SUMMARY:
They have to decide. They need to decide soon. They need to choose who will give it all away for the other. With Kurenai constantly reliant on Shikamaru to raise her son, and Temari constantly busy with her position in Suna, the pair realise the decision will not be easy. To have a happy life with each other, one of them will have to sacrifice so much... But who will be willing to do it? Or better yet, who will ask the other to do it for them?
Author's Note: Still very storyline-ish... The Tenten part... Oh my gosh it made me sad to write it. Hopefully you like where its going, I'm planning on reintroducing Sasuke, Itashi and Sakura, along with getting some fluff/lemon/limes back into it.
WARNINGS
NaruHina- Aww... Poor Naruto and Hinata... Losing their daughter... The next chapter has more focus on NaruHina again~
NejiTen- This contains massive spoilers for those of you who aren't up to date with the manga MASSIVE SPOILERS. It made me cry writing it the first time. Just a warning
SasuSaku-Not even mentioned in the chapter... Well Sakura is but still, more focus in the next chapter.
ChoIno- Not really hinted at again, more focus soon.
Forgive me for any mistakes, it's two in the morning where I am and my brain is dead. If I find them tomorrow I'll change them~
Did I mention that I'm ill as well? Yeah its like the icing on the cake~
R&R please, It'll make me feel better...
Thanks for reviews as always, I love you all loads.
Shikamaru carried his soon-to-be wife bridal style back to his home. She laughed as he managed to navigate his way into the house and up the stairs without relinquishing his hold on her. His eyes tried to stay trained on hers, just to notice the little flush on her face when he gazed at her with such intensity that she felt dead in his arms, however he seemed to be attracted to every obstacle that he came across and knocked her into all of these things. Tearing up the flimsy water bath robe that hid her nude body.
"For a genius you really didn't think this through did you?" She muttered, playfully prodding his chest. He snorted before resting her against the wall as he opened his bedroom door. Somehow he had managed the stairs, though even Shikamaru wasn't sure how he had done it.
"I never think things through around you." He responded, pushing the door open further with his leg as he slowly placed her down onto his bed delicately. She was like an ornate flower to him, if he simply dropped her onto the bed she'd shatter and splinter into him.
Causing him an infinite amount of pain for the foreseeable future.
If he was careful and slow, he'd be able to treasure her for longer.
He had to be careful now, in this delicate time where she could prick him with her thorns or encase him with her soft petals.
"Yeah and don't I know it." She laughed loudly as he crawled over her, sighing contentedly as he ran his fingers through her short, slightly damp hair. "It'll be even worse when you're around me 24-7"
"I'm looking forward to it." He uttered, looking down at her kindly as she moved her hands up his chest. "When I can go around calling you Mrs Nara..."
"Oh god... Mrs sounds so old!" She moaned, though he realised she was joking.
"SHIKAMARU! STOP WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING I'M COMING UP AND I DON'T WANT TO BE SCARRED." Choji bellowed from the lower part of the house.
"Choji has a key to your house? Before even I do?" Temari uttered, raising a thin brow as her fiancé groaned, dropping his head into the crook of her neck.
"No he doesn't... Which means he broke in."
As if on cue, the Akimichi clan leader appeared in the door way. "Naruto has summoned you both. It's about Shina... I'll explain on the way."
Tenten looked fondly at the note on her desk and began reading.
Tenten girl, I'm writing this because you're going to get old one day and forget all the details.
So we'd just got back from another mission. Gai-Sensei and Lee were in the infirmary with Sakura and Tsunade but Neji insisted on not being treated by the hospital.
"I only need a few bandages." He said monotonously. "I'd appreciate it if you helped me Tenten, you seem relatively unscathed."
Of course I agreed, I went back with him to the Hyuga complex to his home where I had been numerous times. He removed his kimono shirt and-...
The note cut off there, Tenten remembered that, painfully that was the point where her mother had come into her messy room. In a blind panic Tenten had thrown the note to ground for it to disappear for four years under her shelves of mess. Though Tenten remembered how the note would have ended
She watched intently as he removed his shirt, displaying to her his toned chest which she had seen so many times before, though even now she couldn't help but blush at the sight. She removed the scrolls from her back and placed them with her shoes by the door. Her companion sat himself down on the bed as she shut the door, it had somehow become a routine. She came to his room, sat with him and just talked. Mainly her talking, naturally, but regardless, it was their routine.
