Temari was sitting at the doorway of Shikamaru's house, taking off her shoe. Her head turned around and looked at the calendar.
23rd of August, she thought, the date of her birthday. She smiled to herself sweetly.
Shikamaru wrote in his last letter.
"Dearest Temari,
Please come to Konoha Village at the 23rd of August, your birthday. I have a surprise for you.
Love,
Shikamaru
P.S. I miss you everyday.
She was so surprised that her boyfriend actually remembered her birthday. Shikamaru always thinks that dates are troublesome.
Therefore, Temari summoned all her courage and boldness, and walked to the Kazekage's office.
The Kazekage was sitting in front of his desk, which dozens of piles of documents were piled up. His wife, Yukihanu stood next to him, holding a one-year-old child in her embrace. She greeted Temari warmly. "Sister," said Yukihanu, with a heartily smile on her face. Temari smiled back and tickled the small child. She giggled. "Auntie Temari," she kissed Temari's cheeks, which she returned them back.
She turned to her brother.
"I need a holiday." She said to Gaara, the Kazekage and also, her own brother.
"Where are you going?" He asked quietly. "And for how long are you going away?"
"A week, I need a week." Temari replied, and took a gulp. "I am going to Konoha."
Gaara stared at his sister for two seconds. "Honestly, under this circumstance, I should not grant this holiday." He said calmly. "But, you may go."
"Thank you, Gaara!" She hugged her brother tight. "Thank you!"
Her brother smiled at her. He had never saw her this happy after the death of the late Kazekage, their father.
She smiled; I bet that cry baby was sleeping, thought Temari. She stood up and began to walk to his room.
She did not suspect him for not picking her up; he did this every time.
Suddenly, she smelled a whiff of perfume, floral perfume to be precise.
It is probably the new aroma, bought by his mother, perhaps. She thought to herself.
She was overwhelmed by her joy that she failed to see things completely and clearly.
She walked slowly and quietly at the hallway. She heard noises in his room.
She reached his room. Slowly she placed her hand onto the door knob, and opened the door quickly.
"Shikamaru, I-," said Temari, with a bright smile, which turned into a stunned gasp.
Her boyfriend, Nara Shikamaru, did have a surprise for her, a nasty one.
Currently, he was in bed with Yamanaka Ino, both of them naked. Their clothes were thrown all over the room.
"Li-Listen, Temari, I-," said Shikamaru, each word tumbled out of his trembling lips.
"Well listen to this," said Ino, with a victorious look over her face. "I simply enjoy stealing boyfriends, especially yours. What can you do to me? Huh? He did not love you anymore."
"Shut up! You are making things worse!" Shikamaru shouted at Ino. Temari was shaking. Her face was expressionless.
"Temari, I-," Shikamaru tried to explain to her, he stood in front of her.
He felt a searing pain on his face.
She slapped him, with all the power her shaking body had left.
"Fuck off," she whispered. "And leave me alone. Go and find your bitch."
She could hear the sound of her heart, cracking apart and shattering into pieces. He broke it completely.
She stormed out of the door, and put on her shoes as quickly as possible.
She ran out of the house, into the streets and out of the gates of Konoha village.
As she reached the forests, she felt a trickle of tear down her face.
But she wiped it away.
Why should I cry for him? He is a fucking idiot who chose a slut instead of me! Temari thought.
But she could not control herself. She stopped on a tree branch and sat there.
She cried, the tears fell like rain, more like a downpour.
What things do that bitch has to win him from me?
I am more powerful.
I am more intelligent.
I am more beautiful.
I have a better figure.
I bet I cook better.
I am better than her.
But… why did he leave me?
How could he? How could he do this to me?
I loved him whole heartily and this is what I get?
This world is so fucking unfair.
The sky started to rain, as if it was weeping for her miserable life.
Suddenly, she heard a distant voice calling her name.
She fled, like a startled bird. She ran forward, no matter where the road led to. The rain was dripping on her face. She could not tell if that is rain or her own tears.
