Chapter 23
"Temari, my baby!" Yoshino runs towards Temari. The older woman has kept an eye on the backyard in order to detect Temari's arrival before hand. She has even refused to run errands that would take her away from their house, not wanting her daughter to arrive to an empty home. Now, upon reaching Temari, Yoshino wraps her arms around her.
"Okasan! You know I hate being called a baby!" Temari tries to pull out of Yoshino's embrace but Yoshino clings unyieldingly. Unable to dislodge her mother, Temari hugs the older woman just as tightly. "I missed you, kasan," Temari admits.
Shikaku, upon noticing his wife rushing out of the house to meet their daughter, has opted to walk slowly towards them, to give them time. "How 'bout your otosan?"
Temari lifts her head from Yoshino's shoulder to grin towards her father. "Not really."
"You're just like your mother!" Shikaku chuckles and then surreptitiously glances behind Temari.
"He did not come with me."Temari's impish grin turns to a hollow smile.
"Tsk, I didn't expect him to." Shikaku gives his daughter a similar pretentious smile.
"What do you want to eat? I have all the ingredients for your favourite dishes prepared." Yoshino grabs Temari's hand and pulls her towards their house. "You could help me prepare the vegetable soup by doing the potatoes while your father will be igniting the charcoal for the grill, for the yakitori."
"Hai." Shikaku follows the women in his family at a much sedate pace.
Temari peeks behind her at her father. At first, Shikaku doesn't notice that she is observing him but when he does, he gives her a lopsided grin. Temari feels loved at that moment not just by Yoshino but also by Shikaku.
Yoshino's hugs and Shikaku's grins are precious to her. But it shouldn't have been hers. Shikamaru is the rightful owner of their affection. But instead Shikamaru grew up in a sterile environment; unwanted by the man he calls his father. If both Yoshino and Shikaku know that their real son lacks all the things they have readily given her, how would they feel?
Shikamaru has been to their home. He has met his real parents, but he has said, 'I don't want them and they don't want me either. They want you,' in his bid to convince her to come back to them. He has done that for her because Shikamaru would never admit to her or to anyone, that the Kazekage doesn't want him either.
Temari was saved by Shikamaru almost six years ago and then during the last four years, she has been travelling back and forth to Suna in order to repay him. She has somehow gotten to know him and no matter how much Shikamaru denies it, she couldn't believe him. The Kazekage has never acted as his real father and she has enough proof for this.
She's a shinobi and gathering information is like second nature to her. Some important people gossiped years ago that the fourth Kazekage is even against Shikamaru's promotion to Chuunin. And even Asuma-sensei has told her that he has noticed that nobody in Suna has accorded the first son that much respect. The Kazekage's attitude towards his first son has made the people of Suna biased towards him. At the time, she has shrugged it off saying the people couldn't be blame since he's lazy and doesn't seem to pull his own weight. But Temari soon realizes that Kamaru is just pretending. She sees behind that lazy facade and she knows he's an excellent shinobi. But before that she already acknowledges that he's a good man for he's even willing to sacrifice his own life for someone he considers a friend.
Yes, he's her friend.
Temari looks down at the hand holding hers. "Kasan?"
"Hmn?" Yoshino turns her head and smiles at Temari. That smile is a rare sight.
Seeing her mother's up tilted lips, Temari pauses then answers, "Nothing." Temari understands she's being selfish but she wants to see that smile more. "I love you too," she declares. It is then that Temari finally decides that her parents don't need to know about Shikamaru's real plight. After all, even if they do know, what can they do?
And Shikamaru is also old enough to choose his own path.
Yoshino's eyes have a certain sheen in them but snorts, "I know that!"
Temari clutches her mother's hand tighter. Her mother despite appearances has wanted reassurance from her that she loves her—and that she chose them. That more than anything else has made Temari realize that no matter what her mother cares for her. At the time, when Shikamaru ordered her to go back to Konoha, she has thought it is because Shikamaru pities her. Now, Temari thinks that may be he did it because he doesn't want her to pity him. After all, how could Shikamaru not want his real parents' love? Not unless, his real parents didn't acknowledge him...
Temari glances at her mother, and remembers Shikamaru' words again, but this time seeing it in another light. 'I don't want them and they don't want me either.' Those are Shikamaru's words. Now, it's more possible he meant it the other way thatthey—his real parents—don't want him so he doesn't want them either...
She remembers the day she discovered the truth, Yoshino has declared, 'I won't give up my daughter and I don't want to meet him.'...Did Yoshino rejected Shikamaru that day he was here? Shikaku? Shikaku seems to be looking for him when she arrived but he has also answered,'Tsk, I didn't expect him to.' So even Shikaku doesn't expect for Shikamaru to come back.
Frowning, Temari finally grasps that her parents have really chosen her and not Shikamaru. This is her home. Konoha is her home. And she would be insulting Shikamaru if she feels pity for him. She has already made the decision not to say to her parents about Shikamaru's childhood, about the Kazekage's treatment of their real child. She would only be hurting her parents, making them feel guilty if they learned about it.
She will bear all the guilt instead. It's only apt that she should suffer a bit. It's only a small price to pay for being able to stay with them—her adoptive parents.
In the end, everybody has quietly agreed that nobody will broach the subject again. Inoichi and Choza have already sworn before that they will keep the secret even from their own families. It is like it never happened except now Temari rejects all the missions that will take her near or in Suna.
The Third Hokage may quiz Temari about it but with his health deteriorating, he is never made aware of this change. The acting Hokage, Jiraiya-sama is now the one delegating the missions. He recognizes Temari's ability but doesn't notice any irregularity in her refusal to travel anywhere near Suna. That's because Temari accepts various dangerous missions in villages even farther than Suna. Sometimes in these missions, she joins Sasuke and Naruto's team replacing Sakura. The Hokage, the Pervy Sage as Naruto calls him, has commended their team—the 'Unbeaten Trio'—once after a difficult S-mission.
Temari has smirked when she heard the Hokage calling them that. The acting Hokage is a perverted old man but he is still one of the Legendary Sannin and he did train the Fourth Hokage. So unable to contain her satisfaction for having the Hokage recognize her, she has told Ino, only to have Ino butt in that Jiraiya-sama only said that since Naruto is his student. Temari has glared at Ino and Ino, panicked, has replied that she only meant Naruto doesn't deserved to be a part of the trio, that it should be called the 'Unbeaten Duo' instead. Unmollified, Temari then explained that Naruto is Jiraiya-sama's student for a reason—that he's a strong albeit unpredictable shinobi. Ino has looked disbelieving at Temari and even asks her if she doesn't want the 'Unbeaten Duo' title for her and Sasuke.
Time flies by quickly and now it's been four months since that fateful revelation. It's almost time for the Chuunin examination. Jiraiya-sama has to send someone to Suna to represent Konoha, someone with experience and the ability to sift through talented genins from the still unprepared ones. This job is an important one since the representative's decision does play a role in saving the life of the unsuspecting Genin.
Jiraiya-sama has just the perfect Kunoichi in mind.
TBC
—oOo—
~3/8.6/15/11AF 7 2 2O~