A/N: I don't own Naruto or its characters, but I do own what I'm writing. This is part of my "Inside the Sand" project. I'm doing a collection of Sand Siblings one-shots, so here's Kankurou becoming a sensei.

Enjoy~

.

.

Out of all of them, Kankurou figured he was the worst with kids.

Not that it was entirely his fault.

All his life, the first son of the 4th Kazekage had had bad experiences with children. It didn't help that he had been raised as an adult since the day his mother died, which he didn't even remember because he had been so young. Yondaime - that old bastard - had expected his oldest children to be able to take care of themselves. And because of that, Temari and Kankurou had leaned on each other for support for as far as their memories went back. Even if their relationship had been rocky at first, they still helped the other up when they fell.

Not only that, but...he had grown up with a psychotic murderer of a brother. Or at least, that's what Kankurou had once thought of Gaara (not that he had been wrong). He and his otouto had a very close connection nowadays, but back then...their days consisted of threats, fear, and dangerous distrust. Kankurou would be the first to admit that he had longed for a better bond with Gaara back then, but that had been out of the question given the circumstances.

Kankurou had been the son of the Kazekage, the brother of a killer, and related to the girl who struck terror in people's hearts. But that did not stop bullies from ganging up on him almost daily. Kankurou had grown up a fighter.

He didn't need people his age. They were all cruel, anyway.

His only friends for a long time had been Temari - when she wasn't training - and the puppets he began to make: the puppets he fights with today. It was a style he had to teach himself because the pros refused to mentor a boy who was associated with Sabaku no Gaara.

Kankurou had hated kids for a very long time.

Even after his family had built their unbreakable bonds and become the best of friends, a family, Kankurou refused to get close to children. He had been taught to punch back when a blow was aimed even remotely in his direction. He had been taught to hate those tiny fingers that pulled his hair, clawed his face, and those pudgy feet that kicked his shins and belly.

But damn that brother of his, Gaara just loved to mess him.

.

.

"No fucking way."

"There aren't enough. Temari doesn't have time," Gaara explained in the monotone voice he always used. "She's in charge of planning the Chuunin Exams each year. And I'm-"

"-The Kazekage, I know," Kankurou groaned, taking a seat in the guest chair in the office. "But seriously? You know this isn't something I can do, Gaara."

When he heard nothing, Kankurou lifted his gaze to meet those green eyes that held only respect and love. Gaara spoke then, and Kankurou understood that there was no wriggling his way out of this one.

"Would I ask you to do something that I knew you couldn't handle, Kankurou?"

.

.

Kankurou scowled at the scribbly list in his hand.

He sat on a rock with one leg crossed over the other, his scrolls piled carefully on the sand next to him. The sun was beating down on the desert, as usual, acting as a nuisance to everyone in Suna. Not a cloud was in sight, making the heat more pronounced and irritating. In the distance, Kankurou noticed a vulture dipping past the barrier wall. Today was just gorgeous, Kankurou thought sarcastically, with the shitty weather, the birds that fed on carcasses, and three pairs of wide eyes staring up at him expectantly.

"Don't you get hot wearing all black?"

"No."

"Why?"

Kankurou cocked a brow at the kid. "I use puppets in battle, so because I have to focus my chakra differently than everyone else, it's thinner. It means my body temperature doesn't rise as easily as yours does."

"That's pretty cool," the boy said, grinning. "I wish I could do that!"

Kankurou tilted his head slightly. "Yeah, well, first you have to learn how to use chakra at all."

Kazu, the hyperactive of the three, who hadn't shut up since he arrived, got to his feet and held up a fist. "I can do that! I'll surpass you, Sensei!"

Damnit Gaara.

So here Kankurou was, being introduced to the little punks who he was supposed to train until they passed the Chuunin Exams. Which could be months. Maybe years if they suck. Yippee.

