A/N:
▼▲▼▲▼▲▼ - Time skip
.............. - POV change
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"Don't be gone too long cause you won't be there to love me when you're gone Don't be gone too long tell me who's gonna love me when you're gone?" - Don't be gone too long Chris brown
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Temari's eyes shot open as she gasped looking around with wide eyes.
"You had the same dream, didn't you?" Shikamaru said sleepily.
"Yes." Temari nodded, looking to her left where Sakura and Sai was sleeping in the tent and to her right was Shikamaru.
"Come here." Shikamaru said opening his arm to Temari as she snuggled closer to him.
"I'm sorry I woke you up." Temari said softly into his chest.
"It's okay, you're safe now." Shikamaru whispered soothingly as they both fell asleep after a while.
It was the last night of their journey, tomorrow they'll be arriving in the Sound village but every night it was the same story, she would keep having the same dream and Shikamaru would be there to comfort her.
"If I was you two I would wake up before Sakura comes back and make a scene of this." Sai smiled at the two as he woke them up.
"Thanks Sai." Shikamaru mumbled still asleep still holding Temari.
Temari stood up out of Shikamaru's arms but she left him to continue his sleep. Temari stepped out in the fresh air outside stretching just as Sakura arrived.
"Oh, so you two are awake." Sakura said grinning.
"No, Shikamaru's still asleep." Temari said bluntly.
"You're kidding me?" Sakura sweat dropped.
"Nope." Temari replied.
"Well, wake him up." Sakura said.
"Why should I? you want him awake." Temari shrugged.
"Fine." Sakura said glaring at Temari.
"Shikamaru wake up." Sakura said poking her head in the tent but got ignored by Shikamaru so Sakura left, fanishing into the forest.
"Where are you going?" Temari called to Sakura.
"You'll see." Sakura called back.
"Poor Shikamaru." Sai commented shaking his head.
"What?" Temari asked confused.
"She used to this to Naruto when he didn't want to wake up. It's cruel, but effective." Sai shrugged as Temari simply shook her head and let it go.
Sakura returned with a bottle of water after a while making Temari understand exactly what she was getting at. Sakura entered the tent and cleared the area around Shikamaru then started pouring the water over Shikamaru's head.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Shikamaru exclaimed as he shot out of his makeshift bed with speed nobody knew he had.
"Easy way to wake people up." Sakura grinned as everyone gathered their stuff so it won't get wet while Shikamaru rubbed his face dry outside.
"Don't just sit their help us with the tent Shikamaru." Sakura said as everyone started taking it down.
"No." Shikamaru said boredly sitting on the ground watching them.
"Stop being a cry baby." Temari said rolling her eyes as Shikamaru glared at her then slowly stood up and helped them pack up.
"It looks like Neji won the bet after all." Sakura said out of nowhere when they where finished.
"What bet?" Temari asked as Sakura laughed and Sai smiled.
"You, shut your mouth." Shikamaru said glaring at Sakura then at Sai.
"I'm so over this." Temari said defeated as she headed to the Sound village.
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The afternoon went and gone by as they continued to travel to the sound village and when they finally got there it was past lunch time already.
"Finally." Sakura groaned seeing the village up ahead of them.
"Yeah, couldn't they have built this bloody village closer." Temari chimed in.
"Damn, and you two tell me I complain a lot." Shikamaru said rolling his eyes.
"That's becuase you do." Temari shrugged.
"Troublesome woman." Shikamaru sighed.
"State your purpose in the village." One of the guards at the village gates said for security measures.
"Where attending the ball." Shikamaru said as he handed them their invitations.
"Enjoy." The guard said handing him the scroll back after looking at it.
"Thanks." Shikamaru said taking the scroll and walked into the village as the group followed him.
"Shikamaru, do you know where you're going?" Temari asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Nope, how 'bout you?" Shikamaru asked looking back at her.
"Figured, actually I do I was here a few months ago." Temari grinned surprising the group.
"Oh, then lead the way troublesome woman." Shikamaru said gesturing for her to take the lead.
Temari walked slightly infront of the rest as she navigated through the village. The village was almost like Konoha except with less trees and less colour. They finally found a inn across the ball venue after they walked in a circle for at least 3 times.
"I told you we should've asked for directions." Shikamaru said rolling his eyes.
"I don't need directions." Temari said annoyed.
"That's not what the same building we passed 10 times told me." Shikamaru said exaggerated.
"Stop being dramatic we only passed it 3 times." Temari sighed rubbing her templates.
