Ok everybody, sorry for the wait. I would like to thank everyone that has reviewed my story so far and hope everyone enjoys this chapter. This chapter has more developments, but don't worry the action isn't to far behind.
I don't own Naruto in any way shape or form but if I did this is how it would go.
Developments
Shikamaru was working on the paperwork for the upcoming chuunin exam. When a familiar shadow fell across his desk. He instantly recognized that shadow and his insides started to feel out of place. Who couldn't recognize those four puffs of hair, even in shadow they were unmistakable. He was shocked that she had snuck up on him so easily, was I that busy with the paperwork he wondered. She was standing right in front of his desk, and she noticed he hadn't even noticed her as she came in. Oh yeah I've gotten that good, Shika, she thought and a grin touched her lips. She placed her left hand on her hip, she was holding a small fan in that hand, and put her right hand behind her neck waiting for Shika to look up at her.
"T-Temari" he looked up slowly, and stuttered when he saw what was in her left hand. Flashback.
It was Shikamaru's b-day and he was spending it the way he wanted to. Doing nothing, really. Then again it was just an average day in his mind. He didn't see all the fuss everyone made about this day. He was lying under a tree enjoying the great konoha weather when he felt a shadow block out the sun. He opened his eyes to see Temari standing over him. "Why are you blocking the sun?" Shikamaru asked.
Temari had gathered information about Shikamaru and found out his birthday. She had spent all day shopping and bought a simple yet elegant fan she thought he would enjoy. Her pride wouldn't let her come out and tell him directly that she liked him. So she reasoned that he would get a clue if she got him something for his birthday. After all he was a genius. It had been hard maneuvering a trip to Konoha on his birthday without attracting Gaara and Kankarou's suspicion. She thought he would appreciate that as well. However, after all that trouble coming all the way out here to Konoha and spending almost two hours looking for him this was how he greeted her. That bastard. She inhaled deeply and calmed down before replying. "So are you enjoying your day?" she asked.
"I was enjoying the sun until somebody bothersome blocked it. So what brings you out here?" he replied. He closed his eyes again and decided to enjoy the shade.
A vain popped up on Temari's forehead, What did that bastard just say about me she angrily asked herself. She was about to commence the beating when she remembered why she was here. Calming herself down she once again replied. " Well I was here to deliver some paperwork to the Kohage and thought I would present you with a gift for your birthday?" She blushed fiercely and was sure her words would get a reaction from him.
Shika looked up at her thinking about what she had just said. He thought it was bothersome, but thought the least he should do was see her gift. He got up slowly and looked into her eyes, her blush intensified, he wondered why. "ok, show me." he said. She reached behind her back and brought out a fan. He took it in his hands and looked it over. "It's very elegant, yet simple. Thank you for showing me this." He handed the fan back.
Temari felt so great by his reaction to her gift, she didn't notice that he was trying to hand it back. Wow, she thought so this is what gratification feels like. What the hell is this poking sensation she thought, she climbed back down from cloud nine to her own body and looked down to see the fan she had worked so hard to choose being poked in her belly. She was so confused and a sweat drop popped on her head "What are you doing?" she asked as she absently took the fan in her hand.
"Well, I have no use for a fan so I can't really accept it can I. I mean it would be so bothers.." Shikamaru had no time to finish the sentence before the fan he had just handed Temari made contact with his face. The last conscious thought that ran through his head was. Way above average strength, and then he was flying. Temari was too pissed off to care about Shika's health at that moment, she just walked away fuming. Back to the present.
"So I gather you brought the list of ninja entering the exams. Anything interesting I should note about them?" Shikamaru asked.
"Well, there is one that's real special, one of my subordinates. Her name is Hirai and you should keep an eye out for her." She looked down at him and thought, that bastard why do I like him so much.
