Suzume thought that she'd have to admit it.

She was sitting on the porch in the backyard, or, as one of her teachers corrected her yesterday, the Kazekage's garden. Well. She looked from the hanging laundry on one side, to the tree, and finally the lone greenhouse on a coarse bed of sand. Not much of a garden.

Suzume finished her sparring practice for the day and the bits of straw from the makeshift dummies she'd practiced on were scattered across the area.

She took in a breath and rubbed her eyes.

She found it weird, too. She couldn't explain it either; why she slept for a week, unable to be awoken, then awake for the entirety of the successive week, or, why she couldn't stand the desert heat when it was practically a genetic trait to be heat resistant for Sand citizens, or why she spontaneously acquired a chakra system and taijutsu skills only a skilled Genin would have.

Even her answer to why animals were drawn to her was unsatisfactory: it was because they just didn't like anybody else.

Then there was this thing with the tree...

Suzume thought that she'd have to admit that she was a freak.

Of course, her brother never slept, but she supposed since it was known the anomaly was caused by his Tailed Beast nobody would be bothered. He had an answer to their question. Where was hers?

The sound of paws pattering on the wooden floor and Saya came out of the house to lay down next to her with its head in her lap.

"You can't get comfortable, Saya," Suzume said. "I can't be your owner."

Saya made a noise of rebuff and twisted onto her back to shove a paw into Suzume's face.

"I'll find you a good owner," Suzume promised around the paw. "You'll be happier away from here."

Saya grunted and resumed her napping position, blocking out Suzume's talk of leaving.

Suzume found herself gravitated to the grave under the maple. Her ever flat expression didn't falter and she pulled out a string from her pocket and played cat's cradle alone.

Temari stepped out of the door behind her, took a seat on the other side of Saya while munching on a Popsicle. She handed one to Suzume and she pocketed her string to accept it.

"We're going to fix it."

Suzume was caught off guard by the break in silence and she turned around to make sure she didn't imagine it. Temari was still serenely licking at her Popsicle and staring off into space and Suzume was coming to the conclusion she really didn't hear her speak when Temari spoke again.

"We're going to fix the hierarchy at the school. Gaara and Kankuro and I." Temari finished her treat and stuck the wooden stick in her mouth, using her teeth to lift it up and down.

Suzume stared widely at her sister, but after processing her words her unreadable mien returned and she faced forward again. "Okay."

"Shouldn't you be happy?" Temari said around the Popsicle stick.

"It's how things should be." A light breeze fluttered through them. "Everything just returned to normal."

Temari hummed in thought. "I suppose... but it couldn't hurt to be happy about it."

Saya took this time to stretch, stand, and trot back into the house. Temari was beginning to drift off into a daydream when Suzume spoke.

"I don't like them."

Temari didn't understand the sudden proclamation. "The aces?"

"I don't like any of them.

Temari sat up and removed the stick from her mouth, her eyebrows arching downward. "I thought you'd get along with the lows?

"No." Her sister's darkened eyes went out of focus. "I never have. They're bystanders. They've accepted the situation as much as the aces have."

An ominous sense of déjà vu prickled under Temari's skin and the Popsicle stick slipped out of her hands and clattered onto the ground. She turned fully to Suzume, gripping her shoulder. "Suzume, promise me you'll give them another chance."

Suzume stubbornly evaded Temari's gaze, her eyes fixated onto the grave at the foot of the tree. 

"Suzume!" Temari pressed urgently.

Suzume stood, effectively brushing off her sister's hand, and as she went back into the house replied with a clipped, "Fine."

On Saturday, Temari saw Suzume listen to her team captain's instructions, adding certain strategies here and there, and shout encouragements to the players along with the rest of the team (much to their surprise). Although the rest of the class was still wary, Temari heaved a sigh of relief.

She thought they'd be able to make the announcement next Tuesday if all went as planned. They were taking an extreme risk; not only was it a rushed attempt, but there was also no guarantee it'll be successful. And the way the aces would react was unpredictable.

