Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Shikamaru walked towards the refrigerator, the cold floor chilling his bare feet. He opened the large appliance and looked for something to satisfy his hunger. He'd woken up a few minutes ago in the night, his stomach growling for some food.
"Should've eaten a larger meal," Shikamaru muttered.
"You talk to yourself?" a voice asked. Shikamaru jumped back a little, startled by an eerie voice in the dark. Gaara stepped into the moon light a moment later and sat down at the kitchen table. "Most people would call that odd."
"What would you call it?" Shikamaru asked, returning to the fridge.
"I don't know. I'm not most people though." Gaara answered. "Bring me some of last night's dumplings."
Shikamaru found the dumplings and brought the container to the kitchen table, tossing Gaara a few dumplings and seating himself. "So why are you up? Don't tell me the Kazekage gets nightmares." Shikamaru said sarcastically.
Gaara took a bite of dumpling and answered, "Not nightmares. I just have trouble sleeping. Even after Shukako was taken out of me, I'm still not able to sleep well."
"Sounds annoying," Shikamaru said.
"You have no idea," Gaara said. "Imagine knowing that everyone else was asleep, and knowing that you should be asleep too. You lie down and close your eyes, but sleep never comes. At times, you may cry, but 'Crying yourself to sleep' doesn't work either."
"Sounds like it sucks," Shikamaru said, correcting his former statement.
"Yes. It does," Gaara said.
They sat in silence for a few moments before Gaara broke the silence by asking, "How's your room?"
"It's fine," Shikamaru answered. "A little awkward though, considering…"
"That Kankuro's dead?" Gaara finished. "Don't worry about it. It was a year ago. Temari and I have had enough time to get over it. Besides, it's time to move on."
"If you don't mind my asking," Shikamaru began, "what exactly happened? Nothing I've heard has ever been really clear."
Gaara threw his remaining dumpling away and answered, "We aren't very sure. He was just on an average mission. Koji was with him. During the mission, something went wrong. They must have been ambushed or something. Whatever happened, Kankuro ended up on the worst end of it."
"And you never found the culprits?" Shikamaru asked.
"No." Gaara said bitterly, his eyes narrowing. "Koji returned bloodied and wounded with Kankuro's body, claiming that Kankuro had been killed while he was fighting his own enemy." Shikamaru had no doubt that if the culprits had been found, Gaara wouldn't have let them live long.
"So," Shikamaru said, understanding in his voice, "is that why you don't like Koji?"
Gaara shook his head. "I've never liked Koji, even since we were children. This was just another reason to add to my dislike."
Shikamaru then realized he was probably prodding a sensitive issue for Gaara and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have brought it up."
Gaara stood up. "It's fine. You have as much right to know as anyone else." He began to walk out of the kitchen, heading upstairs. "We should both get some sleep though. See you in the morning."
Shikamaru agreed and went back to bed, where sleep eventually overtook him.
Shikamaru awoke to the voice of Temari, who was yelling, "Wake up, baka!"
Sunlight streaked in through the now-open window. Shikamaru groaned and rolled out of bed, looking towards the source of the noise. Temari, fully dressed, stood at the door, wearing her evil grin.
"What the heck was that?" Shikamaru grumbled, pulling on a shirt.
"Oh, don't you remember?" Temari said in a teasing voice. "You told me to wake you up at seven everyday."
Shikamaru stared at her with a frown. "I never made such a request."
"Are you sure?" Temari said, leaning against the doorway.
"Unless we've developed a psychic bond that lets you read my inner desires that even I myself don't know, then yes, I'm sure," Shikamaru said seriously.
"Ha. Your desires aren't even hard to figure out. You just want to lay around all day and do nothing." Temari said matter-of-factly.
"Seems that you've got me all figured out," mumbled Shikamaru, heading towards the bathroom. "Tomorrow morning, remember that." he said as he closed the door.
Still laughing, Temari headed downstairs. Gaara spotted her and said, "I see you two are having a good time."
"Just teasing him," Temari said, walking to the kitchen. "Just wait. You haven't seen anything yet."
"Does that mean you're planning on making him miserable?" Gaara asked.
Temari didn't answer, however, and just grinned.
Koji was waiting outside when Shikamaru came out the door of the Kazekage's mansion. "Shikamaru-kun!" he called. "Over here."
Shikamaru saw Koji, who looked as though he were waiting. He walked over and said, "Koji. What's up?"
"I am your guide for the day again." Koji said. "I was told that you needed a tour of the village and to learn about the architecture."
"Yeah, I suppose I do." Shikamaru said, sighing. He took out a cigarette and lit up, feeling that he was going to need it. "Let's go, I guess."
Koji took Shikamaru all around Suna, pointing out various landmarks and tourist attractions to Shikamaru, who jotted down a few notes and rough sketches of buildings. After a few hours they were done.
"Ready for some lunch?" Koji asked.
Shikamaru nodded, and they proceeded to order two meals from a stall. They sat and began to eat in silence.
Koji interrupted the silence by asking, "So how's Suna treating you?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "Good I guess. It's a change from Konoha for sure. I miss the plants and trees."
They ate in silence for a few more minutes, but then Shikamaru asked, "Were you at the cemetery yesterday?"
On the outside, Koji looked as normal as anyone else. On the inside, however, he was suddenly alert. "Why do you ask?"
"I was looking for Temari yesterday. Gaara suggested the cemetery, but I saw you instead of her. Seemed like you were saying some sort of prayer, so I walked off." Shikamaru said.
