Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shinki, a 5-year-old boy, dislikes separation as much as everyone else. Why? The sensation beneath reminded him the taste of medicines; the longer it remains, the more bitter it would be. Separation was difficult to deal with, especially the first time after Sakura and him were really close for weeks. He called her mother, and the love she gave him in return was incredibly full and affirming, by just realizing the empty space next to him makes him sad.

Fortunately, he could depend on her consistent drawings included letters, and she sometimes send him small gifts, letting him know that she misses him as much as he does. He received seasonal items such as a cherry blossom petals, tropical fruits, maple leaves, and tea bags, all of which were tied to the weather in Konoha. Along the way, he learned a thing or two about the country where she lives.

Father’s love, on the other hand, was slow but soft. Shinki got admitted to the ninja academy. Although his training with Gaara and Kankuro had helped him gain control over his abilities, he still needed to learn more in order to become a true shinobi. He had little to no trouble with the academic studies, the only thing he envied was seeing his peers being picked up by their caregivers after school.

Kids, were terrified of Shinki, for one thing because of his poker face, they couldn't figure what he had in mind; and for another he was not into group activities and preferred to spend most of his time alone. After class, he would train by himself to kill time, Kankuro would join him whenever he’s available.

Gaara's schedule was intense. He had to work long hours due to funding constraints for upgrading infrastructure in the village. He does, however, always return home to have dinner with his family and be the one who puts Shinki to bed. The boy enjoyed listening to his father’s bedtime stories, since Kankuro was terrible at them. His uncle can read, but he frequently adds pointless details and exaggerates the storyline, treating them as if they were his personal autobiographies. Watching his uncle throwing an overdramatic performance before going to bed was the last thing he needed. 

Shinki imagines Konoha at times, wondering how would it be if he could stay there with Sakura and experience all the colorful things she told him. But also he wants to make his father proud, so he promises himself to keep on getting better. With a clear motive to move forward, he won’t get distracted easily by loneliness, at least he thought so. 

In the first ninjutsu exam, Shinki came in first place. And as a result to that, his name and face became increasingly familiar around the academy, but what surprised him the most was an after-school pick-up from no one other than the Kazekage himself. 

Many people were surrounding at the entrance, he noticed, and that was when he saw Gaara waving at him, so he quickened up his pace. 

“Father! Why are you here?” 

“I got off work early. I thought perhaps I could see you a little earlier than usual” The redhead explained and smiled at the boy. 

Shinki was overjoyed to learn that he was the first person that got on Gaara's mind when he had extra time. He wanted him to know that even when he wasn't looking, he was doing perfectly and behaving well. 

“I-I got number one in ninjutsu exam.”

Shinki could feel a gentle gasp escaping from his father's lips, "Really?" that awe soon transformed into delight, then he felt his hair caressed, as he added, "That's impressive. Although I never thought otherwise."

The boy liked what he was hearing, and the sweetness that was tickling inside him. 

“What do you say if we relax a bit today? I know the best place to do so”

Relax? Young Shinki only knew gardening was his father's hobby, or sometimes eating particular foods. It was none of them above, however, he led him to a building with two kanji characters in front of the entrance that read: public spa.

The lobby's sofa area was occupied by a few people sitting comfortably in their bath robes, holding drinks; there were workers at the desk greeting new customers, collecting fees, handing out amenities, and providing instruction to them on how to use the bath.

The staff walked him and father through the same processes as everyone else. The men's public bath was on the first level, while the women's was on the second. He followed in his father's footsteps into a room with all of the floors made of bamboo sheets (tatami).

They initially stopped at the lockers in the changing space. Gaara was removing his clothing and stuff, meanwhile, Shinki spotted several men heading out from a certain direction with only a piece of towel covering their lower body. Of course, shocked, he turned his head away. Still, his curiosity compelled him to cast a couple of glances their way. He remembered caretakers at the orphanage bathing children in a bath hall, though he wasn't sure as they didn't include him, so he could only imagine it'd be fun.

But hen he finally got to experience being in a changing room with kids his age, adults, and elders, it was weird and unreal to him. And, he also realized that his father was now wearing nothing but a towel.

Gaara chuckled as he saw a blush of embarrassment on Shinki's cheeks.

“This is just how spa rules are,” he tried to comfort him. 

At last, Shinki was naked after a lot nervousness and seconds of pausing. Iron sands sliding through the hardwood floors as he fists his palms.

