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After the pain	By : Legilmyth Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 9758 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
I apologize
again for how long it has taken for this chapter to be finished. But the crazy
upside down changes in my life notwithstanding, the reason was simply that I
had to get myself into the right mood to accomplish the writing of this
chapter. It is not easy being this dark for an extended period of time.
But anyway
before I give anything more away, enjoy this chapter.

God of
Steel: Thank you for your support, I always do my best not to rant and so I am greatful when someone wlse does
if for me. SO I don�t have to �love ya� J
Jekiam: Yes
I am working on the typo�s and if you find any other
Temari/Naruto stories, let me know, I like to compare.
Narukyuforeva: Kyuuby�s reasoning will come out eventually.
Snowecat;
Yes closure is coming.
Killer bear;
As soon as I have a minute I�m going to go back and correct the earlier chapters.
Stinkyhead:
This chapter should be clear up the problem for you.
Shikamaru
the nerd; How did you know?! J
Grey 0 mage:
You will have to wait and see.
Nine-tailkyuubi: I am planning on drawing pictures for this
story, I just havn�t had time yet.
JPMod: Yes �Return
to Sound� will explain how Shukaku returned to Gaara, I will hopefully be able to work on that one again
soon.
Emilio: Yes
Naruto is being a bit dumb, but he is like that sometimes so you�ll have to
forgive him. Lots more coming so hope you like.
Kami Kurokaze: Just to clarify, we are talking about four men
for about fourteen days, not really a one hit in my opinion.
22 22 22 22
22 �
Chapter twenty-two
As of the
beginning of this chapter it has been 17 days since Naruto found Temari, 10
since they arrived in Konoha and 1 since he left for his mission.

Temari woke
with a kink in her neck from sleeping on the couch, half propped up against the
arm of the rather worn out piece of furniture. With a groan she pushed herself
into an upright position. The sun streaming cheerfully through the balcony
doors was greatly at odds with her waking mood, having only had a few hours of
uninterrupted sleep.
The Sand
kunoichi cringed at the thought of what the next night might bring, if it was a
repeat of the one just past, it wouldn�t take long before she wasn�t
functioning properly from lack of sleep. A shudder ran through her body as she
thought of the night before.
She had just
started to drift off when the feeling of being watched suddenly assaulted her
senses, bringing her wide awake in an instant. After checking the room and
finding no sign of anyone, she had ventured through the apartment, kunai in
hand to be certain she was indeed alone. The search had revealed nothing, and
upon double and triple checking that all the doors and windows were locked and
in place before pulling the curtains in the bedroom closed the blond had crawled
back into the large comfortable bed.
But despite
the reassurances she found it difficult to get to sleep. She did finally manage
to drift off after several hours of tossing, only to be woken again, this time
by nightmares. Finding herself curled in a fetal position, tangled in the sheets,
her body soaked in sweat and the �tears
in her eyes, had disturbed her almost as much as the dreams. It had taken her
quite a while to calm down, and then when she did, she remembered that she was
all alone in the dark apartment, which caused her to burst into tears again.
Even at the
time, a small part of her found it illogical, but she didn�t care. She wanted
Naruto back, wanted to be able to curl into his big warm body, rather than the
water logged pillows she had been clutching at the time. To
feel his thick strong arms around her, keeping her safe.
The overly
trained kunoichi part of her psyche cringed at her own weakness, while a bigger
part of her, the part that was scared shitless, didn�t give a damn.
It still
wanted Naruto.
Sometime
during the night she was finally able to pull herself together enough to
disentangle herself from the bed clothes and stumble into the bathroom where
she decided to take a shower to remove the sweat and hopefully help her body
relax enough to allow her to fall asleep again.
In the end
she still couldn�t fall asleep, the bedroom suddenly
seemed like a deep dark cave, so she curled up on the couch with the reading
light on and her kunai pouch close at hand. Now getting up and stretching she
wondered what time it had been that she had finally nodded off. She didn�t even
remember closing her eyes.
After
attempting to work out some of the kinks in her back and neck, she took a look
around the living room. The sun flooding through the windows made the whole
apartment look cheerful and pleasant. And yet Temari couldn�t help but notice
that is also felt empty. With a heavy sigh she shook her head at herself before
heading for the bedroom to get dressed.
Half an hour
later she left the apartment. Still muttering to herself
for having a relapse so to speak. She didn�t like the fact that she had had
another nightmare; all of the training that she had gone through,
told her that she had already had sufficient time to recover from her ordeal.
She was a weapon;
her teachers had hammered that fact into her head time and time again. The only
thing that they hadn�t done was tell her how to deal with the consequences.
Ever since Hinata had mentioned it, she had been wondering why Sunagature didn�t have a mandatory policy that a contraception be taken by its kunoichi�s, like Konoha did.
She vowed
that when she got home she was going to find out why and have it changed
immediately. As much as she wanted a child, and had come to terms with how hers
had been conceived. She knew that many other women would not feel the same way
that she did, when it came to being faced with a pregnancy resulting from being
violated in so many ways.
As she
walked, no clear destination in mind at that point. Temari suddenly realized
that there would no doubt be many people who wouldn�t be able to understand why
and how she had come to her decision to keep her baby. Yes she had been more then a little hysterical at first. But it came down to the
fact that she wanted children, always had. She remembered that for a brief time
as a child, when her mother was still alive. That she hadn�t even wanted to be
a kunoichi, she had wanted to be like her mother and simply stay home and raise
a family.
It wasn�t
until she was older that she had come to realize that the life her mother had
lived was not one of choice. But one of duty. ��By
then Temari had already been put into full training by her father the Kazekage,
it was her lot as the eldest of his children to set an example for the rest of
the village and become a weapon for him to use as he saw fit.
She wondered
absently if it was abnormal that she had never once mourned his death. But then
as quickly as the thought surfaced she decided that it wasn�t. Not after
everything the man had put her and her brothers through. Not to mention
sacrificing his own wife and child in an attempt to use an ancient being that
was known to be evil in an experiment, all in the effort to create the perfect
soldier.
