Temari found herself in the Leaf Village's special diplomatic accommodation complex, seated across from her brothers.
"Sis", Kankorou began, "we've spoken about this and-"
"Shh, brother, let Temari have some tea first", Gaara interjected handing her a cup.
Obediently, she sipped her tea as a pleasant silence settled in the room. In spite of the circumstances, she was actually enjoying the special brew that the Leaf Village saved for visiting dignitaries. She had grown to love it over the years spent visiting on official business. It had come to represent the place to her. And it had come to represent happiness. Because whenever she was here, Shikamaru would be her official escort. Those were happy times.
"Temari", Gaara began, looking at Kankarou for support. When the latter nodded he continued.
"We know you're the older one and you've always been looking after us. Which we are both very grateful for. But you can't keep letting us get in the way of your own happiness."
"Yeah, we're all grown up now", Kankarou interjected only to earn a glare from his brother.
"Yes, you're a grown woman now", Gaara continued, "and even Kankarou here has grown older, if not more mature." He looked at his brother, daring him to interrupt again.
"You have helped us both greatly and you have helped your village. Especially me."
Temari was impressed. Her brothers cared for her, she knew that, but to hear them talk like this. Surely-
"But now it's time for Temari to take care of Temari for a change."
"Yeah! And we want to help", Kankarou added.
Gaara turned to him again. "Kankarou".
"I hereby release you from your duties as an Ambassador for the Village. Of course you will always be a Princess of Suna. And you will now be the permanent liaison between the two villages here in Konoha. I will make an official announcement with the Hokage after the wedding. Matsuri will take up your post."
Temari was stunned.
Kankarou preferred to help out in the background as was the wont of a true puppet master. But he was not the least bit surprised which meant they had been planning this for a while.
"Yes, Kankarou has been, ah, persuaded to help me out during the transition too which will leave you free to do whatever you want. Travel wherever you want. Live wherever you want. Be with him if that is really what you want." He paused. "I doubted it myself too. But it is now all too clear to me. So this is why I am telling you this. And this is something we should have done for you a long time ago."
Temari's head was spinning. This was unexpected and happening rather quickly.
"Ever since the Leaf Village came back from the moon mission, we have been talking about how it was time to let you follow your heart and move here. I'm sorry your duties have gotten in the way of things between you and Shikamaru. But no more Temari. When you left unexpectedly to come here, we realised it was time. That is why we left earlier than planned ourselves, so that we could do this before the wedding. Give you two a chance to work this out. I haven't spoken to Shikamaru about it yet. Only Naruto and the Hokage knows."
How did her brothers know how she felt?
She hadn't known for sure how she had felt until recently.
"But Shikamaru-", she began.
"Shikamaru is a lazy fool." This time Gaara didn't stop his brother so Kankarou continued, "Yes a good for nothing fool. You may think we're childish and don't pay attention to things but that's because we're your younger brothers. We both love you and we both love when you come back from your visits here." They were both grinning at her now.
"What?", Temari asked. "Did I say that out loud?"
They both just laughed at her.
"Yes, don't think we didn't notice when you come back after your duties with the Leaf Village. You return a lot calmer and more cheerful. Which makes you a lot more pleasant to be around."
Gaara took over from his brother, "And don't think that just because I'm Kazekage that I don't notice when you smile to yourself about some memory of him. He makes you happy, sis. Don't let the fact that you are from different villages get in the way of your happiness."
"Yeah sis, and less violent too!" Kankarou added, this time earning a glare from both of his siblings.
"Yes," Gaara continued, ignoring his brother, "you can be a very, uh, strong woman, Temari."
"And yet everyone has a weakness. And for you that weakness is him."
There was no longer any point pretending otherwise to her brothers, Temari decided, for she knew she must have been as red as Gaara's hair by now.
"I see the way he makes you blush and you never blush, Temari. That told me more than what you are telling me now. Don't deny it. Tonight when you showed up together like that I knew my decision was right." When she did not even fight back as was her nature, he realised just how much her sister cared for Shikamaru.
"You have always loved that Shadow jutsu wielding ninja but you were always too proud to admit that you needed someone to be there for you. Being strong doesn't mean being invulnerable, dear sister of mine. No, my time as Kazekage has taught me that being strong means being absolutely vulnerable and trusting that we will be able to cope with whatever life throws at us." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they both looked at her expectantly.
"You may be right about me. But he obviously doesn't-"
"He's a fool, that Nara is." Kankarou blurted. "Everyone else may think he's a genius but when he can't see that you care for him, then he is the biggest fool around."
"Yes, Shikamaru is a lot like you in some way." Gaara said softly. "Proud, headstrong and yet...And yet, because Shikamaru has held you up on a pedestal for so long now, both because he is your official escort and because of your own strength, he can't believe you could be interested in him. So he persuades himself it is something else. That you tease him because he is younger. But I asked him tonight about his intentions towards you and he satisfied me."
She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"You should have been the one who was born with the red hair because you are much more fiery than me. And that is what we love about you. Your passion and drive. And Shikamaru does too."
"He tries to hide it but you are his desert fire that burns red hot and Shikamaru, well, he is the water to your fire. You really do work well as a team. Both Lady Tsunade and myself have noticed it on many an occasion now. And I'm sure everyone else can see it too." He paused before casting a cheeky look at Kankarou, "especially if this one here noticed it too."
"Hey!" the puppet master protested.
"Quiet." Then turning back to Temari, "You two really do make a perfect match. Fire and water. Yin and yang. You are from the desert. He is of the shadow. You are his sun. He is your moon. But you're both going to throw it away if you continue whatever games you two have been playing for so long." Gaara paused, looking at Kankarou briefly and then turning back to her. "After the wedding we will return to the Sand as I have work to do. But I hope you will stay here if that is what your heart wants."
"That's why I need to come with you, to train Matsuri", Temari protested. She didn't feel ready for this. Even if what her brothers said were true, even if Shikamaru felt the same.
"I've already been training her. And you can train her when she comes to visit." Kankarou nodded his agreement. ""And so we want you to stay here if that is what you want. We know you can make each other happy and we want you to be happy, big sister. We've been pests in the past we know. But now we want to pay you back."
Temari resigned herself, knowing that when both her brothers agreed on something then it must be right for they were always arguing like brothers were wont to do.
However, there was still Shikamaru, ""But what if he-"
"Shikamaru is a fool", Kankarou said again. And when Gaara didn't glare at him this time he took it as permission to continue. "Sis, if you don't do this then you'll beat yourself up over it for the rest of your life. Look at Naruto and Hinata. He's an even bigger fool than Nara is but even he finally got it that Hinata loved him. Nara will too if he knows what's good for him."
"Yes", Gaara agreed.
"And if he doesn't we'll beat it into him", Kankarou piped up, which earnt him another glare from his siblings.
"If he doesn't then you can always come home. You will always have a place in the Sand as long as we shall live dear Sister." Temari let the tears flow now as she reached across and embraced her redheaded brother. "Because if you don't do this, you will never be truly happy", he said more quietly as he returned her hug.
"And then we'll beat it out of him", Kankarou added.
Temari tried her best to glare at him but inside she was very touched by all of this. "Come here you", she said to her other brother as she gave him a hug too.