He had already discovered that Kazu, a loud, obnoxious boy with dark, messy hair, and a uniform of mostly earthly-tones, was a complete handful. He had absolutely no talent in ninjutsu (according to the midget himself) and his hips were strapped with way too many kunai. If anything, he was kind of amusing to watch, but Kankurou was concerned about how long he might last in battle.

Another boy, Yuji, was the complete opposite. He seemed incredibly intelligent, but also quiet, almost shy. He kept to himself, speaking only in short sentences when asked a question. Kankurou decided this was what elders would call a 'genius'. He had white hair, black eyes, and a high-collared shirt. He was already incredibly skilled in both weaponry and ninjutsu, according to the file provided.

Then there was the girl, Midori. She was cute, for a brat, with short, blonde hair and a big smile. As for her information, she was supposed to be fairly good at creating Sand Clones and was improving faster in her kekkei genkai much faster than she was in weaponry. But she, too, gave the distinct impression that she was smart. Kankurou figured she was a part of this team to keep one guy in his place and the other from being a loner.

Damnit Gaara, damnit Gaara, damnit Gaara-

"So, anything I should know about you all?" Kankurou asked, completely uninterested but at least he was trying.

And of course, Kazu shouted first, "I'm going to be Kazekage!"

By the end of the day, all Kankurou had learned was that apparently Naruto had a long lost brother who had made his way into his mentoring. So his team consisted of that Naruto-lookin' ass, an introverted nerd, and a single socially-competent girl who was probably the only one Kankurou even slightly liked. What the hell was this?!

Damnit Gaara.

.

.

"If I got a boyfriend and started helping out with the Chuunin Exams, could I skip teaching like Temari?"

"And where would they go, Kankurou?" his brother mumbled, sipping his tea as he signed his name on yet another piece of paper with random crap from the Council printed on it. "We have no other mentors currently."

Kankurou crossed his arms and sat back in his seat. "That doesn't answer my question."

"It wasn't supposed to."

He huffed loudly. "One of those brats is scarily like Naruto. I'll age like ten years within the next five days, he's that bad."

Gaara looked like he wanted to smirk but he didn't; just kept that deadpan expression as always.

"He wants to be Kazekage. And he can't do ninjutsu for shit. Now that I think about it, he really is a second Naruto. You know how to handle the Loud Hokage, you take the kid," he suggested.

Gaara set down his pen and stared Kankurou straight in the eye. "You are unbelievably stubborn."

"I already know I'm not getting out of this," he grumbled, looking away awkwardly. "Stupid Temari, having a busier job than me and not having to be here."

"I'll tell you what," the Kazekage said slowly. "If you can make that child a 'genius', you will never have to teach again. I'll find someone to take your place as soon as he is a Chuunin."

That was a lot of talking for Gaara.

Meaning he truly meant it.

Kankurou smiled from ear to ear. "You mean like Rock Lee, huh? You want this kid to become a Genius of Hard Work?" Hi dipped his head and grinned even wider. "...I think I can do that much."

.

.

Two weeks later, Kankurou realized this was going to be way harder than he had initially thought.

Because now, here he was, helping Midori pull out a whole bunch of cactus needles from Kazu's clothes and skin while he winced, biting back tears. Actually, the weirdo was smirking.

"I totally destroyed that thing!"

"You totally crushed the cactus under your butt, yes," Midori sighed, tugging a thorn from the tip of his nose.

Kankurou rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that cactus will never threaten another human being as long as it sits there in a puddle of it's own pulp."

"You think?"

When his sensei gave him an odd look, Kazu smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, flinching when more spines scraped against his scalp. "I was just joking..."

"Were you really?" Midori wondered aloud, exasperation in her gaze.

Yuji was a few feet away. He had tried to help a little, but two people were more than enough to remove all of the needles, so he had decided to just stay out of the way. He was shaking his head timidly in disbelief at what he was hearing. He stopped, however, when his hair got caught on the handle of the katana strapped to his back.

Kankurou rolled his eyes again. Lord.

