Here's the next chapter! Thanks to those that read, alerted, favourited (yes, I've made up a word) and reviewed the first chapter!
Inside the Fire
Chapter 2
For some reason, the nights air felt colder than usual and even though the bed where he lay was far more comfortable than any other he had ever felt, he felt completely uneasy. He was being held captive by the ancient beautiful people of Sunagakure and he was currently lying amidst the royalties chambers. This was something he had never imagined in a million years. When he had been studying their language, he had thought about what he would ask them if he ever did meet them but the questions died in his brain as soon as he set eyes on them. His questions about the economy and what they used for clothing seemed far less important now when he thought about it. This was a civilisation, a group of people joined together, living in harmony unbeknown to man. He sat up from the animal skin he was wrapped in and rubbed his eyes.
"This is far too troublesome," he mumbled, eyes watery with lack of sleep. The whole house was quiet except for the sound of patrols at the perimeter, guarding their Kazekage with their lives. It was actually pointless, Shikamaru thought, since he didn't think anyone would find the portal to Sunagakure. He stood up and stretched, the cracking of his bones echoing slightly around the room. He walked over to the lighting candle on the desk in the corner and pulled up a chair made from branches and wrapped in animal skin. Sitting down, he kept his gaze level with the flickering flame and then, all of a sudden, shapes formed in the fire. It was so instant that Shikamaru blinked his eyes three times to see if he was imagining things. He could have sworn that the fire had taken the form of two figures, one tall and slender and the other sturdy and strong. They were dancing together, the thinner of the two with her arms on the others' upper arms while his capable hands pulled her to him.
"It is beautiful, is it not?" said a voice behind him, strong and clear. Shikamaru turned around to see Temari in a beautiful robe tied at the middle. She was standing at the doorway that led up the stairs and her hair was down from its usual ties. Shikamaru nodded.
"What is it?" he asked, curious images appearing in his mind. He wanted to know everything about these people.
"Legend tells us of Esmerild, the beautiful maiden who was the starting point in our history," she said, walking closer to him, "She belonged to a group of female warriors called Kunoichi and they protected the land of their clans. Being a Kunoichi meant restrictions. She wasn't aloud to leave the village because of her oath to protect her people. Lord Kyoshi came from a distant country and both soon fell in love. She left with him to start a new life. The images you saw in the flames are of them. Both Lord Kyoshi and Lady Esmerild were killed soon after for disobeying the teachings. But both died together at least."
Shikamaru didn't know why but a lump formed in his throat and he felt the sudden urge to cry. Instead, he coughed a manly cough. The story was bitter sweet in its own way but the way Temari told it made it that much more different.
"And why is that story the main one in your history? It's awfully tragic," he said, looking up from the flame to meet the teal eyes that were staring at him. She sat down in the chair opposite him and her hair bounced with her.
"Well you see, as I've told you, my great great great grandfather was Lady Esmerild's younger brother. He was also the first Kazekage. Esmerild confided in him of her secret love and he was sworn to keep his lips sealed. He did as she asked and didn't tell a soul. Even though the young couple had taken measures to ensure that their love was kept locked away from the world, they were soon discovered and sentenced to death. As he watched his sister die, he saw the errors that were taught to his people. Riddled with grief, he approached the people and made them see sense once and for all. He was appointed the Kazekage of Sunagakure that day for his wisdom. Some say that the true love between both Lord Kyoshi and Lady Esmerild was so powerful that it gave the people of Sunagakure special powers. But I personally don't see what is so great about being able to speak to animals. True, it comes in handy from time to time.." she trailed off.
Shikamaru, who had been nodding to urge her on with the story, stopped abruptly. There was so much information in that one story. He made a mental note to remember everything and he pushed it into the confines of his already packed mind. He wanted to know more. How did the first Kazekage die? Was there some sort of ritual involved in the crowning process? How long has their civilisation survived? Does the Kazekage have to be male? Talk to animals?! Instead of asking those questions he opted for something that might be a little more helpful.
