As I stated earlier, I post the rest of the story on one go.
I must (mostly because I want to) express my gratitude to my beta clumsydragon28 (in Ao3) because she has been supporting me for a long time until I can put the words "the end".
Enjoy if you can :)
Chapter 36: Home
Turning in his bed, Shee chased sleep, but it seemed that the bastard was always too elusive. When he finally succeeded in dozing off, the visions in his head held him hostage, unable to even kick himself awake.
As if in slow motion, he watched the scene play out before him. He — or rather his body — was lying on the ground, and a woman in a red dress appeared as if from thin air. Her silhouette was like one of an eternal creature created by the most delicate breeze. She slowly straddled him, and despite his frantic attempts to move, his body didn't respond. The woman's dress slid up her lean legs as she sunk down on his hips. Her tender hand reached behind her nape and released the upper part of the dress so it could slip away, revealing her body more. But it didn't fall; it remained in its place, and Shee neither could pull it down himself nor could he ask her to do it for him — his tongue was like clay. And he really, really wanted that cloth to be gone...
In a moment, there were only sensations left for him. Not a single coherent thought could be formed in his chaotic, tired, and overly emotional mind.
The woman — her face was unclear and blurry — caressed his chest, causing his heart to flutter oddly. His arousal appeared right there and then, when her fingers brushed his stomach and headed down to his waistband. Except there was no waistband — he was already naked. She was still wearing her red dress, though it was pooled around her waist. He tried to outline her breasts, but he couldn't — they were also hidden behind a veil of blur.
When she leaned down to kiss him, he finally saw her face, and her big eyes stared right at his. That was what woke him up. He bolted up, sitting in his bed, panting. Instinctively, he brushed the sweat off his forehead. After a deep breath, he realised that his hands were trembling, and his arousal was still painfully present.
Quietly cursing, he checked the time and decided to get up and prepare to leave even earlier than planned.
The Kumo group was about to leave first thing in the morning. They had gathered at the Konoha gates, all packed and ready to go, just like the orders were.
Raikage Ay had bid his goodbye to the other kages, their advisors, and their bodyguards already, but he looked agreeable enough to wait for his subordinates to bid theirs. The already ex-teammates were exchanging last words and promises to keep in touch.
Atsui, enthusiastic as he was, gathered the addresses of all the group members. He planned to flood every single one of them with regular letters.
Ruka focused on the goodbyes at hand, keeping herself from looking around.
Ameno moved back from the tight hug she gave to Karui and proceeded to hug Omoi as well.
On her turn, Ruka wound her tender arms around the red-haired kunoichi. "I'm glad I met you," she said.
"Same here." She winked. "Chin up." Then she stepped towards Ino to receive a hug from her too. "Where's Temari?" Karui looked around.
"She decided to sleep in," Kankuro answered dismissively. "Didn't she say farewell to you yesterday?"
"She did. But I thought she would come."
"Nah-ha." He shook his head.
"Temari seemed like she needed some extra sleep last night," Ameno confirmed. "What I wonder... Hm... Where is Shee?"
"Ah, he ran ahead to reserve a boat," Amai said, taking one last opportunity to hold her hand in his.
Ruka's stomach twisted into a ball. She felt very edgy to come this morning because she was afraid of seeing Shee. But it turned out that last night was really the last time she got to see him. And even if her chest ached, it was maybe for the better. She had reached kind of a peace with herself about it, reasoned herself that the whole situation had probably been unpleasant for him as well. Maybe hurtful, too. Ruka really tried to put the intense look he had given her on the boat to the back of her mind. There and then, she believed it meant something... She had been wrong. However, now was not the time to dig into her very troubled mind. With a forced, at first, smile on her lips, she got to the task of saying her goodbyes and saw off her Kumo ex-teammates.
Chouji and Karui didn't kiss. It was too early to do that in front of a wide public. Instead, he gave her a paper bag, wearing the widest smile that threatened to split his head in two.
"What's that?" she asked, fiddling to open it and peer inside.
"Dried strawberries, covered in white chocolate." His grin remained ear to ear.
She laughed. "Alright. I promise to think of you while I eat them." Karui sniffed the sweets with a single deep sigh.
