Deerhound and Canaan Dog: An Interlude
Author's note: this chapter is to run concurrent with the next chapter, which will be uploaded soon. Both chapters describe the events leading up to the wedding of Shikamaru and Temari; however, as the chapter was getting too long and too focused on Shikamaru and co, I decided to split it in two. Although both begin the same way, both describe events happening around the same time. This is the past that deals with Shikamaru and Temari, while the other part focuses more on Kankuro and Kiba, since this is primarily a KankKiba fic. Think of this part of the chapter more as a kind of interlude, hence the title.
I will shut up now.
Sunday, outskirts of Sunagakure.
Kankuro waited impatiently as Gaara and Baki continued their discussion of the Sunagakure security situation during Gaara's absence. He absent-mindedly scuffed his shoes on the dry ground, kicking up clouds of dust, and remembered what Gaara had said to him.
"Kankuro, the plan is as follows: you and I will travel accompanied by two teams of jounin, plus your own charges, until we reach the halfway point between here and Konoha. There, we will be met by a group from Konoha who will escort us for the remainder of the way. The reverse will happen upon my return. I will stay with Naruto, and he and I have arranged for you to stay at the Inuzuka place. And no, Kiba's mother did not object, as it was made clear to her that your temporary residence there was on Hokage's orders. I did consider asking the Naras if we could stay with them, but they are somewhat preoccupied this week with preparations for the wedding. On that subject, you and I are among the attendants for the bridal couple, and you will need to bring formal wear as well as your civilian clothes. As Temari and I would prefer you not to appear in your puppeteers' outfit, I have bought you some clothes for the wedding."
"But who's going to look after the village?" Kankuro asked. "I mean, I know Akatsuki are finished, but we can't be too careful. There are still enemies and a village without its Kage is a vulnerable one."
"Baki will act as Hokage in my absence," replied Gaara. "Kentaro Takano and Matsuri will work alongside him in their capacity as my assistants, and they will be keeping close watch on the Elders. You needn't worry, Kankuro. You know Baki well enough and you can trust him. I certainly do. Besides, I will only be gone for just over a week. You can stay in Konoha for a little longer, but try not to go over your time limit. Your leave only lasts so long, and I know Nohiko will be needing you to train some of the new puppeteers."
Kankuro could not help but worry about the fate of Suna with its Kage out of the village, but he knew Gaara knew what he was doing, and Baki was one of the few people he completely trusted. Besides, Sagi Akahara, one of Baki's children, was among Kankuro's genin, and the kid was definitely the strongest on the team. Moreover, he was gentler and kinder than his belligerent father, and was due to enter the Chuunin Exams next year. Kankuro fervently hoped Kiba wouldn't be leading his own team.
A month or so ago, before Temari had met with Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji and gone to Konoha with them, she had called her brothers together and announced that they were going to visit their mother's grave. She was a little apprehensive about asking Gaara, as she knew that, despite only being a baby at the time of their mother's death, he was the one who felt the pain of it the most, particularly as his conversion into a Jinchuuriki was what had killed her, and Uncle Yasha, unable to forgive Gaara for his sister's death, had blown himself up in a failed assassination attempt when Gaara was only seven. Fortunately, Gaara agreed, and the three siblings found themselves in a semicircle around their mother's grave, not quite knowing what to say, each hoping the others would break the silence.
"When I was little," Temari eventually said, ending the awkwardness of the moment, "I always imagined what my wedding would be like. I'd marry a jounin and we'd have a big wedding with lots of sake and lights and dancing, and I'd wear this pretty white kimono and flowers in my hair, and we'd exchange blood or something, and Mum and Dad would be there and so would you two and Dad would probably start crying and say something inane like, 'Oh, my little girl's growing up', just like he would when he went to my Academy graduation ceremony, not that he did, of course. But I dreamed he would and he'd be so proud of me and Mum would too, and everyone would say, 'There's the Kage's daughter, doesn't she look great?' Gods, what a little attention seeker I was."
"I don't know why that bastard was in your fantasy," said Kankuro with a bitter laugh. "He was never fucking there. Uncle Yasha was more of a dad than he was."
"Enough, Kankuro," said Gaara sternly. "Let us not speak of...that...person." He spoke the words as if he were a child spitting out some foul-tasting medicine.