"Oh and that's better?" Shikamaru said bluntly.
"Considerably." Temari said glaring at Shikamaru who was next to her.
"Oh my gosh, just stop bickering for a minute, you're like an old married couple." Sakura said frustrated as they walked into the inn.
"If he was my husband, I would poison his tea." Temari said glaring at Shikamaru.
"If you where my wife, I would drink it." Shikamaru said glaring back at her making Sakura sigh and shake her head.
"Hi, we would like two adjoining rooms with two beds each please." Sai smiled politely at the receptionist.
"Of course." The receptionist smiled politely eyeing them suspiciously.
"Here are the keys for room 10 and 11, there just down the hall, enjoy your stay." She said with her fake smile.
"Thank you." Sai replied with a similar smile as they walked to their rooms.
"Me and Temari will share a room while you two can sleep in the other room." Sakura grinned as everyone just shrugged complying to Sakura's wishes.
Temari opened the first rooms door entering the room. It was a nice room with lots of bamboo and screen sheets in with a wooden floor. The walls was painted like a bamboo forest with mist slightly hiding the forest but they used light, soft colours instead of dark colours. Temari took off her shoes and walked to the closest bed, putting her bag on the floor next to the bed as she laid on the soft cream coloured bed.
Temari looked at the wall opposite her bed until her eyes fell on the door separating their room from Shikamaru's room.
In the meantime Sakura placed her bag next to her bed and stepped in font of Temari's line of sight as she directed her attention to Sakura.
"Let's go." Sakura said smiling broadly.
"Go where?" Temari asked.
"Shopping for our dresses." Sakura said excited.
"No." Temari groaned pulling the cushion over her head as Sakura headed for the door Temari was staring at and opened it.
"Me and Temari are going shopping." Sakura informed Shikamaru and Sai.
"I agreed to no such thing!" Temari called with the cushion over her head while Shikamaru laughed at her when Sakura pulled the cushion off her face dragging her out the room.
"Help me." Temari mouthed at Shikamaru who laughed harder.
"Shikamaru if you don't stop laughing your coming with us." Sakura said in a sing song voice as Shikamaru immediately stopped laughing.
"I'm good." Shikamaru said as Sai chuckeld at him.
Sakura dragged Temari the whole village full becuase if they where not lost then Temari didn't like the shop.
"What now Temari?" Sakura groaned as she turned around looking at Temari who stopped infront of the shop Sakura wanted to go to, crunching her nose.
"I refuse to go into this shop." Temari said stubbornly.
"Why not?" Sakura asked frustrated.
"It's pink." Temari said looking at a annoyed Sakura.
"What's your point, my hair is pink." Sakura said her eyebrow twitching.
"I don't like pink, the only pink I like is your hair." Temari replied adding the last part so she doesn't hurt Sakura's feelings.
"You're worst than Shikamaru." Sakura said in a low tone her eyebrow twitching as she entered the shop alone.
Temari leaned against the shop wall waiting for Sakura to come out, but after what felt like hours Temari decided to look for her and with a sigh she entered the girly shop.
"Oh, Temari what do you think of this dress?" Sakura asked Temari seeing her come in.
Temari studied the dress as she walked towards Sakura sitting on the couch that was placed there. The dress was a silky mermaid style dress with a halter top and of course it was pink with black halter straps.
"It looks great! Are you going to buy it?" Temari asked eagerly wanting to get out of the shop, but also giving her honest opinion.
"Of course." Sakura grinned as she went back to the dressing room to change.
"I'll take it." Sakura told the cashier as she returned with the dress from the dressing room placing the dress on the counter.
"Good choice, this is a beautiful dress." The cashier smiled as she took the dress, ringing the dress for a price.
"Thank you, come again." The cashier smiled as Sakura paid and waved as they left.
"Great one down, one to go." Sakura said triumphantly.
"Fantastic." Temari sighed.
After they got lost again they stumble upon an elegant grey dress shop.
"What about this one?" Sakura grinned at the shop.
"Why not." Temari shrugged going into the shop.
Temari and Sakura went there separate ways searching for a dress for Temari as soon as they entered the shop. But each time Sakura pointed out a dress Temari turned it down.
"Damn you're picky." Sakura groaned as Temari rolled her eyes.
"Hey! What about this one?" Sakura grinned pulling out a black silky dress.
"Not bad, let's go try it on." Temari said smirking.
"This one is a keeper." Sakura grinned at Temari who tried the dress on.
"Good now let's buy it and go." Temari grinned paying the cashier after she changed back into her clothes.
