Chapter fourteen: Surprises in the Dark Alley
The smallest tendrils of light were beginning to emerge from the horizon. The night was still cool, chilling the blonde kunoichi as she hurried through the hidden corners of the city. She tightened her hold on Shikamaru's hand, the pressure against her palm and fingers sending even more shudders down her spine. As she involuntarily shivered, he squeezed her hand lovingly, smiling lightly as she expertly led him around the village.
They were in a darkened alley when Temari slid behind a large mountain of crates, dragging him behind her. She raised a finger to her lips and waited a few seconds, the silence enveloping them like a smothering blanket. Both could hear their respective heartbeats in the quiet of the moment.
"Okay," she whispered lightly, turning away from him. "We're here."
She softly dusted off a very concealed handle and lock, blowing carefully on it to remove the loose dirt. She then slid the key in, hearing it click satisfyingly.
She was about to turn around when she felt Shikamaru's comforting hands sliding around her stomach. Her throat caught painfully, just as it did every single time they were separated. Sighing lightly, she closed her eyes and leaned back in his embrace, placing both of her hands over his as he rocked her slowly left and right.
"I'm going to miss you, woman," he whispered lovingly, his voice only a soft caress upon her ear.
She then inched around until she was facing him, his hands hanging low upon her back. She looped her arms around his neck and said softly, "I'm going to miss you too, pineapple head." Temari then shot him a loving smile, reaching up to touch his newly-made ponytail.
"I've noticed," he lazily drawled as he pressed his forehead to hers, "that you haven't kissed me up till now. Practising abstinence, woman?"
The blonde kunoichi obviously took this as a straightforward challenge. Narrowing her eyes, she glared up at him as a mischievous grin made its way to her face. "Are you daring me?"
He shrugged, lightly pulling away from her in a teasing fashion. "Why not?"
"Well then," she cooly replied, letting her hands fall from the back of his neck. "I guess I'll have to take the bet and win my share."
As she finished speaking, she reached up with her right hand to grasp his collar. Before he could react, she pulled him down close to her and pressed her lips against his firmly.
If she had planned on keeping her cool-headed sense, her previous actions had tossed it right out of the window. She soon lost her ferocity as she pulled back for a single fleeting breath, diving in for another sweet kiss. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in a crushing embrace as he leaned her against the cold brick wall of the house where the tunnel's door was encrusted. His hands moved from her back to her hips slowly as they kept on sharing their neediest kiss yet.
Yet it wasn't long before they both heard a sharp yelp a few feet besides them. Shikamaru jumped aside hurriedly, tearing himself from his woman as both turned to look at a petite old woman standing besides them. Behind her was a girl her height, wrapped from head to toe in sand-coloured sheets. The latter held a bag of groceries in her arms and stopped moving as soon as the old woman had ordered her.
"What are you two doing at such a tardy hour? It's almost six in the morning!" the woman screeched, waving her arms around madly. "Shouldn't you both be at home with your families! Shame of you both to be out, at this hour, fumbling around like a married couple!"
Shikamaru's cheeks heated lightly, yet Temari only giggled and took a step forward. "Hello Haruna-san. It's me, Temari."
The woman's eyes widened, and she broke into a warm smile. "Oh, dearest, I'm really sorry; I never recognized you!" She then turned to Shikamaru, who flinched lightly as she set her steady eyes upon him. "What a fine young man you have there. Are you Shikamaru, dear?"
The shadow user was about to nod when the figure behind the woman stirred. The grocery bag fell to the floor, sending various objects littering all over the sand. It then took the shape of a girl as she attempted to take off her heavy costume. Finally, a blonde head of hair popped out from the top of the costume and glared at Shikamaru unbelievingly. "Shika?"
Temari's mouth fell slightly open as Shikamaru openly stared. "Ino? What the hell are you doing here?"
She smiled victoriously and nodded towards the old woman as she shook the remaining sheets from her body. "Haruna-san took me in to become her 'slave'. I've been here for almost ten days now. She's totally against the war and hates the new Kazekage, so she lets a few of us stay at her place."
Shikamaru smirked as Temari asked, "How many people are actually in your home, Haruna-san?"
The old woman gave a toothy smile and leaned against the wall besides Ino. "About fifteen shinobi are here. I keep them all tucked away in my basement, and no one ever knows they're here!"
