And here's Chapter 24. Sorry to have kept you guys waiting. I truly am. This chapter was fun for me to write. A little more insight into the characters' lives, mixed in with a little silliness before we get back to the nitty gritty. Enjoy. Readers, Reviewers, Thank You...Go Into The Water by Dethklok.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kira stretched lazily as he looked around the cavern; its multi-faceted gem-like surface throwing prisms of light everywhere. It made for quite the surreal experience, one he could continue to live with for quite a while. Unfortunately, he had to meet the Kazekage, hang out with Naruto, and, to his unbidden glee, meet a supposedly hot chick named Urameshi Kari.
Yep, life was good for ole' Hachi Kira…
He stood upright with a happy sigh and rolled his neck from side to side. He hadn't felt this rested in some time and he hadn't even slept. He'd merely meditated the entire night.
You would do well to stay close to this Uzumaki Naruto. I feel a change coming in the world…and your brother will not take your leaving very lightly.
Kira snorted and put his hands behind his head.
'My brother is of no consequence at the moment. My students should be able to take care of protecting Kumogakure in my absence. Besides, who the hell would want to invade that place?'
The Eight-tailed Ox rolled its eyes.
Be that as it may, there is a revolution coming and you will be instrumental in it, as will I. The boy who holds the Kyuubi will be the catalyst for all this. Take my advice and stay beside him.
Before Kira could reply, the Ox faded into the background of his mind, content with having said its piece. The bearded man hated when his beast did that, but it was eccentric as well as powerful. He'd learned to put up with its nonsense over his years as its host.
A faint sound echoed in from outside the cave and Kira stiffened, turning his head slightly to catch the noise better. It sounded like people shouting and hammers knocking against wood…he could only suppose it was Naruto. He slowly padded across the crystal floor and cursed inwardly as the sunlight bounced off the entrance and into his eyes. With a readjustment of his glasses, he stepped out and put a hand over his brow to help shield him from the accursed light.
The world was a blaze of white for a moment before his eyes adjusted to the searing desert sun. He blinked, letting the moisture wash away a grain of sand that had gotten under his glasses, and gaped at the scene before him.
To his right were literally hundreds of Narutos, performing various tasks as they prepared the foundation of his soon-to-be house for the walls. He watched in awe as they brought stones from a quarry over a mile away in scrolls and deposited them on the ground before heading back for more. Several Narutos waited for the stones to hit the ground before measuring out the desired shape and thickness of the foundation and cutting them with wind chakra.
All of this was done under the watchful eye of a local stonemason, who observed the proceedings with great interest. He would shout at the Narutos when they cut the stone wrong and helped them lay the tiles in the correct places. They already had half the foundation done on a very large home.
Straight ahead, he could see several Narutos working on cutting down trees and dragging them to an empty site, where even more waited to trim the branches off and slice the tree into lumber for the frame. He marveled at the use of wind chakra in such an unorthodox way. He marveled even more when, for every tree that he cut down, Naruto would raise another from the ground.
With a final twist of his head to the left, he saw what he guessed were Naruto's students, running drills and exercising under the watchful eye of yet another Naruto. It amazed him that the blonde could do all these things and still show no ill effect. The fact that he apparently used none of the Kyuubi's chakra to do it made it all the more astonishing.
"Enjoying the sights, Kira?"
The bearded man glanced upwards and saw four shadows covering his exit. He cautiously stepped into the sun and shielded his eyes again as he looked upward. He recognized Temari and Naruto's outlines, but he didn't recognize the other two. A flash of teeth brought his attention to Naruto's face as he grinned at his newfound ally.
"Morning. Hope you slept well, cause we've got a busy day ahead of us."
Kira snorted and threw his thumb over his shoulder, pointing in the direction of the madness behind him.
"Seems like you got an early start. I didn't realize that I'd stayed in the caverns that late."
"Eh, it's not all that late. It's only a bit past one. Anyway, Kira, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine. This is Kankurou, current premier Puppeteer of Sunagakure."
The black clad man with the scrolls on his back waved at Kira jovially. Naruto pointed to the other one.
"And this, as you already know, is Gaara, the Kazekage. He's been most eager to meet you again this morning."
Kira, while not the most respectful of individuals to anyone, recognized the Kage for who they were and the power that came along with the positions. Besides, he was an ally, right? It wouldn't hurt his reputation as a badass too much. He bowed at the waist to Gaara.
"Kazekage-sama, it is an honor to meet you again."
Gaara nodded his head, his arms folded across his chest.
"Likewise. You can drop the formalities, Hachi Kira. There are certain days I don't like to be reminded of my position. Simply call me Gaara. Now then, let's retire to my office. It's much more comfortable there and I'll send for some breakfast."
Kira grinned at the thought of food and rubbed his palms together.
"MmmMmm! Breakfast sounds good!"
Temari sighed and linked her arm in Naruto's as they headed for the Kage Tower.
"Great. Another idiot with a stomach bigger than his brain."
Naruto frowned and poked her in the side.
"What'd you say?"
"You heard me. I didn't stutter."
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Temari sipped her coffee as she watched the men around her devour an incredibly large breakfast banquet. It must be a jinchuuriki thing, because Gaara, Naruto, and Kira all had destroyed a table that would have easily fed more than a dozen people. She couldn't imagine where they put it all.
Gaara finally sat back in his chair and wiped his mouth with a napkin. The pleasantries were over. It was time for business.
"Naruto, I'm glad to see that you've finally begun construction on your house and that you've resumed your duties as a sensei. Sadly, this won't last long. I'm going to need you to go into the field soon. We must stop Akatsuki and end their threat once and for all. This applies to you as well, Kira."
The two jinchuuriki looked up from stuffing their faces and swallowed simultaneously.
"For starters, I still want to know more about Akatsuki before I do anything with you guys. You've got to have a file I can study or something. And another thing…isn't it dangerous sending both jinchuuriki after them?"
