I'm not sorry about the Hiatus, as I've stated before. However, it is over now, and I introduce you to an entirely new chapter of ITS. I hope for your continued support and understanding for my absence. Other than that, enjoy.
BETA'D! GO LOVE HIM NOW!
Chapter 5
The Meetings
"A meeting between two beings who complete one another, who are made for each other, borders already, in my opinion, on a miracle"
The meeting had been pretty boring so far, Shikamaru concluded. It took him all of his strength to keep his focus on the men and women who were trying to dance around the subject and failed horribly. That was until a man in expensive clothing suddenly called attention to himself. He interrupted a speaker in the middle of his speech by raising a hand. Shikamaru couldn't identify him, but he immediately had the entire room silenced and from the looks of it he was from Suna. Judging from the traditional 'curtain-covered face' style the man wore, he had to be a higher-up. It didn't escape Shikamaru's notice how Gaara's eye twitched ever so slightly, most likely in annoyance. The man was old but obviously powerful and most likely not a friend of Gaara.
Not that he and Gaara actually got along well, but that was beside the point.
"My allies." The man with the grey curtain on the left side of his face said. "We have seen the activities of the group called Akatsuki. They have not only killed the Jinchuuriki of Iwa, but also tried to take the Jinchuuriki of Konoha hostage."
He spoke slowly, as if every word had great value. His voice was low and he held authority. Everybody was quiet, some even holding his breath. Shikamaru frowned, this wasn't good. Then the man continued after sharing eye contact with everybody in the room. "And recently, there has been an attack on our own Kazekage."
Shikamaru now understood the silences: the man had already decided what would be best for the villages, and was very skilled at convincing others. He didn't expect the following sentence though.
"My allies, you know this means war."
It was silent for a moment, and then every single member of the council started expressing different reasons. If they had been loud before he had said this, they were possibly even louder than before. War was word that people hated: They were alright with violence as long as the same things would happen but there was no downright proclamation of war. Shikamaru just frowned though and waited what the man had to say.
The man spoke suddenly, and all sound died as he did. "My friends, you are merely afraid of the word war." He said again, holding his right hand up to emphasis the words as his eyes spoke passion in a way Shikamaru didn't know. "But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer. War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war is worse."
"However, my allies, this doesn't have to mean that we should go to war against the Akatsuki. This doesn't have to have negative consequences for us. As long as we stay in control."
The entire room was quiet again, taking in the every word from old man as if he was a god. He seemed to know the art of speaking, or rather by manipulating a crowd. Shikamaru was somewhat surprised to see Kakashi drop his book, and motion his students to stay quiet.
"When our people are used as mere human instruments for throwing kunai or making hits in the service and for the selfish purposes of a master, it degrades a people. However.." The man paused, and Shikamaru could already guess his words. He saw Gaara grit his teeth. "..Sometimes, in a war to protect other human beings against tyrannical injustice – a war to give victory to their own ideas of right and good, and which is their own war, carried on for an honest purpose by their free choice – it is often necessary, the means of our rejuvenation."
He stopped and Shikamaru felt again that the entire room were releasing a breath. Then Gaara spoke, calm, his voice however was strong and almost with venom. "Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war. Turning people into instruments of war… I am a living example of how far it can go."
An elder woman from Konoha, spoke. "But are you not the Kazekage? Becoming an instrument of war, as you call it, brought you to greater heights, and protected your city from more than one disaster."
Gaara narrowed his eyes. "Have you forgotten, dear elder, how I was before I was forced to see reason? Have you forgotten how I rampaged through your village and slaughtered some of your men?" He asked her, but the woman didn't really seem taken aback. Of course, for her, what were a few 'causalities'? If Gaara hadn't gone berserk and ruined the plan prematurely, Sound and Suna might have won. No, Shikamaru realized, the woman didn't mind at all, and it pained Shikamaru that he could see truth in her logic.
"She is right, Kazekage-sama. Without the power granted to you by your father, the power of a jinchuuriki, a human sacrifice, both Konoha and Suna would have lost much more innocent lives. Are you not a Shinobi? Sadly, death and horror is part of the job description." The Suna council member was up for the challenge, apparently, if Gaara's eyes spoke volumes. Hinata, who was sitting beside him, seemed to be the only person in the room who wasn't focused on the speaker, and Shikamaru began to see why she, of all people, had been chosen to be Konoha's ambassador.
The man didn't seem to notice the way Hinata calmed Gaara.
"A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. Maybe it is cruel to force one person into a premature death, but if it secures the safety of hundreds, or even thousands, it is a necessary sacrifice." He spoke slowly again, gaining followers with every word. The public opinion was shifting. This was the game of politics. "As long as justice and injustice have not terminated their ever-renewing fight for ascendancy in the affairs of mankind, human beings must be willing, when need is, to do battle for the one against the other."