"What about the food!" exclaimed the Suna kunoichi. "Don't the merchants get suspicious when you go out for a full command every single day?"
Ino shrugged and answered for the older woman. "We actually do different markets every day. Plus most of them actually know there are hidden shinobi in my home; quite a few host shinobi also anyways."
Temari rested against Shikamaru, letting the shinobi's body holding her into a standing position. "So you mean that we actually have been smothered by Konoha shinobi and we didn't know? How many are there?"
"Hidden in this city," Haruna presumed thoughtfully, "are about a thousand Jounins from Konoha. Those who were captured, you see, were only decoys to make Fumio think that he's gaining an advantage. Notice that if you go into jail, those in cages, are the ones who have the best moral strength. No matter how badly they'd stab or prod or beg them, they'd never reveal anything about their village."
She briefly thought back to the knowledge of Neji and Tenten being captured, and smiled lightly. That was surely true; neither would even start to consider betraying their home village. They were much too proud for that.
"Well," said Temari as she glanced sideways at Shikamaru. "Haruna-san, do you think that you may have another place in your home for a poor lost Shinobi? He's even top strategist in Konoha, you know. He'd be a great addition to your home, Haruna-san, and he wouldn't cause any troubles. Right Shika?"
The shinobi rolled his eyes, yet they spoke of desire to have a true home, even if he'd have to share it with sixteen other people.
Haruna smiled welcomingly at Shikamaru. "Of course, son, you can come into my home. But Temari, dear, you'll have to limit your visits or Fumio will become suspicious of us."
"I promise, Haruna-san!" she promised, slipping a hand through her boyfriend's lovingly. "Thank you. Though I still don't understand how exactly we smuggled so many shinobi in."
Haruna smiled lightly. "Your brothers have been filtering through people, finding places to stay for anyone from Konoha. They've got more than six hundred homes through the entire village ready to take in people if the need comes. Actually, he told me recently that he had over 60% of the ANBU population on his side."
A fifth voice made itself known behind them. "More than seventy percent, now."
The company of people all turned to see Baki shaking his head. Staring icily at them, he said, "We can hear you guys clearly from quite a few metres away. Be thankful that the ANBU who overheard you was on Gaara's side, or you all would've been fried." He shot Temari a look. "Come on, I have to bring you home. I passed there this morning, only to find your brothers and Chokichi fretting that you were taking too much time. I promised I'd go stop the make o–"
"Anyways," Temari cut in, shooting Baki another icy glance, "can you all get the hell out of here while I give Shikamaru a proper goodbye?"
Ino rose her eyebrows suggestively, but Haruna grabbed her arm and tugged her out of the alleyway to wait outside. Baki, though, took a few steps towards Shikamaru and said in a grave voice, "Son, did your father have the talk with you yet? If not, I think I better–"
"Out!" Temari barked, physcally shoving her old sensei away. "You can talk to him later if you want, Baki-sensei!"
The older man chuckled teasingly and also rounded the corner, rejoining Ino and the old woman.
"What a joker," she groaned as she turned to face Shikamaru, soon looping her arms around his neck. The sunlight was now beginning to steak out dangerously, so she knew she had to make this quick.
Shikamaru also hugged her close to him as he mumbled through her hair, "I don't mind Baki. He's a good man. Troublesome, but a good man nonetheless."
Temari grinned and leaned back. Without warning, she reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a soft, rapid kiss. Then she rolled her eyes and moved in a second time, this time taking her sweet time to fully enjoy the kiss he was offering her.
"You're going to be a good little non-troublesome woman?" he sighed as she attempted to pull away.
She grinned lightly and shook her head. "I refuse."
He sighed and raised his eyes to the sky. "That's exactly what I thought." After those words, he gave her another long kiss before darting away.
A/N: I'm baaack! I survived NaNoWriMo! Woot! You are reading the text of a NaNoNovelist 2008! 50, 400 words in 30 days! Yay!
There will be a small period of transition, where I'll need to read and review the (approximate) 200 chapters that were updating during November. X.x Reviews will have to be replied to and such... Though honestly, don't expect me to reply to those in November... I promise that I do read them though! As of now I'm starting my routine again for FF!
Anyways, hope you didn't forget about me!
Take care!