Asunder
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Produced faster than I thought it would be. Hurray for turnaround. Some plot develops, some more character interactions, and more fun with Shikamaru. Because I loves him.
And I was right, chapter 247 went and made this AU. So uh, anything post 246 is not being taken into consideration.
As always, comments and criticisms are highly appreciated.
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Chapter Two: Under the Moon
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"…which is a load of crap!"
Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his temple, all his pretense at trying to pay attention gone. He hated meetings. He hated being here, and at this meeting especially.
Being the leader of his group, he had the wonderful responsibility known as "conversing with the locals and sorting things out." He'd rather be outside sleeping in what little shade he could find.
But the way this meeting was going, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
"Look," he sighed, leaning forward and resting his arms against the table, "we can understand why you might not like this, but it's not like you don't need our help. We're allies, it's what allies do."
"We do not need weak Konoha ninja to help us rebuild our city! You're not wanted!"
"Funny, that sounds like what someone else told me yesterday. And I told him to shove it, too."
The Sand-nin across from him bristled, his face turning scarlet and his knuckles white as he glared at the young man across the table. "Watch your tongue."
"It's in my mouth, I can't really do that."
"Children," another voice butted in, the speaker standing and slamming her hands against the table loud enough to echo throughout the room. She glared at each man in turn, but her eyes focused on Shikamaru. He rolled his eyes and sat back, and she raised an eyebrow in what he recognized as an amused expression.
"Temari, sit down," an older man spoke up, sitting next to her. She frowned and ripped her gaze off Shikamaru, nodded to the man, and sat, arms folded across her breasts. "Now," he began again, softer, "this open hostility is doing neither of us any good. I doubt the Leaf wanted to send anyone to help us as it is. But they did, ad we should at least be able to show some kind of gratitude. And as soon as things are up and running easily again, they'll be gone. Which, if things keep going as they are, will be in a little less than a week, is that correct, Shikamaru-kun?"
The lazy ninja nodded. "Yeah. We'll be gone before you know it."
Across from him, the irate man didn't seem any happier, but he grunted his acknowledgement anyway. "Fine. Just stay out of our way while you're here."
Shikamaru idly wondered what would happen if he were to tell Naruto what the man had said. He'd probably follow him around just to piss him off.
…That actually sounds rather promising.
"Meeting dismissed," the elderly ninja spoke up and stood, retreating from the room with the others following him. The irate ninja paused a moment to glare back at Shikamaru—Yeah, definitely gonna want to tell Naruto—and then he, too, was gone.
Leaving Shikamaru with only Temari, which did not bode well for the strategist.
"That was troublesome," he muttered, looking at her out of the side of his eye. She smirked at him.
"Everything is to you."
"Everything is. You said too many words."
"If you say so." She stood, stretching her arms over her head. "You should be more careful, you know," she eyed him as she stretched. "Not everyone was happy when we made a truce with a weaker clan."
"That always happens." The boy stood as well, chair scraping the ground. "It can't be helped."
"No, but that doesn't mean you should instigate things." Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow and she smirked. "You aren't making friends quickly."
"So I figured."
"And truth be told, if the only reason you were here was to help us 'rebuild,' I would have thrown you out by now."
Shikamaru paused, eyes darting to meet hers. Temari's smirk made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight and he felt a shiver run up his spine. Troublesome woman.
"There's no reason Konoha would send some of its best ninja here just to help us rebuild, despite the fact we're allies. Anyone who would willingly believe that's the only reason is an idiot." Shikamaru shrugged and Temari began walking towards him. "You're only using the rebuilding excuse so you can spy on us. Are you worried we'll betray you to Orochimaru again, like three years ago?"
Shikamaru kept his face impassive.
She was right in front of him now, their noses nearly touching. "Because I know the Leaf has problems with betrayal. It's a rather sore wound for you guys, isn't it? Especially when it involves Orochimaru."
His cheek twitched, and she smiled, then grabbed his shirt with one hand and pulled him—if it was even possible—closer to her.
"Why would Konoha send so many of you just to spy on us, otherwise? Think we agreed to trash our own village just to fool you?"