Many nodded in agreement, among them a few Konoha council members.
Gaara wouldn't have it though. "I have seen war." He said, and everybody suddenly focused their attention on him, but he continued unfazed. "I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
"Who doesn't, Kazekage-sama?" A councilmember from Konoha said suddenly. "Are you implying that we want war for the sake of war? Because that is not the case. You and I both know that Konoha and Suna have both been confused for war hungry countries in the past. We created this alliance to get rid of that bloody past, and change our countries and reputations for the better."
She took a deep breath and cleared her voice before continuing. "The reason of this meeting is to decide our advice to our Kages, as the allied states of Fire and Wind. Let us choose for freedom and peace, because we can't gain it through sitting here and talking, but taking the lead for once."
Shikamaru noted that it seemed very contradicting to her earlier statements, and the Kazekage seemed to have picked that up as well, but Hinata's hand on his just out of sight kept his anger at bay.
The council member from Suna, that Shikamaru had now dubbed as the council member with the fancy clothes, agreed. "We make war so that we may live in peace."
An opinion that seemed to wake some other's as well. "No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare." Kakashi said. "I am not against war in general, but against an all out war. Preparing entire armies won't stop the Akatsuki, merely give way to others to follow in their footsteps as we destroy their homes in order to find them."
A Suna Jounin spoke this time. "The struggle against war, properly understood and executed, presupposes the uncompromising hostility of the proletariat and its organizations, always and everywhere." He said dismissively. "War isn't a good thing, but sometimes it is the only thing we can do. There will only be more terror if we allow them to grow even further!"
Shikamaru couldn't help but agree with him, like most of the others, but he knew just as well that what he was saying wasn't quite the truth.
"Therefore, whoever wishes for peace, let him prepare for war!" The councilmember with the fancy clothes said, twisting whatever statement he could get. He seemed to have most of the people agreeing with him. "There are always casualties in war, gentlemen — otherwise it wouldn't be war. It'd just be a rather nasty argument with lots of pushing-and-shoving."
Shikamaru was done analyzing the man. He was obviously very skilled, but also bend on war, a quick Blitzkrieg, destroying everything in its path for the sake of continuity of the village hidden in the sand, proud and ignorant enough to believe that he would succeed. He appeared very passionate and forgiving, and just because he called for war didn't mean he was an evil man. He was probably just very conservative, and didn't intend changing his policy just because some group was threatening his way of living. He was, as Tenzou would call him, a good man with false ideals. In other words: good riddance.
"There is no need to declare war." Gaara tried one more time, but he was overruled.
"Yeah!" Sakura, of all people, suddenly shouted. Team 7 seemed to share his opinion, but that didn't seem to work in Gaara's favor. The councilman with the fancy clothes didn't.
"You are still children." The Suna councilmember said, shaking his head ever so slightly. "You have not seen the face of war, you haven't experienced it's horrors nor it's triumphs. You don't know war, you wouldn't understand it."
The room seemed to agree with the man and forgot his argument. They weren't interested in his opinion anymore, due to team 7's almost childish support that had made his opinion seem unfounded and invalid. Gaara was seething with anger in his seat, and Shikamaru couldn't help but pity the guy.
He was no fool at politics. Just because he held the highest rank, didn't mean that he had the final word. No, he just bore the responsibility of choice that wasn't even his own. The man with the false ideals opened his mouth to say something, but Shikamaru didn't hear it as he suddenly felt a kunai coming at him with the intend to kill. He jumped out of the way without a second thought, landing on the street. So much for his disguise.
Just after he hit the ground, he fell again. Hard. But he didn't just fall, he was swept of his feet, and not just by anything: by a fan hitting his ankles. Hard to avoid when you're lost in thoughts. Tenzo-sensei would have his ass for it, but he decided to focus on his attacker instead.
A voice doomed up from beind him. "Who are you and why were you eavesdropping into the meeting?"
A woman, with a giant tessen. Really, it could only be one person. Somebody Shikamaru didn't know for attacking from behind. Maybe she was always this way to strangers, or she just had something against ANBU. He played along. "I apologize, I was merely making sure my objective, Miss Hyuuga, remained safe. My name is Raiu."
"A Konoha ANBU, I see. Subaku no Temari." She introduced herself, unknowingly for the second time. It hadn't become any less cocky, he noted though. "That still gives you no excuse for spying on our Kazekage."
"Sweet" He said, turning around again. "Now if you don't mind…" He didn't want to pick a fight with Temari.
