"Oi,oi,oi! Where have those kids gone to?"
"Captain Yamato, I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 19 and on my 20th birthday Grandma Tsunade promised to make me Hokage!"
"Speaking of which, why didn't you take the title after the war Naruto?"
Naruto gave a nonchalant smirk and moved his hands behind his head.
"Because," he turned to give his ex captain his famous wide grin. "I wanted to enjoy life a little more."
They continued to walk down the busy streets until they came across two familiar figures at a painting post.
"Why are you so unyouthful?"
"Caterpillar brows, I assure you that painting is a very youthful deed."
"Oi Sai, Bushy Brows! How about some Ramen?"
Sai and Rock Lee looked up from their semi- argument to see Naruto running toward them with Yamato close behind.
"Naruto you just got done eating like," Yamato unfolded his arms and began to count his fingers. "10 bowls of Ramen in a row." He huffed and started to pace.
Naruto turned to the stressed man with a strict frown on his face. "I only had 8 Captain Yamato, and besides I have to eat a ton to keep this thing satisfied." He lifted up his black and orange jacket and mesh shirt to revile a new advanced spiral tattoo on his well toned abdomen. Yamato could feel the heat radiating off of the girls around them. He was already having enough women problems as it is!
"Fine, but let's just go to a grill instead."
"ALRIGHT!" Naruto and Lee jumped in the air.
"Fine with me…" Sai followed silently.
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"Why did you refuse?"
"Because…"
"Because what?"
"Just because…"
" "because" Isn't a legit answer Miss Haruno…"
Short pink hair trilled freely in the air as Sakura turned to look up at Gaara. "Because, I'm not up to that level yet. I don't have the self esteem to actually think I can train a student of my own." Sakura sat down on a near sand molded bench and slouched. "I'm not like Naruto; I don't have these "awesome" powerful jutsu to pass down or anything like that. I would just be … Sakura, the boring sensei."
Gaara sat down next to her and copied her pose. He looked underneath her bangs to find her face in a scowl. Gaara pushed back his tussled bangs from his face, having them only to return to the same spot, even messier. "I'm pretty sure Lady Hokage has taught you some rare medical jutsu, like how to cure that disease, and there's also her slug summoning." He looked at the ground as he made the sand twirl around his feet. "And also the insane strength. Even though I think most of that strength is natural…"
Sakura sifted a giggle but her laugh soon turned into a sigh as she sat up and leaned against the bench back. "The medical Jutsu yeah I suppose, but what if she doesn't want to become a medic-nin? Her disease… if I cure it she might take it as an invitation, but I can't leave her to suffer like that, my heart won't let me. So… so I'll cure her, but not to be my student of course!" she cut in quickly eyes wide. "The slug summoning… you have to have a contract with the animal. The animal you have a real connection with, and what if the slugs don't like her and reject the contract?" Sakura pulled her hair "Oh the insane strength, it's natural alright me and her both. That's something you have to be born with or with insane amount of training. The jutsu she taught me to enhance that strength I suppose I could teach that, but it won't do the student any good if they're naturally weak, ya know?" Sakura gave him a tense look as he just looked at her blankly.
"No, I don't."
"Oh…" Sakura's eyelids lowered.
"You're being incredibly selfish."
Sakura's eyes widened at she looked at the Kazekage's angry face.
"This girl who wants' to be a ninja so bad, will do anything just to be able to do a simple shadow clone Sakura; yet you're here saying that you won't teach her because you think you're not good enough." Gaara stood up and looked down at her shocked face. "I thought you had more potential than that. Sure you may not have a chakra nature, but that means nothing. Teach the girl what you can. Show her why you're one of the number one kunochi in the world. You're the 5th Hokage's apprentice, you know how many people would kill for that spot?" Gaara took a deep breath before continuing calmly. He bent down on one knee and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her slightly shaking shoulders.
"Why…why do you have so much faith in me?" Sakura bit, eyes beginning to soften as she felt Gaara's warmth. She didn't know why but that speech snapped her out of her shocked gaze. Gaara yelled. At her. Unbelievable. She also thought him actually hugging another person than his siblings was unreal as well, but yet again she was proven wrong by this red head.
"Just Because…" Gaara's blank eyes bore into hers, where she saw the slightest hint of emotion. "Come on let's see if we can find Naruto."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Wow Shikamaru-kun, I think I quite like it here in Suna! Oh can you hold these bags for a second?" Ino skipped ahead of her loafing teammate. Shikamaru let out a loud grunt as he stretched out both hands forward. Instead of feeling the paper of the bag handles Shikamaru's hands where gripped around a large set of breast.
"I'm glad you like it here in Suna, but you might want to at least keep your hands to yourself."
Shikamaru scrambled away from a snickering Temari, face completely flushed. "G-gomen…" he turned away from the 3 giggling girls in a rush to find something else to capture his attention.
"Anyway, Temari I got you this beautiful kimono!" Ino squeaked, thrusting a large box at her.
"Gosh Ino, I'm grateful, but I'm afraid Gaara already got me one! He said it's something about his duty as my brother." The dirty blonde fidgeted with her gloves.
"Let me guess, Naruto bought you one too, huh?" Ino glared at a sorrowful Hinata.
"H-Hai, b-but I didn't see Sakura-chan pack one, s-so you could always check with her…"
"Check with Sakura for what?" said kunochi stepped in between Hinata and Ino and placed a hand on her hip.