The blond
kunoichi�s feet came to a sudden halt as she suddenly realized the path her
mind was taking. She hadn�t thought about her family�s history for quite some
time, as it was in the past she tried to make a point not to dwell on it. The
past was impossible to change.
Giving her
head a shake as she pushed the memories away, she took in her surroundings, in
an effort to figure out what part of the Leaf village she was in. It only took
a moment for her to realize that she had no idea where she was. She was pretty
sure she had never been to this part of Konoha before.
Swallowing
the lump that suddenly rose in her throat, she forced
herself to take several deep breaths in an effort to tamp down on the
irrational panic she could feel building in her gut. It wasn�t a big deal. She
repeated those words over and over in her head as she looked for some kind of
land mark that would take her back onto familiar footing.
She appeared
to be in the slightly less reputable part of town. The buildings looked a
little worn down and she could see the signs of several bars and clubs down the
many narrow streets. The area was clean enough and there even seemed to be a
number of apartment buildings in the area, but the air seemed to be different,
it seemed darker.
Finally she
spotted the top of the Hokage monument through a gap in several tall buildings,
and decided that it was probably her best bet for finding her way out of the mess
she seemed to have found herself in. As she turned and started walking back the
way she had come she couldn�t help but wonder how she had managed to get
herself lost. She usually had a very good sense of direction.
With a groan
she rubbed her temples; her brain seemed to be incapable of staying on one
subject. She didn�t know what was wrong with her, it
was like something was messing with her head. After a block or so she wondered
if it was just the lack of sleep and the fact that she had left the apartment
without eating anything. She couldn�t think of what else it might be, that
would cause her to become so disorientated and give her the beginnings of a
headache.
�Well, well,
well, what do we have here?�
The
sickeningly sweet voice made Temari�s skin crawl. She
recognized the voice, even though she had only heard it once. Turning slowly
she saw the tall redhead that had practically ambushed her outside of the restaurant
when she had first arrived in Konoha.�
With the woman was one other the Sand kunoichi recognized from that
first encounter, a more petite brunet. The other two women with them she didn�t
recognize at all.
Pushing down
the sudden irrational swell of anger she felt at seeing the redhead again.
Temari tried her best to keep her voice as calm and unemotional as she could.
�Can I help
you with something?�
The group of
women all laughed in unison, the sound reminiscent of a flock of crows, grated along
the Wind summoner�s nerves, making her see red.
�As a matter
of fact there is something you can do.� The leader stepped forward, invading Temari�s personal space. �You can pack your sorry little
ass out of Konoha before we�re forced to bury it.� The redhead hissed, venom
dripping from every word.
�Are you
threatening me?� Temari�s voice was as cold as ice.
She had no idea why these women, or at least this one
in particular had decided to hate her practically on sight. She knew that it
had to be something to do with Naruto, they were part
of Kyuubi�s fan club after all. But since Naruto had made it quite clear that
he didn�t want anything to do with them, it didn�t seem logical that they come
after her.
Then again,
she amended in her head as a thought suddenly occurred to her, maybe it did.
She suddenly realized that they thought she and Naruto were
a couple. Why that hadn�t sunk in after their first encounter Temari didn�t
know. But what she did know was that she wasn�t letting these women any were
near Naruto, not as long as she was in town.
�Call it a
suggestion.� The redhead�s voice brought Temari out of her thoughts with a
jolt, and it took her a moment to remember what they were talking about.
�Then let me
make a suggestion in return.� She locked gazes with the bitch who just so
happened to be standing too close, but Temari refused to back away from her.
�Stay out of my sight, if you don�t want your pretty face messed up beyond
repair.�
The taller
woman looked a little surprised for a moment, but then her eyes narrowed. �I
don�t know who you think you are Blondie. But you are in waaaayyyyy
over your head, you have no idea who you are messing with here, so cut the
brave act. Uzamaki won�t be coming to save you this
time.�
A low growl
erupted from the Sand-nin�s throat as anger bordered on rage. �I could say the
same for you.�
Her one hand
moved towards her kunai pouch, uncaring in her anger that she had only the
throwing knives as weapons, and that if she actually fought with these woman
that she could be endangering the treaty between Suna
and Konoha.
All she
cared about right then was seeing these woman, or at
least one in particular, bleed. The last time she had been too shocked to react
accordingly to their ambush, but not this time.
�Is there a
problem here?� Another female voice stopped the Sand-nin from cocking a fist
and attempting to break a certain redheads jaw.
The woman in
question quickly backed away, holding her hands up in front of her as she moved
back to her friends. �Not at all Yakamara, we were
just having a little difference of opinion, just a silly little tiff really.�
Temari
glared at her once more before turning to face the woman behind her. �Hello
Ino, Your back in town I see.�She hadn�t missed the fear that had flitted
across the features of several of the redheads sidekicks when they had laid
eyes on the other blond. Obviously being an ANBU had its advantages.
�Just got back this morning actually. I didn�t think you would still be in
town.� Ino�s voice sounded cheerful and friendly even
as she glared past Temari at the four women still standing on the other side of
her.
��I was in fact just heading into the market to
do some shopping. I don�t suppose you would care to join me?� Only then did Ino�s eyes come to rest fully on the Sand-nin.
�That sounds
like fun, I don�t have to be anywhere until later this afternoon anyway.� Temari
agreed. She could feel the woman behind her leaving, and as much as she would
have liked to do otherwise, she let them go. Her temper was cooling and she
realized that Ino had probably just saved her from making a big mistake.
�So what was
all that about?� Ino asked quietly as Temari fell into step beside her and they
headed in the direction of the market.
�Kyuubi�s
fan club were just trying to warn me away from Naruto,
I think.� She replied quietly.
Ino snorted.
�They always were an arrogant pack of bitches. Don�t let them intimidate you.�
Temari gave
a bark of laughter. �Don�t worry about that, they are nothing compared with
what I�ve come up against.�
�Good.� The
black clad kunoichi grinned. �Well I was headed for the market, but what say we
stop for tea first?�
Temari
grinned back, suddenly feeling much better then she had earlier, now that she
had a familiar face around to distract her. �That sounds good to me, I haven�t
eaten yet.�
�Me
neither.� Ino confided, her laughter lightening the mood considerably as the
two of them made their way down the street.
