We're back (apologies for the delay)! I'm actually not sure how many people can fit on a large flying battle fan, but let's assume two people :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.


On the open roof of the Kazekage house, two sets of flowers sat before the couple and the council advisor. The sun honed in on the village's centerpiece, adding an extra layer of pressure.

Hibiki had posed a tall question: red camellias or pink camellias. Despite his early morning grogginess, Shikamaru studied both vases carefully. He wasn't quite sure what difference it made in the long run but he wanted to get this right. Bright red might be too overbearing for the guests. His mother hated anything that was an eyesore to look at, and red would certainly clash with the clan's muted green and black wardrobe palette.

Beside him, Temari sat hunched, eyes glazed over. Just pick one...

On the other hand, Shikamaru considered, pink was liable to blend in too much. Ino would advise against pale flowers at special events as they didn't accentuate anything. And while the pink camellias weren't strong in pigment, they sure were heavy in scent. Akamaru, a vibrant Great Pyrenees, had a highly sensitive nose. Then again so did his owner, Kiba...The last thing he needed was those two barking at random throughout the ceremony. He could opt to not invite them—no, that would be too rude. Choji certainly favored red over pink, but should he necessarily be making such a huge decision based on his friends' preferences? He put his hand to his chin causing Temari to roll her eyes.

Seriously, it doesn't matter. If her mind wasn't so preoccupied with other issues, she might have stolen this decision right from under him.

"Okay...I'm pretty sure…" Shikamaru trailed off, his eyes darting back and forth. Red or pink? Red or pink? Red...and pink? If he chose both then everybody would be content. Unless those who really liked pink still resented the presence of red, and vice versa. If he wasn't careful, this could spark an all-out brawl on the big day.

Hibiki adjusted her clipboard. "Would you like a third choice to broaden your options?"

"NO!" Temari exclaimed before she could stop herself. The other two parties nearly flew to the ground for cover.

"I mean, let's just..." she inhaled. Exhaled. "Let's skip the flowers for now. What's next on the list?"

Hibiki began rattling off a rich dinner menu filled with assorted meats, vegetables, even an extravagant dessert. The bride-to-be was only half-listening as she observed two shinobi standing guard around the corridor. The house had been on high alert since yesterday; Gaara had increased security around the entire village after learning of the window left ajar in Ebizo's room. Apparently, the council was quite taken to the theory of a foreign intruder. In the absence of his partner's focus, Shikamaru listened to menu options.

"Is there anything our Leaf guests would want to be added?" The advisor asked.

Well chips for one, Shikamaru thought. Maybe some dangos, ramen, lots of ramen...He tensed suddenly. There he went again, overcompensating for his friends and their...eccentricities. Normally he would be willing to accommodate for their tastes but they weren't measuring up to the rest of the menu, so he said his guests would eat whatever. Hibiki took note.

Rocked with impatience, Temari tapped her foot on the roof floor. She needed to report to Gaara immediately. But she couldn't do that until whatever meeting he was being held captive in ended. She took a second glance around: searching the house alone was also unlikely given the heightened security.

And she couldn't dismiss the possibility that the perpetrator was indeed lurking around the village. She didn't put it past the new Senior Head to hire someone outside of the Kazekage house to complete his dirty work. If she could just do some air surveillance around the village, scan for anything out of the ordinary…

"Oh, we should review ceremony practices! The council will want a dance." Hibiki added, adjusting her glasses on her nose. Alas, Temari couldn't do any of this if she was stuck making plans with the council's resident puppet.

Gulp. Had Shikamaru's ears deceived him? "Uhm, a dance?" He whipped his head and whispered to Temari in mild distress, "We have to dance?" She could only shrug.

Hearing her cue, the advisor launched into a very scripted justification of the Sand's infamous wedding dance. According to legend, two lovers once wandered the unsettled land looking for each other. They searched for miles, it seemed. Often spotting the other in the distance, they would walk towards them only to witness their partner dissolve into a mirage. They persisted in their search for three days before their bodies gave in. They passed out the desert floor as the heat baked their skin and dehydration began to shut down their insides. Calling upon their remaining strength, they reached out their arms to find the other lying just a few feet away. In this manner, their fingers intertwined, they released their last breath. Curtains closed.

