In Between Win and Loss

Her fingers twitched after feeling the warmth of Shikamaru's hand. He grasps her hand tightly while Shino's stomps become louder every second on the wooden carpeted floor of the house. A sharp shard of a broken vase that was enfolded inside his hand was ready to defend them against the sturdy knife that was carved into a scythe. If Shikamaru made the right move, they could survive.

Slowly, he lifted his body up and pretends to be in pain while covering Temari on the ground. In a few steps, Shino will reach their spot and swung his knife at them but before he lifted his scythe up into the air, Shikamaru stabbed him in the knee and pushed Shino to the ground.

He groaned in pain while removing the long sharp piece of a broken vase that was buried inside his knee. Shikamaru pressed the ground to lift himself up, he wanted to push Shino far away from Temari who was still unconscious on the ground.

Without thinking twice, Shino immediately stood up in front of the open door leading to his garage and limp his way to them with a pool of blood escaping from his knee. In defense, Shikamaru managed to kick him inside the garage but before Shino fully fumbled to the ground, he grabs Shikamaru with him. The scythe knife that he was holding was thrown to the floor and both of them were now empty-handed while laying on the cemented floor.

Without anything in his hands to protect himself, Shikamaru used his fist and pounded Shino on the ground.

"I'm going to kill you!" he yelled

Both of them were now brawling and knocking themselves, Shino crawled his hand to the side where the empty glass bottles were scattering. He grabbed one with a long neck and hits Shikamaru in the head. It breaks violently into pieces and the sound of glass tinkles was scattered inside the room.

A sharp pain emerged from his head and blood starts to draw down on his neck. To stop it from bleeding, Shikamaru applied pressure using his hand.

Temari's consciousness starts to regain after hearing a shrill sound inside the garage. She whispered his name.

"Shi—ka—m-ru" she squeezed her eyes a couple of times to clear her hazy vision, when it starts to become clear, a vivid image of a gun from the half-opened cabinet flashed momentarily through her eyes.

She stood up and limp her way to the cabinet to get the gun, it was a black hand pistol. Still, in her hazy vision, Temari tried to aim the pistol at the night killer who was still brawling with Shikamaru.

Her quivering hands grasp the handle tightly before pulling the trigger. A piercing sound of the metallic blast from the gun reverberated inside the house.

Their eyes followed the path where the bullet hits. Suddenly, a leak of blood starts to emerge from Shino's chest and in a split second, his knees touched the ground while his body was consumed by shock and pain after the gunshot.

Temari instantly runs towards Shikamaru in relief while both of them were still in shock about the incident. She placed the gun on the floor and occupied her hands with every inch of her lover, caressing like she was longing for him.

"Are you alright?" he said while cupping her face

"You're here" Her shaky voice said while wrapping her arms around his waist

"I thought I'd lost you" tears start to form in the corner of Shikamaru's eyes while saying those words. Bruises start to appear on his face after several exchanges of knuckles with Shino.

His arms wrapped around her tightly and thanked all the heavens that she was safe. Temari resigns herself to his warm body, it relieves all the stresses inside her and this is all she needs that night.

"We need to start moving, I'll bring you to the hospital first" he commanded, even though he very much needed to be cured as well from all the bruises and wounds he received that night. With the faint energy she has, Temari nodded in agreement.

Their feet start to walk on the path leading outside of Shino's house but before they reached the door. A strong grip from a hand of a man that was covered in blood grabbed Temari's hair, they thought it was all done but Shino was still alive and now standing in front of Shikamaru, holding Temari with a scythe that was positioned to her neck, ready to slash her if he wanted to.

Shino menacingly laughed "Look at her, she's mine now"

He was soaked in blood while gasping for air. Temari starts breathing profusely while trying to open her eyes, she holds out against his hard pull to release herself from the trap of his grip. A cold sensation starts to crawl up through Shikamaru's skin after seeing that scene. He blamed himself that night for not securing their safety before walking out from the garage, they thought Shino was dead after the bullet hits his chest. But after looking at it again, the shot was closer to his shoulder than his heart.

"Shino, please-don't, don't do this. Take-" he pleaded, wishing he would listen even though that will be impossible. If Shino would ask him to kneel, he'll do it just to let her go.

"What? Take me instead? Is that what you're trying to say? Do you think I'll let her go tonight?-alive?" he teasingly said to him while laughing

"I swear to God Shino, if you'll kill her-I'm going to fucking kill you" His eyes flashed in pure rage and fists gripped tightly.

"Look at you, being a fool for a girl like her. Do you really deserve to be called a detective? You didn't even check her background; do you really know her? It seems like I know her more than you do, Shikamaru"

"Shino, please-just let her go"

"Tell him, princess" He pulled her hair and lifted her chin using the knife to show her face "Tell him about your family in Suna. It's really not nice to keep a secret from your boyfriend, isn't it? Tell him everything. Tell him how corrupt your father was when he was the Kazekage, how you and your brothers rule the village now, and how you always take a mission just to clean your family's name. Oh, and did he already know about your fucking dirty little secret of seducing Senator Sato just to manipulate him to stop his agenda? But your brothers choose to manipulate Kiba instead just to protect you?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened after hearing Shino's revelation. Everything seems to connect, Senator Sato's agenda, her brothers, Suna's tight protection, and everything in between. He did his research but all seems like a fragment of the puzzle he needed to build to become a single picture.

"I didn't know you have a kink for a whore like her, Shikamaru. That's the lowest I've seen of you" Shino said while catching his breath.

