Secret

A young couple can be seen walking in the middle of the village crowd. The girl was seen tightening her coat, trying to block the cold wind that hit her smooth skin while the young man looked restless, repeatedly holding his head while looking at the girl. It was getting late, but it seemed that the girl still had no intention of returning home, her eyes were busy looking at the crowd while occasionally smiling a little. Her eyes followed a group of people entering a shop then turned to the young man next to her. It seemed that the girl was starting to get annoyed with the young man's behavior.

" What happened to you?" asked the girl while watching the young man who was slightly startled by her sudden question.

"Ah, no. You don't want to go back to the inn yet, Temari?"

The girl named Temari seemed to think a little, "Why? Do you have anything else to do?" she asked the young man.

"Actually today my family is planning to have dinner together, so-"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Shikamaru? Go, I can come back myself," said Temari, cutting the young man's explanation.

"Are you sure?"

Temari rolled her eyes in boredom.

"Hey, I didn't come to Konoha once or twice. I can go back to the inn even with my eyes closed."

"Ah, okay then. I'm sorry," said Shikamaru then started to walk in the opposite direction.

After a long distance he turned around once more to make sure Temari's decision was still the same. The girl raised her hand in confirmation with a small smile. Having received approval, Shikamaru turned around and continued his journey back home. Hoping that he is still safe from his mother's tantrum for being late home. Temari stared at Shikamaru's back until he was lost in the crowd.

"It's so cold today," she muttered, clasping her fingers together and blowing on her hands, hoping to ease the chill a little.

A moment later, white dots began to fill the ground. Temari raised her face and held out her hand. Several snowflakes landed perfectly in the palm of her hand.

" Snow?"

This wasn't the first time Temari had seen snow. The first time she saw snow was when she was 6 years old. The first time she was brought by her father to follow a mission in a village. The first time she saw how quickly the white snow turned red.

"It was snowing like this at that time too..."

Temari pulled on her coat and walked hastily to the inn. It's a bad feeling. Snow was not a pleasant experience for her. Unlike most people, Temari couldn't associate snow with snowman, snow wars, or other fun activities. For Temari, the snow only brought cold air, bringing back memories she had been trying to bury tightly. Temari knew it was going to be a long night.

" Where have you been?"

Shikamaru had just arrived at the door, not yet had time to take off his shoes and snow-covered coat. His mother was already standing there folded her arms, staring intently at him. From behind his mother, Shikamaru could see his father sitting in the living room looking at him with pity. Shikamaru sighed.

"I just finished my mission, ma'am. The Chuunin exam will be held in a moment, I will guide the messenger from Suna village," he said.

"You became Temari's guide?" his mother asked.

Shikamaru looked at his mother with a bit of surprise, how did his mother know about Temari?

"I met her a few days ago, she helped me," said his mother as if she could read Shikamaru's mind.

Shikamaru took off his shoes and coat and stepped into the living room. He sat down in a chair opposite his father.

"Did you enjoy your date?" tease his father.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Dad. You're just like Naruto, we're not dating. I'm just her guide while she's in Konoha."

"Then where is she now?" his mother asked as she placed a glass of hot tea in front of Shikamaru.

"I don't know? Still walking around the village?" Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders.

"You let a girl walk alone at night like this in a city she doesn't know?" his mother looked at him in disbelief.

Shikamaru looked at his mother calmly. Maybe his mother didn't know, but what they were talking about here was that Temari wasn't any other ordinary woman.

"Mom, that woman is even stronger than me. And she probably knows Konoha better than me too," Shikamaru raised his glass and started to inhale the aroma that evaporated from the tea.

"Still. Today is Rinne's festival and you left her alone?"

"Mom, she's from Suna. They don't celebrate Rinne there," said Shikamaru.

Unlike Konoha, Suna does not have winter so there is no Rinne celebration there.

"Why don't you invite her to come here? She can have dinner with us," said the father, understanding what his wife was trying to convey.

"Huh? Come on dad, she probably already have her own plan," Shikamaru replied lazily.

It wasn't that he was too lazy to meet Temari again, but his feet were too lazy to step outside and meet again with the cold air and snow that had begun to fill the village.

