A/N: Oh yeah, I'm back! It was an extreme touch and go with how damn busy school's kept me, but here it is!
BUT, first things first… Thank you SO MUCH for all those absolutely heart-swelling reviews! (sends HUGE hugs all over) You guys can't even imagine how much it means to me you've liked this lil' story of mine so much this far!
Okay, because I'm pretty sure you'd like to get going already… Here we go – chapter May! I REALLY hope this turned out okay, although I was forced to type this in absolutely insane hours of nighttime!
(Oh yes… The song in this chapter is 'You and me' from Lifehouse. Me no own, you no sue.)
May
Sasuke's head was beginning to hurt while she sat in Tsunade's office, with only a table separating them. She grit her teeth with a painful force.
Yes, she understood that these weekly… 'evaluative sessions', as Tsunade called them, were necessary for estimating her loyalty and state of mind – hell, with how badly she'd betrayed Konoha, this was far too gentle. But it nonetheless annoyed her to no end to be forced to sit here for hours every bloody week. She didn't have time for this!
" So…", Tsunade – who seemed oddly distracted, as she had for weeks now – mumbled, scrabbling something to her papers. " How are things going between you and Naruto?"
She felt like biting her tongue, and could've sworn a flash was seen in her eyes as they swept towards the window. " Fine." For one, forbidden moment her thoughts lingered on the kiss Naruto had given her. She'd never bothered telling Tsunade about it – or about how many times she'd gazed longingly towards Konoha's gates since in hopes of escaping all hurt, for the matter. " We haven't killed each other yet."
She could've sworn Tsunade rolled her eyes while once more writing down something. There was yet another long bout of silence before she spoke. " You've been spotted nearby Konoha's gates for several times. Would you care to explain why that is?" Her eyebrow then crooked. " You're not thinking about leaving again, are you?"
She looked away once more with a bitter laughter. " It's not like I ever could, no matter how much I wanted to." And there was no way she could stay, either. How amusing – and incredibly pathetic.
Tsunade's eyes (she could tell even without looking) were hard when glancing towards her. " You have many reasons to stay now, Sasuke", she remarked, and she knew the woman glanced towards her bump. The older one's tone became even icier. " You'll have to be smart and loyal now – for all four of your sakes. I won't watch you hurt any of them."
Sasuke could just barely restrain another tart laughter.
If only that decision was in my hands…
She was almost surprised by how little she saw the soon sounding knock coming. Turning her head, she saw Shizune stood by the doorway. There was a troubled look upon the young woman's face. " Lady Tsunade, you should come. It's about Miyako."
Something flashed by Tsunade's face, and it took a while before the woman recovered enough to look at her. " I'm afraid I'll have to go now. But you need to promise me you'll think through what I said." She simply nodded, not trusting any words to come out right. Tsunade returned the gesture. " Good. In that case, I'll see you next week."
Shino had never experienced such guilt he did when cleaning up one of the wounds on Miyako's face. Although he worked as gently as humanly possible, he felt her shudder slightly with pain. " You should tell me who did this to you", he all but hissed. " They'd receive a proper punishment."
To his shock, she shook her head, extremely sad look in her eyes. " It's not their fault, Shino-kun. With what I am… They have every right to hate me."
He shook his head as firmly as he possibly could, blinking against the hotness that filled his eyes. " They don't, not when you haven't done absolutely anything wrong. They don't even know you." He gave a deep sigh. " It's my duty to protect you. I failed."
Despite everything, the girl chuckled half-heartedly. " I'm not a mission, Shino-kun. You have no obligations concerning me, and you most certainly can't watch over me at all times. And I don't want you to, either. I'm not a child."
His movements paused for a beat as he itched to reveal how much more than just a mission she was to him, how much protecting her mattered to him. But the words sounded lame in his ears, so he kept his quiet and went back to work, his hands moving on her skin even more cautiously and tenderly than before.
A comfortable silence lingered between them.
¨
Through a huge window that appeared as a mirror on the other side, Iruka woke up from his thoughts to the sound of Tsunade's voice. " So those idiots attacked her?"
He nodded, eyes flashing with an array of emotions. " They caught up with her when she sneaked out of this building to take a look around. They stated – with quite colourful language – that they have no desire to tolerate another demon, let alone Orochimaru's daughter, in our village." Casting a quick glance to side, he found the woman approaching with Shizune. " Fortunately, I showed up before anything more severe could happen. She's scratched and shaken, but alright."
He was almost sure he heard a huge sigh of relief. " Thank goodness…" It sounded like Tsunade had been talking more to herself than him or Shizune. " If something had happened to her…" Her voice died out.
As much as he would've wanted to ask what she'd been about to say, he knew it wasn't his place to interfere. After a brief silence, he found his voice working once more. " Look, Lady Tsunade… You've seen how these people treat Naruto, even after all these years and after everything he's done for the village. And Miyako… She's ten times worse in their eyes. They'll never accept her." He looked at her with questioning eyes. " What are we going to do with her? We can't keep her locked up in here forever!"
Something strange appeared into Tsunade's eyes. " I know." With that, she began to leave. " Apparently, she has all the care she needs right now. I have other responsibilities to take care of."
Watching the woman walk away, he frowned deeply. " Where's she going?"
Shizune emitted a deep sigh. " She's troubled. Where do you think she'd be going?"
He knew the answer, and felt a slash of sadness.
To Jiraiya's grave – to the only person who could guide her, even now.
Silence lingered as they went back to watching the couple inside the room, both deep in thought.
