In His Touch (No Strings Attached)

Disclaimer: I disown myself from owning Naruto & Corp.

Author’s Note: My deepest gratitude to Trollmia. I couldn’t express with words how happy I am to have one of my favorite authors reading and reviewing my fic. I love your story, “The Need To Breed” the most because it featured a very interesting pairing of Temari and Iruka. I did review it too. And, also if the readers want to read this story in its proper formatting, feel free to check it on Fanfictiondotnet, under my other penname, ardenilia. Te story is titled the same but maybe these first two chapters were combined into one. Because I still couldn’t get a grip on how this site’s UI works. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. Thanks!

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They continued their journey to Konoha as soon as the early dawn breaks. Temari had almost forgotten about her missing metal fan until one of Kakashi’s dogs had retrieved it for her. He recognized that it was Shiro, the ever sunny grayish-white dog that sported a few spikes on top his head. The one that stood by her side all night long last night. Even if he asked it to go back, Shiro refused to comply with its master’s commands and decided to stick with the blonde kunoichi instead. It barked gratefully when it received a ruffle on its spiky hair and nuzzled up against Temari’s legs. Apparently, the dog had grown fond of the girl and it was known that Kakashi’s ninkens excluding Pakkun had never showed any interest towards other people. Until now. So, it was a brand new thing for him.

“Lucky guy.” Pakkun muttered under his breath, receiving a low chortle from the Konoha Jounin.

“What’s its name, Kakashi-san?” She asked, as they leapt from trees to trees with Shiro and Pakkun moving between them.

“Shiro.” He replied, still dissatisfied that Shiro had abandoned him for another person.

“Shiro? That’s a nice name.” She grinned at the said mammal. “Thank you for finding my fan, Shiro-kun. Perhaps, a treat should be appropriate?” Shiro jumped in excitement, emanating a small laughter from the tessenjutsu specialist.

Pakkun hopped on top of Shiro, its jet-black eyes blinking hopefully. “Hey, Temari-san. What about us?” She eyed the small pup before letting her gaze rested on the silver-haired man. “I’ll think about it.”

Oblivious to Temari, Kakashi was smirking under his mask. “I just might hold on to your words, Temari-san. And when I do, you can’t go back on it.” He was just kidding with her but he never knew that she would respond positively to it.

“We’ll see about it, Kakashi-san.” She raised one of her eyebrows and sealed her lips into a brief pout before giving him a genuine smile. Not her usual smug ones. She had somehow felt at ease with his presence. Who knew that the Copy Ninja owned a good sense of humor?

‘Cute.’ His heart skipped a beat.

What the he-? That’s just great. His inner voice had resurfaced again and it’s starting to betray his well-guarded emotions. What has this kunoichi done to him?

When he saw her unusually cheerful expression and the glowing beam on her face, it was as if she’s a different person than yesterday. He couldn’t deny that he was glad she’d gotten over the fateful incident. He realized that she had never drop a single tear even when she was in the brink of death last night, until Pakkun told him that she in reality had cried herself silently to sleep in the tent.

She did an excellent job in hiding her real emotions which she might considered as weaknesses however to Kakashi, she had actually sacrificed one thing last night; her icy facade. He couldn’t grip what it was but he felt that there was something more to her than what meets the eye.

The interaction between those two was absorbed by the ever-perceptive animals. Shiro wriggled his body, drawing the small dog’s attention. ‘Hey, Pakkun! Are they, as humans would call it, ‘flirting’ with each other?’

‘Hmm…maybe. She’s not addressing him with his family name anymore. Besides, she’s smiling at him,’ came the silent reply.

‘I like her.’

‘We all do.’

At that time, they caught the well-concealed look on their master’s face when he sneaked a glance at the kunoichi. It had sparked more curiosity.

‘I think Kakashi likes her too.’

‘Too early to say, Shiro. Don’t get your hopes too high. You know what Kakashi thinks about attachment. Besides, it’s impossible for someone like her not to be involved with someone else already.’

‘3 bones says that she’s not.’

‘I’ll double the bet that she is.’

‘We’ll see.’

‘We will see, buddy.’

If only Kakashi knew what they were talking about, Pakkun swore they would end up as ‘hot-dogs’ for breakfast the next morning. Thank heavens he couldn’t copy the Inuzuka clan’s ability to be capable of understanding dog ‘language’. If not, they’ll be fresh meat for sure.

