Disclaimer; Don't own Naruto
Chapter 14
The Shadow and the Desert Rose
Sakura woke to sun filtering into her eyes. She was curled up against something warm and someone had taken the time to throw a blanket over her. She woke slowly, listening around her to familiar voices whispering to each other.
She sat up and stretched before turning back to see who she shared a bed with this time since the last thing she remembered was healing Genma before falling asleep.
Said Jounin was still sleeping beside her, looking a little healthier and showing no signs of waking up or of having woke up at any time.
"Great. First I collapse on Neji, now I sleep with Genma-san. I swear I am giving up medicine." She grumbled. "When I get back, I am going to have to grill Tsunade-sama to get her to confess how may compromising positions she woke up to with her patience's over the years."
"Ohayo, Sakura-chan." Lee greeted her, handing her a plate with some egg and bird meat on it.
"Ohayo, Lee-kun. Who found eggs?" She asked.
"Henabi-chan and Konohamaru-kun. Shikamaru-kun has the genin out gathering food with Iruka-sensei. They are the only ones left with anything resembling chakra." Lee answered.
"Hai. That's true."
She got out from under the covers, set the plat aside, formed several seals, than started to scan Genma. He was fine; most of the poison had worked itself out during the night. His physical injures were going to take much longer.
"Genma-san." She called softly, shaking his left shoulder slightly since the right was badly injured.
He woke with a grunt, blinking his eyes and looking up at her in confusion for a few seconds before reality caught up to him.
"We made it to safety?" he asked.
"Hai. What's the last thing you remember?"
She asked, helping him to lean against a root and then feeding him since he was unable to use his right hand at all and his left arm was heavily bruised and had strained muscles.
"I was fighting that brute." He answered.
"Yashero-san. He knocked you aside and went after Kiba-kun, but Naruto summoned a frog and stopped him. After that Shikamaru got us to use our blood on the seal on the floor and it opened a portal to here. We went through it and found a place to hide." She filled him in.
"Shikamaru-kun wanted to know the moment you woke up." Lee requested.
"Go tell him I am awake than. Where is he now?" Sakura asked.
"Scouting for a more suitable place to hide and rest with Temari-chan." Naruto answered her as he arrived. "Ohayo, Sakura-chan, Genma-san. You both look like hell."
"Not all of us have a youkai sealed in us to heal us after a few hours rest Naruto." Sakura growled.
"Trust me, you don't want to go through the hell of having one sealed in you." Naruto chuckled before turning his attention to Lee. "I think Shikamaru and Temari-chan headed to the mountain to the west. They wanted to survey the land and try to get a better guess as to where we are. From Ino and Tenten's estimation yesterday afternoon, we got a long walk home."
"Ossu." Lee left to find Shikamaru and Temari while Naruto leaned against the tree root Genma was resting against.
"Yesterday afternoon? Surly I didn't sleep that long." Sakura asked.
"Maybe I should have said last night. Sakura-chan, look at your watch." Naruto suggested.
"Huh?"
"What time does it say?"
"Twenty-three forty-nine." She answered, than blinked as her head snapped up too look at the rising sun.
"According to the figuring, we are across the ocean and far to the north." Naruto reported calmly.
"Across the ocean? We got even further away from Suna?" She demanded, a hint of hysteric in her voice.
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. We'll get back. It's just going to take a little longer, that's all." Naruto grinned at her.
"Naruto, it takes over a week to sail between the continents." Sakura sighed in exasperation.
"So?" He asked.
"Naruto, how do you remain so optimistic about everything?" She asked sadly, a hint of depression in her voice.
"It was what kept me going through the years of loneliness." He admitted after several seconds of silence.
Sakura felt her face fall as feelings of guilt washed over her. She had been just a guilty as everyone else.
"Besides," Naruto grinned, "we can't have the kids start panicking now can we. It's a Hokage's duty to keep moral up." He laughed.
"Naruto." She grinned.
