A/N: Hey all! This is my first fanfic in a long, long time, so let me know how you like it. This takes place sometime in Shippuuden, although I don't have a specific time in mind.
Anyways, here's Chapter 1: Pregame
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters and I stand to gain no profit from this work of fanfiction.
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"Troublesome woman. I get up at the crack of dawn, and she isn't even here on time. I slept in last time and she got here early. I can't win at this. What a drag."
Shikamaru Nara stood outside of Konoha's central gate. As usual, he was under orders from Tsunade herself to wait for the Hidden Sand Village's liaison, Temari. A lot had changed since their first meeting in the chunin exams three years ago. They had been each other's rival competitors, hated enemies, timely saviors and loyal allies all in a matter of weeks. Since then, they had become partners in a formal sense and friends in a more personal one.
Temari made frequent visits to Konoha, which her duties required, and Shikamaru was almost always her guide while she was there. The purpose of the trips varied from visit to visit. Sometimes she came to exchange intelligence or help plan upcoming chunin exams, and sometimes she was sent just to make sure the status quo was being maintained and everything was all right. This visit was for a combination of reasons, so Shikamaru expected to be ready to work. First thing the next day. In the afternoon. If the weather was nice.
Despite the many occasions they had met with each other, one thing remained constant in the years Shikamaru had known Temari; she always was and would forever be a troublesome woman. Nothing ever went as planned when she was around. She found more ways to disrupt his day than he thought possible. Then again, that wasn't always a bad thing. Temari was smart, even if she wasn't quite at his level, and she always provided him with a challenge, which both she and Tsunade told him he needed more of. She was unpredictable in both combat and life, and he genuinely looked forward to her visits and working with her. Most of the time. Even if he did have to get up at obscene hours of the morning to do it.
Shikamaru considered Temari's visits a game of sorts. They would tease each other, spar, play shogi, and plan events while she was in Konoha. He would keep track of how many times she beat him and compare it to how many times he defeated her. There was really no point to it all, it just kept his mind occupied and helped him gauge how the both of them were improving as the years passed.
Yawning, Shikamaru rested against Konoha's massive wall, looking down the path as it disappeared into the forest. He had been waiting for about an hour already, but he didn't dare leave to get breakfast, despite the gnawing feeling in his stomach.
To add to his discomfort, winter was settling into the region, and the weather was cold and damp. Dark clouds hung overhead, threatening to add rain to an already troublesome day. Shikamaru wore thick, padded black pants and a similar long-sleeve shirt under his green flak jacket. He appreciated his mother forcing him to wear boots instead of his normal choice of sandals. His toes would have suffered if she hadn't.
'She didn't have to threaten me though,' he thought. 'Just asking would've worked fine. Scary, troublesome woman.'
Shikamaru closed his eyes, yawning softly. He figured if Temari wasn't going to show up on time, he would at least get a nap in. Settling in against the wall, he prepared to nod off before a loud voice interrupted his peace.
"Hey, crybaby! Sleeping on the job?"
Shikamaru grumbled softly before opening his eyes, spotting none other than Temari walking toward him on the path. She wore a heavy black kimono and carried her massive tessen with ease behind her. Sighing, he shrugged, speaking calmly, "Nice of you to show up," he smirked softly, "What held you? Let me guess… You either went shopping or got your hair done."
Temari ignored his statement, walking up to him. She had teased him, and he returned the gesture. She found it far more entertaining than just saying "Hello." "So, where are we off to first?" she started, "I want to check into my suite, but afterwards, it's up to you."
Shikamaru shrugged, stepping away from the wall and walking with Temari through Konoha's gates and into the village. "You're going to be here for about a week, right?" When she nodded, he continued, "Then let's take the day off. I was going to grab some breakfast if you want to come with me."
Temari scoffed, "Lazy-ass. I just got here and already you want to take a break."
Shikamaru shrugged, "My treat."
She grinned, "Deal."
He chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "A woman can't be expected to pay for her own meal, after all."
