Chapter 2

Temari sat at the windowsill in Kankuro's bedroom and stared outside as her brother worked on his puppets. She enjoyed this quiet, peaceful time, treasuring it all the more because of what lie ahead.

"Are things still tense between you and Gaara?" Kankuro asked.

"No. He acts as if nothing's wrong. Maybe it's for the best. We can't afford to be divided now."

"Yeah."

Temari bit her lip, not quite feeling like her usual strong, confident self. She cursed this weakness but could not extract the many doubts and insecurities from her mind. "I'm grateful to Naruto Uzumaki, you know. For everything he's done for Gaara. I really am."

Kankuro frowned slightly. "I am too. He's a great guy." He stopped working on his puppets to give his sister his full attention. "I like him. But..."

Temari nodded.

"I've always wanted a little brother," Kankuro said. "And now I have one. I just wish... Well..." He stopped and looked away.

His older sister got up from the windowsill to sit beside him on the floor. She was careful not to disturb any of his tools. "Gaara cares about us too. I know he does. But sometimes this obsession with Uzumaki... I don't think he can eat breakfast in the morning without wondering how Naruto would do it."

Kankuro snickered. "Once, I had this dream that I was returning to the village after a mission, and I was greeted by this giant statue of Naruto. Gaara was standing at the center of it and instructing people on how to bow properly. I had to check the village gates later that day to make sure it wasn't really there."

"The council would never allow it."

"Are you sure?"

Temari was about to give him a playful shove but then turned somber again. "Do you remember when we were kids? I was going to be the next Kazekage. The first female Kazekage."

Kankuro nodded. "It was all you ever talked about for a long time."

"Our father had it all planned out. He wanted me to be a leader like he was. But even back then, I wanted to make so many changes."

"You'd have been great, sis. I always had faith in you."

"But I wouldn't have been as good as Gaara, right?"

Kankuro shrugged. He looked uncomfortable. "Who knows? But you are making a difference. Your work with the Leaf Village and all." The puppet master looked at the floor. "He never had any plans for me, did he? He thought I was a failure."

Temari hugged him. "He was a fool. In so many ways. You're my rock."

"It's weird to see you so sentimental."

"Oh, shut up!" The she became reflective again. "I don't envy Gaara the position. At least most of the time. I'm proud of what I'm doing. I'd probably even make the same decisions he has about this war. It's just..."

"I know. I'm grateful that he confided in me. But just once, instead of, 'Naruto saved me,' I'd like to hear him say, 'My big brother helped me.'"

Temari nodded. "Yes."

"We'll all be okay," Kankuro assured her even though he had his own doubts. "We'll win this war, and our family will be okay too. I won't let anything separate us." His sister's playful smirk was all the reward he could wish for at the moment.