Updated: Rewritten and with quite a lot additions.
I hope you enjoy it.
Please, let me know what you think :)
Chapter 12: The Touch Of His Hand
Temari let her head rest on his shoulder, finally feeling at peace with herself. It was all so weird and new and atypical and… simply wonderful. She felt like she was taking her fateful place. She could sense his now peaceful breathing; the even and strong heartbeats resonated from within his rib cage. His fingertips lazily drew random patterns on her back, coaxing her to relax. Her eyelids grew tired and slowly closed. Soon, the effects of all the emotions fell heavy on her, and she drifted off to sleep.
"Temari," whispered Shikamaru against her neck, a warm breath caressing her tender skin.
"Mhm?" she purred.
"Let's get back to the camp and catch some real sleep," he suggested softly. "We haven't been away for more than an hour." His fingers stilled on her low back. "It's best to return while your brother's on duty."
She sighed. "Alright," was her reply; there was no evident attempt at moving whatsoever.
After a few gentle nudges, she finally lifted herself up and looked at him with dizzy teal eyes. His face was so close, and it was so calm… peaceful. Hadn't it been so dark, Temari could have taken a good look at his features for the very first time without being anxious or ashamed. He was a handsome man, at least according to her fluttering heart. His eyes held a warm gleam, and that made her smile. Leaning down, she kissed his lips lightly.
Lit up by the pale moonlight, Shikamaru's face showed the consequences of the heated make-out session from earlier. Temari smirked and reached to clean her lipstick off his skin.
"Right, now's better. I can't see colours well, but I'm sure pink is not yours," she told him through a chuckle while getting off his lap. Before that, however, she didn't miss the opportunity to grind down and watch his reaction. She wasn't left disappointed — he sucked in a sharp breath, shut his eyes closed, and bit his lower lip; he didn't mutter a word; he even didn't let out a sound.
Temari could already taste the game they were going to play during the mission. Carefully hidden from their teammates, they were going to make some exciting discoveries about each other — both about their characters and bodies. She felt the rapidly rising anticipation and excitement in her stomach.
She wasn't very patient in general, and when she had set her eyes on something, she didn't wait but acted. She just had to be sure about it. When it was about sex, she never bothered to lose too much time. But now… it was different. It wasn't only about sex to start with. Also, she knew it was worth the wait. Temari was certain it would resemble one of their best shogi games — every move made with thought, prediction, and calculation. She shivered with the turmoil.
When they were both standing, he grabbed her shoulder and spun her towards him. Smiling softly, he slid his thumb over her lips.
"Pink is your colour... And I am sorry there is almost nothing left of it…" He didn't sound sorry in the least.
An almost feral grin decorated her still slightly swollen lips. "It was totally worth it."
Shikamaru grabbed her hand, tangling his fingers with hers, and tugged her to follow him in the camp's direction.
"Nara Shikamaru, are you making an attempt at being romantic?" asked Temari mockingly.
"Attempting? Temari, really? Not even trying?"
She let out a laugh and quickly suppressed it, turning it into something between a chuckle and a snicker.
Shikamaru shot her a glance as he muttered, "Troublesome woman..."
She could clearly sense the smile in his dark eyes. Temari wouldn't know, but he had already made peace with the fact that yes, he would have to suffer through romance for her. At least sometimes.
While they walked towards the camp, they didn't talk — there was no need to. It was enough to just be there — to feel the heat of their bodies and the touch of their hands; to let their fingers explore all of the little scars on the skin; to confirm they wanted to keep holding the other one's hand and not let go.
Shikamaru could finally take a free breath and relax. All of his concerns turned out to be in vain because Temari hadn't been rejecting him; rather, she had been simply confused and untrusting. As Ino said, Temari needed answers, and he had given them to her. Or at least most of them — at least what he was ready to share.
"Hey..." she whispered and stopped in her tracks, dragging him back.
"What's the matter?" He turned, eyebrows raised.
"Just hold on." Temari reached for a small, hidden pocket in her skirt and pulled out a hair tie. "Here," she whispered, and she gave it to him.
That was the moment he realised his hair was down, still framing his face.
"Damn it, woman... You're impairing my brain from working properly," he teased, snatching the tie from her hand.
"Just make sure Kurotsuchi doesn't see you like that, alright?" she laughed. "I won't be able to get you out of her claws." She leaned in, adding seductively, "You are too sexy like that, you know."
"S-shut up," he stammered, blushing so hard that she could spot the redness even under the moonlight.
