Chapter 126

Naruto slaps the poisoned kunai away from Kamaru's hand. "Chiyo-baasan doesn't want that dattebayo!"

Chiyo directs her gaze at Naruto, surprised written on her face. "Shikadai is seen as the son of both Suna and Konoha, however, once more and more people discovered the circumstances of his parents' birth, the amicable alliance between Suna and Konoha will be revealed as nothing but a pipe dream. With him out of the picture—peace is assured between the two villages."

"The peace between Suna an—"

Shikamaru's words are interrupted as the old woman continues, raising her hand to point at the young mother, at Temari, as she speaks with harsh conviction, "When it's discovered that you who is actually the daughter of Suna falsely lives as a daughter of Konoha—you will then be disowned by both villages and so shall your son."

"That won't happen. I won't let that happen," Shikamaru utters coldly, taking a step to attack Chiyo. "I won't let my son die here either!"

Naruto grabs Shikamaru's shoulder. Shikamaru then turns towards Naruto, giving him a sharp look and forcibly shrugging the hand that's restraining him. "Damn you, Naruto! Let go!"

"Anou-sa if you fight Chiyo, it doesn't matter because everyone here have already seen your shadow jutsu—a bloodline limit from the Nara clan. But how are you going to keep your jutsu a secret when you fight another then another enemy?" Naruto asks as his hold on Kamaru becomes slack. "Listen...Once your secret becomes known to a lot more people, Chiyo-baasan suspects that your son might become unwelcome both in Konoha and in Suna. She wanted to protect Shikadai from the cruelty of not having a village recognizing him as their own. This is about that old woman's last shot for redemption—a chance to save a child from growing up bitter, filled with hatred in his heart thinking he is unwanted."

Shikamaru's gaze meets Chiyo's as Naruto's hand finally falls off his shoulder. Naruto then swivels his eyes towards the old woman. "But you know what Chiyo-baasan, when Kamaru revealed to us his and Temari's secret—I was the only one who still did not have any inkling about it. Even the two Suna nins had recently overheard about the possibility of it but they are loyal to Gaara, they never spoke about it to anyone. While both Ino and Choji were merely waiting for Kamaru to admit and reveal it to them. Like Neji, Sakura and Sasuke, they already learned about it months ago and they still choose to help Kamaru and Temari to retrieve Shikadai."

Naruto then takes a step closer towards Chiyo as he speaks, "None of us—me, Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Ino, Choji and those two Suna nins—care what village Temari or Kam—Shikamaru belongs to. Temari is our friend. Shikamaru is our friend and friends help each other regardless of what village they belong to.That's how bonds are strengthened. Shikadai will be accepted and not shunned. He won't suffer the same fate as I...and as Sasori had as a kid. I promise dattebayo!"

Chiyo remains still then after a short while she just snorts at Naruto's promise. Then she straightens her old and stooped shoulders as she faces Shikamaru and Temari. "I was present at your wedding, do you remember? I even sat at the unhappy bride's left side. She remained impassive throughout the ceremony. But when it ended, I could see her glare, her eyes spitting poison at you, Shikamaru. It was obvious she hated the man she married but that she was willing to grit her teeth and cooperate for the time being."

Chiyo continues, her tone accusing, "Shikamaru was protective of you, Temari. I wondered, was it because you were his father's daughter? He even married you and moved to Konoha. Such sacrifices. Then he returned here in Suna without you when the kazekage died and stayed here for months without even contacting you. He valued his family in Suna more than he valued his family in Konoha. It appeared that he considered his duty to marry you had been accomplished. And when he finally returned to Konoha, it seemed once again to be born out of duty for you were about to give birth to your son."

"You're wrong," Shikamaru contradicts, his tone calm and yet strong as he bares his truth. "I did all those things...not out of duty. I married Temari because I love her. You knew I was protective of her...then you should have known that I stayed away and did not contact her to protect her from possible enemies who are plotting to take the Kazekage position. I terribly missed her in those months but her and my child's safety were my paramount concern. I love the woman I married that even when I was too miserable to be away from her, I endured it."

Chiyo watches Shikamaru, seeing the truth from his eyes then her gaze travels towards Temari, still accusing,"You...hate him."

"Yes," Temari admits. "Yes, I hated Shikamaru when I married him. Like you I thought he was only performing a duty...that hurt. A lot. I fought so hard not to love him but I...lost."

Chiyo shakes her head, seeming to deny their words. "I thought even married, Shikamaru belonged to Suna and you, Temari belonged to Konoha. And if other people discovered that a Konoha nin was actually helping Gaara to secure the kazekage seat—I expected the worse. That did not happen but in future... once everything is out in the open, if duty was the only driving force in your marriage, to correct the mistakes of the past, the easiest path to follow is for the child born between you two to be abandoned."

Chiyo's puppets then crash to the ground as the chakra holding them up are released. "Sasori's parents died. When he was young, Sasori did not understand that that meant they wouldn't be coming back but he kept hoping they would. He must have felt abandoned. I should have given him answers to his questions about his parents. I should have hugged him then but instead I gave him a puppet to shut him up. Then I taught him well about poisons. I treated my grandson as a tool to avenge his parents. I never treated him as my grandson," Chiyo admits it as suddenly a tear slowly courses down her wrinkled cheek. "You did not took him from me...I was the one who pushed him away."

Shikamaru watches as the old woman pours out her heartbreak. Then finally he speaks, "So you blame yourself for what happened to Sasori. But at the time, Chiyo, you thought what you were doing was for the best. The same way my wife now blames herself for doing something she thought was best. If I lose Shikadai, I fear that there's a big possibility that I will lose Temari too."

