The River Incident
Tuesday, 9:33PM
Mission- Desert Storm-Part Four
Location: River country, Fu Military Complex.
It was simple.
The fourth leg was close by.
Sato Maasaki would be at the military base in River on Tuesday and all she had to do was make sure the car flipped off the cliff on his way out of the base, the road slippery and uncontrollable in his departure.
Simple, no distractions.
Nestled away in the high mountains of River country, hidden from prying eyes behind great steep cliffs, a three separate building military complex stood. One grand building for official meetings, a storage house to hide Fu industry weapons, and another for surveillance, the one she had taken over silently, her presence never to be know. Her style the standard black tight suit, body straps for weapons, thin bullet proof vest made of the finest material, and a mask to cover everything, but her piercing teal gaze. A Suna traditional wear, the one she only reserved for missions where all who saw the Little Weasel would see her true form, her death their last sights.
Temari leaned back against the desk chair, absently pulling at her fourth golden pigtail, fixing it from her short fight, as she stared back at the cameras posted around the roads of the military complex, waiting for Sato to finish his meeting inside the base. He had arrived a couple hours ago, to check on progress, to determine when a strike would be most beneficial, Tsuande to call the start when ready, but they had been cautious, guards doubled and everyone vigilant. Though her time living with self righteous criminals had taught her a thing or two in how to keep one's identity hidden, it taught her how to stay quiet, mostly.
A sigh.
How much longer? She had been waiting for nearly an hour for Sato, and her patience was wearing thin, but it was required. A easy accidental death was needed for all four, she had no choice but to keep her personal ties out of this, her family left behind, she needed to be alone, but her father's rage never left her blood.
Turning a side glance to the two dead guards that used to be here, now seated against the wall, leaning against each other in their death. One sporting a easy kill, clean slit throat, front soaked in blood, eyes lifeless, his companion, however, had been a fighter. She almost sneered, she didn't like expendables fighting back, annoying really, his eyes gouged out and a short blade katana that was once in his back now sat clean on the edge of the desk. Guns ready on her other side, but kept out of use for caution they would alarm the ones she had snuck past.
No need to alert anyone yet.
The assassination of Dai Shimaru was supposed to be pinned on Itachi, keeping peacekeepers busy with a useless search for him, keeping their rouge agent Sauske busy. Hopefully the twisted truth she fed Sauske after keeping him alive against her master's orders, would pin it on his rouge brother now. Itachi only agreeing to take the fall for their deal, but even he didn't know her true intent, she always had a backup plan. Instead it turned into a stroke from a failed attempt and a unanswered mission of why he was sent to Suna, but she had her suspicions. The new caution needed as this was something that had failed no matter how she looked at it.
It did, however, spark the attention of her true target, the head of the beast, Tsuande. The death of her lead agent, her distraction, aiding her for the time being.
Haku Fu had been the typical cheating husband and angry wife case, the seduction technique was the only involvement she needed to be a part of, knowing the peacekeepers would hide her involvement, to calm the public. Kai Yoshito was the easiest by far, they had simply took his natural weakness and used it against him, however, she had been watched, watched by her own, by the snake's people, her defiance would cause trouble if she wasn't careful. Even on her leash, she fought back. That betrayal was a annoying addition to her plans, Itachi had made it clear to her that even hidden people would look for her.
The few at their main base during the weekend had been feeding Orochimaru the details she left out, the reason she held back, the reason they were all dead now, a purposeful two birds one stone move. They wanted a weapon and she had given only a fraction of her true ability, lying to him, and he had found out. A slap on the wrist, one dead peacekeeper later, and her master's eyes now blind to her actions, however, he knew she'd obey, too much was a stake.
A irritated huff.
With it, she began to hum to herself, absently zoning out to the melody of her heritage, a song of dance, of strength and worship, a calm. When she had returned to her family, her four ladies, her brother, and a old Suna officer that had been sentenced to death a long time ago, she reported her finished assignment and kept to herself after, warning them to keep hidden, to keep safe. She would do anything to keep her ties from being severed. Keeping busy with her current task at the forefront of her mind, the fourth leg, hidden, still inside the building across from her, her distraction gone, her mind at ease for only a brief second.
The feeling of being watched made an uneasy cold run against her spine, but she didn't still her voice. The one who watched, why was she suddenly reminded of her distraction? He claimed it wasn't over, since when did she have doubts?
Her eyes narrowed into the screen, a soft whine behind her, a door opening, her left hand already at her gun, a step, deep breath taken as she veered around, gun raised, her body stilled instantly at the sight.
A gun pointed back to her, but it wasn't why she hesitated.
She forgot about the monsters, for they made way to the ghosts of her past.
He seemed alive, that glaring look of stoic anger looked familiar, eyes still dark under his own face mask, hair up, still cute though, standing ready and irritated at the sight of her.
Since when did her hallucinations start back up again?
"I killed you" she furrowed her brows, staying still in the chair, but entertaining the image before her with a questionable statement, a fact she thought.
"Correction, you thought you killed me" his voice, still low and vibrating, but more focused now, remembering how he spoke his last words to her, only a check on her end.
