Author Notes- Yo. So here I go as I cast my creative dice into the world of Naruto in support of possibly my most favorite couple in Anime of all time (cause while I love the School Rumble stuff, I'm slightly torn with some of the coupling where as this is damn clear cut to me…) Anyhow, here I go. This story takes place about 2 and a half years after Shippuden, which isn't finished as far as I know, however that's not terribly important. More will be revealed in the second chapter as far as the background information goes. Oh well, enjoy!

Legal Info- I don't own Naruto. If I did, people probably wouldn't like it. I'm kinda wishy washy on some of the coupling, however this is the only one I firmly believe in, so if I did own it, it would be canon. However I don't own it…though I do stake claim in any characters that I create along the way for the benefit of general story telling and plot purpose.

The Darkhorse: A Naruto Fan Fiction

Of Troubled Men, and Troublesome Women

" This…is troublesome…" said the young man, rubbing the back of his neck.

Looking up at the sky, he took in the time of day. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was only setting further. Had this been a field mission, he'd be more at ease, and maybe even happy at this fact. His abilities were much stronger starting at this time of day. Still though, this wasn't supposed to be a mission out in the field. Simply, he was waiting for someone.

But…in his opinion, she was way too troublesome to be just someone.

Taking another impatient look up at the sky, he yawned, then sat down at the base of a nearby tree. The spiky haired man stretched his legs and craned his neck about, until the bone gave a mild cracking sound.

" She's late. Why does that woman have to be so much trouble…" he said aloud, despite no one being there to hear it.

Taking in a deep breath, his eyes began to slowly close. With a yawn quickly following, he decided to just nap there and deal with her when she came along. After all, he was near the border, between their respective lands, and there had been a lasting peace now for almost five years, so napping out by the main road wouldn't be so hazardous.

And with that, he dozed off, dreaming peacefully of clouds, friends, and leisurely games of Shogi.

A drop of rain landing squarely on his nose stirred the young man awake. With a yawn he opened his eyes, seeing a figure off in the distance. He blinked once or twice and came to the realization that it was the woman he had been waiting for.

About time Temari…

He slowly stood up and yawned again, however took notice that she was much closer than he was expecting. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes in order to get a clearer view on why she was approaching so fast, and suddenly noticed that her clothes were haggard and torn and that she was running with a slight limp. In the distance behind her, he saw numerous figures approaching. A grim realization poured over him as he saw the masks they bared, and drew one of his kunai knives at their approach. Once the limping woman caught up to him, he took her arm and they made a run of it.

" What the hell is that? Why are ANBU special ops after you? And where are they from?" yelled a highly annoyed and already strategizing Shikamaru.

" I'm doing well enough, thanks for asking…they belong to the Sound…" Temari spat as they kept up a hurried pace.

" Are you serious? What do the ANBU of Sound want you for?" Shikamaru asked, tying a piece of a scroll to his kunai.

" I was over there earlier in the week to oversee how their Genin were preparing for the exams. They're in a month after all. It was late at night, and I was finishing some paper work, when I got hungry. So I headed out to hit up a late night noodle stand cause I didn't want to cook anything. Next thing I know, this guy comes out of the shadows and attacks me. Of course, I defended myself accordingly. But the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by their ANBU. I went peacefully and found out that man was the son of their Village chief." she said, informing her running partner.

" Okay, I guess. So why are they chasing you now?" Shikamaru asked, tossing the kunai behind him and ignoring the loud boom that quickly followed.

" They were going to charge me with assault and attempted murder. I didn't even get my diplomatic rights! I'm the ambassador for gods sake and they were going to hang me for something I didn't do. So I broke out of their custody and ran for it…" she finished, her stride beginning to slow down.

The pair continued until Temari's wounds finally caught up to her, causing her to trip and fall. As Shikamaru turned around, he could see over two dozen of the ANBU closing the gap quickly. It was almost a whole days travel to Konoha, and to his knowledge there were no operatives or anything out here. He'd have even taken his own Genin at this point. Still, there was no choice in the matter, so he had to use one of his aces earlier than he had hoped. Taking a stance in front of Temari, he held his middle and index fingers on each hand together in a cross shape.

" Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted.