"Come on, Kanky," Temari added, using her brother's childhood nickname. "I was only, what, six? You always think stupid things when you're a kid. Even if your mum and dad are ninjas, you don't really think that things would turn out like...well, how they did. You...you live in the present or in your own little dream world, you know? And Mum...I still remember her. It's hard not to. I mean, all I have to do is look in the mirror." Her eyes filled with tears. "Yosh and Shikaku are wonderful, Shikamaru's lucky to have them even if he does whinge and moan about his mum, but they're not the same. I mean...I remember that day when I graduated from the Academy and all the other genins' mums and dads were there...and who was there to cheer for me? Not Mum, not Dad, not even Uncle Yasha."
Temari felt the gentle touch of sand on her shoulder, while Kankuro squeezed her hand and said, "She'd be very proud of you, Temari. And Gaara. Maybe even me, I guess, although I was always the retard of the family."
"Oh, shut up," Temari said, and she smiled despite her blurring eyes. "You're not a retard."
"I do believe she's watching us," said Gaara gently. "I remember when I used to think she lived on through my sand. I don't think that anymore, but I still feel her presence, somehow, even though I never knew her."
"Oh, come here, you two," said Temari, and she pulled both her brothers to her and the three of them formed a circle with their arms round each other, and Temari felt the warmth of her brothers' bodies, Gaara's red hair tickling her face, Kankuro's gut, Gaara's sand, and realised how much she was going to miss them both.
"It'll be odd not having you around," Kankuro said, trying to force a smile. "You'll still visit, yes?"
"'Course I will, you spaz," laughed Temari. Then a silence simultaneously fell upon the three siblings, and each one of them said a silent prayer.
Please be happy for me, Mum, thought Temari.
She heard Chouji's voice calling for her, gave her brothers one final hug, and ran towards the trio of Konoha jounin.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Kankuro was abruptly summoned back to the present day when Gaara and Baki appeared beside him, followed by his genin squad. As well as Baki's son, there was another boy, a taijutsu practitioner named Shigeru Asahita, and a girl, Kotono Harumichi, from a clan of poisoners who was considering joining the Puppet Squad.
"Everything's sorted now," said Baki. "We've got the emergency messenger bird service set up, so if anything – Kami forbid – does happen, we'll let you know ASAP. All missions for the forthcoming fortnight have been allocated, and Matsuri's already started on the paperwork that needs doing. And border security's been stepped up, she's made sure we've got double the number of jounin on patrol."
Gaara nodded, and Kankuro said, "Thanks, sensei. May Sunagakure be safe over the next coming week."
"Well, if anyone does try anything funny," Baki replied, "we'll be ready for 'em." He smiled. "Give my regards to Temari. And have a safe journey." He shook hands with Gaara and walked back to the Kazekage's building, where he would assume the position of acting Kazekage for the coming week.
Kankuro shuddered as he remembered the Akatsuki invasion, and then scolded himself. Despite its heavy losses in the war, Sunagakure was a tough village, and now more people were behind Gaara than ever. Baki knew what he was doing, and certainly, although some of the Elders distrusted Gaara and were afraid of him, others were on their side. Stop being paranoid, he told himself. Akatsuki are long gone. Besides, the Hokage has Gaara's back.
"See you around, Dad," called Sagi with a wave to his retreating father, while Shigeru retied his shoelaces and Kotono checked her bag to make sure she was carrying a wide array of poisons to deploy, should she and her comrades run into trouble along the way. Kankuro heaved his pack up onto his back and said briskly, "Right, then. Let's get going, eh?" His students answered as one, "Ossu!" and the little group walked through the tall village gates and out into the desert, as Kentaro and Matsuri watched from the Kazekage's building.
He couldn't wait to see his beloved Kiba again.
Wednesday, under the trees on the outskirts of the Nara deer park, Konoha.
Shikamaru pulled Temari's forehead protector over her eyes, knowing that they were finally at the stage where she was able to feel completely secure around him. It had been hard going, but Shikamaru's perseverance had paid off.
"What are you up to?" asked Temari.
"You'll see," replied Shikamaru slyly. "Kage Mane no Jutsu."
"This," said Temari tersely, "had better be good. Or I'll beat the living daylights out of you."