Underscoring the fateful ending, Hibiki had clasped her fist in the air. Meanwhile, the Leaf shinobi averted all eye contact.

Was this supposed to inspire us or something? Having suffered several humiliations already, he chose to stay ignorant in silence.

"It's believed that the site of their demise is where the First Kazekage established this village," the advisor said. "The lovers' search for one another, at times taking them in circles, is the foundation of the wedding dance."

Several yards away, the two guards began to change shifts, exchanging words with their replacements. Temari instantly perked up. Enough with the overwrought traditions: this was it. This was the chance she'd been waiting for all morning.

The kunoichi proposed they all take a break. Afterward, they could run through the steps of the dance, much to the advisor's content. Shikamaru, horrified, allowed Temari to pull him away, past the preoccupied guards and to the opposite end of the open roof where a modest makeshift greenhouse concealed them. Once they were out of view, she hopped onto the roof ledge, pulled out a scroll from her side, and summoned her giant battle fan.

Shikamaru ducked his head as she extended the weapon to its full breadth. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Just hop on."

"We're not supposed to leave!" He hissed in a hushed tone. On the other side of the greenhouse, the guards were too involved in their own chat to notice anything out of the ordinary. Temari slapped her palm to her face. For a shinobi, he could be a little too dutiful at times.

"Loosen up, will ya? Or, if you'd like, I could leave you to talk flowers and dancing with—" she pointed at the advisor who was obsessing over the orientation of the camellias. Abruptly, she pulled out a pair of scissors and snipped several uncooperative petals, quickly and mercilessly. "—with her." His face drained itself of all color.

Shikamaru stepped onto the ledge. "Let's go," he said. The kunoichi smiled at the small victory. After all, Temari was a lot of things. But, he was thankful that she wasn't completely and utterly neurotic. Or handled scissors.


Leaving the village epicenter, they cruised over the settlement on her fan. Temari adored the rush of the strong, propulsive wind. This mildly wild and untamed current reminded her of all the times in her adolescence she'd escape to the sky when things on the ground weren't going so well. Her ponytails spun like mini windmills in the current. Yup, she could only experience this perfect breeze in the Sand. This was where she was most in her element.

Beside her, Shikamaru clasped onto her hand for dear life. He had accompanied her for a ride on the battle fan once or twice before opting out a third time. In his youth, he'd often wished he could take the place of a cloud but that was before he factored in the considerable distance from stable ground. Shadows weren't very useful midair, the strategist came to realize. Besides, he was more inclined to experience the wonders of an open sky while gazing up from a grassy knoll in the Leaf. That was where he belonged.

The villagers paid little mind to the flying saucer above. They strolled through the radial streets, going about their business. Gaara strategically scattered additional security in a way that wouldn't provoke civilians' suspicions. At this height, however, Temari could tell the difference: nearly every shinobi on the docket was out. Casually chatting with merchants and neighbors, watching, extracting information.

Shikamaru refrained from looking down. "So this dance is pretty important, huh?" Consequently, any distraction was warranted.

She waved her hand, peering closer at the minuscule bodies below. "It's a glorified slow dance, something for the guests to gawk at. No big deal."

Oh great. This only made it a bigger deal.

The horror show played out vividly in his imagination. Everyone he'd known since young, howling and taunting him as he attempted to move his feet in a manner that would at least look halfway decent. The girls would try to snap pictures for the "memories". The guys would have doubled over in laughter, not believing their friend who'd slept through most of the Academy was committing this much effort into anything, let alone a dance. At least Choji would cheer for him. His boisterous voice would clash like kitchen pans against the soft music, but at least he'd be supportive.

Shikamaru let out a heavy sigh. Maybe he should cut everyone he knew from the guest list entirely.

Temari curbed her fan toward the entrance of the border wall. If she was lucky, the person she was looking for would be stationed there now. They hopped off onto the steep, rugged clay rock overlooking the rest of the desert. She told him she'd be right back and to stay put. Shikamaru felt like a puppy: did he have much of a choice? She descended the wall towards a small cavern opening and disappeared inside.

