Hello!
Sorry for the delayed update on the chapters. A lot of things have been happening at my workplace, as I started at a new place in the summer. So it's been an adjustment for me to write while working around my busy schedule. But! I hope the cliffhanger from the past chapter didn't put you off too much.
I wanted to focus these chapters particularly on Shikamaru and Temari. The event where Asuma died is different (as I have taken the Akatsuki out of this Naruto Universe, which is why this fanfiction is canon-divergent). But, the timeline which his death occurs is still around the same time when he passed in the OG manga/anime.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the read! Hopefully I'll have time to continue to post more soon.
Sincerely,
Kgirlthefox
Chapter 3:
His eyes fluttered open. It was unfocused. He blinked a few times.
Creamy skin. The crevice of a collar bone. The soft glow of her neck in front of his face.
He pushed himself up immediately, distraught, and falling back onto his elbows. He gasped, caught off guard. Temari lay under him, her eyes closed and head turned to her side as she lay flat on her back.
Shikamaru scooted himself back, and instantly gripped his right ankle. "Arrgghh!" He hissed, feeling it pulsate and shoot out stabs of absolute pain throughout his right leg. He also reached up to grip his side, which had collided earlier with one of the branches. It felt like a broken rib bone for sure. His eyes glanced up briefly, seeing where they had fallen. But the forest canopy was so dense, there was no opening that he could spot.
"I better leave...who knows what will be coming after all that commotion..." He thought bitterly, attempting to stand. But the pain from his ankle shot through him and he collapsed back onto the ground. "Dammit!" He cursed in his mind, clutching his foot once more. He glanced at Temari for a moment. Well, even if he could stand and walk, it probably was better if he didn't leave her. Defenseless.
"Urrgg..." He heard her stir and his body immediately froze. "What...what happened..." She sat up, her right hand immediately covering over her eyes. Rolling his eyes, he sat, realizing his chance of escaping was gone. "Well...we were blasted off the cliff..." He sighed, as he watched her stiffen immediately, and her hand froze over her face. "So...it's your fault then..." She hissed, anger and frustration laced in her voice as Shikamaru lifted his arms in a shrug.
"This is war Temari...I'll do anything to win." "Great going genius!" She howled at him, picking up a handful of dirt and flinging it. He noticed she completely missed him, but said nothing.
"Well...nothing we can do now...Besides, I have an idea to get out of this mess" he stated, glancing around at their surroundings. "Well, I don't need help. Especially YOUR help." She scoffed back at him, shakily standing. He watched her begin to walk off, as he could feel his own sweat dropping. "It probably would increase our chances of survival if we stayed together...and well..." He paused suddenly, wincing in pain. "I think my ankle is broken...so I can't really walk." "Sounds like a YOU problem" she snorted at him, as she paused, dusting herself off and checking her backside for her fan.
"Fine...you can leave me here to die...but you probably won't make it very far in this forest...this was the same forest we faced off against in the chunin exams" he reminded as she stopped patting herself off and froze for a moment, considering his words. "And this time...you don't have Gaara or Kankuro with you..." Shikamaru snorted, scooting himself towards one of the large trunks and pulling himself up. "Dammit..." He whispered out, feeling the throbbing continue as he leaned his weight onto his left side.
A sudden rumble shook the both of them, as Shikamaru searched around, his face pale. "Shit...something must have noticed us!" He called out to her, as Temari immediately whipped her fan off her back and splayed it open wide. Just then, the trees to the left of them cracked apart in a dusty mess. Both Temari and Shikamaru stumbled slightly back from the force, as the cloud of smoke spread about them. "Krraaahhh!" Screamed out a giant snake, its scales glinting yellow and its emerald green eyes narrowing in on them. "It's a damn snake!" He roared, pulling a kunai out from his back pouch. Temari still stood, poised and ready to strike, her body quavering. "Hit it!" He shouted at her, noticing her pause. But she made no move, as he could see her bite her bottom lip.
"Krraaaghhgaa!" The snake shrieked, sliding forward at them with a blazing speed, as Temari was still frozen to the spot. "Temari! It's coming to you!" He screamed at her now, his voice cracking as she seemed to snap back to reality and sent out a sudden gust of wind. But the blast of her jutsu veered off to the left of the beast, and the snake hissed in anger. It reared up its back tail and whipped it around, slamming into her and sending her off to fly back past Shikamaru. "Temari!" He called, using his left foot to push off and land as close as he could to her.
The dust cleared, as she pulled herself up out of the dirt, her teeth grit into a deep frown. He felt himself freeze, staring at her face. Her eyes were squinted and unfocused. The brightness was faded and dim. She shakily stood and groped about for her fan which she had dropped from her grasp. Shikamaru heard the snake sliding at them again, and he whipped around to face it. It still had its sights set on Temari, as its jaws stretched open wide. "It's coming! Hold on!" He growled, shifting his hands into his classic signs as she managed to latch onto her fan.
"Kagemane no jutsu!" He shouted, his shadow stretching out to grip on to her form. "What are you doing dammit!" She screamed at him, as she began to mimic his every move. The snake shot forward, its jaws ready to swallow her up. Quickly, Shikamaru rolled backwards, and Temari did the same, just rolling out of the way in the nick of time. The snake smashed its face into the trunk of the tree behind her, and it reeled back, snarling in pain. "I'm trying to save you!" He snarked at her, as he outstretched his hand, seeing hers open her fan. "It's in front of you! Strike!" He commanded as he watched her eyes try to gaze ahead at the snake. "Kamaitachi no jutsu!" She bellowed, sending out a powerful blast of cutting wind upon the creature.