With a loud popping sound, followed by puffs of smoke, there were dozens of Shikamaru Shadow Clones. Temari gave a quick count and guessed there to be around fifty as far as she could tell. The ANBU dispersed their formation, readying for an attack. All the Shikamaru's pulled back their arms with the knives and took aim, spreading their fingers slightly to reveal not just one knife in each hand, but in fact three. With a quick step forward, they all tossed the knives with piercing accuracy towards the approaching ANBU groups, as three hundred kunai filled the air.

Most of the ANBU were not directly hit by any of the knives, as even this many knives were easy to dodge for the Black Ops. However, most of them still seemed to fall to their knees, keeling over as wounds opened up across their bodies. Only the most skilled of the ANBU took notice of the cloned Shikamaru's as they held their two fingers up in the air, being clasped over by the other hand, as one would for the Shadow Possession Jutsu. For Temari, it was a throw back to around four months ago, when she attended the Jounin exams in order to see Shikamaru finally get around to it passing it. He was pitted in a similar situation, being alone against a horde of other Shinobi with equal skills.

He had used this same trick. The knives were supposed to be dodged. Or at least, expected to be dodged. It was merely a bonus if they in fact did make contact. No, the real brilliance of this tactic was to use the quickly traveling shadows of the knives along with his ability to manipulate shadows, and double the number of kunai while keeping his projectiles practically invisible. These shadow kunai knives were every bit as lethal, however not easy to track. More so now, since it was dark.

With their numbers quickly dwindled down to a mere few, the ANBU held back and disappeared, taking whomever was still alive from Shikamaru's well played offense. After spending a few minutes scanning the area for any more enemies, he let out a heavy sigh and allowed the shadow clones to disappear. Turning around, he looked behind him at the young woman who was still sprawled out on the ground before him. With only a glance, he could tell she was tired. A simple educated guess was that she's been on the move for days, sleeping very little and eating about as much.

" You're a troublesome woman you know…" he said to her with a slight frown, annoyed at their current station.

" Yeah, well deal…with it…" she said with a tired half grin, finally giving into an exhaustion that had been haunting her for the past day or two.

Her body fell over and went limp. Shikamaru was quick to pick her up and shuffle her around into a position on his back, making it easy for him to carry her.

" …at least your alright Temari…" he spoke softly.

He began down the road at the quickest pace he could, given his newly acquired load and the now pouring rain. Looking up into the sky, he wished it would stop raining long enough for him to smoke a cigarette.

Well, I can hardly wait to see the Hokage…and boy is she gonna be angry..

Allowing his thoughts to roam in silence, he continued on homeward.

At his hurried pace, Shikamaru was able to carry Temari to Konoha in a record time of a little over a half day of traveling, maintaining a steady run despite his load and with no interruptions luckily.

He had arrived early in the morning, between the guard changes. Knowing that Temari needed some medical attention, he decided to kill two birds with a single stone. Strolling into the governing building, Shikamaru had arrived even before the Hokage's secretary. Shikamaru knew that the Hokage fairly well, and considering it was now a Saturday morning, she would have probably drunk herself to sleep from the previous night and would still be in the office. Caring not for decorum, he tried to just open the door to her office, still carrying his sleeping load upon his back. However, the doors were locked, and so he simply began to kick the door. After a few good kicks, he waited for any response or answers.

Nothing.

He began to kick the door again, only harder to make it louder. After almost a minute of incessant pounding upon the door, he stopped in order to see if anyone was coming yet. He heard a shout from outside to keep it down, but otherwise, there was no response.

Finally, Shikamaru had it. He knew for a fact that she was in there. So with that knowledge, he kicked the door a few more times, allowing his irritation to drive his words.

" Look here! I thought people your age got up early in the morning! Now open these office doors!" he shouted, almost uncharacteristically.

There was little hesitation in the fist that came flying through from the other end, shattering the door to pieces and impacting into Shikamaru's stomach. It was a strong and sound blow, causing him to keel over. He did, however, manage to hang onto Temari. Looking down on the poor young man now was the fifth Hokage herself, Tsunade .

" Shikamaru, I would normally be pleasantly surprised to see you waking up at a responsible hour for the first time in your life…but the next time you ever remark about my age, I'm going to…" she began to shout before realizing of Temari slumped on his back.

Quickly, she picked up the injured Sand Ninja and laid her out on the rug, placing a hand over Temari's chest and infusing her own chakra into the younger woman in order to speed her recovery and heal her immediate injuries. As Shikamaru finally recovered enough from the impact of her fist, he followed into the office to see Tsunade.

