The Desert, the most dangerous terrain, the harshest living, the most loyal of armies.
The night air nipped bitterly at the sand shinobi below, yet none flinched. They were too used to the highest of heats and lowest of colds to fall under the weather. The army, although not vast, housed the strongest among Suna. With the arrival of their captain the camp silenced at her presence. The wind slipping past her caressing the gracious princess of Suna revealing a mighty goddess as she strode past her subjects. Her teal gaze set on the sandy tent before her.
She had made her way back from Suna with news of a possible battle ahead of them, her reinforcements to be joining them soon. Her brother and Kazekage Gaara putting his trust in her and allowing her to take command as she always did. She was the leader of the front, although small it was specialized in jonin of great talents and of the highest ranks. Entering the tent, she paused unseen by the bickering fools inside. Temari glanced between Kankuro and Baki arms crossed expressions set in ones of irritation. The chill night air around her seeming to heat up as the two argued with at each other. She'd gotten back to camp just in time to take command it seemed.
"You could have at least hidden the damn bodies Kankuro, I've been at the border all day making sure they don't get on our side" Baki glaring down at Kankuro who equally looked annoyed and with a groan to express it spoke.
"We did Baki, problem is they had one hidden and we couldn't just barge in after him who knows where the camp is" He raised his arms to emphasize his point. Baki scoffed and slammed a fist into his palm voice raised.
"Admit it, it was rash thinking, we didn't have to engage them and yet you did" Baki pulled back when he shoved a finger glared through his pained eyes.
"What exactly are we supposed to do when they attacked first" The room suddenly silenced the conflict subsided as Temari cleared her throat restraining her next words.
"Stop bickering like children, it's embarrassing" The two slowly turned to the narrowed darkened eyes of Temari her voice laced with authority.
"You heard?" Kankuro shrugged back under the glare and Baki avoided her eyes all together.
"It was rash thinking Kankuro you've engaged in conflict without considering what's on the other side, I've heard how the sizes of the units gotten more reinforced since you intervened" She turned to Baki, although her sensei even he knew better then to go against her final say as she was still the Kazekage sister, a noble lady of Suna and his chief in command currently. "Baki don't scold him he had every right to attack" He eyes glanced between them her chin lifted proudly "The sand doesn't back down from a fight, that would make us cowards. If they want to come to our borders, then we will to" She turned to Baki's shocked face.
"They are going to strike arn't they" he clenched his jaw looking down. She lifted her finger to her chin a moment thinking, their eyes still trained on her once more
"Give me the night to come up with our counter, We'll be at war soon enough so be prepared and double our patrols, we have a reinforcements coming in soon" Kankuro nodded first and gave her a smirk.
"We've got a master strategist on our side I doubt they'll get the upper hand on us" Temari rolled her eyes and smiled at him breaking her stern expression for a moment to that of a worried sister.
"Don't get too comfortable, I need you to oversee patrols" She looked at Baki her gaze just as soft "Baki I want you to prepare our Chunin, they are still new to war and aren't ready yet for the front lines"
"They are still kids" Kankuro muttered looking at Baki who nodded solemnly.
"Well, what do you expect? Our army has taken some big loses, not to mention the Leaf's jinchuriki attacked us a couple of weeks back, it's not like we have to many troops to begin with" She didn't seem fazed as she spoke mind shifting to her brother back home. Gaara had trusted her entirely to take command up front and she had been leading for years now. The other nations believed him to have tamed the demon Shukaku, but it was more different than they thought. The loses hurt but like the desert the army was cruel and merciless that alone won them quite a few battles over the years.
"Don't sweat it Temari, it's quality over quantity" Kankuro smirked, and she sighed.
"Little brother, don't get ahead of yourself, just keep a watch and stop arguing we need to be strong now" She finished and turned hoping to get some sleep in after her long journey back from Suna to the camp. She exited the tent "men are so incompetent sometimes" muttering under her breath with a sigh as she made her way down the rocky terrain past the resting shinobi around here. She nodded to their acknowledgement towards her as she disappeared into the tent at the far edge of camp. Her fan slipped off her shoulder and she settled down before a small table scattered with reports and maps, her hands skimming past the papers quietly until it pushed a scroll aside her body growing tense, suddenly frozen to her spot.
Was he mocking her? She gripped the familiar blade before her and observed the expert craftsmanship for a second. This blade had been at her throat several days back the dark slanted eyes turned to her, and she sneered. Attached to the end of the blade a note. She glanced around her wondering passively how he had managed to get into the camp, it was guarded in ever side and had no blind spots. Slipping the note in hand she read 'Meet tonight' and a torn-out map piece showing the borders between Stone and Leaf. She grinned shaking her head, for a genius he was stupid to send this, yet she stood, grabbed her fan, and left camp being unseen.
Shikamaru crouched eyes closed fingers linked together the hood of his cloak resting on his shoulders. The guards across the border he had seen earlier in the day had been replaced and two more had started their watch for the enemy. He didn't know why he'd chosen to sneak out and into the sand camp, it'd proven easy but tedious to be undetected, yet he was seeking an opinion from the captain of the sand. He wasn't about to march in and demand an audience with her. In no way did he trust her, or even for her to show up, but what was the harm in trying, she'd at least be able to give him some new perspective to their current predicament.