Gaara sighed and turned his chair to look out the window.
"It's probably foolish, yes. But there simply aren't many who can go toe-to-toe with Akatsuki and come out on top. You and Naruto are among the few who can. That's why you both have to be there when we go in."
Kira noted that Naruto remained silent. He was probably in on the plan already and had helped devise it.
"What's the plan?"
Gaara swung the chair back around and folded his arms.
"We go into Amegakure and find them first."
Kira knocked his chair over when he stood up, anger on his face.
"That's insane! You're talking about going into the belly of the beast! Why in the hell would we attack them on their home turf, when they have ninja around them to help fight and protect them?"
Kankurou sipped at his coffee and sat the cup down.
"Because there's no other alternative. Believe me, me and Temari tried to talk these two out of this. The Hokage did too. But there really is no other alternative. We either strike at them now, or we relegate ourselves to their hit-and-run tactics for the rest of our lives. They've always struck first, not the other way around. They're down to only a few members now. Now is the time to strike."
Temari shook her head.
"No. The time to strike is when we know they're at their weakest. Amegakure is an isolated nation. They have very little trade and are self-sustaining. Because of their isolationism, their population doesn't have much of a boom, seeing as they can't afford to have more people than they can feed. We need to hit their food supply and anything else of value before we attack."
Naruto frowned at his girlfriend.
"I don't like attacking civilians. Cutting off the food supply hurts more than the shinobi. It hurts innocents."
Kira reached over and slapped the young man in the back of the head.
"For a shinobi and a sensei, you're pretty damned naïve, blondie. There are no innocents in Amegakure. They are all part of this little conspiracy, either through active participation or unwillingly. They've allowed Pein and his little troupe to take over their country and follow him blindly, like sheep. I've heard stories of their blind devotion. They rush in without thinking, glad to die in the service of their 'god'."
The Suna ninja stared at him, curious as to how he knew all that. Naruto voiced their unbidden question. Kira scowled as he spoke.
"My brother is the Raikage. I know a few things. I suppose I left out that little detail when I gave my backstory, huh?"
Naruto grimaced and sat forward in his chair.
"Yeah, you did. What else haven't you told us?"
Kira snorted and took a bite out of a mango, savoring the taste.
"Mmm…sweet. Yeah, my brother's the Raikage. It's not like we have a great relationship though. He's my brother and I love him. He loves me too. But we don't like each other. I stay up on that mountain unless I'm needed and no one ever comes to visit. He has a couple jounin watching me at all times, but those idiots are incompetent. The only people I've ever had a good relationship with are my students."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow and smirked.
"Students? And you made fun of me?"
Kira sneered as he took another huge bite of his fruit.
"My students are masters of the sword due to my training, not snot-nosed little brats in an academy. You can't really compare the two."
Naruto growled and sat upright in his seat.
"My students are more than likely the best prepared children for ninja life in all the elemental countries. I'm teaching more at a time than you besides."
Kira sneered and leaned his right elbow on his knee.
"Well, my students are the best jounin in Kumogakure besides the Raikage and myself."
Gaara's sand suddenly found both of their mouths, clamping down and preventing them from speaking.
"This isn't a pissing contest over who has the better students. You are both sensei, act like it. We have more important matters to attend to besides."
The two jinchuuriki glared at one another before nodding and turning back to face Gaara. Temari glared at Naruto and pinched his side, making him jump.
"What? He started it."
Temari grabbed his ear and jerked it down to her level.
"I don't care who started it. Stop being disrespectful in front of your Kage. Set an example, sensei."
Kira snickered at Naruto's misfortune before Temari cast her gaze on him.
"I'll deal with you afterwards."
He stopped snickering and quirked an eyebrow.
"I don't believe I'm dating you, Missy. You don't own me."
Temari smiled sweetly and let go of Naruto's ear.
"No, I don't. But, you are a guest of mine, and therefore, I'm responsible for you. Your behavior is reflecting on mine…and it's not reflecting very well."
Kira shivered under her gaze and turned away. He may not have all that much interaction with women outside of his female students, but he knew when he was treading on dangerous ground. He wasn't about to lie back and take it like Naruto though.
"I'll keep that in mind. Can we move this along please?"
Gaara grunted, but nodded his approval.
"Yes, we can. I won't keep you much longer. I have work to do after all. In time, we'll be going back to Konoha to meet with Tsuande and make a definitive plan. We'll move out from there. I need to ask you to return to Kumogakure and ask your Kage to meet us in Konoha."
Kira's scowl deepened. He had thought he might be able to escape from Kumo for a bit longer.
"My brother is an idiot. He believes that Kumo is impenetrable and that I am safe. He did nothing to save Yugito when she was captured. I don't know if his help would be welcomed or not. And besides that, Kumo isn't very well-received in Konoha due to the Hyuuga incident a few years back."
Gaara sighed and stood up, signaling the end of the meeting.
"I know that. But these are different times. We're talking about a threat that will encompass all the elemental countries. It has to be dealt with and, if your brother will not help, he is a fool."
Kira nodded his head and stepped over beside Naruto and Temari.
"I'll speak with him. I promise. I'd like to relax for a bit before I head home though. It's a lot nicer here in Suna than I had heard."
Gaara waved them off with his hand as he picked up a report.
"Thank Naruto for that. Now, if you would all please leave."
Kira nudged Naruto on the way out, leaning down to whisper into his ear.
"Someone needs to get laid."
Naruto snickered and bobbed his head in agreement.
"You have no idea."
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Kankurou excused himself when they were out of the office, citing that he had drawn patrol duty, yet again, for making Gaara angry about something or other. As he sullenly walked off, Kira clapped his hands together and grinned at the two blondes.
"So, Urameshi Kari? What's she like?"
Neither Naruto nor Temari said anything as they led the way back to the property, which annoyed Kira mightily. His face scrunched up as he took a few quick steps ahead so he could see both blondes' faces. Squinting his eyes at Temari, he smirked.