She picked up the thick bandage and sighed as she saw the redness of his skin. The marks would certainly bruise soon enough, and they would cause him a lot of pain in the foreseeable future.
"You should really get these healed..." Tenten tutted as trailed her hands across the most vibrant one, he hissed and shot her a glare before softening his gaze. She began to wrap the material firmly around his mid section.
"Hn... You know how I feel about things like that." He huffed, gritting his teeth as she applied more pressure to ensure the security of the bind. "Urgk. Ten..." He breathed.
She smoothed the bandage out across his abdomen soothingly, looking at what her hand was doing because she was far too frightened to look up and ruin the moment. He relaxed under her touch and she deemed it ready to apply the next round of bindings.
"It's really not cheating... It's using chakra to repair your internally and get rid of the pain." She sighed. "I really wish you'd let Sakura see to this."
"I only need you to see to it." He replied, Tenten's heart may have well stopped. Her hands stopped what they were doing as she looked up at him, wide eyed and confused at what he had said. "You're the best at doing my bindings." He said pleasantly, giving her a small smile.
Of course he meant that, Tenten thought, of course he didn't mean... Of course he didn't, this was Neji. He took a deep intake of breath and let it hiss back through out of his teeth once the pain had subsided.
"O-Of course" She stammered, resuming her work.
"Aha... Ten?"
"Yes?" She muttered, keeping her eyes down again.
"You're blushing."
Tenten's head shot up, glaring at him in pure embarrassment. The brunette backed away and crossed her arms. "Yeah and?" She snapped.
"Calm down," He laughed placidly, standing up with a groan to walk to her, he nudged her chin up with his hand and gave her a small smile. "You are the best, and you're special to me."
Tenten didn't dare to speak, she was sure she was dreaming, any moment now and her mother would barge in and tell her to stop drooling.
"You're always here to take my mind off things, to stop Lee and I from killing each other."
"Well someone has to..." She shrugged, though her voice was weak due to a million emotions rushing through her at once.
"Why do you do it?" He questioned, nudging her chin up again so she was forced to look at him.
"B-Because we're a team." She stammered, and due to the simple act of him raising a fine brow she realised he didn't buy it.
"Why really?"
"B-Because... Uhm... Because..."
"Hm?"
"Because I like you." She shrugged, he kept that brow raised, though now his clear eyes seemed amused.
"You like me?" He chuckled.
"No! I mean! Yes, yes I do... I-..."
"It's okay Ten.. I understand." He leant even closer to her, giving her a deep breath of his spiced allure. He placed a kiss on her head and breathed in her scent, just like she was breathing in his. "I like you too."
Tenten pulled away from him, leaving the mildly confused Hyuga to watch her silently. She nodded to herself, then shook her head, then nodded once more. The faintest mutter of 'Oh what the hell' could be heard as she stepped forward, locking her lips onto his.
The sense of relief she felt when his lips moved back was overwhelming.
A present day Tenten choked on emotions she couldn't express. With a heavy heart she stood from her desk and heaved her body up the de-cluttered stairs. She didn't bother to change, merely fell into her lumpy bed with a pained cry. She hadn't intended for the cry to actually come out but it had, it was the most sorrowful cry she had heard herself exude. She curled up against herself with a whine. The night she had kissed him, the night she had very vaguely confessed her love for him he had held her. He had held her all night long, not asking for anything else, just to hold her in his arms. Tenten could imagine it now, she could imagine his smooth skin against her bare back, how the ridges of his muscles were a pillow second to none. She could imagine being engulfed by his scent and feeling safe in his arms. She could imagine the sweet nothings that he whispered into her ear.
It just hurt all the more when she turned around and he wasn't there, like how he always wasn't there. She'd never feel all that she'd imagined and she'd eventually reach an age where she'd lose the memories all together. She'd lose everything, and all that kept Neji alive, all that kept him still remembered by everyone would be gone. She fell asleep eventually, with the sore ache in her throat trapped in her mind, reminding her of the cruel reality she still had to face.
Tenten started to sob in the solitude of her home, she muffled her screams into a pillow as they racked through her fragile frame.