Shiro has been a lot of help; because of her, Temari and the rest had a rough idea of what to do. 

"You'll talk to them?" Shiro couldn't believe what she just heard. "You're going to persuade the aces by talking to them?"

"That's the general idea, yeah," Kankuro said flippantly.

They were in Gaara's classroom and had just finished reading each sixth year's name off of a list and jotting down their strengths. For a while, all Shiro gave them were haughty comments about the person or else grunted thoughtlessly; but after she got the moodiness out of her system she cooperated and the whole thing went by smoothly.

"So this is where Suzume got her naivety from." Shiro was rethinking her life choices. "Please don't waste your time on something so stupid. It's not going to do anything."

"I disagree." They all turned to Gaara. He was as no-nonsense as he ever was. "I've been changed by words. I wouldn't be where I am today without them."

Temari and Kankuro beamed at him glowingly and their pride shot into the atmosphere.

Shiro rolled her eyes, fed up with everything. Such doting siblings. "That's because you're a pushover, Gaara-sen. These guys are different. Actions are the only way to convince them."

Gaara's eyes flashed. "Speaking, talking, those are actions too."

"Geh." Shiro said under her breath and readied herself for another one of Gaara's infamous, smothering lectures-- preaching she should say. He seems determined to replace Buddha with this Uzumaki Naruto he always mentions.

"Conveying something to another person isn't always about talking through fists; sometimes, it's harder to say what you mean than throw yourself into a fight and sometimes words are the only way to reach someone," Gaara finished.

"Remember that the next time you and Kankuro get into a fight," Temari smirked at Kankuro and he flipped her off.

"Of course," Gaara said, returning to the main topic, "I'm not discounting a spar's effectiveness on correcting character. We'll be willing to take on any challengers." The three teachers' eyes shadowed and Shiro suddenly felt the magnitude of the company she was with. All Jonin, the prospective leader of the Puppet Brigade, the instructor and overseer to all new shinobi recruits, and the jinchuuriki and might-as-well-be Kazekage.

If anybody can flip the entire culture of the shinobi, it would be these three. 

Shiro's had enough of dealing with this family.

The student threw her head back in an exaggerated groan. "Alright! Fine. Do whatever the hell you want."

_ _ _

Temari always found herself accompanying Gaara to the greenhouse in the afternoon recently. Funnily enough, she's taken up botany again and asked Gaara if she could grow some herbs in an empty plot. He'd readily agreed and the two of them were completely immersed into their study.

Setting aside a plant sample and her brush, Temari stretched her limbs and let out a yawn. She skimmed over the drawing she'd finished in her journal and then looked up at the sky.

"Gaara," she dipped her brush into water and rinsed it thoroughly, "I'm going to tuck in. It's gotten late."

"I'll go back inside after I've finished tending to this one." Gaara was ducked down, armed with a spray bottle in one hand and a pruner in the other, eyeing a rather small cactus.

Temari chuckled, "Alright. Don't lose track of time."

Temari ducked into the cold night air and shuffled to the back door. She kicked off her flip flops and slipped into her slippers, swiftly closing the door behind her.

What she walked into was a city of towering boxes. Sheets covered the floor and the furniture as the dusty, and some moldy, boxes were shoved into the living and the hallway. Temari maneuvered her way around the stacks.

"Suzume?" she guessed, since nobody else in the house would do this. "Where'd all of these come from?"

"I'm reorganizing the basement," came the answer from downstairs. "I needed something to do."

"Uh," Temari checked the clock. "It's almost twelve."

"Tomorrow's Sunday, we don't have school."

"Get to bed," she barked, ignoring the excuse. She finally managed to get to the door leading down to the basement, more boxes hindered the walkway down. "Finish this in the morning."

Temari bumped into a stack and she lunged for the boxes before they fell to the floor. She landed a bit awkwardly and the box's top flew off on the impact.

"Temari?" Suzume's voice said.

"I'm fine," she lifted herself onto her knees. "I just had a clumsy moment. Anyways, get to bed!"

"I got it."