“It’s alright, Shinki. No one's looking,” said the redhead, and he rubbed the boy's shoulder, “Follow me.” 

Underground water is scarce in the desert, thus public spas are only open at night and on specific days. Warm baths becomes a go-to habit for the Suna people when the temperature outside drops after sunset.

As soon as they finally enter the closed bath area, Shinki sensed of lingering humidity and vapor on his skin, that cloud his vision. He tightened his fingers with Gaara's.

They went to the shower zone and sat on wet stools, with bottles of hair shampoo, body shampoo, and conditioner arranged at a reaching distance.

Shinki was bothered by other people's attention and instinctively wanted to cover up. He was so preoccupied with his self-consciousness that he didn't see Gaara shifted himself behind him until he felt a set of large hands washing his skull with shampoo. The child looked up into the mirror, recognized his father's reflection, and the latter returned with a soft smile. After a while of examining the foams and bubbles rising from his crown, he decided to take care of himself as well, just as he did at home.

It took some time, but he began to understand the joy of washing together when Gaara allowed him and appreciated his offer to wash his back.

The public bath consisted of multiple pools, and Gaara and Shinki chose the one that was the furthest away and had the fewest people. The water was boiling hot, or so Shinki believed, but after seeing how easily his father settled in, he learnt to stop questioning.

Warm, indeed. But it wasn’t as bad as he had feared. His doubts gradually melt away as he stares longer at the clear, carbonated water. 

“Like it?” asked Gaara, leaning his head towards Shinki, his arms resting on the pool's edge.

The gleam in the boy's eyes and his happy nod lightened the Kazekage's day, noting this moment as an achievement of his fatherhood.

Chapter Text

Shinki had no idea when was his birthday. Suna's system only had information on the year he was born, thus no one knew. He nearly have any memory of his biological parents, so had little understanding what a birthday was about. Therefore, his adopted family found a better way to make up for him: they celebrate Gotcha Day instead.

A year has passed since Shinki been a part of the Kazekage family. Time flies when everyday is a blessing. After months of listening to the letters Sakura wrote for him, he was happy enough to be able to spend time with her again in person, to be in her warmth. The adults, on the other hand, wanted him to feel special.

It was an ordinary weekday. After sending Shinki to the academy in the morning, Gaara, Kankuro, and Sakura started discussing about the celebration arrangements. Gaara, due to his Kazekage obligations, was simply in charge of picking Shinki up after school. Sakura's task was to get balloons and food. Kankuro had to deal with the decorations as well as cleaning up afterwards. They had all prepared their own gifts for Shinki.

“This is unfair. How do you guys get to do the easy stuff and mine is always the most tiring?” Kankuro complained, crossing his arms in disapproval.

"Because you're just sitting around all day," Gaara and Sakura responded, as if in one. And that made Kankuro even more unpleased.

Gaara and Sakura got along impressively after parenting became a common subject among their conversations. Kankuro noticed they click very well, especially when it comes to asking him for help with random, mundane things. That was sometimes annoying, he would be sick if Sakura hadn't bought him drinks afterward. Although being "bullied" was nothing new to him, as it can be far more brutal before Temari moved to Konoha. 

Shinki felt a bit odd when Gaara offered him the house key as they arrived their porch, but still unlocked the door, anyway. 

As he pushed open the door, he heard sharp, loud sounds coming from party poppers, along with Sakura and Kankuro's energetic “HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, SHINKI!” Gaara's too, from behind, despite his was much softer. 

Sakura placed a crown hat on Shinki, who had been taken aback by the colorful elements that were hanging around the hall and dressed on the adults.

Gaara bends down, putting his hand and gently squeezes the boy's shoulder, drawing Shinki's attention to him. “Shinki, thank you for being my son for the past year. Every day, I am blessed with the fact that we are a family. I hope over the last year I performed acceptable, so that I can continue to be your father for the rest of my life. If that is alright with you."

Shinki, immediately grabbed the hand Gaara had on his shoulder, without blinking, he affirmed, "Father, you are the best father I can have. You saved me, I don't want anyone else to be my father for the rest of my life except you."

His gaze was serious and his grip was firm. Gaara is constantly wondering what he did to be so fortunate to be Shinki's parent. The boy's genuineness makes him smile and he strokes the little one's hair.

