Kankuro, Gaara and Shikamaru had been allowed to leave the following day after the hurricane struck but only after they made sure the villagers were safe. They wanted to rush but Gaara refused.
"It won't do me any good if you two are drained and we are ambushed! I might be strong on my own but I can't fight for all three of us. Don't be so hasty!" he was trying to give the boys time to clear their minds. It had been three days since the attack and Temari had left the Leaf village. The three of them had walked and rested over night when they had to. Since the night before it hadn't stopped raining., making their travel slightly slower than normal. They were not far from Suna, when they found Temari's fan, abandoned on the side of the road.
What could this mean? Temari would never leave her fan behind! Maybe she –no this isn't the time for maybes! We need to find her and now! Shikamaru grabbed the fan and held it on his back which weighed him down significantly.
"How heavy is this thing! We need to get to Suna right away!" before Kankuro and Gaara could answer him, he had run off and with that they ran after him picking up their speed significantly, their desperation reflected their running.
They reached Suna in record time and gone to the Palace.
She hadn't been seen.
They ran to her apartment.
She wasn't there.
They ran to the graveyard thinking maybe she was there.
She wasn't.
They ran to Kankuro's apartment not expecting much but when they entered his messy room Gaara saw a white dove outside the window on the balcony. He would have normally ignored it but there was something shiny around the birds neck and instantly captured his attention. A pendant? He ran toward the window, gently grabbing the bird with fear creeping into his heart. I didn't even know she still had this thing! Gaara gently removed the pendant and noticed a white and red ribbon tied around its leg. He gently untied the ribbon from the dove's leg and opened the small ribbon. It looked to have writing on it but he couldn't make it out.
Kankuro was startled to see the pendant on the bird's neck. It was unmistakable it belonged to his sister and he felt his heart drop when he realized that she had kept it all this time. Instant fear took hold of his body as he realized Temari had learnt how to use the minimizing jutsu, it was a technique he believed only puppeteers knew.
Kankuro looked at Shikamaru who was completely out of the loop. He then began making hand signals and then touched the tiny ribbon ever so gently when it became the normal size of an undershirt top. They all looked in horror as they realized the writing was in blood.
"THIS TOP BELONGS TO OUR SISTER!" Kankuro nearly squealed with tears flowing from his eyes. Shikamaru stared at the brothers and they huddled around the top and read the inscription together.
For who finds this, please give this to Sabaku no Gaara and Kankuro of Suna
My brothers I love you both more than I love my own life. I love Suna and equally Konoha. I love Shikamaru although he doesn't love me. I've accepted that. I've accepted that I will die here long before you can come to my aid. The ninja who kidnapped me is extremely powerful and was to force me into marriage but not anymore. This ninja is responsible for the hurricane that hit Konoha, in exchange for my freedom I gave Konoha theirs and now I've decided to kill her. I won't have her harming anyone ever again. Don't try look for me, I'll be rotting in this dungeon for years to come. Thank you Gaara for giving me a chance to be your older sister. I want you to know I named you when you were in our mother's womb and I've watched you become the greatest leader for Suna than anyone else has been or will be. Kankuro, you saved me in so many ways, you gave me hope when I was in darkness, you gave me a reason to hold on. This time you can't save me even though I wish you could. I wish it hadn't come to this but I need one last favour from you brother. I need Shikamaru to know that I lost my heart to him and I sacrificed myself for the good of both our villages. My pendant, could you give to Ino Yamanaka – she's my first real friend, I promised her a friendship token but I never got the chance to make her one. Chouji must know that I healed the birds wings who delivered this message, and if possible give him to Chouji, I've named him Silly. I will miss you so much. Thank you all for giving me a reason to live, this far.
I love you all, Temari.
"No this can't be... IT'S FAKE" Shikamaru was weeping and lying to himself, he recognized her handwriting from the scroll she had written to him. "W-WE NEED TO GO AND FIND HE..HER!" he fell to the ground unable to breathe it was hurting him so much he wished for death. I wasn't able to confess my love! Not been able to save her! She was dying when I was happily travelling with her brothers! She had been in so much torment to surrender! She saved everyone!
Gaara had discovered himself crying his first tears since he was seven years old and couldn't keep his voice stable "TEMARI WHY!"
Kankuro stared at the blood written top and didn't believe what he saw before him. He had no voice; he couldn't make a sound as he held the pendant in his palm with endless tears flowing. His heart screaming for his sister.
Their tears and heartache melted into each other's.
Hours passed.
Unable to move they all cried until they lost consciousness.
And their tears continued even in their sleep.
The end.
Author's Note: And that's the end of the story. I hope you enjoyed the read of my twisted brain xD in reality when I begun this story I had imagined a different ending completely, and I began adding more and more elements into it. Some of it is unnecessary of course but overall.. I think I did a pretty good job!
Much Love , Sae. 16 November 2010