Shikamaru had been through many missions, several of them so dangerous that they'd make even the sturdiest of ninjas miss a couple of heartbeats. But never in his life – not even when he'd heard Temari was pregnant, or when he'd told about it to his mother – had he been as terrified as he was right now, stood behind a door he wouldn't have dreamt of facing even in his worst nightmares.
He wasn't entirely sure of for how long he'd been standing there, when a much too familiar voice almost caused him to jump right out of his skin. " Are you about to knock, or do you just intend to stand there and then run away like a coward? Because I'm warning you, this has already been a long day, and my patience is running very, very short."
Slowly, and with more reluctance than he remembered ever feeling, he turned around and swallowed thickly upon facing Gaara's eyes. " H – Hey." Inwardly, he winced at the shuddering tone. It was humiliating enough to feel like a damn five-year-old. Did he have to sound like one, too?!
Even a trace of expression couldn't be seen changing upon the other's face. " Is this a social call, or did you actually have something in mind?"
He gulped once more. This was the moment of truth. " I… have something… important to ask you." Miraculously, there was a tiniest hint of firmness in his tone. Perhaps this wouldn't be a complete disaster, after all.
Oh, who the hell was he kidding?
Gaara gave a deep, exasperated sigh, then gestured towards the door. " Maybe we should go inside, then. This sounds like a private matter." The redhead's face gained a dry look when the boy spotted the look of horror plastered to his face. " I'm not going to kill you, you know?"
Despite those words, he shuddered when moving out of the way to allow Gaara to the room, then following suit with deep reluctance.
I wouldn't be so sure about that once you hear what I have to say…, he mused darkly.
The silence that lingered for the next few moments – with he sitting in a chair right before Gaara's trembling (which, thank heavens, didn't show), and the redhead half-glaring at him, tapping impatient fingers against the table's wood – felt absolutely smothering. Finally, the village's leader seemed to have enough of the situation. " In case you haven't managed to figure as much on your own, I'm quite busy, so if you'd please get to the business…"
" I came to ask for your permission to marry Temari." It came out so swiftly and uncontrollably that he nearly ended up swallowing his tongue, but pressed on nonetheless. " We'd like to get married before the baby's born and we're underage, so…" He trailed off, and realized that he was holding his breath while observing Gaara's changing expression.
First came extreme disbelief, then something he identified as either amusement or slowly building up rage. It took far longer than he would've bared to wait before Gaara spoke in a smooth, dangerous tone. " Exactly what makes you think I'd ever give you such a permission?"
Shikamaru felt himself seethe with frustration, but he wasn't discouraged – after all, he'd expected this much of resistance. Besides, Gaara hadn't launched one of his deadly techniques at him yet. That had to be a good sign, right? " Because Temari's carrying my child." Seeing the hazardous look upon Gaara's face, he was hasty to elaborate. " I want to take care of them both. I… want her to be my family, okay?" Couldn't Gaara see how damn hard it was for him to speak out those words, how freakin' awkward he was feeling?! (Most likely yes, he figured.)
Gaara was silent for a torturously long time, observed him with a thoughtful expression. " Do you love her?"
The question hit him like a punch right across the face, and he sat paralyzed for a mighty while, simply staring at Gaara. In the end, a pathetic, childish wheeze erupted. " Y – yeah. I do. A lot."
Gaara nodded slowly, and was yet again silent for so long it nearly drove him insane. Eventually, the redhead's eyes swept sideways. " Kankurou, you can come out of hiding now."
After a moment, Kankurou stepped into view through a door Shikamaru hadn't even noticed, a bizarre, almost sheepish look upon his face. " I wasn't eavesdropping or anything…"
Gaara didn't seem to pay too much attention. " Could you get me certain documents? I believe you know which ones I'm talking about."
The look that rose to Kankurou's face was already amusing enough, but the one upon Shimakaru's was absolutely priceless. The Sand-brothers were almost sure the genius' eyes would bulge right out of their sockets. " You… You're actually…" He gulped thickly before managing the next words. " Thank you!"
" I wouldn't thank just yet." Gaara's voice sounded flat and dry, but there was also a sprinkle of something else in it. " You do realize what happens if you ever hurt her, let alone the child, no?"
His head was spinning so badly that he barely registered the words. " Y – yeah, of course. Sure." He stood up so abruptly he nearly knocked off his chair. " E – excuse me." With that, he sprinted off.
As the door closed, a look of mirth appeared to Kankurou's face. " Now there's a truly brave Shinobi", he remarked.
" Yeah. He passed the test." A smallest grin appeared to Gaara's face. " He'll be a great match for Temari."
His expression never wavering, Kankurou begun to make his way towards the door through which he'd entered. Just before he was out, he paused once more. " I'm just curious… Were you serious about that threat you gave him?"
Gaara gave him a look that was impossible to read. " You know I don't kid around, Kankurou."
Kankurou's smirk widened. " She's seriously softened you up, hasn't she?"
Gaara was obviously deeply embarrassed by the faint flush that appeared to his face. " Just get those papers, will you?"
¨
As soon as he was in the hallway, Shikamaru leaned heavily against a wall, finally daring to let out a massive sigh of relief as everything begun to slide into place.
He was still alive. He was uninjured. Gaara had actually given him the permission. He was…
His eyes widened as it finally sunk in. " Holy damn!"
He was going to get married!
Sasuke had managed to escape from thinking about the kiss she and Naruto had shared for a time that felt endless. But after that morning's conversation with Tsunade… Her head was yet again torn to thousands of annoyingly painful shards.