Chiyo rubs her eyes, wiping her tears away before she turns to look at Temari. "You should blame me."

Temari raises her head to meet Chiyo's eyes. If she hadn't put down Shikadai on the ground, he wouldn't have been snatched by Chiyo. If she took the time to secure Shikadai's mask with tape, if she hadn't panicked and have the cave wall blasted, Shikadai wouldn't have end up being poisoned. Shikadai is her son, he is her responsibility. She made those decisions...If only...Temari drops her gaze from Chiyo down to her son, watching his tiny, cute face as it remains unmoving. If only she has done things differently.

"Yes, she should blame you," Shikamaru utters. "But her silence now speaks for her. I know she blames herself more than she does you. And in a way...that made me understand you, Chiyo. Regret and sorrow, that's all you have now that you lost Sasori. That understandably, you assume me and Temari will make the same mistake as you did. You thought we are going to abandon Shikadai later on when it gets tough to keep him—that's why you decided to take him now before he could get to know us and be hurt by us."

"Chiyo," Temari finally speaks, "we don't have much time. Shikamaru and I love our son. We'll do anything you ask us...just save him."

"And if I ask you to give him to me?" Chiyo answers.

Temari's grip on Shikadai tightens, raising his small body up so she can kiss the crown of his head while she looks at Shikamaru. "We must do as she says," she speaks quietly, strength lacing her voice.

Shikamaru nods his head.

Chiyo's lips twitch. "I believe you, Shikamaru, when you say you love Temari. And when you offered your life for your son a moment ago, I was already more than convinced that you love your son. And Temari blaming yourself for what happened to your son, you recognized my pain—for you love your son as well. I realize now you both would not make the same mistakes I did. You would love your child unconditionally and not because he can be of use." Chiyo smiles gently. "Shikadai won't grow up like my Sasori did."

Chiyo approaches Temari. She then takes Shikadai from Temari's arms and places the unmoving baby carefully down on the ground. Then the old woman puts her hands over Shikadai's tiny chest and a blue haze appears around her hands as she heals him.

Shikamaru approaches Temari again. This time when his arm goes around her back, Temari leans on his side. Clutching her upper arm, Shikamaru' grip then moves down from her arm to intertwined with her fingers. "Whatever happens promise me you're going to be alright. That grief won't—"

"Shh," interrupts Temari as she tries to smile at Shikamaru. "Chiyo doesn't seem to really believe that I love you. That you are equally precious to me as Shikadai. I promise you, Shikamaru, you won't lose me...whatever happens, I won't shut you up, I will share my grief with you and you with me."

Chiyo raises her head from her task to look at Temari. "I do believe you now. I realized that a strong kunoichi like you would not depend on Shikamaru if you did not love him...He was able to find us immediately because you led him to us, didn't you, Temari?"

"Yes, she did," Shikamaru answers. From the dropped weapons from Deidara's bird that guided the Suna trackers to the clues carved on the sand that helped revived Gaara and finally to the blood trails, indeed Temari led them here. "It was because of her efforts that I am—that we are here".

Ino then takes a step closer to Shikamaru and Temari and so does Choji. The two Konoha shinobis stand behind their friends, not saying anything, just letting them know that whatever the outcome, they are there for them.

The Suna shinobi who acted and appeared like Ino already transforms back to himself and stands beside his fellow Suna shinobi as they all watch Chiyo.

Naruto moves to sits on his heels in front of Chiyo with Shikadai lying silent on the ground between them.

"This beautiful child is dying because of a poison I made," Chiyo says with a catch in her voice. "Deidara has more—"

"My friends Sasuke and Neji will take care of it. Don't worry," replies Naruto reassuringly.

Chiyo raises her head to smile at Naruto. "Twenty years ago, for revenge, I took Temari from her hospital crib in Konoha and replaced her with Shikamaru. I was the one who made the birth switch."

Temari starts to shake her head, about to open her mouth to deny Chiyo's words when Shikamaru's firmer grip on her hand stops her.

Shikamaru understands what the old woman is doing. By taking the blame...the people wouldn't blame either Suna or Konoha for what happened twenty years ago. If the people learns about the truth that the dead Kazekage and the current Hokage, that the leaders of Suna and Konoha respectively are the ones involved, it's a hell of a matter. It will be seen as connivance and betrayal. Chiyo is right, the amicable alliance between the two villages will shatter.

Now, even if Lady Tsunade admits her involvement, people will see it as her sacrificing herself and not believe. Her village, Konoha, won't be blamed. Suna won't be blamed either for the actions of an old woman who acted alone. The peace treaty between the two villages will hold and a war prevented because of Chiyo's lie.

Chiyo is lying to Naruto so her lie would be more believable to the others. There's only a handful of them here...but this lie will grow and be nurtured because it's Chiyo's last wish.

Having grown up in Suna, Shikamaru knows that the jutsu Chiyo is using is forbidden. It is a jutsu that could bring a puppet back to life but for a price. Naruto is unaware that Chiyo will die.

If this works...and God knows, Shikamaru hopes so...he owes it to Chiyo for Naruto to hear the whole truth about his and Temari's birth. He will tell his friend when the time comes the full story, the scope of Chiyo's sacrifice and atonement.

Chiyo's smile widens at Naruto. "I'm glad a person like you showed up who believed without any proof that I wouldn't hurt this child."

Shikamaru's grip on his wife tightens. He can feel her body remaining tense with anticipation and fear as she waits. He leans low so he can whisper in her ear, "It'll be alright. Chiyo will give us proof."

A wail is then heard...so loud that it's unbelievable that it comes from such a small body.

—oOo—

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A/N: Almost done. Review? Thoughts? Reactions?