“Make sure you’re back for dinner or you’ll have to face your mother.”
“I know!” Shikadai called, already sprinting across the yard. His father watched him with amusement, recalling his own moments of youthful energy, though rarely did something entice him to run across the village with such enthusiasm. Expelling such energy was unnecessary, but he couldn’t begrudge his son his excitement.
Shikamaru made his way through the house to the back porch where his wife was enjoying the mild summer morning. With a satisfied sigh, he laid down next to her. He had a rare day off, and cloud-watching seemed like the perfect way to start it.
“Where’d Shikadai go?” Temari asked, not looking up from the paper she was steadily filling with her precise, slanted handwriting.
“Apparently there’s some new game out and Boruto got a copy. A bunch of their friends are going to hang out and watch him play.”
“Did you tell him to be home for dinner?”
“I reminded him, don’t worry.”
She grunted, her full focus returning to her writing. Shikamaru stretched, enjoying the warmth of the morning and the peace of not having to do anything. Naturally his thoughts attempted to wander back to the hunches and suspicions that usually occupied his mind, but he’d trained himself to ignore responsibility from a young age. He didn’t let himself indulge in it much nowadays, but it came in handy now. Here he was forcing himself to do nothing and thoroughly enjoying it. The possibilities for wasting time were endless. He would be perfectly happy spending the whole day contemplating what he wanted to do. He suspected, though, that Temari had a few ideas of her own.
He turned his head so he could look at his wife. She was more interesting to look at than clouds anyway. Despite having the day off, she’d done her hair in its usual pigtails. He wondered if that was a clue that she’d want to go out later. For now, though, she remained studiously intent on what she was doing.
He reached toward her and poked her thigh. She hummed but didn’t pause. That just solidified his desire to steal her attention. He reached out again and pinched her. That earned him a sideways glance.
“Need something?”
He shrugged, trying not to grin too cheekily. Temari rolled her eyes and returned to her paper. He wiggled closer to her so he could reach behind her and tap her opposite shoulder.
“Shikamaru,” she warned, causing him to chuckle. He was getting through to her. Time for his final play.
He reached around her back again and attacked her side with his fingers. She shrieked as he tickled, leaping up and scattering the papers in her lap. He laughed at her shocked expression, tucking his hands behind his head triumphantly.
“You are such a child,” she scolded, though there was mirth in her eyes. “You almost made me mess up.”
“What are you writing?” he asked, watching her gather the papers and stack them in order.
“A letter.” She sat back down, pen poised to continue.
“Is that all one letter?” He sat up in surprise. “Temari, that’s nearly a novel! Who are you writing to?”
“My brothers.”
“You’ve written five whole pages to your brothers?” He scooted closer to peer over her shoulder. “They’ll just burn it after they read it, you know.”
“I know.” It was a habit inherited from their father who had believed the secrets and safety of the Kazekage benefited from the destruction of all correspondence. Temari still burned her letters, though Shikamaru knew she had a secret stash of particularly sentimental ones tucked away somewhere in the house.
“Why bother writing all of this? You could just hop on a train and pay them a visit.”
“I like writing letters. They’re less intrusive.”
“They’re a lot of work, though.”
“To you,” she chuckled. “I remember the first time you wrote to me personally. It was barely a paragraph, and it was very down to business.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, feigning offense. “I asked how you were, commented on the weather, and invited you to come visit. There’s barely any business to that.”
“There wasn’t much of anything to that,” she teased. “You’re lucky I found you somewhat charming already, because you could really use some work on wooing a woman.”
“Oh really?” He smirked as he snaked his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “I still got you to marry me.”
“Despite your shortcomings.”
Shikamaru sighed dramatically.
“Why did I take a day off just to have my wife insult me while writing the longest letter ever to her brothers?”
“Sh,” she scolded, playfully poking his nose with the end of her pen. “I have a few ideas on how to spend your free time, but you need to let me finish this first.”
“Fine.”
“It’ll be worth the wait, I promise.”
Shikamaru leaned back to give her space to work, his fingers gently scratching her back. He could think of a few things he wanted to do right now, but he would wait to hear what she had in mind.
Lazily he traced patterns on her back. The Nara Clan crest. The symbol of Suna. The symbol of Konoha. Fire. Wind. Troublesome. Temari.
I love you.
“I love you, too,” she said, eyes sparkling at him over her shoulder for a moment before she returned to her letter. He chuckled and kissed the back of her neck.
“See? You don’t need to write pages and pages to say what you need to.”
“Don’t ruin the moment.”
“Yes dear.” Shikamaru leaned back with a grin, turning his gaze back to the clouds while he waited until she was ready to say more.
Anbu AU where Naruto becomes Hokage shortly after Gaara becomes Kazekage.
Genre: (Implied) Enemies to Lovers
Word Count: 1699
Read it on Ao3.
Temari was a bit surprised to see him there. It wasn’t because their first encounter had been a fight nearly to the death before he called it quits and escaped. It was because she could see him. The rest of the Hokage’s anbu guard were meticulously hidden and staying that way, but he was lounging in a tree as though wasting a lazy summer afternoon.
She knew he was skilled enough to hide undetected, so why wasn’t he? Perhaps he was just THAT confident in his abilities. She could begrudgingly admit that he was capable; he had nearly defeated her in their first encounter. But he was above all a strategist, and there was no advantage to being out in the open. If anything, it jeopardized his kage’s secret meeting by calling attention to this outpost. Was he baiting a trap then? For whom?
The questions baffled her, but she had the self-control not to break her position. He remained nonchalant and out in the open during the entire duration of their kages’ meeting. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t bother her. There had to be a reason for it. Perhaps Gaara would have some insight.
“The Hokage seems genuine in his desire to collaborate,” Gaara mused as the siblings convened to discuss the secret negotiations.
“Is he trustworthy though?” Kankuro asked. “He’s been Hokage for what, two months? That’s barely enough time to secure the trust of your own village. Why is he extending offers of peace to us?”
“He is an earnest character. I do not think he is setting us up for a trap.”
Temari studied Gaara’s face as he spoke, looking for the nearly imperceptible tells in his stoic features. Something had happened between him and the Hokage when they fought two years ago. She didn’t know what exactly it was, but he had earned her brother’s respect and trust, which was quite a feat when he almost never trusted anyone. It made her nervous.
“Temari, did you notice anything outside?” Kankuro asked.
“Things were quiet,” she noted, “though one of his anbu, the Deer, was a bit strange.”
“How so?”
“He didn’t attempt to conceal himself at all. He just sat out in the open the whole time.”
“That is suspicious,” Kankuro decided, echoing her earlier judgment. “They’re definitely up to something.”
“Was he armed?” Gaara asked.
“He’s anbu,” she said. “Of course he was armed.”
“But was he actively displaying or holding his weapons?”
“No. He was just sitting there.”
“It could have been a gesture of good faith,” Gaara mused.
“You can’t be serious.” Kankuro’s eyes narrowed. Temari agreed with him. It was too unusual for enemy villages to show such trust at the beginning of alliance negotiations.
“I wouldn’t discount it. As I said, the Hokage is earnest.” Gaara closed his eyes in thought for a moment. “Temari, I’d like you to mimic the Deer next time. Be visible. Appear unarmed. Try to figure out what they’re intending with this unusual behavior, but don’t provoke them. If it is a gesture of peace, we want to reciprocate.”
“You’re asking your sister to expose herself to what could very well be an ambush by enemy anbu,” Kankuro reiterated, not looking happy.
“Yes, but I know she can handle it. And in case things do turn against us, I want you there to back us up. Baki can watch the village in our absence.”
“He won’t like this plan,” Temari warned.
“He never likes our plans,” Kankuro grumbled.
“But he never says no to us, either,” Gaara concluded with something like an amused grin.
-----
A month later, Temari was back behind her mask accompanying her brothers and a handful of their anbu to another meeting. They arrived before the Konoha delegation, which allowed them the advantage of choosing their positions around the little outpost which served to shelter the kage while they negotiated. Kankuro checked that the building itself was secure before taking up his position in the shadows.
“Be careful,” he whispered from behind his mask before disappearing somewhere along the perimeter. It felt wrong not to follow him into obscurity, to remain standing and visible beside Gaara where all advantage of surprise was lost. But this was her mission, and she was anbu. She was focused and ready to do her duty.
The Hokage arrived a few minutes after they had settled into their positions. He paused at the other end of the clearing, and she had a chance to look at him straight on. He was the same age as Gaara, remarkably young for a kage. He also seemed unguarded and relaxed. Perhaps that was the earnestness that Gaara kept mentioning, or maybe it was naivete. She wondered if it was genuine or a practiced presentation.
Gaara stepped forward to greet him. The Hokage said something to the Deer who was hovering at his shoulder before advancing to reciprocate the greeting. The two leaders headed into the shelter to negotiate in private. Temari wasn’t pleased with her brother going one-on-one with another kage, but both parties had deemed the current level of privacy necessary to these early stages of their alliance, so she remained where she was.
The Deer crossed his arms and leaned against a tree on the other side of the small clearing. He looked relaxed, but she could feel him studying her. She crossed her arms as well but chose not to lean against anything. Her reaction time would be marginally faster if she remained balanced on the balls of her feet.
“It’s been a while,” he said after a long silence. She didn’t say anything in return, allowing him to lead the direction of the conversation.
“We battled, what, three years ago? A lot has happened since then,” he continued.
She watched his body language for hints of his intentions, but he appeared fully relaxed. She expected no less from a rival anbu. Temari thought of Gaara’s encouragement to use this as a chance to find out the Konoha delegation’s intentions.
“Are you still a crybaby?” she asked. His head tilted slightly. She had surprised him by replying.
“How do you mean?”
“Last time we fought, you turned tail and ran like a crybaby.”
“That’s not exactly how I’d describe it.”
“But you did run.”
“There are many reasons why running could be advantageous.”
“That doesn’t make you look less like a crybaby.”
“Do you usually insult new allies?”
“We’re not actually allies.”
“Aren’t we?” He tilted his head curiously. “We’re here for the same purpose.”
“A deer and a wolf may both go to a river to drink, but only a fool would consider them allies.”
“Are you a wolf?” He pushed himself upright. She could feel the weight of his scrutiny.
“Perhaps you’re the wolf disguised as a deer.”
“That level of deception is too troublesome. I prefer to be straightforward.”
She didn’t fully believe him. He was anbu, after all. Half of their missions depended on deception. But he hadn’t told her anything significantly unreliable, and his current behavior matched what she remembered from their previous encounters. She didn’t believe that he was without a secondary motive, but he hadn’t given her reason to think it was antagonistic. Perhaps he was being earnest enough to warrant some trust.
“If you prefer straightforwardness, why are you anbu?” she asked. He shrugged.
“It’s the best way to protect the future I want to make happen.”
“Is it the future the Hokage is working toward?”
“He is a critical part in it.”
Temari thought that was an odd way of saying yes. His voice indicated amusement, but his words gave the Hokage a passive role as though he were simply a part in the Deer’s plan. Was he trying to manipulate his kage and take power, or were they simply working toward the same goal?
“Why are you anbu?” he asked, interrupting her contemplations. Normally she would deflect, but his honest answer had earned reciprocation. She would just have to choose her words carefully.
“I believe in the Kazekage and what he’s working towards. Being anbu allows me to best serve him.”
“So we have the same goal,” he concluded. “We should be allies.”
“Assuming our kages are in agreement.”
“That’s what these meetings are for, right?”
“I suppose they are.”
-----
When she met with her brothers to debrief after the negotiations, she gave them her honest judgment.
“I think they’re genuine. I’m not ready to set aside all of my suspicions, but if this Hokage is as earnest as you say, he’s won over his anbu already. The Deer, at least, seems committed to an alliance with us. There was no aggression to our interactions.”
“Kankuro, what did you think?”
“There was no move to provoke us. Their anbu were respectful of our positions around the perimeter and didn’t cause suspicion. I wouldn’t invite them over yet, but I could see us getting along well enough to work with them.”
