:: Author's Note ::
YAY! My mom bought a new car yesterday, a Honda CR-V, and we picked it up today. I am overjoyed, since I've been wanting that car forever, nevermind I can't drive yet ;
Black leather seats, kickass sound system...
I know I just did a Temari POV, but I really like peeking into her mind. And besides, we get to see into Naruto's as well!
Oh, and to the magician of darkness, I bought my Naruto DVDs at animearigato(dot)com. They aren't in english verbally, but they do have english subtitles, which aren't too hard to understand although they lack a little pizazz :)
And holy flying dung, you bizarre Swedish person, put a band-aid on that ;D
That night, Temari came home, warily eyeing Naruto's door as she passed it.
With a sigh, she entered her apartment, her swollen feet aching horribly.
Immediately, she went to the bathroom and started filling the tub with a steamy blend of hot water, and poured in bath salts that would supposedly make your skin softer and smell like fresh apricots, peaches, and nectarines.
This is my first real, relaxing bath ever.
Such things weren't allowed in Sand Country, and were considered female weaknesses, but yesterday morning, she had picked up a few things to help her relax, since there was no punching bag here.
Filling the room with lit candles, as her electric bill was so expensive, she undressed and slipped into the hot tub, the tips of her released blonde hair becoming wet and clinging to her shoulders.
With the room perfectly quiet, she had expected to clean her mind free of any staticky troubles, but it seemed impossible.
How are you going to support yourself?
This water's awfully hot.
How will I care for my baby if I'm working all the time?
Can I really do this?
How can I expect him to pay me tomorrow once he sees what I bring him?
Him. Uzumaki Naruto.
He didn't seem picky, but not even Gaara would dare to eat anything Temari had 'operated' on, not the Christmas roast or even canned corn. It seemed that by just touching food, she had confirmed it's culinary death.
But then, he couldn't truly expect her to be a good cook?
And... why had he been so eager to help? She was an enemy of his, and of his entire nation, and had even tried to hurt him by destroying those things he held so dearly.
Her blue eyes narrowed at an unsuspecting candle, and for a moment, it seemed as though she was staring at him.
Naruto! You bastard, do you think I'm weak? Do you think I am so helpless that I need eighteen dollars a day, and that I am defenseless just because I'm having a baby?! Well, you're wrong!
A growl purled in her throat, her anger brimming at the top towards Naruto and the poor candle in her view.
She swirled the bubbly warm water with her fingers, attempting to calm herself as she began to feel the tensions in her muscles break down, something they had never done before.
- - - -
Their figures were submerged in darkness, only the basic outline of their profile visible.
One of the three men reached out to pluck a toy from the shelf, holding it tightly in his hands.
"Bring her back to me... and I don't want any excuses."
The other two nodded before bowing and venturing out into the night, the sleepless winds tearing at their clothes.
- - - -
Naruto yawned, awaking from his slumber. All afternoon, he had slept, a magazine carelessly flopped over his face to block out the light.
He glanced to his calender just to remember what day it was, his eyes lingering momentarily at the bikini-clad model advertised for this month.
Without missions, he was bored, and without any friends to even pretend to go on missions with, he was even more bored. Lee and Sakura were practically retired, the way they acted, and as for Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Choji, Neji, and anyone else he met along the way, they were all settled into relaxing lifestyles as sensei or store owners or scroll-writers... none of them seemed to desire an exciting fight with a powerful enemy, and it was all for Konoha's glory, too!
Hmmph. They were stupid anyway.
Through the thin walls of the apartment building, Naruto could hear Temari heating up a bath and then enjoy it, talking aloud to herself inaudibly.
For the first time, he questioned himself.
Why had he hired her to cook for him?
He could barely afford meals at the Ichiraku Ramen, and knew he could eat healthier from discount grocery stores if he just tried.
No, he scolded himself.
Temari needed this option... without it, it might mean one less meal, one less toy for her child.
His eyes squinted, remebering numerous painful memories from his younger years.
In those days, he had only the money the Konoha Orphan District gave him, and their funds came from donations, frighteningly scarce at the time.
Struggling to repair tattered clothes... eating slowly the same meal every day for a week... having to budget everything from clothes to food to necessities...
Long ago, he decided that no child should ever have to go through that, and donated any excess he had to the orphan fund.
But Temari... Temari was too proud to accept anything from anyone. She seemed to be stuck on the idea that you must support yourself without anyone's help, and if you did so, it meant you were a weakling, a runt.
Ah well, it was too bothersome, Shikamaru would say.
Naruto yawned again, stretched his arms, and after such a difficult mental debate, rolled over and returned to dreamland.
:: Author's Note ::
Argh, I've overscheduled myself...
Along with excessive homework, I have ballet class four days a week, I'm doing the Mojave Nutcracker(an 1.5 drive to and from five hour rehearsals), dancing in the local fair and going to rehearsal for that, and going to my homeschool's private school branch so I can get accepted into high school. -wheeze-
No worries! I'll do my best to keep up the chapters :)