"No" she shook her head and grinned "I watched you burn, you are dead" she confirmed stubbornly, though wondered briefly if she really was hallucinating, a subtle move to dig her thumbnail into her finger, feeling the ache, confirming she wasn't, however, she was still unsure "no" She trailed off, the subtle effects of being injected a few days ago were there, the nightmares she had for the past few nights had been subdued, but not silenced, taught to resist the effects for the most part.
"Didn't think I'd know what Deidara's explosives looked like? They are obvious and disarming them is child's play" he replied back, a hint of arrogance at his own knowledge of her old caretakers skills "getting out was a bitch though" he added with a huff.
A pause.
Temari laughed, amused, light, her shoulders shaking in the mirth of his insult, of his blushing annoyed look at the genuine gesture. She was hallucinating, at least she was partially sure, guess she'd have fun with it.
"I can't wait to tell Deidara you called his bombs a joke" she leaned back in the chair, facing him, gun still raised, further humored, but unsure "he's got this whole thing about pride in his artwork and this will crush him" she tilted her head, eyes narrowed watching her hallucination glare back as the last of her amusement dialed down to a curious observation "So you came back from the dead, why? To try and stop me again?" she scoffed "Seriously Nara, when will you get it through that thick skull of yours that I am someone you cannot control"
"Do you really want to talk about control when you're the one being used right now" she bit her tongue, just a moment, to keep from rising at the statement. Even in death, the man knew how to use that quiet glare to peel away the truth, he had been dangerous, she had killed him because of it.
"That's what you do with weapons, you use them" she stated factually, looking back to the unchanged screen casually, hoping he'd just go away, before looking back with a tight smile, he was still there "and I'm one of the best produced since Sasori was created"
"Sasori doesn't strike me as a weapon, the opposite actually" she internally agreed with the statement, a defeated man living his life quietly and without trouble is what her cousin had become. The betrayal and disbandment of their old family had taken the man's willpower and ambitions away, the love he once had, gone. A side note, that she would have to finish her task of a forced intervention between her old caretakers when she was finished here, put in a good word as she had promised Deidara that much.
"During his prime he was the shadow behind my father, a man who did anything for the Lord, just as I am for Gaara" she muttered her explanation, just the past creeping up again, her nightmares lived there.
"You and I both know it's not Gaara you're listening to" that one pissed her off, sparking a fire slowly, irritating herself with his accusation.
"Hidan was right, you are the obsessive type" to add on, a jab for his own rise, like hell if she'd silence herself, even in her false reality.
"Something must be seriously wrong with you if you think anything Hidan says is right" he deadpanned, so she entertained him further with a smirk, checking the quiet cameras in the process.
"Years of trauma coupled with daddy issues all enhanced by hallusagenic venom from an arachnid the size of a thumb" she glanced back at him with a shrug, snarky and smirking "makes a great combination for a lawless assassin, don't you think?"
"You really are crazy" he confirmed with a pitiful look.
"Not as crazy as the supposed genius who can't seem to stay away from me even after I killed him" she shot back, smile only growing at the annoyance on his face "Why don't you just give up again, save us both the trouble" she waved him away, unconcerned, convinced now her hallucination was just mocking her for kicks.
"Are you really going to make me shoot you?" The final moment before the strike, she had almost believed it was all a dream, a temporary warp in reality.
"You wouldn't-" and he did shoot, silent bullet lodged into her vest, right over where her heart was. The gasp, her breath forcefully knocked out of her chest, the shock racking her entire body, thinking karma was a bitch.
Knowing now she wasn't hallucinating, this was real.
"I won't go for the heart next time" He hadn't flinched, gun raised and unmoving, warning her, using a taunt she had before, but lacking amusement in it.
"That won't happened a second time" she rose as she spoke through her teeth, chest still heaving to catch her breath, the spark of fire lit in her eyes, no longer freezing, but burning.
"I really didn't want to do it the first time" he admitted and pulled the mask down with a huff "but you really pissed me off when you tried to blow me up" he bit back matching her fire with a ever stoic glare back, fearless, but he hadn't looked at her, then a smirk as he caught her eyes again turning away from the screen "don't look now, but your target is leaving"
That son of a bitch.
Her eyes shifted, just a second too long in her observation, watching Sato had left the public hall of the building, already entering his car when she put her full attention on the screen, he'd been distracting her, keeping her focus on him, her chance of a success suddenly nonexistent.
He had mimicked her.
"You son of a" she managed just to turn her head, to look, her gun arm caught in his, her first instinct to fight, to grab the throwing knife strapped to her thigh, to now ball that same fist tightly as he pinned both arms at her sides and moved her. Her gun dropped, the knife untouched, her cursed Sunian silenced with a hand to her throat.
Turning her, his arm wrapped around hers, he trapped her against him, his other already gripping at her throat. Pressed between the desk, her fight to be free useless now, the pressure on her throat uncomfortable, but it wasn't killing, an afterthought that he was weak. The position annoyingly familiar, though, throw in some handcuffs and she'd think she was back at the mansion, back to the time she had fallen, almost giving in when she knew she couldn't. Yet he didn't move after he seized her, keeping still, keeping pressed behind her and glaring at the camera ahead to watch his plan through, watch her mission crumble right before her burning teal gaze.
"You are going to watch Sato drive away" she jerked, angered by the comment, his grip tightened around her throat, a warning that became her end when she saw "notice anything?" the driver, she remembered that bowl cut from the agency files.
Peacekeepers.