22 22 22 22
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22 22 22
�I can�t
believe that Gaara just disappeared like that.� Lee sighed as he wiped the
sweat from the back of his neck, even though it had already soaked his long
ponytail, causing the thick hair to cling to the back of his vest as he
followed Kankuro back into the Kazekage�s office. The
two men had just finished checking with all the teams on the south side of Suna for any news on the search for the Kazekage.
The puppet
master grunted in agreement as he removed the wrapped up puppets from his back
and propped them against the desk. Even though he was used to the weather of
his home land, the noon sun was extremely hot and even he was sweating beneath
his dark uniform.
�I have a
bad feeling about this whole thing.� The painted man admitted,
he wasn�t as close to the tai-jutsu specialist as his brother was, but he was
glad to have someone that he could discuss his fears with, and that wouldn�t
result in setting the entire village into an uproar.
Lee plopped
himself down onto the chair beside the desk, the one Kankuro
normally used, but since the search for Gaara had begun, the older sibling had
moved to the more comfortable chair behind the desk.
�You have
said that before.� Lee pointed out as he rubbed his eyes. His offer to help had
resulted in him being up all night with Kankuro,
trying to help the Kazekage�s brother restore order to the Suna
ninja. Now, nearly twenty-four hours after his initial arrival he was exhausted
and overheating.
The only
thing the tai-jutsu specialist was glad for, was that
he had been able to see firsthand, just how worried the Village Hidden in the
Sand was about their leader. Even civilians had stopped Kankuro
to ask if Gaara had been found yet. It appeared that they had finally come to
accept the demon vessel.
�Are you
still worried that Gaara could have been captured?� He inquired after a few
moments of silence.
Kankuro
sighed and mirrored Lee by taking a seat and propping his feet up on the desk.
�Right now I�m more worried about finding him via a trail of bodies.�
Lee raised a
brow at his companion. �How�s that?�
�I�m
starting to get the feeling that Gaara isn�t coming back until he�s ready too.�
Kankuro finally voiced the thoughts that had been
plaguing him for several days. �I think he�s gone after Temari.�
Lee sat up a
bit straighter in his seat, a confused frown on his face. �You mean he�s gone
to Konoha? But you said he didn�t know she was there.�
�He
doesn�t.� Kankuro shook his head. �At least not as
far as I know, I think he might have gone after whoever it was that took her in
the first place.�
�But we
don�t know for sure who it was that did take her.� Lee protested. �Do you think
he figured out who it was on his own?�
�While I
suppose that is possible, I�m thinking more along the lines of him heading out
and interrogating every person he comes across until he finds a lead.� The
puppeteer grimaced at the mere thought of the lengths his younger sibling was
capable of going to, in order to find their sister.
�He
wouldn�t!� Lee protested, sitting up straight in his seat. But the look he got
from across the desk made him pause. �Well I suppose it is possible.� He
admitted after a moment of thought. �But do you really think Gaara would go to
such extremes when it could jeopardize his village?� The tai-jutsu master
asked, a worried frown marring his brow.
�You didn�t
see the three day sand storm we had after we found Temari�s
fan in the desert.� Kankuro pointed out. �Admittedly,
no one that we know of was hurt, but still, from what your first chunin told me,
that damn storm covered almost the entire country, from boarder to boarder.�
�Lee slouched back into his chair. �So what do
you think we should do?� He inquired.
Kankuro
pinched the bridge of his nose. �Well, right now all I can do is continue to send what teams we can spare out to look for
him. In the mean time, there are a number of missions that have come in that
need our services.� He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the pile of
scrolls on the desk.
�Then
perhaps I should head back to Konoha and inform the Hokage about what is
happening here.� Lee mused. �I�m sure we have some extra man power that we can
send to help.�
Kankuro slowly
nodded in agreement. �That would probably be best, if you can just make sure
that all your people know that if they run into Gaara to tell him that Temari
is fine, that would be good too.�
�Now that I
know won�t be a problem.� Lee assured him.
�Why don�t
you go and have something to eat and catch a quick nap while I write a few
letters for you to take with you.� The Sand-nin suggested.
�Sure thing,
just call when every things ready.� Lee stifling a yawn as he
got to his feet.
�Of course,
I�ll see to it that the chunin are notified.� Kankuro
assured him as he waved him out.
With a thumbs up Lee trotted out of the office and made a b-line for the sand siblings
house, where his gear had been sent the day before.

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22 22 22

�Ah Temari my dear! Good to see you!�
Before the
kunoichi could even begin to form an answer, the old weapons crafter swept her
up in a giant bear hug, much like the one he had given
Naruto on her first visit. Without really thinking she returned the embrace
briefly, just before she was set back onto her feet.
As Master Seisakusha Buki stepped back,
still grinning broadly in welcome. Temari found herself, for the first time
that day, truly start to relax. There was just something about the older man
that was calming she supposed.
�I hope I�m
not too early. I didn�t want to interrupt your work.�
One big hand
waved away her concerns. �There is always work being done here, and so it is
always being interrupted.� The creases around his eyes deepened as he grinned
yet again. �But as for the work on your new fan, that has already been
finished.�
Temari
couldn�t help but feel excited as the weapons maker turned and lead her towards
his work room. She was finally going to have her signature weapon back, and a
new and improved one to boot. The insane urge to skip came over her, but she
was able to tamp down on the impulse. If only just barely, by reminding herself
that she had already done far too many out of character things that day.
�Master Buki led her
through the work area, where his apprentices were once again working on various
projects. Again they entered the display room, only this time the lights were
already illuminating the now empty display cases. Along the back wall was a
long table, which as they drew closer, Temari saw held her new weapon.
��I believe it has been waiting rather
impatiently for you to come and claim it.� Buki told
her with a chuckle as she came to a stop by his side, her gaze riveted on the
folded fan and the leather sling spread out beside it. �I have not named it yet, I will leave that honor up to you once the two of you
get better acquainted.�
Temari
blinked as she suddenly realized that the old crafter was talking about the
weapon as if it was alive. For a moment she thought to comment on that, but
then realized that it was no stranger then her dancing with her fan when she
was alone.
