A searing pain emanating from her shoulder and down through her left side woke her from unconscious state. She opened her eyes, but it was so dark, it was hard to see anything. The chill from the damp stone she was laying against traversed through her body. The last thing she remembered was Shikamaru bleeding and trapped underneath a tree. She remembered her arm getting hit by something. It was quick like a snap. She slowly moved her head left to scan the area.

It appeared that she was in some kind of cave. It was dark and cool, and the stone walls were only illuminated by the shadows produced from the fire that was a short distance away. Her heart stopped when she saw him. Lying near the fire, his wound had soaked through his shirt, and created a large dark spot on his blue coat. She squinted and could see the faint rise and fall of his chest.

Temari opened her mouth to call his name but no sound came out. Her lips felt dried and cracked. Her entire left side paralyzed.

"Hnn" she gasped.

Suddenly two sets of eyes were on her. She had not seen them before, but suddenly they appeared before her. Their black cloaks with red clouds gave them away. Akatsuki. Feared among the nations and having alliances to no one, they were known for being highly skilled and merciless. And now she was at their mercy. They both looked so young. The blonde man appeared to be around her age, and the red haired man even younger yet. It surprised her, but so little was known about their organization.

The appearance of the red-haired man startled her. He was the spitting image of a Shinobi from her village. Not just any shinobi – one of the deadliest and most feared Shinobi the Sand Village had ever produced. The boy who had taken down thousands of soldiers on his own.

But that was so many years ago, and the man in front of the fire looked like a young teenager. Was it possible that this boy was his son? The resemblance was uncanny.

"Senpai, it looks like she woke up" the blonde man stated. They both approached her, and sat on a rock that was in front of her.

Her heart started beating faster. What were they going to do with her? They didn't kill her – yet. Were they going to torture her?

"Who?" Temari burst out into a fit of coughing. The blonde man went over and got a canteen of water and brought it over to her.

"Here. Drink this." He held the container up to her lips.

She looked at him suspiciously.

"Na…it's fine. It's not poisoned or anything. This guy already took care of that on you yeah" Deidara prompted.

Temari's eyes went wide as she looked at the red haired man who looked at his partner irritated.

"The water's fine" he said sternly.

Temari opened her mouth, as Deidara poured the refreshing clear liquid down her raw throat. Her first swallow was painful. She opened her mouth open for a second drink, which Deidara provided. She could feel the dryness dissipate and her voice start to return.

"How're you feeling beautiful?" Deidara asked. Sasori scowled at his partner.

Deidara laughed and turned to Temari. "This guy is a miserable fuck. I'm not above of speaking nicely, I was taught some manners."

"You are clearly showing yourself to be the epitome of manners with your language," Sasori sighed.

"My partner is he ok?" Temari said, her voice still cracked. She looked past them at Shikamaru's body. He had not moved an inch since she had awoken.

Deidara leaned back at on his elbows and laughed. "That dude? I don't know, he's breathing. He doesn't really matter to us. I wanted to leave him, but this guy insisted we bring him." He side eyed Sasori. "Of course, I was the one that had to carry him."

"Yes, because leaving an undead Shinobi unwatched is such a great idea" Sasori muttered.

"Hmmphf well obviously we would have killed him first."

"He might have useful information. We can always kill him later."

A chill waved through Temari's body. They were speaking so casually about killing Shikamaru like it was nothing. Murder was apparently no big deal to them. With them being in this criminal organization, it made sense.

"What did you do to me? Why can't I move my left side?"

"Oh that's just the poison" Sasori said casually. "Don't worry, nothing fatal, but it keeps Shinobi from causing trouble. "

Deidara cringed and closed his eyes. He rubbed the ring that was on his hand. "They are trying to communicate. They want to speak."

"You speak with them. Tell them what's happened and that the situation is well under control. I will continue speaking with her."

Deidara got up and walked over Shikamaru, exiting the cave.