"Temari," he said and she seemed startled from hearing her name on his lips. "Will you give me a tour of the city later? After some sleep?"
She laughed a musical sound before nodding twice. "Yes, of course. I have many questions for you too." She smiled at him once more before turning around and walking back to her own room. Shikamaru watched her leave, her perfect curves swaying ever so slightly as she moved. Almost like she was dancing, keeping up the perfect rhythm. Looking at the candle once more, he walked back to his bed and lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. When morning approached, he would tour the city of Sunagakure and maybe get some questions answered. It didn't look like the Suna people were going to kill him so his mind was put at ease.. a little. If luck wanted to visit him, his expedition group would trust that he would find his way back and not come looking for him. He didn't want any trouble for any of them.
The sun shone high in the sky, a bright dazzling orb cast high over the city of life. Temari kept her word and arrived down in his room in time to see him fall out of them bed. He groaned out loud, rubbing his aching shoulders as she laughed joyously.
"Are you always this clumsy in the morning?" she asked, eyes still smiling at him. He nearly melted.
"No, not always," he said, leaving out the part about how being kidnapped tended to make you a little off edge. This woman was troublesome. Even worse than my mom... Temari was wearing a light blue dress made out of pure material that must have grown somewhere in the city. Her hair was retied, sticking at odd angles as much as his own was. She grabbed his hand and led him out of the house, pulling him along at a fast pace. He was about to tell her to slow down but she answered an unasked question.
"If we slow down, you won't be able to see the whole city!" she insisted, continuing in her attempt to pull him along. He groaned and she rolled her piercing teal eyes. First, they made their way down the main street leading away from the Kazekage's house and joined in the bustle of the city folk tending to their daily needs. Temari was helpful in pointing out all the different stands and what they sold and Shikamaru found himself smiling at how she explained each.
"That is a fish merchant. He gets his fish from the Amazonian river. You do know what a river is, don't you?"
They bought some freshly cooked fish and ate it as they walked, the civilians watching them enjoy a comfortable silence with wide eyes. When they reached the end of the path, Temari grabbed his half eaten fish along with her own and dropped them on the ground where they disappeared completely without any traces of them being dumped. She smiled at his expression and then grabbed his hand again.
"We will go somewhere quieter and talk. I have many questions and I do not think Gaara would appreciate me asking them to a human," she told him, eyes on the road ahead. If holding hands was a normal Sunagakure custom, then who was he to argue? It wasn't like he particularly minded anyway. They walked on for another few minutes until Temari let go of his hand and began climbing a tree to the right of the sand covered road. Shikamaru continued to watch her until she let out an audible sigh.
"Are you coming or not?"
Not waiting to be asked twice, Shikamaru followed her up the tree, struggling to lift his legs high enough.
"Tcch, troublesome woman," he said, lifting his right leg to try and wrap it around the branch, "Will you wait up? Not all of us can swing from trees!" Temari chuckled, raising her hand easily from where she sat in the tree to help him up. He looked at her out stretched palm for a second before grasping it firmly. She helped him up quickly and simply without breaking a sweat.
"There is a place just down here where we can talk undisturbed," she told him, jumping on top of a roof of a house next to the tree and jumping down the other side. She made it look so easy; it actually wasn't. Shikamaru tripped, stumbled and crawled his way to the other side to avoid breaking his neck. In the clearing where they landed was a small water fountain in the middle of an orchard. A variety of fruit grew on the trees and flowers were in abundant. A soft tinkling echoed from the water hitting the glass of the fountain but other than that, it was completely quiet.
"This is my favourite place to think," said Temari, sitting on the edge of the fountain. "Now, will you answer my questions?"
He nodded. "To the best of my ability at least." She seemed content with that answer and began listing off the things that she wanted to know without catching a breath. It was hard enough understanding what she was talking about, she was speaking so fast.
"Where are you from? What is it like? How old are you? Is there anything here in Suna that differentiates from where you live? Do you have friends? What are they like? Do you have parents? I bet you look like them."
