Chapter 103

Four Months Ago…

"Father told Hidan that I'm a schemer," mutters Shikamaru, tonelessly. "Father expected me to earn the people of Konoha's trust so I could betray them. In the end, father was right—I'm a schemer…only it was not the people of Konoha that I choose to betray but father himself. And now that he's dead, I feel this guilt—"

"You're wrong, niisan. It was father himself who revealed to me that he never met Hidan," interrupts Gaara, a frown marring his forehead. "And even Matsuri told me the same thing."

"That doesn't matter." Shikamaru shrugs with contrived nonchalance. "Hidan was right when he said that he's not the kind of foe people should be wary of, but me."

"It matters, niisan," speaks Gaara. "Father did not share confidences with that monster that almost killed Matsuri."

"Why do you say that?"

"For all his sins, I still think that father, deep inside, trusted us to do the right thing…" divulges Gaara, "even if that meant going against him."

Shikamaru looks at his youngest brother, contemplating his words, weighing them. "You've become wise, Gaara."

"That's because of father."

—o0o—

"Because of father, I realized my own dream," utters Gaara. "Father is right, I am a tool to be used."

"No," disagrees Shikamaru. "You're much more than that!"

"Listen, niisan." Gaara raises his hand, stopping Kamaru in opening his mouth. "Like I said, I finally realized my dream—my purpose in life. I'll become the tool, the instrument, to make somebody else's dreams come true. My existence would become vital for someone—for everyone," continues Gaara, "vital for the people of this village. I'll protect them so they are free to dream, to live."

Shikamaru's mouth remains closed.

Gaara adds, "And the next time, I'll fight Naruto, I'll be armed with this dream. I'll be more powerful."

Shikamaru can only watch his youngest brother, wondering if the Kazekage had thought the same thing he's thinking right at that moment. "Gaara, you said you fought with father before he died and that you both talked about mother and…" his voice turns low, quiet. "I think I now know why father killed himself."

"Then you agree, he did take his life."

"Gaara—"

"Father did it because he wanted to see mother once again," utters Gaara. "Before he died, he admitted that he concocted his plan to embed the nine tails on your kid because he wanted to prove to mother that he could have done it differently, that he could save her."

Shikamaru's gaze darkens, remembering the woman he thought was his mother—Karura. Of the three of them, he's the one who remembers her more…How sweet she sounded, how her hands took hold of his small ones. Her image maybe a bit blurred but still he—not Kankuro, definitely not Gaara—remembers her the clearest.

"Father regretted what he did to mother but he didn't realize that he did until it was almost too late," divulges Gaara. "His actions wasn't about getting another bijuu for our village. It was about being able to save the one that carried the jinchuriki. Father would have saved Temari during the birth of your child, niisan. If he did, in his mind, he would have been able to save mother too."

"That's why you think father killed himself in order to see mother again."

"Yes."

"I don't think it was that simple," says Shikamaru. "Rasa finally realized that Temari doesn't need to give birth to a jinchuriki and then for her to live through it to redeem himself. He only needed to kill himself to do that."

"But—"

"So Rasa needed to end his own life in order to save it, to regain his honor as our father," butts in Kankuro. He's only been listening up to now, content to hear what his brothers have to say. Now, they'll listen to what he thinks. "He's still fucking selfish for taking his own life,"

"Yes, that he is," agrees Shikamaru. "Even in death, he wanted to control us with his will."

"What are you saying, niisan?" Gaara asks.

"Your words reached father like no words can. You changed him," Shikamaru utters. "And I bet he actually died for the sake of his own dream. So now his death would be meaningless if it did not come true."

Gaara's forehead scrunches up into a frown. "I thought you said father died to redeem himself."

"I didn't say that he didn't, Gaara," says Shikamaru.

"Kamaru is sayin'," retorts Kankuro, "that father wanted you, Gaara, to become his successor. He wanted you to become the Kazekage. He wanted it so badly, he couldn't wait for old age to come get him."

"And you will be, Gaara. That I can promise father. I will do everything for you to be the next Kazekage," Shikamaru announces in a voice strengthened by conviction, "I will not allow his death, his sacrifice to be in vain."

—o0o—

"Father trusted you that you would be a better Kazekage than him." Kankuro grins at his youngest brother, showing that even if he's mad, he still approves of their father's choice. "Trusted you enough to give his life for that cause."