Chouji's cheeks flushed pink. "That… would be nice."
Karui tucked the bag into her backpack. "I'll send you my schedule as soon as I get my hands on it, alright?"
"Yes. I'll talk with Lord Sixth and ask for a few days off."
She nodded and gifted him a smile accompanied by a wink. "I'll see you, then."
"Yes," he replied, but she could easily see the 'I can't wait' in his eyes.
It was still unusual for both of them, so they wished each other farewell; then Karui joined her team.
Tenten was hesitant about coming to the gates in the morning, but since Ino dragged her out of her apartment, she didn't really have a choice. In the end, she was glad to see off the Kumo group.
While watching them gain distance and turn into small dots, she became aware of the people who hadn't left. Her attention was drawn to the relaxed figure in black to the side. Kankuro was standing right next to Ameno and had wound a hand around her shoulders. Ittetsu stuck a tissue in her hand, with which she wiped away a tear.
Tenten kept observing him from the corner of her eye. He whispered something to the woman beside him, and she nodded. Then she pecked his cheek. The words "thank you" formed over her lips.
Kankuro suddenly turned to Tenten, causing her to flinch. He walked towards her with an unreadable expression and a little tension in his steps. He stopped in front of her. Just close enough to be clear, he came to her, but just far enough to stay on the edge of her comfort zone.
Tenten immediately crossed her arms over her chest. Her feet were ready to bring her into an offence or defence depending on his actions. Her brows knitted over narrowed eyes.
He sighed, taking his hat down. "I won't attack you," he said.
"What do you want?" The question squeezed through her teeth.
Kankuro slowly put a hand in his pocket and took out a folded paper from there. "I want to give you this. I'm aware you probably won't use it due to your negative feelings towards me... But I've prepared it for you anyway, and I'd like you to have it." He held the item, waiting patiently for her to take it.
And she took her time. She remained unmoving, looking at him, while she waited for the war in her soul to subside. Hatred fought with guilt; affection was trying to overpower the distrust. In the middle of all of that, she looked at his face — the same one that had given her genuine smiles; the mouth that had spoken secrets to her... his secrets; the eyes that felt like they were so warm but capable of burning her skin... That was the man who said no, when he could have taken advantage of her by saying yes.
Tenten's heart dropped in her stomach. He hurt her. But right now she wasn't really mad at him... She was mad at herself and how clueless she felt in the time of peace when she should have some positive feelings. At least she should have been happy that the villages were working together for once, but... Her kunoichi nature and her warrior training weren't ready for this. The soul of a kunoichi was prepared for war... And she was looking for that war everywhere, including in Kankuro.
Sighing, she untangled her arms and reached for the paper. Without looking at it, she tucked it away in her vest pocket.
"Won't you check it out?" he asked, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips briefly.
Tenten shrugged. "I will... eventually."
Kankuro stepped back, exiting the range of her swing. "Alright. I'll go now."
"Kankuro," she called, making him stop. "Keep yourself safe."
A smile blossomed within the thick purple line crossing his lips. "Does that mean I'll see you around someday?"
"Maybe," she replied after giving his question a serious thought.
"I'll take it." He held out his hand, offering her peace. However, he was fully prepared for her refusal. Tenten stared at his hand for a long time before she closed her eyes and stepped forward to take it in a firm grip.
Partially letting go of the hatred against Kankuro had an ailing effect over both Tenten's soul and body. She felt lighter... and free. Her mind was able to make twists and turns into the more practical side of her life. For example, she still hadn't decided what she was going to do when her missions and training for missions didn't take all of her time. Her sealing techniques and abilities were highly valued, and that was a potential field she could develop into. Maybe she could try to teach in the academy? But that meant she would have to deal with a lot of kids every day. And their parents... She liked kids in general, but she didn't like them that much. So the latter idea was a hard no.
Maybe she could ask in the Hokage office if there was anything that she could do.
Her eyes held a sign on the door of one of her favourite weapon shops. It stated that the shop would be going out of business. And there was another one: "for sale."
Tenten stopped in front of the glass of the heavy armoured door.
What if, she thought before pushing inside with a very determined expression on her face.