It smashed into the snake's face, and the beast flew backward, thrashing and writhing in the distance. "Come here!" He quickly called out to her, as his shadows lashed out like whips, winding around her body. "Hey!" She yelled at him, as the shadows reeled her in to him. She swiftly slammed into his chest and he wrapped his arm over her shoulder. "Come on! We need to leave!" He rebuked her, as he watched her grit her teeth in fury, but did not reply back. With that, she shouldered him and the two leapt off, landing onto one of the tall over hanging branches. "There! Another one is 53 degrees on your right!" He barked out orders to her as the pair vaulted through the forest. The snake tried to pursue, but was thwarted by the dense trunks. They continued to maneuver through, and eventually, the sounds of the beast grew weaker and weaker.
After pausing for a brief moment, Shikamaru scanned about, his eyes targeting various spots in the woods. Suddenly, it locked on to a shaded over hang near a few large boulders. It was their best bet for the time being.
"120 degrees to the left. It seems like there some kind of small covering or cave" he spoke, as she grunted, lifting him and soaring forwards. With that, the two landed in front and they hobbled forwards. Shikamaru brushed some of the hanging foliage out of the way and peered inside. It was a bit dark and damp, but it was cover. With that, he released his arm off of her and pulled himself inside, moving over so there was enough space for her. He watched her bend down onto her hands and knees and crawl into the small space as well. "Ugh...it's too small" she grumbled as he gripped her hand and pulled her in.
"No, it's not. We're just going to have to be a little close...that's all" he huffed back as he sat her next to him, her arm brushing up against his. He could see a deep tinge of pink on her cheeks as she still held a scowl on her face. A sudden drop of water fell and Shikamaru glared at it. A few more began to appear, and soon a light rainfall had begun. "Ugh...of course...it decides to rain..." He deflated, as he felt exasperated at this point. "That's good. It'll wash away our scent" she scoffed at him, pulling up her legs to her chest and smoothing down the black kimono over them.
The two were quiet for a moment. The sound of rain increasing and creating a hum in the forest around them.
"So...are you going to tell me why you missed your attack? Or are you going to make me have to spit it out" he finally spoke angrily, his eyes flitting to her face. She immediately stiffened, and closed her eyes as she frowned. "I don't have to tell you anything Nara" she growled back as he rolled his eyes. "Look...I'm trying to be sincere here. We're both injured and it'll help if we are able to recoup our losses for a moment" he sniffed at her, as she turned away from him as best as she could. "Urg...troublesome..." he mumbled out as he reached down to touch his ankle. It screamed out immediately and his hand reeled back for a moment as he winced.
"My eyes..." He heard her whisper as he glanced at her, a brow raised. "I...I can't see...or...well...I can see, but it's blurry..." She stated softly, turning back to the front and breathing out. "Here...let me see it" he stated calmly as she glared at him as best she could. "I don't need your help..." She growled, as he snorted. "In this moment...we're just two ninja and you're hurt. Let me at least look at it." She pouted her lips for a moment, and he surprisingly smirked at the action. "She can be so childish sometimes" he thought briefly as she turned her face to him. He raised his brows, slightly surprised. She leaned in close, to the point where he could feel her breath hitting his neck.
"Well...?" She asked a bit impatiently, her eyes trying to focus in on him. He gulped for a brief moment, having a chance where he could purely gaze at her face. Soft full lips. Rounded pink cheeks. Thick and decisive brows. Long and lustrous lashes.
He slightly frowned though when gazing into her eyes. They were not as bright as they should be. Clouded, overcast. The green they held was a darker shade, not the brilliant ones he was used to. He lifted his hand and gently used his thumb to pull her eyelid open slightly wider, inspecting. She flinched for a brief moment, and he could see her flush red. He felt a heat rise to his face as well, as he drew his lips to a thin line. "Calm down. I'm just inspecting" he scolded himself, reaching up with his other hand to check the other eye.
With that, he leaned back and sighed. She also retreated back further to her side, her brows furrowed. "And?" She asked again as he smiled. "It looks okay. I think it's temporary blindness. Probably from the flash bang of the mines" he stated, as she snorted and reached down. With a quick movement, she ripped off the lower part of her kimono. "Oi!" He called out surprised, as she took the ripped cloth and began wrapping it around her face. "It's better to try to keep my eyes closed..." She stated resolutely, "probably the more I use it, the more strain it'll cause." "Probably..." he stated nervously, turning to look away from her. His heart seemed to thrum rapidly in his chest for a moment and he tried to quell it.
"How's your ankle?" She suddenly asked him, as he turned to her, his cheeks red. "Huh? Oh...it's sore...but I'll live" he nervously stated, a hand reaching back to scratch the back of his head. He noticed her reach out her hands in front of her, as she searched about. "What are you doing?" "Looking for some sticks...It's probably best if we try to splint it, or it'll heal wrong. And then you'll become Shikamaru Nara, the one legged ninja" she snarked as he frowned in embarrassment, his face turning even redder. "I'll be able to walk once it heals! I won't be one legged!" He snorted at her angrily as he heard her chuckle in response. His heart hadn't stopped its rapid beating at this point and so he needed to turn away from her. His mind was firing on all circuits now, as he drew up multiple shogi boards to try to calm himself. He played out different scenarios, but all just left him more flustered than before.
"Okay, take off your vest."
