Chapter 7
"So to whom do I owe this privilege of the first born escorting me in Suna?" the blond Kunoichi sarcastically asks. In the one and a half years that have lapsed since the first time they saw each other, Temari has grown taller but the Kazekage's first born is now much taller than her. He's still lean but with more definable muscle on his upper arms and probably on his chest too but the loose fitting robe he's wearing doesn't really reveal it. His dark hair has remained unkempt around his face and reaching almost past his shoulders. He has acquired more tan than before either from training or from napping under the sun, Temari surmises. He doesn't sport any darkened glasses but he still wears his forehead protector the same way, tied around his wrist and hidden by his robe sleeves.
"Tch my father," the boy replies in a bored manner. He starts to walk, leaving the Sunagakure main gate and expecting Temari to follow him.
"Almost two years have passed and you're still the same lazy ass as before."
"Why? Were you expecting me to change?" The boy swivels his head towards Temari, now alongside him.
"I don't expect anything from you," Temari snaps. "Let's go meet your father and get this over with." Temari marches faster in the direction of the Suna tower.
"Tch, father already told me the mission plan." Shikamaru does not hasten his pace. "Since the wanted nin is from Konoha but considering that he's actually stealing Suna's precious stones, both the Kazekage and your Hokage have decided that this should be dealt with nins from both sides." The Kazekage's son suddenly pauses midstride, appearing to be deep in thought. "I didn't realize you're the Chuunin they would send."
Temari turns around to face the boy. Her show of teeth makes her smirk more bashful. She pulls the hem of her green Chuunin vest at the waist calling attention to it. She's wearing the vest over her dark purple short sleeve shirt. She pairs it with the same coloured purple skirt which ends mid-thigh and fishnet stockings that are just slightly longer. The only thing that changed though is her clothes. The way she wears her hair is still the same—in a high single ponytail. "I meant to repay you so I volunteered when Neji is still recuperating from his last mission."
"Tch." Shikamaru just nods his head. "So here's the plan: sooner or later the rogue nin will come out since he will need water. By my calculations he is probably staying in one of the rocky formations in the Southeast area. Now, the closest oasis is about 50 kilometres away from there, making that oasis too near and too obvious that that's where we will look for him. There's another smaller oasis that has almost dried out about 150 kilometres away to the south. He is probably getting his supplies from there since most people would think that that oasis is dry. We will hold the ambush in that area."
"Why don't we just look for him wherever he is staying? In the Southeast area you say. Waiting for him to come out at someplace where he might or might not go may turn out to be futile."
"Have you ever hidden yourself in a desert before?"
"No."
"There's your answer. Looking for someone who is hiding in the desert is like looking for a needle in the sand. It's easy to disappear underneath because of the looseness of the ground. We have to sift through tons of dirt before we could find him. On top of that you are not used to Suna's extremely harsh environment. Whereas in an oasis we will be more comfortable and we won't need to look, just to wait."
Temari shrugs. At least now she knows why the lazy ass was so good at suddenly disappearing that time they first fought.
-o0o-
"Gah, we've been here for three days already. I told you Kamaru, he is not going to come," complains Temari, the lack of activity finally getting to her.
The boy suddenly turns his head towards Temari's direction. They are currently crouching low behind a rocky formation that has several grassy outgrowths dotting its surface. It's away enough from the shallow stream of water in the oasis that an incoming nin would not be able to sense them immediately but close enough for them to detect any one approaching. "So you know my name."
"I didn't ask around, if that's what you are thinking." Temari narrows her eyes, daring the boy to accuse her of prying. Although, she should have asked his name the first time they met but back then she was not interested and, furthermore, since the Sunan people just called him the 'First Born', she decided she prefers addressing him lazy ass. Temari doesn't have a problem calling him that, it is just...
"So you overheard it from someone's conversation." The boy has a 'ha' attitude that just makes Temari more defensive about knowing his name.
"I didn't eavesdrop either." Temari glares at Shikamaru, whose eyes are now disbelieving. "I didn't do it on purpose. A fat, stupid-looking civilian and her friend who looked as stupid as her were conversing while they were strolling along the street. I was going in the same direction as them!" Temari snaps at the boy, but when his face reveals nothing, she continues, "They were saying," Temari mimics a girly sounding voice, sarcasm dripping, "'I can't believe Kamaru is the only one who became a Chuunin.'" Then resuming her normal blunt voice, she admits, "...I might disagree with them though since I think you did alright with the Chuunin exam."
Shikamaru gazes at Temari. He knows she's grateful for what he did. "Tch, it's the name given to me by my mother." And Shikamaru is the name given to me by my father, the boy silently adds to himself."I prefer Kamaru to Lazy ass, you know," Shikamaru mentions nonchalantly.
"Oh but Lazy ass suits you better." Temari grins.
Shikamaru just stares at Temari, and then he brings his eyes down to Temari's smile. "Troublesome," he mumbles to himself.
-o0o-
"What the hell are you doing? Are you some kind of Lee's version in Suna?" Temari admonishes Shikamaru.
Shikamaru just glances in Temari's direction. Her remark doesn't make an iota of sense but he's busy dodging the enemy nin's water jutsu, so he plans on asking later who is Lee. The enemy nin blasts another continuous cascade of water towards Shikamaru. Using shadows to stop water seems impossible, since the water would just change shape and turn at will. He has to figure out a way to immobilize the enemy nin first.
The enemy abruptly smirks at Shikamaru, taunting him, but then he transfers his attention to Temari.
But the fan-wielding shinobi is more than ready for his attack. Temari is able to face the water blast wave with a wind blast wave of her own.
Water droplets appear everywhere, an opportunity Shikamaru doesn't miss. While Temari and the enemy nin are shielding their eyes from the water spray, Shikamaru creates a series of hand seals and uses the shadows cast by the numerous droplets of water to create a thin strand of shadow, so thin that it is almost invisible to the naked eye and uses it to fasten the enemy nin's feet to drag him suddenly underneath the spring which, because of the enemy's jutsu, has became deep. Once under the cover of water, Shikamaru tangles the cord-like shadow around the enemy's neck and pulls, cutting off the enemy's ability to breathe.
With water droplets still falling everywhere, Temari observes the enemy struggling underneath the water, but because of the thinness of the shadow and the murkiness of the water due to the enemy's thrashing, she could not really see what's happening. Temari raises surprised eyes to Shikamaru. "I take it back. You're not like Lee."
"Who is Lee?" Shikamaru asks nonchalantly, releasing his hand seal and hence the enemy.
"A weirdo," Temari states straight faced. "He's still amazing though."
Shikamaru glares at Temari, unable to understand what she means which probably is a sly insult.
"Fine. I thought you only know Taijutsu. That proves me wrong though." Temari points towards the body of the enemy shinobi that is on the now shallow water of the spring. "How'd you do it, anyway?"
"Tch. With your help," Shikamaru states, staring at the body.
Temari isn't aware that she assisted Shikamaru. "How exactly, did I do that?"
Shikamaru glances at Temari. "I don't think I should tell you. I'll be losing an advantage if I did."
Temari glowers at the boy. Their first mission may be a success but personally Temari considers it a failure. She's still not debt-free from Kamaru.
TBC
~AF~