Chapter 11: Exposed
Temari sat in the hospital room, hair falling into her face, her fingers twiddling, brushing against each other.
Here she was, in the same position he had been, feeling the same thing he had when his friends were hurt. How could she have criticized him when she was in the same place? She felt tears trickle down her face. Would Ino and Sakura be all right?
Sure, they weren't quite that close to her, but their injuries showed her that since she was the leader, it was her fault. Maybe this was what had broken him down. Her tears made her vision blurry as she looked up.
There, she imagined Shikamaru, back in his Chuunin vest, hands in his pockets, staring at her.
"Man, troublesome woman. Did you ever have emotional training?" Hallucination Shikamaru asked.
Temari glared at the empty wall, shaking her head. "If you were here, you wouldn't ask me that. It isn't like you." She whispered to the wall.
Hallucination Shikamaru smiled, a slight red crossing his face. She remembered the look he gave her when he caught her. "This is why woman are so..." He said, repeating the lines he had said to her when she had left for Suna. Through her tears she smiled.
"I miss you." She said slowly. Suddenly the door to the hospital rooms opened. Out came the fifth hokage. She crushed back blonde bangs and sighed. Temari looked up at her hopefully. The hokage smiled back, relief pouring through her. Temari closed her eyes in happiness.
"Ino had a minor concussion, and a few scratches. She'll be okay in a few days. Sakura broke her arm. With enough medical jutsu, we were able to heal the cuts, though. She'll be okay in about two weeks." Tsunade said, with a truly relieved smile. "And you...?" She asked, sitting down by Temari. "Your enemies." This was the talk that she had been knowing would come. Temari stared her in the face.
"No idea." She said. She had practiced it, letting her stone face betray her panic. Tsunade looked at her a little cooler.
"Temari, please. You know the consequences for lying to the Hokage about matters of battle." She said, staring her back, hard. Temari's heart began to race.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, her heart caught in her chest. Tsunade closed her eyes, fishing something out of her jacket. Her hand emerged from a pocket, and a blue piece of cloth was held out to Temari.
A forehead protector. Specifically, a blue one, with the sign for the village of the leaf on the metal. A long slash was cut through it. Temari turned it around in her hands. On the back was clear writing: Shikamaru Nara, and his clan symbol beside it. Tsunade sighed.
"His mother confirmed that she had written that on it to make sure he wouldn't lose it being stupid." She remarked, seeing Temari's indignant look. "You know what this means. And I think, a little more about what happened to him." Tsunade said, urging her on softly. Temari looked fiercely at her.
"You have to know he didn't do this himself!" She begged, standing up. Tsunade looked at her, disbelieving.
"Temari, please..."
"No!" She howled, stomping her foot. "He's being blackmailed! Check the Genin headbands! Please!" She said with a begging tone. Tsunade stared harder.
"Genin headbands?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Poison! And my necklace, it's a constrictor!" She said. Tsunade looked at her closely. "They're planning an all out war with Suna if he refuses, killing off smaller countries until they're the only ones left!" She said fiercely, eyes blazing. Tsunade frowned.
"It makes sense, but why not just do it? Why Shikamaru?" She said. Temari furrowed her eyebrows.
"I don't know! It's what he told me." She whispered, then eyes widening as she realized her slip of tongue.
"You've seen him?!" Tsunade asked, eyes wide. Temari nodded.
"He was the third enemy. He didn't hurt anyone—it was his partners!" She explained. Tsunade smiled sadly.
"As much as it sounds reasonable, I can't confirm your words to the ANBU. But we know he's alive, so..." She cleared her throat. "Shikamaru is now an S-Class Missingnin." She said. Temari's eyes bulged.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" She yelped. "That's crazy! He's not an enemy! We just need a search party, a rescue plan, a mission team—"
"Temari! You remember the first rule you learn in defense class." Tsunade snapped. Temari nodded.
"Enemy's talk distracts and confuses. Defend yourself, close your ears." Temari recited, then realizing Tsunade's point.
"No!" She said, disbelieving. "You don't believe Shikamaru isn't an enemy!" She cried. Tsunade sighed, brushing bangs out of her face.
"We don't know right now. All we can do is seek out the Akatsuki and perhaps, if he is willing, bring him back. But Temari, you know I can't let you go on this mission." Tsunade said, looking at her with a grimace. "You have disobeyed me, and kept important information from affairs which concern the ANBU, and not you. Withholding information is a high offense, but you should be happy to know I'll let you off. I have a different mission for you. Go to Suna. Relax, visit your brothers. Congratulate Gaara on becoming Kazekage."