"I got to go. I have to go with Akamaru again to try and find somewhere more secure to rest up. Shikamaru-kun figures we got four days to rest before we head out."
"I thought he figured seven?" She asked.
"Well, he started doing those annoying calculations of his using Lee's speed as the target speed and guessing they already will have a supply of blood ready."
"Why would they have a supply of blood ready?" She asked.
"Something about a Blood bank. Do banks use blood for something?" Naruto asked curiously.
Sakura could have slapped her forehead for having not thought of that obvious answer. Kami, she worked in the hospital. Of course, she wanted to slap Naruto more for his stupidity.
"Good luck, Naruto." She offered as he left, Akamaru and Kiba joining him.
At least Kiba tried to join him.
"Kiba." She barked.
He froze.
"You are not going anywhere until I have cleared you."
"I am fine, Sakura." He protested. "Hinata already looked at me."
"Get over here." She commanded.
He looked like he was ready to run, but did walk up to her. She formed several seals and did a quick check of his system. He was low on chakra and had multiple lacerations that had been dealt with, but other wise was fine.
"Alright, but no longer then a few hours." She cleared.
"Right. Let's go, Akamaru."
Akamaru barked in agreement as the three of them left.
"How bad am I?" Genma asked once they were alone.
"You had multiple poisons running through your system, but I got most of it out and the rest worked itself through. None of it was serious, just disabling. You have the ever-popular cuts and bruises, a few stitches so be careful how you move, a few pulled muscles that Hinata is mixing an ointment for. And, of course, the ever popular cracked ribs and minor concussion. In short, you are not much better off then Neji was when we started this, and I am almost out of chakra so I can't pull a full healing out of my pocket this time."
He took her report in silence, than started to feel around for something.
"Looking for this?" She asked, holding up the needle he always chewed on.
"Hai." He reached out to take it, but she pulled it back.
"Not until you have recovered enough to not pass out at random. I don't need to find you dead in a pool of your own blood from falling forward and imbedding the darn thing through the back of your head."
"I won't chew on it." He offered.
They stared at each other in silence for a moment.
"Are all men horrible liars?" She asked.
He blinked.
She tucked it away, formed several seals, and started to work through his system again, healing his ribs first and lowering the swelling on his brain. The rest could heal with time.
(break)
"How are we going to get back?" Temari asked, as they walked with Neji through the thick forest full of trees none of them had ever seen before.
Neji had his Byakugan activated and was walking behind them.
"Let's just find where we are first. It's possible that the portal might have messed up time a little." He suggested.
"Time?" Neji asked.
"It may have only felt like a few seconds to us, but it may have been an hour or more real time. So we may not be as far off as we thought." He answered.
"But wouldn't our watches show it?" Temari countered.
"Not if we were in a time pocket." Shikamaru countered.
"This is really starting to sound far fetched." Neji complained.
"Regardless, we need to know what the terrain is like. The portal is most likely guarded so we are going to have to take the long road back, or find allies to help us."
"There is a chance we will be seen as hostile, assuming we even speak the same language." Temari added.
Neji sighed and tuned them out. When they got on analytical mood, nothing could stop them and it was best for normal people's brains to just not listen.
The forest was as big as the one in the forest of death, and no doubt as dangerous. So far they hadn't encountered anything threatening. The birds he spotted were similar to the ones back home, and he did spot a brown falcon like the ones they used for messages back home.
He noted it to Shikamaru and Temari, who instantly started to work it into their calculations. It was noon when Lee caught up to them to report Sakura had awoken. The mountain was a few miles off, so they decided to finish the mission first.
"A volcano." Temari noted.
"Explains why it's the only mountain for miles." Shikamaru added.
"Looks safe enough."
"Too obvious of a landmark. Our best bet would be to travel away from it."
"That would lead us away from out destination." She pointed out.
"It would keep us safe." He pointed out. "Let's get to the top and see what we can find first before making a decision.
"I agree."
