Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Temari lazily tilted her head to the side, narrowly dodging a kick moving at nearly supersonic speeds. With an all too pleasant smile on her face, the blonde continued to dodge every attack that followed with the least amount of action possible. Her attacker was obviously getting annoyed at this as each attack became more and more aggressive as the fight dragged on. Temari was almost tempted to end it there, teaching the assailant a lesson for getting too careless with an opponent such as her.

Rolling her eyes, the kunoichi sidestepped the attacker. Using her inhuman speed, which had been keenly honed and developed over the years, the blonde vanished in an instance. The attacker froze immediately and went rigid as they felt every single pressure point get painfully jabbed by blunt spears of wind chakra. Temari reappeared in front of them as quickly as she had vanished and delivered an unnecessarily strong open palm strike to the assailant's stomach. The smaller hooded figure gasped in pain as they were thrown some distance away, crashing into a nearby sand dune.

Temari maintained her smile as we walked casually up to the person. Stopping next to them, she looked down, not all too surprised to see the expression of utter defeat on the young girl's face. The girl in question was merely thankful to still be conscious after such an attack, not that it meant much. Her breath was haggard and she felt like she was almost drenched in sweat. She had completely worn herself out in that abysmal excuse of a fight. Even if it weren't for the pressure point induced paralysis, the girl was sure she wouldn't be able to move much anyway.

"Heh, guess I still have a long way to go" the girl said, blowing a tuft of her boyish cut blonde hair off of her face.

"You weren't that bad," Temari said. "I know many kids who would kill to be as good as you are at such a young age. Besides, if you really want a confidence booster, just ask Gaara to get Naruto to tell you about his skill level at your age"

The girl gave Temari an odd look. "The Hokage? One of the most powerful shinobi in the world? You want me to compare myself to him?" she asked sceptically. "You're crazy mom"

Temari grinned childishly at her daughter. "Thank you, Hinami. It's been far too long since someone gave me a compliment"

Hinami deadpanned at her mother. "Dad compliments you all the time. Half the men in the village compliment you"

"Yes, but none of those count" Temari said, waving off her daughters words dismissively. "Hormones and such play too much of a part in it"

The girl groaned, rolling her yellow diamond eyes, one of the few things that distinguished her as a Bijuu's child. "You're still crazy. I mean who the hell hits their own kid that hard. I'm pretty sure you cracked a rib"

"No, I cracked three. Felt them pop under my hand. Really creepy feeling too"

"Gross, mom. Just gross. Now would be the time to start actually being worried and getting me some medical help," Hinami muttered.

Temari sat down next to the girl. "I really do wish you hadn't of gotten that bad habit from Shukaku. You both know that physical injuries never last, and yet you both feel the need to whine and complain more than a toddler. You'll be good as new in like ten minutes"

The young girl pouted. "That isn't the point, mom. You know it still hurts"

The kunoichi scoffed. "Yeah, it hurts, for a second. Then your chakra takes over and you don't feel a thing. Trust me Hinami; I've already interrogated Shukaku on all of this. There is nothing you can try to trick me with" the blonde turned to her daughter with a mischievous smirk. "Besides, if it really did hurt that much, I wouldn't be able to do this in good conscience" with that said, Temari poked Hinami in the ribs.

Instead of crying out, as would have been expected, the girl giggled and tried futilely to squirm away from her mother. Temari continued to poke the girl in several places, each one being progressively more ticklish until Hinami finally gave in and burst into laughter. Temari smiled, laying down next to the girl.

"All things considered, you actually went pretty well in training today," Temari said. "Your speed is obviously what you're best at, clearly taking after me"-she ignored Hinami's scoff-"But your other skills need work. You wear yourself out too quickly and are far too easy to anger in a fight. All I had to do was dodge you and you began to lose it. That isn't a good for a shinobi"

Hinami frowned. "But I'm not a shinobi. I never will be. Neither will dad. We aren't human. Even you aren't a shinobi anymore"

Temari shrugged. "Yeah, so? Doesn't stop me from still calling myself a kunoichi. I earned that title fair and square, and I'll be damned if anyone takes it away from me, my existential status be damned" she said childishly. "As for you and Shukaku, well, why should you care? He certainly doesn't"

"Yes, but as we both know, dad isn't exactly all there in the head most of the time"

"Well, I can't really argue with that. Shukaku has been a little on the crazier side of things these last couple of years" Temari knew that the Bijuu was simply acting strange due to the whole Hinami aspect of things, but she felt it was best that the girl didn't know that. For the most part, Shukaku was actually pretty good around her, he just wasn't sure of himself. Temari didn't feel the need to intervene unless it caused an issue, but her daughter's condition did require Shukaku's assistance, so it was likely that she would need to intervene soon.

"Do you think dad would help train me too, if I asked him nicely?" Hinami asked.

Temari cursed mentally. "Uh, I'm not sure actually. You do take more after me in regards to fighting style and skill, so I don't really see how he would be able to help," she said, hoping to assuage the girl into not asking for her father's help. Shukaku only had one real training method, and Temari was positive that he would refuse to put Hinami through it for some time to come. Hell, Temari had only finished her own training under the Bijuu shortly before Hinami was conceived, and even she would be hesitant to step back into that hell.

Hinami gained a curious expression. "Didn't dad train you though?"

The elder blonde deadpanned to the sky. Why did her daughter have to be unnaturally perceptive for an eleven year old? She sighed. "Yeah, he did. It's just… ugh; it's a little difficult to explain Hinami. I mean, I was older when I began my training with Shukaku, and I'm not exactly bound by natural physical limitations, at least not anymore. You're technically a Bijuu, so you have natural limitations, even if they are extreme. I can train you at a steady pace; build you up so to speak. But Shukaku's training style is much different. He takes what you have, shatters it, and then forces you to rebuild it bigger and better"

"Oh… you mean like what he made uncle Gaara do with the Kazekage tower?" Hinami asked, giggling at the memory.