“Good.” Gaara’s mouth turned upwards in a light smile. Temari was still getting used to these smaller expressions of his. “I would like to move forward with the next step in our alliance. Temari, since you’ve started building a rapport with them, I’d like you to be the main messenger and representation for us.”
“I’d hardly call a fight and a conversation with one of their anbu much of a rapport,” she said.
“It’s all we have to work with right now.”
“I’ll do it, of course. But I’m sure Baki won’t be pleased about this.”
“I’m not too happy with it either,” Kankuro grumbled. “Kidnapping the Kazekage’s sister could provide a lot of leverage to our enemies.”
“You’re just upset that I get to leave the village and you’re stuck here helping Gaara with administrative work,” she teased.
“Whatever.”
The following night, Temari donned her anbu mask and took off in the direction of Konoha carrying a sealed letter formally requesting an alliance with the Land of Fire. She felt the weight of Gaara’s hopes in it. Those were her hopes too. She thought of the Deer and wondered whether his hopes aligned with theirs. She was looking forward to finding out.
The premise for this is kind of whack, but I had a lot of fun writing it!
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 2,069
Read it on Ao3.
“This is probably the dumbest plan I’ve ever been part of,” Shikamaru groaned.
“It’ll work, though,” Ino promised, lounging on her couch and flipping through a magazine while her teammate paced around her living room.
“There are a thousand ways this could go wrong.”
“Hey.” She shot him a pointed look. “Do you want to be able to walk around with your secret girlfriend in peace or not?”
He sighed. He and Temari had started dating a few months ago, stealing moments alone during official visits and joint missions. Their positions in their respective villages made things complicated, so they’d agreed to keep a low profile. Unfortunately that was easier said than done. There were already more rumors about them swirling around Konoha than Shikamaru was comfortable with.
“You could always be open about it,” Ino had suggested. “People are going to know eventually.”
“People knowing will be troublesome,” Shikamaru grumbled.
“It just seems like you’re putting a lot of work into something that will be irrelevant in a few months anyway. But if you’re set on pretending your relationship is some scandalous secret, I guess I’ll help you out.”
Shikamaru didn’t want to admit that part of his motive for keeping their romance on the down low was selfishness. He was falling in love, and it was exhilarating. Those stolen moments with Temari were theirs alone, and he wanted to keep them to himself for as long as possible. Plus it gave them time to work out how they would navigate their two lives in two separate villages.
“You guys should leave soon or you’ll run out of time,” Ino said loud enough for her voice to carry down the hallway to the room where Temari was changing.
“You just want us out of your hair so Sai can sneak in here,” Shikamaru teased, though he had been thinking they ought to head out soon, too.
“Oh please.” Ino rolled her eyes, but she also didn’t deny his suggestion. Shikamaru wouldn’t be surprised if Sai was already hiding somewhere in her apartment just waiting for them to leave. Secrecy came naturally to him, and though Ino didn’t make any significant effort to hide their relationship, they largely remained under the radar of the village gossips. Shikamaru was a little envious.
The sound of a door opening interrupted his thoughts. A moment later, Temari stepped into the living room. Shikamaru blinked, his eyebrows pulling together of their own accord because this was just...strange. He knew Temari was standing in front of him. The suspicious look she was giving him was certifiably her. But he also had to remind part of his brain that she wasn’t Ino.
“What?” she demanded, troubled by his confused expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he responded. He made a conscious effort to relax his features while his mind untangled itself.
“He’s just tongue-tied because you look amazing!” Ino set aside her magazine to get up and circle the other woman, inspecting her work. “How does it feel?”
“It’s a little tight in some places.” Temari pulled the crop top and rolled her shoulders. Shikamaru tried not to inspect the places where it hugged her body too closely. “This skirt is super comfortable, though.”
“I know, right? I love it.” Ino adjusted a few strands of Temari’s hair. “What do you think of the wig?”
“It’s a lot of hair, but I can work with it for a few hours. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Oh yeah,” she laughed. “Half of the village thinks Shikamaru and I ought to be dating already. It’ll take some scrutiny off of you and Sai, which works for me.”
“You’ve always been an attention hog,” Shikamaru sighed. She just stuck out her tongue at him and returned to the couch.
“Go on,” she said. “You kids have fun. Be responsible. I’ll come pick up my clothes sometime tomorrow.”
“You have fun, too,” Temari called as they left. “She was definitely telling us not to come back here tonight.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to see what she and Sai get up to.”
“You have no real idea of what they do together,” Temari declared with such confidence that he wondered how she could see straight through him. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be so scared of finding out.”
“I’m sorry, would you want to walk in on one of your brothers passionately making out with someone--or worse?”
“No, but they wouldn’t allow themselves to get caught in such a situation in the first place.”
“Ino and Sai are skilled enough not to get caught, but I know Ino has less shame than you think. I mean, she walks around in that outfit almost every day.”
“What’s wrong with this outfit?” Temari demanded, hands on her hips in a challenge. It brought his attention to the smooth skin of her exposed abs. Funny how it captured his attention now while it had never interested him when Ino wore that crop top.
“Nothing,” he gulped, forcing himself to look away. “Come on.”
“You’re terrible,” she sighed, but she followed after him, slipping her hand into his.
“Hey-”
“What?” she challenged. “The purpose of this getup is to be able to go around more freely, right?” Temari leaned towards him to whisper in his ear. “Let’s start a few rumors.”
“I’m the one who will have to live with these rumors,” he grumbled. He was starting to think she was enjoying this a little too much.
“That’s the price you pay,” she grinned. “Come on, let’s see how this goes. It’d be a shame to let all of this effort go to waste.”
“What a drag,” Shikamaru muttered, but he didn’t pull away.
The success of this date depended on how precisely they could walk the line of being seen but not letting anyone get too close. He had carefully planned a date that would let them make a few appearances at some public but less frequented locations. Assuming they weren’t unlucky, they’d have just enough privacy to enjoy their time together without totally hiding.
They opted to grab dinner at a little food cart tucked just off of the main street. Neither Ino nor Shikamaru frequented it, so they were unlikely to be particularly memorable. The plan was to grab food and eat on a previously scouted rooftop so they could enjoy the sunset. After the sun went down, they could wander the village or return to the Nara estate for the rest of the evening.
“Got everything?” Shikamaru asked, balancing a sandwich and both of their drinks.
“Yes, thank you.” Temari grabbed a few extra napkins and then took her drink from him. “Where to?”
“The school.”
“The school? How romantic.”
“You’ll think so once you see the view.”
“Believe it or not, I have been on the Academy roof before.”
“But were you with such charming company?”
“We were planning the chunin exam, so-”
“Shikamaru!”
They had just enough time to exchange a surprised glance before turning to greet an enthusiastic Naruto with his wife just a step behind him.
“Hello Shikamaru. Hi I-Ino?” Hinata’s voice rose in surprise. She looked between them, confused, but neither had time to explain before Naruto spoke.
“What are you two up to?”
“Just grabbing dinner,” Shikamaru said carefully. He could tell Hinata had seen through them, but he wasn’t sure whether Naruto had caught on.
“We just got done at Ichiraku. I’m stuffed.” He laughed, and Hinata glanced at him with an amused smile. They had only been married a few months, but there was a new brightness to them when they were together. Nothing significant had changed between them, but there was a palpable difference. It made Shikamaru wonder if he and Temari would get to experience that part of their relationship.
“Hey, where’s Chouji?” Naruto asked, glancing around. “You three are always together.”
“He’s on a mission to Kumo for a few days.” He’d been taking a lot of missions to Kumo recently.
“So it’s just you two. That must be kind of weird.”
“It’s fine, actually.”
“Are you sure?” Naruto turned to Temari with a significant look. “Ino, you’re being awfully quiet.”
“I’m just hungry.” Her voice was elevated from nerves or an attempt to mimic Ino, but she sounded strained. Naruto frowned.
“Naruto,” Hinata said gently before he could comment further, “we should let them eat. Besides, you wanted to look for some dessert, right?”
“Oh yeah. Sorry Hinata, I forgot. See you guys later!”
Shikamaru mouthed a “thank you” to Hinata as she and her husband turned to leave. She just smiled before walking away with a final confused glance.
“Come on,” he sighed, heading towards the school again. Temari giggled behind him.
“Naruto can be really dense, can’t he?”
“Lucky for us.”
“We’ll have to explain everything to Hinata, though. I can only imagine what she thinks we’re up to.”
“Let’s just hope we don’t run into anyone else. That was a bit too close for comfort.”
“I bet it’ll get a few rumors started, though,” she grinned as they climbed up onto the school’s roof.
“Only if Hinata doesn’t run interference.” Shikamaru picked a spot near the western edge of the roof and sat. Temari settled beside him, and they delved into their food. A few moments of silence stretched between them while the sky was painted in gold and lavender. A few clouds blushed in the setting sun. They watched a pair of birds diving through the air in the distance.
“This is nice,” Temari sighed, leaning against him while she sipped her drink.
“Yeah.” He wrapped his arm around her but flinched when his hand met the bare skin of her waist. She just laughed.
“You’re so jumpy,” she teased, grabbing his hand and holding it in her own. “Relax. Enjoy the view. Cuddle your girlfriend. Take it easy like you always say you want to.”
He hummed and tried to just enjoy the moment. That was the purpose of this whole charade, right? Temari seemed to have no problem with it. But every time he glanced at her, he had to look away. It was just too uncomfortable.
“Is it really that bad?” she asked, jostling him with her shoulder.
“I can’t even look at you. You don’t look bad,” he added hurriedly. He had seen her covered in dirt and sweat and blood, and she still looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful. “I just get a headache because you’re not actually Ino and the dumb part of my brain thinks you are.”
“Oh my gosh, are you attracted to Ino?”
“No! Definitely not. But I am attracted to you, and right now you look a lot like her.”
“So you are attracted to her.”
“I’m not!”
“I’m just teasing you,” she smirked. “To be honest, this is all a bit too strange. It was funny to see Naruto’s reaction, but it’s not worth it if you’re not comfortable.”
“It’s not all bad,” he admitted, kissing her exposed shoulder, the closest he could bring himself to admitting that he liked the way the crop top fit her. She cocked her eyebrow at him.
“Do you want to expand on that?”
“Maybe at home.”
“Alright then.” Temari stood and stretched, giving Shikamaru a moment to admire the way the late evening sunlight struck the skin of her exposed stomach. “Can we grab some dango on the way?”
“You don’t want to watch the rest of the sunset?”
“I’ve seen better.”
“So much for trying to be romantic,” he grumbled, gathering their food wrappers. She turned and surprised him with a kiss on his cheek.
“It was a good date,” she said with a charming smile. “Now come on, let’s see if we can start another rumor or two before it’s over.”
-----
“I can’t believe you two!” Chouji cried. “I’m gone for five days and you break up with Temari and Sai and start dating each other?”
“You were dating Temari?” Naruto blinked.
“Uh,” Shikamaru stuttered, and Ino burst out laughing.
“I don’t think you should laugh about this,” their teammate frowned. “You should be ashamed for moving on so quickly after breaking their hearts. And not telling me about it yourselves! I had to hear it all from Naruto.”
“Sorry Chouji,” Ino giggled. She shot Shikamaru a triumphant look. “I’m just happy everything worked like it was supposed to.”
Three days after the end of the war, Temari is preparing to return to Suna, but there's one task to complete in Allied Shinobi camp before she can return home with a clear conscience.
Inspired by ShikaTema Week 2019 Day 5: Surprise Gifts.
Note: Sorry it took over a year to get an update, but for some reason, this chapter felt like pulling teeth. I restarted it several times until I found something satisfying enough to continue the story. Thank you for your patience! I'll do my best not to take so long with the next update.
Read it on Ao3.
Temari wandered through the Allied Shinobi Camp. It was much smaller than it had been before the war. The Iwagakure and Kirigakure forces had already returned home, and the bulk of the shinobi from the other countries were rebuilding their villages. Gaara and Kankuro had left her to take care of Suna’s remaining matters in the camp.