"If you don't tell me, I'll start rapping again."
She tilted her chin upward slightly and he grinned.
"Oh, I'm bombastic, fantastic…"
"Fine! Okay! Just, please, keep your mouth shut!"
Kira grinned at his victory and slowed his walk so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Naruto.
"What's she like?"
Temari sighed and grasped onto Naruto's fingers as they walked. She hated talking about a former rival of hers for Naruto's affection…even if it hadn't been a true rivalry to begin with.
"Kari is a very sweet person, very kind. She always tries to help out her students and is very fair with them. I would say she's too nice."
Kira nodded his head. He didn't really care about her personality at the moment. He wanted physical details.
"She's a sweet girl, got it. What does she look like?"
Temari growled and was about to say something very rude about the male gender, but Naruto poked her in the side and shook his head very slightly. She huffed and stared straight ahead. Naruto turned to Kira with a grin.
"Kari is a beautiful girl. She has long, glossy black hair and ruby red lips."
Temari squeezed his fingers a bit tighter, but Naruto continued.
"She's very shapely. Not too big and not too small in all the right places."
His knuckles cracked slightly under the pressure. Kira's grin grew wider every moment.
"She's a capable, competent kunoichi. But what is most attractive about her is that radiant smile she has. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…"
Kira quirked his eyebrow when he heard Temari growl audibly and glanced at Naruto. Surely the guy wasn't that damn oblivious? With no warning, Naruto suddenly turned and latched his arms around Temari, pulling her in for an earth-shaking kiss. She fought at first, trying to twist away before melting into the liplock. Naruto pulled away with a wet, smacking sound, leaving Temari dazed and happy.
He turned back to Kira with a wink.
"Remember that. It'll help you later. As I was saying, her smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen besides Temari."
Kira sidled up alongside the blonde, keeping his voice low as Naruto led the still-dizzy Temari along by her hand.
"You're smooth, kid. Real smooth. When am I going to meet her?"
Naruto's grin widened even more.
"Right now."
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Kari had let her class out a bit early so she could grade some of the tests she had given them. It was somewhat boring without Naruto around and morale had taken a dip. She had taken to letting her class out on a whim every now and then so she could get some things done in the evening. She perked up when she heard familiar voices down the hall and one unfamiliar one.
"She better be cute, Uzumaki, or I will hurt you."
"She's cute, damn it. Don't doubt me. Temari, where the hell is Sanzoku? He keeps disappearing."
"I don't know where the hell that overgrown rat gets off to. He's probably with your clone that's teaching the class or sleeping in a tree."
Kari smiled when she heard two of her friends coming and straightened up her pile of paperwork. It could wait til later. She hadn't seen the two lovebirds in quite a while. That thought brought a small sigh to her lips. It could have been her…
She turned with a bright smile to the doorway, her grin spreading as Temari walked in first, followed by Naruto. The two waved jovially at her and she returned it.
"Welcome back, you two. I hope you had fun on your little vacation?"
Temari sighed, thinking back to all the good times they'd had, a dreamy look crossing her face as she remembered the times that her and Naruto's bodies had entwined…She quickly shook those thoughts away and smiled at Kari.
"Yeah. We had a bit of…trouble…but we got through it. We have someone we'd like you to meet though. He's a new ally of ours. Kari, meet Kira."
Temari's smile began to wane as Kari gave her a curious look.
"I thought I heard a third voice with you guys, but I don't see anyone…and it didn't sound like Sanzoku…"
Temari whipped around and glared at the doorway before pushing Naruto.
"Get that idiot in here. After all that bluster, you mean to tell me he's shy around women?"
Naruto sighed and poked his head out the door, seeing Kira leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, a pensive look on his face…
"What the hell are you doing?"
The sunglasses-clad man looked up with a frown before ducking his head again.
"What if she doesn't like me?"
"Oh, for the love of…"
Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed the man by the shoulder, jerking him inside. Kira, caught off-balance by the unexpected maneuver, stumbled in and took a knee. He turned his head angrily and began to yell at Naruto.
"You stupid blonde! What the hell was that for?"
The sound of giggling caught Kira's ears and he looked up to see Kari with a blush on her cheeks. He rose quickly, trying to regain some of his lost coolness…and bravado.
The two looked each other up and down unscrupulously. Kari's eyes wandered over Kira's sculpted chest and arms, taking in every detail she could. She loved the goatee and the fact that he was tall. She caught a spot of drool with her tongue before it could leak out. Kira let his eyes trace her outline, drinking up the hourglass figure like he was sipping wine. He almost licked his lips at the sight of her full breasts and her round bottom, but caught himself, regaining a bit of his dignity.
"Um…hey…uh, I'm Hachi Kira. I…uh…"
Temari let out a frustrated sigh and snapped her fingers to get the two's attention.
"What Kira is trying, and failing miserably I might add, to say, is that he'd like you to be his date tonight. Me and Naruto, you and Kira, on a double date. What do you say?"
Kari nodded her head slowly, never taking her eyes of Kira's face. The giant rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and started to say something else, but Temari pushed both him and Naruto to the door.
"Good. You two go get ready. I'll take Kari and we'll meet you at the compound at seven. Naruto, send a clone to make reservations at our favorite restaurant."
She looked from Kira to Kari and clucked her tongue. Had she been this head-over-heels with Naruto when she'd first gone out with him? Nah, she'd been way more in control. She knew how to make Naruto move along though. She slowly began to reach for her fan and Naruto noticed the movement out of the corner of his eyes. Without warning, he snatched Kira's arm and dragged the man out without saying goodbye. Kira waved as he was dragged out by his collar, cursing loudly when his elbow banged on the frame.
Kari stood for a moment silent before squealing and latching onto Temari's shoulders so the girl couldn't get away, a bright smile alight on her face.
