Warning Signs

Written by: Hayling

Beta: Kelenas, Cornuthaum

Note: Thank you for the reviews, hope you'll enjoy this quiet before the storm when things become truly bloody.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only the plot of the stories I write and possible original characters.

Chapter 12:

oOoOo

"Alright, let's give our packs one final check, Naruto-kun." Temari commanded as the two approached the east gate of Sunagakure. It wasn't as impressive as the main gate in the northern quadrant, but the sun-baked and chakra enhanced stone doorway was certainly capable to stand up to most types of assault.

Naruto nodded with a grunt and slipped the straps of his heavy backpack off of his shoulders and put it on the ground. They both knew that they had everything they needed and more, but it was best to make sure one final time rather than find out that they might have missed something while out of the village.

While he went through the routine of checking his supplies, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little guilty that he was going out on a mission of all things. Sure, he relished in the fact that he finally managed to break the somewhat monotonous training regime that consumed his time day in, day out, but… Was this going to be as effective as pure training in making him as strong as he needed to be?

Naruto shook his head to rid himself of that line of thought. If Yugito thought he needed the experience, then that should be good enough for him. He focused on Temari and smiled. "I've got everything, Temari-chan." He announced.

Temari looked positively pleased. "Same here."

She stood up to her full height again, brushing off the pitch-black yukata she wore and adjusted the red sash bound around her midsection before lifting her gloved hands to make sure the Suna hitai-ate was still tied securely around her forehead. Active Kunoichi or not, it'd be a cold day in hell before anyone would take that symbol away from her.

Naruto unconsciously fiddled with the forehead protector slung loosely from his neck. He wore the midnight-blue outfit Temari had picked out for him on their shopping trip a while ago, much to the girl's pleasure. Naruto still thought the severe lack of orange was… disturbing, but he respected Temari's opinion enough to put up with it for now. Besides, he didn't so intensely have the desire to wear something that drew attention of potential enemies to himself when he was around his betrothed, not when they were with just the two of them anyway. He wouldn't willingly put someone in danger just because he liked a certain colour.

"We'd better announce our departure." Temari muttered as she grabbed her pack off of the ground and hefted it on her back once more.

Naruto mirrored her actions and they started off towards the gate soon after. The trio of guards on duty had spotted the blondes a long time ago, and they knew their reason for being here, but protocol had to be upheld.

One of the three, a petite female, stepped in Temari's and Naruto's path and held up a hand to stop them. "Please state your names and reason for leaving the village."

Temari inclined her head towards Naruto, making her quadruple pigtails bounce slightly. "Uzumaki Naruto and Temari, we're going on a short… vacation."

The guard Kunoichi suppressed a chuckle and brushed a stray strand of her shoulder-length, black hair out of her eyes. "Of course, Temari-san." She motioned for the two other guards to open the gate and bowed slightly in Temari's direction. "Kazekage-sama sent advance notice to expect you and your… companion this morning."

Naruto didn't particularly like being referred to in that kind of tone but managed to stay quiet.

Once the large stone gate was pushed open, the female guard shot a wink at the boy, taking him by surprise, then bowed once more to Temari. "Safe travels, Temari-san, Naruto-san. Enjoy your vacation."

Temari returned the gesture and turned to Naruto. "Let's head out, Naruto-kun."

oOoOo

Desert travel brought its own set of challenges, Naruto mused. It was one thing to run around in a village in the middle of it, and quite another to actually cross the scorching hot expanse on foot.

"How are you holding up, Naruto-kun?" Temari called over shoulder. She was currently a few meters in front of him, her arms limp at her side as she ran forwards with astounding speed.

"I'm fine, Temari-chan!" Naruto yelled back, flashing a grin.

Temari smiled at his reassurance. At first Naruto had some trouble negotiating himself on the loose soil, but after she noted his struggling, she had advised him to treat the desert as a literal, gigantic sea of sand. Naruto promptly exuded a small but continuous flow of chakra from the soles of his feet, making the trip significantly less arduous. And if he were honest with himself, the "sand-walking" served as quite an intensive workout. At least it did when it was coupled with releasing minute amounts of chakra at intermittent intervals from his tenketsu. The bursts of wind really helped to cool him off.

