Chapter 90
"I already sent a warning to Kamaru-niisan," concludes Gaara. "Let's hope it isn't too late."
"Good," mutters Kankuro then noticing his younger brother's disquiet, he speaks defensively, "Her orders were just to tail Baki—"
"Yes," abruptly, Gaara agrees. "She knows she's weak but despite that she wanted to prove to herself and to everyone that she's not."
"She's stupid! What made her think that—"
Gaara's eyes turn sharply at his brother, stopping him with his litany of what's wrong with Matsuri.
"What?" grunts Kankuro. "I don't understand why you're defending her."
"Because Matsuri and I are alike—"
Kankuro snorts loudly.
"Eventhough at the same time we are opposite," continues the younger nin. "She was shunned because she was weak, while I, for being monstrously strong."
Kankuro has no answer to that. He remains unspeaking, finally having an inkling to what his brother means to say.
"In a way, I understand her pain. She wanted to become stronger but nobody was willing to train her," Gaara muses, "If I have known her earlier—"
"It's what is called regret," Kankuro mumbles, "The one you're feeling right now. It makes you more human."
Gaara nods his head. "In another lifetime, I can imagine her being my student. I want to take her on as my student but she's—"
"Her sacrifice won't be wasted, brother," interrupts Kankuro. "Maybe it isn't too late, we'll be able to warn Kamaru."
"Yes, Matsuri's sacrifice will not be for naught," responds Gaara decisively. "The message will reach niisan on time."
—o0o—
Not one message reaches him on time!
He fucking spent a fortune on spies! Then why didn't he get a warning—anything from them? Why?!
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
The chair breaks into several pieces when it smashes on to the opposite wall, a sign that he just lost control. Shikamaru then closes his eyes, his breathing heavy as he strives for calm.
It is done. He can't change anything.
Touching the lobe of his left ear, feeling for the smooth plane of his newly acquired stud, he thinks about the time when Asuma is still alive, the older man's teasing and camaraderie. He has gained a teacher and a friend and their time knowing each other has been brief. So brief that he almost envies Temari.
Temari...He hasn't seen his wife since yesterday morning when, with her lips twitching in an almost smile, she send him off with a mocking warning not to slack off.
He wants to cling to that almost loving image of her that he didn't come home last night, not with the news that he bears.
How could he face her and tell her that her sensei died because of him? Even when he wants so desperately to see her, to touch her..he knows seeing the accusation from her eyes will kill him.
So like a coward, he has spent the night in this tiny shack at the edge of the Nara Clan forest. A place of seclusion that Shikaku has shown him before.
And with the start of a brand new day, the news would have spread like wild fire in the Fire village and everyone in Konoha will be grieving for a good man—a strong nin, a loving husband, a doting father, a valuable friend and a perceptive teacher.
What right does he has to join them?
However, he couldn't hide forever either.
Flicking the lighter he took from Asuma open and watching the blue flames spark before flicking it close, easily extinguishing the flames, he decides that someone may want—no—deserve the lighter more than him.
—o0o—
Shikamaru attends the funeral hours late...But still more than a handful of people—mostly civilians—are still gathered around the grave and when they see him approaching, their whispers cease suddenly, making it awfully quiet, only to resume louder as he gets closer. Unwillingly, they make a way for him until he reaches the area where Asuma is buried marked by a tombstone.
While Kamaru is hunched over Asuma's headstone, someone throws a cigarette butt at him followed by another one until the projectiles become tiny pebbles to fist size stones.
Temari, about to step out from the anonymity of the crowd to protect her husband, is stopped by Shikaku as he grabs her wrist and whispers, "You're the worst possible person to defend him at this time. The people already blames you for bringing him here."
Temari twists her wrist, trying to shake off the hand that imprisons it. Ever since she saw Shikamaru fleeing with Asuma, she has been trying to hold fear at bay. And last night, when he didn't come home to her, she was so terrified...that when the news that Asuma is dead while his companion has sustained not one broken bone had reached her—she felt relief washed over her before she realized that included in the news, Asuma is dead.
That Asuma—her sensei—is gone dawned on her slowly.
