The Wolf and the Hunter

She gazed at his car screen to check the time, it was already 11:44 in the evening, close to midnight. They were driving the path leading to the police department to check her brother's letter. Her fingers pricked the dried skin from her chapped lips while her mind floated on an empty void. The absence of pain from the sting of her sore lips confirmed that she embraced her numbness.

Shikamaru glanced at her every once in a while, to check if she was doing okay. Temari's wrists have red line marks with a speck of blood drawn from the pressure of the handcuff's ghost. He rubbed his mouth and released a heavy sigh when the feeling of guilt stirred inside of him. The leather seat crunched when he fixed his position, then he gripped the stirring wheel tighter while internally blaming himself for hurting her that night.

His right hand hovered over her thigh while he moistens his now-dried lips. Temari clenched his hand tightly and removed it away from her.

Shikamaru cleared his throat, a tear starts to form in the corner of his eyes, he kept his face straight and hide all the emotions that he was having at that moment. He hates himself that night, he hates how his body expressed these reactions freely, taking control of his entirety, without asking for his consent.

And aside from that, he was scared. Probably he just lost her that night, a phase of denial occupied his mind about the revelation he just witnessed, that Temari was just there, in his life to seek revenge.

"We're almost there" he said

No words escaped from her mouth, just silence….like she wasn't there.

So, none of it was true?...the kiss? The touch? The talks that we had? How she caressed me? How she holds my hand? How she smiled at me? Those weren't real?

His heart sank after he slowly realized the truth.

That he is just a nobody to her. He released a faint chuckle after grasping the fact that death was less painful than accepting the love they once shared was nothing but just lies.

They arrived at the police station. Temari immediately left his car and storm her way to the entrance door. Shikamaru slowed his pace and shook his head while locking the car in the parking lot. He slides both hands inside his pocket to resist the urge to hold her because if he did, he might lose himself again.

He lead their way up to the second floor of the establishment, heading to his desk where he kept the photocopy of Kankuro's suicide letter. The original was kept inside the evidence room where it was locked every after shift.

Her eyes explored the four corners of their department, she released a faint gasp of horror when she saw her picture hanging on the corkboard of the room. She flickers her eyes to see it clearly without leaving her spot.

How long did my picture pin in there?

How long?

The other evidence pinned on the same board was dated a month ago, a slight confirmation that her picture was displayed in there longer than she expected.

And he still trusts me?

She clenched his fist tightly inside her coat, battling to release any emotion linking to him.

"Here's your brother's letter" he broke the silence

Without gazing at his face, she pulled the paper from his hand.

"We couldn't decipher it. It looks like that someone close to him may translate what was written inside" Shikamaru said while leaning his body against the divider.

Temari stared at the yellow-stained paper with black ink pressed in Kankuro's writing. Her lips start to quiver after holding a piece of thing that his brother last touched. She starts to read his suicide letter and notes all the words that were written inside.

Bright yellow and red hues from the sunset wrapped around the golden desert before the darkness of the night stole the brown sand.

My eyes glared at the sun slowly setting on the horizon before the darkness covered its entirety.

I'm always afraid of the night, it always seems empty...and alone.

I saw a brown wolf wandering over the desert night, his furs were shining from the bright moon rays.

His howl feels like he's calling my name to join him and walk through the night.

And in a glimpse of a moment

My feet followed the brown wolf tracks.

We passed through my red spider lily which I adored and loved. My strong, strong spider lily, always stands tall in the harsh environment of the dry desert. I wanted to stay and take care of it but the danger is already following us, the wolf hunter is now walking behind. So, I decided to leave and walked with the brown wolf.

My eyes glanced to the other side, my yellow dandelion slowly slipping away from my sight. My beautiful, beautiful yellow dandelion, is the symbol of my joy and happiness. A pretty façade can be masked by its strength and power. I want to hold it for the last time but I just sent a kiss of goodbye.

My spider lily and my yellow dandelion, take an eye on the wolf hunter.

I admit my guilt by leaving and following the brown wolf in the endless void of night.

I am at my peace; I am with my Nirvana. I'll always pray and seek your absolution.

I love you.

Temari knew exactly the message that Kankuro wanted to express in his letter. She knows him so well that every word struck her heart as if it was whispered through her ears with his voice. His words instantly decoded inside her mind.

Night? …. Death?..suicide?

Brown wolf?...Kiba?

Red spider lily?...Gaara?

Yellow dandelion?...me?

Wolf hunter?...who's the wolf hunter?

Her hand rested on the back of the swiveled chair for support, she could feel her body might fall anytime after reading his letter. Temari wanted to hug his brothers so badly at that moment, her poor little brothers who she always protects and loved. But only their absence was her company that night.