He didn't know why he even expected her to let him leave. She didn't like losing and she didn't like being ignored. Really, he shouldn't have been surprised when he was swept of his feet by a powerful gust of wind.
"Your performance is weak, boy."She taunted. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you for attempted murder of the Kazekage."
He stood up, gracefully. Though his facial expression wasn't exactly pretty, not that she could see it with the mask on, but still. "We are allies. There is no need for Konoha to break that alliance." This time he didn't turn around and give her the advantage of attacking his back, but spread his legs ever so slightly, getting into battle position without making it painfully obvious.
Temari smirked. He knew she was enjoying it. 'Troublesome woman, why do you have to be so dangerous?'
Before he was even done thinking that, she was already preparing the next attack, apparently not believing a word of what he was saying. A fight was inevitable.
His mind started running. This was Temari: a Jounin-level kunoichi of Sunagakure, not a random objective. He couldn't use all his jutsu, he had to stick to standard ANBU stuff in order to maintain his identity. A genjutsu was out of the question: all his genjutsu were highly offensive, something not fit against an ally. Many of his Ninjutsu would be over the top as well: they were killing moves, not made for a spar. So he would have to rely on his Taijutsu – his worst skill – and the basic ANBU moves like the Kanashibari no Jutsu and maybe his katana.
The problem: everything was short to mid-range. A lethal zone when it came to Temari. That, and she was a keen analyst, and can easily deduce an opponent's strategies and weaknesses. She probably already knew an ANBU's weaknesses.
But he knew hers just as well, if not better.
She didn't give him much more time to analyze. But a second had been enough, he had formed a plan. The only thing he needed now was some time. 'Her tessen will strike in three, two, one…'
'Now.' And that, she swung her fan at him with great strength and hit just where he stood.
Well, it would've hit if he hadn't used the time to jump out of the way. She swung her fan again, now this time closer to him, and tried to hit him with it again. The movement was much faster than he remembered from the chuunin exam, but he was still able to dodge it by jumping to the left.
"Stop avoiding me, boy. Doesn't Konoha preach the will of fire?" She stopped momentary to yell at him. It was just a second, but it was long enough. He jumped over her this time to avoid the incoming hit and landed just behind her, kicking her shoulder hard in the progress.
She immediately lowered to the ground after the hit. "So you actually can fight!" She said, and swung her fan around in an attempt to hit his ankles and sweep him of his feet. He jumped out of her reach just in time.
He landed in front of her, but just out of reach of her attacks. "Just because I don't like to fight, doesn't mean I can't." He replied, starting to sound cocky as well. She took their distance to take the time to open her fan, revealing all tree the moons, meaning it was at full strength. In a strong motion, she created a whirlwind. Shikamaru dodged. Or, so he thought.
Instead he fell. Hard. The surge of wind had been a little bit stronger than he had originally expected it to be, he thought as he lay dazed for a split second. He got up again, and calculated her next strike. Her wind manipulation was obviously much stronger than it had been before. The only way now was up. Thank Kami he was good at air attacks.
With another jump, he jumped a little bit higher, avoiding another whirlwind in the progress. But this time he didn't fall, but landed on top of her fan. It was probably a hilarious sight to behold. Temari seemed slightly startled by the unexpected movement. Before she had the chance to throw him off her fan, he kicked her in the chest, sending her against a wall in the progress.
She hit the sand stone wall with a sound, but that was not the sound that brought him out of his concentration.
Shikamaru was momentarily distracted by the shouts that emanated from the rapidly growing crowd in streets. He suddenly remembered they were not fighting in some training ground or in the chuunin stadium, but in an average street, with houses and stores, and let's not forget: people. He expected scolding, but he was proven wrong. Cheers of encouragement erupted from the crowd so loud that his attention was momentarily called away from the fight. A lethal mistake in battle. His sensei would have his ass for it. Temari's fan swept out in a wide, graceful art, connecting with his shoulder, throwing him off balance. He fell ungracefully, flat on his back, sucking in deep breaths of air from the pain.
He had his head straight with just enough time to roll away from something that could have possibly ended this fight and his life permanently: Temari's leg. Avoiding another kick from the left, he used the slight opening in her defenses to deliver a kick of his own, getting back on his feet in the same movement.
The next three minutes continued at the same pace: They would dodge each other's attacks until either one of them took a hit, and the other made a counter attack. The battle went on in a blur, and Shikamaru found himself unable to recall why his leg was bleeding as he stood with cold indifference at his loss. She had taken some good hits as well, and blood was staining her battle kimono.
The crowd growing and kept cheering louder with each hit, and it seemed the group was already dividing and picking sides. While regaining some distance between them, he unshed his katana. It was time they started playing on equal ground, after all.
