They managed to control the blackmarket town until backup came to assist them. Kankuro, Akira, and Suzume were the only ones who needed serious first aid (the rest only needing a simple check up) and when Temari and Gaara were relieved of their guard, they bulleted to the makeshift first aid tent to see how they were doing.

Upon seeing Kankuro awake and sitting up, they relaxed. When they went up to him, they saw him gently brushing their sister's hair as she slept beside him.

"How're you holding up?" Temari asked.

"I'm good," Kankuro said, his voice husky with exhaustion. "The kids are sleeping."

"You should be too," Gaara said, looking over him in worry.

Kankuro grinned and shrugged. "Can't."

The family shared a moment in peace together. The hustle and bustle of their fellow shinobi outside were heard as they organized the area. Distant shouts of orders and footsteps, more tents being set up, more shinobi arriving.

"We really did it, huh?" Kankuro looked on with a tired fondness at Gaara. "Soon enough you're going to be Kazekage, Gaara."

Gaara gave him a level stare. "We still have to prosecute the Councilmen behind this."

"Gaara's right. There's a lot left to do," Temari said.

"Yeah, yeah, party poopers. But, when we get home we should splurge on sweets, whatever we want," Kankuro said to his sister.

"I guess this is a good enough reason to splurge."

"Score!" He threw his arms up in the air. "You promised! No going back on your word, jan!"

Temari couldn't help cracking an amused smile. "Alright, alright. Shut up, you'll wake up the kids."

"Gaara, we're getting all the cookies!" Kankuro whispered excitedly.

Back in Suna, a message was delivered to the supply house. The shinobi who opened it lifted an eyebrow as he read.

"Food rations and not more handcuffs?" he wondered aloud as his superior took the report to read himself. "Why?"

"Who knows?" The tired man tossed the letter on the mountain of other missives and went to work putting in the data in a bulky computer. "Don't question it and just do."

They spent a good three weeks settling everything down at the black market. The shinobi who came as backup were expecting rough looking men with bad teeth to be shouting obscenities and for there to be fights breaking out every few minutes. What they actually got was something like a homeless shelter. The people they were supposed to be arresting were sitting around and eating and talking amicably with the shinobi.

The supplies arrived to many cheers, and soon enough all of the food was being passed around.

Akira who had woken up before Suzume, fully recharged and eager to be helpful, could be found passing around the food rations with a bright smile on his face. The people-lover in him made it easy for him to make friends and the black market residents had soon warmed up to him.

As he was passing out water canteens, he caught sight of something.

He clatters and clunks as he stumbles over to what he spotted with the water canteens still in his arms. "Jii-chan!" The old men sitting around in a circle with blankets over their laps all looked in surprise at the young shinobi who was looking wide-eyed at something. "Where did you get that blanket?"

Ritsu had been assigned to the clean up section specifically in charge of the town. He and his team were sweeping through the buildings and the smoldering remains of them, confiscating illegal merchandise and taking stock of everything. There were a lot of drugs that they classified as high risk and caged animals which were banned from being transported over the borders, and even some type of foreign metal.

Another separate, more specialized team was dealing with the human trafficking victims as well as the drugged shinobi.

Baki was on that team, though he wasn't trained to personally handle mentally disturbed people so he was there to intervene if anybody got out of control. He watched as the comrades that he'd admit he had given up on were led with soft encouragements from PTSD experts with shock blankets around their shoulders.

One particular man was out of place. Wearing civilian clothing instead of any sort of uniform, was one of the rebel's men. Ukai-sensei who had been in charge of caring for the addled shinobi had put up resistance when the shinobi appeared in their headquarters. The shinobi who had been tasked with bringing the remaining rebels to the black market had reported to Baki how the man was fighting tooth and nail so that they wouldn't touch any of the rogue shinobi so they had no other choice but to restrain him. Gaara had let the man help them out, aware that the drugged shinobi would feel more at ease with him around, though he had told Baki to keep an eye on the man. Ukai had actually snatched a key to the padlocks for the rebellion leaders while tending to his duty, and Baki had reported it to Gaara immediately but did nothing to get the key back, knowing that if he intervened now, they would have to lock Ukai up again.

A wild scream and there was suddenly movement and an increase in attention all around him. There was one shinobi who was foaming at the mouth and flailing about dangerously keeping the medics at bay.

He moved to go help, but Ukai managed to calm the shinobi down while the Suna medics stood by at a distance.

Baki sighed. He was getting too old for this.