"Did you see how hot that guy was? He's soooo muscular. And shy to boot! I bet he's the poetic type, likes to write and dance…"
Temari snickered and nodded her head. Kari was partly right. He did love to rhyme and dance…he just wasn't any good at it. She guided the black-haired, giddy woman out of the room and towards the market center of Suna. They'd need some new things for tonight…and it had been a while since she'd wowed Naruto…
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Naruto didn't stop dragging Kira until he knew he was a safe distance away and stopped, letting the larger man drop into the dust. While Kira was picking himself up, Naruto made a clone and sent it off to make the reservations. The dark-skinned man leapt to his feet, undeterred by his dusty backside, and grabbed Naruto's hand, shaking it up and down.
"You are a miracle worker! You see that chick, man? She was digging the Rap Machine!"
Naruto chuckled and wrenched his hand out of Kira's mighty grip.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm the greatest. I told you she was cute."
"Cute? Son, she was a bombshell! Dy-no-mite! Out of sight! Baby was tight! Way better looking than any Kumo chicky I've ever seen! Guess if you can't grow plants out here in Suna, you grow good-looking women. What a find. Think she likes me?"
"Considering she was doing everything short of drooling on her shirt checking out your body, I'd say yes. Of course, she doesn't know about your personality quirks yet, but I doubt that would deter her. She's pretty persistent. Now, come on. We've gotta get you something to wear this evening. The restaurant is a formal one. Temari likes to dress up when we're out."
Kira stopped and looked down at his clothing, before narrowing his eyes at Naruto.
"What's wrong with the way I look?"
Naruto put his hands up in placation.
"Nothing, nothing. We just have to dress a bit more formal to get in this restaurant. Standard shinobi clothing really doesn't cut it, you know?"
Kira nodded slowly while fingering his scarf. He liked his clothes…
"I'm not taking off the glasses."
"Fair enough."
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Naruto and Kira sat on the couch in the den of the compound, waiting for Temari and Kari to appear. The girls had gotten in earlier than they had and Temari had told them that they were not to come up the stairs under any circumstances, under pain of death. Naruto had simply agreed and led Kira to a downstairs bathroom where he could shower and change.
Naruto winced a bit when his working clones all dispelled for the evening, informing him that the foundation was complete and that most of the frame was up. A pile of lumber was left beside the house, ready for more work in the morning. He sighed and shook his head. He'd have to commission more nails from the blacksmith tomorrow. Kira noticed the sound and movements from the blonde, but paid him no mind. He was nervous enough about that evening's events and was trying to calm himself.
Naruto leaned back and put one arm on the back of the sofa, the other hand to his chin in thought. He wondered what Temari would want for the walls when he got to that stage? Cedar smelled good on the inside for closets. Cypress would be excellent for the outside walls. Pine was prettier for inside walls in rooms and could be stained to several different shades. Of course, oak was good for cabinets…
He was suddenly shaken from his thoughts by Kira, who was staring gob-smacked at the entrance. Naruto turned his head and his jaw dropped as well. Temari stood in the teal kimono that accented her so well, a smile on her face as she held Kari by the shoulders. Kari herself was clad in a pure white kimono embroidered with blue flowers, her hair pulled up into a bun on top of her head. She had a shy smile on her face, her green eyes showing her anxiousness and anticipation of Kira's thoughts on her dress.
Naruto smiled and nudged Kira in the side. Kira was dumbstruck and happy at the same time. He'd never had a woman try to impress him before, and it felt very nice to see that she had put forth effort for him. He grinned and stood up slowly.
Kari's eyes followed his body from the ground up, taking in the finely tailored black pants, on up to the golden coin hanging on a pendant from his neck, to the linen shirt that he had unbuttoned showing a bit of his chest. Her gaze went down to the black jacket held in his arms and then swept upward to his face, which bore a broad smile…and his black sunglasses.
Temari and Naruto stood to the side, his arm around her waist and her leaning into his side as they watched the prospective lovebirds entrance each other. Their jaws threatened to unhinge when Kira bent at the waist and brought Kari's hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles, and bringing a blush to her lips.
"What majesty the gods hath wrought, what wondrous things untold. The night is young, the future e'er bright, the present surely gold."
Temari blinked and looked at Kari's face. The woman looked as if a fire had alighted itself upon her cheeks as Kira stood upright again, a wry smile on his face. Kari took her hand back slowly and gave him a shy smile.
"That was beautiful. Are you a poet?"
"The spoken word is mine to command, like a ship's captain upon the sea. I normally rap, or rhyme as I call it, though most say it does not suit me."
Temari finally collected her thoughts and stepped forward with a grin.
"You should write poetry instead of those stupid raps you always try. You're much better at classical wordplay."
Kira frowned a bit and crossed his arms.
"I like rapping better. Although I'm extremely good with writing poetry, rhyme is rhyme no matter the rhythm it is set to."
Perhaps it's merely the fact that the beat in your head doesn't match up to what you want to say…or you just suck at rap. Hello, Kari-san.
While Kari smile and waved back at the red panda, Kira growled at the newly appeared Sanzoku and kicked out with his foot, missing the summon by mere centimeters.
"No one asked for your opinion, rat. And where the hell have you been all day?"
Around. I visited the caves to make sure you hadn't defiled them.
"You little…"
Naruto scooped up Sanzoku by the nape of his neck and brought him up to eye level.
"Now, now, you two. Sanzoku, we're going out for the evening. Make sure that nothing happens to the house…and that Kankurou doesn't spread his puppets out everywhere when he gets home. We might be out late."
Fine. Just make sure he doesn't traumatize Kari-san. She's too nice to be subjected to his horrible lyrics.
Kari giggled and latched onto Kira's arm to prevent him from strangling the red panda.
"I happen to like what I've heard so far. His rapping can't be all that bad."
Sanzoku shrugged as Naruto sat him back down.
Your funeral. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Temari clapped her hands together and got everyone's attention.
"Okay, everyone outside. Let's go get something to eat."
