A/N: Would you believe me if I told you I rewrote this chapter 3 times before deciding which one I wanted to go with LOL. I love this version the most and I really hope you all do too! Hopefully I'll be able to get back to posting regularly. I've managed to overcome most of my manic episode but I'm still having days where I feel uneasy. If this wasn't what yal wanted I do apologize I'm trying my best!

Konoha was cold, dead… crestfallen, yet somehow his bare arms wrapped around her torso made it warm, comforting, relaxing. When they first slept together, he would turn his back towards her in their sleep insisting he didn't like to be touched and that they were strictly friends who had a sexual gravitation towards each other. Time after time, he insisted this was true, yet after respecting his wishes after their festivities by getting dressed and stating she was going back to her residency, he'd let out a sigh and mumble "stay here for the night."

Which would always end up as "Stay here for the week" and finally "Your residency isn't the best, just stay here for the rest of your visit."

Temari would never question it, but simply laughed. She wanted to believe he loved her the way she secretly loved him. Even if he didn't say it, even if he never said it- he always showed it. He knew her favorite foods down to how she liked them cooked and knew exactly which days of the week she preferred them (even the days she tried to switch it up to trick him), he knew about her quirks and the little things she'd do when frustrated like crinkle her nose and squint her eyes. He knew she was insecure about having a more muscular and curvy body covered in stretch marks and a decade worth of scars compared to the girls of Konoha so she tried her best to mask her figure. He loved ever inch of her despite what she thought but that was something he would never admit.

He came off so careless to everyone including her, but the only thing she could feel was his heart and how whole it was aside from what others thought.

She didn't mind the attention, yet he did. He just wanted a simple life, didn't care to be called a hero or a Jōnin, didn't care to be of assistance to the Godaime. Simple. Life. He just wanted to have a normal job and have a normal relationship with nothing publicized. Unfortunately for him, life would be far from normal. He was the only successor to his father, his clan. It was within his fate to take control of the Nara clan regardless if he wanted to or not. To him, Temari would always be someone of relevance to the ninja world. She would always be known as one of the best kunoichi in existence, she would always be an icon in Suna. Her life was too much for him to handle, but he loved how she was when they were alone. It was like none of that stuff phased her. The way people viewed her, looked up to her, made sure they weren't slouching when she was was near. She just wanted food, a good conversation and a game or two in her downtime. Completely normal things despite all the things she could have been doing based on status. Shikamaru could never tell how Gaara felt about him, but he sure as hell knew Kankuro had dirt on him. It wasn't anything that he thought he should talk to her about, but knowing he had a problem with him for whatever reason sparked curiosity. Even though he had been on several dates in the past, the girls were so mundane. They would have things in common with him but that was typically the only characteristic about them. Bland, boring book readers that wanted a normal life. It contradicted with how he felt his life should be like because when he would date girls who wanted the same things he wanted, he got annoyed and felt rather bored during dates. Never even bothered to go on a second date and instead act like nothing had ever even happened when seeing them in public after ghosting. Something about Temari gave him life again. Something about her made him feel invincible. She had such a scary smile and unapologetic outlook on the world which was typically something he didn't care for. But she was different. His feelings towards a normal life never once changed, but he wouldn't have minded sharing this normal life with her.

What a drag.

She had already planned on leaving before she overheard him talking to Ino. She signaled Kankuro once her beau had fallen asleep in hopes he was nearby. Guilt was temporary, a note would suffice for the meantime. She gently kissed his sleeping lips leaving a the slightest smirk on his face before departing.

"Did you forget who I am? Where I came from, Crybaby?"

It was barely sunrise with the sun creeping enough above the land to shine directly in Shikamaru's face. The note was visible on the window, a place she knew he'd end up looking at when he woke up to close the blinds like he always does. Not even the master of shadows could keep her within his possession.

Hidan may have weakened her mind, yet it didn't take much for her to remember who she was, turning that mushy heart back to stone.

"Temari." He sighed and threw his head back into his pillow.

"You are SO lucky I was heading this way Tem." Kankuro shook his head and smiled.

"Glad to have you back, seriously. Everything cool?"

"It will be once I have his head." The two had been traveling by horse and carriage a little before the sun started to rise in the east. Her brother wore a black hooded cloak that covered most of his face to make up for not having his typical war paint on.

"You make me feel lazy the way you dress." Temari wore a dark purple kimono with a red obi around her waist. She had looked like she got a good nights rest as her face was glowing and her hair was neatly tied.

"I can't let anyone suspect anything. I'll just say I went on holiday or something." Temari crossed her arms and looked out of the carriage window.

Kankuro laughed and slapped his seat.

"Yes because people are totally going to believe that you took time off of work to go on holiday. You haven't taken a break since we were toddlers!"

Temari rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"No seriously, you never get out."

"I do too."

"Trips to Konoha aren't necessarily holiday. You're sent there to work and then come back."

"I do work." She interjected

Kankuro raised an eyebrow. "On?"

"Other things." Temari looked down at her lap and her brother caught on quick making a gagging face.

"I hate you. He can go to hell. Matter fact I'll meet him down there just to beat him up."

"Hey now, I didn't say anything you just assumed and now you have that image in your head. That's a personal problem."

Kankuro squinted his eyes and looked at his sister dead in the face. "Swear on mom you're a virgin then."

Temari giggled. "Who said I was a virgin?"

