A/N: Greetings! Thank you for checking out this story! This is my first story, but it has been in the making for quite a while. I hope you enjoy; please read and review.

Disclaimer: I love Naruto, but he (and his story) are not mine. Naruto loves Ichiraku's, but it (and ramen in general) are not his. Kishimoto owns both, so go enjoy those, too!

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

~Michael Corleone

~February, two years later~

"Congratulations, Godaime." Temari smiled at the newly inaugurated Kazekage. The hat fit him perfectly. By her side, Kankuro stretched his arms, muttering, "Man, that inauguration took forever!" I wish Sand didn't have to be so formal. I don't ever wanna go through that again… Temari elbowed him in the side.

Kankuro straightened and became serious. "Yeah. It'll be an honor to serve under you, Yura-sama."

The Kazekage nodded and clapped him on the back. "I'll work you hard." Yura said with a smirk. "You're my new captain of security, and I know how the job should be done, so no slacking off, got it?"

"Sure thing." They resumed their walk from the commons.

"Shall we go to dinner?" Yura asked, anxious to talk to them.

"Sure. Kurinashi* restaurant? Sweet shop? Tea house?" Kankuro offered.

"I though perhaps the Sabaku clan would host a dinner for the new Kazekage, and that my new commander could cook the meal?" Yura suggested with a smile, knowing how well the puppetmaster cooked.

~O.O~

As Kankuro used his puppet master skills to cook them dinner*, Temari recounted the details of her latest mission. She and Yura were seated at the table in the corner of the Sabaku's spacious kitchen, while Gaara tended to the cacti plants on the windowsills in the kitchen and dining chamber.

"After about two weeks, I figured I had the mark's routine down; so I arranged an altercation on his route home and the poor guy unfortunately picked a fight with an irate ninja enraged enough to not hold back." Temari never enjoyed the stealth killing, though she appreciated the brain workout. She preferred more straightforward missions where she simply had to take the mark out, but she did her job. She was slightly inclined to announce her presence once or twice immediately before her mark died, but this time she was sure the man, and anyone else involved, never had the notion to check the shadows.

"Where'd you find that convenient ninja, Temari?" Kankuro called from the dining chamber. While she talked, Kankuro had begun transferring dinner items to the fancy table in the adjoining room, using his chakra strings to animate the dishes. Temari stood up and followed Yura to the banquet prepared in his honor, where Gaara was already seated.

As they sat down, she answered, "I don't know; it was some Leaf ninja - a chunin." Temari shook her head.

They said thanks for the food and served themselves to the feast. The dishes collided with their chopsticks delicately and their casual conversation continued, creating the peaceful atmosphere of home.

When Kankuro once again brought up the subject of Temari's instrument of death, Yura set down his desert wine and cleared his throat. "Speaking of Leaf ninja, I met with one today."

"Oh, who did Leaf send as their ambassador," Temari wondered aloud. Gaara leaned forward with interest. General international protocol required that the Allied Countries send an accomplished jonin as a representative of goodwill and good relations to many international ceremonies, especially during the naming of a new leader.

Yura shook his head. "No, he wasn't their ambassador. He was one of the Sannin, Jiraiya the Toad Sage. Lord Jiraiya has passed along sensitive information to the captains of security in each of the Allied Countries. It regards the Jinchuriki." The pleasant atmosphere destroyed by Yura's grave words, the Siblings sat in stunned silence.

"What about the jinchuriki?" Kankuro asked uneasily, his eyes nervously flicking towards Gaara and back again.

"Lord Jiraiya warned us to tighten our security because ... the Akatsuki are preparing to move," Yura answered. Temari and Kankuro glanced at each other.

"We've heard rumors…are they really after the jinchuriki?" Apprehensive to the answer, Temari began to fiddle with her obi nervously.

Yura swallowed down some more wine. "The mysterious organization called the Akatsuki is comprised of a dozen or so shinobi – each one a vicious criminal. And no, they are not after the jinchuriki…" Before the Siblings could sigh in relief, the new Kazekage plowed on. "They are after the biju inside them." His suspenseful words hung in the air for a second, filling the silence with its grave portent.

