Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine.

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Fourth Move

Why do I have to be the one to come here again?

Temari asked herself the question as she walked towards the gates of Konoha. They had been in sight for about five minutes now, but didn't seem to be getting much closer. An illusion, she realized. It was a pretty elementary and non-threatening security measure, which surprised her. She hadn't been expecting any security at all, actually. They knew she was coming. They probably thought it would be best to turn security down, but not compromise it completely.

Ah, so it was this way all along... She picked up her pack, which had all of her clothes and food, and set down towards the newly-discovered right path.

She understood why Gaara wasn't the best choice. This required a certain degree of diplomacy, and he had enough trouble relating to normal people: he was a terrible monster on the battlefield, but he'd probably be just terrible when it came to establishing good relations with other villages. As for Kankurou, he looked untrustworthy. The fact that he actually was untrustworthy--which is true for all puppetmasters, who tended to think like manipulative creeps--reinforced the point. In the end, they had decided that Temari had both the right skills and the right image to be the official liaison between both villages.

So she agreed, and now found herself in Konoha on her way to meet Tsunade, the new Hokage. A very strong woman, she had been pleasantly surprised to hear. The previous Hokage, the Third, was a benevolent ruler, and wasn't bad, but having a woman as the new ruler put Konoha up a few hundred points in her book. And since women weren't generally considered when it came to choosing leaders, this either meant that there were no qualified men in the village--which she found very hard to believe, knowing how many strong clans there were in Konoha--or that she was a very formidable force. It would be interesting to meet her face-to-face.

As she walked towards the Hokage's abode, she watched the scenery idly. Busy streets, she observed, filled with playful children and good-natured citizens. There was color and movement everywhere, enough to throw particularly sensitive children into pleasantly epileptic fits. Hustle and bustle exploded in her eyes and ears; even the puddles sparkled. Somehow, Konoha was able to rebuild itself well after the incident. It shows you how strong and great this place was, and how great its people were.

Not that she hated her homeland. No, the people from Sunna were just as good as the people here, but the desert has a way of grating and wearing down one's soul. They were so defeated, so beaten, and it broke her heart. She knew that their village deserved better, and she knew that her cohorts felt the same way.

Strength. That's what we need. The previous kazekage had known that, but had gone about it foolishly. Pinning all of the village's hopes on a few elite ninja was not a good course of action. What they needed was to become a village full of strength. Everyone needed to be involved.

There were many able-bodied men and women who, if given the chance, were willing to better their station in life, and they knew that being farmers or fishermen or tradesmen was pretty much impossible in the desert. They had learned to survive in the harsh, arid landscape. Years of struggle against the elements had taught them well. But survival wasn't enough for them, not anymore. What they wanted was to live. And to live, they needed a livelihood.

They needed to be warriors.

Hence, the training program. So far, it was receiving favorable response. There was huge demand for it. Many men and women were volunteering, although--to Temari's satisfaction--women seemed to be learning more quickly than men. And the men, predictably, took this as a blow to their pride, and redoubled their efforts at training. The women, being raised to be both strong and caring, taught and encouraged their male teammates. There were requests for training manuals, and there were plans for developing artificial training grounds to simulate other environments that one might find himself in during a mission. All this rivalry, cooperation, and enthusiasm had infused the villagers with a new spirit, and they shared it openly amongst themselves.

Because the program wasn't fully developed yet, though, they had to rely on other villages with more advanced educational resources than they did. And from all the villages they contacted, only Konoha was willing to listen. They were hoping to send some of their more promising students over to train under more qualified instructors, as well as take advantage of more developed training grounds and curriculum. They had nothing to offer in exchange, but Temari had a few ideas.

They had been very lucky to become allies with Konoha. Competition was a natural state of affairs between villages, and they had also attacked Konoha before--the previous Kazekage was a power-mad fool, and his subordinates were powerless to resist his will. Still, Tsunade decided to forgive them, but not to the extent that she forgot what they did. Konoha, therefore, extended a helping hand towards them, albeit very tentatively.