Must be a secret headquarters, he thought. He paced the border rock, realizing she had sidelined him again. It was hard to blame her: the more he knew, the more he became a target. Still, what was he supposed to do while she was busy seeking out intel…

"Hey, look! Is that—"

"It's Shikamaru!"

The voices pierced his ears from a few hundred meters away. They sounded familiar...Then again, who in this village was that excited to see him? Two kunoichis began rushing his way. Slowly, their faces began to register.

"That means Lady Temari's here!" A girl with short, choppy brown hair. Her forehead protector around her neck, similar to how Temari used to wear hers. A jōhyō in her right arm: Matsuri.

"You think they're dating now?" Long dark locks paired with a slightly clueless giggle: Yukata.

Troublesome…


Inside the cavern of the border patrol headquarters, the atmosphere was dark and on edge. Between the shift changes and increased assignments, the trepidation allowed Temari to slip right in without question. Good, her business concerned the Sensory Unit only.

When she spotted the shinobi of interest, their back turned, she wondered how awkward it might be. After all these years.

She hadn't spoken with Yome in any substantial way since childhood. But, the tiny girl with two twirly pigtails and blushed cheeks had always made it a point to play with Temari. Her and her lanky friend, Sen.

Yeah, Temari thought. Now that I think about it, they never talked badly about me.

On one occasion, Yome and Temari were kicking around a ball outside the Academy gates. The warm afternoon rays showered over the pair and Temari wasn't ready to go home just yet. There was nothing much waiting for her there except additional lessons. Maybe Kankuro pestering her for treats but that was about it. If she was lucky, Rasa might ask her what she learned in school that day. With stoic eyes, he'd watch as she'd complete a basic Transformation or a sequence of newly learned hand signs. His eyebrows would furrow as they often did when he was aggravated, dissatisfied, or simply unimpressed. He'd turn away, muttering that her form was off, and leave to attend to more pressing matters.

Temari rushed to return the kicked ball. Yup, nothing much waiting for her at home.

Just as she went in for the kick, a mysterious object whizzed rapidly towards them from an unseen angle. Stuck right in its trajectory, Temari's feet locked up. She couldn't react in time. All of a sudden, Yome tackled Temari out of the way of a pelted rotten egg. When they turned around, the group of Academy boys had promptly fled from their hiding spot, their jeers trailing behind them. Cowards.

The two stood up as Yome combed the substance out of her pigtails. Temari thanked her, still wondering how she managed to see the silent attack with both their backs turned. The shorter girl shrugged.

"My eyes," she squeaked. "I can see my surroundings off the droplets in the air." She wiped some egg off her nose. "But only at close range. It's no big deal."

Amazing, Temari thought, helping Yome remove the last of the substance from her hair. Even more amazing was the fact Yome would use her ability to help Temari, of all people. This wasn't the first time the Suna princess, somewhat withdrawn from her peers, had been a target. They never physically struck during class hours but they were intentional about excluding her from most activities. The teacher wasn't sure how to address it: surely Temari had the rank to tell them off. But she never did. And as her youngest brother became a greater threat to the village, this type of afterschool incident wouldn't be the last. Yome and Sen, loners in their own respect, helped out when they could.

Even as they grew older, Temari digging more into her own cruelty and straying from the few friends she did have, she remembered those wide, orange orbs that had saved her from embarrassment that day.

"Lady Temari!" In the present, Yome turned around to find quite the surprise. She was blinking a mile-per-minute.

Hopefully, those eyes could help Temari out again.


On the top of the border wall, Matsuri, Yukata, and Shikamaru were playing an intense game of 21 Questions. Or rather, Matsuri and Yukata were playing. Shikamaru was adamantly deflecting every question.

"So why are you in the village?" Matsuri asked.

"Yeah, are you here on shinobi business?"

He gazed off. I am now, I guess.

"Are you and Temari going out?"

"Yeah, I heard a rumor that you two are engaged."

He could feel his hands stiffening. Do not entertain them.

"C'mon, you can tell us. We already know she's been away doing ambassador stuff."