Lee and Neji remained silent as they climbed the mountain to the top, taking a few more hours. The forest stretched around them in all directions. Temari pulled out a spotting scope Konohomaru had been kind enough to let them borrow and started turning in a circle.
"I think that's the ocean." She pointed to the West, handing the scope to Shikamaru.
He looked through it and silently agreed.
"How far?" Lee asked.
"Several hundred miles." Shikamaru guessed. "I don't see any towns or anything."
"We should head for the cost and travel up or down it until we find a port." Temari suggested.
"Assuming we find a port that doesn't attack us, how are we going to pay for a ship?" He asked. "I don't think Konoha or Suna coins are going to work here." He pointed out.
"If it is an international port, there must be an money exchanger. But let's worry about that when we get there. What does the terrain look like between A and B?" She asked.
"It's hard to tell with all the jungle." He answered. "Suggestions?"
"We rest for another day at the tree, then started heading either North-west or South-west. This way we are still making for the ocean without heading for this obvious landmark." Temari stated.
"I agree." He closed the lens and handed it back to her. "Let's get back to camp. Tomorrow we will spend the day gathering supplies and doing an inventory check."
"Right."
The four of them descended and made their way back to the tree, following the trail they had marked.
Neji stopped suddenly. His absence of motion caused everyone else to freeze up to.
"What is it?" Temari asked quietly.
"A small heard of very large deer like creatures. To our right." He answered.
"How large?" Temari asked.
"At least four or five times larger then anything I have ever seen." Neji answered.
They shared a look, then started off to the right. They spotted the creatures and froze in shock. They were far taller then they were and had antlers that swept back. For several minutes they did nothing, then Shikamaru clasped his hands together and started to stretch his shadow out towards them.
He snagged two of them, it being about the amount they would be able to carry back.
"Neji, can you kill them with the jyuuken?" He asked.
"Hai."
Neji walked up to them silently. When he was halfway there, the ones not snagged lifted their heads up to look at him, snorting and pawing the ground. He continued forward, than froze when one of them took a step towards him.
He had never seen deer act like this before, granted he had never seen deer this big before either. He pulled a kunai and continued forward. The ones in the back shifted nervously, then started to dance step back a little.
One of the big ones charged him. He stepped aside and rammed his Kunai into its neck. It bellowed in pain and collapsed, blood seeping from it's slit throat. The herd scattered.
He walked up to the two Shikamaru still had snagged and tapped his hands against their side. The coughed up blood and Shikamaru released them from his shadow bind. Neji quickly slit their throats as well.
"Lee, go get others to help." Temari ordered.
"Hai." Lee saluted as he disappeared in a flash.
Each of them choose a target and started working on it. It was dark by the time Lee came back with reinforcements. By then they had most of the deer ready for transportation.
By the time they made it back to the tree, it was midnight. Ino and Tenten had fires going and spears carved to cook the meat. For the first time in almost two weeks, they had a decent meal that filled everyone up.
The rest was cooked up in strips and divided amongst everyone. They took turns sleeping and working through out the night and well into the next day. The children sat around Iruka and learned how to carve the bones into weapons. They had been forced to leave lots of their weapons behind in the various fights they had.
"Shikamaru-kun, you need to sleep." Temari stated, glaring down at him as he cleaned one of the hides.
"I am not tired." He stated calmly, continuing to work.
It wouldn't be perfect, but it would give them another blanket to use or mat to sleep on or a cover from the rain.
"You haven't slept in days. You are going to get some sleep or I will make sure you get it." She growled at him.
He glanced up at her. She had her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. She would have looked very scary, but the fire danced off of her, mellowing it down until it almost looked like she was pouting. In short, she was very scary, but also quit beautiful in that pose.
He froze, surprised at himself for thinking such troublesome thoughts, but was unable to stop them.
Her skin was a deep tan from living in the desert, her hair a sandy blond bleached from the sun. She was neither fat nor skinny, neither tall nor short, neither a prom queen nor ugly. She was just above plain. It was her attitude and spirit that screamed out to him.
