She came to her senses slowly. A dream, or a memory of one, still held her fast in this state of half-waking. There was dimness on the other side of her eyelids; she remembered that Shikamaru's bedroom window faced North rather than East, and overlooked a wood, so that very little light filtered through.

Shikamaru.

Everything came rushing back. The scent. The warmth. Her eyes opened and she tried to move, before she realized that he was still there. He had not left. She ducked her head and feigned sleep now as she felt him stirring behind her; felt his arms loosen their grip around her body. He shifted, and, feeling the cold of the room, curled back around his cozy space heater. She smiled...he was not awake. Just a little longer.


His eyes opened as he felt her move. For a moment his mind was wiped of the events of the night before; of saving her life, bringing her home, and getting into bed with her. He knew, instinctively, that they hadn't done anything; his mind slowly reminded him that Temari was currently in a far too emotionally vulnerable state for that.

Usually level-headed Temari...she writhed in his arms half a moment before sinking into deep sleep. He relished the feel of the even rise and fall of her chest; the soft curve of her body around his arm. He fitted himself to her body, enjoying their shared heat.

Just a little longer.


As the village awoke, a small sound came through the mesh to Shikamaru's bedside. It was the sound of Genin laughing; his normal charges practicing and playing in a distant field. Their shouts echoed through the land of fire; the sound of young joy exceeding the limits of life.

He rose, careful not to disturb her, washed the night from his person, and dressed in his casual attire. He had a generation to enlighten.


Temari's eyes opened. Some of that thick, dull morning feeling was lessened by the cool air still circulating through the room. It was a crisp and sweet spring morning...nearly afternoon, if she didn't wake quickly. Her morning followed Shikamaru's to the letter, except when she was through, she found breakfast waiting and a note which read:

On the Cadet training grounds.

Teaching today; come help if you want.

He was always brief and to the point She pulled her hair back and emerged into the bustling village.


When Shikamaru had left hours earlier to meet his usual charges, the village had still been only half awake. The earliest risers were children, after all. Mothers busied themselves at making breakfast and young men shunned the light in favor of sleeping off their hangovers, while Grandfathers and Grandmothers occupied rocking chairs on their porches in the outskirts of Konohagakure.

The Cadet training grounds, however, were alive with shouting children, soon to graduate and become reckless Genin. And he, the laziest shinobi in his year, who never bothered with anything to please anyone but himself and a select few others; he knew them all by name:

Kaito, who worked very hard every day to make each of his jutsus stronger, especially the ones he was no good at. His ambition, because he was truly soft-spoken and undemanding, was to become the Hokage's revered right-hand man. He showed the utmost respect to his elders and peers.

Kichiro, so appreciative of others, who had only recently outgrown the practice of bursting into tears when he messed up on something. He was clumsy, gentle, and kind.

Yuri, who surprisingly exceeded all of her classmates, male or female, with the sheer strength of her jutsu and taijutsu, as well as chakra control. She was smaller than all of the children in her year; an obvious, fleshless symbol of poverty. Still, she could beat the senses out of the biggest boy, and kept a hard, cold wall between herself and any child who taunted her appetite and her hand-me-downs.

These three were a pre-determined team for which Shikamaru had crossed his fingers, although he knew and liked many other students:

Shouta, Haruto, and Rei, who were no doubt future anbu; Misaki, Yori, and Midori, who possessed gifts of teaching. Noa, Kiyoshi, and Kenji were another promising group; they strongly displayed characteristics of healers. These students were carefully evaluated before being divided into cells of which they knew nothing; those cells would be revealed on the day of graduation.

In the meantime, Shikamaru kept his eyes on this group of children, knowing that three of them would soon be under his authority. Today, he interrupted their games early with his unprofessional but authoritative presence. As he approched the field, one child announced him with a shout and the others stopped their practice and play to stand at attention.

"Who wants to test their skills today?" Shikamaru asked, hands in his pockets.

"Me! Me! I do!" Every child was quick to respond. His hands came out, laden with weaponry, which he tossed deftly into the air.

"Let's see who can subdue me, eh?" In less than a second, he was gone; the cadets in hot pursuit with his kunai and shuriken.


She approached the field with curiosity; never had she seen Shikamaru playing with children. The Konoha nin-to-be were racing and panting, completely scattered with mixed feelings of determination and hopelessness.