Approaching Naruto's apartment (which she now almost called home, although only deep down), she found her hand brushing her bump, which had grown significantly during the past few weeks. Tsunade's voice resounded in her ears.
/ " You have many reasons to stay now, Sasuke." /
Her dark eyes narrowed.
If only those reasons had been enough to grant her a one more chance…
Firmly pushing those thoughts aside, she opened the door (which she hadn't even noticed had been approaching), and entered. She frowned upon realizing that Naruto was still in bed. " Idiot, what are you still doing sleeping?" she inquired with skilfully created annoyance that masked all worry. " You were supposed to get up two hours ago!"
She found her chest squeezing into a small, tight ball as she reached the bedroom-door, and discovered Naruto trashing around in his bed and mumbling something, judging by the tinge on his cheeks in grips of quite a bit of fever.
She sighed heavily as she approached him with some hesitation and laid her hand gently to his forehead. It was scorching. (She didn't notice that as soon as her skin brushed his, Naruto relaxed completely.) " You idiot…", she murmured, resisting the desire to ruffle his messy blonde locks. " What did I tell you about training in rain?"
She just managed to keep herself from jumping backwards with startle when Naruto suddenly moved once more, leaning against her touch and graphing a firm hold of her wrist. " 'ske…", the blonde murmured ever so softly. A small smile upon his face, the boy opened his hazy, barely coherent eyes halfway, peering up at her. " Y' 'lly her'?"
Goodness, how her chest (or whole body, to be more exact) convulsed at those words! " Yeah, dobe. I'm here." Unable to fight off the desire for another second, she found her hand graphing a oddly tender hold of Naruto's. " Now go back to sleep – I'm not about to tend for you if you manage to make your condition any worse than this. I'll give you something hot to drink and food when you wake up, okay?"
Despite fever, Naruto's eyes sparkled. " R'men?"
She gave him a sour look. " No, idiot. Ramen won't do you any good, you've gotta know that by now." Seeing the pleading look in his cloudy eyes, she sighed in defeat. " Fine. So long as you don't make me eat it – I don't want the twins to get hooked on that cursed stuff already at this point."
Naruto beamed. " 'anks."
Seeing Naruto close his eyes and settle down once more, she decided to leave – to get away from this painful situation as fast as possible. But apparently, the knucklehead had other plans. She emitted a growl of ache and frustration when feeling the hand entrapping his squeeze tighter. " What now, dobe?"
Naruto's foggy eyes opened just slightly once more. " Stay 'ith me?"
Her heart nearly froze at those words, as for a tiniest of moments, she wondered if in some miraculous way the boy knew. But then, she quickly shook off such a thought – after all, this was Naruto. That realization, however, didn't make the feelings inside her any more pleasant, and she had to close her eyes to conceal emotions as she nodded faintly. " Of course, you idiot. Now sleep."
Naruto's eyes slid closed once more. " 'astard."
Sucking in deep, desperate breaths, she found herself staring at Naruto's face for a mighty while, a searing sensation sneaking into her eyes. After a longest moment, she finally managed to convince herself into moving away. She was beyond grateful for Naruto's tendency to sleep deeply as she ripped herself free of his hold and begun to sprint away in a very un-Uchiha-like manner.
She'd need a long, long walk, for the sake of her sanity.
Sakura's mind was still somewhat sleepy as she left Lee's room through a window, and began to make her way towards the hospital. Yet again, she cursed her own stupidity for staying up until the crack of dawn.
All fatigue, however, became washed away when her slightly bleary eyes detected something amongst nearby trees. There, a very familiar figure was sitting on sun-warmed ground before a lone, plain wooden cross that seemed lonely and abandoned when separated from all other graves. " Sasuke-kun?"
As it appeared the raven hadn't heard her, she took her chance and approached. As always, her skin crawled and a painful sensation came to her belly when she red the name on the cross.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Sasuke had been back for months already. Why the hell had no one removed that yet?
Silence must've lasted for a long time before she spoke again. " What are you doing here?"
The Uchiha's eyes – which, if possible, seemed even darker than usually – gained an oddest look. " It's easy to think here", the raven explained in a voice that held so many uncontrollable emotions none of them could be identified.
She clicked instantly. " This is about Naruto, right?" She darted an accusing look towards the other. " You still haven't told him, have you?"
Sasuke's eyes flashed with what can only be called pain. At that moment, apparently, the raven lost all control. " How the hell am I supposed to, Sakura? How am I going to tell him that I'm going to leave him again, that I'll dump twins into his hands and slip away?"
She sighed, fighting the urge to graph the other girl's hand. " Then what are you going to do?"
Black locks fell to shield Sasuke's face as the girl looked downwards, clenching her fists. " Whatever I have to in order to keep him far enough."
She smiled sadly. " I'm afraid it's already a bit too late for that." Futilely she tried to meet the other's eyes. " Both of you deserve a chance to love and to be happy, no matter how little time that happiness would get to last. You do know that there's nothing wrong with making the most out of the time you have left, right?"
She couldn't read anything from Sasuke's dark eyes as the girl pushed herself up with a speed that must've made her dizzy. " I need to go now." With that, the raven started to walk away – only to pause after few steps. " Sakura… Thank you."
She shuddered, a nasty feeling of déjà vu striking. " Anytime, Sasuke-kun." Her eyes kept looking towards the direction to which the raven was disappearing long after the other was already gone.