Temari brought her hand up, gently caressing his cheek while his hands were busy putting his black hair into a tidy ponytail.
"It's smart to keep this a secret for the time being." She pointed between them.
He nodded. "Yes, we will disturb the balance if we start to openly behave differently."
"Would you be able to behave like there was nothing out of the ordinary?"
"I don't think I will have any issues about it as long as... you let me express my affection accordingly from time to time." His smile caused her to twitch. Nothing about him resembled the shy-looking Shikamaru from just a moment ago.
She took a step forward, placing both her palms on his cheeks, and looked into his eyes.
"Like this?" She asked innocently, and instead of bringing his face down for a kiss, she pushed it back so she could slowly lick his throat. Her body felt the vibrations coming from his growl, every fibre shaking with delight.
"Temari…" he warned her, grabbing her shoulders.
"You can have my regards, Shikamaru, but I don't think you'll be able to resist me until you take me out on a proper date." She purred against his skin, well aware of what she was putting him through. "And if we have to do it 'the right way', you will need more than one date before inviting me to your bed." She paused dramatically before adding, "And if you want us to be very traditional, even what we are doing now is banned."
Shikamaru let out an exasperated sigh and closed his eyes briefly while trying to collect his thoughts and will.
"I don't mind being untraditional, you know," she added.
In the next moment, his lips curled up. He took her hands in his and pulled them away from his face.
"I accept your regards, Temari... Also, I would like to remind you that I'm not fifteen." He gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead, then he kissed each of her hands. "No matter how hard it is, resisting you isn't something that I question at all."
She raised an eyebrow, her smile causing the tiny hairs over his back to stand uncomfortably.
"Are you challenging me, Shikamaru?" She asked slowly.
"No." His smile faded, and his mouth pressed into a line. "But by the look on your face, I think whatever my answer, you've already come up with at least a few hellish ideas. I can practically see the torture coming my way until we reach Konoha," he replied seriously, looking into her eyes.
"I can give you credit for knowing me well enough." She winked at him. Pulling her hands away, she stuck her tongue out and walked towards the camp, this time cheerfully. She was humming.
Shikamaru rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply. She was able to give him a severe headache… No, not "able." The right phrase was "was going to".
The whole shinobi group was waiting at a good mile distance from Kumogakure until they got local shinobi on duty to check the identities of each of them. Then they would go through all of the stages of the ritual and end in front of the gates, just where they were standing at the moment.
Ino waited for Shikamaru to meet her gaze and touched her temple with her pointer and middle finger, insisting on a private talk. He sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned on the wall Ittan had made a few moments earlier.
"Did you kiss her?" she asked straight away.
He sharply breathed out, starting to lose his temper before the conversation had actually begun.
"Ino… I know your curiosity is a great deal and you often can't help it. Also, I don't want to be rude, but this is not your business," he replied.
She was silent for a few seconds, uncertain of how to react.
"That means either she cut you off or you got a big, fat, juicy kiss," she said, chuckling.
"Or it means such conversations are highly inappropriate for the time and place we are in," he emphasised.
"Did you tell her what you feel?" she continued, ignoring his comment.
"Please leave," he asked, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.
"You're a chicken!" stated Ino and left his mind just like she would've left the room, had they been in one.
Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked around — the Kumo guards had just started the ID check.
He felt a momentary guilt for being sharp with Ino. But his eyes unwillingly drifted away, sliding longingly over Temari's slender figure for just a brief twinkle, and the guilt was instantly gone.
Temari and himself might have decided to announce the officialisation of their new relationship after the mission was over, but... Once he had tasted her lips, he realised it would be nearly impossible to be so close to her and behave "normally." Not touching her and not showing any sign of intimacy was going to be torturous. He chuckled at that thought. Their communication has already turned into a game of cat and mouse, with stolen glances, hidden touches, and even more hidden kisses. A burning anticipation bloomed in his chest. The tips of his lips curled up in a smirk, and he closed his eyes yet again.
Tenten was unusually quiet. Her mind was still repeating what Kankuro had told her last night — to put an end. What did that mean? She couldn't possibly forget about Neji, nor could she behave like he never existed. It was out of the question to change her occupation and start anew by quitting being a kunoichi and weapon mistress. These two things were inseparable parts of her very core. And she definitely didn't want to leave Konoha and live somewhere else.
Usually she would toss such a comment aside if it were said by someone else, but Kankuro's tone was frighteningly serious; she could still see his expression in her head. That didn't let her rest.
Tenten sighed and put her mask on. Following the protocol, she suppressed her chakra and went around the walls they used as a dressing room.