"And that's why I'm here, Lady Tsunade," Temari concluded, standing in front of the formidable Tsunade. "I realize that our past actions would cause you to regard us with some distrust, but we have no ulterior motives. We have nowhere else to turn. Please, my village is depending on me."

From behind her desk, the Fifth regarded her with interest. Perhaps it was the interest strong women manifested when seeing another of their kind. At least, Temari hoped so. She wasn't prone to being starstruck or dumbfounded, but the aura around her was just so... powerful. She didn't even have to speak to command respect. Is she like this all the time?

She picked up a newspaper theatrically, and waved it at Temari. Encircled on the front page was an article about the meeting between the two villages. "To my understanding, you had already arranged to meet the teachers in our school today."

"A simple error, my lady. Our officials were under great pressure to make these arrangements quickly, so they immediately contacted some of the instructors in your village. They only realized what they did afterwards. They send their deepest apologies."

"So it has nothing to do with my being a woman."

"None whatsoever." She didn't know this for certain, but they needed to make a good impression. The Kazekage had died, but more fools remained ruling the Village of Sand. These, though, were well-meaning and honest, if a little careless, so she was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. She just prayed that they would be a little more aware of their actions in the future.

The Hokage looked at her directly, trying to read the girl's face. Temari remained impassive, and knew that her face betrayed nothing, but under the narrow-eyed stare she still felt naked, as if she was newly born. It was all she could do to maintain eye contact.

"I admire your forthrightness," Tsunade said eventually. She turned around and walked towards the window. "And I understand your feelings. Today, you carry the hopes of hundreds of your countrymen with you, and you have carried that burden for many miles. I feel that weight every day. Because of the greatness of this city, and the people in it, I chose to bear it."

Through the huge panel, she gazed upon the city. Her city. Remarkable, Temari thought. For all of her power, she still thought like a mother.

"The previous Kazekage was a foolish, narrow-minded man, and was more fit to be the village oaf. You shouldn't have to pay so dearly for his mistakes." She turned around, and looked Temari in the eye. "You have my blessing. Even though you were a little late in asking for it, I understand that there are mitigating circumstances at work. Besides, we are on friendly terms, and we of Konoha are friends indeed."

Temari was relieved. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade relaxed as well. The hard part was over. "However, you must consider this as a debt to our village. Considering what you guys did to us before, I think it's only fair."

"I understand completely. We're already thinking of ways to pay you back, although we don't have much to offer yet. We were thinking of granting Konoha ninjas exclusive access to our territory for intensive survival training exercises."

"That's a start. Certainly not enough... for now, let's just say that you owe us a big one."

"Yes."

"You can stay for as long as you like in our village. I think it would be a good idea if you postpone the meeting with our teachers, and take a few days to see what educational opportunities Konoha has to offer. That way, you'll be in a better position to negotiate. I'll just notify the instructors." Temari was surprised. Tsunade must really trust her, to dispense such advice so freely and easily. The Fifth reached into her desk drawer, and pulled out a piece of paper. She took a pen, and began writing. The fan-ninja heard the weight of authority insinuate itself through the strokes.

Finally, the document was stamped. "Show this message to any inn in the city. You're free to stay anywhere you like, free of charge, for as long as it takes for the arrangement to be finalized. Until then, feel free to take in the sights. I'm sure you'll find our city to be a bit noisier than you're used to, though."

"It's all right," Temari said hurriedly, surprised at the sudden show of hospitality. "I like it. There's so much excitement."

"I think so too. Now, I have other things to take care of, so don't let me keep you. The instructors will keep me posted. I hope things go well."

"Thank you very much," Temari replied, letting herself out. She stepped out into the street, into the noise and hurly-burly and excitement that was the Morning in Konoha. It went very well, all things considered, and she was very happy. The Hokage even seemed to like her. Perhaps I really am most suited for this job.