"Trust me," was all Shikamaru would say, and Temari found herself walking in sync with Shikamaru as he led her by her shadow past the Nara compound into the land that lay behind it. She found her body following him of its own accord, not resisting herself as she knew Shikamaru's intentions were good. He took her along bumpy, barely-visited paths, around trees, through a tiny stream, taking great care all the while not to cause her to trip and fall over a stick here, a tree root there, the foliage gradually growing denser, squirrels and birds watching from the shadows, Shikamaru painstakingly making his way through the trees, sometimes turning sideways to allow Temari to pass through narrow gaps, until they came to the Nara clan's deer park.
He removed her blindfold, and released the jutsu. Temari squinted at the sudden onset of light and noticed
"We're in your clan's deer park," she said.
Shikamaru nodded. "Indeed we are," he replied, "and moreover, it's a part of the park that no-one visits. Look down. What do you see?"
Temari did as he asked her, and noticed something unusual; the earth was slightly darker than that surrounding it, and there appeared to be a series of cracks that had been filled in over time. She felt something vague in the back of her mind, like a distant but familiar memory, a name she couldn't recall.
It looks like some kind of tremor must have happened," Temari said, partly to herself. "Maybe it was during the war, some kind of battle must have happened here...no, it goes further back. Something's disturbed the ground. An explosion? Something falling onto the ground, something heavy...Chouji? No..."
Then she noticed Shikamaru was smiling at her, and she felt a jolt in the back of her mind.
"You were right when you said an explosion."
Temari's eyes widened. Shikamaru's smile grew even wider. "Yeah. I think you've twigged. It's the site of my vengeance for Asuma-sensei's death. The place where I buried Hidan..."
Shikamaru was prevented from completing his sentence when Temari lunged at him, knocking him breathless to the ground, and in a matter of seconds, her knickers were pulled to one side, his trousers were round his ankles, and he found himself on top of Temari as she spread her legs and wrapped them round his back, pulling him deeper and deeper into her.
"Shikamaru Nara," Temari whispered fiercely in his ear, "I am going to screw your fucking brains out."
She was tearing at his clothes, tearing at her own dress, ripping off his flak jacket and his shirt, digging her nails into his back as she arched her own back, Shikamaru realising in amazement that she was dripping wet as her cunt grew tight round his cock and she rolled over so that he was on his back and she was on top of him and she was kissing him fiercely as she slid up and down on his cock, angling her body so that her clit was rubbing against him, because there was no way Temari was going to give up until she was satisfied herself, and she fucked Shikamaru harder and harder, for he felt, even though he was the one doing the penetrating, that he was the one being fucked. He was being pulled along by Temari's rhythm, locked onto her and into her like a jigsaw piece, a kunai in its holder, as she leaned further forward so that her breasts were in his face and commanded him to suck her nipples, which he did. Temari's hips rocked. Shikamaru rather enjoyed being manhandled this way, and squeezed his eyes tightly shut as Temari ordered him to fill her as his cock moved back and forth inside her, and Shikamaru used what remaining chakra he had to send tiny tendrils of shadow to stroke Temari's clit and nipples and anus, ensuring no nerve remained untouched, and Temari's heavy breathing turned into tiny cries, and the cries turned into moans, and the deer gathered round to watch the two humans fuck.
Her fingernails dug further into his back.
Shikamaru felt as though his entire body was going to turn inside out, he could feel the orgasm building up and building up inside him; and soon he came inside Temari and his body went limp, but she wasn't finished, and even though Shikamaru's erection was beginning to die, he summoned all his remaining chakra into the tendrils stroking Temari's clit, until he felt her becoming tight around him like a fist, and she came, a shockwave running down her body from her head to her spine.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Temari wailed. The deer had come out in force. Large-eyed fawns hung close to their mothers. A stag scratched at the ground with his hoof, while another appeared to be nuzzling at a doe's neck. It was spring time in Konoha, the time when species of all kinds would be mating, and members of one species were the appreciative audience for the mating ritual of another species.
Shikamaru and Temari clung to each other, naked in the grass. Neither of them could speak. Semen trickled slowly down Temari's inner thighs. Shikamaru wondered if giving up smoking really had been a good idea; he was dying for a fag right now.
Temari rolled off Shikamaru, shivering a little. She eased herself onto her side and his arm slid under her neck.
"Well?"
"Mmm?"
"Aren't you going to say anything, Shikamaru? You're normally not short of words."
"I'm spent," was all Shikamaru could say, and it was like he was 15 and awkward again. Mentally, he kicked himself.
"I needed that," said Temari. "I...really needed that."
Shikamaru wasn't sure if he wanted to know why Hidan's burial site had aroused his fiancee so much. Temari guessed what he was thinking. She answered him.
