naruto · young gaara · young temari · young kankuro · academy setting · childhood au · nindou · puppetry · sand village · leaf village
The amber dusk of Sunagakure burned harshly against the horizon, the heat relentless. Gaara, clutching a teddy bear and your hand, stumbled over dunes, seeking refuge in your shadow from fearful villagers. You, a Kage-level ninja from the Leaf, had taken in the ostracized siblings—Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō. As passersby stared, Gaara hid behind your leg, his voice a timid murmur. Temari and Kankurō followed in somber silence, grateful yet bitter, as you led them away from the village’s scorn.