"We should clear western expanse by nightfall if we keep up this pace."

"Right!" Naruto acknowledged.

True to Temari's words, the duo continued on for several more hours with the sun steadily dipping down towards the horizon in front of them. The sky was ablaze with vibrant shades by the time they encountered the first trees that signalled the border between the River and Wind countries.

After being constantly exposed to the predominant yellows and greys in Sunagakure and the desert, Naruto's first steps in a true forest since a very long time comforted him nearly as much as a steaming bowl of ramen.

"Shall we set up our camp for the night, Naruto-kun?" Temari inquired when they stumbled through the edge of the forest, comprised mainly of a multitude of scraggly trees, and came upon a small clearing.

Naruto let out a breath of relief, plunking his burden from his back on the forest loam beside him and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "Yeah, that sounds good, Temari-chan!" He answered.

"Alright, if you could gather the firewood, I'll start preparing something for us to eat and drink."

When Naruto nodded and wandered off to collect enough wood for them to last through the night, Temari reached for her pack and began rummaging inside for two brown coloured scrolls, both easily as long as her outstretched hand and thick as her fist.

She unrolled them partially, revealing a long line of symbols and kanji that would make no sense to one unversed in the art of sealing. Placing the tips of her index fingers on a small circle at the bottom of each scroll, Temari infused the paper with a minute amount of chakra. Immediately, the symbols began to light up and she couldn't help but smirk.

A second passed and the first collection of glowing text evaporated from the paper in a puff of smoke, revealing two canteens and a small sack of fresh fruits and dried meats. Who needed trail food when you could seal a veritable banquet inside a scroll if you wished it?

While he might be a pervert, Temari made it a point to thank Jiraiya the first opportunity she'd get. The average ninja might be able to properly use storage seals, but few were actually able to create them. Fuuinjutsu was considered by many to be a waste of time, a skill that took far too long to develop or just too hard an art to grasp. Loathe she was to admit it, Temari had been one of them, never having thought beyond the next new ninjutsu or refining and improving the ones she already knew. Still, there was no denying the usefulness of certain seals.

Temari set the food and drink aside and returned the scrolls to her backpack. That done, she began digging a small pit for the fire and laid out their sleeping bags on the ground. No sooner had she completed that task when Naruto returned to the campsite, arms laden with fallen branches both thick and thin.

"Welcome back, Naruto-kun." Temari greeted him with a smile.

The boy grinned in turn and dumped the collection of firewood near the freshly dug indentation in the forest floor. "Thanks." He replied.

Fifteen minutes later, after taking a little time to wash themselves after running through the desert for most of the day, and with daylight all but gone, the two sat side by side on top of Naruto's sleeping bag. They sipped from their canteens and occasionally took a bite from strips of jerky or fruit. Temari was staring into the bright campfire, even though she normally would never have in fear of ruining her night vision. She glanced at Naruto from the corner of her eyes and found him looking oddly pensive, not to mention that he was eating slowly. Temari had had ample opportunity to get a grasp of Naruto's little quirks and when he wasn't consuming his food with gusto, it was a sure sign there was something on his mind.

"So, are you excited?" She asked, breaking the silence and nudged him with her elbow.

"Hmm?" Naruto halted the process of lifting his canteen to his lips.

Laughter bubbled from between Temari's lips. "I said: Are you excited?"

"About what?"

The girl looked at him in mock indignation. "About the mission, dummy."

Naruto scratched the back of head in embarrassment. "Oh! Uh, yeah, sure!"

"You don't sound too excited." Temari pressed, smirking as she spoke the words he'd used when he wanted to know what was bothering her on the day when he found out about their betrothal.

He must have picked up on it too since Naruto chuckled earnestly. "I'm just a little worried, that's all."

