A/N: Longest one-chapter fic that I've ever written! Six pages...Also, why doesn't Baki get more love in this fandom? He's awesome!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Theme One: Karura

Baki remembers the first time he laid eyes on Karura; she was sparring with her brother, trying to prove that she was just as strong as any male. The two had gathered a crowd around them, and while Karura had a few supporters, the majority of the villagers cheered for her brother.

After an hour of fighting, Karura had fallen to the floor. She had tried to push herself back up, but instead fell limply to the ground. Her brother was swept away in the crowd, being applauded, while the villagers who supported Karura walked away, muttering to themselves.

Baki reached a hand out to help her up, "Are you okay?"

Karura stared at his hand and finally took it in hers. He helped her up, repeating his question. Instead of answering, she smirked.

"I could totally kick your ass into next week."

That was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Theme Two: Team

"Alright, this is going to be amazing!" Karura cheered as she wrapped an arm around Baki's neck. "I told you we'd be on the same team."

Baki chuckled at his friends antics. "Yeah, you did."

Karura then turned to face the other member of their team, a quiet boy by the name of Takahisa. "It's great to meet you, Takahisa!"

Baki watched the two interact, a smile creeping on his face.

This was his team, and he was not going to let them down.

Theme Three: Murder

The first time Baki had to murder someone to protect the village was when he was sixteen. He didn't want to kill Takahisa, but he had betrayed the village, and Baki knew he had to protect the village first.

He can still remember the way Takahisa smirked at him before Baki killed him, and he could still remember Takahisa's last words.

"Take care, Baki."

Theme Four: Meeting

When most girls started dating someone, they feared that their father would find out. When most men started dating, they feared meeting their girlfriend's father.

When Karura started to date Rasa, she feared that Baki would find out. Rasa feared meeting Baki. When the two did meet, Baki fortunately did not try to kill Rasa.

The fact that Rasa was the successor to the Third Kazekage may have had something to do with it.

Theme Five: First

Unknown to everyone else, Baki was the first person other than Karura to see Temari when she was born. He always remembered looking down at the baby, his eyes glowing with pride.

"She looks just like you, Karura." Baki chuckled as he held his goddaughter in his arms. Karura had smiled weakly as she watched the two. She decided that Baki would always see her kids first, before her husband and brother.

Baki stared down at the little girl and silently vowed to never let Temari down.

Theme Six: Cry

Baki cried when Karura died. He would never forget that dreadful day.

He was in the waiting room, ready for a nurse to come and tell him that Karura was fine and that her child had been born. He knew about Rasa's plan for his son and knew there would be complications with the birth, but he knew that Karura would fight through it.

He was dead wrong.

When he was told that Karura had died, Baki cried for an hour.

That was the last time that he cried.

Theme Seven: Watch

Baki always watched the Sand Siblings as they grew up. He watched as Gaara turned from a sweet little child to a psychotic murderer. He watched as Temari forced herself to fall into a mother figure for her brothers. He watched as Kankuro grew into a cocky, arrogant teenager, all to get his father's attention.

He watched them and he hoped that their father would soon step in, and actually care for his children.

When Rasa didn't do that, Baki decided to always watch the siblings, even if it killed him.

Theme Eight: Happy

When Baki had been given the Sand Siblings as his genin team, he thought that the trio would hate him. After all, he may have been in their life, but he never helped them. He'd pushed that job onto Yashamaru and Rasa.

When Temari saw her godfather, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Kankuro's face lit up into a grin.

Even Gaara looked happier, but that vanished just as quickly as it had come.

Baki couldn't be happier with his team.

Theme Nine: Fear

"Move, move, move!"

Eyes watched in confusion as Baki ran through the village, followed by his team. The villagers were even more confused when they saw Gaara no Sabaku, container of Shukaku, bloodied and beaten, being carried by his siblings.

Baki thought he was going to lose Gaara, just like he had lost Karura. He had never been so scared in his life.

Theme Ten: Pride

Each of the Sand Siblings had made Baki proud in some way or another.

Temari made him proud when she passed the jonin exam with flying colours. Kankuro made him proud when all the genin that the puppet master taught passed their chuunin exams, causing Kankuro to become known as the greatest jonin in Suna. Gaara made him proud when he became Kazekage.

Baki only hoped that he would make them proud too.

Theme Eleven: Failure

Baki has felt like a failure on many occasions. After Karura died, Baki spent hours training so that he wouldn't let anyone done ever again. When the Sand Siblings were forced to grow up too fast, Baki blamed himself. When Gaara got hurt in the chuunin exams, Baki thought of himself as a failure.

