Chapter 89
There was a message that arrived from Suna intended for Sabaku Kamaru, that was all that the postman/messenger told Temari when he knocked and learned that the Suna nin is not at home.
Temari was informed by Kamaru before he left for the day that he would be doing patrol with Asuma. The two are probably on their way to the northern border so god knows when the ass will be back. Huffing under her breath that as a wife, the postman can very well give the message to her, but no, they want to see Kamaru and probably bombard him with questions about the message from one of his brothers. So there's nothing to it but for her to rush to the post office, knowing they won't release the missive to anyone but Kamaru until they have checked its contents.
"Give it to me," Temari snaps at the first person she encounters as soon as she enters the busy post office. All around the room, papers, scrolls, packages are stacked on every available surfaces and are being sorted by a nin and two other postmen.
After lifting their heads to briefly glance at the source of the fuming voice, the three return their attentions back to their tasks, all appearing busy. The one in front of Temari, shakes his head, claiming he doesn't know what she means as he hurries to leave the room.
Kakashi, hidden from view by a table and its stacks of papers, still re-reading the latest Icha Icha book, stands up from his comfortable chair, an index finger inserted between the closed book, marking his page. Obviously, he's the only one willing to face the kunoichi's ruffled feathers. "Temari, so nice of you to come instead," he says, his uncovered eye crinkling in the corner in greetings.
"Damn it Kakashi, you know I'm his wife!" declares Temari as she approaches the older nin and irately proffers her open palm, waiting for the missive. "That means his family is my family! His brother may have something important to say and if you want Kamaru to return from his task before you give him the letter—"
"Hey I told them to give it to Kamaru ASAP or if not at least inform you about it," interrupts Kakashi then clearing his throat, he utters, adding almost apologetically, "They already opened it." Waving his hand forward, he gestures towards a letter that is placed on top of the stack behind her.
Mollified somewhat, Temari nods her head. She has expected the guys to do their jobs and that includes checking the foreign missives. However, she has also expected them to deliver it to the Nara residence after but they didn't. Swiveling around to snatch the letter, she then quickly tears open the envelop and scans its contents. It says:
The woman you paid slumbers on my bed, subdued by might.
Under the sickle moon, a drop of iron snuffs the light.
-G
.
"Sounds like one brother paid and the other used brutal force," Kakashi muses loudly, "to bed that female. She must really be hot."
Temari turns around to look up sharply at Kakashi., about to blast him for his perverted presumptions.
"Sibling rivalry huh," adds Kakashi, pretending not to see Temari's livid expression. "So Kamaru's bro wrote that expecting a fight between them because of that—other woman." After the awkward hesitation on the words, he mutters, "ThoughI wouldn't call a kunai just a 'drop of iron'."
Ready to snap the older shinobi's head off, it finally dawns on Temari, making her frown. Despite Kakashi obviously egging her on to react, one fact remains—he's still acting too unsuspecting of the letter from Suna. Her eyes glancing down to the book in his hands, it's Jiraiya's Icha Icha Jutsu. Her suspicion that Kakashi definitely knows more than he's letting on grows. "Gaara has more appeal than the ass that I married. This message is probably the brother's way of rubbing it in that he doesn't need to pay to get laid," she spats, crumpling the message and throwing it on the nearest waste bin.
Following, with his eye, the balled paper's flight to the bin, Kakashi drawls, "Careful Temari or the green monster will eat you."
Temari's breathe whooshes in disbelief at the older nin's preposterous claim. Gnashing her teeth, she bites outs, "I'm not jealous!"
Kakashi raises his hands in a universal sign of surrender. It doesn't pacify the kunoichi. Changing the topic, he asks, "Will you now autograph my book?"
Temari scowls in exasperation.
—o0o—
Gaara's message sounds simple but it's not. Temari can't really understand it. However, if she can't then atleast the others who had read it can't too.
She just needs to find Kamaru first then she'll know what the message actually means.
She's not dumb. The message refers to a woman her husband paid for. She's damn sure it's not a prostitute because Gaara will never stoop that low. That's her edge, she knows Gaara well enough while the others who read his message doesn't know him a bit.
Furthermore, the ears listening in at the post office will believe the nonsense that Kakashi has been spouting loudly about sibling rivalry over another woman.
