Thanks very much to Deathcomessoon for the review encouraging me to continue (and reminding me that this story still exists!). Really sorry about the long wait and the disappointing update, but this story was kind of going downhill and I just really didn't feel like continuing it. Plus I needed to sort out the remaining few chapters, three of which remain after this. I originally had six or seven, but a few of them were pointless fillers (although you could say the same about this one) and I combined the rest of them so I don't have to write really short ones like this. I would have combined this one as well but I have no ideas to combine it with, so it's a short one. It was actually going to be even shorter, but I realized what a disappointment that would be and extended it, so if it seems as though there's two or three different themes for this, that's why.

This oneshot is the start of the ones in Shippuden. I was originally going to do one about the ultimate weapon arc, but I realized I wasn't going to end up with a worthwhile chapter. Again, sorry this isn't the best chapter for such a long wait, but I needed to put this idea into the story and there was no idea I could combine it with that would make it seem like one chapter. Hopefully within the next two weeks I will write another chapter to make up for this one, but if I don't you can expect it around Christmas because I've got a week of free time before then and I don't have much to do.

Accepted

As Gaara walked into the room, wearing the official Kazekage robes, Temari couldn't have felt prouder. How he had gone from being the village's strongest weapon and hated by everyone to the Kazekage they all looked up to, Temari had no idea. But she was glad that her brother was finally accepted by the people of Suna.

"So, what's it like?" Kankuro asked. "Being the village's leader, and all."

Gaara walked over to his desk and sat down, thinking about his answer for a moment before replying. "It's still strange. I'm so used to people looking at me with hate in their eyes, or pretending not to know I'm even there. Now everyone smiles and nods at me, and they cheer for me. It will take a while to get used to, but...it's nice."

"Well you deserve it," Temari said. "After all, you did help save some of Konoha's ninjas, and all of the bad stuff you did was just influence from Shukaku."

He didn't look as certain of that as Temari felt, but he didn't try to argue. Silence settled in the room, and no one really bothered to break it. It was a comfortable silence. The kind of silence that could be between family.

Family, Temari thought. We're a family again.

Using the word to describe her and her brothers felt foreign to her. When was the last time she had considered the three of them to be family? Not for a long time. Not since...things, as she refused to bring up the topic, had happened.

But the past didn't matter anymore. What was done was done, and now they could finally start making up for the time they had lost as kids. Temari knew they wouldn't be doing little kid stuff together as they were too old for that; just being with them and talking were enough for her.

We're getting a second chance, she realized suddenly. After everything they had gone through in their childhood that had prevented them from being a true family, they were being given a second chance to amend things.

She turned to look at Kankuro. He had been somewhat selfish and spoiled as a child, mostly because he was their father's favourite. Or rather, he wasn't one of his fathers' least favourite children. Once their family had been practically disowned by their father, Kankuro took to caring for only himself. He helped his siblings when it benefited him, including avoiding Gaara's rage. He also disliked being told what to do, and often got into fights with Gaara when he thought he could tell Kankuro what to do by threatening him.

Then there was Gaara. Their father had in no way loved him. He had been brutally beaten and abused by their father for no reason at all. Then, of course, it was he who ordered the Shukaku to be placed inside of Gaara at birth, causing their mother to die and their father to blame him for that, too. During the few times Gaara had fought back against their father, or simply tried to dodge his blows, their father got even angrier with him. Eventually Gaara lost control of his temper and attacked anyone within range. Everyone hated him and tried to avoid him as much as possible, fearing that they would be the next to be attacked.

Lastly, Temari looked at herself. She had tried to protect both of her brothers when she was younger, but that only ended up with her father beating her as well. Once she had seen Shukaku take over Gaara, she believed that he was no longer her brother. She always feared for her life and tried to keep Gaara calm so she wouldn't be his next target. Temari took Kankuro's side mostly because she knew she at least stood a chance against him in battle.

They all had their flaws, and they all had problems with each other in the past. But now they were together again. For the first time since they were little, they were truly a family. And Gaara had finally been accepted by Suna. For once, they weren't shunned outsiders in their homeland.

"Man, the perks of the Kazekage being your brother are awesome!" Kankuro exclaimed as he stared at a large platter of food an attendant had brought in.

They were a whole new kind of outsider.