Chapter 4:
Temari grumbled, angry with the sun. For as long as she could remember, she had fit into the 'not a morning person' category, and it wasn't likely to change any time soon. Giving up on getting back to sleep, she finally sat up and looked around. Apparently the Naras trusted her enough to leave her alone now.
There was a bowl of food on the table, which Temari had no choice but to assume was for her because, for one, she was hungry, and two, it was there. She'd never noticed how lonely eating could be when you didn't have someone to talk to while doing it. She hurried to finish so that she wouldn't have to feel the unpleasant sensation much longer, then as an afterthought, washed her bowl so that Yoshino wouldn't have to.
It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and a playful breeze made the trees dance. There was still dew on the grass, and Temari had to resist slipping out of her boots to feel it between her toes. She hadn't done such a thing since before her father had died and she and her brothers had been driven out of their home. She shook her head, determined not to let scars of the past ruin the lovely day.
Temari started in the direction that she knew Shikamaru to be in, but paused after only a step. This was her chance. She could steal a horse from someone's stable and get Kankurou out of here. Awake or not, he was bound to come to soon, and then they could start their search for Gaara and Baki. She played with the hem of her dress, lost in contemplation. Getting away from this place was definitely a priority, but she didn't know if she could betray their trust like that. Shikamaru and his parents had been so kind to her, and even if just for their sake, she owed it to them to show a little more loyalty. But, nagged a voice, the longer you stay, the more dangerous this place becomes. In the end, rationality won out over her heart, and she turned to find Kankurou, but a voice stopped her.
"Oh good, you're awake," drawled Shikamaru, having just finished with his chores. "You ate, right?"
Afraid that she'd been caught in the act and he was on to her, all she could do was nod stiffly.
"Okay," he said, walking away. "Come on, then."
She watched him, dumbfounded, then hurried to catch up. "Where are we going?"
"Just follow me."
"You can't tell me what to do," Temari pouted.
He shrugged, "You have other choices."
"Oh, this again?!"
"I meant you can stay home!"
"Oh. Well…" She fumbled sheepishly, "It gets lonely, you know?" He didn't say anything, which was probably best in the long run.
When she realized where they were going, her mood turned sunny again. Kankurou's hut came into view, and she all but ran to it. She stopped at the door and looked at Shikamaru.
"Are you sure it's okay?" she asked.
He nodded, "Go on in."
Temari was so thrilled, she could have hugged him right then and there, but she restrained herself from doing so and instead hustled in to her brother. Kankurou looked up when he realized that he had a visitor and gasped at seeing her.
"Temari?"
"Kankurou!" she smiled and hugged him in a rare display of affection among their family.
He looked her over. "You're okay."
"I'm fine," she assured him. "How do you feel?"
"Better. Not great," he admitted, "But better."
Temari put a hand on his forehead. "Give it time," she advised. "You'll be better in no time."
"Where's Gaara?"
She bit her lip, "I don't know." He seemed to want to say something, but she went on, "Konoha has agreed to help look for him, and when you're better, the two of us will go back to the desert and look if he hasn't been found by then."
"And Baki?"
"Same."
Kankurou looked away, frowning. "I should have…"
"I know. I've been thinking the same thing." She put a hand on his shoulder, "But we can't change the past, and beating ourselves up over it won't get Gaara or Baki back."
Just then, Sakura peeked in. "If you two are almost done, it's time for Kankurou's medicine, and then he needs his rest."
"Alright," Temari said, standing. "I'll be back to see you as soon as I can."
Kankurou nodded, lying back with some prompting from Sakura. "Okay. Take care of yourself, Temari," he said.
With a smile, she slipped out of the hut to give Sakura space and found Shikamaru waiting for her outside the door.
"I wonder what made her change her mind," Temari said absently, falling in step beside him. When Shikamaru didn't respond, she repeated herself, much louder this time.
"I heard you the first time," he muttered. "No need to make me deaf."
She grit her teeth, "Then why don't you answer?"