It was a pleasure to witness the scene. Regardless of feeling moved by the father and son duo, Sakura joked as a protest, "Gaara, you should've saved that after the other surprises!"

"Yeah, leave some room for the rest of us, little bro. You know I'm not good with words," Kankuro added. 

The redhead could only laugh.

“Hey, brat. Happy Gotcha Day. I hope you'll like this, I made it myself,” Kankuro remarked smugly as he handed Shinki a puppet that was apparently a mini-natured Shinki with very loose limbs. Then he demonstrated on playing it using chakra threads. Needless to say, Kankuro did put effort on the puppet, not only mini-Shinki has an outfit, it also has brown hair-look like he colored it?-and a grumpy expression, which made it a little livelier.

“Thank you, Uncle.” The boy nodded to Kankuro, and proceeded to stare at the mini-him.

Silence remained for a short while, until Sakura decided to be honest about her thoughts, “Kankuro, you need more practice on crafting,” 

“What the hell, Sakura? Don't talk like you know anything about art and craft, you’re just jealous my present is better than yours,” the puppeteer fought back. 

Gaara didn't enjoy Kankuro's ignorance of Shinki's presence, hence he pressed, “Language. Kankuro.”

"What? It's not even that bad!" Kankuro objected side-splittingly towards his brother, along with a half-hearted shrug. When he was about to give up the topic, from the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura's smirk and she slightly sticks her tongue out at him, as if she was winning over the debate.

Oh, hell nah, he swore. That-mini Shinki-there is his pride, he can't just let her say whatever she wanted to. So, he raised his voice, “Which side are you on, baby brother? You know well that she's the one spitting nonsense. What do you think of my puppet? Tell her that I am the best artist Suna can ever have.”

There are sometimes Gaara had to be pushed to a corner during cat fights. He sighed, "I'm tired of this. Let's get over it."

"I'll get over it once you tell us your opinion."

The redhead set his gaze on the helpless puppet Shinki was carrying. 

"...If I had to choose, I would say that the appearance isn't the most child-friendly."

Sakura burst into laughter at the comment, and Kankuro instantly regretted for even asking the question.

Chapter Text

Sakura gets hungry sometimes in the middle of pro-longed, chilly nights when she has unfinished work and knowledge to consume. Her sweet tooth loves snacking on flavored gummy candies, one of Konoha’s infamous snacks, but she had to cut down her sugar input, so she brought none when she travelled to Suna—and now her cravings are torturing her.

No way…you gotta have something… she prayed, while desperately, almost flipping over every drawers and kitchen cabinets in the Kazekage mansion. There sure was a full collection of spices and sauces—the Suna people are obsessed with strong flavors and seasonings—one thing she observed and sometimes had her tongue go through culture shocks. 

But yeah, apart from those bottles and cans, she found nothing sweet to chew on.

“Damn it,” she cursed, then chugged down a whole jar of water down throat. The fact that she could only imagine having good food in the morning to survive through the night irritates her.

“Ah,” she catches her breath, wiping the edge of her lips and places down the water jar. Soon, a chuckle from behind caught her attention.

Flashes of red shot up her cheeks as she realized who it belonged to.

“Gaara, h-how long have you been standing there?” she gulped. 

“Just long enough to witness you breaking my kitchen apart,” the redhead replied smugly, with his arms crossed nonchalantly. 

Her flush deepens. She didn't plan to expose her midnight snacking habit to her Kazekage friend especially when she is here on a mission.

She watched him approaches one of the inner cabinets, opened it and grabbed a packet of something.

Next, he turned to face her and gave a little shake of the packet, with an extended invitation, “May I offer you to try our locally grown red beans? I heard you are a big fan and expert.”

Red beans? Sakura's features were immediately brightened up. 

“You guys grow red beans? I thought Suna was never fond of sweetness. And-how did you know about that?” Sakura raised her brow and asked, since she knew that Suna had a greenhouse and that it was mostly used for vegetables.

Gaara nods in acknowledgement, "You're not wrong,” he said and took out an empty pot and added tap water into it. Somewhere in the drawers, he managed to pull out a small sugar jar that Sakura wished she could at least have. 

“Okay…so you are experimenting a new market?”

“Nothing that far," he chuckled, "I planted one, thinking you would want some while you’re on duty here,” and explained, while boiling the beans in the pot of water.

