Nara Shikamaru stood by Temari's side during the funeral the next morning. It seemed as is the every shinobi of Konohagakure was there. Villagers were present in the funeral as well. At the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw Gaara, the Yondaime Kazekage and Temari's brother, speak quietly with Sakura. Shikamaru couldn't see his face, but saw Gaara shake Sakura's hand. Then he turned to Sasuke, who was standing beside Sakura, and spoke to him, although Shikamaru had no idea what he said. He peered closer at Sasuke, his former comrade who had fought on their side of the war, against his father, Uchiha Fugaku. He was wearing a loose-fitting robe and his feet were unusually barefoot. Bandages covered his chest, arms, and around his forehead. Shikamaru had heard that he had woken up from a coma the same day Kankurō had died. His eyes were distant, and his hands were motionless by his side. Even someone as smart as Shikamaru couldn't understand how Sasuke would change sides and kill his flesh and blood. He remembered how he, Ino, and Chouji, had defeated Asuma-sensei, who had been resurrected by Edo Tensei.

That was different though, Shikamaru was certain, and Sasuke had been an enemy himself. Naruto had told him that Sasuke wanted to destroy Konohagakure. So why wouldn't he do it? Why did Sasuke abandon his quest for vengeance? Shikamaru could tell there was something different about him – the energy around him was different. In their Academy years, Shikamaru had been wary of Sasuke. As young as he was, Sasuke was possessed by dark feelings, but it appeared now that those feelings were gone. Shikamaru watched as Sasuke and Gaara shook hands. Years before, Gaara had been bloodthirsty and cruel, but those feelings inside him had disappeared. Shikamaru wondered if there would be a time when he would trust Sasuke as his fellow Konohagakure shinobi again.

Shikamaru watched as the newly-made plaques were put on top of the Konohagakure shinobi who had died in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Shikamaru saw Kurenai standing close to Shino's and Kiba's graves next to their families. He saw her carrying a small bundle in her arms, and saw the small face of her daughter, whose name was Sarutobi Akebi. My future student, Shikamaru thought with a small smile. He turned back to Temari, and saw her heading to Gaara, who had the bodies of the dead Sunagakure shinobi floating in the air from his sand. Kankurō was one of them.

"Let's go, Gaara." Temari didn't glance Shikamaru's way, and before Gaara could reply she walked ahead of them toward the gate of Konohagakure. Shikamaru made a move to go after Temari, to explain that it was all right to grieve, but he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that Gaara was holding him back and he shook his head. Slowly, Shikamaru understood what Gaara was saying and then walked until the group had caught up with Temari to speak. Gaara was on either side of them. Apparently after the burial of his shinobi, Gaara had a Gokage Summit to go to decide the fate of Uchiha Sasuke. Shikamaru didn't say anything at first. He watched as Temari held her tears at bay and as she walked alone, never speaking. The trees that carved their path turned to sand, and somehow Temari tensed. She squeezed her fist and breathed rapidly as the miles grew and as Konohagakure became a distant memory. "I know what you're going to say, Shikamaru," Temari said. This is the first time that she's ever said my name, he thought. "That everyone in every shinobi village is grieving, and that I should cry with them." Temari faced him, and Shikamaru saw that her normal self-assured eyes were gone, replaced by emptiness. "But Sunagakure shinobi don't cry. We don't cry; we hold our feelings in. That is what makes us fierce, strong, and feared. That is what made Kankurō strong. Crying…is a weakness."

Gaara and the other Sunagakure shinobi were silent as Temari spoke. Shikamaru was quiet as well, observing the dark circles under her eyes, and her rapid breathing. He remembered how her voice shook at saying Kankurō's name. Crying is a weakness, huh? Shikamaru remembered how he had cried at Asuma-sensei's death. And what does that make me, I wonder?

Shikamaru's mission was done, it seemed. Sunagakure was in sight. As Gaara and the others walked through the wall of sand leading to the village, Shikamaru grasped Temari's shoulder to prevent her from moving, and she looked over to him with anger in her dark eyes. "I need to talk with you," he said.

"I don't need your counsel." She tried to break his grip on her, but Shikamaru didn't relent.

"Yes, you do." Shikamaru looked into her tired dark eyes. "You need to grieve, Temari. Even your younger brother, Gaara, who four years ago was a bloodthirsty psychopath, is able to acknowledge his feelings now even when you can't."

"You –" Temari began furiously.

"Crying is not a weakness." Temari fell abruptly silent, noticing he had a serious expression on his face, as opposed to his usual annoyed one. "Grief and sadness is an emotion, nothing more, Temari. You must grieve and become stronger to protect the future kings, which are the unborn children who will protect our villages from enemies like the Akatsuki and Uchiha Fugaku." Shikamaru stepped closer to Temari, and saw that her lips trembled. "And no matter what happens, you'll always be strong to me."

"What?" The long-held tears were now streaking Temari's cheeks. She remained motionless as Shikamaru broke the distance between them and embraced her.

"You'll always be strong to me," he whispered. He heard Temari's shaky laughs turn into racking sobs against his chest, and he didn't waver from her embrace. Eventually, she let go of him and started walking toward the wall of sand that lead toward the village of Sunagakure before saying a timid, "thank you." Shikamaru smiled, watching her back, and thought of what he had told her about kings. He never told anyone else besides his father what the kings meant to him and Asuma-sensei, and remembered Naruto's first question that the blond shinobi had asked him."So…you two are on a date?" Remembering his words to Temari, Shikamaru softly laughed. I guess I do have feelings for her. And I also promised her that when we meet again, we'll meet as fellow jōnin.