"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Her voice too quiet, a whisper, a spark, her chest still heaving against his arm.
"Saved an asshole of a man from dying, yeah I know" he muttered, keeping firm on his hold, but eyes focused on the car leaving, Lee driving, any unexpected danger to be managed. With a calm sigh, he spoke, trying for reason, his hold on her neck cautious "but this was not the solution to your problem"
"It is the only solution" she barred through gritted teeth, going to turn her head, but he wasn't allowing her, forced to watch her mission fall apart right before her eyes.
"Tell me who is threatening Gaara, who's in charge of Suna?" A calm demand met with another move to push back, no luck on her part.
"Fuck you" she growled, defiant, a demand like this was nothing, she'd suffered worse.
"You have got to be the most stubborn woman I've ever met" he huffed, attempting to keep his voice even as he continued "why can't you just accept that I want to help you, neither of us want a war"
"I do not need your help, Nara" she pushed back.
"Suna needs allies not enemies" he fought back.
"Suna has allies" she ignored the pain, turning her head as much as she could to send a glare his way, to burn the man behind her with one look, but he refused to meet her gaze "ones who aren't waiting on the lines ready to storm my people"
"The Sound" she stopped moving, body slack against his, teals staring at the calm screen now, her body betraying her and aiding him, he had been right "I had my suspicions when I heard a few of those agents back at the base speaking their Sunian just a bit differently, they aren't natives are they?" He hummed low, close to her ear, pleased to be right, pleased by her silence.
"How could you tell?" Impressed, she had to admit it to herself.
"I'm very smart if you hadn't noticed, knew every nations language by the time I was ten, accents are easy to decipher for me" he added as an afterthought "though I never would have guessed you were from Suna, you speak Konohan like a native"
"Wow you really are smart, you deserve a gold star for your effort" she mocked, bitterly sarcastic now, his compliment in the back of her mind, a involuntary choke from his grip tightening, she really knew how to press this guys buttons, fearless, she continued "I was right though, wasn't I?" she tried to laugh, a short effort as air was needed and she had to spark just the right anger from him to get free "Tsuande's little obedient dog, her brilliant leader, blinded and made a fool" she drew out mockingly, continuing with a strained growl, attempting to aid herself now, just one gesture needed "you are a follower, a sheep, and sheep do not win fights against wolves"
She thought she knew, she thought she could anger him enough, just press the right one, but his hold didn't tighten, it loosened.
"You were right" he admitted and took a quiet breath close to her, she swallowed against his hold, waiting, surprised, suspicious when she no longer felt the desk pressing into her front, feeling the careful guide backwards against him "But whatever you plan to do right now, don't" a warning spoken close to her, soft, her eyes shut for a moment "I've already thought of every way you can get out of this and I don't want to fight, I just want to talk"
"You forgot to take into account something most people don't think about when you have them cornered, Shikamaru" she hummed able to breath freely now and her eyes opened, narrowed and focused, the truth behind her thoughts now coming true.
Deep breath, body tense.
"And what's that, Temari?" Shikamaru prepared, he was ready for the fight since the moment he walked into the security room, since he got out of that smoking building with a new purpose. He would stop this war no matter what, taking no sides, but his own. This hold on her was only the start he needed, although she excelled in pissing him off during it, remembering, a woman like her never made anything easy.
Troublesome this one, but he needed her.
"Survival instincts" she hissed and sprang up, using the rise to kick the desk in front of her with her boots and push back with all her might. Shikamaru held tight, arm now around her waist, refusing to let her go, even as they fell back. Once on the floor, a thud that pained his back, she threw her legs above her and rolled back loosening his grip and landing behind him in a crouch, her hand hidden behind her back.
Song Suggestion- NF- The Search
This woman and her need to fight back, he almost groaned with the effort of having to physically exert himself. Behind his head, he just managed to move when the weapon came down beside it, the second he had to move away from her, a knife landed beside his face, sticking to the floor with the strength of the strike.
Eyes met, the desire to fight back sparked.
When he managed to roll away, her knife pulled from the floor with a growl, coming up to his feet after it, the real fight began, each opponent standing straight and ready. A moment given to draw out his own blades, one's that used to belong to his mentor. Two hand crafted chakra blades passed down to him, a bitter reminder of what he was truly protecting with them.
Wind vs Fire.
Now it was his turn to calculate, to read the true way this woman fought. He already knew about Kumo, knew she could take one on one fights easily, fight dirty and in heels too, even take on two in tight spaces like elevators, but a room that was open and little blocking their way between each other, needed precision.
Shikamaru, for a moment, wished to sit back and think on it, but she wouldn't allow that. Neither wanted a gun, neither wanted to alert anyone around them, this had really become troublesome. He knew she'd fight until her last breath, but he wasn't here to kill. She used strength in every strike, endurance build up over the years, flexible, accurate hits, but fought with a kill blow in every attack, angry, like trying to dodge a minefield where no matter where you stepped you would get hit, but he was good.
Bodies moved against one another, as if they were still dancing on the floor of the mansion, in synch and flowing, but this time avoiding and refusing to be touched by the other.
Asuma had made sure he would be one of the best. The opposite of her, he preferred less work, but just as much power in a hit, one hit that could stop a strike, moving quick, dodging and simply move her weight around him as best as he could, using her own anger from his hold earlier to help himself.
His arrogance even called her out on it.
