A/N: Sorry for the late post, guys. The usual reason. Life. And the fact that I need money to support that life. And that I'm studying again. Woot...
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Chapter 105
Shikamaru starts to fall down towards the pit of bubbling lava. Already weak from recent beatings he sustained and with his hands and feet tied, he can only close his eyes as his mind automatically calculates his chance of survival.
With both his brothers turning their backs on him, his chance is zero.
…Well, there is that.
With the rope around his neck severed, Shikamaru can take a much needed breath. It could be his last.
He opens his eyes. It's not going to be his last. His brothers will come through.
"Now, Kankuro!" orders Gaara. "Save Kamaru-nissan."
With the rope around his own neck also severed, Kankuro jumps aided by the plank's flexibility to catch the blade that cut the rope around his neck as it continues to swoosh past. Raising his bounded hands, the sharp blade cut through the rope and nicks the inner flesh of one of his wrist. Bleeding, he doesn't lose time putting pressure on it.
Kankuro, with the chakra strings emitting from his freed fingers, controls the blade, making it loop around the beam above before it zooms down fast towards Kamaru.
Shikamaru lifts his tied arms away from his back just in time as the blade inserts itself between his arms, the handle scratching his back as it travels down.
"Sorry," Kankuro shouts as he sees Kamaru cringing. After this, he sure would train more seriously to use the chakra strings to control not just objects but also people. It would have been way, way easier to stuck his chakra strings directly on Kamaru than on the blade.
The strings attached on the blade then swings Kamaru unceremoniously over the ledge as Kankuro falls deeper into the pit himself.
A cloud of sand then materializes beneath Kankuro's still tied feet.
—o0o—
Standing on the floating sand, just like what Gaara usually does, Kankuro feels the tiny grains become sharp, cutting away the rope that ties his feet. Freed from the binds, Kankuro jumps down from the floating sand, running towards his big bro who is lying on the ground. Grabbing Kamaru's shoulder up, he hugs his older brother like a sack of potato.
"Aww," exclaims Shikamaru in pain as he is suddenly dragged up from the ground to be hugged exuberantly. "Couldn't you be more gentle?" he complains at Kankuro.
Kankuro chuckles. "I can see you're alright."
Leaning down, Kankuro picks up the blade lying near Kamaru's bounded feet. Straightening, with a mocking smile, he then waves the blade up in front of his oldest brother's face. "Now, do you want this or not?"
"Stop that. Just cut me loose."
Grumbling loudly about ungrateful pricks, Kankuro cuts the rope around Kamaru's hand and feet. "You're welcome."
—o0o—
With purposeful stride, Kankuro approaches the proctor who has the reputation of being one of the cruelest in Suna. "You, the one that made this test, I'll kill you!" Kankuro charges on, his tone livid as he grabs a fistful of the collar of the proctor.
The proctor meet Kankuro's furious eyes. In a voice with deadly calm, he intones, "I would have enjoyed coming up with this one but that pleasure isn't mine."
"Then who the fuck is the one behind this test?" demands Kankuro, shaking the proctor. While Gaara, who has approached his brother, quietly just watches on, but with a cold, frightening expression marring his youthful face.
The proctor just smirks. His eyes are fixed on Kankuro but then he becomes aware of Gaara who stands behind his brother with an aura of loathing emanating from his gaze. The proctor recognizes the danger posed by the youngest of the siblings, and he can't help the shiver of fear that travels along his spine.
"Answer me, you piece of shit!" demands Kankuro.
"I don't know who!" the proctor growls, now actively watching Gaara. The cold gleam in the youngster's eyes turns deadly as the gourd behind his back begins to shake as sand starts to swirl out. "Only the council knows."
The sand shoots off from the gourd and into the air, coming closer towards the proctor.
"I designed the test," Shikamaru quietly admits.
Deafening silence ensues. The proctor takes his chance to leave as the sand floats still and Kankuro's mouth hangs open. Then all of a sudden, Gaara raises his fist and swings it towards Kamaru's jaw.
Gaara's shoulders remain tense and his hands clench into fists on his sides, the knuckles of one bruised with the blow he just delivered. His chest panting as he tries to reel in his anger—his emotions which feel like they're about to burst out of his chest.
As Kamaru cups his swollen jaw, Gaara closes the distance and suddenly embraces him. With Kamaru's hand on his jaw trap between them, it becomes awkward.
"I'm fine, Gaara," Shikamaru reassures his little brother. Sometimes he forgets that Gaara is just sixteen but he has already lost a lot of people—his mother, his uncle, his father and for a moment him—his stand-in sibling. "I'm fine," Shikamaru reiterates. His little brother needs the extra reassurance.
Taking a step back, it takes a moment for the rise and fall of Gaara's chest to subside. For the anger, for the fear to dissipate.
"Wait!" Kankuro interrupts, twisting Kamaru to face him. "If you made this test then that means that Gaara—"
"It means Gaara has just aced his test," replies Shikamaru with a smile wreathing his face and then he cringes in pain because smiling pulls at the wound on his lips.