She felt chilliness, deep within her.
She had torn the fakeness of love.
Finally she reached the gates of her village. She walked a few hours under the roasting hot sun.
Suddenly, she blacked out, as if someone has blown out the candle.
"Where the hell have you been?" Hokage Tsunade slammed her desk and shouted at Shikamaru.
He did not reply, he stared at the window. He stared at the clouds.
"Well, I have something really important to tell you," said Tsunade, who sipped her bottle of sake.
Shikamaru stared at her impatiently, waiting for her to speak.
"This message came from Suna today, early in the morning." Tsunade took another sip from her sake.
Her painted lip moved. "The ANBU captain of Sunagakure, Temari was dead."
"What?" He gasped; his bloodshot eyes stared at the ceiling. "How did she die?"
"Hostile ninjas got her life." Tsunade said. "And her body was already cremated."
He walked out of the Hokage's office. Staring at the sky, guilt seemed to pouring out of his body.
"I am sorry," he whispered. But his voice was carried away from the wind.
Suddenly a thunder roared, as if the sky was raged.
He walked on the streets, like a lifeless zombie.
Sorrow and guilt had made his soul rotten, and sapped his strength.
Time flies, fifteen years has passed.
No one in Konoha ever saw Temari again.
Shikamaru married Ino, and had two children with her.
Their son, Shikano would be attending the Chunin Exam.
The Naras sat at the dinning table. Hanako, their daughter was eating her breakfast. Shikano was too excited, that he refused to eat.
"I might vomit during the exam mum," he protested.
"No, finish your breakfast or you won't be attending the exam." Ino said, frowning in disapproval.
Shikamaru said nothing, so did his parents. They ate the food silently.
The food either tastes bland or nasty. But still, they got used to it.
"Well we will be going wit you Shikano," said Shikamaru. "Do your best, alright?"
Shikano looked at him. "Man, aren't you troublesome?"
Shikano was like Shikamaru's mini version; they wore the same clothes, and share the same personalities and hobbies. His face was similar with his father.
"Don't fail your writing exam, Shikano." Ino reminded him.
"Alright mum," he looked annoyed. "Well it is almost time of the exam, let's go."
They left for the academy.
"Well listen up candidates, the writing exam last for half an hour, any cheating being reported, for minor two marks will be deducted. For major, you will be disqualified. You may start now." Ibiki said, glancing at the genins
They all hurried scribbling on the paper.
This is not a paper for genins; this is probably beyond the level of Chunins, thought Shikano. I might be able to finish just enough questions to pass.
He had the same IQ with Shikamaru. Still, he thought that this paper is difficult.
He looked around, and saw a very suspicious person.
He knew that she was a girl, because an extremely long braid was visible next to her, starting from her hooded head. She raised her hand and handed her paper to one of the examiner.
The examiner looked at the girl and ran towards Ibiki. They heard them whisper.
The girl was then asked to follow the examiner and disappeared with the examiners.
He and the other candidates were left to wonder why.
"So, Hinamari from Sunagakure," Kakashi said to the hooded girl. "How did you cheat in the exam?"
"I did not cheat." He heard a voice that did not belong to a fifteen year old girl. It was a very calm voice, with pure coldness and hatred, and concealed rage. "Your papers were easy, that is the answer."
"Then how did you complete the whole paper, like you have done it before?" Kurenai asked her, her red eyes staring at the hooded girl whose head was lowered.
"I told you. Your paper was too easy." They heard her sneered.
"Cut the bullshit! Even the smartest person in Konoha needed almost an hour to finish it, but you completed it in fifteen minutes?" Anko yelled.
"Ninjas are supposed to conceal their emotions, you failed, special jonin" The girl said to her sarcastically. "For the last time I am telling you, it is because your paper is too easy."
"Now, we will conduct an IQ test on you," said Kurenai.
She took off her hood and said. "Sure."
The jonins in the room were stunned. What they saw seemed to be a flashback.
All they saw was the princess of Sunagakure.