He reeled back as far as he could, steam almost rising off from the top of his head. "What!? I'm not taking my clothes off!" He remarked back to her, as she sighed. "No, dummy. I'm going to use that for your splint. It needs to be padded...you idiot." He immediately scowled at her and grumbled under his breath. He unzipped the front part of the vest and shouldered his way out of it, finally freeing his arms from the holes. He lamely tossed it into her lap as she felt about, arranging the different materials. "Any bandages?" She stated, as he reached into his back satchel and pulled out a few. "This is all I got." "That's fine. This should be enough."
With that, she lined up all the supplies. There were a few different sized bent sticks, his vest, and the loose bandages. "Okay, you have to take off your shoe too" she stated, as he clucked at her angrily. "See? Seems like you really WANT to take all my clothes off" he grumbled at her as he could see a smirk play on her face while he maneuvered his boot off of his foot. "Oh, please. You're just a 14 year old punk. I'm way outta your league" she snarked, as he glowered at her. "That's right, because you're a whole LOT older" he quipped back as she frowned. "Not that much older asshole. I'm only 17." "You old lady" he sniffed at her, as she reached out and immediately smacked his right foot lightly.
"OW!" He yelled, recoiling back. "Heh, good for you Nara" she laughed, pulling his foot closer to her. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, wait! Ow!" He cried out as she finally finished pulling and placed her hands upon his skin. "Such a crybaby" she snickered at him as he felt his whole body freeze up at her touch. The feeling of her light fingers grazing softly up and down his leg. His eyes couldn't pull away. He felt his tongue lick his lips in nervousness, watching her hands stroke his skin, feeling about. He watched as she lightly touched right at the joint, and she heard him whimper slightly. Keeping her right hand upon him, she reached back with her left to grab his chunin vest.
With that, she gently wrapped his ankle and leg with his vest, trying to pack it around. "Okay, now hold these splints there while I tie it up" she directed, as he reached down, gripping the sticks so they would stay in place. "I...I didn't know you knew medical procedures..." He mumbled out, as she shrugged. "When you're out on the field, it's better to be prepared." With that, she fumbled about for a moment as she found the bandages. Then she began to tightly wrap it around the splints.
Finally, she wiped her arm against her forehead and leaned back. Her back meeting the cold stone of the rocks of the cave behind them. "Whew...all done" she breathed out, as Shikamaru gingerly touched his leg. "Thanks..." He mumbled out as she snorted. "Don't worry about it crybaby. It's just a thanks for helping me out with that damned snake" she scoffed as he glared back at her.
Of course. That's how this woman worked. Nothing but the duty of the mission and her country. Or as a means of payback. He shook his head for a moment and leaned back as well. He was such an opposite to her. He could care less about what Danzo wanted and the state of the country. He really only did this for the others. To keep them safe. To not let them die. Not as a repayment.
"How did you find out about the supply line?" He asked her, as she scoffed in response. "And why would I tell you? You obviously didn't tell me about the mines you planted" she sneered at him, lightly tapping her eyes. "Point taken..." He trailed off, settling back against the wall. The rain still fell in a constant pitter patter outside. The only sound in the whole forest. "Well...why did you..." He heard her start, but she trailed off. "Hmm?" He stated, peering out to see if the rain would be stopping any time soon. "Why did you catch me? You should have just let me fall and die. That was your plan anyway, wasn't it?" She retorted to him, her voice upset. Shikamaru paused for a moment, his brows furrowed. In the moment, he instinctively grabbed on to her. But, he wasn't even quite sure why. He had just reached out to steady himself from falling, and the next thing he knew, he pulled her close as they were plummeting off of the cliffside.
He could imagine it. Him letting her go. Falling into the forest below and saving himself. But it made him grimace. He wasn't really that type of person. To just let someone who was helpless in that moment to die. Of course, if she was attacking him and trying to kill him, then that was a completely different story. But in that moment, as he thought back, she looked weak. She was knocked out. Unconscious. Vulnerable.
He breathed out a sigh and readjusted himself for a moment, feeling anxious. "I guess...you're still a woman...my duty as a man prevented me from just leaving you to die" he sniffed, as he could see her look down slightly, as if she were staring at her hands. Her face was still blindfolded, so he couldn't really see what she was looking at, but she seemed to anxiously rub her hands in her lap. "And here I thought you were a complete misogynistic asshole" he heard her poke fun at him as he grumbled lightly under his breath. "Always trying to pick a fight...I can never understand you..." He trailed off, a scowl on his face. He could see from the corner of his eye that a small smirk played on her face though. His own heart seemed to skip a slight beat for a moment and he cleared his throat and hunkered down for the long night.
The night seemed to wear on as the rain did not let up. Shikamaru breathed out a heavy sigh as he gazed lazily about. He was happy to have a moment of respite, since the past couple of days have always just been work, work, work and more work.
He glanced to his side though, a slight frown upon his face. Because he didn't need this kind of rest. Especially when he was stuck with one of the most cruelest kunoichi around. He groaned out softly. Defiant, sharp tongued, and undeniably proud. He really couldn't stand women like her.
She seemed to shift slightly next to him, her arms crossed upon her buxom chest. A few soft sighs escaped her lips. "...Are you asleep?" He asked quietly. But there was no response. He stared at her for a moment more. And yet this woman...could show kindness despite the cruelty. Sweet words that melted like honey off her lips. A sense of duty and purpose, which she had never strayed or faltered from. And a sense of confidence which could sometimes be a bit much, but always helped her to get through those tough battles. To win the battles that needed to be won.
A smile played at his lips, but he quickly wiped it away.