"Something wrong?" She asked, frowning when he just continued to stare at her, a hint of concern in her voice.
Concern for him, he realized. She scolded him, yelled at him, dragged him around everywhere, and acted very much like his mother he realized. Kami, she was scarier then his mother. Yet, that wasn't what was at the front of his memory right then.
Her body was resting warmly against his. The rough edge of her calluses from wielding her fan was gently caressing his bare skin. Her warm body curled against his as they were nestled under the same blanket playing the games he loved.
"Ile. Nothing is wrong." He denied, shaking the image away.
"Then get some sleep." She commanded; tossing him the blanket he hadn't noticed she'd had in her hand.
"Hai." He agreed, putting his tools down, washing his hands in a bucket of water, and finding a comfortable place to rest.
It didn't take long for Temari to join him. He looked at her in surprise as she crawled under the blanket with him.
"It's getting cold." She grumbled to his questioning look.
It would be far too troublesome to argue so he just shifted a little to let her have more of the blanket. Maybe he could weasel out once she fell asleep.
"Tea?" She offered, handing him a cup.
"Where did we find that?" He asked, accepting it.
"Hinata made it from some of the herbs we had gathered earlier." Temari answered.
He took a sip, found it to be drinkable, and finished it quickly. Temari grinned. He was about to ask why when his world went dark.
(break)
"Operation tea drug successful." Naruto grinned. "Good work Hinata-chan." He commented.
"Arigato, Naruto-kun." She blushed.
"That's two to one Ino." Naruto bragged.
"I'll get the next on." She promised.
"What are you guys doing?" Sakura asked as she joined them.
Hinata blushed deeper as she poured more of the sleeping tea into cups for Sakura to give to those who needed it. Something was definitely up if Hinata was nervous.
"Nothing." Ino denied.
"When you say nothing, Ino-chan, it usually means you are on your match making binges again." Sakura stated firmly, knowing her childhood friend and rival far too well to fall for that lie.
"Sakura-chan, I don't know what you are implying." Ino gasped in mock innocents.
"Right." Sakura said unbelievingly.
"Besides, Shikamaru-kun is one of my team mates so that makes him free game." She grinned.
"Shikamaru?" Sakura looked over to where Shikamaru and Temari were nestled together, again. "I see. So Temari-chan has a lot of help it would seem. I am shocked at you Ino. As his friend, teammate, and as a fellow citizen of Konoha, you should be helping him, not working against him." Sakura scolded.
Hinata looked abashed, Ino chuckled, and Naruto grinned.
"That goes to you too Naruto." She scowled at him.
"But family is much more important than friends." Naruto waved her comment away.
"Family?" Ino asked surprised.
Naruto didn't elaborate as he wandered off to join Gaara, who was sitting alone with his arms crossed. Sakura noticed Gaara uncrossed his arms and had a hint of a smile on his face as Naruto joined him, joyful as ever. Both of them sat down on the floor and Naruto started blabbering to him while Gaara just smiled in mild amusement at whatever story Naruto was telling.
"What does he mean by family?" Ino asked, all thought of Shikamaru and Temari now gone.
Sakura sighed, but decided to answer, tearing her attention way from the two boys.
"As you know, Naruto has Kyuubi sealed inside of him, that's why our parents shunned him and told us to stay away from him. Gaara-sama, as you know, also has a youkai sealed within him. We all ignored and put Naruto down for so many years before he forced us to acknowledge him.
"Well, when he went training with Jiraiya-sama for two and a half years, he spent a lot of that time in Suna, living with Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara. Then, when Naruto got back to Konoha, we received news of Gaara-sama's kidnapping. We went to Suna with Kakashi-sensei to help. Tenten, Neji, and Lee-kun came with Gai-sensei later to help.