Sasori sat and stared at Temari not saying anything. The silence in the cave was overpowering. She felt his eyes staring at her, going over her face over and over as if he was committing it to memory. Finally he spoke.

"You're a spitting image of your mother."

Temari looked at the man startled. How could he know what her mother looked like? She had died when Temari was only three years old, and this man, or should she say teenage boy, looked younger than her.

"Who are you? You never answered my question before. You are too young to have known my mother."

Sasori gave an uncharacteristic smile. "Well that's where you are wrong. I knew her well."

"That's impossible. I don't believe you. You're too young."

"Impossible? No. Improbable – well that is more likely. But, I am telling you the truth." He noted Temari's doubtful expression. It was time to prove who he was. With one hand he casually did a jutsu, and a puppet came creaming out towards her.

She slammed her head back into the rock wall, and the puppet stopped mere inches from her face. The wood on the puppet body was seared with a symbol. It was one she knew well.

A red scorpion.

"No" Temari gasped. If this were true, this man had destroyed armies single handed. "How….I don't understand."

"Let's just say I discovered the fountain of youth. You are not mistaken with your first intuition. It is I, Sasori of the Red Sand. I've been waiting to speak to you Temari."

Temari looked at him dumbfounded by the information. This seemingly young man had to be at least in his mid-thirties by her calculations. He looked nowhere near.

"How did you know my mother? Was it through your grandmother. Through Lady Chiyo?"

Sasori gave a cold smile. "Kurura. I knew her even before my grandmother got involved with your family. When she was just a school girl herself. She was different than the others. She was always kind. Thoughtful."

Temari looked at Sasori stunned. She wanted to know more, stories of her mother were so rare. The ones she had heard have always been tied to her father. Sasori as the source of these stories though made her shudder.

"She didn't look at me the way the others did - with disdain or pity. When she spoke, it was genuine. She didn't ask questions to hear herself speak. It was….different. It's hard to explain." Sasori paused. "I was curious to meet her daughter. I wanted to see if you are like your mother. Or if you took after that father of yours."

"I don't know if I am like my mother, because I have so few memories of her. What I know of her has been pieced together little things people have told me of her over the years. Mainly my father and Yashamaru-sama. I don't know if I am like her - but I like to think of myself as not like my father."

"Hn" Sasori replied. He shuffled over to a rock across from her and sat down. "You are not a fan of your father?"

Temari shifted, she had noticed Shikamaru move his shoulder slightly. It appeared that he was regaining consciousness. She took another painful swallow with her dry throat. Deidara had left with the water canteen and the red haired shinobi did not seem to notice her discomfort.

"You could say that. We are not on the best of terms."

"And why is that? Did he favour his son's over his first born?"

Temari stared at the young man. He looked like a doll, with his bright wide eyes, and flawless skin his face looked so innocent. Was this the expression of a man who had killed thousands?

"He cared more about the Power of Sunagakure over the wellbeing of his own family. He is willing to do the unthinkable."

"Like trying to kill his youngest boy - the jinchuriki?"

Temari blinked. It appeared that Sasori knew Sunagakure's recent history well.

"Or was it putting a morally questionable ransom on his daughter because she was being defiant? Something like that?"

Temari looked at him shocked. How far had this rumour travelled?

His cold stare continued. "Well let's just say I know many people in many places. I've heard things over the past few weeks. Then my partner comes in with a new person to investigate, and the pieces all start falling together." He leaned forward. "Why are you here? Why are you in Amegakure. And let me remind you, you are at my mercy. I can kill you in mere seconds. Tell me the truth."

Temari saw Shikamaru shift further. His eyes were open he was watching her. But Sasori's back was facing him. But was he too weak to move? It was hard to tell. There was something in his eyes though, that he was signalling her somehow. But she could not move one side of her body from the poison. The most she could do was talk, and hope that Sasori would not turn around. She could buy time, if that's what he needed.