So instead
she smiled at him. �Thank you for that honor, I will do my best to choose a
fitting name.�
�I�m sure
you will Dear, now why don�t you bring everything out into the back yard so you
can test it and make sure that we added everything right.� Buki
suggested, much to Temari�s
delight.
She ran her
fingers lightly over the leather sling; all the edges had been decorated with a
navy blue braid, making it a lot more feminine looking then her last one.
Carefully picking up the harness, she slipped into it, quickly snapping the
buckles into place.� With only a shrug it
rested comfortably across her back and shoulders.
The fan, she
picked up with great care. Resisting the urge rub the smooth metal against her
cheek she instead gave it an experimental swing with her right hand, using the
momentum to flip it over her right shoulder and into the waiting harness. It
slid into the leather holder like a katana into its scabbard.
Temari
couldn�t help but smile at the feeling of the weapon resting against her back,
she felt positively giddy. Twirling her fingers absently in the braided navy
loop that served as the handle she had requested. She turned to Master Buki.
�Shall we
then?�
With a nod
and a pleased smile the bulky little man lead the way to the back training
yard, the same one they had tested the fan in only two nights before.
�It�s all
yours my Dear.� He stopped at the edge of the porch and waved a hand towards
the enclosed yard. �If you find anything unsatisfactory I expect you to let me
know immediately.��
Temari
chuckled. �Well I highly doubt that there will be any problems with your
creations. This harness already fits better then my last one did.�
�Stop
flattering an old man and test out your new toy Girl.� The weapons master
admonished with a grin.
Taking his
advice the blond made her way down the steps, to the center of the yard.
Several more posts had been set upright, giving her several targets to work
with. Coming to a stop she closed her eyes for a moment; pressing her palms
together in front of her while she took three deep, slow breaths.
Then, with
slow, practiced ease, she began to move gracefully through her traditional warm
up. At first she only moved her body, working through several tai-jutsu
inspired moves. Then reaching behind her, she slid
her new fan over her shoulder, bringing it up before her in a smooth arch.
The Sand
kunoichi forgot that she even had an audience as she worked through her warm up
dance. Concentrating completely on the feel and movement of
her new partner. After the warm up was finally over she decided to play
with her new toy�s chakra channeling feature.
Time meant nothing
to her, she flipped, spun, smashed and sliced her way
through the afternoon. The only thing she was aware of, other then her weapon, was the rather strong pull in her belly
that occurred every time she channeled chakra into the metal fan.
Finally
Master Buki called a halt to her exercise, when she
didn�t heed his voice, he had to come up and block one of her swings with a
short sword in order to actually get her attention. �Although
I hate to bring an end to such a splendid display of weapons usage, especially
when you�re having so much fun. I think that it�s time to eat my dear.�

Temari
blinked several times at the older man before his words registered with her. �She had to take several deep breaths before
she could completely focus on him.� Slowly
she folded her fan and placed it back in it�s
sling.
�Food does
sound pretty good right now.� She admitted running a hand through her hair in
an effort to tame the stray wisps that had come out during her workout.
��Dinner is ready, I insist you join us.� Buki sheathed the short sword as he turned away from her
and headed back up the steps.
Temari
wondered where he had gotten the sword, he hadn�t been
wearing it when she arrived. As she started after the weapons maker she
discovered that her legs were slightly wobbly. Frowning she found that she had
to concentrate in order to keep her limbs from trembling as she climbed the
stairs back onto the covered porch, leaving the training yard behind her in
ruins.
She silently
growled, angry at her weakness, she had had plenty of time to recover. A simple
work out shouldn�t have tired her out nearly so much. Gritting her teeth she
kicked off her foot wear, and concentrated on keeping her legs from buckling as
she bent down to pick them up.
Master Buki waited patiently for her then ushered her back inside
his house. He placed one of his large hands on her shoulder as they walked.
�Overdoing it won�t make your skills improve any faster my dear, as much fun as
you were having, you should learn to take your time.�
For some
reason Temari found that once again his presence and touch calmed her nerves.
Even the trembling in her limbs seemed to lessen. Taking several deep breaths
she allowed herself to relax, there was just something about the older man that
she found almost as calming as Naruto.
�I will take
your advice into consideration Master.� She murmured.
With a
friendly pat his hand left her shoulder and he lead her down a corridor that
she hadn�t been down before, and within moments she followed the stocky man
into a large dining room.
All of his
apprentices sat at the low traditional style table. The kunoichi counted twelve
of them, as she was directed to sit at a spot to the right of the master�s
place, she found herself growing slightly uneasy being in the presence of so
many unknown men.
�Stupid Temari! Quit being so stupid, you�ve been in this kind of a
situation a thousand times before. There is no need to get upset over
it.� Even as she chastened herself she could feel her body tensing as she
seated herself on the thick cushion at the table.
Glancing
around the table from beneath lowered lashes, she was relieved to find that no
one seemed to notice her behavior. Reaching behind her, she adjusted the sling
on her back to sit more comfortably while she ate. The feel of the new weapon
on her back gave her some peace, but she was not happy to admit, even to
herself. That if that fan had not still been strapped to her
back, she would have declined the meal and left the house as quickly possible.
A large
plate of steaming rice and vegetables with what looked like beef strips in a
thick sauce was placed before her, glancing around again she noted that everyone
else was looking at the Seisakusha Buki, who had finally seated himself as well. As soon as
the old master nodded his head all the young men dug into their food with
gusto.
Picking up
her chopsticks, Temari slowly followed suit, for some reason her appetite
seemed to have suddenly vanished. So she took her time chewing each bit before
forcing herself to take another. All the while keeping a
close eye on those around her.
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Rock Lee
took the three scrolls from Kankuro and placed them
inside his vest for safe keeping.
�I will see
to it that these are delivered directly to the Hokage as soon as possible.� He
promised the painted jonin.
The puppet
master nodded. �Thank you, and thank you also for your
help while you were here.�
The tai-jutsu
specialist waved his hands with a grin. �It was the least I could do. When
Gaara comes back, make sure you tell him hi for me.�
�Hopefully
that will be soon.� Kankuro agreed with a nod. �May
your journey home be safe.�
With another
wave Lee turned towards the gates of Suna. The first of the messengers falling into step beside him.
