Shikamaru walked through town with his arms behind his head, stretching. He had a toothpick in his mouth and was looking up at the sky.

"What a boring day. I can't believe they sent me on this stupid mission. I'm already bored and it just began."

He sighed dramatically. Ino and Choji got chosen to do more heroic, exciting things while he was stuck with the dumb, boring job. There were some papers he had to get delivered to somebody he didn't give a rat's ass about, or cared to recall. After which he had to purvey some medicine for his comrades and find a place to sharpen their tools. Next he would have to find some rogue bandit, who liked to steal ladies accessories, and scrolls, then destroy him, next take the items and return them to the Hokage.

"Ugh! What a drag…"

He fished for the letter in his pocket, pulled it out and read the thick ink on the front:

TO KAZEKAGE GAARA

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Who cared? He could only hope this boring day wouldn't drag on for too much longer.

"OUT OF MY WAY YOU IDIOT!"

Something came flying at top speed toward him. It looked like…a…too late the person or thing collided with him and both of them fell to the ground. Shikamaru rubbed his head and looked up to see a girl with four, parted, spiky blonde pigtails rubbing her head as well, and shaking it too.

"What the hell was that for, running into me like you've got no sense!?"

She furrowed her brows at him and snarled.

"Baka! I told you to move out of the way! It's your own fault so don't go yelling at me you big block head!"

"Who are you calling block head you great, big, ugly witch!?"

"Why I oughta…oh I don't have time for small fry like you, I've got places to go!"

She pushed herself off of him, stepping on his face in the process then ran off with her fan behind her.

"Who the hell does she think she is? Snarky, wise-assed bitch."

He crossed his arms and scowled. He then looked toward the rolling dust that was the girl and very lightly blushed.

'Still….she was kinda cute though. As girls go anyways…'

Shikamaru massaged the portion of his face that had been stepped on and sighed. He would deliver the letter last because, to him, it was the least important thing.

'First things first, catch that bandit. Today's going to suck, I just know it.'

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and kept walking in his sluggish, slow way as if it was killing him to take a little step. Temari kept running with her fan in the wind. She looked back at the speck of a boy that she collided with earlier.

"Geesh, what a rude brat. I feel like I've seen him somewhere though…eh, oh well, gotta catch me a thief. Rotten, no good bandit won't get away with stealing our stuff!"

The bandit, who was running away from Temari, had scrolls from the Konoha library, along with some personal items from the girls in Konoha but he also had a scroll of Temari's and some of her, and Hinata's, accessories. Shikamaru was hot on the trail of the thief seeing the black caped outlaw running from something, but from what? He looked far behind the man and saw a woman running after him. Did he steal her accessories or scrolls? Shikamaru landed on top of the crook, sending him into the ground. He crossed his arms and smiled smugly.

"You know, citizens shouldn't get involved with this kind of stuff, you should leave this to the professionals and-"

"Not you again! How dare you interfere?! I was going to catch him myself."

Shikamaru opened his eyes then fell into a somber state.

"Ah, what the hell?! Are you serious? It's you? Listen, little girl, I was after him first, it was detailed in my mission!"

"I don't give a damn about your mission, he stole my property and I was about to kick his ass before you came!"

"Heh...listen, you couldn't swat a fly."

"Such defiance, such a boorish boy. I'll teach you some manners!"

Temari lifted her fan and swung it behind her, gathering up the wind as she did so. Shikamaru prepared himself with a cocky grin on his face and his kunai knives at the ready.

'Today just got interesting.'

"Hey don't think I'll go easy on you because you're a girl."

"Silence! I'll wipe that smug grin off your disgusting face!"

She uttered a battle cry as she thrusted herself forward at him, fully prepared to do battle with the boy as he, in turn, ran toward her with his kunai knives barred. The two objects clashed before Temari swung her fan and knocked Shikamaru over. He rolled onto his feet before taking the bag of stolen goods then leaping away.

"What?! You're running away? You coward! Come back here and fight like a man!"

"Sorry, as you said I don't have time to waste on small fry."

"You bastard! Don't think you're going to get away with this! Some of the stuff in that bag is mine."

Shikamaru dropped to the ground and placed the bag at her feet.

"Then take your crap and leave me alone."