Temari sensed she was smiling too often and did all she could to keep her face in line. She had her suspicions that someone might have seen them when they went into the forest last night. Up until now, no one had asked anything, nor had anyone given her a weird look; she hadn't heard any comments about Shikamaru or herself disappearing together, but that meant nothing...
She knew Kankuro had seen them. He was on duty at the time. The fact that he didn't even joke about it felt like he had given her his blessing.
"I see a happy, dreamy smile around here," Kurotsuchi said, stepping closer to her target.
Because Kankuro might have some kind of inner discretion code, and even the Iwa princess possessed such, she seemed to have no intention of following it.
"Why would that be?" She wondered aloud, feigning innocence; what she got in return was a huff and a half-smile.
"It's because of the really nice evening we all had."
"Or... because of the really special attention a certain shinobi from Kumo paid to you?" Kurotsuchi winked.
Ameno chuckled, her sides slightly flushed.
"Maybe, maybe," she almost admitted.
"I thought you wanted to have some time off from men?" Temari interjected nonchalantly in passing.
"I still do." Ameno nodded. "I don't think something significant is happening anyway. It's more like we both need some distraction and nice company; it's a harmless flirt."
"Are you sure he sees it the same way? Aren't you going to… dampen his expectations?" Ino inquired. She had clearly seen the admiration in the man's eyes last night.
The Suna kunoichi averted her eyes, pausing.
"Nah, he's alright. We're just going with the flow for now. And anyway, I don't want to raise my hopes or make plans."
"I'm just saying..." Ino stated calmly, "You may want to ensure that your points of view, yours and his, don't drift too far from each other."
Ameno looked at her for a few long seconds, her face still slightly pink around the cheeks.
"I think you're right," she agreed with a sigh of resignation. "I'll speak with him before something unpleasant comes across."
"You may want to have a good look at Kumo." Kurotsuchi chuckled, giving her an uncharacteristically warm smile. "Maybe the flow you're talking about will lead you there permanently."
Ruka approached and carefully placed a hand on Ameno's arm.
"Amai-san looks like a really kind person," she whispered. "Also, I think he's confident and doesn't need anyone to hold his hand constantly... As I see it, he would be the type to offer a hand. That was your greatest concern about an eventual boyfriend, right?"
"Yeah… But I ain't sure... I haven't thought about it yet."
"You have time," Kurotsuchi chimed in. "We have some more time before we split in Konoha."
Ameno nodded and put her mask on. The conversation was over.
Kurotsuchi's curiosity wasn't an easy one to satisfy. She looked around, seeking yet another victim. And her eyes were set on the poor kunoichi from Kiri.
"So... what would you say about Chojuro, Ruka?" she asked, standing right beside her.
"He's wonderful!" Ruka answered, instantly excited. "He's so kind and considerate! I do indeed like talking with him; he really listens. Since the very first day of our mission, he has been respectful to me. And I can assure you that this isn't happening often."
"Isn't it about time for you to make a move on him then?"
"What move?" The girl was genuinely shocked.
It was Kurotsuchi's turn to be surprised and blink hastily.
"Erm… Don't you like him?"
"I do, of course. He's almost like the older brother I've always wanted."
"Why did I think there was something… more?" The Iwa kunoichi huffed.
Ruka quickly shook her head.
"Oh, no, no! I don't see him this way, and I don't think he perceives me as anything more than a friend. Really, Kurotsuchi-san, there's nothing more going on!" She furiously waved both hands in denial and potential defence.
Ino nodded; she was there when Chojuro taught them to dance. His attitude towards Ruka was soft and kind, but there was definitely no aspiration for more proximity than was required. There was no spark in his eyes. There was no… thrill. He behaved nicely, but it didn't look like he wanted to take her out on a date, to his bed, or to his home.
"And his... demeanour? Maybe it's not only Ruka?" Karui spoke up and crossed her arms. "Maybe he isn't interested in… women at all?"
"You think?" Kurotsuchi quickly turned to the other woman, looking for some kind of assurance in her amber eyes. Had Karui seen something the others missed? Or maybe she already knew something more?
"I'm just giving you another point of view." Karui shrugged. "An alternative, if you'd like."
"Well…" The Iwa kunoichi smiled mischievously after pausing for a few moments. "There's one way we could find out, right?"
Ameno's head snapped up, and the holes of her mask bore into the other woman's face.
"Don't…" She whispered, imploring.
Ruka furrowed her brow.
