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dira333 · 3 months

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Things to be sure of - Kazekage Family

part two of "If we have each other" - Gaara x Reader, Shinki & Reader. Shinki's 11, the twins are 4. - tagging @deathbytsubaki for the idea

Summary: Time changes, but some things stay the same

“Nii-chan?” The door opens and Hayato pushes his head through, bright red hair messy as usual. “What are you doing?”

“Packing,” Shinki explains, taking one shirt out of his bag and exchanging it for another. “I’m leaving for Konoha today.”

“Konoha?” Hayato waddles inside, a bunny plush tucked under his arm. “Are we visiting Uncle Shika?”

Shinki halts. He often forgets how little his siblings engage in adult conversations. Not that his parents consider him an adult already, at the ripe age of eleven.

“Yes, you are. But I’m leaving a week earlier. Father is going to take you with him next week.”

Hayato’s pale eyes widen. “You’re going without us?” He asks, voice quivering. Shinki sighs, crouching down in anticipation. Sure enough, Hayato stretches his arms out, wanting to be held.

“Just for a few days,” Shinki mutters into his brother’s hair as he picks him up. “You’re barely going to have time to notice it.”

“But who’s going to read me a story at night?”

Shinki chuckles softly. “Like always, Mother and Father will read to you. It’s like I’m going on a mission.”

Hayato doesn’t seem convinced, his hold tightening, his sand, pale yellow in color, mingling with Shinki’s iron sand as if to say “I will not be left behind”.

Hayato’s still dangling off him by the time you step into his room, freshly ironed clothes in your hands.

“Ah,” you pick your youngest off him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Can you do me a favor, Sugar? Can you get Daddy to eat something? Tell him you need a snack?”

Hayato blinks up at you for a second before nodding, leaving with one last tug on Shinki’s trousers.

“How are you feeling?” You ask, stepping closer. Your hand moves through his hair, tugging a little at a stubborn strand.

He knows you’re referring to more than just him leaving. He also knows that you can catch him lying from a mile away.

“This week, I overheard something,” he starts, putting his bag on the ground to sit on the bed instead. You take the spot next to him without asking, don’t react when his iron sand moves to shut the door. “I doubt they knew I was there. They were discussing who was the best option for the next Kazekage.”

You don’t say anything, just nod your head to let him know you’re listening.

His eyes land on his hands, curled into fists.

“It’s not always the firstborn who becomes Kazekage,” Shinki repeats, “but the one with the most talent.”

Silence stretches out around him.

“Do you feel that you have less talent than Hayato or Honoka?”

He considers it for a moment. Does he feel that way?

“I mean,” he licks his lips for a second, glaring at the floor. “Hayato has no trouble controlling his sand at 4 years old. He’s no victim to violent mood swings or nightmares or-”

He trails off and your arm pulls him in. His head sinks onto your shoulder like it’s meant to be there. Your fingernails scratch at his scalp.

“He’s got two Kekkai Genkai’s.” Shinki continues, his voice now lower. “And even if he didn’t want to become Kazekage, what about Honoka? Surely there’s time for a female Kazekage. Both of them have the blood of the Kazekage running through their veins.”

“Shinki,” you pull away to look into his eyes. “It’s not blood alone that makes someone a parent or a child. It’s not talent alone that makes a great Kage.”

Something like a whimper spills from his lips. You pull him in again.

He’s reminded of nights, spent in this room, his body curled into a ball. Father used to sit with him, quietly, when the nightmares were at their worst.

You’d climb into bed with him instead, let him rest his body on yours, let skin melt into skin, warmth into warmth.

You have dried his tears often enough to know their shape by touch alone.

“Do you question our love for you, Shinki, or do you question your qualifications for becoming Kazekage?”

“Both.”

“You are not even a Genin yet,” you remind him softly. “Yet you are already exceptionally talented. Uncle Kankuro and Aunt Temari are both perfectly capable of becoming Kazekage, but it’s just one position that cannot be shared. Whether you’ll be ready to take your Father’s place or not, I don’t know. But I know for certain that we both believe in you. We are so, so proud of you.”

You wait a moment, probably to let your words sink in.

“As for our love for you, Shinki… I do question it too, sometimes. Because I know that I love you. I know that your Father loves you. But I question if we show it to you in a way that you can understand.”

Your hand's card through his hair again. “You’re my special boy, Shinki. You chose me.”

“Better?” You ask, rubbing his back softly. He nods, pulling away.

“Sorry,” he rubs a hand over his now-dried eyes.

“Don’t apologize. It’s important to talk about these things. Can I do anything else to make today easier for you? I know it’s just one week and good preparation for next year when you’ll have to leave for the Chunin Exams, but if I can do something-”

“Can we have Lunch together?” Shinki asks, cutting off your rambling. “I leave before Dinner, so-”

“Oh, absolutely. I’ll go and convince Gaara right away. At least that way we can get him to eat something during the Day.”

He joins in your chuckles, leans into your touch when you pat his shoulder one last time.

“I love you, Shinki.” You kiss his cheek.

“Love you too.” The door closes after you with a click.

Gathering himself, he grabs his bag, going over the things he needs yet again.

The door opens with momentum only seconds later, almost crashing into the wall.

“Nii-chan!” Honoka declares like a war-cry. “You’re leaving?”

“Yes,” he states calmly as she takes a run-up and jumps onto his bed, upsetting the things he’d placed there. “Careful.”

“Why are you leaving? Where are you going to? Is it a mission? Can I come with? Oh, please, can I come with?! Uncle Kuro said I’m ready for my first puppet already, but one without poison. Can you believe that? I want one with poison.”