Now Temari was puzzled, she thought he would come back and try to fight her or be a complete jerk, but even though he used rude language and was demanding, he was giving her the stuff back instead of running off with it in some futile attempt to be noble or to take it for himself. She stood with her hands on her hips, her fan at her side. She wasn't about to hurt him because he put his weapons away and wasn't on guard, he was just sitting there with his hands in his pocket and a toothpick in his mouth, looking around like he had more important things to do but he also looked bored out of his mind, like he really didn't want to be there.

"You're not going to fight me? What am I not worthy of fighting?"

"It's not that. Even though you're a girl, you look like an interesting opponent. I saw you at the chunin exams and thought your moves kicked ass compared to Ten-Ten's, but I'm not here to glorify you or anything. I just want to get this day over with, alright? So kindly take your stuff so I can keep it moving."

Temari smirked. The boy wasn't so lightheaded and idiotic as he seemed. She took out her combs, fans, scrolls and Hinata's hair ornaments that the crafty, conniving criminal cultivated.

"Hey you, aren't you from the sand village?"

Temari placed the items in her own personal bag, after which she gingerly stroked the sand village sign carved onto her ninja headband which she wore around her neck at that moment.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Do you know the Kazekage Gaara? I have a letter for him and he's not worth my time to look for so…"

"Watch how you speak about my brother! You just don't feel like wasting your precious time looking for him because it would be too much work! Lazy son of a-"

"I don't like your tone…but like I've said I'm not here to pick fights even though I'd love to fight you and win, I'm here to deliver this letter, capture the bandit, return the items, and sharpen my tools but thanks to you I have less work to do thankfully. It's demeaning, tedious, and bland but if I were to complain, or stall, or get wrapped up in useless fighting then my ass would be grass. The Hokage is not one to piss off, she can be pretty moody…most women are."

"Hey I take that into offence! Not all women are moody!"

"Heh…yeah sure, take a look at you. You're clawing my eyes out for no reason. Any who, can you give him this letter?"

Shikamaru took out the smooth manila envelope and gave it to Temari.

"Well I better get going, I've got more bullshit to do. See ya later, girl."

"I'm not 'GIRL' I'm Temari."

"Whatever. I'm Shikamaru. Don't try to remember me, I'm not important. Maybe next time we will fight, if I feel like it's worth my time."

"Hah! You couldn't win even if I let you, you wimp."

"Eh, we'll see. Catch ya later, Temari."

Temari smiled at the fleeting figure of Shikamaru.

'You know…for a lazy baka...he's kind of….oh don't you say it Temari. Don't you dare!'

She twirled the soft paper in her hands feeling the lettering on the mail. She then ran into the village to find her brother and deliver the note. Gaara and Hinata were purveying the local grocer for some food to make a delicious meal that night. They came across some ripe, red tomatoes which Gaara looked at bemusedly.

"They're red. Like your pretty face when you're all shy."

Hinata flicked the little leaf atop the tomato.

"Don't say such things."

"Aww, you're blushing now."

Hinata giggled as Gaara nibbled on her earlobe, going downwards toward her neck. He heard the thud of feet landing on the ground and looked up to see Temari, casually looking away.

"Geesh, it's like you guys are in heat twenty-four seven."

Gaara released Hinata's neck to glare at his sister. Hinata turned away and blushed lightly.

"What is it Temari?"

"Some guy named Shikamaru told me to give you this letter. Something about the Hokage wanting you to read it."

Gaara snatched the letter from his sister's fingers and tore it open.

"Hey hey! No need for the violence."

His eyes followed the words on the page, his eyes only slightly widening. Hinata peeked over his shoulders and gasped.

"This is terrible!"

"What does the letter say?"

Temari leaned over, blocking the sunlight from Gaara's view.

"Well if you move your big head out of the sunlight I could read it to you."

Temari huffed, moved out of the way then stood there with her arms crossed.

"Well?"

"It says I'm needed immediately at the Suna. Our village is under attack and one of our kin wrote this letter and it somehow wound up in the Hokage's hands. The man who wrote is presumably dead and the war is raging. In the letter it details how gruesome it is and just who we are at war with."

"Then there's just one thing to do. Go back and fight with our enemy. I could care less who it is although I have my assumptions."

