AN: Here's the low down. I think that anything between Temari and Naruto would have ton be really physical, in every sense of the word. I think it's where the two would connect. So I'm writing it as such. The rating is mature and mature it will stay. Be prepared for those kind of themes ahead and if you're a kiddy, don't read!
So I have a confession to make. Basically I wanted to write another fight scene. There is little plot development and more filler, fun and romantic development for Naru/Tema. This chapter was orchestrated because writing a semi duel between Naruto and Sasuke entertained me and it's all I want our blonde ramen loving hero to do in the manga and so this is how I vent my frustration.
If you're about to complain about the fight scene, the move tobi uses is similar to yondaime's. If Sasuke can't see his, then I'm making the jump that he wouldn't be able to see Naruto's. You don't like it? Get over it.
Besides we all know that when boys get together they talk shit to each other. If you disagree, go hang out with boys for extended periods of time. I live and work with like 8 of em on an island.
So pretty much I don't own anything because Kishimoto would die of a heart attack by the feminist approach I take to the Naruto ladies and I am unapologetic for this chapter as I happen to like how this chapter came out.
Temari entered the door, closing it behind her as she flicked on the lights. She wasn't surprised by the night visitor, she could sense his chakra from down the hall. Her hand was already around her fan, and the other on the kunai concealed in her sash.
"Have a lovely evening?" Matsu's voice rang out. He stood arms crossed in the Konoha embassy estate.
"In fact, I did." Temari replied to the sarcasm with a grin, knowing that it would irritate the man more than anything else. Temari wasn't about to allow him to walk all over her.
"Looks like you and the Hokage are getting quite cozy together" Matsu quipped.
"Then it's working exactly according to plan" Temari replied, tone hard, eyes piercing as she looked up at him. "You didn't expect me to waltz in unannounced and try to invade the Kage tower to start, did you?" Temari scowled. "My marriage is permanent."
Matsu didn't respond. Typical. He was still a sloppy shinobi with no finesse for a delicate mission, but what man was, really? Temari waited, staring him down.
"Chee" he replied, crossing his arms.
"Something else you'd like to say?" She snapped, waiting. She wasn't going to put up with his passive aggressive bullshit.
"Just looks like you're getting a bit too cozy with your work." Matsu replied as he unsheathed a kunai.
Temari slammed her kunai into the table in front of him, rising. She stood toe to toe in front of him, teal eyes blazing. "You got something to say Matsu, you'd better outright and say it." Temari exclaimed teal eyes piercing in their intensity. She was calling him out here and now.
"Just wondering when you're going to get down to business" Matsu replied, twirling a kunai.
"I'm not going to do anything, until after the wedding. As it is, they've scheduled me back to back with wedding arrangements until the day of, anyways" She told him, walking towards the dressing room.
"So it will be put off, then?"Matsu asked, a hint of anger on his tone as he walked after her.
"This mission is my prerogative and as such you will follow my lead, Matsu, not the other way around. We play by my rules, or not at all. If you got a problem with that, then leave." Temari commanded.
Matsu looked angry for the rebuke. Obviously the man had been away for too long, calling his own shots for too long.
"As you wish, Hime sama" Matsu bowed, stiffly.
Temari sighed as he left. There was nothing she could do about Matsu. Temari went over the conversation in her mind, on his tone and phrasing. The jabs about her and Naruto went deeper than she thought they would.
…................................................
Naruto scowled as they pinned him. He grit his teeth as the pins came closer.
"C'mon Dobe, at least try to act like a ninja" Sasuke said, as he twirled kunai, bouncing them off of each other to hit the targets he'd set up around the room.
"Yea, Uzumaki, take it like a man" Kiba smirked, as he patted Akamaru who barked in support as he cleaned himself.
"I hate you all. Why do I even call you my friends" Naruto ground out as he looked at the enormous amount of pins that held his fabric cut clothes on. "Ouch!" He winced.
"Hokage sama, Please stop moving." The seamstress ground out between a mouthful of pins.
Her assistant was kept busy with the shouts of his measurements and random fabrics names that meant nothing to the ramen loving kage. Perhaps he should have cared more, after all these ninja were the experts for their espionage clothing, but as he was covered in tiny pin pricks all over, he found himself less and less grateful. Naruto clenched his jaw, blue eyes hardening. How she kept from swallowing the pins in her mouth was anyone's guess. Professionals he thought with a shrug. And winced as another pin jabbed him. "Ow-"
"So, you and Temari were looking all quaint and shit last night" Kiba said, giving a wink and toothy grin. Naruto sighed, and earned himself another pin prick. "Ow-Damn it!"
