ShikaTema : Waiting For You

Chapter 2 : Meeting With A Friend

Temari came to the village almost every month for diplomatic reasoning's. She was in constant contact with the Hokage and other Kages of each land as her job. Konoha was one of the villages she was friendlier with, the village was more accepting, it was like her second home.

The red diplomatic building towered over the two shinobi as they stood at the entrance gate to the compound. It appeared grander than the last time Temari remembered. Konoha in general was starting to seem different to her. She memorized the layout for each village she was summoned to. She knew this village as more than just a layout on a map from her frequent visits, but Konoha seemed to have more color, more memories to it than she acknowledged.

She could remember when the raging Sannin, Tsunade, was Hokage. The two got along instantly, with occasional butting of heads from their both overpowering personalities and big egos. She remembered the next Hokage that resembled a lot of her escort. With his lazy attitude, constant fatigue, and no motivation to keep up with the work. Kakashi Hatake was an excellent Shinobi, but was worked too hard to even have an ounce of energy left for the title of Hokage he was given. She was currently displayed with the seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, the village's number one knuckle head. She was pretty comfortable around him. He made sure everyone was comfortable with his good nature, positive attitude, and constant pep talks of peace and spreading love. He was a practical hippy with a more dumb, cool act to him.

Coming to this particular village was starting to get tough.

Temari's mind was becoming more overactive than usual. She was more aware of her actions and the words she spoke. She tried her best to please, and sometimes would be more proper than demanding. She didn't know what was coming over her. Maybe it was because she had so many ties to the village that she had been around for a long time.

Temari stopped before the gates trying to mentally calm herself down. She stared blankly at the top of the building, which she knew was the location of the Hokage's office. In a matter of seconds, she rummaged through her mind of every conversation and pre-prepared her responses to every possible outcome that the Hokage could return to her request. It felt like she was sitting there for minutes trying to muster up her courage to talk to the young idiot she knew was wearing the Hokage's robe.

She knew she shouldn't be over reacting like this. It was Naruto she was seeing! The most easy-going, lovable, easy to impress person anyone has ever met, and yet, she wanted to impress.

Naruto?

Most likely not.

Shikamaru, the Hokage's assistant, and her escort?

Most likely...

She would admit to only herself that her mind was at a constant drift between her job and the lazy Shinobi labeled as her escort. It was like he burned his way into her mind, right at the front for front row seats to her thoughts. She was trying hard to be better than him, or so she told herself.

"Hey, you okay?", Shikamaru questioned at the sudden silence and stopped motion received from the girl he was supposed to be trailing.

She was the killer konoichi of the Sand, the ambassador, the Kazekage's assistant, and most of all, she was the troublesome, hot-headed Temari who knew what she wanted and was damn good at being persuasive to get it. This was why she was chosen for her many positions. She knew how to get what she wanted. She could do this. Why she was suddenly nervous over a small mission? Who knew. She wasn't going to let this be a reoccurring thing.

Temari confidently straightened her posture and put a determined expression on, shaking off her insecurities. She gave the boy a dignified glare with no words tied with it, strutting past him to the building. The aura she was formerly giving off, was replaced with her usual confidence.