"Tenten!" The familiarly calm voice that had walked her home previously, he was at her window and Tenten managed to suppress the cries that threatened to leak out of her now closed lips. "Tenten are you oka-"
"I'm fine Sai..." She whispered, her throat felt rough and coarse, like sand paper on sand paper. Every lie that came out seemed to hurt even more. Sai jumped into her bedroom and looked at her doubtfully, though his expression told her that he didn't know how to help her. Tenten sat up and wiped away any remaining saline liquid from her face. She managed a weak smile which he further frowned at. Sai then leant down and gave her an awkward hug and pat on the back. Tenten didn't know why but she found herself laughing as tears threatened to fall again.
"Why are you doing this?" She managed.
Sai froze up and shrugged. "Uh-... Sakura-Chan taught me that when people are sad they usually want a hug." He laughed awkwardly, "I knew she was lying..." He pulled away and looked at Tenten kindly.
"I meant why are you here Sai? You don't need to do this." She murmured, sniffing whilst she wiped her face again.
"Naruto asked me to gather everyone from the Konoha 11 group. Shina has been kidnapped along with four other genin by a group of unknown nin. He is briefing everyone about the course of action to take."
"Okay..." She uttered, barely audibly over her still ragged breathing. "Please don't tell them about this Sai... Promise me."
"I promise you Tenten." He gave her that well practiced smile. "Would you like me to walk you to the Hokage tower also?"
"I'd like that Sai."
"What we're dealing with is possibly the same group who we were alerted about when Shikamaru travelled to Suna." Naruto spoke calmly from his desk, it had always frustrated him when the Third had spoke to him calmly about serious problems... However now he understood, he understood exactly why Hiruzen Sarutobi, why Tsunade-Ba-chan had done it.
Because if the Hokage remains calm, their village remains calm.
He needed calm right now. His comrades stood in a semi-circle around him. Hinata to his left, holding back sobs whilst Ino and Tenten comforted her. He couldn't even hold his wife in her time of need... He was utterly helpless. Next to them stood Sai and two ANBU operatives, then it was Choji, Shikamaru and Temari who had been joined by her sibling. At Shikamaru's side was Kasai clasping onto his sensei's side desperately. Temari similarly had her hand on Korosu's shoulder with a pissed off expression. Hana Inuzuka stood in place of her brother, with Shino solemnly next to her.
"The bandits have hostages, Sakkaku Inuzuka and Akarui of Suna. They have told us that if we make an attempt to retake the genin, they will kill the boys" Hana gasped loudly as she hugged her chest tightly. Naruto looked at her sympathetically before continuing. "We cannot risk their lives at any cost so, as much as I hate it, we have to follow their rules." He sighed loudly.
"Who are you sending after them, Lord Hokage?" One of the ANBU uttered, he removed his mask to look his hokage in the eye. "Surely a small ANBU team is enough, we can retrieve them all safely."
"And if you slip up, if the bandits are smarter than you think? That's one of my people killed before even making chunin." Kankuro snapped. "We all know that you ANBU are the best of the best, but you're not infallible.
"I'll be damned if I lose my son because of some incompetence" Hana snapped. "We need action, we need a plan."
"The bandits said no more than six. No more than a team of six." Korosu spoke up, looking this foreign ruler in the eye. "They will meet us at the outskirts of The village hidden by the Waterfall, Takigakure."
"They said that Korosu and I need to be part of that team." Kasai interjected, sparking a murmur from the room.
"Your mother will never allow you, Kasai." Shikamaru sighed, "Not unless you're with...-"
"Unless he's with you, Shikamaru." Kurenai alerted the room of her presence loudly, the whole cohort of nin turned to face her. She was accompanied by silver haired man whose hair was ruffled by sleep and body still remained in his pyjamas. Beside him with as similarly suited, black haired man whose grin seemed a little slack in the early hours of the morning.
"Thanks for letting us know about this, Hokage. We may be getting old... But we're not that old." Kakashi sighed.
"I intended to go myself and let you oldies look after the village." Naruto spoke up, "However the bandits specified that I didn't go."
"Ah... Sounds like a job for Team Gai!" The pyjama clad man walked to Lee and grinned widely.
"No... No it doesn't." Tenten sighed. "I don't doubt out abilities, but stealth has never been our strong point. I believe we are ill suited for this."