Shikamaru blinked a few times. What a drag... "I'm from a place called Konoha. It's... well.. green. I'm twenty one and there are plenty of differences between Konoha and Suna. I have a lot of friends. They're quiet, loud, hungry, bossy, creepy, shy, obnoxious, happy, cool etc. I have parents, both are still alive and kickin'. I look like my father but I have my mothers' eyes."
She looked at him and smiled as he sat down next to her on the fountain. She took his hand in hers and turned his palm upwards. Running a finger along the contours of his hand she followed each little line.
"You are a strange person Nara Shikamaru," she said, still smiling down at his palm. "You are unlike any other I've ever met."
He didn't know what to say to that so decided on asking his questions. "Well, will you answer my questions now?" She nodded, pulling his hand closer to her to further increase her range.
"How did your people get here? How old are you? How is that portal thing possible? What powers it? These are just off the top of my head but if you give me time, I'm sure I'll think of more," he told her, waiting for her reply. The questions he had asked were annoying him since he arrived.
"I don't know how my people got here. We were always just here; I've never questioned it. I'm twenty three years old. I don't know how the portal is powered or how it came to be because my people aren't as educated as they once were. Things that have been passed from word of mouth tend to change so no one knows anymore."
They stayed in silence for a while, listening to the tinkling water rush through the stream. It was still exceptionally bright out and it didn't look like it was going to rain. Judging by the clouds that passed this area, rain fall was something they never experienced. The puffs of white air flowed passed him in a flurry of movement, slowly but still quick at the same time. He didn't know how to explain it. He felt Temari's hand tighten around his own and she ceased tracing patterns on his palm.
"I want you to meet someone. A friend of mine," she clarified at his confused expression, "She's been my friend for a long time. We grew up together. I'm sure you will like her."
Shikamaru nodded and they stood up, walking hand in hand on the path leading away from the little fountain and back into the main street. Thankfully, there were no buildings or trees that needed to be climbed on the way back. She didn't seem to want to find a short cut anyway.
They made their way down the crowded street with Temari often waving at random passers by. "I must keep up appearances," she said more to herself than to him. He didn't know what she meant so turned and looked forward again. Among the many houses and buildings was a small shack-like place in the upper corner of the city. It was surrounded by bunches of weapons all posted as warning to intruders.
"She's a bit weapon mad," said Temari unnecessarily, gesturing to the many kunai and shuriken lying the ground. Shikamaru almost groaned. The last thing he needed was more trouble from another troublesome woman. They're out to get me...
A brown haired girl stepped out of the shack wearing clothing that was similar to Temari's. The only difference was that it was a peach colour and her necklace was red. When she saw Temari approaching with a stranger she let out a squeal of delight.
"I heard rumours that you got yourself a human! I am jealous! I want one!" she said, her voice high and chirpy. She stood a few feet away from them before finally closing the distance. Great, Shikamaru thought, I'm being treated like I'm some kind of pet!
"Tenten," said Temari in her clear voice, "This is Nara Shikamaru. He will be staying with us for a few days."
Tenten didn't seem to hear her. She was busy circling Shikamaru like he was prey. Her nose was scrunched and her hair, which was tied in two buns on the top of her head, were bouncing steadily as she walked. Once her assessment was done, she put her hands on her hips and turned to Temari as though Shikamaru wasn't there.
"Temari! He needs clothes! No wonder everyone is staring at him!" she said, giving Temari a disapproving look. "Luckily for him, I just started weaving more material this morning. He can have the next batch."
Temari rolled her eyes and walked closer to Tenten. "I didn't forget that he needs clothes. I thought that he would be more comfortable in his own. He's a human," she added as if that was enough to prove her right. What was weirder was that Tenten seemed defeated.
"Oh yeah, I forgot," she said, eyes downcast, "And I was looking forward to seeing him strip! I wonder are male humans any different to our own?"
