Sorry this took so long. I've been real busy lately.

Blood, the stench of it filled his nostrils. Covered from head to toe in that vermilion substance, Shikamaru's body was polluted but his face did not show a shimmer of remorse as he stared at his victims. He had killed them one by one. The men he cut down quickly, the woman he impaled through the lungs, and the child…

"The child…" he shuddered, "Did he deserve to die for the sins of his forefathers?"

His words echoed through the room with no response. Shikamaru's body trembled as he shuddered once more. Everything was a blur. A blood spattered blur. Where was he? Who was he? Nothing made sense. His whole world was painfully pulsating the blood was no longer on him, but on the walls. The blood spun in swirling pools of bubbling death. Rising rising. Where was it coming from? When would it stop?The tearing sound of the kunai echoed in his ears. Then suddenly everything came back to him.

…

"You want me to do what?" asked Shikamaru in horror.

"You heard me." Gaara remained nonchalant.

"No. I refuse."

"Refuse?" Gaara tapped his desk calmly, "I don't believe sand shinobi have the right to question their Kazekage."

"I am not a shinobi of the sand." said Shikamaru through clenched teeth.

Gaara's eyes bored into him, but Shikamaru remained steadfast. For once in his life he was going to make a stand.

"You are the only ninja capable of successfully carrying out this mission. You will go."

"Bullshit!"

Gaara ignored the outburst and continued, "The target is the Hu family. They are notorious criminals. The blood of many innocents is on their hands."

"But what of the child?"

"Do not think of him as a child, Shikamaru, but rather as the seed of evil. He was born to a criminal, and born to be one. If left alive, he will one day grow up to be boss and so continue the Hu family's traditions. As cruel as it may seem, he must die."

"No, I refuse!" Shikamaru glared at Gaara, hating him. Hating working for him. Loathing his new lot in life. Despising his own helplessness.

"Your sensei called you a knight of the new generation." Gaara's lip curled as he struck a chord. "One to lead and protect."

"But not to kill." Shikamaru wondered how Gaara knew so much about him. No matter how hard he tried, the Kazekage seemed to always end up one step ahead of him. This whole mission was a trap. Everything was a trap.

"Killing is merely a means to an end. A ninja should have no remorse, no mercy. Death is your craft, Shikamaru. Like it or not. You chose this profession, not I."

Shikamaru lowered his gaze. In spite of his hatred, Gaara's words were starting to make sense.

Gaara smiled in his mind, sensing Shikamaru's determination fading fast. Just another gentle nudge. Then he would bend to his will.

"If you simply stand by and do nothing, you would be no better than a pawn. And you would put your sensei to shame."

"I am not a pawn, Gaara-sama." He saw the smug look in Gaara's eyes and hated him even more. Hated him for being right.

"Then you know what you must do."

…

Temari sat up in her bed and stretched slowly. A gentle moan escaped from her lips as she got out of the bed. Putting on the white summer kimono with purple flowers she had prepared earlier, she decided to leave her hair down.

He had always liked it that way. Shikamaru had often told her how it made her seem serene, and beautiful. How she missed those times. Back then every day had been a dream. Every minute with him an eternity.

'I still love him.' she sighed, being around him stirred up old memories.

And now they were engaged. She had always hoped and prayed that one day he would ask her. But that day had never come. One day it was suddenly over. The dream shattered into reality. And she was alone once more.

Temari looked at herself in the mirror, her skin smooth and flawless, her eyes bright and energetic. She opened her jewelry box and selected a jade necklace. She was about to put it on when she saw the auburn gleam at the edge of the box. It was an amber pendant with a small black pebble in the middle. He had given it to her as a three month anniversary gift.

'I hope you like it. It would be troublesome to return it…' he had muttered.

'You bum! Of course I love it!' she pecked him on the lips.

Temari walked down the stairs into the main lobby of the mansion, the pendant gleamed on her neck. The orange hues of the morning sun shining on her skin, matching the necklace to perfection. From the corner of her eye she saw Shikamaru out on the foyer, in the desert garden that Gaara had painstakingly put together.

Temari decided it was time to forget the past. Time to look to the future. But as she neared him, her anxiety turned to horror. Up close she barely recognized him. Shikamaru just stood there and stared at the ground, his eyes were desolate and dark rimmed. When he turned and looked at her, the man she had loved was no longer there.

"Temari." He whispered in a hoarse version of his normal voice.

"What happened to you, Shikamaru?" She tried to put her arms around him but he inched away. He continued muttering softly to himself.

"Mission…Gaara…"

"What did he do to you?" she asked in bewilderment. "Come Shikamaru. You need to sit down."

She gently took hold of his hand and led him inside. She sat him down on the sofa and called for one of the servants to bring tea. She cradled him gently, but he payed no attention. His gaze remained fixed on the ground.

"You stay right here, Shikamaru. I'll be right back."