" So tell me what happened Shikamaru…" the older woman asked in a rough manner.

" I was waiting for Temari at the appointed place on the border of the Land of Fire. She was late, and I was bored. After some hours, I noticed her in the distance running with a limp. She was being followed by ANBU from Sound, and I was able to scatter them. Apparently she defended herself against an attack by the son of their village leader, however was mistreated and not even given a proper trial." Shikamaru reported.

" So they decided to lynch her right there huh. Great…Shikamaru…how come every time I have to see you in my office, you have nothing but bad news for me?" she asked with a glare.

" I'm at your service." he snarked.

Placing her index finger and thumb on the upper bridge of her nose, she gave herself a brief massage while she took a few moments to think.

" Alright Shikamaru…go make sure she gets some rest and she'll probably fine by this afternoon…" the older woman stated.

" Fine…whatever. Jeez, even asleep she's troublesome…" Shikamaru complained.

With a sigh, the annoyed look on his face melted the smirk he wore a moment ago. Approaching the prone Temari, he knelt down to lift her up, but was cut off quickly. Just as he slid his hands underneath her body, Temari shot straight up into a seated position, letting loose a powerful sneeze point blank into his face. Immediately he reeled back, taking his sleeve and wiping his face free of saliva and germs.

" And it seems our Ambassador has awakened." Tsunade chimed with a grin.

" Damn it…what the hell was that for? Now I'm going to get sick. I just know it…" he whined.

" Wha…what happened?" Temari asked, glancing around quickly, taking in her surroundings.

" Good to see your up and about. I should be surprised, but then again, you're the stubborn type…right Shikamaru?" the Sannin said, giving him a glance.

His muttering was mostly incoherent, with the exception of the words 'Troublesome, Bothersome, and Pain'. That being said, Temari exhaled the slightly anxious feeling that had built up.

" How are you feeling Temari?" the older blond asked.

" Sore, but it's the best I've felt in days." the younger blond replied.

" You should thank Shikamaru for carrying you all the way back here. And in record time as well." Tsunade smirked, taking in the sight of a light blush trickle over Temari's cheeks before continuing, " Well? What do you say to the big strong man who saved your life and brought you here at great personal risk?" she asked again, the smirk on her lips becoming a coy grin.

Temari glanced over at Shikamaru, who was standing in the corner of the room, listening with a genuinely tired look on his face.

" Thanks…Shikamaru…" she said sheepishly.

" Yeah, it's fine. Just don't do it again…" he replied while looking away, trying to be cool about it, " So, is she good to go? Cause I'm tired and I'd like to get some sleep." he complained in his usual tone.

" I suppose you've earned it today Shikamaru. I want you in here first thing tomorrow morning." Tsunade warned.

" First thing…yeah…gotcha…" he said nonchalantly as he walked out of the office with a wave.

" AND I MEAN MY FIRST THING SHIKAMARU! YOUR FIRST ANYTHING STARTS AFTER ONE IN TE AFTERNOON AND I'M GONNA BE A BUSY HOKAGE TOMORROW!" she shouted after him, driving her point by throwing a paperweight at him.

Temari glanced between the two as Shikamaru left, then let out a soft laugh, realizing that it had been some time since she was here last.

I seem to always forget that about Konoha…it's so lively…

" Sorry about that. I wish we could have a better partner for you, however somehow he seems to always be both available and appropriately skilled enough for the jobs…" Tsunade said, tersely.

" It's fine. I've gotten used to him. He's really not so bad…" she said, suddenly catching herself when the expression on Tsunade's face changed unfavorably.

" You know…now that I think about it…you both do have some good chemistry going…" the Sanin stated with that same coy look.

" I…suppose so. It's mostly due to the fact that we're both analytically minded. That's what I believe, at least…" Temari interjected, trying to railroad Tsunade's statement.

" Maybe…" she said, almost darkly.

Temari fidgeted very slightly under the opposing woman's gaze. Staring down Gaara when they came to a disagreement wasn't terribly uncommon for her, so this should have been easy enough. While his eyes could pierce through you and make you feel like your death was preparing to toll, Tsunade's gaze seemed to pierce her very heart, able to guess both her feelings and emotions. That was something she wasn't used to and it worried her slightly. After having her fun, she decided to drop it for now.

