Unpredictable Fate
Disclaimer: Song within the story belongs to its original creators. It is an American paratrooper song that was sung during World War II.
AN: The story is moving fast for a reason. In the end it will make sense why. Never meant for this story to be long, so the ending is coming up soon. This chapter may be a little confusing.
Unpredictable Fate
Chapter Four: What a Hell of a Way to Die
Naruto
"I think we should be going." He murmured to her, as the last of the sun disappeared behind the horizon.
Sakura looked up at him from under her eye lashes as she turned her body into his.
"Can't we just stay here forever?" She whined.
"Well besides how cliche that is, it's also going to drop to thirty degrees tonight. Our clothes are soaked and I don't need you dying on me now." Naruto stated plainly, pushing himself into a sitting position.
"Fine..." She answered, standing up.
By the time they got to the Cadillac it was pitch black. Being thirty minutes from the city, no city lights could be seen. Only the moon high in the sky, casting its ominous glow into the cars.
"What about my car?" Sakura asked stopping by the Cadillac's passenger door.
Naruto shrugged and hopped into the Driver's seat, starting the car.
"Naruto!" She scolded.
"We'll call a tow truck." He sighed, dramatically, like it was the last thing he wanted to talk about. "Besides, with you car-less, I have an excuse to keep seeing you." He laughed, giving his signature smile.
She rolled her eyes at his comment and got into the car, but stopped before closing the door.
"Is something missing here?" She asked him.
"What?" He said, looking at her confused.
"You haven't closed my door for me." She replied, smirking.
Well, if she wants to play that game, he was much better at it.
Naruto raised his eyebrows, "Well sorry for thinking you can handle it. If it's too much I can come around and do it for you. Heaven forbid Sakura from closing the door by herself." His voice layered with sarcasm.
She rolled her eyes and closed the door. Naruto smirked, starting the car, he won.
"Naruto do you think that we are moving too fast? I mean like in our relationship?" She asked suddenly.
His eyes left the road to look at her.
"No, do you?" He asked, a little worried.
"No! I was just making sure."
He smiled, turning his attention back to the road. "I think it's because we knew each other as kids and as a young boy I think I had a crush on you."
"Yea you're probably right." She laughed.
"Or maybe is some typical love story where we have thrown out all possibilities of reason based on what we feel now." He said and earned a glare from her.
"Alright to Temari's house?" He asked.
"Yep."
They reached the city in ten minutes as he pulled off the highway.
"Um.. Temari's house is that way." Sakura said, pointing to the highway as the car was leaving it far behind.
"Yes, and?" He questioned, trying to hold back a laugh.
"Where are you taking me?" She demanded.
"Well, considering either of us has not eaten at all today, I was thinking of taking you out to eat." Naruto explained.
She opened her mouth to reply but her stomach beat her to it by growling loudly. Naruto chuckled quietly.
"I guess that's a 'yes' then." He smiled at her.
"Weird I haven't felt hungry until now." She pondered.
"You have been- er... distracted." He finished, watching her blush, then turn to hide her face from view.
"But we are soaking wet." He heard her complain.
"Got that covered." He said, pointing to the back of the car.
"How-?" She started.
"Well, don't think this is stalkerish but Temari wanted me to watch over you while she was gone. She should be back now." He added off the subject. "Anyway she gave me a duffle bag with some of your stuff."
"That little-!" She didn't finish.
"Apparently even if your car did not break down, I was supposed to come by and check on you. Something about her not wanting to leave you in her house alone.." He trailed off as Sakura began to mumble quietly to herself.
"Should've never told her...when I see her...wish she was never born..." He wasn't able to catch all her words.
Trying to change the subject, he continued, "Where would you like to go? I'm buying."
"I don't know, wherever. Just not somewhere expensive. I don't want you wasting your money on me." She replied, still looking out the window.
God she was too nice. He didn't really like seeing her mad at him, but he already picked a place out before he asked her. The look on her face will be priceless.
He put in his turn signal and turned into the parking lot of a restaurant.
"Here we are." He said, parking the car, with a wide grin on his face.
It was a nice Italian restaurant. And by nice, it means expensive. Her eyes bulged out of her head.
"I'm pretty much dried." He said looking down at his clothes. "I'll see you inside." He said quickly, jumping out of the car before she could complain.
