dangerouswind

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[003]

[Temari's back.

She's not sure she wants to be. She's keeping to the trees as much as she can, before she finally decides she really needs to get into the town and figure out what in the hell is going on.

There's blood smeared across her cheek. Her hands are scraped raw. Her wings -- normally tucked away under her clothes -- are ragged and missing feathers here and there. There's a wild look in her eye.

And she doesn't really know where she is.

This might not end well. At least she doesn't have her fan on her.]

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Yup. [He nods his head back to the building.] On the fourth floor. You're the only one who lives there, besides me.

[...and Chouji.]

[She nods, then worries her lip for just a moment. There's a part of her that just has to know.]

I told you what I remember. [Some of it, anyway. A very bare-bones kind of story.] Return the favor.

All right. [He doesn't point out that she didn't tell him much. Even so, it was enough to go off on, he thinks.]

From the sound of it, you're remembering the events of the Chuunin Exam differently than I am. Or something happened before that even.

The way I remember things is that Sound was planning on invading Leaf, and Sand was working with them. The Fourth Kazekage was murdered by Orochimaru, which is probably half the reason your village had to go along with it, with him at the helm.

Gaara was supposed to be your guys' secret weapon, but that didn't go to plan. Naruto beat him, and the Third Hokage dealt a serious blow to Orochimaru that forced Sound to pull out.

Next time we heard from them, Suna had gone their separate ways and allied themselves with Konoha.

[Temari nods once. It's different. So very different.] Sound turned on us. There's nothing left of Sand. Gaara... [is a monster.]

Be glad he's not here.

[And subject dropped. Temari turns her attention to the journal embossed with her name. She's still glancing at Shikamaru. For a moment, she's silent but then she just can't help but ask. The question is abrupt.]

How do I know you? [Why are you, of all people, somehow familiar, Konoha?]

[She tilts his head when she mentions Gaara. He suspected as much. That's... a shame. He knows how much Temari's come to value her brothers - both of them.

He wonders if Gaara still became the Kazekage in her version of events, but decides not to ask.]

You have a habit of showing up in my life, whether I want you to or not. First time I met you, we had a match in the finals of the Chuunin Exams. After the invasion, you guys went back to Suna and we didn't hear from you until Sound made a move again. I was leading a team against the Sound Five, and just when things were going to hell you and your brothers showed up as our back-up. You saved our asses.

[He rubs at his neck. Temari even went with him to the hospital; sat there while they waited to see what would happen to Chouji and Neji. Shikamaru still has no idea why she bothered, but it's not like she'd remember now. Or that he would ask.]

...Anyways. I saw you more here and there over the years. After you became ambassador, you had to come to Konoha more often. I was usually assigned as your guide. On top of that, I was an examiner in the chunnin exams twice, so I had to work with you then too.

[He snorts.] How troublesome. You probably see more of me than you do the Hokage.

[She stares at him, unbelieving. Ambassador is a far cry from what she currently was. It takes her a moment to answer and, when she does, she manages to skirt the issue entirely. Less thinking it all over that way.]

So I still kick and save ass, even in your weird reality. Good to know.

Yup. You've come a long way. [He picks up the first aid kit.] So. You coming with me to get your fan, or am I hauling it back to you?

[Make no mistake, Shikamaru. She's still tense as all hell. Suspicious. Not sure what to make of anything. But she wants her fan.

She stands up, bandaged hands brushing dirt off her legs.]

It's too heavy for a weakling like you to carry.

[...shut up.] Who said anything about carrying. I'd drag it.

[MOVING IT, is the important part. Duh.

He sticks his hands in his pockets as he stands, then walks toward the building.]

[She falls in behind him, several steps back and keeping an ever-watchful eye on as much as she can see. It'll be good to get inside, she thinks, and if she can hole up somewhere with her fan, so much the better.]

No one drags my fan around.

I think the floor would have more to worry about than your fan. Thing's made out of iron, isn't it?

[He holds the door open, and when she comes in she can probably see the stairwell off to the left.]

It's the principle of the matter.

[Temari slips inside, as far away from him as she can manage and then waits. She's not going up those stairs first, thanks very much.]

[He shrugs, then heads up the stairs.] Well if I don't have to carry it, I guess you have nothing to worry about.

[While Shikamaru continues to keep an eye on her as he moves, his posture continues into its slouch the closer to the fourth floor they get. It's by no means relaxed; if anything, it's sullen.]

[She stays exactly three steps behind him: far enough that she can get away and close enough that she can attack if needed. After a few moments, she dares to speak again. There's just something... familiar about needling him.]

Some ninja. Can't even stand up straight.

Tch. I don't remember having to pass a test on that to become a genin.

[He'd make the effort to slouch further, but that would make walking uncomfortable. 8|]

Maybe it is for jounin. You should look into it.

In that case, I'll pass. [He looks away. It would figure. She's not even from the same reality as him - she all but hates his guts - and he's still hearing talk of becoming a jounin from her. Where's the justice in that?

...He doesn't think he's told her that he's been working on that back home, since Asuma died.]

Too much work. [/deadpan.]

[He turns onto the fourth floor, walking into the hallway.]

[That, for some reason that she can't fathom, is a somewhat familiar refrain. She follows him into the hallway, sharp-eyed gaze taking in everything. Her answer is somewhat distracted; she's too busy cataloging potential threats and escape routes to give needling him her full attention.]

You're not just an ass; you're a lazy ass.

How perceptive of you. [He points to the kitchen as they pass it.] That's a kitchen, by the way.

[Temari looks over the kitchen with a critical eye. Just like any other kitchen, which meant that, yes, it was a veritable treasure trove of improvised weaponry.]

Yes, thank you. I never would have figured that out on my own.

You're welcome.

[And then with 90% less asshole:] The two apartments on that side of the hall are empty. You can check 'em out if you don't trust me. [He turns to the doors on the other side of the hall.] Your apartment is at the end there. Mine's in the middle - [He stops in front of said door with a key even as he says this.] The other one's empty too.

[Waitasec. What the hell is this?] I really do live next to you?

[Oh, yeah. She's checking those apartments. Then setting traps over her own.]

Your idea, not mine. [He'd say you're free to move anytime you like, but considering the situation, it's probably for the best you don't.

He opens the door to his apartment without another word, stepping inside without closing it. She can stand out there or follow - he won't force her either way.

...If she does follow, she's bound to notice the place is a mess. Of the broken furniture and giant hole in the wall variety. The wall hasn't had enough time to recover from its meeting with Chouji's fist, leaving chunks of it scattered in the apartment next door.

As for the furniture, with the mood he's been in today? Things were more likely to break further than get fixed if he got his hands on them.]

[Temari follows him as far as the door, unwilling to step foot inside the apartment and watchful for any traps that might be there. She takes in the damage with wide eyes.]

What'd you do to this place?

Wasn't me. [He jerks a thumbs towards the hole as he heads towards the coat closet.] Told you it was empty next door.

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