When Kazu was free of his thorns, he stood immediately, usual attitude right back in place. "So where are we going now, Kankurou-sensei?!"

Kankurou shuffled to his feet as well, muttering a swear under his breath. He turned to the three brats and placed his hands on his sides, trying to look like he had an ounce of authority.

It was going to be yet another long day...

.

.

"The kid brutally murdered a cactus today."

Gaara frowned to himself, like he thought that was the most depressing thing he had ever heard.

.

.

The time he'd had with the little ninjas was becoming a full month.

In between being the Kazekage's body guard at meetings, attending those meetings, filling out documents, training the dork-squad, taking care of human needs that one required to actually survive such as eating and drinking (he had to force himself not to turn to alcohol), Kankurou was exhausted. Gaara seemed to be taking notice and offered alternative ideas that would earn him more napping time, but he was politely declined.

When Kankurou set his mind to something, he followed through with it.

So, as usual, he woke up early, dragged himself out of bed sluggishly and dressed himself, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed out the door, not bothering to brush his hair. He simply placed the black cloth over it, like he always did, and made his way down the cobbled street. He finished tying the white ribbon around his waist and re-positioned the load on his back so it was more comfortable.

Kankurou leaned against the wall at the location they were supposed to meet and...

"Kankurou-sensei~"

He blinked his eyes rapidly, jumping slightly as Kazu's face came into his fuzzy vision. "Don't do that!" he half-yelled, straightening his back. Yes, he had accidentally dozed off, but that did not give the brat the right to scare him awake.

"Are you alright, Sensei?" Midori asked softly, concern in her eyes.

Kankurou frowned guiltily at her. "You kids wear me out. Now come on, we have a mission."

"What class?" Yuji asked, burying his hands in his pockets.

"C-rank," their teacher answered, yawning and scratching his head. "Meaning you'll probably have to fight a little. There's evidence of a rouge shinobi to the east, just on the border. The Kazekage decided it would be a good assignment for us, with you three being inexperienced but still pretty strong." Actually, Kankurou had requested this one, and Gaara hadn't given less of a shit about what he did because he was asking at about 2:00 in the morning.

"YES~" Everyone glanced expectantly at Kazu. "Now I can prove my worth to everyone!"

"It's only a C-rank mission, Kazu," Midori told him, words laced venomously with annoyance. Then she shook her head and smiled at him. "But if anyone can do it, it's you."

Kankurou had neglected to say a word as he watched them interact. He was still bad at this whole "sensei deal" and did his best to give them space. So he spun on his heel and began heading toward the exit of Sunagakure. "Let's go."

He said nothing as the heard of twelve-and-thirteen-year-olds pounded after him enthusiastically, hammering him for details and rambling about how excited they were.

.

.

Everything was wrong.

Everything was so, so wrong.

"Kankurou-sensei!"

He twisted in the air to catch sight of Yuji, his white hair stained with a streak of red. His katana was clenched in his hand so tightly that his knuckles were pale. Kankurou gritted his teeth. "Where are the other two?" he shouted over the wind pounding in his ears.

A shaking hand pointed in the direction of the giant sand mound that faded into some trees as Wind Country met neighboring territory. Chakra extended from his fingertips, reconnecting with Karasu a few feet below him. Kankurou landed hard, stumbling slightly, and turned to Yuji.

"I want to you to stay here. Move an inch and I'll have you filling out my papers for me. And trust me, you don't want that."

He nodded, eyes wide, and his teacher took off for the dune. More chakra spiraled at the bottom of his feet, a technique all Sand Shinobi used to move faster over the terrain. He pushed his body to act as fast as physically possible, listening for signs of his other two students.

This is not a C-rank, kept running through his mind.

With a puff of smoke, Karasu disappeared, being replaced with a weapon Kankurou only used when protecting someone important.

This is not a C-rank. This is not a C-rank.