"One problem…I can't leave Hinata."

Hinata clung to Gaara's shirt with helplessness in her eyes.

"I want to go with you Gaara-kun! Let me fight beside you! I can't take it here in the darkness anymore! I won't take no for an answer!"

Gaara looked at Temari with a question in his eyes that she answered back with hers. Temari sighed before realizing they had no choice.

"Go pack your stuff and let's move out but hurry up, okay squirt? I'll go find Kankuro then we'll meet here."

Just before they broke into groups to carry out their tasks Temari halted and looked back at Gaara. He could feel her looking at him so he turned and looked back at her. They had a connection that floated between their eyes and tied them together with invisible strings of energy.

"Just like last time…hide the Hinata."

Gaara smirked before nodding then going on his way to the hotel with Hinata. Temari jumped from rooftop to rooftop searching for her brother, which wasn't hard. He was, after all, a grown man in a black cat suit. He stuck out like a sore thumb. She leapt on him, sending him crashing at least 6 inches into the dirt. She heard a light crack but assumed it was his puppet.

"Ack ahh! Temari get the hell off me! You're rushing my ribs!"

She smiled triumphantly then dusted off her hands.

"Get up baka."

"Well I would if I didn't have a thousand pound gorilla on me!"

"UGH! This is no time for jokes now come on; the village is under attack and we've got to go!"

He sprung up as if he wasn't injured at all, a deadly serious look in his face.

"Alright. Let's go. Wait…what about Hinata?"

"Don't worry your small brain about it too much. She's coming with us. We can't fail with the Byakugan on our side!"

Kankuro firmly nodded then ran alongside his elder sister. With the speed of the wind and agility of a ninja the two siblings made their way to the meeting spot where they impatiently waited for Gaara and Hinata who were packing in the hotel. Hinata shoved the last of her stuff in a bag. Before heading out the door she felt a strange, burning sensation on her finger. She looked at it to see the ring, almost glaring at her, almost daring her to take it off. It felt cold there on her finger, too cold and yet it burned. Hinata took of the ring and saw in the crystallized formations that made up the diamonds her life with Neji.

It was as if the ring had kept all the memories it held while being on Hinata's finger inside its cold, white core. It also seemed to reflect Hinata's feelings as if this little rock had retained the very soul Hinata didn't have at that time. In fact the very center of it seemed to be glowing a sad, somber grey mixed with light lilac; a very depressing sight to see. She could feel the pain and sadness this ring held, the collective feelings of her soul that yearned for Gaara and left the Suna heartbroken and lonely. Those feeling that she threw away seemed to be locked in the ring's diamond, as if it pulled her soul out to trap within the ring.

Hinata didn't like what she saw in the ring. The memories it held, the heart-breaking despair, the burning hatred, the spite, the malice. It was evil and she wouldn't wear it ever again, she would not be reminded of those horrible, isolated, frigid days just waiting for it to get better. No. Now it was different. Now she had her Gaara-kun and everything would be right again. If Neji came to stop her or anybody else…she'd kill them, no matter who they were or what the cost. To her, Gaara was worth killing for, murdering for, lying for, dying for. He was her lover, her friend, her only and this time… nobody would get in the way of their love.

She tossed the ring into the trash and replaced it with her favorite little piece of plastic that held such happy times within it. She looked at it and saw the joyous moments to come in her life as she set out with Gaara to greet the brilliance of the day and brace herself for the battle to come. They set out, the four of them, into the sunset. Kankuro looked at Hinata, her long hair whipping in the wind; a gleeful expression was worn on her face. He looked around her neck and noticed her ninja headband, the one she had received at the Sunagakure with their mark on it.