Temari put the tin plate she'd been using to eat her portion of the food on the ground and gave Naruto her undivided attention. "What are you worried about?"

"Ero-sennin." Naruto said with some aplomb.

She nodded thoughtfully. "He's one of the legendary three, he'll be able to take care of himself."

"I know. It's just that…" Naruto sighed and shrugged. "I don't know."

"You really care about him, don't you?" When he agreed with a grunt, Temari continued. "I think you'll have to trust in his abilities, he'll be back before too long, right?"

"Yeah…" Naruto said with only the barest hint of hesitancy.

A companionable silence fell over the two as Naruto ate the remainder of his meal. Temari, meanwhile, busied herself by subtly watching the emotions play over Naruto's features. There was no doubt in her mind that she couldn't make him stop worrying about his mentor, but at least she could alleviate some of the severity of it.

When he finished eating, she absently noted the now fully darkened sky. "Well we'd better get some sleep. I'd like to get underway to Hananoki early in the morning." Temari reasoned, to which Naruto nodded in agreement.

While he brushed off his plate and walked over to his backpack, Temari threw a couple more large branches in the flames. It would hopefully keep them warm until they fell asleep. The two also set some minor early warning traps in a circular perimeter around the camp. They weren't expecting any trouble but this way they felt secure enough that they could sleep at the same time without forcing someone to stand watch.

After they finished, Temari surprised Naruto by leaning over and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Goodnight, Naruto-kun." She murmured and walked over to her own sleeping bag to settle in for the night.

"G-goodnight, Temari-chan."

Temari supposed she was going a little soft and would have never envisioned herself to get so mushy, but a growing part of her told her that she liked it… very much. Forced marriage or not, it was difficult not to like Uzumaki Naruto. Not to mention he was going to have to make up for the total lack of boyfriends in her life - eventually anyway.

A perpetual smile tugged at the corners of Temari's mouth while thoughts on the subject kept her entertained all the way to her dreams.

oOoOo

The sun had barely started to rise above the horizon when Naruto awoke and found Temari returning life to the campfire that had died out some time during the night. He propped himself up on an arm and scratched himself sleepily with his free hand, yawning fiercely.

After a quick exchange of morning greetings, Naruto hurried to the small pool of water he carved out the evening before. When he'd gone through the standard ritual of cleanliness he went back to the camp and saw that Temari had taken the liberty to roll up his sleeping bag and affix it on top of his backpack again.

"Thanks, Temari-chan!" He said with a grin.

"No problem, I'd like to get underway as soon as we can." She handed him two large rice balls, a single cooked fish and his canteen which she'd refilled while he was gone.

Naruto thanked her again, and wolfed down the simple breakfast without complaint. He'd grown out of the habit of demanding ramen at every opportunity, though not without some assistance from Jiraiya, Yugito and Temari. The Sand-nin might not have held any dislike for the noodle dish, but it was still a far cry from the obsession her fiancée had with it.

When she too had eaten her early meal, Naruto doused the fire and buried the ashes as to not leave anything that might accidentally set the surrounding forest on fire. After checking a map to see in what direction they should travel next, they secured their backpacks and sped off towards Hananoki.

As Naruto and Temari took to the trees and started leaping from branch to branch once they cleared the outer edge of the forest, Naruto couldn't help but marvel at his surroundings. While Sunagakure certainly held its own splendour and the friends he had there made him feel very welcome indeed, there was no denying that Naruto was a creature of sylvan nature. Anything else just seemed… alien. While Kawa no Kuni certainly was no Fire country, he still felt more at home here than he ever did in the desert.

During his travels with Jiraiya, the older man had spent a great deal of time giving Naruto lectures on varying subjects, some of which detailed the current state and history of the Elemental Countries. Though most of the information that was fed into one ear went flying out of the other immediately, some of it still stuck in his brain.