" Sakura?" She jumped at the sudden sound of Ino's voice. Turning her head, she found the blonde looking at her with a worried expression. " What are you crying for?"
Wiping the moist from her cheek with a slightly trembling hand, she skilfully faked a smile. " I just got something into my eye." Ignoring Ino's sceptical look, she got up and started to walk on. " Our shift's about to start. Let's go."
Ino rolled her eyes. " You just love bossing me around, don't you?"
This time, the tiny grin that appeared was a genuine one. " Of course I do." It was then she spotted something on the blonde's neck. For a moment her eyes widened, after which she lost control over the laughter wanting to erupt. " Ino, that thing on your neck… Is it a hickey?!"
Eyes momentarily widening, Ino pressed a hand against the bruise, then growled. " Weren't we supposed to have work to do?"
(1) Days scrolled by deviously rapidly, and in a mere blink it was the last of May.
Naruto blinked somewhat sluggishly while waking up from his slumber, for a moment confused as to where exactly he was. Soon enough, however, his thoughts became slightly more coherent, and he yawned and stretched, convincing his still sleepy mind into wakefulness.
Suddenly – as though a lightning from a clear sky – a horrifying realization struck him, and his eyes flew wide.
Shikamaru and Temari's wedding day!
" Oh crap!" he growled while jumping out of the bed. " They're gonna kill me!"
He sprinted out of the room – only to freeze immediately, blinking under a surge of emotions.
On the couch, Sasuke was sitting and reading a thick book, wearing a dark-blue dress Sakura and Ino had persuaded (or perhaps threatened) her into buying. The raven's hand was most likely instinctively placed to her visibly swelled belly, and Naruto was sure the girl didn't know she was humming barely audibly.
He couldn't keep a small grin from appearing to his face.
No matter how ridiculous he felt for such a though, he mused that he could very well imagine waking up to something like this forever.
Not lifting her eyes from the book, Sasuke spoke. " I figured you'd sleep in, dead-last. I made you some breakfast so we'll have at least some hope of not appearing there late."
He nodded, absolutely speechless by such an uncharacteristic act of kindness from the Uchiha, then begun to walk towards the table where a plate was waiting. On his way, he already reached out a hand in a desperate, overwhelming desire to touch the girl, but then changed his mind. He'd made enough of damage with that stupid kiss. He couldn't take the risk of pushing Sasuke even further.
As he took a hold of his platehe felt a sudden need to say something, anything that would've ended this cursed, smothering silence between them. He gulped, barely daring to look at Sasuke. " Hey, teme…" He chewed the inner side of his left cheek. In the end, only one pathetic word willed its way out. " Thanks."
He could've sworn he saw Sasuke's eyes flash with something dark, although the girl didn't allow even a slightest fragment of emotion to her pale face. " Just eat, idiot. We're already late as it is", the raven ordered in an unfamiliar tone while turning yet another page of her book.
Falling into an old habit, he scoffed. " Geez, bastard. So kill me for trying to be polite!"
Somehow, he felt extremely relieved when spotting the thin trace of nearly showing tiny smile upon the girl's face.
Silence fell.
About an hour later in a small chapel, Chouji's eyes were filled with genuine concern as he watched Shikamaru stood next to the altar, and discovered that the brunette was gasping desperately, just about hyperventilating. " Hey, man, you've gotta breathe!" he instructed, laying a supportive hand to the other's shoulder. " You're gonna pass out if you keep doing that. Just relax, will you?"
Shikamaru darted him a venomous look. " You try getting married without a care in the world!"
Just then, music begun to play. And as soon as the doors leading to the chapel were opened, he just saw all Shikamaru's fear fade away.
¨
Ever since his proposal, Shikamaru had been imagining this day (although he would've never admitted it). But none of what he'd came up with could've possibly measured up with reality.
He paid no attention to Gaara, who was leading his sister forward, or to the threatening look upon the redhead's face. All he saw was Temari, who's elegant light-blue dress did miracles with hiding her mightily swelled belly. The sight caused him to lose even the very last of his wits, and he swallowed laboriously.
Asuma-sensei, wish me luck, will you?
Too impatient to wait, he found himself taking two steps towards the approaching siblings. Temari's eyes filled with amusement at his antics. At that moment, his fearful gaze strayed towards Gaara's face. For a moment, the redhead looked at him with extremely hard eyes – until there was a faintest of nods.
She's yours now.
And then, Temari's hand was given to him.
For a moment, he stared at the other with disbelief-filled eyes, until he finally managed a shaky nod.
Thank you.
His mind was worked up enough to hinder him from noticing that they were approaching the altar until they were already there, facing a grinning Tsunade. " Are you kids ready for this?" Receiving two firm nods she begun the ceremony. " It is one of life's richest surprises when the accidental meeting of two life paths lead them to proceed together along the common path as husband and wife. It is one of life's finest experiences when a casual relationship grows into a permanent bond of love. This meeting and this growth bring us together today." Her smile widened just a bit. " Temari and Shikamaru, will you take vows here before all of us which symbolize the manifested vows you have already made and will continue to make to each other throughout your lives?"
She couple grinned brightly while taking each other's hands. " We will", they stated in perfect unison.
Temari swallowed a bit, and Shikamaru could've sworn she shuddered just a little before she went on in a completely steady voice that carried absolutely no doubt. " I, Temari, take you, Shikamaru, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquillity, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know, in all the ways that life may find us."