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“Are you saying that they were actually nuke-nins from Mist?” Tsunade cradled her face with her hands, staring deep into both ninjas in front of her. Her ruby painted lips formed a thin line as she scanned over the written papers.

“At least a few of them are.” The son of Konoha’s White Fang conveyed his report to the Godaime Hokage.

“How did they end up here?”

“That still remains unanswered, Tsunade-sama.”

The flaxen-haired woman lifted her gaze as soon as she analyzed the situation. The younger girl that stood beside Kakashi had been another concern. “Temari-san…”

“Hai, Tsunade-sama?”

“I’m really regretful of what had happened. This might bring a bad image to Sunagakure. And to say that we’ve just established an official alliance,” She let out a sigh. “…this problem must not be overlooked.”

“I’m alright. We do not have any complications…at all.” She lied, though there was a slight truth in it. The seventeen year old girl looked away at a random direction, carefully avoiding eye contact with the Sannin and especially her temporary travel companion. However, the older woman would not be taken for a fool, especially when she saw the fresh bruise on her right jaw and the kunoichi’s slightly cracked lips.

“You can be honest with me, Temari-san.”

Kakashi cleared his throat, deciding that he should try to discard the issue from being pressed any further. He had made a promise and he intended to keep it. “Gomen ne Tsunade-sama, but both of us have other matters to deal with.”

“Alright, you are dismissed Kakashi. And Temari-san, I’ve assigned an escort for you. He should be here…”

The door was rapped slowly from the outside.

“…just about now. Come in.”

The large oak door creaked open, revealing a smart dark-haired young man with a scowl on his slightly unexcited face. The young Chuunin hold back a look of surprise but one of his eye brows raised as he come to identify the occupants of the room. Putting his hands in his pockets, he grunted inaudibly. “You called, Hokage-sama?”

“Yes, Nara Shikamaru. Of course you recognized who this is.”

Obviously he did. ‘The troublesome fan girl.’

“Good. I want you to escort her to an inn and make sure she’s comfortable and settled down.”

Shikamaru’s forehead cringed with confusion. The Godaime made it sound like she wanted him to knock the girl off.

“Not in the way that you’re thinking, Shikamaru!”

His face reddened upon the thought. “What? Geez…I wasn’t thinking anything!”

“Okay then, it’s all settled. You all may go now.”

The three of them walked out of the office with Kakashi closing the door behind them.

“Aren’t you glad to see me, Mr. Crybaby?” She teased the young boy with that conceited sneer on her face as soon as she got the opportunity.

Shikamaru grumbled low in his throat. “Tch. Troublesome woman.”

Kakashi was about to leave when he suddenly remembered that Temari’s wounds needed to be treated properly. Leaving the gash closed without a follow-up antibiotics medication could be fatal. He turned around to see her taunting the sole Nara heir, while the said boy was fighting off a blush and they both looked like a quarellling young couple. It was none of his business to interrupt them but he would be on his way once he suggested the notion to the younger girl.

Temari bleated playfully. “I’ve almost got beaten up on my way here, and you can’t even be nice to me?”

“Eh? The fearsome Temari of the Sand got beat up? That’s new.” Miraculously, the Chuunin found it amusing but since he was so laid-back, the laugh came out dispassionately.

“Look, something happened. SO, shouldn’t you be making me comfortable instead? You should help me get over it.” She didn’t mean it to sound so blatantly dirty, but she just liked to push the gifted genius’s buttons and especially liked the way his face cringed into his trademark frown.

“Why me? Okay, fine…” he scowled, again. Another score for Temari. His hand grabbed her forearm, intending to drag her away from an inch close of making a ruckus just outside the Godaime’s office. Temari flinched when she felt a burning sting at the spot where Shikamaru was holding. She didn’t realize that it could be injured too. “Can’t you be gentler, Shikamaru?”

“Whatever. Troublesome woman. Can we go now?” He started to walk away, dragging the Suna kunoichi behind. Another five seconds, he’ll be having the Godaime’s fist up on his face.

Temari’s head jerked that instant. “Oh wait! Kakashi-san, I need to say-?”

When she turned around, the mentioned Jounin was no longer there.

‘Goodbye.’

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End notes: This chapter’s a little bit short, but it’ll be longer in the next chappie. Till then, take care.