The second chunin, the one that Lee had originally escorted had agreed to stay
behind in case Kankuro needed to send another message
to Konoha, seeing as all the Sand shinobi were currently trying to find their
missing Kazekage and could not be spared until he was found.
Lee winked
at the chunin beside him. �What say you the first one to enter the gates of
Konoha buys the other a cold drink?�
The chunin
sweat dropped, knowing as everyone in Konoha did, how
much stamina the green clad jonin had. There was little chance he could keep up
with the tai-jutsu artist let alone beat him home. He figured that the offer of
a cold drink was a heads up that they wouldn�t be stopping at all on the trip
back.
�My wife and
darling little girl are at home waiting for our arrival, so we best not keep them
waiting.� Lee informed his companion.
Confirming
the poor chunin�s suspicion�s that he wasn�t going to
be getting any rest until they reached home.
Kankuro
stood watching as Lee gave loud whoop before he took off at a run across the
desert, chasing his long shadow as the sun set behind him, leaving the chunin
to keep up as best he could. The painted man couldn�t help but shake his head
at the jonin�s exuberant behavior. Gaara certainly made interesting friends,
and for that that older brother was grateful.
22 22 22 22
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�Fucking shit!�
Sasuke
looked up at his white eyed companion. It wasn�t often that he heard the former
Hyuga swear quite so openly. The reason for the outburst became apparent when
the Uchiha saw that his partner was now sopping wet, water was running in
rivulets down his long black hair, giving the impression of a drowning victim.
�Heh, it got you again did it?� Sasuke couldn�t help but
chuckle. The tent they were using, for some reason seemed to have it out for
the Hyuga and every time Neji opened the flap to enter or exit the structure he
got doused with all of the water that had accumulated in the roof.
�I am so
sick of this rain!� Neji spat as he bent over in an attempt to wring out his
waist length hair outside of the tent so as not to get their bed rolls wet.
He was
referring to steady downpour that they had been working in for the last day and
a half. The night before they had been lucky enough to find
lodging in a small inn, but tonight they were forced to camp out.
�Well if you
cut your hair it wouldn�t be such a big deal would it?� Sasuke teased as he dug
a towel out of his bag and threw it to his muttering companion when Neji
finally moved all the way into the tent and closed the flap behind him.
�As I have
stated before Sasuke, cutting my hair is not an option.� Catching the towel in
mid air Neji seated himself cross legged on his bed
roll and started to soak the water out of his hair.
Sasuke
chuckled again. This was a common topic between the two of them. Somehow over
the years of working together, the two prodigies had found a few things that
they loved to bug the other about. Mostly trivial nonsense really, but it was
something to pass the time when a mission was boring beyond belief.
And this
mission had turned out to be just that. Because of the speed at which the two
traveled, they were now camped at the southern border of Fire country, nearly
at the ocean. And they hadn�t found a single clue as to who the ninja who
attacked Temari might be or where they had come from. In fact they hadn�t found
a single trace of the group at all.
�I say that
if we don�t find anything by tomorrow night we head home and regroup.� Sasuke
suggested. His earlier teasing forgotten for the moment.
�I agree.�
Neji nodded. �We need more to go on, there is nothing out here, at least
nothing that we can find.�
The sun was
setting, so light inside the tent was starting to fade. Sasuke took off his
damp outer layer of cloths and crawled into his sleeping bag.� The whole time he listened to his partner
muttering under his breath as he continued trying to dry his hair.
�You know,
you�re a lot grouchier then usual Neji. What�s bugging you?�
When no
reply came the Uchiha went into prying mode, there were only two men he ever
did this with, Naruto and Neji. And Neji only because it was
a challenge to get him to say anything.
�So how�s
Tenten?�
�I wouldn�t
know, I haven�t seen her in over a month.� Came the grumbled reply.
�She still on that undercover assignment?�
�Mmmm.� The towel was finally thrown into a corner and Neji
started shrugging out of his wet vest.
Sasuke
couldn�t help but chuckle. �So that�s what�s got you so irritable.�
�What?� Neji�s voice dripped with sarcasm as his vest joined the
towel. �Because my wife is god knows where, doing god knows what, while a new
group of rouge ninja is running around the country side leaving kunoichi in the
woods for dead.�
His shirt
added to the growing pile in the corner of the tent. �Why would that make me
the least bit irritable?�
Sasuke
pushed himself up on his elbows to frown at his friend. �That�s not what I was
getting at and you know it. And why are you so worried? Tenten is good at what
she does, damn good. She�ll be just fine.�
�Just like
Temari was right?� Neji growled dragging his hands through his hair.
�Is that
what�s been bugging you? Geeze man, shit happens when
you�re in our line of work. We all know that, but what happened to Temari
wasn�t random, she was targeted for a specific reason.� Sasuke couldn�t help
but point out. �Probably something to do with Suna�s
security, they tortured her for information, that doesn�t mean Tenten will be a
target.�
Neji glared
down at his partner. �You really think that all they did to Temari was torture
her?�
The Uchiha�s
frown deepened. �But Naruto didn�t say��
�Exactly,
Naruto didn�t say anything about that. But it was in his eyes, remember what he
did to Toda when the idiot called Temari a whore?��
Silence
reined in the small tent for a few minutes.
�Shit.�
Sasuke breathed. �That�s why she�s staying with him, he�s protecting her.�
�That was my
theory.� Neji agreed.
�When did
you come up with all this?�
�Yesterday.�
�Now I feel like
shit for teasing him about her.� Sasuke let himself flop back down into his
bed. �We�re heading home tomorrow.�
�Who died
and left you in charge?� Neji grumbled as he climbed into his own bed. �We have
to do at least one more day of searching or the Hokage will skin us alive for
coming back early.�
�True.�
Sasuke groaned. �But seriously Neji, getting back to the
original point. Don�t worry about Tenten, she
can take care of herself.�
The Hyuga
sighed heavily. �I know.�
He didn�t
have to say more, Sasuke himself had been too close to losing his own wife on
several occasions and he knew what it felt like, so he didn�t say any more
about it. But perhaps it was because he had been on a team with Naruto for so
many years, and was still friends with the blond. But he couldn�t let the
conversation end on a dismal note.