And when Gaara got kidnapped by the Akatsuki and Kankuro lay in the hospital bed, dying, Baki knew that he had failed his students.

Even when the two were back in full health, Baki felt like a failure. He never wanted to feel like one again.

Theme Twelve: Argue

Unknown to the siblings, Baki had argued with many people, from villagers to the other council members, to defend them.

When the council refused to let Gaara be Kazekage, Baki argued tooth and nail so that he could get the position. When Kankuro was almost killed on a mission, Baki argued with each cocky villager who thought Kankuro was weak. When the council decided that Temari was spending too much time in Konoha and tried to revoke her position, Baki argued for days, until they finally came to their senses.

Baki didn't care what people thought of the siblings; they didn't know them like he did. He would always defend them, even if it meant arguing with his long-time friends.

Theme Thirteen: New Life

Baki may not have been the Sand Sibling's father, but he raised them. He looked after them, trained them, and comforted them. He was more of a father than Rasa could ever have been. He had been there through the thick and thin.

Baki had watched them grow into fine ninja, who were willing to give up their lives for the village. He watched as the three started their new lives.

He was happy that he could be a part of their new life as well as their old life.

Theme Fourteen: Accept

Baki had watched as each of the trio fell in love. When Temari had fallen for that Nara boy, Baki was furious at first. Though he didn't show it, he hated the fact that Temari was falling for him. For weeks, he kept her busy around the house just so she couldn't go to Konoha and see that boy. When he finally met the boy, he reluctantly admitted to himself that he was good enough for Temari, though he had promised Shikamaru he would break every bone in his body if he ever hurt Temari.

When Kankuro started a relationship with Maki, Baki tried to come up with reasons why they couldn't be together; their personalities didn't match, Maki was too calm to be with someone as stubborn as Kankuro. When he finally accepted Maki, he actually enjoyed seeing Maki daily. The girl had a way of getting Kankuro to actually clean up his own mess, yet she never tried to change Kankuro.

When Gaara started a relationship with Amy Fusonako, Baki immediately concluded that Amy was only with Gaara because he was Kazekage. He didn't even know how he came to that conclusion, he just did. However, as he started to bond with Amy, he eventually realized how much of an idiot he was for thinking that. She was a very nice girl, a bit on the shy side, but he knew that after a few of years with their family, she would finally come out of her shell.

He would never admit it, but Baki was thankful that he accepted them.

Theme Fifteen: Rasa

The only person Baki truly hated was Rasa. There were many reasons why, but the main reason was because of the lack of love that Rasa gave the Sand Siblings. It had affected all three greatly.

When Amy announced that she was pregnant at the age of twenty-one, everyone was surprised, but happy. Gaara was especially happy, but Baki could tell that something was bothering him.

It took Baki four weeks to get the truth out of Gaara, but when it did, Baki was upset, and most of all, pissed off at Rasa.

"I'm scared I'll end up like my father."

Theme Sixteen: Tradition

Amy and Gaara had decided to keep Karura's tradition, and let Baki see the child before anyone else when he or she arrived. While Gaara had suggested that they keep to the full tradition and let Baki see the baby before him, Baki politely refused.

It may have been Karura's tradition but, that was then. The happiness of his godchildren came before any tradition. Instead, Baki opted to wait while he waited for the baby to be born.

When Kanna no Sabaku and Hikori no Sabaku were born, Baki only wished that Karura was there to see them.

Theme Seventeen: Proud

The Sand Siblings always made Baki proud, yet he feared he would never make them proud. That feeling disappeared when Temari told him that he would be the grandfather to all of their children. Baki was so proud of himself at that time and he always thought that moment would stay the proudest moment of his life.

That was disproven when Hikori looked up at his grandpa, reached his arms out and called, "Aki!"

Theme Eighteen: Shizuko no Sabaku

The birth of Amy and Gaara's third child was one that Baki would definitely remember. He had been on a mission and was returning home, when he had been an ambushed. When he arrived at the hospital, bloodied and beaten, he looked down at the baby girl in her father's arms, smiled, and said, "I don't usually look like this."

He then proceeded to faint.

Kankuro never let him live it down.

Theme Nineteen: Weddings

When Temari asked Baki to walk her down the aisle, Baki agreed immediately.

When he saw her in her wedding dress, the double of Karura, he smiled.

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding his arm out to Temari. Temari smiled and held his arm gently, beaming at him.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Theme Twenty: Father

For so many years, Baki had classed himself as the Sand Siblings father. He had never told them of this, but he knew that they knew about it deep down.

And when each one called him Father, his world lit up.

He was their father. Even if they weren't kids anymore, he was still their father.

He would be the best father they could ever want.