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Dinner went amazingly well, all things considered. Kira didn't try to rap, Kari was a perfect lady, and Naruto and Temari didn't have to moderate. All in all, it was a successful date. The two couples walked along, chatting with each other on the way back to Kari's house. Temari's arm was linked with Naruto's and Kari giggled whenever Kira flexed a muscle.
Naruto and Temari were pleasantly surprised by Kira's attitude. They had expected him to be as uncultured and as uncouth at the table as he was in his day-to-day mannerisms. Kira had proven them wrong the whole night long; charming everyone they met with a sharp wit and silver tongue. When Naruto pulled him aside at one point and asked what he was doing he merely grinned.
"I'm doing what I do best. Bullshitting."
Naruto had blinked and then shrugged, accepting it for what it was. Kira was really good at bullshitting with other people.
The night came to a close though and they stopped in front of Kari's house to drop her off. Kira walked her to her door and they awkwardly stood there, illuminated by the moonlight for several minutes. Kari finally sighed and looked up at the bright, round moon.
"Alas, the night is waning now, the evening over, the moon so high. Part ways we must, the poet and lady, but ne'er shall I cry. For the morning sun a new day brings and possibilities will abound. Come find me on the morrow, oh poet sir, the school is where I'm found."
She pulled on his collar, bringing him down enough so that she could place a chaste kiss on his cheek, before releasing him.
"Let's do lunch. Goodnight, Hachi Kira."
Kira watched with wide eyes behind his glasses as the door shut and made his way back over to the two blondes, a broad smile on his face. Temari and Naruto waited for him to stand beside them before walking again. Naruto cleared his throat and cut his eyes to the larger man.
"So?"
Kira grinned and looked up at the moon.
"She's a poet too. I think I'm in love…"
Temari snorted and tightened her hold on Naruto.
"You'd better have a couple more dates before you fall head over heels, lover boy. You're going back to Kumo, you know."
Kira sighed and his head dipped a little bit.
"Yeah…but it'll be fun until then, at least. Besides…it's not just me who should enjoy the days ahead. It's going to get dangerous for us all."
The rest of the walk was filled with silence, all three contemplating their next course of action and the future.
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Two weeks later, Kira left Suna and made his way back to Kumo to talk with his brother. Naruto heard him mumble something about 'taking his punishment', but blew it off as the ramblings of a man upset at having his vacation cut short. He chuckled as Kira took off across the desert, wrapped up like a mummy, his cursing of the sun and the heat wafting back over the sand. Naruto turned back to the village and made his way to Gaara's office.
He spoke with Gaara about when they would go to Konoha to have the talks with Tsunade about the invasion and left shortly afterwards. He was almost finished with the exterior of the house and was about to start on the interior, but he needed, no, he wanted Temari's input. After all, she'd be there just as much as him.
He stood still, watching as his clones finished the last touches on the outside of the house, fitting the glass for the windows, sealing up any cracks between the boards, and making sure there were no weak points in any of the structure. He flopped to the ground beneath a tree and held his chin in his hands. The clones all padded up to him and formed rows while one saluted.
"Exterior of Manor Uzumaki completed, boss. What do we need to do next?"
Naruto glanced up by cocking his head and clicked his tongue.
"Well, you guys went and bought enough wiring and piping yesterday, right?"
A resounding 'hai' permeated the clearing.
"Good. Then some of you get started on the wiring. The rest of you plumb the house. Make sure you use the appropriate size for sewer pipes."
One of the clones snickered.
"Aw, come on, boss. Surely you can't drop a log that would stop up some small piping."
Naruto glared at the clone and it was suddenly wrapped in thorny vines, yelling in pain before it exploding in smoke. The other clones gulped and turned back to the original.
"Anybody else want to be a smartass?"
Every blonde head shook vehemently no.
"Good. Get to work. I want this thing wired and plumbed by nightfall."
The clones scrambled off towards the house, eager to get away from their disgruntled creator. Naruto sighed and closed his eyes, only to feel two familiar arms wind around his shoulders.
"Isn't arguing with yourself the sign of a sick mind?"
Naruto leaned back into the embrace, but kept his eyes closed.
"Everyone knows I'm crazy, so it's okay. Besides, I punish myself when I get out of line."
Temari leaned against his back and nuzzled into his hair, the warm morning sun and the shade of the tree they were under making it difficult to keep her eyes open.
"There are so many layers to that that it would make a psychiatrist cry, Naruto. How long until you finish the house?"
Naruto pulled her around to the front and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. Temari settled in between his legs and laid against his chest, the soft rhythm of his heart lulling her to sleep.
"It won't be long now. The clones are going to start working on the wiring and the plumbing today. Should be finished by this evening."
"Mmmm…"
Naruto looked down at her, smirking as her head began to dip and roll.
"I need your help with the interior though. I have no idea what you'd like."
Temari's foggy brain seemed to latch onto that single statement and she rolled her head back to look up at him.
"You mean…I get to pick the inside?"
Naruto nodded and winced at the squeal. Temari wriggled in glee in his arms, fidgeting like a child on a sugar-high.
"Oh, this is so exciting! I've got to pick paints, furniture, flooring…I'm going to need Kari's help with this."
Naruto tightened his grip on the wiggling girl and lowered his head to whisper in her ear.
"I take it you've never done this before?"
"Are you kidding? The compound has always been the way it is. The furniture has always been there, it's always been the same color, and we can't take or bring in anything new besides tools and clothes. I get to pick out the color for my room, right?"
Naruto snorted and pulled her back against him again.
"You can choose whatever you like, Temari. I'm not one much for interior design, so I'm leaving that to you. But…my study is mine to do with as I please. The rest is all you…just don't go overboard."
He leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to Temari's giggles become quieter and quieter until she fell asleep. Soon enough, times like these would be totally gone unless Akatsuki was defeated. If that could be accomplished, then their world could have peace. As much peace as ninja villages could have anyway.