Shikamaru smirked. "Ah, and here I was thinking you got it. But you're only half right." He lifted a hand and forced hers open, but he didn't step back because she grabbed his shirt with her other hand and pulled him closer, her mouth crushing his. Shikamaru's eyes flew open and he shoved her back, sputtering whereas she was smirking like nothing had happened at all.
"I like you. You intrigue me, I can't understand you, and you're just a little bit cute." She leaned against the table, arms crossed beneath her breasts. "So what's the half I have wrong?"
Troublesome -troublesome- woman! "We're allies. That doesn't mean we share all our secrets like a bunch of women sitting around a well."
Her eyes flashed for a second, but she never lost the smirk. "I see. Well if you're going to be like that, I'll just have to watch you even closer." She pulled away from the table, walking past him to the door, her arm just barely brushing his. "Just be careful of Hanzo and his group. Allies or not, they don't care. I wouldn't want to see anything sticking out of that back of yours." She gave him a curt wave, turned from him completely, and was gone.
Five seconds later, Shikamaru let loose a huge sigh and slumped against the nearest wall, running his hands through his hair.
He was never going to understand women.
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Naruto bounded through the air, jumping from roof to roof and having a great time doing so, if he did say so himself. And the best part of it was that he was going completely undetected. None of the onlookers, let alone his prey, knew what the young shinobi was up to.
Heh. Because I am that good.
Mentally buffing his nails against his jacket, Naruto stopped abruptly and flattened himself against his current roof, senses poised. His prey had stopped suddenly, turning around as though looking for someone following him. That can't be a good sign… But the man seemed satisfied when he didn't instantly see anyone around, and continued on. Naruto grinned, gave himself five seconds, and then was up and following silently again.
This is way too easy. Heh, I guess I just have gotten too great.
A few yards behind the young ninja, a shadow broke itself off from its surroundings, paused a moment, and then turned and vanished without a sound.
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"Ok, the idiot is late."
Hinata looked up from where she sat, blinking at the pacing Kiba. Akamaru slept beside her, his back legs twitching every now and then, but Kiba was wide awake, pacing, and more than a little put out.
"M-maybe he got distracted…?"
Kiba rounded on her with a snarl. "Distracted with what! There's nothing out here in this god forsaken desert but sand!" Hinata winced and Kiba rubbed his temple, pulling away slightly. "Sorry. But I'm pissed off. Where'd he go? It's not like him to miss anything dealing with food."
"Maybe it's because Neji cooked it," Sakura piped in, grinning, and the white-eyed shinobi turned his head to glare at her from his place by the fire.
Kiba sighed dramatically. "Naruto eats ramen for every meal of the day. I doubt Neji's cooking would scare him off."
Neji's glare moved from Sakura to Kiba.
"How about we all stop the fighting and eat?" Chouji asked, finishing off the last chip in his bag. "I'm hungry. Naruto can make his own food if he's hungry enough."
Hinata frowned, biting her bottom lip but not saying anything. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but she also couldn't prove it. And Naruto could take care of himself…
Without any more protests, Neji sighed and served out the food, lifting an eyebrow as Temari and Kankurou chose that moment to join up with them. Hinata noticed Shikamaru tense slightly and tilted her head to the side curiously, but then Temari was being her usual loud self and the shy Hyuuga shook her head. These Sand people were so confusing.
"Hinata-sama."
She blinked and looked up, startled slightly by the bowl Neji held directly in front of her face. Smiling shyly, her cheeks tinged pink, she said a quiet thank you and took the offered food.
"I'm sure he's fine, Hinata-sama," Neji said, taking a place beside her. "This is Naruto we're talking about."
"Yes… You're right…"
"Did you say Naruto?" Both Hyuuga's looked up at the new voice, Hinata smiling shyly and Neji raising an eyebrow as Temari took a seat opposite them, slurping up her food.
"D-do you know where he is…?"
A shrug. "Depends on what time you're talking about. Saw the idiot about midday." Another slurp.
Midday… That's a little after Shikamaru-kun came back from the meeting…
"You haven't seen him since then…?"
Temari shrugged again, a glint in her eye Hinata didn't find very assuring. "What'll ya give me if I tell you?"
"A kick in the ass if you don't!" Sakura called from her place a few feet away, glaring over her bowl at the other kunoichi. Temari shrugged, a smirk on her lips.
"You can try, but we all know who'd win that particular match."