Temari snickered. There was a minor incident involving Shukaku's overall dislike of the Kazekage towers design, with the Bijuu claiming it to be too bland and dull, 'behind the times' as he had said. The result was Shukaku destroying the entire thing and instructing Gaara on how to rebuild it. A humorous and efficient combination to say the least. Now the Kazekage tower more resembled the large towers that now made up most of Konoha, only with most of it being underground. It was kind of amazing how fast all of the hidden villages were growing; even Suna was beginning to expand with the aid of Konoha and Iwa.

Actually, now that she thought about it, everyone was finally starting to prosper. After what could have been the fourth shinobi war was ended by the combined efforts of Naruto, Shukaku, Sasuke, the five Kage, along with a handful of other stupidly strong shinobi, Temari included, everything had simply calmed down. Sure, there were still a few problematic villages around, some power hungry maniacs here and there, but that was always going to be a thing. It was just good to finally see that the chances of any mass scale deaths were low. It definitely put Temari's mind at ease concerning Hinami's safety. Not that anyone had the balls to try anything with the daughter of Suna's two most powerful residents.

Temari turned to look at Hinami. The young blonde was idly tracing the black sealing markings that were imprinted on her left arm, an inheritance from Shukaku. Unlike the Bijuu however, Hinami's seal only appeared on parts of her body, mainly her left arm and leg. The girl thought it was pretty cool, and very few people ever bothered to mention it. Still, it was something else that Shukaku would eventually have to help Hinami with, along with her obvious development into a full powered Bijuu. It had been a bit of a shock, but Shukaku, Chōmei, and even Matatabi had all concluded that Hinami would eventually become a complete Bijuu. The only thing they had suspected she would retain in terms of inheritance from Temari was her permanent human form, not that it would stop her from potentially developing a Bijuu form to turn into.

In the end, Temari intended to make the most of the time in which she could actually be of help to her daughter. Soon enough she would end up merely watching from the sidelines. It didn't bother her too much and she had long since come to terms with it. But it was becoming apparent that her usefulness to Hinami's development was quickly coming to an end, and Temari wasn't sure how prepared Shukaku was to take responsibility.

Sitting up, Temari gestured for Hinami to get up. "Come on; let's go find your father. Maybe we can see if he's willing to teach you something really simple for now"

"And if he says no?" Hinami retorted.

Temari smiled sweetly. "I'm sure I can persuade him. I did marry him after all, so he can at least do a couple of things on my behalf" she said, holding up her left hand and showing off the incredibly detailed and intricate sealing design that extended from her ring finger to her wrist. It was much flashier than a simple wedding ring, and it served several interesting purposes. For one, even if Temari hadn't of been technically immortal before, she definitely was now, her life force having been bound permanently to Shukaku's for a second time. Other than that though, there was nothing serious, just some minor emotional connection seals and a unique summoning seal that allowed them to summon each other. While mostly unnecessary, it did offer an interesting method of intimidating people. Seeing a young woman simply summon a Bijuu to the battlefield tended to end things rather suddenly.

Hinami pursed her lips and stood up. "Alright, but I'm leaving as soon as he says no. I have better things to do than wait around for him to have a sane moment" she said, crossing her arms in annoyance. Just has her mother had said, she had completely healed within a couple of minutes.

Temari ruffled the girl's hair, much to Hinami's chagrin. "You really shouldn't be so quick to write Shukaku off, you know. He's difficult to cope with sometimes, but in the end, he'll come through. It just might take a few strong blows to the head, that's all"

"Why do we have to go looking for him? Can't you just summon him here?" Hinami asked.

"Of course I could, but then he would carry on about me abusing the power and I really don't feel like kicking his ass again. And if we do this the long way it gives us time to go and check in with my brothers along the way. No doubt Gaara could do with a break from work, and Kankuro and Tenten just need to be distracted from each other for a while," the blonde said.

Hinami shuddered. "Do we really have to visit them?"

Temari laughed. "Oh come one, they aren't that bad"

"If it weren't for them I would still be blissfully unaware of what a honeymoon entailed" the girl said, her face twisting into an expression of disgust.

"Give it a couple of years, Hinami, and you'll find that the idea doesn't disgust you quite so much" Temari replied.

"No!" Hinami exclaimed. "You keep saying that every time I bring it up and I refuse to believe you! It's gross!"

Temari grinned wickedly. "I am so going to leave the full extent of 'the talk' for Shukaku to deal with. It's going to be hilarious watching you two go through that ordeal. Although this would have been so much easier if we were able to just drop you in the academy. They teach most of that stuff to you when you're ten"

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in some more why don't you. No point in being gentle with your precious little girl's feelings" Hinami droned.

Temari didn't respond as both she and Hinami made their way back to the village. Upon entering Suna, both were greeted with varying reactions from the general populace. Most of the people who took notice of them offered smiles or nods of respect, particularly towards Temari, but there were still a few who sneered at the mother daughter duo. Some were incredibly persistent in their grudges against Shukaku for his sins against the villages past inhabitants. As expected, their hatred had somewhat passed on to Hinami as well. It did help that the Bijuu were now being seen more as living creatures than weapons, thanks to the efforts of the new Hokage, Naruto. Still, there would always be the minority that would refuse to change. Making their way through the crowds, the two blondes entered the Kazekage tower. Within moments, they were at the door to Gaara's office, only they weren't alone.

"Kankuro, Tenten, what are you two doing here?" Temari asked curiously, gaining the attention of the two.

Tenten was the first to react spinning around enthusiastically and waving to the new arrivals. "Temari! And Hinami too! Awesome! Now I don't have to feel like the odd one out in this meeting," the weapon mistress said happily.

Temari quirked an eyebrow. "Meeting? I didn't know anything was happening today. Was it a sudden thing?"

