Hey there! Ok I love good reviews! :)This chapter is just for you guys. :)You make my life- sad right ha ha ha. :)

Sand-Jounin-Temari – I do see where you're coming from with the rushing. I know this is kind of an excuse, but well I think the reason why it is like that is because multiple fan fictions have been going through my head for like years now and I finally got the guts to try my hand at this. So having already somewhat knowing where I want to go with it I'm like forcing it to get there faster than I really should. I'm as impatient as the next person you know. lol. I'll try to be better in the future.

KiraUzamaki- I feel like I should call you my faithful reviewer! Thanks for reading this since I started! And thanks for agreeing with me on men and their tears! It makes me happy. :)

Disclaimer: … DO YOU PEOPLE ENJOY MAKING OTHERS CRY? FOR GOSH (my friend would kill me if I said "God") SAKE! NARUTO ISN'T MINE!

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I looked up into the clouds as they pasted over head, the view was suddenly obstructed by a shimmering gold and then teal eyes that stared as far as they could reach back into my head. I jumped up shaking my head holding up my upper body with my hands behind me.

"Temari" I reached out to grab her and yank her to me. She smiled when I went to do so, but as soon as my hand made contact with her skin she disappeared into nothing, slowly dissipating into sand that blew away in a new and strong wind. I sat even more shocked as I watch her go right before my eyes and the surrounding view began to change into utter blackness.

"NO! Temari!" I jumped up shooting straight up into a standing position when I looked around me realizing my position was atop my bed. The pain that hit me was even worse than the dream had been and I fell back onto my bed. Tears prickled the edge of my eyes but I now refused to let them fall. I saw the sun slowly beginning to rise over the horizon.

I remembered the conversation last night between Kankuro and I. It was rather long and irritating, but the message was clear, basically I would be the villages lackey and slave doing what ever I could do for the community of Suna with no pay. Well not direct pay from Suna, money would be funded to me from the Hokage and Konoha. Community service, somehow I didn't really think this would do much for our situation but I presumed that they may not know what else to do.

I got up to shower and dress moving forward even when my body felt like just lazing about or succumbing to crying, both of which I knew would not help me now. I was making myself breakfast, when a sudden and insistent knocking came from my door.

Before answering I thought objectively, I needed to make the villagers believe that I trusted them. "Come in." I shouted toward the door hoping they'd take it as a sign of trust and not that I was just bigheaded thinking I could just beat them if they even tried to hurt me.

"Hey Nara, I came as quick as I could." Kankuro came in nonchalantly not even the slightest bit out of breath, "Gaara is back. He seems sort of angry too. As soon as he found out you were here he said to go get you and send you back."

My body froze and tensed. "Why are you so calm and quiet then." I asked slightly shaken.

"Would you want to have to rush back to an angry Gaara?"

So he'd rather shove Gaara's anger on me? I bit the piece of toast in my hand and bolted out the door towards the large tower next door. I got to his door and knocked slowly twice a cold 'Enter' came from the opposite side. I swallowed sharply wondering why I didn't just run away as soon as Kankuro told me of Gaara's rage. The door slowly swung open in front of me. The curtains were closed, no lights were lit and all I could see was the seemingly glowing light blue eyes of the Kazekage that didn't just look angry, they looked furious. Damn that Kankuro.

I bowed slightly afraid to take my eyes off of him, "Kazekage."

"Nara, Shikamaru," Gaara said looking straight back at me, "It's been a while since I've seen you with this much fear in your eyes just from my presence." He chuckled once that seemed just as strained as Tsunade's before, then added, "Will you turn on the lights there by the door Kankuro shut them of earlier, shouting something about dramatic effect and that an author of some sort told him to do it."

I flicked the light switch up and found that Gaara didn't look angry at all anymore in fact he look the slightest bit amused but there also seemed to be a bit of a lingering sorrow behind them. They also held something I'd never seen within his eyes before, hope. I couldn't tell what it was for or why, or better question how it got there. But it was tangled in his mixture of emotions, easily readable from his eyes.

I clear my throat and then spoke again a little more confident than before.

"You needed me, Kazekage?"

"Yes, there is something I need to discuss with you." The hope seemed to grow the slightest bit within him as he spoke. "This is something that will help both of our villages in our dispute and greatly improve my very contradicting emotions, not to mention many of those in Suna. This is a mission that I believe will be best suited for you, Shikamaru. Well you and anyone in Konoha I suppose but we're going to work with what is most convenient now unless you choose to decline the mission."

He seemed a small bit uncertain at that but look at me still with a burning hope that was starting to make me feel like if I tried this mission I may regret it. It seemed to be overly troublesome, not at all to my tastes.

"To tell you the truth Kazekage, it seems as though this mission will be extremely dangerous and I'm not that certain I'll be up to the challenge right now."

Gaara considered this a bit looking at me. Then spoke to me again.

"Maybe if I were to explain the whole mission first you would reconsider."

It was a statement that wasn't to be contradicted even though I doubted very much that he could say anything to get my go on this mission, I listen attentively none the less.

"Well you see, Nara,…" He paused getting up from his seat he looked out the window contemplating the scene before him of the slowly rising sun. After what seemed like an eternity he turned back toward me looking straight at me to finishing his earlier statement, "As you know I was out on a short mission I had assigned to myself it was in an effort, that was successful, to get information about something I'm sure you'll be quite interested in."

Something in his tone gave me the feeling that he may just have the right words to make me do this mission. It gave me a feeling that had me aching to know what he was going to say next. And in fact the words he said next made quite impact and I almost thought I was dreaming again when I heard him utter:

"I don't believe Temari is dead."

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Ok shortest chapter yet (1,220 words), but it is ok. I actually think this one may be my favorite. Maybe cause it has a reference to me. Lol I don't know and I don't care. Ha ha ha.

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