Disclaimer: I would love to but sadly I'm one of the majority. I don't own Naruto. Well but I own what I made of it.
A/N: It has been a while but now I am able to present the third chapter. I could say that I am sorry and tell you of my many exams but I don't want to steel your time. Anyway I would like to thank the people who bothered to review and read my story so far. Well I also have to annouce that there are be three OCs, I had to invent.
So now we go on. I hope you like and if you don't you can always blame me because I produced this.
Chapter 3: After Distance
Never in his life would Nara Shikamaru have imagined this to be so hard. He peeked a glance at the sky and his heart arched again.
Sometimes he wondered why he could feel it anymore. As time had passed this ache became permanently. It bothered him most of the time. Maybe there are things which never can become a habit to one.
His gaze didn't leave the sky. His eyes were cloudy as the sky above him.
„Nara-sensei!"
He snapped out of his dizzy state flowing into the real world as the intriguingly loud voice disturbed him. „Huh?"
„What are you staring at again? You promised to show us how to climb trees today!" One of his genin shouted at him. Why do they always appear to be loud and noisy?
„Yeah, you know it's troublesome but you have to concentrate your Chakra on you feet, regulating it's flow, not to much nor less and it doesn't differ." He looked at his genins. The three of them looked innocently and pure. Children thinking of fighting to be fun and being proud to be a shinobi. He remembered the time when he had been like them. But he wouldn't scare them. They have to make their own experiences. At least for now they deserved to fight for their dreams without knowing all the troublesome aspects of being a shinobi.
The hand of the noisiest shot up. "Sensei!"
"Yeah?"
"Show us!" Takeru nearly jumped up and down caused by his anticipation. His green eyes shimmered while the strains of his raven hair fell into his face.
Shikamaru sighed. They really had to learn a lot of things in the future. First thing was: Patience.
Normally patience was something Shikamaru had a lot of. It was one of the most important ventures in a fight. Fighting didn't consisted of moving solely. Strategy needed patience. Patience to look through the enemy's behaviour. Patience to look for a mistake of his.
In this style of combat Shikamaru was the best in. Some people also rumoured about him to be not only the best strategist of Konoha but having a great chance to wear the title of the Hokage someday.
But all this was not an interest of Shikamaru. And although people believed him to be not interested in anything, they were absolutely on the wrong side. Shikamaru wasn't interested in people's belief and the rumours they tend to create. But he was interested in nothing but the thing he couldn't have and was not allowed to be interested in. This they didn't know and couldn't see. Then again they didn't knew of his one desire.
Life got harder for Shikamaru to bear. It was harder to be motivated by anything. People thought it was normal for him. But in fact there was a time he took out his duty seriously. Fighting for his friends and village seemed to be not important anymore. Or rather not the most important thing in his life.
It was only one fight he had to survive and this was the most difficult task he ever had laid his focus on.
Before Temari and him had destroyed the wall that separated them. He had used this wall to hide behind, hide his feeling in front of her and the world.
But now, two years after this one night he felt even more lifeless than ever before.
He once had thought that missing her wasn't as cruel as longing for her. How dumb had he been to believe something like that. He had analysed this situation a hundred times in his head and concluded that his beliefs he held back then were just an excuse to make it more logical to be with her.
Nothing was ever logical, not when one fell in love. And hard Shikamaru fell. Hard enough to let the heart control the head. Which meant something in his case.
Now he had not only trouble with missing her but was longing to hold her, be with her, loving her. Maybe he would die someday out of heartache that resulted out of missing her.
Before this first last night he had to fight his longing to kiss her and spill out every of his emotions. But after it, it was never enough to kiss her and tell her everything. They had never enough time together and every night they shared was considered to be the last night. It was eating him up on the inside to be captured in a circle of never ending goodbyes.
How ironical it was that every time she was with him, he felt alive and was reassured that it was worth to fight for them. Every time it felt like she was lending him new breath and his wounds were healed.
Yet when she disappeared through these gates of Konoha his breath became shallow and his wounds ripped open again.
It was the worst battle he had ever had experienced. Every morning brought him some ditch of agony to get up and find a reason to be awake when she was not lying next to him. Every evening had to cool dramatically down to get him into his bed so he would stop starring at the sky grieving, wondering about her. And every night had to become completely dark to persuade him to sleep.
But then again he always left his door like his heart open for her. She always was welcomed to go into and sneak out whenever she thought was right. He sometimes was angry on her even if he knew that she wasn't guilty that he experienced such an agony. In fact she was agonized too.
Nevertheless he couldn't stand the man he became every time she left him.
Shikamaru remembered this one time he found her on the couch sleeping and looking more beautiful than ever.
It had been a troublesome month of bureaucracy followed by a week filled with troublesome genins at a troublesome mission and an even more troublesome day consisting of a mission report and a visit in the hospital because of Takeru's way to get injured by slipping of a branch and breaking his left leg.
Unfortunately Shikamaru learned the hard way that Takeru's parents were equally noisy compared to their son. They disturbed him by asking ridiculous questions like how he could have let this happen and why he didn't pay more attention. Shikamaru on his part wondered how they could let Takeru become a shinobi if they complained about something as minor as a little fracture. But he probably would have ruined their pretty world if he would have mentioned the fact that a fracture is a tiny concern for a shinobi.