"Yeah, but she mostly stays in the Leaf, so kind of obvious!" Yukata snickered. Shikamaru looked down towards the cavern, hoping the person in question would hurry up and rescue him from this two-person interrogation unit. This whole thing was supposed to stay a secret until the festival in a few days. If this kept going, the whole village would know by nightfall.

"Shouldn't you two be patrolling the border?" He asked. Taking the bait, Yukata huffed that they had been on-call since early morning. They hadn't seen anybody beyond their post for hours.

"Technically, we're on break right now. But don't change the subject!" Matsuri's sudden stern tone startled him. So distracting them had failed miserably. Again, she demanded, "Is it true that you two engaged?"

Shifting his torso away, he crossed his arms. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

After studying his response for several moments, Matsuri sighed. "Okay, if you say so. Good thing, too. If she was engaged, that would've killed poor Daimaru all over again." At this, Shikamaru's nose twitched without his permission. Who?

Matsuri leered toward a blinking Yukata. Did her friend catch it? Probably not. The tilt of his head, the uncrossing of his arms, the gradual turning of his torso back to face them: she had struck a nerve. He now had a stake in the conversation.


Yome led Temari to the records room. Her hand dug into a cabinet to retrieve a file: a comprehensive list of every visitor that passed through the main border entrance over the last week. Many of them were rural tourists from the outskirts of the Land of Wind present for the upcoming festival. Everyone was searched and approved by shinobi customs before entering. In total, a few dozen names were listed, none of them raising much speculation.

"We've been reviewing our records since this morning," Yome said. Her petite frame stood diligently towards her superior.

Temari closed the file. "What do you think? Have you spotted anything else?"

"No, but it's possible we missed something—"

"Yome, I'm asking if you spotted anything?"

At this, the old friend paused. If Yome thought back, she'd been on the border patrol for the past several days. She'd even been there the day Temari returned but was hesitant to descend from her post and greet her. In the end, she offered a small wave the princess probably didn't even notice.

Her dōjutsu had improved ten-fold since Temari last saw her. Its precision allowed her to see more than sixty kilometers out in any direction off the water droplets in the air. If someone was attempting to infiltrate the village at any other point beyond the main entrance, she would spot them while they were still miles off.

And the truth was, she spotted nothing. No one had attempted to covertly sneak into the village those past few days. All of this was faithfully documented in Yome's weekly report to the Sensory Unit, which she now showed Temari.

Brows furrowed, the princess stuck out her chin. It was just as she thought. Now she had the confirmation.


"Wait," Shikamaru said, trying to get the story right. "So...he told her he loved her? In the middle of battle?"

The three sat in a circle like schoolchildren on top of the border rock. His defenses had weakened considerably as he became embarrassingly absorbed by the new topic at hand.

Yukata leaned forward. "Yeah, I know, right? It was tragically romantic." The two Sand girls reveled in the sharing of wartime secrets. Any excuse to extend their break.

Shikamaru busied himself with fixing his vest pocket. Temari hadn't said anything about a Daimaru. From their account, he sure was...presumptuous. Kind of slapstick. Not Temari's type at all. Nothing to worry about really. Still, Shikamaru didn't think he could ever be that forward as to confess his love in front of a platoon of their peers while the world as they knew it was under attack.

He'd been one-upped by a dead man, he thought with a bitter edge. And here he was worried about a stupid wedding dance.

"But it doesn't really matter," Matsuri said. "Since you two aren't together." He flinched, subconsciously, then scolded himself.

"Unless there's something you're hiding?"

Damn it, classic bait-and-switch. Do not give them any more information!

Before they could register the presence of an outside party, a looming shadow suddenly draped over them.

"What's with the gossip circle?" Temari barked.

The seated party was thrown into chaos, Yukata yelping as they all scrambled haphazardly to their feet. The two Sand girls bowed towards their superior and Shikamaru was tempted to do the same.

"We weren't gossiping," he said.

"Yeah, we were talking about war stuff—" Matsuri nudged her companion to stop talking.

Temari rested a hand on her hip and reminded them they should be patrolling the border for any new threats. She turned to Shikamaru. "And you shouldn't be distracting them from their duties."

But they were bothering me!

Still, he nodded fervently as they let out a collective, "Hai!"