First, he learned that she likes red beans. Second, he grew them, for her. And now, he’s preparing them like he knows the recipe from the back of his hand.

If she wasn't thinking of Sasuke and their daughter, this kind gesture was enough for her to fall for him.

She must maintain her distance, so she tried to put it in a jokingly way, “You shouldn’t be doing so much for a taken woman.” 

Gaara's stirring arm paused, his back was facing her, Sakura couldn't expect what comes next.

He took in a breath and added, “I appreciate what you do for Shinki and my village,” and tilts his profile until she could see his slight smile, “Your contribute deserves more than just this bowl of soup. This is the least I can do to take care of my friend. So, please?”

Sakura hesitated a few seconds before giving in to her cravings and his last remark.

Chapter Text

Little Shinki stared at the boy sitting across from him in the classroom, whose hands were busy intertwining with lines of color, and wondered, What is he doing?

Araya, a boy the same age as Shinki, is quiet and into a variety of things like keeping bugs as pets, studying shadow changes, and, just lately, embroidery and knitting.  

But he didn't expect his actions to capture the attention of Kazekage's son, Shinki. And by capturing his attention, Araya meant that Shinki would literally stick extremely close to him and examine what he was doing. It felt like he was being monitored by a teacher, but in an aggressive way.

Shinki's relentless staring eventually forced the real teacher to shift Araya away from his original spot claiming he was 'bothering' Shinki. When everyone turned to look at him, Araya could feel himself burning. How did he become the one bothering Shinki? It was supposed to be the other way around. Silently complaining, he glanced towards Shinki’s direction, the latter was also looking at him simultaneously…well, at his hands, to be precise. 

What is wrong with him??? Araya wanted to yell so bad. 

"Are you a girl, Araya? Why are you knitting things? Even in class?"

"You should start going to the girl's bathroom from now on!"

"Hahaha, so true. Maybe he should be a stay-at-home mom rather than a shinobi."

Araya doesn't understand; he was only a little more sensitive and attentive to minor things than others; how can this call into question his gender?

Struggling to breathe normally, he felt his soul and body curl into the corridor corner. His thoughts whispered inwardly, if only, I could just disappear…

“Hey.” 

A new voice cut through the unpleasant noises that were drowning Araya. They all fell silent as that voice entered.

"Can you teach me how to knit?"

What? Araya's mind was drawn to the question. He lifted his head, thinking who could be making this request at this horrible timing-- oh, that guy. The same intimidating pair of forest green eyes that had been on him all day, those who belong to the well-known Shinki, the best genin candidate in the academy.

"Shinki-kun, stay away from him, he's a weird guy!"

"Yeah, Shinki-kun, people like you shouldn't learn such a girlish thing..."

The tone of the unpleasant noises changes fast…Araya scoffed. 

He was waiting for Shinki's response, but also for Shinki to change his mind before he got labeled like he had been. No one would possibly want that, right?  

Shinki, on the other hand, did not even turn to face them.

"So, will you teach me?" he asked again. Those powerful forest green eyes. 

"Of-of course," Araya gave in to those green eyes, in the end. Slowly, he stood up, brushed off the dust from his pants, and followed Shinki. Even without glancing back, he sensed the kids' disbelief and dissatisfaction. Araya prayed that he had trusted the right person.

The lone genius, cool and smart, the person no one in the academy dares to speak to...was how Araya used to think of Shinki. However, the Shinki in front of him is now a curious boy who has an intense curiosity in the art of knitting. 

Araya began by explaining the distinction between tools and materials, and then demonstrated several techniques to Shinki that his mother had taught him. An hour or two had passed since they started working with their hands.

After seeing the shade of the sunlight outside, Araya decided to repack his equipment back into his bag. To a confused Shinki, he stated, "We can do this another time. I have to go home now."    

"Tomorrow?" Shinki asked, implying that the introduction class was not enough.    

"Okay, tomorrow," Araya said almost immediately, assuming Shinki's "tomorrow" would soon be forgotten within a night’s time. 

He’ll change his mind. No one wants to be seen with me.  

But Shinki managed to prove him otherwise. Tomorrow turned out to be consecutive days, weeks, months…

He has been around Araya most of the time since then. Shinki is a keen learner—perhaps too keen. Apart from eating and training, he would work on stitching, and Araya had to physically stop him from being distracted in class. The boy hoped the school wouldn’t summon his mother and make him bear responsibility for Shinki's lack of attention. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. 