"So, for Kasai to go I have to send Shikamaru... Who would you pick to go with you?" Naruto muttered, his voice taking a serious edge.
"I'm nominating Temari or myself straight away." Kankuro interjected before the Nara could speak. "Two of our citizens have been taken, one of them posing as my niece and Temari's daughter. It would corrupt her story if one of her Suna relatives didn't go."
"I agree with Kankuro," Temari added. "The fact that we out rank most people here also adds to why we should be going."
"Shikamaru, who would you pick to go with you?" Naruto repeated sternly. The whole room fell into a deathly silence.
"Choji and Ino. We're good at stealth and work well as a team. I agree with both Kankuro and Temari though, we need to reinforce the back story. One of the siblings need to go in the main party."
"Main party?" Kankuro muttered, like everyone else he was confused.
"You thought like I did then?" Naruto smiled wanly. Shikamaru nodded with a similar smile before turning to his future brother-in-law.
"We have the main party, the ones they've requested. Then small three man squads to keep an eye on everything, make sure we're not walking into a trap. The ANBU ops will be better tracking us, along with the Inuzuka and Hyuga clans. Then we have other nin with the ANBU and Trackers to serve as backup in case of an ambush."
"Sai, send word to Gaara immediately, then send a small squad to receive his instructions." Naruto ordered, the ANBU's nodded and walked out of the room placidly.
"Wait," Kankuro sighed loudly, scratching his hair though his hood in thought. "I'll go with the ANBU. It'll be easier for Gaara and I to plan out an attack. Temari can go with the main party."
"But Kankuro-..."
"They're your students Temari, it's not my fault that you lost them." Kankuro smirked, jogging to trail behind his companions for the next few days.
"How long do you need to prepare?" Naruto asked Shikamaru, the Nara shrugged.
"We can leave immediately. If that's okay with you?"
"That's fine, just get on their trail. I won't lose my daughter like this."
"I shall ask you again, would you like to sleep inside, Miss Nara?" Kai tried for the umpteenth time to persuade the cerise haired kunouchi to let him release her from her chains and rest in the warm comfort of a dry cavern. He sat at the edge of the travelling caravan which rumbled across the rugged forest floor. He extended a hand to the girl who looked at it in disgust. She, and her companions, were struggling to keep up with the caravan as it dragged them along. They had travelled quickly and swiftly from Konoha, they were going in the opposite direction from where Taiyō knew her home lay. How she missed the soft sands of Suna, the rough desert winds that sent thrilling chills down her body, the unbearable heat that gave all residents of Suna a golden kiss on their skin. She missed home, she missed her Sensei reprimanding her team, she missed the safety net that was Hansha being at her side. "Will you let the others rest up there too?"
"Maybe, if I deem them as worthy as you."
"Then I shall not be joining you there until all of them are securely aboard. " Taiyō replied, casting her gaze back at the floor that rolled out under her stumbling feet. Her wrists were bleeding, just like Shina's were. The blonde had originally been sobbing, however now her cries were nothing more than intakes of breath.
"Hmmph... I was right about you having fight in you..." The teen uttered contentedly. "Stop the cart!" He barked, walking to the front as the caravan stopped abruptly. "Get on board. Now." Kai ordered as the cerise hair girl raised both her brows in disbelief.
"Not until they're on." Taiyō ordered again, Kai glared at her and sighed loudly. He signed to a bewildered James and Kidah to do as she had asked. Sakkaku was forced onto the platform first, hissing as his scraped and bruised knees hit the hard wood. He held onto his bloodied wrists before reaching behind his back to his hood, retrieving a small, quietly slumbering beige dog, who was appropriately called Bējumaru. The pup whined quietly as his owner pet him affectionately.
Akarui was dragged next to him, gasping like his friend had at the sensation of raw flesh touched by coarse wood. Shina was helped on gently by Kai, using a hand to steady her and ensure she felt no pain. That same hand was then extended to Taiyō's hand cuffs which clicked open. If Taiyō was a lesser person, a coward, she would have ran and left her friends to die. Thankfully for them she wasn't. She climbed up on her own accord and ignored the hand, sitting herself beside Shina.
"Hmm... I can tell you're going to be interesting." Kai muttered, smirking at his new source of entertainment whilst she pouted. The caravan began once more and the genin were absorbed in silence.