"You make mistakes when you get angry" he called out, pushing her next strike to his left, keeping the curved throwing knife away from his face, using his right hand to grab her already striking fist to his gut and still her for a moment.
"I do not make mistakes!" she spat back with a shout, angered further, even more so when he aided himself with a taunt.
"Hate to break it to you Princess, but you do" he leaned down just enough to level his gaze with hers, vengeful himself "trying to kill me, big mistake" he used the reminder of her failure to get rid of him to push her back, give them each a step of space away from the other, a chance for him to catch his breath, to take out the throwing knife sticking from his vest, ignoring the pain from the cut, Suna women and their knives he almost groaned.
"I won't try this time" she panted looking left, to where she had been sitting, a smirk followed, the short blade katana grabbed to aid her, keeping her spare throwing knife in her other hand.
"Just because you have bigger knives, doesn't mean anything" he readied, arms raised in defense.
"I beg to differ" she twirled it in her hand, moving it between her fingers to keep him guessing when she would throw it "size does matter" she smirked, absently amused by the annoyed look he glared back to her at the crude comment "think fast" with the release of the katana, his focus on the weapon as it literally flew past his face, she had already moved to rush him in his need to sidestep, ducking under him and swiping a kick at one leg, knocking his balance off and on his back, again, not even able to catch his breath before she climbed on, realizing quick, she still had a knife where as his had fell from his grip.
Perched on top of his chest, knees digging into his arms, she reached down, blade ready to watch the life drain from his eyes, to end the hallucination, but never able to touch as he moved. His forearms wrapped around her legs before she could, gripping roughly at her thighs and knocking them over to their right, the roll onto her back making her groan as he used the moment to crawl above her and grab first at the armed hand, that damn throwing knife slammed back into the floor, her fingers loosening just enough to let it go. Her other hand reaching to bring him closer, gripping his vest and suddenly he was trapped.
Damn legs, he forgot.
"What is it with you and these legs?" he groaned, gasping, now stuck, holding one of her knees to release the pressure to his side from her hold, but keeping his body down on the other giving her no traction to move "is every part of your body a weapon?" he wondered outloud.
"Wanna find out?" A pause, the grin that followed, a lick of her lips coupled with her pant, suggestive and sly. The stalemate lasting as long as each stared back to the other, panting, fighting for dominance in the silence. He was reminded of that nightmare again, not the best time to be pressed against her. If someone had walked in, their position could have been questionable at best.
"Woman" he shut his eyes, trying to avoid looking at the sun, it had nearly blinded him "will you just stop trying to kill me for a moment" he glared down to her, avoiding the unwanted thoughts that clouded reason.
"Am I too much for you?" mocking, he swore it was her default mood.
"You need to" he let out a strained groan, pressure returning to his sides, silencing his wrong choice in wording.
"I don't need to do anything except kill you" she snapped, stubborn, grip tightening against his vest trying to pull him down.
"Temari just listen I-" his speech stilling, their bodies following suddenly as the red alarm light at the desk began to blink, then a screeching sound of alarms ringing outside the tower.
The security system of the base had been triggered.
That had not been the true plan.
"Damn it" he muttered, still frozen to his spot after she released him.
"You set off the alarms, you idiot" she hissed back at him, accusing him of the mishap, he glared back to her, biting his tongue for a moment, before huffing, knowing now Lee hadn't been alone.
"Damn it, Ino" he groaned as he pulled back, pushing away from her, hands absently on her knees in his frustration, new course of action needed "the one time I need you to think like me" he looked back to her, a sight he wished to memorize and delete all in the same go. She had released her hold on him, laid flat and catching her breath, lips parted, chest rising and falling as she glared up at the ceiling, searching for a plan.
Why did she have to be an attractive woman?
"Just great, Blondie has to fuck it all up" she huffed, snapped her gaze back at him, staring a second to long, before he raised his hands off her, realizing. His surrender met with her leg coming up, boot on his chest as she harshly shoved him away from her, enough to throw him on his back with a groan "this was not the plan" she growled and sat up, throwing a fist to the ground in frustration.
"I thought you were prepared for everything" he mocked as he sat up catching his breath, rubbing his aching chest, watching her as she stood quickly, fight forgotten, making it to the desk of cameras, collecting her guns, inspecting each one with a narrow of her eyes, disregarding him as if they hadn't just had a fight to the death.
"I am always prepared" she finally spoke and loudly clicked the clip into her gun "this just means I'll have to get my hands dirty" she turned the glare towards him and smiled, not a kind gesture by any means "and you're coming along for the ride"
"Great, now I might actually die tonight" he deadpanned, watching her as she stripped the room clean of her items, of her existence, only leaving behind the bodies of the guards she had killed "let me guess, this is your backup plan? Some grand attempt to escape before they can catch you" He asked in the silence, able to put his chakra blades back to his side before his unanswered question came at him.
"Do as I say or else" making her way over to him she leaned down and grabbed the front of his vest, jerking him forward, staring back at the teals whether he wanted to or not "you're mine"
"Possessive much" he muttered annoyingly back, surprised as she practically dragged him up to stand before her, but kept him close, the fire behind her eyes had yet to leave the previous fight.