So he
reverted back to teasing. �If your wet hair gets in my face during the night,
I�m going to cut it off.�
Neji settled
back and closed his eyes. �If you cut my hair, my wife will skin you seven ways
to hell with her dullest knives, then boil your ass.�
Sasuke
couldn�t help but laugh at the image. And with that the tension was broken and
both shinobi settled into silence, each lost in their own thoughts before sleep
claimed them.
22 22 22 22
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22 22
It was pitch
black by the time Naruto made it to the border village. He didn�t know how much
past midnight it was, but he really didn�t care. He was exhausted, stumbling
into the first hotel he found, he purchased a room for the night.
Barely
keeping his eyes open long enough to receive his key, some part of his sleep
deprived brain though it a miracle that he was able to find his room without
getting lost. He hadn�t stopped since he had woke up
from that disturbing dream about Temari. And in doing so he had probably set a
speed record for getting to his destination.
�As he opened his door he had a brief thought
that he should report to the village�s elder. But he dismissed it instantly, it
was the middle of the night, and there was no way he would be able to focus on
whatever the man�s complaints were.
Kicking the
door closed behind him, he tossed his pack into the nearest corner and headed
for the bed. Not bothering to remove any of his cloths, he flopped down face
first on the double bed.
He was
asleep before his head even hit the pillow.
22 22 22 22
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22 22
A scream
echoed off the trees of training area #28, it was filled with pain, frustration
and anger. The sound was closely followed by a wave of wind blades, which
leveled half a dozen trees.
Once the
wind died there was nothing left of the trees but strips of wood.
Standing in the now enlarged clearing was a heavily breathing Temari, her fan
open and ready for another swing.
The night
was brightly lit by the full moon, yet the blond kunoichi didn�t need the
light, she wasn�t fighting visible targets. As she felt yet another trickle of
sweat make its way down her neck and into her kimono she didn�t bother to wipe
it away. She was too focused on her surroundings.
�Is there a
problem here?�
The male
voice off to her left caused her to spin, bringing her fan to bare. The sight of a masked ANBU brought her up short and
she halted her attack.
�What�s it
to you?� She snapped, angry that this man had interrupted her. Dismissing him as
unimportant she turned her gaze back to the surrounding woods, waiting for her
target to reappear.
�I�m night patrol, I heard a disturbance, were you attacked?� The
masked man asked.
�I�m
training.� Temari spat, swinging her head back to face him again. �So unless
you�re offering to spar with me, I suggest you leave before I slice you to
pieces.�
The ANBU
took several steps backward. �I have to get back to my rounds.� She was almost
sure she heard his voice tremble from the force of her gaze as she continued to
glare at him. �I apologize for interrupting you.� With that he was gone in a
swirl of leaves.
With a growl
of frustration Temari once again went back to scanning her surroundings. The
light late night breeze caused the leaves in the remaining trees to rustle
around the clearing. The sound was extremely loud to the agitated female.
A movement
off to her right had her once again spinning. Out of the shadows a dark form
started to take shape, a tall cloaked figure materialized before her. It kept
moving forward and Temari�s grip on her fan grew so
tight that her knuckles showed white, even in the darkness.
�Did you
really think you could get away so easily?� A deceptively soft voice whispered
across the clearing.
The sound
caused the kunoichi�s stomach to roll. Ignoring the sensation she set herself
and brought her fan down with all her strength. �Cutting
Whirlwind!�
Before her
wind blades could reach the figure, it faded from sight. Bringing her fan back
up to its ready position, her eyes darted side to side, waiting for the figure
to show itself again. �Show yourself you fucking COWARD!�
Dark
laughter echoed around the clearing, coming from all directions. It caused her
to tremble at the remembered sound, even as it grated across her tight nerves.
�Who�s the
coward? You�re the one hiding behind another.� The figure again appeared, this
time behind her.
Catching the
movement, Temari turned, her fan moving faster then
her body, sending more wind blades in the figures direction. But again it faded
from sight.
�Stand up
and fight me!� The blond bellowed, her voice nearly cracking as her rage
spilled forth. Her fan swung around in a large figure eight, creating a
swirling shield of wind around her body.
�You can�t
fight us.� This time four figures emerged from the darkness. �You aren�t strong
enough.�
With an
enraged cry, the kunoichi channeled a huge wave of chakra into her weapon,
ignoring the tightening in her belly caused by the force of the move. The edges
of the fan began to glow blue, as her power surged down them.
�You are all
going to die.� She vowed as she charged the first figure.
The fan
moved almost faster then an eye can see, the wind blades coming off of it at a frightening
speed, although unlike her previous attacks, Temari moved in behind the blades.
Her fan whirling with a vengeance, she didn�t noticed
when the chakra on her blades changed from blue to white.
The first
figure disintegrated beneath her attack. As it vanished before her she dug her
feet into the ground, causing her sandals to skid for several feet before she
had enough traction to launch herself at her next target.
The sand kunoichi�s
eyes glowed silver in the dark night as she went after each of the remaining
figures in the same manner as she had the first. The vengeance burning through
her blood affecting her very attacks, as her wind blades also began to glow
white beneath the silent moon.
The second
figure was dispatched much the same as the first, the third tried to dodge but
with the speed she was following the wind blades, she was quickly upon him and
severed his head with one swing of her glowing fan. The fourth was better able
to evade her attacks and she was forced to follow him into the tree line, where
she sent a wave of blades so intense that not only did it annihilate her
target, but another dozen trees as well.
Landing in a
crouch, the sand kunoichi cast around the area for any sign of additional
attackers. Her silver eyes darted back and forth for several moments before she
slowly straightened. Tipping her head back, eyes closed she released another
scream, the sound so filled with emotion that the white chakra already emitting
from her body and weapon. Turned into a translucent wave of power that shot out
in all directions, turning everything her wind blades had touched into ash.
