Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

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
- 23
- 24
- 25
Disclaimer:
I do not own the characters of Naruto, I am simply
messing with their lives in an attempt to make people laugh and cry.
24
Ryu: I�m
glad you like, be prepared to cry more in the future. And I�ll take that bet.(laughs evily)

Josh B.:
Sorry, my schedule is horrible, I hardly have time to
think right now.

Sneakyfox:
The white chakra thing will have a bit more explained in the next couple
chapters.

Sonicron: I
can�t answer most of your questions without giving away a lot of stuff. As for
Neji, �� that is another story I hope to
write after this one is done. Although a little is explained �� later in this story.

Thomas Krempetz: To tell the truth the Kakashi/white chakra thing
just kind of happened. But I��
think that you will like it once a little more of it revealed.

Chapter
Twenty-four
It has been,
Three weeks (21 days)� since Naruto found
Temari.
�� 13 days since they arrived in Konoha.
�� 5 days since Naruto left for his
mission.

24 24 24 24
24 24 24 24

It was dark
all around her, yet even with the lack of light she could sense things all
around her. And every so often she was sure she saw movement out of the corner
of her eye. Temari slowly moved forward, sure that if she just kept moving she
would find light.

Her feet
were bare and she could feel hard, rough sand beneath them, but it gave her no
clue as to where she was.

Tentatively
she stretched her arms out on either side of her, hoping to catch a hold of
something, a land mark perhaps that would tell her where she was. And where to go.

Slowly she
realized that the darkness was slightly less so. But it was more a curse then a
blessing, as the kunoichi saw that she was in fact being circled by many
shadows. It was still to gloomy to fully make out their true shape, but they
moved with deadly intent.

Fear filled
her and she felt her feet start to move faster. Laughter echoed through the air
around her and she broke into an all out run, desperately trying to outrun the
horrible sound and the shadows that seemed to be pressing closer.

Temari felt
something hit her from behind and suddenly there was nothing beneath her feet.
A scream tore from her throat as she felt herself falling from an unseen cliff.
The shadows were upon her then, grabbing and pulling as if to rip her apart.

A sob passed
her lips. �Please�.�

Suddenly out
of the gloom she saw a hand reaching out towards her. Before she could react it
had taken a firm grip on her arm, halting her downward tumble.

Temari found
herself hanging by her left arm, although she still couldn�t make out any of
her surroundings. Craning her head back she looked up to find a pair of vivid
blue eyes staring down at her.

�Naruto��
His name whispered over her lips like a prayer.

He appeared
to be leaned over some kind of ledge as she could only see his upper body
leaning down to hold her up. His frame seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded
them.

�I�ve got
you.� His familiar voice washed over her like a soothing caress. �Grab on, and
don�t let go.�

Swinging her
right arm up she managed to grab a hold of his wrist as he started to pull her
up.
Suddenly
pain tore through her leg and she screamed as she felt like sharp fangs had
latched onto her. She was vaguely aware of Naruto straining to pull her up as
more fangs and claw like things dug into her flesh and started to pull her back
down.

�Let her
go��. she is ours.� Haunting voices called out of the black nothingness. �She
is ours��. let her go�

�You can�t
have her!� Naruto snarled at the invisible voices.

Temari saw
the muscles in his arm flex and bulge under the strain of her weight. And she
felt fear grip her heart at the thought of him losing his grip. Whimpering she
tightened her own hold and tried kicking at the entities that clung to her.

Many voices
speaking as one rose from the darkness. �You cannot win. She is ours and she
will not escape us this time.�

An earth shaking
roar sounded from above her and Temari felt the grip on her arm tighten.
Looking up her breath caught in her throat as the eyes looking down at her were
no longer blue, but a fierce ruby color.

�She is
mine.� Naruto�s voice sounded deeper, more feral as the light around his body
suddenly started to expand and changed from a soft glow to a bright wave of
crimson.

�She was sure for a moment that she saw his
face start to change before she was jerked upward and an arm wrapped around her
waist, turning her so that she was pressed back against him as she was drug up
over the ledge as if she suddenly weighed no more than a feather.

The movement
freed her from the shadow�s grip but almost instantly she saw them coming after
her. But as the great hoard of ghostly creatures leapt at her, they were barred
by long fingers of fire that suddenly burst out from behind her and Naruto.

Then just as
suddenly. All of the shadow figures burst into flame.

And just
like that the light returned and Temari released a great shuddering sigh of
relief. Turning in the strong arms that held her, she buried her face in
Naruto�s neck.

�You came
for me.� She whispered against his skin.

�Always.�
His reply rumbled deep in his chest. �I will never let you go.�

Temari felt
as if she was being wrapped warm heated blankets and as she closed her eyes. Everything around her faded except the man holding her tightly in
his strong arms.

24 24 24 24
24 24 24 24

Kyuubi could
hardly believe what he was seeing.

The vision
before him was so real that he was having a hard time believing that he was
still sealed inside his host. None of the dreams Naruto had had in the past
were ever this vivid. The demon could even faintly smell the golden female�s
scent.

Like the
sound of shattering glass the demon noted that the crack in his prison wall had
gotten slightly bigger. But he was too intent on watching the two figures on the
other side to care just then.