He walked easily into the restaurant. But with his plain clothes, he was getting stared at. Most people here were rich and were wearing nice clothes. He really could care less. He spent his whole life protecting these people from the danger outside these walls. Outside this country. Even with their arrogant and hateful looks they threw at him. Sometimes he wondered if they would act this way if they knew who he was and what he did. But still he didn't want them to see all he has saw. The care-free and innocent lives did not need to be scared and corrupted like his..
His foot stepped harder on the gas. The Humvee sped up as he rounded the corner. The desert dirt shot out from behind the wheels of the armored car. Bullets impacted the sides of the car. He wasn't worried; the bullets had as much hope as a fly hitting the windshield. He took a quick glance at his watch. They were already running out of time.
"Corporal can you go any faster?" The man beside him asked.
The passenger had his assault rifle between his knees, his combat helmet above his eyes. He kept glancing back at the two men behind him, but for some reason Naruto knew not to check on them. Almost like he thought something was following them.
"My foot is all the way down on the pedal. I don't think I can go any faster." The driver replied.
"Uzumaki don't give me excuses." The man snarled beside him. "Air Force is going to light these place up in less than a few minutes."
"Yes sir-" He said over the roar of the tires against the road.
"What the-?" The man next to him asked, but was cut off by a blinding flash in front of them.
He felt his body jerk violently to the left, as his head slammed into the window..
"Sir? Sir...?" The waiter in front of him asked.
He shook his head trying come back to the present.
"Yes?" He asked.
"What would you like to drink?" She smiled.
Huh? He looked across from him, seeing Sakura. Sitting there, looking at him worried. How did I get here..?
"Water.." He heard himself reply.
He must have zoned out again. He shook his head. He thought these nightmares of his past had stopped...
"Naruto you ok..?" Sakura asked.
She had changed clothes and was looking at him with concern.
These flashbacks had stopped once he met her. Why are they happening again? He was so fucked up. He did not deserve her. He was already too deep with this girl now and she deserved to know everything about him. But he really did not want drag her down with all his problems.
"Umm.. No." He told her. "I have these-Uh-flashbacks of my past in the military every now and then. I've thought they stopped when I met you. I'm sorry I never brought it up." He told her.
"It's ok. You can tell me whenever you're ready." Sakura told him.
"You deserve to know. I was never diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) but I always thought I might have a mild case of it." She nodded, urging him to continue. "I've done a lot of bad things in my days in the military. Things I will never forget until the day I die. But I can't bring myself to regret enlisting. I want to tell you so bad, Sakura, but I'm afraid once you know the real me, you'll run away."
"I do know the real you and nothing you did will change that." Sakura replied quickly after me. "Do think talking about it will help?"
He leaned back into his chair, then leaned toward her and said quietly, "Yes, but not here."
The waiter returned with their drinks. After setting them down she turned towards him, smiling.
"Are you ready to order?" She asked, seductively.
Are you fucking kidding me? At the wedding and now here.
"Yes, I'll have whatever my girlfriend is having." He smiled innocently, and motioned towards Sakura.
The waiter turned to ask Sakura, clearly disappointed with his answer. Sakura placed her order and turned back to him.
As soon as the waiter was out of hearing range, she spoke, "God. She was so desperate."
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, innocently.
"She was throwing herself at you!" She yelled in a hushed whisper.
"Really? I didn't know." He answered smoothly.
Sakura rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair.
"Ok, I want to know more about you." She said finally.
His brow furrowed in confusion, "What..?"
"Like the little stuff. Your favorite color, food, you know." She told him.
"Ok. My favorite color has to be orange, yours?" He smiled.
"Orange is the insanity color, you know that right?" She laughed. "But anyways mine is a tie between red and pink."
"Clearly." He said, motioning towards her hair.
"Hey!" She yelled, annoyed.
"I don't even remember your real hair color. You got it done right after I met you." He laughed.
"I like it as a kid so I guess I just stuck with it." She said, smoothing out some of the strands of her hair. "It was strawberry blonde.." She added.
"Favorite animal?" He fired out.
"Hmm.. Cat, I guess. What?" She asked looking at the disgusted look on his face.
"I'm more of a dog person but my favorite animal has to be a fox." He said.
"Next question. Favorite song?" She asked. "I don't really have one." She added.
"Well mine has to be, Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flats." His mouth widening into his signature smile.
That song had become his favorite when he realized the irony of meeting Sakura again.