Araya's mother was caught off guard that the first classmate her son brought home was the boy from the Kazekege family. The Kazekage himself was equally surprised by his son's new behavior. Once, Shinki became so engaged in his knitting that he lost track of time, which made his anxious father and uncle search for him. It took some time until they found him in one of their villagers' home, who happened to be the boy’s classmate. When Gaara and Kankuro arrived, they were greeted by a pupil-shimmering Shinki with a sloppy piece of bright green knitting.

“Father, I made this for you!” Shinki exclaimed, his excitement glimmered. Gaara's stiffened shoulders relaxed as he secured the boy's safety. 

Knowing the truth from Araya's mother eases Gaara's worries. Furthermore, the fact that his son made a friend–that shy boy hiding behind his mother–puts a smile on the Kazekage’s face. 

Months later, a gift was delivered to Sakura’s office. 

Along with questions, Sakura opened the gift box, where she found a pair of mugs, one regular size and one smaller, as well as two knitted cup cozies in pink and dark red. The handcraft was rough but she liked the color. There was a letter on top. 

Sakura,

I hope this letter finds you well. Happy Birthday to you, and to Sarada, hers is a few days after yours, if I'm not mistaken. Hope you’ll enjoy this gift. I chose mugs because Shinki made a cup accessory for you and Sarada. These two are his proudest works yet, Kankuro and I only get to keep the prototypes. 

You’re welcome in Suna anytime. 

Best regards, 

Gaara. 

Warmth replaced the evening chills in springtime Konoha as the pinkette's gaze followed the words to the end. 

Chapter Text

The North Suna festival was already in full swing when Kankuro, Sakura, and Shinki arrived. Sculptures made of sand and rock all have the same shape—male genitals—and have been neatly decorated in front of each house, leading to the main venue, the neighborhood plaza, where festival joy fills the air despite the late hour. The streets were packed with people, families having a good time, and stalls smelling of fried foods and traditional dishes. Banners and string flags of bold symbols representing North Suna's unique customs were displayed across the street.

For Shinki, everything was new. His wide eyes darted between the different decorations, taking in all.

“Whoa,” exclaimed Shinki, his attention was glued to some questionable-looking edible cactus snacks at a vendor's stall. They were shaped like a penis.

Sakura, immediately catching onto where Shinki’s gaze had wandered, stepped forward, positioning herself in front of him. “Shinki, let’s, um, maybe not look at that.”

Kankuro chuckled, crossing his arms with a grin as he watched her shield the boy. “You know that's not the only penis looking thing he'll see here, right?” He teased, raising an eyebrow, “Aren't you a medic? How are you not used to this?”

Sakura’s cheeks flushed as she shot Kankuro a glare. “That doesn’t mean I want a child to be openly staring at...that.” She shot a quick glance at Shinki, who was still craning his neck to see around her.

Kankuro shrugged with a grin. “Gotta let him experience the culture, Sakura.”

“Well, I think there's a limit to what's appropriate for a kid!” Sakura huffed, visibly frustrated.

Shinki asked with a straight face, “Why is there pee pee everywhere?”

The pinkette became speechless.

Kankuro cleared his throat, as if he had been waiting for this moment. With a somewhat serious tone, he explains, “A long time ago, people of North Suna thought that pee pee could bring good luck when it came to having kids. So they made a whole festival out of it. It's kind of their way saying, ‘hey, let’s celebrate life and stay healthy’”

Shinki glances up at Sakura. “Is that true, mother?”

“I-I suppose so,” she answered reluctantly. The entire concept of the event continues to overwhelm her. As she groans internally, she grabbed Shinki's shoulders, quickly pulling him towards a more innocent game stall. “Why don’t we play a game instead? Something less...complicated.”

Kankuro, laughing, walked behind them. “You can’t protect him forever. He’s gonna know, sooner or later.”

“Maybe until he’s older!” She shot back, still flustered.

Shinki, now slightly distracted by the game, began concentrating on tossing rings onto plushies. His face was focused, though occasionally looking over his shoulder, processing what Kankuro was talking about. Sakura, meanwhile, kept a close eye on him, making sure he wasn't going back to the inappropriate decorations.

After a while, Shinki won a prize at the game and looked up at Sakura with a quiet sense of pride. She smiled, ruffling his hair. “See? Isn’t this more fun?”