"But why did you do it?" asks Gaara. "I could have allowed my anger to be unleashed, to call forth the One-Tail. I could have—"
"No, Gaara. I know you would not let your anger rule you. I know that this time you would weigh everything and decide correctly," utters Shikamaru. "This test is to prove to you and to everyone else—but especially to you—that you're not a monster."
"I see…" Gaara, realization dawning on his face, speaks, "I have to believe that I'm not a monster. For how can I convince the others that I'm not if I don't believe it myself."
"Yes," agrees Shikamaru.
"I get what you're trying to do, big bro." Kankuro grunts at Kamaru, "I still fucking hate your method though."
Shikamaru shrugs his shoulders, implying that it's the only way.
"I bet you didn't count on them making a mince pie out of you," drawls Kankuro, openly mocking as he crosses his arms on his chest.
Shikamaru stiffens. Actually before, when he was being beaten and being accused of duplicity, he wasn't even sure the council was going to use his test. He thought, they wouldn't after they tried their damnable best to make him admit that he and his siblings were in cohorts. But then he discovered that wasn't the council's real objective. No, they have a real, worthy reason for their actions so he can't blame them. But still it rankled that he hasn't seen that coming.
"Oh shit, I'm right," guffaws Kankuro.
Shikamaru doesn't bother with a reply, limping away, before easing his body to sit down on the sand.
"So what happened?" asks Gaara, following Kamaru, and standing before him. Scrutinizing his oldest brother, seeing up close the colorful bruising around one eye, the split on his upper and lower lips, the gnashes across his cheek and forehead, the redness around his neck and on his wrists, his tattered and bloodied clothes that hides more injuries. Gaara has never seen his brother that beaten before. "You look awful," he states.
"This is what I think happened," responds Kankuro, following behind them then plonking down beside Kamaru on the ground. "Big bro knew Gaara would choose him. He banked on it. And in the event—not a huge possibility, mind you—that Gaara forgot to say to him, 'Hey, save Kankuro,' his back-up plan was to save me even without Gaara's say so. But the problem in that was—seriously, his fucking plan was so flimsy, even those idiots were able to see through it. So those assholes made sure he couldn't do anything during the test itself. They really got him in a bad state. So that left Gaara with no choice but to choose me instead and you must have had one hell of a good time, thinking, 'would they save me?' I'm right, aren't I?"
"You're wrong. I never asked myself if you guys would save me," answers Shikamaru. "Tch because ba-ka, I don't ask myself questions I know the answer to."
—o0o—
"If you have chosen to have your brother killed in order to become the Kazekage, it will mean you are capable of anything—anything—to get into a position of power," a council member states.
"A Kazekage who only craves power is dangerous," another council member intones. "He will only lead Suna to its destruction."
"When the proctor said you can save only one, you noticed he didn't say that the one you saved can't save the other. That showed, that in a dire situation, you don't let your emotions control you. You use your head to look for possible solutions."
"Because there will be times that a leader is forced to make difficult decisions and to rely on his people, a good leader then must know to trust his people and for his people to trust him," another council member says. "You showed that you are capable of being that kind of leader today. You came up with a plan, entrusted that plan to Kankuro and he saved Kamaru."
"Today, you acted like a leader and not the monster that we think you are."
"So congratulations, Gaara. The council accepts you as our new Kazekage."
Bowing from his waist, Gaara utters, "Thank you."
"Tch, don't get cocky just yet," whispers Shikamaru, who flanks Gaara's left side. "The test was the easy part, what's next is the hard part."
Kankuro, who stands on Gaara's right side, swivels his head to get a better look at Kamaru, an eyebrow raised in question while Gaara frowns.
"Now, you train for the Kazekage position."
—o0o—
"Some were against because of your age, Gaara, so I proposed that you train under each of the chosen council members to learn fast," reveals Shikamaru. "Chiyo-sama had volunteered to be the first. She is old but don't let her advance age deceive you. And let me remind you, we were instrumental in her grandchild's Sasori's demise."
"It's going to be dangerous, there will still be people against you," grunts Kankuro. "But don't worry much about them. I will act as your guard."
"Chiyo-sama also knows most of father's secrets," mutters Shikamaru. "So it's better if you gain her trust rather than her wrath. We don't know yet if she knows about the birth switch."
"What's the worst thing that could happen if that old cow knows your secret?" Kankuro asks.
Shikamaru's face turns serious. "I don't want to find out."
Gaara nods his head. "Then you won't, niisan."
"Thank you, Gaara."
"Then you'll stay," Gaara asks subtly, "until I get the hang of my new position. You can act as my adviser. You can tell Temari-neesan so she won't—"
"No. I can't." Shikamaru shakes his head.
"But—" Gaara sounds almost pleading.
"I mean I will be your adviser. I just can't tell that to Temari just yet," Shikamaru clarifies. "Politically, Suna is still shaky. I can't just send messages out to another village—I would appear like a spy if I do that. But you can send one to Lady Tsunade to reassure her and indirectly my family that I am fine."