She took one last look before she ran up the stairs, down the corridor, and into the central study that doubled as the Kazekage's office at home. She pushed past the guards, and nearly tore the door open. Gaara and a young woman looked up at the commotion.

"Thank you Kai, we'll schedule the rest of the meetings another time."

"Very good Kazekage-sama." The young woman bowed and walked out.

Gaara turned his attention to Temari, "Well if it isn't the bride-to-be. How are you this fine morning, sister?"

"What did you do to him?" she asked, her voice calm but dangerously close to hostile.

"To whom?" he parried innocently.

"Don't play games Gaara!" her patience had run out. "What did you do to Shikamaru?"

"Since you are my sister, I will forgive your outburst. It is clearly too early, your mind is still asleep." She saw the darkness in his eyes and almost shuddered at the realization. "In the future though, please address with the proper honorific."

"Forgive me Gaara-sama," she forced herself to stay calm. "But I would like to know, just what happened to Shikamaru."

"It's no concern of yours, Temari. Just affairs of state you need not trouble yourself with."

"Shikamaru is a friend, and what's more he's to be my husband. I have a right to know."

"I'm afraid that's just not possible. Shikamaru knows the sensitive nature of his mission. I trust his discretion. If he did not tell you, there's a good reason behind it."

Gaara looked at Temari, he saw her eyes filled with the same determination Shikamaru had shown the day before. If only she knew how fragile she truly was. How easy it was for him to break her, or anyone in his way. If only she knew the reason behind it all. But that is how it must be. As Kazekage he would always be alone.

"What did you do to him?" she repeated. This time with an edge.

"Nothing. I merely made him carry out a mission. As a shinobi of the sand, that is his job."

"Fine. Have it your way." she turned to leave.

"Do you remember the first time we stood here?" Temari turned back. For once she saw in his eyes a measure of genuine feeling."Our first assignment as shinobi? We were much younger then. So inexperienced. Except for me, I alone knew what it meant to be a ninja. Yes, father taught me that at an early age. He sat in this very chair and told us what we had to do. You and Kankuro obeyed without question. Things were much simpler then."

"Gaara I–"

"'A ninja is a weapon' he said, 'To be used however the kage sees fit'. And he was right, in a way. We have each have a duty Temari. Mine is to make difficult decisions. What happened to Shikamaru, he will tell you of his own accord."

"I understand." she lowered her eyes.

"You still love him, don't you?" She nodded her head.

"I never stopped."

"Then this marriage is a good thing, Temari. Why are you not happy?"

"But I don't want it to be this way. I want him to marry me out of love, not obligation."

"Sometimes they are one and the same."

"Why him?" she asked, the question always in the forefront of her thoughts. "Why Shikamaru?"

"Like I said, we each have a duty." He turned his chair and faced the window. "I'll see you both at breakfast."

…

"How is she?" Kankuro's voice broke through the silence. Temari had left long ago. The sun now shone high in the sky.

"Must you always enter my study this way?" Gaara continued to look out the window, his mind focused on other matters.

"Well it's not like you're in your office. I don't see–"

"Sometimes I think you forget that I am the Kazekage."

Kankuro blanched, "Of course I know that. You don't–"

"If you weren't my brother you would be punished for your brazenness. As things stand don't let it happen again." Gaara saw a bird fly through the gale winds that had begun to pick up outside. A sand storm was coming.
"So how is Temari?"

"Fine. A little out-of-sorts, but fine. This marriage will be good for her."

"And good for the village?" Kankuro added.

"Of course." Gaara turned his chair and faced him.

"I still don't understand why you picked Shikamaru. I mean, she still has feelings for him and all, but what's the thinking?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to drop. Now is there anything else?" Gaara's voice was calm but Kankuro knew he was irritated.

"Not really." Kankuro grinned. "Your new secretary is kinda hot though. She a hard worker?"

"She is very diligent, yes." Gaara ignored the innuendo.

"She seems to like working for you."

"I suppose. The work is dignified."

"Common, you can't be that dense. She clearly has feelings for you. Why not ask her–"

Gaara slammed his hand on the desk. There was no need for words. Kankuro got the message.

"Alright, alright. Sooner or later, you'll come out of your shell."

"We'll see. How did the mission go?"

"Well aside from my doubts about him as a suitable husband, Shikamaru is one deadly ninja. No one even knew about the assassination until a courier found the bodies."

"Good. He's proven useful already."

"Why did you make him do it?"

"That's not your concern, Kankuro. Besides, would you rather I had sent you?"

"No no. I'm just curious is all."

"Curiosity killed the cat." Gaara narrowed his eyes. Kankuro scratched his head, long since used to the threats. Grateful that the new Gaara was far less violent.

"You really have thought this through, haven't you? I can only guess that you've got something big up your sleeve."

"Perhaps."There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." The young secretary walked in, smiled warmly at Gaara, and bowed.

"A ninja from Kohoha has just arrived." she said. "They wished to see you personally."

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