They shared the same face, those extraordinary green eyes, the same flashy blonde hair, the perfect figure and face.
The only thing different is their clothing and their hairstyle.
She wore modified ninja clothing, which her shoulders were exposed into the air. On her shoulder was a tattoo.
"The revengeful wind," it wrote in Chinese characters
"You all looked like you have seen a ghost," said Hinamari, smiling. "Now, the IQ test please."
Silently, they handed her a stack of paper and some jigsaw puzzles. She looked through it and wrote.
"Done," she said, after ten minutes. They checked the answers and calculate her marks.
"Her IQ is way above 200." Kurenai said. "I estimate that she has an IQ of 230-250."
"So did I pass the exam or not?" She said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't have time to waste."
"Yes you did," said Kurenai, sounded defeated. "Leave for the next exam now."
With a grin on her face, Hinamari left the room.
Leaving the jonins confused and shocked.
"So they did nothing to you?" Hinamari walked out of the room. Another hooded person asked her.
"What could they do? You worried too much, Peira." Hinamari smiled at her.
"My mission is to protect you from-unnecessary danger." Peira lowered her voice.
"You know perfectly that almost nothing could harm me." Hinamari said to Peira.
Peira did not say a word.
"You are always this solemn, Peira." Hinamari joked. Peira still did not reply.
"It is my duty, my father's orders. I must obey." She said. "Put your hood back on."
Hinamari rolled her eyes, and put her hood back.
The two disappeared into the air.
"Dad," said Shikano to his father, when they are playing shoji. "Today I saw a suspicious person at the examination."
"Well tell me about it," said Shikamaru, who yawned and pushed a piece.
"I think that she is a girl, she has an extremely long braid. She finished the paper in fifteen minutes only."
Shikamaru looked at him. "Continue."
"And then she was led away by the examiner." Shikano sipped his tea.
"I bet you will see her at tomorrow's exam. Be prepared, do some training." Shikamaru placed the shoji board into his room. "We will continue this later."
Shikano complained, and walked to the training grounds.
He practiced hand-to-hand combat with training dummies. Picking up the pieces of the training dummies, he sighed and walked back into his room.
"This is so troublesome."
"Listen up genins!" Anko said, chewing her sweet dumplings. "It is the scroll battle, you should team up with your team, and each team will be given a scroll. Your mission is simple; all you have to do is to complete a set of heaven scroll and earth scroll. Simply you have to battle the other teams and get your scroll, then head for the tower ten kilometers to meet up the examiners. Now…start!"
The genins rushes into the gates, Hinamari walked in slowly, but the Chunins stopped her.
"Where is your team?" They asked Hinamari.
"They entered first," said Hinamari. She took the scroll and walked in.
The forest was silent, except for some sudden movement in the bushes.
Shikano and his teammates were walking in the muddy paths.
"We now have a heaven scroll with us," said Naruko, the daughter of Naruto and Hinata. "And we should go and get an earth scroll dattebayo!"
"Shh!" hushed Koichi, the son of Chouji. "The other ninjas will hear us!"
Suddenly, they heard commotion away from them.
"Naruko, check our surroundings with byakukan." Shikano said, as Naruko looked around.
"There is a fight, 500 meters south," said Naruko. They followed her lead.
"Perhaps we can take advantages." Koichi added.
They hid themselves in a tree.
They looked carefully.
It was her! Shikano looked at the fighting ninjas.
Hinamari was laughing wildly, as she dodged the shurikens with ease.
"Is that all you have got?" She sneered. "Konoha nins, tch."
There were three Konoha genins that were fighting her. Shikano saw one of them was his friend, Daiki.
"Try this!" Daiki started to create a sword-like chakra in his hand.
"Chakra sword!" He shouted as he rushes towards Hinamari. She smiled and twisted her head quickly. Her long braid swiped onto Daiki's waist and made him crashed into the bushes.