But he had somehow survived this kind of conversation full of paradoxes with nothing but a headache. Nevertheless he would have killed for his rest and wanted to just fall into his bed.
However his intentions were quickly forgotten when he saw the blond beauty sleeping on the couch. He didn't know how long he stood and starred but when she flattered her eyes open and looked directly at him he wasn't able to think anymore. It felt like his body like his heart wanted to jump at her.
Finally he was able to move and immediately started to go for her. Only for her, as ever. Her body and heart welcomed him.
Later - much later - as he laid on the couch with her on him they found their words again. "You didn't wrote that you'll come."
"Maybe I wanted to surprise you." She didn't look up to him.
"Maybe?" He lifted his head from his comfortable position and searched her eyes.
Temari in turn also lifted her head looking directly at him. "Well, there is also the possibility that I couldn't write you because I had no time before I left Suna."
He lifted an eyebrow."And that would be why?"
"I had to be with you."
They watched each other. Shikamaru broke the rigor by laying back again and caressed her hair. "I'm glad for that." There was no need to confess.
She chuckled into his chest. The vibrations felt so alive as her head was settled over his heart. "You really have your way with words."
"Wouldn't you be with me if I had?" He opened an eye half way to look at her.
"Why? Wouldn't you be the same lazy ass?"
He chuckled. "Troublesome woman." He kissed her hair and wished to be like this for ever. "You're perfect the way you are." At least they have this moment.
"I'll stick to that."
Not three hours later as they moved to his bed he accidentally destroyed the time they had.
They had known that someday something will get in the way. No matter how much light they brought each other shadows of grief always lurked in the corners ready to attack.
He wouldn't have imagined it to happen so early caused by a stupid question. Then again she would have told him eventually.
He kissed her shoulder and breathed her scent. He needed her so much.
Temari sighed. Her chest bent as the breath left her.
She was everything he smelled, everything he heard, everything he tasted, everything he felt. He was aware of her and everything that was precious and worth to cherish. How blind and deaf he felt without her. Suddenly he jerked his head up. "When will you leave again?"
She also jerked her head up.
He saw it in her eyes before she said a word. Her eyes changed. Instead of the dark blue when she was aroused her eyes seemed dull. Instantly he knew something was wrong. "What?"
Before he could realize what was going on she backed away. "I'm sorry."
"What? I don't understand. What for?" He tried to reach her but she shied away again protecting herself with his blanket. The whole situation seemed surreal.
He wondered since when Temari did act like this. He never seen her behave so strange.
Shikamaru wasn't sure about the person in front of him. She bite her lip and looked at her feet. "Did I do something wrong? Darn! Temari answer me, please."
"Look. I should have been honest from the first moment I was here."
"What are you talking about?" He didn't knew his voice could ever sound croaky.
She took a deep breath. He assumed for not losing her temper on him more than for collecting strength. "I came here because I had to see you not only because I missed you but I need to tell you something."
If this situation were anything but serious he would laugh about the ridiculous scene. He knelt on the bed in front of her, naked, only wearing a mask of confusion while she fumbled with his blanket. Nevertheless he couldn't laugh nor did he move an inch waiting numbly for what she had to tell him.
Shikamaru remembered how the situation ended. She hadn't visited since than. Both had been totally out of character. He bawled. She cried. She sobbed. He yelled.
Then she left him.
Now it was to late. He couldn't undo it even if he wished for nothing but hold her again. Probably he should have hold her back then instead of doubting her feelings. In fact he didn't even do more against their situation than she had. She didn't deserve this.
Neither did he but he felt responsible for what happened.
And now they both are suffering more than ever. How often did he wish to go to Suna but he didn't felt strong enough. The longer this thing between them was going on the weaker he felt. All he felt like doing was to linger and bleed out.
But he would wait for her. As long as he was able to.
"SENSEI!" Takeru attacked again coming from above. Shikamaru guessed he should stop dreaming unless he wanted a knife to stab his back. He sensed his other two genins – Arashi and Daisuke - behind him. "Are you giving up NOW?"
Shikamaru smiled. This Takeru really had some things in common with Naruto. He also never thought twice. But he was far away from defeating his teacher if he won't learn to fight a little more intellectually. There was more than his body one needed in fight. Turning around Shikamaru drew a few kunai preparing to defend himself and ending this training session.
"Far from it."
A/N: I hoped you catched the plot. I thought a lot about the interaction and Shikamaru's behavio(u)r. Hopefully you catch the net I've created. Moreover I tried to stick to the american english which something I always stumble over (see behavio[u]r). Nevertheless I tried because I wanted to and I hope I didn't made many mistakes concerning grammar and punctuation. You are allowed to complain if you feel like it.
As I am sure Sand-Jounin-Temari will read this I wanted to say that I liked your "A Cowboy in Shining Amour". Had no time to review but I try to do so in the next days.
I don't know what the next chapter's title will be yet but after this retarding moment there will be more action.
