Thanks for all the recent...ish reviews that inspired me to keep on writing! Sorry I keep leaving this story, but I'm getting to the stuff that I'm so afraid I'll ruin, and then every time I watch the episodes I'll be constantly reminded of this. And, of course, I'm lazy, but what with Christmas and all, I've got excuses. But I am still working on this story, and it may be done today or tomorrow or something. But don't take my word for it, just because I've found a pattern with that; I'm all inspired to write and everything, then I don't go back to the story for a month or two. But I'm promising you guys that I'll try just as soon as this is posted. So if you're reading this right now it means I'm either succeeding or failing at this task.

Only two chapters of this left, unless I find reason to put in a third. I'm not going past the Kazekage rescue arc because the next time they apNopear is farther than I've watched (I prefer the english anime, which they are being lazy at coming out with, and reading the manga can be a hassle since I spend enough time on the computer as is), plus I think that would be just dragging out this story. I've got to stop posting stories without planning them, or seeing if I want to keep writing them, because it usually ends up backfiring and I've got four stories I don't feel like writing. But I'm getting better. Hopefully I will be able to finish this off quickly but well-written.

Note: I'm not sure if I said this last chapter, since that was a while ago and I have short-term memory sometimes, if I ever have a ! and ? in my chapters, I have to put a space between them or else it deletes the other one automatically. It looks weird, but at least it gives it the kind of meaning intended.

Pitting Family Against Death

Temari walked at a moderate pace back to Suna, eager to see her brothers but not wanting to expend too much of her energy. It was a long trip back to her village and she was still in the Land of Fire's forests.

"Temari!"

She stopped and turned around, feeling that she recognized the voice but couldn't quite place it. The trio of Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura, the one that had called out her name, landed behind her, all with rather grim faces. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear.

She didn't.

"Gaara? !" she exclaimed, once she had heard the story. "You mean he's been...?"

A nod from Kakashi confirmed it. Temari narrowed her eyes in frustration and anger as she remembered the teacup that had suddenly cracked. She had never really believed in omens so she had dismissed it without a lot of thought, but now she realized how foolish it was for her to ignore a possible sign of danger during a time like this.

I knew something was wrong...She was angry with herself for not trusting her instinct that there was trouble, and angry that she hadn't been there to do something. Her own brother, taken by the Akatsuki...She clenched her fists tightly so she wouldn't be tempted to grab her fan and wipe out the surrounding trees. There was nothing she could do now but get him back, and destroying the forest in frustration only wasted what time her brother had left before...Well, she was hoping it wasn't going to get that far.

The one thing Temari had never understood was why it was Gaara. He had always been the one suffering the most, with Shukaku trapped inside him and turning him into a monster, their father's hatred of him and their mother shrieking and cursing him as she died and he was born...Now this. Just when Gaara was accepted by the people of the Sand, he was captured and most likely going to be killed. Temari desperately wished she could take his place, and she was sure that Kankuro felt the same. Perhaps once they got back to Suna she and Kankuro could go save Gaara together, and show him that he wasn't alone, and they weren't going to let him die. They were finally a family again. There was no way Temari would let anything get in the way of that anymore.

Kakashi's voice brought her back from her thoughts. "We're two and a half days out from the Sand. We should hurry."

She didn't think she could respond, but her lips moved of their own accord. "Right."

Without another word the four of them hurried towards Suna.

As they did, Temari learned of Naruto's side of the story. She knew that he had changed Gaara, but she never really knew why. She understood it was important to help people, but she never really knew why Naruto felt so strongly towards him.

Inside him was the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Just as Gaara had the One-Tailed Shukaku.

They were the same.

It all made sense to Temari. Naruto could understand Gaara's pain because he himself had felt that pain. The pain of being alone, being looked at like a monster...

"And he had to fend for himself a lot longer than I ever did."

Temari looked away, remembering all the times she had ignored or been afraid of her brother, because of Shukaku. She had believed her brother to be gone. But maybe he had been taken over because she, like everyone else, had never given him a chance. Because no one was willing to show him he was not alone. She had apologized to Gaara after he had changed, but she had never thought he had been suffering partially because of her. She had been so set in her belief that it was Gaara who was causing everyone else pain. And now, if they didn't get to him in time, she may never get to apologize for doing that to him.

When she felt something wet on her face she looked up in surprise. Naruto was...crying? For Gaara...?

Maybe...Maybe it's better if Naruto saves him. He meant more to Gaara than she did, and she was sure Gaara would be happy if the first person he saw was Naruto. She was certain that Naruto could show Gaara he wasn't alone. Naruto knew Gaara's pain much better than she did.

Naruto Uzumaki...I...

...Thank you...

-X-x-x-X-

As they reached a sandy expanse indicating the Hidden Sand Village was nearby, Temari took the lead. They didn't get too far, however, because they had to take cover from a sandstorm that blocked their path to the village. They sat in a cave, watching the wind propelling the sand around in spirals and loops.

Naruto was angry about having to stop, but Temari calmed him down by telling him it was too dangerous to go out in a storm like that, and that it wouldn't last very long. But truthfully she was just as frustrated as him. Every minute wasted brought Gaara closer to death. The only reason she could act so calm was because if she let any of her anger show she wouldn't be able to control her emotions and start swinging her fan around, creating an even worse storm than the one they were sheltering from. She had to be patient, just until they reached Suna.

Soon enough the storm was over and they were racing across the desert as quickly as before, eager now that their destination was in sight. They were greeted by two Sand ninja guarding the entrance, and they had news that couldn't have come at a worse time for Temari.

"What? ! You say they got Kankuro as well? !"

"Yes," the guard replied. "When an enemy took Lord Kazekage, Kankuro went after them by himself. He was poisoned, and we haven't been able to find anything to counteract it. He won't last much longer."

Kankuro...

"Damn," she cursed. Both of her brothers, at risk of death...Just when they were starting to become a family, they have to be targeted by misfortune again...Why? ! Why does this always happen to us? !

Were they just not meant to be a family...?

Temari's gaze hardened. That didn't matter. Even if the whole universe was against it, she would make sure they stayed a family. She had promised herself she wouldn't let anything get in the way of that. Not even death.