Hinamari smiled, as Daiki crawled out of the bushes, blood oozed from his mouth. He spat the blood onto the ground. His two teammates trembled with fear. But Hinamari did not hesitate, she swiped her long braid again, this time it caught one of the genins. She screamed and struggled. Hinamari pulled her braid back slowly. She placed a kunai next to the girl's neck. "Hand me the scroll, or else…all of you will die." She smiled and said.
Shikano was watching. He saw terror in the other two's eyes. Fear seemed to waft in the air. He could almost hear his own heartbeat.
"Daiki-kun! Don't give her the scroll!" She screamed to Daiki. "Go now!"
"But we cannot leave you here!" Daiki ground his teeth and threw the scroll at Hinamari. "Take it! And let her go!"
Hinamari picked up the scroll. "But…I did not say that even if you give you the scroll, she will be spared."
She smiled and slit the girl's throat. Blood poured out of her wound. She lied dead at Hinamari's feet.
Shikano and his teammates were stunned.
"Hatsune!" Daiki shouted in despair. "You bitch!" He charged at Hinamari. She smiled and threw a kunai, which hit his left shoulder.
"Leave now, I am busy." Hinamari said to him. "Don't make me kill you."
Suddenly she turned around and threw a scroll into the tree where Shikano was hiding.
It was an earth scroll.
"Take it, it was a spare." Hinamari said, and disappeared into the thick bushes.
Koichi took a gulp, and took the scroll. "It is a real one, Shikano."
They headed for the tower.
On their way to the tower, they stayed silent.
It is difficult to imagine that a girl, whose age is similar with them, can kill so easily.
Koichi was freaked out, thought Shikano. And we will have to meet her again in the tower?
"Ah, welcome Shikano," said Anko, smiling at Shikano's team. "Now take some rest."
They sat on a bench; Koichi started eating his pack of crisps senselessly. Naruko sat there, her face expressionless.
Shikano sighed and looked at the ceiling.
"Ah, so it is you who got the scroll, huh?" Suddenly he heard a voice next to him.
A girl who was standing on the ceiling with chakra grinned at him. Her face was painted with strange black paint patterns. Her brown eyes stared straight at him. She hopped back onto the floor. "The name is Sunako, what's yours?" She asked, smiling.
"Shikano," said Shikano, staring at the strange girl.
"Sunako-san, Hinamari-san is asking for you," said a timid-looking boy.
"See you late, Shikano," said Sunako who walked away. She walked straight towards the…girl he dreaded of.
Despite of his blood thirsty impression from her, she was actually pretty friendly towards her teammates.
Then, Sunako led the girl towards Shikano. "Hey, Shikano, this is my teammate and cousin, Hinamari," said Sunako.
"Nice to meet you, Shikano-san," said Hinamari politely, smiling at him.
"Hey wait, what is your last name?" Sunako asked Shikano, out of total curiosity. "I have not ask you just yet."
"Nara," said Shikano. Suddenly, he noticed a change of expressions on the two Suna ninjas' face.
Sunako began to look frightened; she glanced at Hinamari's face with fear. "Hinamari…"
Hinamari took a deep breath, summoning all her self control to control her rage. "Well, do excuse us, Nara-san."
She walked away with Sunako.
Shikano scratched his head, and wondered why.
Why did she hate me? I did nothing.
"Dad, we are back," said Shikano.
Shikamaru smiled at his son, Chouji was here, also Naruto and Hinata. They all gathered at Shikamaru's house.
"So how was the exam today?" Naruto said, excited.
"Horrible that was horrible!" Naruko exclaimed.
"What happened then Naruko?" Hinata asked worriedly. The parents stared at the three children. Fear started to appear in their eyes.
"We did pass," said Shikano. "But we saw a Suna kunoichi killed a Konoha genin."
"Dad she killed Hatsune," said Koichi. "And she severely injured Daiki."
"The poor girl's parents must be heartbroken," said Ino. "And Sakura told me that the boy suffered from the wound on his left shoulder, serious internal injuries and poison from the kunai. It will take weeks or even months to heal."