Three days of collecting the final effects of the deceased and packaging them for delivery to their next of kin. Three days of gathering all Suna documents and securing them to return to the village. It was meticulous, emotionally draining work, but someone had to do it.
Right now, though, she had given herself a different assignment. As the camp settled down for the evening, Temari wove through the tents looking for someone. She hadn’t expected to see him here, but mentions of him and glimpses in passing were hard to deny. She had a few things to say to him before she returned to Suna tomorrow.
She pinpointed his spiritual pressure as the last streaks of golden sunset faded into lavender and blue. Shikamaru was sitting on a stack of crates at the edge of the camp, his head tilted back to look at the emerging stars. She watched him take a drag from a cigarette. Since when had he started smoking? That made her hesitate for a moment. She hadn’t been able to speak to him since the end of the war so she wasn’t sure what his mental state was like. She could only surmise based on glimpses and whispers, and the fact that he was here and not home. She shook off her hesitation and strode forward.
“Come with me,” she said in a low voice, hooking her arm around his and not breaking momentum.
“What the hell?” Shikamaru sputtered, resisting her pull. “Temari?”
“Obviously,” she grumbled. “Come on.”
“What are you doing?” he sighed, though he reluctantly plodded after her. She dropped his arm when she felt he wasn’t going to run away.
“Just come on.”
She could feel his eyes studying her with a mix of amusement and exasperation. She was thankful for the rapport they’d built over the years. A normal shinobi would never follow someone from another nation to an unknown location in the middle of the night. At least, normally they wouldn’t. Things were different now that they’d united to fight a war. Something had shifted in shinobi society, and it was both thrilling and frightening.
“How far are we going?” Shikamaru asked with a heavy exhale. The smell of tobacco smoke drifted around her, making her nose wrinkle involuntarily.
“When did you start smoking?”
He didn’t answer, so she glanced over her shoulder at him.
“Does it matter?” he sighed.
“I’m not judging you,” she said, which was mostly true. He’d been through a lot. She couldn’t judge if he had found his own coping mechanism.
“Then why did you ask?”
She didn’t answer. She wasn’t ready to admit that she was a little upset that she hadn’t known. Or that she thought there were better ways to deal with trauma. There were other things she wanted to say first.
“Okay,” she said instead, climbing over a mound of churned earth into a large crater littered with downed trees. “This should be good.” The war had altered the landscape, which was to be expected when literal gods took to the battlefield. Those proficient in earth-style jutsus had helped to clear the main travel paths and nearby settlements, but the world would carry the scars of this war forever.
“Now what?” Shikamaru asked, grinding what was left of his cigarette under his heel. Temari turned to face him.
“Fight me.”
“What?” he scoffed. She never broke eye contact. He looked tired. There were dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his chin. He looked worn and a little broken.
“Fight me.”
“You brought me all the way out here for sparring practice?” The attitude was leaving his voice. “It’s nearly ten thirty. You should be back at your tent getting ready for bed.”
“No, I should be right here fighting you. Now come on!”
“Why?” he demanded. “You don’t even have your fan.”
“I don’t need my fan to fight.” She punched, and he reacted on instinct, turning aside and blocking. She didn’t give him a chance to back away, pivoting to send her knee at his side, but he stepped into her and shoved her with his shoulder. She used the proximity to grab his arm and flip him, but he rolled with the momentum and brought her tumbling after him.
“Temari, what the hell are you doing?” he demanded while she kicked at him. He grunted as her foot connected with his hip.
“What do you think?” She rolled away before he could grab her ankle and popped up onto her feet.
“Why are we fighting?” Shikamaru was gritting his teeth, a sign that he was frustrated. Good. He hadn’t shut down his feelings.
“You tell me.” She kicked at him again and he dodged, but she didn’t slow down, keeping him on the defensive.
“Stop it,” he growled, trying to grab her next punch, but she pulled back before he got a good grip.
“Make me.”
“Why are you being so troublesome?” He threw a fake punch to throw off her rhythm, following up with a strike at her stomach, which she easily deflected.
“Why aren’t you in Konoha?” she shot back, glad that he was actually attacking her now.
“Why aren’t you in Suna?” he mimicked.
“Why are you smoking?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Why aren’t you sleeping at night?”
“How is it your business?”
“Why is it so hard to admit you’re in pain?” Temari kicked some loose earth into his face, distracting him long enough to kick the back of his knees and pin him down with his arm behind his back and her knee on his spine.
“Is that what this is all about?” he groaned. “Yes, I am in pain. Your knee is breaking my back.”
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
“What do you want from me, Temari?”
“I want you to talk to me,” she admitted with more emotion in her voice than she would have liked. “I want you to prove that you won’t let this eat away at you because I’ve been there, Shikamaru. I’ve lost two parents. I sat on my grief until it festered into an empty anger and a perverted sense of duty. I neglected my brothers. I neglected myself. All I focused on was not disappointing a mother I barely knew and a father who didn’t know me. That’s been a burden I’ve carried since I was three, and I still struggle with it.”
“Temari,” he said softly, but she cut him off.
“I’m not done.” She took a shaky breath. “I saw my father during the war. I came face-to-face with him for a minute, and you know what? I said nothing. After five years of wondering if he’s proud of me, if I’m living up to the legacy he left behind, I had nothing to say to him. Because he no longer has a right to my life. My mother doesn’t, either. They’re dead. I’m alive. My life is my own.
“Your father was a great man,” she continued. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t want him to be proud of you. But you’re still alive. You get to choose how to live. And part of that is choosing how you grieve. You can sit on it and carry it for the rest of your life, or you can let yourself embrace it and learn to move on. I think you know which is the better option.”
Temari focused on regulating her breathing while Shikamaru absorbed her words. She didn’t like talking about her parents. It brought a lot of mixed emotions and complicated memories to mind. But she also didn’t like not knowing if he’d be okay. Last time he’d lost someone close to him, it had taken time to find a healthy way to grieve.
“Temari,” he said in a low voice, and she braced for whatever deep conversation would be coming, “could you get off of me now? My arm’s falling asleep.”
She shuffled aside so he could sit up, shaking out the arm she had pinned.
“Did you really have to drag me all the way out here and fight me to tell me that?”
“I needed to be sure you would listen.”
He stopped his stretching to look directly at her.
“Temari, I’ll always listen to you.”
“When you want to, sure.”
“I’m serious.” He leaned forward, and she was thankful for the dim light which hid the emotions on her face. “We don’t always see eye to eye, but I value your perspective and your friendship. You tell me what I need to hear, so whenever you talk, I will listen.”
“So if I tell you smoking is a bad habit and you should stop, you will?”
“I said I would listen. I never promised to obey,” he chuckled.
“Well I still have time to change your mind.”
“What a drag,” he said with something like affection.
They lapsed into silence for a moment. Night bugs buzzed in the background, a promise that life would continue after the ravages of war. Despite the dim light and the fact that she had just opened up about her parents’ deaths, Temari didn’t feel uncomfortable. She and Shikamaru were well beyond the bounds of a typical friendship.
“So you are okay?” she asked eventually.
“Yeah, I will be.” He leaned back to look at the sky. The stars were blinking into recognizable constellations. “I’ve learned how to grieve and I know how to live while honoring those I’ve lost.”
“There’s no route to revenge this time.”
“That’s fine. I’m actually kind of glad. There’s been enough death and vengeance in the past few days.” He reached into his inner vest pocket. Temari expected him to pull out a pack of cigarettes, but his hand emerged holding the battered lighter that used to be Asuma’s. He fiddled with it in his hands but didn’t ignite the flame.
“Are you okay?” Suddenly he was looking at her intently. Even in the dark, she could feel the weight of his gaze and knew she couldn’t hide the truth. Memories of the war that had kept her up at night flooded into her waking thoughts. There were faces of shinobi she hadn’t known but whose deaths she had witnessed. There were her brothers, hurt and exhausted but prepared to fight facing their own deaths. There were the empty eyes of her reanimated father, bereft of pride and all but the faintest recognition. There were those desperate moments when she had felt Shikamaru’s life slipping away and been helpless to save him.
But they had won the war. Her brothers were safe. Shikamaru was alive and beside her now. In time, this reality would overcome those memories, and she would heal, too.
“I will be,” Temari promised, echoing his earlier answer.
He nodded, apparently satisfied with her response. He returned to observing the heavens and fiddling with the lighter, and she counted the stars while sneaking glances at him. Now that she had the time to look past the signs of fatigue, she could see the calm and intention in his features. The tragedy of his loss was still there, but it was different from what she had seen after Asuma’s death. She wasn’t worried that he would go rogue in an attempt to alleviate the pain. He was grounded and purposeful. Not for the first time, she was aware of how much he had grown and matured. Her heart swelled with a warm feeling that was both unfamiliar and intoxicating. She had to look away before it overwhelmed her.
“So you’re returning to Suna tomorrow, right?” he asked.
“I am.” Temari thought of her home and her brothers who were waiting for her. She missed the sand and the sun and the wind. “It will be nice to get back to something like normal.”
“Whatever that looks like now.”
“Yet another thing we’ll have to figure out.”
Shikamaru grunted in agreement. The lighter in his hand stilled. A moment later, he sighed and tucked it back into his vest pocket. He stood and stretched a bit before offering her a hand.
“Come on. There’s something I want to show you.”
Temari knew it was late, but it was only fair to go along with him after she’d hauled him all the way out here to fight. She let him help her to her feet. Did his hand linger on hers a little longer than necessary? Perhaps, but she didn’t pull away. He let go when he turned to lead her back toward the camp.
“How’s your mother doing?” she asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.
“She’s hanging in there,” Shikamaru sighed. “It’s not easy to lose the person you love.”
“You’re not in Konoha with her.”
“She doesn’t want me there. I have a job to do.”
Temari tried to see his face, but they were moving too fast and it was too dark to read his expression. Normally she’d expect families to grieve together, but the Naras came from different stock. Shikaku had always had a strong sense of duty, and his son had inherited that same will. Yoshino wouldn’t let either of them shrink away from their responsibilities, even when she was heartbroken, even when it meant sacrificing her family. She was the strongest woman that Temari knew, but even the strongest needed someone to lean on sometimes.
“I probably won’t be able to visit for a while. Give my sympathy to your mother. And look after her.”
“Yeah yeah, I know.”
“Shikamaru, please.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell her,” he promised. “You should write to her, though. She’d appreciate it.”
Temari didn’t think a few pages of writing would be sufficient to convey sympathy and comfort, but it was all she could do for now.
They slowed as they reentered the camp. Temari followed him towards the Konoha tents, her curiosity buzzing. What was he planning to show her? Had he intended to share whatever it was from the start, or was it an afterthought from their conversation and fight?
“In here,” he said, holding aside the flap of a tent. She hesitated a moment, aware of how entering his tent might be perceived by others. But there were few people around at this hour, and she and Shikamaru were known friends. She stepped inside.
Temari wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but his tent was decidedly plain. He lit the lamp hanging in the center of the small space, revealing a cot, a tiny foldable table and stool, and a travel pack. He hadn’t tidied his bed after last night’s rest, and he’d thrown one of his vests on top of his pack. There was just enough laziness evident to be on brand, but not enough to significantly hinder a speedy exit if necessary. She supposed her tent would look much the same, albeit tidier.
“Have a seat,” he invited, indicating the small stool. She balanced on the wobbly little seat while he dug through his pack to find whatever it was he wanted to show her. Her curiosity peaked when he pulled out two scrolls and a handful of papers, passing them to her over the small table.
“Take a look at these and let me know what you think.”
Shikamaru took a seat on the edge of his cot while she looked over the papers. They were covered in his somewhat lazy scrawl, and the edits and margin notes indicated he had revisited the text several times since first setting pen to paper. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he just gestured for her to keep reading, so she did.
Temari could feel his eyes on her as she made her way through the papers and scrolls. No doubt he was searching for any reaction to give him some idea of what she thought, but she was good at keeping her reactions neutral. Not that she wanted to disguise her thoughts from him. There was a lot she wanted to discuss in these pages, but she knew he would patiently wait for her to organize her response. She wanted to be thorough.