"Why not? It'll be just a fun experiment." Kurotsuchi's smile turned into a smirk.
"What experiment? What do you want to do to Chojuro-san?" Ruka's whole body tensed; her hands trembled in a close to a real panic state.
While still smirking, Kurotsuchi didn't answer; instead, she set the mask on her face.
"As far as I know her," Temari started quietly, "she's referring to personally checking if she could... affect him."
"Sexually," Ino clarified.
Ruka blushed. Her head shook in disbelief. "But…why? What does it matter if he is...?" She couldn't understand. For her, nothing would change regardless of whether her teammate was attracted to women, men, both, or none.
"It doesn't matter at all," said Kurotsuchi from behind her mask. "But my curiosity is too great to be ignored."
The kunoichi, who still had their faces bare, placed their masks on. Each of them reached into the little cloth bag and pulled a number to determine their place in the column. Next, they formed a perfect string with an even space between each one. In less than a minute, seven dressed-in-black male figures appeared from behind the other wall and stood calmly next to the dressed-in-white females.
Ruka was last in line.
An almost invisible shiver shook her body. She knew... She knew that her feelings were... wrong and that the purpose of being here wasn't in any way related to her personal sensations. It was about honour — of the village she belonged to and of the shinobi as a society. It was about all the lost lives. Even so, she couldn't possibly ignore the bubbling emotions: the tension in her chest and the overall anxiety about taking the hand of the shinobi next to her. There was undeniable hope, treacherously surfacing, that she might find the same hand she was already familiar with from the previous rituals. She didn't even realise how excited she was about the slim chance until the moment had come.
The man halted next to her with his hands loose beside his body. She could speculate, but she had no idea who he was as their chakras were already suppressed. However, the men's silhouettes looked alike, with some obvious exceptions like Chouji with his bigger body frame and Omoi because of his darker skin colour. Of course, some of the male shinobi were smaller than the others; all the rest were more or less similar. And Ruka wasn't the kind to take a thorough look at people's bodies, so anything less than the really obvious wasn't something she could use as a distinctive trait.
If I could just hear his voice, she caught herself wishing. She unwillingly shook her head, briefly drawing his attention with the movement. A second later, he was looking ahead again.
Ruka realised she'd never dared to take a good look at the shinobi's body characteristics, neither in Suna nor in Iwa. Her attention had been fully consumed by his hand and the sole feeling his proximity was causing in her. The only thing she remembered was his height compared to her own. It wasn't anything that could help her identify him, really.
Why would I want to know who he is? The question rose in her anxious mind. If she found out, what would the consequences be? Would anything change in a positive way — any way at all? Hardly. She would stay away, feeling ashamed for even thinking about how she relished the brief touch of his hand.
Ruka gave herself an inner sarcastic smile: As if I have any chance with either of these shinobi. The situation is absurd, Ruka! She tried to reason with herself. Here, during the ritual, she was just a hand holding the hand of another. She didn't have… a personality. But… Didn't that mean she could be unwise, even irresponsible? Maybe bold? No matter what happened here and now, it was going to end irreversibly when she took the ritual clothes and mask off.
She dreamed of being irresponsible; she craved being brave; and that was the right moment to try all that out at least once in her lifetime.
Ruka suppressed her fears with a deep breath and a hard squeeze of her hands in fists, stopping them from shaking. When she let the air out of her lungs, she grabbed the man's hand in hers; they were still trembling slightly. She brought the captive limb closer to her, enfolding it with her tender fingers.
The kunoichi sensed as the man flinched, but he still didn't pull back; he didn't do anything to stop her either, for that matter. She gently slid one of her palms over the top of his hand in anticipation. A wave of heat and relief surged inside her when she found the distinctive scar.
The shinobi's arm tensed as if he weren't sure if he should ask her to stop or if he, himself, should be curious enough to let her be bold.
Ruka caressed his clenched fingers, trying to comfort him. She wanted to convince him to just let her keep going. She longed for his trust, even for just a bit, to leave his hand in her care. Soon, he relaxed a little but was still rigid and hesitant. The woman continued her tender ministrations as she slowly and patiently ran circles until he gave in and granted her full access.
The moment she had taken the shinobi's hand, his mask turned in her direction; he hadn't looked away for even a moment. Ruka felt his heavy gaze. It was inquisitive, unwavering, and assessing. What was he seeing through the mask's eye holes? What did he think about the whole situation? Was he going to say something later on? She was genuinely afraid of the "later" moment; she was also afraid of imagining what kind of thoughts were running through his head. But frankly, it didn't matter, so she tried hard to change the course of her own thoughts.