What on earth was he even thinking about? She was an enemy. Through and through. Shikamaru slouched back further into the wall of the cave and also folded his arms across his chest. No. He wasn't not going to be thinking of anything of the sort. His eyes immediately caught her head lolling forward, it's golden locks drooping down over her face. He turned away for a moment, trying to be disinterested. But after watching her head continue to roll forward and bob, he breathed out a disgruntled sigh. Reaching over, Shikamaru carefully used his right hand and pulled her head back up, and he leaned it back into its original position against the wall.
"There" he thought resolutely, pulling his hand back quickly and refolding his arms against his chest. But just as soon as he had gotten somewhat comfortable, he felt her head knock against his left shoulder. "!" He felt his eyes go wide and his body prickled for a moment. "H-H-Hey..." he stammered out, glancing nervously down at her. But the blinds were still wrapped around her eyes and she made no response or movement to his call. Shikamaru felt himself gulp then, and a slight stir of butterflies in his stomach. She seemed to shift slightly suddenly, leaning more into him. His mouth drew to a thin line, stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"Fine. Fine...it's alright. The space is cramped anyway...Seventy-four percent of people in the entire world rest on their sides...Her head was falling down, she was just trying to correct it..." He listed excuses in his head as he wiggled a bit himself to get into a comfortable sleeping position. His eyes felt so heavy. He knew he was tired, but he wasn't sure if he could really sleep in this situation. But the sound of the rain was droning on. The forest was quiet. And her body heat was seeping into his own, keeping the both of them warm. It wasn't a bad way to fall asleep. Just one he wasn't used to. He always slept alone. Most times on the cold hard earth. It was just a sign of the times.
But he could feel his eyes closing and the darkness rolling in. With that, he gave a final yawn and felt himself drift off, managing to finally be able to take a rest.
-0-
He stirred immediately, always being a light sleeper. At this point, he had slid off the back of the cave wall and was on the floor. A wild mess of yellow hair brushed past his mouth and nose and he immediately freaked. He tried to sit up quickly, but her head was nestled onto his shoulder still and her arm had stretched out around his waist.
His own arm was now trapped under her, wrapping itself around her backside to rest at her hip. He could feel himself pouring sweat drops and he could feel his face go red. "Shit! Now what!?" Was all he could formulate in his mind at the moment, unsure of the course of action he should take. "If I move, she'll wake up. If I don't move, she'll wake up anyway! And she'll probably say I'm some kind of pervert or something idiotic like that!" His mind staggered from the oncoming flood of thoughts. Finally reaching some kind of decision, he shifted himself slowly, easing her off of his shoulder and laying her head gently upon the ground. "I should count myself lucky, it seems like she's a heavy sleeper" he inwardly sighed, as his right hand maneuvered out of her golden locks and laid her back.
He felt his body pause for a moment, his hand frozen by her face. She was so close. Her face was actually quite small. He looked back and forth from her to his hand, looking at the size difference. This was probably the only time he had ever been this close to another woman. His own mother didn't count, and he didn't count Ino either, since he's known her from when they were snot nosed brats running through the streets of Konoha.
His eyes lingered on her face a bit longer, just studying her features. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he knew that Temari was gorgeous. Brilliant blonde hair. Those green eyes of hers. Of course, her personality wasn't something he was fond of at all. But, he was sure that she probably was very sought after in her village. Anyone who didn't would be out of their mind. He smirked at his own thoughts. Yeah, maybe he was out of his mind. But then again, he knew her as the cold and cruel kunoichi that she could be. And of course, from the first time that he faced off against her, he wasn't even thinking about how pretty she looked.
All he was really thinking about was how troublesome it was to be in the chunin exams. And how tom-boyish she acted. Or how it seemed like everything about her was massive, from the size of her fan, to her being taller than him. But now, after just a year, it seems he had almost over taken her. I mean, they were now about the same height. Almost. He heard her shift quietly and he panicked for a moment, but calmed. With that, he slowly maneuvered his left arm from under her and was finally able to sit upright. "Ah...finally" he whispered out, rubbing his shoulder where her head had rested. She must have been resting on him for a long time. He stretched it up, feeling the numbing feeling of being frozen in place begin to fade.
"Shika..."
He felt his heart almost leap out of his throat for a moment, as his head whipped back to look at her. She was still asleep, and her hands and legs had drawn up, curling into a fetal position. His eyes wandered to her face and to her lips, watching as she breathed slowly out and spoke again. "Shika...maru..."
It was such a soft and gentle noise. When she said his name like that. Not with the biting ferocity or haughtiness. The dripping of animosity upon it. It...sounded nice...when she said his name. Shikamaru immediately turned away, one hand raised to cover his completely red face and to rub his temples. No. These were worthless thoughts. They were still ninja who were at war. Today might be the day that they rely on one another, just for the sake of survival. But what about tomorrow? Or the day after that? Surely, she'd be back on the battlefield again sometime. And he would be out there to face her.
"Ughh..." He heard her stir, as she sat up, leaning back against the wall of the cave and slightly glancing around, even though, the blindfold was still on her face. "Nara?" She asked groggily, her hands slightly outstretching. He remained silent for some reason, just watching her. "Did he leave?" She whispered quietly, sweeping her hands out once more, and eventually brushing up against his own hand. "GAH!" She screamed out suddenly as he jumped as well, "What?!" "Jeezus...you scared the shit out of me!" She snarled at him as he coughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sorry...I was...zoning out... You startled me" he lied, as she turned to him, a scowl on her face. "Fine...whatever..." she stated, sitting up to crawl back out of the entrance of the cave. Once there, she brushed the overhanging foliage out of the way and stood, stretching.