Shikamaru jumped, caught off guard. Suddenly, he felt very aware of his own body when the two girls turned on him, eyeing him up and down. Temari walked towards him and stopped when she was within breathing proximity.
"I don't think so," and she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it off him. Shikamaru let out a startled yelp and was about to cover himself with his hands when he thought better of it. The two girls began circling him again, obviously looking for anything different.
"No, I think he's the same," said Temari, her finger tapping her chin. "Maybe his bottom half is different..." and when she was about to pull his pants down, Shikamaru thought that things had gone far enough.
"Hey, hey, hey! That's enough. Have you ever heard of personal space? I'm guessing not. Let's say for arguments sake that I'm the same as every man. Then will you leave me alone?" he asked irritably. Tenten giggled while Temari grinned.
"Humans are so over sensitive," said Temari to herself but Shikamaru still heard her. He guessed that she had meant for him to hear her too.
"So Shikamaru," said Tenten changing the subject. "Are you enjoying your stay in Sunagakure so far?" Shikamaru didn't know what to say. Oh yes, it's been quite enjoyable. If you add being knocked unconscious, kidnapped and made walk four hundred miles together, it really puts the cherry on top of a fantastic year. Instead, he settled for a small "yes."
"Well, I better be going guys. Thanks for dropping by," she said when she realised Shikamaru wasn't the talkative type. She raised a hand as she left and was gone from sight in a few seconds. Seeing his curious gaze, Temari answered the question that was running through his mind.
"She's a kunoichi like me. She's going on her shift for patrolling in the forest," she said and looked at Shikamaru for his reaction. He looked down at her, still confused.
"I don't understand. No one would ever find your people here," he said, eyebrows furrowed. Temari rolled her eyes.
"You're so naive. We don't patrol for people trying to get in. We patrol for people trying to get out. If our secret was ever discovered, our people would cease to exist... Literally." That was all the confirmation Shikamaru needed. He didn't ask anymore questions relating to that topic because he wasn't in the mood for a headache. That usually happened when he thought too much and because of his overly large IQ, that happened more often than not.
After saying goodbye to Tenten, Temari had decided that he had seen enough of the city and promptly dragged him down the path that led to the east of the city. The men of Sunagakure had gone to hunt for their families while the mothers' and children stayed inside awaiting to cook the food. The smell of burning meat was cast all over the area and Shikamaru's stomach grumbled. Temari seemed to notice.
"Don't worry. We'll go and get some food soon," she said, continuing to drag him towards a large pond that extended from on front of the wall. It seemed to be a small puddle but upon closer inspection, Shikamaru saw that the water actually went under the wall as well. Temari began stripping, taking off the outer layer of her skirt so that she was left scantly clad.
"Uh Temari.. What are you doing?" he asked, feeling his ears turn red. He didn't like where this was going. Or maybe he did and that's what he didn't like.
"You swim, do you not?" she asked, clearly not seeing why he was getting hot and bothered. He merely nodded and pulled off his reacquired t-shirt and pants so that he was left in his boxers. Temari admired his physique without any tact whatsoever. She jumped into the pool and Shikamaru was surprised at how deep it actually was. Inhaling a large gasp of air, he dived under and found Temari waiting for him, kicking her legs gently to stay where she was under the water. Seeing that he was following her, she moved like an expert through the water, not needing air or needing to stop to stretch her legs. Shikamaru followed close behind a little less gracefully, kicking his way through weeds and marram grass that tickled his feet and extended from the floor of whatever they were swimming in. It couldn't be a river because it was far too large and he doubted there was sea in this place.
The water was cold which was actually surprising considering the rest of Sunagakure was nothing but dry heat and sand. He wondered for a minute if the people had made the water cold somehow. He imagined that it must be annoying having nothing but heat around you for the rest of your life.