"Answer what?" he retorted. "You didn't ask a question, you made a statement."
"You are the most infuriating boy I have ever met! I feel sorry for whichever poor soul gets stuck marrying you in this twisted society of yours!"
Shikamaru made an attempt to argue, but was cut short by Ino running up to them frantically.
"Come quick! There's something going on at the gate!" she cried, then turned on her heel and ran back the way she'd come. A moment passed where Shikamaru and Temari just looked at each other before they followed the girl.
As they came closer to the front gate, the noise of the people who crowded around could be heard. Temari tried to see through the sea of bodies, but they were too packed in to allow any visual inside. Out of the corner of her eye, Temari saw a streak of pink and looked up in time to see Sakura coming from the opposite direction, closely followed by a blond boy. She barely had to make her presence known for the crowd to part for her, and Ino, Shikamaru, and Temari took the opportunity to follow her in. Temari was actually very lucky that she ran into Shikamaru when they came to a suddenly halt, otherwise she'd have fallen over when she saw what the main attraction was.
Gaara stood there, with a Konoha girl on his back. He was dirty and a little bruised, but seemed fine. When Saukra told him she was a medic, he put the brown-haired girl down and stepped away so that Sakura could examine her.
"Gaara!" Temari called, causing him to turn to her with a startled look. All at once, he looked relieved, and then his mask was back in place as if he'd never felt anything at all.
"Temari? What are you doing here?"
She smiled in relief at seeing him alive and well. To be honest, despite how much she pretended that she knew he was alive somewhere, she had actually been preparing to mourn her baby brother. It was a nice surprise, to say the least. "Kankurou and I were poisoned," she told him. "But don't worry. The Konoha tribespeople helped us out, and now we're fine."
Meanwhile, Sakura was looking over the girl's ankle. "What happened?"
Matsuri tried to smile through her embarrassment. "I was out picking berries, and I left the trail," she confessed, feeling quite stupid. "I fell over a root, and hurt my leg. If Mister Gaara hadn't come along when he did, I'd be dead by now, I'm sure." Matsuri looked over at Gaara adoringly, "I owe him my life."
The redhead denied her claim, "Your people helped my siblings. You owe me nothing." At that, the girl looked away, blushing.
"You haven't seen Baki, have you?" Temari asked Gaara.
"Not since the ambush."
Sakura looked up and demanded that their audience go find something else to do with themselves. Then asked Ino to help her get Matsuri to the Medical tents. "Naruto," she added, "Take him"--a nod at Gaara--"to Lady Tsunade."
Naruto smiled wide and did as he was told, introducing himself to the two siblings in his presence, then asking that Gaara come along with him. Temari went to follow along, but Shikamaru stopped her.
"Where are you going?"
She fixed him with a determined looked, "I've spent the last five days thinking Gaara was dead. I'm not letting him go that easily." Shikamaru thought about it a moment, but decided that there was no proper argument for that, and in the end, walked beside her to Tsunade's cabin.
Tsunade listened carefully while Gaara retold the story that Matsuri had told Sakura. She bit her thumb thoughtfully, going over her options. Keeping one of the siblings at bay was hard enough, but now one brother had regained consciousness, and the other had resurfaced from whatever snake pit he had fallen into. It wouldn't have been so bad if all of their best warriors weren't out of the village for the ceremony.
"First of all," she began slowly, "I offer my sincerest thanks that you rescued one of our own. Unfortunately, you have a violent history and are, in principle, a danger to the village.
"This puts me in a tough place, however, because I don't want to have to lock you up, but we lack the manpower to make you… less dangerous, as it were."
"Ooh! Ooh! I'll do it, Granny Tsunade!" Naruto said suddenly, jumping up and waving an arm over his head. "Come on! You never let me do anything!"
Tsunade pursed her lips, looking between Naruto and Gaara a few times, then looking over at Shikamaru and Temari. When it became obvious that there was no way around it, Tsunade sighed.