"No one gets to kill you, but me" she pointed at him, uncomfortable under the glare, he remembered that look "you made this personal now, so stand there, look pretty, and don't move" with a shove, he was forced to stand in his spot, a part of him now seeing why Hidan had made her out to be a terrifying presence, he was afraid to find out what she would do if he didn't listen.
"I really am going to die tonight" he sighed, reaching for his gun, finding it missing, finding it in her hands, so he huffed and put his hands in his pockets, he really needed to figure out how she did that move.
"I'm sure you aren't supposed to be seen at a private military complex in River either" she gave him a pointed look, he cursed himself for turning away from it, confirming her accusation, she scoffed and shook her head "besides I'm good at getting out of bad situations, that's why they called me the Little Weasel, because I could escape before anyone even knew I was there" the shout down the hall, grew closer, she sighed annoyingly and moved to the closed door "think about that the next time you want to handcuff me" he opened his mouth to speak, but shut it just as quickly, a front row seat to a question, a short smirk returned at his further silence and she lifted the mask to her nose, he followed the gesture by covering his own face, cover the annoying blush.
Leaning against the side of the door, calm, counting steps outside, teals narrowed, his eyes stared back at hers, attempting to figure out what she was going to do. When the door moved, so did she, raising the gun steadily. As it kicked open two guards entered, guns raised, one passed the entry way and into the room focused on Shikamaru standing in the middle. He remained in his spot, hands in his pockets, unmoving, trusting her.
"Alright hands-" the man began, silenced instantly as the bullet hit its mark, the back of his head, then a slam of wood meeting his companions body as he fell down with a shout and Temari standing back lowering her boot with a huff, peeking past the door as she walked around it and shot a second time at the groaning guard, two dead and Shikamaru hadn't even moved.
"Try not to get shot, Nara" she called back, tossing his gun towards him and leaving down the hall, despite his internal conflict about how much trouble this was going to be, he followed after her, after the woman who promised him death.
Walking briskly, each step with purpose, one gun raised in her left hand while the other grabbed the throwing knife from her side. He could hear the shouts getting louder, absently wishing for Ino's eyes to help him out to the situation, guide his set path, it had always been a blessing and a curse to have her screeching in his ear during missions. Now he followed behind another, simply a witness to the path of destruction chaos created in its mortal form.
Four unlucky men.
The first to see her turn the corner raised his gun, but never managed to warn his team with anything but a scream. With deadly accuracy the one who had stepped in her path first got the knife, sticking from what used to be his eye. His companions beside him gasped, the one in front fell to his side. The three behind, soon silenced by three bullets, her first hit being their distraction from looking directly at her.
As she passed, only lowering enough to grab the knife from her first hit, keeping unfazed in her pace and her gun ready at her side. Shikamaru winced in passing, the knife to the eye had definitely did its damage, four men dead their last sights of the woman claiming each step like she owned the place, with such confidence and control.
He had to admire it, even though he was still decided whether he felt safer following her or running away.
Three stories tall, the surveillance building held everything from taped evidence to confidential files about the real private militia posted down the slope, the one controlled by Tsuande herself. The room they had left was at the very top, the third floor, a quiet walk down the stairs made as she headed into the second level, moving whether he followed or not. Her pace didn't stop, continuing her walk at a duo, this time their demand for her to stop met with a simple raise of her guns, walking past the dropped bodies without missing a beat. Thinking the guards should have just shot instead of attempting to stop her, and he simply followed, until she stopped fully, raising a hand for him to slow behind her.
The turn in the hallway met with a group of six already rushing down. She pressed calmly against the wall and reached down to her side pack, grabbing something small and made of metal, his quick glance to it, a smoke bomb. Casually, as if she was just tossing a ball down the hall, she threw the weapon and raised her guns waiting. A short moment later a thud in the hallway blew up in smoke, a few shouts and she turned, shots fired before she turned back to lean against the wall again, waiting out the shots fired towards their direction. The shouts about the dead met with another turn as she raised a single gun this time and walked forward, her other placed at her side, replaced with her favorite throwing knife.
He ventured out, bearing witness to a stumbling man being pushed away from her and towards him, Shikamaru's focus set to the disoriented guard as he coughed and looked up seeing him, seeing the semi automatic at his side, ready to be raised he lunged forward, first aim to disarm, next to hold him steady with a arm wrapped around his throat and the other pinning the guard's arm behind his back, stilling him.
Holding the man in his chokehold, he just caught sight of golden hair through the smoke, following her body as she practically danced around the remaining pair, avoiding a shot one way, another grab that way, one finally aiming at her and his shot instead fired into his comrade when she moved aside. Using his brief hesitation to the accident to ram a kick at his chest and knock him back into the wall, crumbling to the ground as he fumbled with his loosened weapon trying to aim as quickly as he could, too slow as she had already fired her shot. A moment passing before she turned towards Shikamaru gun still raised.
"Good you got one" she praised with a grin under her mask and shot the man in his hold, the limp body quickly dropped from his hands as he stared back, shock, anger, a stray bit of panic at her sure shot a few inches from his head.
"Who the hell trained you?" The question met with a sigh as she turned.
"Suna" she called back with a vague response, already moving down the hall of bodies towards the stairs that led the the main floor, he rolled his eyes and quickened to stay at her side, refusing to fall behind her, to be outdone by a woman, even if he was just observing at this point. His close distance suddenly his mistake when she shoved him behind the door as it swung open, keeping close to him as three entered just seeing the bodies of the others from before.