Several minutes of silence passed before she set the final scroll down on the little table. Temari looked at Shikamaru with his tired eyes and the weight of his grief with a new respect. She was impressed with his work, especially given the current circumstances.
“So?” he prompted, eager to hear her thoughts.
“It’s a good start,” she said, flipping through some of the pages, “a really good start. Have you talked to any of the kage about this?”
“Not yet. Like you said, it’s just a start. I want to get a more comprehensive plan outlined before submitting a proposal.”
“You don’t want to wait too long to get the process started,” she warned, drawing on her many years of Suna politics to inform her advice. “Cooperation between the nations could wane as we start returning to our villages. You’ll want to capitalize on the general goodwill as much as you can. And get Naruto to help when you talk to the other nations.”
“You don’t think I can convince them myself?” he asked wryly. Temari looked at him. He probably could. He’d earned respect throughout the shinobi world for his actions during the war.
“The kage like him,” she said with a shrug. “Plus it’ll mean less work for you.”
“Thanks for looking out for me,” he smirked. The way he smiled, strangely soft behind the amusement, made her feel warm. She looked away, letting the papers in her hands provide a distraction.
“A shinobi union of all of the hidden villages,” she mused quietly. Shikamaru had been thinking of the future even while dealing with the aftermath of the war. Reading through his notes and ideas, she could see the future he wanted to build. She wanted it to come true, and if anyone could make it happen, she was sure Shikamaru could.
“Suna will support the proposal,” she promised. “This is exactly the sort of thing Gaara would want to come out of the war.”
“Can I count on your help, then?” He shifted forward, looking at her intently. The earnestness surprised her.
“It’s pretty late,” she said. Suddenly she didn’t want to return to Suna right away in the morning. There was so much more work to be done.
Shikamaru burst into laughter, catching her off guard.
“I’m not going to figure all of this out tonight,” he chuckled, gesturing to the pile of paper. “But it will take me twice as long if I try and do it all myself. There’s also value in a contributing perspective that originates outside of Konoha. If this starts in collaboration, it would provide a better foundation for the shinobi union. I could use your help, Temari. What do you say?”
She remembered his promise to always listen when she spoke. He was offering her a place in the future he was building. Would she be up to the task?
“I say that I’m going to need a copy of what you have so far if you want me to help,” she decided. “Do you have an extra scroll?”
He grinned as he pulled the requested scroll and a brush from his pack and handed them to her.
“Glad to have you on board.”
“You’re just happy to have someone else to do the work,” she teased, starting to copy the main points of the plan onto the blank paper.
“Maybe, but you always say yes when I ask.”
She hated how confidently he said it but delighted in the implied trust between them. Still, she couldn’t be too predictable or she’d lose her reputation for being troublesome. She’d make an effort to keep him on his toes, whatever future they built together.
It’s been a few months since Shikamaru and Temari have heard from each other. Ino and Chouji think it’s time something is done about that.
Written for Writer’s Month Day 13: Feelings.
Note: I do not own any aspect of Naruto.
Read it on Ao3.
“Have you heard from Temari? When’s she stopping by next?” Ino asked while they were taking a break from training.
“How should I know? Go ask the Hokage’s office,” Shikamaru grumbled. She rolled her eyes and stretched out her back.
“You’re usually the one who tells the Hokage’s office when we can expect her.”
“Only because I coincidentally open her letters in the correspondence office, along with a quarter of the deliveries from the other villages and some mission reports.”
“I thought you two were always writing each other,” Chouji hummed, taking a gulp of water.
“Only if the Leaf has business with the Sand. Otherwise no, I don’t write to her socially. What would be the point?” Not that he hadn’t entertained the idea. It had been a few months since they’d seen each other, and while it wasn’t the longest they’d been out of contact, it had felt strange. At some unforeseen moment they’d crossed the threshold from formality to familiarity, and he’d catch himself wondering how she was and what she was doing.
“You’re friends, right?” Ino pressed. Shikamaru had caught himself asking that a few times, too. They couldn’t really be just coworkers at this point, but he also wouldn’t categorize her with Ino and Chouji and Naruto. Temari was something different and undefined. Until he could articulate what, though, “friend” would have to do.
“I guess,” he said, shrugging.
“Then invite her over.”
“Why?”
“She promised to help me with my hand-to-hand combat.”
“So what do you call what we’re doing?” Chouji demanded somewhere between offended and amused.
“Inoshikacho training isn’t the same. What if we’re separated on the battlefield? I need to up my combat game.”
“And you can’t find someone in the village to help you with that?” Shikamaru asked.
“Everyone’s either busy, lazy, or would utterly crush me in a second.” She crossed her arms and looked at them like this fact should be obvious.
“And you think Temari’s a better option?” he chuckled. “Have you forgotten what she did to Tenten during the first chunin exam? I’ve seen her when she’s teaching. She’s just as ruthless. You’d get torn apart.”
“Gee, thanks for your vote of confidence. Glad to know I can always count on your support.”
“I think you’d be fine, Ino,” Chouji declared.
“Thank you. I’m glad someone believes in me.”
“If it were anyone else, my money would be on you,” Shikamaru promised. He knew he shouldn’t feel proud that Temari would win against Ino--after all, that was admitting a shinobi from another village would beat one of his best friends--but it was the truth. (But why was he siding with Temari?)
“It’s not a fight; it’s training. I might as well learn from the best, right?”
“Then you invite her.”
“But you’re her friend. It would be weird if I suddenly ask her over to train. I don’t know her as well as you do.”
“And me asking her to come to the Leaf just to help you train wouldn’t be weird?”
“No, because it wouldn’t just be to train me. You two would hang out and do whatever else you do when you’re together.”
“We work. Ours is a working relationship. I’ve never asked her to the Leaf unless it was for work. I can’t ask her to take time away from her duties in the Sand to come and hang out.”
“Why not?” Chouji asked. “I mean, you said you were friends. Friends take time off to hang out all of the time.”
He smiled because Chouji would drop anything in a second if a friend needed him. But Chouji was one in a million. Shikamaru and Temari were cut from the same cloth. Their sense of propriety and duty was strong. He wouldn’t leave the village for an unnecessary trip, not with all of this Akatsuki business and Kurenai’s pregnancy.
Unless, he realized, Temari asked him to. Lately his missions to Suna had felt more like excuses to go see her. He hadn’t really noticed how attentive he was to business in the Land of Wind, but he knew almost every assignment and message that passed between their countries. What did that mean? Why was he so interested in their alliance? Why did he no longer mind making the trip to the Sand?
If he asked Temari, would she feel the same?
“Besides,” Chouji continued, unaware of his friend’s inner questions, “if she comes for a visit, I can ask her more about that spicy soup she was telling me about last time.”
“Wow, and here I thought you were just being your usual friendly self. You’re no better than Ino,” he teased.
“I am being friendly!” he pouted. “Food is a common interest. It’s the best way to a person’s heart.”
“Your heart, maybe.” He poked his pleasantly plump friend with his elbow.
“So are you going to invite her over or not?” Ino prompted.
Shikamaru thought it a little strange that his teammates were so eager to see Temari again. They seemed genuinely interested in her. They’d only interacted a handful of times. Had the other two managed to become friends with the Sand kunoichi in such a short time? And if they were already friends, then what were she and Shikamaru since they’d spent so much more time together?
Had they breached the realm of good friends? He thought back to her crying against his shoulder, or the evening they’d spent on the roof after Asuma’s death. When had they waded into the deeper emotional levels of this relationship? He couldn’t ignore that he didn’t feel the same way about her as he did Chouji and Ino and Naruto. Did that mean she wasn’t yet at the level of a close friend? Or was she something else entirely?
These feelings were so confusing. Trying to figure them out was a huge drag!
But he couldn’t deny that Temari had a great talent for helping him clarify things. She wasn’t afraid to ask challenging questions. It was annoying, but it also saved him a lot of time ignoring or avoiding problems. Often she could quiet his confusion. He could use that clarity now. He maybe even craved it.
“I’ll see if she’s not busy,” Shikamaru sighed, giving in. It didn’t mean anything. He would just be inviting a friend over for a visit. So why did he feel so nervous?
-----
“Have you heard from Temari lately? It’s been a while.”
Shikamaru groaned, letting his pen fall to the table next to a few discarded pages of scribbles.
“What, did Ino talk to you or something?”
“Hm?” Yoshino looked up from the book she was reading. “No. Why, did she say the same thing?”
“Yeah, when we were training earlier. Both she and Chouji insisted I invite her to come visit.”
She blinked at him, then grinned.
“I guess that means you’ll have to ask her over.”
“I guess. It’s going to be a real drag, though.”
“Hey! Temari is lovely company!”
“That’s not what I meant! It’s the paperwork and the optics.”
“What paperwork? This is just a social visit, right?”
“Well yeah, but she’s still the Sand’s representative. There’s lodging and security to figure out.”
“Nonsense.” Yoshino waved her hand dismissively. “She’ll stay here with us, and you’ll be her host and responsible for her safety. It’s simple. Plus she’s a very capable kunoichi and can take care of herself.”
“I think you’re oversimplifying things, Mom.”
“I think you’re overcomplicating them.”
“You think the village leaders would allow an official representative from the Sand to stay with the Hokage’s advisor? Wouldn’t that seem a bit suspicious?”
“They’d allow a friend to stay with a friend.”
“You can’t just ignore her and dad’s political positions.”
“And why not?” she demanded. “When you look at Temari, do you see the official ambassador to the Leaf? Or do you see a beautiful and dangerous peer who you enjoy spending time with socially?”
That sounded like a trap. She’d used the word “beautiful”. While it was true about Temari, women were funny about whether a guy admitted it or not. He screwed up his mouth in a frown. Yoshino just laughed.
“Invite her to spend a few days with us, or I will, and I’ll make sure she knows you were too cowardly to do it yourself.”
“I’m doing it! Calm down,” he grumbled, pulling a new piece of paper towards himself. Even though he was having difficulty figuring out exactly what to say--he didn’t want to be too formal but sounding too eager would be equally awkward--he knew whatever his mom would write would be infinitely more embarrassing.
-----
“This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when you invited me over.”
“Well if I had known I wouldn’t have a home to invite you to, I would’ve told you not to bother with the trip.”
“Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind when I rate your hospitality.”
Temari was keeping her tone light and joking, but she had been shocked and worried to arrive in the Leaf and find it missing. All but the furthest properties were replaced by a giant crater of rock and rubble. The initial panic was tempered somewhat when she noticed crowds of people moving amongst the destruction, but she couldn’t shake the inner terror making her blood freeze in her veins. She needed more information. She needed to know he was okay.
Luckily she’d run into Ino at what used to be the village perimeter where she’d been reassured that despite the terrible state of the land, everyone had miraculously survived. That should have been enough to calm the rest of her worry, but it wasn’t until she saw Shikamaru that she actually relaxed enough to process everything.
After the initial shock, she was somewhat disturbed by her reaction. Since when had he become so closely tied to her feelings? He could affect them, sure, but Temari had never anticipated he could be the source of them. What business did he have making her feel things without her permission?
She’d let him recount everything Ino had already told her and fill in the details. Shikamaru anticipated her questions (when had he learned to do that?) and seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear. It was soothing but unnerving. Even with her brothers, she rarely had conversations as easy as this.
“So,” she said in a low voice, “the Akatsuki.”
“Yeah.” Shikamaru sighed and leaned back against a slab of concrete that used to be the foundation of his home. The damage stopped about an acre in front of them, mowing down the first rows of forest trees. He’d been amused when she’d asked about the deer and reassured her that the herd had been far enough away to emerge from the ordeal unscathed.
Temari understood what had happened, but she was having difficulty really understanding that one person--or six people?--had done this. The Akatsuki were stronger than they had suspected. They were more dangerous than they’d thought.
“That’s two villages that they’ve attacked openly. They’re getting bold,” she observed.
“They’re escalating, which means they must be running out of time.”