" Well then, I think you should go get some rest. I'll have your room readied. I'll also open up a dialogue with the Kazekage and we'll see what we can do about this problem with the Sound. It's been a little over 2 years since the treaty was signed…I thought that maybe we could get that whole mess behind us and focus on the road ahead. Oh well…" Tsunade vented, ever so slightly.

" I do appreciate everything your doing, Tsunade-sama. If you don't mind though, I'd like to take a little walk. It's been a few months since I was last in Konoha, so I thought it may be good for me to take a look around." Temari regarded with a smile.

" I guess so, if that's what you want. Just try to take care of yourself. I'd rather not have you collapse again, especially while in our care. The Kazekage, your brother…I imagine he'd be much harder to deal with than he already can be." the older woman jested.

Temari stood up and began to turn towards the door, but was however halted in her tracks when he saw a worried expression cross Tsunade's face.

" What? What's that look for?" she asked hesitantly.

Tsunade perked a single brow and looked over the standing Sand Ninja. Her uniform was torn and slashed in various places. It's disheveled appearance was astounding, and rather immodest considering her chest was partially exposed, showing almost more cleavage than Tsunade in comparison. The blush that crossed her face caused Tsunade to laugh loudly, then prompted her to stand up and walk into a room in the back of the office.

After a full minute of listening to Tsunade root through what sounded like a closet and some drawers, Temari began to get curious and wandered into the back room, being halted as she approached the door. Tsunade stepped back out with a wardrobe slung over her left arm.

" Here. You can wear this. It might be a little loose in the front, but I think it should fit you pretty well otherwise." Tsunade stated, tossing it to Temari.

" Thank you very much." Temari responded, politely.

" Alright, well you go change in the back room there, then I'm going to have to kick you out. I got important Hokage business to get to."

A few minutes later, Temari was walking out the front doors of the government building, adjusting her borrowed dress.

Damn it. This thing is way too loose. It's so…

Before the word came out in her mind, she let out a soft laugh.

I've been hanging around Shikamaru too much…Speaking of which…I should probably thank him more properly…

Across town, in an apartment complex towards the western edge of the village, Shikamaru had finally reached his home, plopping down on the couch because it was closer than his bed by a significant enough margin.

Damn I'm beat. This whole thing with Sound is so troublesome….doesn't help that I'm hungry now…oh well. Think I'll just get some sleep for now, then worry about it later…

And back again now towards the center of the village, Temari began wandering through the crowds in the market place, doing herself a bit of window shopping. She would spend about an hour or so just browsing around, until her eyes caught a trio of familiar looking Genin stopped at a tea house. The woman paused, staring at the young adolescences from a far, picking her brain to remember who they were.

Why do those kids over there look so familiar…

Then suddenly, as if lightning had struck, she plopped a fist into her opposite palm, realizing that they were Shikamaru's Genin. She saw their applications recently when reviewing all the Genin applications. Quickly, she approached, heralding herself with a distinct…

" Hey." she shouted towards the youth.

The three turned to face the blond, their faces marked with surprise and a hint of fear, unsure if they had done something to offend her. Once within conversations reach, she halted and changed her tone.

" You three are Shikamaru's…right?" she asked, just to be clear.

" Yeah. We're team 13. I'm Kasumi, and that's Karin and Kinta." said the youngster with her head band tied securely around her forehead.

The other two stood up and gave her a moment to take in their appearance better.

Kasumi stood shortest of the three. Red hair cut to shoulder length and pressed into a ponytail and gray eyes, which made for an almost striking appearance. Her head band was secured around her forehead and she wore simple shorts and a Konoha shirt underneath a combat vest. Most prominent of her wardrobe was the large utility belt she wore, and the two hip pouches. After that would have been her strange armbands that seem to slink together in an odd manner. They had a dull silver color to them, however didn't really promote much more attention.

Kinta was the only boy in the group. He was second tallest, with a closely shaved head, sporting a head band that was wrapped around much in the way of a turbin, only smaller and more form fitting. It was fastened together with a Kunai knife, which Temari found odd, and decided not to ask why. He wore a short sleeved shirt and shorts underneath a medium sized brown poncho.

Finally, Karin. She was more physically mature than the other two, with some bolder curves and long black hair pulled back into a single braid with amber eyes. She wore a pair of green baggy pant with a gray halter top. She also wore a combat harness, holstering two medium sized fans on her back. To most others, they might just look like Escrima sticks, however Temari knew a fan when she saw one. Aside from that, she appeared to have all the standard pouches and attachments one would have to be a Genin on her combat harness.