Temari�s
breath was coming in labored pants as she slowly opened her eyes; her gaze was
captured by the full silver moon hanging above her head. With barely a thought,
the chakra still buzzing through her new weapon dissipated and the giant fan
was folded, its tip resting on the ground as her right hand rested on the
folded hilt. All that while her attention remained on the softly glowing
monarch of the night sky.
As her pulse
rate and breath finally started to slow, Temari found herself thinking back to
the last time she had gazed up at the full moon. It had barely been visible
through the thick canopy of trees. She had barely been able to focus on it
because of the swelling in her left eye. Before she could stop them, a parade
of other images flashed through her mind, reminding her why she had been so
desperately trying to focus on the heavens, and not what had been transpiring
on the earth, to her.
Her stomach
chose that moment to rebel, whether from the memories or the intense work out
was debatable. Doubling over, her whole body heaved as she spilled the contents
of her stomach onto the ground. Her vision blurred momentarily as a wave of
dizziness assaulted her senses. �
Leaning
heavily on her folded fan she wiped her mouth on the back of her left sleeve,
only to discover that her arm was shaking badly. Once again finding her
equilibrium she straightened, deliberately ignoring the mess she had made on
the ground she took a step back. Her right leg almost crumpled beneath her
weight as pain shot up the limb.
Biting off a
moan of pain, Temari looked down at her leg. Because of her long kimono and the
dark night she wasn�t able to see what might be ailing her leg, focusing on it
further she thought she felt something wet on her upper calf. Not knowing if it
was just sweat, an injury or her imagination she decided to head back to the
apartment to find out.
Several
steps later, it became apparent to the wind summoner
that she had worked her body harder than she had thought. She was starting to
feel aches all over her body, her leg was also starting to throb badly, so she
decided to teleport back home rather then walk.
Resting her
elbow on her fan, she quickly made the hand signs and in a moment found herself
back in the Naruto�s brightly lit apartment. Squinting against the sudden light
Temari took one step and nearly collapsed on the floor. Leaning heavily on her
fan she was able to take the two steps she needed to reach the back of the
sofa, where she was able to brace her left hip and arm in an attempt to stay
upright.
Her fan fell with a loud thud to the floor, when her fingers seemed to
lose their strength and were unable to keep a hold of the weapon. Taking
a deep breath Temari swore quietly to herself.
�Brilliant Temari, just brilliant. See what happens when you go and let a stupid
nightmare take over your senses?�
After a few
moments she felt that it was safe for her to move, without running the risk of
falling over. Turning enough so that she was half sitting on the back of the
couch, she reached down and pulled her kimono up to her knees.
A startled
gasp escaped her lips as she saw the blood covering her right leg and foot.
Upon closer inspection, she found that it originated from a three inch cut on
the upper side of her calf. Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember when, or how the wound had occurred.
Coming up
blank Temari shook her head at herself and decided that she had better clean
herself up before she left a trail of blood across her clean floors. Pushing
herself upright she took one careful step, then another. Her right leg throbbed
in protest, but it held her weight.
She was near
the bathroom when she felt her right thigh muscle spasm. Hopping that last
couple feet to the wall so she could again support herself she cursed again. A
moment later she almost doubled over when she got a cramp in her left side.
As she
stood, propped against the wall, she started to feel other muscles beginning to
cramp or spasm. Calling herself ten kinds of stupid for training so hard when
her body obviously hadn�t recovered yet, the blond gritted her teeth and forced
herself to hobble the rest of the way to the bath room.
Once inside,
she didn�t bother closing the door but made her way to the bathtub, where she
gratefully sat on the edge. Trying to breathe through the pain of having almost
every muscle in her body cramping, she looked around the small room, debating
what to do first.
The cut on
her leg still appeared to be bleeding a bit, yet she wasn�t sure she would be
able to stand long enough to get the necessary first aid supplies to clean it
properly. For a moment she thought of teleporting to the hospital, but then
realized that she had used up all her chakra just getting home.
�Serves you right, you idiot.� She muttered.
As her right
thigh muscle contracted painfully yet again she decided that she had to find a
way to relax her over worked body. Deciding a hot bath would be just the thing,
she carefully leaned over and placed the plug in the drain before turning the
water on full blast.
Sliding
along the side of the tub she was able to get within reach of the small built in
closet beside it and retrieve a couple towels as well as a wash cloth, which
after dampening it under the running water, used to wipe the blood off of her
leg.
The wound
was already starting to clot so after she thought she had most of the mess
cleaned up she tossed the cloth into the sink and reached for another.
�One more
thing I�m going to owe Naruto for.� She shook her head at the thought, she
wished that the big blond was there right now, then
she wouldn�t have to be doing this herself.
Even as the
thought crossed her mind she rolled her eyes at her own weakness, even as she
wondered when she had become so dependent on him. She knew why, that was a no
brainer, but when had she started thinking that she needed Naruto for
everything?
Deciding it
wasn�t something she wished to dwell on at that moment in time,
she shook her head again and reached down to test the water. It didn�t seem
quite hot enough so she turned down the cold water, then started untying the
sash she had used to close her kimono instead of an obi.
It took her
a few minutes to get the knot undone as her whole body now seemed to be
cramping at intervals. Finally the sash came undone and she shrugged out of the
black material, only then did she realize that she had forgotten to take off her
sandals when she had arrived back. Carefully toeing them off, she slid out of
her underwear then bent to test the water once again.
�It was perfect, and the tub was almost filled
enough to cover her if she lay down, so she carefully turned herself around,
placing one foot at a time into the deliciously hot water. The temperature sent
a shiver up her spine, and she decided that having a hot soak was the best idea
she had had all day.
The extra
washcloth in hand, she braced a hand on each side of the tub and slowly lowered
herself into the steaming liquid, being careful to keep her injured calf out of
the water. Once she was seated she wrapped the washcloth around the cut gracing
her leg and propped the appendage up on the lip of the tub.
The movement
was protested by her whole body, but she gritted her teeth until she felt that
it was placed well enough so as not to fall onto the water and then allowed
herself to lay back in the rapidly filling tub.
A groan of
pleasure escaped her throat as the hot water seemed to work on her aching
muscles almost instantly. It took her a moment to realize that she had
forgotten to turn the water off, and not wanting to try to sit up again she
used her left foot to slowly turn the knobs to the off positions.