For a longest moment, Shikamaru simply stared at Temari's face, completely paralyzed by marvel, until the girl whispered, seeming annoyed and amused. " It's your turn, you know?"
Everyone present chuckled as he blinked rapidly before managing to find his voice. And suddenly, all hesitation had disappeared. " I, Shikamaru, take you, Temari, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquillity, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know, in all the ways that life may find us."
Temari flashed him a bright grin, and he was almost sure he felt a squeeze on his hand.
It was then they realized it was time to exchange rings. Shikamaru turned his head, and a look of fright and threat rose when he found Chouji rummaging through his pockets fervently.
PLEASE, don't tell me he…
But just then, a huge smirk of relief rose to the other male's face, and two simple, yet extremely beautiful rings were passed their way.
Tsunade visibly swallowed down a breathe of relief before speaking. " The circle is the symbol of the sun, earth, and universe. It is the symbol of peace. Let this ring be the symbol of unity and peace in which your two lives are joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever you go, return unto one another and to your togetherness."
Shikamaru's fingers trembled just a little bit as he slipped the finger into Temari's finger. He was almost ridiculously happy to discover how smoothly it slid into place. " I give you this ring to wear upon your hand as a symbol of our unity in steadfast love."
Temari's eyes filled with uncharacteristic softness as she mimicked the gesture. " I give you this ring to wear upon your hand as a symbol of our unity in steadfast love."
It could've been because of sunlight radiating from outside or the smothering, intoxicating scent of flowers, but they could just see a moist shimmer in Tsunade's eyes. " You are mature people who have established individual patterns of living. Yet you have found not only a need for companionship, but the satisfaction of that need in each other's company. It is this love, based upon a responsible understanding, that will aid you in creating out of your two lives, a marriage and a happiness you will share together. Stand fast in hope and confidence, believing in yourself and believing in each other." Her eyes turned soft. " Inasmuch as you two have come before your friends and family and have declared your love and devotion to each other, I now greet you with them as husband and wife." She grinned somewhat sneakily. " Congrats, brats. You're now officially married."
Almost everyone in the room cheered as Shikamaru slammed his lips hungrily against Temari's and wrapped his arms practically possessively around her form that'd been swelled by pregnancy. After a very long moment they ran out of oxygen, and he leaned his forehead against hers, panting. " Damn, I'm glad it's over!"
Temari snickered. " Hell no", she declared. " This is just getting started." And to prove her point, she took her turn in assaulting his lips.
¨
Tsunade felt a painful tug in her chest as she watched the teens embracing each other.
Most of those from her generation – including she – and the ones following had ended up wasting all their chances for happiness.
Thank goodness it looked like this newest one wasn't about to repeat their mistakes.
¨
Despite all other urges, Sasuke found herself jolting as a warm, ever so slightly quivering hand of Naruto's suddenly found its way around hers. Before she could do a thing to stop it, her fingers tightened in a reflex.
She pushed herself up as other guests begun to leave, but never remembered to let go of Naruto's hand. " Let's go, dobe."
A wide grin spread across Naruto's face as he followed her out.
Perhaps there was still hope of everything working out, after all.
After an hour of so, the freshly wedded couple and guests had already moved on to the wedding-reception.
Stood in the middle of the dance floor, Temari grinned at her husband. " I suppose we should get this crap started, don't you think?"
Shikamaru groaned. " I'm warning you – I'm terrible at this."
Temari's smirk didn't falter. " I'm willing to take my chances."
What looked suspiciously lot like a grin upon his face, Shikamaru walked up to a cd-player. Soon enough, a song floated out.
/ What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time /
Temari burst out laughing. " I can't believe you picked this one!"
Shikamaru's cheeks turned bright red. " I lost a bet, okay? So sue me!"
Her grin from before widening still, Temari leaned forward and yet again slammed her lips demandingly against his. As soon as the soul-searing kiss was over, she leaned closer to his ear. " Spin me around, husband", she commanded in a teasing tone.
" You're seriously going to regret this, wife", Shikamaru announced somewhat grumpily, taking a tender hold on her.
She just smiled. " I know."
With that, they began their first dance together – as a married couple of anything else.
/ 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you /
A group consisting of Neji, TenTen, Kiba, Hinata, Ino, Sai and Chouji observed with extremely amused looks as the newly wedded couple started out their dance. " I'm ready to bet quite a bit of money on Shikamaru crushing Temari's feet", Kiba declared.
Ino snorted. " Pick something that's a bit harder to predict, dog boy." She pointed towards the couple. " They've danced for… what, ten seconds, and he's already stomped on her toes twice." She winced. " Make it thrice."
The others (well, save Sai, and surprisingly enough TenTen) burst out laughing.
Neji found a deep frown making its way to his features as he yet again glanced towards TenTen. She'd been unnaturally quiet and distracted for some weeks already, but tonight… Something seemed to be seriously wrong. His suspicions were now confirmed when she – instead of laughing along – begun to take her leave with an oddest expression. " I'll… go and get a drink", she muttered.
His senses tingling, he decided to follow. She seemed almost startled when discovering him as she took a mug of punch with a trembling hand. " N – Neji?"
Seeing her expression, he decided to cut the chase. " You've been acting strange for almost two weeks now, and you've been even weirder today. What's wrong?"
She tried to laugh, but it sounded anything but natural. " I just got emotional because of the wedding, that's all. There's nothing to worry about."
He felt almost hurt. " I was hoping you'd know me better than trying that by now", he remarked somewhat stiffly.