He sighed having been waiting for a couple of hours now and resulted in him becoming restless with a flick of his lighter he slipped a cigarette to his lips and huffed returning his gaze the two quiet guards ahead. A soft hiss then a thud a blade connecting with wood echoed behind him, a light breeze following. He turned his gaze to the tree beside him keeping his body tense as he rose grabbing his chakra blade from the damaged bark and turned his attention behind him to the sound of a harsh metallic thud meeting narrowed eyes hidden between a hood and mask.
"Well, what do you know you showed" He glanced from the glinting closed fan to the hand that held it defensively before her. Temari glared over at him pulling the scarf down as she spoke lips turned ready to demand answers.
"You've got some nerve coming into our camp" She warned and Shikamaru lifted a hand to grab his cigarette from his lips with a shrug. He'd expected her angry, and uncooperative at first, he just had to play the enemy.
"Don't worry I didn't go snooping, just needed you here" Her shoulders raised, she was tense. He felt a slight shift in his nerves she wasn't going to be easy to convince. "Listen all I want to discuss is a proposal" Temari tilted her head her glare turning to a wary curious raising here brow at him.
"What makes you think I want to discuss anything with you?" He grumbled she looked ready to lose interest and leave. He chose his words carefully and dared to smirk.
"You didn't kill me for one" A flicker of something flashed in her eyes as they dropped casted dangerously on him. She was growing impatient, the subtle breeze around him signaling him to raise his free hand and twitch his finger, the string connecting to a paper bomb revealing itself beside her, the string shining for a moment catching her eyes. Coming back to look at him she grinned, the kind of smile that made it look like he told her a joke. He stiffened momentarily catching the glint of color in her eyes even in her current predicament she made him feel like he was the one stuck in a trap.
"You think you're smart, don't you Shikamaru?" He grinned; it could almost be mistaken for a friendly exchange, but it was anything but. They were simply sizing up the enemy determining the next move and throwing words at each other in the process.
"Sometimes" he shot back and watched her smile fade.
"What do you want?" she demanded curtly.
"You have no reason to trust me, and I have no reason to trust you" his smile faded once again growing serious "but we have a common enemy who outnumbers us" He looked across the canyon to the guards ahead and her eyes slowly followed. A moment of silence before she spoke.
"What's the proposal?" She asked eyes focused on the men across from her. Shikamaru turned back to her the smoke from his exhale blowing a cloud before him.
"A truce" He pulled back when she shot him an amused look and smirked.
"A truce with the leaf?" Temari let out a sharp laugh mocking him
"I meant with me" he spoke clearly watching her scoff in amusement.
"Like you said we have no reason to trust each other" She was abrasive, harsh, and nothing about her seemed friendly. He preferred the wide-eyed woman he'd saved, but that was women one side was sweet the other bitter. Yet even when he tried to look away, he couldn't, he stared on unamused by the cruel Kunoichi.
"We don't have to trust each other" He muttered glaring back feeling irritated at her tone "we just have to stay out of the others way. We have intel that they are planning a divided attack against our fronts" She faltered and although small his eyes caught the shift in hers as they widened, and she listened intently. "They are currently building troops on each side of our borders" He slipped a rolled scroll from his vest and extended it towards her. She glanced down and with a sharp inhale lifted her fan and clipped it behind her before stepped forward breaking out of her tense pose and snatching the scroll from his hand for good measure. He simply pulled back his arm slipping it into his pocket and gave her a second to read.
"Why are they splitting their forces, why not just put all their efforts into one attack?" She muttered scanning the scroll quietly "They shouldn't have enough troops to be able to pull this off" He looked on at her pulling the burning bud from his lips.
"That my question" Temari looked thoughtful for a moment finger resting on her chin eyes furrowed but not in anger. "Their camp is just over the ridge; we had scanned the area earlier but found nothing solid about the attack. We noticed the size of the army increase in the past two days" He sighed rubbing his sore neck noticing her tense up for a second "to many troops to sneak in unnoticed" He stiffened when she chuckled, light and amused at him, she almost looked gracious as if she was dealing with her own comrade but kept her focus on the scroll, her next words mocking him.
"You leaf shinobi are so boring" She hummed glancing at him with a sly grin "Never taking risks, always waiting to strike" she smriked "Always givign up" He shot a glare her way at the mention "You have an opening and you're not taking it" He snorted turning away from her "if they have a plan then I'll get it myself" She rolled up the scroll when he shot her a surprised look.
"You don't even know what's down there, how are you even going to get-" he began, but she raised a hand shoving the scroll towards him, pushing it roughly into his chest as he fumbled back stopping him from speaking.
"I'm sorry did I ask for your opinion?" She spoke confidently and with a sarcastic tone behind her question. She didn't bother to look at him "Just because you're to scared to get the plans doesn't mean I am" With that she lifted her mask hiding her smug grin from him but casted a enticing gaze his way, challenging him, before stepped from the branch disappearing below him. Shikamaru gapped slightly taking a second to blink, his mouth went dry and the cigarette almost slipped from his lips. Temari left him shocked and uncomfortable, nothing unusual really, she was rash and would probably get killed if she got caught. A moment of hesitation followed the thought and he groaned annoyingly flicking the cigarette away before he inevitably sprang down after her.