Shikamaru had a bit of a harder time, his foot hindering him greatly. He crawled more with his left, taking care to use more of his right knee and not his foot while trying to shuffle out of the tight space. Just as he exited, her hand flicked in front of his face. He glanced up at her, surprised. "You need help standing up right?" She stated nonchalantly, as he gripped onto her hand tightly with his own and felt her haul him up to his feet. "Thanks" he mumbled out, as she paid no mind, turning her head in different directions, listening. "Well...from what I can tell...it seems like we're still pretty safe right now" she snorted, as Shikamaru also glanced around, taking in the surroundings. "Yeah...but not for long. We should get moving. I think we should head back to our original location...my comrades will be looking for me" he stated as she turned to him quickly, her face in a frown.
"Well, good for you. My comrades are probably dead" she growled, taking a few slight steps away from him. "Besides...I'm not going to help you get back to them..." She huffed, "you'll capture me since I'll be outnumbered." Shikamaru watched as she headed off a bit father away from him and he groaned. "Alright, look. I really need your help" he stated honestly, as she half turned to him. "I hate admitting this to you, but I can't walk on my own. And the faster I make it back to my team, then the faster medical treatment I can get for my ankle" he stated matter-of-factly as he attempted to hobble a bit closer to her, but grunting in the process.
"Your eyesight is also not back yet I assume. So it's still more advantageous to work together than separately...despite how both of us feel about each other" he sighed then, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll make you a promise...if you can get me to my comrades...then I'll let you return to yours." She half turned back to him, and he could almost imagine her eyes boring through the covered blindfold to pierce into him. "A promise on your honor as a ninja?" She stated suddenly, as he nodded. "Of course." "Just like the last time?" She retorted back as he remembered. The picture of her bound in the desert. Her eyes fiercely glaring into his own. "Yeah, just like last time" he spoke, as she seemed to ponder his words for a moment.
"Fine." she sighed, heading back near to him and extending her hand out. He took it gently and laid his right arm over her shoulder. With that, he could feel her shift her weight to accommodate his own, and he grimaced briefly, feeling his side from yesterday flare up in pain. "Alright, what direction?" She stated, as he glanced around once more. "142 degrees left, five meters up is a low hanging branch." With that the pair took off once more, making their way back through the quiet forest. They did not utter any words to each other, only the directions that Shikamaru gave. Eventually, they made it back to the spot where they had faced off against the giant snake yesterday. The carnage of broken trees and twigs still littered about on the forest floor.
"Let's try to search around here for a bit...my friends should have been able to see my general direction of where I might have landed" Shikamaru stated, glancing around. "Hmph..." Temari stated quietly, releasing him as he hobbled about the space, eyes gazing up at the treetops.
"-maru!" Temari's ears perked for a moment. "Hey, I heard something." She stated, as he paused, listening. "Shikamaru!" A faint call came again.
"Hmm...that sounds like Ino...but it's still a distance off" he thought quietly, as he turned to Temari, as she stood, with her arms crossed over her chest. "Well? Can you pinpoint what direction it's coming from?" She huffed, as he hobbled back to her. "66 degrees to your right." "Alright" she stated, hauling his arm over her shoulder once more as they took off. They made their way through quickly, finally reaching another clearing which opened up. "Ah! Shikamaru!" The long haired blonde yelled out, worry set into her eyes. "Hmm? Isn't that the girl from Suna?" Choji's voice rang out, as the two stepped back from them for a moment.
"Wait, wait!" Shikamaru called out, as they landed in front of the pair, Temari releasing her grip off of him. "I needed her help. Really" Shikakaru covered, as Ino suddenly rushed to him. "Oh my god! What happened to your leg!" She stated, glowering at the Suna ninja. Temari simply stood, arms folded once more over her chest. Shikamaru knew her eyes were covered, but he could imagine her enraged glare towards all of them. "Ah, I broke it during the fall" he spoke, as Choji pulled his arm over and helped him to balance. "I owe Temari this time. She could have left me behind...you know...being enemies and all" Shikamaru blathered, as Ino and Choji simply stared back at him, a bit shocked.
"And it would be nice if I could get back to MY company" she quickly interjected as the trio glanced at her, both of his comrades faces morphing into looks of disdain. "And why would we let you go!" Ino suddenly retorted, her voice shrill. "No, it's okay. We made a deal" Shikamaru stated, as Ino whipped back to him, in disbelief. "What!? You knew we would come looking for you though! And we can't just simply let her go!" "True...but we got attacked while in the forest. I needed her help and she needed mine. So we came to an agreement" he snorted back, as Choji helped him to hobble him forwards to Temari. "To keep my end of the bargain, we'll take you to the edge of the forest. You'll probably come across one of your scouting parties near the edge of the desert" he said, as she nodded in assent. "Sounds good to me. Let's go" Temari was quick to reply, as the four took off. Ino still held a vicious scowl on her face as they made their way.
After a bit of adjusting in their travel formations, they paced through the trees, making great progress through the forest. Choji glanced behind him at the blonde haired Suna ninja and turned back to Shikamaru. "Are you sure about this Shikamaru?" "No...but I gave her my word. And she did help me out back there. If not, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere like this." He motioned slightly to his leg as they continued onward. Eventually, Shikamaru could see the large gates that sealed the forest of death, and they quickly soared over them. It was just a few miles more towards the beginnings of the desert. Temari seemed to stiffen for a moment, her senses noting the change in the environment. "I can sense it..." He heard her whisper out. "Yeah, we're coming up on it. The border..." he stated softly.