"You walked her home?" Sasuke asked, Sharingan whirling as he concentrated on his targets. Kunai flickered by the seamstress's assistant, who couldn't muffle her terrified squeak. They were ninja but Anbu and Kage level skill was beyond their talent.
"Teme, knock it off. You make me rip this fabric and I'm screwed." Naruto ordered and then turned to Kiba. "Nah, she turned in early. Apparently wedding dresses take longer than hand made tuxedos so she had to get up early. I'm supposed to meet up with her for lunch." Naruto said with a shrug.
"Chee. I wont miss. I don't have your aim, Dobe" Sasuke retorted, but the kunai disappeared into his anbu uniform.
Sasuke didn't apologize to the disgruntled assistant, but it was the best that Naruto could hope for that he had even listened. It was a miracle when the Uchiha heir actually followed an order so Naruto wasn't going to press his luck.
"You didn't walk her home? Idiot" Kiba told him, as he chewed on a drumstick from the appetizer platter that had been brought out. "Man being Hokage has it's perks." He said as he took a sip of the ale in it's frosty cold mug.
"Yea, have you missed the protecting the village with your life clause?" Naruto retorted with an eye roll.
Naruto was a simpleton. He didn't need much and he didn't demand much, as he had been poor and practically homeless in his youth. Everyone knew Naruto didn't care to use his perks. His friends, however, were another matter entirely.
"Yea but the arranged marriages certainly have their perks. Hot bride, and Konoha's paying your marriage and house renovations, ain't it?" Kiba asked.
"Chee. Easy for you to say" Naruto ground out. "You get to marry whoever the hell you want." He said.
…..........................................
Temari had finally finished with her wedding dress fitting. After being frilled and fluffed over by the seamstresses, asked which color she wanted; off white or butter cream, when both of them looked exactly the same...well, she was ready to be done. She'd gone with the most simple design she could convince them of, and gone off in search of her fiance. They had wanted more input from her but she'd refused. She still had diplomatic immunity and she was milking it for all it was worth, consequences be damned. Sai and Kakashi trailed a hallway and a half behind her, keeping their respective distances, though it did little to put the sand nin in a better mood. Even having body guards was irritating enough.
She stopped at the receptionist who gawked at the Hokage's bride to be and quickly pointed the back way, scrambling to make whatever arrangements she seemed to think Temari needed. The Kunoichi needed no introductions or assemblies. She brushed past the stuttering and stammering woman with little hesitation, heading to her intended whom she knew would be full of pins and fitting for his tux right now. Temari was not superstitious, it didn't matter to her if she saw him, or even if he saw her with dress or tux.
And then she heard them.
….................................................
"You are getting the marriage of the century and not paying a cent for it man! All of us would kill to be you" Kiba exclaimed chicken leg waving in air.
"If you like not having a choice." Naruto returned. "Ow-"
"You act like choices are all they are cracked up to be" Kiba retorted, bitter.
"Nobody wants a mongrel with fleas?" Naruto said with a smirk. "Guess everybody knows where you've been."
"With everyone" Sasuke said with a sniff of disdain adding injury to insult.
"Oye!" Kiba growled, insulted.
"Don't act so high and mighty, Naruto. We all know the taste you have isn't in your mouth or eyes." Sasuke replied, as he stood.
"and what is that supposed to mean?" Naruto retorted as he turned too quickly.
"Hokage sama!" The seamstress gasped. The fabric ripped.
"That you lack taste." He replied.
"He's got a point man" Kiba remarked. "Your sage costume? Y'know, the bright orange and red together? And then that mystery ramen you made last year-"
"Excuse me?" Naruto snapped, old anger surfacing as the two bantered.
"What do you think it means, Dobe?" Sasuke retorted with a sneer.
"Get this off of me. Now. I don't care if it fits or not. Now!" Naruto ordered, barely keeping his temper in check. The pins were removed with ninja speed, as Naruto turned, garbed in his black shirt, green shorts because of the summer time.
"Care to run that by me again?" Naruto replied, eyes narrowed.
"It means you have no taste, whatsoever, in anything. You never have, and nothing has changed." Sasuke retorted.
