IX: Together Again

Temari sat in her brother's office, waiting for him to return from a council meeting. Only a week past the world had been scrambling for survival as the Moon came tumbling to Earth. Saved once again by the actions of Naruto Uzamaki everyone took a collective breath of relief. But Temari was still had concerns and wanted to talk about them with her brother.

The young Kazekage walked into the room and sat at his desk. "Yes, Temari?"

"Anything interesting happen in the meeting?" Temari asked.

"No," Gaara answered as he grabbed some papers from a desk drawer.

"There was something I wanted to discuss with you," Temari said after a momentary silence.

"I gathered as much," Garra replied.

Temari shifted nervously in her seat. "We need to be better prepared for future crisis." She paused to see her brother's reaction. There wasn't one. "We need to improve our ability to coordinate with other nations. Twice now in the past three years we've had international crisis that have left the Five Great Nations scrambling. Next time we need to be able to form plans quicker."

Gaara didn't look up from his papers. "What do you suggest?"

Temari straightened her back as she prepared to suggest her plan. "Every important non-shinobi nation has ambassadors in the courts of all the other important non-shinobi nations to represent their interests. Its time for the Five Great Nations to finally do the same."

Gaara looked up from his papers and visibly gave Temari his full attention, though he said nothing. Temari continued. "With ambassadors in all the other Great Nations we can assure our interests are addressed more easily and quickly. We can also coordinate responses to international crisis more quickly and easily and it can help maintain friendly relations."

Gaara turned his seat around to look out the windows. "I know. I've already thought of that."

"You have?" Temari asked in surprise.

"Yes," Gaara answered, "for all the reasons you just stated." He turned back around to face his sister. "I was just deciding who to send. Since you're interested, you'll be our ambassador to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I'll arrange things with the Hokage and send you out as soon as possible."

Temari nodded and stood up. "Yes sir," she said with a bow.

As she turned around and started to walk out Gaara said, "Tell Shikamaru 'hello' for me when you see him."

Temari couldn't quite believe it but Gaara was…teasing her?


Shikamaru was woken up with a start as he heard some very insistent knocking on the door. At first he thought it was at his bedroom door but quickly realized that it was at the front.

"Mom!" Shikamaru called out as the knocking persisted. When no answer came he had to assume that she was out of the house. Shopping or something. As the knocking continued Shikamaru came to the conclusion that he'd have to get up and answer it.

"Hold on, I'm coming," Shikamaru yelled sheepishly as he rolled out of bed. "Ugh…I was hoping to enjoy my vacation after that nonsense with the damned Moon falling out the damned sky." The knocking continued as he stood up and steadied himself. When he reached the staircase he cried out "Alright, Alright, I'm coming!" and the knocking ceased.

When he at last reached the door Shikamaru swung it open. "Listen, I don't care what you're selling, we don't…Temari?!"

The Sand kunoichi looked up and down at Shikarmaru. "Did you just get up?"

"Yes," Shikamaru replied.

"It's noon," Temari said.

"Huh," Shikamaru said, "I was hoping for later. Anyways, why are you here?"

"I've been made the Sand's new ambassador to the Hidden Leaf," Temari answered, stepping inside past Shikamaru.

"Ok," Shikamaru said, processing this new information. "That still doesn't explain why you're here-at my house."

Temari started looking around the house absently, as if she was there for the first time, even though that wasn't the case. "Part of my job is to understand the inner workings of Leaf politics. Including clans. I'm starting with yours."

"Why?" Shikarmaru, utterly confused. "Our complex is on the furthest outskirts of the village and there are several more powerful families, like the Hyuga, for instance."

"You telling me how to do my job?" Temari asked.

"Uh, no," Shikamaru said, deciding to just let it be.

"Good," Temari said, "now start telling me about the Nara clan. Perhaps over lunch," she added with a smile.

Shikamaru nodded and closed the front door. He quickly went to prepare something to eat. Nothing to substantial, he wasn't much of a cook.

As he walked around the kitchen like it was foreign territory he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Termari joining him in the kitchen.

"You really are hopeless," She said with smile, "come on, I'll help you."

So she helped Shikamaru prepare their quick lunch, meaning that Temari did all the actual cooking while he did everything she told him to do. As they worked they talked about the Nara Clan, their relations with other families, and their position within the village.

As the work continued, eventually finished, and they sat down at the dinner table with their food the conversation continued to stretch out, moving further and further away from the subject of the Nara Clan, expanding ever outward to encompass all facets of Hidden Leaf politics.

"So," Temari said as she took a sip from her tea, "Is Naruto still the Hidden Leaf's most eligible bachelor?"

Shikamaru looked at the recently instated ambassador, bemused, and sipped at his water. "Well now, we've left the realm of politics entirely." He chuckled and set down his drink. "No, Naruto is taken. He and Hinata have been sickeningly sweet on each other ever since the whole Moon incident, and very publicly." he said with a slight tone of disgust, but also one of affection.

Temari leaned back in her seat and put her feet up. "Ah, so who has taken his place?"

Shikamaru thought about it for a second but just shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Aw, come one," Temari said before leaning in closer to Shikamaru. "Is it you they're after?" she added suggestively.