When Tenten entered her flat, she was feeling dizzy. She was not that impulsive by default, and taking over a weapon shop almost on a whim had been a bold decision... or a very crazy one. There was a lot more to sort out about it, and she was sure she could use the help from all of her friends. For instance, Lee had been ecstatic when she told him about it, but little did he know about running a shop or the documentation needed for it.
She kicked her shoes beside the door and discarded her vest on the sofa. Then she rushed to the kitchenette to drink a big glass of water. Only when the last gulp went down her throat did she feel a bit more like herself again.
Tenten headed right for the shower, grabbing the vest on her way there. She dropped it on the floor in front of the small washing machine and proceeded with removing the rest of the clothes. Once fully naked, she released the cascade of chocolate tresses, the tops of which tickled the small of her back.
The kunoichi switched on the shower. While waiting for the water to heat up, she took on the task of stuffing her uniform into the washing machine. The vest went in last since it was on the bottom of the cloth pile. Her hand stilled when she felt something different in the texture. She unzipped her pocket and fished the folded paper out of there before closing the machine door and switching it on.
Tenten stared at the piece of parchment for a few moments, wondering whether she wanted to open it at all. At first she reached for the bin, but she couldn't open her fingers and let it fall. With a sigh of resignation, she unfolded the paper — there was a plan of improvement for her small puppet. She leaned on the washing machine while her eyes quickly went over the neat letters. There was a sketch, and every line and number looked well thought out and, at least at first sight, accurate. She bit her bottom lip.
A few extra words drew her sight over the very bottom, to the right.
"Whether you use this or not is up to you.
I may be a terrible person in your eyes,
but I'm a man of my word."
Tenten read the text a few times, each time hearing the words with Kankuro's voice more clearly than the previous one. He had promised to fix her puppet, and he had gone out of his way to suggest an improvement to her. Despite the situation.
Maybe, she thought, he wasn't half bad after all?
Temari opened her eyes slowly, trying to blink the sleep away from her eyelids. She needed about a second before bolting up in the tatami bed. Her bed in the inn wasn't a tatami one, nor was it a double one; the windows were on the wrong wall. This room was bigger and too well kept to be an inn one.
Her eyes drifted towards the wall clock above the door, and panic washed over her whole body, just before a heatwave made her jump on her feet. She was late!
Frantically, she looked at herself — she was still wearing her green formal dress. Hair fell in front of her eyes — her hairdo was long gone, her tresses loose. The initial confusion quickly transformed into anger. She hated to not be aware at all times, not to know what was happening.
Temari pounced towards the window and peered outside, careful to remain hidden. Then she froze at the sight laid out in front of her eyes: a small garden overshadowed by lush forest. It was so green, like nothing she had seen in her life.
In the next moment, she remembered the time and jumped into action. She rushed out of the door and entered a small living room with an attached kitchen, which wasn't at all small. There was no one in there, though. And she would have claimed that there was no trace of a human presence either, except... The coffee pot beside the heating plate let up steam. A more thorough sniff brought her the faint scent of coffee. A movement on the porch drew her gaze.
Temari lowered herself and stilled in place. Her brain pranced through her most recent memories. If she was wearing her dress from last night, she had never reached the inn to change. She saw her shoes neatly tucked away beside the main door. Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration.
She would love to have her fan, but she knew it wasn't here. This unfamiliar place... And it was impossible to recall the sequence of events from last night. All of it, added to the lack of her weapon, made her feel bare. The last bright memory she had was her leaning on Shikamaru's shoulder on a bench outside the hokage tower. Then everything went blank…
Shikamaru, she repeated inwardly and prowled forward. The porch door was transparent, so she could peek outside if she was careful. When she did, she just froze.
Shikamaru was sitting on a floor cushion beside a low table, on which two mugs were steaming in the morning air. His hair was down, and he looked really relaxed, looking somewhere ahead.
Temari felt confused, but at the same time confusion and excitement crept over her. Of course he would come up with something weird once she had stepped foot into his Konoha realm. She straightened up and pushed the door open.
