Disclaimer - *dancing through meadow* I own Naruto, I own Naruto, I own Naruto, I own Naruto... *sudden storm* Wagh! An evil demon lord has suddenly come down from the skies to claim Naruto from me. He has taken over the world and Naruto with it! Naruto no longer belongs to me, but to an evil lord named Masashi Kishimoto!

AN: This might be considered slightly AU. I don't know if Gaara heals quickly like Naruto, but if he does, then that's the only thing that's AU.

Set in between the Chuunin Exams and the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.

Transitions

It was ironic that that their father had torn their family apart, but they were still here at his funeral together, learning to trust each other and beginning to feel like a real family.

Temari released a deep sigh as she trudged up the street towards her house. She moved sluggishly, both physically and mentally tired from the events of the day. She opened the door, her trained ears instantly picking up on the sound of the TV.

The blond kunoichi placed her fan down against the wall, welcoming the release of its heavy weight. She shuffled towards the kitchen, passing through the living room and catching sight of her younger brother on the couch. "I'm home, Kankuro," she said unnecessarily.

Kankuro's eyes never left the screen as he grunted something that resembled a hello.

Temari rolled her eyes as she entered the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and chugging it down. She filled it up again and leaned against the counter, staring off into space as she thought about what she had just heard today. She set the glass down and returned to the living room. "Kankuro," she called, gaining a part of her brother's attention. "The council just announced the funeral day."

That caught her brother's attention. He raised his eyes to meet hers. "Really? When?"

"In a week. They're already setting up the memorial grounds and preparing the grave spot for the body. A couple of Jounins managed to bring it back while they were leaving Konoha."

Kankuro snorted. "Wonder how many people are going to come?"

Temari narrowed her eyes. "The entire village is going, Kankuro. Their Kazekage was just murdered by an enemy ninja. They're going to respect their leader's memory." She paused a moment. "Everyone is going to go," she repeated.

"Not me. I'm staying right here."

"He's your father."

"No, he's not. I don't consider him to be my father anymore than you do, Tem. And I'm not going to go to his funeral pretending to be all grief-stricken over his death when I really couldn't care less."

Temari could feel a headache coming on. "It's the right thing to do. I hate him just as much as you, but he's still our biological father, and the villagers see us as his children. While he wasn't the...ideal parent, he is our father, however much we don't like to admit the relationship."

"I don't care, I'm not going." Kankuro refused to let his gaze waver from the screen, sending a pointed message in his sister's direction.

Temari bit her lip. "Then we won't go as the Kazekage's children," she said next, deciding on the best path of persuasion. "We'll go as Suna nin."

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that we won't go there as his children. I'll request the council to respect our wishes, and we won't have to stand in the section reserved for the family of the deceased. We'll go there as Suna ninja, respecting our fallen leader."

The puppet-master gave Temari an incredulous look.

"I'm serious, Kankuro. We'll stand there among the other ninja as equals, alright?"

"Why is this so important to you, Temari?" Kankuro asked, turning to face his sister. "You hate him, and yet you're so insistent on going to his funeral. Do you want me to put on a show for the villagers and council, pretending I'm actually heartbroken by his death? Cause I won't."

"It's not about putting on a show," said Temari, frustrated. "I don't know why, I just...I just feel like it's the right thing to do."

Kankuro eyed her for a minute before rolling his eyes and going back to his show. "Whatever."

Temari raised her chin, her hands to her hips. "All three of us are going to go, Kankuro," she informed her brother sternly.

The brunet actually had the nerve to laugh. "What? You're going to try and make Gaara go too? You'll hear him yelling out Sabaku Sou Sou before you even finish speaking."

Temari sent him a black look.

"What? It's true! Look, Temari, I'll go as long as you don't make me wear some stupid dress-up outfit, but there's no way you'll get Gaara to go. He hates our father even more than we do. Not only that, but we haven't even seen him in about - what, a full week? How do we know he's even still in the house? And even if he is in his room, there's no way he'll even listen to you.

But Temari had already left the room with an irritated huff. Kankuro could hear her climbing the stairs. He debated going after her for a moment, ready to either intercept her path to their youngest brother's room, or provide her back-up in case Gaara really did decide to use his trademark attack out of anger.