"You'll remember Teme, that we were in love with the same woman." He said between clenched teeth. "So if my tastes were similar to yours, then I suppose we're even." He replied with a smirk.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Naruto had never been antaganostic about his engagement with Sakura.
"Were? Chee"
"Yeah. Were" Naruto emphasized.
"Don't pretend you aren't lovesick or jealous of me and Sakura. And don't think I don't know how you've tried to come between us." Sasuke retorted with a snort. "Its pathetic. Don't pretend to be better than you really are. Just because you're a kage and engaged doesn't make you anything other than a Dobe." Sasuke retorted.
Naruto's fist clenched, jaw grinding as he glared at his best friend. Blue eyes flickered purple, as he fought to control the fox who still teemed beneath the surface though the horrible seal he'd born most of his life was gone. Naruto opened his eyes, black slits dilating as he fought for control. Temari's eyes widened as she took in everything they were saying. She recognized the look on Naruto's face and the wicked gleam in his eye, the gleam that wasn't his. The gleam of a jinchuuriki lurking within. Naruto had a temper and his teammates seemed to bring out the variety and flux of them.
Temari entered, face reserved and cool as the Uchiha, the dog clan boy and Naruto all gave her a surprised look. Temari merely ignored them, choosing to approach her fiance instead.
"Done early" She said, short explanation as she took his arm. She could feel the tension melt from him, his eyes returning to their sky blue color as they eyed her own teal ones. "Training grounds?" She prompted.
Naruto blinked owlishly, and with a nod, accepted her arm on his, allowing her to lead him at a leisurely pace towards the door.
"I'll see you there, Dobe" Sasuke ground out, sharingan whirling as he disappeared with ninja smoke.
Naruto sighed.
Kiba stood, mouth ajar as he had eyed the two. "Damn..." He said. He wasn't about to miss the duel of the century. He went to go spread the word.
….........................................
It was little surprise that half of the rookie nine were present, several of the chuunin teams from the jounin instructors and of course the hokage's personal anbu. The members of the rookie nine were team eight minus Shino who was out on a long term mission, Team ten, Neji and Lee. Sai sat in a tree, sketching, whilst Kakashi sat in another one and read his icha icha book.
"W-what is H-Hokage sama d-doing?" Hinata stammered as she eyed the two men. Their chakra crackled, the air tense.
"Being troublesome as usual" Shikamaru scowled, as he eyed the quadruple pony tailed kunoichi talking to the Hokage.
….......................................................
"You know this isn't quite what I had in mind when I said we should go to the training grounds." She said with a smile.
Naruto eyed her and then returned back to wrapping his arms with bandages, struggling to which Temari promptly took over, assisting him in the task.
"Why are you doing this?" Temari asked him.
Teal orbs eyed him beneath sooty black lashes as she took in his appearance. He left the hat on a bench, revealing unkempt shaggy blonde was hard muscle beneath his black shirt with an orange spiral on it. He double checked his gear glancing over it all with finite detail. His kunai were sharp and various senbon were old, but still usable. He arranged them accordingly and placed them in pouches. Naruto didn't fight with larger weaponry, had no sword or staff to use. She recalled that he was a close range fighter.
"Because Teme needs to remember why I'm the Hokage." Naruto replied.
"So your pride is hurt." Temari concluded, hands on her hips, as she eyed her fiance with a skeptical look.
"There's more to it than that." Naruto retorted with a scowl. He retied his forehead protector in place, konoha symbol gleaming. Temari hadn't noticed it before but Sasuke bore no forehead protector.
"Then tell me" Temari replied as she returned her focus to her whisker cheeked fiance.
"He said I have no taste." Naruto said through clenched teeth, as he glared at the spiky haired brat prince of the sharingan from across the training field.
"And?" Temari retorted with an eyebrow arch.
"That includes my current situation."Naruto replied.
"Meaning me?" Temari asked, hands on her hips as she stared her fiance down. Naruto gave a curt nod. Temari sighed.
"You're doing it again" She told him, turquoise eyes rolling. Naruto took a sharp breathe and turned to look at her, stormy blue eyes piercing in their intensity.
"This isn't me defending your honor. This is personal. If you want me to be honest, it has nothing to do with you, and more to do with how Teme sees my life." He said with a pause of breath.
"I've made my choice. I don't regret my choice. And I refuse to let him look down on my life choices, whether it be you or anything else." Naruto replied.
