Chapter 56

Finally tell Kakashi

It was starting to get dark when Shikamaru and Temari reached the Hokage headquarters for the second time that day. Right before they entered Shikamaru took a look at Temari and stopped.

"Are you okay? You look worried," he pointed out to her.

She did look worried. "I am, this is like the moment of truth, I'm really nervous," she replied. He normally knew her as being confident, but he liked when she showed her more sensitive side.

He placed his arm around her back and rubbed his hand up and down her arm as he held her to him, trying to comfort her. "Temari, you don't need to be nervous," he began "we're going to do this together. Kakashi is a reasonable person, and if he for some reason isn't we have a few options." He reminded her.

She took a deep breath, "Okay, I'm ready," she said as she looked Shikamaru in the eyes.

It took all of his restraint not to kiss her in that moment. His feelings were getting more overwhelming ever since they agreed on the path they wanted to take. She noticed the look on his face had changed and she stopped moving, her resolve on pause again.

"What?" she asked him, concerned that something new may have just occurred to him.

"Nothing," He smiled as he broke eye contact and proceeded towards the door.

"Shikamaru, please, I can tell there's something on your mind. I need to know…" she faltered, he had a confident look on his face as he leaned back towards her. He leaned his head down and began to whisper in her ear.

"I was just thinking…" he stopped and looked into her eyes before finishing in a soft voice, "about how much I want to kiss you right now."

Temari already knew she liked Shikamaru quite a while ago, but seeing this side of him brought out new feelings that she wasn't sure how to deal with. "I don't think I can handle either the kiss or the Hokage right now, let alone both Shikamaro." She replied with a slight nervous laugh.

"I tried to tell you 'nothing' but you're the one who needed to know…" he started joking around with her.

She smiled as she pushed him off of her and as she did the door opened from the inside and hit Shikamaru. Kakashi was on his way home for the night, unaware he had two visitors on the other side of the door he had just opened.

"You okay Shikamau?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks 6th Hokage." Shikamaru replied.

"Were you guys planning to see me about something?" Kakashi asked, eyeing them as he noticed how close they were standing. If he had come out a moment sooner he wouldn't have wasted his time eyeing them.

"Yeah, we have a communication for you from Gaara," Temari began after Shikamaru didn't answer.

"Yeah, that's right," Shikamaru added.

"Oh, if that's all I'm sure it can wait until morning, right?" Kakashi asked them.

Shikamaru and Temari looked back and forth at one another before Shikamaru answered.

"There was something else we wanted to talk to you about too…tonight." He replied.

"Alright, let's go back in talk," he motioned them to come into the building. They followed Kakashi to the area he wanted to sit and talk in.

He stopped in the waiting area just outside his office and sat down in one of the chairs, Shikamaru and Temari followed suit.

As soon as they sat Shikamaru began, not wanting to waste a moment. He held out the scroll from Gaara and passed it to Kakashi. "Before you read this though, I wanted to give you some background…" Shikamaru began.

"Okay…" Kakashi answered as he sat back in his chair.

"I'd like to start by saying that I know relationships between the hidden villages are forbidden." At this first sentence Kakashi raised his eyebrows and adjusted himself in his chair. "Temari and I have had feelings for each other since the Chunin exams and they have only gotten stronger. Each of us has tried to ignore them because we knew the world we lived in wouldn't allow us to be together. After the war, and after we fought for a united shinobi world we were both hoping this could be different. I've told Temari how I feel about her and she feels the same about me. We come to you to ask that you approve a marriage between the villages, for me and Temari." Shikamaru understood Kakashi enough to know that the best strategy was to lay the whole matter before him.

"Marriage? But you're only 19!?" He looked back and forth between the both of them.

Temari bowed her head as she spoke "We don't want to get married yet, but before we start a relationship we want the option to be open to us. We're aware that this could take time to get approved and wanted to start the process now. We are sure that we eventually will be married." She added as Shikamaru nodded his head confidently.

"Start the process now…" Kakashi wasn't surprised that they liked each other, he knew that Shikamaru and Temari made a great team, and he did see the chemisty they had when they were together. He just thought he would have more time before having to deal with an issue like this.

"I'm sure you guys are aware that there will have to be a 5 Kage summit to talk about this, this doesn't just affect the leaf village, it affects the Sand also. Is this what Gaara's communication is about?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes," Temari replied "it's his blessing."

"Shikamaru and Temari, I know I don't need to remind you of the reason why marriage between the villages is forbidden. The top priority in any village is to ensure the safety of the members of that village. If we were attacked by the Sand village 10 years from now, how do we know what side Temari would be on? Would this put the people of the Leaf village at risk? These are the things I need to consider and be able to explain to our village elders and the other Kages." Kakashi sat back in his chair and opened the scroll while Shikamaru and Temari sat motionless in front of him.

Both of them understood it would be useless to try to make a comeback from the last statement. The job of a shinobi was to protect the secrets of their nation, and marriage with outsiders put that in jeopardy.

"So, Gaara gave his blessing but asked that I give my approval before the matter is settled." Kakashi really wanted to say yes because he respected both of the young shinobi's in front of him, but he wasn't sure that he could. "I need some time to think about this," he said in response to their question.

"Understood 6th Hokage, I know this has not been a popular idea in the past, but so many of us feel that we live in a different world now. I hope that you can find a favorable solution for us." Shikamaru returned.

"Before you leave," Kakashi began, "Temari, would you even be able to place your allegiance first and foremost with the Leaf Village?"

"If you would ask me to, I would if it meant being with Shikamaru." She replied softly, nervous again. Talking to Gaara had been so much easier for her, and Gaara must have known that she would be challenged by Kakashi.

"What would you do then if after this choice he was killed in battle? Would you still feel like you had a place in the village?" He asked.

"Although we are making an untraditional request, I come from a traditional family. Once I marry Shikamaru I will be part of his family and I will have a duty to fulfill to them even if something were to happen to him." She started to tense her fists, "I won't run back to the Sand village and sell out the secrets that Shikamaru puts his life on the line to protect, if that's what you're asking." She replied.

"I can see you're getting tense, isn't it natural that I'm curious, something like this hasn't happened in our village in a very very long time…" Kakashi pointed out.

"I can understand where you're coming from but this path I'm choosing, I'm giving up a lot too. I have to be a stranger to my home village and a stranger to this one to be with the person I…love. This isn't something that I chose lightly, but I'm committed to this course and to him. Whatever it takes." She finished. She wondered how Shikamaru would handle the 'L' word since they hadn't expressed that openly yet, talking about marriage did imply it so maybe, she thought, the 'L' word wasn't so bad after all.

"I will take that into consideration." He finished as he started to get up. "I'm glad you guys came to talk to me about this, I'm hoping to have an answer for you in a few days."

Both Temari and Shikamaru bowed to Kakashi and then turned around to head back outside. Shikamaru grabbed her hand as they stood up, even right in front of Kakashi. After hearing her talk about 'love' he was elated.

Once they got outside he started back to teasing her again as they walked to where Konkuro was staying.

"Hey Temari?" he asked her.

"yeah," she replied.

"You love me?" He asked as he looked over at her.

"You know I do." She smiled at him.

"Oh yeah?" he replied as he pulled her in for an unexpected tight hug. He traced his lips along her jaw line as he whispered in her ear again. "I love you too." As he traced his lips back up he found her lips and kissed them softly. She leaned into him and relaxed her stance while putting her hand on the back of his neck.