Disclaimer: I don't own these people. Just Takeru.

Chapter warnings are pretty much…unneeded because I'm going to tell you NOW that the next few chapters, and then even more chapters after that are going to have some pretty long scenes with Sasuke and Naruto in them. However, most of you seem to be quite tickled with the idea of seeing them around more often, so let me assure you: They'll be around in this chapter, and they'll be getting plenty of computer-screen time in the future.

By the freaking way. I love the response I got to my pregnant HINTS, which were just that: Hints. Tenten is not pregnant. But I suppose it could happen. That's what happens when you're off having sex all the time. Lolz. But they're awesome suggestions, I will be using them. :)

This Is My Destiny


Chapter Ten

Gaara didn't want to announce how excited he was that Sakura was leaving and taking her baby with her. Tenten was sad, but didn't betray it; instead, she and Sakura hugged tightly at the curb before Sakura and baby got into the taxi cab and drove off to the airport.

Waving until the taxi turned the corner, Tenten smiled up at Gaara who shook his head.

"About time," he muttered.

"You hate kids that much?" she asked, turning around to head back into the building. Gaara closed his eyes as if trying to fend off a headache along with a painful memory.

"Sakura was fine, it was that creature…"

Tenten had to chuckle. "One day you'll have some of your own, then you might feel differently."

"You know, your nonchalance really freaks me out."

"Maybe there's something I'm not telling you," she teased as she pressed the call button for the elevator. As she glanced at Gaara with laughter in her eyes, she noticed his pale demeanor and serious expression.

Gaara stepped up to her to wait for the elevator and pursed his lips in disbelief.

"Don't even joke about that."

--

The movie didn't start for another hour and their tickets were burning holes in their pockets. Sasuke rolled his eyes, perfectly content with sitting quietly and waiting for the movie to start, but Naruto insisted that they wander around the mall to kill that time.

"I hate the mall, Naruto, why do we need to be here?"

"Because it's attached to the theater, we have an hour to kill, I'm starving and could really go for some ramen and…" The blond trailed off for a moment as he thought in earnest. "Oh! Sakura's birthday is coming up! We can look for a present to get her!"

"We?"

"Well, you're here with me, you might as well," Naruto reasoned. Sasuke frowned.

"She's your friend, not mine."

"Whatever happened to 'what's mine is yours' in a relationship?" Naruto questioned with an eyebrow raised. Sasuke shrugged.

"When it comes to your friends, the only ones I'll acknowledge are Gaara, Shikamaru and Tenten."

"Why?"

"Because they're not crazy like you."

"You love me," Naruto argued.

"You keep reminding me," Sasuke muttered. "One of you is enough. I can't handle more than that."

"So I guess there won't be offspring from my side in our future then, eh?" Naruto said nonchalantly. Sasuke didn't know whether to smack him or laugh in disbelief.

Instead, he sighed. "You know whatever you get her you have to ship in the mail."

"So?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. Sasuke shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I'm just telling you. Don't get her something so ridiculously big that you can't afford the shipping cost. That would be something just like you to do."

"Shut up, Sasuke," Naruto said, sticking out his tongue. His attention was caught.

"Ooh!" the blond cried, pointing. Sasuke begrudgingly let his eyes follow Naruto's pointing finger and he groaned.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all! It'll be light and easy to ship! Let's at least go look, okay?!" Naruto dragged Sasuke by the arm into the jewelry store.

"You're kidding me," Sasuke protested under his breath. As soon as they'd stepped inside the store, a buxom middle-aged woman headed their way, a smile on her face. The smell of her reached them first, as her cheap floral perfume entwined itself around them. Sasuke controlled the urge to gag.

"Hello, gentlemen, can I help you with something today? Gifts for a girlfriend? Spouse?"

Naruto's eyes glinted with mischief as he turned and looked up at Sasuke. "I don't know, honey…want something shiny?"

Sasuke glared at him. "You're a moron."

Naruto grinned at the woman whose nametag read "Blanche."

"Sorry, Blanche, looks like my 'girlfriend' doesn't want anything. However, I do have a friend with a birthday coming up."

If Blanche was fazed at all by the exchange that had just taken place, she did not show it. Immediately, she returned to saleswoman mode. "Of course! Tell me about this friend and their interests and we'll see if we can find you something they might like."

"Well, she's my age, uhh…she's a new mom and she works really hard. Her husband's missing a few screws upstairs if you get the picture…She just deserves something nice, is all."

Sasuke shook his head. "I can't believe this. Sakura's going to kill you."