Naruto
appeared as he did when the two of them merged in battle. He had taken on
vulpine features and the nine red tails of chakra were currently wrapped around
him and the female in his arms. It gave the nine-tails a bit of encouragement
to know that his host still thought of the two of them as inseparable during a
crisis, even if it was only subconsciously.

But the
current situation was a little too unsettling for the fox to rejoice over that
bit of information. Kyuubi wasn�t sure how, but this was more then just a
dream. Somehow his host was actually interacting with the female. At least his
spirit was.

The demon
frowned, watching as the female started to glow when she looked up at Naruto
and smiled. Then just like that, the image was gone.

The kitsune
was now more stumped then ever. What kind of power did the female poses that
would allow the two of them to reach across such a vast space and interact with
each other? Whatever it was that had happened it had also removed that nagging
feeling of trouble that had been with him and his stubborn host since they left
the female behind.

A quick
check showed Kyuubi that his host was now sleeping peacefully. Which further convinced the demon that whatever had been wrong with
the female when they parted, was no longer a concern.

�Now if I
could only figure out what she is using.� He grumbled. The answer to the
mystery was right there in front of him, he was sure. But for some reason he
just couldn�t grasp it.

Determined to capture the elusive thought that had been tickling at the
back of his mind for some time. The demon made himself comfortable
and started playing the whole scenario over in his head again.

24 24 24 24
24 24 24 24

If one more
person smiled at him and wished him good morning Kakashi was fairly sure he
would scream.

Every one of
his nerves were completely fried. He had been woken
yet again in the middle of the night by the feeling of white chakra. But despite
how long he had been able to sense it. For some stupid reason he could not
pinpoint its source or even its location.

He felt like
he was going insane. He wanted crawl out of his skin just to get away from the
constant war of emotions going on inside of him. The Copy-nin had always prided
himself on being calm in every situation. Even as a child and when he had first
become a shinobi.

But ever
since the first day he had sensed his own doom, he found himself starting to
come unglued. He found himself constantly warring between the decision to stay
and face his attacker and turning in his Hitai-ate and running for the hills.

Every minute
he wanted to do something different. And he wasn�t sure how much longer he
could handle the strain.

24 24 24 24
24 24

�We are
running low on chakra.� Shukaku observed.

�I know.�
Gaara growled at his tenant as he tried to focus on what the sand he was currently
sending through a small village he was looking down at from a high tree branch
was telling him.

�We are also
outside the Suna boarder now.� The tanuki pointed
out.

�I am also
well aware of that.� The redhead reverted to mental communication when he saw
people starting to move around in the small town.

�So what do
you want to do now Gaara?�

�I want to
finish this sweep so we can plan our next move.� The Kazekage snapped.

The demon
remained silent for a time as he contemplated what their next course of action
should be. The area they had moved into had soil consisting mostly of clay, and
while it was possible for him and his host to manipulate that kind of earth, it
was difficult and required larger amounts of chakra to control.

The sand
they were currently using was what they had brought with them from the desert. But
as Gaara�s chakra levels went down they would start to lose increasing
quantities of the mobile substance.

Finally
Gaara stood up on the tree limb he had been crouched on. �Nothing.�
He growled in frustration.

�Gaara I
know you do not wish to stop, but you have not rested in nearly three days.�
The raccoon-dog pointed out. �If you do not rest your charka will deplete and
we will be, as your brother puts it �shit out of luck� even if we do find the
fiends we are after.�

�I know
Shukaku. I know.� The redhead sighed as he scrubbed his hands over his face. He
hadn�t eaten in nearly three days either.

�Now that we
are in a different climate we run the risk of losing what sand we still control
if we are not careful.�

Leaning back
against the tree trunk at his back Gaara closed his eyes for a moment as he
summoned what sand he still controlled back to him.

�We need to
find a place to rest then.� He finally announced.

�Finally.�
The tanuki grumbled. �But what are we going to do about the sand? We need it.�

Gaara jumped
lightly to the ground. �Simple Shukaku, we will store it and recharge it as we
used to do.�

Before he
was even finished speaking a pool of sand started forming at his feet. For a
few moments it swirled around him before a long ribbon formed and moved up his
right leg. When it reached his hip it moved across his chest, over his left
shoulder where it spread out to cover his back.

Within
moments the Kazekage of Sunagakure was once again wearing the signature gourd
of his youth. Although this one was much larger, as his now mature frame could
carry it with ease.

�Any more
questions Shukaku?� He asked with a smirk.

�Yah, when
do we eat?�

24 24 24 24
24 24 24 24

�You�re
sure?� Temari asked again as she fidgeted on the edge of her hospital bed. She
really wanted to move around.

�Temari-san
you need to sit still so I can finish this exam.� The young medic chastened.
�And yes I�m sure that you are fine.�

�Then I�m
good to go.� Temari stated as she moved to slide off the bed.

�No you are
not.� The medic put a restraining hand on her. �The whole reason I am
attempting to do another exam is because you are fine. And after the condition
you were in last night it doesn�t make any sense that you are healed already.�

Temari
frowned at the younger woman. �So your medic�s are good and I recover fast. So
what? I�m leaving.�

Again her
attempt to slide off the bed was thwarted.