Kankuro yawned loudly and shook his head. "Nah, not really. We all got informed about it early this morning, so it's been a generally prepared thing. Didn't Gaara invite you?"

"No, I guess he didn't" Temari said. "Oh well. Not really a big deal. I'm not exactly privileged to any inside information anymore anyway. The shinobi council would have a fit if they learnt I was going to meetings with the Kazekage"

"Not like Gaara would care. You're still his sister. If he can't trust you, who can he trust" Tenten said.

"I think I'd rather not cause trouble. Shukaku does enough of that for both of us and Gaara has enough work to do without me adding to the chaos," the blonde said, shaking her head at the thought of just how problematic her husband could be. "Anyway, what's the matter with you, Kankuro? You seem a little more rundown than usual"

The puppeteer chuckled. "Oh, you know, just the usual. Tenten has been keeping me busy, and I just recently got back from a mission. Spy work is so lame. Sitting in the same spot for hours on end almost had me wishing for death"

Tenten smacked her better half upside the back of his head, a faint blush colouring her cheeks. "Don't go around telling people that I'm keeping you busy! Do you have no sense of mind to keep some things secret?"

"Not that it matters. Everyone already knows, Tenten. You two have one of the worst reputations when it comes to keeping that aspect of your lives a secret," Temari said amusingly. "I believe the accepted term used is 'the eternal honeymoon'"

"Feel glad you don't have to live with them"

Everyone turned to stare at the new arrival. He was a younger boy, around fifteen or sixteen years of age, with short brown hair and brown eyes. It was surprisingly obvious that he was Tenten and Kankuro's son, if only because of his resemblance to his father. His attention was devoted almost solely to a book titled 'Advanced puppetry'. The boy offered everyone a half-assed wave before simply returning to silence.

"You don't get to be annoyed by our antics, traitor" Tenten hissed childishly, glaring openly at the puppetry book.

The boy stared up at his mother. "Again? I thought we had already gone through the daily complaints of which parent I took after. If you're so obsessed with having someone inherit your interest to weaponry, then why not just adopt someone who already shows signs of that trait. It would stop these pointless arguments and perhaps even put an end to countless nights of lost sleep on my part"

Hinami snickered. "You're such a nerd"

"I would expect such a dull insult from you, tomboy" he shot back.

"Hey! Don't make me kick your ass again you little twerp!"

"Oh look, it seems your vocabulary is growing. How splendid. Maybe you and I could share an intelligible conversation in a few years. Maybe I'll give you a decade to catch up. You are rather slow with such things after all"

Hinami growled and flared her considerably potent chakra. "Oh you are so eating through a straw after I'm done with you"

"Hinami, Eitoro, stop it, now" the small amount of killing intent that Temari exuded made everyone in the waiting room shiver. It was surprisingly easy to forget that the blonde was one of the most powerful people alive.

"She started it," Eitoro stated.

Tenten wacked her son. "Don't even try to defend yourself. You're supposed to be the smart one here, which means you shouldn't start fights you know you can't win"

"Eh, I say let him go. He'll learn his lesson through pain and humiliation soon enough" Kankuro said.

"It's good to know that you have so much faith in my abilities," Eitoro droned sarcastically.

Kankuro hung his head. "It's just a fact of life for us puppet masters. We're effective against people, not so much against immortal chakra monsters. It's unfair, but it's the harsh reality of things"

"Did I miss something?"

Everyone turned curiously to the door of the waiting room, only to see Shukaku standing there with a surprised expression on his face.

"What's everyone doing here? Is there another war happening? Do I finally get to kill some more people? Please tell me I get to kill some more people," the Bijuu said almost pleadingly.

"Calm down, Shukaku. Nothing's happening. We all just happened to run into each other here," Temari said. "Although I am curious as to why you're here," she added suspiciously.

Shukaku pointed to the Kazekage's door. "We got a message this morning about a meeting with Gaara. You already had plans to spend the day with Hinami, so I thought I'd just come on my own and fill you in later" he explained, a surprisingly innocent expression on his face. "Speaking of which, how did that go?"

Temari shook her head. "We'll talk about it later. I'm more interested in seeing what this meeting is about for now. Anyone got any ideas?"

"I'm pretty sure the council is looking to expand the village further," Kankuro said. "A bit hard considering that Sunagakure has always maintained its set borders since its founding, but it also makes sense in a way. With there having been such a long-standing time of peace, people are finally starting to move back to the major villages. Lack of substantial danger is resulting in overpopulation compared to our usual standards"

"We could always start killing people again," Shukaku suggested happily. "I'd be more than happy to sacrifice my humanity for the greater good. It'll be hard, but I assure you I could cut down the numbers of this village to manageable levels within a week; nine days tops"

Eitoro gave Hinami a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about before. Sometimes I forget just who your father is. It only makes sense that you're tendencies towards violence are high"

"This coming from the guy whose mother is obsessed with everything designed specifically for killing people" Hinami droned.

"Touché"

"So, Hinami, since your mother is being stingy, how do you think your training is going? Think you'll be running laps around her soon enough?" Shukaku asked playfully.

Hinami snickered and nodded enthusiastically. "I'd give it a couple of years, but soon enough I'll surpass her. She is only human after all, and Bijuu are the best at everything. At least, that's what you keep telling me"

Shukaku gawked at his daughter, his eyes widening in horror. He didn't have time to notice Temari's impossibly strong killing intent before he was brutally punted across the room by said angry female. The Bijuu continued to crash through several walls before he came to a stop, a large chunk of his torso being notably disintegrated.

Temari regained her composure and let out a pleased sigh. "I so needed that"

"You little traitor" Shukaku growled, stumbling back into the room, staring pointedly at his grinning daughter. "And as for you"-he pointed at Temari-"No more infusing your punches with natural chakra. That shit hurts likes a bitch and takes way too long to heal"

"Then perhaps you shouldn't be brainwashing Hinami with your stupidity" the blonde countered.