"What's going on?" Temari asked a scrawny cadet with dark hair that curled girlishly about his ears.

"Shikamaru sensei is playing games with us!" The boy exclaimed. "He came this morning and gave us these," he said, holding up the kunai for her to see. "He told us to catch him, but nobody is strong or fast enough! And, he keeps using justus we haven't mastered. He even said he'd buy lunch for whoever could catch him! Oh, there he is!"

Across the feild, a girl hurled a kunai with exquisite form. Her target, however, was replaced quickly by a piece of dead wood. The other children nearby had flocked to the spot, and scattered again with much bickering when the girl's attempt had failed.

"We'll get you yet, sensei!" A boisterous little boy screeched.

"You," Temari said to the curly headed little boy. "Make your friends gather here. I'll tell them how to catch that imp."

Sensing Temari's authority, he scampered up a tree and hung upside down from one of the branches, where he could be easily spotted. Waving his arms, he beckoned to his playmates.

"Heeeey! Come Heeere!"

"Says who?" Challenged a squint-eyed little boy, folding his arms.

"Says this lady! She knows how to beat sensei! She called him an imp!"

All the children perked up, attentively, and approached the stranger with fascinated caution.

"You know Shikamaru Sensei?" A cute little girl asked, shyly.

"Are you his woman?" the boisterous boy from before asked, bluntly.

Temari tried to remind herself that these were just children as she quickly corrected the child's thinking.

"So do you want to know how to get him or what?" She asked.

"YEAH!" Was the collective response; several fists pounded the air.

"Teamwork."

"Huh?"

"I'm getting ahead of the curriculum by telling you this, but it's the first thing that a good Shinobi should know. As Genin, your first lessons will all be about teamwork, because, frankly, you're not very strong."

There were a couple snorts of indignation.

"Even jounin use teamwork. Unless a mission calls for only one ninja, which happens almost never, teamwork is required. Just one ninja can easily be killed or wounded or overpowered." At this point, Temari picked up a twig and snapped it. "But two ninja together, watching each others' backs and protecting one another is more difficult to overpower." She doubled the two halves together and bent them in her hands; they sprang back into a straight line. "Three ninja is even stronger!" She added a third twig to the bundle and pressured them slightly, but they didn't even bend. "One of you alone can't catch your sensei. But all of you together, if you watch out for each other and share your strength; you might be able to do it.

The Cadets nodded solemnly.

Twenty minutes later, Shikamaru lay tied up on the ground. Of course he hadn't used his full strength, but he allowed defeat. Children sat on him or stood around him. One poked him with a stick.

"Hey, cut that out or I'll give you extra homework!"

The boy laughed giddily.

"Sensei hasn't come to school for months! You can't give us extra homework!" He stuck out his tongue and made a face.

Temari laughed. Well, then. Clear out, Cadets. I'll take this catch to the butcher's for you. She made a face at Shikamaru before hoisting him up onto her shoulders with surprising strength; though she had been bedridden, she was still a Kunoichi, and now she could train if she wanted. She high fived a couple of children before walking back into the village, waving behind her.

"Your sensei will treat you all to lunch at ichiraku's at one o'clock, sharp, so don't be late!"

"But Temari, that's in forty minutes!" Shikamaru complained. "I want a nap...I've been up since this morning!"

"What a surprise!" She laughed.

She made it a point to carry him through the busiest streets in Konoha, so everyone would see the children's victory. Some of them still trailed behind her, announcing their triumph to anyone who would listen.

Finally, she shooed them away as she dumped Shikamaru on his doorstep, where he freed himself easily from the ropes that bound him.

"You didn't need to make that so harsh!" He whined, but he was smirking. "C'mon. Let's you and I eat something that's NOT ramen before those little beggars come and harrass me for my money."


Cripes, this is longer than normal. :) By the way, O Nameless Reviewer, English IS my first language. In chapter eight, their were parts that were "cut and dry" because I intended them to be a bit straightforward and bare...although I don't know how well I achieved that effect. Also, take into consideration that I am not a person with limitless amounts of time, (don't we all wish we were?) so most of this writing occurs at times when it'd be much more beneficial for me to be sleeping. In any case, your critique is appreciated. Kira-sama likes reviews!