�Temari-san,
no one recovers that fast.� The medic pointed out. �Well, accept maybe
Uzumaki-sama��..�

Temari saw
the girls eyes widen as her voice trailed off. It only took a moment for the
Sand-nin to get fed up with the way she was being stared at.

�What?� She
snapped, feeling more agitated by the second.

�You�.
You�re not a�� a vessel are you?� The young woman stuttered.

It took a
moment for the kunoichi to figure out what the medic was asking. When she did
she couldn�t help but smile. It was almost funny really. To
think that a quick recovery suddenly made her suspect of carrying a demon
inside of her.

�No I am
not. As I said before, I simply recover fast. Now can I go?�

�But your
leg isn�t healed yet Temari-san. The rest of your body seems fine, but that cut
doesn�t seem to want to heal.� The medic informed her. �I can�t release you
until a more knowledgeable doctor takes a look at you.�

Temari
groaned. �And what is the big deal. I have a cut, it will heal too.�

�Well I just
want to make sure that I didn�t miss something.� The medic replied.

Temari�s
hand instantly shot out and grabbed the front of the younger woman�s uniform. Jerking
her forward and up until the medic�s face was only inches from her own and her
toes just barely touched the floor.

�What did
you miss?� The blond hissed.

�Nnnnnothing Temari-san. I just want to make sure.� The medic�s voice trembled as
Temari glared at her. �Please, I�m just doing my job.�

With a
slight growl Temari released the girl. �Fine I will stay until you get a second
opinion. But you better make it snappy.�

With a
stumbling apology the medic nodded vigorously before fleeing the room.

The wind
summoner slid back onto her bed and crossed her arms. She wanted to get out of
there. She couldn�t seem to remember how long she had been in the hospital and
hadn�t thought to ask the medic. But she was starting to feel shut in, and she
wanted to go home.

24 24 24 24
24 24 24 24

The fire
village elder sat along with his three counterparts from mist silently watching
his servants clearing away the remnants of their non meal. Even though the
meeting had been called four hours earlier there was still no sign of Naruto.

No
negotiating had been done in that time. Doderia had made excises for the
missing ninja saying that he had been out late enjoying the many facets of the
border town, and was probably just sleeping off the effects.

The delegation
from mist had tried several times to begin their talks, as they were hoping to
make some headway while the shinobi was not present.

However
Doderia was adamant that they wait for his mediator. Being
well aware of the intimidation that the large blond man was capable of with
just his presence alone.

So they
waited.

The last
servant had just left the room when the sliding door connecting to Doderia�s
office slid open far enough to admit the Leaf-nin.

24 24

Naruto
opened the sliding door with careful control. It was all he could do to not rip
the barrier right off its hinges. He did his best to keep his expression
neutral as he stepped into the room containing the four delegates.

It didn�t
escape his notice that Doderia brightened considerable with his entrance. While
the three elders of the Mist village visibly wilted. He closed the door behind
him with a firm click and started towards the man that had summoned him there.

�Ah
Uzumaki-sama, I am so glad you could join us. I do hope you were able to get
sufficient rest after your late evening.� The false cheer in Doderia�s voice
made the blond even angrier then he already was.

It was clear
to him that the manipulative elder was trying to make it look like Naruto had
spent a night out on the town. And he had, just not in the sense that the thin
man was insinuating.

In four long
strides Naruto was beside the man and without warning grabbed him by the front
of his robes and lifted him into the air so that his feet dangled several
inches off the floor. Doderia�s startled squeak was drowned out by Naruto�s voice.

�You are a
lying, manipulative son of a bitch.� He growled giving the smaller man a shake
for emphasis. �I was ordered to break a promise because of you.�

Just as
quickly as he had grabbed the man, Naruto dropped him back down onto his
cushion. And turned to the other three people in the room, who were now on
their feet and staring at him like he has suddenly sprouted horns. Or in his case, tails.

Taking a
deep breath Naruto bowed to the three delegates from the Mist village. �I must
apologize for my earlier indifference to these proceedings. I was under the
impression that I was only here to make sure the negotiations did not result in
violence.�

He noted the
startled looks on their faces as he straightened to him full height. �I�m
afraid that because of this I let myself be distracted. In an effort to atone
for my mistake, I will be taking over the proceedings on behalf of this
village.�

Doderia
scrambled to his feet. �That won�t be necessary Uzumaki-sama. I am sorry that
my request placed a burden on you. As you can see we are getting along quite
well. So if you wish to return home you are welcome too.�

Naruto
snarled down at the slim man. �Why? So you can continue to cheat them out of
their crops?�

The richly
dressed man paled as Naruto loomed over him. �I have been to their village Doderia;
I have seen the desperate state of it and its people. Yet you still took
advantage of them so you could line your own pockets.�

He heard the
startled gasps of the other occupants of the room. But his attention stayed on
the elder that had requested his assistance.

�W�..what?
Why would I do such a thing? You are very mistaken Uzumaki-sama.� Sweat was
starting to bead on Doderia�s brow as he denied the accusation.