Temari moved to grab the cover of the box when her hand stopped above it.

Karura's Effects

Temari's mouth went dry and it felt like forever as she turned to look at the inside of the box.

The musty smell of being kept in the dark, damp basement wafted into the air from within it. The inside had a worn out floral pattern and it was tidily filled with tapes and yellowing journals.

Temari seized the lid and shoved it on then seized the box and got to her feet. She danced on her heels for a moment, looking through the city of boxes to see if there were any more of the same she was holding. When she found none, she took off to her room and once she was there, she placed the box on her table and took a step back. Now, for some reason, she didn't want to have a single hand on it.

The box was aged. It emitted something nostalgic... and... warm. She drank it in.

"I shouldn't want you." Her face scrunched up and tears began to leak out of her eyes fervently. She cursed under her breath and willed the tears to stop, rubbing away at them and gritting her teeth.

Temari's always felt like she was betraying Gaara by longing for their mother.

She shouldn't be caught up with the past and the dead.

But she was still gravitated to the box and she forced herself to stop crying. Let this be her way of washing her hands of her guilt. She's going to move on.

After this. She'll move on after this.

She pulled out the first journal and flipped to the first page. It was dated back when her mother was eighteen.

How can the future Kazekage be such an awkward dork? If giving me a handshake and talking about shinobi ethics is his way of courting me I shouldn't hold my breath for anything better.

Temari cringed, "C'mon, dad." Then she giggled and continued to read fervently.

The more she read, the more her mother seemed to warm up to her father and by the details, her father was also becoming enthralled with her mother. She wrote of her determination to support him as the Kazekage's wife and to succeed in any responsibilities it entailed. Apparently she was a force to be reckoned with among the council.

And then came the days of Karura's pregnancy. She wrote that she was scared but it was a good scared and Rasa was trying his best to support her.

Rasa began to hover. He won't let me as much as lift up a feather. It was cute at first, but then it got annoying. Yashamaru's helped me ward him off whenever I needed space. My two boys... This child will be so loved.

Temari lingered on the next passage.

I overheard Rasa arguing with Chiyo-sama again. Something about a Tailed Beast and sealing it. He's adamantly refusing but the pressure from the council and the elders is getting to him. I don't want my child to suffer from this and I know Rasa will protect them.

The following was dated with her date of birth.

August 23rd

She's so beautiful.

Tape twenty-one, it said below and Temari rummaged around in the box to find it and opened her closet to find her cassette player. Plugging in both the tape and her earphones, she played the tape. She gulped as it whirred and jolted, waiting eagerly to hear the voices of the past.

"Try holding her, Yashamaru."

"I couldn't, ne-san!"

"Go on."

A bit of shifting and shuffling, and then a silence.

"She looks just like you," said a tear-choked voice.

"Are you crying?"

"I'll protect you and Temari with my life, ne-san."

A blank skip.

"Come on, Tema-chan. Say okaa-san. O-kaa-san."

A string of babbles and laughter.

"Aw, I love your giggle!"

The tape stopped running and Temari returned to the journal.

He got me pregnant again.

Temari snorted. She could feel the exasperation from her mother's written words.

Her smile slid off soon after.

They're arguing again.

October 1st

I'm so blessed to have such healthy children. I've never been so happy.

December 16th

Rasa looks sad whenever he thinks he's alone. He heaves such heavy sighs they could've stirred up a tsunami. I want to help him... perhaps I should swallow my fears. This child... no matter what, they'll be loved.

January 11th

I approached Elder Chiyo today without Rasa's nor Yashamaru's knowledge. She told me she's always thought I was a brazen brat. She told me my smiling face always got on her nerves. But she also told me that she respected me and how accepting something like this was no light matter. I knew all of this and I'm not rejecting the facts, but I'm also not going into this to die. I'm going to survive this and I'm not going to leave my children behind.

January 16th

My beautiful Temari. Tape fifty-two.

My beautiful Kankuro. Tape fifty-three.

My beautiful Gaara. Tape fifty-four.