He could see Temari gaining speed and kicked forward a little harder than before. Her skin was glowing faintly and he could see her necklace moving with her as she swam. Her hair was still stubbornly in place, not budging from the ties and he thought it was actually unfortunate. Her hair was very pretty when it was down. He almost lost his breath at that thought and had to use whatever will power was buried inside him to keep going and not resurfacing. Temari on the other hand swam back to him urgently, grabbed his hand and kicked upwards. She knew his body better than he did. As soon as they resurfaced he gasped rather loudly and began coughing. Temari seemed fine, waiting for him to catch his breath. He realised that they were no longer within the walls of Sunagakure. It was dark in the clearing, no longer lit by the torches that hung from random buildings. Somewhere, a cricket chirped and Shikamaru looked around him. The only light was coming from Temari's necklace but he could still see her perfectly. It was as if she was aglow but not lighting at the same time. She looked exactly the same even in the dark when he couldn't actually see his hand in front of.
"Where are we?" he whispered, not knowing why he was in fact. Temari seemed to notice that they were no longer in the walls of Sunagakure and huffed. She mustn not have meant to come out this far.
"We are in Gaara's private study. He likes to come here when he needs to think about something or other," she said waving her hand dismissively, "are you ready to go back under?" He nodded and she plunged back inside while he followed hot at her heels. She seemed to remember that he wasn't as fast as she was so she took his hand in hers and kicked a little harder to make up for his lost speed. They were swimming far quicker than Shikamaru had ever done before.
They arrived in the place Temari had picked out and Shikamaru almost gasped... almost. His eyes widened slightly and he cleared his throat before talking.
"It's beautiful," he said and stared at the stars in the sky. Hunger completely forgotten, Shikamaru climbed out of the water, helping Temari out as he did so. There was a flat surface right beneath a horde of trees that was completely clear to look at the sky. The stars were twinkling in the Summer air and an owl hooted somewhere in the distance.
"I come here whenever I can," said Temari in a strangely quiet voice. He didn't think it was possible for her to be quiet. She normally had a perfectly crisp and clear voice, "My duties keep me busy so it's not very often that I can." She guided Shikamaru over to the small clearing and pushed him gently, instructing him to lie down. He did as he was asked and for some reason, he wasn't at all hesitant. Temari had proven that she didn't want to harm him. She had had plenty of opportunities to do that before.
She lay down beside him, dripping water onto his bare chest as she did so and stayed perfectly still. They remained in comfortable silence, just watching the stars in the solitude that the place brought. There wasn't anything like this in Konoha, that much was for sure. And even though he was getting colder and colder by the minute, nothing would make him move. He just wanted to stay like that forever. The only thing that would make this better were if they were clouds. But stars were the next best thing. Temari gently lowered her hand to his and took hold, pressing their palms together. It was so innocent that it was almost intimate; like they had been doing this kind of thing their whole lives. She caressed his thumb with her own sending wave upon wave of relaxation through his body. He suppressed a shiver as they remained where they were, gazes fixed on the sky above.
"Shikamaru, I think we should be getting back now. Gaara will send the kunoichi out to find me if I'm not back soon. He gets a little paranoid when he thinks I'm in danger," said Temari, breaking the silence in a strangely peaceful way. Her voice did nothing to interrupt the serenity of the area. She stood up but he pulled her back a little bit, stopping her from moving any further.
"Can we come back again sometime? Before I leave, I mean."
She smiled and nodded and he let go of her hand to stand up. He looked down at his bare arms and saw goose bumps. I really must be cold.. They dived back into the water, holding hands once more since it was so much faster that way. Before the reached the surface once more, Temari let go and pointed for him to land. He looked at her confused, wondering why she was staying under but she smiled a reassuring smile and he didn't need any more convincing. He dressed quickly, shivering as his clothes dried his cold skin and waited for the blond kunoichi to be done whatever she was doing under there.
A few minutes later, Temari emerged with two fish in her hands, seemingly dead and ready to be cooked. She approached him slowly enough, still only clad in nothing more than a skimpy bikini. Her skin was dripping water forming dark little circles on the sand beneath her but she still looked relatively warm. Snapping out of his trance, he looked back at her face to see her smirking victoriously. Thinking he was caught admiring her body, he was about to rush into an apology for his inappropriateness and how a woman shouldn't have to deal with the gazes of men when she spoke before him.