"Wait." Temari said just when they where about to leave.
She turned back heading to the cashier taking some long gloves, paying them then left the shop with Sakura.
"What do you need gloves for?" Sakura asked with a frown as they walked back to the inn.
"If we do need to fight I whould need my fan and I can't take it with me, so I'm going to use a summoning tattoo and I need gloves to cover it up." Temari shrugged.
"You're going to fight in that dress?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow.
"If push comes to shove." Temari shrugged.
"But the dress..." Sakura moaned.
"Come on Sakura your sounding like Ino now, besides we are shinobi." Temari said rolling her eyes.
"But the dress is not, you'll ruin it." Sakura said pouting making Temari roll her eyes.
After they got lost they found their way back to the inn again entering there room as they got back.
"What took you guys so long?" Shikamaru asked boredly from his bed in the other room while Sai sat on the floor drawing a picture.
"Temari is a picky shopper." Sakura glared at Temari who shrugged.
"You two should hurry up or we are going to be late." Sai said smiling while he stood up closing the door so they could get ready.
Temari and Sakura should've been awarded a prize for the record time they got ready in. They quickly got dressed and strapped a small ninja pouch on their leg, Temari's was high on her left thigh and Sakura's was in the middle of her right thigh. They decided to wear their hair loose since there was not enough time to tie it. Sakura opened the door for the two guys while Temari was doing her summoning tattoo on her left wrist.
Shikamaru stumbled slightly when he walked into the room seeing Temari, but was relieved when nobody saw him stumble. She looked absolutely breathtaking.
"Are you just going to stare at me the whole time?" Temari asked not looking up at Shikamaru who leaned against the wall close to the door with crossed arms.
"Yes, I'm waiting for you to finish up, besides it's not every day Temari no Subaku has her hair down." Shikamaru smirked at her.
"Whatever, nice suit by the way." Temari smirked making Shikamaru blush a little causing Sakura to giggle who was next to Sai.
"Oky, I'm done, let's go." Temari said as she stood up pulling on her shoes and gloves as they left for the ball.
Shikamaru studied Temari from the corners of his eyes as they walked to the ball, she had a long strapless black dress on with black heels and gloves. The dress had a long slit along her left leg and the dress also complemented her curves real nicely.
"Invitations?" The doorman asked them when they approached the door as Shikamaru pulled out there invitation.
The doorman looked at the invitations and after he was satisfied he moved out the way to let them pass. The four of them entered the hall scanning the place. It was a really fancy hall with dark yellow walls and gold linings all over the walls plus giant gold curtains reaching up to the chandelier hanging above them. The wooden floor was a mahogany colour with tables of food lining the one wall and windows with a balcony on the opposite wall from where they where standing.
"Sakura, Sai you take the left side of the hall and Temari and I will take the right, if anyone sees anything suspicious find me first." Shikamaru said as the four of them split up.
Temari took Shikamaru's arm as they walked to the right side of the hall.
"Here wear this." Shikamaru said handing Temari a necklace with a black, smooth metal like stone in the middle.
"Why and can you put it on for me?" Temari asked releasing Shikamaru's arm and sweeping her hair to one side with her hand turning around.
"So I can find you. My chakra is infused in that metal, it is the same metal used for chakra nature kunai, so when I focus my chakra on finding that stone my shadow will extend to that necklace." Shikamaru explained as he clipped the necklace around Temari's neck.
"How will you find Sakura and Sai?" Temari asked turning around taking Shikamaru's arm again as she smiled.
"Sakura is the only person with pink hair here and Sai will probably find me first." Shikamaru shrugged.
"I see, what exactly are we looking for?" Temari asked as they scanned the crowd.
"I don't know just look for someone acting suspicious." Shikamaru said.
"This is going to take a while." Temari sighed.
"Troublesome woman you should learn some patience, besides where do you want to go?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No where, I just want to get out of this dress." Temari replied.
"Why?" Shikamaru asked looking at her.
"I feel ridiculous." Temari said crinkling her nose.
"Don't you look beautiful in that dress." Shikamaru smiled making Temari blush a little.
"Is Temari no Subaku blushing?" Shikamaru said dramatically, but still with his usual lazy tone as he teased her.
"Dont be ridiculous and focus on the mission." Temari said annoyed smacking a smirking Shikamaru with her free arm.
Temari and Shikamaru blended into the crowd talking to people every now and then, but they found no one shady enough to fit the bill.
"This is taking too long." Temari groaned.