"So always remember, Gaara," reiterates Shikamaru, "father's final wish is for you to become the Kazekage."

"Father died because of me?" asks Gaara, eyes darkening with sadness as his sands start to swirl from his gourd.

"Yes," Shikamaru answers. "But he doesn't regret it, so you shouldn't. If sacrifices, no matter how big, are to be made for that cause then so be it."

—o0o—

"Gaara is too young," rasps one of the council members.

"If that's the only objection you have on my brother taking on the robe of the Kazekage, then let me assure you that my brother is wiser beyond his age," drawls Shikamaru. They are inside the council room, seated around the circular table. The last time he was in this same room, he was being married to Temari. That was what—almost three months ago. Now, he's back in this room minus his brothers and with most of the councilmen. Their agenda, the future of Sunakagure.

"And your proof of this is?" another council member asks.

"My father, the Fourth Kazekage, recognized that my brother Gaara, among the three of us is the one best suited to lead Sunagakure. He didn't based it on who's older but on our capabilities," answers Shikamaru steadily. "My father has three children. The first born," he consciously omits saying I, "is tasked to cement a permanent liaison with another village, Konoha. The second, Kankuro, to stand by loyal to the third. And the third, Gaara, to lead this village into the new age."

Another councilman slams his fist on the round table. "We can't deny that your brother is strong but I will not be led by someone who's a psychopath."

"My brother is not," coldly, Shikamaru utters, "a psychopath. If you want we can give him a test."

"A test?"

"Let's see how far he can bend before he breaks," suggests Shikamaru.

"And who will design this test?" snaps one council member. "You?" sneers another.

"Yes," replies Shikamaru. "Among everyone here, I know him the best. I know his weakness as well as his strength."

"Among everyone here, you're also the one who would want him to succeed after your father."

Shikamaru smirks. "You think I will make the test easy?"

"Y-es," the councilman stutters as another councilman nudges his arm in warning.

Shikamaru's lips twist into a mocking smile, asking almost flippantly, "And where is the challenge in that?"

The councilmen murmur to each other. It is quite known that the Kazekage's first born is a good for nothing lazy shinobi but he has a redeeming quality—he's also a genius. Kamaru was the first one in his age group to rank chuunin. And then he made it to jounin by defeating stronger opponents than him by using his cunning alone. He's laid back and not physically strong but even now, there's a reliable source that told them that in Konoha, he killed an S-rank missing nin from Yugakure all on his own. No Konoha nin helped him.

Kamaru was able to do that because he can plan 200 steps ahead.

The council can definitely use him against his own brother.

—o0o—

Shikamaru drops his gaze down at his own shadow. At twelve noon, the dark outline is exactly beneath him, taking the least possible space. Performing hand seals, the shadow moves elongating into a thin tendril…as thin and as fragile as a vine strand. "Tch," he then mutters in disgust. Good thing this is just a training between him and his brothers in the desert, otherwise, he's screwed from the lack of vegetation.

"Just a couple of months in Konoha," Kankuro mocks, "and now, you've lost your touch, bro."

"Shut up," Shikamaru mumbles without much heat.

"The desert doesn't really suit your jutsu, niisan," says Gaara. "Not much here to provide you with shadows."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shikamaru frowns, wondering if his brother suspects something regarding his blood line jutsu.

Gaara replies, "Father revealed to me why."

Shikamaru's gaze zooms in Gaara, gauging, scrutinizing for clues from his facial nuances. The way his youngest brother meets his eyes, communicates a truth that he thought was still a secret from his brothers. "You know," he states the words, not ask.

"Yes," reveals Gaara.

"What the hell!" scowls Kankuro, "You two, what's going on?!"

Shikamaru ignores Kankuro's outburst. "Then you know Gaara that…" His throat suddenly feels dry, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth but his hands, they are clammy with sweat. He needs to take a deep fortifying breath before he can continue, "You know that, I'm not a Suna shinobi."

Kankuro growls, "Of course, you are. You just married outside the village that's all," while Gaara simply nods his head.

"Do you think that it could hurt your chances of becoming the Kazekage, Gaara?" Shikamaru asks although he's already aware that if the secret about him is leaked out in public, the council may well decide entirely against Gaara, against the son of the lying, scheming Kazekage. "If it does, I give you permission to do what you must—for father."