Temari grinned. She liked this new side of Naruto that she was seeing. He was being blunt with her and bold. And while Temari didn't need anyone fighting for her honor, she could understand that he felt he needed to do this for his own sake. His friends would respect his decision for what it was, and needed to. He was the hokage, but he was a man as well. He had his pride, not in arrogance, not in superficial things, but in the things that mattered. Temari was surprised to find herself not angry with him, but admiring his determination once again. Not only that, but she wanted to see the kage in battle, even a mock one, with her own eyes. He'd grown since Sand's failed invasion and she wanted to see how he would deal with the Sharingan user. She hoped he'd wipe the training grounds with the spiky haired Uchiha heir.
"I suppose break a leg would be appropriate" She said with a sly grin as she came closer to him.
"You're hoping I win?" Naruto beamed, the hopeful look in his eyes nearly painful.
She wondered how many people had seen this look of desperation;could see through the confidence and brashness and see the real thing; his terrible need for affirmation. Temari knew a bit of his past, could sense and understand the loneliness lurking beneath the surface. She couldn't help but respond to it because she'd seen it in her own brother.
"I have no doubt you will." She replied firmly.
"That wasn't what I was asking." Naruto said with a playful smile, blue eyes gleaming. He was...flirting with her. And Temari liked it. Temari smirked, cheshire cat grin wide.
"I hope you wipe the floor with him." She whispered savagely, eying him appreciatively as she came closer.
Naruto's grin widened, eyes gleaming, as his own eyes roaved appreciatively in response. She liked that look. Temari's smirk widened into a smile as she stepped even closer, pulling him forward by his shirt, kissing him hungrily. Though startled, the whisker cheeked kage recovered well, pulling her taught against him as he kissed her back. Temari ran her fingernails through his unkempt hair, learning his taste. He broke off the kiss, licking his lips with a mischevious boyish grin. Temari was rewarded with the dark cloud of desire in those bright blue orbs. He took her hand and kissed it, ignoring her playful glare.
"See you soon" He promised, ignoring the whistles and hoots from his friend, as his eyes darkened in intensity, focused on the man in front of him. Temari couldn't hide her grin, eager as she watched her intended
Sharingan blazing, Sasuke stood, waiting.
"We doing this with jutsu, or taijutsu only?" Naruto asked.
"Jutsu" Sasuke snapped.
"Weapons?" Naruto questioned.
"Whatever you have" He replied, sharply.
"Fine by me" Naruto replied, crouching.
"Iki" An Anbu member shouted and the battle began.
Sasuke launched forward, chidori blazing from his sword, launching it forward with a sail of kunai. The clone that apparently was Naruto dissipated. Sasuke turned, katoning the ground. Naruto exploded from it, and dodged, leaped and tumbled from the fire and the blade, only infuriating the Sharingan user.
Ino came up next to Temari as she watched the two. "What are they fighting over now?" The blonde asked.
Temari shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Ino smirked. "Not particularly. They blow up at each other occasionally. I hope this time they'll deal with their Sakura issues." Ino retorted. Shikamaru eyed the two the meandered over lazily, hands in his pockets.
"Sakura issues?" Temari replied, eyebrow arching. Naruto summoned his rasengan shuriken and watched, fascinated as the chakra made weapon, whittled after the Uchiha, his clones pursuing.
Clones burst with ninja smoke on both sides as they dissipated. It was fascinating to watch.
"Sakura's my best friend. But she refuses to get involved and so the boys just beat each up and save their comments when she's not around." Ino replied.
"Typical" Temari replied, eyes on the fight as she watched Naruto move.
He might be a klutz and shuffle awkwardly around normally, but he was night and day on the training field. The determined glint in those sky blue eyes, the confidence that he exuded in battle. Briefly she wondered if he would have that kind of confidence facing her. She grinned at the thought. She wanted to fight him.
"So you like him?" Ino asked with a smirk.
Temari turned to the blonde, regarding her contemplatively for a second. Did she like him? She watched as Naruto landed a swift uppercut on the Sharingan user and her smile lit. She couldn't help it.
"Yeah. I like him." She replied with a grin as she watched them exchange a volley of weaponry.