He remembered his first lesson: don't swing around, make every strike count. He reappeared in front of her with a speed he hadn't used before and a sudden Ting! made the crowd grow quiet. She had dodged his blade just in time with her tessen, but he could see in her eyes, now he stood so close to her, that she hadn't expected the katana nor the speed.
His speed and her short moment of immobility gave him just enough time to kick her ankles, throwing her on the ground for once. His strategy was based on time. He had known she had no idea how fast ANBU were, and since Tenzo-sensei had drilled speed in him like a tyrant, he was even faster. All this time, he had waited until he had an opening to unshed his katana and strike, but doing it so that she wouldn't expect him to be this quick. He had to deceive her, simply put.
She was quick to recover, though. Slightly irritated as well, it seemed. She raced forward and charged him with her fan.
Clang!
Ding!
Ting!
Clank!
The sound of a metal against metal filled the streets as the crowd watched silently. Swords weren't common in Suna, so for a population that loves fighting this was a great opportunity to watch a battle between steel.
With renewed fervor, she used her fan as a club and dueled his katana as a sword. A very large and dangerous sword.
He figured she had decided the best defense was attack. She was strong, and her fan was huge and heavy. Her hits didn't cut, but they hurt a lot more.
However, there was one problem with fighting with something as heavy as her tessen: it made your movements slower. After one particular large swing, he took his chance and jumped up , out of the way of her attack.
If he had stood in front of her he would've seen her eyes widen. But he didn't because he suddenly doomed up behind her. In one fluid movement his blade was against her neck, drawing some blood from the small cut. All their movements stilled as he breathed three little words in her ear.
"Come with me."
Then she hung her head down slightly: the sign she admitted defeat, that this trilling, troublesome fight was finally over.
It was as if the entire crowd had been holding their breath during the entire fight, and when it ended, released it together with Shikamaru. It was as if all tension was suddenly gone. People started to talk again, reliving the battle with each other, disappearing slowly from the streets.
Temari didn't protest when Shikamaru used shunshin on both of them, transported them back on the roof of the building with a clear view of the converance hall where a battle of politics was still raging.
He reappeared in front of her and smirked cocky. And although she couldn't see it behind his mask, he was certain she knew it. She wasn't exceptionally happy she had lost, but she didn't seem unhappy either.
A strange smile appeared on her face. It confused him.
"I'm sorry for the fight, and I'm sorry for the confusion. I assure you that I intend no harm towards Suna or it's Kazekage."
"Save your bullshit for another time. I know exactly what your real orders were. And I can't blame Konoha for wanting to gain a reliable report on the meeting. That Hyuuga girl is too weak to do her duty and I don't need to see Kakashi's report to know it would be too biased."
"So basicly you were planning to do the exact same thing as me, but when you saw me sitting here and taking up the obviously perfect spot, you tried to scare me off by challenging me into a fight?" Shikamaru deducted, and Temari just blinked, not even that surprised that he had figured it out in so little time. "Why didn't you just ask? We are allies, as I mentioned before we wasted time and energy. My country doesn't only preach the will of fire, but also teamwork."
"I guess a little part of my soul believed that there might have been a chance that you could harm my little brother. It's part of being an older sister, I guess."
He wasn't thrown off by her remark, though slightly flattered. He still wanted to know though. "Now tell me why you were so persistent to fight me?"
"You tell me, genius." She said, the mysterious smile bordering to a triumphant one this time, but still plastered on her face. "I'm not naïve like those children that you call your colleagues. No better way to find out how a clock ticks than to hit it a few times. I won't just trust anybody with a leaf Hitai-ate."
They settled in silence after that, but Shikamaru has some trouble in focusing on the meeting with Temari sitting next to him after everything that had just transpired between them. For him it was not normal to go from fighting to friends in a minute, and it left Shikamaru in a state of mild confusion. 'She sure is something' He thought about bringing it up, but immediately decided against it. One fight a day was more than enough. She wouldn't say anything more anyway, so why bother?
Besides, Tsunade would probably already kill him for 'picking a fight' with the Kazekage's sister, so if he wanted to live, he better not add another mistake to that list. Lesser fights equals lesser spectators equals a smaller change of the news reaching the Hokage and therefore a higher survival chance for him.
He absentmindedly registered that the crowd beneath them were talking about gory details with each other, and it was only when one of them mention the liquid, that he noticed that he was bleeding. He examined his wound: they weren't that bad. It had been obvious during the fight that neither of them had been even close to going all out, but still, there had been some damage on both sides.
While applying some basic medical jutsu on his wounds, he was surprised to find himself looking forward to their next fight. It confused him.