—o0o—

Shikamaru is being tortured because of Gaara. One of the three masked Sunan shinobis surrounding him grabs him by the collar then hurls him towards the concrete wall. His breath leaves his chest upon impact on the solid cement as he feels searing pain from the side of his skull to his left shoulder.

The really damning thing is that he can't fight back. If he does, it's over.

Shikamaru grits his teeth against the pain. He needs to endure it. It's not as if they're gonna kill him. The higher ups are just toying with him, waiting for him to admit collusion with his brothers.

"I already told you, guys," spats Shikamaru, "My brothers don't know anything."

Their reply is another punch to his mid-section.

Shikamaru spits blood, glaring at the masked shinobis flanking him.

Whoever is watching from the one way see-through glass, better see it soon that he's telling the truth. He did not talk to Gaara or even Kankuro about the test. There is no cheating involve. None!

And when, not if, those assholes finally realize that, that'll be great if he doesn't pass out first.

—o0o—

"You can just choose one, Gaara," announces the proctor of the test. He's one of the cruelest jounin of Sunagakure. "You can just save one."

Gaara calmly nods his head.

"What the fuck is the meaning of this!" shouts Kankuro. His wrists and feet are bound by a rope but not his mouth, the same as Kamaru. Furthermore, there's rope tied around his and his older brother's neck, which is then suspended onto a makeshift horizontal beam supported on both sides while they stand on a wooden plank. Below them, several meters deep, is a pit full of bubbling lava. Obviously, it's either the rope around their necks that will kill them or the lava. "I thought this is just a damn test!"

"This is the test…" Shikamaru murmurs weakly, a little confused. He probably suffers from concussion and his vision is really blurry. He is just taken from the room where he was tortured that even talking hurts—actually not just talking, everything hurts.

"The fuck it is!" scowls Kankuro. "I demand that you people stop right now!" he yells at the direction of the councilmen watching.

"This is the price we ask of Gaara," one of the councilmen answers. "If this experience—the death of one of his beloved brothers at his own hands—doesn't break him and he is able to show us that he can repress the One-tail from re-appearing then we will consider him as a possible candidate for the Kazekage position."

Kankuro looks at the councilmen, the assholes, watching them from the safety of a contraption designed to protect them from the One-Tail. Shaking his head in disgust, he turns towards his youngest brother. If he can't persuade the sons of bitches, he can his bro. "Gaara, you don't have to do this. No matter what decision you'll make, it will destroy you. So don't choose at all."

"Gaara, remember father's dream," Shikamaru utters, "You have to become the Kazekage."

"I remember, Kamaru-niisan," replies Gaara.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" swears Kankuro, spittle coming out of his mouth in his fury. His glare pauses at Kamaru before he transfers it, sweeping the councilmen with the force of his loathing before he finally shifts his gaze towards Gaara. In a tone, pleading, desperate, angry, he screams, "Don't listen to anyone else! Just me, Gaara!"

"I can't," says Gaara, meeting Kankuro's furious gaze. "I can only choose one."

"Then—" growls Kankuro, finally resigning to his fate. "—then save big bro!"

Gaara closes his eyes for a moment, shutting his thoughts from Kankuro.

"What?!" Kankuro feels a chill creep along his spine as he contemplates something far worse than his own death. "Gaara, for heaven's sake, Kamaru's got a wife and an unborn kid! They're waiting for him to come home!"

But Kankuro's words fall on deaf ears as Gaara announces, "I choose to save Kankuro."

—o0o—

Present Time…

Temari has to accept the fact that the only time Yoshino will ever regret her decision regarding her own son is when it's already too late—when Shikamaru's dead.

And somehow…Shikamaru, Temari feels, is fully cognizant of that fact. That's why he didn't push it. That's why he didn't fight that hard—no, he didn't fought at all—for them to stay together 'til the end.

Because he knows that only his death could melt his mother's stubborn heart.

Shit! That's it! Temari thinks to herself. She needs to get out of the room she shared with that ass. She's having weird thoughts again and she needs to clear her mind of those.

—o0o—

~4 3 11, 11 19 12, 7 2-4 15AF P7 18 15~

A/N: You're thoughts, guys…? Question? Clarifications?