“For what?” Temari demanded, but she knew neither of them could properly answer that question. It was something they’d both been trying to work out for months.
“Whatever it is, they need the Tailed Beasts.”
“Which means they need the jinchuriki, including Naruto,” she finished. Naruto, who had somehow saved Gaara and somehow saved everyone in the Leaf and somehow always saved the day. Would anyone be able to save him if he needed it?
She watched Shikamaru’s face as its features stilled, his brows pulled down slightly in serious thought. His hands drifted together in his lap, and his fingertips touched in a slightly relaxed iteration of the thinking position she remembered so clearly from their first chunin exam and countless times thereafter. He had learned to think on his feet, but in moments of deep contemplation like now, his old habit would creep out. She wondered if he knew.
She wondered if he could sense how much she trusted him, so utterly and completely that it scared her because she trusted almost nobody like this, not even herself. She knew unerringly that whatever problem his mind was unravelling, he would solve it given enough time and confidence. She loved to watch, to imagine what constellations he was drawing between the facts, to try and trace the twists and turns of his mind so that they’d meet up at the same conclusion.
When she was frustrated with some problem in the Sand that she couldn’t solve, she’d wonder how Shikamaru would look at it differently. She hated how often it happened and was ashamed that she felt pulled toward him and the Leaf when she was so proud to be a Sand shinobi and support all that Gaara was doing. But she couldn’t deny that she felt something akin to loyalty for this man thinking beside her. It had been growing over the past few years, and she feared that it might some day conflict with her other duties.
Temari shied away from thinking about that future. There were more pressing matters right now. Her brothers needed to know what had happened, and the other villages ought to be notified, too. She didn’t know how many Tailed Beasts were still out there, but the Akatsuki threat had become too big for anyone to ignore. They couldn’t all depend on Naruto to save the day.
“I should get back to my village,” she murmured.
“Listen, I know our facilities aren’t the greatest right now, but you’re still welcome to stay the night.” He was smiling wryly, but she glimpsed something like regret in his dark eyes. She wanted to say yes, to waste what was left of the day with him because she hadn’t admitted to herself how much she’d been looking forward to this visit until she’d arrived and feared the worst, but she forced herself to shake her head and stand.
“Whatever comes after this is going to be big, and we need to be ready for it. I have a feeling time isn’t a luxury right now.”
He nodded, understanding, and a little part of her was disappointed he didn’t insist she stay the night. Instead he led her back through the destroyed village. They walked past people who were tired and sad digging through the rubble of their homes and memories. But they were also strong and determined to rebuild. It made her think of Shikamaru and the Will of Fire, and that was comforting even though it was confusing.
“Next time, things will be more in order around here, assuming no other earth-shattering events occur.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
They looked at each other for a long moment. Temari got the sense that he was trying to memorize her, afraid that this would be the last time they saw each other despite their optimistic promise. She studied him, too: the arch of his eyebrows, the slant of his eyes, the angle of his nose, the line of his lips, the sculpt of his chin. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to study him with her fingers to add tactile memory to his visual profile, but instead she merely said, “Be safe.”
“You too,” he replied, and her ears pretended they’d heard his low voice catch a little in his throat. But when neither of them made any further movement, Temari turned away along the path she had taken just that morning, carrying her hopes with her.
With planning for the chunin exam well underway, the joint proctors try to work out exactly what their goals are.
Written for ShikaTema Week 2019 Day 1: Chunin Exam.
Note: I do not own any aspects of Naruto.
Read it on Ao3.
Two weeks after they signed the contract, Temari arrived alone in the Leaf. They had decided the first step to planning was touring each location to determine how much work would need to be done to prepare for the exams. In a few weeks, it would be Shikamaru’s turn to make the journey to the Sand. It would mean several days of travel. He was not looking forward to it.
He met Temari at the front gate so he could escort her to meet the Hokage and show her to the ambassadors’ lodgings. Normally whoever was on gate duty would take care of it, but Lady Tsunade and his father had stressed the importance of building a good relationship with the Sand, stopping just short of ordering him be her personal escort while she was in the village. It was a drag.
He was a little surprised when she arrived alone. It wasn’t uncommon for foreign messengers to travel by themselves, but he had noticed at their last meeting how on edge and mistrustful she had been. The situation in the Sand was likely more unstable than those in the Hokage’s office thought.
“Hi,” he greeted simply.
“What a warm reception,” she smirked. He just shrugged.
“The Hokage figured you might like some company on the way to her office.”
“And she picked you?” Temari snorted. “Was everyone else busy?”
He just rolled his eyes, already turning toward the big building tucked beneath the cliff from which the faces of the past Hokage watched over the Land of Fire. Temari fell into step beside him.
“I trust your trip wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
He glanced at her, trying to tell whether she had run into any trouble, but her features were carefully set. He did note that there were extra snarls in her pigtails, and her shoes were dustier than usual, but he didn’t know her well enough to determine whether these were indicators of trouble or simply the wear of travel. Either way, she was carefully scanning every face and building they passed as though looking for hidden enemies. He wondered if there was a tactful way to tell her that she could relax.
“How’s your friend doing?” she asked suddenly. “I never asked.”
“Which friend?”
“The one who was in the operating room all night after that mess of a mission the last time I was here.”
“That was years ago.”
And years later, the memory still smarted. Fresh after the invasion of the village and his promotion to chunin, Shikamaru’s first mission had ended in disaster. Tasked with tracking down his classmate Sasuke and bringing him back to the village, he had made some poor judgments and nearly gotten his friends killed. If Temari and her brothers hadn’t arrived to help, they probably would have died. Sasuke disappeared, Chouji nearly didn’t make it, and he had cried in front of his father. Every memory associated with the event made him ashamed.
Temari, of course, was unaware of this. Or maybe she had known that bringing up the past would bother him a bit. He couldn’t read her very well.
“Chouji’s doing fine. Everyone is.”
“And did you ever find Sasuke?”
He glanced at her sharply. Did she know something about Sasuke? For a topic of small talk, this one was awfully loaded. Villages didn’t like discussing their rogue ninja unless they posed a serious threat. Sasuke so far had simply disappeared, though he was likely with Orochimaru, the rogue sanin who had manipulated the Sand into invading the Leaf during the last chunin exam. Shikamaru suspected whatever news they eventually got about Sasuke wouldn’t be good.
“No,” he answered bluntly. She looked at him for a moment, trying to gauge the meaning of what he wasn’t saying.
“Hm,” she concluded. She didn’t ask any more questions.
Their check-in with the Hokage was courteous but brief. The piles of papers on Tsunade’s desk were higher than normal, and she seemed a bit preoccupied. Shikamaru wondered if this was all a show for Temari’s benefit or there was actually something brewing in the village.
After leaving the Hokage’s office, he showed his guest to her room so she could drop off her pack and freshen up. The ambassadors’ lodging was a small building off of the Hokage’s office shielded on one side by the cliff and on the other by a low wall. Temari’s room was on the ground floor, and Shikamaru had taken a room down the hall so he could be on hand if she needed anything. Staying in the ambassadors’ lodging for a few days was a drag, but his parents had insisted he stay close to the Sand kunoichi.
While Temari took some time to get settled, Shikamaru ordered lunch and looked over some paperwork of his own. He was proofreading Chouji’s report from a recent mission--his friend always left a few grammatical errors and never included enough detail--when Temari joined him in the common room.
“So what now?” she asked, standing over him with a hand on her hip.
“Now we eat,” he announced, sliding the report into a folder away from prying eyes. He’d drop it off at the Akimichis’ later.
Rather than sit down at the table, he led her back outside and around the building to an outside door which granted access to the roof via a set of stairs.
“Is this really necessary?” she huffed as they climbed.
“It’s quieter up here,” he replied, stepping carefully onto the slightly sloped roof. “It’s easier to talk.”
“We have things to talk about?”
“Uh, yeah. Last I checked we’re proctoring the next chunin exam.”
“You’re proactively focusing on work? I thought you were allergic to any sort of exertion.”
“Ha ha,” he laughed sarcastically as he settled onto the roof. Temari took a moment to scan their surroundings before sitting beside him. She was still guarded, though he noted that she had left her battle fan in her room. “Here.”
She wrinkled her nose slightly when he handed her a takeout box, but she didn’t complain. His mother would give him a lecture if she found out he gave the representative from the Sand takeout as her first meal in the Leaf, but he was much too lazy to cook anything and didn’t care to waste time at a crowded restaurant. Plus he highly doubted diplomatic relations between their villages would fall apart over a simple meal. Temari didn’t strike him as that trivial.
Shikamaru let his thoughts drift as they ate, free and lazy like the clouds floating above them. He loved meal times because they usually signified a break from having to think about work. He wasn’t expected to do anything or go anywhere. He could be carefree for an hour or so.
Unless, of course, the company he was keeping was troublesome.
“So talk,” Temari said, disrupting the relaxed flow of his thoughts. He had hoped she’d wait at least until they had finished their food. He should have known better.
“About what?” he stalled. She let out a frustrated snort.
“About the chunin exam! That’s why we’re up here on the roof and not somewhere more comfortable, right?”
He sighed. He’d really been hoping for a few moments to relax.
“So?” she prompted.
“The written exam’s first, right?”
“Yeah,” she growled. He was almost amused by how frustrated he was making her.
“I figured we’d hold it at the school, same as last time.”
“I hope you’re not planning on making it the exact same as last time. Several candidates will be repeating the exam.”
“I know,” he sighed, rubbing his neck. “We have to create a whole new test. It’s such a drag.”
“Have you come up with anything yet?”
“I have a few ideas.” He picked through his food for a chunk of chicken, chewing slowly.
“Care to share?” Temari prompted when he didn’t continue. With a sigh, he set aside his food container and laid back on the roof tiles.
“I want to divide up the members of each team and test how they work together when they have limited communication. I just don’t know how yet.”
“You want to split up the teams but still expect them to communicate. Doesn’t that make it impossible?”
“Not necessarily. I just want to limit the advantage of certain jutsus. Like with our test, visual and intelligence-oriented jutsus had an advantage.”
“But wouldn’t that be unavoidable even if we split up teams? They can just copy from some of their competitors.”
“Not if the entire focus of the exam is to test teamwork within each three-person squad.”
“I don’t really see the point of that. We don’t pass teams in the chunin exams; we pass individual shinobi.”
“But a lot of shinobi work involves cooperating in a team,” Shikamaru explained. “You have to know who to trust and how to work together to complete a mission.”
“Those are largely circumstantial decisions,” she countered. “Shinobi get reassigned to different squads all the time. It doesn’t matter who the other members on the team are as long as each does her job. That’s how we complete missions.”
“Somewhere along the line you have to decide to trust the other people on your team to do their jobs, and if something goes wrong, you need to depend on each other to adapt and fix it. No shinobi is totally independent.”
He watched as she mulled over his words, eyebrows pulled down over her teal eyes. He wondered if she was arguing because she honestly believed teamwork wasn’t that important to a shinobi, or perhaps it was a reaction from not being able to trust people in the Sand. He wondered if there was really a difference between the two.
“Even our own exam started with a whole team pass or fail on that last question,” he reminded her.
“That was just to thin the field more quickly,” she declared dismissively.
“But you had to know what your teammates would do.”
She turned her sharp eyes on him. They were cruel and intelligent. Her look made him realize how little he actually knew her.
“Knowing what someone will do and trusting them have nothing to do with each other.”
-----
Shikamaru was miserable, and Temari would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge that it amused her. He tried to hide it to prevent any offence to his hosts, but it was a common enough reaction from emissaries to the Sand that she saw right through him.
She had found the rest of her trip to the Leaf boring. The school was exactly as she remembered it from her own exam. Shikamaru talked about sealing off the classrooms to make the test more difficult, but she didn’t really care about those details. She didn’t understand why he was so preoccupied with the candidates’ relationships with their teammates, but if that’s how he wanted to run the written exam, then so be it. In her eyes, the important part of the exam would start with the second round in the Land of Wind.
