day 5: chocolate - decoration

Temari was on her way to Konoha again, but not for her usual task of planning the Chuunin exams - those had taken place a month ago.

This time, she was there to deliver a few scrolls to the Hokage and also, as her brother put it, take an extended recess for a few days.

A waste of time was what Temari called it. Though she didn't mind the three day journey all that much anymore; it was nice to get some time to herself. Certainly better than being stuck on desert patrol with Kankuro and his annoying puppet nerd squad.

And it wasn't like Konoha was a boring place. In the entertainment aspect, it was pretty good actually. Good restaurants, good parks, good shopping.

"Oi, troublesome woman. Back so soon?"

Somewhat good company.

Shikamaru was waiting for her as usual, so heavily leaning against the sides of the gate as if it was the only thing keeping him upright. Which, knowing him, it probably was. "Seriously, you have nothing better to do than pretend to be a guide?" She called, right away getting started with their habitual bickering.

"Clearly, the Hokage doesn't give 'cloud-watching' the same importance I do." He responded easily, falling into step beside her. "Speaking of our leader, she doesn't have time to see you today."

Temari stopped in her tracks. "What? Why not!"

"Something came up with the civilian council. And the elders get all huffy if that drags on too long, which causes problems for the rest of us." He explained as he folded his arms lazily behind his head.

"I traveled all this way-"

"Relax, you'll get your meeting tomorrow morning." Shikamaru interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "For today, you're encouraged to relax and 'enjoy the sights.' You know how to relax, right?"

Temari punched him for that one. "What sights?" She muttered, already irritated by her short time in Konoha. "I've been here a dozen times."

Shikamaru just shrugged. "You'll see."

And soon, Temari did. As they got closer to the marketplace, the streets got noisier and busier as shinobi and civilians mingled. Merchants lined the sides, all trying to sell their wares. Children raced each other, running and laughing. Even older shinobi that she was used to seeing in the standard green flak jacket were wearing casual clothing as they wandered through the market. Though the lighthearted atmosphere was a nice change, what really caught Temari's eye were the decorations that covered, well, everything.

There were streamers hung across awnings, arrays of flowers in the windowsills, and line after line of lights strung over their heads. There was even a distinct sweetness in the air. It was all gorgeous.

Temari took a minute to really appreciate it. "What's going on here today?" She asked.

Shikamaru sighed tiredly, but it was easy for her to tell that it was just for show. "Neji, Hinata, and some of the others had a rescue mission in a distant village. The man they helped is actually a daimyo and he sent his best merchants here as thanks. Turns out, he rules the Land of Sugar, hence, all this... sugar."

He pointed out a symbol on a sign for a nearby merchant, that Temari now realized was repeated at every stall. It wasn't one she recognized, probably a small land that fell under Suna's radar.

Sudden excitement bubbled up inside Temari. She had always had a sweeth tooth, and insisted on trying dango from one of Konoha's shops every time she visited. The idea of trying a dessert from a distant land really thrilled her.

However, she noticed her companion seemed less than enthusiastic about the commotion around them. "You don't seem too fond of it."

"I'm not really a sweets person." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "And the village has been so loud lately - it's troublesome. The Hokage has given pretty much everyone a day off."

"And here I was sure you'd be jumping for joy at that." Temari teased, laughing as a slight blush painted his face.

"I certainly don't want to spend my unexpected day off lying in a field of grass. And as my guide, you have to do what I say-" Temari spoke loudly over his grumbling. "-So get ready to buy me lots and lots of chocolate. If you're a good escort, maybe I'll even share." She proclaimed with a wide grin.

Shikamaru went from pink to red instantly. "What a drag." He mumbled, looking away.

The chocolates looked as amazing as they smelled. Temari couldn't pick which flavor to buy, there were just so many, so Shikamaru asked the merchant for a small bite of each. They must have been used to that kind of request, because they were quickly handed a golden tray of a dozen chocolate squares.

Shikamaru led her over to a bench outside a -currently closed- tea house they frequented. As soon as he placed the tray between them, Temari attacked the sweets and completely forgot her surroundings, completely focused on the smooth, creamy, addictive treats.

One had a citrus tanginess to it, another minty. The next was salty and filled with caramel. Her favorite had a bitter aftertaste that Temari just immediately fell in love with. In all of her eighteen years, these chocolates were by far the best thing she had ever tasted.

It was only when she reached into the tray and was met with nothing that her eyes finally flew open. "Huh? My chocolates-" She jumped up, a glare already on her face as she grabbed Shikamaru's arm threateningly. "You-!"

"Calm down, woman, I didn't touch your precious sugar." He smirked as he took her hand off him, shaking his head. "Seriously, so troublesome... you just ate them all."

Temari folded back onto the bench, embarrassed at both having wrongly blamed him, and also for devouring the entire tray in practically minutes. She stared at her feet sullenly. Did that mean they were going to go back to her inn now, without any more chocolates?

"Oi, come on already. We've got a few other stalls to get to before they start closing."

Temari's head shot up, her eyebrows raised high. Shikamaru was already on his feet and continued. "I heard from Choji there's a guy who makes chocolate into a ball, and there's like, even more chocolate inside it. Apparently it melts really cool, or something..." He trailed off when he noticed her staring at him. "What now?"

"You... you'd really go back to the markets? In the troublesome crowd, just to buy more chocolates?" She asked softly.

"Y-yeah, well," He shrugged, his eyes darting away from her. "If you want."

Temari grinned as she joined him, ready to walk side by side again. "You know what, Shikamaru? Maybe you were right. Relaxing sometimes isn't so bad after all."

"Heh. I know."

"I said sometimes!"

so late omg but whtvr its shikatema month now 3