Temari was there when Shikamaru woke up. He had his own special tent, special treatment, special luxuries, and special hints at convincing him not to be angry with Suna. He was getting patched up by one of their most respected healers as Temari took a seat beside his cot.

"How is he, sensei?"

Shikamaru answered instead, "Fine. My body is recovering. Might need a couple of weeks off though."

"I'm glad you think that. Most of the youngsters here have a death wish and throw themselves back into work the moment I take my eyes off of them. You know, like that little sister of yours." The doctor waved their glasses around dangerously, glaring at Temari. "If she doesn't get her stitched up butt here in the next few minutes I might kill her myself!"

"Thank you as always, sensei." Temari stood and bowed as the doctor left in a huff. She sat back into the chair with a sigh.

"Since when do you have a little sister?" Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. "Is that the person who was waiting at home for you guys that you mentioned from the retrieval mission?"

"How do you even remember stuff like that?"

He shrugged. "I use my brain sometimes."

"Her name's Suzume. Maybe you'll get to meet her one day, but since she's busy running away from the doctor, it probably won't be today. And since you're coming with me to Suna once you're okay to travel it probably won't be in the near future either."

"I'm what?"

"And you're going to testify against the Councilman behind all of this in court for us."

"Since when?"

"And then you're going to smooth things over with Konoha with me."

Shikamaru lifted an annoyed eyebrow. "You sure have everything planned."

"I look forward to our cooperation."

"Oi!" Shikamaru sighed to calm down after his outburst then stared in disappointment at her.

Temari dropped the demanding act and properly looked him in the eye. "Please. We'd really appreciate it."

Shikamaru stared at her for a considering second, before leaning forward. "You owe me, got it?"

"I know. Thanks."

Shikamaru's face softened and they spent a minute just enjoying the other's company in silence.

Somebody cleared their throat and they both looked around to see Kankuro who wasn't bothering to hide his teasing smile.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

"Oh, shove it, Kankuro," Temari said. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to your boyfriend for a second." Kankuro turned unnaturally serious. "Could you give us a minute?"

Temari raised her eyebrow at him but acquiesced. Kankuro walked over to Shikamaru's cot but didn't sit.

"I appreciate you not letting me get skewered."

Shikamaru's confusion lifted, and he let out a little laugh. "You're the people who saved me in the first place."

"Right."

The comfortable silence between Shikamaru and Temari didn't extend to her brother after this awkward topic of conversation. Kankuro kinda just stood there without doing anything, and Shikamaru had nothing to say to the guy.

"You better treat my sister right," Kankuro said, falling back on the one thing he knew how to do, be an asshole, and then practically ran out of the tent.

Neha had been isolated from everybody. She had her own tent that smelled moldy and a nice pair of shackles around her wrists that was attached to a chain just long enough for her to walk around the decently spacious tent.

She could see the shinobi's silhouettes pass by now, only of the shinobi as they wouldn't let any outsider enter this area. A different one would come by with food and water and then left without a word even if Neha tried to strike up conversation.

She felt so lonely.

Luckily, the chain was long enough for her to be able to stick out her head and shoulders out of the tent flap.

"Hey! Hey!" she said as a shinobi passed by. They paused and gave her a look. "Tell that Gaara I'm lonely. I need someone to talk to. Come on."

Without a word, the shinobi turned and left. Neha scoffed, "Rude."

Well then, she wouldn't let anybody ignore her.

In fact, she annoyed everyone so much that they sent her Ritsu along with her dinner.

"I didn't know adults could be bratty," Ritsu said point-blank. "You were bratty enough for them to send me."

Neha didn't care about the insult enough to dampen her delight at having company. "It's good to see you again, Five Stripe! Tell me you'll stay while I eat, eh?"

Ritsu brushed past her boisterous form and placed the food on the table inside. "I'll stay for five minutes."

They situated themselves across the table from each other and Ritsu watched as the woman picked up her wooden spoon and dug right in.

"Whatever happened to "I'm just in business," he made air quotes with his fingers.

"It failed dramatically," she said through the food, "so I went into the rebellion field."

"Sounds like a dramatic career change." Ritsu paused. "I thought about what you told me before."

"What?" Neha said through a mouthful of food.

"Back when we were your escorts, about how the shinobi were also at fault for the poverty of the Wind country. I think you're at least partially right, but if it's any consolation, things are changing, quicker than ever."

Neha's chewing slowed. "First starry eyes and now five stripe..." She honestly didn't like how these kids were forcing her to confront her values and life goals.

"What?"

"Nothing." Neha went back to eating ferociously.