"For giving her jewelry for her birthday?" Naruto asked, incredulous. "I think she'd love me."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto was visibly shaken as he pulled Sasuke a step away by his shirt sleeve. "You said you were over that," he whispered, his heart heavy.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I'm just playing dirty because you forced me in here. I'll go wait outside." Sasuke started to head for the exit when Naruto grabbed and held firmly to his lover's elbow.

"No, help me find something," Naruto demanded as he stared Sasuke down. Behind them, Blanche waited patiently.

"Now, your friend, are you close? Would a necklace be too much, or is she more of a bracelet kind of lady?"

"She works in a dentist's office," Sasuke said quietly to Naruto. "She doesn't need a bracelet. It's dangerous."

Naruto smiled faintly at Sasuke's cooperation and squeezed his forearm affectionately before letting go and focusing on Blanche's makeup-caked smiling face.

"A necklace would be better."

"Come over here then, young man, we have a lovely selection of necklaces just next to these ring sets."

Naruto followed her over to the necklaces and glanced to the left over the sparkling rings in the showcase. He smiled softly, wondering if there would ever be a day when he'd wear one. Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not.

He glanced back at Sasuke, who stood leaning against a showcase with his arms crossed, completely uninterested. Nope. Definitely not.

"Sasuke, come here and help me pick something!" he demanded, pouting. Blanche smiled.

"You know, love, maybe he's jealous that you're buying something for your friend and not him?" she whispered. Naruto blushed slightly but offered a smile.

"Maybe. I doubt it. He doesn't do the jewelry thing."

"Not even a ring?"

Naruto was caught off guard by her boldness.

"I…" he stuttered, blushing harder. Blanche felt the heat coming off his face and smiled gently.

"How long have you been together?"

"Since high school," Naruto said quietly. "But…I never really thought about-"
"It creeps up on people, I think. There's a right time for everything, though. If you feel it's your time, go for it. Don't hold back. You only live once, right, honey?"

Naruto's eyes swam with love for the woman in front of him. Never in his life before had he met a stranger who was so open and accepting towards his relationship with another man.

"…Right," he said softly. Blanche winked as Sasuke stepped up next to Naruto.

"What do you need my help for?" he growled under his breath. Blanche stepped away for a moment.

"I'll let you two look things over and be back to check on you in a minute," she said softly before walking over to another showcase where a woman was looking at pendants.

Sasuke frowned. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," Naruto said, his smile widening. "Help me pick something."

"This is stupid," Sasuke complained as Naruto pointed at a couple of necklaces.

"Do you think she'd wear gold or silver?" the blond asked, his lips pursed in question. Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't care."

"Of course you don't. Well, what do you like better?" Naruto questioned. "For yourself."

"What do you care? I don't wear jewelry; you know that, dobe."

"Yeah, but, if-"
"Don't 'if' me, Naruto. I see your mind working. There's smoke coming out of your ears."

Naruto scowled. "Fine, I'll pick something for her myself, and nothing for you. Yet."

"Yet?" Sasuke replied, raising an eyebrow. "Don't go getting any ideas," he warned.

"Blanche!" Naruto called to the woman who was now wiping fingerprints off the showcases with a rag and some spray cleaner.

"Yes, my dear, have you decided?"

"Yeah, I want that one," he said, pointing to a simple gold chain with a heart pendant that read "#1 Mom" at the end. "Can you gift wrap it, too?"

"You moron, do you even know how much it is?" Sasuke muttered. "It could be expensive."

"Which is why I stole your credit card to pay for it," Naruto replied softly. Sasuke's eyes widened as he grabbed for his wallet.

Naruto grinned and winked at Blanche, who selected a box to wrap the necklace in.

Sasuke stormed out of the store, his patience alleviated. Blanche completed the transaction, handed Naruto the bag and squeezed his hand affectionately. "Good luck, sweetie. I'm here when you make your decision."

Naruto offered her an emotional smile. "Thank you," he said. "I can't explain it."

"Take care."

"You too," Naruto said, flashing her a toothy grin as he left the store, swinging the bag in his hand.

Sasuke frowned as soon as he was back in step with the blond. "You didn't take my credit card, it's still in my wallet," he argued. Naruto grinned.

"Duh. You'd kill me if I spent your money. Now come on, let's go get some ramen!"

Sasuke sighed heavily and followed Naruto as he sped off to the food court.

--

The clouds were not that interesting that afternoon during lunch, but Shikamaru found his mind racing with ideas anyway.

Temari had not left his mind since the moment she'd walked away from him, but it was this day in particular that she seemed to dominate more than ever.