A worthy challenge indeed.
He was brought out of his musings when Temari started cursing. "I'm starting to hate that man."
Shikamaru arched an eyebrow, though that wasn't visible behind his mask. "That man…?"
"The one who is speaking now." She explained, and motioned him to be quiet.
It seemed that the man with the false ideals who's words had bothered Shikamaru before also irked Temari.
"War is not a pathology that, with proper hygiene and treatment, can be wholly prevented." He said, drawing all eyes on himself. If this had been a fight, he was now preparing for the final blow. Shikamaru had a feeling that he had missed out on something. "War is a natural condition of the State, which was organized in order to be an effective instrument of violence on behalf of society. Wars are like deaths, which, while they can be postponed, will come when they will come and cannot be finally avoided."
Gaara kept silent, slightly at the loss of words, though not entirely defeated. The man smirked slightly before concluding his speech. "Therefore, we must declare war now, for postponing will only make things worse. War, my allies, is inevitable."
"He goes under the name of Bakari Kahaku (1), and he is one of the most important men in Suna." Temari whispered during the man's pause. "I don't like him though, he doesn't fight. He can talk very convincingly though."
He grunted. "I noticed."
"But still, you weren't deceived." She countered, slowing her pace to look him in the eye, which was kind of hard to do through the tiny holes in the mask. "That, the fact that you can see through his seemingly noble and 'good' words, makes you quite smart."
"Why thank you." He muttered back sarcastically, yet somehow it made him able to focus better on the conversation beneath them.
"Like I said before" Gaara said, once again drawing all attention on him. "There is no need to declare war."
"Like I said before, you are too young to understand war. It could walk right in front of you and you wouldn't recognize it." The man said, sternly, as if scolding a young child. "If you wish for peace, understand war."
The man made a valid point, and somehow the words reminded him of a hit by Temari's fan. He remembered to get up and jump quickly, avoiding the next attack and launching one of his own. He hoped Gaara had sparred once with his sister, but he doubted it.
It surprised both of them when Hinata suddenly raised her voice.
"Since I am an immature and naïve young woman, war and unrest appeal less to me than peace and order." She replied without making it seem mockingly, mimicking Bakari Kahaku's behavior from earlier by making a small pause, making people wait for his words and savor every one of them. Shikamaru knew that they had not expected her to use the other's accusations to her own advantage, or speak for that matter. But Hinata came from a clan were internal battle was as common as breathing and just like in a physical battle, you must dodge your enemies attack from whatever position you're in. Even if that meant overcoming your pride sometimes. "But even as an inexperienced child, I can see something. Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die."
At the end people stared at her, some surprised, others skeptic and a few expectant. Even Shikamaru and Temari were surprised, but the way a smile was creeping up his 'ally's' face made Shikamaru feel once again like he was missing out on something.
Hinata seemed a little bit too self-conscious, but looked Bakari Kahaku directly in the eye nevertheless. A challenge? The man didn't seem fazed though, only slightly irritated.
The woman from the Council of Konoha spoke first though. " I agree with you girl." She said, and Shikamaru was slightly irritated that she was trying to bend poor Hinata's statement in her advantage. "I am sick and tired of war. It's glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither killed a man nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell."
Gaara seemed about to tell her that she misunderstood, that she was twisting her words, but a sign from Kakashi kept him quiet: He would handle the woman.
He cleared her voice and spoke with fierce determination. "I agree with Hinata-san as well, but not with you." He said, and many looked at him bewildered. "It takes two sides to make war. It only takes one side to make a massacre. In a certain way, there is no way around this war, this bloodshed. However, as Kazekage-san tried to say in the last meeting, there is no need to declare war."
Apparently Kakashi had instructed Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto to remain quiet unless he signaled them, because they seemed to watch his every movement in the hope of a sign. They kept quiet though. Bakari spoke."I agree on the first part. There is no way around war if we want to survive, but is it is necessary to act nevertheless. What do you mean to do?"
When Kakashi was about to explain what they meant, but somebody else interrupted him.
"War does not end strife - it sows it. War does not end hatred - it feeds it." The Konoha Council woman obviously didn't agree with Kakashi. "For those who argue war is a necessary evil, I say you are half right. War is evil, but it is not necessary. War cannot be a necessary evil, because non-violence is a necessary good. The two cannot co-exist."
The councilmember from Konoha had interrupted him. Shikamaru suddenly understood something. Kakashi could have cut her off, but didn't. I remembered him ofsomething from his training: 'Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.' Even if said mistake ironically was an interruption. So Kakashi let the woman continue digging her own grave.