Naruto
snorted. He may not have access to all of Kyuubi�s knowledge when it came to
deciphering scents. But he didn�t need to be told that the man clearly smelled
of deceit. �Why? Because you saw the opportunity to make
yourself filthy rich while increasing the prestige of your village.�

All three
members of the Mist delegation were on their feet when Naruto turned his head
enough to look at them. �Did you know about this?�

All three
shook their heads although the woman Naruto know knew as Madam Babia was the
only one who spoke. �We knew that the prices we have been getting were not very
good. But we had little choice in the end but to take what was offered. We have
no way of reaching other markets and our people needed what income could be
provided. Even if it was a pittance.�

��It was all we could give you.� Doderia
defended to Babia before turning back to Naruto. �I asked for your assistance
because I thought you to be an honorable man Uzumaki.�

Straightening
his body in an effort to match Naruto�s height he fixed the blond with a
haughty look. �How dare you walk in here and start making such outrageous and
false accusations.�

Naruto�s
eyes narrowed and he had the fight the urge to shake the man until him teeth
rattled. �I know how much your village produces in a year Doderia. And I know
in the last four years you have grown way more then you need.�

�And as for false accusations.� Reaching into his vest he pulled out a leather bound
journal. �I suppose this isn�t your ledger, written in your handwriting that
lists the buyers and the prices you both paid and received?�

The kitsune
vessel nearly smirked at the way Doderia�s eyes bulged and his mouth moved
several times before any words came out.

�Wh�..where
did you get that?�

A sneer
curled the shinobi�s lips. �Out of your desk of course. In the secret
compartment of the bottom left drawer.�

Madam Babia
made a strangled sound before her angry voice demanded. �How could you? We came
to you in good faith.�

�Simple.�
Naruto replied before the shell shocked elder could gather his wits. �Your
product is better then his, he gets a higher price for it.�

Doderia
sputtered then. �How dare you!� His voice cracked as it reached an almost
impossible pitch.

�How dare
I?� Naruto snarled. Again using his superior height and bulk to loom above the
greedy old man. �You insisted on my help because you knew of my reputation.
Because we thought there was a real threat here, the Hokage sent me. Despite the fact that I had to leave several very delicate matters
on hold in order to do so.�

�I saw the
result of your greed last night Doderia and I will no longer stand by quietly.
What you have done is wrong on so many levels.� Taking a deep breath the Leaf
shinobi finally stepped away from the now trembling man. �When this is finished
I am going to let the Hokage deal with you. Because if I do it, you won�t
survive.� He promised in a deadly voice.

The richly
dressed man went completely pale and flopped limply down onto his cushion.
Seeing that he was no longer going to be a problem, Naruto moved around the
table to where the Mist delegates were all standing.�

��It is up to you if you want to continue to
deal with this village or not. Either way I will help you get what your crops
are worth.� He promised.

�But we have
no choice.� The man Naruto was pretty sure was Waccusu protested faintly.
�There is no other village within our reach to trade with.�

The other
two nodded in agreement, all their faces held looks of defeat.

Naruto
grinned. �You do have options.� He held up the journal. �There are quite a few
merchants that travel a long way every year to buy your products. Doderia has
built up quite a demand for much of what you produce. And he has been charging
a hefty price. If you offer it for a slightly lower amount, they will happily
travel that little extra distance to pick it up themselves.�

All three
gaped at him in disbelief and Naruto couldn�t help but grin at the rather
comical sight they made. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Doderia sitting
with his head in his hands. He was the picture of defeat. But the Leaf-nin knew
that there was very little chance that he would give up the cash cow he had
created without a fight.

And he
didn�t want to say anything else in front of the man since he could come out of
his shocked state at any moment and use anything they said spoke of to help him
formulate some kind of plan to stop them.

�Why don�t
we go to your village before we start over with these talks?� Naruto suggested.
�It was quite late when I was there last night. And I would like to get a
better look at what you have to offer so I can make the right contacts for
you.�

All three
elders readily agreed and the four of them left the house without even saying
goodbye to Doderia. Naruto noticed the angry look on the man�s face just as he
walked out the door and he made a mental note to not use any of the merchants
that were in the journal he still held. He had made enough contacts over the
years that he could put the Mist village in touch with some very fair business
men.

Once they
were outside the blond stopped, his eyes straying in the direction of Konoha.
As much as he wanted to go straight home. He couldn�t in good conscience leave
without helping these people. Their village reminded him too much of his first
big assignment in Wave country. All the people he had seen had the same
desperate yet resigned air about them and he couldn�t turn his back on that.

�I�m sorry Temari;
I hope your brothers get there soon so that you don�t have to be alone.� With
one last longing look he followed the three delegates out of town in the
opposite direction of where he wanted to go.

24 24 24 24
24 24 24 24 24 24 24

Tsunade
blinked the moisture from her eyes as she made her way down the hospital
corridor. She had just finished the unpleasant task of informing some
distraught parents that their daughter had not survived her injuries.

The blond
Hokage hated it when she had to give that kind of news. But the circumstances
in which this death had occurred made it even harder. From the reports she had
been able to look at in between checking other patients, it looked like there
had been no outside influence. It had been Leaf-nin against Leaf-nin, although
the why was still unknown.

And to top
it off she had been brought word that Gaara was also missing. She just
desperately hoped that he was simply out looking for his sister as the letter
from the Puppet Mater had speculated, and not another victim like she had been.
The Kazekage was powerful, but even he had his weaknesses.

Turning down
the hall leading to the maternity ward her hand dropped to the scroll in her
pocket. She had finished her other rounds so she had a few minutes to check on
Temari�s progress and give her the letter from her brother.