"I didn't even tell her that! She's turning you against me!" the Bijuu exclaimed.

Temari shrugged. "Eh, I don't mind. A little stress relief here and there could do me some good"

Shukaku's eye twitched as he turned to the still cheerful Hinami. "This isn't over" he mouthed silently to her.

Gaara's office door opened suddenly, a surprised Matsuri poking her head out. "Huh, you all actually came" she said.

"Did you expect us to just not show up?" Kankuro asked.

"Something like that. You guys aren't exactly known for being the most serious shinobi in the village," the brunette said offhandedly. "Anyway, Gaara's ready to get the meeting started. The kids can come too if they want"

Everyone quickly filed into the Kazekage's office, the door being shut and locked behind them.

"Well then, now that everyone is here, I suppose I should tell you what this is all about" Gaara stated calmly. The redhead took a deep breath. "Sunagakure… is being threatened with war"

Shukaku leapt to his feet and threw his fist to the air. "Woohoo! I fucking called it!"

Temari facepalmed. "Not the time, Shukaku" she grumbled to herself.

"So… what exactly are we going to do about this?" Shukaku asked softly.

Temari sighed deeply. "I'm not sure. The smaller countries along our borders aren't large enough or strong enough to deal any real damage to Suna, but according to our reports, they have banded together. Again, they aren't too strong, but there will be strains on many of the peace treaties that have been forged, especially with Konoha"

"Yeah, I figured there would be some kind of fuck up eventually"

"Naruto is a nice guy, and there is no way he would turn on Gaara. Those two are best friends. But he is still Hokage, which means he has other things to consider, things to put before his own wants and needs. The same goes for Gaara. I'm sure neither of them want any part of this, but the other villages aren't leaving much leeway here," the blonde said.

Shukaku frowned. "Then it's more or less up to me, huh?"

It had been a bit of a shock, to hear that Suna was preparing for a war with the smaller countries bordering it for the sake of the Ichibi. As it turned out, the complete destruction of Amegakure had left a notable imprint on the smaller villages of the elemental nations. While Bijuu were always considered to be incredibly destructive, Shukaku was now considered to be beyond reasonable. Many had been calling for him to be sealed away forever, lest he destroy even more, but all demands and requests had been met with complete refusal on Gaara's part… until now.

A declaration of war was not something any Kage could simply overlook. The smaller countries had given Sunagakure an ultimatum. Seal away Shukaku, or go to war with them. Gaara was prepared to fight, but he also knew that it would destroy the peace that had been so hard to obtain. It was already speculated that the smaller countries would call on Konoha to honour the treaties it had with them, turning one major village on another. If Konoha did turn on Suna, then it was expected that the other countries would follow suit. Either way, nothing was looking good for Suna.

It was this course of events that had led to the couple sitting on top of their house in the middle of the night discussing their next move in regards to the situation.

"Up to us, Shukaku" Temari said. "I did marry you after all. No way am I going to let you make all the decisions for the rest of eternity"

"What about Hinami?" Shukaku asked softly. "She is still way too young to be brought into this mess. As far as the other villages are concerned, I'm the only one they want. You and her could still live peacefully here for quite some time"

"Shukaku, if you even hint at the idea of us going separate ways, I will be the one to destroy you, not the group of assholes asking for war" the blonde threatened. "We are a family now, and whether you're comfortable with it or not, we are going to stick together through this"

The Bijuu chuckled. "I probably should have thought this whole relationship through a bit more before committing. I really didn't take your stubbornness into consideration"

She elbowed him. "You love having me to argue with. Who knows what kind of nonsense you would get away with without me here to knock some sense into you. That alone is reason enough for me and Hinami to stay with you. Knowing you, you would somehow cause havoc on several more villages before someone finally stopped you"

"Heh, as if there is anyone who could actually stop me. The old sage is long dead and that weird rabbit woman got sealed away. I'm pretty much unstoppable now"

"That is exactly the kind of thinking that is going to get you locked back in that stupid tea kettle"

Shukaku grinned wickedly. "Then I guess it's a good thing that I went and destroyed it. Ain't no way I'm being used to make tea again. That stuff is nasty"

"Anyway, we do need to do something. If we stay here, it'll just lead to Suna's isolation, and I imagine its eventual fall. I don't really like the idea of leaving my home, but it might be for the best," Temari said.

"It could be. But it could also be a really bad idea" Shukaku said. "Let's say we do leave, abandon Suna and wind country entirely. We'll be stuck living nomadically. We definitely won't be welcomed by many of the villages we come across, and my siblings will no doubt come to investigate my erratic movements. It will all build up until we get dragged into another potential war. The idea of all the Bijuu teaming up again will induce a mad panic, I just know it"

"Fair point. But still, that at least gives us some time to plan for such a thing. We've been busy with Hinami recently, so this one is still a little sudden. By the time this catches up with us again, Hinami will be much stronger. We won't have to worry about her safety. Then we can really deal with everything, as a family" the blonde stressed the final word, staring pointedly at the Bijuu.

"Yes, yes, I know. Family comes first," Shukaku drawled. "But speaking of Hinami, how is that going? Any setbacks?"

Temari shook her head and smiled. "Nope. She's extremely talented, as could have been expected considering we're her parents. She is a little too stubborn with some things, a trait that I may have contributed to a little more than I am proud to admit, but otherwise she is very good. She wasn't exactly wrong in thinking she could be able to surpass me in a couple of years"

"Told you you were stubborn" Shukaku snickered.

"You need to take over her training," the blonde said suddenly.