They dispersed from that spot but not before Matsuri and Yukata shot him knowing glances. Don't worry, they seemed to say. Your secret, whatever it may be, is safe with us! He pouted as he climbed aboard Temari's fan. Nosey people were a drag on his existence. But they had given him something to think about. He needed to be a bit bolder if he was going to survive in Temari's world.

"So...did you find what you need?" he asked. She affirmed without mentioning the two files tucked discreetly underneath her skirt.

Before Temari left with the copies of the report and visitor list, Yome handed her a small box. Temari was taken aback to see a fine decorative pin, a gift worth at least two week's salary; Yome and Sen had purchased it for her as a welcome-back present. Shuffling the gift in her hand, she was truly at a loss for words. It would be a real slap in the face to say she wasn't returning permanently and hand it back. But the two would learn the truth at the festival, anyway. It was either she ruined the sentiment now or later. Ultimately, Temari's urgency overruled her guilt and she accepted the gesture. The small box now weighed down her skirt pocket.

They were thinking of me. I've barely talked to them in years, and they did this for me. Wiping some dirt away from her eyes, she curbed the fan for landing on the grounds of the Kazekage's house. To both their surprise, they saw Kankuro standing in the middle of the yard cloaked in his usual black bodysuit.

"Where have you been?" He was way more annoyed than usual.

"Out." She grounded the instrument and hopped off. Shikamaru took a moment to readjust to the lower altitude. "Did something else happen?" Her brother shook his head. Nothing except some partially unauthorized snooping on his part. She raised an eyebrow: so they were related, after all.

As they sped toward the meeting chamber, they filled each other in on everything they learned. The vile in the councilman's office, the missing poison from the puppet workshop, the border reports. They all pointed to a shared conclusion—this was no external attack. And now they had enough material to warrant a full investigation into their number one suspect: Tojuro.

Kankuro glanced behind him. "Does he know?" he whispered, referencing the Leaf shinobi trailing them at an appropriate distance.

"About the vile, yes. But not about the border reports. I don't want him getting wrapped up in this," Temari said. Now, this her brother could agree with.

The huge clock on the campus ground struck noon. Gaara's meeting had to have ended by now. They couldn't wait to unload their intel—

"Oh good, I've found you!" a familiar mousy voice exclaimed from further behind.

The princess kept walking. Not now! I don't have time!

As they turned the corner of the corridor, Gaara's signature red hair came into view. They sped up towards the youngest, urgently calling his name, before realizing someone was walking beside him. The two looked deep in conversation, almost unaware of the commotion advancing their way. The Senior was the first to acknowledge the new parties.

"Fancy running into you all!" Tojuro said boisterously. "We just departed from our meeting." The two older siblings stopped short of him and Gaara. Shikamaru positioned himself behind Temari, avoiding Tojuro's gaze. Hibiki frantically caught up, clamoring about all the invitations and horderves they still had to sort out. Then she realized the Senior Head was present and promptly ceased the chatter.

The six of them passed several moments in intense, measured silence. Everyone was brimming with secrets. They had to proceed with caution.

"Councilman," Kankuro acknowledged. "We need to speak with the Kazekage."

"Well, he and I were both headed off to lunch. Can it wait?"

Temari's eyes narrowed. No, not really.

"It's about the investigation. Could we talk privately?" She made a move towards Gaara's elbow to which he smoothly averted. She took a step back. It wasn't like Gaara to reject her gestures. When they were little, certainly, but not now.

He said, "That won't be necessary. The Senior Head and I have discussed that, among other things." Shikamaru now peered curiously at the redhead between the two stunned siblings. What other things could they possibly be discussing at a time like this?

"We have an idea of who's behind this," Gaara continued. "And how to proceed."


A/N: In case it was unclear, Yome and Sen were two Sand shinobi taking the Chunin Exams in the filler arc during the war. They briefly mentioned they would play with Temari as kids and I just found this so heartwarming lol. And of course Matsuri and Yukata, Shikatema's number one fans.

Busy semester *crying* so the next chapter will arrive next month.

7/3 note: Okay, just realized that Yome and Shira technically went off to special forces at the end of the Chunin Exam arc. But that was about...five or six years prior to Blank Period so let's assume they've returned to the village by now.