'So here we are again. Chasing the sunrise into the abyss, never knowing what awaits us when we get to our destination. All I know is, we are a family again. We are one united muddle off difference that would usually set us apart. A collision of different eyes, hair colors, skin types, smiles, laughs, frowns, tears, voices, all formed together to make one fine assembly. War is raging in the Sunagakure, our home, her home…from now until forever. We will embrace the war with open arms because that is the way, our way, the Suna way. She is our kin now, our sister, our friend, our daughter, and our princess, ours to protect, serve, love, and be devoted to. Father….I still look like you and the older I grow the more it will be apparent. My hair is longer and my eyes aren't as cruel as yours are and these features make me who I am. Our personalities are polar opposites that simply don't connect the way the polar opposites of Gaara and Hinata did. I can look like you right to the very last hair but I will never be you…I will never become the monster you have become…I am me. I'm Kankuro, the second child, middle child, eldest son, to the old Kazekage. I am the servant, confidant, trustee, right-hand man to the new Kazekage, my brother, your son. Look how far we've come father. Do you love your little boy now? Or will he always be the devil that destroyed your wife and sickens you with his mere existence? You will never change but I will always stay the same. I will not make your mistakes. My name is Kankuro. I am me. I am not my father but merely his son and even that, is worth questioning.'

The knitted family of Hinata, Gaara, Temari and Kankuro ran and leapt toward their village, where they belonged. Temari looked up toward the sun and smiled, basking in the glow of its warmth. A voice echoed in her head. It said, "Hey you, aren't you from the sand village?"

Temari very lightly blushed but tried to make it go away.

'Stupid boy…why am I even thinking about him? I better not have some sort of crush on that dopey idiot. I know better. Love is for the foolish, love is for the beautiful, and love is for those who can waste time, money and effort into a woman or man. Love is fake and can be destroyed. Love isn't for ugly ducklings like me with too much time on their hands to worry about some guy who will break my heart. I won't suffer through that…no not again…not after…no, I can't even say his name. Love is for people like Hinata and Gaara, that magical fairytale love that isn't supposed to happen but does once every dynasty on a blue moon with a lunar rainbow. It's too rare and unless it's in a story, it never happens. I know this. Pull yourself together girl, get your head out of the clouds and don't think about that lazy baka. You met him once and he was a boorish, pig of a boy. If you're going to settle for a man you should pick a MAN and one who is worthy of you….oh who am I kidding? They're all heartbreakers, cradle-robbers, gold-diggers and horny perverts. I told myself long ago to forget about males as somebody who could be a potential man for me and to think of them as enemies, comrades, friends, etc. So why can't I get him out of my head? Enough! I'm done with it. I'd rather kill myself than revert back to the life I lived where I chased fairytales in hopes of finding my prince. I'm better than that!'

She grinned with confidence in herself. Again, the voice echoed,

"I'm Shikamaru. Don't try to remember me, I'm not important."

'Shikamaru…do you feel the same way I do? Like you're not important? Are you hiding the feelings I hide? Are you so much like me? Oh, I need to stop thinking about it! God, if I start crushing on a boy who I just met then something is wrong with me. Like I've said, no more old Temari…Shikamaru isn't like me…right? Oh who cares? I don't! All that matters is this war and I'm going to kick ass!'

"It's not that. Even though you're a girl, you look like an interesting opponent. I saw you at the chunin exams and thought your moves kicked ass compared to Ten-Ten's…"

Temari grabbed her pigtails, pulled hard and screamed.

"Damnit! DAMNIT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

Kankuro, Gaara and Hinata all looked at Temari.

"Is she alright?"

"Don't worry about her, Hinata, she's just being a stupid woman."

Temari turned toward Kankuro, seething with fury, foaming at the mouth, her fan at the ready.

"Kankuro just know that if we live through this war…I'm going to kill you."

Kankuro reared back in fear, his eyes widening. She was serious. She really wanted him dead. She was obviously upset and when the war was over he'd have to calm her down and talk to her.

"I've never seen Temari like that…she's scary."

Temari turned to Hinata who looked utterly frightened. Her expression changed so fast you swore she was never angry. A kind, soothing, calm face replaced her furious one.

"Oh don't you worry Hinata, I'm fine. Just having….internal struggle…and Kankuro isn't making it better…"

'Am I really struggling with myself?'

Gaara held Hinata close to him, letting her warmth caress his sides.

"Don't go around scaring my poor Hina-chan. Just calm down Temari, save all your fury and energy for this war…we're going to need it."

With that all of them fell silent, heading towards the Sunagakure where a bloody battle would be awaiting them but could they defeat the enemy? Who was the enemy? Is Hinata in danger? Can they protect her? Or will taking her away from Neji prove to be her demise?