day 2: water - drowning

The original plan had been to sneak into the campsite and take out the enemy, bringing back one as a hostage for questioning. Situations like these were pretty standard for jounin, though they usually involved just assassination. But in this case, information was more important than the kill count, making their mission a little more complicated.

It took just one wrong step, one missed shuriken, and they were disarmed and surrounded. Shikamaru and Temari were pulled away from each, the henchmen roughly pinning their arms behind their backs.

Temari kicked at her captors. "You think you've won? I was going easy on you pathetic bastards. Now you'll wish you were dead."

"Ha. A fiery one." A gravelly voice says. "Lucky I know the perfect way to put you out."

Shikamaru narrows his eyes at the newcomer, a thin figure in a white tunic and pants, with short gray hair. He hadn't sensed his presence when scanning the campsite earlier. But with the way the others stand at attention, it's clear that they are his supporters.

The man's scarred face breaks into a grin. "I knew they'd send the Nara genius."

Temari stops her struggling, and exchanges a look with Shikamaru. He's not a missing-nin from Konoha, he shouldn't know something like that. It's not like Shikamaru advertises his abilities.

"Although," The man scowls at Temari. "I don't really care for Suna-nin."

Shikamaru speaks up for the first time since their capture. "Why are you attacking Konohagakure?"

"Right down to business, how boring. Shinobi these days have no manners."

He snaps his fingers, causing his lackeys to spring into action. One of the men sucker punches Temari in the stomach and she hunches over, gasping, while the other shoves chakra-dampening cuffs on her wrists. Shikamaru growls, trying to lunge towards her, but his captors have superhuman grips of steel, and with his ninjutsu disabled, he's stuck.

"Hey!" Temari yells as her arms and legs are grabbed, the thugs suspending her air. "Put me down! What do you think you're doing!?"

"Isn't it obvious yet?" The man shakes his head in mock disappointment. "The genius should have figured it out by now."

He does know. He notices them getting closer and closer to the edge of the lake, sees the way Temari's hands are bound too tightly. He knows what it means to extinguish a fire.

"I'm here to give you a warning, Nara-kun." He continues. "The more you try to find us, the more trouble that is going to befall your village. Quit now, and there won't be any casualties."

Then he snorts and motions to the lake. "Other than her, of course."

Temari, who hasn't stopped struggling, roars fiercely. "I'll kill you!"

"I'm sure you'd like that." The man smirks cruelly. "Shame they don't teach you how to swim in that horrid desert."

They swing her without ceremony, and the last thing Shikamaru sees is the fear in Temari's eyes before she disappears underwater.

"No! Temari!"

He struggles desperately against the arms restraining him, his eyes darting between the air bubbles disappearing from the surface and the clouds moving too slowly across the sky. He's never hated their presence like he does now.

Shikamaru's heart and mind are racing. He just wants to get rid of the thugs holding him still and maybe add more scars to that man's face, but above all that, he wants to get to Temari before it's too late.

"The rest of us will take our leave now; you two stay and make sure she's dead." He motions to his lackeys, who disappear up the cliffside one by one, then adds with a chilling laugh. "And make him watch."

Something inside Shikamaru cracks, and he glares at the clouds, begging wordlessly. The surface of the lake is too still. "C'mon, c'mon..."

He manages to straighten his right arm as much as possible, then sticks out his index and middle finger, concentrating hard on his chakra. He thinks he feels his arms trembling. Finally, the clouds decide to inch away from the moon, and he feels his shadow surge. It's weak, but it reacts wildly enough to throw the goons off-balance. Shikamaru wrenches free, and now with both hands, puts together a few rapid-fire hand seals. "Kage Kubishibari no Jutsu!"

In no time, the two henchmen lie on the ground, lifeless. Shikamaru whirls around to face the boss, ready to call on his shadow again, but all he sees is his silhouette fading into the night sky.

It's an easy decision for what he's going to do next, one that he doesn't even need to think about.

"Temari!" He yells, racing to the lake, pulling off his vest and kicking off his sandals as he goes. Without a second thought, he dives into the same spot he last saw his girlfriend.

The water goes still, with no sign of either of the shinobi.

Then, in a sudden burst of waves, Shikamaru emerges from the depths, the kunoichi in his arms. He coughs up some water, gasping out, "Temari." But there is no response, not even any movement.

In a few kicks of his legs, Shikamaru channels enough of his chakra to stand on the surface of the lake.

Out of the water, Temari is so cold.

He runs to the shore and drops to his knees, carefully laying her down on the grass. Her lips are blue.

After breaking the metal cuffs with the butt of a kunai, Shikamaru immediately starts chest compressions, thankful that they had been covered in a lesson that he was actually awake for.

He bends and checks for a heartbeat. Not feeling anything, he covers her mouth with his and breathes.

There's still no reaction, so he resumes the chest compressions, whispering. "Temari, please... Please don't do this to me."

Another breath, then two.

"I can't lose you too."

He loses count of how many times he repeats this and is ready to cry when Temari jerks under him, beginning to cough and choke on the lake water still inside her. Shikamaru helps her sit up so she can get it all out, all the while muttering under his breath as tears spark to his eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Temari inhales heavily, trying to refill her lungs with a normal amount of air. She's shivering, so he keeps his arm around her the entire time as she works on calming her body down.

Finally, Temari turns to him, her teal eyes tired and red. "What happened to them?" She croaks.

Shikamaru jerks his head towards the mountains to their north. "I was able to kill two of them, but their leader managed to get away. No hostage this time, but I think Kakashi will understand." He explains with a half-hearted shrug.

Temari leans her head on him, a sign of her true exhaustion. "You should have gone after them." She mumbles.

Shikamaru stills, then his eyes narrow in anger. "Never say that to me." He snaps harshly. "You aren't a pawn to sacrifice. This mission-"

She pushes him with all the strength she has and glares back at him. "Was an order. You would defy your village for me?!"

He's sure she means it rhetorically but it's another answer he doesn't even need to think about. "Yes." He responds instantly, with a cool gaze.

Her eyes widen. "Shikamaru-"

"I would." He nods curtly. "I would rather fail every mission than let you die."

Temari's stare falters, her face crumpling as she throws her arms around his neck and hides herself in his chest. He hugs her back tightly and buries his own face in her damp hair, memorizing the sound of her breathing.