As she
neared the Sand-nin�s room she heard raised voices.

�What do you
mean they�re all busy!� There was the sound of
something hitting the wall as Tsunade reached for the door knob.

�Either you
get someone else in here NOW or I�m leaving!� The Hokage�s brows raised as she
pushed open the door and saw Temari standing behind her bed brandishing a cup
as if she was about to hurl it at the young medic that was cowering against the
opposite wall.

�What is
going on here?� The Godaime demanded. Quickly catching both women�s attention.
She was both surprised and relieved to see how much healthier Temari looked.
But that didn�t explain what was going on.

�Oh Hokage-sama.� The medic sounded on the verge of tears. �I have been trying to tell
Temari-san that she can�t leave until a senior medic checks her over.�

Tsunade gave
her a questioning look. �Well she certainly seems to have recovered well
enough.�

Out of the
corner of her eye she saw Temari put down her makeshift weapon.

�She seems
perfectly healthy now.� The medic replied. �That in itself is unusual
considering her condition last night, and her leg still has not responded to
healing.�

�Well then
why don�t I take another look since I�m here?� Tsunade offered.

The look of
relief was very evident on the poor medic�s face. And even Temari seemed
pleased with the offer.

�That�s
fine, but hurry up I want to get out of here as soon as I can.� Temari replied
as she climbed back onto her bed and sat down.

Tsunade�s
brow rose again. The Medic was right, the girl had been barely coherent the
night before, needing a blood transfusion and yet here she was not even twelve
hours later throwing things at her caretaker.