She focused on what she held between her palms and looked down at it.
The hand was big, warm, with long fingers, and covered with calloused skin from the time of training. There were a great number of scars, but they were all small and more visible than sensible. Also, they were located in places where most shinobi had scars from times when they were learning to wield basic weapons, including her. The skin was tanned, though on the top it was paler, which indicated the man usually wore gloves or protectors. Actually, most of the men here wore them, if not all of them. The nails were short, clean, and well taken care of, again like those of most of the men.
Ruka found three small knots in the flesh between his thumb and index finger. More of a habit than anything else, she carefully pressed them. The man sharply sucked air in; she was aware the pressure could be painful. It was a weak and sore spot for most people; in the usual case, the flesh there was stiff and sore. She started rubbing and massaging the knots. Hearing the change in his breathing served as a pain intensity indicator; yet again, he didn't try pulling away.
The time has come for Raikage A to give out a signal for the group to follow him into the village. Ruka wrapped the base of the man's thumb with her thumb, index, and middle finger fingertips, then slid them up to the tip of his finger with a gentle press. The fingers' joints quietly cracked. His hand slightly shivered.
He, on the other hand, genuinely wondered if she realised what she was doing and how this could be interpreted. Should he be interpreting it this way? This last movement was so… sensual that his pulse accelerated greatly, and he felt heat going through his body. The man couldn't help but wonder if she had done it on other men's hands or on other people in general. Was this her usual manner of touching, or was it something exceptional because of the weird setting? And even if he recognised in himself the wish for her to have behaved extraordinary, it was most probably something typical. Her hands were capable, and she was used to doing massages. Although… He knew that she didn't really explore another man's hand, at least not here — this was the very same woman he walked beside in Suna and in Iwa.
Ruka released his hand and bowed, thanking him for his patience.
The man was still turned towards her and remained unmoving for a few more seconds. With striking tenderness, he took her hand and led her ahead. He didn't turn to her again.
The ritual clothes had already been put away, and the shinobi were dressed in their usual, ordinary, non-dragging-attention, non-making-impression civil clothes.
Raikage A stood in front of the little group with a wide smile, which was not so typical for him; his face was usually frowning.
"That ritual will probably turn into something we hold every year," he informed.
"It was really beautiful," Killer B confirmed, wiping away a tear from his cheek.
Karui chuckled, giving a warm look to her former sensei. She was glad to see him, even if he often overplayed and made them — Omoi and herself — feel uncomfortable. She knew he wasn't doing it on purpose, though.
"Yes, it was." A agreed with a brief, soft smile, which disappeared as if it hadn't been there at all. He was all businesslike yet again, continuing, "The official dinner starts at seven. I want all of you to be dressed up and punctual." All the shinobi nodded. "You have rooms reserved in an inn, where you are free to take showers, rest, and do whatever else you need to do. You have seven rooms there; use them however you see fit."
"Raikage-sama, I hope we can use our own homes while we're here?" Omoi asked, shooting his Kumo teammates a glance.
"Of course." The raikage looked at him. "For all of you that live in Kumo, we haven't reserved rooms in the inn."
"They won't pay for such a thing, you know," whispered Atsui, bemused.
"What?" A grumbled, turning to him.
"Nothin', nothin'..." Atsui waved his hands in front of himself.
"They won't pay for such a thing, you know," whispered Atsui, bemused.
"What?" A grumbled, turning to him.
"Nothin', nothin'..." Atsui waved his hands in front of himself.
The raikage gave him a grim look before turning to the whole group. "Welcome to Kumogakure, shinobi! Shee, Amai, Omoi, Atsui, and Karui are going to be your escorts and take care of you having a good time."
A smiled forcibly and tapped Killer B on the shoulder. After that, he turned around and, inevitably accompanied by the local guards, headed to the village. His big frame floated slowly away with each stride he made, like a giant whose place was mistaken by fate, dropping him into a nation of small people.
Killer B rushed directly to Omoi and Karui, grabbing them both in a tight hug. He looked like a happy child who had finally gotten to his favourite stuffed toys.
"I'm so happy to see you, kids!" Recently, he was quite successful at talking rhymeless. That was fortunate for... well, everyone. "Would you spar with your old sensei?"
"We should accompany our teammates to the inn," Omoi said immediately, refusing.
"Both of you should go, is that it?" Killer B grinned, eyebrows raised.