"It just kind of sparked something in me, I guess. You...when we first met, you were, I'm sorry, but you were an idiot. A lazy, whining little misogynist with mummy issues, who wouldn't fight a girl, forfeited the Chuunin Exams because you didn't want to fight a girl, and then you fought that freak from Oto with the flute and I bailed your useless arse out, and in a way I admit I kind of liked you then because at first you came out with all that crap about girls, and it was so utterly obvious you were just putting on a front...but then...the way you looked at me after I killed her. You smiled at me. It was kind of a reluctant smile, if I recall correctly...but you were grateful, and that was good. For your sake, as you would have been next otherwise. And oh gods when we were in the hospital and Chouji was in theatre, and you were moaning on about giving up, you were doing my head in – I mean, look, I know you were upset. I know Chouji means the world to you. But after all I'd been through with my brothers...good thing your dad's a sensible bloke. And that was when you changed. You grew up. I meant it when I told you to hurry up and become a jounin, because I knew back then you were jounin material. And to hear that you'd fought an Akatsuki member alone, you'd kept your head and led your team into battle and made all those strategies...that made me love you even more, because you were catching up with me. No. You were my equal. You were someone I could be proud to walk with. It was like you'd proved yourself, you'd stopped being a whiny little boy and become an adult, a true ninja, someone who deserved to wear that flak jacket and that headband. A man, in fact!"
"Say what you're thinking, why don't you?" was Shikamaru's response. But he was smiling, and he took Temari's hand in his and squeezed it tight.
"Somehow," he said slowly, "I always knew I'd end up with a woman like you. I always used to take the piss out of my dad. But now, well, you know I'm not like that. My dad said to me once, even the roughest woman is tender to the man she loves. And he was right. And you make me feel...safe. Protected. I know you are a stronger person than me, not just in terms of jutsu either, and that strength, that incredible power you have, it's one of the many reasons why I love you so much. I guess it's in our genes, we Nara men like our women feisty and strong and, well, bossy and..."
"Troublesome?" suggested Temari. Shikamaru laughed. "Yes, troublesome. So very troublesome, indeed!"
"Gender roles," said Temari dismissively. "Fuck 'em."
Friday, Happy Happy Meat Paradise, Konoha.
Shikamaru looked at the clock on the wall of the rebuilt steak house and drummed his fingers on the table. Ino and Chouji were both late. He knew Ino's father had been training her in the Yamanaka clan's telepathic jutsu, but he had no idea where Chouji was, and frankly he was starting to get irritated. To pass the time, he ordered a glass of tea and sat and drank it slowly and contemplatively, wondering when he was going to start teaching little Koutei Sarutobi as he'd promised Kurenai, back when she was pregnant. Would he be specialising in genjutsu like his mum, or wind jutsu like his dad? Should Shikamaru give Konohamaru the trench knives that Asuma had passed on to him, or wait until Koutei was old enough to use them? Konohamaru had done the chakra paper test along with several other ninja at Naruto's request – the Hokage had determined his chakra was of the wind kind by this test and found it fascinating, and Shikamaru and Neji had suggested it as a way of determining who would be suited to which missions – and it was clear his chakra was wind-inclined like his uncle's. But with Koutei, it could go either way. Given that he had Kurenai's dark wavy hair and red eyes, he could well end up being a genjutsu specialist, and the gods knew Konoha could do with more of them. Whoa, Shikamaru thought wryly, the kid's only two years old. Bit premature, isn't it?
Half an hour later, Chouji came in and apologised. "Mission stuff," he explained. "Dad and Naruto-sama and Neji were all talking about one in Kumogakure that they might be sending me on. It's B-rank, but they need a couple of jounin."
"What is it?" asked Shikamaru, his curiosity piqued. "Surveillance?"
"Like they're going to send me on one of those missons," said Chouji scornfully. "That's more Hanabi or Ino's sort of thing. Speaking of which, where is Ino? 'Cos I'm hungry and I can smell Korean barbecue."
Just like old times, Shikamaru thought.
The door swung open and Ino entered, bunches of flowers in her arms, her vast trenchcoat billowing out behind her. "Sorry I'm late, guys," she apologised. "Interrogation. Telepathy training. Yes, Chouji, I know, our dads are a pain in the arse. You're still not used to being the son of an Elder, are you? Are we going to have food now, Shikamaru, 'cos if we don't Chouji will probably eat the table, by the way here are the flowers, that's the other reason I was late. Had to pick your bouquets up." She plonked herself down next to Chouji and handed him and Shikamaru the flowers.