�So you seem a lot better today.� She commented as she
approached the sitting kunoichi.
�I�m perfectly fine thank you.� Temari replied as she crossed
her arms over her chest. �I just want to go home.�
�Speaking of home.� Tsunade pulled the scroll out of her
pocket and handed it to the Wind Summoner. �This came from you brother Kankuro
last night. Apparently Gaara is off somewhere looking for you so they have to
wait for him to come back before they come get you.�
She saw Temari frown as she took the letter.
�If you want to go home earlier we can arrange an escort for
you.� The Godaime offered.
Temari shook her head. �That�s okay, I just want to get out
of this hospital.�
Smiling Tsunade nodded her understanding. She knew how most
ninja felt about hospitals and she couldn�t blame them in the slightest.
�Well then how about we look at that leg of your so we can
see what�s going on.� She suggested.
Temari merely nodded as she was still looking at the scroll
in her hand, although she didn�t make a move to break the seal and read it.
Picking up the injured limb the blond medic took a close look
at the cut adorning the kunoichi�s calf. It was still rather ugly, looking like
a small chunk had been removed. And it almost looked like the edges had been
burnt as they were smooth and flat against the rest of the skin. A small amount
of blood was seeping out of several places. Probably from the fact that Temari
had been moving around on it.
Channeling chakra into her left hand she slowly moved it over
the gash. After several passes she frowned, nothing was happening at all. In
fact it almost felt like her chakra was being rejected, like it wasn�t
penetrating at all.
�How did you say you got this wound again?� She asked as she
gently prodded the edges. The flesh around it felt normal enough.
�Um��. I was.�
Tsunade looked up when the kunoichi paused and appeared to be
thinking.
�Oh ya, I was training with my new fan.� Temari told her after
a moment of thought. �I think I cut it with the edge, but I�m not sure.�
Tsunade looked doubtfully at her. �You�re not sure?�
�The fan wielding ninja
shook her head. �I don�t remember it happening, I just looked down and it was
bleeding.�
�Well it doesn�t look like a normal cut.� Tsunade decided
aloud. �Are you sure you cut it with your fan?�
Temari nodded. �That was the only weapon I used.�
Tsunade tried one more time to heal it, but again with no
luck. �I guess we are just going to have to keep it bandaged and see if it will
heal on its own. � She finally concluded. �I�ve never seen a wound that didn�t
at least respond a little to chakra healing techniques.�
�Maybe because it was caused by chakra.� Temari offered.
Tsunade instantly straightened and looked the young woman in
the eye. �You said it was caused by your fan.�
�It was, but my new fan channels chakra through its edges so
that it can cut through solid objects.� Temari clarified with a grin.
Tsunade was torn between rolling her eyes and snapping at the
girl. �Why didn�t you mention that before?� She managed to keep her voice even.
�Didn�t think of it.� Temari returned. �Can I go now?�
Silently sighing the Hokage shook her head. �I better take a
closer look at you first. While your new weapon might be the reason for the cut
we have to make sure it�s not something that�s in your system preventing the
healing.�
�But the other one said she already did a full exam.� Temari
protested pointing at the young medic that was hovering behind Tsunade. �I want
to go.�
�It won�t take long.� Tsunade assured her.
Ignoring the glare the kunoichi shot at her Tsunade rubbed
her hands together before lifting them and placing them on either side of the
Sand-nin�s head. Not touching, but almost. Slowly she started moving down the
other blonde�s body. She was just finishing checking her heart and lungs,
finding everything normal when the hospital room door flew open.
�Hokage we have an emergency!� The senior medic shouted.
Dropping her hands Tsunade couldn�t help but growl in
frustration. �What is it?�
�It�s the boy with the eye injury.� The panting messenger
replied.
Hearing that it was the boy she had worked on the Hokage
quickly headed for the door cursing under her breath, she had looked in on him
not even an hour ago.
�Hey, do I get to go?� Temari called after her.
Seeing as she hadn�t found anything amiss, even if she hadn�t
finished her check up Tsunade nodded. �Yes you can, after your leg is properly
bandaged.�
Temari gave a whoop and moved to get off her bed.
Turning to the medic in charge of their guest Tsunade
beckoned for her to follow as she headed for the door. �Make sure she gets
complete instructions on how to care for her leg, give her crutches and tell
her to stay off of it as much as possible.�
��I will Hokage.� The
medic promised.
Nodding Tsunade broke into a run, heading back towards the
critical ward.
24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
It seemed to take forever before her medic was finished
lecturing her about how to care for her leg. And Temari�s patience had long
since run out, so she wasn�t feeling very cooperative. She sat glaring at the
woman before her that was probably close to ten years her junior.
It wasn�t like she had never been injured before; she knew
how to take care of a cut, even if this one was a little unusual. She somehow
managed not to reach out and strangle the girl while she waited for her
crutches arrived.
She felt like the hospital walls were closing in on her, and for
some reason she was sure that she kept hearing babies crying. The sound seemed
to reverberate through her whole body, making her even more irritable.
Casually she dropped folded arms so that her hands rested
lightly on her stomach. As much as she did not like the medic attending her,
she did seem quite skilled and had assured her that everything was fine several
times. So had the Hokage, so Temari couldn�t figure out why she still felt
worried about the child she carried.
The only conclusion she had been able to come to was that the
sounds of infants crying was the cause for her unease. As it was reminding her
too much of what she could have lost.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a nurse finally appeared