"Excuse me," came a voice from outside that caught their attention.

"Gaara-sama," Ritsu shot to his feet and bowed once he came inside the tent.

"Hello, Ritsu," Gaara nodded. "Is it alright if I talk with her alone?"

"Of course, Gaara-sama." Ritsu stood and left, casting a single cautious look back as Gaara took his seat at the table.

Neha had placed down her spoon.

"No, please eat."

Neha did so, wondering what he was doing here. She swore if he spouted more heartfelt words about changing the system like the others she was going to cry.

"Thank you for taking my advice on how to handle the people of the market," she said, taking the chance to express her gratitude.

"I should be thanking you for giving it to me. There have been fewer problems compared to when we use our standard procedures."

Neha grinned. "Well, call me tickled pink."

"I came here because I have a proposition for you."

The cuffs around her wrists and ankles released. "I like this proposition already."

"It's just so we can talk as equals," Gaara said sternly.

"Alright, alright," Neha waved her hands. "I know I'm not going anywhere. What's this proposition?"

"I want you to be my confidant."

Neha blinked. She leaned forward. "Excuse me?"

"I want you to help me make the entire Wind Country better by being my eyes outside of Suna. It is not that I disagreed with you, just that the way you were doing it would only have brought more problems."

"You're asking me, the rebellion leader, to be your eyes?"

"As soon as you've done your dues, but yes, eventually."

A chuckle broke through Neha's disbelieving expression until her whole face was preoccupied with laughter and she couldn't manage out a word or a breath.

"You kids are a hoot!" she said when she'd finally calmed down, wiping tears from her eyes. "You say you don't disagree with my beliefs but I can't say the same as I don't know what you're about."

"I will show you when we arrive at Suna."

"Looking forward to it."

"Then," Gaara stood, "I'll be in contact." He paused. "I would also like to inform you that your people's attempt to escape through Ukai-sensei's clever acting and stealing fake keys has been stopped and any following attempts will be punished."

"Darn..." Neha whispered under her breath.

As he left, she eyed the handcuffs. "Do I have to put these back on?" The bonds latched back onto their proper places and Gaara's sand returned to their owner as he left the tent.

The night passes and the next day arrives. Somebody was passing by the tent and she recognized the silhouette and fell out of the entrance flap to catch their attention. "Hey! Hey, kid!" She only had her head out of the tent, the rest of her body hidden. "Why do you like that eyebrow missing kid, anyway?"

"Well," Akira said, being stopped as he was going off to clean some bandages, "for starters he's changed a lot about the Institute for Aspiring Shinobi to be less toxic."

"He adopted me off the streets and gave me a home and taught me to fight so I can protect myself," Suzume told the woman when she'd too been caught, going around looking like a mummy with the same bandages Akira had probably been washing.

"Gaa-ra-sa-ma." Ritsu said each syllable pointedly when he had been stopped.

"Yeah, him."

Ritsu sighed and dropped the matter. "The Sand Siblings have done a lot to better our village, not just Gaara-sama. They've been working to fix up the shinobi culture, the tech, the poor relationship we have with other nations, a whole list of things."

"Hmmm..."

"You're being awfully lax for a person who's awaiting trial for treason with a high likelihood of execution."

Neha chuckled in an annoyingly self-satisfied way. "I've already secured a free pass~."

Ritsu held back the urge to shove the bottom of his foot into her face, instead he hopped back onto his feet and stomped away, "Well fucking doo da day."

"Thanks for talking with me! It gets lonely!"

He threw a middle finger at her.

Neha always thought the way a person's subordinates thought of their superiors was a reflection on their character and abilities, as well as how they in turn treat those lower than them.

Gaara passed by eventually. Neha greeted him from the ground where she was. He was polite enough to return it without giving a weird look.

"I'm thinking about accepting your offer."

"I'm glad to hear that," Gaara replied earnestly. "I was also thinking it would be good to have Ukai-sensei and his wards move into our hospital so he can continue his research."

"I don't think that would be a problem. By the way, that girl, the one I thought was a boy."

"My sister?"

"Yeah, the youngest. She said some amazing things about you on our way to the headquarters, argued the whole way. Most importantly, that, in her opinion, you're a better rebellion leader than I ever could be."

"Rebellion leader?"

"Yeah, says you're also going against authorities and whatnot and that you're much, much, much more amazing than I could ever be and that you could beat me without pulling a muscle, which turned out to be only half true."

Gaara just stood there with no response or exaggerated reaction.

Neha had on a small smile. "Doesn't she just have stars in her eyes?"