Book One- The Enemy

Chapter 3

Temari kept her eyes on his face her body still and her hand pressed firmly on the wound. She didn't know why she did it, why her body moved on its own to help him, her enemy. He saved her after all, covered her from the blast. That's why he was avoiding this route from the start, this was an ambush set up for the Earth.

When he pulled her away her legs moved with him, she could have stopped, she could have just as easily killed him right then and there, his blade could have killed her. She could have killed him when the blasts ended, or now while she held the cloth to his head. Hell, she could have saved her own damn self, without his help.

Her body stiffened when she thought of the arm wrapped around her waist and how he shielded her body against his. His steady gaze unflinching as he stared at her, dark eyes analyzing her, she felt the slightest unease to shrink down suddenly feeling exposed, how strange. He didn't look twelve anymore, he was older more handsome his eyes darkened by the years of war, the fight against her. Her breath stilled the moment he looked at her and she didn't like it one bit. Her lips turned up at the unusual heat rising to her cheeks and she snarled.

"Why did you do that?" She demanded leaning closer yet kept her touch soft on the wound. He shrugged unfazed eyes shutting in her rise in volume, his response not answering her well enough "I asked you a question, why did you do that?" This time the demand got through to him and he glared up at her clearly annoyed.

"Do you always have to yell?" Temari pulled back her face faltering for a moment, his eyelids lowered, and he looked bored out of his mind "Why do you care anyways?" She narrowed her eyes her nose scrunching at his arrogant tone. He pulled back when she leaned in shoving her free hand to his collar and grabbing the shirt to keep him still.

"Why did you cover me like that? Why didn't you just leave me out there" She had more patience than she wanted to and when he finally sighed rolling his eyes in defeat, she pulled away slightly when he looked up at her through narrowed eyes.

"How honorable would it be if a man left a woman in danger? Sure, I could have just ran off on my own, but that would be a pretty low thing to do" He smirked when she stiffened "Even for me" Temari's fingers loosened on his shirt and slowly she pulled her arm back. She ignored the sting in her eyes from the smoke of the cigarette resting at the edge of his turned lips, arrogantly raised at her silence, and turned her eyes away finding anything else to look at, the blush rose to her cheeks again and she refused to give him permission to see it. She glanced up at the darkening smoke in the sky and began to compose herself "Why are you helping me, Temari?" She almost jumped at the sudden question, his voice was soft and gentle, yet curious nothing about it sounded threatening. She didn't know the answer and it irritated her, causing her anger to rise again she glared back, but he only matched her look. For once she was at a loss for words.

"Temari!" Their eyes widened in unison, and they turned to pinpoint the sound behind them. Temari could hear the distant call coming from Kankuro and although relieved she felt a tinge of panic as she looked back at the wound she was holding, then Shikamaru who's face hardened into that of shock mixed with annoyance. She hesitated to formulate her plan quick as her name was called again.

Reaching down she grabbed his free hand gripping tightly and placing it to the cloth ignoring his wince at the change in pressure. He stared up at her as she stood, her eyes leaving his as she turned grabbing her folded fan that fell from her hands earlier and slipping it behind her, quick in her moments and her escape. Shikamaru watched silently as she stopped and tilted her head towards him back turned and peeked over at him with an unreadable expression in her eyes.

"Consider this my thank you" She muttered and stepped past the brush towards the road just in time to hear her brother and a unit of three spot her leaving.