Does love really exsist?... That's the question I ask myself every now and then. I dwell on it until I catch myself thinking way too hard.
Its a drag but I guess even a guy like me, who finds things troublesome, has curiousity about love sometimes.
I've tried asking about it but I guess people in my life aren't suited on explaining it to me because everytime i build the courage to ask, they give me that shocking expression that makes me regret ever asking.
Jeez is it really so shocking that I would ask what makes someone love?
I see Ino, one of my closest friend and teammate, supposably declare her 'love' towards Sasuke but is it really love or just an obsession, a crush in better words.
Girls are totally weird.
All girls look for in a guy is their exterior. They don't care about personality or goals. They just want men to buy them stuff and tell them what they want to here. Those selfish.
How troublesome. Here I am thinking of the same topic for two weeks now. Wasting valuable sleep-
"oi shikamaru!"
Ugh woman
Maybe if I lay still for a little longer she'll go away.
"Don't even try faking with me! I know you're awake"
...
"OK be that way... Just so you know, I saw Temari at ichiraku looking pretty lost..."
Temari? She never told me she was coming...
Serves her right for not letting me know she would be visiting.
"Oh. I also saw Naruto offering her some food and stuff but I don't think you care about that"
You're right I don't care... But all the same I should help her. She did save my life and all.
"Thanks for letting me know Ino" patting the grass and dirt from my clothes.
"Mmhmm no problem as long as you're still taking me to dinner"
"Yeah yeah"
Since Ino's break up 2 weeks ago she had become emotional and was angry when me and chouji didn't take notice right away.
Chouji recently has been getting sent on so many missions that Ino, even in her moody state, understood he couldn't be there for her but with me she wasn't very understanding.
I felt bad for not caring but what could I do? I'm not the type to be wipping her tears away and hugging her. Doesn't she have sakura for that?
Well anyways. With chouji's kindness of giving me some money I decided to take her out to eat dinner everyday... Until she gets better that is.
She's actually getting better so maybe by next week I won't have to anymore.
As I got closer to ichirakus ramen stand I could here Naruto's rambunctious voice.
Ugh that's all I needed, a loudmouth to destroy the stillness of the morning.
I was about to greet Naruto and Temari but seeing what was going on took me by surprise.
Naruto with a big smile was holding some noodles with his chopsticks right in front of Temari's mouth. She had obliged and opened her mouth for Naruto to feed her.
She had a small blush on her cheeks. Something I have never seen before.
To my amazement they didn't notice I was there so I decided to just wait outside until she was ready to get moving. It would've been weird of me to just sit there while they fed each other.
Who would've thought Temari had this side to her. If I would've heard about this from anybody I would've never believed them.
"Hey Temari did you like it?"
"Yeah. It was pretty good"
"They make the best noodles here. Believe it!"
She dove her chopsticks into Naruto's ramen bowl and took another bite.
Naruto made a face that set her off into loud laughter. "You better eat Naruto or I'm going to finish it for you"
I couldnt help but smile. that Temari. She knows how to weaken any man. Too bad she lives all the way in suna. It would be nice to have her around the leaf.
"Oi lazy. Aren't you going to eat anything?"
Caught by surprise, I didn't have time to think of a response."Troublesome"
"Are you waiting for me" she asks in amusement.
Woman. They think everything is about them.
"Yeah we can't have you walking around fighting and scarying children now can we?" It really wasn't to insult her. I have caught her fighting with kids before.
The very first time she decided not to have an escort, I was alerted that konohamaru was in trouble.
As I raced to get to the scene, I noticed unnatural wind waves.
As I had imagined. It was Temari. She was about to unleash the jutsu that took out a whole forest and a high level ninja, on a kid.
In the end I stopped the fight. Though konohamaru showed great skill, there was no doubt in my mind Temari would've pulverized him in a second.
I had a talk with her afterwards that it wasnt good for her to be picking fights in other countries.
Well she didn't take it very well. She kept blaming konohamaru for starting it and calling her a scardy cat if she didn't accept.
The way she yelled was entertaining though. Can't say I didn't enjoy it.
Now here she is offended of what I said. Tch troub-
"Hey if you're busy Shikamaru I don't mind escorting her"
There's no way I'm leaving two spiky blondes, one that's hyperactive and another that has a temper, roam around together.