It occurred to him that this would have been much easier if he didn't have three naive children with him. They were far too young to be dealing with this, not ready, and if they died, it would be his fault. And there was no damn way he was going to let that happen. Yuji had to get home to his family and older brother. Midori had to meet up with that friend of hers who was visiting from Iwa. Kazu had to become a 'genius', he had to become Kazekage when Gaara resigned one day.

They had too much.

He wasn't about to let them lose it.

His Sasori Puppet, Scorpion, ambushed the two rouges on the other side of the mound. It was easy, only lasted a moment or so, and Kankurou was onto the next set of ninja.

Kankurou hated kids.

Or at least...he used to.

He had been raised to despise them; nothing good had ever come from children. They took, they kept, and they ruined. Hell, he had even been disgusted with the fact that he had once been referred to as a child, always by his father, always to belittle him. He loathed the small hands that had always done so much damage to he and his family.

But these three...

There!

Releasing Scorpion so his hands were free, Kankurou reached out and roughly wrapped an arm around Midori, his other grasping Kazu. Both seemed slightly injured, but otherwise all right.

With a heavy sigh of relief, Kankurou did a double-take on the way he had come, leaping into the air to gain distance. Adrenaline sent his legs moving with abandon, scaling the hill once more at top speed.

"This is not a C-rank!" one of the brats screamed in his ear.

"Bite me!" Kankurou shouted back, feeling a small cut on his cheek let loose a drop of blood, mixing with the purple paint. "It was supposed to be, so bite me! You're okay, we're all okay, we're going home!"

When they reached Yuji at the base of the ridge, Kankurou dumped his pupils onto the ground with him. They were gasping for breath, but for some reason, all of them were grinning widely up at him.

Before Kankurou could ask why, he heard voices behind them, and he addressed the trio formally. "We're getting out of here. Ice cream's on me."

.

.

"Two chocolate, one strawberry, one chocolate chip," was he said tiredly as he slapped down the cash. "Keep the change, make it as quick as you can."

Less than minute later, Kankurou was handing the cones to each of his kids. Their bloody, bruised, and weary appearances had probably been what had driven the lady to get their orders so fast.

"Ok, Midori, here's your strawberry," he muttered from memory, passing it out to her. "Yuji, chocolate chip. And Kazu, here's your's."

"Thanks, Sensei!"

"Whatever...," was he got out as he, too, indulged in his comfort dessert.

.

.

When Temari opened the door to her home, all she could picture was her bed. Her trip from Konoha had proven exhausting and it had been about a month and a half since she had departed.

Propping her iron fan against the wall beside the doorway and kicking off her worn sandals, she turned and almost squeaked. And Sabaku no Temari did not squeak.

What the hell did I miss?

She heard a tiny cough, like someone was trying to get her attention. The dim light in the kitchen was on, and when Temari looked, she saw Gaara lifting his finger to his lips, silently telling her to be quiet. Quietly, with steps that only a ninja could have, his sister joined him at the counter, immediately whispering, "What the hell, Gaara?"

The Kazekage shrugged, taking a drink of whatever was in his cup. Tea, it smelled like. "How was your trip?"

"Oh, screw you," Temari snapped, crossing her arms below her chest. "I want you to explain that." She pointed and Gaara shrugged again.

"I made him a Sensei."

"...For how long?"

"We have conditions in order," he murmured casually. "However..."

They trailed into a pleasant quietness as the two siblings peered over at the third. Temari couldn't help but smile at the sight of Kankurou sprawled out on their couch with his three students filling the other two chairs and one even passed out sitting on his sensei's legs, head resting on the back cushion. All of them were asleep. It was like looking at a father with his crazy sons and daughter, or a big brother and his little siblings. They looked exhausted, like total wrecks, with untreated cuts and blemishes.

"I highly doubt he'll be resigning anytime soon," Gaara finished, closing his eyes and allowing the faintest of smiles on his face.

Temari laughed softly in disbelief and affection. "So are sleepovers the new thing?"

"...I suppose we'll find out."

"Yeah."

.

.

~Finish~