Soon the group paused, right at the edge where the forest ended, and the vast expanse of the desert began. The sun was already up in the sky, and Temari stepped forward ahead of the rest of them, slowly glancing around.
"Is the sun about three hand lengths above the horizon?" She asked suddenly, as Shikamaru mentally calculated, measuring the distance. "Yeah about there I would say" he responded, as she half turned back to him. "Am I facing the sun right now? Or how many degrees off am I?" "Hmm...it's still to your right. About 20 degrees" he stated, as she glanced in that direction briefly. "Alright...I can take it from here then" she nodded, beginning to walk off. "Wait! You're going to get lost!" Choji called out to her, a bit worried. Shikamaru also furrowed his brow, unsure about the situation. Temari turned around to the group, a classic grin upon her face. "Me? Get lost in the desert?" She laughed, reaching up to pull the bandage from her face. With that, she released it, as it quickly fluttered away into the breeze. Her eyes locked in with Shikamaru's and he felt a nervous tingle run up his spine.
Her eyes were dull and clouded over, but they still held that proud and impetuous look. "See you later Nara. On the battlefield...as enemies" She frowned then, the dangerous glint in her eyes as she swiftly whipped her giant fan from her back and spread it open wide. With that, a giant gust of wind rushed at them, and Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji shielded their eyes for a brief moment. Temari had taken flight, in the direction of the sun. Her brilliant metallic fan gleaming as it faded off into the distance.
"Right...until next time...on the battlefield..." He trailed off, as the three of them still stood, staring out into the vast expanse of the dunes.
-0-
1 Year Later.
Shikamaru sat, his eyes lazily drifting up to stare at the clouds.
He didn't even know how he ended up here, but he knew he just needed to rest for a bit.
The rest of the platoon he was traveling with was farther down into the gorge, making preparations. They were shoring up their defenses so that Suna wouldn't be able to waltz right into their borders. But he wasn't even really particularly caring about that in this moment. He had given the team the directions and had headed off, needing some space. The others had not complained, they knew there was something off about him. Shikamaru bent forward a bit, his head resting in his hands for a moment, as he still sat, at the top of the gorge. The quiet moon shining softly down upon him, cascading the long and dark shadows of the night. As the clouds seemed to drift on by above, trying to comfort him.
But, in this particular moment, he didn't even seem to enjoy looking at the clouds either.
Everything had suddenly lost its meaning.
He pulled his head from his hands and rifled around his in pocket, pulling out a small gleaming silver lighter. Just the sight of it made his hands tremble and sent a sick feeling into his gut. He could feel the tears waver behind his eyes, but he didn't cry.
Crying was meaningless at this point too.
With that, he reached up with his free hand into his vest pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. He flicked one out of the package and gripped it lightly between his lips. Then, he shoved the rest back down into the pocket and snapped open the lighter. A decisive "clink!" was heard as a there soon was a small burning flame, flickering in his palm. As he lifted the lighter to his lips, he could hear a soft pair of footsteps approaching. He paused for a moment, just faintly listening. His eyes gazed across the gorge for a moment and he caught sight of her upon the other side of the ravine. She held a sour look on her face.
"Huh...of course. I do some scouting around here and I run into you. Is this really going to start becoming a regular thing?" he heard her call to him from across the way. He simply glanced at her for a few more moments, before turning away and then lighting the cigarette. With that, he quickly stashed the lighter back into his pocket and closed his eyes. There was a thud in front of him, and he visibly furrowed his brows. He really, really...really did not want to deal with this right now.
"Oh? No comeback this time? No snide comment? Hmm, Nara?" She snarked to him, one hand readied on her fan as she stood proudly in front of him now, apparently having jumped across from the other side to this one. He sucked in, feeling the smoke filling his lungs for a moment, which he held gratefully, and then released. It came out as a dark cloud which floated up between the two of them, as he finally opened his eyes to glare menacingly at her. "Go back to your side...I'm not in the mood..." He just simply stated, reclosing his eyes and removing the cigarette from his lips, rolling it back and forth between his fingers.
Her eyes seemed to narrow in on him for a moment, flickering it's brilliant green hue. Her hand had not left her gigantic fan, and was still poised for an attack. "Not in the mood huh? War has no time for your mood. You know that" she chastised him, as he scowled, his eyes finally flaring open to give her another cold scowl. "Why...why can't you just leave me alone. I'd prefer not seeing your face. Then, I don't have to worry about writing up a damn report about it" he bit at her, his words sharp and cruel. He knew he shouldn't be acting this way. It was just plain rude and childish. But, he didn't really care in this moment. Or well, he gave up caring about a lot of things recently.
He watched her face contort, being one of indignation to one of confusion, as her brows scrunched together. His dark orbs focused in on her own, and watched as her emerald eyes flashed with hurt. He blinked for a moment, unsure of what he had witnessed. But within a sudden moment, those eyes were gone. She smiled wide, pulling her hand off of her fan to rest on her hips. "Well, for your information, I enjoy seeing your stupid face" she started, as he glowered at her. "It's too much fun to get under your skin every single time." He heard her laugh as he turned away, grumbling under his breath.
This chick just didn't get it. Clearly, they were both enemies. Clearly, he wanted to be left alone.