Yura fixed his gaze on Gaara, "And you – as the jinchuriki of the Ichibi – will likely be their first target."

Gaara chewed his food calmly and swallowed. "I remember Jiraiya-san had said on good authority that the Akatsuki would take about three years to mobilize." He stated. "This was less than two years ago. Why would they move now?"

"I don't know. According to Master Jiraiya's source, they've begun to mobilize, but have not yet dispersed. They've begun intensive preparation." Yura began to take on the attitude of their village's leader, and looked each of them straight in the eye. "But as you know, the moment before you strike is the most intensive espionage. Watch for spies and surveillance. Be extra vigilant when it comes to your security. The Akatsuki is completely made up of S-rank nukenins* that should not be underestimated. I don't want to, but I will lock Gaara up into protective custody, if I must. They will not get to him."

~A few months later~

"Thank you for escorting me home, Temari." Said Yura with gratitude, still a bit stuffed from another of Kankuro's dinners.

"Yura-sama, many people will be targeting the new Kazekage. Your safety is important, too." Temari replied. He smiled easily at her and nodded. As they walked in the twilight, the two fell back into the easy, minor conversations that come from knowing a person well and knowing they know you the same way. Ninjas had to be ever vigilant, but the two knew each other and their respective battle abilities so well, that even an assassin's ambush would hardly be an issue. This was a rare time that they could relax.

As the wind whipped through the corridor to his home, Yura touched her arm and asked if she was cold. "Of course not! It's the desert…even in the middle of winter it's hot." She groused.

Yura laughed, "…until it's cold. Remember, the nighttimes are killer. Are you still adjusting from your last mission?"

"I suppose." Temari huffed. As much as she had missed the village, she had not missed it's prickly weather. "How are you adjusting to your new job? You've gotta be swamped with paperwork, by now. Do you ever go on missions or anything, anymore?"

"Heh, I've been on Suna's high council for almost four years. It seems almost all we did was paperwork. Although, as the Captain of Security, my job was less tedious than others." Yura replied, ignoring an abrupt twinge of pain.

"Which is why you assigned Kankuro to be your successor?" She asked.

"Well, that…" Feeling excruciating pain in his head, Yura almost stopped talking. "…and your brother is…" Sweating profusely, his steps slowed as he struggled to breathe through the incessant poking in his brain. "a very capable…" Ahhh! Yura groaned. A seal in his mind that he'd never known was there broke open the floodgates of memories he'd never known he lost…

Yura trailed off and came to a stop. Temari turned around and saw him clutching his head. "Yura-san, are you alright?!" She rushed back and took his arm. "Do you need to sit down?"

"Nothing; it's nothing at all." He waved her off, too distracted by memories of his former loyalties to fully pay attention to her. She wiped the sweat off his brow.

"You seem feverish…"

Yura waved her off, "I just haven't slept much. I'm okay right here." He leaned against the wall, belated remembering this was the building he lived in. "I live here," he reminded her. "I'll be fine." She turned away reluctantly. "Thank you for your concern." He called hoarsely after her. As her slow steps took her further away, Yura turned his thoughts inward. "I see…that's right."

*Kurinashi is something I made up from a combination of kuri(chestnut) and nashi(pear)

*If you've read "Three Months" by Kaotic 312, then you know what I'm talking about. If you have not (and I suggest that you do), there is a headcannon that one of the most basic drills in puppeteer training is cooking. Using the chakra strings to move all the ingredients about precisely and producing something delicious (and hopefully not poisonous) creates a perfect training ground for burgeoning puppeteers. I liked this idea so much I used it here, so go read that fic to make up for it!

*Nukenins = nuke + nin; missing ninja, like Zabuza or Itachi

~O.O~

Thank you for reading. I'm working hard on this, and constructive reviews would be nice….

but either way, I hope you enjoyed.

God bless,

~Ying~