"There is always an enemy to fight." He said when she finished speaking. "Today we have to fight. Doing nothing will destroy us, and there is nothing to argue about that. But we don't have to declare war. We could also try to take them down one by one, instead of creating battlefields. Elite troops taking down Akatsuki one by one."
He heard Temari snorting besides him, but waited for the woman's defense. "You say that war is not necessary, but the problem is that if we don't act now, they will start a war. And they will not think about the families who will be left behind, or the bloodshed they will cause. They will go for destruction. So in order to avoid it, we must not use it ourselves, but nevertheless act!"
"You cannot kill evil without evil, the only way to do so is from within." The elder said, not wavering from her point.
"That woman is a fool, for the right purposes though." He muttered.
"Yes, I can see that she obviously has seen many wars, and turns a blind eye to the need to protect ourselves in order to preserve the peace." Temari muttered in agreement "A noble but foolish goal. I hate politics though. Everybody has their own agenda."
Shikamaru was about to retort, but then out of the blue, Sasuke spoke. "Then why won't we do that?" He said, looking her in the eye with a killer intent Shikamaru hadn't seen him direct at someone in a long time. He was dead serious, and it was obvious that Kakashi was not pleased with his pupil.
Some people tried to ask what they meant, but the two of them continued just looking at each other with obvious disgust that Shikamaru couldn't quite place. Eventually the woman averted her eyes.
It was Sasuke who spoke again. "If we want to prevent death by war, than what is a little sacrifies, right?" His words contained a cynical venom, and no one even dared to interrupt the frightening 15 year-old. Kakashi kept quiet though he didn't look exactly pleased, but Naruto and Sakura seemed to know exactly where he was talking about, he figured by the way they glared just as hard at the woman.
The starting continued, and gave Shikamaru the time to over think Sasuke's words. 'Akatsuki... Uchiha Sasuke is angry, Sakura and Naruto support him fully, yet Kakashi doesn't. The councilwoman seems to know something that can't be said out loud…'His mind came up with several conclusions, but none of them seemed logical.
It was kind of ironical though. "It is funny to see them argue against war."
Temari averted her eyes from the conversation to loch hers with his, confused. "Why? Nobody likes war and bloodshed that much."
"Team 7 does." Shikamaru deadpanned. "They might not take pleasure from the killing itself, but it is what they do. I don't think they even realize that they were born for warfare."
Temari's eyebrow ached up in a demanding fashion. "It's what we all do, we are shinobi, we kill people for a living."
"They don't kill people, they defeat nameless beings." Shikamaru explained, not meeting her searching eyes. She could see his eyes behind his mask, but that didn't mean that he would give her the pleasure of eye contact. She wouldn't understand anyway, nobody did. "I have seen them fight once, they count their kills during battle like they are playing a game. It's cruel and yet so innocent."
"I guess that's how you call a true child of war." Temari mused silently to his surprise, sounding slightly awed and a bit disgusted. "And if it is true what you say, than that explains why Kakashi isn't really using his name to make sure there won't be a war. We both know he could do it."
Shikamaru just shrugged. "He is obviously more than willing to fight another war." They paused to watch Kakashi do nothing to help his students, which he could have easily done. Temari was right, even Kakashi had his own agenda. "And I thought I was twisted."
"'Makes you feel better?" He heard a soft, amused chuckle escape his companion, but didn't join her.
"No, because this is what we all could become in just a matter of time." He said, dead serious, and Temari's joy vanished as well as he spoke. "But look at them, they are smiling, interacting like a tight happy family. Maybe losing your humanity isn't as bad as they say, it just doesn't fit in our countries' propaganda."
The war of words raged on beneath them, but both of them were losing their focus. Shikamaru understood why Tsunade had send team 7: to intimidate Suna with their power. Be it the strength of their passion, or their ability in combat.
Temari nodded solemnly, not one to deny a good statement. "I guess you're right, but it doesn't feel okay."
"Then let's promise never to let it get that far."
It didn't matter that they didn't even know each other that well. Shikamaru was pretty sure that by now Temari had either recognized him to some extent, or accepted him as a partner in their 'mission', and it felt nice and safe. They were both human, and both smart enough to see the world be fooled around them. They were both young, without any influence but with ideals, as twisted as they may be.
It didn't matter that they didn't know each other before this. When he heard Temari mutter 'I promise', he knew it wasn't only a promise to him, but also to herself. Because in the end, a shinobi was only true to himself.
Their musings and strange intimacy was broken when Sasuke and the councilwoman were taking their fight to new proportions. Sasuke's fists were balled and his words had lost any tact they had held before. The woman's arms were crossed, defensively.
