Chapter 25

Temari

Standing outside Narutos' door, my feet felt cold. Today was the day and It was now or never. My body filled with an uneasy buzz of anticipation. Some nervousness, fear and an odd excitement. Everything was a clump of mixed emotions. I let out a sigh I had been holding in my lungs from this morning. Okay, you can do this. Don't think negatively… think positively… think of all the other women you are about to save.

"Right." I knew my motive, my drive to push myself to do this. The thought of taking that monster down fueled me, simple enough. All I had to do was tell my story or what happened. I know I have vitals information that they need. The one issue is… no- no there's no issue. I just have to tell him what happened. It's not like I'm talking to some stranger, this is Naruto. I've known that brat for forever now. No judgment, no stigma, no pressure.

Suddenly I heard a small crack in front of me. I watched as the door opened before me. Shikamaru had stepped in before me, my guess was to make sure we had everything needed before hand so we wouldn't have to do this again.

"Hey, you ready?"

"Yes, just… nervous I guess."

"Don't be." I began to walk inside but I felt my sleeve being rigged behind me so I stopped. When I looked at Shikamaru his gaze was down. " before you go in just know I'll be in the room with you. I don't know about how that will make you feel saying as how we never discussed this ourselves. I have to be there to take notes and analyze your story for Naruto. We could have gotten another person but I wanted to be there for you. Hopefully that won't be a problem and if it is you can tell me."

"No it's fine." I confidently said this but I don't know if I actually meant it. Shikamaru was right I've never talked to him about what actually happened. I've never told anyone. Not because I didn't want to but because I didn't feel I needed to. Everyone knows what rape is, what it means. My only job was to heal from what happened to me. I didn't think I'd have to tell anyone in detail about it.

"Are you sure?" I watched as his eyes questioned me. Like they would find the real answer within me if they kept staring at me long enough. To be honest they might have found something, some doubts some hesitation, but his eyes also would have found a will to want to get though and survive this.

"Yes."

"Also there's one more annoying thing."

"What is it?" I watched him pinch the skin between his eyebrows.

"We're trying to keep the story hushed about this guy. However some of the village officials want to hear the story as well. Just in case they were to spot him wandering around. I told them to wait and I'd give them the Information they needed by the end of today-"

"But they were impatient."

"I guess."

"No I understand, they are their village officials and the need to know things that could cause potential danger to their villagers."

"Yea…"

"How many are there?"

"Five officials, three from the village were the women were attacked, and they had called in to Naruto. The other two officials are from close neighboring villages who heard the news." Five, such a small number. I've taken down that many people alone when on missions myself, but now. The though of five more faces, ten more eyes on me watching, ten more ears listening…. " their arrivals was all last minute. If I would have known more people would be involved with this I wouldn't have asked you to do this. I could convince Naruto to have them leave if they would help. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in anyway."

"…I think it should be fine. All I have to do it imagine them in their underwear right." I wasn't the best for jokes, but I needed something to lighten the tension.

"Ha exactly, are you ready?"

"Yes." I followed after my husband as we walked into the room. I hadn't realized how huge the Hokage office was. Standing there, it felt like I was in a huge circular dome. I purposely avoided looking at the extra five people in the room. It would have just been too much commotion for me. Besides Shikamaru and Naruto's eyes watchful eyes were more then enough to keep me on edge. Just breathe you've got this.

I stood in front of Naruto desk, I saw a small smile wavier on his face. I bet we could both think of 1,000 different situations we'd rather meet up and chat then this one.

"Temari."

"Lord Seventh." I bowed my head showing my respects. " Temari Nara, I'm here to report information of the rouge ninja Kuroi Tsubota." And so it began.

I spoke about how I was first assigned a mission for a local petty thief. You know the basis. Also from the corner of my eye I could see the other village officials taking notes. I don't know if they had ninja in their village, perhaps this is the first time they are doing something like this and they need to take notes. I was trying to make sure their small talk and scribbling didn't distract me too much. " That was all the information we had on him at the time and so approached the mission with a simple protocol –"

"And what is simple protocol Mrs. Nara?" The three ninja in the room, Naruto, Shikamaru and myself looked to the man standing off to my left. He wore huge glasses and had a notepad the pad the size of his face. This man was far off from a ninja as you could get if you asked me. " Hi Hiraku Asahina, I'm my village official reported. I'm sorry to interrupt but I'm not familiar with ninja vocabulary or anything of that nature."

"Right, a basic protocol for a target you are unfamiliar with is to track them for a few days. Study their movements and try to understand their mannerisms."

"Right right… study mannerisms… check" I watched as his pen wrote word for word of what I said.

"From now on, if everyone would please keep their questions to themselves for the time being . It's distracting." And not to mention troublesome… thank you Shikamaru. I shot him a small smile before he his attention went back to filling out the mission report.

"So like I said, I followed basic protocol for three days gathering what information I could. He wasn't one to cause much attention to himself, and it was hard to figure out his motive for a time. What I thought I local petty thief would be interested in, he wasn't. No money or jewelry shops. At first I thought he was trying to avoid them on propose but that wasn't the case."