The question was…how many would have to die to achieve that?
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Temari threw herself into decorating the house. She absolutely loved the outside. Naruto had used every natural resource he could to make an appealing look. The walls of the house were cypress, known for its ability to resist moisture and weathering. The roof was red, baked tile that had been formed by Naruto himself and carefully placed. The only thing that bothered her was that the landscape around the house was still bare.
Kari had been most helpful with picking out complementing colors for the walls and several knickknacks to accent everything. Naruto had merely shook his head and told them to have fun while he went about his business. He had other things to occupy himself with while Temari went nuts.
The first thing Temari tackled was the entranceway. To her, it made sense to work her way inward to the rest of the house. Several of Naruto's clones trailed behind her to do heavy lifting or fetch things for her when she called for them. The first task she put them to was laying tile in the entranceway. Naruto had carved a six-by-six area that was four inches lower than the rest of the house by the front door as the official shoe-removal area. The threshold was lower than the sunken area so that any dirt could be easily swept out.
It was soon decided that the tile was to be spread throughout the entire house, the Naruto's laying the mortar and quickly slapping the tile into place in the living room. They'd return the next day and grout the tile before moving on to the next room. Temari continued on into her study and stood at the doorway, a finger to her chin. She wasn't one much for many books or scrolls, being a frugal girl, but she did have many things she wanted to display.
With a snap of her fingers, two Narutos ambled over and waited for instruction. She told one of them to go to the compound and retrieve all of her 'special' things. While it ran off, she told the other one to paint the room in a teal color to match her eyes. It saluted and went to find a paintbrush. A squeal from the living room let her know that Kari had finally arrived. Temari poked her head around the corner and saw Kira behind her.
"Kari, come on in. Kira, go somewhere else. I don't want you in here."
He scowled and started to say something, but Temari's glare made him think twice. He grunted and turned to Kari.
"I'll be at the caves if you need me. I need to clear my head."
Kari narrowed her eyes at Temari, who waved her off.
"Don't look at me like that. Now come on. We've got work to do."
Kari quirked an eyebrow as she watched the Narutos laying down the tile, having gotten into a pattern finally.
"What work? It looks like he's doing all the work."
"Nah. We've got all the hard work. You know, picking out everything and making sure it matches. He's just the dumb muscle. Come on, we've got a lot to do."
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One week later, with the moon lighting their way, two blondes stood outside a completed home, large smiles on their faces. This was it. They stood on the precipice of walking into their home. Their home. No one but them. It was nothing new to Naruto, having lived alone all his life, but this was his. It was something he'd built with his own two hands, something that was uniquely him. Temari just stood in awe. She had her own home, with someone that she loved. Oh, she loved the compound, but it was all tradition and history. Here, in this house, they would make their own traditions. Their own history.
Naruto took a deep breath and turned to face Temari, gripping her hand tighter. The smile on his face could almost light up the night sky.
"Well, shall we?"
She nodded and they strode up to the heavy, oaken door. Naruto slid the key inside the lock and turned it, the loud clack filling the still night air. He pushed the door open and flipped the light on. The entryway brightened up and they stepped into the alcove and removed their shoes, placing them on the cedar rack beside the door. Temari wriggled her toes on the cold tile floor and grinned.
"Time to take it all in."
They left the entrance and stopped under the archway that led to the living room. Naruto groped around with his right hand for the switch and finally found it, bathing the house in luminescence. They had both seen it at different times; having worked on it, but to see it in completion was so truly…wonderful.
The beige tile that lay upon the floor seemed to sparkle as the light poured down on it. Temari took in everything that she had done…the walls that were painted a light brown, the mirrors that hung on the wall, the paintings, and the comfortable leather furniture. She turned her head to see Naruto nodding approvingly to the room. She grinned and pulled him along.
"Come on, there's more to see."
Indeed there was. The kitchen was a near replica of his parent's kitchen, down to the cabinets and the countertops. He had so loved the layout of that simple little room where meals would have been lovingly crafted. Temari ran her fingers over the smooth marble and opened the fridge. Hopefully, he was up for cooking tonight.
They continued along the rest of the rooms, which were only a couple of empty bedrooms. They both knew what they were for, but neither wanted to broach that subject at the moment. Temari came to a red door and grinned to herself. This was her study.
She swung the door open and flicked on the switch. It was a comfortable room, with two plush chairs in the middle, facing each other. A large handwoven rug rested beneath the two. Her weapons and assorted ninja paraphernalia that she had acquired over the years adorned the walls. She watched as Naruto crossed the room and fingered an especially large fan. It had belonged to her grandmother and was for looks only, not for battle. It was entirely too delicate for the rigour that war demanded, but it was a beautiful thing to behold. She sat down in one of the chairs, drinking in the peaceful atmosphere and sighed. It was hers and it calmed her.
Naruto strolled over to a rack of scrolls and ran his hands across them. They were ancient and more than likely family heirlooms. He smiled at several photos of the two of them together and several of her family. He stopped at a picture of a young woman holding a baby boy, with a giggling Temari in her lap. He turned to her and gave her a small, sad smile.
"Your mother?"
She nodded. He bobbed his head once and turned back around, his hands behind his back.
"She's beautiful. I can see where you got it from."
She said nothing as he wandered around the rest of the room, checking out her oaken desk and flopping down into her plush office chair, bouncing a few times. He looked back over to see her holding a photo of her family, a wistful look in her eyes. He couldn't stand to see her like this when this was a happy time for both of them. He walked over to her and bumped her arm, pulling her up.
"Let's go see mine now and then we'll look at our two most important rooms."
Temari smirked and let him lead her. There were three rooms that she was not allowed to deal with. The master bedroom, the master bathroom, and Naruto's study had been offlimits. He said he wanted to surprise her. She had no doubt he would. He led her down the hall, her hands sliding along the laquered wainscoating, before stopping at a green door. Somehow, she had known that was what the color would be. She shot him a look and put her hands on her hips.