Chouji was about to speak, but Ino cut him dead. "Look, I know you're hungry, but we can eat later. We need to get the serious stuff out of the way first. Then we can catch up, OK?"
"Did you read my mind?" Chouji asked. "You still in work mode?"
"No, you plank," said Ino rudely, "it's pretty obvious, having known you for about eleven years now, that you constantly think about food. Moreover, this restaurant was where we used to go back when we were genin, when we were celebrating Shikamaru's promotion and other things like that, we've been loads of times, and you're familiar enough with the menu to know immediately what you're having as soon as you set foot in here, and it's always Korean sodding barbecue because you are just that predictable. And you never let either of us have any, not that I eat meat anymore, but still..."
"What's wrong with me having the same food?" Chouji demanded. "I like what I like, Ino, and anyway you're a sodding veggie and you're always worrying about your weight, it's not like you'd eat any of..."
Shikamaru held up a hand for silence. "Alright. Quiet, you two. Let's not get the night off to a bad start, eh?" Immediately, Ino and Chouji quietened down, and Shikamaru summoned a waitress and ordered three small glasses of sake.
When the sake arrived, Shikamaru picked up his glass and raised it. Chouji and Ino followed suit, looking at Shikamaru expectantly. He sighed. "I said something the last two times. Couldn't one of you do it for a change?"
Chouji nodded. "Alright, then." He cleared his throat. "As you know, we came here tonight because it's the..." He frowned in concentration and tried to count the years. "...third anniversary of Asuma-sensei's death. Since we came here all the time with him back when we were his students, you suggested, Shikamaru-kun" - Shikamaru nodded solemnly - "that the three of us would come here every year, on the day of his death or as close to it as was possible for all three of us, to honour his memory. And I hope that we can carry on doing this, even when we're all married and have our own families, our own lives. 'Course, we have our own lives now. Shikamaru, you're teaching, and you're going to be married – once again, you're the first. Ino, you've joined the Interrogation Squad and you're going to be holding classes for potentially strong kunoichi – training them in the arts of seduction and stuff, if I'm not mistaken. And me...well, I've been supervising a couple of A and B-rank missions lately. And I'm due to qualify as an examiner for the Chuunin Exams next year, since they need new people and Anko and Genma are dead.
"And look at us now. The first time we came in here with Asuma-sensei, I remember he was talking about our dads, how he knew them when he was a kid, he asked us what we were planning to do with our lives. I dunno if any of us really knew what we wanted, except Ino, you wanted to surpass Sakura. I think I was probably thinking about seconds or thirds. Then that time when he told me I needed to eat less, train more. It hit home. Not 'cos of my weight, I don't care about that – it's 'cos I wanted him to be proud of me, I didn't want to fail him. I had a lot to live up to, particularly as Dad's an Elder now, but also 'cos he's Head of the Akimichi, and he was on a team with your dads, and I didn't want to be a failure." Ino and Shikamaru stared. They'd never realised Chouji had felt that way.
"And now we're all jounin. We're all teaching. Shikamaru's promised to mentor Koutei, I might be getting a team in a couple of years. Shikamaru's engaged and he's Naruto-sama's advisor along with Neji. I can now hold my head high and know that I'm not a failure anymore, people take me seriously now. Ino's a medic and an interrogator. And I reckon you could give Sakura a run for her money. But we'll always be Team 10, no matter what we do, we'll always be Team 10. Maybe one day our kids will all be on the same team and carry on the tradition. But our dads are still active and hopefully we'll be too 'cos we've got more reason to be..." Chouji's eyes filled with tears. "After all we've gone through. You two are my nakama and you always will be. I don't want to sound up my own arse, but I know Asuma-sensei is watching us and he's proud of me and he's proud of you too and...and..." He could not continue.
"To Asuma-sensei," said Shikamaru. Ino and Chouji echoed, "To Asuma-sensei," and the three jounin knocked back their drinks, gathered their bouquets and prepared to make the trip to their sensei's grave, where they would lay their flowers. The sons of the Akimichi and Nara clans, and the daughter of the Yamanaka clan, the Ino-Shika-Chou trio. Shikamaru knew that Chouji was right. They would always be Team 10.