She looked like she was about to say something but the waiter had returned with their food. She put the food in front of them and left quickly. Sakura had ordered chicken fetticune alfredo for the both of them. He hardly touched it. His eyes stayed watching Sakura, wondering what he did to deserve her. Surely, there was someone better than him. But as much as he wanted to push her away so she wasn't stuck with a monster, he knew he could never do that. She was his reason for living now..
"Would you stop looking at me like that?" Sakura asked her voice joking.
"Sorry couldn't help myself." He answered, putting his hands up.
"So.." She started, swallowing a mouthful of the noodles, "Any ex girlfriends?"
He laughed at her comment. "A couple, but I really never felt anything for them. Not really worth mentioning. They were just more Northern stars."
She rolled her eyes at his allusion to his favorite song, but he countered her question.
"Have you always dated that douschebag?" He asked calmly.
"Yea. I thought he was 'the one'. It took me a while to realize I was dead wrong. Wait. How do you know he was an asshole?" She asked.
"He gave me that vibe as soon as I met him. The way he watched you was all wrong. Like you were something to eat or something." He stated, honestly.
"Yea he mostly cared for his job. I was kinda a figure for his political career." She said sadly.
He put his fork down to stare at her. "Need me to teach him a lesson? I was pretty good at what I did in the military."
"And what was that?"
"Taking care of someone and not leaving a trace." He said in a melancholy voice. "Anyway you ready to go?" He asked politely, noticing she was finished.
She nodded and he paid for the bill, not glancing to even look at the cost. They hurried out of the restaurant and into the car. He put the Cadillac into reverse and pulled out onto the highway towards Temari's house. An impatient idiot tried to pull around him to get ahead but was cut off by oncoming traffic. As other cars honked their horns, the noise brought him back to the past..
Burning metal was touching his leg as his eye sight slowly returned to him. He heard the rustling of metal behind him and the sound of fire licking up anything in its path. The Humvee was completely destroyed. Flexing his fingers and the rest of his muscles, he felt for pain. Nothing, good, he wasn't seriously injured. His vision kept fading back and forth. He touched the left side of his head and brought his hand down to look at his fingers. They were covered in blood. Great.. But head wounds do bleed a lot, it might not even be that serious. Groaning in the back, made him turn his head around.
"Report!" He called out, trying to look behind him.
"Private Inuzuka." A voice in the back called out. "I think my leg is broken and maybe some ribs." He said through his teeth, obviously in pain.
"Sergeant Nara." Shikamaru said from behind him. "I'm fine."
"Major Lockhart is dead." Naruto said looking at the man in the passenger seat, or what was left of him. "Are we out of the bomb zone?"
"Shit. I don't know." Shikamaru said. "What the hell even hit us?"
"IED road bomb? RPG? Who knows? Let's get some cover. Whoever did it won't be far away and unless you want to be here when those bombs drop, I suggest we move." Naruto said.
"Well, get off your ass and help me with Inuzuka." Shikamaru yelled.
Naruto crawled out of the wreckage, picking up the Major's fallen gun on the way out. Shikamaru crawled out pulling Inuzuka with him.
"All clear." Naruto said to them. "I see a village a little ways off. We could get cover there."
Throwing his assault rifle over his shoulder, he place one of Inuzuka's arm around his neck and Shikamaru did the same. They started walking as Inuzuka moaned in pain at each step. The staggered quickly and swiftly.
"Shit!" Shikamaru yelled as friendly US bombers and fighter jets flew over them.
"This is not happening. This is not happening." Inuzuka repeated to himself over and over again.
"Pop smoke green smoke, dammit!" Shikamaru yelled.
"I don't have any!" Naruto called back, patting his body and showing his empty hands to Shikamaru.
"Get some now!" Shikamaru yelled.
Naruto let go of Inuzuka's arm and set him down on the sand as he rushed back to the wrecked Humvee just as the Air Force changed course to an attack formation..
"What an idiot." Sakura mumbled as the car behind him backed off on trying to past him.
"Yes well, the world is full of them." He heard himself reply.
It was quiet before Sakura spoke again.
"You had another flashback, didn't you?" She asked.
"What? How did you know?" Naruto's eyes left the road to look at her with surprise.
"Your eyes got all glazed over and darkened. They weren't bright anymore. But it's back now." She said touching my cheek, under my right eye.
"I'll tell you about it now, I guess." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "As you already know, I was a Marine and strangely really good at what I did. I specialized in killing people and not leaving a trace. Like stealth. They never knew they were in any danger before I took them out." He turned to stare at her before continuing. "I have killed exactly twenty-four people and not all of those were military personal.." He trailed off, watching Sakura's reaction. Finding none, he continued. "Two of which were children."