He looked up and smiled at her "Sounds interesting to me I'll keep an eye out for her." Shikamaru had no idea what possessed him to say what he said next, "If she's half as cute as you she would definitely be worth seeing." He immediately wished he hadn't let those thoughts out of his mouth, be cause Temari was totally red. Why was she so mad, he wondered. He assessed the situation and made his priorities in this order. Apologize and avoid a beating, get the fan away from her to avoid her further usage of it on him, and do these things in the least troublesome manner.
Temari was shocked by Shikamaru's words. She was blushing so hard, the heat was coursing all through her body. This feeling, is this why she liked him so much, she wondered. Her mind was blank, she had no idea how to respond. She couldn't think past the fact that he had called her cute. Dammit Temari say something, she thought to herself.
"Umm so would you like to go for a walk, I have some information you might be interested in." He thought that would get her mind off of his previous comments. At first it had no effect and he was starting to fear for his health, but then the crimson on her face started to recede. Well he thought, at least I avoided the beating without having to apologize, now I just have to think of some info that she would be interested in. He got up and walked around his desk to where she was. " You can leave the paperwork on the desk I'll take care of it when I get back." She was finally back to normal and did as he asked. She really is cute, he thought to himself. They walked out of the office and headed out towards Konoha.
Naruto walked towards Ichikaru ramen with high spirits. Hinata had offered to help him find a team mate for the exams. He felt good about the situation, but realized he would still have to look for teammates if Hinata wasn't able to come through for him. He was thinking about this things when someone called out to him.
"Big bro, hey big bro wait up for me." It was Konohamaru. "What's going on bro?" He asked when he finally caught up to Naruto.
"Nothing just headed to eat some ramen." Naruto said. "By the way, thanks for taking the box of ramen to my apartment yesterday." They made their way to the ramen stand.
"Oh, it was no big deal" Konohamaru replied thinking back briefly to his experience. Konohamaru became solemn and asked "Naruto is it true, is it true that you're still a gennin."Naruto was visibly shaken.
"Nani, how did you know?" Naruto slumped a little as he once again came to the realization that he was the last gennin of his class. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, but yeah I am." The confession was out of his mouth before he had really thought about it, and a really horrible thought crossed his mind, his face went blue. What if Konohamaru is already a chuunin, what if he was just being nice yesterday and was going to gloat today. Naruto didn't think he could stand that humiliation.
"That's great." Naruto slumped further thinking Konohamaru was going to start gloating. "I didn't know for sure, but I heard you had been training the whole time so I didn't think you would be able to take the exam. The thing is I'm planning to take the exam too and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind being my teammate." Naruto was relieved and was already acting as if his thoughts had never happened.
"Don't worry, I got your back" Naruto busted out the good guy pose. I can't believe my luck, one teammate down one more to go, Naruto thought to himself. That's when his mind finally started working. "Umm, Konohamaru what about your team? Aren't you going to take it with them?"
Konohamaru seemed to shrink, "Well, you see they both passed. I'm the only one that's still a gennin, but I know we can do it nee-san." He said recovering his confidence. He had total faith in Naruto and knew that if they worked together the exams would not be a problem. Naruto nodded his head and that settled the matter. They were standing in front of the Ichikaru stand so that meant it was time to eat.
"So Shika, what was that information that you wanted to share with me." Temari was glad to be out in the open air, she was relaxed and enjoying the stroll with Shikamaru. She was glad to be spending time with him, but she was genuinely curious about his news though.
Shikamaru didn't really know what news would satisfy her so he decided to tell her the news that had been big to him recently. He hoped it would work. "Naruto is back in Konoha, he got back yesterday. We knew he was coming back thanks to Chouji's girlfriend, she was hired at the ramen shop so she could help when he returned. Apparently Ichikaru was keeping tabs on Naruto's journey and received a tip-off of when his #1 customer would be coming back." Shika turned to see how she would react, but she had stopped walking a few meters behind where he was standing.
