For those of you that have been reading my other stories, you will see that my writing has been very depressing lately and a lot darker. I can't say I'm happy with that fact because I love happy stories (minus fluff of course). So to those of you that haven't read any of my stories before, please beware.
P.s A major comparison for one of the anime/manga chapters. I think it's number 86 (in the anime) but I'm not too sure. It's not really a spoiler but more of a nostalgic feeling if you get what I mean.. Probably not.
I don't own Naruto by the way. If I did, Shikamaru and Temari would have major butt kicking ninja babies with pineapple shaped hair :P
Bandage/No.6
Her jaw is locked tight, firm against her sharp cheek bones. Her hands are curled into balls by her sides and they shake with each breath she takes. Her heart is pounding in her chest and she marvels at how it can still beat so fervently when she just wants to lie down and die. Tsunade looks at her with uneasy eyes but doesn't offer any consoling words.
She has seen that expression in the mirror so many times before.
Tsunade dismisses her without another word and Temari finds her guide standing outside the Hokage's office with his hands buried in his pockets. He has obviously heard what had transpired inside moments ago between her and the Hokage. He looks into her eyes once and sees that her pulse is throbbing in her neck, her hands are clenched around the fabric of her kimono and she's shaking with the effort.
He takes her wrist and she doesn't fight him off. She can't bring herself to care. He leads her to the Nara Compound, a place that she's never been before. She barely registers his parents' confused gazes on both of them as he leads her out into the garden and towards a room that extends off of the main house. Inside is a Shogi board and he guides her to the seat in front of it.
He sets up the pieces one by one and takes extra care in placing them in their rightful places.
And then he sits back and waits.
It takes three quarters of an hour before she realises where she is but her body remains rigid. Paintings of deer adorn the walls and a few candles lie in the borders. The room has a faint orange glow but the shadows are long.
"Let it out," he says, looking straight at her and her eyes snap towards him. He has never seen them so empty before. "Let it all out. Let every feeling and emotion out because it will eat at you if you don't. You need to get it out there and hear your own words as you cry. And when you're done, you need to pull yourself together and be strong for Kankurou. He won't be able to get through this without you."
She does as he asks and hears the raw emotion tearing from her throat. She hears the cries of agony and pain that sweeps through her body and she hears the anguish that almost tears her apart. She feels the tears spilling from her eyes and she can feel her arms tightening around herself, trying to keep herself from falling to more shattered pieces than she already is.
When she is done and the tears have subsided, she looks around the room. Shikamaru isn't there but she can see his silhouette outside, sitting down as he waits patiently. The Shogi board is on the floor sliced in two halves and the pieces are scattered everywhere. She cleans herself up and wipes the few stray tears before exiting the small room and joining her guide outside.
He doesn't say anything and she is thankful.
She will carry on her business here and when she returns to Suna, she will be there for her only remaining brother.
O_O I think I've gone crazy. WHAT FRIGGIN' POSSESSED ME TO RIGHT THIS?! I think I need psychiatric help to be honest.... Ugh.. First I kill off Gaara in the LJ Community Challenge, then I kill Shikamaru in the Ipod Shuffle Challenge and now I kill Gaara again?! Anyway, please review. As you can probably tell if you've been reading/watching Naruto, this is the same as when Shikamaru lost the plot when Asuma died and his father told him to let it out... *sniffle* Poor Shikamaru-kun...
P.s I give full permission for the rabid Gaara fangirls to sneak in at night and kill me in my sleep. I apologise for killing off the uberly cool Kazekage...