There was the delayed reaction. Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to cover it up.
"In Afghanistan, they would use children as a distraction. Sometimes plant a bomb on them. So I did what had to be done." He sighed, then moved on to another part of his past. "I remember carrying a fellow comrade over my shoulder while we were under fire. By the time I slowed down long enough to check him, I realized I was carrying a dead body the entire time." He shook his head at the memory. "That is probably what bothers me the most."
"Is that what you had a flashback of?" She asked.
"No. The one I keep having is a time in Iraq when my unit was about to be bombed by our own Air Force." He smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Of course we got out though."
"When we first met, you told me you got shot. Where?" She pressed.
"The top of my left shoulder." He said, removing his hand from the steering wheel to put at the spot. "I have also been in a car when it was shot off the road and I have healed burns along my legs where a bomb went off."
She gasped in horror looking at him. He smiled slyly at her reaction.
"I'm pretty fucked up. I should've died three times in my life, but now I'm glad I didn't." He looked over, as she reached to grab his left hand.
"Have you ever thought about going to a physicist?" She asked.
He shook his head. "There is nothing psychologically wrong with me. Not major anyways."
She began to rub circles on the top of his hand, "I had no idea.. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that."
He nodded and finally pulled up to Temari's house. "Thanks for listening, Sakura. I have never opened up like this. Most soldiers don't express our feeling because some of us think it makes us weak. But I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders."
He let go of her hand as he put the car in park and opened her door. He led her to the front door and stood there.
"Make sure you lock your door; I couldn't possibly lose you now." He chuckled.
He was about to turn and leave until her lips met his. It took him a second to react as he turned his head to deepen the kiss. But quick enough she broke away from him. She laughed at the expression on his face as he debated whether or not he should pin her against the door and kiss her until she passed out, but decided against it.
"See you tomorrow." He told her as she shut the door.
He waited until he heard the lock click into place and only then did he leave.
It was an eerie scene. Men's faces, some familiar, others unknown. They were seated side by side, assault rifles in their hands. Emotionless, shells of their former selves, they sat waiting. The plane shook slightly as they went over a wind patch in the night air. Naruto looked down at his hands, but they weren't his hands. These hands were bigger than his. He no longer felt the slight pain in his shoulder were the bullet had hit so long ago. It was then he realized he wasn't in his body, it was someone else.
He was just a rookie trooper and shoulders surely shook with fright; He checked off his equipment and made sure his pack was tight; He had to sit and listen to those awful engines roar. You ain't going to jump no more. Gory, gory what a hell of a way to die..
It was that damn paratrooper song. It continued as if going along with scene before him. The men were anxious as the commander walked down the aircraft, handing out the parachutes.
"You ready for this Sergeant?" The man next to him asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be." He heard himself reply.
Sergeant? He was a Corporal. And it was not his voice. His voice was lighter. This deep voice belonged to his someone he knew. It was so familiar.
"Nara you're up!" The man by the cargo door called out.
"Is everybody happy?" cried the Sergeant looking up; Our hero feebly answered, "Yes." and then they stood him up; He jumped into the icy blast, his static line unhooked. And he ain't gonna to jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
He nodded to the man waving him on and he jumped into the midnight air. Like he was trained to do he counted to six and waited for his parachute to come out. Nothing.
"Shit!" He heard himself say as he struggled to find the latch for his reserve chute as his body continued it's descend to the ground. Finding it he pulled it with all his might..
He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock; He felt the wind, he felt the clouds, he felt the awful drop; He yanked the cord, the silk spilled out from the reserves and wrapped around his legs. And he ain't gonna jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
His reserve chute had failed! He struggled with the fabric trying to untangle it from his legs. The wind was cutting up his face as he continued to fall. Panic engulfed him as he tried to pull the fabric of the chute above him, trying to catch it in the wind..
The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome; Suspension lines were tied in knots around his skinny bones; The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground. And he ain't gonna jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
The only sound in the air was his piercing scream. But no one would hear it. He wasn't going to make it. The fabric flapped around his body as his body shifted to where he was going down head first. His heart was beating loudly as he thought of Temari. He had just married her and was about to leave her. Guilt was the next emotion he could feel besides the overwhelming fear..