From what he could remember, the River country was predominantly covered by one large forest; though large parts of it had been cut down to create space for farmland along the riverbanks. The long and wide river from which the country derived its name cut a winding, glittering path through the country, leading off to the sea to the south. To the north were the Shippou Mountains, from which the river sprung from. It was a gargantuan chain that divided Kawa and the hidden Rain, serving as a natural border for the two nations.

Mining operations there had an upswing in productivity several years ago due to Rain's increasing isolationistic behaviour towards other countries. This led to a complete lack of quarrels with the militaristic state, which now seemed wholly content with keeping its borders closed to all other nations and no longer made the occasional raids for precious ore and gems.

The daimyo of River used the newfound prosperity to expand from being just an exporter of metals and trinkets into something more. Something which hadn't been feasible during the recession that had plagued the country for decades. Large parts of the forest were cut down, the timber that wasn't used was sold to the Wind country and the resulting free land converted for farming. This resulted in increased relations with a major power which could provide military support which River lacked and an economic boom unseen since the founding of Konoha.

With the rise of wealth came a surge in population. Most of River's citizens had been living in the north, mining the rich veins of the Shippou Mountains. Now, more and more families trekked south to harvest lumber and crops. Along with an influx of immigrants from Wave and other countries with similarly declining economies, the rising population called for the creation of new villages to house them all.

Hananoki was one of such villages that took root in the south-west region of River. Though even with the startling progression that made its way throughout the whole country, it maintained a rustic appearance. It was small, out of the way and somewhat unobtrusive, all in all a perfect meeting place for two parties from Fire and Wind.

As Naruto and Temari approached the village they saw a number of circular houses and other buildings dotting the area around a larger structure, most likely belonging to the mayor or other type of local leadership. When they jumped down from the thick branches on the single dirt road that led into Hananoki, the two could make out a bustle of activity from within. Approaching the village like this, in plain sight, was a conscious decision on their part. Temari and Naruto didn't want to unnecessarily antagonize the detachment from Wind's fourth army who served as the local police force, or so it was stated in the mission details.

With Temari leading the way up the road, they kept their posture relaxed with their forehead protectors in plain sight. As expected, some twenty meters before they would enter the village proper, one of the soldiers they had sensed long before, stepped out from the trees and directly into their path. Five more appeared shortly after with two of them moving to join the first and the three others boxing in the Shinobi duo from behind.

"Greetings." The first said with a bow in blondes' direction. By the look of the dulled metal plates adorning his leather armour he was some sort of officer. He was also the only one not wearing a veiled turban, revealing a smiling but wary face. "May I enquire what your purpose is here?"

Naruto surreptitiously studied the other soldiers. They all stood at ease, a long naginata each at their sides, yet he knew that they'd be able to draw their weapons on him in a flash if he were to show any sign of hostility. On their left shoulder they wore a single steel epaulet with an etched Wind symbol displaying their allegiance. Naruto thought the turbans would have given it away already since he had yet to encounter anyone wearing that particular style of headgear in any other country.

Temari gave the officer an acknowledging nod. "My fiancée and I are here to enjoy a short break before heading back with the new ambassador from the hidden Leaf. He should be arriving in two days."

His frame went rigid immediately at her words and he bowed once more, the rest of the group mimicking the gesture of respect. "Please forgive our behaviour, my lady. The Kazekage sent a messenger hawk announcing your arrival, but we didn't expect you would be here so soon." He gestured to the trees around them. "There have been some reports of missing-nin in the area so we did not want to take any chances."

"There is nothing to forgive, I'm glad to see you are so diligent with your duties."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at Temari's behaviour. Perhaps it was his imagination but it made her seem almost…regal.

"Thank you, my lady. Please, allow us to escort you to the inn so you may enjoy the comforts Hananoki has to offer."

"That is most generous of you." Temari inclined her head. "Lead the way."

With another bow, the four of the six soldiers fell in line and marched them into the village, two staying behind to keep watch. Naruto fought hard not to laugh. The last time something like this happened was when Jiraiya and Naruto were kindly asked to leave a town in the Fire country after the old lecher had been caught peeping on the mayor's daughter.

