I need time to think. I'm fine, don't come looking for me.

-Suzume

"Let's go after her," was Kankuro immediate reaction, antsy on his feet.

"I think we should give her space." Temari lowered the note onto the dining table, her voice and every movement sluggish with ingrained fatigue.

"She has tails on her, jan," her brother said, his pacing started to wear a trail in the floor. "This is the perfect moment, jan. They're sure to act on it, jan."

"Calm down, Kankuro." The blonde crossed her arms, closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "You're relapsing."

"They changed members abruptly after the field trip," Gaara steepled his hands in front of him pensively. "Now, there are fewer but more skilled ones trailing her. It was a precaution, they're being cautious. They won't be taking any risks."

"So, what?" Kankuro finally took a seat. "We just leave her?"

"For now." The redhead's hands collapsed into each other into a more casual position on the table.

Kankuro twiddled his thumbs. "Okay... Okay. Then let's talk about you, Temari."

Temari didn't move but she could feel Kankuro's gaze burn into her skin. Her lips twitched. Always worrying.

"Listen to this," she spread her arms, her head still tilted back. "This will make you bust a gut."

Her brothers stared at her; they couldn't have looked more blasé.

"Me. Kazekage." She pointed at herself. "Laughable, isn't it?"

Kankuro straightened in his seat. "They approached you already?"

"I'm surprised they waited this long. I came of age a while ago."

"You didn't get into any trouble, did you?" Gaara asked.

Temari finally opened her eyes, looking straight up at the ceiling. "They threatened me with Suzume."

"Huh?!" Kankuro snarled, snapping to attention.

Gaara assumed a grave face. "It was inevitable."

Temari pulled herself up and released her pigtails to let her hair fall free to her shoulders. "And I saw Baki right after, like he flew there just to rub it into my face."

"I should've stayed behind with you." Kankuro stood up again, too restless to sit still.

"All they want is a figurehead." She rubbed the crook of her neck. "Too bad none of us really fit the mold."

Kankuro cracked a sour smirk. "And after all that effort to raise us appropriately, am I right?"

Temari snickered under her breath.

"Temari." She looked up to Gaara's fixed and sincere gaze. "The position would've gone to the firstborn. I'm sorry you have to give up your birthright for my sake."

"By all means, take it! It's all yours!" Temari grinned. "I should be thanking you for taking it off my hands. I feel liberated."

They shared an understanding before Gaara redirected the conversation. "The politics will be commencing soon. We need to settle the current situation as much as possible, enough that we won't be attacked on two fronts."

"It depends on Suzume," Kankuro interjected. "We should take her opinion into account."

"And if she wants to leave?" Temari hoped Kankuro had the answer.

He shrunk at the possibility but soon shook himself out of it. "That won't happen."

Temari wasn't so sure.

_ _ _

The entirety of the fabric store was shoved outside, covered in a sheet of plastic to keep the dust and sand out from the many rolls of textile. Konata stood dazed as Suzume scurried around her, dusting, sweeping, and washing down the floors and walls until they shone.

"Suzume-chan—can I have a moment?"

Suzume was violently beating the rug on a clothes line outside and Konata had to retreat inside to escape the billowing dust.

"Ah, Suzume—"

Suzume was teetering on a ladder changing out the lightbulbs. Poor Konata fumbled with the dozen or so lightbulbs the girl passed her.

"Suzume-chan, wait—"

The little girl somehow managed to bring every piece of merchandise and furniture back inside and Konata hasn't seen the place so clean.

"Suzume-chan." She finally stopped her in the kitchen.

"I'll brew some tea." The girl pulled out the kettle and went to fill it with water. "If you can show me where the laundry room is, I can do the washing while the dinner is cooking."

Konata's eyes snapped onto the food heating up in the oven. When did that happen?

Suzume poured the spoonful of dried leaves into the pot and turned on the fire.

Konata set a firm grip on her shoulder, partly because she didn't want to lose her again in another fit of housework. "Sit down for a second."

Suzume wiped her hands on her apron and was guided to the rickety table two steps away. The old lady settled herself across from her and Suzume didn't meet her eyes.

"As happy as I am to see you," Konata said at once, "why are you here? Did you get kicked out?"

"No," Suzume said hastily. "It's not that."

"Did you leave on your own?"

"Yes."

"Will you tell me why?"

Suzume traced the wood grain on the table with her eyes. "I just needed to get away for a while." She inclined her head. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Konata's chest rose in a weary breath and she let it out gently, considering the baleful girl. So many things she wanted to say to her. So many things she wanted to ask. Suzume deserved to know. It was her history, her culture.

Konata smiled warmly. Despite the temptation, she settled with saying something else. "No inconvenience. How could I complain when I have someone doing the chores for me? Is it your way to cope?"

Suzume bit her bottom lip. "I guess."

The old lady watched her lifelessly picking at the fraying hem of the aging apron.

She reached out and caressed Suzume's hair. "You've done so well."

Suzume whipped her head up to look at Konata and the lady gave her a dazzling smile. "I'm proud of you."

The teapot came to a boil and Konata extracted herself from the seat to tend to the whistling pot. "Though, I'm probably not the one you want to hear that from."

Suzume stared at the woman's back as she went about preparing the tea. Before she could find anything to say, there was a knock on the door.

"Would you get that?" Konata scrutinized the empty container of sugar cubes. "It looks like I'll have to refill this."

Once Suzume opened the door, she was greeted by a disgruntled Shiro.

"Thought you'd be here." Her friend shoved passed her and into the house without an invitation.

After exchanging formalities with the shopkeeper, Shiro led Suzume outside to hang out on the back step. Konata stopped by to drop off a tray of tea and cookies and there were no longer any interruptions that intruded on their time together.

Half of the food was nibbled on while the girls spent silent company, gazing out at the darkening sky and the lights sparking on in the homes around the shop. The sunsets always lingered longer during the summer, the sun reluctant to be tucked into bed.

Suzume let the question slip out of her mouth. "What should I do, Shiro?"

"Give up," Shiro replied readily and candidly. She chewed on the rice cracker obnoxiously. "Live a normal civilian life away from the Kazekage household. Find a decent man and get married, have children. Die old."

"I'm eleven."

Shiro chuckled, reaching for her teacup. "I'm looking too far ahead, aren't I?"

Suzume gave her a quick analysis. "Is that what you want?"

Shiro snapped around to look at her, almost allowing the fragile china slip out of her hand. An unsettled glint entered her eyes. "What?"

"What you just said," the girl sitting beside her clarified, "is it what you want?"

Shiro sat frozen on the step, staring incredulously at Suzume. She bowed her head and scoffed. "Yeah, I guess."

She threw back her head and sighed. "Ah~ah. Dreams will be dreams after all."

"Why do you want to be a shinobi, Shiro?"

"I don't." Shiro frowned into the cup rim. "My mom wants me to be, but I guess I take more after my dad."

Suzume let the conversation die and the rest of the sunset was viewed in a hush.

It was well after seven when Suzume said her 'goodnights' to her friend. She held the bag of leftovers from dinner as Shiro bent down to fix the heel of her shoe.

"I'll stand by you no matter what choice you make," Shiro told her, the leftovers changing hands. "But I think giving up is best for you."

Suzume didn't respond and watched Shiro leap onto the rooftops and vanish from sight. The narrow ally in which the shop entrance leaded was dark and the little river of stars above her was the only light offered in the night.

Shivering, the brunette rubbed her arms and ducked back into the shop.