Well…they were definitely a motley crew, that was for sure. But then again, Konoha squads always tended that way, and always had a way of surprising.

" I see. Kasumi, Kinta, and Karin. Do you mind if I sit with you?" Temari asked politely.

" Sure!" said Karin with a wide grin.

" You're the Suna ambassador, Temari-sama right? What would you want with some lowly Genin like us?" Kasumi asked with prying eyes.

Yeah…she's one of that Pineapple Head's students…

" Well, I've known your Sensei for quite some time, but I guess I've never really met you three yet." she answered.

" It's probably because he says we're troublesome. Or that meeting you would be troublesome, or that the whole thing would be troublesome…I don't know…it's kind of hard to tell with him." Kinta said, glancing from each of the different girls.

" Yeah. That sounds like your Sensei…" Temari sighed, almost embarrassed for him.

" But…Shikamaru-sensei is really cool. I mean…he really looks out for us. He's been training us really hard for the upcoming exams." Karin stated enthusiastically.

Temari's eyes fell on the younger girl, using her analytical skills to deduce the girls thoughts and feelings. With a slight blush splashed over her face, and the willingness to almost immediately object to any negative comments about Shikamaru, the thought crossed Temari's mind that Karin would in fact have some kind of crush on him. A faint flush feeling came to her as she thought about the whole situation, and the decision came quickly to derail that train of thought, before she would be embarrassed openly.

" Maybe. So what are you three doing here anyways? No missions?" Temari asked in a nonchalant tone.

" We don't have any missions today since Shikamaru-sensei is out on an escort mission." Kasumi answered.

They must not know that he's back…

" He tells you about his missions?" the woman asked in an alarmed manner.

" He never gives details, only the gist of it. We know he's not allowed to give any mission specifics, so there's nothing to worry about." Kasumi clarified.

" I thought so. His big pineapple shaped head isn't for nothing at least…" Temari jibbed while across town, Shikamaru sneezes in his sleep.

" You know, you're kind of strange. You seem like your good friends with him, but then you're quick to criticize him. Doesn't make any sense to me…" Kasumi continued, her analysis of Temari not being too off the mark.

Yeah…this brat is definitely one of his…

" We go back a ways I suppose…" Temari started to say, trying to think of something convenient to detract from the conversation.

" Back to the Chunin Exams almost 5 years ago. You beat him because he forfeited the match at the end so as not to exhaust his chakra…" Kasumi explained.

" You've done your homework I see…" Temari commented dryly.

" I'm the smart one." the younger girl retorted.

She's like a younger sister. Has that same damn frown he did when he was her age.

" Anyhow, I noticed that you're all applying for the Chunin Exam. You Sensei is typically a proctor in this, however because of the possibility of mixed interests, he'll be barred from that duty this time around." stated Temari in a more impassionate tone.

" What? B…but…I wanted Shikamaru Sensei to watch over us. I mean…what if something happens? I hear that Genin are killed…" whined Kinta.

" I'm sure he'll be watching on the sidelines. There's been multiple occasions where the fight was stopped because someone's Sensei got involved in order to save a life. The proctors are also there for that purpose. We really don't get much of a kick out of watching Genin get killed after all." the blond Jounin explained with a half smile.

" I think we'll have a better chance than a lot of the others. We've been together for almost two years, since we were ten. We've had a lot of time to get used to each other and work as a team." Karin interjected.

" Is that why Shikamaru held you guys back like that for so long?" Temari asked, slightly puzzled.

" Probably. To make sure we'll be ready, even if he isn't there to save our lives. I know the second test is a survival test…so he won't have any jurisdiction then." Kasumi answered to the best of her knowledge.

" Makes sense. I would be lying if I said I was confident that my Genin could pass the exams. Your Sensei's been through a lot in his life already. He's practically seen it all it seems. He was even there when the Feudal Lord for the Land of Fire was…" Temari started to say, getting careless before she shut herself up.

" Wait. You mean that Shikamaru-sensei was there when the Feudal Lord was murdered last year?" questioned Kasumi, her interest now peaked.

" Oh…no no no. You didn't let me finish…." Temari said quickly, doing what she could to recover. " He was there at the inauguration of the new and current one. But he knows all about the assassination of the Feudal Lord, so he's lived through it, so to speak."