The odd bunch garnered plenty of looks from the villagers – mostly children since a lot of the adults were at work on the farm fields Temari and Naruto had spotted nearby. The officer made some small talk, describing the recent history to which Temari listened politely. Even so, thanks to the soldiers, the group made good time arriving at the inn on the southern edge of Hananoki.

The inn wasn't anything particularly special, much like the village itself, but Naruto couldn't deny it had a comfortable air. It was a simple one-storey establishment, with a carefully preened garden and recently painted exterior. After allowing the two visitors a little more time to inspect the building, the officer, who had introduced himself as Hitoshi, led them inside.

"If you need anything at all, I am at your disposal." He told Temari.

Naruto was getting more than a little agitated with the way the man kept drooling all over her. He hadn't stopped talking to Temari ever since they approached the village.

"I will inform the commander of your arrival and make sure you are not disturbed during your stay." Bowing one last time, Hitoshi gave a meaningful nod at the innkeeper who had been watching the exchange and stepped out of the inn.

As soon as he left, the innkeeper – a rather short and rotund man, hurried them down the hallway and to their rooms then vanished from sight with promises of a sumptuous meal that would be brought to them in the evening.

No sooner did the rice paper door slide shut when Naruto snorted, staring at it incredulously. "Man, you'd think you were royalty or something the way that guy treated you."

Temari grinned and flicked one of her ponytails. "Well I am the sister of the Kazekage, after all." She noted Naruto's frown and laughed. "Are you jealous?"

"What?" Naruto started and set his backpack near the door, averting his eyes from Temari's own. He wasn't really sure what was wrong, but he knew he didn't like that Hitoshi guy. "No! What would I be jealous about?"

"You tell me." She stuck out her tongue and sat down by the low, square table in the centre of the room. It had been lacquered and polished to a black sheen. Temari could even see her reflection in it.

Naruto joined her with a sigh while taking in the somewhat garish furniture surrounding them. It all looked way too expensive compared to how the inn looked on the outside, not to mention a little bit tacky; the miniature tanuki statue sitting on the cabinet at the far end of the room especially so.

"So uhm, what do you want to do?" He asked.

Temari tilted her head sideways as she mulled over the question. "Well, we made good time and it's a little late in the afternoon. That leaves us with a bit more than a day to do whatever we want, right?"

"Yeah, so what do you want to do?" Naruto repeated.

In all honesty, it had been quite a while since he'd had so much free time on his hands. Before leaving with Temari from Sunagakure, Yugito had taken him aside and expressly forbidden him to do any kind of training. That, pretty much, was what Naruto usually did in his free time. Whenever he took a break with Temari in the hidden Sand, it was usually spent doing whatever she wanted to do, which was fine with him since he didn't have a clue anyway. Besides, Naruto rather liked it whenever she dragged him to go shopping for all kinds of things, though she hardly bought anything at all. The visits to the tea-shop she'd frequently take him to were nice too, even though he'd never share Temari's passion for tea. It was her version of ramen, he guessed.

Now that Naruto thought about it, he figured it was pretty sad he didn't have a hobby. Well, aside from training and taking care of his plants back home. He still hadn't asked Gaara about getting some. Naruto could of course take a few from the redhead's garden but that probably wouldn't be appreciated.

'There are some really interesting ones though…' Naruto mused.

He blinked when Temari snapped her fingers several times in front of his face. "Hey, are you alright? You spaced out for a moment there."

"Huh?" Naruto forced himself to focus, wondering just why plants always got his mind off-track. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about some stuff."

Temari shook her head with amusement. "Anyway, I thought we could each take a bath to clean ourselves then wait in my room for dinner. After that we can hang out a bit more here and tomorrow we could just explore the village for a while, I'm sure there's plenty to see."

"Alright, that sounds good, Temari-chan." The boy acquiesced.

oOoOo

There were no hot springs in Hananoki, but that didn't mean the baths in the inn weren't up to snuff. The one Temari had confiscated for her personal use even more so. Seeing as this was her mini-vacation, she spared no efforts in making this the most relaxing event she could, including time spent bathing.