"She was the ninja I told you about at yesterday, dad." Shikano added.
"Do you know her name? Or what background is she?" Naruto asked. Shikano shook his head.
"All I know was that her name was Hinamari." He said. "And she seemed to hate our family."
"Why do you say that son? Your dad has no enemies, as I have known." Ino said.
"But she seemed very angry when I mentioned my last name." Shikano scratched his head.
"Come to my room, son." Shikamaru said. "I want to know more. Excuse us."
"This is getting troublesome," said Shikano, who stood up.
Shikamaru walked to his room, followed by Shikano.
"Sit down." He told his son. "Tell me more about this kunoichi."
"She…had blonde hair, and green eyes. Her voice seemed to be filled with hatred and coldness." Shikano said. "That's all I know."
"Does she had anything special?" He asked.
"She seemed to carry a few iron rods with her. One was very huge, rectangular- shaped. The others are smaller, also in rectangular shaped."
Shikamaru saw a fan near him and picked it up. He closed it up. "Like this?"
"Exactly!" Shikano exclaimed.
"Another fan user," he murmured.
"Dad?" Shikano said. "You know anyone who used this kind of weapon?"
"Yes, but she was dead, for a long time." He said. "For fifteen years."
"Well, this is troublesome, old man. " Shikano stood up. "But I have to train, see you later."
He walked out of the room.
The third stage was tomorrow.
"This is the third stage of the Chunin exams, you will have one-to-one combat with your opponents." Said the referee. "First up, Nara Shikano versus Hikaru Taro."
"Man this is troublesome," said Shikano.
"Now stop complaining," said Iruka, his sensei. "Do your best." He smiled at him.
Shikano hopped into the arena.
Hikaru Taro was simply, 130 pounds of muscle, bones and fat.
A lazy ass who managed to pass the second stage, thought Shikano.
"Take this!" He charged at Shikano, as if the slow motion was on.
"Shadow imitation," said Shikano, and yawned.
His shadow merged with Taro's. Taro tried to struggle, but he couldn't move a millimeter.
"This is troublesome, Taro, but…" said Shikano. "Shadow strangling."
A shadow hand appeared from Taro's shadow. It began to crawl up his body and began strangle him.
"Stop!" The referee demanded. "The winner of the first match is Nara Shikano."
Shikano hopped back onto the audience level.
"Good job!" Naruko said. Koichi gave him a bone crushing hug.
The exam continued.
Both Naruko and Koichi managed to win their opponent.
"The last match, Kurosaki Toshi versus Hinamari." The referee announced.
Kurosaki Toshi was a very hardworking boy in their class. The teachers were impressed by his hard working nature.
Everyday, Shikano saw him training in the training grounds.
Maybe he could win, thought Shikano.
Toshi leapt into the arena.
Shikano noticed Hinamari, who were standing with Sunako and that timid looking boy. Beside them was an extremely tall young woman. She had red hair, a Chinese character "Sorrow" was tattooed onto her left forehead.
Hinamari leapt onto the arena. She waved her braid and smiled. "So you are my latest victim, huh?" She sneered. "Soon you will be rushed to the hospital."
"I don't think so," said Toshi, holding his fists tight.
"Let's dance," said Hinamari.
Toshi threw three shurikens at Hinamari. Just before the shurikens reached her, she disappeared.
Immediately Toshi grabbed a kunai.
Hinamari sat on the fence, fanning herself with a small fan, decorated by a dragon. "Is that all you have got? Nothing else? Sheesh."
Toshi attacked her with several shruikens. Again, she disappeared.
"Aim before you throw." She stood behind him. He threw his fist as hard as he could. She dodged all his punches.
She attacked with a swift kick at his stomach. He immediately was pushed a few steps backwards.
She flipped her braid, and it hit him on the stomach where she just kicked like a whip.
He knelt on the floor, panting.
"Is that all you have got in you? No jutsus?" Hinamari smiled.
"Ninja technique, earth fists!" He shouted, and two pieces of rock, which looked like fists, charged at Hinamari.