"I heard lady Tsunade wanted you to look for sakura so I will take her out of your hands"
"OK!" He said as he slurped what was left of his ramen.
"I'll see ya around Temari!"
"Yeah see ya Naruto" she sounded a little disappointed he was leaving which made me feel bad.
I had lied to Naruto. I didn't know she wanted his company that much or not I would've let him tag along.
She finished eating and started walking. She didnt know where she was going but somehow she was going the right way.
"Tch why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
Having been steps in front of me. She started to slow down her pace. "I just wanted to enjoy some time to myself"
Her voice seemed sad. Something was troubling her but if she didn't want to tell me then I wouldn't pry.
"Is that why I find you getting fed by Naruto?" I couldn't see her face but I knew she felt somewhat embarrassed of being caught.
"He just happens to be very kind"
Her voice still sounded somewhat sad but it was going back to normal.
"Too kind if you ask me" I hadn't meant anything bad about it but I think I stepped out of line because the next thing I know she has a hand full of my jacket, pushing me against the wall.
I was extremely shocked by her action. There was no way I could've seen this coming.
I could see she was serious.
Her eyes had a fiery anger radiating from them
"Calm down woman... I didn't know Naruto meant so much to you" I looked away.
I was jealous. Jealous that she would turn against me for Naruto. I hadn't even said anything bad, yet here I am facing her deadly glare.
My expression must've uncovered my feelings because she loosened her grip and softened her eyes.
"Shikamaru I'm so-"
I lifted my hand to cut her off. I really didn't want to hear any apologies right now. It was better just to forget.
"Let's just get you to the hokage's"
Having escorted her to the hokages building, he halted at the door of the tower and told her what room was Tsunade's and slowly started to walk away.
She was clearly hurt by this. All the times he'd escorted her, he would stay by her side at all times. But what could she expect, after pushing him hard on a wall. She knew she had to somehow make it up to him.
She found her way to the hokages room and knocked firmly.
"Enter"
She walked in and closed the door behind her. She saw the hokage looking out the window.
"Lady hokage I hope I'm not interrupting anything" she said as she bowed.
As Tsunade turned her gaze towards the other blonde her expression was reverted back to business mode.
"Not at all Temari. So tell me what brings you here."
She could feel some suspicoun from the hokage but she didn't take offense. She really wasn't suppose to be here until two months but some things came up.
Flashback-
She had stopped at a dango stand on her way back to the sand. She had just finished escorting a rich merchant named Shiny, to the land of lightening.
The merchant was wanted by mostly every thief. Every stop they made they were attacked.
She had been the only one to escort Shiny because with a bigger number of escorts, it wouldve attracted more attention. But by the looks of it, attention couldn't be helped.
The bandits and thieves weren't a big threat but it did drain a lot of her chakra.
As she strapped her fan back on she took one last drink of her tea. About to jump to a tree, she heard some ruffling in the bushes.
She quickly turned around but before she could do anything. She was caught.
Her eyes grew wide as she saw what captivated her.
Under her feet was a thick black shadow forming a link to non other then the lazy slacker himself.
He gave her a lopsided smirk. "Troublesome woman"
His eyes were looking her up and down. Lust obviously in his eyes.
He had never shown interest in her before so what was up with him now. She wondered.
She started to feel her heart race and her cheeks grow hotter as he walked closer to her, making her do the same.
When they were only inches away she could feel his breath on her skin.
Is he really about to make a move? Before she could question him he pressed his lips right onto hers.
Everything seemed so unreal to her but she didnt waste time thinking about it. He had already retreated his shadow so she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.
"Temari" he said breathless.
"Mmm" giving him another kiss.
Letting go of her he reached for his pocket and brought out folded papers.
"I need you to sign some of these"
Confused of the random change of topic she took the papers and headed to one of the tables to get in a more comfortable position.
She sat crossing one leg over the other. She was going to start reading them when she started to feel Shikamaru behind her breathing on the crook of her neck.
Her face flushed and shivers went down her spine, making her lose her concentration.
She was about to push him away when he started planting small kisses. "Temari. Just sign them so we can have time for other things."
Embarrassed of how easily Nara had control over her, she started to take in deep breaths to calm herself. "You're such a crybaby. I'm not signing until I read-"
He snaked his arms around her waist and started nibbling on her ear. "Please Temari"
That's it. She had enough.
