Disclaimer: I do not own a single scrap of Naruto.
Note: This form indicates memory flashbacks.
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Thank you everybody who has taken a little bit of their time to post a review! I'm in tears to read them off my screen TOT
I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter to appear. The reason is that I went off traveling and doing events in several cities here in China and I didn't have time. Or to put it more clearly, I haven't had access to a computer for weeks on end! TT And now my own PC got problems with the Internet and I cannot post stuff for a long time. And perhaps I won't show up in the future because I'm going to board in senior high school which starts from Aug 25th and I hear that it's extra difficult to touch a computer there (except weekends when I can go home)…
OK guys I'm going to try my best to produce good stuff. I guess you'll have to accept OoCness because it's very hard for me to master the other characters! Just put up with it…I can't bring myself to write funny scenes…sorry…but I don't like to disappoint anybody Please please please keep following my fics …! That's all I ask of you…and please please please review! When you have time!
Off it goes…chapter 2…I still think the title sucks… o
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CHPT. 2 Blank
'Kankuro…hasn't Temari gotten up yet?'
A worried look flashed past Kankuro's face. 'I'll go and check, Gaara…' He uttered in a low voice and quickly retreated.
Gaara looked after his retreating figure with knitted brows.
Kankuro's footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. 'Where the heck is that girl…' He said furiously to himself. 'Hasn't she had enough last night? And she's playing disappearance again…Now what would Gaara say…' Cursing slightly, he rounded the corner to Temari's room.
He raised his hand and knocked loudly on the door.
No reply.
He hammered even more loudly at the door.
'Temari! I know you had drunk too much last night and now you won't get up! Soon Kazekage-sama is going to be murderous…for God's sake, get your lazy ass off your bed, girl!'
He yelled through the door for a minute. Still no reply. Kankuro was starting to wonder whether Temari had slept so soundly that he would have to drag her out of beg and carry her down the stairs like a sack of potatoes.
Then, cursing loudly, he kicked the door open.
'The hell with…' Kankuro was in the middle of firing off at his sister when he stopped mid-sentence. The room was absolutely quiet. The reason was obvious.
The bed was empty. In fact, it appeared plainly that it had not been slept in at all.
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When Kankuro joined Gaara minutes later, the Kazekage seemed untroubled at all by this startling piece of news. He glanced at Kankuro's shocked face and said flatly, 'I have expected this all along. She has been very emotionally unstable these days.'
Kankuro opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a ninja flying into the room and almost colliding with the doorway.
'Kazekage-sama!' The ninja, on straightening himself, exclaimed in an anxious voice. 'There is urgent information for you!' He presented a scroll to Gaara, who promptly opened it.
Kankuro eyed the messenger absented-mindedly, thinking 'What has caused this guy to be so excited?' Then, sensing the atmosphere going tense, he looked up, and saw Gaara's face change.
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On the road from the Sand to the Leaf.
A woman with gold hair sped down the road in the direction of the Leaf.
'I can't stand this anymore…I must…I must see him one last time…even though it means farewell forever…'
Temari's eyes stung.
The distance to the Leaf was rapidly shortening.
All of a sudden, Temari halted in her tracks. In a second she had flashed into the bushes.
With the aptness of a ninja she had sensed the presence of the enemy…and a condensing killing intent in the air.
Someone harbouring evil intentions is approaching the Leaf…planning something not to be told…and perhaps, and very probably, more than just one person is aimed towards the Leaf…
There was a gentle rustle in the leaves. With incomparable agility and speed Temari had whipped her fan open and leapt into the air.
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Shikamaru sat staring out of the window with his fingers crossed. The sunlight was too dazzling and it hurt his eyes. He blinked absentmindedly.
Dust rose from the ground and swirled in the morning breeze…glimmering in the sunlight…tainted yellow and gold, fluttering, beckoning…smiling…
Memories rushed past like torrents, flooding his view with a golden glow… The outrageous hairstyle… The childlike smile… The teases and taunts… The days on the hillside, or somewhere at the sand…
And it is all over…since that day…
'Congratulations, Shikamaru…you are appointed as Higher-assistant of the Hokage.'
Gratified and appreciative looks from all those around him, people laughing, congratulating. But the haze lingering on Naruto's face unnerved him and he felt a nagging fear in his mind.
That evening Naruto took him aside.
' Shikamaru…I'm sorry. But you must understand.' There was an extraordinarily un-Narutoish look on his face when he said the words in a hesitant manner.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. 'Sorry? What for?'
Naruto went on as though he had not heard him. He has become more and more mature after receiving the post of Hokage. 'After the war with the Rock, the Leaf has become very much subdued. We have lost many of our best people. The village…it needs reconstruction…that's why we have to engage you in work like this…'
'I understand that of course,' Shikamaru said dismissively. 'But you have something else to say…'
'The fact is…' Naruto gulped. 'That you would not be allowed to marry…anybody from another village…' He stopped.
Shikamaru's expression went blank.
'Shikamaru?'
Shikamaru shifted his gaze to the doorway.
'Father?'
'Please get ready…OK?'
Shikamaru thought he heard the excited voice of Ino drifting in through the doorway. Mixed in between was Choji's passive reply.
Shikamaru sighed.
'And…' Nara Shikato paused. 'I'm sorry, Shikamaru.'
For a moment, Shikamaru did not move.
'It's OK, father. I guess I'd have to accept.'
-TO BE CONTINUED-
It's so depressing writing this chapter…especially the flashback! And the switching scenes! I didn't want to begin it like this! …and I guess I have too much OoCness here… b
The usual line…r&r plz! I'll get back and update as soon as possible… even though my computer is getting freaky…sweatdrops thx
-hell butterfly