I'm sorry this is a bit on the sloppy side! My attention span is practically non-existent sometimes! I just wanted to get this chapter written and over with. (Slightly longer one this time. I'm never sure how long I should make these chapters - so most of them are a bit short!)
Alluded a bit to Maki's backstory here - it was nice to see more on her, even if it was filler!
Again, faves and reviews are welcome and much appreciated! Thank you for reading!
She found Shikamaru surrounded by stacks of books, deeply immersed in a history of the Sand's last decade, his brows furrowed in concentration.
"Listen up!" Temari called out and he jumped, startled, along with Maki across the room. "I think I might have a plan." She thumped the large atlas she was carrying upon a table, pages open.
The ninja working at the front desk of the archives frowned at her for the disruptive noise, but appeared to think better of it after a moment when it seemed he realized just who it was he was frowning at.
Shikamaru stood and Maki followed suit, the two of them joining Temari at the table. "That went much more quickly than expected." Maki said with some relief.
"I knew you could do it - you know this place far better than I do." Shikamaru added.
Temari wondered, vaguely, if he'd been reading her thoughts. Her home would always be the Sand. He had to be aware of that, right?
She wished she could find some time to pull him aside and question him, but there were currently bigger things at stake.
"Here." Temari pointed a finger at a box upon the map of the southern area of the village.
"Old tunnels?" Maki asked. "I think I recall hearing about them from Pakura."
"Yes." Temari nodded. "I remembered my uncle telling me about them, years ago, too. I think they might have been closed off during the Third Shinobi War out of fear of intruders."
"So they lead outside of the village." Shikamaru said - pointing at a similar block near the east entrance.
They ran through the dusty streets to the south district, her heart pounding, wind whipping at their clothing as they jumped from rust-hued domes of rooftops and along walls.
"I'm no strategist." Temari muttered to Shikamaru when he was within earshot. "I just happen to have a sharp memory. I'm surprised you weren't the one to figure it out."
He glanced over to her and, somehow, the familiar scowl he wore felt reassuring to her. It was better than his recent, blank silence.
"Tch. Strategy is just assessing all of the possibilities you have in front of you. If I'd spent a longer time studying the geography of this place, I would have deduced there might've been caves, based on the plateau formations of this area. But I still wouldn't have known about the fact that the tunnels are a passage unless I thought to look at those maps. What I meant to say is that you're in your element, here, so it stands to reason you'd have a better strategy than I would, and… this conversation is a waste of energy." He grumbled off.
Chancing a look behind her at the view of the village, the sand in the air prickling at her face, she almost felt like smirking at his remark, but she sighed instead. The situation between them was still weighing heavily on her mind. "I guess you're right. It's my home, after all."
Temari wasn't sure about broaching the subject, but she had to ask. It was clear he did know how important the Sand was to her. With that suggestion he'd proposed the night before… (it rather dully hit her that it had been a proposal of sorts) did it mean he was intending to leave the Leaf, then? As confused and conflicted as Temari felt, she most certainly didn't want Shikamaru to do something like that.
"Do you-" Temari began.
"We're here!" Maki called out from ahead of them and they rushed to a halt.
They stood in the shadows of the high rock wall of the Sand Village, the storm raging above. Near the base of one of the cliffs was a blocked-off entranceway, marked with lines of sealing symbols.
As they moved closer to it, Maki ran a hand over the stone, inspecting it. "It's a good seal - it'd have to be. There's no easy way to get through it. If I attempted to unseal it by myself right now, the tunnels would probably collapse."
"Is it still possible to get through it, though?" Temari asked, still feeling slightly impatient and disgruntled at having her conversation abruptly ended.
"I think so." Maki said, frowning. "I'd have to put a team together. I'm not sure how long it would take us - hopefully a day or so."
"Then let's get to it!" Temari said determinedly, "Could you organize a team within the hour, Maki?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Maki said.
"Good!" Temari put on a grin, in spite of her feelings to the contrary. "I'll report this immediately. Shikamaru?"
"Hm?" He blinked. "Um. Yes?"
"You're dismissed for now. Get something to eat and rest up a bit more - you look like you need it." Temari had begun to realize that Shikamaru's silence stemmed not just from what was going on between them, but because he'd just been in the infirmary the day before and the lack of sleep was probably greatly affecting him. She wasn't usually so soft on people. Still, though, he was waiting on her reply. And she had no answer yet.
"Meet back up with me later at the offices and we'll discuss plans." She said.
"Understood." He nodded and took his leave. (And Temari was certain she heard him muttering something about "Too damned pushy." under his breath as he did so.)
At least he was acting somewhat more normally, now - though she would have to think up a way to repay him for that comment. She watched him retreating for a moment before she and Maki made their own way back to the center of the village.
"It might not be my place to say anything, but..." Maki spoke up as they arrived at the offices, "I hope things work out alright between you two."
"What?" Temari stiffened.
"I'm off!" Maki dashed off, "I'll have my team on the job directly!"
Temari found herself standing alone in front of the building, blushing to the roots of her hair. Had they really been so obvious? Well, most people were already aware of something going on between herself and Shikamaru, but, with the current situation…
With embarrassment, she all but stomped through the halls, wishing she had her fan at hand rather than having left it back at her apartment.