Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...
Note: Ok, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!!!
Normal - conversations/narration
Italics - thoughts/voices in one's head
Italics and Bold - jutsus
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Sasuke looks out from the top of cliff deep in the desert, north of the Hidden Sand Village. Orochimaru had started to initiate his plan, and was now allied with the ninja villages of Stone and Rain.
He strains his eyes a little bit, trying to see as far ahead as possible. The weather in the desert was very unpredictable and dangerous, and without ninjas who were trained specifically in this type of terrain, battles fought would be automatically advantageous to the Sand ninjas.
Orochimaru wanted his small army to lay a siege on the Hidden Village of Sand, the only known ally of Konoha for now. Each of the Seven Heavenly Notes had their own small armies, each one of them attacking the Hidden Village in all directions. They were also able to cut off Sand's information sources, trading sources, and scouts. So basically, the Sand nins were now surrounded by a large force, which grew by the day.
But Sasuke was still not impressed. Even after all these measure, the Hidden Village of Sand was somehow able to hold out for a week, with almost no casualties on their side, while the Sound's casualties seemed to increase everyday. He knew that this was partly because of the terrain advantage that the Sand nins possessed, but he knew that this was also because of the Hidden Village of Sand's living weapon.
And that weapon had a name, and was feared in the battlefield.
Gaara of the Desert.
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A black suited man looks down at the Sound nins his intercepting squad had just killed. The sound nins were not as strong as they looked, and because the sand nins knew this area well, those Sound nins didn't even know what was hitting them until it was too late.
"Kankurou-san, we've just received a message from the Village. The Kazekage wants us to come back at once."
Kankurou looks deep within the desert storms, and sees a figure atop a cliff. He smiles.
After growing up in the desert, visibility for him was absolutely no problem. He could already tell by the way the figure was standing that he was the commander of the squad. And by using one of his puppets which he had allowed to get closer, he could already tell that the person was, in fact, the bastard Uchiha Sasuke.
"Hehe, I really want to kick your butt, Uchiha Sasuke, but unfortunately, I have much more important things to attend to."
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Nara Shikamaru was busy waiting for Kankurou's arrival at the Kazekage's mansion. He knew that he shouldn't have accompanied Temari on her way back from Konoha a week and a half ago… he just knew that something troublesome was going to come out from it.
But his dad also told him that it was only courteous for a man to escort a woman back home, not matter how far 'home' was…
Shikamaru shudders as he remembers what he had to go through on the way back from Konoha. They were attacked by a bunch of Rain nin then, but… that wasn't exactly what made him shudder. What made him react like he did was what he saw Temari did to those poor Rain nin after she was done with them. She made Morino Ibiki look like a wimp with her type of torture. She was then able to extract the information from those nins about the upcoming siege, and that allowed them to alert the Sand Village.
"Ugh, how troublesome…"
Shikamaru tilts his head slightly to the left, and sees Temari's red-headed baby brother, standing there like a statue. He hadn't moved from that spot at all for ten minutes, and Shikamaru suddenly wondered how Gaara could do that without going crazy. The red-head wasn't even looking at anything interesting in particular… at least he, the infamous lazy genius, would look at the clouds, because they were interesting, and he could stare at them for hours at end without even moving. But this guy… this guy was just like a monument himself. In fact, Shikamaru could not even notice the guy breathe at all!
Shikamaru sighs, and let's out another mumbled "How troublesome…" He knew that escaping from the Sand Village was almost close to impossible now because of the presence of the Sound nins, so he was now actually forced to defend it together with the all the other Sand nins.
"Talk about bad luck… This is what I get for putting myself into these troublesome situations with women… especially if that woman happens to be a dominating tomboy with a knack for violence, death and destruction… I can't believe that I'm right in the middle of this…"
"Dominant… tomboy? With a knack for violence, death and destruction?" says Gaara in a quiet, almost amused voice.
Shikamaru was stunned. He didn't expect Gaara to actually hear what he had just mumbled to himself. And not only that. Gaara… Gaara actually tried to socialize with him?
Shikamaru immediately recovers from his stunned state, and replies in his lazy voice, "Yeah… you must know who I'm talking about, right?"
"My sister," Gaara states in a casual tone, without even looking at Shikamaru.
"Yeah… you're sister. No wonder you became like this. If I had an elder sister who constantly bully's me to do stuff that I don't even want to do, I'd probably become just like you," Shikamaru says in a joking manner.
A tiny smiles creeps up on Gaara's face.
"Gaara… smiling? Now this… this is something that happens once in a blue moon."
"Temari has always been that way. Maybe a little less towards me back then when she was still afraid of me… but now, she just treats me a 'little' better than all the others. I pity Kankurou… he actually becomes her main target when she gets angry, and so she vents out her anger on him."
Shikamaru shudders again. "Temari is a dangerous woman… how the hell did I get mixed up with her anyway?"
He suddenly remembers the time he had outsmarted her during the Chuunin Exam four years ago, and the time she saved him from the bitch Tayuya. Ever since then, she had continuously gone back and forth from Suna to Konoha, for some reason unknown to Shikamaru to this very day.