In the end, he shrugged and settled back onto the couch, returning his attention to the bloody show he was watching. He figured Temari knew what she was doing and could take care of herself.

Hopefully he wouldn't be attending two family funerals in a week.

Temari couldn't help but fume a little as she strode down the hallway. She was determined to talk to her youngest brother and get him to come their father's funeral. She reached his door and knocked briskly, hearing the solid knocks ring out through the space behind the door.

She was suddenly very aware that she was knocking loudly - and somewhat angrily - on her brother's door. The brother who she had been afraid would kill her without a second thought if she so much as looked at him the wrong way just a few weeks ago.

A slight noise could be heard in the room, but Temari couldn't tell if it was imagined or not. "Er, Gaara?" she called out. She turned her head slightly so her right ear was closer to the door, straining to hear any sound within.

There was nothing.

"Uh, Gaara? You in there? Look, I just wanted to talk to you about...uh, well..." Temari could feel sweat sliding down her cheek. Why on earth hadn't she planned this speech before plunging into the lion's den? "Look, the council just announced that our father's...the Kazekage's funeral will be held in a week. Both Kankuro and I are going, and I thought...I mean, we're only going as Suna ninja, I'm going to tell the council that we're not going to be there as the Kazekage's children." Temari scratched her head slightly, almost disbelieving at how bad her monologue was going. "Look, I'd like to ask you to come with us. I'm making Kankuro go even though he doesn't want to, and I'd like you to come too. So it could be all three of us. I know that I said we aren't going as his children, but..." she paused a moment. "But I'd really like you to be there. I think it would be really great if the three of us could go together." Temari felt a lump in her throat and swallowed thickly. "So, please think about it, okay? It's going to be in one week, like I said. In the morning, around eleven. So...yeah."

Temari stepped away from the door, preparing to head over to her room, before stopping abruptly in her tracks. She slowly turned back to the door, and moved back in front of it. She reached into her pocket and dragged out the paper bag that she had brought home with her, setting it on the ground. She knocked again, lightly this time. "Gaara? I don't know if your wound is still bothering you at all, but if it is...I left some salve in a bag out here. It might sting a bit when you put it on, but it'll ease any pain and move along the healing." She hesitated before continuing. "If you need any help, you can just ask me to apply it...I'll be glad to."

She stared hard at the dark wood of the door that separated her from her youngest brother. Was he even there? She had to wonder, considering the times that he had left the house and been gone for days without anyone knowing.

Not for the first time in her life, Temari could feel her heart clench in her chest. She made a movement that implied she wanted to open the door, but she held back, opting instead to lay her hand, roughened from years of training, on the smooth, heavy wood. She leaned forwards with her forehead touching right above her hand, directing her gaze downwards.

"I...I just want you to know that I'll always be here if you need any help, Gaara." If you need anything, I'll be here for you. Temari stared hard at the paper bag she had placed on the floor. "I..." I love you. "I hope you remember that."

With these last words, she let her hand fall away from the door and turned away, leaving for her own room.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Temari erupted the second she caught sight of Kankuro's outfit. "We have to leave now if we don't want to arriving there in the middle of the opening speech! Go change!"

"What? Why? What I'm wearing is just fine!"

"You're wearing a bright blue T-shirt that says, 'Wear Blue When Others Say Black' on it."

"Very observant of you, Temari. I'm surprised it only took you three tries before you graduated the Ninja Academy."

The glare Temari produced could have rivaled Gaara's patented death glare. "Go...change...right...now!" she ground out through clenched teeth.

"Temari..." Kankuro began.

"Now!" Temari yelled, picking up a nearby plate and pulling her arm back, aiming it towards Kankuro's head.

Kankuro hightailed it out of the room. "I'm going!" he shouted. "God, you don't need to overreact so much!"

"And make sure it's all black!" Temari shrieked after him. She could hear the distinct sound of his door slamming shut from unrestrained annoyance and anger. She rested against the counter and wearily massaged her temple.

They were already supposed to be leaving, but by the way things were looking, they'd be sneaking into their spots long past the opening speech, conspicuously being the last ones to arrive.