Afterwards, Temari returned to her room, dressed in a simple sunflower patterned bathrobe and with the scent of lavish oils and fragrant shampoos gently wafting from her frame. It came as no surprise to her that Naruto was already sprawled on the tatami mats, dressed in a similar robe and reading one of the technique scrolls he'd brought with him. It wasn't training, according to Naruto, not really. It was just interesting.

He looked up when the door slid open and the girl stepped inside. While he'd only taken twenty minutes, and had been waiting at least forty more, Naruto knew not to complain about the time a woman might spend bathing, he'd made the mistake once when Temari took too long for his liking. But only once. She could be scarily effective at making the do's and don'ts around her crystal clear, even more so than one Haruno Sakura and her patented physical reminders.

"Did you enjoy your bath, Temari-chan?" Naruto asked pleasantly.

"I did, thank you, Naruto-kun." She answered, rubbing a terry-cloth towel into her hair that was still undone from her pigtails and hung loosely down her neck. "And you?"

Naruto's own golden mane was still somewhat damp from his own watery foray and he sent Temari a toothy smile before she rummaged around in her pack she'd set in a corner of her room. "Yeah, it was nice."

"That's good." She draped the towel over her shoulder and with an "Aha" drew out a brush she'd brought with her for this trip. Seating herself on one of the cushions near the low table, she carefully dragged the teeth of the styling implement through her hair in order to work out any tangles. Naruto returned to his scroll, mindful that he should let her go through these rituals without any interruptions on his part. Another lesson learnt.

Some might say he was being too demure around the fairer sex, but that would be too simple an explanation. Naruto just appreciated and respected the female gender in ways that most of his peers simply didn't. While Jiraiya undoubtedly appreciated women, and treated them with utmost respect and would never, ever allow himself to harm a woman in any way with his perversions or otherwise, he was still a lecher.

That wasn't to say that Naruto didn't have the hormones that any boy his age had to contend with at one point or another. This sometimes even caused him to experience some interesting dreams that involved Sakura and - more often than not, lounging in - a giant bowl of ramen. Though they recently started including Temari who replaced and sometimes joined Sakura, Naruto didn't let this interfere with his behaviour during the day.

Besides, if Jiraiya or Kakashi ever got word of his dreams he'd never hear the end of it. Naruto didn't want to hear to an endless rendition of "I told you so's" from the perverts, or worse, words of encouragement. It was quite confusing enough as it was already.

Temari hummed a whimsical melody to herself as she finished brushing her hair. She briefly contemplated asking Naruto on his opinion on whether or not she should grow out her hair a little to turn her lower set of pigtails into a pair of longer braids. She'd grown somewhat jealous of Yugito's lengthy ponytail and wondered if longer hair would look as good on her as her usual style did.

Before she could open her mouth though, her attention and Naruto's were drawn to a light series of knocks resounding from the doorway.

"Yes?" Temari called out, setting her brush on the table and smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from her bathrobe.

The shoji slid open slightly, revealing a mousy servant girl with short-cropped black hair and dressed in a simple kimono. Already seated on the floor outside, she bowed deeply. "Miss, I am to ask when you might want to enjoy your dinner."

Temari blinked and turned to Naruto who stared at her and shrugged. "I could go for some food." He said.

Nodding, she focused her emerald eyes on the servant girl who had her own pair riveted on her hands folded in her lap. "At your earliest convenience, if you don't mind." Temari announced.

The servant girl bowed once more. "Yes miss, I'll inform the cooks and bring out your meal as soon as it is ready." Without further ado the door slid shut again, hiding her from view as hurried off to do just that.

As promised, their dinner didn't take long to arrive even though Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when he noticed that the servant girl was followed by four others, each carrying several plates of food. Swiftly, but carefully, they set their burden on the small table Naruto and Temari had been playing cards on just a few minutes previous and left with wishes of a good meal.