"Wait, what? No. Absolutely not. We agreed that I wouldn't put her through my training until she was strong enough"

"I know what we agreed to, Shukaku. But Hinami is going to need to become a full-fledged Bijuu at some point and my training is only holding her back. Even after the training you put me through; I'm still restricted to mostly human techniques. Hinami needs to be taught how to be the Bijuu she will one day be, not taught how to be a shinobi. Her chakra alone makes almost all ninjutsu and genjutsu impossible for her to perform without it blowing up in her face"

Shukaku chuckled. "Damn, I wish I got to see some of those. Were they funny?"

Temari frowned. "You're avoiding the topic"

The Bijuu sighed. "Come on, Temari. Can't we wait a couple more years? I need to prepare myself before I even think about hurting Hinami like that"

"You didn't seem to hesitate when you put me through agony. Actually, you seemed very flippant with causing me pain" Temari said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him.

"Well, yeah, that's because you always pulled the same expression when something actually hurt you. It was hilarious. I had to make the most of it before you got used to everything. And I also grew quite fond of your insistence on trying to cuddle the pain away at the end of each day"

"I'm going to hurt you for this, you realise that right?"

Shukaku shrugged. "Can't be that bad if you're warning me. Besides, it's not like I pull a stupid expression when I get hurt"

Wack!

"Keep it up and I'll string you up as a punching bag for Hinami" Temari threatened.

"All you women are crazy, I swear. Ever heard of maybe not threatening people with violence?"

Temari gave him an odd look. "Really? You of all people have the gall to say that?"

"It's an ignorance thing. You'll adapt to it soon enough. Starts to kick in around the first century or so, maybe less for humans"

"You guys are so boring," Hinami groaned.

Shukaku and Temari turned to watch as their daughter walked over and sat down next to them.

"How long have you been listening?" Temari asked.

The girl shrugged. "Long enough to know that we're probably gunna be spending the next couple of years moving around aimlessly" she replied calmly.

"And you don't have a problem with that?"

"Not really. It'll be nice to finally go somewhere without so much sand" Hinami said.

Shukaku narrowed his eyes at his daughter. ""I'll pretend I didn't just hear that"

Hinami smirked. "Do whatever you need to do to feel better, dad. Sand is still annoying as hell. You can't fight in it without it getting in all manner of uncomfortable places"

"Everyone used to tell the kids that we would get used to it at some point. Lying bastards" Temari muttered.

"Oh, I see how it is now. I'm just an annoyance to you, is that it? Just a giant pain in the ass made of sand?"

"Yes, Shukaku. That is exactly what you are" Temari said, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "But you're my pain in the ass"-she pointed at Hinami-"And hers too by relation"

"Please leave me out of this," Hinami grumbled.

"So… are we sure that leaving Suna is that best idea?" Shukaku asked softly.

"It couldn't hurt to at least take a vacation for a while. I've always wanted to travel outside of wind country for my own amusement. Always visiting beautiful places on official shinobi business got really old real fast. And if things calm down while we're gone, then we can just come back. If we even want to that is. We might find nomadic life to be rather enjoyable" Temari replied.

"I just want to see some cool places. Might also be good to learn a few things from some different people. Wind chakra is cool and all, but I want to be able to kick ass in all fields," Hinami said, earning strange looks from her parents. "What?"

"Sometimes I really wonder if you're actually our daughter," Temari said.

"Yeah, your maturity seems a little out of place amongst us," Shukaku added.

Hinami scowled. "Sorry for not wanting to be seen as a psychopath. Not everyone is comfortable with being labelled as deranged and dangerous"

"True, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it is a lot of fun to mess around with people sometimes," Temari said flippantly. "But it is your choice I guess. At least you have a good goal in regards to travelling around. I just plan on wasting a whole heap of time in blissful relaxation. What do you plan on doing, Shukaku?"

"Maybe I'll establish an intricate string of brothels throughout the elemental countries. Make some extra money and keep tabs on each shinobi village. After that, well, I don't tend not to think too far ahead when it comes to these things. Once you start making an actual plan everyone throws the word 'premeditated' around," the Bijuu said.

Both Hinami and Temari rolled their eyes. "You're a real piece of work," Temari said.

"Why couldn't I have a normal dad? Is my luck really that bad?" Hinami mumbled.

Shukaku crossed his arms. "Get back to me after you two hit three hundred or so. Only then will you understand that being normal is a major hindrance"

"Oh, right. Sometimes I forget just how old you are. Guess that's because you act like your my age too much" Hinami said. "Weren't either of you disturbed by the age gap between you?"

Temari deadpanned. "We don't talk about that, Hinami. It's not worth the effort"

"Is that a real thing? I thought it was just something to keep really old guys from being married to young girls. No point in it happening if it isn't going to last. Also, the maturity levels would be way off kilter" Shukaku said, humming thoughtfully. "Biologically speaking, me and Temari are technically at the same general point in our age development. Both at our 'physical prime' so to speak. It just took me a lot longer to reach it. Although it doesn't matter much now since I won't go any further, and Temari is locked in her current state until I alter it. Still, I wonder if this age gap business is the reason that so many people in the village kept giving me disgusted looks after we got married"-he turned to Temari questioningly. "Was I being labelled a cradle robber behind my back?"

Hinami stared at Shukaku with wide eyes. "What's he doing?" she whispered to her mother.

Temari held back a chuckle at her daughter's reaction. Since Hinami had been born, Shukaku had had very few moments in which he would actually show that he wasn't a complete nut job. The last time he had done so was when Hinami was too young to remember, or rather, that was the last time he had done it in her presence. Temari knew that Shukaku sometimes liked to throw his excessive knowledge around at people to annoy them.

"Don't worry, Hinami. It isn't a common occurrence," she said reassuringly. "Come on, Shukaku. We should probably start packing things away. It'll be best if we leave without anyone knowing. Gives Gaara and the others plausible deniability when they get accused of helping us get out of this mess. You too, Hinami. The sooner we leave, the sooner Shukaku can begin training you on being a Bijuu. Isn't that right, dear?"

