Disclaimer: I own Naru— Shikamaru covers chibi-onna's mouth. (Shikamaru: You're so troublesome.)

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A/N: Oh my gosh! Is this really happening? Am I really writing this fic? And… What's this? My main pairing is… HETERO! I think my friends are going to faint now… They've been too used to me writing yaoi fics, most of which are unposted as of yet. Anyway, as you already know, Temari and Shikamaru are the stars here. The timeline I chose is pretty recent, so spoilers are bound to come up every now and then. I threw in a lot of stuff from the manga… You have been warned. But in any case, happy reading!

Okay. That aside, I want everyone to know that I dedicate this fanfic to my dear friend aoimidori. Hey girl! This one's for you.

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Fan-Shaped Clouds

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Chapter 1: Troublesome Thoughts

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Shadows traveled slowly across the open fields, creeping towards a lone figure sprawled on the grass. The figure laid unmoving, looking out of place yet somehow belonging there, resting on Nature's lush green carpets.

Nara Shikamaru sighed as a lazy breeze blew by. It wasn't a sigh of contentment, nor was it the opposite. It could have been of mild annoyance or of grudging acceptance; but whatever it was for, only his genius mind knew. The chuunin had been on the clearing since sunrise, staring at the clouds as he always did. This time, however, a frown marred the usually carefree and easy-going expression on his face. He closed his eyes as unbidden memories resurfaced in his consciousness.

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Should I just admit defeat? Ch'. This is becoming too troublesome.

A sudden gust of wind caught them unawares, but what really struck Shikamaru was the feeling of vague familiarity it brought. Sure enough, the Sand Siblings appeared. Rock Lee was backed by Gaara, Kiba was supported by Kankurou, and he was helped by Temari.

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"Well, it's the end," the blonde announced.

Tayuya was, without a doubt, defeated.

What a tough one… She's truly a woman more terrifying than my own mother…

The girl turned to him and grinned, "What do you think?"

The squad leader was surprised, but relaxed almost immediately.

It's alright I guess… I really need to thank her this time…

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"There's no use in fidgeting."

The lazy nin turned to her.

"Sacrifice is an inevitable part of missions… Didn't you receive emotion training?" Temari inquired.

"Training and actual combat are different. In a mission, you don't know what's going to happen… And I was a team leader for the first time on this mission… Because of that… I understand that… I'm not cut out to be a shinobi…"

Unexpected fragility, Temari thought, Men are strange.

"I shouldn't have been the team leader… I just trusted everyone else. I was laid-back; I didn't have the strength… It's all my fault…"

Before he could continue, the Sand nin asked, "Are you afraid of being hurt?"

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"Shikamaru… You're being talked down to by a girl and running away…?"

"I don't want to have a troublesome argument because I'm not a girl."

"Yes… But you're also not a man. You're just a regular coward."

Father and son stared at each other. Temari said nothing, observing the two.

The senior Nara continued, "Even if you quit being a shinobi, missions will still occur, and someone has to carry them out. Your companions will just go out with a new leader. So then, maybe your companions will die…

But if you're their leader at that time… Your companions may not reach the end… If you look at this time as an experience and learn from it, maybe you can carry out your missions with less problems…"

Silence reigned. And then,

"If your companions are really important to you… Before you think about running away… Consider that you may become greater for the sake of your friends," the older man was trembling, "THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A REAL COMPANION, YOU COWARD!"

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"Just now, Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto have returned. And although he was injured, his life is in no danger," Shizune reported.

Tsunade sighed, "The two of them…. Huh?"

"Shikamaru," Godaime Hokage addressed him, "It seems your mission was a failure… But everyone's alive. That's more important than anything."

He felt what there was to feel: guilt, anger, hopelessness, defeat and relief. He trembled. There was nothing else he could do. Finally succumbing to the urge, he allowed himself to cry.

"Next time, definitely…" tears fell, "I'll show that I can do it flawlessly!"

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The cloud-watcher opened his eyes. Why was he remembering this all of a sudden? Sure, he was a genius, but even geniuses have to be confused, too, every once in a while. He sighed again. His thoughts were becoming more troublesome. He decided to stop, knowing that the answer would come to him later on, anyway. Besides, he was in no hurry. He got up and stretched. Perhaps his old man would be up for a game of Go. He shoved his hands into his pockets and started the troublesome walk to his home.

The grass swayed with the wind as spiked, pony-tailed hair disappeared from view: there, where green met blue.

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A/N: Uh, how did I do? Please tell me…. Review….