She ambled on, looking for an appropriate place to spend her stay in Konoha. There's so much energy here. Even when she got past the busy market districts and the noisy kids, there was just something about the city that exuded an aura of enthusiasm. She had to smile. It wasn't a lazy town at all.

Lazy...

Oh yes. Him.

She wondered how he was. It had been a few months since they last saw each other. He had come to the rescue, helping her defeat a rather strong wind-user. Not that she needed rescuing, certainly not, but he had come anyway. He seemed to enjoy fighting against women, or at least seemed to be fighting one each time they met. What was it that he found so distasteful about women, anyway?

And why do I care? He was just another unmotivated, cowardly kid. No matter how he rationalized it, he was gutless and spineless. Somehow, though, he had beaten her. And rescued her. The fact that Kankurou had teased her about it made the sting worse.

Although, she had to admit, this kid was smart. And not just as a strategist. He knew about human nature, and he knew how to read other people very well. She figured out as much when he had asked her to join him, that afternoon. The way he spoke of his comrades, the way he acted. And the way he had looked at her, as if he was able to read her like a book.

She had tried her best to throw him off, to intimidate him. He was a coward. He spoke like a man, and occasionally acted like one, but there was something lacking in him. He didn't seem to care much about anything--at least, not unless he was on a mission. But somehow he had gotten through to her, that day, and for one moment, she saw him as a man.

And that memory stayed with her until that day a few months ago. Sure, she hadn't needed his help, but she had been inwardly pleased at his arrival, but was slightly disappointed that he wasn't alone...

We weren't alone... unlike before...

She raged at herself. What the hell? This wasn't the time. She was here on duty. Why these thoughts even crept into her head anymore mystified her: it had occurred months ago, and nothing had happened since.

She found an inn, after a while. It had been the same one they stayed in the last time. What the hell, she said. It had been a long enough day, and she decided that this was a good a place to stay as any. Like Tsunade said, she shouldn't concern herself with the past, especially if it involved a fool's actions.

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Shikamaru paced down the street, clutching Ino's blue rose in his hand. He looked at it intently, studying it from several angles. How do you replace a blue rose? He saw why it was in such demand. He wasn't used to thinking of things as beautiful or interesting, but he couldn't help himself. For Ino's shop to have it in stock... they were really professional, he decided.

All the more reason to trust her advice.

Perhaps having women as friends was useful, after all. Even though they were difficult to understand sometimes, they were the best people to ask for this sort of thing. Who knew that the blue rose represented mystery? He hadn't, and he was pretty certain no man would be interested. It was only women who knew what flowers meant, and that was the key. Speak to your opponent on their terms, and they'll be more willing to listen.

He then thought about his father, and considered thanking him for this unexpected benefit. But no, he really shouldn't. His father was just trying to prescribe what was good for him. The fact that his meddling turned out to be helpful was irrelevant. When all was said and done, the motive wasn't really benevolent, and that's what he chose to focus on.

Besides, Ino was bad enough when she saw me as an unmotivated slacker without a care in the world. Now that she knows this about me, she's probably going to bug me more than ever. She'll ask about who the mystery lady is, and how she liked the rose, and so on. It's never going to end.

Shikamaru shivered as he suddenly saw, in his mind, Ino asking how his performance during the honeymoon was. All thanks to that note. He shivered again as visions of the honeymoon flashed in his subconscious, which nearly shut down in reaction to the sudden transition from thoughts of clouds and shogi. He cursed his active imagination, and rued the day that he had walked in on Naruto and the rest of the guys huddled around that magazine... now that he thought about it, Temari looked a little bit like that woman, only she had a little more...

Clothing? he managed. That was only one of the words that applied. The other ones were more... anatomical. She was older than he was by three years. Looking at Ino, and then looking at Temari, gave Shikamaru some perspective on just how much time can add to a person. Time, he decided, was good for girls...

He dribbled slightly, but wiped his mouth immediately. He looked around warily. Gods, I hope no one saw that.

"Mommy, did you see that?"

"Don't look at him, Shukaku!"