The boy nodded, clutching his prize. But his interest lingered. “Why don't you like the festival stuff, mother?”

Sakura paused, kneeling down to his level. “…there are certain things from other cultures that can feel strange or uncomfortable to someone who isn't used to them.” She sighed softly, trying to find the right words. “I like Suna, but this is something that is outside of my comfort zone.”

Kankuro smirked, “Yeah, she’s too uptight.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but then softened her expression as she faced Shinki. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to experience it. Just...maybe some parts of it are better when you’re older.”

The festival's highlight, the birth parade, with performers dressed as penis, dancing and walking down the square and into the neighborhood streets. People were interacting with them along the path; the sounds of drumming and light chanting buzzed in the background. 

After watching it, Kankuro, Sakura (was constantly trying to cover the boy's eyes), and Shinki found a spot to sit and relax. Kankuro, still can't get enough of teasing Sakura, grinned mischievously, “You know, you’re not the only one who’s hesitant about this whole festival, Sakura. Even a certain someone, who happens to be absent today, still refuses to accept this particular custom.”

The pinkette raised an eyebrow, realising who he was implying. “Wait, Gaara’s not a fan either?”

Kankuro chuckled, leaning back. “Not at all. He has actively avoided it ever since we were teenagers. You’d think being born and living in Suna would make it normal for him, but nope.”

Shinki’s ears perked up as well, curious about his father’s history with the festival. “Why?”

“Well,” Kankuro began, relishing the memory, “when we were younger, I convinced him to join the festival parade. Since this part of the village is relatively far from where we are from, he was never aware of these traditions, so I told him it’d be a good way to connect with the villagers; at that time he was still new to being Kazekage, and I made it sound like it was his duty to participate.”

Sakura’s eyes widened, already sensing where this was going. “Oh no… what did you do?”

Kankuro grinned even wider. “So Gaara, being the hardworking, naïve Kazekage that he was, had no idea what was coming. He just assumed it was like any other formal event.”

“Father joined the parade?” Shinki caught up with the details his uncle shared beforehand. 

“Yup,” the puppeteer nodded, laughing at the memory. “There he was, walking right in the middle of the parade...” He smirked, “And then... ahem, just like that, pee pee-shaped objects started popping up around him.”

“No way...” Even though Sakura was horrified by just imagining the situation, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle, “...how did he react?”

“Oh, you should’ve seen his face,” Kankuro said, wiping away a tear of laughter. “He was so confused at first. He kept glancing around, like, ‘Am I supposed to be seeing this?’ And then he turned as red as his hair.”

“Anyone would have been shocked, Kankuro.” 

“I didn’t. I love this festival,” he said proudly. “After that day, he refused to ever be part of the festival again. Even now, he makes sure he’s conveniently busy whenever it’s happening.”

“Did he manage to finish the parade?” Sakura asked. 

Nodding his head, Kankuro laughed, “Yeah. He had promised the parade organizers, can’t just bail out last minute, so he gritted his teeth, locked his eyes straight ahead, and marched the entire route.”

Shinki blinked in surprise, trying to picture it. “Was father scared?”

“Scared? Way more than scared. You could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. His face was bright red, and I swear he was holding his breath the whole time. The crowd probably thought he was being all serious, but in reality, he was barely hanging on. And as soon as the parade was over, he didn’t even wait a second. Poof—sand. Gone in an instant.”

Sakura shook her head, giggling, “Poor Gaara... doing his best to fulfill his duty and then just, vanishing like that.”

Kankuro laughed again, slapping his knee. “And the funniest part? The parade team thought his vanishing act was a perfect wrap for the show. Meanwhile, I was having the best time, soaking up the festival and laughing my head off.”

The pinkette rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “You’re enjoying your brother’s extent a little too much.”

“Is Father still mad about it?” Shinki asked, unsure why Kankuro was laughing so hard.

“Oh, definitely,” Kankuro confirms, “I bring it up time to time just to see him squirm a little. He pretends to ignore me, but I know he’s never forgotten it.”

Sakura nudged Shinki with a half-serious smile, “Honey, make sure Kankuro doesn’t trick you into anything like this, alright?”

Shinki smiled softly, “I won’t.”

Kankuro grinned, giving his nephew a wink. “Hey, you’re a tough kid. I think you’d survive the parade way better than your old man did.”

