Sands of Time, Winds of Change (4)
Yay Temari!
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Temari turned to the prisoners, her eyes wide.
"SHIKAMARU!" She said, her jaw almost hitting the ground.
"Long time no see." He said, with a small smile. Naruto groaned.
"Maybe you can stop flirting and get us out of here, Shikamaru!" Naruto hissed quietly so he wouldn't be overheard. Shikamaru growled.
"I'm not flirting! You're being troublesome." He said. Temari turned to Gaara.
"What's wrong? Why are they here!" She demanded. Gaara sighed.
"Konoha's been attacked. But as we are not allies, they are being arrested for invading Suna."
"You can't arrest them!"
"AND WHY NOT, TEMARI?" He said, rising up angrily. His eyes were wide and furious. She lowered her voice.
"They are friends."
"Friends become enemies quickly. Guards...take them to the chakra prison."
"The chakra prison!"
"Temari!" Gaara hissed. "Be quiet, or you can join them." Temari looked taken aback, but she narrowed her eyes.
"You're making a mistake, Kazekage." She said with a sneer. She stared at Shikamaru. It was a look of concern. 'I'll get you out of here.' She thought silently, and left. Five guards brought the Team to their feet and led them to a sand building. Inside, a man was using chakra to create a prison. A new person stepped forward and created a prison of chakra like the ones they saw. They were thrown in. Kiba gasped.
"This is just like that one we were trapped in before!" Suddenly, there was a guard on each side. Shikamaru closed his eyes.
"But there are no weak points. And it's draining our chakra slowly."
"If we run out..." Neji said, eyes wide. Choji bit his lip.
"Then we're doomed." Kiba moaned.
---
Many hours later, the Team's chakra was running out fast. Naruto was on the ground, struggling to get up. Neji sat in a position trying to meditate. Kiba was tending to a resting Akamaru. Choji was eating. And Shikamaru was still thinking. Suddenly a door swung open. They heard voices.
"Hey. I'll take the shift now. You look tired." A female voice.
"Gee, thanks Temari. You three keep going, though."
"Got it!" The three others said tiredly. Suddenly a door slammed again. Then...
"HYA!" There were three punches heard, three bodies hitting the ground. Suddenly the chakra prison vanished. There stood Temari, smirking.
"Well if it isn't Team Crybaby. You still owe me, big time. For last time and this time." She stuck out a hand. Shikamaru took it, smiling.
"Why are you helping us?" Neji said with a hiss.
"Yeah! I thought we're enemies!" Naruto said. Temari rolled her eyes.
"Gaara needs to learn to respect his elders. Which is why you guys need to get back to Konoha. NOW." She said.
"If we go back without allies, we'll die anyway." Neji said. Shikamaru nodded. Temari shrugged.
"I'm sure you'll do fine. Go. Before they come back!" She hissed. Shikamaru sighed.
"Alright, let's go."
"But—" Footsteps and talking was heard. Shikamaru smiled at Temari, who gave him a look. The five ran out, as Temari slipped away before she could get caught.
---
As the five were slipping out of Suna, Naruto nudged Shikamaru. "Oooh, Shika's got a girlfriend." He said with a taunting voice. Shikamaru scowled.
"Women are too troublesome. Especially her. She's worse than my mother."
"Who's worse than your mother?" A female voice said with a hint of anger. The others turned around. There stood Temari, in a different Kimono, with her fan on her back and a bag in the other hand.
"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru said.
"I'm coming with you."
"Gaara's gonna kill us if you do!" Naruto cried. Kiba nodded. Choji ate.
"He wouldn't lay a hand on me. And you imbeciles need me...I'm sure." She said with a smirk. Shikamaru sighed.
"So troublesome." He said. She smiled.
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." She said, hands on her hips. Choji looked at Shikamaru.
"We still each get a fair share of food with more people, right?"
---
A few hours later, they decided to stop and rest. "I'll take patrol." Shikamaru said, which caused the others to thank him in tired voices. Temari stood up.
"I will too." Shikamaru let out a small groan. She gave him a piercing glare (not that he noticed). He sat down, and stared up at the sky.
After the others had fallen asleep, Temari stared at him. "Are you even awake, lazy bag?" She said. He smirked.
"Sleeping and putting us in danger would be troublesome."
"Is that your favorite word or something?" He just shrugged. She sat down by him.
"Listen, I only came to prove to you guys that I don't just follow orders when I don't like them. I made that mistake once. It won't happen again."
"Hn?" He said, turning to look at her.
"When we attacked Konoha. It was a stupid action. And I proceeded anyway. I don't know if emotional training would have covered what I would have felt if I had gotten to know those people, just to kill them.." She said, sadly.
"You're not as violent." Shikamaru stated.
"What?"
"When you saved us. Those years ago. You were more violent. You've...relaxed." He said, stretching. She laughed bitterly.
"Gaara doesn't put me on as many missions. He says if I was hurt than the kingdom would think he was in mourning and he would be weak, blahblahblah." She said, rolling her eyes. "So I'm taking more time to try to make things better." It was quiet after that.
"Yeah." He said faintly, as he fell asleep watching the stars.
---
YAY!
WudaiMarsWind