The days he'd lived and lived an laughed kept running through his mind; He thought about the girl back home, the one he left behind; He thought about the medics and he wondered what they'd find. And he ain't gonna jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
He watched the ground come closer at an alarming speed. He closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to watch. He was going to die. He was going to plummet head first into the ground. All he thought of to say was his name and rank.
"Sergeant Shikamaru Nara of the 6th Division of the Marines.." He heard himself say into the wind.
He knew it was his name in this nightmare as he continued to spin around in the air..
The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild; The medics jumped and screamed with glee, rolled up their sleeves and smiled; For it had been a week or more since last a'chute had failed. And he ain't gonna jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
"Temari please forgive me.." He barely whispered. "I never meant for it to end like this.."
He closed his eyes tighter as his panic reached its height. He felt his body lunge forward, as darkness engulfed him. Darker than the night sky..
He hit the ground, the sound was "Splat!," his blood went spurting high; His comrades they were hurt to say: "A hell of a way to die!"; He lay there rolling round in the welter of his gore. And he ain't gonna jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
A white light began to dominate the black around his vision. Like a light at the end of a long tunnel. His whole being was drawled towards it. As much as he wanted to go home back to Temari, he walked toward the light. No pain.. No sorrow.. No regret..
There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute; Intestines were a'dangling from his Paratrooper suit; He was a mess, they picked him up, and poured him from his boots. And he ain't gonna jump no more. Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die..
Naruto shot up from his bed, his body in a cold sweat. Panic was flowing through him as he looked around. It was a dream. Only then did it begin to fade. He tossed the blanket off of him and made his way to the bathroom. He flipped on the light, only to turn it back off because it was so bright. He stayed there standing in the bathroom trying to calm down.
That was no flashback. It was a dream. Only a dream. Shikamaru is fine, he told himself over and over again. He pulled out his phone and started to dial Temari's number but stopped when he realized it was three in the morning. He knew she wouldn't pick up so he sat down and waited, unable to go back to sleep. The looming dread he felt back at the river was back but this time it was closer.
Sakura
The sun's rays were shining brightly into the room as she turned towards the bed trying to drown them out. Despite the warm rays of the sun, it was still freezing cold outside of her cocoon of blankets. Naruto had been right the temperature had dropped to below freezing last night. As soon as Temari got home she had passed out on the couch, probably wanting to surprise her. Sakura wrapped one of the blankets around her and sighed. It was probably best to go see her friend. After all, she wanted to hear all about her honeymoon.
She forced herself from the warmth of her bed and slowly made her way down the stairs. Checking the couch first she noticed Temari was still out cold. Her body involuntarily shivered. It was a lot colder down stairs, she mentally noted. She turned back around to slap Temari awake but stopped when her eyes passed the door. It was wide open.
Panic flew through her. She locked it last night, didn't she? Yes she did. Temari was here when she got here. Maybe Temari opened it, her mind reasoned.
She shook Temari awake, roughly, earning a groan from her.
"Temari wake up." She hissed her eyes never leaving the door.
"No...tired... Maybe tomorrow..." She heard her friend mutter incoherently.
"Temari get up NOW!" She yelled in her ear.
"What the f-!" Temari started to scream before Sakura's hand clasped around her mouth, silencing her.
"Did you go outside this morning?" Sakura asked quietly. "Nod for 'yes' and shake your head for 'no'." She said not removing her hand.
Temari shook her head 'no' and fear wove its way through Sakura's body. She pulled her cellphone from her pajama's pocket and pressed the call button on Naruto's name. She brought the phone to her ear and removed her hand from Temari's mouth.
"What is going on?" Temari asked a little too loud.
"I locked the door last night, its wide open now." I quietly told her.
She moved her mouth to say something but I cut her off when I heard the click when Naruto answered.
"Corporal Uzu-" She cut him off.
"Naruto!" She whispered urgently into the phone, ignoring Temari's raised eyebrow.
"What is it?"He asked his voice worried now.
"Can you come to Temari's house, now?" She managed to say.
"Is everything ok? What's wrong Sakura?"
"I don't know. I woke up and came down stairs, it was extremely cold so I looked at the front door and it was wide open." She said, her voice getting higher.
"Temari didn't do it?"He asked his voice serious now.
"No. I locked it last night.." She trailed off, still staring at the door.
"I know. I'm on my way. Don't move or do anything until I get there. Understand?"He said.
She heard him start the car in the background.
"Listen to me very carefully, Sakura. Take Temari and go to a room with no windows and lock yourself in. Can you do that for me?"