"Your father was right, bring her here. Poor Temari, alone in another village at a time like this."

"But ma-"

"Shikamaru!"

" Fine ..." Shikamaru relented.

There was no point in arguing with his mother. If his mother wanted Temari to eat at their house then her mother would get it. Don't care about Shikamaru having to rack his brains on how to get Temari to his house. After all, Temari could be anywhere right now. Just looking for it is already a troublesome thing. Reluctantly, Shikamaru put his shoes back on and his half-wet coat. As expected, the snow had started to pile up and the village scene turned into a white expanse as far as the eye could see.

'Now, where should I look?' Shikamaru thought.

After thinking about several possibilities. He stepped into Temari's inn. First he would check the place, it would be very inconvenient if he had already searched the whole village and it turned out that the girl was sleeping in her inn. Shikamaru knocked lightly on the room where Temari was staying.

"Temari?"

No answer. He tried to knock a little harder.

"Temari? Are you in there?"

No answer. But Shikamaru was sure Temari was there. Based on the innkeeper's statement, Temari had already returned home.

'Is she asleep?' Shikamaru was just about to turn away when he heard a small sob coming from the direction of Temari's room. He sharpened his hearing. 'Could I have heard wrong?'

Temari never cries. At least that's what Shikamaru thought.

"Temari, are you okay?" he asked doubtfully.

His hand grabbed the door and tried to slide it. Unlocked. Shikamaru slowly walked into Temari's room. The room was dark, with no light at all. Once inside, he could hear Temari's sobs more clearly. The girl was seen curled up on a futon with a blanket covering her entire body. Shikamaru fingered the wall and turned on the light. His eyes narrowed trying to adjust to the incoming light. After it was clear enough, he walked towards Temari.

"Hey, are you okay?" There was no response from the girl.

"Temari? Can you hear me?" Shikamaru tried to lift the blanket covering Temari.

When the blanket was lifted, he could clearly see Temari's condition. The girl curled up with a trembling body. Her face was buried in the pillow, but the sobs were still heard. The girl's breathing was also irregular.

"Temari?" Shikamaru held her hand and the girl lifted her face.

Temari's face was red and tears were running down her cheeks. Her body was still shaking. She didn't seem to have heard Shikamaru's question. Shikamaru knew something was wrong. A shinobi is always aware of their surroundings, especially if someone else is approaching them even in their sleep.

"You are okay?" he asked for the umpteenth time, he touched the girl's forehead.

"You have a fever, Temari!" he said as he felt the heat from the girl's forehead.

Fairly high fever. Shikamaru hesitated, he couldn't possibly leave Temari there alone. Finally he decided to bring Temari to his house, at least his mother and father knew what to do, Shikamaru thought. He slowly put the coat on Temari's body and carried the girl.

"Shikamaru, what's wrong with Temari?" his mother asked as soon as Shikamaru opened the door.

"Looks like she has a fever," said Shikamaru as he took off his shoes and entered the house. He slowly took off his coat and Temari's coat.

"Oh my God, her body is so hot. Put her in the room, I will get compresses and medicine," Yoshino said then went to the kitchen.

Shikaku helped open the bedroom door for his son. Shikamaru laid Temari down who was still crying and shaking. He then took a thick blanket and covered Temari's body.

"She'll be fine. A shinobi can get a fever sometimes. It's not a dangerous thing," said Shikaku when he saw his son's worried face.

"I know, dad. It's just… she's never been like this," said Shikamaru in a doubtful tone.

For him, Temari was a strong figure, so Temari crying like this was very foreign to him.

"You only know her briefly Shikamaru, don't act as if you know all her life," his father advised and then walked into the living room.

His mother came in and started compressing Temari's forehead and giving her medicine. After a while, the girl's breathing stabilized, but her crying didn't stop.

"Looks like he had a bad dream," Yoshino said.

Shikamaru looked at his mother who was sitting on the side of the bed and started humming, comforting Temari while stroking the girl's head. Shikamaru remembers, his mother always did that when he was sick. slowly Temari's cry was replaced with a small smile. Unknowingly Shikamaru also smiled at her.