"I noticed it then. Temari, Kankurou, Gaara-sama, they all accepted who Naruto was even though they knew what he was and treated him like family. If you watch, you'll notice Temari treats him like a little brother."
"The tea is getting cold, Sakura-chan." Hinata interrupted.
"Your right." Sakura grinned, breaking her thoughts out of the past.
Sakura returned to Genma's side and offered him the tea. He hadn't slept since waking up and she could tell he was fighting it. Men! Honestly, were they all born without a brain?
He winced in pain, no doubt from his half healed ribs, as he took it. She handed the other cup to Choji, who downed it in one gulp and started begging for food again before collapsing and snoring.
"Sleeping draught?" Genma asked, having yet to take a sip of his.
"And if you don't drink it, I'll have Naruto use his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to pin you to the floor and I'll force it down your throat with a hollow pole that still has all the rough bark on it." She threatened.
Wasn't there a time when they looked up at him as a superior Jounin, not bark orders at him as if they knew any better then he did? The fact she had a point was not the question here.
He blinked at her, but did drink it without further argument. She took the cup back and counted to ten, he was asleep by four. She tucked both of her patients back in before getting more tea to hand to the others she knew needed it, Iruka-sensei, Neji, and Kiba near the top of her list.
One refused to close his eyes for fear of the children's safety, one had a stuck up, I am just as strong if not stronger then everyone else attitude, and the last just couldn't sit still for more then a few seconds.
She drugged them all, forcing it down their throats. Iruka accepted his without question when she handed it to him. Neji she handed his to and glared until he obediently drank it just to get her to stop glaring at him. Kiba was harder. She got Akamaru to sit on him, thus pinning him to the floor, while she and Hinata forced it down his throat.
Kiba repeatedly called Hinata a traitor, to the poor girls blushed embarrassment and many 'goman Kiba-kun's,' until Sakura level such a glare at him that he instantly shut up and gulped, expecting death to rain down at him at any moment. Darkness as the tea took effect saved him from her glare of promising death.
The others started to avoid her after that and quickly sought their beds when it wasn't their shift to be doing something. She took the last cup of tea Hinata had made and found a comfortable spot to lay down.
It was her turn to receive the glare as Hinata made sure she drank the whole cup before taking it from her. Sleep came instantly, and she welcomed it.
(break)
"Alright, we got lots of water, and I have a feeling water will not be a problem. The meat from those three deer should last a while. The forest seems abundant in life so keeping meat shouldn't be too hard." Shikamaru started.
"We managed to find some eggs from some nests. We will have to keep our eyes open for more. Hinata has handed out pictures of the herbs she can use and has been testing other plants to see what is edible and what isn't. The genin found a berry bush that was cleared for eating and have managed to pick a few buckets of it." Temari continued.
"Everyone is in traveling condition, if not full fighting condition. Sakura wants us to take it easy for the first day or so. Judging from your estimation on how long our hounds will take to get back on our trail, we should take her advice." Naruto put in his input.
"I will be able to carry our gear. It will only take one or two sleds. The children can walk for now, and it will be fast going without being weighed down." Gaara offered.
"Wood for fires should be pretty easy. Our medical supplies is starting to show signs of needing to be replaced, especially bandages. Our clothes aren't looking much better either." Temari continued. "We should let everyone have the chance to take a bath at the lake and we can wash our clothes and gear while we are at it."
"When are we going to set out?" Naruto asked.
"First light tomorrow." Shikamaru answered.
"What direction? And are we going to mark our trail so we can get back to the cave if we need to?" Gaara asked.
"South-west." Temari answered. "We already know from the constellations that we are far to the north, so we might as well start heading south. The ocean is to the west, so south-west it is."
"I agree." Gaara agreed.
"As do I." Genma second.
"Then South-west it is. Let's pack up tonight and get ready. This place seems no more dangerous then the forest of death, even less so. I motion we get the genin to scout with us." Shikamaru suggested.
"I agree. We can take turns supervising them." Temari agreed.