"Troublesome…"
Temari half-turned, that smirk never leaving her face. "Oh, you know you love it. I thought I'd taught you that earlier. Hmm?" All eyes were on Shikamaru in a second, but the lazy shinobi took it in his usual way.
He closed his eyes and prayed the day would leave him alone.
Temari's smirk was vicious when she turned back around. "I'll get him yet…"
"Um… Temari-san…"
The older woman rolled her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Yes?"
"So you don't know where Naruto-kun went?"
"No, I don't know. And I don't particularly care either way what that idiot gets himself into, as long as it doesn't involve me and/or me having to fix anything he's done."
"You're so nice," Kiba muttered from his place by Sakura.
Temari flipped him off.
They finished eating quickly, Temari and Kankurou leaving soon after, and Hinata stayed behind to help her cousin wash up.
"Hinata-sama, you don't have to. I can handle this myself." The male Hyuuga frowned, pushing Hinata back a bit.
"But I want to help…"
"By your own words, the cook is the one to clean. If we're going to have any semblance of order, you're going to follow your own rules. Otherwise everyone will take advantage of your kindness."
Sighing and sitting back, Hinata nodded. "I know…"
"Good. Now go and practice, or rest, or something. Tomorrow won't be any easier than today was." The girl nodded, and he patted her on the head awkwardly, as though the motion was strange to him, which in all reality it was. "Good. Now go."
"Okay…"
Hinata stood, brushing herself off quickly before turning from her cousin and heading towards the perimeter of their camp. It wasn't until she was standing in its shadow that she realized she'd walked to the rock Gaara had sat on two nights before, when she'd made dinner.
He hasn't shown up since then. I wonder where he went…?
She shivered, folding her arms around herself. I don't know that I want to know… He still scares me.
Running a hand over the rough surface, she leaned into the rock, turning so her back was to it and sliding down. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then looked up at the sky, initiating her Byakugan. If anyone was nearby, she'd find them.
But all she found was sand.
Naruto-kun… Where are you…?
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Dawn broke like always in the desert, frozen night driven away by blazing day. Hinata awoke with a start, her senses suddenly alert to the shadow standing above her.
Opening her eyes at the same time she reached for her kunai, she barely had time to register the form before something pinned her to the rock, covering her mouth to keep her from crying out. Eyes wide and tearing, trying to hide her panic, she couldn't help but whimper when the pressure increased slightly and the figure leaned in toward her, allowing her to see some features.
Gaara…san…?
The Sand-nin leaned in close to her again, as he had two nights ago, staring into her eyes with a look she couldn't understand and didn't want to.
"Your friend never returned." His words were cold, but not harsh. There was no emotion to them because he didn't need to have any. This was fact. Hinata winced as he tossed something to the ground before her feet. Naruto's forehead protector. "The others have gone to find him." The sand around her mouth dropped away, and the pressure against her chest lessened some. Gaara was challenging her, she could sense it, but what was the challenge?
"So what will you do?"
The sand pulled away from her completely, and she slumped back against the rock. Gaara was gone, and she was too scattered to use her Byakugan to find him.
But she knew what the challenge was now.
Leaning forward, she picked up the headband, cradling it to her chest. He's testing me…? Why? And why would everyone go to find Naruto-kun? Where could he have gone? Why did no one wake me…?
She frowned thoughtfully, biting her bottom lip. The only way she could think of that no one would have woken her was if they were told not to. But who would do that? And why wouldn't Shikamaru leave someone behind to watch the camp, or check the village to find their missing friend?
What… What's going on…?
Gaara's words echoed in her mind though, and she took a deep breath to steady herself, using the rock to haul herself to her feet, Naruto's forehead protector still cradled against her chest. Whatever the reason… I… I can't back down now. If Naruto-kun needs me… Her hands tightened around the object she held and her eyes narrowed in determination. I want to help him. Like he's helped me.
One last steadying breath, one clenched fist lowering to her side, and she was off, running to someplace she had no idea of, without any clues or help. Her heart thudded painfully, and she was more terrified than she'd been since her fight with Neji in the Chuunin exam, but something was urging her on, making her move. I can't give up now… Not when I've tried to change myself…
And behind her, the sand shifted as another form took flight.