"I've never tried getting two fish at once," she said and she seemed extremely pleased with herself. Shikamaru closed his mouth abruptly and smiled back at her, his own silent congratulations. She threw him one and he knew that this would be his dinner at last. She walked closer to him and Shikamaru got a view of her teal eyes, shining in the moonlight. They were far better than any stars they had seen that night.
The walk home was filled with talk, more so on Temari's part. She asked him more questions about his friends but concentrated on his love life.
"So have to courted any women yet?" she asked, clearly not getting the informal way things were done in Konoha. She walked slower than usual, trying to prolong their walk to get as much information out of him as possible.
"I've dated here and there but have never had a relationship last more than two weeks," he told her honestly, blushing a little bit at the new topic. He wasn't the kind of person to be comfortable with talking about his love life. Some things were better left unspoken.
"You must be an awful person to be with," she told him and he couldn't help but laugh at her lack of tact.
"Yeah that's probably it," he said between laughs, holding the fish a fair distance away because the smell wasn't pleasant. Temari had her hands behind her back.
"I don't think you're that awful to be with. We had fun today, didn't we?" she asked, an innocent look on her perfect face. Every feature was sharply defined in the light cast from the moon and the quiet street made her seem angelic, like she was showing her presence to him and only him.
"Thanks. Yeah we had fun," he said, the laughter that had previously been in his voice still breaking through. Temari liked that. His voice went lower and huskier when he laughed and it was very entertaining. This human would never cease to amaze her. They arrived at the Kazekage's quarters soon after and upon entering, they found Gaara sitting in one of the chairs in the corner of the room, staring at a candle placed in the middle of a small table. He still had his Kazekage robes on.
"Where were you Temari?" he asked and even though his voice was still calm, there was a hint of worry and annoyance in his voice. Temari rolled her eyes.
"Geez, calm down Gaara. We just went for a walk," she told him, gesturing to Shikamaru who was standing with his hands in his pockets at the doorway. Gaara looked at him pointedly and then looked back at his older sister.
"You've been lacking in your duties since the Nara came around. You have patrol duty in the morning," he informed her and then exited the room without another word. Temari folded her arms over her torso and huffed a small bit of air that blew her hair slightly. She started murmuring something about "stupid little brothers" and "not allowed to go out for one day without causing a scene." She turned back to Shikamaru and her cheeks were slightly red. She had forgotten that he was there and realised only after that she had entered one of her babbling stages.
"Sorry about that. Gaara doesn't know how to show hospitality." He shrugged his shoulders easily, not taking his hands out of his pockets.
"That's ok. I usually have that affect on people," he said, shrugging once more.
"Well, as you've heard, I won't be able to go out with you in the morning. Dumb duties. I trust that you'll be able to make it around the city for the morning? I'll be back around midday," she said, voice back to its usual crisp self. He nodded once, taking his hands out of his pockets.
"That's fine. Is there a place we can meet up or something?" he asked, careful to keep his voice just as casual as always. She seemed to notice.
"Hm. I suppose we could meet here if you like? That way, if you get lost, someone can easily show you the directions back here," she said, smiling ever so slightly. He nodded once more as she walked towards the exit of the room. She was about to enter her own room when Shikamaru called out to her.
"Um.. Temari?" he said, not looking at her. He could feel her curious gaze on him.
"Yes?"
"Thanks for taking me out and showing me the city. It was fun," he said, not meeting her gaze. They stood in silence for a few moments before Temari continued into her room.
"You're welcome."
Feedback? I'd really like to know if this is totally suckish. I'm not too happy with it. I don't plan on following the lines of Atlantis: The Lost City. It was just the starting point for this story. My muse has totally gone AWOL.
P.s Please wish me luck! I'm doing work experience in school and I have to go and teach some kids :( I dread the drool...
