Disclaimer: see part 1.

Of Sand and of Leaf

Part 4

He Who Walks Alone

By Random1377

Glancing around with a clear expression of boredom, Shikamaru mumbled, "Where are we going?"

They had been wandering aimlessly around town for several minutes now, and as far as he could see, they had no real destination.

"Well, you could give me that tour now," Temari suggested, after a moment of thought, "maybe… show me your favorite places?"

"Hm," Shikamaru grunted, "there's nothing that great in the village… but whatever."

Temari shrugged. "That's fine," she said, "I'd still be interested to see what you like."

"You move too fast," Shikamaru muttered darkly, coming to a halt in front of a small ramen stand. "One day we're enemies… next day you love me."

Temari glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Did I say love?" she asked coolly. "That word never crossed my lips, Shikamaru-kun… I said I like you. Now like can turn INTO love, sometimes… but…" she trailed off, seeming to lose her train of thought.

Jumping into the breach in the conversation, Shikamaru said, "But you don't just start liking someone all of the sudden. There has to be a reason."

"There is," Temari said evasively, "and you're assuming again – I never said it was all at once… I've had time to watch you in action, you know."

"When??"

"Well, when you fought me, for one," Temari said coolly, "and – in case you forgot – there was a whole MONTH before the fight where I had the chance to watch you in your village and learn more about you for the fight. So 'all at once' REALLY isn't a good way to put it."

Shikamaru frowned at the thought. "How much did you watch me?" he demanded.

The month that had preceded the chuunin fights had not been spent very productively for him. At the time, his only thoughts were of how he could get out of the last fight, if Temari proved to be too strong for him to beat. He knew his limitations, and at the time, he did not know hers – not that he truly did by this point – so he wanted to be prepared for any eventuality… and surrender was always an option he considered, especially since this was not exactly a life or death struggle.

But she was watching ME, he thought, casting her a sideways glance as she considered his question, gathering info… watching my every move. How well does she know me??

Temari brought his mind back to the question at hand.

"I watched you every day. I had to be familiar with my opponent – not that YOU had the same concerns, but I… I had orders…"

Shikamaru's frown deepened. "Then… you already know my favorite places," he said suspiciously, filing the implications of a month's worth of close observation away for later contemplation. "Don't you?"

Giving him a radiant smile, Temari laughed, "Of course… but I don't know WHY they're your favorites. They seem pretty random."

Opening his mouth to retort that this was certainly an underhanded way to go about things, Shikamaru found himself being hailed.

"Oi, Shikamaru!"

"Lee," Shikamaru replied, thankful to see a familiar face.

Lee walked up to them, nodding politely. "Temari-san," he said, giving her a more formal greeting, "ohayo."

"Ohayo," Temari returned cautiously.

This is the guy that almost beat Gaara, she thought, I don't know why, but even though Naruto actually DID beat him, I just can't take him seriously… he's just too much of a goofball! But this kid…

Her thought trailed off as Lee turned to Shikamaru. "I was just on my way to see how Sakura-san is doing."

Shikamaru nodded, sighing wearily. "I haven't… talked to her much since we got back," he admitted. "How is she taking this business with Sasuke?"

"Bad," Lee said reluctantly, "she doesn't say much… but I think she's getting better. Naruto's the only one she really talks to, but I made a promise to always be there for her, so…"

Nodding, Shikamaru said, "I understand. Maybe I'll drop by later and see how she's doing."

Lee gave him a bow. "Understood."

They started to go their separate ways, but as they reached the corner, Lee called out to them once more.

"Oi, Temari-san!"

"Hmm?"

"Your brother is over there," Lee said – as if this should be no real cause for alarm, "I think he was looking for you."

Shikamaru felt the girl at his side suddenly tense, and sure enough, as he glanced back the way they were heading, he found himself less than five feet from the fearsome Sand nin. That guy gives me the creeps, he thought, glancing at Temari, her too, it looks like.

"G-Gaara," Temari stammered, unable to hide her fear.

Gaara turned his eerie, pale blue eyes on his sister, inclining his head in a barely perceptible nod before turning back to what he was doing.

Shooting a quick glance at Shikamaru, Temari stepped forward, nervously approaching her youngest brother and stopping at his side to follow his line of sight. "What are you doing?" she asked – still cautious in spite of the young man's repeated assurances that he meant her no harm.

It was, after all, remarkably hard to just forget that a person used to kill out of nothing more than simple boredom or irritation.

"These children," Gaara said, tilting his chin towards a small knot of laughing boys and girls – not a one of them a day over five years old. "None of them know who I am."

"Er, no," Temari admitted, confused by this unusual statement. "I'll bet a couple of them have heard stories, though."

This thought seemed to bother Gaara, as his lips twitched down ever so slightly.

Quickly backpedaling, Temari quickly added, "But you're probably right – and even if they knew about you, they wouldn't know what you look like."

Gaara nodded slightly. "In our village," he mused, "everyone knows me."

And fears you, Temari added mentally, looking at Shikamaru, who simply shrugged and looked away.

"Shikamaru-kun," she said tentatively, waving the chuunin over, "do you… know any of these children?"

Shikamaru briefly surveyed the assembled horde of youths. "All of them," he said easily, "why, you want an introduction?"

"Actually… yeah."

Both Gaara and Shikamaru stared at her in disbelief.

"Please," Temari said seriously, averting her eyes as she added, "I'll… take a day off of the time you have to spend with me if you'll do this for me."

Shikamaru shrugged once more. "I would have done it anyway," he said coolly, "but you've got a deal."