"What's our line up going to be?" Naruto asked.
"Same as before." Shikamaru answered.
"What about Sasuke?" Gaara asked.
Shikamaru didn't really know where to place him. Half out of distrust and half out of not knowing the full scope of the Sharingan and its abilities.
"Put him next to Sakura-chan and Lee." Naruto suggested. "Sakura-chan and Lee are the only ones not thinking of him as a traitor, other then Neji and myself."
"He left for power and caused a lot of trouble." Temari hissed.
Naruto didn't bother to argue the case as he cast his eyes aside to where Sasuke was sitting alone, pretending he didn't care that no one was acknowledging him, or when they did it was with contempt and hatred for his betrayal.
Gaara also glanced over to Sasuke, though what he was feeling was hidden from the others.
"We should take baths now while it's still warm. We can finish gathering supplies afterwards, then call it an early night." Temari continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had falling amongst them.
They nodded their heads in silent agreement and split up to go about their respective tasks. Genma ended up going to supervise the children as they picked berries, that being the least strenuous task and the only one Sakura would let him do.
Naruto rounded up Sasuke and they went fishing in a nearby river that ran from the lake. It was one thing they had perfected to a tee during the chuunin exam.
Neji, Tenten, Henabi and Konohamaru went hunting. Neji and Tenten started training Henabi and Konohamaru how to hunt using the Byakugan and kunai. Since food wasn't an issue yet, they let Konohamaru and Henabi do most of the spotting and striking. They were fast learners and Konohamaru was turning out to be good with Kunai and shirukens, but not much else.
Sakura and Hinata were gathering what herbs they could find that were recognizable and gathering others that were not to test later. They had a few of the children with them to assist in the gathering.
Choji was cooking and preparing the food for travel with Ino's help. Kiba was stationed with Shino at the cave entrance, setting traps to help slow down their pursuers and laying a false trail to help confuse them.
Temari and Shikamaru were going over all their supplies, making a list of things they had and things they would need.
Gaara and Kankurou were making weapons with what they had. Mostly bone, which Gaara carved and fortified with his suna. Kankurou was more interested in carving wood into shirukens and kunai. It wouldn't do as good as medal, but it was better then nothing. The wood around here was strong and would work well enough.
Lee was cleaning up the camp with Iruka and covering any signs of a group of people being there. It was impossible to cover up all the signs, but it would be enough to at least make the place look old and used a long time ago, hopefully throwing their pursers off.
Dusk fell and everyone reconvened. Sitting in a large circle around the fire. The children sat in the inner circle while the teenagers and two adults made a ring around them.
"Alright everyone. It's time to discus what our move is going to be and what everyone's roles are going to be." Temari started.
Everyone stared at her in rapt attention. She explained the plan to everyone, how they were going to move, where they were going, and other such things. Naruto took up the speech after her, using his gift of charisma to get everyone out of the depression they had slowly started to seep in to.
"Alright everyone." Naruto shouted, throwing a hand up into the air and calling the attention to him. "Now that the brains of the operation set up the schedule, it's up to the rest of us to make sure we carry it out. Remember, it is up to us to play the hero's this time. Konoha is depending on us to be strong and I know each of you have the fire needed to see this through the end.
"As long was we stick together, as long as we remember that we are part of the family of Konoha, we can and will complete this mission. The shinobi of Konoha have protected us in the past, rescued us in the past. Our parent, our siblings, our friends, our family of Konoha has rescued us before, now it is our turn to return the favour.
"My friends, ile, my family. Tonight we rest, tomorrow, we begin the long journey home. Together, we can and will free Konoha. With our brothers and sisters from Suna, Akatsuki and Orochimaru don't stand a chance. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."
Temari felt her heart clench at Naruto's speech. Looking around she could see his speech had affected everyone. They all looked more alive then before. Even Gaara and Sasuke had a hint of a smile on their face.