She owes a lot to Asuma that guilt swamps her with memories. The first time she met him, to her training, to her failure to create a shadow, to her growing insecurity of not belonging, to her resulting rejection of the pair of studs and to their compromise. And in an act of gratefulness, she has left home today wearing for the first time the stud on her right ear to attend his funeral.
But still...
"Asuma's death isn't Kamaru's fault," snaps Temari under her breath, reigning in control.
Shaking his head, Shikaku then responds quietly, "If you are not pregnant I would let you face their wrath with him."
"Listen to your father, Temari," intrudes Yoshino, glaring sharply at her daughter, warning her not to cause a scene.
Blatantly ignoring her mother, Temari bites the words out in a low tone, "Otosan, let me go."
Shikaku tightens his hold on his daughter's wrist. "Standing up for him would only worsen the situation. At least let the others handle this first, Temari."
The blonde woman still tries to remove the hand that manacled her wrist without appearing that she's struggling with it; conscious that if people sees her defying her father, it won't help Kamaru's cause.
Shikamaru remains hunched over the tombstone, saying his prayer and shrugging the fact that people are throwing objects straight at him. Some of it are light enough not to cause pain while a few are thrown with maximum force that it hurts. Some use their spit but nobody dies from it.
Unable to take it anymore, one kunoichi moves forward from the throng of people that stayed gathered around the grave. With resolute stride, she positions herself directly behind Kamaru, with both of them facing the grave and both of them, their backs toward the people. And for an instant before the people at the back of the crowd notice what she did, most of the thrown rocks hit her rather than Kamaru.
"Kurenai, move out of the way," a shinobi calls out, echoes by another then another while a few still continues throwing projectiles. They just make sure they hit the foreign shinobi's exposed sides rather than Asuma's widow.
Kurenai remains where she is and it isn't long until she is joined by Choji, offering his wider frame as a better shield, moving on to Kamaru's right side. Then Ino, flicking her long hair at the people before she steps forward too, moving on to Kamaru's left side.
Standing slouched, with his hands inside his pockets and his head still bowed towards the tombstone, Shikamaru is aware that three shinobis have flanked him. Kurenai, Choji and Ino—Asuma's wife and Asuma's team—they all believe he didn't just allow Asuma to die.
He feels his eyes burning but he can't allow his tears to fall. Crying is a luxury that he doesn't deserve. Head down and mumbling a thank you to Asuma as a final goodbye, he then slowly raises his head, facing Choji and Ino before bending at the waist, he bows in respect to Kurenai.
Then he steps away from the grave, walking ahead without looking back while everyone watches him go—everyone that is except for Temari. Her blue-green eyes, unfathomable like the ocean, are still glued on Ino.
Moments ago, when her father finally let go of her hand, she is about to step forward after Choji but...Ino beats her to it.
"How could you betray your own husband?" a voice demands from the angry crowd, jolting Temari. It takes a split second for her to realize the question isn't aimed at her but at Kurenai.
—o0o—
"How could you betray your own husband?" someone demands from the angry crowd.
"Didn't you see the body? Asuma was burned by his own jutsu," rasps someone else. "Jiraiya's book implies that the Suna nin can absorb anyone's jutsu, copying it!"
"Yes! Also nobody but them encountered that enemy shinobi! So how could we be sure that there is one to begin with?" points out by someone while simultaneously, somebody else snickers in response, "Yeah by sleeping with her—him."
"Shut up!" a shinobi growls at the one that snickered. "That part is obviously made up by the ex-Hokage!'
"That Suna nin," out loud,another one speculates, "could very well be the one that killed Asuma, Kurenai."
"Yes, we don't really know that kid," another somebody chips in.
"He doesn't look strong enough but then looks can be deceiving."
"He's a Suna nin for kami's sake. He's not one of us!"
"Suna nins are known for their ruthlessness and cruelty!"
"Look at all the evidences!"
"That Suna brat is sent here with some diabolical mission!"
The crowd continues, the people—mostly civilians and some shinobis—act as one and they are unstoppable.
"He killed Asuma!" they all accuse Kamaru.
TBC
~11 18 13, 4 6, 24 14AF P4 26 14~