And that's what it is! Utter nonsense for them! There's no other woman!...But still god damn it, that insinuation still makes her blood boil.
Which reminds her...Kakashi must have been briefed already probably by the writer of his perverted books. Afterall, despite his fondness of the Icha Icha, he probably sees through the make believe tale that Jiraiya weaved into it.
So Kakashi-sensei must know about her and Kamaru's secret...
Grunting at where her thoughts have taken her, she mentally shakes herself. Kakashi is the least of her concerns right now. She needs to find Kamaru and relay to him Gaara's message—which surely is a warning.
She begins to run on her way to the northern border, a sudden urgency spurring her on. She just knows that at that moment she'll feel a whole lot better once she understands what the hell Gaara's message means. However, still about several thousand meters away, something suddenly blows up and then smoke starts to rise towards the sky in the distance in the exact area where she's headed. Even with the large branches of the trees obstructing her view, she knows that jutsu that created it. It's Asuma's fire style: burning ash!
Coming to a full stop, balanced on a tree branch, her palm grips the fabric of her loose blouse over her protruded midsection. She's just four months pregnant, she can still fight...but knowing Asuma's capabilities, she may not even need to.
Running faster than before, she almost misses the fleeing person who is carrying someone, coming from the area of explosion. Suddenly, the two just appear on her far left for a split second and the thick, green foliage helps conceal them. It is sheer luck that she is able to spot them at all.
Coldness grips her body. For a precious second she is rooted again on the spot but this time it is much worse. Tightening her grip on her blouse, she then springs into action, knowing every second counts as she runs on the opposite direction to the ones fleeing, away from where they come from and definitely away to where they're heading to.
She's aware who they are—Shikamaru carrying an injured and possibly unconscious Asuma on his back. Whoever that attacked them is evidently strong. Afterall the enemy shinobi has defeated Asuma. It's almost unheard of. Furthermore, she trusts Shikamaru's tactical skills. If he decides to flee than to fight then he must have one helluva reason!
The situation is dangerous. She can't just follow Shikamaru because the enemy shinobi may still be alive and in pursuit of him and Asuma. She'll be putting her baby in harm's way if she does.
So she runs away from Kamaru and her sensei. Choosing the life within her and fighting back the sudden tears—because of the guilt that tries to swamp her. But she grits her teeth and sprints faster, knowing that flight in the opposite direction is the best course of action she can take. The one that Shikamaru wants her to take...for their baby.
—o0o—
"You can put me down here," Asuma murmurs to the ear near his mouth.
"We need to go to the hospital right away," utters Shikamaru, not even slowing down as he jumps from branch to another tree branch. He can almost see a clearing, an end to the woods and the start of establishments.
"Yes, but first I have something to—" Asuma coughs, a spittle of blood raining on Kamaru's collar. "—say to you."
"Later."
"You shouldn't disobey your teacher."
"Look whatever it is, you can tell me when you're on your way to recovery. Right now just conserve your energy," asserts Shikamaru, hooking up Asuma's legs higher as he carries the heavier shinobi on his back. "We'll make it. We're almost at the hospital."
—o0o—
There's a succession of knocks on the Sarutobi residence door. The first is a tentative one, silence then it is followed by something a little louder. Ever since this morning, Kurenai has been very busy doing home chores and keeping an eye after her toddler. Now, as her child lies on the bed with those tiny eyes shut, taking a nap, she doesn't want that knock to wake her little cherub up.
Patting the sleeping kid's leg before getting up from the bed, Kurenai hurries towards the main door, calling out quietly, "Coming."
Once she opens the door, her eyes falls on Kamaru. Two things she notices immediately—a splatter of blood on the side of his neck and a newly pierced ear. The familiar stud hangs on bloodied lobe glinting on the afternoon sunlight.
With her eyes fix on the lone stud, Kurenai asks, "Where's Asuma?"
Shikamaru's lips move, but no audible words are formed.
"Oh my God," Kurenai sobs. Her knees buckling from under her causing her body to suddenly drop to the floor as tears rolls down, unchecked, on her face.
TBC
~4 14 14AF P4 23 14~
A/N: To Chaosalien...dun dun duun.