Omoi and Karui exchanged gazes as if they were having a silent argument. She lifted her hand, sighing; he followed her example. Her mouth pressed in a line, then she nodded.
"Rock, paper, scissors, one, two, three!"
"Rock, paper, scissors, one, two, three!"
"Dammit!" Karui hissed unrestrainedly and put down her hand, showing scissors. Omoi had picked a rock. She turned to Killer B and said, "I'm coming. Though you got an hour, no more, no less."
He grinned yet again and put a giant arm around her shoulders, forcing her to push back with all her strength.
"Karui?" Ino took a few steps towards her. "Are you not coming?"
"My former sensei and I will be doing an hour of sparring in the training arena." She explained through gritted teeth, still trying to break free from his grip. "The others will be accompanying you to your inn."
Ino glanced at Chouji and noticed that he was slightly frowning.
"We could come with you and wait?" Tenten offered suddenly. "We don't have anything urgent to attend to anyway, right?" She had heard the enthusiastic cooking-themed conversation between Chouji and Karui last night about the great variety of spices that were available in Kumo. Chouji had promised to cook for her the same meal they all had during the first official dinner in Suna, but this time with all the spices added to the sauce.
At the word "spar", Lee's ears pricked, and he was already asking if he could come and watch. And of course, he was invited right away to not only observe but join the arena as well. A training opportunity like this one, where he could learn something new… and from one of the strongest shinobi walking on Earth? He wasn't skipping it. No way. That was the right way to get better.
"Tenten! You should also join! I haven't tried to run away from your Shuriken hurricane in quite some time." He came closer to her and looked at her face with his big, black, round eyes. "I miss it."
"Lee..." she started with a sigh.
"Please, Tenten!" he pleaded, gathering his hands in front of his chest.
"Please, Tenten!" Killer B joined and stood next to Lee in perfect imitation.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, taking a deeper breath. If one was watching closely, they would have noticed the little vein pulsing on her forehead. It was the feeling of being pushed into something that she didn't feel like doing just for fun — an irritation she was trying to suppress. But maybe training right now would do her good? She would be able to push all of her frustration out and eventually calm down, soothing her inner demons. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to move and get her body to work for once. Yeah, she was kind of missing good training. The miniature spar they were performing daily was not enough, and she had started to feel stiff and out of shape.
Kankuro crossed his arms, smiling. He had also heard the conversation between Chouji and Karui and right away understood why Tenten had offered to wait for her in the arena. He realised that Tenten possesses a soft heart, which was not really showing in her often distant demeanour. Weird enough, but instead of feeling repulsed about her having what was considered a flaw, he was rather attracted to her even more. He was definitely going to the arena. He was curious to see her fight, and that was a good opportunity to satiate that curiosity of his. Also, being able to see Killer B in action was an honour.
"The idea isn't bad at all," Shikamaru suddenly interjected. There was something in his eyes and in his expression that pointed out that he was utterly serious, and there was a reason for it. "No one had a satisfactory training session recently. And to spend a few hours in quality training every now and then is very important."
All eyes turned to him. An intense anticipation could be sensed in the air; the shinobi expected him to explain himself, as they all knew he meant something more.
"The decision to execute the ritual was taken relatively suddenly and in the short term. We left our respective villages in a matter of days. I didn't expect the group to find itself under attack until now because of our high number and the short term. However, it has been two weeks, and my logic" — and my gut, he added inwardly — "tells me we should be prepared for eventual offensive actions." He paused, observing the faces around him. "So, getting familiar with each other's techniques and making group strategies to use in a battle is... in order." His tone was collected; there was no trace of panic. The feeling left out of his words was one of determination and urgency.
A silence fell over the group for the next few moments.
"Well then," Kurotsuchi started with a weirdly earnest face, "it sounds reasonable for all of us to go to the arena and train at least up to lunchtime."
"Yes. We'll have time for all the other things we wanted to do afterwards," Temari supported and frowned. As a well-prepared tactician, she realised the importance of preparation and agreed that the chance of attack was quite real.
Meanwhile, Killer B's smile was growing more and more.
"Let's get going," Kankuro said, sticking his hands in his pockets.
The shinobi nodded and followed Killer B to the arena. Once there, they dropped their bags beside the circular wall and started preparations for training. The anticipation and excitement were so thick in the air that they could be cut with a knife.
Shikamaru met Kankuro's eyes and held them for a few moments, as if he were trying to make a decision. Shortly after, the team leader headed straight to Temari's brother. When he was a whisper away, he tilted his head in a "let's have a chat" gesture.
Thank you, jtoo!