The longest journey

English isn’t my first language, so if something wrong (gomen) , let me know.

This is my first fic published.

This story contains spoilers up to chapter 269. I’ve just imagined what was next ;)


I don’t own Naruto characters, I just borrow them.


Here he was. Nara Shikamaru the prodigy, one of youngest jounins ever, also called ‘the man who plays with shadows’. Standing besides Tsunade’s desk he gasped:
‘How troublesome.’

She just asked him to go on a mission. Long and dull one. He didn’t mind the dull, he was somewhat accostumed to it. But he would rather experienced it at Konoha. Gaara was hospitalised in Konohagakure for a month already, after the incident with Akatsuki. He was in coma. Blondhair Hokage was really worried about him, and searched everywhere for a cure. She now has found something, that may become a hope and lazy nin was given a mission to retrieve it.

‘Here’s the letter for Tsuchikage... and there’s one more thing.’

Shikamaru gazed at her even more irritated.

‘Yes..?’

‘I’d like you to take one person with you. She insisted on this, and I think it would be good for her if she went with you’

‘Who? And Why?’

‘His sister, Temari. She just can’t stand being here and doing nothing but worrying about him. She just spent her days here sitting next to his bed with that awful look on her face.’

‘Why don’t you let her stay, if she so worried.’ jounin argued ‘I just take Ino and Chouji... ‘

‘They must stay here, especially Ino. I may need her abilities to keep him alive. As for Chouji, he was already assigned to other mission and won’t be back in two weeks.’

‘Che... Why sending me then? Won’t she get by alone, or won’t some chounin do?’

‘Well, the case requires some... diplomacy. It is still going to Iwagakure to ask for something that will help Kazekage. Your abilities might be needed to persuade Tsuchikage to give it. I hope that you understand that, although we used to have war with Sunagakure...’

‘Yeah, yeah... they are now our allies... etc etc.... you don’t have to preach... I know exactly what’s going on in our village’ he said giving her a smirk.

‘I know you do... That’s why I’m sending you’ she answered also giving him a smirk.

After that he disappeared.

Temari was doing the same thing she did everyday. She was sitting next to her brother’s bed either thanking Kami-sama that his still alive or worrying what will happen if he doesn’t wake up. But today things where different, she knew that Hokage has finally found something that may help him and she knew she was going to retrieve this thing. She was supposed to go on a mission with one of Konoha nins. She didn’t mind that, although going with Kankuro would be better, but he was at Sunagakure helping with everything because the Kazekage was in coma.

Kazekage... Gaara... Her fearsome, yet dearest brother.

She heard a knock to the door.

‘Come in.’

Shikamaru enterned with his usual ‘I-don’t-care-about-anything’ look on his face. He had his backpack on his back. As he noticed that Temari is also prepared for the journey with her fan and rucksack leaning next to the wall so he asked

‘Ready to go?’

‘Nara Shikamaru?’ she asked with amazed look on her face ‘Why... ?’

‘Yeah that’s me. Enough with introduction, let’s go. I’m not going to wait for the noon.’
He said and exit the room. He knew that she probably need a few minutes to farewell her brother. He might have been happy-go-lucky but not cold-hearted. Indeed after a few minutes she also exit the room and they headed to the West Gate in silence.


In silence they also spend next hours heading west. Shikamaru didn’t mind the silence. In fact he wouldn’t like to discuss anything with the girl next to him. He was just enjoying himself walking peacefully watching the clouds and forest around him. He loved the nature, because it wasn’t troublesome like many things in this world. It was just there, not fighting, asking questions, create problems or else.

At the beginning Temari also didn’t mind the silence. She walked after the man just watching her feet and thinking about many things. Finally she began to think about the man she travel with. She remembered that he was using shadow jutsu during chounin exam almost 4 years ago. She remembered she heard that after everything what happened during that exam, in the end, he was the only one promoted to be a chounin. She remembered helping his team during the mission to get Uchiha back to Konohagakure. She knew that now he was a jounin. And that was all she knew about him. She had no idea why he was a jounin. As far as she knew, he wasn’t extraordinary strong, and shadow jutsu he mastered wasn’t such a big threat. There had to be something else, but she had no idea what was it. After all no one ever talked about him, about his abilities, while she was at Konoha. And she talked with many people there, usually with injured nins at the hospital. They were talkative, because they were just simply bored laying in the beds. And she was bored sometimes too. Maybe not bored, rather fed up with her brother situation. All in all, she heard many gossips about many cases. But never about him. Guess he was just ordinary nin, probably hard-working, since he was a jounin already.
Hard-workig? He seemed lazy as hell. Yeah that was weird, but Temari didn’t really cared about Konoha’s rules for becoming jounin.

She had to admit that this journey became boring with silent companion like that.

‘Hey’ she said starting walking next to him

He just looked at her to suggest that he’s noticed her.

‘Hope you understand how important is this mission.’

He noded.

‘You probably don’t care about my brother's life, but...’

He stoped.

‘It’s not like I don’t care’ he said still looking at the sky ‘You have helped us few times, he saved my mates, and he is our important ally, the Kazekage. I do care, I’m just not attached to him. Don’t worry about our mission, everything should go well, if Tsuchikage agrees to help us.’

He continued walking and watching the clouds.

‘Yes’ she said, having nothing more to say.

And that was the only conversation they had that day. After that Shikamaru spoke only at inn, to ask for meal and rooms. They spent the night in the inn and at dawn they continued their silent journey.

Did it sucks? Or did you like it? Please review.

More to come. Soon...