"Will then, 'ittle brother." Temari spoke up. "I believe it is well past your bed time. Would you like your older sister to tuck you in? Maybe read you a good night story." She asked sweetly.
Everyone laughed or chuckled, even Gaara and Sasuke had a smirk.
"Oh would you big sister." Naruto asked, clapping his hands together with stars shinning in his eyes. "Would you read me and Gaara-chan a story?" He asked, playing along to the laughter of the others. "I want to hear the one about the little Desert Rose who fell in love with a Shadow." He begged.
Temari's eye twitched, Shikamaru looked horrified, and everyone who got the joke laughed even harder.
"Sure." She laughed, figuring she might as well go along. "But tomorrow I am going to tell the tale of the Kitsune who tried to match wits with a rose and got a thorn in his paw." She threatened.
"I want to hear it too?" One of the children demanded.
"Me too." Others chimed.
"Alright. But everyone needs to be in bed." Temari relented.
"Hai." The children dove under blankets and looked at her expectantly.
"Alright, Temari-neesan is telling a story." Kankurou added his input, instigating himself into the group of children with Naruto and Gaara, who had been dragged into the cluster of children by Naruto.
"Is it a sad story?" Henabi asked.
"Is it full of adventure?" Konohamaru demanded.
Temari laughed as she sat on a log facing them, catching Shikamaru's hand and dragging him next to her before he could escape. The others spread out around her, interesting to see how she was going to handle this.
Kiba and Akamaru even bent their pride and joined Naruto, Gaara, and Kankurou in the mess of kids, many using Akamaru as a backrest, which got the others to use Naruto, Kiba and Kankurou as pillows. Even Gaara ended up with Henabi and Konohamaru using him as a backrest, taking him by surprise, but he didn't object.
Temari couldn't help to smile at the image of her youngest brother nestled into a group of children who seemed to have no fear of him. It was the childhood he should have had and she felt a wave of guilt hit her for having giving into their fathers wishes and her own fears too easily.
She brushed the thoughts aside and started her story, to the delight of the children.
"A long time ago, a Desert Rose left the desert to test her strength against the trees." Temari started. "You see, she thought that the trees were weak since they had all that water and nice weather. A long time ago something happened between the trees and the desert roses. Even though a truce was called, the desert roses though that the Rose Bush agreed too easily to the terms of the trees and that they were put under unfair jurisdiction.
"Angry at the trees, when the Asp came and offered the Rose Bush a chance to get back at the trees for the unfair restriction, the rose bush agreed and sent the Desert Rose on her journey to help bring down the trees.
"When she arrived at the thicket the trees called home, she was convinced her theory that the trees were weak was true. All around her she saw trees laughing and joking and having fun instead of growing stronger. This angered her. How could the trees be so strong when they did nothing to defend themselves or make them stronger?
"The Desert Rose went about her task and fought many trees to try and prove how much stronger she was then they, but then something caught her eye. Amongst the boisterous loud trees was a Shadow.
"The trees angered her for their weakness, but the Shadow caused fury for her. Here this Shadow was, quite, peaceful, not caring what went on in the world around him. He intrigued the Desert Rose and angered her all at the same time.
"Finally, they fought. The Shadow seemed more annoyed at the fight and didn't seem to put any effort into it. The Desert Rose got angry with this and fought harder, losing her head in the battle until the Shadow caught her and won. She was furious and shocked that the weak, little Shadow had out smarted her and beat her.
"The Desert Rose thought that was the end, but the Shadow surrendered and left. Now she was intrigued even more. The desert roses attacked the trees at the behest of the Asp, and a battle ensued, in which the trees won with the help of a Kitsune.
"The Desert Rose left the thicket and forest to return to the desert, but she couldn't get her mind off of the lazy Shadow that had managed to catch her when no one else could.
"Months later, she returned to the forest on a mission and found the Shadow in trouble. Without thinking, she ran to the Shadow's aide and won the fight for him, rubbing it in his face while she was at it, trying to prove how strong she was.