His wind chakra was strong as she ob served. She might even be able to learn a thing or two from him, but he needed to learn how to harness the wind with his weaponry. He could make weapons out of chakra, but he wasn't very good at laying chakra on top of things. He had to have other weapons than his fist and his enormous chakra reserves. The more weapons you had in your arsenal the better and it wasted a lot less chakra to place a layer on a weapon than his own monstrous chakra creations. He was shabby long distance and the Sharingan user pressed his advantage, nicking him on the face with one of his kunai. Naruto's eyes narrowed, and chakra burst around him in an aura, as he literally disappeared.
Temari's eyes widened as she recognized a trademark move that she had only read about in files and archives. Gods. He really was the fourth's son.
"Cheater..." Sasuke spit, as he fell to the floor knocked out of breath.
The sharingan couldn't sense the trademark move of Konoha's yellow flash, the Yondaime Hokage. Sasuke had much more training to do before he could copy the move to counter it. His eyes couldn't copy what he couldn't see.
Naruto shook his head, walking away. Temari noticed the limp."Not cheating, Sasuke. I had to learn it on my own. Any knowledge of that jutsu died with my late father."
"Oh not again!" A familiar voice shouted out. A flash of pink hair and a red vest with a circle in the back was with Sasuke, healing it.
"NA-RU-TO!!!" Sakura shouted, blood vessels blaring.
Blood trailed from Sasuke's lip as he had miscellanious cuts and bruises all over his body and he coughed again, the ground scattered with flecking blood.
"Ehehe....guess I overdid it a bit, didn't I?" Naruto said scratching his head.
Sakura's verdant eyes narrowed as she glared at the kage. "That isn't a training field jutsu. Ugh. Get over here" Sakura's green chakra briefly glanced over him, checking for internal damage. Naruto sighed.
"He started it, you know" Naruto mumbled.
"You haven't perfected that jutsu yet. Your chakra coils are bruised from the strain. You're lucky you didn't sustain any internal damages. No more using that jutsu in the training grounds." Sakura scolded. "Particularly not on Sasuke kun" She said, glaring.
Naruto grinned. "It was a pretty awesome jutsu Ne Sakura Chan?" He elbowed her and then winced. Sakura was not amused.
"You keep the surface damage to remind you not to mess around!" Sakura said. "Here lift your shirt, you got a pretty nasty gouge." She told him.
Temari stepped up behind him just as he was about to lift it. "I can take care of him. Worry about the Uchiha." She said, eying the pink haired medic nin.
Sakura bit her lip. It was obvious she was torn between allowing the sand nin to do it or not. Sakura was smart, Temari figured. She was probably worried about how it would look if she treated Sasuke before the Hokage, or some other politcal nonsense that shouldn't matter. Temari knew enough about wounds to be able to deal with this scratch and it was obvious that Sasuke needed medical treatment.
"Call it a strengthening of our alliance and an assurance of sand's faith in Konoha." Temari replied.
Sakura looked to Naruto, awaiting his orders. Naruto nodded. "I trust her." He said, with a smile directed towards Temari.
Sakura nodded and bowed. "I am grateful for any aid you give my teammate and Hokage." She said formally.
Temari nodded back in acknowledgment. "Don't worry. He's in good hands." She said with a smirk.
Kiba snickered from the background. Neji punched him in the back of the head. Lee shook his head muttering something about the passion of youth to his genin. They looked horrified.
Temari ignored them. "You have a place we can go from here?" She asked Naruto. He nodded.
"They are renovating the kage house, but I still have my apartment." Naruto replied.
"The condemned one?" Sakura eyed him. Naruto ignored her. "C'mon." He said taking Temari's hand and leading her on.
"Naruto..." She frowned as she watched him and Temari head off.
Shaking her head, old regrets did nothing now and Naruto had made his choice, and Sakura had made hers. Sakura loved her life, and her job, and her man, the love and the sum of her entire life. She went to work patching Sasuke back up.
Ino launched herself at Shikamaru with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck as she giggled with glee. "She- Likes-Him-" She trailed in a sing song voice. "I am soooo good at my job."
The shadow user glared at his wife rolling his eyes as she snuggled against him thrilled with herself. "I hardly think you can take credit for a political arrangement as the wedding planner."
"Shut it, Shika. I finally found happiness for our Kage and you are not going to spoil it." Ino snapped.
Shikamaru rolled his eyes and huffed. "Mendokusai" he muttered.
"You love me anyways." She informed him kissing his forehead. He blushed beet red, but those dark eyes followed Temari's form following Naruto. That nagging feeling was still there from the other night. And it was only getting stronger.