"It's only been an hour troublesome woman." Shikamaru replied.
"Exactly we should have found him already if he was picking people by random, he has a target." Temari said seriously as she eyed the crowd.
"You're right but he could be a she." Shikamaru shrugged.
"Are you mad, if it was a woman she wouldn't have gotten caught." Temari snorted.
"Who's chauvinistic now?" Shikamaru smirked with a raised eyebrow.
"Still you." Temari grinned back.
"Come dance with me." Shikamaru laughed offering her his hand.
"Hell no." Temari said crossing her arms.
"Come on troublesome woman we should blend in." Shikamaru said uncrossing her arms and taking her hand leading her to the dans floor.
"Well would you look at this, Shikamaru Nara finds dancing not troublesome at all." Temari smirked as they slow danced.
"It's still troublesome but not as troublesome as you." Shikamaru smiled looking in her teal eyes.
"Of course not." Temari laughed wrapping her arms around Shikamaru's neck resting her head against his chest while he rested his chin on her head wrapping his arms tight around her waist.
"You should wear your hair down more often, it looks nice." Shikamaru said softly on top of her head.
"I'll wear my hair down if you wear yours down." Temari replied.
"I'm not wearing mine down." Shikamaru said bluntly.
"Exactly." Temari smirked.
For a moment they forgot about everything around them swaying to the beat of the song in each others arms, but the song ended far too soon for what they would've liked and they still had a mission to complete.
"Come on we should focus on finding our target." Temari said pulling away, taking Shikamaru's hand as they left the dance floor.
As they walked to where the food tables was a man with long black hair and a eerily smile caught Temari's attention.
"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked seeing the frown on Temari's face.
"I'll be right back." Temari said distracted as her hand slipped through Shikamaru's as she left.
"Where are you going?" Shikamaru asked before she disappeared.
"Keep searching for our target, I'll be right back." Temari answered not looking at Shikamaru she didn't want to loose sight of the man.
Temari didn't wait for Shikamaru's reply as she weaved through the crowd in the direction the man was heading, the balcony. She saw him enter the balcony but as soon as she made her way to the balcony the man was nowhere to be found.
"Dammit I saw him right here." Temari grunted to herself as she made her way to the edge of the balcony looking around for the man.
"Where is he!" Temari said softly to herself out of frustration looking around.
"Looking for me." A amused eerily voice whispered in her ear behind her.
Impossible, how could I have not sensed him? Temari thought shocked as her eyes widened. She spun around but before she could react or see his face, something strucked her neck rendering her unconscious, her eyes closed slowly as the world around her went black...
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Shikamaru stood at the food tables waiting for Temari to return but she took far too long, it was troubling.
So after a while Shikamaru left searching for Sakura and Sai. He weaved through the crowd finally spotting Sakura's pink head.
"Hey Sakura..." Shikamaru began but got cut off by Sakura.
"Aaww I saw you guys dancing, it was so cute! Hey, where's Temari?" Sakura asked confused.
"That's what I wanted to ask you." Shikamaru sighed.
"How am I suppose to know where she is if you don't even know?" Sakura said with a frown.
"Let's go find Sai." Shikamaru said.
"Right." Sakura nodded as they searched for Sai.
It didn't take them that long to find Sai becuase it was just like Shikamaru said, he found them before they found him.
"Sai, have you seen Temari?" Shikamaru asked.
"No." Sai replied shaking his head.
"Oky you two stay togheter and search for Temari and I'll head for the balcony, she has my necklace so I'll be able to find her. She has been gone too long." Shikamaru said.
"If you can find her why don't we just search with you?" Sakura asked.
"Becuase we still need to find the target." Shikamaru reply as he left for the balcony.
It was troublesome to actually get to the balcony becuase he had to weave his way through the crowd to get there, but eventually he made his way there.
He sat in the corner of the balcony where no one could see him taking his thinking position in and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath in and out then focused his chakra. When he opened his eyes his shadow was slightly extended infront of him to the direction of the forest.
Shikamaru stood up dashing of the balcony jumping from roof to roof in the direction his shadow pointed. Shikamaru went after Temari with only one thing thing on his mind, Something was seriously wrong...
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A/N: Hey guys this chapter is finally done sorry it took so long all my teachers decided to give us tests and projects becuase other teachers where giving us tests and projects but anyway as you probably noticed I change my mind alot so don't be surprised if a previous chapter got updated or the photo changed, as the story progress it is only natural to make a few changes so the story wil make sense. But NEVER DOUBT ME! Your fantastic author signing out :P