Temari's eyes had widened and her mind was flashing back. She remembered the battle between Gaara and Naruto, a memory she thought of as a dream, telling herself that she had blown it out of proportions because she still found it hard to believe anybody could beat Gaara. Her mind then flashed to the change that Gaara underwent,and the request he made of her every time that she came to Konoha. It had been so long it felt like habit, like something you say thinking it'll never happen, but looking back she realized it had never been like that with Gaara. The request was always the same always as she was about to leave, he would look up at her and stop her. Each time with the same weight in his eyes and each time the same words. "Temari, if you see him make sure to extend an invitation to him,tell him I would like to speak with him." She always dreaded the return trip knowing that he would once again be disappointed when he asked her if she saw him. This return trip would be different though. Did Shikamaru somehow know that she had been waiting to hear these news. She came back to her senses and looked towards Shika. Silently thanking him for giving her the news. "So where is he." she asked.
Shikamaru didn't expect the news to be received the way they were, but he assumed that this information satisfied her. "I'm not really sure. Are you hungry we could go grab something to eat and see if we see him there. If we don't I'm sure we can find out his whereabouts." Temari nodded seeing the sense in this and walked with him wondering to herself if this was a date.
In the Hokage's office Jiraiya had finished giving his report and was about to leave when Tsunade called him back. "Jiraiya, I want you back here in three hours." the look on his face told her he didn't plan on listening, " Hey listen up you perverted bastard, you disappeared for three yrs. And if you don't fulfill some semblance to your duty to this village. So help me, I'll dispatch half the anbu squad to hunt you down and when they get you I'll be right behind them. I'm a medical ninja so don't think that I won't cause maximum damage to you before you die." she saw he was sweating profusely and had turned blue so she hoped he was taking her threat seriously. She was after all dead serious about fulfilling that threat if he decided to run. "I'll be ready for you in three hours, be punctual." He nodded his head and slipped out the door.
Damn that Tsunade Jiraiya thought, she would be crazy enough to pull something like that. He didn't really want to come back, but looking at his options it seemed coming back was the best option. Even though he had a feeling he would regret it.
At the Hyugaa household, Hanabi was sitting outside resting when she noticed her older sister walking towards her. In her hand she was tightly holding a necklace that looked much like a rosary but the medallion seemed to be clenched in Hinata's grip. It had been so long since Hanabi had seen such a look of determination on her sister's face, her curiosity was growing with each step her older sister took. Hinata stopped where Hanabi was and went down on her haunches. This was a very unusual position for Hinata to assume Hanabi thought.
"Oni-san, I have a favor to ask of you." Hanabi's curiosity peeked, what could this be about she wondered. " You are the only one in your group eligible to take the chuunin exams, due to your participation in a mission with my team, and a mission with Neji's team giving you the required number of missions to enter. It would really please me if you would consider entering in the current chuunin exam." Hinata was really tense and determined. Hanabi wondered what had brought this about.
"My team will be eligible come next exam, why the hurry for me to take it now? I don't know anybody else that is taking it that would be my teammate." Hinata was starting to blush a little bit. This was really unlike her Hanabi thought.
"There's no hurry.. ano there is somebody who needs a team mate and I thought it would be a good opportunity for you." Hinata's blush had started to deepen.
Now, Hanabi could barely contain her curiosity, "Who is it?" Hanabi eagerly asked.
"I don't know if you remember him, but his name is Naruto." Hinata was dark red blushing, she never thought she would be in this predicament before. Asking a favor of her sister for the boy she had a crush on.
Hanabi's eyes lit up. Naruto, he's the one that beat Neji she thought. She had been in the stands that day, how could she forget that battle. She didn't expect that name at all. Was it possible that he was still a gennin, he had beat Neji and he was a jounnin now. "Why is he still a gennin?" Hanabi asked, even though in her mind the reason didn't matter the opportunity to work with someone that strong was rare and her mind was already made up.
"He's been away training and hasn't had the opportunity to take the exams." Hinata eagerly awaited Hanabi's answer, asking herself why Hanabi was starting to smile.
Out in the desert, we see two figures nearing the gate of the village of sand. "We are almost there, mmm." one of the pair says.
As always please review. I know its moving kinda slow right now but I'll try to make it move along faster in the coming chapters. Hope you enjoy.