A look that reminded him of a trapped animal appeared to her face as she swallowed loudly. And it was then he noticed it. Were those… tears in her eyes? " Neji, my father…" She looked towards the mug in her hand, shivering visibly. " He… He said that it's bad enough Tsunade protects the Kyuubi-container. He… isn't about to let me stay in a village that accepts in two demons."
Neji was amazed he managed to conceal all the emotions those words inspired. " What… is he going to do?" he asked in a choked voice, deep in his heart already knowing the answer.
She still didn't look at him. It took for quite a while before she responded, and when she did, her voice was barely audible. " In a week or two… I'll be leaving, Neji. I'm going to a village quite far from here, to some relatives. And it's highly unlikely I'd ever return."
It took a long time before those words sunk in properly. And when they did, Neji felt his whole body become numb and hollow, almost like life and warmth had been sucked right out of him. Unfortunately, at the exact moment the numbness came, TenTen looked up, obviously desperately trying to find something, anything, from his eyes. Of course she couldn't know that he was feeling just too much to really feel anything at all.
He could've sworn he saw a broken look appearing into her eyes as she seemed to come to a conclusion. " I'm going home now. I don't want to ruin Shimaru and Temari's big day with moping around." So skilfully it nearly startled him, she faked a smile. " Tell them congratulations for me, will you?" With those words, she was already gone, the mug she'd been holding placed to a nearby table.
It wasn't until she'd already left did he make a very, very important discovery.
He didn't want her to leave. And if he was completely honest with himself…
He… couldn't bear the idea of her leaving.
He swallowed thickly while shivering a bit, blinking furiously against the burning of his eyes.
What the hell was he going to do?
/ All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here /
The rest of the group watched the scene with perplexed, surprised eyes. " Now what the heck was that about?" Kiba mused out loud.
Ino sighed deeply, shaking her head. " Nothing pretty, I'm sure." Then obviously pushing the thought aside, she turned her head towards Sai, a sly look upon her face. " But now… You still owe me that dance, remember?"
Kiba could've sworn he saw a faintest tinge of red upon Sai's cheeks as the boy lead Ino away without saying a word.
Once they were left alone, Kiba felt a sudden need to say or do something. Hinata had put so much time and effort into making it possible for him to walk again. The least he could do was give her one dance.
She gave him a deeply puzzled look as he offered her a hand. " K – Kiba-kun, w – what are you d – doing?"
He grinned. " Do you have any idea of how pathetic we'll look if we're the only ones not dancing?" His smirk widened just a bit. " C'mon, just this song."
¨
Hinata's poor heart felt like it'd been about to explode as Kiba's arms wrapped rather clumsily around her petite form, and as he pulled her closer she was sure the colour of her face was brighter red than ever before in her entire life. " K – Kiba-kun, a – are you s – sure about t – this?"
He smirked. " Sure I am. If everyone else is dancing, why shouldn't we? I've gotta warn you, though." The brunette's face gained a deeply apologetic look. " If Shikamaru's a bad dancer, I'm even worse. I've got three left feet instead of two."
Blushing even more than before, Hinata giggled a bit. " I – it's o – okay." She looked down with embarrassment. " I – I've never d – danced, either."
Kiba grinned, showing a part of his white teeth. " That's a relief."
After that, they danced in comfortable silence with both blushing slightly, neither paying any attention to how they kept violating each others' toes – or just how close to one another they were.
'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you /
Not too far away on the dance floor, Ino felt very much contented when leaning against Sai. She lifted her head (which had been resting against his shoulder) just enough to see his dark eyes. " So… Do you still think it was a bad idea to come here?"
As Sai was still practising emotions, it was hard to name the one appearing to his face. Actions, however, yet again spoke far more loudly than any words. Her heart fluttered so badly she was almost sure it'd jump out of her chest when he pressed a tiny, extremely swift kiss to her forehead. " No."
A huge, bright smirk she was powerless against came to her face. " That's good."
That was the first official, planned sign of affection in public he'd ever given her. And suddenly… She was even more hopeful than she'd been before.
¨
Sai's chest was also making unnatural movements as her hold on him tightened. His thoughts were sent flying thousand miles per hour.
He had no idea of what the emotions Ino stirred inside of him were. But of this he was sure.
He was most definitely willing to get to know them. It was well worth all the risks.
There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right /
With deep amusement and perhaps some melancholy, Kakashi, Aika and Iruka observed all the celebrating teens. " Do you remember how we always dreamt of our own wedding when we were in their age?" Iruka asked in a strange tone.
" Yeah", Aika stated dryly, rolling her eyes. " And I also remember how you nearly broke each others bones when fighting over which one of you boneheads would marry me."
" And you almost broke our bones in return to make us stop", Kakashi reminded, mirth evident in his visible eye.
As the three of them became lost into past in silence, they all came to the same conclusion.
It was sad they'd grown up so much and so fast.
Iruka was jolted quite harshly back into present upon spotting Kakashi move. His insides turned unnaturally cold when he noticed that the silver-haired had outstretched a hand towards Aika. " Well, now that we're not a bunch of idiotic kids anymore… How about a dance?"
Aika cast the copy-nin a warning look while accepting the hand. " So long as you don't have any perverted thoughts, Hatake." She then glanced towards Iruka, a somewhat guilty look in her eyes. " What about you?"
Although once upon a time Iruka had pretended a lot of emotions, it'd never been as hard to fake a smile as it was then. " I think I can manage on my own for a couple of minutes."