"We got bodies" one of them called back to his comrades, turning just enough to catch a knife to his chest, Temari push away from Shikamaru, two shots fired, his companions down, the ramming guard had yet to move after falling back, glaring at the metal in his chest, turning that same glare fearfully at the woman standing over him with a stoic look down, gun lowered, unfazed by the noise as she grabbed her knife back and turned to move to the stairs.
"Now you're just showing off" he muttered as he followed her down the steps, his gun still remained unused in his hands.
"What are you complaining about" she scoffed continuing her decent down the steps as controlled as she had been "you're basically dead weight to me right now" she waved a hand back at him and paused as she made it to the door, coming to the side of it to peek out the glass window.
"Dead weight" he scoffed leaning against the side of the wall next to her "we could have just gotten out the back using the roof, avoiding all this mess"
"Where is the fun in that?" She raised a brow at him, he could see the outline of the grin at his further silence and turned lowering to a crouch as she slipped the door open quietly.
"I fail to see how this is fun" he mumbled and lowered, walking after her, he could see the group of guards though the slits of the shelves, five guards searching the back storage room of the building, some carried weapons at the ready others stayed down posting as look outs, three walking, two sedentary at the door.
At the time he shouldn't have had any doubts, after seeing what she could do in the halls, but watching her now, in the open and eyes all around he had put his caution on high alert. She pointed to the spot behind a isle of shelves, commanding him to stay there, but the argument he forced behind his glare made it clear he wasn't going to listen.
Ignoring him with a roll of her eyes, she moved right down the isle, steps so soft that he was sure even she couldn't hear them, as she peered past the corner he lost sight of her. He heard a soft thud, twice, before he moved the other direction she had went, down another isle, another thud, three to go. Just slowing and stopping at his own left end of the isle he saw a lone guard moving slow and carefully searching down one of the middle isles as he continued to near Shikamaru, he counted steps, ready to strike when a thud met his preparation. Looking out he spotted the spilling pool of blood around the guard and a blonde wiping the short katana blade to his back as she peered up at him innocently with a shrug.
"You took too long" she hushed and slipped past him to continue her silent attack. He had never wanted to argue more in his life for having to do nothing, but bear witness to the woman before him. The two guards posted at the entryway had been talking to each other, something in River language about where to look, one turned to walk, only to be met with a thrown knife into his neck, his companion suffering the same faith a gasp later. Their deaths the last of the nights, or so he thought.
It was the four unexpected ones who walked in through the door, who ruined the quiet escape to the back of the building. Shots fired, Temari had already leaned back against the isle next to him with a huff, checking each gun with a curse.
"Damn it" she put her hand out to him, he glanced at it and back to her questioning "you're not using it so give it" she gestured again, now demanding his weapon. Glaring back at her, she watched expectantly as he stepped forward, around her and moved to action. Like hell if he'd let her show him up, motivated to not be useless as she had made him. Aimed, ready, targets accounted for, four men down with a single swipe of his gun, before he could even lower his gun she had already made her way to his back, he felt her words before she could even speak "Did that make you feel better, you know, make you feel like a big strong man to protect me?"
Mocking, he swore it was her default mode.
"You really like pissing people off, don't you?" He glared back, refusing to show anymore irritation than was needed, once she found the right spot the woman did not quiet.
"Nope, just you" she grinned under her mask as she passed him with a chuckle "can't help myself when it's just so easy" throwing the tease behind her "makes me glad you didn't die" trailing his gaze after her, a heavy sigh, amused inside, but refusing to give her the satisfaction.
"Troublesome woman" he mumbled under his breath and followed her out the back, staring close to the outside of the building when they saw their path was clear, their exit just around the corner, the main gates, so close by.
The moment he dreaded when he first made the plan for his team to come to River to see Sato Maasaki's safe return from the base, with his plan came the group, knowing Tsunade wanted her own vengeance, the reasons, the truth all lied with the woman in front of him, the one who was wanted dead.
"Get back" he stilled her to his side, pulling her closer to him, ignoring the irritated look pointed at him for telling her what to do, for touching. Sure enough, it was his team. He spotted Kakashi with Sai and Neji at his back, each pressed against the wall and nearing his own hiding spot. The information he had gotten from watching his team from a distance the past few days said it all, they wanted her dead, and he wasn't ready for that move just yet, checkmate didn't end with her.
Behind him Temari glared at his back, waiting for him to decide if he would reveal himself, but he hadn't moved, remaining still as the group passed and headed for the guard compound they had been in mere moments ago.
"Go now" he was already on the move as she blinked away her confusion, he went away from his pack, alone and with her, but why.
"The hell was that about?" She made it to his back, slowing as he did, guards moving around the compound from every end, easily avoided as they timed their move from crates to parked military jeeps.
"No one knows I'm alive" he looked back to her, that quiet gaze reading her reaction "except you"
"So what are you doing here then?" She questioned, in a way already knowing the answer.
"Well princess" she narrowed her eyes at the nickname, debating still if she wanted to throw a knife in his face for it "if you haven't guessed by now you got a shiny target on your head for killing me, curtesy of Tsuande"
"I know" she snapped quietly, the truth forced out behind his gaze, looked away to the path and taking lead as she passed him "that's the point" he stopped behind her, frozen to his spot.
