Chapter 2: A Chase Complicated
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Temari stopped, and watched Shikamaru run towards her. Was this some twisted act of fate that he'd also be chasing the attacker? She could feel her legs begin to weaken at his sight, and tried her best to maintain herself. He appeared to be fully healed from that mission four months ago, but the pain of feeling she was the one responsible for his injuries lingered within her.
As Shikamaru rushed past her, he yelled, "Long time no see, woman. Keep running, we're going to lose him!" Temari heard his words, but at hearing the voice she hadn't heard for so long her legs wouldn't respond at all. Feelings of shock and her emotions for Shikamaru held her firmly in place where she was standing. "Well, didn't you hear me Temari?! Let's go! Troublesome woman…"
She regained her focus, and could feel her legs again. Temari, now behind Shikamaru, continued the chase. The forest was beginning to thin, and if they got to the clearing there chances of keeping up with the attacker would become very slim, especially if he was very fast. With effort, she tried to yell at Shikamaru. "Hey, what are you doing here!? This isn't your fight!"
"What the hell are you talking about, of course it is!"
"If you haven't noticed, this was an attack on the Suna Embassy. This is a Suna mission!"
"Well, if YOU haven't noticed Temari, this was an attack on Konoha soil! So shut up and help me catch this guy!"
"Ugh! Damn you Shikamaru…Why won't your stubborn head listen to me!" Using her fan to get more air behind her, Temari leaped through the air and got side by side with Shikamaru, and they continued to run through the forest. Temari chanced a glance at the boy beside him. His normal motivation-free face was instead one of determination. She was always amazed with this boy. One minute, he could have no care in the world about what was going on, and the next he'd be the serious strategist that he gets so much praise for.
"What's there to listen to? We're the good guys chasing the bad guys! End of story!"
Temari had to struggle to keep her tears inside as they continued to argue. "Because! I won't be able to stand seeing you get hurt again!"
Shikamaru was taken aback by Temari's statement. He had heard that she was actually a caring person at heart, at least towards her brothers. "Hmph, you women are all the same. You worry too much. I'm no good at this distance, but we are getting closer. Can't you do something to slow him down? This is getting bothersome…"
Temari cringed inside at Shikamaru's reply. Does he not share the same feelings that she does? She tried to shrug it off and maintain concentration on the task at hand. "Grr, fine! This chase ends now! Fūsajin no Jutsu!" She swept her large fan up, and a whirlwind of dust launched ahead of them towards the assailant. The dust and sand covered all the trees as it went by, and the assailant lost his footing on the branch he stepped on. Temari then used the wind to push him down onto the ground.
"Now is our chance Temari, let's move!" Shikamaru leaped up higher up the trees, preparing his kunai as they closed in on the now grounded enemy. Temari dropped down to ground level, preparing her fan to use as a blunt weapon in a head-on attack. The assailant began to get up off the ground, and seeing Temari first, hurled a shuriken towards her.
Temari saw the throwing star going her way, and got lost in her memories. The view around her melted as she began to relive the last time she fought an opponent alongside Shikamaru. She saw in her head the same scene of Shikamaru receiving a direct hit from the kunai, but instead was now watching the scene from his viewpoint. She looked down at her arms and instead saw Shikamaru's, which appeared to be drenched in blood and puncture wounds. Subconsciously, Temari began to scream and tears began to fall from her eyes, as her mind became flooded by the intensity of the flashback. She could feel a hole within her body dig deeper into her, a hole that had been torturing her even since that fateful mission. Shikamaru looked back after hearing Temari's yells, and noticed she wasn't doing anything to protect herself from the shuriken, being too paralyzed by the images flashing through her mind.
"Temari!" he yelled, "Look out!" Shikamaru's voice brought Temari back to the present situation and, reacting quickly, expanded her fan and with a large swipe flung the shuriken harmlessly to the side, where it got stuck into a tree trunk. Temari swung her blade around again, and forced a gush of wind towards their opponent. The assailant had to brace himself to keep from being pushed back, and while that was distracting him Shikamaru threw his kunai. Sensing more danger, the assailant used a jutsu to change the position of his body with a log on the other side of the tree that was behind him, and began to run from Temari and Shikamaru again.
"Damn, he's on the move again. Let's go Temari!" Shikamaru ordered to Temari.
"I think I told you quite clearly to GO BACK, I can handle this lowlife on my own. I do believe it was me who beat Tayuya for you!"
"Heh, whatever woman. I don't care what you say, I'm going along and beating this guy with you."
Temari looked at Shikamaru, trying to show her disgust. Really, somewhere inside her she was glad that he was being stubborn and staying with her. Just being in his presence made her feel better, made her emotions for him get violently stirred up with her. She knew it was silly to want him to be safe; they were ninjas for crying out loud! But she couldn't help it: that's how much she loved him.
Shikamaru continued, "And besides, Temari," he took a pause, and looked at her until her eyes met his. "I don't ever want to leave your side again. Being away from you for so long made me realize that. Hell, I'm not even thinking this through, but I don't care. It'd be too troublesome if I were to be away from you again."
Once again, Temari couldn't hold her emotions in, and tears began to form at her eyes. The love that she once thought was unrequited was in actuality shared between them. She felt as if a new warmth was filling her body, like a hole was being filled up that made her feel whole again. "But hey, Temari, lets hold the waterworks for now, we've got a guy to catch," And with that, Shikamaru gave her that passive smirk of his and led the way as they continued their chase.
For the first time in months, Temari smiled.