As he moved off towards the group, Gaara murmured, "Time he has to spend with you?"

Temari nodded, keeping her eyes respectfully averted. "I'll explain later, Gaara," she said quietly.

"You… could call me Brother sometimes," Gaara said after a moment's hesitation. "If you wanted to."

Had she been anything short of a combat-hardened ninja warrior, Temari probably would have fallen over dead from the shock of this comment. As it was, she kept her expression light and inviting. "Mm," she hummed, nodding for emphasis, "and you can call me Sister… if you want to."

Silence – not quite comfortable, but no longer entirely tense – fell between the siblings as Shikamaru headed back towards them, trailed by five of the children. "Taki," he said, pointing to the oldest one, "Reina, Shugo, Kirika, Toyo… this is Gaara and Temari of the Sand."

"Aww cool!" the boy identified as Toyo exclaimed, "Sand nins!!"

In the blink of an eye, the youngsters had surrounded the foreign shinobi, questions bubbling up in a torrent as they unabashedly grilled them.

"Is it true that there's no water in the Village of the Sand?"

"Why is that gourd so big? Are you gonna eat it?"

"Why do you have a tattoo that says LOVE on your face??"

"Can you show us any cool Sand jutsu? Pleeease?"

Gaara simply stared, open-mouthed as the children swarmed around him, several grains of sand swirling unseen at his feet, as if preparing to leap between him and his small assailants.

"Gaara," Temari murmured, gesturing him closer, "why don't you…"

Shikamaru strained his ears, but could not hear what the genin was saying… though whatever it was, it must have taken Gaara off-guard as well, as he pulled back rather sharply, staring at her with a mixture of uncertainty and doubt. Receiving a small nod of confirmation, Gaara reached back over his shoulder and began pulling the stopper from his gourd.

"Oi," Shikamaru said quickly, rising to the balls of his feet and reaching for one of his kunai, "What do you think you're-"

"Shh…" Temari whispered, gently covering his hand and easing the small throwing dagger back into its sheath. "Trust me, ok?"

Uncertainly, Shikamaru allowed her to hold him in place. Not that I could really stop her, he thought ironically, or him, if he was really serious… but if he tries to hurt anyone, I won't…

His thought trailed off as a soft sigh of delight rose up from the children. "Wow…" the girl named Reina breathed, "can I… touch it?"

Gaara shook his head, concentrating on keeping the small castle of sand floating between his palms. "No," he said quietly, "the sand… likes me, but it's kind of…"

"Protective," Temari supplied as he trailed off, her voice equal parts relief and admiration, "it's Gaara's secret jutsu, kids… don't tell anyone about it, ok?"

Mute with wonder, the children simply nodded.

"Hey!" Shugo said suddenly, making nearly everyone jump. "Can you do a dog?!"

"Oo, oo!" Kirika bounced up and down. "A kitty! Can you make your sand into a kitty??"

"I wanna see a dragon!" Taki said boldly. "Can you do that, mister?"

Gaara looked almost hopelessly to Temari for guidance. I think this is the first time he's ever done that, she thought, amazed as she gave him an encouraging nod, he still scares the hell out of me… but he HAS gotten gentler since the time we fought the Leaf nins. She sighed. Of course… when we go anywhere, he still walks alone…

"Awesome!!"

Shikamaru found the children's collective assessment pretty accurate, staring with barely concealed admiration as Gaara's castle exploded into a billion grains of sand, whirling around like a miniature tornado before settling back into his palm in the shape of a mighty, sand-fire spewing dragon.

Power is power, he thought suddenly, remembering one of the earliest ninja trainings at the academy. It doesn't distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, or light and dark – it simply IS. All of these other extremities are determined by HOW the power is used.

Belatedly, he noticed that Temari's hand was still on his, though she seemed to have forgotten it entirely as she watched Gaara creating sand shapes in his hands, a soft, open smile curving her lips up in a clear sign of affection.

Sudden awkwardness filled him, however, as Gaara caught Temari's eyes. Is he smiling? Shikamaru thought incredulously. No… no way – not that guy!

But there was definitely gratitude in that look, and maybe a hint of sadness as well, he could not quite tell.

"Come on," Temari whispered, pulling gently on his hand, "I just lost a day with you, and I don't want to waste any m-"

"No you didn't," Shikamaru cut in smoothly, allowing her to lead him away as the children were called back by their parents – some of them a bit more forcefully than the others. "I won't… I won't count that."

For the first time that he could remember, Temari blushed. "Th-thanks," she mumbled uncertainly, frowning slightly as he gently pulled his hand away from hers.

Shikamaru nodded absently, glancing back at where Gaara was placing the stopper back in his gourd. All that power, he thought wonderingly, sticking his hands in his pockets and letting his arms rest easily at his sides, and the only ones afraid of him are the parents. So are they the smart ones… or are the kids?

When Temari hesitantly put her hand on his forearm, Shikamaru made no attempt to shake it free.

Better than nothing, I guess, Temari thought, disappointed that she had not managed to get him to hold her hand, minor victories are better than no victories.

With her step slightly lighter than it had been, she followed the young chuunin on the tour of Leaf Village.

Continued…

Author's Notes: before anyone asks, no, I did not forget that Gaara's sand smells like blood, I just didn't want the story to be that dark, and I figured the kids wouldn't notice anyway, since they were so dazzled by his mad sand-slingin' skillz. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Six String Samurai took a look at this chapter and proclaimed it sappy. Thanks man, thanks for pointing out the obvious.

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities, or by e-mailing me directly at random1377(at-symbol)yahoo(dot)com.