with her crutches. Sliding off her bed she made a quick check to see if her
newly returned Kimono was tied snuggly enough to allow movement before
snatching the supports from the nurse.
Ignoring the medic who was still pestering her with
instructions she moved the crutches into position and headed for the door. Once
in the hall she looked around for the exit. When she didn�t see any indication
of which direction it might be she headed for the nurse�s station. Not
bothering to ask the medic still inside of her room, since she never wanted to
see the girl again.
As she drew closer to the large L shaped desk Temari spotted
a lean shinobi lounging against the corner cuddling a baby against his
shoulder. It took her a moment to recognize him, Rock Lee. She regarded him for
a moment before deciding that he looked good with long shaggy hair.
She was debating whether she was feeling amiable enough to
greet him when a familiar pink head popped up from behind the desk.
�Done! I am so out of here.� Sakura exclaimed throwing her
hands into the air.
Temari couldn�t help but smile at the shared sentiment.
"Temari?� It was Lee who had spotted her and he was now
wearing his trademark grin.
�Hello Lee, Sakura.� The blond greeted as she drew next to
the shinobi.
�I heard you were in town.� Sakura commented as she moved around
the desk to stand beside Lee. �What happened?� The pink haired woman nodded at
the crutches.
Temari shrugged. �Got carless during training and injured my
leg. I was just heading home.�
�I just got back from Suna.� Lee informed her. �Did you get
the letter that I brought back for you?�
Temari nodded. �Right here.� She tapped the scroll resting in
her sash. �The Hokage just gave it to me, I haven�t read it yet.�
She saw that Lee seemed to want to say something but he only
nodded.
�If you�re heading out we�ll walk with you.� Sakura offered.
�I just finished my shift and it�s almost time for Ayame�s next feeding.� As
she spoke the pink haired kunoichi claimed her snoozing daughter from Lee.
�Ino told me you had a daughter. Congratulations.� Temari
murmured as she watched the way the couple before her handled the small baby.
�Thank you.� Lee beamed.
And with that, that small family fell in step with Temari and
headed down the hall in the direction she had been going. The Sand-nin felt a
slight pang in her stomach when she saw Lee wrap his arm around his wife�s
waist as they walked.
Once outside Temari took a long deep breath of fresh air glad
to have the smell of antiseptic out of her nostrils. It felt good to be free of
the place.
�So where are you staying Temari?� Lee asked.
�I�m staying at Naruto�s right now.� Temari replied as she
continued down the steps in front of the hospital.
She saw both her companions give her a surprised look. And
she wondered why, she had been there long enough that she would have thought
that all of his friends would know about it already. Especially considering
that his fan club had known the day after.
�I thought Naruto was out of town.� Sakura commented.
�He is, he got called out on a mission the other day.� Temari
confirmed.
�Well let us walk you home.� Lee offered. �You might have
trouble making it up all those stairs with your crutches.�
Before Temari could protest Sakura was agreeing with her
husband and directing him to walk on Temari�s other side in case she lost her
balance.
Temari wanted to protest but then realized that it was Sakura
and Lee she was dealing with and that she would only be wasting her breath and
time arguing with them. It was just easier to go along with their plan, then
she would be alone sooner.
The fifteen minute walk wore her out more then she had
thought it would. Lee spoke to her a bit about his brief stay in Suna. Temari
listened with only half an ear, if Gaara was off seeking vengeance then she
would more then likely be staying Konoha longer then she had originally thought
she would. Strangely she found the thought relaxing.
Once the trio was finally at Naruto�s apartment building Lee
insisted on carrying Temari up the five flights of stairs to his door. Luckily
the door wasn�t locked, since Temari didn�t have her key with her. After
assuring Lee that she would be fine four times the Tai-jutsu master finally
left.
Closing and locking the door behind him, Temari breathed a
sigh of relief. She finally had some peace and quiet.
Moving over to the couch she set her crutches aside and sat
down. Pulling out her letter she broke the seal and slowly unrolled the
parchment. She easily recognized Kankuro�s sloppy handwriting.
Temari
I was so relieved to hear that
you are all right. We found what was left of your fan out in the desert and
Gaara freaked. I haven�t seen him since, so I think he�s out looking for you.
We are doing everything we can
to find him to let him know that you are okay. Unfortunately because of the
search as well as the worry of an attack by whoever it was that took you. I
can�t spare anyone to come escort you home.
I have asked the Hokage for
any assistance she might be able to provide. SO if you want to come home right
away talk to her and you can come with whatever people she is sending us.
Otherwise just take it easy,
you deserve a break from all the idiots around here. Especially after what
happened to you. I hope you�re recovery is quick. I will send you word of Gaara
as soon as I know anything.
Kankuro��
Temari read the letter twice before setting it down on the
coffee table. At least Kankuro had taken the time to write her a letter instead
of just sending word through Tsunade.
She hoped that Gaara was alright. He was strong, but he had
been captured before. Even if they still were not very close, she didn�t want
to lose him again.
With a sigh she turned her gaze out the patio windows. For
some reason she suddenly had the feeling of emptiness inside her heart. Was it
because the brothers would not be coming for her?
She wasn�t sure, but it was there. The feeling of lose.
Unbidden she felt tears start to escape her eyes. Moving herself further onto
the couch she lay down. The tracks of moisture changing their course as they
trickled down her face.
Burying her face in the cushions she took a deep breath, once
again smelling Naruto�s unique scent in them.
And she cried harder.

