Absolved.

A Suprise Réunion.

[Song: Paper Crown - Alec Benjamin]

We'd slowed our pace a bit, almost forgetting about the uneasy feelings we had been having since we left the tea house. We were back to talking and joking around. It was nice to be out here with Temari, she was so laid back and honest, she made me feel like I didn't have to try to be anyone but myself.

You think I should feel that with all of my siblings but with Gaara I was just trying to be the big sister, to make things easier on him.. For Kro, that one is harder to explain... Temari and I are both older than him, but with the way Kankuro and I act it's like I'm younger, I let my guard down around him and try to overcompensate for it by constantly arguing with him. We both know we don't mean it, and it's honestly fun. With Temari though, we could be the same age, twins even, she gets things the way the boys don't.

"I'm going to miss Konoha.." She randomly admitted to me.

"Going to miss that lazy boy, huh sis?" I wiggled my eyebrows in her direction.

Temari glared sideways at me and stuck her nose up in the air. "No. I'm going to miss the weather, and the greenery, and not having sand in everything."

I nodded a little, the whole feeling of the Leaf village was so different than ours. The debt and budget cuts hung heavily over everyone in Sunagakure, we all had to work harder and do better in everything. I guess dealing with all of that stress is why my father became the man he was, Gaara was stronger than him though, my little brother would be a better man.

"I'm going to miss swimming too!" Temari had continued. "Shikamaru took me to this really amazing waterfall."

"Oh he did, did he?" I smirked, catching her glare but feeling brave. "Sounds like a date to me."

My sister punched me in the nose.

I groaned, holding my face now that blood was filling my cupped hands. "That was uncalled for!"

"You get what you ask for." She shrugged.

I rubbed at my nose but it seemed to make it bleed more, I tried to tilt my head forward so the blood wouldn't stain the white cloak I had on over my outfit. It wasn't working though, there was so much blood I had to feel if it was broken or not. "I need to take care of this." I sputtered.

"There is water just through those trees, I guess I'll wait for you." She actually had the nerve to sound annoyed.

I stumbled off into the trees, finding the stream she was talking about pretty quickly. I removed my cloak and laid on my stomach, splashing water on my face and watching the blood swirl in the current. I knew better than to tip my head back, so I laid there letting it drip until it decided it was finished. I then very gently rubbed water on it to get rid of the last bit of blood and stood up, retrieving my cloak and turning to head back to my sister.

"Gaara?" I heard Temari's voice through the trees "You mean he's been.... He's been taken by the Akatsuki?" I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach, it made me freeze in place.

"We're two and a half days out from the sand, we should hurry.." A man's voice responded to her, a hauntingly familiar voice.

"Right!" I heard Temari agree. "I just need to... " No, Temari just pretend I'm not here... I'll catch up. "KAIRI! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" Fuck.

I stepped out of the treeline and was met with the shocked faces of Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi.. There was more than shock on his face, so many emotions flashed through that one eye that said so much... Shock, pain, sorrow, happiness, disbelief, confusion, more pain. I bit my lip as I walked over to my sister's side.