Originally she had been opposed to Gaara’s plan to use the exams as a way to lure out and take down his enemies. It was risky not only because it meant using the Kazekage as bait, but it could also endanger relations with the other nations if their genin got caught in the conflict. But Temari was also really tired of sleeping with one eye open, and Gaara was limited by his opposition and couldn’t effectively guide the Sand toward his dream of a better future. They were stuck unless they could eliminate his enemies.
The real problem with the plan had been inviting the Leaf to co-host the exam. They couldn’t have obtained the council’s approval without a partnership from another village, and it threw off any suspicions that they were using the exam to target their internal opposition. Temari could only hope their plans wouldn’t backfire and make things worse.
She was nervous about having Shikamaru in the Sand. She’d seen how he observed everything and knew he was drawing conclusions which he would no doubt communicate to the Hokage. It would be tricky keeping the plan secret from him, especially as he was more talkative now than he had been in the Leaf. He seemed eager to know the details of every part of the second round.
“The Demon Desert, huh?” He was leaning over a map spread across a table, scratching his hair where some sand was irritating his scalp. “Isn’t the entire desert demonic?”
“For whiny crybabies like you,” she teased, trying to keep the mood light to mask the heaviness of her thoughts. “The Demon Desert is more unpredictable than the rest. There are hidden quarries, fields of quicksand, and sandstorms that appear out of nowhere. With limited natural resources, it’ll definitely challenge the genins’ endurance.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“No more dangerous than the Forest of Death.”
“What safety measures will you have in place?”
“Safety measures?” She shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on any.”
“But what if someone gets hurt or trapped somewhere? Will there be medical-nin on standby?”
“As I recall, there weren’t any adults waiting to swoop in and help us during our exam.”
“And look how that turned out,” he responded, eyes narrowed.
She didn’t like the implication. She and her brothers had a lot of blood on their hands, including some from those exams. She was pretty sure adult intervention wouldn’t have stood much chance against Gaara.
“They won’t have anyone keeping an eye on them when they’re off on missions. If we really want to test who has what it takes to be a chunin, we can’t hold their hands.”
“It’s not holding their hands if we’re keeping them alive so they have the chance to try again next time,” he argued. “The purpose of these exams is to build up our villages’ next generation of shinobi, not lose half of them.”
“Death is part of a shinobi’s life. Better to get them used to it sooner rather than later.” She said it with more emotion than she intended, the words getting caught in her tightening throat. Unpleasant memories were resurfacing. That made her angry. She wasn’t supposed to lose control and get emotional. Emotions revealed too much, and she didn’t want Shikamaru to know the details of her past.
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he said firmly. She was sure he had noticed her control slip momentarily, but it seemed he wasn’t going to mention it. She wasn’t sure whether that was a relief or not.
“We don’t have to run the exams like they have in the past,” he continued. “Nothing changes if we keep doing everything the same way.”
She couldn’t tell him it was precisely because she wanted things to change that they couldn’t increase supervision of the exam. Gaara’s enemies needed the chance to slip in and try something in order to get caught. The chaos of the second round had always been an opportunity to pursue secondary intentions, like the Sand and Sound’s maneuvers to invade the Leaf during the last exams. They might be risking the lives of their genin, but doing so would allow Gaara’s dreams for the future to start coming true. It was a necessary risk.
“If they can’t survive by themselves, they shouldn’t take the exam,” she declared. “If you have other questions, they can wait until tomorrow. I have some meetings to get to.”
“Temari, wait,” he called, clearly dissatisfied with her answer, but she said nothing and walked away.
-----
Shikamaru awoke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. That is, his reflexes awoke, pulling his body out of bed and reaching for his ninja tools. His mind took a few moments longer to shake off the sleep.
“Shikamaru,” Temari hissed from the other side of the door. That nearly made him relax, but the way she had refused to finish their argument earlier that day told him she was hiding something big. It was also the middle of the night. The desert darkness pressed heavily against his window. Nothing good ever happened in the middle of the night. Warily he cracked open his door and found Temari’s sharp, teal eyes in the dark hallway.
“Grab your things,” she ordered. “We need to go. Now.”
“What’s happening?” he demanded.
“Don’t waste time with questions. Move!”
She looked earnest. Her clothes seemed to have been thrown on in a rush, and her hair was unbound. A sliver of worry sliced her expression. He decided to trust her.
A minute later they were gliding down the hallway to meet up with Gaara and two Sand shinobi waiting for them. The Kazekage was fully dressed and had his gourd slung across his back. Shikamaru wondered if he had slept at all tonight.
“Do you need me to stay?” Temari asked, but her little brother shook his head.
“Kankuro will take care of things here. Let’s go.”
Shikamaru wanted to ask where and why, but they were already moving, and the sense of urgency was so great he thought it prudent to simply follow. They raced down stairs and along hallways, taking so many turns he didn’t bother trying to keep track of their path. Then suddenly they were out in the open, far away from the Kazekage’s residence and the ambassadors’ quarters. There must be secret tunnels under the city.
They stole through the empty streets, the eternal wind swirling dust around their feet. They seemed to be heading for the massive wall that protected the village, but their route curved away from the narrow opening through which he had entered the Sand. Instead, they ducked into a house and down into more tunnels. After more twists, turns, and stairs, they emerged into a large room. White ceiling lights illuminated a few tables and chairs. A long, narrow window revealed they had climbed partway up the hulking wall into a network of secret rooms.
He waited with Gaara while Temari and the others checked the rooms further in. After giving the all clear, the two Sand shinobi disappeared back into the tunnels to guard the way to the Kazekage. With their departure, Gaara and Temari relaxed slightly. They chose a table towards the center of the room, leaning their weapons nearby and settling down to wait.
Shikamaru hesitated to join them, studying them for a moment. Gaara had his elbows propped up on the table, lips pressed against his clasped hands as he contemplated his sister. Temari was holding her hair back from her forehead and returning her brother’s earnest gaze. They seemed to be communicating together, but Shikamaru couldn’t read all of their thoughts.
“It was an assassination attempt, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Gaara confirmed, not bothering to dance around the subject for the sake of saving face. He turned to meet Shikamaru’s eyes.
“This isn’t the first time,” the Leaf shinobi surmised. His thoughts raced back to all recent interactions with the Sand, reworking interpretations under this new revelation. He had suspected assassination threats existed, but repeated attempts were something else entirely. No wonder Temari was always watching her back.
She had closed her eyes and was taking deep breaths. He felt sorry for her. All of the work she’d gone through to hide the true state of the Sand’s internal affairs was unravelling in this room.
“The chunin exams,” Shikamaru said, his eyebrows drawn low over his eyes as he thought. “You’re using them to draw out your opposition to stop them.”
He saw Temari deflate further and knew he was correct before Gaara nodded.
“I apologize for keeping you in the dark,” the Kazekage said. “The fewer people who know, the less likely our plans are to be ruined. It was a risk I thought worth taking.”
On one level, it made sense, but such deception could destroy the alliance between their villages. It not only endangered the participating genin, but proctors were also at risk. Based on the fact that they’d taken him with them as they evaded the assassins, Shikamaru was a potential target. An ambassador dying in another village would definitely strain relations between allies and undermine a leader’s authority.
“I understand that you’ll have to report this to the Hokage,” Gaara acknowledged. “I won’t ask you to withhold anything, but I would appreciate your discretion. And if possible, I would like to continue with the exams, if only to allow our genin the chance to prove themselves.”
“Understood,” Shikamaru replied, but he couldn’t make any promises before speaking with Lady Tsunade.
“Thank you,” Gaara said, closing his eyes and returning to his waiting position.
With a sigh, Shikamaru slid into a chair. He let his head hang back so he was looking at the rough rock ceiling. It was too late to have to sort through this mess. How would he tell Lady Tsunade their allies were willingly endangering shinobi from other villages because they themselves were threatened? He believed Gaara meant well, but did that excuse the lies? He didn’t think the Hokage would destroy their alliance over this, but the elders might not react as favorably.
“Shikamaru.”
He sat up. Temari had slid into the seat across from him. He noticed the slight shadows under her teal eyes.
“Gaara’s the Kazekage. He won’t ask the ambassador from another village for help. Nor does he think he needs to. He has too much faith in people.”
“But you don’t.” He finished the thought for her. They sat there for a moment looking at each other. The slight desperation in her eyes made him a little uncomfortable, but he was also somewhat relieved. It was the most honest look she had given him.
Maybe he was too tired and not thinking straight. Maybe his brain was trying to process too many things right now. Maybe he was too shocked by how vulnerable she looked. It unnerved him.
“I won’t tell the Hokage unless I give you a head’s up first,” he promised. “I’d rather give the Kazekage a chance to talk with her himself first.”
He wondered if this might count as betraying the village. He had promised to report to Lady Tsunade. Withholding information that might endanger Leaf shinobi was a punishable offense. But he hadn’t promised not to tell. If the situation worsened, he would reveal everything to the Hokage. That meant he’d have to keep a close eye on the situation, which was going to be a real drag.
The look of relief on Temari’s face, though, probably made it worth it.
“Thank you,” she whispered, reaching across the table to squeeze his arm briefly. Then she left to join Gaara and Kankuro, who had just arrived looking disheveled and angry. Shikamaru’s eyes lingered on Temari for a moment before he returned to staring at the ceiling.
As Temari and Shikamaru clean up relations between their villages after the chunin exam, they find themselves in some unusual (but not unpleasant) social situations.
Inspired by ShikaTema Week 2019 Day 2: Family Dinner.
Read it on Ao3.
Note: I do not own any aspect of Naruto.
-----
Gaara was nearly abducted and they had to cancel the exams partway through the second round, but overall things had worked out well. Gaara’s opposition had been silenced, several of their genin would receive promotions to chunin, and things in the Sand were settling down. Temari was getting used to sleeping through the night again.
Of course, there were lots of explanations and apologies to deliver to the other villages. Shinobi from the Sand were carrying hand-written scrolls from the Kazekage to all participating villages, as well as feedback from the proctors regarding each candidate’s performance. It had been a pain to review every genin who made it to the second round, but it was probably the least Temari could do considering her and her brothers’ plan had disrupted yet another chunin exam.
She, of course, had been sent to the Leaf with their documents. She could have stayed with her brothers, but she wanted to add her own personal apology for deceiving their allies. She also wanted to prevent Shikamaru from getting into trouble, if possible. She owed him for letting them handle the unrest in the Sand themselves.
“Thank you, Temari,” the Hokage said. “I accept your apology, and I appreciate your perspective regarding our participating genin. I was a little worried I’d have to depend solely on Shikamaru’s feedback, which is likely to be biased in favor of his friends.”
Temari smirked at him, and he rolled his eyes. They all knew he wasn’t the type to go easy on someone because they were friends.
“And as far as I’m concerned, the alliance between the Leaf and the Sand still stands. I only wish I’d been let in on the situation beforehand. We might have been able to help with your predicament.”
“Apologies, Lady Hokage,” Temari bowed. “It was Sand business, and we believed it had best stay amongst the Sand. We weren’t sure who we could trust.”
“I hope now you know that you can trust your allies,” Tsunade smiled. “And I understand why you did what you did. Honestly, I am a little surprised you didn’t know about any of this, Shikamaru.”
“Well, you know,” he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “There was a lot of other things going on with the exams and everything. I had a lot on my mind.” He looked sufficiently sheepish to hide his involvement. Not that it had really been involvement. He had simply kept their secret and let them enact their plan unopposed.
“Well I hope you’re more attentive on your other missions,” Tsunade teased, secretly telling them she wouldn’t pursue any guilt by association. Temari wondered if she’d be this lenient if the plan had gone awry. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some reports to review.”
Temari and Shikamaru bowed and took their leave.
“She definitely saw right through you,” Temari smirked as they traversed the hallways on their way out. She knew the route by now, but it was still nice to have company.
“She’s the Hokage. I’d be a bit worried if she hadn’t.”
“She’s not what I expected when I heard the new Hokage was one of the legendary sannin,” Temari confessed. “She’s a lot more mellow than I thought she’d be.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her ruefully. “You haven’t seen her when she’s angry.”