Naruto had to wipe away a tendril a drool that crept traitorously from the corner of his mouth as he surveyed the array of food. A multitude of steamed and stir fried vegetables and rice, grilled pieces of pork and beef drizzled with sweet soy-based sauces and expertly prepared fish wherever he turned. It was hard not to burst into tears at the beauty of it all.

"Well…" Temari grabbed her chopsticks from her empty plate and slid them from their paper holster. "Let's dig in!"

Naruto needed no further encouragement, his eagerness to feast and fill his growling stomach easily rivalling that of any Akimichi.

Though the food disappeared quickly, Temari thought the cook who'd handled the mackerel had been a bit too zealous with the application of spices. At least the rest of it all was prepared perfectly, much to her satisfaction. Naruto meanwhile inhaled everything without complaint, emitting sounds of pleasure now and again.

Even with his speed, it took quite a while for them to make all the food disappear. Had she been with any other person, Temari was sure that a lot of it would be left uneaten. But then, Naruto's stomach, which she was quite certain had to resemble a dimensional void of some sort, barely fazed her anymore. Their frequent visits to Takano's ramen stand had seen to that.

The now empty dishes were once again collected by the girls who'd brought them in the first place. With muttered thanks and compliments to the ones who'd prepared the meal, Naruto and Temari slumped visibly, bellies slightly bloated and fully sated. They already felt the accompanying sleepiness mudding their brains but they weren't quite ready to turn in for the night yet.

They spent two more hours enjoying each other's presence, playing several games Naruto had seen fit to bring with him; A Go board amongst others. In hindsight, perhaps he shouldn't have. Naruto hadn't met with such a crushing defeat since Shikamaru conned him into playing a game of Shogi for the first time.

Eventually though, and with plenty of yawns, Naruto and Temari bade one another goodnight and the boy dragged himself and his backpack to his own room. Temari was right; there was still plenty to see tomorrow.

oOoOo

The next morning found Naruto and Temari ambling down the wide streets of Hananoki. After enjoying a light breakfast, their only goal for the day was to explore the village at a leisurely pace and perhaps pick up a few souvenirs for Gaara and the others back in Sunagakure.

Naruto was having the time of his life. He enjoyed the atmosphere of a village in the middle of a forest immensely and the fact that the populace of Hananoki treated them with a great measure of respect and kindness. The fact that he'd performed some simple and flashy chakra tricks for the amusement of the resident children after dismissing the soldiers who had tried to break up the onlookers certainly helped.

Temari didn't mind. While she wasn't overly fond of those at a young age, she couldn't help but laugh softly whenever Naruto was backed into a corner to do more of his theatrics. When the latest group, comprised of several six year olds left after Naruto had run up and down a nearby tree without using his hands, they stopped by the local grocery. The owner, a kind-faced man with a large, bristly moustache, helped Temari pick out some of the better local tea-blends. She stocked up in bulk, sealing it into a small scroll for this exact purpose. Naruto looked a little exasperated but they were soon underway again to check out the other shops.

Over the span of the afternoon, they perused various wares and bought an assortment of gifts including a miniature kabuki doll for Kankuro, a hand-woven, light-brown sash of fine cotton for Gaara and a set of supple, leather gloves for Yugito. Naruto had noticed that her current pair were getting somewhat frayed and picked out a new pair of similar, fingerless ones. He just hoped she'd like them, it was the least he could do to thank her for all her help in not just training him but including Temari now and again.

For Baki, he bought a small box of konpeito. Temari said the brightly coloured sugar candy was somewhat of a guilty pleasure for her erstwhile teacher. Again, Naruto got it as a simple token of gratitude for the man's aid. The girl had to stop Naruto from buying something he wasn't technically of a proper age to for yet as a gift to Jiraiya. Instead, she dragged him to the local weapon smith. Rather something sharp and deadly than anything overly perverted.