"Out of all guys, why do you choose the lazy douchebag? Your taste in men is horrendous."

"Who said I chose him?" She smiled plainly.

Kankuro brought his hand over his eyes and pointed towards the carriage door letting out a long disappointed huff.

"Get out."

"How could you lose someone you were SLEEPING WITH?"

Ino paced back and forth in frustration with a vein popping out of her forehead.

"Why does it matter? You told me to get her out of here, she just saved me the hassle." Shikamaru was tossing an apple in one hand as he leaned up against his building.

"It matters because this is TEMARI! Most likely she overheard us talking and wanted to take things into her own hands. And that's great, women empowerment and all but she could seriously die.. The way she described what he did to her… I would honestly be petrified."

"Lucky, she barely told me anything." A sarcastic smile was visibly shown.

"You're lying." She stopped pacing and looking at her teammate.

He waved his hands opposite directions while saying "She told me enough, my fault."

"Well what's the next move? We can't worry about her right now. How do we go about approaching Hidan?"

"Find Choji, I have a plan but we need to make one more stop."

"But Lady Tsunade said she has new plans for our team, didn't you hear?"

"There's no need, I promise you."

Ino had a worried look on her face. She wanted to believe everything he was saying but she didn't want to end up like her leader, six feet under with nothing left but memories.

Shikamaru corrected his slouch and began to walk down the alleyway they were by and let out a soft wave.

"We'll meet up tonight before sundown at Asuma's grave."

Clear skies gave the siblings the advantage of making it back by late afternoon. They came into Suna quick and unnoticed, greeting Baki at the doors of their quarters.

"Lady Temari, is everything-"

Temari cut her former leader off from saying anything else. "We don't speak of anything." She let out a warm yet freakish smile. "I was on holiday."

Baki nodded in a confused manner and tapped his foot.

"Ah well where was this… holiday?"

"The hot springs."

"Which one..?"

"Talk to Kankuro, you talk too much." Temari walked passed him striding towards the kazekage office leaving Kankuro standing across from him in silence.

Temari waltzed down the long hallway passing high portraits of her parents and relatives until reaching the tall kazekage doors.

She opened the heavy doors to see her younger brother looking down on Suna. He was in a long red tunic with matching slacks and his hair was neat yet slightly unkept on the sides.

"You need a hobby, Gaara."

"People watching is a hobby."

"A very weird hobby."

"I suppose we can ignore your absence in this moment. Is something wrong?"

Temari walked up to his desk, sat on the edge and crossed her legs.

"How would you go about killing an immortal?"

She let her fingers dance on the surface pattern of the large desk as she spoke.

He took his gaze off of the village and glanced tired eyes towards his sibling.

"Such an odd question. Find out their weakness and use it against them so that they dread the rest of their eternal life."

"So, make them wish they weren't immortal."

"Technically speaking, yes." Gaara turned his gaze back to the village and released the tension in his shoulders.

"Temari, you can talk to me about anything. Even if I don't understand."

"Thank you." She hopped off the desk quickly changing the subject.

"I know a great hobby for you! Look over there." She pointed to a villager watering some cacti and succulents not far from the kazekage office.

"What is she doing?"

"It's called gardening, and people do it so that plants can grow. Pretty near right?"

Gaara tapped his lip with his index trying to process what she was doing.

"Hm, I'll look into this gardening thing you speak of."

She began to walk towards the door. Before leaving she turned to face her brother one last time.

"Gaara..?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember mom?"

"Faintly, but I like to thing the unsettling feeling i get in my stomach after completing a mission is her way of showing me she's here."

Temari frowned and looked at the ground before looking back up to him.

"You don't have to be in love to feel love. Never forget that." And then she walked out.

Gaara stood there puzzled for a moment contemplating on what she just said before shaking his head and going back to the topic of gardening.

"Hm… Engei "

Instead of meeting back up with Kankuro, Temari found herself in her doorway staring inside her room.

"I can do it…"

She was so hesitant, but she didn't want to be afraid anymore. She didn't want him to have control. She took two steps inside before feeling herself lock up in paranoia freezing.

"I can do it…" Her heart began to sink to her chest until she remembered all that she worked for. She couldn't just let herself go this time because everything she worked for would turn to nothing if she did.

"I'm sick of this shit!" Temari bolted for her tessen standing comfortably against the wall by her window. She grabbed it effortlessly and fanned it out over her shoulder with legs apart summoning whirl wind drop. Her windows slammed open and her bed and vanity flew to the wall breaking. She was breathing heavy, her eyes were seeing red.

Temari closed her eyes and grinned before biting down on her thumb and wiping the blood near the base of her tessen.

"Not this time."

Her confidence was rocket high but she was failing to realize the one thing she needed in order to win.

Strategy

She couldn't kill him, nor did she know his weaknesses- if he even had any. If she was going in for the kill with an immortal with no planning she would more than likely end up dead.

When she looked up her eyes were sharp like a dessert cat. This quickly changed once Baki called for her through her thick teakwood bedroom door.

"Lady Temari, is everything alright?"

Temari quickly positioned her tessen on her back and opened her door. Baki looked at the destroyed room startled. "Uh-"

Temari closed her eyes and hummed as she whirled past her former leader.

"Baki, have someone clean this up. I'll be out for awhile."

A/N: Fun fact, Engei means gardening in Japanese :)