"Could you think of any reason why?" Naruto asked, which was allowed. Besides I knew Naruto was more interested in the real information I had. Th speech I was giving about protocol was really for the other officials in the room. You know to give them something to write about.

" I think initially We didn't have the right information on what this petty thief was actually after. Clearly news of assaults involving him has come to you. I noticed it myself on the fourth day he had been following and later had started harassing this women. Unfortunately he got away from me as I was helping her. She was fine, so went after him. Before he left I was able to make eye contact with him."

Suddenly some parts started to come together and make sense. Before now, I couldn't remember how in the world I got trapped in his gentujsu. I made sure I kept my distants to avoid being seen but when I went to aid that women that's when it happened. I looked right into his eyes unknowingly…

"Temari?" I snapped back to reality hearing Narutos voice. I didn't realize I had zoned out.

"Oh I'm sorry, I was just remembering somethings."

"No rush take your time."

"I followed him, to what I thought was a secluded area to where I could catch him..." A small flash from that moment raced in the back of my mind. It caught me off guard. Like I was back there for a fleeting moment. Oh no, this is not want I need to happen…. Just keep yourself together Temari. "…I followed him, we exchanged blows and for the moment I had the upper hand."

"I knew one of you would come quick, you always do. Expect they sent a much prettier ninja this time." A shutter ran down my spine as I heard his words in the back of my head. Small pictures from my memory did a play by play. Reminding me of what I already knew and wanted to forget. "It's always irritating dealing with you killers, and nothing more dangerous than a women. Society says be fearful of men but really, society should be a afraid of you cold, calculating murders. Someone was chosen to teach you all a lesson… that person was me." My throat went dry. His hand went around my neck. It was impossible for me to breathe.

" you had the upper hand and then what?-" it had to have been the annoying man with the glasses but I didn't turn to see. I was paralyzed

"Hey, I said no talking."

"Hmm seems like I've got the upper hand now. You're probably wondering how, to bad I can't tell you my little secret."

"…I had the upper hand… but…he." He spoke inches away from my face. I struggled to free myself from the rope bound in chakra, I struggled to understand how I had fallen for his trick. I struggled to understand How a distant forest from the village suddenly turned into some dark hidden shelter. I struggled to keep my composure as the pain from his fist shattering my ribs overwhelmed my body.

Dammit it's happening…he's right before me again. He's ...he's standing over on top of me. Right now...Looking down with dark cold eyes. Right now... touching me With even colder hands, as they tore away the clothing on my body. RIP, CUT, TEAR. He's hurting me, right now! I felt the numbing pain all over again, the helplessness all over again. As I lay there. Wet from my own tears and blood.

My hand automatically went to my neck. My throat still felt dry, my neck was getting hot as my windpipe seem to start spawning with a mind of its on. I could feel myself getting flustered, hands numbing, senses starting to overwhelm me…. Breathe Temari just breathe. I don't know how long I was like this maybe a few seconds a minutes? I forced myself half way out of my trance when my visions slowly started to focused on Shikamaru shoes. I looked up at him. I couldn't do it. He took my hand and lead me out the room. I blocked out the outside commotion. As we got into the hallway I ran to the nearest trash can and vomited.

The coughing was painful. My knees felt weak and wobbly. I leaned against to the wall to support me. No! this was not suppose to happen… not again! I'm not helping anyone like this. I covered my face with my shaking hands. What was I thinking I knew I couldn't do this.

"Tem." Shikamaru hands gently removed mine. But they still kept shaking even in his grasps. "It's okay… it's okay-"

"…I can't do this… I can't do this…" my words were just as fast as my hyperventilating breathing. " I don't want to relive it… it'll kill me..." I held onto Shikamaru side to steady myself. "Please don't make me do it!" I was in the midst of panicking and I didn't know how to stop it. I didn't know if I could. I felt his hand on the small of my back as he lead me into a room. He took my face in his hands and forced me to focus on him.

"Listen to me Temari… breathe. Listen to the sound of my voice, everything is fine. You're going great. I'm so proud of you."

"B…but I panicked… I said… I was fine-but I panicked. I ..I thought..." My face felt hot with running water flowing down my face.

"It doesn't matter." It doesn't matter…I'm going great… it doesn't matter. Ugh who am I kidding it does matter!

"Hey?" The door slowly opened " is she okay?" I heard an added voice in the room. I knew who the voice was but I couldn't look up at him. I had to stay focus on one thing, and that was my husband. "If this is too much we can end this Shikamaru."

"No she's fine. Just give us a second." The door closed soon after. I looked to my husband with confused eyes. I was not fine I was nowhere near fine! If he told him that then they'll be expecting me to come back!

"Sh-Shikamaru…" I couldn't even get my words out now! My emotions were jumbled with my words.

"Don't worry, you're not going back. We're going to stay right here."

"…but you said…"

" I know I know." I left him embrace my hyperventilating frame, as our bodies slowly slid into the floor. I hide my face in his neck while I listened to his clam breathing and steady heartbeat. He was relaxed and poised. It comforted me. The feeling of his hand on my back secured me from the fears I had within myself.