After waiting outside for nearly fifteen minutes, Temari was shown the alternative item Naruto had purchased, which was a large, three-pronged kunai. She thought it looked somewhat unwieldy, and Naruto agreed with her, but perhaps the older man would like it. The boy said it was as weird as Jiraiya and therefore should fit the infamous ero-sennin perfectly. In any case, it was an improvement compared to the drawn nude print he'd first considered buying.

She inquired to the other thing he'd apparently bought; a thick object easily the size of her forearm and wrapped in a bundle of white cloth. Naruto waved her off with a stammer and said it was nothing. Temari didn't question him further since he was obviously not inclined to tell her, but she had to admit she was still curious.

The remaining hours of daylight were spent in a pleasant haze of exploration and non-intensive activity, quite unlike their normal routine and all the more appreciated for its rarity. Soon enough, the children had been called inside their houses as the sun waned and the two blondes opted to return to the inn.

The meal that night wasn't quite as lavish as the day before, but still more than two people would normally be able to eat. Naruto took care of it anyway. They did retire somewhat earlier, as the ambassador and his Leaf escorts were due to arrive in Hananoki at noon tomorrow.

It was odd then, that when they waited the next day at the allotted time in the local bar where they were supposed to meet, that the group hadn't arrived yet.

Temari was in fact rather annoyed with their tardiness. "What's keeping them?" She asked Naruto with a glare as though he might hold the answer.

Naruto lifted his shoulders briefly in a helpless gesture, munching on some dango. "I dunno."

He pitied his fellow Shinobi already. When they were finally going to arrive they were going to get an ear full from his fiancée. Naruto rotated his head from left to right and took in the forms of the other patrons. The hustle and bustle they caused inside was somewhat chaotic and created a din of noise, but the drinking establishment was not too large and they had chosen a seat near the entrance so they could be noticed immediately.

Temari glowered in her seat, viciously stabbing her own dango with the wooden poker and brought it to her mouth. She was a strong believer of punctuality, and if someone didn't bother to show up on time, it usually meant they didn't respect you enough. However, when another two hours passed, Temari's anger grew into unease. She might not have held many other ninjas in high esteem, but she couldn't believe that the team from Konoha would be this late and not have sent advance warning.

There could be a multitude of reasons, especially considering the warning from Hitoshi about missing-nin activity in the area. With that in mind, Temari made a decision on how to proceed.

"Naruto-kun, could you leave two shadow clones here while we go out and search for them?" Temari asked. "One of them could dispel itself and inform you if they arrive while we're out looking."

Naruto assented to her request and summoned one on the spot, gaining startled reactions from the other patrons. Pointing at the replica, he barked an order. "You, stay here and let me know if the group from Konoha gets here while we're gone, okay?"

"Yes sir!" The clone saluted and sat down on the chair Naruto had just vacated.

Their substitute in place, Naruto and Temari walked outside, where the girl extracted a scroll from her sash. She unfurled it with a flourish and bit her thumb before running the bleeding digit down the paper. With a poof of smoke, her large battle fan exploded into existence. Temari hefted it on her back and rolled the scroll back up, placing it inside her sash once more. She wasn't going to take any chances.

With a quick peek at the position of the sun, the two blondes gave each other a nod and dashed off to the north-east and into the forest surrounding Hananoki. After a few minutes though, they parted company to widen their search area. Naruto wanted to summon more clones, but if there were missing-nin on the prowl, Temari thought it was better to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

When he grudgingly agreed and left her to investigate her own area, Temari remained seated on her tree branch a little longer, leaning against the trunk. She shook her head in an effort to rid herself of the cobwebs that refused to vacate her mind. She'd been feeling a little dazed and under the weather since waking up, only adding to her earlier annoyance. Perhaps she hadn't slept as well as she thought, or it could just be mission related jitters. Without giving it another thought, she took off into the forest again in search of the late Konoha Genin team and the ambassador they were escorting.

She never noticed the three heads rising from the ground below, mouths covered with intricate breathing apparatuses and each displaying a slashed forehead protector. Nor did she sense them watching her departure with menacing eyes before sinking back into the dirt once more with nary a sound.

oOoOo

Chapter end.