And when she visited, she would always: 1) challenge Shikamaru to a game of shougi, which she had always lost (to her extreme annoyance) 2) practice with Shikamaru (which was actually training, because she thought that he was a wimp) and 3) try cooking something (to Shikamaru's great annoyance, because she was a lousy cook).
All the ninjas in Konoha seemed to find it 'cute' that an older girl from a different village was actually going with the lazy bum known as Shikamaru, and the 5th actually approved of it. She said something to the lines of, 'It's going to improve the relations between Sand and the Leaf.' Pfff… how troublesome.
He had also gotten closer to Kankurou, and to some degree, Gaara, because of their frequent visits to the village. Kankurou would usually hang out with Kiba and Chouji, while Gaara would usually stay with him or 'hang out' with Lee and Neji. But technically, it was really hanging out since they just talked about 'battle experience and missions' and they would almost always challenge each other to fights.
At first, he had thought that Temari would start hanging out with the other girls like Tenten, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata… which she did do, to a certain extent. But she just… liked to hang out with Shikamaru more often. She would even go with him to look at the clouds…
Shikamaru's thoughts were interrupted as Kankurou enters the palace, followed by Temari. It was clear that they had both come from battle, probably against some scouts. Shikamaru thought about the situation carefully. They were being attacked from all sides, and from what he had gathered, the leader of each squad was probably stronger thanan average jounin.
"So… report. Come on, you guys probably intercepted some scouts. From direction where they from? How many were sent? How strong were they?"
"The squad I had intercepted was from the north. We wiped out the whole scouting squad, and there were five of them. They were actually pretty weak, but that was mostly due to them not being accustomed to the terrain." Kankurou sounded bored. Shikamaru knew that he was a guy who wanted action, and sending him out on interception missions was not the type of mission Kankurou liked to do.
"The squad we dispatched was from the northeast. We also wiped out the whole squad, but there was just three of them. They basically got slaughtered." Temari was in her arrogant mood again today, and Shikamaru could tell from the way she spoke.
Shikamaru thinks awhile, trying to piece together all the information he had gotten so far.
"We've been attacked in eight different directions already, but we survived because those armies had attacked one by one. If they attacked all together…we'd be crushed. Now how the heck are we getting out of this one…"
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Kankurou looks on as he follows Shikamaru right into the Kazekage's room. Shikamaru was already a jounin, despite his age, but that was not the only that impressed him. He was also impressed by how Shikamaru handled his sister, Temari, who had a tendency to become violent. Somehow, someway, Shikamaru was able to tone down Temari's viciousness whenever he was around her, and she would actually listen to him. That was something she never did towards the nins in Sand.
The Kazekage welcomes them as they enter his simple room, furnished only with a table, a chair for the kage, and bookshelf to the left. On the table was a map of the village, with a great number of scribbles and illegible notes that Kankurou guessed was either the Kazekage's or Shikamaru's writing.
Ever since Shikamaru decided to help Sand, the Kazekage had always enlisted his help regarding tactics and strategy. In fact, if it wasn't for Shikamaru, they probably wouldn't have been able to last this long. The Sand nins had the terrain advantage, but the Sound nins had the advantage in numbers and in skill. The first wave which invaded the Sand would have brought them to their knees if Shikamaru had not created all those plans which enabled them to keep up with the Sound ninjas.
"So, what do you have for me, Shikamaru?" the Kazekage asks with confidence.
"All I have to say is, we're currently in a very troublesome situation right now. With all the information I've gathered, I can now tell that we're currently surrounded on all sides by Sound nins, and there is also the possibility that they have their allies with them."
"But we do have, Gaara, Shikamaru. This very terrain is his weapon, and he can take on a whole army by himself."
Shikamaru's eyes narrow a little. "And that's where you're wrong, Kazekage-sama. Gaara does not have the capability to protect this whole village, especially once they attack at the same time. The sand may be his weapon, but I have already seen and known of a variety of people who can defeat his Sand. If we place too much trust on Gaara's abilities, the enemy will know that all they need to do is kill or capture Gaara, then the village will be defenseless."
"I can take them on," Gaara states in a calm voice.
"No, you can't, Gaara. Do you remember Lee? He could get past your Sand. And do you remember Kimimaro? From what Lee told me, he would have killed you if he had not died right in the middle of his jutsu. What I'm trying saying is that we still don't know the capability of the squad leaders, and if they have curse seals, it will give them the strength to invade this village if they all use it at the same time."
Gaara's face didn't show any emotion at all, and he didn't respond to Shikamaru's explanation.
Shikamaru sighs, not even wanting to think of another plan. He had calculated everything, and each of his plans all led to their defeat. Orochimaru had really taken everything into consideration, and he looked like he was willing to sacrifice not having a good defending force at the Sound Village.
"And none of the villages will attack Sound because they're all attacking each other right now. Orochimaru really took advantage of the situation, and decided to go all-out against the Hidden Leaf's only ally. If this happens, then Konoha will… I don't even want to think about that. But there is still one morecourse we can take…"
Shikamaru knew that his last plan was his most desperate and most dangerous one. He looks at Gaara, and suddenly wishes that Naruto were here.