Shukaku smiled nervously under the blondes gaze. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, beautiful".

"Good. Then let's gets to work"

The Ichibi let out a deep sigh as Temari went back into the house. "That woman is going to completely ruin my reputation. As if my pride simply wasn't enough to quench her insatiable hunger"

"You're such a push over. Mom has you wrapped around her finger, and you don't even have the guts to go against her"

"Silence you little traitor! Don't think I'm willing to forgive you for setting your mother on me earlier. I will have my revenge. Just you wait"

Hinami quirked an eyebrow. "Wow you're lame. Do you even realise how outdated that sounds?"

Shukaku pouted. "Why exactly are you doing this to me, Hinami? What did I ever do to you to deserve this kind of treatment?"

"Remember that time I accidentally cut your arm off and you toppled an entire sand castle on top me?" the girl asked emotionlessly.

"There was nothing accidental about that wind blade and you know it. You threw that thing straight at me. You're just lucky that it was only my arm that you cut off. Next time will not end so happily for you," he warned.

"Ooh, real scary. I'm practically shaking already," Hinami drawled sarcastically.

Shukaku smirked. "Fine then. First lesson of being a Bijuu" he said suddenly, gaining the girls immediate attention. "Have eyes in the back of your head at all times"

Hinami's eyes widened as she spun around, only to find nothing behind her. Before she could turn back to her father, the young blonde was dealt a strong smack to the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're gullible. That kind of thing will get you killed" Shukaku said in a somewhat serious tone. "I was barely even moving as fast as a standard jonin and you still failed to react to me. All I would have needed to do was actually hit you hard enough and you would be rendered completely useless"-he sighed deeply-"Hinami, you're not a full Bijuu yet, but that won't matter to a lot of people. They'll see you as a weapon to be captured and tamed. Me and your mother will protect you as best as we can, which I have to say is pretty damn well, but we can't expect you to stay with us forever"

"I've been putting it off for a little while now, mostly because I wanted you to make the most of casual life and training with your mother, but once we get comfortable with travelling around I'll be starting your actual training. Of course, there isn't much point if you don't dedicate yourself to it, so I expect you to devote a fair bit of effort to this. It shouldn't take too long with how talented you are, and then you should be trained enough to go out by yourself. I remember Temari once saying something about teenage girls needing their space"

Hinami's excitement disappeared as she deadpanned at Shukaku. "What exactly caused her to say that?" she asked suspiciously.

Shukaku shrugged. "I dunno. I walked into the bedroom once and she was parading around naked. Not sure why she felt the need to yell at me so much. I mean, we were rather intimate by that point, and I had already seen her naked before"

"Eww! Dad, that's gross! Don't tell me those things!" Hinami exclaimed.

"That's a little harsh. I know Temari can get a little hard to deal with sometimes, but that's no reason for you to go calling her gross. She actually has a very stunning figure underneath all those clothes"

"Dad! No! Shut up! Stop talking! This is grossing me out!"

Shukaku gave Hinami a strange look. "I really don't see what you're so disgusted by. Logically speaking, you will most likely inherit a physical figure much similar to your mothers. Of course, you might always develop the ability to change your form like me; but until that's confirmed, I suggest you take pride in having such good genes to fall back on. Don't let her know I said this, but you owe your cuteness and future good looks to Temari"

Hinami covered her ears. "I said stop talking!" she growled angrily.

Her father grinned wickedly and punched his open palm. "I honestly can't wait to see how many hormonal teenage boys come running after you. Gives me the best excuse in the books to go on another rampage and slaughter some little runts"

"Mom! Dad's threatening to kill people again! And he keeps talking about you naked!"

"SHUKAKU!"

Said Bijuu glared at his smug looking daughter. "This kind of bullshit will get you disowned, Hinami"

"Aww, I'm sure it will" the girl said mockingly, patting her father's head. "Have fun with mom"

Shukaku grinned perversely. "I already have. How do you think we had you?"

Hinami immediately covered her ears again. "Eww! Eww! Eww! Eww! Eww! Stop being disgusting! You're going to ruin my innocence!"

He snorted in amusement. "Innocence? Hinami, with the way you were conceived, I doubt you were even born with any innocence"

The pure amount of horror that flooded into Hinami was almost visible. She paled drastically and completely lost all signs of energy. "I think I'm just going to let myself die now," she muttered, lying down and curling up into a ball.

Shukaku smirked triumphantly. "And that, my dear Hinami, is what happens when you lie to your mother and get me hurt. I hope you take this lesson to heart, because this is me going easy on you," he said, ruffling the girl's hair. "Better get packed, sweetie. We have a long trip to the next village and I doubt you want your mother or me carrying you there"

The girl was gone faster than he expected, leaving him to chuckle to himself quietly.

"And people said this parenting thing would be hard"

Gaara sat quietly in his office. Matsuri had already gone home, leaving him to finish off the day's paperwork. He had finished that some time ago, but had stayed late anyway. The redhead stared out of his office window, looking down on the village as it slept. The peace of night was truly worth the scorching hot days, even in spite of the chilling cold that always accompanied it.

The Kazekage couldn't help but see a similarity in the desert's nature and the nature of the world. For every harsh and gruelling day, there would be a peaceful night. A time of peace for everyone and everything, yet not without its own difficulties. Unfortunately, much like the cycle of the day, the world could never remain in one state for longer than it is meant to. Gaara knew that this time of peace, of prosperity and understanding, would eventually come to an end. He also knew that the actions of the bordering countries was the start of the world's unravelling.

Despite this, Gaara couldn't help but wish the night would stay. He couldn't actively retaliate to the other countries bold actions simply because he knew that things would eventually come to it anyway. It wasn't just due to his role as Kazekage either. After watching his sister and brother be happy and have a family, Gaara wished to start his own. At the rate of things, if he didn't retaliate until the latest possible moment, then he assumed the peace would last for another year or so. That was not an acceptable time limit within to start a family.