Shikamaru shook his head, "whatever. Such a drag, all of it, really."

Temari back once again. "I agree."

"What?" Shikamaru asked, surprised.

"Having people following you around and ogling you would be a drag," she replied.

"Ah…yeah," Shikamaru said.

After a moment of silence Temari stood up and stretched. "Alright, I'd like to see some of these deer herds of yours."

"Really?" Shikamaru said. "You've already been here for hours. Don't you have other places to tour?"

Temari continued her stretches. "Eh, they can wait. Besides, I like it here."

"Oh," Shikamaru replied, "I'm glad you like it here, then."

Temari stopped doing her little stretches and started to blush. "Uh, uh…thanks."

When Shikamaru saw the Sand kunoichi's checks redden his did as well. "Yeah? Well…no problem."

Temari cleared her throat and stood up straight. "So, where are those deer of yours?"

"Just head out back," Shikamaru answered. When Temari had left the room Shikamaru took a moment to slap himself on the forehead for saying stupid things. He then got up and headed to the backyard.

When he arrived he saw Temari standing in the middle of the clearing looking around. "Where are these so called deer?" she yelled at him.

Shikamaru pointed at the forest at the edge of the yard. "They're in that forest. We own this land for miles in that direction, the deer roam around in there."

"Alright," Temari said as she went into the forest.

"Hey!" Shikamaru yelled. "Ah, could you at least wait for me?!"


Temari took to the branches as she started traveling through the Nara forest. Really, she didn't care about finding some deer. But it was nice to be with Shikamaru for the first time in a while and this was as good a reason as any to stick around with him.

She could faintly hear the sound of her host coming behind her, yelling, but she didn't pay him any mind as she had just caught sight of deer, a big male one with an impressive set of horns. She was just about to approach it when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'd recommend against that," Shikamaru said, "they tend to act aggressive with people outside our clan."

As he was saying this Temari was acutely aware of his hand on her shoulder. She wasn't against it, per-say. Then he noticed what he was doing and pulled away sharply and Temari silently cursed him.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "Don't be," she almost replied, but didn't.

Shikamaru slowly approached the beast. As he stepped closer to it the deer stepped forward to meet him and offered up its head, which Shikamaru began to pet. After a moment he signaled for Temari to follow him.

She did so, stepping slowly as Shikamaru had. When she was next to the deer he eyed her with the most judgmental look she had received in a long while. Then his eyes softened and he moved his head to put it closer to her.

"Oh," Temari said after a moment's hesitation before she started to pet the animal.

"Huh," Shikamaru said, "I guess he likes you."

Then the deer nuzzled Temari's face affectionately. "Oh, ok, big fella, I like you too."

Shikamaru laughed softly at this. "At this rate you can become an honorary member of the clan."

"I think I may like that," Temari said without thinking. She then realized what she had said and wished she hadn't. She looked over at Shikamaru, who was wearing a face that was saying more or less the exact same thing.

During the awkward moment of silence that followed the deer sensed that it was time to go and left, leaving the two alone.

Shikamaru cleared his throat in an exaggerated manner. "Well, I think we're done here. You should…probably go."

"…Yeah," Temari said after a moment of hesitation.

Quietly the pair returned to the house, going to great efforts to not look at each other and often failing. In short order Temari's things had been gathered and Shikamaru had escorted her to the front door.

"Alright, um, see ya," Shikamaru said awkwardly.

"Yeah," Temari replied equally so, "I'll see you…whenever." Hastily she turned around and walked out onto the street heading towards the new Hidden Sand Embassy.

In the back her mind Temari had this feeling, like she had been dancing on cliff, a slow dance that pulled her towards and away from the edge. Today she had stood on the precipice, looked down on the beauty and wonder to be had below, and cowered before the jump, backing away in fear. She regretted not jumping.


Shikamaru laid on the living room sofa, his mind lost in the days events. Why did he feel like pieces of his life were missing? As if it were all just a big puzzle and the centerpiece that would have made it all make sense just slipped out of his hand. He'd see Temari again, he knew that. And why was she just so damn important?

He sat up when he heard the front door open. "Mom?"

"Oh, hey," Yoshino as she walked into the house, a spring in her step. "I ran into Temari, of all people, at the market today."

That caught Shikamaru's attention. "Did you?"

"Yes," Yoshino said, leaning against the entrance to the living room. "She told me about her new position and that she was touring the major clans today. I figured I'd visit some old friends and let you two deal with it without me." She said as if they were doing something other than a tour.

"Um, yeah, Mom," Shikamaru said, "we…"

"No, no, I don't want to know the details," Yoshino said as she left the room. Again she sounded like she was talking about something other than a simple tour.

What was she talking about? Wait, did she think that they…? Shikamaru pulled himself up to look over the back of the couch and yell for his mother. Instead he said to himself, "no, no that couldn't possibly be it. Not at all."

He thought back to all those idoitic rumors that Ino had spread before the Chunin Exams. Were they really so stupid? Did they all see something that even the two of them couldn't?

"Ugh," Shikamaru moaned, "this is such a drag."