For Nobara

Chapter 15: Bad Omen

Nobara is eating flowers again because it is comforting, but when Temari caught her, she is reprimanded like always.

"Flowers aren't for eating, especially desert lilies, Nobara," is what the older girl would often say. It is no different today. But to begin with, it wasn't because the child wanted to, that much she knows. It just became more apparent how Temari's presence alone no longer made Nobara feel at ease.

The following days, Temari has tried to come by as much as she could, but she has become more busy and tired these days, her mind often preoccupied. Nobara can tell when she looks at her long enough, but the child never really pries for answers.

So, she just observes her, how sometimes when they are together, the older girl will look out into the distance with that look on her face, or how she smiles but doesn't really quite mean it.

Nobara observes a lot of things. That face paint boy Kankurō's often troubled face when he would sometimes get Temari. Baki's weariness whenever he comes back from the Kazekage's office. The Anbu.

Then, she wonders for how long can she play the child in Temari's eyes.

It really is quite strange.

Is it because she is still a child? The fact that the sand-haired would let her guard down in front of an outsider like her. Temari's troubles, they're always written all over her face in some way.

"The Sand will join the Sound and wage war with the Leaf during the final stage of the Chūnin Exams," Baki said to his students one afternoon. "This is an A-rank mission, so understand its importance."

"Why a war now? It took so much time and sacrifice to create an allegiance. To break that, many will die—"

"In the end, shinobis are just tools, Temari," he responded. He looked worn out too, but just like them he was only following orders. "The allegiance itself was a threat to our existence to begin with."

The Wind Daimyō was a foolish man who neglected his own people. Because of the alliance agreement, he sent clients to the Leaf instead and caused an eventual economic decline to befall on the Sand Village when he began to drastically cut their funding.

And just like that, when the head is ignorant, the hands and legs also suffer. So they were left with no other choice but to resort to invading the Leaf to ensure their own survival.

"In order to keep up, we had to raise the ability of each individual shinobi of the village," Baki continued as his eyes glanced towards the youngest of his genin team with underlying wariness. "That is why shinobis like you were created, Gaara. I know you're angry, but..."

Were all those assassination attempts just to make him what he was now?

"At least understand it was for your own good, what the Kazekage did..."

But subtly, the boy's expression shifted at his words. It's as if it isn't only a few days ago his father had sent assassins to test him for the last time. For what that man did... should he be grateful then?

Temari looked unhappy as she watched her brother in silence. She got what she wanted, their father would finally saw his worth as the One-Tails jinchūriki.

And yet somehow... why didn't it feel right?

"Temari...?"

The sand-haired girl snaps out of her daze as she looks at the black-haired child who's looking at her.

"I... I was just thinking," she answers, distracted.

Temari never really quite asked about what happened that night either, even though she knew more about it than she lets on. She remained silent, as if avoiding to speak about things she'd rather not talk about.