Quiet footsteps could be heard entering the kitchen, and Temari glanced up, opening her mouth as she focused on the figure, ready to evaluate Kankuro's clothing choice...

Only to freeze in surprise at the sight of who had entered the kitchen.

Gaara's aquamarine eyes focused calmly on Temari's shocked face. She hadn't seen him for two weeks now, but he looked pretty much the same as he always had. His red hair was still messy, though a little longer than when she had last seen him. His eyes were still lined with kohl black and his skin was still far too pale for someone who lived in the desert. And though he seemed much smaller because of the obviously missing gourd, he looked exactly the same as when she had last seen him.

And yet, there was something different about him. Something in his face that was...more calm, more peaceful...more human.

He was dressed all in black, black pants the billowed out but clung to his ankles, and a black shirt the hung loosely on his shoulders.

Gaara walked past Temari, taking a glass from the cabinet and taking a small drink.

Only after he had set the glass down did Temari find her words. "Gaara," she said, feeling her heart beat speed up as her brother's eyes turned to her. "You...you look nice."

He inclined his head towards her, and though he said nothing, Temari could feel the warm feeling in her chest spread through her entire body. And though Gaara didn't see it as he turned his head away, a bright smile flickered onto Temari's lips.

"We're just waiting for Kankuro," Temari informed Gaara. "He came down wearing some idiotic blue shirt with words and I told him to go get a nice solid black outfit on. That moron will be down in a minute. At least, he better be. Kankuro! Are you almost ready?"

"I'm here!" retorted Kankuro, entering the kitchen. "Look, I changed. Are ya happy now?" He faltered in his steps as he noticed Gaara standing behind his sister.

Temari quickly surveyed his outfit, taking in the black pants, black shirt, and black shoes. "It's good enough," she said quickly. "Let's go, we're already going to be late." She pushed herself off the counter and hurried through to the front door. "Let's go!"

Kankuro watched her retreating back for a minute before turning back to Gaara who was looking downwards towards his feet. Kankuro followed his gaze, and could feel his face reddening as he realized what the redhead was looking at.

Gaara moved to walk past him but paused before exiting the room. "Nice socks," he commented. He met Kankuro's eyes and the puppet-master swore he saw a glimmer of a smirk on Gaara's lips before the Jinchuriki left the room.

He looked down at his shoes again and reached down to pull his pants lower.

"Kankuro, move your lazy ass! We're already late! Let's go!"

He jumped at the sound of his sister's voice and raced after his brother's fading figure, catching up quickly and defaulting to walk beside his brother rather than his sister.

After all, who knew what she would say if she saw his bright blue and yellow striped socks.

Temari watched with silent eyes as one by one, the villagers of Suna moved forwards to place a cactus flower in front of a picture of the Yondaime Kazekage, a tradition practiced in every village. Her gaze moved past their heads to focus on the picture of the Kazekage...her father.

Unconsciously, she moved back slightly so she was directly in between her two brothers, who flanked either side of her.

She glanced over at Kankuro whose head was bowed and eyes trained on the ground. He had not looked at the picture at all, and she knew that he was trying to forget the awful memories of their father that she often wished she did not have.

She looked towards Gaara who was staring straight ahead, face expressionless and eyes blank.

It took her a moment to notice that he wasn't looking at the picture of their father but at the beautiful desert beyond it where the wind was blowing puffs of grains into the air and the blistering sun shone brightly.

"Thank you for coming," she whispered to him, not sure what prompted her to speak. She flinched slightly as she wondered if he had actually come because she had asked or come simply because he wanted to.

But he looked at her immediately, and though his face betrayed no emotion, she could hear all she needed to as he spoke. "Thank you for the salve," he said.

She smiled at him. She found it ironic that their father had torn their family so far apart, and yet here they were at his funeral, together, learning to trust each other and beginning to feel like a real family.

"Temari," Gaara said suddenly. "Do you think you can help me put on the salve when we get back?"

Temari could feel the happiness swelling in her heart at those words. "Of course..." otouto, "...Gaara. I'd be happy to help."

This story was actually intended to be a combination of humor and angst, but my stories never seem to listen to me and end up turning a 180 and being completely different than what I originally intended.

Eh, all well. Please review and tell me what you think. The little thought bubble down there is waiting to be filled!