"Hey, big brother! Do you need a bib?" the kid yelled cheerfully. Shikamaru ran off, still feeling the boy's eyes bore through his head, staring in wide-eyed fascination. Damn it.

He hadn't thought about it for months. Really owe you one, dad. He knew that his father wasn't psychic, but he knew that his father will from now on keep asking about this girl, giving him knowing looks, and dispensing fatherly advice to his uninitiated son. And he'll want to hear every detail so that he can laugh at every mistake he makes. It was his father's sick way of bonding, teaching him how much he still had to learn, and it wasn't unusual for his buddies to be part of it. He and Ino's dad were probably going to laugh about this until they die.

It was sad, really, watching them concoct more and more outlandish ways of occupying themselves while apparently avoiding their actual occupations. Arguing over records, making bets, drinking sake, making bets about drinking sake, the ever-popular who-would-win-in-a-fight discussions, ranking women on a one-to-ten scale, telling patently ridiculous stories about their exploits during this war or that battle, reminiscing about their days in the academy and drunkenly dredging up stories about "this old fossil, what a terror he was!" or "that dead guy, whatever happened to him?"... it went on and on. This was probably just another form of amusement for them. One thing could be said about men and humor, Shikamaru hypothesized: it was funniest when it was at someone's expense, preferably someone else's.

Still, he was here now. He had the rose. He had Ino's advice, which told him that it would be a good idea to give her the rose. He also knew from his dad that a representative from the Sand Village was coming today. Given Kankurou and Gaara's personalities, they wouldn't be sent here on a matter that required diplomacy. So she's here today, he concluded.

It was already noon; the heat had driven the children from the streets and back into their houses for their midday meals. By this time, she had probably already arrived and spoken to Tsunade. Assuming she had gone off to talk to the instructors already, he couldn't interrupt.

How long is she staying for, anyway? He stopped and sat down at a conveniently placed bench, still handling the rose with care. Usually, diplomatic matters take a while to iron out. Even if this particular matter concerned educational materials, he was up-to-date enough to know that this was an important issue for the Village of Sand. They would take it very seriously. It would take a week, at least.

Where would she be staying? He tried to remember all the inns that he knew of. The one they had last stayed at? He certainly couldn't ask Tsunade, since she probably wouldn't know anyway, and it would be too trivial a concern to bother her with. In fact, there's no one in the whole town that would possibly know where she was at this moment, or would be particularly interested in knowing.

There was nothing for it. He would have to rely on his gut for this one, and it told him that she would go to a familiar place rather than go to the trouble of looking for a new one. The upshot was that, if she actually went to the same hotel, then she probably wouldn't have set up traps this time. Hopefully, the relationship between Konoha and the Village of Sand had already developed to the point that she trusts us not to attack her. Anyway, ther's no real reason for her to think that her life would be at risk. The worst he would encounter is some sort of early-warning system...

He didn't have to worry about that now, though. His plan today was totally different from the last one. For one thing, he was going to be more aggressive and direct. He was going to meet her on her terms this time, so there wouldn't be any need to sneak around and convince her to meet him at a certain place. He'll just go up to her room, and announce his intention straightforwardly.

Will that work? It certainly went against the rules of the game he thought he was playing. Say things without saying them. Show things in a way that only those who were looking for the signs would recognize. Keep the game going. He was now violating all three principles at once.

But the game had changed since his father had stepped in. Now he had two love-crazy groupies cheering him on. What had originally been a peaceful, straightforward game of shogi had turned into a spectator sport. The fact that there was an audience of only two people looking on made it doubly embarrassing.

What the hell, he thought. His old man told him to do it, and he knew that he would. Ino had given him the flower as a show of support, which he probably shouldn't just ignore. He had no illusions about people counting on him to win Temari--yes, that's what I'll do--but he knew that there was no doubling back now. Thanks to his father and Ino, he had a plan. Once you had a plan, you followed through and let the cards fall where they may.

He got up and started on his way to the inn. It's not my plan, though, he reflected. That might be troublesome.