Hello everyone! =D

I'm here again with something written for the 'Versus Meme' - this time the prompt was this (Saudade [a portuguese word that basically means 'longing, yearning'; once described as 'the love that remains' or 'the love that stays' after someone is gone] vs Duty) and luckily I had started writing something that went nicely with it, so I took up the opportunity! :P

Notes: post-Shippuden, mention of character death, one little OC.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but what I wrote.

Ja ne,
Temari 88

Family, Saudade and Duty

Nara Takara had been standing next to her mother, Sabaku no Temari, for more than an hour now and was starting to get restless. Lifting her face up to gaze at the stern look taking over her mother's eyes, she wondered if her bad mood - although it wasn't actually bad, but more sad - had anything to do with the celebrations that were due for the whole day... the little girl liked this time of the year, it was one of those holidays were Konoha was all decorated and pretty, plus there were vendors and stalls with different games and food to try.

The only thing she didn't like were the tons of people that would arrive to the village, people coming from far away, and stay for a couple of days to enjoy the celebrations. Takara didn't complain too much about that though because, together with everyone else, she got to see her favorite uncle—something that didn't happen quite as much as she would have liked. The girl stayed quiet for that reason, choosing not to distract her mother as the older woman watched intently in the distance, ready to catch the very first glimpse of the Suna delegation making its way to the Gates.

A few moments later, the silence was broken, "They're here, Kara." said her mother as she lifted a calloused yet gentle hand to let it rest on top of her child's head, a sigh of relief passing her peach-colored lips; the little girl turned her eyes in the same direction, where the fairly large delegation coming from Kaze no Kuni was rapidly yet solemnly approaching them with the Kazakage up front, visage obscured by the triangular hat resting on top of his head.

Once the group stopped in front of Takara and her mother, the older woman exchanged some words with the girl's uncle so quietly no one could hear and then, Temari turned around grabbing Takara's hand and led the delegation through the decorated village and to the rooms that had been reserved for them.

-x-

Once Takara and Temari got home, the five year-old girl sat gingerly on her mother's knees trying to understand why she was so gloomy - it was very unlike the mom Takara was used to. "Mom?" she said, breaking the silence that lingered in the living room, "When can I go talk to Gaara-jii?"

Temari sighed and tried to smile, resting a hand on top of her daughter's head. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait 'till late this evening, Kara... this is a very special day for your uncle."

"Is he sad too?"

"Mm." replied her mother noncommittally.

"But isn't today the day we celebrate the end of the war...? —It's a happy holiday!" countered Takara, she just couldn't comprehend why every year during this specific celebration all the grown-up people she knew (her parent's friends and not) had that sad and painful expression on their face.

"... It is a happy day, Kara," explained the older woman after a heartbeat of silence, "but it is also a day that reminds me, and your uncle and all our generation in general, of the day we lost a very precious friend to the war..."

"And he was friends with Gaara-jii too? That's why he's so sad?"

"Yes, Kara." her mother's smile was a little more genuine this time, "Gaara and Naruto were very close friends, he cared a lot about that blond idiot... and loosing him while he was holding him in his arms took a great tool on your uncle. He feels that weight constantly and on this day it becomes even more pronounced."

-x-

The annual speech greeting the beginning of the celebrations was done by the Kazekage and Takara took that opportunity to take a good look at her uncle - being the daughter of one of the Council Heads had its perks as her father (and consequently his family) had the permission to assist from the stage.

The girl was always amazed every time she rested her eyes on the bright red of Gaara-jii's hair—so brilliant and of such warm a color she longed to bury her hand in it. But that time she shifted her attention to the man's face... there wasn't much she could work with, to tell the truth, because the Kazekage was renowned for his stoic features but focusing a little more on what she knew of her favorite uncle, she could see the right corner of his mouth turned downward and the thin line present between his non-existent eyebrows and the way he squinted his eyes resisting to the temptation of blinking too much...

—All of a sudden she felt an irritating prickling at the corner of her eyes as she continued to watch her uncle talk to the whole of Konoha.

"Kara...?" came her mother's worried voice, she must have noticed she had been wiping the tears furiously and uselessly - they just kept coming every time her eyes went back to rest on the uptight figure of Gaara-jii standing a few feet in front of them. "What's wrong?"

"I-I... I don't know...!" she answered, letting her hands fall to her sides, understanding there wasn't a point in trying to stop the tears and hiccups. "I j-just... Gaara-jii..."

Temari sighed deeply, seeming to understand what her daughter's problem was, and bent down to gather the girl in her strong arms. "I know, Kara."

Takara looked up and saw the veil of restrained tears in the green eyes as well. "He's hurting, I can see that!" she said, as if she was the only one who had noticed and gasped outrageously when her mother smiled forlornly, "He's hurting! We have to take him away from here...!"

"We can't, Kara. We can't." replied Temari calmly.

"But—why?" she just couldn't understand.

"Giving that speech is his duty; he is the Kazekage right now, not Sabaku no Gaara or Gaara-jii... as much as he's suffering neither he nor any of us can protect him from it... not now." whispered her mother, tightening her grip around Takara and biting her own lip enough to draw blood.

The five year-old girl saw this and finally started to understand a little; with a determined glint in her eyes she turned to look at her uncle, "As soon as this thing is over, I'm gonna annoy Gaara-jii to death!" she declared.

Temari couldn't help but laugh - that sounded almost like something Naruto would have said. "Good girl, you do just that, huh?"