"But—"
"It's okay, Gaara," mumbles Shikamaru. "Anyway, Yoshino, my real mother, expect me to—"
"Expect you to what?" Kankuro asks.
Shikamaru shrugs. "Take care of everything."
—o0o—
With the way the heavily pregnant woman is laughing with the other nin, the foreign shinobi who just arrives at the scene decides his news about Sunagakure can wait.
Let her enjoy whatever she finds so funny for he has in his possession one particular information that can wipe out her laughter soon enough…
Learning her biological father took his own life is bound to make her react in ways he wouldn't even attempt to guess at.
Tch…and just look at her, chuckling like an idiot with that Sasuke.
Spitting on the ground in distaste. Compared to that punk, he looks unkempt with his unbounded hair sticking to his skull with perspiration. He's aware that his appearance bears the marks of his three day travel.
He needs a bath and food and sleep. He needs to report to the Hokage too. He starts to turn around, taking the first step away from her.
"Shikamaru?"
Hearing that name called, he draws in his breath loudly. Turning around to glare at the shinobi mending his fence, he snarls in warning, "You didn't hear it."
"I heard it. Temari called you Shikamaru." Sasuke just continues to hammer in his nails. "Just wait 'til I tell Sakura that."
"Stop baiting him, Sasuke," snaps Temari. "You know you wouldn't do it."
"Oh so you trust him?" accuses Shikamaru, finally facing the heavily pregnant woman.
"Yes," replies Temari. "Unlike you—"
"Unlike me?" Shikamaru frowns. "Woman, what do you mean unlike me?"
"Hmp." Temari crosses her arms and refuses to answer.
Shikamaru's frown deepens. Then seeing Sasuke within the scope of his peripheral vison, he swivels his head to look directly at the other nin. "What have you been telling her?"
"Really?!" Temari stamps her foot in frustration. "Don't tell me you're still jealous of Sasuke! I told you I love you, didn't I, ass! But obviously you still don't believe me. So then why are you back here in Konoha?!"
"Woman, I'm not jealous, alright," placates Shikamaru, a little too late. "I'm tired, sweaty, I don't know what the hell I was saying—much less implying."
"Don't act stupid, idiot!" yells Temari. "You know damn well what you were doing!"
Shikamaru takes a deep breath, getting ready to defend himself just then a hammer hits a nail's head. His attention abruptly swivels back to Sasuke, looking at him pointedly.
"Sure I can leave," drawls Sasuke, "only this is my property so—"
With a loud hmp, Temari pivots on her feet and marches on ahead. The ass! He's sorry for—for acting like a jealous fool but not for being gone for fucking four months or maybe…he wasn't sorry at all because from his stand point he wasn't gone for four months. Maybe he had been sneaking up on her like today. Seeing her then leaving without even showing himself to her so he can honor his agreement with his own mother.
Oh shit, why hasn't she thought of that before!
It now becomes more obvious that his promise to Yoshino means more to him than her and their kid. What an asshole!
Shikamaru, following after Temari, remains silent, allowing the woman to stew.
"I hate you," she growls, not bothering to look back, knowing he's following her. "And I don't care about that agreement you had with kasan."
"So you knew about that." Shikamaru sighs. That explains a lot. No wonder she's angry and not even a bit happy to see him. "I'm sorry—"
"You're coming with me," rasps Temari. "We're going home. Don't argue."
Shikamaru walks faster and then just wraps his arms around Temari, trapping her arms on her sides as he rest his head on her shoulder. "I missed you," he whispers into her ear.
Temari snorts but her shoulders relax as she leans back, feeling the heat emanating from Shikamaru's chest. "Not much obviously."
"Tch, woman," Shikamaru groans aloud, tightening his hold around Temari. "I miss you so much it hurts every time I think of you."
Temari, her fingers holding onto Shikamaru's forearms that lies right across her chest, turns her head sideways, straining her neck so she can reach his lips. She kisses him with all the pent up emotions she had bottled up inside, setting them free. The kiss turns deep fast, almost like they are trying to merge into one being, sucking, moaning, and holding each other tight.
It's going to be alright now. Temari knows she's not letting him go and that she's—they're—gonna tell Yoshino that. She will convince Shikamaru and they're going to face Yoshino together.
Suddenly, Temari bites Shikamaru's lower lip.
"Ouch," Shikamaru grumbles as he lifts his head, cutting the kiss as he takes a much needed breath. His chest rising and falling as he looks questioning into Temari's eyes, feeling her already stiffening in his arms.
Temari raises blue-green eyes full of trepidation. No wonder Shikamaru opted to honor his words…. Fighting an enemy is easy. Fighting Yoshino…petrifies her.
—o0o—
~1 17 13, 7 15, 8 24 15AF
A/N: I think I won $10. An imaginary $10 hehe.
And anyway don't you guys just love the last preview? Hehe I do. It gave me awesome guesses/reviews ;) Hope you guys continue reviewing, commenting…