A/N: Reviews greatly appreciated! If people like this enough and it doesn't completely fail I'll post the next chapter :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. If I did, Shikamaru and Temari would have been officially together loooong ago. ;)

BY THE WAY: IF YOU ARE READING THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE PLEASE CONTINUE ON TO CHAPTER 2! ITS MUCH BETTER THAN THIS ONE :O

I sat across from her, fidgeting nervously as I waited for news on Chouji. Temari was waiting with me…for some odd reason… She crossed her legs and I had to resist the urge to look at her tanned, muscular legs. Ahem, anyway. She seemed to be scrutinizing me, narrowing her eyes a bit and looking at me. Finally, I couldn't stand it.

"What?" I asked.

She seemed a bit taken aback, but who is she to stare? She shrugged and just said, "I dunno…why are you like that? Different, I mean."

I didn't really know what to say to this so I just asked her what she meant by that.

"Well, you're different from a lot of other guys. You don't seem to care what people think about you. Why is that? Like, not even in the slightest."

I sighed and said, "What's it matter? People will think what they'll think. Why do you care?"

"I dunno…I just randomly thought about it."

"Well what about you?"

"Huh?"

"You don't seem to care what you're seen as."

"I dun-"

"You don't seem to know a lot of things."

She narrowed her eyes at this, and continued with what she was saying. "I dunno because like you said, it doesn't matter. And anyway, it's not like I can change their minds, can I?"

She was smart. It's true. You can't change people's minds, only stupid people actually try. Tch. As I was thinking about this, I heard her stand up and looked up. She was picking up her fan and fastening it to her back.

"I better get going. My brothers said not to be too long."

For some odd reason, I felt a twinge of sadness. I liked having her here, talking to her. But it's not like I was actually going to tell anyone this. Let alone her. I just leaned my head against the wall and said, "Sure…" trying to sound nonchalant about it.

She walked down the hall and turned at the exit. I waited for about maybe a whole of 5 seconds before my dad bonked me on the head, zapping me out of a nice nap-to-be. "What?" I cried.

He sat down next to me and barked, "What's wrong with you? Have I taught you nothing?"

"Besides learning to tend for deer? Yeah, pretty much." This earned me another bonk on the head. I felt the beginnings of a lecture coming in and started to prepare myself.

"First you can barely lead a team to success. Second, you just let a girl like that walk out."

"…"

"Don't give me that blank stare. Only I can do that."

"What do you mean, 'a girl like that'?"

"Don't even try to lie to me about it. I know you like her. What's more, you didn't even go after her or protest her leaving. You just let it go. Hn." He scoffed and put his hands behind his head and leaned against the wall.

"Tch, yeah right. Me? Like her? You're crazy. You must really be getting old Dad." Another bonk.

My dad just ignored what I said and stood up again. He started walking out, but before he turned out the exit, he said over his shoulder, "I know what I know. You don't have to get defensive. I know what I saw." And walked out.

AGAIN: GO ON TO CHAPTER 2! ^^