"Well? Let's see it."
He slowly slid the door open and ushered her inside. Temari, despite how proud she was of her own comfortable study, was in awe of Naruto's own.
He had used his powers to virtually make his study into a greenhouse. Every inch was covered with some amount of greenery and one wall was nothing but glass doors that could open to the outside. The chairs were giant roots that he had carved out and put seat cushions in and even the tables were carved from roots. He pointed up and she gasped. The entire ceiling was glass and she could see the beautiful moon beaming down through the panes. The walls, where they weren't leafy green, were adorned with his own ninja paraphernalia and he had carved several nooks into the trunk of a tree. She wandered around through the room, stopping at a certain corner, a smile on her face.
"Gardenias. I love these flowers."
"I know. Their smell reminds me of you."
She wrapped her arms around him with a wry smile, kissing him deeply as she did. Naruto held onto her hips with both hands and slowly pushed her away. Temari whined at the lack of contact.
"Now, now, don't pout. We still have the whole night to play. We still have a couple more rooms to go."
She smirked and latched her hand onto his, dragging him out of the room with a glance back.
"You realize I'm going to spend a lot of time in here, right?"
He nodded his head and let her lead.
"I know. That's one reason I put the gardenias in there."
She smiled fondly and led the way to the last door in the house. Beyond that simple slab of wood was her new hideaway, her new comfort zone, their bedroom. She stopped before it and put her hand on the door, her eyes closed. She heard Naruto chuckle behind her.
"Forget how to open a door?"
She growled playfully, but didn't turn around.
"No, asshole. I'm savoring the moment. Something you usually don't take the time to do."
She opened her eyes when he put one hand on her shoulder and the other reached around her to open the door, turning the knob with a click.
"Moments are meant to be savored because they're moments, not long minutes. Savor the door later."
The pony-tailed blonde was about to retort when she was pushed roughly into the room and the door was shut behind them, the thud of the door shutting echoing through the pitch black. Temari bent low, crouched on her toes, waiting for whatever Naruto had planned. This was a game they'd never played before and it was…exciting. She sent her chakra to her ears so she could hear the slightest movement in the room.
"Oh, Naruto. Where are you, honey?"
She gasped when a hand smacked her bottom and whipped around, but he was gone again. She backed against the wall and flattened out.
"This isn't fair, you know. You have better night vision than I do."
Hot breath tickled her ear and she shivered.
"It's not about fair or unfair. It's about how much fun you have. Are you having fun?"
Temari sucked in a breath, trying to keep herself calm. Her voice came out in a whisper.
"Yes."
The light blinded her as it flashed into existence and she covered her eyes in instinct, blinking away the spots, before lowering her arms. Naruto stood beside her with a hand on his hip and the other on the switch. His broad grin seemed to light up the room more. He pulled her into a kiss and then whipped her around to face the room.
"Well? Thoughts?"
Temari stared wide-eyed at her…their…bedroom. Naruto had painstakingly crafted what to her was the loveliest room she'd ever seen. And the best part was that she would get to stay in it whenever she was home. The walls were a cream color, the floor a brown, earthy tone, covered with plush rugs so that her feet would not be cold in the mornings. Vines crawled the walls in intricate detail, looking as if they'd been painted on, and wound around many pictures.
Her eyes cut from one photo to the other. It was like looking at a timeline of their lives. It started with a photo of her parents when they were young and her father was not yet a total asshole or her mother a vindictive bitch. The next was the painting of Naruto's parents, lovingly holding onto each other as if each was the other's lifeline. She smiled as she gazed upon it. Kushina must have been just a few months pregnant when it was made, her belly just starting to show. Naruto stood behind Temari, his hands on her shoulders as she slowly spun in place, looking at the timeline he'd made.
She continued on, looking at the photos one by one. Her, when she was a toddler. Naruto, with the Hokage's hat on his head. Temari and Kankurou standing side by side. Naruto, swinging on that lonesome swing. Her siblings and Baki. Team Seven. Her battle armor. Naruto and Gamakichi. Her and Shikamaru. Naruto and Sakura. Gaara and her and Kankurou, after his resurrection. Naruto, the day he strolled into Suna to become a citizen.
The photos were so painstakingly arranged that she felt she could reach out and touch the memories. She felt Naruto's arms encircle her and leaned back into his embrace as she finished scanning the photos. His first night at the compound. His first day of school. Their first date. Their first photographed kiss. On vacation in Konoha. She blinked when she realized that one wall was left blank and leaned her head back to look into his eyes.
"Why's that wall blank?"
He leaned down and captured her lips before leaning back up.
"That wall is for the future, for the memories that we will make together in this house. That wall is ours."
She smiled and looked around the room again. A massive fourpost bed was against the wall, right by a window to let in the air, the canopy encircling it rippling in the small breeze. Two large dressers stood side by side, one his, the other her's. He had decided he didn't want closets, opting instead for two huge armoirs on either side of a door at the far end of the room. A fireplace with two leather chairs were the other things filling up the room. She snickered to herself. While desert nights were indeed cold, they didn't really need a fireplace. It was a nice touch though.
She suddenly felt herself being led towards that lone door at the back of the room. Their bedroom was beautiful. She couldn't imagine what he'd done with the bathroom, her favorite place in the compound. Since baths were relatively a luxury in Suna, she loved their bathroom at her ancestral home. But with water relatively underneath them on their land, she could have a bath whenever. The world suddenly became black as Naruto covered her eyes with his hands.
"Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise now would we? I want you to feel it before you see it."
Temari sighed and let him lead her in, one awkward step at a time. She groped for the doorway and turned the handle, listening to Naruto as his words told her where to go. She found the lightswitch to the right of the door and flipped it to the 'on' position so she could see when he took his hands away from her eyes. The wall was cool and smooth, with lines running up and down and sideways, the floor was the same way. She could only assume it was all tile, even the ceiling. Her knees knocked into something cold and when she put her hand down to feel it, she touched water. She heard Naruto grunt in humor behind her and scowled when she realized she had dipped her hand into the toilet. She pulled the appendage out and reached back, wiping it on his clothes.