Temari picked up the tape with her name on it and studied it with bloodshot eyes. The birds were chirping outside her window and the weak sun beams fell into her room.

"You wouldn't have left us these if you were sure you weren't going to die, kaa-san."

. . .

Temari laid three tapes onto the table in front of Kankuro and he looked curiously up at her after noticing that one had his name, one had Temari's, and the last had Gaara's.

"What're these?"

"Our mother's letters to us."

Kankuro almost leapt out of his skin and instead of looking at his tape, his eyes locked onto Gaara's. "This... she made it before she gave birth."

Temari confirmed his words with a nod, although it was unnecessary.

"Don't give it to him." Kankuro pushed the tape back toward Temari frantically. "Don't give it to him, Temari."

"Is it really our choice to make, Kankuro?"

"You showed it to me because you wanted to hide it, because you wanted me to agree," Kankuro was getting caught up in his emotions, "and I do. You can't give it to him. It's just going to hurt him."

"Kankuro, isn't it time for us to move on?" Temari asked pleadingly. "Hasn't all of this haunted us for too long?"

"There's no guarantee this will heal us," he said. "We're doing so well right now, Temari. We can't let the past ruin everything."

"So," Temari's fingers gathered into fists, "we should just forget it?"

Kankuro reached out to gather the tapes, "I'll get rid of these."

Temari's hands shot out and stopped his with a firm grip. "No, I'll do something about it." She felt him sizing her up. "I won't give it to him. I swear."

He withdrew his hands. "Okay."

_

Suzume was still digging through the basement. She'd underestimated how expansiveness it was.

Something glinted in the foreground and Suzume waded her way toward it. It was a sword.

Suzume lifted the scabbard and tested the weight in her hand, the way it fit into her grip. She pulled the blade out of the casing and after examining the dullness of the metal, encased it again with a sharp click.

She sensed Temari leaving the dining room where she'd been with Kankuro for a while and swiftly headed out of the basement to run into her on the first floor.

"Temari."

Temari didn't turn to face her immediately. "Yeah?"

Suzume lifted the sword, practically shoved it into Temari's line of sight in her excitement. "Can I have it?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," she said.

Suzume looked satisfied, eyeing the sword in anticipation. Temari's hand grasped her by the shoulder unexpectedly and she was pulled along.

"T-temari?" Suzume stuttered. She was propelled unceremoniously into a secret servant hallway and led deeper into the corridor. "What's going on?"

Instead of answering, Temari pulled her up a flight of stairs and then into another hidden door that led into the Tatami matted room. 

"Where's Kankuro?" Temari asked while feeling up a wall.

"Huh?"

"Kankuro," Temari repeated testily. "Where is he?"

"Still in the dining room," Suzume told her.

Temari finally found what she was searching for and a part of the wall swung open. "In here."

She followed obediently and Temari closed the door. They were standing in a dusty storage room and Suzume made a mental note to clean it up when she had the chance, but her attention snapped back onto Temari when she shoved something into her free hand.

"Keep these for me," her sister beseeched, a rare moment of desperation appearing in her eyes and her grip on her hand over the object tightened. "Please."

Suzume looked down at what was given to her once Temari extracted her hands. They were tapes, each with a number and a name on them. Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, each of them said. "But these are yours."

Suzume lifted her eyes up onto Temari again and she saw her sister's inner turmoil in the way she held back her tears.

"Please..." Temari said. "Keep them."

"Until when?"

"Until..." Temari bit down on her bottom lip.

Suzume didn't say anything for a time. Then she walked past her sister and opened the door leading outside. "I guess this is a secret from Kankuro and Gaara-sama."

Temari hung her head

"I'll keep them safe," Suzume promised and left Temari alone.

One Hour Later

"Suzume, you need to give them back after all!" Temari bellowed.

Suzume blinked passively at her. "But you gave them to me to keep."

"That is...! I mean...! A spur of the moment...! I was all... emotional...! It was a mistake!" she finally managed out.

Suzume went back to washing the dishes. "You're going to have to live with your mistake."

"Suzume!"