Our Tomorrows Start Tonight
A/N : This is actually my first fanfic ever. It's a one shot at the moment but if I find enough time I may write a sequel to this. Constructive criticism is very welcome since I'm completely new at this. As a side note, English is NOT my mother language, so I apologize if some sentences sound awkward to you.
SPOILER ALERT
Some major spoilers are unveiled, if you don't read the manga on a regular basis. You've been warned.
Rated M for lime and language as well as graphic violence and lemons in later chapters.
Disclaimer : If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be writing fanfics. So save yourself some time and don't sue when it's not needed. I don't make money out of this. But i do own this plot.
A cold sweat ran down the back of Shikamaru as he woke up. Insomnia. Nightmare. Next to him a shapely form was lying peacefully. Temari didn't wake up.
'Good Thing' , he thought, 'At least I won't have to explain this time'.
Not that he disliked talking to her. But he needed some time alone right now. And a cigarette. The 20 year old stood up and stretched. He searched in their clothes for his black shirt and his pants that were all messed up due to what happened before they went to sleep in each other's arms. As usual when they had to spend many days apart, it's been wild, hot and passionate. A spicy blend of tenderness, desire and love. He opened the window and jumped on the roof.
Outside the warm wind was caressing his tanned skin. High in the sky, the full moon was serene and shed her calming beams on Konohagakure, giving the clouds and the streets down below a strange violet shade. Shikamaru sat on the roof and lit up a cigarette. A constant reminder of the man he took as his role model after his father. As the nightly breeze dried the sweat away he stared down in the bedroom and watched the blonde kunoichi sleep for a while… Temari…. The Kazekage's sister. His partner in work as well as in life.
Thinking of it, where did it all began? They are not exactly compatible at first glance. She's tough, confident, at times domineering and rude. He's a lazy-ass, soft-spoken, easy-going lad with a superior IQ.
When he first saw her at the Chuunin exams, winning over a much weaker TenTen and almost breaking her spine with her fan, he thought her as a loud bitch with some serious attitude problems. A bit like his mother but even worse. When he got pitted against her during the main matches, he also found out that she not only had fighting spirit. She also had a brain that worked. At least enough to have him think of a real strategy to capture her in his Shadow Possession jutsu. Which he did although he forfeited the match. Upon defeating her, he could actually see her close-up for the first time. He then noticed that her tight dress underlined an hourglass-shaped body and that her asymmetrical fishnet stockings adorned an alluring set of legs.
But no. In fact, he now recalls that he fell for her upon the failed mission of retrieving Naruto's best friend who eventually left Konoha for Otogakure, in his search for power and revenge. Temari saved his ass from the Sound kunoichi that would have killed him hadn't a strong gust of wind blown her away when she was about to finish off Shikamaru . He had to admit that it was the first time that a girl would fight for him. Temari quickly dealt with the opponent, chopping down a whole hectare of forest with her summoning jutsu and crushing the foul-mouthed wench under a pile of trees. That's when he realized that she really was worse than his mother. But when she triumphantly turned to him, she showed him the nicest smile he had ever seen.
Quite surprisingly, she accompanied him at the hospital when he waited for Chouji. He was deeply worried. His best friend and Neji were on the brink of death, Naruto and Kiba were seriously injured while he escaped with only a broken finger. Moreover, his first mission as a leader was an utter failure. It was too much things for a 12 years-old to handle, even though he was much more mature than anyone his age. Every aspect of this mission made him question his ability as a ninja. The blonde girl – young woman if he was true to himself – sitting across him in a seductive manner tried to comfort him in her way. Rational words served in a no-bullshit tone. But it wasn't enough to make him reconsider about quitting it all. His father stepped in and went even harder on him, calling him a spineless coward. Shikamaru couldn't take it and was reduced to tears in front of everyone present. Had he turned around he would have noticed a sincerely concerned Temari staring at him. But sweetness wasn't something she was good at expressing, even if she wanted to.
In the aftermath, no one ever knew that, before leaving Konohagakure, Temari spent almost all of her time with him. Not out of sympathy. Just because she wanted to. For the first time, the Wind Rider showed her tender side to somebody else than her siblings. Upon leaving the village with Gaara and Kankuro, she teased him. He would never admit it, but he did like that and smirked at her playful words. But his eyes were expressing something much deeper.
A few months later, he could return her the favour of saving his life. This time the mission he was leading succeeded. Although they couldn't help but bicker as usual, for the first time they worked as a team and combined their talents to defeat the wind user who tried to decapitate Temari earlier on. Ino was accompanying them but she couldn't help at all. Temari didn't even talk to her. Not out of misplaced rudeness, simply because she knew instinctively that Ino's abilities would be useless against this type of enemy.