Temari rolled her eyes, letting the jab go. After walking for a while, the two of them approached a tall building next to the Hokage's Palace. The building was a hotel of sorts used to house dignitaries and ambassadors while they were in the Hidden Leaf Village. As Sunagakure's liaison to the Konoha, Temari had a suite all to herself.
The two shinobi walked inside of the large structure, ignoring the scattered VIPs standing in the bright and polished lobby. The floors and walls were made of light red marble with specks of green embedded in it. The massive room radiated the wealth and luxury that most officials expected from such a place. Temari, however, found it to be a little too rich for her tastes. Her room, on the other hand, was nice, but simple.
There was a large bed with white sheets and a beige comforter, a wooden dresser and a small closet with just enough clothes to make sure she could be dressed for any situation, and a simple vanity mirror in the corner of the room.
The one luxury she allowed herself in Konoha was a large bathroom with a shower and a marble bathtub she could soak in. She figured she deserved at least some perks.
Temari got her key from the front desk and made her way upstairs to her room on the building's second floor. She was glad to finally be at her place in friendly territory. Shikamaru walked with her, glancing at her from the corner of his eye as they climbed the stairs. He found himself thinking back to the last time she had been in the village.
Temari had been in Konoha three months earlier to help administer the chunin exams as well as to guard her brother while he was there. When she left, she chided Shikamaru, as usual, about still being a chunin and reminded him to stop being as lazy as he was. Before she disappeared through the gates, however, she flashed him a smile he rarely saw from her. The first time he had seen it, she was leaving Konoha after saving his life during his failed mission to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha. Since then, he had only witnessed it a handful of times, but it gave him an odd feeling whenever he saw it. It was soft, genuine, and warm, unlike her usual confident smirk. She congratulated him on yet another successful set of exams and told him she would be back in a few months for a routine visit. After saying goodbye, her smile faded and she left for home.
After she left, Shikamaru couldn't get that smile out of his head. He wasn't sure why he couldn't forget it, and he eventually chalked it up to her just being troublesome. What surprised him now was that even as though they were only walking to her suite, she was sporting a similar smile. He frowned thoughtfully, unsure of what she was so happy about and why it was making him think so hard. He shrugged it off as they reached her door, choosing to let it go for the time being.
Temari slid her key into the lock and concentrated for a moment. Turning the doorknob, she quickly stepped into the room and onto a thin wire a few feet inside. She then raised her hands into the tiger hand seal and spoke softly, "Release!"
A number of tags had started to glow through the thin wallpaper. When Temari channeled her jutsu into the wire on the floor, it instantly spread to the few dozen flash bombs connected to it around the room, cancelling the trap she had designed for her safety. If she hadn't reacted in time, the tags would have burned holes through the wallpaper and exploded in a series of blinding lights and loud bangs. It was simple, but effective, sure to catch any unprepared intruders off guard and giving her time to defend herself.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, she looked around the room to make sure everything was in order. She furrowed her brow when her eyes landed on her bed. On the covers rested two small, sealed packages. Moving closer, she found that they were packs of chestnuts ready for roasting.
Shikamaru saw her find the gift and nodded, "I thought you might like a snack tonight, seeing as you've spent the last three days running through deserts and forests."
Temari chuckled, "You got these for me? Maybe you're not so lazy after all." Her grin softened slightly as she continued, "Thanks."
He nodded, smiling back, "Come on, let's get going. Waiting for you to show up didn't make me any less hungry."
Temari smirked, "Not even half an hour here and you're already crying about something. That might be a record."
Shikamaru smirked, "Not even half an hour here and you're already being troublesome. That's nowhere close to the record."
She grinned at him as she exited the room, starting to walk down the stairs with him, "See? I held back. You should be thanking me."
Shikamaru chuckled softly, starting to think, 'Always troublesome, but never boring. This should be an interesting week. Let the game begin.'
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A/N: Well, that's chapter 1. The pace is a bit slow right now, but seeing that this chapter was more Shikamaru-centered, I figured that it was appropriate. Comments are welcome, but not required for me to write more (I'll be writing whether you want me to or not!), and I especially like comments telling me how I can do better. So let me hear it, and I hope you enjoyed the story.
Next is Chapter 2: Setting up the Pieces.