"Ass."
Temari grinned and felt to the left of the tub, hitting nothing but air. She growled and grabbed Naruto's hands.
"Enough of this. I can't stand it any longer."
She slapped Naruto's hands away and gasped when she saw the bathroom. She didn't know where he'd gotten the stone, but it was breathtaking. The floor was dark and faded as it pooled out to the walls, getting lighter and lighter until it meshed with a white ceiling. A large tub was built into the floor with a shower in the corner. The toilet she had stuck her hand in sat off to one side besides a square sink. She could only imagine the amount of plumbing he had to do.
She twirled around and walked to the shower, admiring the smoothness of the stones and the polished brass faucet. She stiffened when she heard water running behind her and saw Naruto dipping his hand into the tub.
"Mmm…seems the waterheater works. Want to take a bath together? It's been a while since we did that."
Temari smirked and untied the sash around her waist, letting the large red ribbon fall to the ground. Naruto watched as she slowly opened her robe, exposing her red lace bra and panties. Her smirk widened as she walked past him, her fingers trailing across his chest as she stepped into the tub and sank onto a seat at the far end. It hadn't looked that big without being filled, but it was actually quite large. She crooked her finger, beckoning him to come.
"Sweetie, this tub is so lonely without you. So big and empty. Why don't you get in? We'll see whether or not you can unhook a bra underwater."
He nearly broke his leg trying to get out of his pants.
Their first night in their new house was spent making love and eventually collapsing onto the huge bed, happy, content, and most importantly, more in love than when they started.
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Two weeks passed in which Gaara and Kankurou visited to see the new residence, both genuinely impressed. Sanzoku had snuck in at some point during that first night and claimed one of the empty rooms as his. Temari had nearly had a heart attack when she woke up and heard a snore coming from a supposedly empty room, only to open the door and find a sleeping Sanzoku the size of a horse. She opted instead to quietly shut the door, walk back down the hall, and crawl back in bed with Naruto, hugging up against his back. He groggily turned around and wrapped his arms around her.
"Wha's matter?"
"I saw a Sanzoku the size of a horse."
"He c'n chane si…"
She had snorted at his sleepy mumbling and went back to sleep. His warmth was intoxicating, something that never ceased to amaze her. She had drifted back off to sleep that first morning and hadn't woken up until noon.
But that was two weeks ago. This morning was not nearly so serene since she'd gotten word that they were to return to Konoha with a contingent of Suna ninja, Gaara and Kankurou among them. She and Naruto sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and eating toast. Sanzoku sat nearby on his haunches, nibbling at a piece of fruit. Her mug was halfway to her mouth when Naruto sighed and locked eyes with her.
"I don't want to do this. We've just started here. What if something happens?"
Temari slowly sat her coffee mug down and looked into it, the murky liquid casting her solemn look back at her.
"I don't want to either. I keep running things over in my mind, things that could happen and things I don't want to happen. I don't want to lose you, not now."
"I don't want to lose you either."
"And neither of you shall, if we have anything to say about it."
The two blondes looked up to find Gaara and Kankurou standing in the doorway with smiles on their faces.
"What we're going to do hasn't ever been done since the days of Hanzou. Don't worry. We're going to Konoha to lay out a plan. That idiot Kira and his brother will be there as well. When you see the Raikage, you'll understand why there is little to worry about."
Temari scoffed and stood up, straightening out her robe.
"If he's anything like Kira then we have everything to worry about."
Gaara fixed her with an even stare and then looked at Kankurou.
"Do you and I act anything alike, at all?"
Kankurou quirked an eyebrow and smirked.
"Of course not. I can't always be moody like you."
Gaara ignored the jab and turned back to the blondes.
"There's your answer. Now get dressed, we leave in two hours."
He walked out the door, motioning for Kankurou to follow Puppet Master stopped at the door and looked back.
"Dude, when are you going to cook for us here? How about dinner when we get back?"
Gaara's gruff voice floated around the corner.
"Kankurou, let's go."
Temari sighed and picked up their mugs, depositing them in the sink, before walking to their bedroom.
"Come on. We might as well get this over with."
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Five days later, the Suna contingency arrived at Konoha and were immediately ushered into a meeting room within the Hokage tower. Tsunade and her advisors were there, as well as several key ninja to whatever they were going to plan. The ninja of the two villages milled around, talking to one another, when Temari suddenly winced and buried her face in her hands. Naruto heard Sanzoku growl and asked the two what their problem was.
"He's here."
Naruto was about to ask whom she meant when he heard a familiar booming voice.
"Hachi Kira in the place, going too fast, you can't keep pace! My rhymes are slick, they flow so true…Who's happy to see the Killer Bee come through?"
The doors were flung open and there stood Hachi Kira, with a group of embarrassed looking people behind him. Three in particular looked ashamed while one particularly huge man reached out and grabbed the jinchuuriki by the shoulder, growling at him in a deep voice.
"Kira, I would advise you to keep your voice down while here."
The hand was shrugged off and Kira looked around the room, quickly locating his two favorite people of Suna…besides Kari.
"Naruto! Temari! Throwrug!"
My name is Sanzoku, you fruitcake!
A loud clap came from the front and everyone turned to see the three Kages standing behind a table. Tsunade bid them all sit and leaned against the table, her palms flat on the surface.
"We're here to discuss Akatsuki and a possible alliance between our three villages against them. With us today are ninja of Konoha, Suna, and Kumo, as well as the Kage of all three villages. I call this summit to order!"
And...cut! Okey doke, folks. Next chapter starts the planning of the invasion of Amegakure. I'm sorry for the delay. The next chapter will be along much sooner. Let me know what you think.