" Ohhh…" said Kinta and Karin in unison.

The tall blond grinned sheepishly, seeing that she had convinced two out of three. However Kasumi still stood there with that frown. It began to really bother her.

…So irritating. It's just like him back when he was a kid. It makes me want to smack her…

" But I heard a rumor that the assassin was from Konoha…" Kasumi said, her eyes more fixated on Temari, " Coincides well with the fact that Uzumaki Naruto left Konoha just after that, and is wanted in the Bingo Book for the crime of high treason. No other information is available about it." Kasumi guessed with frightening accuracy, " Seems awful if fishy you ask me."

" I don't personally know much about that. I wasn't there after all, but I did know Naruto fairly well. I have a hard time believing something that farfetched. Though I cannot imagine what he did do to get those charges. He always seemed like he loved Konoha. He told everyone how he was going to be the Hokage one day. Seems kind of a shame now." Temari finished, with a hint of depression in her voice.

Kasumi watched the older woman's face and hung on every word she said. Though she believed Temari was being truthful for the most part, she still had her hunches and suspicions. Finally, after a couple of moments of awkward silence, Temari stood up and gave a smile.

" I should probably get going. First thing though…do you know where your Sensei lives? I've got some mail to deliver from the Hokage. I know that after he became a Jounin, he got his own apartment, but I don't know where it is." she asked.

" Shikamaru Sensei lives in that apartment complex cattycorner to the Academy building. He wanted a place that was close by to where he was usually working. Unfortunately he got stuck with a room on the top floor instead of the bottom floor like he requested. It's on the right side, furthest down the hallway." Karin answered quick and stately.

Temari nodded and began to walk off, waving to them as she left.

" It was nice meeting you." she called.

The three gathered close and discussed the encounter.

" What do you think of her?" Karin said.

" I think she's pretty. Sensei's a lucky guy to get to hang out with her whenever she's in town…" Kinta said with a rosy grin.

" She's close to Shikamaru Sensei. I can tell because of how she talks about him, and how she knows a lot of things that only he knows." Kasumi said, " Still, I also like her. She's pretty honest."

" Well…sure she's pretty…but I think she's kind of mean about Sensei." Karin said, almost protesting

" That's just cause you got the hots for Shikamaru-sensei!" Kinta teased.

" What? S…Shut up Kinta!" Karin said, reaching for a fan.

Kinta dodged to the side as she took a single swing, however realized that her other fan had been drawn as well. Preparing for the pain of a well placed blow to the noggin, he shut his eyes and tightened his neck muscles. A moment later and the blow never came, thanks to a couple of wires restraining the fan. Kinta sighed and bowed his head to Kasumi.

" Thanks." he said with a smile.

" Don't thank me yet…" Kasumi said, watching Karin let go of the fan and give Kinta a thump on the head with her fist before getting up and stomping away, " I just don't want to have to drag you back home and explain it to your parents again…"

Back now towards the center of town, at an apartment building cattycorner to the Academy, Temari climbed the almost numberless amounts of stairs while carrying a bag of groceries she had bought along the way.

" Stupid elevator. Just had to be out…" she grumbled until that last faithful step came and she was on the top floor. Taking a right, she went all the way back until she found the last room on the right side. Giving a light knock, she waited patiently for a few moments to see if he would answer. Again she knocked, with little success. Slightly perturbed, she gave a loud knock on the door, rattling the door frame and causing a neighbor to poke his head out of his room to see what the ruckus was.

Again, no answer.

" Lazy good for nothing pineapple headed crybaby…" she muttered as she slipped her hand up into her hair, taking a pin out in order to use it to pick the lock.

As she tended the dead bolt of the door, she accidentally turned the knob early, and the door opened.

" Too troublesome to lock the door I see…" she commented to herself quietly.

Standing up, she wandered in and started inspecting . While the apartment wasn't filthy, it was also was not clean. Clothes were scattered about the floor, furniture was oddly placed and none of the chairs were pushed in at all. The dishes were piled up in the sink and there were two packages of paper plates opened up on the counter in the kitchen.

" God…he is a man alright…" she quipped silently.

She set the bag of groceries down on a cleared area of the table before wandering further in and down the hall. An empty bedroom on the left, a bathroom on the second left, and his own personal bedroom on the right. Poking her head in, she didn't see a sign of him in bed. As she was about to leave, she noticed on his dresser, a row of pictures stood up in a row. Curious, she pressed further into his room in order to get a better look at them.