She nodded and murmured a 'yes' then pulled Temari to her downstairs bathroom. Temari had a serious look on her face as they locked the door. She watched Sakura carefully. Perhaps Shikamaru taught her what to do under these circumstances, Sakura wondered.
"I'll be there soon. Don't make a sound."He said into the phone.
"Why?" She asked him, already knowing the answer but not wanting to believe it.
"I don't know if whoever broke in is still in the house and I'm not taking any chances.. I'm almost there. I'm in the neighborhood." He added.
Neighborhood? He lives ten minutes anyway. And it only took him two minutes to get here.
As if reading her mind he added, "I'm driving as fast as I can."
She heard a car pull up in their driveway, but stayed where she was. On the phone she heard Naruto getting out of his car and a clicking sound. She disconnected the call and waited. And waited. And waited some more before she heard a voice call out.
"Sakura? Temari?"
"In here." Sakura said, unlocking the door as she recognized the voice.
As soon as she opened the door she came face to face with Naruto. He was still in his pajamas, his hair sticking out in all directions. His eyebrows were pulled together in consideration, like he was thinking very hard on something. But what drew her attention the most was the hand gun clenched tightly in his hand. She realized at once that was what the clicking was on his phone; him loading the gun.
"Are y'all ok?" He asked hesitantly.
"Yes." Temari replied before she could answer.
"I checked the house." He continued. "It's clear. I also checked the door. There was defiantly a break in. The lock is busted." His voice was all official as he continued. "Look around and see if anything is missing."
They nodded and did as he suggested, but he never let them out of his sight.
"Nothing of mine is gone." Temari said after checking the whole house.
"Same." Sakura added.
Naruto's eyebrows drew together in deep thought again.
"That's it. Pack your shit. You're moving in with me." He said after awhile.
"What why?" Sakura asked, confused.
"Whoever did it, took nothing. They made the break in obvious. The lock was smashed beyond repair. Whoever it was is trying to scare you or worse.. What I think and know from experience, they broke in only to show they can.." He trailed off.
"Now who would do that..?" Temari asked her eyes wide.
Sasuke was the first thing to pop up in Sakura's mind. Who else would know where Temari lived and that she was staying with her?
"Sasuke.." She mumbled getting Naruto and Temari's attention.
"That son of a bitch." Naruto snarled looked enraged. "I'll kill him." He threatened.
"No, Naruto." Sakura told him. "It might not even be him besides he is a detective remember? You can't kill a cop." She pleaded with him.
"Watch me." Naruto said a scary gleam in his eye, she had never seen before.
Is this his military side of him? The side he called a monster? He turned back around to face her but when they made eye contact, his eyes softened and his body relaxed a bit. The threatening gleam in his eyes gone.
"None the less you're moving in with me." He said with command. "Temari can come too." He added, smiling at her.
"I hope so." Temari rolled her eyes. "I thought y'all had forgotten about me, like I wasn't even in the room.." She trailed off looking between Naruto and Sakura.
Oh yea, Temari doesn't know about us, Sakura's mind mentally added. She blushed and looked to the side as Naruto scratched the back of his head. Still looking between Naruto and Sakura, her eyes lit up in realization.
"No! You both aren't..!" She trailed off.
"Not now Temari!" Sakura begged. "We'll talk about this later, ok?"
Temari nodded but gave her a look saying 'you're going to tell me everything later'.
A knock at the open door caused all three of them to turn sharply around. Sakura saw Naruto move to stand in front of them. She leaned over Naruto's figure to see a man with brown hair dressed in a military uniform standing at the door. He was an inch or two shorter than Naruto, but his eyes were harder. The man couldn't be more than thirty. His eyes flashed to Naruto's gun which was now in its hostler on Naruto's hip. But Naruto, seeing no threat smiled slightly. It was then see realized the stranger at the door was a Marine.
"Is Temari Nara here?" He asked, looking down at the paper in his hand to check the address or something.
Temari walked out from behind Naruto and Sakura to stand in front of the man.
"Yes. I am her." She said her voice a little off.
The uniformed man (Sakura realized was wearing the same thing Naruto wore when she met him) nodded and looked her in the eyes before continuing.
"I am Sergeant Major Jackson of the Marines." He started and continued in an official voice. "I am sorry to report that Sergeant Shikamaru Nara was killed in action yesterday in a paratrooping accident." He said, handing her a sealed envelope.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
- Edmund Burke