be the mature one, Gaara: what happened?" Neither boy paid her any attention; they merely continued fighting over the plate. "That's it!" She exclaimed angrily, "Both of you, LET GO!" Gaara's sand retreated and Kankuro severed the chakra strings. Temari picked up the famed plate and placed it on the spot before her seat and began eating it. "You two brats can have one of the other two plates." She said firmly.

Gaara glowered. Kankuro crossed his arms. "Fine." They grumbled simultaneously.

A/N: Yeah…my little brother and my two cousins (I call them my "adopted brothers" because they spend so much time at OUR house) are little idiots too. The last drabble in this chapter was totally inspired by them. They've fought over EXACTLY the same plates of foods and other objects…bunch of random nonsense. Once they fought over a paper.

Yes, they are that lame.

When I gave them a paper that was EXACTLY the same they insisted it was different and wanted the other one. Weirdos. They're 13-14-15; you'd figure they'd grow up by now, but noooo. I love them anyway, and every time they do that I take away the source of their fighting…mostly cuz I'm evil and like taunting them…But sometimes cuz they get on my nerves and I want them to shut up.

I mean seriously, a piece of paper?