If he really wanted to, he could call his entire platoon up here and that would be that. Temari of the Sand would be captured and held captive. Then he really wouldn't have to see her face ever again. But he knew, that even she knew that, and despite it, she continued to stand here in front of him anyway. Riling him up even more. "Yeah...and I'd say that your dumb face has gotten thinner" she stated suddenly, as he refused to turn back to face her. "Yeah? And you gained weight" he shot back, knowing how most women were touchy about their size. Maybe it would be enough to warrant an attack from her. Cause a stir and everyone would come running up the hill. His mind calculated some of the possible reactions from her but eventually gave up, being too tired in this moment to really think about anything else.
"Tch...always acting like such a young brat. When are you going to stop acting like a baby and grow up? You're already 15 years old" she snickered, as she shuffled closer to him for a moment. Shikamaru didn't move however and continued to stare off into the gorge. "You always talk about old shit...I'm sick of it..." He trailed off, pulling the cigarette back up to his lips and taking a long drag.
"Oh! No fair!" He suddenly heard her pout as he turned back around briefly, her face suddenly in front of his. He faltered for a moment, eyes wide, as the cigarette dropped from his lips. "Wha-What!?" He stated indignantly, as she pursed her lips together at him, her face drawing slightly closer as those green eyes of hers locked in with his own. He grew uncomfortable in this moment. An enemy standing so close in front of him...yet, he had no intentions of attacking her back. Even though, she could really end him right now if she choose to.
"I think you're taller than me now!" She snorted, as his eyes opened wider. Now, he was angry and fed up; tired of their seemingly always pointless banter back and forth. He'd had enough. "Just...just leave me alone!" He huffed, bending down to pick up the cigarette. Realizing that it was still smoking, he placed it back tightly into his lips and was about to stand.
But before he could, a sudden thump next to him made him lightly bounce off of the rock he was sitting upon, as Temari had pulled her fan off of her back and dropped it next to their feet. A loud THUD! was heard as the fan lay on the floor. With that, she grunted as she sat next to him, on the same rock, with their sides nearly touching.
"Well...it's unfortunate to say. But I guess I knew that you'd probably catch up to me eventually" she huffed, her hands placed behind her as she leaned back slightly, crossing her legs. He could almost feel the cigarette drop from his lips for a second time as he just stared at her. What on earth was she doing? This was completely reckless on her part. She was weaponless, an enemy, and leaving herself completely exposed. He should just call his platoon and turn her in right now!
"So...were you always a secret smoker? Or is that something new?" She suddenly blurted, which halted his thoughts immediately. "Or maybe...THIS the day you just wanted to die since you were sitting out here in the open like a dummy?...You realize...if it had been anyone else on the scouting party...you'd probably be dead, right?" She chided him, as his eyes widened. It was true. He hadn't been paying attention to very much lately. Heck, he was sitting upon this rock, and an enemy could have easily ended his life. A quick kunai. A senbon to the throat.
But right now, he knew he really didn't care. Maybe Temari was right. He was welcoming death at this point.
Her eyes bore into his own, and he could see a small glint within them. Concern. A softness which came from them that he had not seen before. "Well?" She sniffed, as he turned away from her, his eyes gazing back up to the moon. Shikamaru was unsure for a moment. Should he answer her? Why would he even consider giving her anything? She could just be digging for information. His eyes drifted around to look at the different shapes of the clouds floating by. No, it wasn't like her to needlessly dig for unimportant information. She must just be asking on his behalf.
"No...I just started smoking..." He replied back quietly, finally finished with the cigarette and putting it out next to him. "Oh?" She responded back, as he closed his eyes, feeling the pressure of the tears and anger and frustration and everything else float behind them. "I started...after my sensei died..." Shikamaru noted she was quiet, which surprised him. Usually it was some smart-aleck remark or comeback. His eyes flitted to look at her briefly, noting that she was still intensely gazing at him, which unnerved him a bit.
"How did he die?"
He closed his eyes once again, feeling the memories flood back into his mind. A sudden crowded mess of horrible thoughts clashing around in his brain. Flashes of memories spasmed in his mind, like a skipping record on its track. Jumbled, cracked, and horrifying. He felt his hands reach up to his face again, trying to still the raging thoughts which battled around in a violent clash of dominance in his head. The image of his master's blood upon his hands. The evil smirk of the other ninja, his teeth gleaming sinisterly. The dead and lifeless eyes, staring up into those clouds that Shikamaru loved so much. "We were...on a mission together...and we ran into a group of rogue Suna ninja..." He trailed off, his voice cracking. He could feel his own grip upon his temples tighten. "He sacrificed himself...putting himself before the team...I-I was too late..."
Temari was still silent, as he finally pulled his hands from his face. His eyes were tired, face thin. Thinking back, he realized that he hadn't gotten a decent nights sleep since then. Maybe an hour or two at the most. "And?" She inquired quietly, as he blinked for a moment, watching the clouds pass over the moon silently. "And?" "Seems like there's more to it than just his death..." She sighed, pulling her eyes finally away and also gazing out at the moon in front of them.
He felt himself pause. Other images from this past year flooding in. Pain. Suffering. Loss. Death...War...
"I...I don't want to be a leader anymore...I don't want to do this anymore..." He choked out, swiping his arm over his face briefly to stifle himself from tearing up any further. The rough fabric of his top scraping over his eyes. "I can't protect everyone...No matter how much I calculate...all of the 200+ moves I can think up of in an instant...I am just one person...I can't account for everything and how the mission is going to go...people have died because of me...my comrades...my friends..." He suddenly heard her scoff and he glanced at her, a bit dumbstruck at the noise. He felt anger pile up in him.
"It's pointless to think that."