"You wanted to draw her out this entire time" he realized and exhaled heavily, she tightened her glare, but didn't look back to him, irritated in his move to grab her and turn her around, force her eyes on his, who did he think he was "have you even considered what that means to piss that woman off?"
"Have you considered what it means to piss me off" she snapped back, a shout behind her hushing her as she instinctively jerking them both down behind the crates, a pair of guards came running past them heading towards the tower, someone shouted that there was a intruder spotted inside the gates "I've got more at stake here than you do, Nara" pulling at his iron grip, he refused to let her go.
"I've already gotten out of here once" the stoic mutter, focused, quiet eyes turned to the task at hand "this way"
"Hell no" she pulled again, but he had already stood and moved, taking her along with him.
"Your only ticket out of here, is with me" he pulled her down one of the isles of crates, she went to argue, to fight before stopping, making him stop. Her escape had been on the other side of the compound, a car ready to move, a car that had been discovered when the alarm went off.
"You didn't" she hissed, realizing.
"Oh, but I did" he turned back, hold still tight on her, anger sparked behind his own gaze "I made your escape help mine out" If looks could kill, he'd be dead "consider it payback for trying to kill me" he let her go and slipped out of the fence he had prepared before entering the complex, knowing she had no choice, but to follow. Going down the side of the chained fence to a sloping path way he glanced back to the childish stomp of her boots as he showed her the way, her burning gaze passing him as she did.
"I should have killed you the first time I saw you" she grumbled in Sunian as she climbed down the slope, still mumbling as she did, not the same fire she had before, but definitely sparked enough.
"Probably would have been smarter" he called after her, testing the limits, finding himself grinning unexpectedly under the mask when she turned back to flip a middle finger at him and shout shut up in warning before he followed. Path clear, escape made, guards all sent to the tower and car she had parked, the short argument for his keys annoying her further, but she settled, masks down, as he drove off the path and onto the deserted sloping roads of River.
"So that was your great escape, kill everyone in sight?" taking a moment in the silence to speak as he passed the lights of the complex behind him, leaving their road lit by only the moonlight.
"It's called fight or flight, Nara" she huffed "and I'm more prone to fighting than running away like you do" she snarked back, turning a side eye to the battle of wit when he scoffed.
"I prefer less aggressive approaches, no one needed to die" he corrected, glancing over to see her unimpressed by his choice.
"A man like you would not survive in Suna long" she deadpanned and slowly grinned, enjoying the roll of his eyes, the way he gripped tighter at the steering wheel as she continued jabbing to get a rise out of him for kicks, leaning against her hand in the middle console to get closer, to be a witness "you'd be stuck overthinking instead of jumping to action, and that would get you killed"
"How the hell have you survived this long with that kind of attitude?" he shot a look her way, the distance too close he though, no limits with this one, to troublesome to entertain the idea from that security room. Just a nightmare, he thought to himself.
"Insanity runs in my family" she shrugged, unconcerned, Sasori had warned him about that "kept us alive for generations living in a land where there is nothing, but sand and sun"
"You are definitely the craziest woman I've ever met" his statement met with a short laugh, light and amused, suddenly blinding at the distance from him. The word that threatened to escape came back, but he refused to say it, keeping his eyes on the road for his own sanity.
Beautiful
"Clearly you've met some lame women in your life" she teased further.
"Yeah ones who haven't tried to kill me" he rolled his eyes, deciding to keep focus on driving.
"That you know of" she shrugged and leaned back in her seat with a sigh "you seem to be forgetting one thing Nara, no one can know I exist outside of your agency" she looked to him sharply "especially Wind, so I can't leave a trail behind that could lead to me or Suna"
"I know, Sen told me everything" the deal she made with Itachi, the conflict of who ruled Suna, the truth about Asuma. He had to pick which truth he needed, which question he could make her answer "did he really do it?" he expected rage, avoidance, even for her to tell him to shut up again, but she spoke calmly.
"Stop the car" the demand came with a cold glare his way, he slowed, but didn't stop yet.
"Temari" he tried, unable to finish as she had moved.
"I said stop the fucking car!" Her demand met with a gun pointed at his head and with a short sigh to calm himself, predicted rage, he slowed and stopped on the side of the dark road. Leaning back, waiting, hands gripping the steering wheel, her decision met with a frustrated growl as she pulled back and opened the door, leaving him behind. Calm, he reminded himself, stepping out the car to look behind him, to see her stop and turn up looking to the dark sky with a quiet gaze.
"Did he really do it" he repeated, talking to her back, refusing to back down, he didn't want, he needed to know "did Asuma save you two on purpose, did he disobey?"
The truth lied with her.
Song suggestion- Billie Eilish- Lovely
"You want to know so bad?" she called back to him, voice bitter and spiteful "He damned us by saving our lives!" she snapped turning around sharply to look at him, that uncomfortable glare returned "a man to weak to kill children, damned us to a life of hell instead" she shook her head and scoffed turning away speaking to the dark woods, reminded of the night she left home "I went back home, because I was needed there, Baki our general, he came for us and allowed us to decide and I went because I needed to be there in Suna. I needed to be what Sasori used to be, a shadow" the words she had spoken before, the nightmares she still had, of secrets and shadows "He was once the shadow behind my father, doing anything that was needed, no matter how immoral it was" she sighed, and after a moment of thought began explaining "To be the shadow behind the Lord, one has to be nothing, they have to lose their humanity to serve, their only purpose in life, nothing more than a sword for his hands and Sasori escaped Suna, because of it, because of the balance that broke inside him, it broke him to follow the cruel orders my father gave him" she took a breath and glanced back slowly, a storm brewing inside her.
