Later that year, the two were still arguing. The difference now: they found purpose for hanging out this way. They saw the pleasure in the other's eyes when they were debating with each other. These events made them happy and they enjoyed life when they were with each other.

And their happiness carried through the rest of the day. When Temari and Kankuro would come to pick their little brother up, they would find that he was skipping down the street of people who despised him. When they would arrive at the Kazekage's mansion, he would pass his father's office timidly, bow as a formal greeting, then hop to his room. The only thing for them was one question: why?

About two years after he started the Academy, they started to become very curious Gaara's change in attitude. The two older siblings, however, did not actually bother to find out until another two years later when they went up earlier than usual to possibly see this cause. When they arrived at the Academy, the bell rang for dismissal and the many kids ran out making a thin cloud of sand, but they could not see Gaara in the crowd of screaming kids. So they went in to ask the instructor.

To their amazement, they saw he was actually talking to someone, and not just anyone, but he girl with violet eyes whom they had rescued so many years ago. She had a gift.

"Gaara, we must be going now," Temari called to her younger brother.

He looked around shocked until he saw that it was his sister calling to him. He quickly said a few last words then went to join his siblings bound for home. He was still excited, they were just finishing up a big conversation on battle formations and even got to talking about how they themselves would attack and back each other up. He was more a mid-range fighter with his sand while she did better with weapons and traps. So their main attack formation would be her setting up paper bombs and other wires for traps while he would lure them into it.

"Gaara, are you listening to anything I'm asking you?" Temari was talking again but Gaara had not heard any of these questions. The only reason why Temari bothered asking for Gaara's attention is because he looked lost in thought, but in a happy way for once. He had this toothless grin while his eyes were dotting left in right in a very concentrated thought. When she asked, he finally looked up from his train of thought.

"Oh, sorry, Temari. I was thinking about school. What were you asking?"

"I was wondering how you were liking school because by that smile of yours, you seem to enjoy it."

"Oh yes! I am quite enjoying it! I've actually made a... a... acquaintance, I guess." He started to look a little shy when he talked about this "acquaintance" of his because he started looking down at his feet again, yet he was still smiling as I the thought of this person pleased him. His siblings had not seen a smile like this since he had deep conversations with their uncle, Yashimeru, but ever since he had tried to kill Gaara under their father's orders, Gaara never brought up the subject.

"Hm, so is this 'acquaintance' of yours the one you were talking to before you left?" This time it was their brother Kankuro who spoke up to ask. Usually, questions for Gaara were discriminated, but he seemed harmless to do anything to them right now in his happy state.

"Yes, brother."

"Are you going to tell us her name?"

"Oh, yes. Her name is Hinata."

This whole conversation about her they thought would be good and exciting one as he went into all the details about her winning nearly every fight. He of course also had to mention the debates and conversations they had had ever so many times. The two older siblings thought it good and informational to know what was going on in school and also to know he'd made a friend. However they also thought it might be dangerous for him. She *was* a Hyuga as the two of them and their father well knew. They held all this information to themselves, that Suna was potentially holding. A Hyuga hostage but in those terms, sounds threatening. So they hide it. Only they were the ones that knew her true lineage besides her adopted parents so they could watch over we accurately. But with being a Hyuga, if she figured out how to use her Byakugan, she could be life-threatening to many including Gaara if she could not control it precisely. Oh, they couldn't stand seeing their youngest brother hurt, even if he is called the "demon of the sand."

"She's been a blessing, hasn't she, Kankuro? She's made Gaara so much happier and he seems... much more approachable." Temari and her younger brother Kankuro were in a study room together talking. They had initially intended in doing sorts of studies of jutsus, but they got carried in a conversation together. They were close siblings in fact.

"You're right sis. Though his classmates might not see it, I'd be glad to be partnered up with him in battle any day."

"Oh definitely! I never would have wanted to be his enemy, and I remember that's why I wouldn't talk to him, so I'd be sure I wasn't his enemy by saying something wrong."

"Yeah, I did too. I felt bad, I wish I could've known how to just, be around him. I'm his older brother and I was scared of my own young her brother. That's just wrong! But that'd Hinata definitely has something special that not even you have sis."

"Yeah, you right," Temari admitted. Just about now, Gaara walked by hoping to get some advice from his siblings when he heard them talking. He decided to listen.

"I never really expected her to be emotionally well, more better as a ninja like dad was thinking with her Byakugan."

'Byakugan...?' Gaara thought as he heard the word. It sounded so foreign.

"Yeah, but she doesn't even know about it. She hasn't even figured out her own real lineage," he heard his elder brother say to his eldest sibling. He knew the two of them were close, but it seems sort of strange for them to be talking about someone without them knowing, but who in all of Sunagakure could it be?

"Yeah, the Hyuga's are powerful. Being able to see a ninja's chakra points and basically being able to shut them down in a fight with one blow. It's incredible!"
"Definitely. Never wanna make a Hyuga angry."

"Ha! You say they like you have experience with making people angry," his sister half laughed half yelled at his brother.

"Well you know I do sis. How many times have you nearly beaten me for making a comment on your hair?"

"That's so very true." There was an odd sense of either taunt or pride in her voice, but Gaara couldn't tell for sure. He never got "quality time" with his siblings.

"Yeah... but do you really think Hinata could get mad that easily? Or really want to attack someone? Especially Gaara."

The sound of his name in concern brought delight to his ears, but it was brought down when he realize they seemed to be talking bad about his friend. His only friend!

"I don't know, Kankuro. But as an extra precaution, we need to make sure they are separated somehow. Especially for squads after they graduate the Academy."

"If they're in the same squad together, that could only put him more at risk, or the other way around. If he gets out of control, only Dad lets us stop him."

"Yeah but it's tough without him. But we have to go tell Dad about what we thought of so he can tell the instructors at the Academy." They started heading out of the room but they saw that their youngest brother was, unfortunately, peeking through the door crack. He slowly backed away from the door to let it open.

Temari and Kankuro stared at their brother, not in fear for once, but with pitiful eyes. They knew that he must really be suffering with the village's treatment, and even theirs at many times, but it was for thee safety of the village, so their father had told them.

Gaara stared back with blank eyes of shock and hurt. 'No, Hinata could not be so evil to do that, she couldn't be. She's so... innocent.'

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT ABOUT HER! She's my only friend and you know it! Why can't I have one thing, just one thing, that I can be happy with?! You... you..." He was at a loss for words on what he could say to his own siblings, his own brother and sister, for calling his friend evil. He wanted to shout at them that she was the sweetest person in the world, the only one who even attempted to be his friend, the only other person to comfort him. All he actually did though was show a few tears and run to his room without another sound.

Temari and Kankuro did not know how they were ever supposed to make it up to him. They still thought it was the only way they could help protect him if she could do the worst, so they went to the Kazekage's office. But as they walked down the dreary hallways, they thought the same, strange thought about just now as they looked at each other and said, almost telepathically, 'No Shukaku...'