She spoke "So we will be sending people to a certain death by infiltrating? Akatsuki is strong, even if a small squad would be able to take down one member, another one would take them out. It would kill our defenses if we would feed them our ninja's like that."
It was obvious that Sasuke in particular was not pleased with the woman, and this was definitely not what he had meant, but she wasn't an experienced politician for nothing; turning around statements was something that had to come like a second nature for her by now.
However, she had unknowingly given Kakashi a chance now. "I am not talking about sending ninja to them at random, nor did I hint that we should throw all our forces into the fight."
"He is right." Gaara said, looking at him for a split second before addressing the crowd.
Shikamaru saw an understanding look passing between them, signaling that they had a plan. "Anything but small operations would merely weaken our defenses and give them an advantage to strike from behind. We should not create bloody battlefields as seen in the past Great Shinobi War nor wait for them to attack us, because we will be crushed."
Bakari Kahaku decided to speak, and although Gaara held quite the air of authority, it couldn't match his. "So then, what do you propose, my lord?" He said, addressing him as a superior in a way of mocking him.
It obviously annoyed Temari to no end, but Gaara remained professional on the outside. "Instead we should send small squads, trained to counter exactly the attacks of the Akatsuki member they track. That way we avoid public problems but eliminate the thread of Akatsuki."
Kakashi's plan obviously was working out too, for he spoke too eagerly after that statement. "That is why they will have to drive the two members apart, so they can fight them separately. A small group of, let's say four shinobi, would be able to take them down much easier than half an army." It was painfully obvious what he implied, and Shikamaru resisted the urge the wince at his uncharacteristic lack of tact.
"Such missions could maybe only provide us some time, and in the worst case it would downright backstab us. Small groups might not be enough." Bakari spoke, smiling kindly at Kakashi although Shikamaru couldn't quite trust his smile to be true.
The woman who had been practically silenced by Sasuke spoke again. "Still, who would volunteer for such a mission? It is almost cruel to send one to a certain death without any result." The councilwoman looked kind of smug, knowing that one of the requirements of becoming a politician was to value your own life to some extent.
However, she had overestimated the sanity of team 7. "We would!" Naruto announced to the room, and Kakashi looked smug as well, for obvious reasons.
Some people, who didn't know them, laughed. Others looked at them incredulously, as if doubting their state of mind. "You?" Someone asked. Naruto, who had spoken, motioned his team, and Sakura waved back rudely. "Yes, team 7. You've got a problem with that?"
The councilwoman seemed close to livid. "Sending a Jinchuuriki right into Akatsuki's arms… is madness!" She practically screamed.
And though Shikamaru thought it was kind of amusing in a very dangerous way, he couldn't stop himself from hoping somebody would interfere before nobody would take them seriously anymore. He had a vague idea what a jinchuuriki was, and he'd rather not spend the rest of the meeting discussing that. Luckily, Kakashi interfered. "You underestimate my team, Utatane-san. They are very capable of doing their job."
"They are mere Genin!" It was obvious that Utatane was not aware of team 7's achievements. But then again, somehow nobody in Konoha seemed aware of it.
"But their skill level exceeds most Jounin."
"I would." He looked up to his right, his glance questioning Temari's statement.
She glared back at him defiantly. "For me, there is a lot more at stake than for an ANBU like you. If they'd just let me attend to that fucking meeting, I would be able to help them."
"Why weren't you invited, then?"Shikamaru asked.
"Because only one of Gaara's advisors is allowed to be there. Today was Kankurou's turn, the guy with the purple make up to his left. But did you hear him speak even once? He might as well missed out on it." She raised her voice to a level that made her sound like a bitter bitch that wanted revenge, and Shikamaru assumed that spying on the meeting was her way of taking it. He wanted to ask something when suddenly someone in the room voiced that Bakari was gone.
Shikamaru cursed himself for being so distracted by his companion not to notice it. But he had little time to berate himself because a man stormed into the room, screaming. A deafening scream and desperate words that Shikamaru could barely hear. Suddenly everybody seemed to forget what they were doing or what they were meant to do, and panic arose.
Many started to talk loudly and nobody could really understand each other. Until Kakashi yelled at the top of his lungs. "SILENCE!"
All movements stilled.
However, he had no more time to keep the quiet. Suddenly the sound of explosions came from every direction, and Shikamaru could see from his position that every gate had been blown up at the same time.
"Shit." He cursed, as he felt himself being transported off the roof not a second to late. The roof that they had previously occupied was ripped of the building by a magnificent explosion. He could barely hear the panic on the streets as his ears ringed from the loud boom that went along with it. The smoke clouded the streets and the sky, but they didn't keep Shikamaru from picking up the trace of a small messenger bird.