“Honoka,” he stills her, one hand on every shoulder. “Breathe. That’s too many questions.”

“Fine,” she huffs, crossing her arms. “Where are you going?”

“Konoha.”

Her eyes light up and she’s jumping to her feet, nevermind the fact that she’s now leaving footprints all over his bedsheets.

“Can I come?! Please, Nii-chan! I wanna watch you kick Bokuto’s ass!”

“I’m not going to kick his ass.” Yet, he adds in his mind. Maybe next year, at the Chunin Exam.

“Oh,” she pouts. “But I could still come. Aunty Temari loves me. I want to learn how to fight with her Fan!”

“You’ll have more than enough chances to do so when you come up to Konoha a week later.”

“That’s not fair,” Honoka declares. “Why do you get one more week with Aunty and I don’t?”

“Because I’m older.”

Honoka huffs. “That’s unfair. I should have gotten born first.”

He considers the missing logic of her statement, but decides against fighting it. There’s no use in fighting Honoka. She spends too much time with Uncle Kankuro.

“Tell me about Training instead,” he insists, packing his things. “What did Uncle Kankuro show you today?”

“Oh, sure. Well, first he had me recite all poisons and antidotes and I only forgot one. Then he had me practice using my Chakra Strings and it sucked a lot, but I’m getting better. Then…”

“Shinki.” Father stops him at the door, one warm hand on his shoulder. He looks tired, as usual, but Shinki’s long since learned to read his mind through his eyes.

I’m proud of you, they say today. I’ll miss you. Be safe.

“How are you?” Shinki asks, drawing out the moment they have to separate again, if only to come together at the table. “Are you sleeping enough, Father?”

“Have I ever?” He jokes softly. “When we return, I want resume our usual training. It won’t harm you to miss the occasional mission.”

Warmth surges through him at these words. He knows what they mean.

Let us spend more time together. I’ve missed your company.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Can you sit down?” Uncle Kankuro bellows from the kitchen. “Yeez, why do I bother having the food ready on time when you guys take so long in gathering. Honoka, don’t get in my way, this stuff is hot.”

“Sorry, Uncle Kuro.” Honoka rushes to her seat. She knows to head his warnings, after all, she once managed to trip him on the way to the table.

They’ve just taken place, plates filled, when Hayato opens his mouth.

“Shinki’s leaving,” he says, with the tone of someone who’s suffering.

“I know,” Father leans in to smooth done his hair. “We’ll miss him.”

Tears fill pale eyes.

“Does he have to leave?” Hayato asks. He turns to Shinki. “Do you?”

“Don’t be a cry-” Honoka starts, but you interrupt her.

“It’s okay to miss him,” you say, leaning in to dry Hayato’s tears. “We’ll all miss Shinki. But some things are necessary. If we’d never left Suna, we’d never get to see Uncle Shikamaru. How do we deal with these feelings?”

Hayato considers it for a second. “We look for the good?”

Shinki waits for him to connect the dots. Soon enough, Hayato blinks up at his big brother.

“Can I sleep in your bed while you’re gone?”

“If you want.”

Honoka opens her mouth, no doubt to fight for her right to Shinki’s bed.

“Ah,” you cut her off. “Let’s eat first, and discuss things later, okay?

There are not many things to be sure of, even at eleven years old.

Times are changing. Suddenly, traveling from Suna to Konoha takes less than a day. Things that seemed impossible are just “a new Jutsu” now.

But there are things, Shinki knows for sure. He counts them, sometimes, when he’s unable to sleep.

His parents love him. His parents love each other. He has a home. Shikadai will always favor a nap over anything else and Boruto will be annoying…

“What are you thinking about?” Aunt Temari asks, checking the clouds above her. They’re early, but he doesn’t mind waiting.

“What things to be sure of.”

“Oh,” she nods. “That sounds interesting.”

“What are you sure of?”

Her eyes move away from him. Aunt Temari is different from you. She doesn’t like emotional topics. But sometimes, when they’re both alone, she opens up a little bit. He likes that. She reminds him of his Father’s Cacti. They do not bloom as often or as long as you might want them to, but if you treat them right, their bloom is like a gift.

“I am sure…” She hesitates, before she smiles, a twinkle in her eye that tells him that she’s not ready to bloom today. “I’m sure that Honoka is going to be the first out of the carriage today.”

He considers it. “Hayato will want to be picked up.”

“Gaara will have messy hair.” Her smile has turned into a smirk. “Because your mother cannot take her hands away.”

Shinki smiles. All good things to be sure of.

The train halts, the doors open.

“Nii-chan!” Honoka bursts through the open doors, her red hair like a beacon. “Aunty Temari!”

Following her, much quieter, though with no less urgency, comes Hayato, pulling on Shinki’s legs. “Up!” He asks, making himself look younger than he really is.

Shinki picks him up with ease, lets him settle into the curve of his shoulder.

Behind his siblings, his parents walk out, smiles on their faces.

You’re holding Father’s hand, both of you clothed like the high ranking officials that you are.

But Father’s hair, usually combed to the side, is standing up in every direction, much like that of Hayato.

Shinki shares a knowing look with Aunt Temari.

Yes. All good things to be sure of.

#my writing #naruto x reader #gaara x reader #kazekage family #sabaku no gaara #sabaku no shinki #sabaku no temari #sabaku no kankuro #shinki and reader #shinki and gaara #gaara and shinki #shinki fluff #gaara fluff

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