Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Apples [ Shikamaru x Temari ] ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Joyce`lynn: [grins and waves] Hi everyone! I've wanted to write a Shikamaru/Temari oneshot for a long time!
Shikamaru: ...you're annoying.
Joyce`lynn: O_O [blinks, obviously hurt] B-b-b-but Shika-chan! You're one of my favorite characters!
Shikamaru: [blink blink] Really?
Joyce`lynn: [vigorously shakes her head] Ya!! You're on my top 5!!
Shikamaru: ...who's number one?
Joyce`lynn: Hee hee...Sasuke.
Shikamaru: ....number two?
Joyce`lynn: squeee! Neji!!
Shikamaru: ....three?
Joyce`lynn: YOU!!! [hugs]
Shikamaru: ....why am I three?
Joyce`lynn: ...cuz I said so.
Shikamaru: ....fine.

Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 05.19.2006 | Updated On: 05.21.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 1.9K | Visits: 965 | Status: Completed

She's a madwoman.

I knew that from the first fight we had.

No, I knew that from the fight she and Tenten had.

Temari. Was that her name? Temari?

The blonde girl with four ponytails and the giant fan thing. She's rash. Show-offy. Rude. Loud. Strong. Clever. Cute.

Funny how all those words group together to describe her. I remember when I asked my father why he married my mother. After all, she's naggy and annoying. Strict and troublesome. But of course, dad would just chew his food thoughtfully and reply, “Sometimes she has a kind smile on her face.”

What the hell? That made no sense to me. Then again, he did marry my mother.

Somehow, that Temari girl reminded me of my mother. Well, they didn't look alike at all, but it was something about her. I don't know.

After the Chuunin Exam incident, I found myself spending three days in the hospital. I wasn't injured at all. I was just dead tired. So I enjoyed myself there. My hospital room had a large window, with a good view of the sky. I watched the clouds.

But three weeks after I was released, I happily bounded the streets of Konoha. Guess who I met on the street market?

Temari. The madwoman.

She looked so out of place. Her dress style. Looked like she had come straight from the desert. She was looking at some fruit, with this confused expression on her face. I didn't know what I was doing. Before I had realized it, I had marched straight up to her.

“It's an apple. Never seen one?”

Her eyes locked onto mine, and she turned slightly to face me. Something in my stomach twisted.

She had deep, blue green eyes. They were dark. As if they were hiding something. And she had that messy blonde hair framing her face, pulled back into those four ponytails. But she looked different from when she was on the battle field.

Maybe it was the fact that the murderous gleam in her eyes was gone, and she wasn't trying to hit me with a giant fan?

Huh.

Maybe.

But she held the apple out to him and tilted her head slightly, like a child. Amazingly, she had a doleful voice.

“Apple?”

I almost didn't answer her. I was staring at her face. But I caught myself and cleared my throat.

“Yeah. Apple.”

She pulled back the fruit and stared at it, as if it was the biggest mystery in the world. I wanted to laugh. The jounin level shinobi, amazingly powerful, terrifyingly heartless and unnaturally skilled girl from the notorious Sand Village was puzzled by a small, red fruit.

She purchased the apple and many other fruits. I just stood there, as if I was waiting for her. Was I? When she finished, she turned to me and smiled. Then we walked together down the street as if we were friends taking a midday stroll.

She didn't say much. Why do I keep referring to her as “she”? I don't know why. I can't really bring myself to call her by her name. It was a nice day out. Good for cloud gazing. But for some reason, I wanted to walk with this Sand Ninja a little longer.

We didn't talk much. She had taken out the apple again and stared at it. I watched her. She seemed a little weird.

“Have you really never seen an apple before?”

She raised her eyes at me and I felt the shivers go down my spine. But she laughed and held the apple to her bosom.

“Nope. Never did. They don't grow back at the Sand Village.”

I raised an eyebrow and pulled my arms behind my head.

“Lemme guess…it's sandy and dry?”

She smirked and laughed again.

“Hah. You guessed right.”

Was she really that pleasant? One the battle field, she's aggressive and merciless. With her team, she's cold and anti social. With me…she's…pleasant.

“Why're you still in Konoha? The Exam ended weeks ago.”

She shrugged and put the apple back into her bag.

“I wanted to do some sight seeing. I don't get to go to other villages much. Gaara and Kankuro are here too.”

Gaara? Kankuro? The two other ninjas on her team.

We chatted a bit, walking. We kept walking aimlessly until we reached a small hotel. I wasn't even aware that I had walked this path. I suppose she was leading the way.

Well, we said our goodbyes, and I turned to leave.

“Hey…”

I turned around, a little surprised. She stood at the doorway, slightly hidden behind the frame.

“What's your name?”

“Shikamaru.” I answered. “Shikamaru Nara.”

She blinked and smiled again.

“Shikamaru Nara. Alright…”

When she said my name, my heart leapt. Leapt? What?

“…Maybe I'll see you tomorrow then? At the market again?”

Was she implying something?

“Yeah.” I replied, surprising myself again. “Maybe.”

With that, she gave another brilliant grin and shut the door. I stared after it for a minute before I turned away again and walked back down the path to the street market.

Temari.

The madwoman.

I stopped suddenly, right there, in the middle of the street. People passed by, not really noticing much. I touched my chest, where my heart was. It leapt when she said my name.

Temari.

Maybe I will see you tomorrow at the market.

Temari.