Temari chuckled and let their conversation lapse into comfortable silence. She wasn’t sure if it was the relief of their plan succeeding or the rapport built on five months of working together, but Temari felt incredibly comfortable around Shikamaru. She was also getting used to the Leaf, which was advantageous to her new official position as ambassador to the village. If the Sand had any business with their ally in the Land of Fire, she’d get to know all about it.
“Do you need to grab anything before we head over?” Shikamaru asked as they stepped out into the evening sunlight.
“Assuming I don’t need my fan, I’m good to go.”
“Just as long as one of us is,” he sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
“What do you have to worry about?” she scoffed, following him through the streets crowded with people heading home from work or out to dinner. The volume of people in the streets reminded her somewhat of the Sand’s bazaar on market days, but this crowd was typical in the Leaf. “Isn’t this run-of-the-mill for you?”
“Do you have dinner with the official ambassadors of foreign villages regularly?”
“Yes, actually. Kazekage’s sister, remember?”
“Oh right,” he sighed, and she chuckled. He must really be preoccupied to miss something so obvious.
“So is there anything I need to know ahead of time?”
“Not really.”
“Any topics of conversation I need to avoid?”
“Besides village secrets? No.”
“What’s on the menu?”
“Dunno.”
“You better not be planning any surprises,” she warned.
“Temari, it’s a family dinner. There’s literally nothing I could do to surprise you without getting yelled at by my mother. You’re safe.”
She raised an eyebrow. Mr. Smarty-Pants could probably come up with a prank that wouldn’t land him in trouble. But he did seem preoccupied with something else. She was probably safe.
They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence. She had passed by the Nara district a few times but rarely stepped foot on the grounds. Tucked on the edge of the village, a cluster of homes hovered on the verge of a deep forest. A pair of massive oak trees served as honorary gate posts, but no other boundary separated their land from the rest of the Leaf or the Yamanaka and Akimichi territories which hugged the Naras with adjacent territory.
It was pretty quiet here. The bustle of the village faded to the softer sounds of the district. In the distance, a mother called her brood to dinner. Friends chatted as they walked home after work. A few couples sat on their porches enjoying the evening. They nodded and smiled as they passed.
Their destination was a house tucked close to the woods, its back door only a handful of yards from the tree line. It was no different than any of the other Nara properties save for its age. If she had simply been passing by, she would never have guessed it housed the head of the clan and Hokage’s advisor.
“We’re here,” Shikamaru called as he pulled open the door, holding it as Temari entered.
“I’ll be out in a moment,” a voice called from one of the rooms further inside. They slipped off their shoes, and Shikamaru led the way through the halls. The rooms they passed were cleanly furnished. A few pictures adorned the walls. Shikamaru’s family seemed to like simplicity.
“Welcome!” a dark-haired woman, the owner of the voice from earlier, greeted as she stepped out of a nearby room. “I’m Yoshino, Shikamaru’s mother. You must be Temari.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Temari bowed. “Thank you for inviting me into your home.”
“Oh of course! It’s an honor to have the ambassador from the Sand come for a visit.” She turned to her son. “Your father’s not with you?”
He shrugged. “He wasn’t at the office. I think Lady Tsunade had him checking into a few things this afternoon.”
“Checking into things, huh?” A calculating look flashed across her face. “Well he’d better not be late, or we’ll start dinner without him. Temari, come in and make yourself comfortable. Shikamaru, you can set the table.”
Temari bit back a smirk at the grumpy expression he pulled at having to do work. She hovered by the low table as he gathered plates and bowls from a nearby armoire.
“Is there any place in particular I should sit?”
“Wherever you’d like. It’s dinner, Temari. It’s not like we have assigned seating.”
She rolled her eyes, but ended up sitting facing the back wall whose sliding door was open to let the cool evening air inside. She could see the woods a few yards away from the porch. A path wound away from the steps between the trees and disappeared. She wondered if it led to the clan shrine.
“You’re setting everything crooked,” she observed as Shikamaru placed bowls, plates, and chopsticks in front of her. “You should be more careful. A less benevolent guest might think you were trying to insult her.”
“Yeah right,” he scoffed as Temari straightened the place settings.
“I always tell him the same thing,” Yoshino called from the kitchen. “He’s just like his father--too lazy to pay attention to the details.”
“Maybe we have other things to concern ourselves with,” he muttered.
“You should focus on what you do in the moment, not whatever daydreams or shogi moves you’d rather think about,” his mother tsked. “Just because something is ‘a huge drag’ doesn’t mean it’s not important.”
“I know Mom,” he sighed with an air that suggested he’d received this lecture before, but he helped Temari straighten the rest of the place settings.
“I hope he wasn’t this negligent when he was working with you on the chunin exams, Temari.”
“He did drag his feet some of the time,” she replied honestly, “but it wasn’t too bad.”
“Huh?” His mother stuck her head out of the kitchen to frown at him. “Haven’t you learned to do your work by now? Honestly, the fact that they made you a chunin still baffles me.”
“Sometimes it baffles me, too,” he muttered.
“I’ve been trying to convince him to take the exam for jounin,” Temari said. Yoshino blinked for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“He won’t take the exam because a higher rank would mean more work, and he’s practically allergic to any exertion.”
“There’s plenty of work to do as a chunin,” Shikamaru grumbled. “I can still help the village without being a jounin.”
“But a village also needs skilled jounin to guide the other ranks and serve as the Kage’s right hands. If you have the abilities, it’s your duty to serve in the best possible capacity. Otherwise what are you doing as a shinobi?”
“She’s got you there,” Yoshino chuckled, ducking back into the kitchen to finish dinner.”
“Troublesome women,” Shikamaru muttered, collapsing into the seat next to Temari.
“We’re only ‘troublesome’ because you know we’re right,” she teased. “You’re causing all the trouble yourself by not manning up and taking the test.”
“The Hokage doesn’t need a kid like me pretending to be in charge,” he scoffed, taking off his chunin vest and tossing it against the wall behind him.
“Shikamaru, pick that up and put it away properly!” Yoshino ordered. He sighed dramatically but got up, took his vest, and walked out of the room to hang it up by the door.
“Honestly, between him and his father, I have my hands full trying to keep things in order,” Yoshino sighed, leaning in the kitchen doorway.
“It’s a good thing you’re here to keep an eye on things,” Temari agreed. “They’d be a real mess otherwise.”
“I’m just waiting for Shikamaru to finally grow up and get married so I can stop babysitting him, though I pity the girl who will have to take over that role. He can be a real handful.”
“I know what you mean. My brother can be a real mess, too.”
“Really? But he’s Kazekage now.”
“No, my other brother,” Temari chuckled. “Though Gaara comes with his own set of complications, too.”
“Of course. I suppose we all do. We women just seem better at sorting through it all.”
They lapsed into thoughtful silence just in time to hear the front door open and close and a low murmur of voices.
“Dad’s home,” Shikamaru announced as he padded back into the dining room.
“Good, it’s about time,” Yoshino said briskly. “Help me carry the food in here so we can finally eat.”
“Can I help with anything?” Temari asked, already preparing to stand.
“The two of us should be fine,” Yoshino called over her shoulder, “assuming Shikamaru doesn’t drop anything.”
“When have I ever dropped anything?”
“Remember Chouji’s birthday two years ago? Or that bowl of ramen when we were treating Naruto to dinner that one time? Or-”
“Okay, okay! Those were all just accidents. They happen,” he groaned as they returned to the dining room. He rolled his eyes when he saw Temari dying of silent laughter.
“Hey, you better be focusing on what you’re doing,” Yoshino warned. “I don’t need any ‘accidents’ after all the trouble I went through to make this food.”
“Ah, looks like I got home just in time.” Shikaku stepped into the room, a relaxed grin on his face as he approached his wife to say hello. The stern look she gave him, though, stopped him.
“You’re late,” she grumbled.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Shikamaru must have inherited the habit from him. “I was finishing up some work.”
“Then you should have let me know ahead of time. It’s the least you can do, especially when we are expecting guests.”
“Oh right. Sorry Temari,” he apologized again.
“That’s alright. I understand how the work of a village can catch you unexpectedly.”
“You don’t have to try and make him feel better. He’s a grown man. He can take the consequences of his actions.”
“That’s super neat, but we really don’t need to watch you two flirting when we’re hungry and there’s food right in front of us,” Shikamaru grumbled as he plopped back into place at the table.
“Excuse me?” Yoshino turned her steely expression on her son.
“Uh, sorry.”
“Honestly, sometimes I really don’t know what to do with you two,” she sighed, sitting down.
Dinner with the Nara family was a new experience. The food was delicious and the company was pleasant. Temari saw a lot of similarities between Shikamaru and his father, but his strong sense of obligation seemed to come from his mother. It was interesting to see them interact.
They were welcoming in their conversation and generous with their attention. They asked about the Sand, the chunin exams, her brothers, and her interests. This was a social visit so they avoided discussing work, but she was careful when she spoke about her home and family in case anything she shared might tarnish their villages’ alliance. It was hard to not to be a diplomat when sitting across from the Hokage’s advisor.
“Can we get you anything else?” Yoshino asked while clearing away dishes. “Some tea? Shikaku might have a few sweets stashed away somewhere.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I could manage another bite. That was delicious!”
“Do you play shogi?” Shikamaru asked. “Dad and I usually play a few games after dinner.”
“Sorry son, but I don’t have time tonight,” Shikaku announced. “I have a little work to finish up.”
“More work?” Yoshino frowned as she returned to collect more dishes. “I thought you were trying to cut back on your hours.”
“A village doesn’t only run from nine to five, honey.”
“Well Temari, you’re welcome to stay and hang out with Shikamaru and me.”
“Thank you, really, but I should probably head out. I have an early departure tomorrow.”
They stood, Shikamaru stretching a little, and made their way to the front door.
“It was a pleasure having you to dinner, Temari,” Yoshino smiled. “You’re always welcome to come over when you’re in the village.”
“Thank you, that’s very generous.”
“When will you be home?” She turned her attention to her husband, who shrugged.
“Before midnight, if all goes well.”
“This better not be a cover to go out drinking with Inoichi and Chouza.”
“Of course not!” He looked wounded. Temari got the impression that he might have been guilty of this before.
“Make sure Temari gets back safely,” Yoshino instructed her son as he slid open the door.
“I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself, Mom.”
“That’s not an excuse to not do your part as host and gentleman!”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he sighed.
Temari waved goodbye to the Nara matron, and they set out back into the heart of the village. She had watched the encroachment of the evening sky through the back door while they ate. The late hour had also encouraged villagers to return to their homes so their route was much less crowded than before, though several restaurants were spilling their aromas and the sounds of happy guests into their path. They walked on in silence. Temari was full, but she felt lighter than she had in a while. Tonight’s dinner had boosted her spirits in ways she hadn’t expected.
Shikaku stopped outside of a dumpling restaurant.
“We’ll part ways here,” he announced. “Temari, it was nice to see you in a context other than village politics.”
“Agreed.”
“Mom will really drag you if you’re just going out to drink,” Shikamaru warned, eyeing the dumpling restaurant suspiciously.
“You don’t have to tell me.” Father and son exchanged a look before Shikaku ducked into the restaurant. With a sigh, Shikamaru relaxed marginally and they continued towards the ambassadors’ lodging.
“Sorry you had to endure all of that.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, bemused. “I had a good time tonight.”
“Really?” He looked at her as if she was crazy.
“Yeah, your parents were really nice. I mean, I already kind of knew what to expect from your dad, but your mom is pretty remarkable.”
“I should’ve expected it,” he muttered, looking up at the stars in an act of surrender.
“What?”
“That you and my mother would get along so well.”
“She and I have similar sensibilities.”
“Huh.” They walked on in momentary silence. She could feel his gaze as he glanced at her.
“What is it?”
“So you really did have an alright time?”
“Yeah. It was different, but in a nice way,” she said carefully. He waited for her to say more. “It’s been a while since I’ve had dinner with a full family present. I don’t remember much from when my mother was around, and the family meals I do remember when my brothers and I were old enough to feed ourselves aren’t the warmest. Your family’s weird,” she smiled, “but you guys get along and are warm.”