"Gaara… there's only one thing we can do. We need to attack the army to the east with a major force, enough to punch a hole right through their ranks. That would allow our Sand ninjas to get through and go to Konoha, asking for their aid."
"Are you stupid, you lazy ass? If we attack with a large force to the east, it will leave the opposite ends scarcely protected!! Even if the nins get to Konoha, once they get back, there might not be a Sand Village left standing!!" Temari was fuming, but Shikamaru decides to ignore her.
"That's why… that's why I would like Gaara to release the Shukaku, even for a while. The Shukaku is strong enough to defeat all the ninjas armies at the western end of the village, both to protect the village and to distract at least a fourth of the whole Sound force.
While the major force destroys the east Sound force, Gaara and a small amount of Sand nins will protect the opposite end of the village. In fact, Shukaku can protect approximately half of the whole village, mainly because the Sound nins will be drawn towards him."
Shikamaru knew that this was a gamble. If Gaara could not control Shukaku, the Sand Village would be destroyed even if they got help from Konoha. On the other hand, they didn't know how strong the eastern force of Sound was, and even with a big force of Sand nins, they wouldn't know if they could get through.
An uneasy silence filled the room. The plan was easily understandable, but the consequences still outweighed the benefits.
Gaara clears his throat. "Alright, I'll do it." He then walks out of the room without saying another word.
After a few more seconds of silence, the Kazekage decides to speak up. "And who will be the ones to alert Konoha of our predicament?"
"I'll do it." Temari sounded quite confident, although it looked like she was still a little doubtful of Shikamaru's plan.
The Kazekage smiles. "Shikamaru, go with her. I thank you for your help in our war, but we can't have you die in our village. You belong in the Hidden Leaf, and you should live and die in your own Village."
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Shikamaru walks in the streets of the Village of Sand, accompanied by Temari. It was getting dark, and he knew that he needed sleep.
"We will execute the plan the day after tomorrow. We need to get help as soon as possible."
A feeling of grief overwhelms Shikamaru. He didn't know how, or why, but he just felt guilty in leaving the Hidden Village of Sand. This village had become like his second home, mainly because of all those times he had come here escorting Temari. He would then usually stay a week or two before leaving.
"I don't know why, but I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this operation. There are too many unknown factors, but this is for the best, I guess."
Shikamaru looks to his left, where Temari was walking right beside him.
"Is she alright? She hasn't said anything…"
Temari looked different somehow. Shikamaru had never seen Temari so vulnerable, but he didn't know how to react whenever girls became like this, so he said nothing.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Shikamaru could not stand it any longer.
"Temari… I'm sorry. I know that the plan is way too risky, but…"
"Don't worry, Shikamaru, I'm alright." Tears were forming in her eyes, and Shikamaru hears her sobbing a little bit.
"That plan… is the only thing that can save my home. It's our best bet." She wipes the tears from her eyes and looks directly at Shikamaru. A smile forms on her face, and Shikamaru looked relieved to see Temari back to her usual self.
"I won't let my village down, Shikamaru. And you better not let your lazy ass become a burden in the mission. I'll be moving really quickly, you had better make sure that you don't fall behind."
A small smile forms on Shikamaru's face, and he lets a little laugh out. "Heh, don't worry, I won't let the Hidden Sand Village down. It's like my second home, after all."
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"So that is the snake bastard's plan…he he..."
An unknown member of Akatsuki wearing a straw hat looks at the Sound camps a little distance away.
An Akatsuki nin suddenly appears from the ground, moving out of it like it was water.
"Hmph, Orochimaru has started becoming a thorn in our plans. Not only does he have both the Hidden Stone and the Hidden Rain as his allies, he has also started spreading Sound's territory. He will have to be dealt with immediately…"
"Everything continues to go according to plan nonetheless. However, if any Hidden Village takes the advantage, we will have to do something about it."
"So are you saying we should help the Hidden Sand for now?"
"No, the battle seems even. All we need to do is watch, and make sure Orochimaru does not gain the upperhand in this war."
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The day had come.
Shikamaru comes out of the kage's mansion once again, followed by a few sand jounin. Temari was already waiting near the outskirts of the village where the operation would begin, while Gaara wasat the westernend of the village, ready to unleash Shukaku at the signal.
"Ok… here we go. The troublesome gamble begins here."
He immediately dashes to the eastern side of the village, while the sand jounin dispersed to assemble their fighting force.
He arrives at the outskirts of the village, and stands next to Temari. She smiles at him, and he smiles back.
"Heh, here we go. Don't become a burden, crybaby," Temari states jokingly.
The sand jounin arrive a few minutes later with their gathered force. Everyone stands at ready, as they await Shikamaru's command.
Shikamaru looks at the sun, and then shifts his attention to the shadows created by its brightness. He smiles.
"Let's do this."
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Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed the brief ShikaXTema pairing, you'll be seeing more of that soon. I also hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!!!