They were pictures of the people in his life. On the left, there was a picture of a man and woman. She had never formally met his father, however had seen him on a number of occasions. Their appearances were uncanny. Standing next to his father in the photograph was the woman Temari believed to be his mother.

She doesn't look that bad. He's probably just overreacting…

Shrugging, she continued, seeing a picture of Ino, himself, and Choji, both from when they were first placed together to only a year or so ago.

His teammates. They sure have grown a lot, but I guess we all have…

The third picture was of his Genin. She scowled slightly, matching a similar expression worn by Shikamaru in the picture. Kasumi wore a similar face while Karin and Kinta both had big smiles.

God, it's uncanny. It's starting to freak me out…

The fourth picture on the lineup was large and carried multiple frames. In the first, was his Sensei, Asuma. It was the photograph from his funeral, still adorned with the black ribbons and had a candle that was almost completely burnt out in front of it. The second photograph was of his daughter, Asami, whom Temari felt a touch of grief for, knowing she'll never know her father. The final picture was a very rare photograph of both Kuranai and Asuma. Shot from behind them slightly, they were caught off guard holding hands. Their faces were washed with blush and surprise.

If the baby didn't prove that romance, I suppose this does…

Finally, she turned her head to see the last of the line up of pictures, and was completely taken by surprise by it. It was of her. Well, it was the two of them, shot from the waist up. It took no time at all for her to realize that it was from a few months ago, at the Jounin Exams. His arm was wrapped over her shoulders for support, almost completely exhausted from the encounter. The smile she gave was big and bright while he gave a tired yet triumphant grin as he kept one eye shut from an injury he received during the ordeal.

Despite how cheesy they may have looked, he was happy to have passed and she was happy for him.

Passing this exam was an accomplishment for any ninja, as it had a very low success rate. This time around in particular, especially as Shikamaru found himself betrayed by both luck and his temporary teammates. And despite all the setbacks and injuries he faced, he still came out on top, and was only one of two Chunin promoted by the end of the exam.

She stared at it for a while longer, and started to wonder why he had this one sitting on his bedroom dresser. Surely, it must have been because this was the moment he became a Jounin. It was, after all, a big accomplishment. However there were no signs of any of his other achievements. Not a single picture from his assignment as a Chunin, not even any one of the scrolls they hand you for passing an exam were present. There was also the fact that all these pictures were of the people closest to Shikamaru. His family, his friends, his teammates, his Genin, his Sensei…and…herself.

A soft smirk crossed her face as she held the photo up. A suspicion happily fell over her, causing a warmth to grow in her chest.

I won't let you get away with this one, Shikamaru.

After taking a last and longing look at the photograph, she set it back down on the dresser and left the bed room. Halfway down the hall, she heard a thump, and discovered Shikamaru's whereabouts. He was now lying on the floor still fully clothed, clutching his pillow tightly as if his life depended on it, like a life preserver in an ocean of dreams. The scenario played out in her head of him wandering into his apartment after such a long and exhausting night, and not bothering to strip down or trying to make it to his bed. The couch would simply have to do. Anything else would be too troublesome. She grabbed the blanket that was scattered over the couch and covered him up with it so he wouldn't risk getting cold.

Temari now turned away, heading to the kitchen and dug out a couple of the groceries she had picked up. Taking little time at all, she put on an apron, then located a stash of pots and pans underneath the sink.

They look brand new…too lazy to even cook for himself...

With a sigh, she began to boil water and started cutting up vegetables. She would never go as far as to call herself an culinary genius, however she did know a few traditional dishes from her native Sunagakure. Since he had saved her life and carried her all the way back to Konoha on his back, he'd probably be hungry when he woke up. So the least she could do was make him a little something in thanks so that he wouldn't starve.

About a half an hour after she had began cooking, there was a knock at the door. Unsure of what to do, she turned towards where Shikamaru was laying to see if there would be any reaction at all. As she thought, he didn't even flinch. She shrugged it off and ignored subsequent knocks. Suddenly, after a moment of silence, she heard a shrill voice fill the air.

" SHIKAMARU! I KNOW YOUR IN THERE! YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW YOUNG MAN!"