"Here forehead! And you better wear it too! I got you accessories and everything! Oh, you're going to look so pretty!" Ino shoved the box into her best friend's chest and bounced around happily.
*Gurgle* Everyone froze as all eyes turned to look at a beet red Hinata. "G-gomen!" she buried her face in her hands. "I'm just a little hungry that's all…"
"Allow me to fix that for you my lady!" Naruto can up behind Hinata; grabbing her by the waist, he slung her over his shoulder. "To the!- Uh…" he turned to Yamato with a dopey look on his face. "Which grill are we going to again?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"…and then the lady kicked him right in the kisser!" Naruto yelled, making a K.O face.
"Wow Lord Jiraiya must have been a hand full for you Naruto." Temari said sarcastically, rolling her eyes before nudging Hinata with her shoulder. "You're one lucky girl."
Temari let out a heart-full laugh before secretly turning her attention to the Nara boy, who was having a deep conversation with Gaara across the table. She let her eyes wander to the stack of extra chopsticks to his right and she unconsciously snapped hers in two. Temari cursed inwardly when all attention turned in her attention.
"Uh, I must have pressed down too hard." She chuckled nervously while reaching for a new pair while looking at her comrades.
Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow at his older sister's hand that was creeping closer to the Nara's, than the chopstick box.
"Temari!" a voice yelled to her from the end of the table. Temari quickly retracted her hand, in which disappointed the Nara, but he pretended like he was talking to Gaara the entire time."When I sent you to go get milk, I expected you to take 15 minutes not a whole fucking hour!" Kankuro slammed his hands on the table.
In a blink of an eye Temari jumped from the table and made her way over to Kankuro. "Listen here! You don't send me anywhere! You don't tell me what to do! I am the oldest of this damned family! I don't give a shit's tail if he's the Kazekage or not," Temari pointed her finger at a shocked Gaara. "When we are at home or anywhere outside missions or other shinobi related things you obey me! Got that!" She barked at Gaara and Kankuro.
"Hai…"
"Good. Tell them to put my food in a bento for me." She clapped Sakura on the back before grabbing her fan and storming from the restaurant.
"Mine too…" Shikamaru sighed before standing up and stuffing his hands in his pockets before following after Temari.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Temari didn't understand why the Nara boy followed her, nor did she jerk away when he grasped her hand.
"I'm not mad you know," Temari glanced up at him as they walked side by side, and unconsciously, hand in hand. "it's just a thing we do as siblings, you know the usual fussing."
"Nah, I never had any siblings, but I guess you could say that Ino and Choji, ha even Naruto and Sakura could be counted as my siblings."
They turned into a nearby grocery store. Shikamaru picked up a basket as Temari gave casual nods to the people who stopped to bow.
"It's true you know," Temari tightened her grip on his hand. "When we're at home they treat me like the older sister I am. Gaara doesn't try to pull the whole "I'm the Kazekage. You must obey me." act although, Kankuro does tend to forget his place." The fan mistress picked up a few spices, pork, noodles, sugar, and flour and placed them into the basket.
"Ha, I would love to see Naruto try to pull that with Sakura, hopefully he's smart enough not to." Shikamaru chuckled as Temari placed more items in the basket.
Wanting to get his deed over with, Shikamaru stopped when they reached the dairy section.
"Temari…"
Before Temari could look up to respond to him; she squeaked loudly as arms snaked around her waist, pulling her into a sturdy chest. Finding no other place to put her hands out of awkward position, Temari rested them on his chest as he used his thumb and index finger to lift her chin so her eyes met his. He rested his forehead on her metal plated one; the tip of his nose brushed hers.
"Temari…" the shadow manipulator breathed in her sent of a mixture of flowers and metal. "Temari, will you-"
Having her elite anbu scenes on alert, the fan kunochi roughly pushed Shikamaru away then brutally kicked him in the stomach, sending him crashing into the shelf of eggs. In haste, Temari did a split in time to doge several badly thrown shuriken and kunai.
A ray of purple and white flashed by her. Her fist tightened as she stared into angry brown eyes.
"Temari-Chan! How can you go around cheatin' on me with that bum, with your face as red as a tomato!"
Temari shifted uncomfortably. Had she been blushing that hard the whole time?
"Kimyona, shouldn't you be in school?" Temari looked around for the boy's foster mother. "Tem-Chan, its Saturday." Kimyona tossed his shaggy orange bangs out of his eyes. Then he completely stiffened.
"What a drag. I could have sworn pest like these had leaches now a days." Shikamaru stomped over to the two, covered in eggs. A thick shadow from him to the genin started to shorten as he drew closer. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around his stomach. "Man I need to get Sakura to check this out…" he slightly winced as he went to pick up the basket.
"Let's go to her now!" the words rushed out Temari's mouth. Kimyona's eyes narrowed.
"But what about-"
"It's fine I'll get Kankuro to do it. Right now we got to heal that bruise." Temari grabbed his forearm and dragged him out the store, making Shikamaru drop his jutsu.
Small hands bundled up in tight fist as brown eyes glared out the door which the exited.
"I'll get you soon enough… Pineapple head…"
Wow I'm kinda sad guys I get no reviews/comments on this story v.v *goes to emo corner* Anyway I'm sorry I took forever to update, so much has been going on. I had a butt load of test in school, and also my mom broke her leg AND got back surgery. So yeah I'VE been BUSY. But now I return to find no reviews/comments, I'm completely heartbroken you guys! Hopefully you guys will comment/review on this chapter.
Gaara: You people and you're non-commenting! Tch…