"Thanks." He muttered to Temari, who had saved them just in time.
"No problem." She said, not really looking at him, but checking her equipment. Other than her fan and a few shuriken, she was unarmed, and Shikamaru had not much more than his sword. This did not seem to stop Temari from preparing herself for combat. "Now return the favor and help me. Follow me!"
Shikamaru stopped her before she ran off. "This is obviously a distraction." He said, sending her a meaningful glance.
"So you are implying that…?" She muttered, cursing under her breath.
"Yes." Shikamaru nodded, and faltered his grip on her arm. "We have to locate your brother and Naruto right now." He said with finality.
They shared a short glance before Temari took the lead and ran into the still smoking ruin that once had been a prestigious building.
By the time that he and Temari had found Kankurou, standing somewhere out of the village at a bloody battlefield, there wasn't a trace of Gaara. Kankurou told them how a white bird had suddenly appeared out of the smoking roof, paralyzed Gaara and taken him away. He shared a look with Temari, who, unlike most of the others, seemed to have regained her calm. She nodded.
He motioned Team 7, who had arrived shortly before him, towards them and gathered the six of them out of hearing range of the riot that was starting to form. Over there, they formulated a plan, while others just randomly chased the dot in the air that grew smaller and smaller, as it flew away.
However, something else flew away from Suna without them knowing. A messenger hawk made its way towards Konoha, a declaration of war against Akatsuki within his strong claws. Nothing seemed to stop him from flying at high speed towards his objective. His keen eyes spotted tree after tree when he neared the village within the Leaf, seeing them increase with every mile he covered.
And then, suddenly, he felt a throbbing pain in his stomach and he saw no more. He fell mid-flight.
The dead bird was skillfully caught by a lion that seemed to have been drawn to life.
- To be Continued -
Notes:
Bakari Kahaku means 'only words' or 'merely speech'. Yes, I translated it myself, so no comments. I just wanted to make a pun. I would love to tell you who he is, but all I can really say is that he is not an OC.
Adolf Hitler: I quoted him at least three times in this fic already, but you'll never expect the lines to be his. I did this on purpose, because though he was evil, he was a master at manipulating in politics. At first, his words don't seem wrong, and that's why he came so far. That's just a history fact, because I am a history geek. I also quoted Churchill and Ghandi, and a few others. It took me some time to make sure their words don't fall out of the storyline, but I think I succeeded. Adding stuff like this makes my inner geek happy, so I can go back at being superficial. ( XD )
Shikamaru's fighting style: As you might have noticed, Shikamaru jumps a lot. Why is that? Because he uses speed and kicks in Taijutsu, and it's easier to do so when you jump. He hardly ever punches or uses his fist, because it brings his body too close to his opponent. The opponent would be able to hit him faster if he comes too close to him, and time is what Shikamaru needs the most. He needs time to think and analyze, which is the reason why he chooses speed and kicking over strong series of punches. He isn't exceptionally strong, an ANBU doesn't need to be. Flexibility and speed are a lot more important. As you saw, Shikamaru used no jutsu in this fight. Mostly because he didn't have time for it, or it would either give him away or kill her on the spot. (he's an assassin, he wasn't made for a friendly spar) His Kenjutsu style, in the end is important, though. Think of him as a thunderstorm, that's where I based his movements on when it comes to kenjutsu. Shikamaru had the upper hand on Temari with Kenjutsu, but Temari could beat him in Taijutsu. I hope I explained everything thoroughly.
His ninjutsu and genjutsu style will be revealed later.
The meeting and political games: As you have seen, the 'councilman with the fancy clothes' played quite a few games. By romanticizing war, he justifies it. The Konoha councilmember played on other's feelings to convince them to do nothing. In politics, it's about action-reaction. People shape their opinions, and are forced to believe they have to choose either side. Shikamaru explained a few tricks during the chapter but not nearly all have been mentioned. I didn't go too far with the political shit, because not everybody enjoys it as much as I do. Many of you might not get the point of the meeting, but you (might) will in the future.
Also, a little note on my request in the previous chapter. When I say that I want reviews, I don't mean that I want 10 messages in my inbox saying: Update now. Thanks for the support, and yes, it helps, but what I want is your opinion. One person telling giving me a good review is worth so much more than 20 short ones.
Perfection isn't a road, it's a collaboration. Only with your opinion I can make this story a good one.
If you liked or hated a particular part, or have an idea for the story, tell me so. I need to know if I get the point of this story across, especially in the earliest stages.
… Though still, thanks for reviewing. It brightens my day.
EDIT: Forget I ever complained about you, I love you! I got 4 amazing, constructive reviews in one day! That is more than I aim for! THANK YOU!