"If you know so much about my family, then you must know about Gaara. He is the reason that I am here."

"Yes, young Gaara. He is a spitting image of his father isn't he?"

"He is nothing like my father. He is a good man."

"Is that so? I heard the trail of death he left in Suna alone was quite something. Not that I'm judging."

Temari shuddered. "Gaara had his reasons. He went through so much, but he is a changed man. He's overcoming what was done to him. I'm so proud of him. I don't think I could turn the other cheek after what was done to him, if it were me. That is why I am here."

"To save him?"

"Yes."

"From me?" Sasori snickered.

"I don't know to be honest. We heard someone was trying to get information on all the jinchuriki in Amegakure. That's why I am here. But it does make sense if it was the Akatsuki. The why I don't know."

"Well...why is always a good question isn't it?. But that's not really important is it. You don't need to know the inner workings of our organization. Well, let's just say your intuitions were correct, and that I am "hunting" your reformed baby brother. Where does that leave us now? And this shinobi with you? What is his story? Why are you with a Leaf Ninja?"

Temari just stared at the red haired man. He knew a lot more than she was expecting. Shikamaru had slowly sat up. It was the perfect conditions. The fire in the cave cast the entire area with shadows. He motioned her to keep speaking.

"What Leaf ninja? My partner is from Suna of course."

His eyes gave away nothing. They continued staring at her with no hint of expression. "Is it wise to start lying to me?"

"What are you talking about -"

"-I saw you both with my own eyes. Outside the inn. Shadow possession moved those children. I've been around long enough to know that's a coveted Nara clan secret. And unless the Nara clan suddenly moved to Sunagakure, I believe that I am correct. Plus he looks like a Nara - through and though."

Shikamaru was now crouching, a little unsteady from the blood loss. He only had one shot to get this right, or Temari would be in danger. His regular shadow possession wouldn't last long at all, he was too weak. From Temari's words it appeared that she was unable to move. Those bastards better have not have hurt her permanently. He had one shot and he had to make it count. There was something missing every time he had tried this before. His fireball had fizzled and lost power when travelling along his shadow string. It lacked the power to get to its final destination. He couldn't do it, and have it fail again. What was it? What was the missing piece.

He looked at Temari. She was doing amazing, distracting Sasori. From her movements, it looked like that she could not move one side of her body. His eyes darted to the left of her. Her tessen was laying there mere inches from Sasori.

He knew what he must do. He only had one shot he had to make it count.

"I'm going to ask you again. What are you doing here with a leaf shinobi?"

Temari's eyes darted past Sasori. What could she do if Shikamaru shadow possessed Sasori. Maybe she could flop down and roll towards her tessen, but even then it would be nearly impossible to operate it with one half of her body functional. She would do it though, she was not one to give up without a fight.

"His goal is the same as mine."

A rare smile flashed across Sasori's face. "To protect the jinchuriki. Their jinchuriki. Nine tails. Am I right? The Leaf has tried to keep this secret for far too long."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and put his hands together. He gathered his yin nature and concentrated to gather the fire chakra like he had practiced so many times before.

The shadow string attached to Sasori's feet.

"What?"Sasori gasped as he tried to swing his body towards Shikamaru.

Shikamaru shot a fireball along the shadow string at a rapid pace. It was racing towards Sasori with no hint of slowing down.

"Senpai No!" a voice called out.

A flash of light burst out as the fireball hit the target. A huge explosion resulted in a sea of rubble falling down in front of him blocking his view. He collapsed to the ground panting. He had done it.

Wind.

Wind was the answer. Temari's chakra nature, Temari's weapon, Temari herself had shown him the way. It was the way to push his fireball with the speed he needed for it to be successful.

He had always known this - Temari was the answer.

A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter has taken absolute ages. I've been having a lot of trouble with writers block on this. Thank you for your patience, and I hope that you are still following along. Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated. Thank-you!