They knocked on the door.

Gaara cocked up and looked at it.

"Come in!" he said.

The door opened and Shamo and Mekano walked in. Shamo was sad, looking down, feeling really guilty. She awedly looked up at her father and at... Shinki, who was lying in bed, his chest bandaged. The other cousins of hers were already in the room.

Gaara widened eyes.

"Shamo..." he quietly murmured.

Shinki gasped in fear and lent back at the wall.

Shamo noticed this and felt even more guilty, tiny tear appearing in her eye.

"I'm sorry..." she uttered.

Gaara raised both of his non-existent eyebrows, and then silently looked at Shinki.

Shinki looked down.

"I am sorry," he said.

Shamo widened eyes.

"What?!" she exclaimed, staring at the boy.

"I provoked you," Shinki answered, "I acted like a jerk..."

"No... It's not your fault!" Shamo cried, rushing up to his bed, "I... I mean... It happened because I couldn't hold my emotions... I was a jerk..." she sighed, looking down.

"No, you were not... You are nice... You are even better than you should be with the cursed chakra of two beasts inside you," Shinki replied, "After all, you have that eastern spirit, and also Shukaku's little chakra... I'm free from all that, so I should have been more careful".

"No. You were fine. I should have been more careful when I knew I had such hard heritage," Shamo answered, "It was my fault".

"It was none of your fault, but mine. I should have foreseen this, and avoided such outcome..." Gaara quietly cut in.

"Well, I think you fully deserve to become the next Kazekage... You easily defeated me... And you will be better protector to this village..." Shinki said to Shamo, and looked down, clearly being saddened, his heart sinking.

Both Shamo and Gaara widened eyes when heard this.

"But... Shinki, it was never meant to be..." Gaara murmured, surprisedly looking at his son.

Now Shinki got astonished.

"What do you mean?" he asked, "She's your direct daughter, isn't she? That means she has more rights to be the next Kazekage than I have!"

Shamo bitterly smiled.

"Shinki, dear, daddy's right - I was never meant to be a Kazekage..."

"Huh?" Shinki raised eyebrow in stupefaction.

"Since they locked Diyuma spirit inside me, I was destined to become next Lady of the Hidden Fir - the ruler of my village in the east..." Shamo smilingly explained, "We never were rivals, but allies from the start... I consider you the best candidate for Kazekage post, as you're very brave, and you have amazing leadership skills... Also, you're very protective, just like your father," she beamed. "I came here to the west for just a short time... Soon I will have to go back to my lands".

Shinki widened eyes in shock.

"So... So you never wanted to be a Kazekage?" he asked, being astonished.

"No, I didn't," Shamo softly giggled, "I already have my own path to follow. The path of Kazekage is yours, and yours only," she caressed him.

"Oh..." Shinki sighed, "I was so wrong... I guess I should have asked the details before coming to conclusions," he innocently grinned and scratched his head.

Shamo giggled. Shinki laughed too.

"Well then, peace, I guess?" Shinki chuckled and stretched out his hand.

"But you... you forgive me?" Shamo widened eyes in stupefaction.

"Sure," Shinki shrugged, as if not understanding why she even posed that question.

"I... I thought..." Shamo awedly looked down.

"Hey..." Shinki put his hand on her shoulder, "You're my sister. Siblings always forgive each other. You think it was easy for our uncle Kankuro and aunt Temari to handle a monster our father once was? But they always forgave him and cared for him. I will not shame their names," he said in a determined tone.

Shamo beamed gratefully.

"Well then, neither will I," and she hugged her little adoptive brother, "From now on, we will be the best brother and sister ever known to history!" she giggled, "After all, my mom and her siblings were really protective and caring towards one another too..."

"Yeah, that is our dignity," Shinki smiled.

Gaara beamed, watching his children get on with each other. He then caressed both of them.

"Huh?" they both looked up at him.

"I'm so proud to have you as my children," he said, and hugged them both.

"Hey! Don't forget about us!" Kaen exclaimed, and all of the Shin-Lin cousins dashed at Gaara, Shamo and Shinki, hugging them tightly. They all were laughing.

At least one big thing the Kazekage Clan of the west and the Shin-Lin Clan of the east had in common - their family bonds were strong and tight... and no monsters in their bloodline could ever break them...