He sighed deeply and rested his chin on his folded hands. It wouldn't matter what angle he as the Kazekage took. The outcome was generally the same. The council, both shinobi and civilian, would urge him to choose the lesser of two evils. They would encourage him to turn Shukaku over to the bordering countries and sate their fear induced need to dispose of a possible village-destroying weapon. Had he been in their position, Gaara couldn't honestly say that he would react any different to the Ichibi's power. Needless to say, Shukaku's display of power in Ame had left an imprint on the world. Both physically and socially.

"Hey, Gaara" Kankuro said casually, walking into the office.

"Hello, Kankuro" the Kazekage replied. "Shouldn't you be at home? Tenten won't be happy that you aren't around after having just recently returned from a mission"

"Nah, she let me come here," the puppet master said. "We're both worried about you, bro. I don't plan on letting you stress over all this crap by yourself"

"You got kicked out, didn't you?"

"Do you want my company or not?"

Gaara smiled. "Thanks for your concern, Kankuro. But I do not think that there is much anyone can do about this"

"I still don't see how any decent person can see Shukaku as such a threat though," Kankuro said.

"If you didn't know him personally, do you not think you would fear him?" Gaara asked. "A being of such immense power to be able to completely wipe one of the most technologically advanced villages right off the map. Someone capable of forcing an entire group of S-rank shinobi into retreat. If those were not reason enough, there was also that incident with Madara Uchiha and that strange Kaguya woman. It only makes sense that people fear Shukaku"

Kankuro snickered. "Yeah, until they learn that he's so badly whipped by Temari that he literally created the largest oasis in wind country for her luxury"

"I doubt they would care. And I do not think that Shukaku would like for Temari to be targeted either. That would only lead to another village's destruction at his hands"

The two brother lapsed into a moment of silence.

"So… they're going to leave then, right?" Kankuro asked softly. "Kinda makes sense in a way. Shukaku might be completely insane, but he's also honourable in his own way. He won't drag us down with him, and I'm pretty sure he was enjoying the peace as much as everyone else was. Temari has grown to love him way too much to just let him go off on his own, and Hinami will probably just follow along out of curiosity. That girl's more interested in learning jutsu than Naruto was at her age"

"They have already departed" the Kazekage said.

Kankuro smiled sadly. "Well, I guess that makes sense too"

"I think they'll enjoy it. Those three aren't suited to staying in one place for too long anyway. It was getting to the point where they would need to leave anyway"

"Hmm, when you put it like that it sounds like we're simply giving them an extended vacation. But hey, it does make me feel less guilty about letting them run off like this. Personally though, I'd much prefer to fight this one. Shukaku's a nice guy once you get past the crazy"

"I think a lot of people would rather fight. But then we would merely end up back at everyone's throat. Sometimes it is simply better to let things go"

"I'm more curious as to how Naruto is going to react once he finds out about this. Not sure if he's going to be too happy with people threatening to start a war over the Bijuu again, at least not after he pretty much declared them all under his protection. The guy also helped in taking out Madara and that rabbit god chick. I wonder if anyone even considered what happens if he's the one they piss off instead of us"

"It will be… interesting, to say the least" Gaara said. "But all we can do for now is wait"

"Ugh, waiting is boring. There isn't exactly much to do out here in the desert"

"Perhaps not for the commoners. But luckily for you, I have forethought on such issues" the redhead said, reaching into his Kazekage robes and pulling out a small brightly coloured book.

Kankuro's eyes widened and he pointed shakily to the book. "Is that what I think it is?"

Gaara quirked a non-existent eyebrow. "If you mean the limited edition first print copy of the yet to be released edition of Icha-Icha, signed by both Jiraiya and Naruto, then yes, it is what you are thinking"

"And how the hell did you get your slimy mitts on something so precious?" Kankuro demanded suspiciously, eyeing the book almost predatorily.

"Simple, actually. I'm the Kazekage. I have connections," the ex-jinchuuriki stated calmly. "Also, Shukaku may have acquired it for me as a gift"

The puppet master gazed longingly at the book, salivating at the thought of possessing such a masterpiece ahead of intended time. "Can I… can I read it?" he asked hesitantly.

Gaara immediately tightened his grip on the book. "Absolutely not. This is my copy"-he reached into his robes once again, producing a gold trimmed copy of the same book-"This copy is yours. Courtesy of Shukaku of course"

Kankuro accepted the book, holding it as if it were a revered object gifted from the hands of Kami herself. Tears formed in his eyes as he turned to his brother with determination. "Gaara… we cannot allow Shukaku to leave. We have to fight, for him, for the god that delivered unto us the glories of Icha-Icha"

"I wouldn't be saying that so soon. Shukaku did warn me not to give you that when he was around. Something about him having provided some much needed material to the writer. I'm sure you'll understand once you read the blurb," Gaara said.

Kankuro narrowed his eyes in confusion. Turning the book over, he read the blurb, only to grit his teeth at the first paragraph.

'The tale of a budding young warrior who is affianced to an over confident royal. Her wit is as sharp as her weapons, and her will as strong as armour, but will it be enough to save her from his manipulating ways, as he tangles her in his strings and works to add her to his growing army of puppet soldiers. When pitted against each other by their own nature, what hope is there for romance but their shared lust over the strength each other possesses?'

The book clashed to the ground as Kankuro threw his head back in rage.

"YOU SON OF A….!"

Shukaku stopped walking suddenly and glanced back at the now distant village of Suna. The trio had made surprising progress in such a short time.

"Something wrong, dear?" Temari asked.

"Did either of you just feel a sudden sense of foreboding and dread? Perhaps a bit of killing intent?" the Bijuu asked.

"Who'd you piss off this time dad?" Hinami groaned.

"Hmm, not really. Maybe it's just you" Temari replied.