24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
Shizune presented Tsunade with a cup and a small bottle of
sake before she had even completely settled behind her desk. Rather startled at
the unusual gesture the Hokage shot her assistant a questioning look.
�It�s been a rough two days.� The brunet intoned quietly. �I
thought you could use it.�
Tsunade gave her a grateful smile. �You have no idea.�
Pouring herself a drink the Hokage reflected on her day so
far. It was only four o�clock and she had already lost two of her people. And
to make it worse, she couldn�t stay at the hospital. There was a bunch of
paperwork piled on her desk that she had to at least look at.
With a sigh she though again how rotten the timing was that
Naruto wasn�t in town. Swallowing her drink Tsunade grabbed the first of the
scrolls sitting in front of her. Determined to get everything done as quickly
as she could so that she could head back to the hospital before going home she
set her now empty cup aside. There would be time later to drown her sorrows.
Only two scrolls later there was a knock on her door and
Shizune pocked her head in. �Neji and Sasuke as well as Ino are back from their
missions.� She announced.
�Send them all in.� Tsunade instructed.
Within moments all three jonin were standing in front of her.
She knew that they had been technically sent out on different missions, but she
had a hunch that the same group Ino had been tracking might have something to
do with what had happened to Temari.
�Well?� She fixed Neji with a look once the three had
finished with their formal bows.
�Nothing Hokage, we found nothing suspicious anywhere.� The
white eyed jonin replied.
The blond raised a brow at him. �Nothing at all?�
Both men shook their heads at her question. �We need more
information.� Sasuke announced. �We don�t really know what we are looking for.
And like Neji said there wasn�t even the slightest bit of suspicious activity
where we went.�
Tsunade rubbed her chin thoughtfully. �Well I guess I will
have to ask Temari some more questions. Although I find it unlikely that Naruto
missed anything.�
�If you are looking for the people that captured Temari
Hokage. Don�t bother asking her anything.� Ino stated, interrupting the
Godaime�s train of thought. �I�ve already spoken with her and shared notes.
There is nothing she knows that I don�t already.�
�You talked to her about this?� Tsunade asked. She noticed
that Ino also had both men�s attention.
�Yes, we have had lunch together several times since she had
been here.� Ino confirmed. �The first time was just after I was ambushed and
when she heard me talking we compared experiences. And while my group didn�t
seem to be that same one that captured her, they do seem to be from the same
organization. Whatever that may be.�
�So if that�s the case. What do you know?� Tsunade asked.
It only took Ino twenty minutes to reveal all the information
she had gathered. And it turned out to not be very much. Since she had killed
the entire group that had attacked her, and so far the men that had had Temari
had not showed their faces again.
�Because Suna had also
requested assistance in finding their Kazekage, Tsunade decided to call a
meeting for the next in order to organize more teams to take care of both
matters. That decided she dismissed the three jonin and told them to go home
and get some rest.
After the door closed behind them. The blond took a moment
take in several deep breaths. Coupled with the mess at the hospital, she was
worried that her ninja might be stretched too thin if she wasn�t careful.
Sometimes she really hated being Hokage.
24 24 24 24 24 24
Iruka had spent that majority of the day helping with the
interviewing of his old students, as part of the investigation into the fight
that had left nearly thirty of them hospitalized. Once that was finally done he
headed for the ward were Temari had been taken the night before.
He did his best to stifle the yawns that kept threatening to
escape. He hadn�t slept very well in that chair, not to mention the fact then
when he did doze off the Suna kunoichi had woken him with her restless
movements.
He arrived at her room only to find it empty. Trying hard not
to panic he quickly went back to the nurse�s station. Hoping that the young
woman had just been transferred to another room.
�Excuse me, could you tell me where Temari-san is?� He
inquired of the nurse sitting behind the desk.
She quickly flipped through a clip board at her side.
�Temari-san was discharged earlier today.� She informed him.
Iruka frowned even as he thanked her for her time. Temari had
been in terrible shape last night. How was it that she would be discharged
already? Deciding that he had better go check on her he made a be-line for the
hospital entrance.
Once outside he broke into a run, he was too tired to
teleport, and he didn�t want to just appear inside Naruto�s apartment for fear
of scaring the girl.
It only took him a few minutes to arrive at the familiar
door. Knocking on it he tried to catch his breath as he waited for an answer.
To his relief it only took moments for the barrier to open for him.
�Iruka, what are you doing here?� Temari asked.
The teacher couldn�t help but feel a little awkward, since he
really didn�t know her all that well. �I stopped by the hospital to see you and
they told me you were already discharged. So I thought I would just drop by to
make sure you are all right.� He explained as he looked closely at her.
She seemed alright. She wasn�t as pale, but to him it looked like
she had been crying. Her eyes and nose seemed to be a little red.
�I�m fine thank you.� Temari informed him.
Pulling his eyes away from their inspection Iruka smiled.
�I�m glad to hear that. I was very worried about you last night.� He admitted.
Temari returned his smile with a small one of his own. �I�m
much better. Thank you for everything you did.�
�You�re welcome.� He suddenly felt awkward standing there in
the doorway. �Uh would you like to have dinner with me?� He asked after a
moment.
He wasn�t sure if he should laugh or be offended at the
shocked look she gave him. He hadn�t really intended to ask her to eat with
him. But after the question had left his mouth he realized that he would have
to find some way of spending time with her if he was going to keep his promise
to Naruto.
The Promise that he felt he had already failed in considering
the shape he had found her in the night before.
He watched the blond hesitate for a moment before she spoke.
�I have actually already eaten Iruka. But thank you for the invitation.�
The teacher nodded his understanding, but now that the idea
was in his head he wouldn�t just let it go. �Then how about we meet for lunch
tomorrow?� She looked like she was about to protest so he quickly added.
�Naruto asked me to keep an eye on you while he was gone. And I don�t want to
disappoint him, besides we both have to eat.�
His honest admission seemed to give her pause. And after a
moment she smiled again. �That would be fine Iruka. Noon then?�
He nodded. �Noon would be fine. I�ll drop by here then we can
decide where we want to go.�
Temari agreed so Iruka decided to not impose himself on her
any longer and bid her goodnight. As he heard the door shut behind him as he
walked away, he realized that this would be a good opportunity to get to know
the kunoichi from Suna a bit more. Because if Kakashi was right, they just
might be seeing more of each other.
24 24 24 24 24 24 24
Despite being very tired, Temari was still wide awake at
nearly midnight. It didn�t seem to matter how she lay, she just couldn�t get
comfortable in bed or even on the couch.
Finally she decided to get some fresh air and moved out onto
the balcony. The night was warm, the breeze refreshing and smelling clean. It
didn�t take her long before her leg started aching from standing on it too much
so she moved over to Naruto�s hammock and carefully settled herself into the
swinging canvas.
It took her a few minutes to get comfortable, and she ended
up pulling the pillow from behind her head. But once she got the hang of it she
found the slight swaying motion rather soothing. Hugging the pillow to her
chest she breathed in the blond shinobi�s scent.
She knew that if anyone ever asked what Naruto smelled like
she would be unable to describe it. But none the less it made her feel safe and
secure, even if he wasn�t there.
She smiled as she though back to Iruka�s admission that her
host had asked him to keep an eye on her. Not so long ago she would have been
livid if someone had told her that. But the fact that it had been her self
appointed protector that had seen to it that she would be taken care of made
her feel safe. And he had chosen well, Iruka didn�t seem to make her nervous at
all.
Closing her eyes she focused on the night sounds of Konoha
and enjoyed the hammock�s rocking motion. Before she even realized it she was
fast asleep.
24 24 24 24 24 24 24
IMPROTANT NOTICE!!!!!!!!
Hello again everyone. I wanted to fit a few more days� worth
of stuff into this chapter for you all, but unfortunately some things have come
up.
I wanted to let everyone know that from now and for most of
the summer I will not have any access to a computer. So I have no idea when the
next update will be. I know it sucks but unfortunately that is what is
happening in my life right now.
I will be taking note pads with me, so hopefully if I do get
near a computer somewhere in that time frame I can post something. But
otherwise it may be as late as September before I get back.
I hate to keep such wonderful fans waiting so long but this
situation is out of my control. I can�t wait to get back and hopefully wrap
this story up quite quickly.
In the meantime I hope you will still leave your comments as
well as any suggestions you might have for me to read when I get back. Thank
you all for the wonderful support you have given me throughout the writing of
this story.
And Lord willing I will be back to finish it for you.
All my love Legilmyth
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After the pain