Temari pushed past the brush around her headed towards the ravine the only neutral space between Leaf and Rock. The guards posted at the border a few hundred meters down the opposite cliff side. Her own troops would be miles down probably on the defense against the Stone. The faint shift of dirt behind her signaled that he had followed, she knew he would he needed the intel as much as she did. She wasn't worried about the size of the troops, just the fact alone meant the troops were rushed over and probably contained inexperienced shinobi. Her steps slowed as did his.
"How do you even plan to get across? The bridges are guarded on both sides" Shikamaru asked his hood resting on his head his eyes narrowed under it as he observed her glancing down the cliff side. She looked over her eyes slanted in a devious enjoyment at her sudden thought.
"Have you ever flown before?" An instant unease fell over him when she turned around facing him her hands shot out grabbing his collar and swung him around pushed him over the edge, savoring the shock on his face. With a satisfied smirk she sprang down after him, wind slashing around her, eyes widening to focus and with one hand she gripped the fan on her back and splaying the three moons under her legs. She rushed towards him using her free hand to grip his arm and pulled him towards her the fan catching their bodies just before they hit the ground. The current around her was strong, the ravine was easy to maneuver and as fast as they fell was as fast as it took her to glide them up and over to the other side, unseen. Landing light on her feet, she left him lying on his back, panting eyes wide and staring at the dark sky.
"Why would you do that?" he mumbled his chest heaving. She stifled her laugh behind a smile finding the scene amusing and clipped her fan shut resting it on her back. Temari stepped over to him looking down before nudging a foot into his side, when he finally pulled his focus back towards her, looking annoyed
"Get up lazy, they'll spot you here" she smirked under her mask and turned, sitting up slowly he rested on his elbows for a second with a groan, before standing and brushing the dust from his sleeve watching her form disappeared into the forest, his steps quietly following hers.
It was clear she made herself the leader of the mission and he didn't object. He could be using her as a decoy, a way to get on the inside and keep the intel for himself, but she was already countering how to get out of it if he decided to break the little truce they had. Temari knew Shikamaru was intelligent, his tactics proved it, so if he betrayed her now, he'd just get himself caught. He looked harmless enough even disinterested at the current predicament they had placed themselves in, yet she was always prepared to swing first if he decided to make a wrong move against her. After all they didn't trust each other.
The Stones army was vast considering they had two nations to worry about on the borders here. The camp spread a mile down, tents posted in neat row, enemy shinobi walking the dark grey paths below some on patrol others moving supplies from place to place. A village rested in the distance, probably a deployment center to build up the troops below. Shikamaru crouched resting his arms on his knees, now being able to see the camp for himself he narrowed his gaze down the cliff, taking in the scene, mentally watching his back if Temari wanted to push him off the ledge again. Four times the shinobi he currently had posted even after supplying his own camp with reinforcements. This would be a tricky battle, outnumbered and blind to the enemy numbers until now. Ino had made it clear the army was immense but seeing it for himself he felt uneasy. Temari scoffed bringing his focus to her, standing confident arms crossed and eyes shut in thought.
"They didn't have this many troops last week" She grumbled and opened her eyes to glare down at him. He pulled back slightly her cold gaze making him tense.
"I suspected reinforcements after we bombed the canyon, just not this many" He mumbled the last part dropping his head with a sigh.
"Good job genius" she looked away speaking sarcastically glaring down the cliff "you did this one to yourself by making the first move" He clenched his jaw and huffed his irritation settling in and seeking a way to now bring her harsh edge down.
"What about your troops huh?" She tensed, a dangerous glare now turned to him "I saw the size of that camp, what a hundred or so shinobi?" He turned to her resting his chin on his palm, bored one would think "You're in the same hole as us woman" he stated as a fact, her eye twitched, but he held her gaze regardless of the risk "Our armies are outnumbered three to one we are at a disadvantage. Face it even if we both managed to double our fronts, it'd still be a significant loss on both our sides if thye decide to attack us" a silenced followed him, then a sigh from Temari her face disinterested as she waved him away with a hand.
"Like I said you Leaf shinobi are boring, you're giving up so easily Shikamaru, so much for being a genius" He cringed back and groaned "Do me a favor" She leaned down resting her hands on her knees her eyes staring into his, forcing his attention "If you want to give up now, do it, save me the trouble of dragging you around" her harsh words a warning then she shut her eyes, calmed and sighed, softened her look, still unforgiving but more approachable, burning yet beautiful "but if you're going to stand by me and get this done stop complaining you big Crybaby" She pulled back quickly, glaring before looking away towards the camp "We have our villages to think about right now" Shikamaru straightened the moment she approached him, his heart quickened, and he stared up at her listening to every word. When she pulled back, he slowly rose slipped his hands in his pockets and followed her gaze down to the largest tent in the center of the base.
"Alright what's your plan troublesome woman?" They both grinned.