Chapter 6: Melting Snow
Shikamaru jumped through the forest, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of Naruto. He felt a pang in his heart when he remembered Temari's words. "I love the Shikamaru that cared so much for his teammates, he cried in relief when he found out they were okay. I love the Shikamaru that would have willingly given up his life to rescue his teammates. I love the Shikamaru who valued the lives of everyone, not just the girl he likes!" What she said was true. He was being awfully selfish towards Naruto. Temari should be able to hold out on her own in the campsite, he reasoned, remembering the clone that he had made to make her belief that he was sound asleep and that she was safe. He gritted his teeth. After he gets Naruto back, he would apologize to Temari for being an idiot. He hoped that she would forgive him, knowing that he only acted that way because of how much he loved her. A sudden appearance of an orange jumpsuit broke him from his thoughts. "Naruto?" he called softly.
Temari was fuming. What had happened to the Shikamaru that she knew and loved? Sure, she teased him relentlessly about crying that day, but it was just an excuse to let all the feelings of confusion out. Being brought up in the strict and respectable Suna with an emo monster and a vain sadist as younger brothers, Temari had never witnessed such passion for one's teammates. Although now, Gaara and Kankurou were adapting to be more compassionate, Shikmaru's small act of crying in the waiting room was the first act of compassion that had ever struck and impressed her so much. However, just because of her, Shikamaru turned from the kind-hearted man to a selfish one. She shook her head, this would not happen. She would rescue Naruto no matter what. Just at that moment, she spotted his infamous orange jumpsuit. "Naruto?" she called softly.
Naruto was still tied up, when he heard a voice calling him. Temari's voice, he thought. He tried to warn her to run, the rogue ninja lay in waiting. In her condition, she shouldn't even have left the campsite! "EMARI! RAAGH!" he shouted, the best he could do with his gag. Instead, it had the opposite effect as Temari jumped down, kunai in hand, ready to cut the ropes that held him. As she bent down, Temari's eyes widened, taking in the multicoloured ropes that held Naruto in place. Her face softened, admiring the colours that the rope reflected, while Naruto thrashed around, trying to get her to snap out of it. However, that only let the colours of the rope dance more, pulling Temari further into a tranced state. Naruto was getting desperate as he saw the rogue ninja emerge from the shadows. Gathering all of his determination, he thrashed against Temari and knocked her far away from him just as the three rogune ninja jumped at her. Temari yelped and got up, fighting the tears of pain that spilled down her face as she tried to stop the blood from pouring out from her wound. Shakily, she got to her feet as she grasped her fan tight, willing herself to fight the pain.
"Back for more? Aren't you already injured enough?" Temari's head snapped up as she heard the taunting voice of the head rogue ninja. She snarled, pulling herself to her feet while her left hand whipped her fan open. She smirked at him. "If my eyes do not deceive me, you are hurt as well. So shut up and fight me like a man!" The rogue ninja threw back his head and laughed. "I remember, the last time you tried to take me on, you had to rely on that shadow idiot of yours. So where is he hiding, huh?" Temari felt a rush of emotion. He was messing with her. She willed herself not to show any emotion and concentrate on saving Naruto. Her left hand hauled up her fan as she screamed, "Wind Cyclone Jutsu!" Her fan released a huge bought of wind that was only slightly off. She knocked the rogue ninja right in the chest with her jutsu. She quickly subsituted to position herself behind him and released her wind cyclone jutsu. Giving him no time to think or recover, she batted him back and forth, until he pleaded her to stop. She hesitated for only a moment, and the two other rogue ninja threw their kunai at her. She quickly raised her fan to deflect them, but was frozen in place. The kunai's weren't the usual kind, they were crystal-clear and faceted so that they mesmerized her by the beautiful colours of the night that they reflected... and stabbed her twice in her chest.
Shikamaru gasped as the Naruto turned into a puff of smoke. A subsitution Jutsu!He thought angrily as he braced himself for attack. When he saw only three rogue ninja, he laughed. "Gentlemen, may I remind you that I manipulate shadows? The dark night is practically one huge shadow by itself. Are you sure you want to fight me?" The rogue ninja in the middle snarled. "You talk too much." The three rogue ninja took out three glowing marbles each and threw them on the ground. Instantly, Shikamaru was blinded by the light. He stepped backwards and quickly regained control of himself. He could find a way, he's a Chuunin for Kami's sake! As he paused for a moment to think, a horrible scream burst through the relatively silent night. His eyes snapped open. "TEMARI!"
Temari started to cough and hack on her own blood. Wiping her mouth, she scrambled to her feet and yanked the Kunai out of her chest. Dabbing a finger in blood, she drew a long line of blood on her fan. "SUMMONING JUTSU! BLADE DANCE!" she shouted as a weasel weilding a knife appeared out of a puff of smoke and started to chop down everything in its sight, except for Naruto. Soon, all three rogue ninaja dropped to the ground, sporting grosteque wounds. She started to giggle. She couldn't help it, she felt so light headed. With much difficulty, she cut Naruto free and fell to the ground, holding her stomach and laughing. Vaguely, she recognised that she was going mad, but she just fell into the vortex of darkness and closed her eyes.
Shikamaru's eyes widened in confusion and anger. What was Temari doing out in the forest? More importantly, what were these dreaded bastards doing to her. Something in his cool, collected mind snapped as he let loose a torrent of black chakra that morphed and flexed according to his will, free of the need for shadows. His voiced came out hoarse as he growled, "What are you doing to her?" The three rogue ninja cowered away from the shadow user, unable to give him a reply. Shikamaru snarled as he walked away from them. The rogue ninja visibly relaxed and aimed a kunai at the back of his head, but his chakra easily deflected it. The rogue ninja heard the smirk in his voice as he said, "I'm not done with you yet." They barely had time to look up before the strands of chakra twisted their necks at weird angles, severing their life force immediately. "SHIKAMARU! HELP!" Not sparing a look at the rogue ninja, he raced towards Naruto's voice, only to stop short when he saw Temari's lifeless body with its three slashes down the back and two puncture marks on the chest. His eyes widened as he took tentative steps towards her. This was all his fault. That was the first time Naruto had ever seen Shikamaru cry in anguish.
A/N: Sorry for the horrendously late update! Exams! Anyway, Stay tuned!