“We’re warm? What even does that mean?” he chuckled as he held the door to the lodging open for her.
“You know, welcoming and happy. I get the impression that you guys actually like each other.”
“Hm.” He followed her down the hallway so he could lean against her doorway. “Well fair warning, my mom will probably insist you come visit next time you’re in the village.”
“Then I’ll be sure to work her into my schedule.” She pushed open her door a few inches. “I don’t suppose you’ll be up tomorrow when I leave.”
“What time are you leaving?”
“Early.” She shrugged. “A little past dawn. I’m having breakfast on the road.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t know that I’ll be up that early.”
“I figured.” She smirked to hide the sliver of disappointment. “I’ll see you sometime then.”
He pushed himself off the wall as she stepped into her room. “Goodnight Temari.”
“Goodnight.”
-----
Shikamaru stood in front of the Kazekage, itching the back of his ankle with his foot. He still didn’t like trips to the Land of Wind. The desert was a pain to navigate, the sand seemed to get everywhere, and he’d feel itchy for days after his return to the Leaf. But sometimes physically visiting their allies was necessary, and they really couldn’t expect Temari to do all of the traveling back and forth.
“The Hokage has been busy,” Gaara sighed, finally rolling up the scroll he had been studying.
“There has been a lot to do lately,” Shikamaru agreed.
“You shall have to pass on my thanks to her for keeping me informed on the rumors surrounding Orochimaru’s movements. No doubt it is difficult to recognize a former friend as an enemy. I hope you don’t mind if I reflect on the news and write my reply tomorrow morning.”
“That’s fine. I wasn’t planning on leaving until the afternoon.”
“Alright.” He straightened some other papers on his desk and then stood. “Shall we head out, then?”
“I’m ready if you are.”
“Yes. I don’t think I can focus long enough to get anything else done.”
Gaara led the way out of his office, past the guards keeping watch outside, and down the halls from the business portion of the Kazekage’s residence to the personal quarters. Very few people knew the correct turns and trick passages to follow to get access to the family rooms. Sand special ops patrolled strategic points along the route for security. Shikamaru did his best not to remember the way in case he was never invited back.
It was rare for any shinobi to be invited inside the Kazekage’s personal residence and even more unusual for it to be one from a foreign village. He would almost feel privileged except tonight’s visit was simply at Temari’s insistence. Apparently dinner with his family had made enough of an impression that she demanded she and her brothers return the favor. It was a complicated situation, which made it a drag, but there was no stopping her when she’d made her mind up.
Gaara paused outside what Shikamaru assumed was the final door before their destination.
“Prepare yourself,” he suggested before pushing the door open.
The Kazekage residence was warmer than he had expected. The stone walls were as golden as the desert sun. The rooms were spacious and brightly lit. A murmur of voices drifted through the hallways. Gaara led the way towards the sounds.
“Here, taste this.”
“No, you gotta wait until I’m done flipping these.”
“Make it quick. I have a limited window to adjust the spices.”
“You can’t rush perfection.”
“Well if you don’t hurry up, I’m dumping fistfuls of peppers in here.”
“Hang on, I just have one left.”
“Five...four...three...two…”
“Okay hand me the spoon… Mm, yup, more peppers.”
“How many more?”
“Just a few.”
“Thank you.”
Gaara and Shikamaru poked their heads into the kitchen. Temari and Kankuro were tag-teaming food production, passing each other ingredients and offering extra hands when needed. They moved with a synergy that suggested they did this often.
“It smells good,” Gaara observed in greeting.
“Oh good, you’re here!” Kankuro leaned around his sister to eye the newcomers. “I was worried I’d have to send someone to pull you from your office.”
“I had an eye on the time.”
“How was the trip?” Temari asked Shikamaru as she glanced at him between monitoring the dishes.
“Same as usual.”
“Still not used to the desert, huh?” she snickered. “Well I’m glad you survived.”
“Yeah, it’d have been a pain to go through all this work for dinner only for you to die in transit. But since you’re here, why not make yourself useful and help Gaara set the table,” Kankuro ordered. “We can’t have you distracting us in the kitchen.”
“Why don’t you go set the table?” Temari suggested. “Shikamaru’s our guest. We can’t put him to work.”
“It’s fine. I’m pretty useless in a kitchen anyway.” Shikamaru followed Gaara into the dining room. He got the impression that Kankuro was looking to push his buttons, and he didn’t have the energy to bother right now.
Remembering the berating he’d received when he set the table the last time he and Temari shared a meal, he was careful to position the bowls and plates precisely. Gaara hung up his Kazekage robe and hat near the door before gesturing towards a spot near one of the walls.
“They’ll likely be a few minutes yet,” he said, listening to his siblings’ murmuring voices. “I hear you’re a fan of shogi. I’m not much of a strategist, but we could play while we wait.”
“Sure, if you’d like.” He was curious to know how the Kazekage played. He suspected his humility disguised his true skill.
Gaara was quiet when he played. Unlike Shikamaru’s father and sensei who liked to use the strategy of the game to discuss what was on their minds, the Kazekage seemed to focus entirely on the board and its pieces. Shikamaru took equal time studying the gameplay and his opponent’s face, trying to detect his thought process, but he could see nothing beyond the blank mask in which he set his features. The secrets of the Sand were safe with him.
Shikamaru, however, had more experience with the game. He more easily translated his will into moves. He tried to leave slight openings for Gaara to use, if only to keep the game going until dinner was ready, but he was set up to win after the first three turns.
“Okay you two, dinner’s ready,” Temari announced as she and Kankuro brought the food in from the kitchen.
“I hope you like it spicy,” Kankuro warned with a smirk.
It really was spicy. Curry over rice, dumplings with spiced filling, and barbeque chicken had Shikamaru’s eyes watering after one bite. He did his best to hide it, but he could see the laughter dancing in Temari’s and Kankuro’s eyes. They just watched him, casually gulping down mouthfuls of what felt like pure fire as though their insides weren’t being devoured by the spices. Gaara was also unaffected by the food, but he had the decency to pretend not to notice their guest’s discomfort.
Death food aside, he was somewhat surprised by how playful the dinner conversation was. The older siblings seemed to feed off of each other’s energy and were quick to tease anyone who left themselves open. Gaara was generally more quiet, but he could be absolutely ruthless. Whenever he unexpectedly whipped out his sense of humor, the other two nearly lost their minds--particularly when it was at Shikamaru’s expense.
For his part, he mostly rolled his eyes and observed, particularly Temari. He had never seen her so relaxed and genuinely happy. She was less guarded, and he could see a sparkle of joy in her eyes while she and her brothers were getting along. It was almost mesmerizing, but he was careful not to be caught staring in case she got the wrong idea.
They took pity on him for dessert and served a sweet custard pudding to soothe his aching palette. Then as Kankuro and his sister cleared the dishes and brewed some tea, Shikamaru and Gaara finished their game of shogi.
“You really are good at this,” Gaara observed as Shikamaru took his king, bringing the game to a close.
“You put up a good fight. I’m guessing I just have more experience.”
“Have you played Temari yet?” Kankuro asked, returning from another room and dumping an assortment of metal pieces on the table, earning a reproachful look from his sister. “She almost always wins when she plays.”
“Only because my opponents rarely have the patience to play properly,” she explained. “And you’d better not be working with poisons at the table!”
“I’m not! Do you see any poisons?” He spread his hands to indicate the pile before him. It looked like junk to Shikamaru. “Obviously these are just joints and stabilizers. Honestly Temari, what do you take me for?”
“An idiot,” she announced truthfully. Gaara hummed in amusement.
“Temari,” Kankuro whined, feigning hurt. “I thought better of you.”
“Just calling it as I see it,” she smirked, catching Shikamaru’s eye for a second as she took a sip of tea.
“I’ll keep an eye on him if you’d like to play,” Gaara offered, standing.
“I don’t know if I can trust you after the last time.” She turned her suspicion on her youngest brother.
“I promise we won’t break anything.” He looked innocent and earnest. She studied him for a moment before sighing and moving to take his place across the board from Shikamaru.
“I see how it is,” Kankuro grumbled. “And here I thought I was your favorite brother.”
“Shut up and play with your dolls.”
“These ‘dolls’ are highly precise weapons of war that could kill you fifty different ways before you even had time to blink!”
She just rolled her eyes, turning her attention to the board and its pieces while her brothers bent over the assortment at the table.
“You can go first,” she announced. “You’ll need the advantage.” The playful look in her eyes was sharp and cunning.
Shikamaru didn’t want to argue. He was just as likely to succeed as to fail if he went first, especially against an opponent with the caliber of cunning that Temari had. He carefully studied the pieces. There were hundreds of first moves which would spiral into an infinite number of possibilities for the game’s result. Which would lead to success? How was Temari likely to respond? He glanced at her. She was watching him with a self-satisfied smirk. The corner of his mouth twitched in response. This was going to be an interesting match.
He made a move. After a brief moment of studying, she moved in response. Interesting… He shifted another piece. She did likewise. He ran through a list of possible scenarios in his mind and selected another move.
“You look so serious,” Temari hummed as she made her move. “It’s just a game.”
“Is it?” He quirked an eyebrow. She studied him before looking back at the board.
“What else would it be?”
He shrugged, ending his turn. In his experience, shogi matches were rarely just a game. They were an opportunity to say things indirectly. He wondered if Temari was trying to tell him anything as she moved her pieces.
“It could be a rematch,” he suggested.
“From our chunin exam?” She smirked. “I hope you’re ready to get your butt kicked again.”
“Strong words from someone who only won because her opponent forfeited.”
“What does that say about you? You’re the one who quit.”
“I guarantee I will last a lot longer this round.”
He watched her carefully as she looked at him sharply, documenting every microscopic shift in her expression as she tried to work out what he meant. It was satisfying to see he had thrown her off guard a little.
“Well,” she said carefully, a sly look returning to her eyes, “I’ll still outlast you.”
“Is that a fact?”
“It’s a threat,” she promised with that enticingly cruel smile of hers. It took Shikamaru a moment to tear his gaze away and redirect it to the board. She was trying to back him into a corner in more ways than one. But he wasn’t one to fall for a trap.
“I guess we’ll see if you have the stamina to back up your words.” He moved a piece. She’d have difficulty getting out of this unscathed.
“Oh trust me,” she hummed, barely glancing at the board before selecting a piece and deftly avoiding his trap. “I always make good on my threats.”
“Hm.” She must be starting to get to him. He didn’t usually leave openings in his gameplay like he just had. Shikamaru tried to pull his thoughts back from the wild tangents they were pursuing to focus on the shogi board. He’d never hear the end of it if he lost to her again.
Luckily fate--in the form of Temari’s brothers--intervened. Something zoomed between the opponents, hitting the shogi board and scattering pieces everywhere. The object, which looked something like a fist with a knife protruding from the knuckles, was attached to metal cables which led back to the table where Kankuro and Gaara were looking at it with wide, surprised eyes.
“Uh, oops?”
“Kankuro!” Temari scowled.
“I didn’t expect it to shoot!” He held his hands up in surrender. “I just forgot I didn’t have the safety clasp on. Or installed in the first place.”
“And I suppose you forgot too?” she demanded, turning her accusatory eyes to her youngest brother.
“I’m not the puppet master,” he reminded her with impish innocence.
“Gee, thanks bro. Go ahead, throw me in the line of fire,” Kankuro pouted.
“I don’t know why I keep expecting you two to grow up and behave.” She sighed before turning her exasperated eyes to Shikamaru. “Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” he chuckled, itching the back of his head. “I should probably get going anyway. It’s getting late.”
“Too bad I didn’t get to beat you before we were so rudely interrupted.” She shot her brothers another scathing look, but they were suddenly absorbed in examining another mechanism in the pile.
“I guess we’ll just have to find another time to go another round,” he said casually as he stood and stretched.
“Is that a promise?” she asked, the dangerous look back in her eyes. It made him grin.