The night passed and the day changed, Temari woke up feeling the sunlight hitting her face. Her head felt a little dizzy. She didn't remember what happened, all she remembered was the moment she stepped into her inn. Then everything went dark and the nightmare came back, drowning her in the loop of past events. She looked around, the view of the room was unfamiliar. Temari knew this wasn't her room and it wasn't a hospital room either. The room was simple with a deer carved on the door.

"Are you awake?"

"Shi...kamaru?" Temari asked when she noticed the figure of Shikamaru sleeping on the chair near her bed.

The young man opened his eyes and yawned widely, moving his head which felt stiff from sleeping in the chair.

"Where am I?" Temari asked, though she could already guess the answer.

"My house," the young man answered simply.

"And why am I at your house?" she asked again.

Shikamaru looked at her with a serious look.

"You had a high fever last night and you were also talking strange things, what's wrong?" she asked.

Temari looked away, "It's nothing. I think I just got too much cold wind, I grew up in Suna so I'm not used to cold weather, especially last night it snowed," said Temari.

Shikamaru knew the girl was making excuses.

"I won't force you if you don't want to tell me," Shikamaru said.

'But don't make a face like you're about to cry like that, I can't let you' thought Shikamaru.

Both of them were silent for a moment. Silence enveloped the room.

"Sorry to bother you," Temari said quietly.

"It doesn't matter, as long as you're in Konoha you are my responsibility. Even though it's troublesome, it's my mission," Shikamaru replied.

The situation was quiet again.

"You.. want to tell me?" Shikamaru scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

He is actually not the type of person who likes to dig up information from other people, especially if the information is personal. But seeing Temari's face like that made he want to be able to help the girl even if just a little. Temari looked at him doubtfully, the girl looked like she was about to open her mouth but then closed it again. Temari doesn't like showing her weak side to others.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise," Shikamaru said seriously. He waited for Temari's answer.

" I ..."

Shikamaru didn't make a sound, waiting patiently for Temari's next story.

"I was 6 years old... my father took me with him on a mission. We attacked a village... I... I don't know for what purpose..." Temari bit her lip.

"Then?" Shikamaru asked quietly.

"Then...everyone panicked... and there was a mother... she fell in front of us... father killed the child she was with... and he... he..." Temari felt her voice begin to tremble, water eyes began to well up at the edges of his eyes.

"He... gave me a kunai... dad... asked me to kill that woman... he forced me to do it..." Temari started to sob.

Shikamaru was surprised. He had heard that life in Suna was different from Konoha. In Konoha, children usually only play until it's time to enter the ninja academy and even after that, the training for them and the missions they receive are adjusted to their age and level. He didn't think that Temari had to go through all that at such a young age.

"That woman... she begged... she was pregnant... but I... dad kept telling me... she said I was a sabaku... I had to be strong... in order to protect my younger siblings.. . and I ended up killing her…" Temari's face was already filled with tears.

Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, but then he decided to step over to Temari's side, pulling the girl in his arms. Temari sobbed in his arms and Shikamaru felt his clothes getting wet with the girl's tears. Slowly, he patted her lightly on the back.

"It's okay ... just get it all out ... I'll listen to it ..." he said quietly.

" The snow ... the snow is turning red ... the snow ..." Temari started to speak incoherently .

"It's fine, it's fine. It's all over now. You'll be fine."

By now more or less Shikamaru had understood Temari's condition last night. Seeing the snow that filled Konoha must have made the girl recall her old memories. The nightmare that Temari tried to bury tightly. After crying for a while, Temari's sobs slowly faded to be replaced by soft snoring. The girl fell asleep after tired of crying.

Shikamaru laid Temari gently on the bed and covered her.

"I can't do anything about what you went through in the past... but from now on I'll show you the beauty of snow..." Shikamaru muttered.

" And I hope ... you can make new beautiful memories to cover the old memories, until one day you can tell your story without feeling sick again... and until that time comes... don't worry, I promise your secret is safe with me," said Shikamaru.

Shikamaru smiled at Temari's sleeping face.

Shikamaru knew Temari didn't like looking weak. Shikamaru knew Temari trusted him so the girl was willing to share a secret with him. And as troublesome as it was, he didn't mind if she wanted to share another secret with him.