"Gaara" her brothers name spoken softly, with care "is the reason I followed Sasori's path when I went back home, to be like him" she shook her head slowly "but I went, so that I could fight against everything my father was doing, I needed to be a weapon used against him, not by him. I kept my father in check as long as he stayed within Suna borders, but when he spoke of war with the other nations I had no choice"
"You were a child at the time" he nearly whispered it, brows furrowed and watching, the crack in the facade.
"Exactly why I needed to be stronger than him" she said firmly, stubbornly raising her voice to dominate over his.
"You needed to be protected" he argued back, voice raised to match hers.
"By who? Fire?" Temari snapped back, silencing him, the ones who had betrayed them "your nation attempted to have us killed, because they failed to stop him fifteen years ago, instead of helping, they pushed all blame off themselves like cowards, and created the greatest rift in our balance that has ever existed!" she pulled back taking a breath, chest heaving and grinned as she closed her eyes, bitter as she spoke "The fall of a great nation, because of a woman" a hollow chuckle followed her eyes opened, his had her to close for fear of missing a single word "and when I killed him last year, instead of feeling relieved that his reign was over, I damned Wind further by allowing Suna to be taken by another. Gaara he had no choice after the rebellions started and the only way we could fix it was taking a deal with the Sound and let them take over to aid us against the other nations" she hesitated, clenched her jaw and spoke quieter, regretful "I made a selfish deal with the devil, so that I could protect what was mine, to protect Suna and Gaara, to protect the balance of Wind"
She shut her eyes leaned her head back, taking a breath to calm herself, he gave her that moment.
"Now Asuma, he once taught me something when I came to kill him five years ago" she said his name quietly, gently as she had said her brothers, Shikamaru gripped the lighter in his pocket absently, fingers no longer twitching "he's one the reasons I always avoided your nation" she glared up into the dark sky, he saw the crack in the facade again, he could see heave of her chest as she turned to him, a burning fire behind the glare, the well of a tear "he sparred me and my brother, and in return I sparred Fire, kept myself and Kankuro hidden for his sake, because I knew he would help protect the balance of the nations as I was trying to do as a shadow" her voice rose with each word after, angry at herself "it's the reason I hold back now, because of Asuma, because there was a time I was ready to slay a man who had been to weak to kill children!" the shout, the echo of her voice in the dark woods around them, stilling the wildlife and noise as she nearly screamed back at him.
"I stopped, because I saw that my loyalties to my past had begun to blind me!" she inhaled body shaking in her fury, calming as much as she could to finish "and I refuse to be less human, because of him" shaking her head she looked away bringing a hand to her face, he knew why, but refused to call her out, turning back to look at him with a sigh, seeming to be deciding something behind her eyes "I am sorry to hear that he passed" genuine as she spoke her condolences "he's one of the reasons I wanted to see you, to see for myself, if you learned anything from him, to see if you really led or if you followed after the person who was ready to destroy what little we have left in Wind"
"We are the change, and we protect the will of the people, not those above them" Asuma had told him once.
The sun vanished as she spoke her next words, broken, and turning her gaze to the ground as if it could aid her.
"But right now, I have no choice, but to obey the one who is in control of Suna" a calm explanation, looking down, reminded of why she stood speaking now "I must protect what is mine, because the day I lose everything, I will no longer be human and he knows that"
"Temari" he spoke just as quiet, gentle in the way he said her name, she still hadn't looked back at him "Who is it?" He asked as he took the steps to near her, to step closer to the sun, to bring back its fire.
"It's her old friend, he wants her brought to him" the truth lied with her, as he slowed, the caution tensing him to stop a foot away from touching "stay away or I will kill you" she threatened, just realizing he had neared.
"Why don't you just do it now?" he dared, fearlessly taking the last step, only stopping when she shifted to raise the gun at him.
"Because" she rested the end of the gun to his abdomen, at this range it would blow right through the vest, but fear had long left him, something else had began as they stared back to one another, red rimmed teals shining with the escaped weakness, broken as she spoke "I need Tsuande more than I need you" he kept calm, still, quiet as she pushed him back with the gun aiding herself to step away from him, to gain back her voice with the distance she put between them "It's the only way I can get out of this, bring him what he wants and kill the beast or he will destroy Wind"
"Going after Tsuande won't end well" he warned, even, but a plea for her to stop, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
"I always have a backup plan, Shikamaru" she dropped her arm when she stood by the drivers door and lifted her other hand.
Clink.
Damn it not again.
He kept a firm gaze on her, no desire to look at the lighter she had sparked in her hand, the flame it created, the fire in her eyes gone, vacant and cold, smothered with the truth.
"I hope you have one too" she called out quietly, her voice a echo left behind as he watched her drive away. With a sigh, his mind refusing to slow, he glanced down the slope, his escape hiding by bramble and bushes, a second car hidden in the brush, the new truth leaving little comfort. He needed to change her mind, he needed both to stop, before it was too late.
For Asuma.