As he watched Kakashi hands taking a hold of Aika on the dance floor – almost like knowing exactly what to do – and the white-haired woman subconsciously lean just a little bit closer, Iruka came to a grim realization.
He'd never felt that much like an outsider before.
/ 'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
and me and all other people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you /
Sasuke (who was currently stood outside, just close enough to the building to hear the music) had always detested parties of all types. And especially now – with millions of thoughts and concerns spinning around in her mind – a hassle like this was the last thing she would've wanted or needed.
She shuddered barely traceably with surprise when Naruto suddenly stood beside her. " Here you are – I've been looking all over for you, bastard!" There was a questioning expression upon his face. " What's up? You looked like the weight of the world had been put to your shoulders."
Determinedly, she locked her gaze towards some unnamed spot in distance. " I've just been thinking, dobe", she replied curtly, hoping to shake off all questions with that.
She was too late to keep herself from jolting when Naruto's hand took a firm hold of hers. A slightly hurt expression rose to the blonde's face as he bit his lip. " Have I really screwed things up this badly with that bloody kiss?"
At that moment, she finally managed to summon enough of courage to voice what'd been on her mind since that fateful day. " Why did you kiss me?" It was unnaturally quiet, but she was sure Naruto heard her anyway. Once the damn had been broken, she managed to spit out an even more dangerous question. " Did you mean it?"
Gosh, it wasn't often she would've seen Naruto's blue eyes that terrified! It took what felt like ages before the blonde finally whispered. " So what… if I did?"
Her chest making an extremely painful move, she rapidly closed her eyes, almost sure she winced. " Damnit, dobe…" With that, she planned on walking away – but never got the chance.
She realized she was shivering violently as Naruto's determined arms wrapped around her, but came to discover that fortunately, the blonde seemed oblivious to it for now. " You've slipped away from me for bazillion of times already, bastard." She could've imagined it, but she was almost sure the boy's voice sounded choked. " There's no way in hell I'd let you get away from me again. I'm not letting go."
Completely unable to control the action, she turned around slowly and buried her face into his shoulder, desperate to hide her expression. " You stubborn moron…"
Naruto emitted what could've been a sob, chuckle or snort. " Just shut up and dance with me, bastard."
Squeezing her eyes shut painfully tightly, she held on and begun to follow Naruto's motions, acting completely against her nature with allowing him to take the lead.
She didn't want to let go, either.
Her grip on his clothes became tight, nearly desperate.
It was too bad she had no control over the matter.
She was beyond relieved Naruto was too worked up to notice the slight moisture appearing.
/ What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive /
For several months – maybe even years, who knew – Sakura hadn't had as much fun as she did that night. With Lee whirling her around one song after another, she felt all worries and shadows fade into distance.
For this one night, she could very well pretend that world was a perfect place, that there were no looming threats lingering.
Unfortunately, however, her blissful escape from reality was bound to be short.
A deep frown appeared to her face when she entered the ladies' room to find Temari, and spotted a look of deep discomfort upon the other's face. " Temari? What's wrong?"
The blonde emitted a deep growl, rubbing her huge belly. " I know those guys who took care of the catering were most likely professionals, but whatever they put into that damn food, my stomach or the little rascal's not liking it one bit. I've been having cramps for an hour and a half now."
Sakura felt colour drain from her face as she emitted a loud gasp. " How far apart are those… cramps?"
Temari glanced towards her, seeming suspicious. " About five minutes or so now. Why?" And then, it dawned on the blonde. Her eyes grew to a comical size. " Oh fuck…"
There was a sound of door opening, and after a moment Ino stepped in, blinking a bit upon seeing them. " Oh, so this one's full." She then frowned. " What's going on?"
Sakura's eyes remained on Temari. " Temari, I'm taking you to hospital with Ino, okay?" Receiving a dumbstruck nod, she turned her gaze towards Ino, a grin plastered to her face. " Ino, you'll better go and get Shikamaru. It looks like he's going to become a father tonight."
In the middle of darkness, Miyako's eyes flew open and gained a strangest colour as her slumber was interrupted by the softest of steps. The little snake she'd found just before entering Konoha hissed furiously while resting beside her pillow, prepared to defend her.
Fortunately, it appeared there was no reason for fret, as she soon heard Shino's familiar, comforting voice. " It's alright, it's just me", he reassured her. Turning her head, she found him slipping soundlessly through the room's door.
Had it been anyone else entering her room in the middle of the night, she would've been alarmed and prepared to defend herself. But ever since they'd came to Konoha, Shino had spent pretty much every night in her room – to guard her, he'd explained. She had nothing against such arrangement. They never did anything in particular (mostly Shino simply observed her or dozed on a mattress beside her bed while she slept), but after she'd spent so many years all alone, a company like this felt like a blessing. And truth to be told, she also found Shino's company quite… pleasant.
She smiled faintly while pushing herself into a sitting position. " Weren't you supposed to be at the wedding?"
The boy shrugged. " I left early. Parties have never been my thing." She was almost sure his eyes glanced towards her pet-snake with an odd look, but his face soon regained their usual expression. " Would you like to take a walk?"
That was another thing she would've considered extremely weird if suggested by anyone else. But during the past weeks, they'd made quite a number of midnight-strolls. They never talked too much during these walks, but with people like the two of them, that wasn't unexpected.
She nodded, and paid no mind to her rather light clothing after having known him for such a while. He turned away subtly so that she managed to get changed.
¨
After a moment, they were walking through the streets of sleeping Konoha, as per usual not saying much of a word.