He had to do something. He had to get her back. What was her favorite food? He could make her dinner…or get Tenten to make dinner and then somehow he could convince Temari that he'd made it…but she wasn't an idiot. She knew better than that. Besides…didn't Neji teach Tenten how to cook? So what if Neji had been cooking for Temari and Tenten happened to make the same thing for her? It was possible.

Shikamaru frowned, his hands behind his head, ignoring the chill that had set in as fall approached. Okay, so cooking may have been out…what about jewelry? No, that was the standard "I'm sorry, I love you, please forgive me" kind of gift. Flowers? Temari wasn't a flower kind of girl.

What about sky diving? She was into thrilling adventure-type stuff. But what did skydiving have to do with 'I can't live without you, please take me back'?

He groaned and sat up, shook the blood back into his arms and ignored the pins and needles that prickled all the way down his fingers.

"Why don't I just tell her the truth?" he asked himself.

"What, that you love her and miss her and can't live without her? Really, that's the best way to go." Tenten stood in the doorway of the entrance to the roof, her hands on her hips as she opened the door the rest of the way and walked over to join him.

"Time to go back?" he asked, annoyed at how short his lunch break had seemed.

"Few minutes. But seriously, just tell her how you feel. Don't write it down, don't try and sing it to her, because that's lame."

Shikamaru had to laugh. It was lame. And sure, he could sing…a little. Okay, maybe he could. He just didn't. And wouldn't. Not for anyone.

"So what, I just…go to her work and tell her I love her, need her, miss her, want her?"

"And so on and so forth," Tenten said, nudging him with her elbow. "But maybe go to her work and take her out for dinner. Or at least a drink. Somewhere quiet, though."

"The thing with Neji is over for sure though, right?" Shikamaru asked, raising his eyebrows.

Tenten nodded confidently. "I asked Gaara. Temari and he had been talking about it at the party in private. She's finished with him. She thinks he's an idiot. Too full of himself. That, and he doesn't kiss like you do."

Shikamaru felt a stabbing pain in his heart, but at the same time, a swelling of his ego.

He pursed his lips and leaned back on his still-tingling hands. "She talked to her brother about Neji's kissing skills versus mine?"

Tenten shrugged. "They seem to be quite open with each other about that sort of thing. Apparently Temari knows quite a bit about me now," Tenten said with distaste. "But she's right about one thing."

"What?"

"You are the better kisser. Not to say Neji's bad, because he definitely isn't, but you…I don't know, you've got a little something extra," she said with a smirk.

"You remember that?" he asked, incredulous. A while back when Neji and Tenten had still been together, she and Shikamaru had kissed on stage during a recital where their characters had played forlorn lovers.

"Of course I do. Neji wouldn't let it go for weeks."

Shikamaru shook his head, but at the same time was a little puffed up from being considered a better kisser than the Hyuuga.

"Still. The idea of Temari talking to Gaara…at least about stuff like that, is a huge drag."

"Yet…we can't help but adore them."

"Adore?" Shikamaru asked, getting up and helping Tenten to her feet. "Really? You'd use such a word on him?"

Tenten blushed. "Maybe not. …But I think I should warm up to some sort of idea like that. I am calling him my boyfriend now, you know."

"I didn't know," Shikamaru replied with a half-smile. "Is this good news or 'we're not sure' news?"

"I…don't even know. We're just kinda…doing the trial run thing. He's never had a serious relationship, and my last…was with Neji."

"So neither of you have had a serious relationship with a mature adult, then," Shikamaru joked as they headed back inside. Tenten smirked.

"Yes, I suppose that's true. I'm still…getting used to the title."

"Takes awhile," Shikamaru agreed. "But you will. Remember, if he's horrible to you…I'll get someone to kill him."

"Too lazy to do it yourself?" she asked with a laugh. Shikamaru shook his head.

"No way, you troublesome woman. I'm trying to win back his sister, and you think she'll take me if I kill her little brother? You're nuts."

"So…what are your plans then?"

"For Temari? Just what you suggested. I'll take her out and tell her how I feel."

"Don't leave anything out, okay? Seriously. This is your last chance, you know."

Shikamaru looked at the ground, then at his hands before quietly replying, "I know…"

"I know how much you love her," Tenten said softly, "Don't screw this up."

----

Note: Fun fact! Showtaro Morikubo, Shikamaru's seiyuu on the show, is a successful J-rock singer.

SUGGESTIONS STILL APPRECIATED! (Both Seths, I'm looking at you.)