Shikamaru felt a frown immediately grace his face as her eyes continued to stare off into the distant stars. There was a glimpse of a look of sadness and anguish behind them briefly, until she closed her eyes and spoke. "Sacrifices are an inevitable part of missions." She turned to him then, her eyes pressing. "You received emotional training, didn't you?"
This woman. She was just so much. Too much. He couldn't believe those words left her mouth.
"But this is different...these are peoples lives...I have their lives in my hands..." He replied back, hurt and frustrated. The sting of the tears pricking at his eyes. "This isn't some kind of stupid training...these people are never coming back." "Yes...this is the world of shinobi" she stated to him simply. He felt himself bite his own lip. "And so what? Going to give up? Again?" Her eyes flicked to him then, her gaze capturing his. "You're unexpectedly boring. Even though you always try to act like a man...you're just afraid of being hurt." His eyes honed in to hers. The dark orbs shaking with rage. He was about to open his mouth, when she spoke.
"I'm a shinobi...just like you."
The anger seemed to melt from him, seeing her in this moment. Her golden ponytails seeming to glow in the moonlight and they swayed lightly in the breeze. Her eyes flickering with a passion and sorrow that he had not seen before. Her eyes...it reminded him of those moments...those countless moments when he had been with his dying comrades, catching their gaze right before they had passed.
Had her eyes always held those emotions?
"And as a shinobi...missions will always continue...with or without you." She paused choosing her words carefully. He could see her furrow her brows at him. "This is our life...some of our friends and brethren end up as sacrifices for our country. It's up to you...if you want to become a better ninja...so that the next time, they live on. And those that come after us never have to go through...what we have to go through..." "After us?" He whispered out, feeling his shoulders drop for a moment. A flood of memories coming back to him within that moment. The smell of the blood. The smell of the smoke. His face...gazing up at him with disconsolate eyes. Shikamaru felt his teeth grit painfully hard within his mouth, as he turned away from her.
"Of course...we don't do this for ourselves...that's not a shinobi" Temari sighed, glancing down at her feet. "I know you don't..." He felt the tears well up in his eyes then, and he tried to wipe them away again with his dirtied sleeve. "You're cunning...you have a great sense of everything around you...the strategies you use...you only do it because you're trying to protect the things that you love...the people you care about..." She breathed out heavily. "Such is the life of a shinobi."
Asuma's voice kept ringing in his head, and Shikamaru attempted to smooth back his hair to quell an oncoming headache. "The unborn children of Konoha who will lead the next generation. They are the King. We must protect them with our lives...that is the way of a shinobi."
She glanced at him for a brief moment, finally shifting herself and standing up. His eyes flickered to her form, watching her dust off her black kimono lightly as she patted it with her hands. She finally reached down to pull up her fan off the ground and she flipped it onto her back. He heard the latch click as it strapped tightly onto her back. She turned back to him, her soft eyes gazing down.
He wasn't prepared. She swiftly swiped into his pocket, neatly pulling out the crumpled pack of cigarettes. And with a sudden whip of her hand, she had tossed it clear off of the cliffside where they sat. Shikamaru felt his mouth drop open slightly, completely flabbergasted. "Wha!" He coughed out, seeing the cigarette pack careening down to the gorge below.
As he whipped to face her, Shikamaru watched as her slender hand reached into the folds of her chest, the layers slightly spreading apart. He lightly blushed as he caught sight of the folds of her milky skin and he glared at her for a moment. But she slowly withdrew a small decorative pouch from the layers of her kimono, and then dangled it between her fingers. With that, she tossed the purple drawstring bag at him, and he flinched, tossing it back and forth between his hands nervously.
"A gift. From one shinobi...to another..." She stated simply, as he glanced from her to the small bag in his large hands. "It will help with the headaches...and the lack of sleep...and it's better for you health than smoking..." She stated simply, closing her eyes and finally turning back around, readying herself to make the leap back across the ravine. "Temari..." He blurted, surprising himself. "Why are you-?" He started but paused mid sentence, unsure of what it is he really wanted to say. The thoughts in his head swirled around in a tumultuous mess, which he couldn't process in the moment. It was so much to take in.
He watched her smile from the corner of her mouth then, as she quickly turned back around. Those green eyes of hers glimmered at him in the soft moonlight. "It just seemed like you needed someone to talk to...that's all" he heard her whisper, as he felt his own heartbeat suddenly start to race in his chest. With that, she leapt off, leaving the final words.
"Take care, cry baby."
And just as quickly as she appeared, she had gone. Like the wind. The only reason he knew she had even been there was because he still held the tiny bag clasped in his hand. He stared after her for a long moment, his eyes not straying from the other side of the cliff. Looking for those golden locks of hers. Her tall and shapely form. But eventually, he glanced down, to peer at the soft item in his hand. He felt himself turn a bit red, remembering where she had kept it stored. However, it could be poison. He wasn't sure himself if he could trust it. He could maybe have Sakura or another medical ninja analyze it to see if it was okay.
"Shikamaru!"
He felt himself nearly jump out of his skin. He swiftly whipped around to see Choji, ambling up the cliffside to meet him. "Oh! This is a nice lookout here" Choji stated happily, as Shikamaru glanced around nervously, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "Aahh...yeah...I wanted to be alone for a bit..." He mumbled out, as Choji gave him a smile with squinted eyes, an all-knowing look upon his face. "I know...it's okay..." He felt himself flinch a moment, and he continued to rub the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Well...I think I got enough fresh air though...let's go back down Choji."
With that, the pair walked back down the path, as Shikamaru stole a few glances back at the cliff across the way. Wondering if he'd catch sight of her there again.