Shukaku pursed his lips thoughtfully before smirking. "Oh, never mind. I know what happened," he said, chuckling to himself. "Let's keep going"

The family returned to walking, only for Temari to walk right beside Shukaku as Hinami went on slightly ahead. "Care to let me in on the foreboding?"

"Don't worry. It's nothing serious. It was just Kankuro finally getting the gift I left for him"

Temari quirked an eyebrow. "And that gift was?"

"A limited gold edition copy of the yet to be released Icha-Icha"

"And you're saying that Kankuro, my pervert brother, now has it out for you after receiving it? That doesn't really add up, you know that, right?"

Shukaku chuckled and leant in closer to Temari, whispering into her ear. The blonde blushed brightly and stared at her husband in shock. "You didn't?"

"Damn right I did" the Bijuu answered. "Those two ruined many a night's sleep with their nonsense an I'll be damned if I can't profit from it"

Temari finally snapped and burst into laughter, hugging Shukaku as she leant heavily on him. "Oh my god! I wish I could see Tenten's face once she finds out. It'll be priceless"

"Don't worry. I bribed Gaara. He agreed to take a photo of the event and the ensuing chaos"

The blonde quickly stepped in front of the Bijuu and kissed him. "Remind me to thank you for this later"

"I'll make a note of it. But I think we may have forgotten something"

Shukaku and Temari turned and looked down at Hinami, who was glaring at them with her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently.

"Are you two done yet, or do I need to get ready to puke?" she asked.

The couple groaned in unison.

"Damn, I almost forgot we have responsibility now" Temari said.

"I know. It's such a drag," Shukaku muttered.

"You've been hanging out with Shikamaru too much"

"What can I say; the kid plays a mean game of shogi"

"Can you two stop acting like I'm not here?" Hinami said crossly.

"Hey, if we hurry, maybe we can reach a hotel early and book the luxury suite before anyone else gets the chance" Shukaku suggested.

"That sounds heavenly. But you have to promise to give me a massage while we're there. And not a half-assed one either. I want a full body, in depth, chakra massage"

"I'm sure that could be arranged, for the right price," Shukaku said suggestively.

"Hmm, I'll consider it"

"Stop ignoring me dammit!"

"Did you hear something?"

"I think I did. Perhaps the wind is merely agreeing with our divine plans for tomorrow evening"

"This is beyond immature! Grow up will you!"

"Wow, it sure is enthusiastic about it. Who would have known that nature was so eager to help people in need follow their decisions"

"You're acting like children!"

"Then we shouldn't waste any time, should we? We must hurry towards that luxury suite"

"You know what, I give up! You two are impossible!"

"Aww, I think Hinami needs a hug," Temari said. "How about a family hug? We haven't done one of those in a while"

"I agree. A family hug will do her good," Shukaku said.

Hinami backed away from her parents, chuckling nervously as she went. "Now, now. There's no need to do anything extreme. I'll be good now, I promise. I won't even interrupt your alone time at the hotel"

"But Hinami, sweetheart, we only wish to show you how much we love you. Come on dear, one hug won't hurt you," Temari said sweetly.

"Screw this! I'm outa here!"

The girl was gone almost instantly, a dust trail being the only real evidence of her even being there.

Shukaku frowned. "Did we go too far that time?"

Temari shrugged. "Who cares? She'll recover. She always does. It's not like our antics are scarring her any more than that time we left her at Tenten and Kankuro's house. We didn't hear the end of that one for weeks"

"I do still feel a little guilty about that one"

"Me too, but I try not to think about it"

"Hey, Temari, before we continue, I just wanted to ask you something"

"Okay. Shoot"

"Do you think we should really drag Hinami into this mess? I mean, I could easily ask one of my siblings to care for her and train her to be a Bijuu. It might be safer too"

Temari pinched Shukaku and glared at him. "We are not leaving our daughter with one of your crazy siblings. And don't you even dare suggest your sisters. If I want Hinami to grow up to be a manipulative whore, I will raise her like that myself"

"Matatabi isn't that bad. Chōmei is rather airheaded at times, but… okay fine, I see your point. We won't leave Hinami with them then"

"We won't leave Hinami with anyone. We're taking her with us. It'll be good for her and you already said that you would train her. Do you really want to deal with her once she finds out that you want to just hand her over to someone else?"

"You've made your point"

"Good. Now let's hurry up and catch up to Hinami. There is no way I'm going to let her potentially ruin our plan for the luxury suite"

Shukaku froze suddenly. "Uh, Temari? Speaking of Hinami. Does she even know where she's going, or did she just run off in a random direction without us?"

The couple's eyes widened comically. "Shit!" they hissed in unison, both taking off in the direction they had last seen Hinami heading.

"HINAMI!"

A/N:

Okay, so probably not the best way to end the story, but it really had to be ended and I've had to rewrite this chapter like ten times until I got it to a point that I liked it. That being said, I am very sad to announce that Broken Seal, my first ever attempt at a multi chapter story, is now officially over. It didn't receive too much interest compared to my other fanfic, but I still had quite a bit of fun writing this. I thank all of you that have bothered to follow along with this chaotic story and my abysmal updating schedule, and I do hope that all of you that made it to this point enjoyed this final chapter.

Reviews, at this point, are not required anymore, but I would very much appreciate to hear what you all thought about this ending.

Also, I really am sorry for how long it took for this chapter to get published. As I said before, I actually ended up having to rewrite it many times, and then this version just continued to drag on for much longer than I had planned. Still, it's something at least.

In other news though, I have been contemplating on creating another fanfiction to work on. This is more than likely going to be a Tokyo Ghoul fanfic, so if any of you are fans of that anime and like my writing so far, I ask you to keep an eye out for it. It may or may not become a thing.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Thank you all again for following this story. I hope that I did not waste your time or disappoint any of you.

It was a blast.

Soul out!