A/N: Sorry for the lame update! Hope you still remember this story! Thank you for Lupita, Zora-chan, and GloryX for reviewing this story! *bow* As Lupita suggested, I lengthen the story *grin* Meanwhile, for Zora-chan: Nice idea on KakuTen! Guess I make KakuTen too. Sorry GloryX for the long wait T.T Hope you enjoy this chap!

Chapter 2: New Work

"Ne, Kakukuro," the youngest son asked with a very low voice, tapping the table lightly, "What's taking sis so long?"

It was almost 10 PM. The woman had to hurry home, but she couldn't. She had no face to meet her family. Anxious to make her brothers worry, she decided to go home.

"I'm back!" came her cheerful voice from the doorway.

'Sister was late. Very. Did something happen to her?' Gaara thought. "Welcome back." He opened his mouth slightly. "Kankuro wanted to wait for you but he was too tired from the exam."

Temari noted his brother's absence. "Then he's-"

"Sleeping. In his room" Gaara finished the sentence, closing his panda eyes.

The oldest sister sighed in relieve. Her littlest brother was just the cutest. People could only tell his real expression if he/she had been together with him more than two years, well, Naruto was an exception. Kankuro was also loved of course. Everyone had his own specialty. And, how could she, the one that loved or being loved the most, tell them about it?

"Something wrong?"

Temari jumped at the voice of her beloved one. Being snapped back to reality, she smiled, lovingly.

"Nothing."

She couldn't tell him, even after she sent Gaara to bed rather than washing the dishes. There were so much time to tell, but so little courage she had. But she would tell. Later when she was ready.

Temari sat, recalling the time when the sound of sobs filled the office room, wetting the floor. She stood in front of her aunt, eyes widened. It had been half-a-year that she had been working to her aunt. But she never knew that this was the last day for her to stay at that restaurant.

"I, I'm sorry, Temari-chan," she sobbed, "but this restaurant isn't good enough."

It took time for her Aunt to continue. This restaurant was made with her husband and herself's efforts for three years.

"There will be an apartment built here." No, don't continue. "We will have to close this place."

Hearing the news, Temari's mind went blank. Although she smiled back then to comfort her aunt, she couldn't help to let a tiny drop of tear fall from the corner of her eye. Her aunt had been supporting her so much in working so that she could live her family. Now that an apartment would be built, her aunt Yashamaru had no other choice to close the restaurant and moved to another town. So how could she, Temari, worked for living again? She needed, no matter what, to find a new job. But it wasn't easy for a high school drop-out to find a job.

She stood, walking toward her room. Slowly, she passed the narrow gap between her room and her brothers', leading her in checking her siblings. Gently, she turned the doorknob and entered soundlessly. The oldest sister watched her dark-brown-haired brother, mumbling something in his sleep. She kissed him in the forehead and suddenly he started to blush. The biggest possibility was that Kankurou was dreaming of his girlfriend; hope it was not something dirty.

"Love you," she whispered before going into Gaara's room.

It had been a long time for her to see Gaara's room with the person inside it. Rare also that she saw him sleeping defenselessly. Her youngest brother had serious insomnia and had gone to the doctor several times in vain. Usually Gaara sat or lying on the bed while reading book until 2 a.m. She rubbed the boy's forehead and muttered 'Love you, brother' in his deep sleep. Then she walked out.

It appeared that Gaara's insomnia hadn't recovered. He sat up, glancing at the door, and spoke under his breath, "Something's not right."

Morning had arisen. The three back to their daily habit in the dining room. Temari cooked, Kankuro ate with eyes closed -in other word sleepy-, while he himself chewed his breakfast silently. His sister looked happy so far, or maybe not. After saying goodbye, Gaara fixed his eyes on Kankuro, who would be leaving soon too.

"Hey, Kankuro," the younger called.

"hn?"

Thinking over, he hesitated, "Nothing."

***

Temari minced along the pavement. She really had no need to go out in the morning like that. Still, she couldn't bring to tell her family about this. In the middle of distress, her handphone vibrated, followed by certain ringtone. The woman was bothered by it but still picking it up.

"Hello," she answered.

"Temari-chan!" Her Aunt's voice beamed.

"Yes, Aunt?"

"Hurry up to Tamasecho 12-2!!!"

She was confused. "Why?"

"Just come! It's one in a lifetime chance!!!"

She hung up, leaving Temari clueless.

The young woman couldn't understand what her aunt was going to show her with such rapture, but since she had nothing to do, she walked home for a while and ran her bike to Tamasecho 12-2. Tamasecho road was not very far from her house. With bike, it took approximately 15 minutes.

She pedaled in medium speed, enjoying the view of the river. Tortoises were swimming on the edge of the clear river. It was her best habit to feed those tortoises on the way she went home from work. This habit was passed through her dead father. When she was little, her father used to bring a pack of tortoises' food every time he ambled to the supermarket so that he could stop by and feed those animals. His children were used to seeing that and therefore copying his move, even Gaara.

In her task, she had no time for such hobby. All she could think was Tamasecho 12-2 and there, she arrived. She checked if the address was correct. It was a yakiniku restaurant with a big 'Ino-Shika-Cho' mark above the door. Scrutinizing, she found out that that place was much bigger than her aunt's. Why did her aunt call her here? The brunette kept holding her bright expectation, afraid that if her hope was too high, she would feel more disappointed afterward.

Off she pushed the door, letting the welcome bell rang. The moment she entered, the moment she checked out surveillance. The inside was simple, yet neat. The neatness had a strong point in clearness. Before she could walk fro, her aunt called, "Temari-chan!"

Temari looked over to the source of voice and found her aunt standing in front of three middle-aged men. She hurried to her aunt and managed a bow to the three persons. They bowed back.

"Is this the girl you're talking about?"

One of the men pointed his index finger at the new-comer. He had a face of a father, complex to be explained. His hair was long and light-brown. The straight expression of his made a chill out of you as if he could manipulate and enter his soul to your body. Strange description.

"Yes, she is the dearest niece of mine." Yashamaru smiled.

"Quite built" The fattest of them smirked while scratching his chin.

Temari stared at all of them, quite puzzled.

The last man realized this and said, "Yashamaru, don't tell me you haven't told her about our discussion."

Aunt Yashamaru laughed, "I couldn't find the right time."

Sighing, the last man rubbed the back of his head, just below the spiky pony tail. Strangely, his appearance kind of resembles someone Temari knew, but at that time, she couldn't muster any thoughts at all.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

The long-haired explained, "We heard that Yashamaru has to, unfortunately, close her restaurant. She told us about it and about you too. Since one of our workers got pregnant and quitted, we were considering if we should hire you."

Temari's body went rigid.

"Ah…Yashamaru, next time tell her the matter first before summoning her to us. It ends up troublesome." The spike-head grumbled.

"Sorry, my bad."

Lowering his hand from his head, the spike-head motioned his hand into a pre-shake. The woman was dumbfounded but he continued.

"Do you agree to working for us?"

She did not hesitate, instead, grabbed his hand with both hands, crying, "Absolutely! Thank you so much for the offer! Thank you!"

After all the commotion, she rubbed her tears and smirked. The three men smiled back at her.

The fattest shouted, "Well then, shall we see you in three days?"

"Roger."