Chapter 7

The smell of a fresh meal, wafted towards a sleeping kunoichi as she jolted awake, expecting to be huddled in a prison cell. However two concerned eyes peered back at her coming from the shadow ninja who sat cross-legged at the bottom of her bedding. Temari pushed aside her faint blush and looked around to see a camp fire flickering beside their camp, surrounded by silent trees. The clear sky and the dark night provided their camp deep security and an abode of shelter.

"Looks like you killed one of them, but the other disappeared."

"How did you find me?"

"That was the easy part we followed those two's trail until we were knocked down because of the wind."

"We?"

"Shino is here too, he's looking for the other one, and Kakashi is with us, but we left him at the border." Shikamaru got up, and sauntered over to the fire, to pour out some boiling broth. The distant sound of a night owl sent an unknown shiver down his spine; he brushed the effect off and brought over the broth to Temari.

"You left early…"

"You took another mission."

The silence between the leaf and sand shinobi rose up with the smoke from the camp fire. Suddenly clouds started to gather in the previous clear sky and rain began to pour in heavy pellets, but maintained a slow rhythm, not speeding up more than a light drizzle.

Shino appeared beside the squatting Shikamaru who was observing the camp fire as if it promised answers.

"The rain was induced by the retreating Mist ninja to throw me off the trail, but his destination is known. I have sent messenger bugs to Kakashi-sensei so he can cut him off. I will back him up immediately; you should go to Konoha and have reinforcements sent." With that the bug ninja nodded to Temari and flickered off in a haze of bugs.

"I'm going to continue on."

"No, you need rest and you are in danger, we don't know whether there is another squad on your trail." Shikamaru emptied his water container in the flickering fire, until only smothering ash remained.

"Shikamaru…I think Konoha…might have..."

"I know but war has begun so who ever it is, they won't do anything. Their mission is over."

Temari looked up at the shadow ninja packing his things, and remained silent, slightly taken aback with his sudden ferociousness. She let herself smile as she shakily stood up using her fan for support. Shikamaru rapped up the bedding and took her arm, with a tingle, around his shoulder and both ninjas leaped on the nearest branch to make their way to Konoha. The moonlight shone at their back, as the two intertwined beings sprinted towards the warmth of protection.