"The Shadow's friends had been injured and she helped him back to the thicket where he awaited the results of the injured trees bitten by the Asp's five fangs. She tried to offer him comfort in her own way, but it would take the help of the Shadow's dad and the good news that the Shadows friends were fine, to comfort him.
"The Desert Rose had to leave again, but this time she felt less hatred for the Shadow and more interest. When they met again, it would be the Shadow's turn to help the Desert Rose find her missing brother, who had been kidnapped by the Rising Sun.
"They traveled for a long time together, learning more about each other in the process until they managed to find the Desert Rose's brother and returned to the thicket since it was closest and the Rising Sun was pursuing them.
"They made it to the thicket where the new leader of the trees met them. Unfortunately, the Asp and the Rising Sun caught up to them and they were forced to flee again, with many other trees and young sprouts.
"Now they are on the run and hope to kill the Asp, set the Rising Sun, and save the thicket and other trees." She finished.
The children were sleeping soundly, some of the Genin still awake.
"So what are the Shadow and the Desert Rose going to do now?" Konohamaru asked.
"They are going to take the little trees and saplings back to the other trees and kill the Asp and Rising Sun with the help of the other trees and Desert Roses." Temari answered.
(break)
"Good answer." Shikamaru thought, amused by the story Temari told of their relationship, and surprised at the insight it gave him to her own feelings.
"Are the Shadow and the Desert Rose going to get married?" Henabi asked.
He felt a clutch of fear and apprehension hit him as he waited for Temari's reply.
"I hope so." Ino piped up with a smile.
"Traitor." He growled inward at his old team mate.
"Me to." Naruto agreed.
"Make that two traitors. Now I know who's behind the conspiracy. Naruto I expected, and Ino I should have guessed at." He grumbled to himself.
"Temari-san?" Henabi asked.
"Well, the Shadow would have to ask the Desert Rose first." Temari answered with a smile.
"What if the Shadow asked?" Konohamaru demanded.
Shikamaru froze as he waited for Temari's response. What would she say if he ever worked up the energy to do something so troublesome as to ask her? Kami, what was he thinking? She was scarier then his mother. It would be way to troublesome to marry her.
Why was he thinking about it anyway? Sure he liked her and respected her, but she was way too strong willed for his taste. And roses have thorns.
"But their scent can sooth the deepest cut and their petals are the softest in the world. Besides, thorns can be worn down or avoided" His mind stated.
"Shut up." He told himself.
Great, now he was talking to himself. Yep, he was going insane.
Temari grinned. "I think it's past your bed time."
Was she blushing? It looked like it. He felt slightly disappointed for not hearing her answer, and relived at the same time.
"I hope the Shadow asks the Desert Rose and they get married." Henabi spoke up.
"Me to." Temari agreed in a whisper so quiet that Shikamaru wasn't sure he heard it.
His mind went blank, than started to replay the scene in the cave where they were nestled together. It had been haunting him since then. Unconsciously, he shifted closer to her until their thighs were touching.
He never noticed until he snapped out of it at the sound of a chuckle. Horrified, he covered it by standing up and stretching, excusing himself to go off to bed. It was a poor way to get away from her as he had already resigned himself to the fact he would awaken to her nestled against him anyway.
Well, that was my favourite chapter at this point. Please review.
Kiyoko-san; I was using Shikato at first, but according to one of the episodes where Tsunade addressed him by name, it was Shikaku. I was unable to find his name mention anywhere else, manga or otherwise.
GaMeBrEaKeR; I refined that scene so many times and that was the best I can get it. Unfortunately there are too many people to focus on when writing. Fight scenes are definitely better off animated. I think you are right about Choji's father's name and I might start to use it.
dragonzair; I was wondering how running the scene into the next chapter would be received. I am glad that it went over well.
NissanNut; Have no fear, she will not be touched. I don't even think Yashero would make a try for her. She's too scary. It was the threat that was important.