"Wind cutter!" She said, waving her small fan. Two dome-shaped wind cut through the fists, and hacked it into pieces.
"Earth ball!" He threw a ball of earth at her. She dodged.
"This is getting boring. Let me spice it up." She said, pulling out another small fan. "Ninja technique, dance of the wind swallows!"
A strong wind was blown from the fan, the two wind crashed together, forming a slashing wind, mixed with chakra that looked like a swallow's scissors like tail.
He managed to dodge.
"Too late," said Hinamari. "Ninja technique, dragon twister."
She waved her hand. A twister appeared and smashed at Toshi, the twister caught him. The chakra mixed in the twister began to cut through his flesh like knives.
Finally, he laid there on the ground, panting.
"It is time to go," said Hinamari, who took out her largest fan, which she did not open. It looked like an iron rod. She raised it into the air.
"Stop!" The referee shouted. "Hinamari is the winner."
"Tch," she spat. "No fun at all." She jumped back onto the audience level. She glared at Shikano.
"The final round of the Chunnin exams will be held one week later in the village arena, please report there punctually." The referee said to the genins.
"Hey Shikano!" Naruko said happily after they left the exam area. "Let's go and practice at the training grounds!"
"Okay," said Shikano. "But let's go and have some food first, I am starving."
"Well since you three did a good job, I will treat you three ramen," said Iruka, smiling at them.
"Thank you sensei!" Naruko and Koichi shouted, and ran to the ramen shop.
Shikamaru walked along the streets, and walked into the sweet dumpling shop.
"Welcome," said the lady in the shop, smiling.
"A three-coloured dumpling, please." He sat onto a chair, and sipped the tea.
He looked around, and took another sip from the cup.
I remembered that she liked these dumplings, thought Shikamaru.
The lady placed the dumplings onto the table. "Enjoy your dumplings."
He looked at the three dumplings, they are pink, yellow and green in colour.
He ate the green one first, as he chewed, he thought to himself.
She never ate that, he thought and smiled to himself.
He had a flashback.
(Flashback)
"Order anything you like," said Shikamaru, staring at his beloved girl, who sat opposite to him, and studying the menu.
"Help me order, Shikamaru, I don't know what to order." Temari replied, frowning. "I had never eaten sweet dumplings before."
He smiled, and called a waitress.
"Three-coloured dumplings, please." He said, and turned again, looking at Temari.
She was sipping her cup of green tea. Her green, emerald-like eyes were looking around the shop.
Suddenly she turned around and saw him staring at her, she raised an eyebrow.
"What are you looking at?" She said, with a teasing smile on her face.
He said nothing and drank his tea. The waitress returned and placed their dumplings onto the table.
She ate the pink one and the yellow one quickly.
But her face turned disgusted when she stared at the green dumpling.
"Why don't you eat?" He asked. "You haven't finish."
"That one…looks poisonous." She said, and her face turned pale.
Shikamaru smiled. "You troublesome woman," he murmured, and stuffed the green dumpling into his mouth.
He never liked sweet food, still he ate that dumpling.
He did not want Temari to feel unhappy.
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Shikamaru."
(Flashback ends)
He ate the two dumplings left, and sat there, drinking the tea.
"Welcome," the lady said.
Four teenagers walked inside the dumpling shop.
Shikamaru looked at them. He was shocked.
He thought he saw Temari.
No, she was dead. Wasn't she?
Except the hairstyle and the clothing, she looked exactly like Temari.
Is this an illusion? He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
She was still there. He placed the money onto the table and left.
Maybe he is turning mad. He doesn't know.
Since that day, he never understood what he was doing.
He lived his life as if he was a zombie for fifteen years; he never forgave himself since Temari's death.
Marrying Ino was his parents' idea. Shikano and Hanako came along naturally.
He sighed and walked home.
The final exam was one week later.
To be continued.
Author's note:
Please read and review! My first Naruto fan fiction!
V.S.V