Sakura laughed and shook her head. “Are you really not one of the investors of the event or something?”

Chapter Text

The Kazekage mansion's living room is at ease as Shinki works on his homework while Sakura sits next to him on a carpet between the couch and coffee table. Kankuro and Gaara, meanwhile, each chose a side of the couch. Shinki started out by scribbling his name on the blank work sheet, using firm, solemn strokes. His attention then turns to Sakura, who was idly watching him while resting her arms on her knees.

“Mother,” Shinki draws her eyes to his, his voice curious, “How do you write your name?”

Sakura smiles at his unexpected interest and reaches in for a new piece of paper and the brush from his small hand. "Like this," she says, writing her married name without thought. 

うちは　さくら　

Uchiha Sakura.

Shinki reads, his forest green eyes widened slightly. “Uchiha Sakura? Why do you have two names?”

“Well,” In a lighthearted yet reflected tone, Sakura explains, “In Konoha, we often have family names, or surnames, to represent the family we come from. My birth surname was Haruno, and after I married Sasuke, I took on the Uchiha name.”

Shinki tilts his head. “There are no family names in Suna. Why do you need a family name in Konoha?”

Sakura chuckles softly. “Yeah, that’s one of the differences between Suna and Konoha. Different clans used to represent different social responsibilities in the past.”

Shinki listened to the pinkette’s reason, trying to comprehend the big words. A moment later, “Haruno…” he murmured, “Can you show me how to write that too?”

Sakura nodded with a smile, and wrote down her Haruno name on the paper. 

春野　さくら

Haruno Sakura.

Shinki studied the characters for a moment, then, as if hit by a spark of inspiration, copied the word and added something of his own. As he finishes, he turns it towards Sakura. 

春野　シンキ

Written in the little boy’s neat handwriting, was “Haruno Shinki.”

Sakura blinks, slightly caught off guard. She chuckled, “Haruno Shinki, huh? You like the name?”

Shinki nods, he studies again at his creation before extending a further question, “If I am from your family, would that be my name?”

Sakura’s heart melts at his wonder. “You already are my family, with or without a surname,” she said softly, her hand ruffling his hair.

The boy looked at her with brighter eyes, while enjoying her affection. But Shinki wasn’t done yet from this new discovery of surnames. His curiosity led him to explore more. Brush strokes continued one after another. 

春野　我愛羅　春野　カンクロウ

Haruno Gaara. Haruno Kankuro.

Kankuro, lounging nearby with partial attention on his nephew and Sakura, leaned in to take in Shinki's writing. A grin appeared on his face as he realised he was included in the latest creation. “Haruno Kankuro? I kinda like it. So basically if I marry Sakura, I can have this name, right?"

Sakura shot him a side-eye, “In your dreams,” she said, and slapped his arm. 

“Ow!” Kankuro gasped dramatically and protested, “I’m just saying it has a nice ring to it!”

Gaara, who had been quietly observing the exchange, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Something about Kankuro’s teasing and seeing Sakura’s family name matched his own caused a slight tightening in his heart. Although he wouldn’t admit it, “Haruno Gaara” actually doesn’t sound bad either. But, just like his admiration for Sakura and other sentiments that are not 'co-parenting' coded, he made sure they remained buried. She is married, after all, and Gaara respects that boundary.

“I’m impressed that you can write Gaara’s name without mistakes, Shinki,” Sakura’s voice interrupted Gaara’s train of thoughts, saying, “They are complicated kanjis.” Her gaze stayed on Shinki before reaching Gaara’s, and she asked, “Did you teach him how to write them?”

“Nope, not exactly. Last time he told me he needed my name for his assignment.” Gaara let out a soft chuckle, leaned forward to put his hand on Shinki’s head, “I believe you learned from there?” 

The boy nodded with excitement and said, “I made more than 10 sentences with your name in that homework, father.” 

Sakura and Kankuro both started laughing. Gaara felt an invisible sweat on his forehead. Surprisingly the teacher who graded Shinki's work made no mention of it.

“I see…thank you,” Gaara responded. He then scanned the scribbled surnames written on the paper once more. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again, “Shinki, I want you to know that whether you have a surname or not, it does not define who you are; only you do.”

Shinki looked squarely at his father's determined but gentle turquoise pupils, "Yes, father," he answered, and felt his world safer just like that.