During the two years that followed Naruto's departure, Shikamaru had to admit that they were growing closer every time they met. She was all what he needed. A level-headed, strong, unemotional girl, taking shit from no one but yet truly caring behind closed doors and who could challenge him on an intellectual level . He was all what she always wanted. A kind-hearted, laid back and superiorly intelligent boy able to soothe her violent temper and make her show something she had never showed to anyone: her heart.
Oddly, the 3 words "I love you" were never actually uttered between them. Not because of some stupid OMG-don't-say-those-words-I-don't-want-to-commit crap, just because they never needed to say something that both knew within their hearts. Yes, they loved each other though no one could know this. Active ninjas can't show any outward sign of romantic involvement. Discretion was the key of any relationship between shinobis, most of all when they are from different countries. Something Asuma-sensei had taught Shikamaru indirectly, through his relationship with Kurenai-sensei. But even then, someone as dense as Naruto himself could tell that something was going on between Temari and him.
'Some things can't be concealed no matter how hard you try' Shikamaru thought.
When Gaara asked his sister to be a liaison between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, Temari eagerly accepted, much to her brother's surprise. Together with Shikamaru, they organised the Chuunin exams during which Gaara's apprentice, Matsuri and Hanabi Hyuga became Chuunins after a long, heated fight that left the arena completely wrecked.
It's been 5 years now. 5 years after they dealt with most of the Akatsuki members. Both Konohagakure and Sunagakure had joined their efforts into taking down the hidden organisation. This long, bloody, exhausting war on missing nins had put them all in life-or-death situation and many shinobis died during those awful events.
5 years after the death of Sasuke Uchiha. Although he did get his revenge upon his brother, Sasuke died in the arms of Naruto from the internal damage caused by his cursed seal. It had been slowly destroying him from inside ever since Orochimaru had given it to him . Dead were also his team mates as a result of the ensuing battle. Naruto utterly impaled Juugo with a powerful Rasengan, Suigetsu met his death when Sai threw him in a pool of melted metal and Karin was battered to death by an infuriated Sakura.
5 years old was also the age of his protégé, Kyosuke, the silent son of Asuma and Kurenai. The boy was physically a doppelganger of his father, except he had the deep crimson eyes of his mother. Since he had no child himself, Shikamaru was now somewhat the child's father figure. A role that fitted him more than he would have imagined. Kurenai insisted that, when Kyosuke is old enough, Shikamaru becomes his sensei. The Shadow Wielder accepted. His deceased sensei's son was a constant reminder of his promise to Asuma: protecting the next generation of Konoha. A promise he also made to Kurenai before she gave birth to her son.
And here he was now. The General of Konoha, Nara Shikamaru, the pride of Nara Shikaku and Nara Yoshino, his laid-back father and his strict mother respectively. Shikamaru had ascended to this position only a year ago, upon the instatement of Uzumaki Naruto as the Sixth Hokage.
Now that both the Leaf and Sand villages were on just as friendly terms as their Kages were, they formed an alliance that protected them from most other villages. But still they knew that somewhere lurked the sole Akatsuki member to still be alive, Konan Uzumaki, the Leader's partner and lover. After slaying the Akatsuki's leader, Naruto couldn't bring himself to kill his aunt and let the blue haired woman escape.
Also worrisome, the recent surfacing of Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru's former henchman who had taken into him the last physical remains of his master and who took control of Otogakure. He couldn't exact revenge on Sasuke for destroying his mentor, still the young man wanted to prove his own worth in his own way, at any price. Which meant that the traitorous organisation could reform anytime and ally itself to the Sound Village like it sort of did by the past . Shikamaru inhaled the smoke and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander into reverie. Now that the new generation of Genin was about to blossom, what would happen?
"What's wrong?" uttered a voice interrupting his thoughts. Temari was standing above him. She had woken up after all. She looked so beautiful with her hair down and wearing nothing but a long, white, flowing bed sheet she had wrapped around her chest.
"Go back to bed. I'm fine" Shikamaru said slightly annoyed
"Please, I think we are way too late at night to play these games. Did you have this nightmare again?"
"I can't hide anything from you can i?"
"Look, you don't need to worry about this. I know you feel that you're not fit enough to live up to that promise you made to your sensei and his lover but we already went through this. Stop questioning you abilities all the time like that! It's childish!"
"Oh shut up! Like you are one to talk!"
"EXCUSE ME?"
"Miss Respect-My-Attitude is telling ME I'm childish? Attitude problems are not a sign of maturity as far as I know!"
Temari gave him one of her death glares. But instead of going off the deep end, she sat down next to him. She knew what he needed.
"Come here" she murmured
"I don't need…"
"I thought I told you to stop being childish!" Temari snapped
"And I thought I told you to go back to bed! How troublesome can you get?"