Slowly but surely
she felt each of her spasming muscles start to relax,
sinking down until only her nose was above the water she closed her eyes. Absently
she wondered what time it was, she knew it had been after midnight when she had
left for the training grounds, so it had to be nearly dawn.
Her thoughts
drifted aimlessly for a time, over the events of the day. And for the first
time she realized just how strangely she had been acting all day. Her emotions
had been all over the place and her moods volatile.
It wasn�t
until her vision blurred that Temari realized that she was crying, moving out
of the water until it was just below her shoulders, she leaned her head back on
the tubs edge as she tried to wipe the offending liquid away. But her hands
being wet only succeeded in wiping the salt away, but her cheeks remained damp,
which for some reason made the tears flow more freely.
�I hate
this.� She whispered to the ceiling as she blinked rapidly.
Unbidden an
image of the figures that had appeared before her in the training grounds once
again appeared in her mind�s eye. She felt a shiver of fear run down her spine,
even as she tried to tell herself it was only in her mind. She knew she had
only been fighting phantoms out there in the forest, but it felt so real, the
fear, the humiliation, the pain.
She just
wanted it to stop. She wished that somehow she could forget what had happened
to her. A sob escaped her throat despite her efforts to curb her emotions, and
more tears blinded her vision.
A small part
of her knew that because she had decided to keep the child conceived during her
capture, she would never truly be able to forget what had happened, and yet she
could not change her mind. Her desire for a baby of her own outweighed the need
to forget.
And yet the
tears continued to fall, despite her efforts. Giving up the fight she let them
come, and wished desperately that she wasn�t alone right now. What she wouldn�t
give to have Naruto there with her right now, despite the guilt she felt at
heaping all her problems on him, he never failed to make her feel better.
When he held
her all the fear went away, she felt safe, protected, like she never had in her
life. His support had helped make her decision feel right, made her feel like
she could do it, despite the way people were bound to talk once they learned
about her condition.
Closing her
eyes she willed away the ghosts hovering around her conscious mind. �I just
want to forget.� After speaking the words out loud she repeated them in her
mind over and over like a mantra.�
How long she
lay there, repeating herself in her mind she didn�t know. But then she felt a
swell of power slowly unfurl in her belly and then, just as slowly, start to
seep through her whole body, very much like the other day in the training
grounds when she was watching Naruto and Iruka
sparing.
And just
like the other day, it brought a sense of peace, of calm, and finally her tears
dried.
Her body
relaxed and started to feel heavy, even though the ball of chakra continued to
churn gently in her belly. As sleep started to pull her into its waiting arms,
a single word whispered from her lips.
�Naruto�..�
22 22 22 22
22 22 22
22
A shiver ran
down Kakashi�s spine as he stood looking out his open hotel window. It was four
thirty in the morning, yet he had been awake for some time. He had been jerked
from a sound slumber once again by the feeling that white chakra was in the
air.
It hadn�t
been as close as it had been that day in Konoha, and it hadn�t dissipated as
quickly, in fact, after he had slide quietly out of bed and to the window he
had stood in the night air feeling the power spike repeatedly.
He was
pretty certain that whoever was wielding the white chakra was still in Konoha,
after all the village he and Iruka
were now in was not even a day�s travel from there. But what he knew for sure
was that the wielder was pissed.
Very, very pissed. The Copy-nin wondered if it was because whoever it was had discovered
him missing. Or if something or someone else had attacked
them. Right now the only thing he was thankful for was the fact that he
was as far away from it as he was.
Another
shiver skittered over his bare skin, as he hadn�t bothered to grab a shirt or
anything when he had abandoned his bed. He was clad only in his boxers, and he
wasn�t about to leave his post to put more on, not as long as he was feeling
the white chakra flaring as clearly as if he was watching fireworks in the
night sky.
Finally it
seemed to dissipate, its anger apparently spent from the feel of it. And still
he remained standing in the shadows cast by the full moon. Time was counted by
how many breaths he took, and yet he had no idea how long he stood there before
he felt it again.
Only this
time, it was calmer, almost soothing and yet at the same time he felt that
there was an undertone of death to the gentle feel.
When it too
faded he tried to decide what to do next, he didn�t think he wanted to go back
to bed, and yet at the same time he felt exhausted. Like he
had been up for days.
�Kakashi?
What the hell are you doing up?� Iruka�s voice coming
from the dark of the room caused the Copy-nin to start.
�Nothing.
Just star gazing.� The silver haired man replied. Not wanting to worry his
companion.
There was no
reason for others to know about what was going to happen to him when whoever it
was he had been monitoring, finally caught up to him.
�You�re on
vacation remember.� Iruka
grumbled. �Get back in bed before I have to get up and beat you. And close the
window.�
With one
last look out the window, Kakashi turned his back on the night and reluctantly
went back to bed.
22 22 22 22
22 22 22
22
Consciousness
tickled along Temari�s senses, she fought against it
until she felt a chill shake her form. She frowned for a moment, not wanting to
open her eyes, sleep was something she hadn�t received much of lately and she
was loath to give up what had been such a good rest.
As she
became more aware, she tried to swallow and found that her throat felt
constricted, she also realized that she was freezing, her body felt slightly
numb and her teeth were chattering, when she shifted her weight she felt
freezing cold water move around her.
With a start
she jerked into a sitting position, her eyes flying open, suddenly realizing
that she had fallen asleep in the bath tub.
A hoarse
scream issued from her throat as her eyes finally focused.

22 22 22 22
22 22 22

Yes I know
I�m evil to leave it like this after so long a wait, but I have been planning
to end this chapter this way since I was writing chapter 6.
So my life
has slowed down somewhat so hopefully I will be able to write more often, I am
now going to try to get Carnal Instinct and Return to Sound updated next.
Also for
those of you who might like Yu Yu Hakusho
I just posted a story in that genre on fan and adult, it took me almost 2 years
to write it, so don�t think I was ignoring my other stories to write it. It is
called Ice Rose and I would love any feedback you are willing to give
� Love you all, and as usual, let me know what
you think.
Legilmyth

��
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After the pain