Book One- The Enemy

Chapter 12

Was he sorry for what he did? not even in the slightest.

Would he do it again? Probably if given the chance.

Was he feeling confident? Not anymore.

Shikamaru treaded through the mud towards the captain's tent stepping out of the rain and into the tent and halted before he could slip on the broken shelf scattered before him. He'd almost forgotten about Temari's first strike, broken wood chips now scattered everywhere, as well as the reports and maps, what a troublesome woman. He sighed and stepped around the pieces looking for scrolls on his way towards the table he had once occupied. He remembered a mention of the Akatsuki in one of them and made his priority on finding it.

Only half focused on his search, he couldn't help but wonder what Temari was going to do now, she had plenty of choices in the way to react to his pure act of idiocy. She could always kill him, but he doubted she'd try that anytime soon the look on her face was too stunned to react that way. At least he hoped. Soft lips, the moan, the way her body pressed into his, he paused his search a second to shut his eyes and compose himself. The first kiss he'd spooked her, thankfully he'd be ready to read her surprise and counter it before she could strike, that knock out would have hurt.

When he had pulled her in and she pressed against him he'd barley had a single thought in his mind, quite frankly there could have been a whole battle going on around him and he wouldn't have so much as noticed, to absorbed in the push and pull from their lips. She had completely melted under him, and he had more than taken note of it, possibly in some way he'd taken advantage of her, or she had played her part too well.

She'd always been one to mock her foe, after all he wasn't a fool to not notice the way she enticed her enemy towards her before striking, such as a goddess would. She'd been luring him in for years, he'd noticed the way she'd steer a smile his way even if she wasn't close he knew how she'd favor him over the others, possibly because he'd play along when the others wouldn't. Yet he couldn't help but react in some form since the first moment he saw her when he first took command of the troops on the west border of the Leaf.

-
Four years ago

"Shikamaru" The gruff call for his name met with a groan from his son as he had finally escaped from work, missions, and the war, finally finding peace upon the hillside and the wide blue skies brimming with lazy clouds of Konoha resting above him, and only to be interrupted to ruin the rare bliss. Shikamaru chose to rest on his back continuing his attempt at a nap as he heard the rustle of grass and the faint steps of his father "Boy you should learn to respond when your father calls" his rough voice sounded defeated, as if he'd been working; possibly Yoshino making him do chores before he somehow managed to slip away. Nara men were known for their ability to disappear as such.

"Whatever it's about you could have just waited until I got home old man" He muttered back eyes remaining shut. A shift in the grass, Shikaku stopped, then a long-tired sigh before the spot next to his son shifted and he sat beside him.

"Listen it's about your position as the Commander of the Leaf army against the Suna offence" Shikamaru opened his eyes and glanced over at his father half listening.

"So, you heard?" not surprised his father already knew about his latest achievement, disguised as a troublesome task in his opinion.

"Lady Tsunade told me" He muttered and turned to glance at his son catching his attention as Shikamaru slowly rose to sit beside him looking into the sky uninterested, he felt a speech coming on "Son whatever you do out there you can't kill the Commanding officer" Shikamaru turned his full attention to his father poorly hiding his sudden surprise.