"You can't do this!" Temari hissed, full of rage. Tsunade kept staring at her, too calmly.
"This is an order, Temari. A mission, if you will." She said. Temari's tears fell again before she could stop them.
"You can't keep me away!" She cried, before stomping out, running as fast as her tears fell. But maybe what Tsunade had told her wasn't the reason for her tears.
'You can't keep me away from him...'
Maybe it was her thoughts, which scared her the most.
---
"Nara." Said a muffled voice behind his door. Shikamaru got up from his bed and opened the cold door, the hinges creaking. There stood Hidan, glaring at him. Shikamaru had never liked Hidan, thinking him too proud and sometimes defiant. He was a formidable opponent, and if made an enemy, could ruin his chances to keep Konoha safe.
"Hn?" Was all Shikamaru managed, stretching. Hidan scowled, blatantly disgusted at his lazy behavior. Suddenly he sneered, showing pointed teeth.
"Sir Leader would like a word with you." He said, stepping aside. Shikamaru brushed coldly past him, into the main halls. There he stepped into the main room, a large room with a long table and many of the Akatsuki standing around, plotting, planning. Shikamaru stood feet away from the leader. He didn't look pleased, the shadows keeping him from seeing the rest of his expression of displeasure.
"Shikamaru Nara." He said sternly, a cold smirk working its way onto his face.
"A new mission?" Shikamaru asked lazily. "Tch, troublesome. What is it." He said. The Leader scowled.
"Oh no, it's not a mission." He replied, strangely calm. "It's a warning. Zetsu has told me that he saw you conversing with one of the opponents on the little patrol I took you to take care of, a certain blonde kunoichi with a large fan?" The leader said. Shikamaru's eyes shot open, cold shooting down his spine. The leader smirked wider. "Yes, I see you remember her. Listen, I am letting you off this time because you have been doing good work. A consequence is in order, though." In seconds the leader began to do quick hand motions. Chakra flowed to his hands, and in a second he parted them. Shikamaru looked on in horror.
"Wh-What did you do?!" Shikamaru asked, looking around. He saw Zetsu smirk at him, to which he narrowed his eyes. Deidara had a sullen look of surprise on his face, and quickly looked away from Shikamaru. Itachi stared, hiding a smirk, a cold look seeping into his Sharingan eyes.
"Her necklace has tightened. Two more uses of this jutsu, and she's dead. Heed the warnings if you want her to live. That is all." The Leader finished off coldly, turning to finish plans with Zetsu. Shikamaru clenched his fists and his eyes took on a strange fierceness, and soon he became calm and walked back to his room. He didn't know why he felt like he had done the worst thing he had ever done now, but it scared him slightly. Maybe he didn't want to stay here, with them, and she was the only one who knew, who could possibly save him. Maybe it was because she had always stood by him, ready to face any battle, ready to face it with him.
'I'd rather be lonely, in this troublesome place, then let them kill her. Always.'
Or maybe it was because he knew, if there would be another battle, if he survived, she would face it with him again, no matter what he had done or may do.
And that was what scared him the most.
---
Temari sat in her cold room, the red light of the setting sun flowing onto her face. A bag sat next to her, spare clothes tucked in tight.
Suddenly her neck felt pinched. Her hand automatically moved up to the pain. Her eyes widened as she felt the cool metal of the Akatsuki chain necklace right against her skin. Tightened. 'Shikamaru...are you alright?' She thought, her eyes opening. Suddenly she began to pack faster.
Tsunade couldn't stop her. At any cost was she going to save him, because suddenly her mind came to a horrible realization, something maybe she had know for a lone time.
Her hand touched the cool silk of something in the bottom drawer of her dresser. She looked down at the culprit of the soft texture. The corners of her mouth turned up rebelliously. She packed it in quickly.
'Shikamaru...you'll be glad to know that yes, I am the most troublesome girl you'll ever meet, but get used to it...because I'm gonna make myself worth the trouble.'
A/N: Lalala!! I'm done with this one, it's nearing the end, a few more chapters more. I'm going to make some epilogues and timeskips (maybe) so I'll make sure to give you a spoiler warning! Thanks for reading!