She stood up. With a blush evident on her face. "What's wrong with you!"
She couldn't contain herself. She had to yell. "First you come out of nowhere and start kissing me. Then you bring out papers and don't let me read them!"
She took a breath in. "Its not like you..." She said in disappointment.
"Temari. You make me different. Please just sign these papers and then we'll talk... Just talk"
She was relieved of hearing his words. He was rushing their relationship from just friends to something more way too fast.
"OK." She signed the papers and handed them to him.
The next thing she knew she blacked out.
"TEMARI!"
"Are you all right?"
"Naruto she's obviously unconscious"
"Look her eyes are opening!"
As she lifted herself up she saw sakura, naruto and kankurou looking at her critically. She was feeling lightheaded but needed to know what happened. Were her and Shikamaru ambushed or something. "What happened?" She said looking around for that crybaby.
"You were in a genjutsu and..."
She blocked out whatever sakura had said after those words. She had been in a genjutsu? But then that would mean...
As she thought more and more she wondered why her opponent had left her alive. "Why am I alive?" She asked, though the question wasn't worded well.
"What do you mean! Do you not want to be alive!"
"Ugh kankurou. That's not what I meant"
Sakura, thinking the same thing as she, was wondering the same thing. "Well, before we could intervene the ninja was holding some papers as he retreated"
Her eyes widened. The papers.
The whole time, it was the papers they wanted. But why did they need her signature? She wasn't a kage or anything.
She was about to tell sakura what had happened but then thought better of it.
If I tell her a little bit of it she would ask for more detail. Then I would have to take about... Shikamaru.
"Can I just get back to suna. I need to rest"
"Sure sis let's go"
"Naruto we should head back too"
He nodded. They went their separate ways.
"You sure you're alright Temari. We could still go back now for sakura to check if you-"
"I'm fine kankurou. I just wanna go home"
"Good you're back"
About to dismiss herself, kankurou started to ramble. "Gaara! We found Temari unconscious on our way to the leaf!"
She massaged her temples from all the noise kankurou was creating. "And then she didn't want sakura to check her!"
"Is that true Temari?"
"Yeah"
"What happened?"
Thinking of whether to tell her brother or not she decided it probably wasn't a big deal. "I don't remember" she lied.
Gaara saw right through that lie but she wasn't one to lie all the time so he thought giving her some space would make her feel better and want to talk.
"OK... I too have bad news."
Both kankurou and Temari stopped their own thought flow to see what he had to say. "It just so happens you're a fiancée, Temari"
"I'm a WHAT!?"
"a fiancée. You know a soon to be bride?"
"I know what it is Gaara! But how did THAT happen? I never agreed to anything!"
"Actually... You did" he said holding on to some papers.
Kankurou who had had his mouth opened in shock from the news was now the one to butt in. "She did!?'
"Her fiancé will arrive in three days to meet her" Gaara added
Kankurou turned his sight toward her. " is that what you've been doing at the leaf!"
Anger boiled inside her. Did they really think she was that type of girl!? "How dare you-"
"Don't tell me you're pregnant too!' He continued.
She was about to sock him in the face when she started to hear sand.
Both her and kankurou stopped their argument and gave their full attention to Gaara.
"Kankurou you have no right to judge Temari like that"
She couldn't help but stick out her tongue at her angry brother.
"And Temari" he said turning towards her "now that you've heard what's going on you're going to have to tell us what happened"
Her face heated up from picturing the event but also for getting caught lieing to her little brother. "Alright... But does kankurou HAVE to be here?"
Offended kankurou crossed his arms and pouted. "Yes. We're family"
After telling them everything. Even the little details, it was kankurou that fell in laughter.
"You have a THING for that Nara kid!"
"Shut up" she said embarrassed.
Even Gaara looked amused. "Well... These papers are valid so I can't do anything about it."
She sighed in exasperation. Great.
"Here" Gaara said handing her a scroll. "Give it to the Hokage"
End flashback-
"Did you hear me Temari?"
Snapping back she looked at last Tsunade. "I'm sorry what was that?"
"You are to be situated in a suite. You will also be escorted wherever you go"
"Who is my escort?" She wondered
"Shikamaru of course. Now go and make yourself at home"