While she expected him to flinch, his reaction left her agape — a lazy turn of his head towards her. The smile that he greeted her with, however, caused her heart to skip a beat. It was one of his very special half-smirks that she liked so much.
"I thought it should be about time for you to wake already," he said, moving slightly to the side so there was enough space for her to sit.
She eyed him but still took his silent invitation.
"I have some questions," she informed him.
He huffed. "I'm sure you do."
Temari hiked her dress high to her mid-thighs and plopped down beside him on the cushion. Even in that half-hearted moment, there was grace in her movement.
Shikamaru swallowed hard, tearing his eyes away from her bare legs with some difficulty. It didn't escape her. A sly smile flickered briefly on her lips as she made sure her knee pressed on his thigh. As a result, she relished the sound of his sharp intake of breath breaking through the quiet morning air.
"You said you have questions," he mumbled, snatching one of the mugs from the table.
Temari chuckled. "That's right. Is this coffee for me?"
He paused. "Really? Out of everything you could have asked, you start with the obvious?"
With a mischievous spark in her eyes, she reached for the mug in his hand. Her fingers held the ceramic surface and gently tugged.
He let go and clicked his tongue in a vague protest. "Troublesome woman."
"Thank you," she teased.
Temari's lips enveloped the rim of the cup in a little too emphasised way, drawing his gaze. With a happy sigh, she swallowed the bitter liquor she considered her favourite. It was definitely fun to invade his personal borders, knowing only she could do that. Well, maybe Ino too, to some extent.
"Now, Nara, fill me in about how we ended up here and where this here exactly is, would ya?" She relaxed her hands on her lap.
Shikamaru shifted in his place before leaning his back on the wooden wall. "You fell asleep on me. So I carried you here. We slept, and now you are awake and ready to storm the world, as usual."
She gave him an incredulous look while assimilating his words. "I remember falling asleep," she admitted. "What I wonder is how you succeeded in carrying me without waking me up."
"I was… very careful." He grinned at her.
Temari responded with raised eyebrows. In fact, his scent even in the moment made her feel relaxed and incredibly trustful. Could it be when she subconsciously felt him handling her, her body didn't alert her because she knew he wouldn't hurt her?
"And we slept in the same room?"
"We slept in the same bed."
She hummed. "So much for your plans not to sleep with me before we date properly."
Shikamaru shook his head. "When I say we slept, that's all I mean." He leaned forward. "Do you remember us having sex?"
"No, not really."
"Well then, you can be sure we hadn't." He smirked. "If we had, I'd make sure you would remember it." The promise in his voice brought visible shivers down her body. The bare skin of her thighs was at once covered with goosebumps. She believed him.
"Right. So… What's this place? It looks like the forest around Konoha... but it's... kind of different."
He nodded. "It is different. This is our family ground, the Nara Forest. It's a place that only members of the Nara clan can enter."
"I'm not a member of the Nara clan," she countered.
"But you got one right here." Shikamaru nudged her shoulder. He slid his hand under his hair and lifted the one covering his nape. The fingers of his other hand ran over his exposed skin, revealing for Temari his family gerb glowing in faint blue. "This is a seal every member of the family receives, and this is what grants you access to the Nara forest."
"Oh…" Temari touched his nape with wonderment in her eyes.
Shikamaru chuckled and ran his fingers a second time, hiding the seal. "You will get one of your own," he added quietly.
"I will?" She smiled.
"So you can enter the forest and come here." He slowly wound an arm around her shoulders. "Because you'd want to come back home to me."
"What are you saying?"
Temari let him pull her into his arms. His breath with the scent of coffee ghosted over her lips before he dipped down. His mouth pressed gently on hers at first, sending little sparks of electricity down her spine. Her cup clacked on the table as she left it there, so her hands were free to bury in his hair. Tugging him down, closer, she returned the kiss greedily. She wanted to feel everything he wanted to offer her. And, to his credit, he wasn't sparing at all.
Shikamaru plunged his tongue into her mouth and let her play and suck on it at will until a low growl vibrated in his throat. Panting, he broke their contact and stared into her teal eyes, seeing nothing but his own reflection there.
"Will this be my new home?" she whispered with lips swollen and red.
He shook his head. "No. This will be our new home."
The End