Koji calmly took a drink of water. Have I been compromised? Again? This will end just like Kankuro…He thought to himself. But it's different this time. He's not part of Suna. If he dies, it could become an international incident…Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Koji stared at Shikamaru for a moment, the beginnings of a plan in his mind.
Temari walked along the dusty street of Suna, towards her home. As she was walking, she heard Koji call, "Temari!" She turned to greet Koji, who came jogging up next to her.
"Hey," Temari said. "What's up?"
Koji stopped to catch a breath before saying, "I was wondering if you and Shikamaru might want to go somewhere tonight."
Temari crinkled her nose at the mention of Shikamaru tagging along. "We don't have to take him. He'll be fine on his own."
"No, I'd feel bad if he was at home with only Gaara as company," Koji said with a smirk. "Besides, he can do more…research."
Temari giggled at that.
A few hours later, Koji, Temari, and Shikamaru entered one of the more popular local nightclubs. It looked like most other nightclubs; dark, with several different colored lights, full of people dancing, and filled with the smell of alcohol.
They picked out a table and Koji left to buy some sake. The bartender gave him a bottle and three shot glasses. Koji looked back at the table, making sure Temari and Shikamaru weren't looking his way. They weren't. Koji took the opportunity to put a white powder in Shikamaru's shot glass. He filled the three glasses with sake and gave Shikamaru's a small stir.
He returned to the table, and gave everyone a shot glass, making sure he didn't confuse Shikamaru's intended glass with his or Temari's. He watched intently as Shikamaru gulped down the contents. Then he began to wait.
An hour later…
Shikamaru stretched and stood up. "Sorry, but I'm getting kind of sleepy," he said with a yawn. "Let me splash some water on my face."
Koji stood up too, "I have to use the restroom as well."
They made their way to the restrooms. Once they arrived, Shikamaru stood over the sink and splashed cold water on his face. Koji, however, waited for a few more moments before doing anything.
Shikamaru noticed that his vision was starting to get blurry and that he was having even more trouble keeping his eyes open. Sleep was starting to sound like a really good idea…
Shikamaru fell forward, his head hitting the sink. Koji stepped forward caught him before he fell any further. Koji made sure Shikamaru was asleep before opening one of the stall doors and sitting Shikamaru on top of the toilet. Locking the stall from the inside, Koji slipped underneath the door and walked back into the night club.
Temari looked up from her drink, surprised to see only one man returning. "Where's Shikamaru?" she asked, concern showing on her face.
Koji was genuinely surprised to see concern on her face. He hastily said his predetermined reason. "He met a girl he likes. Went off to talk with her somewhere."
Temari's eyes widened. "He met a girl?
Koji shrugged and said, "He must've seen something in her. Anyway, I'm about to go dance. Want to join me?"
Temari thought for a minute, then said, "No, I need some time to think."
Koji shrugged at her again and moved to the dance floor, where he was easily lost in the crowd. Once he was sure Temari couldn't see him, he slipped out of the nightclub and started sprinting towards Gaara's office.
He pulled on a mask and removed his sand headband as he reached the building. He sneaked past the first guards and made his way inside to Gaara's office. Only the most important documents would be kept there. Luckily, Koji knew that Gaara always made it home by this time at night and wouldn't be there. If Gaara had been there, Koji would have never considered this plan.
There was a lone guard however, who Koji hit with a paralyzing technique. The man froze, his muscles going rigid. Once Koji was sure the guard was paralyzed, Koji proceeded to strangle him, reminding himself that this messy type of killing was necessary.
The lone guard dispatched, Koji opened the doors to the office. He randomly sifted through several documents, picking out a few that looked the most important, and several that said 'Classified.'
He made his way back outside and sneaked past the first guards again. This time he sprinted towards Temari's house.
Once he reached his destination, Koji jumped to a balcony on the outside of Kankuro's room on the second floor of the house. Opening the door inside the house, he looked at Shikamaru's temporary room and hid the documents in a random drawer under some clothes.
Shikamaru awoke, regaining consciousness slowly. He groaned and blinked his eyes a few times, trying to wrest control of his body from the effects of the drug. His head felt like someone had beat it with a hammer.
He wobbly got up and opened the stall door. He made it to the sink and splashed cold water on his face for the second time that night.
Once he felt steady enough, Shikamaru walked back into the nightclub, trying to walk back to his original table. He found Temari still there, looking deep in thought.
He managed to sit down in the chair across from her, and was sure that if he didn't feel so bad, her shocked look would've amused him. Then her shock turned into a glare.
"Where's your new girlfriend?" She asked bitterly.
Shikamaru sluggishly raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Koji said you went off with a girl you liked," Temari said.
"Koji lies then. I've been passed out in the bathroom." Shikamaru said, laying his head down. "I think my drink was spiked."
Temari sighed. "Well, we can't have you passing out all over the place. Let's get back to the house. Koji will be alright by himself."
Once they reached the house, Temari made sure Shikamaru made it to his bed. He was quickly asleep again.
Why would Koji lie about that? Temari thought, before she went to bed as well.
The next morning…
Shikamaru awoke roughly for the second morning in a row. But this time it wasn't Temari who was shouting, "Get up!"
Shikamaru looked at the cause of the noise and saw two uniformed shinobi. "Shikamaru Nara, you are under arrest!"
A/N: Ha! I bet a lot of you didn't think I'd get this chapter out so soon, huh? Well, I showed you, didn't I?
As always, please leave me a review or PM if you enjoyed this chapter (or even if you didn't) and I welcome all criticism.