It was obviously feminine, and terrifyingly matronly. Taking another glance to see what Shikamaru was going to do, she discovered that he was still blissfully unaware of the angry harping from this mystery woman. Deciding again to ignore it, she continued with her cooking, until the door burst open and an older woman invaded into the home. Caught by surprise, Temari grabbed a nearby knife and held it like a Kunai since she was not carrying her fan. Immediately the two women locked gazes, and Temari recognized her from the picture in his bedroom.

So that's his mother…

" W…Who are you? What are you doing in my sons apartment?" she asked in some shock.

" I assume your Shikamaru's mother?" Temari guessed.

The woman narrowed her eyes at Temari.

" You speak of my son as if you were close to him. If I had known he moved out of the house just so he could shack up with some jezebel, I'd have more than been vocal about my disapproval."

" Wha…What did you just say to me?" Temari said, her voice reflecting a very restrained rage.

" You heard me. What in the world do you think you're doing here?" Yoshino stated.

Temari's face began to turn a volatile shade of red. She could feel her body begin to quake as she restrained the urge to slap this woman for the transgressions she had just leveled against her. The blond Sand Ninja took a very deep breath in an attempt to calm down, before she lost her temper and would try to murder this woman.

" Look, we seem to be at a misunderstanding. I'm the ambassador from Suna, Temari. Sabaku no Temari if you've heard of me. My younger brother is the Kazekage, and…" Temari tried to explain in a calm demeanor before getting cut off by Yoshino.

" Look, whoever you think you are. I'm not buying it. If you were the Suna Ambassador then you wouldn't be here in my son's apartment. You'd be doing your job in the embassy building like a responsible adult. Now I'm going to count to three, and if you aren't gone, I'm going to toss you out…" the older woman threatened.

Temari felt her eyebrow twitch. Her whole body shook with disdain for this woman. From her condescending tone to how she was being lectured on responsibility…she now knew why Shikamaru had such an awkwardly negative opinion about women.

" One."

" Look…you want to talk about being reasonable…then let's talk about this…" Temari choked out, still restraining herself heavily.

" Two…"

" I think your about to make a big mistake…" Temari spoke again, now in a threatening manner.

" THREE!" Yoshino shouted, very loudly.

Elsewhere…

Clouds passed lazily by as a young spiky haired Jounin sat underneath a beautiful blue sky, lazily staring up at the floating white forms of cotton. The sunlight basked warm against his skin and a gentle breeze cooled itself up against his cheek. It was always nice to get a little time to relax and get away from his duties in the village. Being an Academy Instructor, working in the Cryptology Department part time, and being the squad leader of a trio of trouble makers as well as an ambassadors escort didn't give him a lot of time to enjoy one of his few simple pleasures in life.

He closed his eyes and basked in the fulfillment it brought him. He loved times like this, because it helped him clear his mind, which was constantly burdened by dozens of thoughts all at once. Being a genius did have its downfalls after all, however he had gotten used to them and found ways to deal with the ones he could not outright get around.

However, this wonderful moment was destined to not last, as the sound of thunder roared in the distance. Shikamaru ignored it at the beginning, hoping that it'll stay far away and leave him in peace. However, he would be roused from his place of resting as the wind picked up, and the storm grew more powerful. With the wind howling now, he decided not to wait for the rain, and got up to seek shelter. As he searched for sanctuary, he couldn't help but gawk in awe as the thunder continued to roll and roar. He began to grow fearful as it didn't let up, almost sounding like there would be no end to it.

It would eventually disturb him so much, that he could no longer find any comfort in his sleep, causing him to awaken.

He heard a pounding on the walls and a the sound of a woman groan. His expression sank when he came up with his deduction. He turned to the wall of his only neighbor and pounded his fist against it.

" I know you two got married recently, but that was months ago! Knock it off and let a guy sleep!" he shouted, hoping to quell the sound of his newly wed neighbors mating habits.

However, as his sleepiness wore off, he realized that the thumping and bumping and other troubling noises were in fact coming from the kitchen area of his apartment.

" What the hell is going on…" he said, turning the corner into the kitchen to see what was occurring in his apartment.

His expression changed quickly from irritation to panic, as he saw the two scariest and most troublesome women of his life, grappling one another in some sort of power struggle. The two stopped for just a second and angrily stared at him, one of each of their hands clutching at the others face.

" SHIKAMARU!" the shouted at him in unison.

With wide eyes, he struggled to spit out something to say.

" N…N…Nightmare…"