Temari grunted from pain, she was so exhausted from all things that happened that night. Her heels slightly tapped on the ground a couple of times to condition herself before kicking Shino on the knee. After gaining some energy, she kicked him with all her might so she could be able to escape from his grip.

That's all Shikamaru needs, a gateway to restrain Shino from his chaotic act. Based on all the wounds that Shino received, he didn't have much enough energy to defend himself if Shikamaru caught him.

"You fucking wh-" Shino squealed in pain

He immediately pulled Temari away from him where she fumbled near the door and pushed Shino to the ground. A faint shine from the handgun reflected from Shikamaru's eyes, his hand crawled to the floor where the gun was sitting, trying to reach it while restraining Shino.

After a few tugs and pull with the killer, his palm touched the metallic handle of the gun. Shikamaru secured it by grasping the gun as tight as he could but before he aims his shot, Shino kicked him in the groin.

In a kneeling position, Shino clutches his wrist to restrain the gun that he was holding. Shikamaru has no plan to let go of the gun that he was holding, not until he sees him dead on the floor.

Temari on the other side was trying to stand up but it was no use, her body was still in pain and her vision was still in a haze. Her palms and knees touched the cold cemented floor while catching her breath, thinking if she did this, she could regain her energy and help Shikamaru who was now still struggling with the killer.

Her mind starts to wander, is this what Kankuro felt that night? When Kiba died in front of his eyes. She knows herself so well, Temari knows how strong she is but if she saw him die that night, she might lose herself.

From that moment, Temari realized how strong her brother was on the night of September 14th. Seeing the person, you cherished and loved wholeheartedly consumed by death would take an eternity to mourn and grieve. When Kankuro died, she asked his soulless body inside the marvelous carved casket several questions that have been running inside her mind. Why is it easy for him to take his life, embracing death like an old friend? She never understood any of his decision after his brother met Kiba.

That night, she had a glimpse of the answers to that very question. Temari understands why her brother did that. From all the things she has been through, Temari finally found the answer. That death could take one's heartbeat but not the soul of the heart, even in the afterlife love will never perish and that's the beauty of it.

"Run!" Shikamaru screamed at her "Temari! Run!"

Her feet froze to the ground, she knows she was too stubborn to leave him there while struggling with Shino. Shikamaru managed to restrain him on the ground while aiming the gun at his heart.

Then, he pulled the trigger. Another loud blast echoed inside the house.

A pool of blood escaped from Shino's mouth, and a direct shot to his heart claimed his life that night. Shikamaru grinned after he shot him, finally, they were now safe from that harsh night. A warm and wet feeling starts to emerge from his nose, his fingers wiped it and saw a trail of blood dripping to the cement floor.

Temari released a scream full of horror and distress. His hands start to numb, he couldn't feel the sheer metallic handle of the gun, and it slips slowly from his hand.

Confused about what was happening at the moment, his gaze traveled to the hands of the killer. The scythe knife that Shino was holding was buried inside of him, directly to his stomach. Blood slowly escaped from his nose and mouth while Temari limp her way toward him.

His back touched the cold cemented ground while the knife was still buried inside of him.

"Shikamaru! Stay! Stay with me please!" she shrieked while kneeling and supporting his head.

"You're safe. Thank God" he breathlessly said

She hated herself for pinning him in that situation and how he was so selfless when it comes to saving her. Shikamaru always has his word, if he said it, he would definitely do it. Thinking it was just a mere joke, he really does would die for her, as he constantly reminded Temari before.

"No—No—No, please! Please stay with me" her mouth quivers from all the emotions

His gaze focused on her face "You always remind me how beautiful life has been when I met you-Temari"

"Don't say those things! You fucking idiot! Why did you let yourself do that!" Anger starts to consume her

"And if I will be gone, your face is the only last thing I wanted to see" he coughed and struggled in breathing while saying those words

"You will not die! You hear me!? Breathe! Don't close your eyes" she starts sobbing while cupping his face "Don't close your eyes for me please!"

She was constantly pleading for him to stay; her sanity was almost at her limit. Temari cried and shouts for help, she dialed a help number on the phone and call for an emergency.

A loud noise of a police car and ambulance roared the street, and Shikamaru was put on a stretcher. The health workers confirmed that he still has a faint heartbeat and they'll do their best to keep him alive.

Her gaze focused on him while they put Shikamaru inside the ambulance car. Shino was the second person they inspect, then his body was placed in a cadaver bag to be sent to a morgue.

Temari was left there standing and was dissociating from herself. An investigator was asking her some questions but her mind was in an endless void, no answers escaped from her mouth that night. They gave her a warm coffee and blanket for comfort but her heart was still in grief. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to make sure that he was safe but they wouldn't allow her, unfortunately. The least she could do is to pray and have faith in the health workers to save him.

After a few moments, she saw a familiar man in front of her.

"Temari, you're safe"

"Gaara? You're here" she whispered; tears start to draw down again from her cheeks. She immediately embraced her brother "Save him, please. Save him for me, Gaara" Temari pleaded

A glimpse of warmth enfolded her entirety. Finally, she has someone to comfort her that night.

"He will be okay" The Raikage appeared

"I want to see him tomorrow morning. They told me I could see him tomorrow; I have to see him. Gaara? Come with me please-tomorrow"

Gaara and Raikage stared at each other, they were both waiting if who should tell her about their plan. He gazes at her sister, ready to spill his command.

"I'm afraid we couldn't. We'll be leaving the city tonight"