It was when she realized that they were quite close to the gates through which she'd once arrived did she sense threat. Her eyebrows furrowed. " Shino-kun, why are you taking me here? You know I'm not allowed to leave this village."
" Yes, I do. But you shouldn't worry about that." The boy's voice sounded so strange that cold shivers travelled down her spine. " After all, you won't be walking away – you'll be taken."
At that moment, realization dawned, and she gasped.
Her lips opened, but before even a breath left them a horrendous, searing pain surged through her neck. Before the instant all light faded away, her mind managed to scream out one name.
' Shino!'
¨
Moonlight shone on a row of pearly teeth as the boy's arms caught her. " This is just too easy", a strange, gradually changing voice murmured.
A couple of blinks later, in Shino's place was stood a brown-haired woman, who observed the unconscious form in her arms with dangerous eyes.
Step one, completed.
Only about a minute later, the real Shino entered Miyako's room. All he found was curtains billowing in front of a wide-open window, and a furiously hissing tiny snake.
His eyes widened behind his glasses as he knew.
Oh no…
TBC??
1) I have absolutely no clue of how weddings are performed in Konoha, so… eh… I kinda had to swing it. I hope this didn't turn out to be too horrible!
Just to prevent any lawsuits and other nasty stuff, I DID NOT INVENT THE VOWS SOON APPEARING! I found them from internet. All credit for them to their original creators!
A/N: (shudders) So… The Akatsuki now seems to have its claws firmly on yet another Tailed Beast. And the romance-issues are twitching forward! Hooray! (I still can't believe Shikamaru and Temari are married!)
As I'm AGAIN running short of time, I've gotta take a hike now. But first… Please do review – especially if you spot mistakes or great deals of OCC:ness! Do I even have to mention how much hearing from you guys means to me?
Oh yeah, and the voting as to which one Aika should fall for is still on. This is a total cliché, but voting is the only way to make a difference, so… (glances hopefully)
Until next time, everyone!
Take care!
DeathRow609: (chuckles) With how many loyal readers this lil' fic seems to have, updating is my pleasure!
Enormous thank yous for reviewing – you have no idea of how glad I am you liked the chapter! 'Hope you'll stay tuned for more!
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VyseN: No worries, there will definitely NOT be a romantic relationship of any type for (even dead) Itachi for as long as I'm in charge of a fic! (cringes and nearly pukes at even the mere idea) I totally agree with you, it'd be a stomach-turning thing. Someone like Itachi (or this new Rin, for the matter) would never be capable of something like romance. So they indeed were nothing but comrades (if even that) who had… a fling as their urges sprung out of control.
(Btw, you can't even imagine how excited I was to discover you'd figured out the 'Rin-twist' – I love it when readers catch on!) (whirls around with joy)
Your vote for the triangle's been registered. Things are looking bright for KakaxOC right now. (grins) Thank you so much for helping me out!
Once more, thank you from the bottom of my heart for yet another astounding review – I'm completely beyond ecstatic and flattered you've liked this 'lil fic so much so far (not to mention to think that I manage to bring a smile to your face with updating)! 'Hope I'll keep seeing you around!
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Miah-Chan: (giggles) The suspension's really beginning to kick in, huh?
Massive thank yous for reviewing – goodness, how glad I am you liked the chapter! Stay tuned, yeah?
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Chibi-Chaaan: (chuckles) So I managed to sneak in a couple of nice 'lil surprises, huh?
Oooh yeah, Itachi indeed is a father – as is Orochimaru. (Geez, what a horrifying thought!) (sweatdrops) Apparently, the old geezer managed to snatch time from his… experiments and attempting reach eternal life to breed. (shudders)
Yet again, gigantic thank yous for reviewing! Stay tuned, and I swear to work my very hardest with updates!
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IceCreamXD: Natural talent? WOW – thank you SO MUCH! (huggies!) You have no idea of how much that comment flatters me, especially with all the annoying insecurities I've been having!
The Akatsuki's a real pain their s, eh? (growls loudly) Gosh, the gang (and especially our two beloved boneheads) has really been through quite a roller coaster, and it's not even over yet! (sweatdrops)
Again, massive thank yous for the review – and especially the compliment! I truly hope I'll be seeing you around!
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Numbing-Pain95: (Heh, so I'm not the only one completely clueless when it comes to the pairing-matter!)
WOW! Thank you so much for the absolutely flattering review, not to mention faving – you can't even imagine how glad I am you've liked so far! 'Hope you'll keep staying tuned for future updates!
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Kai's kitty: Don't worry about the delay. After all, you did review – isn't that all what matters? ('Hope you had a nice trip!)
GOSH, poor Sasu-chan and Naru-chan indeed! They've both faced so much pain, sadness and sorrow, and now that they're finally about to get some happiness, it's ripped away from them! (begins to bawl) I absolutely detest Pein right now!
(clears throat, sweatdropping) Okay, erh, not that I got that out of my system…
(giggles) I kinda figured that Shikamaru's parents wouldn't be too huge of an obstacle (even though Shika-chan's mom is a bit scary…) But Gaara definitely will be (or should I say, was) much more of trouble… (sweatdrops again) But I truly do agree with you. After all the suffering and loneliness he's faced, he definitely understands how valuable it is for a child to have a loving family, which is exactly what Temari and Shikamaru will give. (Gosh, I almost cry every time I watch the flashbacks of Gaara's past! It's absolutely heartbreaking!)
Yet again, HUGE thank yous for reviewing! See ya around, yeah?