The air scarce her lungs from the splurge of emotion, her back slowly gliding the wall down to a sitting position on the carpeted floor, her knees bend and her head buried.

She felt useless.

Temari realized that there was another person who caused the death of her brother and the reason why Gaara was now hiding. Kankuro was warning her about the person who he defined as the wolf hunter. And this may be the reason why Gaara called her and ask to leave Konoha.

"Kankuro" she wailed his name

"I should have died and not you"

"If I was there, I should have protected you both"

Shikamaru clicks the back of his tongue in frustration. He wanted to tell her that it was not her fault and that she shouldn't think the way she thought tonight. But all he could offer was comfort because she was vulnerable tonight, especially for her brothers.

He slowly kneeled next to her while she wailed and wept on the floor. Hesitated to reach her hand at first but somehow, he managed to grasp them. He holds and warm her cold hands tightly while his gaze didn't leave her.

"You know it's not your fault" he rubbed his thumb through her skin while he whispered his words in her ears.

Pretending she didn't hear him, she looked away.

"Take me back to my apartment" in her firm tone. She wipes all of her tears and fixed his posture to stand up. Temari immediately removed her hand from his grasp.

"Just take a rest and skip your show tomorrow night. You need a rest Temari" he demands

Without glancing at him she spoke "I'm going to leave this city tomorrow. I'm not going back….never"

His fingers run through his hair after a cold tingling sensation crawled his skin. She'll leave the city, she'll leave him, and he wasn't even prepared.

"Temari. Can we just..talk..I need to—"

"It's not happening, I don't need to explain. I lied, I should be punished for tricking you, attempting to kill you and I'm the worst thing that happened in your life, you deserve your peace. End of story" She pats her clothes while saying her words. She fixed her face and restrained her tears from falling.

She immediately left their spot and walked towards the lot where his car was parked. Shikamaru pounds his desk lightly out of frustration as he claimed this is one of his worst nights.

They drove back and he walked her to her apartment, even though she told him not to do it, he still did. When they reached her door, he blocked it when she was about to close it.

"I'm going to be here first thing in the morning. We need to talk"

She turn her head to the side, avoiding him and his words when the metallic thing greeted her that was sitting on the table. Shikamaru placed the gun that she held earlier on her table. Everything seems to slow down after she glanced at it like it was teasing her to use it that night to resolve all of her problems.

"Temari? Are you listening?" he asked while her eyes focused on the thing that was sitting on the table.

Sweats start to form on her temples and the voices inside her head suddenly stopped, her fingers tingle when the splurge of urges wanted to touch the metal handle of her gun.

Kankuro? What it feels like? Joining the night?

Will I be seeing you tonight?

"Temari?" he spoke her name to break her attention but she didn't move. Shikamaru glanced at the spot where she was looking at. The silver gun was shining from the reflection of the moonlight. He knows what exactly running through her mind at that moment so he walked to the table and grab it.

"That's mine!" she shrieked

"Do you have papers to own this in Konoha? I bet not" he said while placing the gun on the empty leathered weapon holder in his belt.

Her jaw clenched and she runs towards him to redeem her gun "Keep away your hands out of my stuff! Get out!"

"I'm not fucking dumb Temari! I know what you wanted to do" he pinned her to the wall and restrain her arms against it.

"I told you to leave! Leave and I'll promise you, you're not going to see me again" she hissed

"And you think that will satisfy me!? Stop telling me what to do! You kept mumbling words that you know weren't true!" his grip tightens

"Slap me, punch me, put a bullet in my body I don't fucking care! But when you claimed that you're the worst person that has been in my life, you fucking insulted me!" he yelled.

She mockingly chuckled "You kept saying troublesome every time we're together. Don't fucking act like you cared about me, you just want to use me for your convenience! You're all the same! And I disgust people like you"

"I told you to stop mumbling lies!"

"Just fucking leave!" her voice shift into begging "I wanted to end everything. There's nothing left for me in this world"

Fear starts to linger in his body after hearing it. He rested his head on her shoulder and glided his palm in between her fingers, holding her hand tightly.

"Please stop…..Temari" he raised his head and cupped her face while pleading "I'm still here. I need you"

She grab his collar in an attempt to push him but her body failed her. Their eyes are locked while their heavy breath starts to become louder inside her apartment. Shikamaru reached for her lips and was surprised that she didn't resist.

"Please stay" he said under her breath

She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled away from the kiss. Temari realized that she had already been buried in the grave that she didn't intend to dig after hearing him pleading for her. After all this time, she loved him dearly.

"I'll do everything, I'll give your brothers justice. Just stay"

"Promise me...Please promise me" she whispered

"I'll give you my words. I promised"