"Fine," she relented, but held up an authoritative finger. "But you are not to take him into the woods and if I hear that you've pulled even one prank, your mission will be revoked, and someone else will get the job while you scrub the floor of every home in this village. Do I make myself clear, Naruto?"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Alright. You're all dismissed," she said. "Naruto, tell Kiba Inuzuka that he is to look after Kankurou."
Naruto nodded in affirmation, and the four of them left. They were all quiet, besides Naruto, who told Gaara everything about the village as they went. It was hard to tell if Gaara was listening, but it was obvious that Shikamaru and Temari were not. Temari kept her eyes forward, but she was lost in thought, planning her and her brothers' escape and worrying that Baki hadn't made it out of the battle alive. Maybe there was some bastard, walking around with fifty-thousand dollars in his pockets and Baki's blood on his hands. She bit her lip and shook her head. It would do no good to think like that when there was still a chance that he was alive somewhere.
They reached the Inuzuka's land in a short period of time, where they were greeted by a pack of wolves. The wolves snarled at them at first, but made no move to come after any of them. Regardless, Temari found herself looking around the three boys she was walking with and wondering why they were all so calm about the rabid beasts that were currently eyeing them like they were dinner.
"That's enough. Back off, all of ya!" shouted another boy as he come from within the compound and shooed off all of the wolves aside from one that walked loyally at his side. "Hey, Naruto, Shikamaru. What are you guys doing here?"
Naruto set his face in an 'I'm serious' expression. "The Hokage sent me with a message for you," he said, trying to sound important.
"Stop talking like that!" Kiba snapped back at him. "What's the message?"
Naruto deflated. "Aw, you're no fun. Anyway, you're supposed to go to the Medical tents and stay there with the outlaw until Granny Tsunade tells you to stop."
"What?! No way! I spent months avoiding class so that I wouldn't have to take these missions!"
Shikamaru nodded solemnly, "I know what you mean."
"You… You two failed on purpose?!" Naruto shrieked, jabbing a finger in each of their directions.
"Anyway," Shikamaru went on, ignoring Naruto. "I'm going home. It's almost time for dinner."
"Okay," Temari said. "You go home, and I'll stay here with Gaara."
Shikamaru grabbed her wrist, "I have a better idea: I'll go home, and you'll come with me."
When Temari started flailing and Gaara got a murderous look in his eyes, Naruto had a rare moment of insightfulness. "How about we all have dinner together?" he suggested.
Somehow, dinner together ended up meaning everyone was invited. It had started with Sakura having some excuse to work late, and Matsuri having to stay on account of her ankle, then Ino and Tenten had dragged Hinata along to pester Sakura, and Chouji had developed a sixth sense for all things involving food and used it to find them just as they were about to eat. Kankurou's hut was packed with more people than it probably should have been, but in the end, nobody really cared.
It was fairly late and everyone else had gone home by the time Shikamaru managed to coax Temari into leaving. The stars were bright and clear that night, and Shikamaru was able to pick out several constellations. Clouds were much more interesting to watch than stars in his opinion. Clouds were always changing, and the stars generally stayed the same.
"I know what you did."
He snapped his attention to her, startled. "What?"
She looked at him, and he wondered if it was the lighting, or if she was looking a little misty-eyed. "I know what you did," she repeated.
"What are you talking about?"
"Yesterday. You talked to Sakura for me, so I could see Kankurou. Didn't you?"
He stayed silent and avoided eye contact with her. After a moment, he heard her take a deep breath and readied himself to get yelled at for not answering her again.
Instead, she blew out a breath. "Thank you. Really." When he looked at her again, she had her gaze focused to the ground.
He swallowed silently and gathered as much courage as he could, then reached toward her and touched her shoulder awkwardly. "You're welcome," he muttered nervously.
Even though it was clumsy and embarrassing, it was actually pretty cute how obvious it was that it was his first time trying to show a girl any emotion outside of aloofness. She grinned back at him, meeting his efforts for friendship halfway. And in the sky above, two bright stars seemed closer together.