Temari didn't answer and this time she simply laid beside him, watching the stars at well. And then, after a long pause :
"I'm sorry…" a disgruntled Shikamaru said
"It's okay" Temari answered "I know you weren't prepared when Naruto appointed you with that new status. But your country needs men like you. As troublesome as you may find it"
"That's not it. I mean, becoming general is fine with me. It's just it made me aware of things I never suspected before. You know that ANBU mentor they call Danzo?"
"Yes, that geezer always babbling about war and hate with his face as wrinkled as your sack's skin?" Shikamaru almost lost his trail at her allusion.
"My balls are…"
"Perfect the way they are!" Temari answered with a grin
Shikamaru repressed a blush and went on.
"Well, I wanted to tell you about this before but that man is dangerous. I mean really dangerous."
"What do you mean?"
"Since Naruto has been instated Hokage, he talked to me several times about how Naruto is not cut out to be Hokage and that Konoha is now strong enough to conquer the other countries. And…"
"And?"
"He… " Shikamaru hesitated.
"He what? Get on with it now!"
"He wants Gaara out of the picture that's what. He plans on taking over your country to reinforce the Land of Fire. Naruto knows this but there is no way for us to act openly against an elder of the Hidden Leaf without creating chaos. He has all the ANBU forces under his influence, even if Sai is officially in command. "
Temari stared at him in abject shock, before gazing up once more. Insidiously, the sky was changing. The deep indigo of the sky was now taking a menacing dark crimson tinge. A veil of dull mist now seemed to cloud the perfect moon. The wind had become cool, almost cold…. She didn't like believing in omens but this sudden change of weather was really disturbing.
"Shikamaru, are you serious?" she aked. "Because if you are, then we are about to enter an even bloodier war than our countries have ever seen ."
"You think I don't know that? We are currently evaluating of power of action on this situation. Our intelligence network is trying to know more about his schemes but it seems even wider than we ever thought. Your daimyo is on their side."
"WHAT? Why haven't you talked to me about all this before?? You know you can trust me don't you?"
"I didn't want to talk about this before because I thought it was strictly an internal problem you didn't need to know about. But now that this conspiracy is touching your country, I think it's time to inform you. And now that you are aware, I want to know something. "
Shikamaru stared at her right in the eye. Such a thing was so rare that Temari slightly flinched at this unusual behaviour:
"What is it?"
"Temari, you are the link between Suna and Konoha. You are the one who can make things better or worse. You are the one who knows more about our country than anyone in the Land of Wind. I'll protect you with my life if anything threatens you but you must promise me that you'll never hide anything from me. I know you trust me and I trust you things are going to change very soon."
"And where are you going with this?"
"Temari do you promise to never betray me or my country no matter what? Cause If you do…"
"Yes?"
"I may be ordered to kill you." Shikamaru said bluntly.
A heavy silence fell around them. Temari, didn't answer immediately and simply leaned towards him:
"I can't betray someone that precious to me, Shikamaru, even for the sake of Suna, I'd rather die than betray you. "
Konoha's General was now the one staring at her speechless. How could he ever doubt her? He leaned towards her as well.
"You know, I…" he started
"Time to shut up now", Temari commanded
The blond kunoichi leaned even further and grazed softly his lips with her mouth. Shikamaru captured her lips with his and let his hand wander in her hair. Her dirty blond strands felt like silk on his hands. Temari snuggled against him and before she knew it, he was carrying her back into the room, onto the bed. No more words were needed, their body were communicating everything they needed to know about each other at that very moment.
Shikamaru was kissing her passionately and almost ripped off the bed sheet she was wearing. He wanted to feel her against him. Now. Without anything to keep his skin from feeling her warmth. Temari made him take off his garments as well. She always thought him handsome with his ripped torso and that smirk of his. Yet what she liked the most were these deep onyx eyes that drove her insane. Feeling his eyes piercing her to the core…
Shikamaru was feeling every inch of her soft, lightly tanned skin, taking time to detail her nearly statuesque body. Her firm breasts were squirming at his ministrations and soon his tongue replaced his hands. He wanted to relish her, to feel that she was here for real. All what mattered to him right now was that feeling, this woman, what she tasted like and what he was doing to her. Not because he felt obliged to, just because he wanted to. With all his heart. That's what made her so different from any other girl.
Temari moaned loudly. She was defenceless now but yet feeling safe because he was here with her, on her, inside her. He was there and nothing else mattered to her either in that precious moment. He was consuming her entirely, with his tongue, with his hands, with his heated kisses and with what was sliding back and forth inside of her, bringing her towards ecstasy with every stroke.
The cold wind outside couldn't do anything about it. Their room was ablaze. The now clear moon and the stars were watching over them and the reddish sky had nothing menacing about it any longer. Nothing should be allowed to disturb what was happening right now, in this room, on that bed, that night. Because tomorrow, when they wake up, in that same bed, a third person will be with them. Someone who may change it all someday…